Asean
Tackling regional haze problems tops September “ASEAN Today”

JAKARTA, 23 September 2019 – The September 2019 edition of “ASEAN Today” looks at the recurring problem of air pollution caused by forest fires in Indonesia. Raissa Chentami of The Indonesia Channel anchors the program from the new ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta.
She also reports on why Malaysia’s major car company is revving up sales, and the dilemma for farmers in Thailand over the reemergence of a temple that had been underwater for decades.
This is the 91st episode in the informative and entertaining series now in its 10th year of broadcast, and can be viewed on the Internet as well as through ASEAN broadcasters such as The Indonesia Channel and Vietnam’s VOV-TV.
“ASEAN Today” is a joint production of the ASEAN Secretariat and The Indonesia Channel, supported by AirAsia.
Some materials are provided by broadcasters in member countries. Check local listings for broadcast times. For more information, contact Raissa Chentami at [email protected]
Asean
The Latest on Covid-19 in Southeast Asia
Thailand has largely avoided widespread community transmission of Covid-19, but the kingdom is not faring well on the economic front, with a projected contraction of 7.1 percent this year.

As a region, Southeast Asia has fared relatively well in keeping coronavirus cases low, with the notable exceptions of the Philippines and Indonesia.
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China’s debt-trap diplomacy: Laos’ credit rating downgraded to CCC
Laos’ debt challenge is deeply concerning, with some media commentators suggesting the country is falling into a debt trap as a result of Chinese infrastructure investments connected to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

On 23 September, the Fitch Ratings agency downgraded Laos’ credit rating to CCC — the second downgrade in 2020, having dropped to B- in May.
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