Fifty years since its formation, all 10 of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states have seen rapid urbanisation. While the total population within Southeast Asia has reached over 640 million people in 2017, the internet penetration rate across has only reached 53 percent, which translates to 339.2 million internet users, as stated in the Digital in 2017: Southeast Asia report released by Hootsuite and We Are Social.

Officially sworn in as Singapore’s eighth president, Halimah Yacob, 63 has become the first female president in the history of Singapore after successfully filling her nomination papers while obtaining the support of the Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.In a speech, Lee described Halimah as a respected unionist who championed the employment and well being of union members and workers and also their family members, especially for women who are returning to work.

We often hear that "cash is king". While it is undeniable that cash has been the preferred mode of payment in the past, the 21st century has introduced an array of cashless payment methods – also known as e-payment – to consumers all over the world. All across the globe, people are divided into those who prefer the more conventional mode of payment as others take a more progressive approach by supporting cashless transactions.

In recent years, online shopping has been gaining traction in the Southeast Asian region as consumers become more tech-savvy. The growing smartphone and internet penetration rate in the region has driven the rise of digital shoppers. Virtual stores are becoming more popular particularly amongst youngsters who prefer to shop online due to its affordability, variety and convenience.

“Many people don’t realise it, but there are actually two Chinese ambassadors in Washington: me and the panda cub at the National Zoo,” wrote Chinese ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, in his opinion piece published by The Washington Post in 2013.

As ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) celebrates its 50th anniversary, the region has witnessed immense growth in terms of its economy and human population which has contributed to the rising demand for energy. In recent years, the ACE (ASEAN Centre for Energy) has been working on promoting the use of renewable energy throughout the region.

Indonesia’s e-commerce market is targeted to grow from 19 billion dollars in 2016 to 130 billion dollars in 2020, according to data obtained from Indonesia’s ICT (Information and Communications Technology) Ministry. This puts Indonesia ahead in terms of digital economy growth against its other ASEAN counterparts – with a year-on-year growth of 51 percent. Indonesia’s growing digital economy is riding on its fast-growing usage of smartphones – which amounted to 71 million users in 2016.

The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations) market – which combines Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Lao, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Brunei – is one of the world’s fastest growing markets that is going through rapid urbanisation over recent years.

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asia Nations) recently celebrated its 50th anniversary in August and has come a long way since its commencement through the 1967 Bangkok Declaration. The organisation promotes economic cooperation, political stability, good governance and civil liberties – which were the founding principles on which the association has been built upon.

As a serious issue that is gripping the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asia Nations) region, climate change has unwittingly been overlooked by the association.