The scene was mesmerising as South Korean and North Korean athletes marched together under a single flag during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea on 9 February. The athletes were introduced simply as the ‘Korea’ contingent. The march past was followed by a presentation built along the theme of ‘Peace in Motion’ and followed by a candlelight formation in the symbolic shape of a dove and the singing of John Lennon’s 1971 hit, ‘Imagine’.

Indonesian lawmakers are facing scrutiny from human rights groups and LGBT organisations for their draft of amendments to the national Criminal Code. The amendments, which are currently being finalised in the People’s Representative Council include laws that would punish extramarital sex, cohabitation between couples and same-sex activities. Indonesia is looking to update its Criminal Code, which they inherited from their Dutch colonisers.

Election fever has started to sweep Indonesia. The largest democracy in Southeast Asia heads to the polls twice in the next year and a half.

Recent reports that China’s military and naval facilities are nearing completion have not fazed the Philippines, who have not taken any form of military action to halt the further progress of China into the waters of the South China Sea (SCS).

With the growing influence of China over Southeast Asian waters, the Indian government has expressed a readiness to bolster maritime security in the region, particularly in ensuring peace prevails in the disputed areas of the South China Sea.

It has been just over 100 days since the Battle of Marawi, the military siege that lasted five months, from May to October last year. The Manila Times reported in October that over 47 civilians and around 970 militant terrorists were killed. Conflict between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the coalition of Islamic State (IS) militants resulted in destruction of the city as a result of firefights, bombings and air strikes.

Malnutrition is a global plague. However, it is a more acute problem specifically in the Asian region.

Sabah, located in the northern half of the island of Borneo has been at the centre of a diplomatic row between Malaysia and the Philippines – which claims much of its eastern half – since the early 1960s. Currently, Sabah remains under the sovereignty of Malaysia and the matter has laid dormant for many years.

The Delhi Declaration that was announced recently during the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit is a mutual commitment “to further deepen and strengthen” the strategic partnerships of all 10 ASEAN countries with India. One of the more interesting highlights of the declaration is the call for stronger partnerships in countering terrorism within the region.

The main conclusion drawn from the visit by ASEAN leaders to India last week is that India is finally recognising ASEAN’s geostrategic potency and wants to capitalise on it. In doing so, India must play catch up with China.