Lung cancer killed nearly 1.8 million people globally in 2018, of which 61.4 percent of deaths occurred in the Asia Pacific region according to data compiled by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The data also revealed that 59.3 percent of the world’s new lung cancer cases are also to be found in the same region. Across ASEAN member states, the Global Cancer Observatory recorded a total of 113,105 new cases of lung cancer last year.

A vibrant small medium enterprise (SME) ecosystem holds the key to achieving broad-based and inclusive growth in developing countries. Now with technological advancements, micro enterprises have the same opportunities to reach out to the international market as do SMEs. Destry Anna Sari, Chair of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ACCMSME) stressed the importance of providing a conducive ecosystem for micro-enterprises to thrive in.

Southeast Asia’s rapid growth has led to a rise in income which enables its citizens to enjoy leisure travel in the form of long-haul destinations and micro-trips. The region’s budget travel market, including low-cost flights, is also expected to grow exponentially.

Frustrated by how long it took for that t-shirt or pair of shoes you ordered from Shopee or Lazada to arrive?

Nothing gets your attention more than a whiff of the King of Fruits, whose pungent aroma can offend even an adult. Durian is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia and is mainly grown in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The hard, outer shell is covered in thorns, whose shape and size differs depending on the type. When ripe, the custard-like flesh inside can be sweet and creamy.

TMF Group, a multinational professional services firm headquartered in Amsterdam, recently released its Global Business Complexity Index 2019 report.While the report looks at how easy it is to do business in 76 different countries around the world, it also shows just how diverse ASEAN can be with two member states positioned on opposite ends of the business-friendly ladder.

Early this year, it was revealed that Thailand had set a new record for tourist arrivals, welcoming as many as 38.2 million tourists in 2018. For 2019, the government there hopes to bring in as many as 41 million tourists to the Land of Smiles. One sector that can help it achieve that goal is halal (permissible by Islam) tourism.A recent annual survey by Mastercard and CrescentRating found that Thailand is one of the top holiday destinations for Muslims.

ASEAN is set to become the world’s fourth largest economy by 2030, and it is a transition that will be championed by an increasingly tech-savvy younger population which is rapidly rising up the socio-economic ladder.

Some of the most rapidly ageing countries can be found in Southeast Asia. The population of Singapore over the age of 65 is expected to reach 26.6 percent in 2035, whereas the ageing population in Thailand is expected to reach 22.8 percent.

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