A five-month battle against Islamic State supporters in the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,100 lives has ended following a final battle inside a mosque, defence chiefs said on Monday.The conclusion of the conflict ended immediate fears that IS would establish a Southeast Asian base in the southern city of Marawi.

Singapore is experiencing a surge in venture capital fundraising, reflecting growing interest in Southeast Asia’s startups.This month, Vertex Ventures and two other venture-capital firms completed fundraising efforts in the city, each with their largest fund yet.

Vietnam’s central bank said record-high foreign reserves will enable it to keep the currency stable for the rest of the year as the government focuses on boosting growth in the Southeast Asian economy.With reserve levels at 45 billion dollars, “we are confident that we will be able to maintain the dong’s value,” in 2017, Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy governor of State Bank of Vietnam, said on the sidelines of a meeting in Hoi An on Saturday.

Southeast Asian countries are innately blessed with the diverse culture and heritage sites that they could offer to tourists from all across the world. Every country within the region will entice you with even more stunning nature, architecture and ethos.

Apps. They’re everywhere.They’ve permeated so many facets of our lives that we probably don’t even realise how dependent we’ve become on the dozens (or hundreds) of little icons littered across our phones and tablets.This explosion of app-dependence isn’t surprising, by any means. The Southeast Asian region is home to some of the most tech-savvy people in the world. Over half of the region’s population, 339.2 million people to be exact, are connected to the internet.

TensionsTensions have risen in Southeast Asia over the past week, particularly in Myanmar and the Philippines. Scores of Rohingya refugees who were fleeing their homeland in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar found themselves stranded at the Bangladeshi border.

It’s that time of the year again where people are handing out pink ribbons as part of a public awareness programme aimed at reminding women across the globe to head for a breast examination in order to combat breast cancer.

Due to their unregulated nature, cryptocurrencies and the businesses that they have created occupy a grey area in Southeast Asia. However, they have undoubtedly become a major focus area for ASEAN businesses.This isn’t surprising, considering the advantages that cryptocurrencies bring to the table. Their adoption can reduce costs and increase security and convenience for both consumers and businesses.The cryptocurrency market is expected to see massive growth over the next six years.

Singapore’s Sea plans to price shares at 15 dollars in its initial public offering and raise more than 850 million dollars, according to people familiar with the matter.The total amount may be more than one billion dollars if an option to sell additional shares is exercised, said one of the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.