With Australia’s ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) trade agreement, the agreement between 11 countries will go into effect at the end of December. Current signatories include Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Mexico, and Canada, while Brunei, Chile, Peru, Vietnam, and Malaysia were a part of the

China and Vietnam arrested over 480 people in a join effort against a major transnational heroin smuggling network operating in the region. China has increased drug policing efforts as drug abuse continues to rise across the country.  Source: China and Vietnam bust major drug smuggling ring | Asia Times

A new law in Vietnam would, starting January 1st, require internet companies to remove content critical of the government and provide data to the government upon request. In response to the legislation and ongoing complaints of content removal on Facebook, over 100,000 activists and social media users in the country