ASEAN and the world

Singapore’s Police Coast Guard have been equipped with two new patrol boats that will aid the force’s fight against maritime crime and counter-terrorism capabilities.

On September 26th, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced Japan's southern Okinawa island and a chain of neighbouring islands were shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has re-appointed Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki to form a new government following elections.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) health leaders are intensifying the campaign on Zika virus.

(CPV) - Growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy is expected to continue at a healthy pace this year and next, even as the country faces a number of short term headwinds, says a new report by ADB released on September 29th 2016.

The Philippine Ministry of Health has confirmed three new cases of Zika virus, bringing the number of locally-transmitted Zika virus to 12 cases this year, including a pregnant woman.

Myanmar’s military has conducted a joint manoeuver of ground, air and artillery forces at Meiktila station, the first of its kind since the new government took office on April 1, local media reported on September 24th.

(CPV) - ADB President Takehiko Nakao opened on September 26th 2016 the Third Asian Judges Symposium on Law, Policy and Climate Change, calling on the region’s judicial systems to play a key role in helping countries contribute to global efforts to mitigate climate change and its impacts.

(CPV) - “Korea Grand Sale 2016” - the combined Hallyu, shopping and tourism event, is going take place from October 1st - 31st, offers a variety of benefits for foreigners from shopping, flight/transportation, accommodations, beauty/health, food and beverage, show performance, culture, and tourist attractions.

President Barack Obama has presented the 2015 National Arts and Humanities Medals to 24 artists.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on September 25th called on large countries to work more actively to end the conflict in Syria at an urgent meeting organized by the UN Security Council.

Singapore’s Prime Minister has launched a national movement to urge every citizen to play their part in protecting the country and society in the fight against terrorism.

ASEAN’s energy ministers have vowed to strengthen collaboration in energy security and sustainable exploitation, and expand cooperation with the bloc’s partners and international organisations.

The terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Sulu, the Philippines has releasedan Indonesian fisherman abducted last month.

A medical research publicised recently in Singapore showed that low-income people in the Southeast Asian country face the risk of getting diabetes because of obesity.

(CPV) - The United Nations welcomes the release yesterday by the Government of Sudan of twenty one children allegedly associated with armed groups. These children, who have been in the custody of the government security forces, were captured during fighting between the Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement in Darfur, in 2015.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has paid a historic visit to Cuba on September 22nd , meeting with President Raul Castro and seeking to “open a new page” in relations between the two countries.

The Kyodo news agency on September 22nd announced Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida would visit Russia in October to pave the way for a visit to Japan by Russian President Vladimir Putin, due in December.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared Miami’s Wnywood neighborhood Zika-free after 45 days with no new infections, but most of Miami is still considered an infection zone.

On September 21st, an overcrowded ferry capsized and sank in southern Bangladesh, leaving around 30 people missing in the latest of a long series of river accidents in the country.

In the framework of the first United Nations summit for refugees and migrants, on the sidelines of the annual U.N General Assembly, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged to provide USD2.8 billion to help deal with the global refugee crisis over three years from 2016.

(CPV) - Continued efforts are needed to further reforms of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) across the Pacific, according to an ADB report launched on September 20th 2016 in Port Moresby.

The Cambodian government will join hands with businesses to build rice storehouses with dryers, with an expected capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per day.

The ASEAN Film Week (AFW) 2016 was officially launched on September 20th in the Chinese city of Xi’an, Shaanxi province.

Vladimir Putin’s Ruling United Russia Party has announced it took three quarters of the seats in the State Duma, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia.

Respective tracks of the Cambodia-Thailand railroad were connected at a bridge at the two countries-shared Poipet border gate on September 19th.

The US-Indonesia trade may increase by 46 percent in the next five years, according to the latest report from the US Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia.

(CPV) - ADB Vice President Wenchai Zhang met with Sooronbai Jeenbekov, Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, and Adylbek Kasymaliev, Minister of Finance and ADB Governor, to discuss support for the government’s development priorities.

(CPV) - Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, on September 19th, announced a CAD5.5 million project to protect migrant workers in the ASEAN region during his visit to New York (USA) to attend the United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants.

On September 19th, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced typhoon Malakas and typhoon Meranti left 29 people dead and 15 missing in five provincial-level Chinese regions.