ASEAN and the world

On the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the member countries’ representatives in the UK and Norway organized a number of cultural exchanges.

Leaders of many countries worldwide have confirmed their attendance at the 28th and 29th ASEAN Summits and related summits slated for September in Laos.

Parties involved in territorial disputes in the East Sea should sit together for negotiations after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling on the Philippines lawsuit against China’s claims in the sea, in order to avoid conflicts, a French professor of history has said.

(CPV) - ADB has approved an USD810 million multi-tranche financing facility to develop Pakistan's power transmission system, to improve the reliability and quality of energy supply, and to meet increasing demand for electricity.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced he will run to lead the country again in next year’s presidential election.

The Singapore Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on August 22nd announced that former President S R Nathan died, three weeks after suffering a stroke.

At least 15 people have died after a small wooden boat capsized in rough seas and sank off Indonesia’s Bintan island.

An international symposium took place at Shangri-La Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 22nd to look into maritime security in Asia, along with challenges and opportunities for peace, stability and sustainability.

Malaysia plans to establish a new army camp in Hutan Melintang, Bagan Datoh, and Perak to protect its sea and land borders from the self-styled Islamic State (IS).

On August 21st, an earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale struck off the northern coast of Japan for the second straight day.

Cuban Government has approved American Airlines and JetBlue to begin commercial aviation service to several airports on the island.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned pregnant women to avoid tourist areas in Miami, as Florida confirms five new cases of Zika virus spread primarily via mosquitoes.

The Thai government is considering the possibility of suspending sales of rice for a short time, given fluctuating rice prices, currency volatility and uncertainty over the weather.

(CPV) - Tajikistan must look to deepen its industrial base, improve the productivity of its agricultural sector, and reduce barriers to private investment to remain on a high growth path, says a new ADB report.

Armed groups that have not signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) in Myanmar have raised an eight-point proposal to the government for finding ways to sign the NCA and join the 21st Century Panglong Ethnic Conference planned for the end of this month.

The world's largest aircraft has taken off on its maiden flight from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire.

On August 17th, Arthur Hiller, the former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the director of “Love Story,” passed away at the age of 93.

Those are the 10 most typical moments of the August Revolution - the great event which gave Independence to Vietnam in the 20th century.

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi held talks with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on August 18th, as part of her first visit to China since the Southeast Asian nation's new government, led by her National League for Democracy party, took office on April 1st.

(CPV) - ADB President Takehiko Nakao paid a courtesy call to the Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, on August 18th 2016 to discuss support for government efforts to diversify the economy and implement key structural reforms.

Tropical storm Chanthu, packing gusts up to 126km per hour, bringing heavy rains, strong winds and high waves struck the northeastern region of Japan on August 17th, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

On August 17th, Kyodo News Agency said Japan, China and Republic of Korea (RoK) were in talks to hold a meeting of their Foreign Ministers next week in Tokyo, Japan.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) held a forum in Singapore on August 16th to promote regional cooperation and connectivity.

Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (NODX) reached just SGD12.6 billion (nearly USD9.7 billion) in July, a year-on-year drop of 10.6 percent, reported the International Enterprise (IE) Singapore on August 17th.

(CPV) - ADB President Takehiko Nakao met with the President of Palau, Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr. and the Minister for Finance and ADB Governor, Elbuchel Sadang, on August 11th to discuss the country’s infrastructure investment and economic reform efforts to support stronger tourism growth in the island nation.

On August 16th, newly re-elected President of the Dominican Republic Danilo Medina was sworn for his second term.

An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale has shook near the town of Chivay, which is north of the city of Arequipa, killing at least four people and injuring 68, the authorities said.

Poverty, unemployment and social inequality are the main challenges that Indonesia needs to tackle in order to accelerate its development, President Joko Widodo has stressed.

A Thai military court on August 16th issued an arrest warrant for a second suspect in connection with the series of bomb attacks in seven southern provinces of the country last week, killing four people and injuring a dozen others.

Shamim Shorif Susom, a pilot of the Bangladesh Air Force, has taken a series of fascinating aerial photos while flying across the South Asian country.