ASEAN and the world

On July 3rd, former Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit officially succeed Nabil Al-Araby as Secretary-General of the Arab League.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Summit 2016 will take place at the National Stadium in Warsaw in Poland on July 8th - 9th.

On July 3rd, Egypt’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee said a search vessel contracted by the Egyptian government has recovered all human remains under water at the crash site of EgyptAir flight MS804 in the Mediterranean.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced that the 89th Academy Awards ceremony (commonly referred to as the Oscars) is scheduled to take place on February 26th, 2017, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and Highland Center in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

A Thai government delegation had a meeting with senior officials of the United Nations in New York on July 2nd, during which the Thai officials vowed to organise a referendum on the new draft constitution on August 8th.

Japan is deeply concerned about territorial sea disputes between China and other countries, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Korro Bessho said on July 1st.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a USD100 million loan that will be extended to four financial institutions for on lending to small businesses—the backbone of the Uzbekistan economy.

Japan is deeply concerned about territorial sea disputes between China and other countries, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Korro Bessho said on July 1st.

Thailand will buy its first submarine from China in 2017, stated Deputy Premier Prawit Wongsuwan on July 1st.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte named a lawyer as head of the newly-established Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on July 1st.

Thailand and Myanmar have agreed to double bilateral trade turnover from the current USD10 billion to USD20 billion in 2017.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and incumbent Barack Obama will campaign together for the first time in Charlotte, North Carolina, on July 5th.

Egypt’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation on June 28th announced that the data files from crashed EgyptAir flight MS804 were sent back to investigators in Cairo.

Laos will build new warehouses to stock rice across the country, reported the local State-run news agency KPL on June 30th.

(CPV) - ADB and the Bangladesh Public–Private Partnership Authority on June 30th 2016 signed a transaction advisory services agreement that will pave the way for a public-private partnership project (PPP) to prepare and develop a major access road to boost connectivity and cut traffic congestion in central Dhaka.

Measures to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN-India Action Plan 2016-2020 were the focus of the 16th meeting of the ASEAN-India Joint Cooperation Committee in Jakarta, Indonesia on June 29th.

The 13th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) of the Democratic People Republic of Korea (DPRK) on June 29th announced a detailed five-year strategy focusing on boosting the economy, reducing the shortage of electricity and enhancing the living standards of the people.

(CPV) - ADB will provide a USD50 million emergency assistance loan to the Government of Fiji for short-term financing of disaster recovery reconstruction programs, including school rehabilitation and housing assistance.

The closing ceremony of the 5th International Music Festival of Asia-Pacific region (APFest) has been held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Singaporean travelers to the US will be treated with faster immigration checks with the recent launch of a joint programme entitled “US-Singapore Trusted Traveller Programme” (TPP).

The UK's decision to depart from the EU is likely to delay the negotiation process of the Indonesia-EU Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IE-CEPA), according to Indonesian Trade Minister Thomas Lembong.

Pang Sida National Park in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province will organize the 12th annual butterfly festival in a couple of weeks.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on June 29th that he will order to arrest deputy opposition leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Kem Sokha when the court issues an order.

Parents in Indonesia were recommended on June 29th to consult doctors and consider the re-inoculation for their children as a large-scale counterfeit vaccine scandal was uncovered in the country.

(CPV) - ADB Trade Finance Program (TFP) made its first foray into Pacific markets on June 29th 2016 with the signing of guarantee and loan agreements with the National Bank of Samoa and Samoa Commercial Bank.

(CPV) - Based on current trends, 69 million children under five will die from mostly preventable causes, 167 million children will live in poverty, and 750 million women will have been married as children by 2030, the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals – unless the world focuses more on the plight of its most disadvantaged children, according to a UNICEF report released on June 28th

Russia currently owns the world’s most biggest and powerful icebreaker. However, the powerful countries also own the other icebreakers.

The Philippine Government has allowed Indonesia’s military forces to enter its territory to rescue seven Indonesian sailors taken hostage by extremist groups last week, said Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu on June 28th.

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has celebrated its 65th founding anniversary (June 28th, 1951) with a grand ceremony in Phnom Penh in the presence of some 10,000 Party members and supporters.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a USD600 million loan program, with a first subprogram of USD300 million, to help Pakistan roll out major structural reforms to improve the performance and financial sustainability of its public sector enterprises.