ASEAN and the world

The defence ministers of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia on June 20th agreed to explore all possibilities, including trilateral air and maritime patrols, to prevent ship kidnappings and attacks in their common sea.

(CPV) - Emma Xiaoqin Fan, who assumed office on June 20th 2016 as the new Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office (PLCO) in Sydney, Australia, said she values the opportunity to enhance development effectiveness in the Pacific and to strengthen aid coordination in her new role.

The Mexico-Asia Pacific standing committee (CEMAP) has been set up, aiming to tightening multi-faceted cooperation between Mexico and nations in the Asia Pacific region.

On June 20th, senior aviation officials from Australia, China and Malaysia met in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the future of the search for missing aircraft MH370 that disappeared in 2014.

Virginia Raggi, a 37-year-old lawyer from the Five Star Movement political party, swept two-thirds of the votes cast in a run-off contest with her rival, Roberto Giachetti, to become Rome’s first female mayor.

Egypt’s National Airline EgyptAir has launched a website for the families and relatives of victims of flight MS804, which plunged into the Mediterranean Sea on May 19th.

Landslides and floods on Indonesia’s Java island have killed at least 35 people.

(CPV) - GE and EDF have officially began operation of the first ever combined-cycle power plant equipped with GE’s air-cooled HA gas turbine in Bouchain (France), launching a new era of power generation technology and digital integration.

France will provide a development aid worth 200 million EUR (266 million USD) to Myanmar.

On June 16th, an earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale hit the northern city of Hakodate, Hokkaido in Japan. However, the quake did not cause tsunami, the agency said.

French Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault arrived in the Myanmar capital of Nay Pyi Taw on June 16th on a three-day visit to Myanmar, announced the French Embassy in Yangon on June 17th.

The central bank of Indonesia (BI) has announced an interest rate cut of 0.25 percent to 6 percent, the fourth reduction since early this year.

The Tourism Development and Investment Company, TDIC, the master developer of major tourism, cultural and residential destinations in Abu Dhabi, said it has begun removing temporary sea protection walls used during the main construction phase, allowing the "integration of the sea" with the museum.

On June 15th, the air crash investigators in Egypt said they have found the main wreckage sites of EgyptAir flight MS804, which plunged into the Mediterranean on May 19th.

Hillary Clinton has won the last Democratic presidential campaign, defeating her party rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in the US capital.

The Commerce Ministry of Thailand has set a target of selling 10 million tonnes of rice remaining in the country’s warehouses, said the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Chutima Boonyaprapas.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is committed to continue to make contributions to the UN Human Rights Council, said the ASEAN Coordinator at the Council at the working session marking the council’s 10th anniversary in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 13th.

Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli visited Cambodia from June 8th-10th after a stop in China for the 8th US - China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

US National Security Advisor Susan Rice on June 9th met with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the White House, Washington DC, to discuss the two countries’ close partnership in addressing regional and global challenges.

A documentary featuring a young victim of Agent Orange, by director Courtney Marsh, will be screened shortly at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Thailand on June 9th marked the 70th anniversary of the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (9/6/1946 - 9/6/2016), the world’s longest-reigning living monarch.

Irish writer Lisa Mclnerney was presented the prestigious Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction on June 8th with her first novel “The Glorious Heresies”.

The 10th national congress of the Lao Front for National Construction (LFNC) concluded on June 9th after two days of sitting.

ASEAN and Chinese senior officials reviewed the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and discussed the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) during their 12th meeting in the northern province of Quang Ninh on June 9th.

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has appointed Chairman of the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) Chair and leading fashion designer Kenneth Cole as a UNAIDS International Goodwill Ambassador.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has proposed that Myanmar’s State Counsellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi serve as the spokesperson of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on international affairs.

(CPV) - Due to sluggish growth in advanced economies, stubbornly low commodity prices, weak global trade, and diminishing capital flows, the World Bank is downgrading its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4% from the 2.9% pace projected in January.

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of India today signed a USD120 million loan agreement to continue improving irrigation and water management infrastructure in Odisha.

The Singaporean and Myanmar Governments have agreed to lift visa requirements for each other’s citizens from December 1st.

American travel website TripAdvisor recently released the results of its Travellers' Choice Awards 2016, to revealing the top 10 most attractive destinations in Europe.