ASEAN and the world

Veteran politician Hani Mulqi, born 1951, has been appointed as caretaker Prime Minister by Jordan’s King Abdullah.

(CPV) - On May 24th 2016, UNICEF is following operation in Idomeni, on the Greece border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, on account of the large number of children who have been living there in dire conditions (there were approximately 3,600 children in Idomeni in mid-May).

(CPV) - ADB Vice-President Wencai Zhang ended his 4-day visit to Kazakhstan today. During his trip, he held talks with senior government officials, participated in the 9th Astana Economic Forum, and visited small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supported by ADB.

(CPV) - Helen Clark, the UNDP Administrator, speaking on behalf of the UN Development System said: “Whether in preventing crises, or working to mitigate, recover and rebuild after devastation strikes, efforts to strengthen local institutions and services and strengthening local ownership in rebuilding and fast recovery, must be our shared aim, in both saving lives and ensuring progress”.

Egyptian authorities on May 26th said a vessel provided by French company ALSEAMAR, which specializes in marine wreckage searches, will join the hunt for the black boxes from crashed EgyptAir flight MS804.

The inauguration ceremony of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) headquarters was organized on May 25th in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) headquarters was inaugurated in Cambodia on May 25th.

(CPV) - ADB is deepening its infrastructure development partnership with Papua New Guinea with a strong focus on transport upgrades to link isolated areas to larger centers, open up new economic opportunities, and reduce poverty, says an ADB performance review released on May 25th 2016.

On May 25th, US President Barack Obama started his visit to Japan, where he will attend in the Group of Seven (G7) Summit.

The 10th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) concluded on May 25th afternoon in Vientiane, Laos, with defence chiefs signing a joint declaration reaffirming the significance of maintaining navigation and aviation freedom in the East Sea based on internationally-recognised rules, including UNCLOS 1982.

(CPV) - ADB has approved a new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) with Timor-Leste for 2016-2020 which will help it develop a sustainable non-oil economy by improving infrastructure, developing key institutions, and increasing investments in human capital.

Mr. Alexander Van der Bellen beat his far-right rival Norbert Hofer on May 23rd to become Austrian President.

In Sri Lanka, massive landslides and floods caused by heavy rain have killed more than 90 people and left 100 missing.

Cambodia has set June 4th, 2017 as the date for the fourth commune councillor elections, according to a decision signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen on May 24th.

Rice export prices in Thailand hit a two-year high as of May 23rd as the domestic supply decreased due to prolonged droughts.

(CPV) - For almost 170 years Siemens has been finding ways to improve life in many areas. With passion for technology, the company sets standards and creates sustainable value – for its customers, for society and for each individual. The company founder Werner von Siemens would have called this inventiveness. Today it is called “Ingenuity for life”.

British director Ken Loach's film “I, Daniel Blake” has won the Palme d'Or at the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival.

(CPV) - The Vietnamese delegation on May 23rd attended the World Village Conference (WVC) 2016 in Purwakarta city in West Java province, Indonesia.

The search for EgyptAir Flight 804 continues, as search crews attempt to find the plane's "black boxes" which are used to record voice and data from the flight.

Thailand and Russian agreed to barter farm products for helicopters during Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s recent visit to the European country, said Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

(CPV) - Further reforms to Solomon Islands business environment are needed to attract investment that will diversify the economy and grow the private sector, according to an ADB report released on May 23rd 2016.

Turkish Transport Minister Binali Yildirim is elected as the new leader of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and therefore the Prime Minister.

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Myanmar’s Nay Pyi Taw on May 22nd, beginning his brief visit to the ASEAN country.

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar signed an agreement on May 18th 2016 for a USD3 million grant to support the development of tourism-based micro and small enterprises in Mon state.

The Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal could raise Indonesia’s exports by USD2.9 billion, said Ahmad Shauki, senior advisor for economic and public policy at the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Economic Governance (AIPEG).

Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's first female President, takes office at the presidential palace in Taipei on May 20th.

On May 19th, Kyodo News announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to visit Japan at the end of this year.

Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry on May 19th said life jackets, plastic items and other floating objects had been found several hours later in the area where the EgyptAir plane went down.

An earthquake measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale struck Rosa Zarate (Western Ecuador) on May 18th, according to the US Geographical Survey.

The US has decided to lift some of its economic sanctions on Myanmar following the transfer of power to a civilian-led government steered by the National League for Democracy in the Southeast Asian nation.