ASEAN and the world

On April 19th, the Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs Guillaume Long said at least nine foreigners were killed in a powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale which left over 500 people dead and injured thousands of people.

(CPV) - ADB has approved an equity investment of USD3 million and Canadian and Swedish-financed technical assistance for Mountain Hazelnuts, an organization promoting hazelnut production by smallholder farmers in Bhutan to help them diversify and boost their incomes.

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale has left at least 250 people dead and thousands injured in Ecuador.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is on an official one-week trip starting on April 15th to the Middle East, where he will visit Jordan , Israel and Palestine , with the aim to strengthen cooperation between Singapore and the region.

Malaysia has destroyed 9.5 tonnes of elephant tusks that the country has confiscated in the past few years.

An individual housing project, called Fuji Residence, will be developed in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City after Nam Long Group and partnership investors Hankyu Realty and Nishi Nippon Railroad signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 15th.

Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand are expected to join the nations with Gross Domestic Products (GDP) exceeding USD1 trillion in 2030, according to a report released by the global information company IHS Inc.

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on Richter scale struck Japan late on April 14th leaving nine dead and hundreds injured.

(CPV) - World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has appointed Ms Victoria Kwakwa as the new regional Vice President for East Asia and Pacific, effective on April 15th.

Singapore on April 14th announced that the country will loosen its monetary policy in an attempt to stimulate the country’s sluggish economy which has been forecast for slow growth this year.

(CPV) - Emerging risks and destabilizers as diverse as widening income inequality, slower growth, and climate change are reshaping Asia’s economic landscape at such a rapid pace that governments must build far greater resilience into their national plans, says Independent Evaluation at ADB.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 14th declared that the government will not tolerate anyone who attempts to cause social chaos and urged people to continue supporting him to maintain the country’s peace.

(CPV) - The Cuban Culture Ministry has organized an exhibition showcasing 160 works by 124 local artists on the national flag.

People across Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar are eager to herald their traditional New Year festivals according to the Buddhist calendar.

(CPV) - An exhibition titled “Ernest Hemingway: Between two wars” showing a number of rare items of writer Ernest Hemingway is taking place at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in the US city of Boston, Massachusetts.

Cambodian authorities on April 12th said opposition lawmaker Um Sam An from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) could face up to five years in prison after he was accused of “inciting revolt”, relating to the border map between Cambodia and Vietnam.

G7 Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their commitment to further international cooperation on maritime security and safety in a statement released on April 11th.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral composed of over 2,900 individual forming 900 islands stretching over 2,300 kilometres long across an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on April 11th said the country is facing severe drought while expressing his hope that China will continue to discharge water to downstream of the Mekong River.

Cambodian police on April 11th arrested opposition lawmaker Um Sam An from the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) on the charge of using fake maps on the border with Vietnam.

(CPV) - ADB Country Director Robert Schoellhammer and the Minister of Finance of Mongolia Bolor Bayarbaatar signed a USD2 million grant agreement on April 11th 2016 as part of a United Nations-led emergency response for herders and their families afflicted by a protracted climate disaster in Mongolia, known as a “dzud.”

Vice President of the European Union (EU) Federica Mogherini has affirmed that the EU stands ready to upgrade ties with ASEAN to the strategic partnership level.

Malaysia and the European Union has initialed the text of the Malaysia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (MEUPCA), according to the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(CPV) - The shareholders of TAPI Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL) signed an Investment Agreement today in a ceremony witnessed by petroleum ministers and senior government officials of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, and senior ADB officials.

Leader of the National League for Democracy (LND) Aung San Suu Kyi has become Myanmar’s state counselor in accordance with the state counselor bill signed by President U Htin Kyaw on April 6th.

ASEAN will focus on food and agriculture, trade facilitation, development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMES), education, health and social welfares, to narrow development gaps in the bloc.

Canadian Foreign Minister Stephane Dion met with his Myanmar counterpart Aung San Suu Kyi in the Myanmar capital of Nay Pyi Taw on April 7th, reported Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi has been appointed as Myanmar’s state counselor.

Troops from the US and the Philippines have begun an annual military exercise called Balikatan (Shoulder to Shoulder) after a ceremony held in Manila on April 4th.

At least 53 people have been killed and 60 injured by floods after torrential rain drenched northwest Pakistan.