ASEAN and the world

French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed his Senegalese-born media advisor Sibeth Ndiaye as his new government spokesman, replacing Mr. Benjamin Griveaux, whose resignation last week came ahead of a run for Paris mayor next year.

The Philippines’s economy is poised to grow at 6.4 percent in 2019 and 6.5 percent in 2020-2021 amid lingering global and local uncertainties, according to a report released by the World Bank (WB) on April 1st.

“The 2019 Bamdokkaebi Night Market” will take place every Friday through Sunday from April 5th to October 27th.

Zuzana Caputova, a 45-year-old liberal lawyer, has been elected as Slovakia's first female President after winning a runoff election against the country's ruling party's candidate.

Thailand’s rice exports decreased in both volume and value in February 2019 due to high prices as compared to other competitors and its stronger baht.

There were some major differences on how two Indonesian presidential candidates envisioned the future of Indonesia’s foreign policy, which were conveyed during the fourth face-off between two candidates held in Jakarta on March 30th.

A national remembrance service has been organized in New Zealand to commemorate the victims of the shooting attacks at the two mosques in the quiet city of Christchurch two weeks ago.

Athletes from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will conduct a joint showcase of taekwondo to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Korean traditional martial art becoming an Olympic sport.

The Election Commission (EC) of Thailand on March 28th announced the results of the country’s general election which took place four days earlier.

Ethiopian Airlines has been named the Best Airlines in Africa 2018 for the seventh consecutive year.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s Ebola epidemic has now exceeded 1,000 cases eight months, the Health Ministry said on March 26th, with a death toll of 625 in the world's second-worst outbreak ever.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on March 25th that he has approved a budget of USD15 million to purchase armoured vehicles for the country’s peacekeeping forces operating in Mali.

The ruling party, the Palang Pacharat of incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was leading the general election in Thailand as of late March 24th, according to initial results announced by the Election Commission.

Voting is underway in the general election in Thailand on March 24th with over 50 million people eligible to cast votes.

(CPV) - ADB signed a private sector financing package on March 22nd 2019 to support the construction of a 275-megawatt combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Riau province in central Sumatra, Indonesia, to help secure the country’s energy future and provide communities with more affordable and reliable electricity.

Chinese President Xi Jin-ping on March 21st left Beijing for state visits to Italy, Monaco and France, as Beijing looks to boost ties with the European Union.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea has vowed to bolster the country's economic ties with Southeast Asia through free trade agreements, according to Yonhap news agency.

(CPV) - The largest solar plant in the south Pacific will be built in Tonga through the country’s second commercially financed public-private partnership (PPP) after an agreement was signed in Nuku’alofa on March 21st 2019.

Indonesian authorities on March 21st held a press conference to provide the media with information related to the Lion Air’s flight crash in October last year.

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in Indonesia’s eastern Papua province has risen to 107 on March 20th, local officials have said.

(CPV) - Investor sentiment toward emerging East Asia’s local currency bond markets has improved but there are persistent concerns about financial stability in the region, including ongoing trade conflicts, according to the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) latest issue of the quarterly Asia Bond Monitor.

The Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) plans to register several more Geographical Indication (GI) products of Thailand in China and Malaysia to increase their market values and prevent possible piracy.

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev on March 19th announced his resignation in a surprise public address on national television after 30 years in power.

The Executive Committee of the Asian civilizations dialogue conference has announced that the event will be held in Beijing, China, in May.

Indonesia has issued a 14-day state of emergency to cope with the heavy consequences of flash floods and landslide triggered by torrential rain in the eastern province of Papua, as fatalities have climbed to 77 on March 18th.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on March 17th officially launched her presidential campaign, announcing she will deliver her first major speech on March 24th in front of Trump International Hotel in New York City.

At least 42 people were killed by flash floods in Papua province, eastern Indonesia as of March 17th morning.

President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in returned home on March 16th, concluding his week-long trip to three Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) nations.

Nearly 2.6 million voters across Thailand started to cast early ballots on March 17th, a week ahead the country’s first general election scheduled for March 24th.

A Vietnamese delegation led by Ambassador Tran Duc Binh, head of the country’s permanent mission to ASEAN, attended the seventh ASEAN - Canada Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting, which took place in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 15th.