ASEAN and the world

Japan on March 11th marked the 7th anniversary of a deadly earthquake and tsunami that killed or displaced almost 18,000 people.

Malaysia is set to be the biggest winner from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CP TPP), said Moody’s.

German Justice Minister Heiko Mass is to become German Foreign Minister under conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel in her new coalition government.

The White House on March 8th confirmed that US President Donald Trump has accepted an invitation from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to hold an unprecedented summit meeting to reach an agreement on nuclear disarmament.

Russia’s Defense Ministry has raised the death toll from a military transport plane crash near the Hmeimim Aair Bbase in Syria to 39 from 32.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is travelling to Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria, from March 6th -13th, his first diplomatic trip to Africa.

An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale left 67 on February 27th in Papua New Guinea.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 5th appointed former New York mayor and billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg as UN special envoy for climate action.

Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-un has received special envoys from the Republic of Korea (RoK).

Singapore, as the rotary chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), plans to speed up ASEAN’s economic recovery from advanced technologies to innovate and make the region more competitive.

President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Moon Jae-in sent two special envoys to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in an effort to to mediate direct talks between the DPRK and the US.

The first session of the 13th Chinese National People’s Congress (NPC) on March 5th opens at 09h00 local time at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

On March 4th, Italy opened its polling station doors, less than three months after President Sergio Matarella dissolved Parliament on December 28th, 2017.

German experts and representatives from the embassies of ASEAN nations in Germany gathered at a forum in Hamburg city on March 2nd to seek ways to expand cooperation in vocational training between the two sides.

On March 1st, US President Donald Trump talked with the Republic of Korea (RoK) President Moon Jae-in, agreeing to continue efforts to achieve a denuclearized Korean Peninsula by maintaining the dialogue mood created by the Winter Olympics.

Economic chiefs of the 10 ASEAN countries gathered in Singapore on March 1st for the 24th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat (AEM Retreat).

The Lower House of Japan on February 28th approved a record USD912 billion budget for fiscal 2018, the biggest-ever.

The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has appointed Mr. Shehbaz Sharif as Acting President of the Party.

The stability of food prices in recent years has aided Indonesia’s poverty reduction, according to the Statistics Indonesia (BPS).

(CPV) - Women, the poor, and different excluded groups face various structural barriers preventing them from benefiting fully from Nepal’s energy sector, according to a new report from ADB.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde has praised Indonesia’s strong economy with good prospects in the years to come, according to Antara news agency.

On February 25th, German Chancellor Angela Merkel unveiled her picks for Cabinet ministers.

Nepal’s newly-elected Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli has appointed four new ministers, increasing the strength of his cabinet to seven.

The 37th session of UN Human Rights Council opened on February 27th in Geneva, Switzerland.

(CPV) - ADB is providing an additional USD1 million, in the form of a grant, to the Government of Tonga to fund critical, life-saving services following Tropical Cyclone Gita, which caused widespread destruction on February 12th 2018.

The Government of Timor Leste said on February 25th that Timor Leste and Australia have reached agreement on a treaty related to their maritime border disputes and the pathway for Greater Sunrise gas field.

Veterans Affairs Minister Michael McCormack has been sworn in as Australia's new Deputy Prime Minister.

(CPV) - Syrian refugee families living in host communities in Jordan are increasingly struggling to meet their basic needs, including educating and protecting their children, UNICEF said on February 25th 2018. 85 per cent of registered Syrian refugee children are living below the poverty line, according to UNICEF’s latest assessment.

The Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has a landslide victory in the fourth Senate election held from 07h00 to 15pm on February 25th, winning all 58 contested seats.

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of India signed a USD84 million loan on February 23rd 2018 that will finance water supply improvements and expansion in Bhagalpur and Gaya towns in the state of Bihar.