ASEAN and the world

Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has nominated three new Ministers.

Officials from member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum have highlighted the benefits of establishing competition chapters in free trade agreements (FTAs) and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).

According to the Civil Protection Agency, this year's fires in Portugal have destroyed 141,000 hectares.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defence James Mattis on August 17th talked with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera at the Department of State in preparation for an official visit by President Donald Trump to Japan in the framework of a Security Consultative Committee (“2+2”).

The Republic of Korea (RoK) and China co-organised the 5th annual Public Diplomacy Forum on the southern resort island of Jeju on August 17th.

Singapore has surpassed Hong Kong for the first time to place the third in the rankings of Asian cities with the best quality of living, according to the latest report of the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU).

US Vice President Mike Pence has visited Argentina where he is expected to meet President Mauricio Macri.

Heavy rain and mudslides in the outskirts of the capital city Freetown of Sierra Leone, have killed at least 400 people, and more than 600 remain missing.

New US Ambassador to Japan William Hagerty on August 16th announced he would focus on maintaining the "ironclad" security and economic alliance between Tokyo and Washington, according to Kyodo.

Japan on August 15th marked the 72nd anniversary of its surrender in the World War II, between August 14th and 15th in 1945.

Big Ben, the iconic British timekeeper at the Palace of Westminter, will go silent on August 21st for four years.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) continued to report a trade surplus in July, the 66th month in a row, according to the country’s customs data.

The India-ASEAN Youth Summit, themed “Shared values, Common Destiny”, opened in Bhopal city, India’s central state of Madhya Pradesh on August 14th.

President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta won a second term in office, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced on August 11th.

The Defence Minister of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Song Young-moo and his counterpart of the US Jim Mattis will meet in Washington on August 30th.

More than 300 people have been killed after a mudslide and torrential flooding on the outskirts of Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown.

Flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain have left at least 90 people dead in India and Nepal.

The Singaporean Government on August 11th forecasted the country’s economy is likely to grow at 2.5 percent in 2017 after a better-than-expected performance in the second quarter.

The Philippines on August 11th reported the first avian flu outbreak at a poultry farm in Pampanga province in Luzon island.

The Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) hosted a ceremony at its headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 11th to celebrate the bloc’s 50th founding anniversary (August 8th).

On August 8th, the ASEAN Pretoria Committee (APC) celebrated the 50th founding anniversary of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) (8/8/1967 - 8/8/2017) in the capital city Pretoria in South Africa.

A powerful earthquake hit China’s mountainous southeast, killing at least 20 people and injuring 431, on August 10th.

Mr. Alexei Yerkhove has been appointed as Russia's Ambassador to Turkey.

The 72nd anniversary ceremony of the Nagasaki atomic bomb took place on August 9th at the Nagasaki Peace Park.

At least 13 people were killed and 175 more injured after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck a popular tourist area in southwest China, according to state media.

(CPV) - ADB's Board of Directors has approved a loan package totaling USD200 million to strengthen urban infrastructure, service delivery, and governance in Bangladesh’s pourashavas (municipalities).

The 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was observed across the world on August 8th with the participation of diplomats from ASEAN member states.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Malaysia on August 8th and met with Prime Minister Najib Razak to discuss bilateral ties, trade, terrorism fight and international issues of mutual concern.

Cambodian exports to Japan totalled USD591 million between January and June, a 4.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

Indonesia posted a 5.01 percent growth in GDP in the second quarter, slightly slower than expected, local media reported, citing official statistics of the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).