Ever since the military junta gained power in 2014, it has promised on numerous occasions that democracy will return to Thailand and fresh elections will be held. Four years since the installation of a military government known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), elections have yet to be held and citizens there are losing patience. Pro-democracy protests calling for the end of military rule and fresh elections have increased in frequency and in crowd size.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) inched closer to completion last March when the ministers of all 16 countries met in Singapore for their fourth intersessional meeting. Next up on the almanac for leaders is a ministerial meeting which will be held in Tokyo on 1 July. Participating economies in RCEP include all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan, South Korea, China, India, New Zealand and Australia.

The once irrefutable fact that North Korea is closed from others across the globe is now a thing of the past. Akin to a persona non grata before, the country is now slowly turning heads and is aiming to be accepted by the international community.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has stood strong for the past 50 years but in order to continue remaining relevant it must adapt to changes in the geopolitical environment.

In 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan launched the New Southbound policy. The New Southbound Policy was meant to “…realign Taiwan’s role in Asian development, seek new directions and momentum for the country’s new stage of economic development, and create future value.”This Taiwanese policy aims to establish a relationship between Taiwan and the 10 ASEAN countries, as well as six countries in South Asia including India, Australia and New Zealand.

United States (US) President Donald Trump pivoted from his abrupt cancellation of a planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying it may still happen on the originally scheduled 12 June date.Trump told reporters on his way to board the presidential helicopter that US officials are in talks with North Korea after the country’s “very nice statement” on Friday.“We are talking to them now,” Trump said Friday, adding that the summit with Kim may proceed and “it could even be the 12th

Armed Rohingya militants have been responsible for at least one – and potentially two – massacres of up to 99 Hindu women, men, and children, according to Amnesty International. They also committed unlawful killings and abductions of Hindu villagers in August 2017. The London based non-governmental organisation (NGO) revealed this after a detailed investigation inside Myanmar’s Rakhine State was carried out.

A surprise surge in Thailand’s economic growth could sway the country’s military government to stick to a plan for fresh elections early next year.Rebounding agricultural output and more traditional drivers such as exports and tourism helped propel gross domestic product growth to a five-year high of 4.8 percent last quarter.

Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to have never been colonised. It is perhaps a testament to the strength and resilience of the country in doing away with any foreign interference on its shores. However, Thailand has had interactions with colonial powers before, as can be seen when the United States of America (US) established relations with then Siam in 1818. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce, which formalised diplomatic relations, was also signed by both countries in 1833.

United States (US) President Donald Trump’s shifting positions on economic negotiations with China are confusing investors and once again raising the prospect of a trade war between the world’s two largest economies.Trump on Wednesday backed away from a framework just three days after it was announced as members of Congress and trade hawks close to his administration criticized him for going too soft on China.“Our trade deal with China is moving along nicely, but in the end we will probably h