Despite the United States withdrawing from the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement), ASEAN countries will still largely benefit from the revamped version of the agreement. Now known as the ‘Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership’ (CPTPP), the remaining 11 participating countries will include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

After stating that elections will be held at the end of the year, the National Legislative Assembly of Thailand recently voted to amend an election law that will most likely delay the general elections by 90 days. This means that elections would take place in February 2019 at the earliest. The amended clause is part of a larger bill amending rules for lower house elections. Under the Thai constitution, elections must be held within 150 days after all electoral laws comes into effect.

A more resilient cross-border education system with more involvement between institutions in different countries, could be the key to realising the economic and political aspirations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).Regionalisation of higher learning has a pivotal role to play in the community building process according to panellists at a forum organised by SEA Junction and the Heinrich Boell Foundation Southeast Asia in November, last year.

The recent repatriation deal between Bangladesh and Myanmar has been put on hold amid widespread criticism from human rights groups. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a pact in November last year agreeing on the repatriation of its Rohingya refugees.

India’s Republic Day is a big deal for a nation of 1.3 billion. It was on this day in 1950, when the constitution of India came into effect, marking the moment when the country became a full-fledged republic. The celebrations are nothing short of grand – with patriotic military parades embodying Indian pride and valour.However, this year’s edition is an even bigger deal than usual.

This year, the healthcare industry in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at 11.1%, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan which makes it one of the fastest growing regions for healthcare in the world. On average, the global healthcare economy has an annual growth rate of 4.8%, the report added.This progressive growth is powered by a larger adoption of technology, innovative healthcare access programmes and delivery of care in and out of the hospital.

After the government disbanded the main opposition party, the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) last November, Cambodia’s opposition was thought to have quivered into nothingness, with no hope of a comeback. However, a resurgence is in the offing with the newly minted Cambodian National Rescue Movement (CNRM).From the get go, one thing is obvious.

In the past couple of weeks there has been talk regarding the legalising of marijuana cultivation for medicinal purposes in Thailand. Based on local news reports, both legislators and state officials have been voicing either their support or disdain towards this issue. However, until today there has been no confirmation regarding the possible legalising of marijuana cultivation.

In the Philippines, it is just not drug-related criminals at risk of targeted murder, even journalists fall under the same threat. Based on a recent journalist death tally report by the International Press Institute (IPI), Philippines is the most dangerous country in Southeast Asia for journalists.

Cambodia and China recently marked 60 years of ties of joint cooperation with a visit by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Phnom Penh. Both countries signed a series of 19 bilateral agreements providing for Chinese investments into Cambodia’s infrastructure, healthcare and agriculture sectors, among others. The two countries go back a long way, beginning when Cambodia chose to acknowledge China’s legitimacy over Taiwan’s when the latter claimed independent statehood.