World

Illustrative image (Photo: arabnews.com) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Malaysia’s lower house on July 16 approved  a constitutional amendment bill to lower the voting age from 21 to 18. All the 211 members of parliament (MP) present in the House voted in favour of the bill. The Malaysian electorate would increase by 3.8 million to 18.8 million, or more than half of the national population. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said this is indeed a historic day for Malaysia, referring to the total support for the bill. He said the government thanked the opposition for fulfilling their promise to support the amendment. This was the first time an amendment was passed with full support from all MPs.-VNA … [Read more...] about Malaysia lowers voting age from 21 to 18

Illustrative image (Source: AFP)  Hanoi (VNA) – Eighty-three containers of plastic waste were found at Cambodia’s Sihanoukville autonomous port, 230km to the southwest of Phnom Penh, on July 16. Spokesperson of the Cambodian Environment Ministry Neth Pheaktra said the authorities are investigating the origin and motive of the trash import and will send them back to the original countries. It is the second time a huge volume of trash has been found in Cambodia after the first discovery in 1998 when nearly 3,000 tonnes of hazardous waste were left in the suburb of Sihanoukville city. Prime Minister Hun Sen warned that the country will not be the dumping ground for any form of waste from abroad.-VNA … [Read more...] about 83 containers of plastic waste found in Cambodia

A person stands on cracked land due to prolonged drought in Suphanburi province of Thailand (Photo: AFP/VNA) Thailand is going to experience its worst drought in a decade, as average precipitation across the country has fallen far short of monthly averages, said the Meteorological Department. Deputy Director-General of the department Kornrawee Sitthichiwapak said downpours this rainy season are far below average, particularly in north and northeastern areas as well as in the Central Plains - all key crop growing regions. The lack of rain has affected water reserves across the country. Water levels in large reservoirs stood at about 38 percent in the north, 33 percent in the northeast, 22 percent in the Central Plains, 35 percent in the east, 67 percent in the west, and 60 percent in the south, according to figures released by Thailand’s Office of National Water Resources (ONWR). … [Read more...] about Thailand warns of looming drought

FILE PHOTO: A worker unloads palm oil fruits from a lorry inside a palm oil factory in Salak Tinggi, outside Kuala Lumpur August 4, 2014.l (Source: REUTERS) Hanoi (VNA) – Malaysian Minister of Primary Teresa Kok said on July 16 that the country will lodge a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the European Union's plan to phase out the use of palm oil in biofuels. As the world's second biggest palm oil producer after Indonesia, Malaysia would be hit hard by the EU's plan to cut its use in biofuels by 2030. "Malaysia will file a WTO complaint... hopefully by November," the minister told AFP. The attorney-general's office was working on the complaint and Malaysia hoped to cooperate with Indonesia in the case, she said. Palm oil is a major ingredient in a wide range of products from food to cosmetics but it has long been controversial as environmentalists say it drives deforestation, with huge swathes of rainforest logged in recent decades to make way for … [Read more...] about Malaysia to lodge complaint with WTO about EU’s palm oil curbs

Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Yoon Soon-gu (Source: Yonhap News Agency) Hanoi (VNA) – The Republic of Korea (RoK) pledges to cement ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with a clear vision, resources and concrete action plans, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Yoon Soon-gu told Yonhap News Agency in a recent interview. He said central to that commitment is Seoul's New Southern Policy that it has forged ahead with the installation of a special presidential panel and a foreign ministry bureau solely for ASEAN affairs, and sharp increases in related projects, staff and funding. The initiative is set to gain greater traction in November when the RoK hosts a commemorative summit with ASEAN in the southeastern port city of Busan to mark 30 years since the two sides established bilateral dialogue relations. "Partnering with ASEAN is not just a matter of choice but a path now clearly presented to us,” Yoon said. "We are … [Read more...] about RoK cements ASEAN ties with clear vision, policy initiative

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (Photo: AP)   Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on July 16 extended his congratulations to the new government of Thailand which was sworn in on the same day. In his message, the Vietnamese leader voiced his belief that Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will continue to uphold Thailand’s important role in strengthening the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s solidarity and its central role in the regional architecture which is taking shape. PM Phuc also expressed his hope to continue cooperation with the Thai government to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership in the time to come. The new Cabinet of Thailand was sworn in on July 16, creating a normally elected government after five years of military rule. King Maha Vajiralongkorn presided over the swearing-in of the 36-member Cabinet, during which they pledged their loyalty to the constitutional monarch.-VNA … [Read more...] about PM extends congratulations to new government of Thailand

Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Bangkok (VNA) - Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has announced that the country’s cabinet has approved the drafting of 19 documents that will be used in a key ASEAN meeting at the end of this month The 52nd meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers, scheduled for July 30-August 3 in Bangkok, will discuss several key issues, including a push for Smart City projects around the region and in many Chinese cities. The 19 documents relate to several international issues involving ASEAN, including a 2020–2024 strategic plan for cooperation between the bloc and Australia, and the drafting of a speech to be used in an upcoming meeting between ASEAN and the European Union.-VNA … [Read more...] about Thailand prepares for ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha formally resigned as the head of the military government on July 15, saying Thailand will now function as a normal democracy after five years of military rule. Prayut, in a national televised address, said military rule had brought success in many areas, from tackling illegal fishing and human trafficking, to the rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave last year. Thailand is now fully a democratic country with a constitutional monarchy, with a parliament whose members are elected, the PM said. All problems will be addressed normally based on a democratic system with no use of special powers, he added. Last week, Prayut used those powers for one last time to end restrictions on media and at the same time, transferred civilian legal cases from military to civilian court, sweeping powers the military government had wielded. Members of the House of … [Read more...] about Thai PM declares end of military rule