AEC Feed

Filipinos are still welcome to enter the United States legally despite President Donald Trump’s modified travel ban. 
The United States Embassy in Manila clarified on Thursday that the Philippines was not on the restricted country list and there had been no change in the visa application process following a travel ban ordered by US President Donald Trump.
Trump’s revised executive order blocks migrants to the US from six countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Iraq was previously on the list but was removed from the updated travel ban.
“The Philippines is not on the restricted country list in the redrafted Executive Order on ‘Protecting the Nation from Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals,’” according to the US Embassy in Manila. “Filipinos who wish to apply for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas may continue to do so,” it said. – Philippine Daily Inquirer

Plea from landlocked states
Landlocked developing countries in Euro-Asia yesterday called for greater partnerships and collaboration to develop key infrastructure, facilitate trade and promote regional co-operation. The three-day UN high-level meeting for the Euro-Asia Region in Hanoi provided an arena for member states, international organisations and think tanks to share their experiences on how to improve trade facilitation for landlocked developing countries (LLDCs).
Without territorial access to the sea, the 32 LLDCs in the world face an enormous trade disadvantage as they are geographically isolated from the global market. Further co-operation between the LLDCs and transit countries was emphasised as a critical component to facilitate free and quicker movement of goods from the LLDCs to ports. – Viet Nam News

Instability spooks investors
More investors are in doubt in making major investments in Indonesia. Political instability has alarmed European businesspeople as they are now weighing their reinvestment options in Indonesia.
According to the Joint European Chambers’ Business Confidence Index 2016, concerns over political instability have crept into 47 per cent of 148 respondents, rising from 32 per cent in the previous year. – The Jakarta Post