MORNING NEWS BRIEF [December 14, 2021]

HOT NEWS

1. The EU diplomats said signatory countries of the 2015 deal are pushing Iran to be reasonable although they are losing precious time with Iran’s inconsistent behavior. Source: The National
2. Putin told Boris Johnson that Moscow still insists that NATO halts operations and military deployment in Ukraine, adding that such action presents a red line for Russia. Source: Global News
3. French and Chinese Finance Minister co-chaired the eighth China-France high-level economic dialogue as the effort toward positive progress of economic cooperation. Source: China.org.cn

WORLD

1. Turkey and Armenia may appoint a special envoy to normalize their bilateral relations in order to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the region. Source: TASS
2. The U.S. and Lithuania signed a reciprocal defense procurement agreement to bolster their defense cooperation that includes the purchase of arms and information exchange. Source: U.S. Defense Department
3. The European Parliament drafting committee passed rules that would manage online content, including ads targeting minors and ban what they called dark patterns. Source: Bloomberg

REGIONS

1. Australia and South Korea signed an agreement on a defense deal, valued at USD 717M, in which South Korea will provide artillery weapons, supply vehicles and radars. Source: Al Jazeera
2. The U.S. CRS has reported that North Korea is developing their nuclear program aimed at targeting the U.S. missile defense programs stationed in the Northeast Asian region. Source: Yonhap News Agency
3. The ADB’s latest report cut down the projected economic outlook for Southeast Asia to 3% in 2021 as Malaysia and Vietnam are expected to experience slower growth. Source: BNN Bloomberg

CAMBODIA

1. Thai National Police promised and committed to prevent any activities of opposition groups using Thai territory for acting against the Royal Government of Cambodia. Source: Khmer Times
2. MoEYS and KOICA in Cambodia are holding the first-ever National STEM Education Fair from December 13-15 to promote the benefits of STEM and the use of IT in education. Source: The Phnom Penh Post
3. GDT collected tax revenue for the national budget totaling USD 2.56 billion in the first eleven months of 2021, equating to 114.13 % of the financial law plan. Source: Khmer Times