According to Global Trends report based on UNHCR data on World Refugee Day, there are now 51.2 million refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced people worldwide, the highest number since World War II. This extensive increase was mainlycaused by wars in various places like Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Myanmar, Congo, Central African Republic, Iraq and elsewhere in the world. According to data, 3.5 million refugee populations are in Asia and the Pacific, the largest. There are 2.9 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, while the Middle East and North Africa had 2.6 million refugees. In addition, 33.3 million people are internally displaced who were forced to flee to other parts of their country or to other countries, while 1.1 million peopleworldwide submit applications for asylum.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said, this huge number of people is in need of help from foreign aid budgets and the help of those host countries. Among these refugees, 11.7 million are under UNHCR's care and the 5 million registered with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine. Indeed there is a serious shortage of “peace” today. These maybe are the signs of the latter days. Humanitarians can help and definitely an encouragement, but political or government solutions are extremely needed to attain peace and security in the land.

Tidbits:

British Trade Envoy to the Philippines George Freeman, at the launch of the new British Business Center in Global City declared,“Among ASEAN countries we prioritize lately the Philippines for its major opportunities as trade partner.”

The country's openness as a trade partner, pro-trade, pro-western values orientation, pro-law and English speaking people are the factors that encourages British businesses to make the Philippines its launching pad for the huge ASEAN market.

Freeman cited the strong interest among British companies in food, personal care, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, engineering, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure projects particularly railways.

Great Britain is redirecting its economic relations with ASEANbecause the EU economy is not doing well.

Britain claims to be the country's largest foreign investor and decides to double bilateral trade to $5 billion in 2016.