ASEAN and the world

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has arrived in New York to meet with some of Donald Trump’s closet advisers and senior Congressional leaders.

Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam is making an official visit to Cambodia from January 8th to 11th.

The 74th annual Golden Globe Awards has been organized at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills and “La La Land” was the big winner at the party.

On November 9th, Cuba and the United States agreed to jointly prevent, contain and clean up oil and other toxic spills in the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits.

(CPV) - ADB operations for Asia and the Pacific reached an all-time high of USD31.5 billion in 2016, a 17% increase from USD26.9 billion in 2015, according to preliminary figures released on January 9th 2017.

The Malaysian Immigration Department has rescued 59 Bangladeshi people who are victims of human trafficking during a raid in Desa Petaling, said head of the department Mustafar Ali on January 7th.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has named former Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami, 43, as Vice President.

On January 5th, President-elect Donald Trump chose former Senator Dan Coats to be the Director of National Intelligence.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin is expected to visit India and attend the “Vibrant Gujarat Summit” in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, from January 9th -14th.

Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed senior diplomat Sir Tim Barrow as the UK's new Ambassador to the EU, replacing Sir Ivan Rogers.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has appointed Mr. Luis Videgaray Caso, as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's office on January 5th announced that she would visit President-elect Donald Trump, following his inauguration as US President.

Spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Geng Shuang affirmed on January 4th that China always regards the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) as a priority in its diplomatic policy.

Myanmar's first regional national political dialogues between the government, armed groups and political parties began in the southernmost region of Tanintharyi on January 5th, according to an official of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC).

(CPV) - ADB returned to the US dollar bond market with the pricing of a dual-tranche USD3 billion 3-year and USD1 billion 10-year global benchmark bond issues, proceeds of which will be part of ADB’s ordinary capital resources.

On January 3rd, U.S. Representative Paul Ryan was re-elected speaker of the House of Representatives by the 115th Congress on Capitol Hill.

An earthquake registering 7.2 on the Richter scale struck 284 kilometres off the coast of Fiji at 10.52 am local time on January 3rd, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Singapore’s economy grew by 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016, a rise of 1.8 percent year – on –year, according to estimates by Ministry of Trade and Industry on January 3rd.

Border trade of Thailand is expected to increase at least 3 percent in 2017 because of the stable growth of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, along with the popularity of Thai products in those markets, said the Ministry of Commerce.

On January 2nd, Cuba marked the 58th anniversary of its Revolution at Revolution Square in Havana.

President Barack Obama will deliver his farewell address to the nation on January 10th from his home city of Chicago, he announced in a statement.

Malaysian employers will be responsible for paying the income tax of foreign workers beginning from January 1st, said Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Singapore’s economy grew over 1 percent in 2016, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his New Year 2017 message.

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh has highlighted achievements that the ASEAN Community has scored after one year of its establishment in an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency.

Cambodia and Japan are looking towards elevating their relations from strategic partnership to extensive strategic partnership.

2016 is likely the hottest year on record for Singapore due to effects of the extreme weather phenomenon El Nino.

At least four people lost their lives and dozens are reported missing after a boat carrying nearly 100 passengers, including 10 children, was sunken in waters off the Indonesian eastern province of Maluku on December 29th.

At least 20 miners were killed and two others injured due to a recent landslide in Phakhant town, Myanmar’s northern state of Kachin, according to the country’s Ministry of Information on December 29th.

President-elect Donald Trump officially announced the appointment of Jason Greenblatt, a top Trump Organization executive, to be the special representative for international negotiations.

(CPV) - ADB and the Government of Nepal celebrated the breakthrough of the first key section of the Melamchi Tunnel on December 28th 2016. When completed, the Melamchi Tunnel will carry to Nepal’s thirsty Kathmandu Valley 170 million liters of water per day from the Melamchi River and another 340 million liters of water from the Yangri and Larke Rivers by 2021.