Trump vows to build border wall, warns Democrats against investigations U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., February 5, 2019 – PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - President Donald Trump vowed in his State of the Union speech on Tuesday to build a border wall that is a source of a deep partisan divide and said Democratic attempts at "ridiculous partisan investigations" could damage U.S. prosperity. Trump spoke in the chamber of the House of Representatives facing political discord over his demands that Democrats end their opposition to funding for a border wall he says is needed to stem illegal immigration and smuggled drugs. He called illegal immigration "an urgent national crisis," but stopped short of declaring a border emergency that would allow him to bypass Congress for wall funding. Instead, he urged Democrats and Republicans to find a compromise by a Feb. 15 … [Read more...] about Trump vows to build border wall, warns Democrats against investigations
Discord push to talk
ASEAN in discord ahead of meeting with top China, U.S. diplomats
Southeast Asian nations were thrown into disarray after Cambodia on Saturday blocked them from issuing a statement referring to an international court ruling against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, diplomats said. The U.N.-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague handed an emphatic legal victory to the Philippines in the maritime dispute earlier this month, denying China's sweeping claims in the strategic seaway. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet for the first time since the ruling on Sunday, before hosting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, and his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi among others. The disputed sea, through which more than $5 trillion in global trade passes each year, is the most contentious issue for the 10 ASEAN members. China claims most of the sea, but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei all have rival claims. Yi has described the Hague case as a farce, … [Read more...] about ASEAN in discord ahead of meeting with top China, U.S. diplomats
Asian markets down on European discord
Asian markets mostly fell on Friday as a meeting between the eurozone's three biggest economies highlighted their differences on finding a solution to the region's debt crisis. Traders remained nervous at the end of a week that saw fears over Europe deepen as the yields on Italian and Spanish bonds sat dangerously high and even Germany -- the bloc's pillar -- failed to sell all its bonds at auction. Tokyo was flat, edging down 5.17 points to end at 8,160.01, while Sydney shed 1.48 percent, or 59.90 points, to end at 3,984.3 and Seoul closed 1.04 percent, or 18.66 points, lower at 1,776.40. Hong Kong slipped 1.37 percent, or 245.62 points, to 17,689.48 and Shanghai closed 0.72 percent, or 17.33 points, lower at 2,380.22. The leaders of Germany, France and Italy on Thursday met to discuss plans to address the two-year-old debt crisis in a bid to sooth markets, which have been hammered over fears of a collapse of the eurozone and another global downturn. Ahead of the talks French … [Read more...] about Asian markets down on European discord
Mismatch in laws obstructs regional cooperation
Discordances in laws and administrative procedures are hindering realization of the cooperation envisioned in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) grouping. The discordances in three main issues - traffic laws, border control documentation and passport regulations - are blocking crossborder flows and preventing the East West Economic Corridor from meeting its expectations. Established in 1998, the corridor was expected to integrate the GMS economies - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar - by renovating roads and strengthening cross-border links along the 1,450km-long highway that runs through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. … [Read more...] about Mismatch in laws obstructs regional cooperation