Nhan Dan – The European Union (EU) is suffering a new headache as waves of immigration pose the risk of social chaos and insecurity in economies that are still recording positive growth, such as the region’s ‘backbones’, Germany and Great Britain.

Nhan Dan – Water pollution is a hot global issue with numerous ‘dead’ rivers in many countries causing hundreds of billions of dollars in losses for the world’s economy each year.

Senior officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union met in Ho Chi Minh City on May 14-15 to review and discuss measures to enhance bilateral co-operation, and prepared for a ministerial meeting slated for July in Brunei.

Nhan Dan – The Associated Press (AP) has openly accused the US government of trampling on the freedom of press after it learned that the government seized phone records of the news agency’s journalists in secret from many of its offices throughout the US and refuses to disclose the reasons for having done so.

The fifth ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA Caucus 5), focusing on green growth and poverty reduction for sustainable development, wrapped up on May 13 in Da Lat city, in the Central Highlands of Lam Dong.

A multilateral training course opened in the northern port city of Hai Phong on May 13 to improve law enforcement capacity and coordination at sea for attendees from the four Gulf of Thailand countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Nhan Dan – Spain’s central bank reported on May 10 that nearly 40,000 homes were foreclosed by banks and other credit institutions in 2012 as the continuing long-term unemployment causes more and more homeowners to slide down the economic ladder.

Eleven thousand soldiers marching in unison to a military band as huge banners reading "May 9" decorating the Kremlin's walls, along with 68 military aircraft and helicopters flying above Red Square in Russia on May 9 marked the 68th anniversary of the former Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War.

Nhan Dan – Every president’s first year in office is closely watched by the public and the media, and the last 12 months of the 24th French President Francois Hollande’s current term has been no exception.

ASEAN and its six partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India (ASEAN+6) have begun their first round of negotiations on a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

ASEAN defence chiefs have reaffirmed their commitment to work closely to address emerging security challenges, such as cyber security, potential communicable diseases and climate change.

Nhan Dan – Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s new coalition government has handily won the confidence votes of the parliament, which is a strong signal of the optimism currently swirling in Rome and the Eurozone for it.

An ASEAN regional conference jointly organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Vietnam was held in Hanoi on May 7 to discuss ways to advance women’s rights.

The 18 th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Customs (CCC) opened in the northern Philippine province of Pampanga on May 7, drawing customs officials from ASEAN member countries and representatives from Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.

Japan acknowledges the crucial and central role of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) in the region as well as in the forming East Asian structure, a Japanese parliamentarian told ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh.

Najib Tun Razak on May 6 was officially sworn in as Malaysia’s Prime Minister following the victory of his Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition (BN) in the general election on May 5.

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) led by incumbent Prime Minister Najib Razak has won the Malaysian general election, said the Malaysian Election Commission (EC) early May 6.

The 13th general election in Malaysia started at 8 pm (local time) on May 5 at more than 8,200 polling booths across the country.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has set up a group to examine affairs related to Timor Leste’s application to become a member of the organisation, said the ASEAN Chief.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from May 6-8 will hold its seventh Defence Ministerial Meeting (ADMM), the highest defence mechanism within the organisation, in Brunei’s capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, according to the Brunei’s government website.