Latest Southeast Asia News
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Obama set to host leader from Myanmar at the White House
President Obama will become the first U.S. president in nearly 50 years to host a leader from Myanmar at the White House. And he may not mention the name "Burma." Alex Wagner discusses the historic meeting and the meaning behind the ...
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No socks rule is latest bid to ease Pakistan power cuts
In the latest of a series of directives from the country's caretaker government, officials have announced that civil servants have been told that they should not wear socks to the office as part of a plan to try and keep cool without air-conditioning.Pakistan suffers from crippling, debilitating power cuts of up to 18 hours a day. Improving capacity and reducing those huge shortages will be ...
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Enhancing India-ASEAN Connectivity Key Findings
Senior State Department Visiting Fellow and Project Lead, CSIS Twenty years ago, India launched its ‘Look East’ policy. For most of those 20 years, Myanmar’s isolation, mistrust between India and its neighbors and poor infrastructure connectivity hindered the development of links between South and Southeast Asia. With Myanmar’s tentative opening and improved relations ...
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Anger as Barack Obama rewards Burmese President with White House visit despite recent claims of violence
Just eight months ago, Burma's President was still on a blacklist barring him from travelling to the United States. Now, the ugly past and anxieties about the future were set aside when Thein Sein was welcomed into the White House, becoming the first Burmese head of state to cross the threshold since Lyndon Johnson rolled out the red carpet for the military dictator Ne Win in ...
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Record-Setting Burmese Python Captured In Miami-Dade County
Jason Leon (left) captured and killed record-setting Burmese python in Miami-Dade. it measured 18-feet, 8-inches and weighed 128 pounds. (Source: ...
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Russia Two Militants Planning Terror Attack Killed Near Moscow
Russian officials said Monday that security forces killed two suspected militants and detained another, in a special operation near Moscow that thwarted a terrorist attack on the ...
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Coffee May Protect Against Liver Disease
Coffee lovers have another reason to rejoice as a new study claims that regular consumption of the popular beverage can reduce the risk of a rare but serious liver disease. According ...
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Pakistans Sharif supports Taliban peace talks
ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday threw his support behind peace talks with the country's Taliban insurgents, saying it would be a top priority for his new government."If Taliban have offered us an option to have dialogue then we should take it seriously," Sharif said while addressing his party's newly elected parliamentarians in ...
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Aust resident Abdi arrested in Jakarta
Indonesian police have arrested an Australian resident they are treating as a major people-smuggling suspect.Mohammad Abdi, 36, was arrested at an apartment in West Jakarta early on Monday, along with two other Iranians, The Australian newspaper says.Abdi has denied being involved in smuggling asylum-seekers to Australia.However, he is also known as Said Ali and is a major people smuggler, a ...
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HM Responds Slowly to Bangladesh Factory Collapse Killing 1100
a new $3 billion fund to improve the safety of garment factories in Bangladesh . Watchdog organizations say the companies acted only because of external pressure by activists and workers. The announcement came weeks after Rana Plaza, a building that housed five garment factories, collapsed in Bangladesh last month leaving over 1,100 dead. While H&M was not among the many international ...
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Weak data raises odds of rate cut
Louder call for a policy rate cut on May 29, to weaken baht and boost exports Despite growth of 5.3 per cent in the first quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has revised down its forecast for the year. This points to a further slowdown in economic activity in second half - which raises the odds of an interest rate cut. Bloomberg's growth consensus for the ...
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Its time for Thaksin to respect the rule of law senior Democrats
Senior Democrat Party figures called on former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday to admit to his alleged wrongdoings and respect the courts - to uphold the rule of law in Thailand. They ...
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Obec should be probed over exam cheating panel
A fact-finding panel has recommended that a probe be launched against Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat for dereliction of duty, after cheating plagued a recent recruitment exam. The exam was held to fill positions for Obec assistant teachers. Headed by Education Ministry permanent secretary Panita Kambhu na Ayutthaya, the fact-finding panel has ...
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Pig farmers up in arms over US pressure
Members of the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand and other concerned parties are considering marching to Government House in protest against US pressure on Thailand to open up its market to US pork and offal. Surachai Sutthitham, president of the association, yesterday said pig farmers nationwide would write to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asking the government for protection measures ...
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Thai cultural extravaganza in Bahrain from May 23.
Manama, May 20 (BNA) -- The Royal Thai Embassy, Manama and Bahrain's Ministry of Culture are organizing the Thai cultural festival at the Cultural hall of the National Museum from May 23 to 25. The three day festival will commemorate the first anniversary of the cultural cooperation signed between the two countries. The event will feature two activities - a demonstration of Thai ...
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Southeast Asia now leads the world for trust in banks
In sharp contrast to Europe and the US, many Asian countries have weathered the global financial crisis well and emerged with considerable economic momentum. That momentum helps explain why confidence in financial institutions was highest in Asia last year - particularly among emerging markets in Southeast and South Asia, where median trust was 77 per cent and 75 per cent, according to a Gallup ...
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Second Cambodian factory collapse injures 23 workers who produce clothes for ... - NEWS.com.au
A COLLAPSING structure injured 23 workers Monday at a Cambodian factory producing garments for fashion brand H&M, police said, the latest incident to raise concerns about regional industrial ...
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Imran Khan holds London-based rival responsible for Pakistani politicians murder – video
Imran Khan 'holds responsible' London-based MQM leader Altaf Hussain of the murder of Zahra Hussain, vice-president for Khan's party. The female politician was gunned down outside her home in Karachi on Saturday, sparking outcry among supporters of Khan's party, PTI, who claim Hussain threatened its supporters in a speech from London. A spokesman for MQM has accused Khan of ...
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Starbucks Is Open for Business in Vietnam
opened up shop in Ho Chi Minh in February, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said that sales have exceeded expectations so far. Still, Vietnam may prove a challenge for the hegemonic coffee company because of the country's rich coffee culture that dates back at least a ...
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Minorities Unsafe in Pakistan
Pakistan’s founder "Quaid-i-Azam" Mohammad Ali Jinnah dreamt of a country that would be Islamic and at the same time secular. The basic ideals behind the creation of Pakistan underscored security, welfare and cooperation of the people of all religions. Thanks to extremism and radicalization, today Pakistan is counted among the most dangerous places to live. Unfortunately, ...
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Pakistani women faced major hurdles at polls
Pakistani women were often blocked from voting in recent elections, but many were compelled to vote, usually for their husband's or father's ...
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Pakistans Musharraf Granted Bail in Bhutto Murder Case
A Pakistani court has granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a case related to the murder of former prime minister Benazir ...
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Burmese Presidents White House Visit a Reward for Reforms
President Barack Obama's invitation to his Burmese counterpart to meet at the White House marks a rapid diplomatic boost for Thein Sein, whom the United States removed from a blacklist of foreign officials denied entry to the country only last year. Mr. Obama also rewarded Burma's reform efforts by making the first visit to that nation by a sitting U.S. president last ...
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More Regional Troops Going to Central African Republic
An armored vehicle of of the Congolese army, part of the Central African Multinational Force is parked in front of a bank in central Bangui on April 3, ...
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Global Water is Under Threat
Scientists say a new geologic epoch has begun whereby humans are causing major damage to global water systems. They warn of a planetary transformation comparable to the retreat of the glaciers more than 11-thousand years ago. Scientists are meeting in Bonn, Germany this week (5/21-24) to discuss what can be done about it. to De Capua report on Anthropocene epoch While some still ...
Sri Lankan Focus
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Sri Lanka sees major tourism industry investment
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, especially the cruising scene, is getting back on its feet following the war, with significant interest being shown by major cruise lines wanting to schedule Sri Lankan ports on Indian Ocean Cruises, while the local yachting scene is seeing exciting growth and a local cruise industry may be emerging from infancy.
Sri Lanka, following the long and devastating civil war, which lasted around two and a half decades, is now making renewed attempts to redevelop its tourist industry. The industry is extremely import to the economy of Sri Lanka and is a vital part of the country’s access to foreign currency reserves, but saw marked declines in tourist arrivals during periods in which the ongoing civil war was perceived to be increasing in intensity and violence. Read more
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