Latest Southeast Asia News
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Jet-setting Thai monk to return next week
Disciples of Luangpu Nen Kham Chattiko - who was identified as one of three monks seen aboard a private jet in a video clip that has drawn widespread criticism - said yesterday he would return next week from his trip abroad to resume his duties as abbot of Wat Pa Khantitham in Si Sa Ket's Kanthararom district. The 34-year-old was one of a trio of monks wearing earphones and sunglasses and ...
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Pakistan violates ceasefire after Indian troops foiled infiltration bid
Poonch: Pakistani troops today violated ceasefire and opened indiscriminate firing along the Line of Control (LOC) in Poonch sector after an infiltration bid was foiled by Indian troops.A group of four armed persons from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) were seen moving towards an Indian forward post in Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district around 0950 hours, PRO defence SN Acharya said.Alert ...
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Global Gold Demand Reinforced by Asian Consumers
Gold Council published a market update recently, which examines the effect of the recent fall in the gold price.The report also provides new consumer perspectives in India and China on gold price expectations and future purchasing ...
More Southeast Asia News
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Prison hunger strike by Vietnam revolutionarys son tests governments culture of intimidation
In this photo taken Monday, June 17, 2013, lawyer Nguyen Thi Duong Ha stands in the courtyard of her home in downtown Hanoi, Vietnam. Her husband Cu Huy Ha Vu is entering the fourth week of a prison hunger strike to protest alleged poor treatment. The statues seen in her background are of Vu's father, the poet Cu Huy Can, left, and his uncle Xuan Dieu, also a famous poet (right). Vu was ...
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Philippines sends fresh troops to disputed shoal guarded by Chinese ships in new standoff
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has deployed a fresh batch of marines and supplies to a shoal in the disputed South China Sea, where a Chinese warship and surveillance vessels appeared last month and triggered a new standoff in the strategic waters, the Philippine defence secretary said Wednesday. The new contingent of Filipino marines replaced troops at the Second Thomas Shoal, where the ...
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STOCKS NEWS SINGAPORE-Medtecs rises as higher demand for face masks seen
Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:47am EDT Shares of Singapore-listed Medtecs International Corp Ltd's surged as much as 10.2 percent on expectations of higher sales of face masks in the city-state, which is grappling with its worst air pollution in 16 years, traders said. The medical products maker's shares rose as high as S$0.065 with 1.8 million shares traded, 1.6 times the average full-day volume ...
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Bali governor urged to take action against illegal turtle trade
Members of ProFauna wave banners and posters calling for an end to the illegal turtle trade while submitting of a petition to Bali governor Made Mangku Pastika in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday. As many as 15,000 people have signed the petition which urges the government to take tough measures against the illegal trade in turtles and their eggs that is common in ...
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Vietnamese President arrives in Beijing for visit
Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang arrived in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon, kicking off his three-day state visit to China.Sang, as a guest of Chinese President Xi Jinping, will hold talks with Xi and other Chinese leaders on bilateral ties, regional affairs and international issues of common concern, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.Besides Beijing, Sang will also visit Guangdong ...
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UPDATE 1-Thai government cuts rice price exporters unimpressed
Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:23am EDT * High intervention price meant huge losses for state * Moody's had warned of the budgetary consequences * Exporters say the new price is still too high (Adds exporters' comment, market outlook) By Pracha Hariraksapitak and Kittipong Thaicharoen BANGKOK, June 19 (Reuters) - Thailand's government approved a 20 percent cut in the guaranteed price it pays ...
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Indonesia to reduce mosque volumes
Indonesia's National Mosque Council is set to adjust the volume of more than 250,000 mosques, following complaints that they have become too ...
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MICHAEL PETTIS The real challenge facing Chinas growth
Beijing-based economist Michael Pettis has carved out through his "China Financial Markets" blog a distinct position with his commentaries on the Chinese economy, notably with his consideration of the difficulties it faces with its necessary rebalancing towards a more consumption-based model. Asia Times Online here draws the attention of Pettis' latest insightful analysis to a ...
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Singapore hosts CommumicAsia 2013
CommunicAsia 2013 has launched in Singapore, bringing together more than 2,000 companies and showcasing the latest trends from the communication technology, broadcast, digital multimedia and entertainment technology industries. One item at the exhibition is the world's largest smartphone, the Huawei Ascend Mate. (Getty ...
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Cambodia unveils strategy to attract Chinese tourists - Xinhua
PHNOM PENH, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday finalized its 5-year strategic plan to attract at least 1.3 million Chinese visitors by 2018. Speaking at a seminar on Cambodia tourism marketing strategy targeting China, So Visothy, director of the Tourism Ministry's Marketing and Promotion Department, said that currently China is the third largest tourist ...
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Malaysia Budget Airport Delayed Now Expected To Open May 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The opening of a new airport to accommodate budget carriers has been delayed until next year because of design changes and other construction setbacks, Malaysia's airport operator says. Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad said late Tuesday that the contractors for the terminal building of the new airport, who previously said the facility would be completed this ...
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Singapore pollution soars as haze from Indonesia hits air quality
An office worker in Singapore walks to work. Smoke haze is an annual problem for the country and its neighbour Malaysia. Photograph: Edgar ...
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Press freedom fears as Sri Lanka considers new media code
A new code of ethics for the media proposed by the Sri Lankan government could have a chilling effect on free speech, according to the ...
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Political Jockeying Ahead of Malaysia Election
The police said 45,000 people. Some politicians claimed it was 60,000. Other independent estimates were as high 150,000 individuals. Such squabbling over crowd numbers at political events isn't unique to Malaysia, but nonetheless likely sets the adversarial tone for the coming weeks or months until the next parliamentary election, due to be called by the end of April. "We want a free ...
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Vietnam index closes up nearly 1 pct big firms lead
HANOI, June 19 (Reuters) - Vietnam's benchmark VN index closed up 0.9 percent on Wednesday, climbing for a second day as big cap firms recovered from losses and sentiment improved among investors, traders said. Expectations the National Assembly would approve a corporate tax cut from 28 to 22 percent during a house vote later Wednesday could give companies a boost and further lift the ...
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STOCKS NEWS THAILAND-Budget carrier Nok Air set for positive debut-brokers
Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:43am EDT Shares in low-cost airline Nok Airlines Pcl, a unit of national carrier Thai Airways International Pcl, are expected to rise on debut on the Thai main stock exchange on Thursday, due to the company's growth prospects and valuation appeal. "The pricing of 26 baht was not at the high end of the offer range. With a price-to-earnings valuation of around 11 times, ...
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Bank Mandiri announces change to business plan
Bank Mandiri plans to change its 2013 business plan (RBB) to follow up the hike of the subsidized-fuel price rate."The change to the plan has not been submitted to Bank Indonesia yet because we are still waiting [for the fuel price hike announcement]," Bank Mandiri President Director Budi Gunadi Sadikin said as quoted by kontan.co.id on Wednesday.Budi said that the hike would surely ...
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IHSG back in the red
The Indonesian Composite Index (IHSG) plunged back into the red zone after a positive opening during the first trading session on Wednesday.Kontan.co.id reported the index dropped by 0.28 percent to 4,827.13 at 12 a.m.The transaction volume was 7.971 billion shares worth Rp 4.865 trillion.Seven sectors were in the negative zone and the main three were miscellaneous industry with 1.71 percent, ...
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PDI-P continues resistance against fuel price hike on the streets
Thousands of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) members launch a long march to the State Palace in Jakarta to protest against the recent subsidized-fuel price hike.Kontan.co.id reported that the mass gathered at the Tugu Proklamasi at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday and began their march at 10:30 a.m.PDI-P senior politician Ribka Tjiptaning said that the march was the last ditch of ...
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ST team in Dumai brings you latest updates on the haze
A three-man team from The Straits Times is headed for the Indonesian coastal city of Dumai, Riau, where haze conditions have reached "critical" proportions. The ST team said they could smell smoke upon their arrival at the airport in Pekanbaru, Riau's capital city, early on Wednesday morning. Pekanbaru is about three to four hours by car from Dumai. -- PHOTO: JOYCE LIM ,THE ...
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Business Briefs June 19
* Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI) has withdrawn from a project to construct four main roads in Thu Thiem new urban area in HCM City’s District 2 to focus its resources on the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway project, according to Trang Bao Son, deputy head of Thu Thiem Investment and Construction Authority. Dai Quang Minh Real Estate ...
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Indonesia remains upbeat on growth target despite planned fuel price hike
The Indonesian government remains confident that it can achieve its target of 6.3 percent growth this year despite the scheduled implementation of the unpopular fuel price hike.The oil price increase is designed to plug the budget deficit this year which could reach 2.4 percent from initial assumption of 1.6 percent.On Wednesday, the Indonesian Parliament approved the government's revised ...
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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