Latest Southeast Asia News
RSS-
Vietnam reduces activists sentences on appeal
HANOI (AFP) - A Vietnamese court on Thursday reduced the prison sentences of four activists convicted of trying to overthrow the state and having links to a banned US-based opposition group, a lawyer said. In January, 13 people - including Catholics, bloggers and students - were jailed from between three to 13 years by a court in Nghe An about 300km south of Hanoi. Eight defendants appealed ...
-
Twelve killed and dozens wounded in explosion in Pakistani city of Quetta
Pakistani security officials examine the destroyed vehicle used by security forces following a bomb attack on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of restive Baluchistan province, on May 23, 2013. A bomb planted in a rickshaw tore through a vehicle used by security forces in southwest Pakistan on May 23, killing at least 12 people, police said. AFP PHOTO / BANARAS KHAN (Photo credit should read ...
-
Dan Browns Inferno Upsets Philippines
Dan Brown's description of Manila as "the gates of hell" in his new novel Inferno has provoked anger in the Philippines. The plot of his latest work includes a character who is visiting the capital, and while doing so is shocked by the poverty, crime and sex trade. Brown's vivid description of the city has incurred an angry response from the Philippines, where the book ...
More Southeast Asia News
RSS-
20 killed in 2 simultaneous car bombs in Niger
NIAMEY, Niger (AP) -- Niger's defense minister announced that 20 Nigerien soldiers were killed and another 16 injured when a suicide bomber detonated a car loaded with explosives inside a military installation in the city of Agadez on ...
-
Pope Francis may visit Philippines in 2016—CBCP
Pope Francis. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines may just be on Pope Francis' travel itinerary in 2016, the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said on Thursday. Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, CBCP president, said Church officials were hoping Pope Francis would be able to visit in January 2016 after the Vatican asked that the date for a major ...
-
Indigenous Peoples Protest Destructive Sarawak Dams Coruption at Industry Conference in Malaysia
More than three hundred indigenous people of the Penan, the Kenyah, the Kayan, and Iban ethnic groups protested this morning against the recently ...
-
Seven dead in Nepal bus disaster
A bus traveling in far west Nepal Thursday skidded off a hilly road and fell about 50 feet, killing at least seven people and injuring 41 others, police said. It was not immediately known if there were more passengers in the bus, which was traveling to Darchula district from Mahendranagar near the border with India. Nepalnews.com reported the accident occurred about 6 a.m. The injured were ...
-
Papua Police probe money laundering in Labora case
Papua Police detective chief Sr. Comr. Setyo Budianto said the police had questioned two members of staff from financial services providers in Sorong, West Papua on Thursday in relation to a bank account containing to Rp 1.5 trillion belonging to Adj. First Insp. Labora Sitorus.The police were pursuing indications of money laundering from Labora, who had been detained on illegal logging and fuel ...
-
China’s Guangxi Normal University opens Indonesia Center
The Guangxi Normal University (GXNU) in Guilin, China, in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy, has opened an Indonesian Cultural Center, the fourth such center established in the Asian superpower nation.The three other centers have been established at the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), Hebei Normal University (HNU) and Guangzhou University.The center was inaugurated by acting ...
-
In Pakistan the Afghan war brings jobs - and criminality on an epic scale
Azim Khan stands atop his truck in the main yard of Shireen Jinnah Colony, where hundreds of tankers load up with fuel to supply to U.S.and NATO military presence in Afghanistan. When the Pakistani government closed down the supply routes in response to an errant U.S.airstrike, Mr. Khan spent seven months sleeping in his truck. (Matthieu ...
-
Taiwan gears up for further regulatory easing
Taiwan Today By Meg Chang Implementing regulatory easing is an ROC government policy priority and key to Taiwan's sustainable development, Premier Jiang Yi-huah said May 22. "The Cabinet will conduct a comprehensive review of existing laws and regulations before making timely adjustments to boost the private sector's vitality and enhance Taiwan's economic ...
-
Taiwan receives more overseas support in boat case
Taiwan Today The killing of a Taiwan fisherman during an attack on his boat by a Philippine government vessel is beginning to receive greater attention abroad, according to the ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs May 22. "We have received support from U.S. and EU lawmakers, with a series of reports on the case carried by the mainstream international media," a MOFA official said. The ...
-
MOJ seeks mutual benefit in boat probe
Taiwan Today Taiwan will only assist the Philippines in investigating the fatal attack by one of its government vessels on an ROC-registered fishing boat under the principles of equality and mutual benefit, according to the Ministry of Justice May 22. "We affirm Manila's consent allowing our people to inspect the Philippine government vessel involved as well as the weapons and ...
-
DOH minister touts ROC disease-fighting record
Taiwan Today Taiwan's achievements in dealing with infectious diseases were highlighted by ROC Minister of Health Chiu Wen-ta at the 66th World Health Assembly meeting May 22 in Geneva. "In the past 50 years Taiwan has eradicated or brought under control more than 10 communicable diseases," Chiu said. "Among the biggest successes were the nation's efforts in ...
-
US family leaves Singapore frustrated with inquest
SINGAPORE -; The parents of an American software engineer found dead in his Singapore apartment last year left the city-state Thursday before the end of a coroner's inquest, saying they had lost faith in the process. Their lawyer said they would push for a U.S. congressional ...
-
China hasnt used Pakistan against India Daily
Beijing, May 23 : China has played a positive role in the continuous easing of the relationship between India and Pakistan, said a state-run daily which added, "China has not played balancing strategy, using one country against the ...
-
Egat forced to delay electricity supply to deep South
A plan to acquire additional electricity from Malaysia to cope with a shortage in the deep South may have to be delayed until next year due to continuing violence in the region, a senior official at the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) said Thursday The 1320-kilovolt supply will be delivered to a power station in Narathiwat's Sungai-Kolok district, in addition to another ...
-
AIT operations back to normal following return to old charter
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) said Thursday that the difficulties surrounding its legal status had ended following a decision in December to bring back its old charter. The announcement meant 499 students from more than 30 countries will be able to attend their graduation ceremonies, without worrying about the validity of their degrees. "We have now returned to normalcy after ...
-
Yingluck drums up Japanese investment for Dawei rail projects
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has invited Japanese investors to join the Dawei Deep Sea Port project in Myanmar, while Japanese businesses have expressed an interest in bidding for satellite and high-speed rail projects in Thailand, the PM's secretary-general said Thursday. Suranand Vejjajiva said Yingluck met her Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe, on Wednesday and discussed bilateral ...
-
China to support Pakistan in realizing stability better development Premier Li
The Chinese government will unswervingly stick to its friendly policy toward Pakistan and support the South Asian nation in realizing stability and better development, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said Thursday in Islamabad.Li was speaking during a meeting with Pakistani military leaders including Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chief of Army ...
-
Nepals oldest climber sponsored by govt to defend his record
The government of Nepal at its cabinet meeting Thursday decided to provide 1 million rupees ($11, 235.9) to Guinness World Record holder Min Bahadur Sherchan, an official at the prime minister's office said."Today's cabinet meeting decided to provide 1 million rupees to Min Bahadur Sherchan for his attempt to scale Mount Everest to defend his record," Rajendra Pandey, Press ...
-
Myanmar welcomes reconciliation but won’t be just Washington’s pawn
The US visit of Myanmar President Thein Sein raises hopes for increased cooperation and commerce, but some in Washington unrealistically view the country as a tool in the containment of a rising China.Naturally, there is an appropriate US interest in developing commercial relations with Myanmar and in helping promote a modernization process there. Beginning in 2009, Washington has taken steps to ...
-
Pakistan ready to heal US wounds
Good news about Pakistan is rare, and all the more precious for that. The country, often considered the "most dangerous place on earth," seems a boiler of violence, terrorism and religious extremism. But recently, it touched a major democratic landmark.The national general elections were held in Pakistan. It was the first time since its country's founding in 1947 that voters got ...
-
‘Asian Century’ raises own tough challenges
Christian Forneck, senior foreign policy adviser at the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag Our discussion is about the beginning of a multipolar era in which there are many new power centers around the world. It doesn't matter if you believe in the thesis of "US decline," or "the demise of the West." One thing is ...
-
China to support Pakistans stability and growth
/enpproperty--> ISLAMABAD - The Chinese government will unswervingly stick to its friendly policy toward Pakistan and support the South Asian nation in realizing stability and better development, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Thursday. Li was speaking during a meeting with Pakistani military leaders including Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem ...
Sri Lankan Focus
-
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
News from around our Network
