Latest Southeast Asia News
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Bangladeshi opposition leader says govt ban on political rallies stalls talks
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia has said the dialogue between the government and the opposition would be "affected" by the government's "ban" on holding rallies for a month.She made the comment when a delegation of ambassadors called on her at her Gulshan office last night.The delegation included William Hanna, head of EU delegation to ...
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Mobile banking helps Bangladesh economy grow
Around 1.12 billion Bangladeshi taka (US$14.21 million) is being transacted through mobile banking services in Bangladesh every day on an average, helping the economy grow further by transferring money from urban to rural areas, Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman said yesterday.Banks have been providing mobile financial services to 5 million people through around 7,000 agents across the ...
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UN human rights chief welcomes building and fire safety accord in Bangladesh
The United Nations human rights chief has called for further actions to improve the working conditions of the Bangladeshi garment sector."We welcome the fact that dozens of international companies have made a legal commitment to improve safety in Bangladesh's garment factories, in the wake of last month's building collapse that killed more than 1,127 people," Navanethem ...
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World Bank grant aims to overhaul statistics system in Laos
The World Bank has agreed to provide a grant of US$8 million grant to further support the Lao government's efforts to strengthen the National Statistical System and improve the production, availability and use of high-quality statistics.The agreement was signed in Vientiane on Friday between Deputy Minister of Finance Santiphab Phomvihane and World Bank Country Manager to Laos Keiko ...
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Singapore’s Changi Sseeks growth With Gold Tuna
Changi Airport, Southeast Asia’s largest freight airfield, plans to attract more gold bars, tuna and vaccines to Singapore as it seeks to increase handling of high-value cargo to make up for slowing trade. The airport may process 7% more cargo by volume for pharmaceutical products such as vaccine and test drugs, as well as perishable goods including tuna and meat this year, James Fong, ...
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SEA smartphone market tops $11b
Smartphone sales in Southeast Asia climbed 61% in the last 12 months to 42.2 million units, worth over $11 billion, GfK estimates. But despite the impressive growth figures, an estimated two thirds of Southeast Asia's population are yet to make the transition to smartphones, the research firm said. The region's overall mobile market grew 14% in value and 8% by unit sales over the same ...
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Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort Spa Launches Renovated Grand Ballroom
US$1 million renovation strengthens resort's position as one of the most comprehensive and versatile MICE venues in Southeast Asia PHUKET, Thailand, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & ...
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Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai seeks Indian military aid amid Pakistan row
Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will seek increased military aid from India during a three-day visit starting Monday and will discuss recent cross-border clashes with Pakistan, India's archrival, an aide said.The comments follow a weekend report that said Afghanistan's ambassador to India had said the country needs India's help with "equipment and weapons to fight." ...
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More bodies recovered in collapsed Indonesia mine
TIMIKA, Indonesia (AP) -- Rescuers recovered four more bodies from a collapsed underground room at a giant U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia, bringing the confirmed death toll to 13, police said Monday. Fifteen other workers were still missing and feared ...
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Japan fleets to visit Myanmar in October
A fleet of three training ships carrying young officers of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force will visit Myanmar in early October, Japan's Jiji press quoted informed sources as saying Monday. They will be the first MSDF ships to make a port visit in the Southeast Asian country, according to the sources. Myanmar is located in a strategically important area near a key sea lane leading ...
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Hospitals withdraw from city healthcare program
Paper Edition | Page: 2 As many as 16 hospitals have withdrawn from the Kartu Jakarta Sehat (KJS) healthcare program after failing to reduce losses incurred from covering medical expenses of KJS patients.Previously, a total of 341 community health centers (puskesmas) and 132 private and public hospitals were incorporated in the KJS program, which was launched in November."There's ...
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How long will the public endure corrupt cops
Paper Edition | Page: 1 It would be a monumental task to list all the corrupt practices within the police force. From protecting slave labor to amassing billions of rupiah of state money, the National Police seem to be the only state institution untouched by reform. After policy makers decided in 1999 to expand the enforcement mandate of police officers - a decision that aimed to end 35 years ...
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Six club-goers arrested in drugs cases
Despite negative urine tests, six revelers in Mille's Club in West Jakarta were arrested in a raid by the Jakarta Narcotics Agency early Sunday, for possession of three bongs.A bong is a filtration pipe usually used to smoke drugs including crystal methamphetamine."We will question them further to find out more about the possession of the pipes," the agency's prevention ...
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Angry mob rejects eviction in East Jakarta
Hundreds of residents of Sumur village in Klender, East Jakarta, blocked a road to prevent a housing developer and personnel from the public order agency (Satpol PP) from evicting them from their residences.East Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Mulyadi Kaharni said on Saturday that the angry mob stopped dozens of vehicles passing on Jl. I Gusti Ngurah Rai, flattening their tires to prevent Satpol ...
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Nepalese named suspect in fatal crash
Anish Shakya, a Nepalese national, is the suspect after a fatal car crash case on Saturday night that killed Sikun Supriyadi, a motorcyclicst, in Kemang, South Jakarta."The police have named Anish suspect after conducting an investigation at the crime scene and interviewing witnesses," Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Sunday.Anish has been charged under Article ...
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China halts imports of New Zealand meat
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -; Hundreds of tons of frozen mutton, lamb and beef from New Zealand have been stranded on Chinese docks after China halted imports from the country due to a certification ...
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US adviser on board of firm that sold anthrax drug
A 13-person commission is taking a year to analyze the ethical issues of whether children can participate in research to determine safe dosage levels of an anthrax ...
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Asian women begin bid for Canada
Asia's long road to the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ commences on Tuesday, with a record 16 sides featuring in the preliminaries for next March's 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Japan, which serves as the qualifier for the global ...
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Thailand concerned over high speed rail project delays
Thailand’s leaders say they’re concerned delays of the high speed rail link between Thailand and Laos via China could continue, after the Laos side placed the project on hold over Chinese involvement. Speaking at a Thai and Laos cabinet meeting last week, Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said his cabinet has convened with Lao’s government about the delay, and ...
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Four arrested for hotel blast in southern Thailand
Four suspects were arrested yesterday in connection with an explosion at a Narathiwat hotel in the morning that left six people injured. The bombing took place at around 11am at Asia Hotel, in Sungai Kolok district of the southernmost Muslim-majority province. Room Nos 306 and 307 on the third floor of the hotel were severely damaged. The impact of the explosion brought down the ceilings of ...
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Pakistan repeats vote despite killing
KARACHI, Pakistan -- Pakistan held a repeat election on Sunday in an upscale area of the southern city of Karachi that was plagued with allegations of vote-rigging, despite the shooting death of a senior member of former cricket star Imran Khan's ...
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Obama walks a fine line with Myanmars visit
U.S. President Barack Obama (L) waves to the press during his meeting with Myanmar's President Thein Sein in Yangon, November 19, 2012.(Photo:Agencies) U.S. President Barack Obama will walk a fine line between fostering a U.S. ally and trying to defend human rights when the president of Myanmar becomes the first head of his country to visit the White House in 47 years on Monday. Rights ...
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Red-shirts mass rally held in capital of Thailand
Thousands of supporters of the United Front for Democracy against the Dictatorship (UDD), or the Red shirts, rally to commemorate the third anniversary of the military crackdown on the anti-government protesters in the main shopping district of Bangkok, capital of Thailand, May 19, 2013. (Xinhua/Gao ...
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Taylor Swift leads at Billboard Music Awards
Taylor Swift arrives at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, May 19, 2013 in Las Vegas. (Photo by John ...
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Vietnam successfully tests flights of unmanned aircraft
Made-in-Vietnam unmanned aerial vehicles successfully flew over Vietnam's Central Highlands Lam Dong province, local media reported.Specifically, after three days of tests, from May 17-19, in Da Lat city and Lac Duong district of Lam Dong province, six vehicles made by the Vietnam Space Technology Institute, under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), successfully made 37 ...
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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