Category: Southeast Asia

500 join Zamboanga City Gov’t job fair

CLOSE to 500 job seekers trooped to the Philippine Red Cross Training Center for the day-long job fair despite the inclement weather condition in this city. City Social Welfare and Development officer Socorro Rojas said 520 job seekers have registered during the activity on Friday, March 10, and 476 of them were interviewed during the eight-hour job fair.

U.S.-backed SDF says has enough forces to take Syrian city of Raqqa

“The number of our forces is now increasing, particularly from among the people of the area, and we have enough strength to liberate Raqqa with support from the coalition forces,” Jihan Sheikh Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Syrian Democratic Forces , said in a statement. “We have information that the enemy is moving part of its leadership outside the city, as it is also digging tunnels under the ground.

More flights out of Cebu

CEBU. AirAsia officials, along with Department of Tourism-Central Visayas Director Catalino Chan III , launch new routes for Cebu in time for the summer. LOW-COST carrier AirAsia Inc. has committed to add more domestic flights to various Philippine destinations moving forward, said a company official.

Haze problem worsens in North as many provinces hit by wildfires

MANY PROVINCES were affected by wildfires yesterday, causing the acute haze problem to intensify, while the Disease Control Department warned vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the infirm to stay indoors and wear face masks. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said that due to worsening smog caused by wildfires, Lampang province had suffered from harmful air pollution levels for three days in a row.

Check out the hotel packages and special Airline promotions

The Okura Prestige Bangkok plays host to a Wedding Showcase 2017 on April 1 and 2 joining with experienced wedding planners in offering packages and services. Couples booking their wedding at the event and making a down payment of Bt600,000 will receive a range of benefits including 100 Okura cupcakes, champagne tower, herbal drink and a food station with 100 portions.

Malaysian PM Hints at Severing Ties with N.Korea

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak hinted at the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with North Korea completely after it kicked out the North Korean ambassador over the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother, Kim Jong-nam. Asked if it was possible that all ties with the rogue nation will be severed, Najib said Malaysia has to wait and see, according to the Star daily.

North Korea bans Malaysians from leaving

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his estranged older half-brother Kim Jong Nam, who was murdered at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur airport. Pyongyang says it will ban Malaysians from leaving North Korea amid diplomatic disputes over the death of leader Kim Jong Un’s estranged half-brother.

The World Bank and Partners Recognize Results-Driven Leadership in Development

Today, at the 2017 Global Leadership Forum , hosted by the World Bank Group, the first ever Jose Edgardo Campos Collaborative Leadership awards will be presented to five exceptional leaders from around the world. These leaders, from government, private sector and civil society in Bangladesh, Colombia, the Philippines, Tonga and Tunisia have helped their countries make significant progress in the fight to end poverty and boost shared prosperity.

Sabahans Must Given Mandate To BN In PRU14

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said the people of Sabah must give the mandate to Barisan Nasional who have succeeded in bringing stability and prosperity, at the 14th General Election . He said, as a responsible government, BN had careful planning and comprehensive development agenda for the benefit of the people in the state.

Indonesians shocked by Trump, but still admire US values

Indonesians are by turns shocked and bemused by Donald Trump’s volatile presidency, but many in the world’s most populous Muslim nation say his personality and actions – including his controversial travel ban – haven’t changed their positive view of the United States. There is a reservoir of goodwill in Indonesia toward the U.S., which Indonesians often see as a beacon for values they hope will flourish in their own country.

Malaysia Scraps Visa Waiver for N.Koreans

Malaysia on Thursday abruptly scrapped a visa-free pact with North Korea over the assassination of Kim Jong- nam at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the move was motivated by concerns for national security, according to the Bernama news agency. The North has infuriated Malaysians by denouncing the police investigation after four suspects fled to Pyongyang while two others remain holed up in the embassy.

University head faces fresh calls for resignation

There have been renewed calls for National Taiwan University President Yang Pan-chyr to resign over a fabricated-data scandal – despite his exoneration by a university ethics committee. Yang co-authored several papers that users on PubPeer – a website for the discussion and peer review of published research – flagged as “problematic.”

Water shortage becomes new focus for gov’t

President Tsai Ing-wen Wednesday called sustainable water management the government’s “most important policy responsibility,” as water shortages brought on by low rainfall saw rationing introduced in the parts of Taiwan. Tsai said there was a need to roll out and invest in technology-driven sustainable water resource management to overcome what had become a “yearly obstacle.”

Cambodian government critic killed over money, accused says

A police officer stands guard in front of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court during the trial of Chuop Somlap, who is accused of murdering the political commentator and prominent government critic Kem Ley, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 1, 2017. A man accused of murdering prominent Cambodian government critic Kem Ley told a court on Wednesday that he killed him over money, in a shooting that drew suspicions of a political motive.

U.S.-China Tensions May Force Nations to Choose, Singapore Says

Singapore risks being “coerced” into choosing between the U.S. or China as the two powers jostle for influence in Asia, according to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. “If America-China relations become very difficult our position becomes tougher because then we will be coerced to choose between being friends with America and friends with China,” Lee said in an interview with BBC’s “HARDtalk” that aired on Wednesday.

Billed as a “mega trip”, it would be a Saudi king’s first visit to Indonesia in nearly five decades.

University Malaya Vice Chancellor Sultan nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, right, presents the honourary degree of Doctor of Letters to Saudi Arabia’s King Sultan Salman bin Abdulaziz, left, at the University Malaya in Kuala Lumpur on February 27, 2017. Photo – AFP University Malaya Vice Chancellor Sultan nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, right, presents the honourary degree of Doctor of Letters to Saudi Arabia’s King Sultan Salman bin Abdulaziz, left, at the University Malaya in Kuala Lumpur on February 27, 2017.

Tribunal won’t try rest of Case 002

Former Democratic Kampuchea second-in-command Nuon Chea looks on during a trial hearing in the Khmer Rouge tribunal’s Case 002 in Phnom Penh. ECCC The Khmer Rouge tribunal yesterday announced it will not try senior Khmer Rouge leaders Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan for more than a dozen allegations that still remain stacked against them in Case 002.

The bucolic life of Grandma Chaem

Im Chaem fertilises cucumber plants behind her house in O’Angre village, in Anlong Veng, on February 3. A UN-backed tribunal’s investigating judges quietly dropped charges against Chaem, who was accused of overseeing the killings of tens of thousands. Omar Havana/The New York Times The tiny 74-year-old lives peacefully in a snug, stilted house surrounded by papaya, lime and custard-apple trees.

CPP calls for action over speech

The Cambodian People’s Party has demanded authorities take action against two more CNRP figures, including a lawmaker, over a speech in France that referred to the ruling party regime as a “beast” and “puppets of Vietnam”. Sending yet another chill down the spines of government opponents and critics, the letter by the CPP singled out French-based activist Ly Poeung and lawmaker for Prey Veng province Tout Khoeut.

Another bank’s logo on notice

A man passes the head office of Sathapana Bank in Phnom Penh yesterday, which was recently stripped of its corporate logo. Sathapana Bank has begun removing its logo from signage at some of its branches in preparation for a possible network-wide logo change – though it has not received any direct notification from the central bank that it must abandon its corporate branding, a bank executive said yesterday.

ASIC reveals its role in Nine’s $260 million network writedown

The corporate regulator has claimed it played a role in Nine’s decision to write down by $260 million the goodwill value of its television network, a week after it revealed a similar involvement in a $75.5 million impairment at Seven West Media. Nine’s writedown was announced in its half-year results on February 23 and pushed a $75 million underlying profit into a $237 million loss for the first half.

Does an oarfish predict an earthquake is about to hit CDO?

ABOUT two weeks before the 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit Surigao City, two oarfish have been found in the beaches of Butuan City and another oarfish was washed ashore in Misamis Occidental and in Agusan del Norte days later. Residents near the shores took selfies and posted the sightings on social media networks without looking into the cause of this sighting.

More industry players taking part in Lima 2017

Aerial power: EN Projects chief executive officer Shaun Jacobson briefing Hishammuddin and Liow during their official visit to the venue for the coming Lima 2017. LANGKAWI: A total of 505 companies from 36 countries will be taking part in the five-day Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace 2017 here starting from March 21. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the showcase would feature half of the world’s top 100 maritime and aerospace suppliers.

Kim Jong-nam death: North Korean embassy diplomat suspected in case

Malaysia has summoned the North Korean ambassador for accusations he made over the investigation into the killing of Kim Jong-NamMore The Malaysian government viewed the criticism as baseless, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement after the summon meeting, which was called upon by the ministry’s Deputy Secretary General for Bilateral Affairs Nushirwan Zainal Abidin. Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport last week while preparing to board a flight to Macau.

The unhealthy season

People pushed the panic button when they heard Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha warned two weeks ago that the spread of the influenza virus this year would be greater than the last. The virus forced two Bangkok schools, Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Elementary School and St Joseph Convent School, to close some parts of the premises for inspection and cleaning after students were found to have been infected.

Ministry seeks to court more Japanese women

The Tourism and Sports Ministry aims to attract more female Japanese tourists to Thailand because they spend more than men. The ministry will promote activities to make Thailand more attractive to Japanese women, such as muay Thai, meditation, shopping, cookery, textile weaving and organic gardening, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said at a luncheon talk entitled, “Empowering Women Leadership in Business and Society”, held by Assumption University.

Plan B for South power

Protesters of a coal-fired power plant for Krabi sit outside Government House. They dispersed on Sunday after the government agreed to delay the project again and do a new environmental and health assessment study.

TV footage appears to show deliberate attack on North Korean

Security camera footage obtained by Japanese television appears to show a careful and deliberate attack last week on the exiled half brother of North Korea’s ruler, while Malaysia said Monday it had recalled its ambassador to North Korea amid rising tensions between the nations. The footage, obtained by Fuji TV and often grainy and blurred, seems to show two women approaching Kim Jong Nam from different directions as he stands at a ticketing kiosk at the budget terminal of the Kuala Lumpur airport.

In the know: Can oarfish predict earthquakes?

AGUSAN. An oarfish was found ashore in Barangay Rojales, Carmen, Agusan del Norte, on February 15. DAYS before and after the 6.7-magnitude earthquake that devastated Surigao City and its nearby provinces, multiple sightings of giant oarfish in Mindanao were reported.

Jolie to unveil Khmer Rouge film in ‘second home’ Cambodia

Angelina Jolie will unveil her new film on the horrors of the Khmer Rouge era on Saturday at the ancient Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia, a country the star shares a deep affinity with through her adopted son Maddox. Cambodia’s king and survivors of the communist regime will be among some 1,500 people invited to the debut screening of “First They Killed My Father”, directed by Jolie and based on the memoirs of Loung Ung.

Angelina Jolie attends premiere with kids

Angelina Jolie took her six children with her as she made her first red carpet appearance since splitting from Brad Pitt. The ‘Maleficent’ actress was joined by her kids – Maddox, 15, Shiloh, 10, Pax, 13, Zahara, 12, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox – at the film premiere of ‘First They Killed My Father’ in Siem Reap, Cambodia.