tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7531232002484494112012-08-12T04:38:56.780+08:00The News Blog"Where you can find the latest News and Information in South East Asia that you need to know"Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.comBlogger395125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-56839890132327421532012-08-12T04:38:00.003+08:002012-08-12T04:38:56.805+08:002012-08-12T04:38:56.805+08:00WORLD NEWS: South Korea and Japan face off over disputed islands<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Japan and South Korea were heading for a diplomatic showdown on Friday, after Lee Myung-bak became the first sitting South Korean president to visit a group of islands at the centre of a decades-old territorial dispute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lee, who will step down as president later this year, ignored calls from Japanese leaders to cancel the trip to one of the islands that make up the Takeshima chain, known as Dokdo among Koreans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After arriving by helicopter from the nearby island of Ulleungdo, Lee said that South Korea "must continue to protect its territory". He left the island later in the afternoon and was due to speak to reporters on his return to Seoul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lee's visit drew an angry response from Japan, which insists the islands, which lie roughly equidistant between the two countries in the Japan Sea – or the East Sea according to Koreans – are an integral part of its territory. In Tokyo, the government's chief spokesman, Osamu Fujimura, described Lee's visit as "extremely regrettable". Later, the government said it was ordering its ambassador in Seoul, Masatoshi Muto, to return to Tokyo to discuss the dispute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Japan's foreign minister, Koichiro Gemba, said the visit would have a big impact on bilateral ties, but did not specify what, if any, countermeasures were being considered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Officials in Seoul said Lee's visit was not designed to provoke Japan, with which South Korea enjoys close tourism and economic ties, albeit against a backdrop of resentment over Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. An unnamed official said the trip was intended only to highlight the island's importance as a natural reserve. "There shouldn't be anything unusual in a national leader visiting a place that is our territory," the official told Reuters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A freshwater lagoon helps sustain about 80 species of plants, and dozens of birds and insects. The meeting of cold and warm water currents has led to a profusion of fish and other marine life. The islands sit amid rich fishing grounds and, according to some reports, near frozen natural gas deposits that could be worth billions of dollars.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A coastguard garrison has been stationed on Takeshima since 1954, and their only known civilian residents are Kim Seong-do, an elderly fisherman, and his wife, Shin-yeol.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lee's visit comes soon after Japan renewed its claim over Takeshima in its annual defence paper, and days before South Korea marks the anniversary of its liberation from Japanese rule at the end of the second world war.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some interpreted the move as an attempt by Lee to appeal to nationalist sentiment in the south and improve the chances of his party's candidate, Park Geun-hye, in December's presidential election. South Korea's constitution bans sitting presidents from seeking a second term.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lee's ruling New Frontier party said Lee had demonstrated South Korea's "determination to protect our territory". But the main opposition Democratic United party said Lee should have used his final months in office to resolve longstanding disagreements over Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women before and during the war, and the use of school textbooks glorifying Japanese militarism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The visit has also raised the stakes at the Olympics, where Japan and South Korea are due to play for the bronze medal in the men's football tournament in Cardiff on Friday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Takeshima islands, comprising two small islands and more than 90 rocks and reefs, were made part of Japan's Shimane prefecture in 1905. The countries' competing claims are mired in historical ambiguity, and complicated by several name changes and cartographical evidence from myriad Korean, Japanese and western sources stretching back centuries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2010, South Korea's media reported the discovery of a 1949 US military map that, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, "clearly states that Dokdo belongs to Korea".<i><span style="color: red;">-The Guardian (August 10, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-5683989013232742153?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-21011292755359881372012-08-12T04:28:00.000+08:002012-08-12T04:28:13.787+08:002012-08-12T04:28:13.787+08:00Ramadan sales show Indonesia's growing economic feast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Food prices in Indonesia rise during the holy month of Ramadan, but that hasn't stopped Ghazmawati Akmalzen from stocking her shelves to celebrate next week's end of daylight fasting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It's not possible to cut down on food and ingredients because we're going to have friends and family over," she said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The spending power of Akmalzen and 242 mil</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">lion other Indonesians shows why this secular Muslim nation is a bright spot in a darkening global economy. Thanks to strong economic demand, this emerging market was able to shake off sagging exports due to eurozone troubles and slowing demand from China. The latest figures Monday from Southeast Asia's largest economy showed Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.4% year-on-year last quarter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The second quarter numbers beat market expectations and showed the resilience of the Indonesian economy - that was very much because of the strength of investment which grew 12% year-on-year and also the strength of consumer demand," said Rajiv Biswas, chief Asia economist for IHS Global Insight. "Domestic demand was the key factor here."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More foreign companies are looking to profit from growth in the world's most populous Muslim nation. When Nissan Motor Company resurrected the Datsun brand, CEO Carlos Ghosn made the March announcement in Indonesia, where the Japanese automaker plans to build and sell the new car in 2014, to take advantage of the nation's both rising manufacturing prowess and growing middle class. Late last year, Boeing made its largest single aviation sale - 230 planes totaling $21.7 billion - to Lion Air, a domestic airline virtually unknown outside of this archipelago nation of 6,000 inhabited islands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tony Fernandes, CEO of regional low-cost carrier Air Asia and chairman of the Queens Park Rangers football club, caused headlines recently by announcing his move from his native Malaysia to Indonesia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Jakarta has the potential to be the biggest market for Air Asia," Fernandes told CNN Tuesday at the launch of Air Asia ASEAN in Jakarta. "It's also home for ASEAN. So it's a statement we want to accelerate change in ASEAN and we've made the bold move of physically relocating ourselves here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We believe there is a massive market potential that's untouched here -- that's what we're after," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Global Insight, an economics consulting firm, predicts the Indonesian economy will grow five-fold by 2030 to become a $4.5 trillion economy - roughly the size of Germany's economy today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"That's very important -- not only does it mean Indonesia's GDP and per capita income are going to rise very substantially ... but also it's very important for the rest of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), because Indonesia is going to act as a growth driver for other ASEAN economies and for Asia regionally," Biswas said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Experts also talk about spurring more equitable growth that reaches Indonesia's poorest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In June, food staples tofu and soybean curd all but disappeared from markets for three days. The prolonged U.S. drought jacked up soybean prices to record highs, prompting local producers to go on strike.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"People look for tofu and soybean curd because that's what they eat. So for the poor, it's very difficult. If the prices are too high, who suffers? It's the poor," tofu vendor Haji Siti told CNN.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consumer prices were up 4.5% percent last quarter from a year earlier. Despite the country's growing investment, its infrastructure lags behind other developing economies such as China.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I'm very bullish but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't introduce policies that would both accelerate growth further and improve the quality of growth," said Milan Zavadjil, senior representative for the International Monetary Fund in Indonesia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Particularly more investment in infrastructure is absolutely essential to get rid of some of the current (traffic) bottlenecks, more investment in education to improve human skills and allow industry and other sectors to move up the value chain," Zavadjil said.<i><span style="color: red;">-Cable News Network (August 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-2101129275535988137?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-71265261984588153932012-08-12T02:58:00.000+08:002012-08-12T02:58:04.814+08:002012-08-12T02:58:04.814+08:00PH issues special Asean bills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Bangko Sentral started to circulate on Saturday 10 million special edition 50-peso bills to promote greater awareness of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which celebrated its 45th anniversary last Aug. 8.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“In four decades after its founding, ASEAN has made remarkable progress as a regional body. It has emerged as a driving force in promoting dialogue and cooperation in regional stability and security, economic prosperity and socio-cultural amity,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said at a Friday reception similar to those held in other ASEAN capitals since Wednesday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Del Rosario distributed souvenir copies of the special edition currency to the ambassadors and representatives of ASEAN nations in the country and said the reception kicked off different activities throughout the country to mark the regional block’s anniversary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The activities included exhibits on “Water Festivities of Southeast Asia” and “ASEAN Heritage Parks,” the celebration of “ASEAN Week” in schools and universities in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education and the ASEAN University Network, seminars by universities and partner organizations, and a film showing by the Cultural Center of the Philippines in October.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But while representatives of ASEAN nations celebrated regional unity at the foreign office, the event also underlined the challenges facing the regional block over the West Philippine Sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cambodia, for example, was represented by Second Secretary Tan Cahndaravuth because former envoy Hos Sereythonh was recalled by Phnom Penh after he accused the Philippines of “playing dirty politics” during the Foreign Ministerial Meeting recently held in Phnom Penh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ambassador apparently made the remark after international criticism, particularly from ASEAN nations, that the ministerial meeting, which was chaired by Cambodia, failed to issue a joint communique for the first time in its history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The impasse was only solved after Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa embarked on a 36-hour “shuttle diplomacy” to Manila, Hanoi, Phnom Penh and Singapore and forge a consensus on the ongoing wrangling over the West Philippine Sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But Del Rosario hoped that “despite the myriad challenges that have confronted the group through the years, ASEAN will maintain its central role in advancing its members interests, particularly in achieving its cherished ideals of peace, freedom and social justice.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ASEAN was established on Aug. 8, 1967 after the foreign ministers of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration in Thailand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The five foreign ministers – Adam Malik of Indonesia, Narciso Ramos of the Philippines, Abdul Razak of Malaysia, S. Rajaratnam of Singapore and Thanat Khoman of Thailand – are considered the organization’s Founding Fathers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Brunei Darussalam joined the bloc in 1984, followed by Vietnam (1995) Laos and Myanmar (1997) and finally by Cambodia (1999).<i><span style="color: red;">-Manila Standard Today (August 12, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-7126526198458815393?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-39299319427741728562012-08-12T02:29:00.001+08:002012-08-12T02:29:45.155+08:002012-08-12T02:29:45.155+08:00China 'willing to work with Indonesia' on South China Sea row<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China's foreign minister said Friday his country was willing to work with Indonesia as an informal mediator to "maintain peace and stability" in the South China Sea, amid tensions with neighboring nations over rival claims to the area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"To maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and in the region, China is willing to work with Indonesia," Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in Jakarta.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He also said China was prepared to work "on the basis of consensus toward the eventual adoption of the code of conduct".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) failed to move ahead on the issue at a regional ministers' meeting in Phnom Penh in July. The dispute prevented ASEAN from producing a joint communique for the first time in the bloc's 45-year history.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has since pushed for implementation of the long-stalled code of conduct, designed to reduce tensions over fishing, shipping rights and oil and gas exploration in the sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The very difficult issue of the South China Sea requires countries in the region, ASEAN and China to work closely," Natalegawa said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Having met the Chinese foreign minister, I'm assured that diplomacy is still on track."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China claims sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich sea, which is home to vital shipping lanes, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims.<i><span style="color: red;">-Interaksyon (August 11, 2012 4:20PM)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-3929931942774172856?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-13976067635097823312012-08-10T08:14:00.002+08:002012-08-10T08:20:56.322+08:002012-08-10T08:20:56.322+08:00NASA Curiosity landed on MARS<iframe width="530" height="310" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N9hXqzkH7YA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-1397606763509782331?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-81478311995676458212012-08-10T03:19:00.001+08:002012-08-10T03:19:48.803+08:002012-08-10T03:19:48.803+08:00Cambodian ambassador ending term early<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cambodia’s top diplomat in the Philippines is ending his tour of duty ahead of schedule reportedly due to his comments regarding the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Department of Foreign Affairs sources told The STAR that Cambodian embassy Second Secretary Tan Chandaravuth handed on Wednesday a note verbale to the DFA, saying Hos Sereythonh is leaving next week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sources said the ambassador is also not attending the 45th ASEAN Day celebration at the DFA this morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“A new ambassador has been named,” another source said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Cambodian daily reported that Hos is ending his term a year ahead of schedule as tensions flare over the West Philippine Sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rasmei Kampuchea Daily cited sources saying that Cambodian ambassadors normally have a three-year term. Hos started serving as ambassador to the Philippines on July 27, 2010.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The report said the move ending Hos’ tour of duty in Manila is related to the tensions over the South China Sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The paper said local political analysts in Cambodia believe the ambassador’s early return could be a move by Cambodia to ease tensions between the two Southeast Asian countries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Cambodia Daily said Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesman Koy Kuong said the government was downplaying the ambassador’s return.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The DFA had summoned Hos over comments linked to Manila’s territorial row with China.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hos was asked to explain his comments accusing the Philippines and Vietnam of playing “dirty politics” over the issue of ASEAN and the South China Sea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He said it was behind the “inflexible and non-negotiable” position of the Philippines and Vietnam on the inclusion of the West Philippine Sea dispute with China in the Joint Communiqué.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He made the comments in a letter to The Philippine STAR.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hos did not appear at the DFA to meet with Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio on Tuesday because he had flu.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sources said the ambassador could not ignore DFA summons, which could be a ground to declare a diplomat persona non grata.<i><span style="color: red;">-The Philippine Star (August 10, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-8147831199567645821?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-49216585139868704622012-08-10T02:31:00.001+08:002012-08-10T02:31:31.234+08:002012-08-10T02:31:31.234+08:00Philippines ramps up flood relief efforts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Efforts are under way in the Philippines to help hundreds of thousands of people affected by deadly floods that have paralysed the capital, Manila, and nearby areas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Officials appealed to volunteers to help distribute supplies to more than 300,000 people at emergency shelters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At least 19 people have died after a month's worth of rain fell over two days, causing landslides and floods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A state of calamity has been declared in parts of Manila and other areas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More than two million people across 30 cities in 16 provinces have been affected by the floods, according to a report from the government's disaster management agency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Of the above total affected, 119,751 families/580,079 persons are currently served inside and outside evacuation centres," it said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More than 300,000 people were being housed in 630 evacuation centres, while other displaced people were with friends and relatives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman was quoted by Agence France Presse news agency as saying that more volunteers were needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We have the food but we need to pack them, deliver and distribute them in this massive operation," she said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Most local government units do a community kitchen, but the volume of evacuees is so big that they have been overwhelmed. We are also appealing for more medicines, blankets, mats and, more importantly, dry clothes."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A number of roads in the capital have remained flooded. Dams and waterways are also still being closely monitored as they reached critical levels, the government said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The floods left people stranded in their homes all over the city. Rescuers have been trying to reach them by boat but some have refused to leave, scared their possessions will be taken by looters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Manila and the northern Philippines have been hit by severe weather since Typhoon Saola struck just over a week ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In September 2009 Typhoon Ketsana hit the Philippines, causing flooding that killed more than 400 people.<i><span style="color: red;">-British Broadcasting Corporation (August 09, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-4921658513986870462?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-49607634087270324022012-08-10T02:24:00.000+08:002012-08-10T02:24:12.487+08:002012-08-10T02:24:12.487+08:00Vietnam fines airline for dancers in bikini-tops<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vietnamese officials have fined a budget airline for having beauty contestants in bikini-tops dance aboard a plane without authorisation, state-run media has reported.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">VietJetAir was fined 20m dong ($956; £611) for the Hawaiian-themed dance on its first flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang, Tuoi Tre newspaper says.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Passengers filmed the five women on their mobile phones on 3 August.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Officials say VietJetAir had "violated local aviation regulations".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The decision to fine the airline was reached after officials met on Wednesday, the newspaper reports.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A statement on the company's website says that it wanted to capture a "holiday atmosphere" for its new flight route to Nha Trang, one of the country's most popular holiday destinations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Once passengers stepped on board they were met by flight attendants dressed in beach holiday attire [who] performed a sexy Hawaii dance," it said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nguyen Trong Thang, chief inspector of the country's civil aviation body, was quoted as saying that the airline "had violated the local aviation regulations by organising unapproved show on a plane".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But he stressed that the mobile phones used to film the dance were in safe mode.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Videos of the women dancing for three minutes that were posted online stirred public debate in the conservative country, reports say.<i><span style="color: red;">-British Broadcasting Corporation (August 09, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-4960763408727032402?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-8956840677313565582012-08-10T01:54:00.000+08:002012-08-10T01:54:30.770+08:002012-08-10T01:54:30.770+08:00Most major world economies slowing - OECD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Most of the major world economies are slowing, with Britain the only country to see tentative signs of a pick-up, the OECD said Thursday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said its composite leading indicators continued to point to "an easing of economic activity in most major OECD economies and slowdowns in most major non-OECD economies."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The individual indicators for Japan and the United States "show signs of a fading growth momentum," the Paris-based OECD, which groups the world's most developed countries, said in its latest report.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The signs from the eurozone, Germany and France "continue to point to weak growth", except in Italy where they point "more strongly to a slowdown."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Data for Britain, however, show "tentative signs of a pick-up in economic activity", making it the only country to show improvement. In Canada they point to "continued weak growth."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the emerging markets of China, India and Russia, the indicators "continue to point to a slowdown" while in Brazil they suggest "a more moderate pick-up in economic activity than in last month's assessment."<i><span style="color: red;">-Interaksyon (August 09, 2012 7:55PM)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-895684067731356558?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-16087091684703207022012-08-10T00:00:00.000+08:002012-08-10T02:11:10.832+08:002012-08-10T02:11:10.832+08:00Gregory Galgana Villar III: From curious to Curiosity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the Curiosity rover made its historic descent on Mars on Sunday, August 5 (Monday, August 6 in Manila), scientists, engineers, and space buffs around the world waited with bated breath to see if the landing would be successful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There were hundreds of scientists and engineers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) alone, the mission control for Curiosity. Among them was a Filipino-American, Gregory Galgana Villar III, a 25-year-old engineer, part of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The environment [at the control room] was very tense, everyone was very anxious...we were getting more and more excited," he recalled.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He was at the Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) control room – a room different from the one shown to the public on NASA's livestream – when the historic moment happened.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When touchdown on Mars was confirmed at 5:14 UTC (10:14 pm PDT), there was jubilation throughout the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We all just jumped with joy. Everyone was hugging each other, everyone was crying, big smiles. There's this huge sense of relief," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The historic event was Villar’s first rover mission – not too shabby for a Filipino-American curious about science and engineering, now one of the youngest engineers at the JPL.</span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>California to Baguio and back</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Born and raised in Long Beach, California to Filipino parents, he attended high school at the St Louis University Laboratory High School in Baguio City. He then went back to California, and took up Physics at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in Pomona.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During his junior year at Cal Poly Pomona, he was awarded a scholarship under the NASA's Motivating Undergraduates in Science and Technology (MUST) program, which included an internship at the JPL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As an intern, he conducted research in astrophysics and planetary science. He eventually got hired as an employee in June 2010, where he first did cost models for future missions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He has been with the MSL team since January 2011 as an Operations Systems Engineer. His tasks included conducting training exercises for the flight team, which involved simulation of the mission's different phases.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The objective was to ensure that all of the tools, procedures, processes and interactions between the teams functioned correctly," he told Rappler in an interview Thursday, August 9 (Wednesday, August 8, in California).</span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>'Unbelievable sequence of events'</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The successful landing of the rover caused a sigh of relief and a source of joy for the MSL team, including Villar.</span><br />
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<a href="http://static.rappler.com/images/GVillarIII_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Gregory Galgana Villar III beside the NASA logo. Photo courtesy of Villar." border="0" height="295" src="http://static.rappler.com/images/GVillarIII_2.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It's just an unbelievable sequence of events – I still can't believe it worked! And it's a really big project that will contribute a lot," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The rover is an important step in helping us understand whether the Red Planet has, or can, support microbial life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Understanding whether life exists outside of our planet is a very interesting topic and since Mars is the closest planet to Earth, it is logical we start looking there," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aside from that, the 25-year-old engineer said the high-tech rover alone should pique the interest of people, from its cameras, arms, scientific payloads, and its own laser. "Did you see the crazy landing system? Come on, how cool is that?"<i><span style="color: red;">-Rappler (August 09, 2012 10:54PM)</span></i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-1608709168470320702?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-28081750918447691972012-08-09T06:04:00.000+08:002012-08-09T06:04:06.520+08:002012-08-09T06:04:06.520+08:00ASEAN mulls humanitarian aid for Myanmar's Rohingya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Southeast Asian nations are considering humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees facing persecution in Myanmar, the region's bloc said Wednesday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretary general Surin Pitsuwan said the bloc should be "part of solution to the problem" that escalated in June with a bloody clash that displaced around 60,000 people, mostly Muslim-minority Rohingya.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I have made a proposal (to our member countries) that ASEAN should once again offer humanitarian assistance, like we did during the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis four-and-a-half years ago," Surin told reporters, referring to a storm that left 138,000 people dead or missing in Myanmar in May 2008.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He did not give any details or name the country where aid could be delivered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He said the offer to assist the Rohingya had garnered support from several ASEAN members and that Indonesia and Malaysia, both Muslim-majority nations, had also offered to directly assist the Rohingya.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 80 people, both Buddhists and Rohingya, were killed during the June violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine state, according to official figures, while rights groups claim higher death tolls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Myanmar becoming the chair of the ASEAN will be the focus of the attention of how it is handling such an issue. There must be some roadmap to the solution", Surin said on the sidelines of ASEAN's 45th anniversary celebrations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"ASEAN cannot be perceived to be standing by without taking any action on such a big scale of humanitarian difficulty," he added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bangladesh last week banned three international agencies from providing assistance to Rohingya refugees who had fled from neighboring Myanmar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Decades of discrimination have left the Rohingya stateless and they are viewed by the UN as one of the world's most persecuted minorities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Myanmar's government considers the estimated 800,000 Rohingya in the country to be foreigners while many citizens see them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and view them with hostility.<i><span style="color: red;">-Interaksyon (August 08, 2012 3:38PM)</span></i></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-2808175091844769197?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-42150339902462601892012-08-09T04:56:00.001+08:002012-08-09T04:58:19.283+08:002012-08-09T04:58:19.283+08:00CNN REPORT: Manila tries to clean up as more rain comes<iframe width="530" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b4BeC2P3FxA?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-4215033990246260189?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-88696085154817531772012-08-09T04:50:00.003+08:002012-08-09T04:50:46.727+08:002012-08-09T04:50:46.727+08:00Survey shows Asia business confidence falters on China<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Asia has been a ray of sunshine in the global economic gloom, but a confidence survey released Wednesday shows the region's executives are starting to worry as China's growth slows and exports sink.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The YPO Global Pulse Index for Asia declined 1.8 points to 60.1 in the latest quarterly survey, its lowest level since it began three years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The pollsters at the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO), a not-for-profit network of 20,000 chief executive officers, said Asia's confidence level showed a marked decline from previous years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"During the first several quarters of the survey, Asian confidence averaged nine points higher than the global confidence index reading," the YPO said in a statement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Terry O'Connor, chief executive officer of retailer Courts Asia and chair of the YPO Singapore Chapter, said the results pointed to slower growth for a region that has so far weathered the global economic headwinds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Evidence of that trend accumulated during the past several months, as China reported that second quarter GDP growth fell to 7.6 percent, the Singapore economy actually declined last quarter, and South Korea and Japan both cut their full-year forecasts," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Nevertheless, it is important to note that the forecast is for a slower pace of growth, not a contraction by any means."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Global Index dropped 4.1 points to 59.7 in the July 2012 survey, following three quarters of rising confidence.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The United States recorded the sharpest drop of 5.1 points to 60. Confidence amongst young executives in the European Union slipped 2.8 points to 52.0, reflecting the ongoing debt crisis in the eurozone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Asia, confidence levels ranged from a high of 70 in Thailand and the Philippines to lows of near 50 in Japan and South Korea. In China, CEO confidence "plummeted" almost seven points to the upper 50s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The results were based on responses from 1,659 chief executive officers in the first two weeks of July, including 193 in Asia. Most YPO members are aged between 35 and 50, and to join candidates must be 44 or younger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Carlyle Asia Investment Advisors Managing Director Patrick Siewert, a 56-year-old member of the YPO's Hong Kong chapter, said uncertainty about the drivers of future growth was "very, very high".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I would observe that though many industry bodies have been predicting relatively good growth rates, that is going to begin to be spotty," he told AFP, referring to six straight quarters of slowing growth in China.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"People have been hanging on these medium-term growth rates for quite a while but now the numbers are coming in quite a bit softer than people would have expected."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A former president of Coca-Cola Asia, Siewert said the region would find it difficult to sustain a confidence premium over the rest of the world in light of soft demand from Europe and the United States for its exports.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Disappointing initial public offerings on regional stock exchanges, especially in Hong Kong, also hit confidence, he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The IPO markets were very indiscriminate and there were a lot of companies that were IPOed that shouldn't have IPOed in the last five to seven years," he said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Investment banks had ramped up their underwriting divisions but "now that capability is running in place or being laid off".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the bright side, Siewert said mergers and acquisitions were "alive and well" as cashed-up Western companies sought growth in Asia, and Chinese companies hunted bargains in the United States and Europe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You're seeing Chinese companies going to the US and Europe because prices are low, and you're seeing European and North American companies who have cash coming to Asia to buy growth," he said.<i><span style="color: red;">-Interaksyon (August 08, 2012)</span></i></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-8869608515481753177?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-81754327498032218712012-08-09T04:43:00.000+08:002012-08-09T04:43:27.802+08:002012-08-09T04:43:27.802+08:00EU set to provide assistance as US gives initial cash aid to flood victims<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The European Union (EU) is set to provide humanitarian aid to the Philippines after more than half a million people have been displaced by nonstop monsoon rains in Metro Manila and nearby areas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Delagation of the EU has dispatched a local humanitarian aid expert on the field to assess damages caused by heavy rains, Lubomir Frebort, Chargé d’Affaires of the Delegation, said in a statement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The assessment will also “determine possible assistance for the affected population in line with European Union policy of providing humanitarian aid to the victims of both natural and man-made disasters worldwide,” Frebort said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Frebort also expressed its sympathy and condolences to the families whose kin were hurt and/or died by the rainfall’s effects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines extends its deep sympathy to more than 800,000 people affected by the heavy downpour in three regions,” he added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, although the United States has already provided $100,000 or P4.3-million as initial cash assistance to local relief efforts, it will likewise conduct an initial damage assessment through the USAID (United States Agency for International Development). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Ass a good friend and longstanding development partner, the United States will work with the Philippine government to determine where our assistance is more needed. We remain committed to helping the Philippine people overcome this difficult time,” US Ambassador Harry Thomas said. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“On behalf of the US government and the American people, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to those who are displaced and who have lost homes and livelihoods due to the floods,” Thomas added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The US has been a key partner of the Philippines in providing immediate humanitarian response during natural calamities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For its part, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has assured that it would continue provide assistance round the clock with more areas in Metro Manila and other provinces still under water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PRC secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said that it would distribute more relief goods and would conduct hygiene promotion in some 174 evacuation centers where 11,591 families were displaced from home and are now sheltered in schools or covered court.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Red Cross will also conduct quick assessment of the situation and furthers needs of the affected families in Metro Manila and other flooded areas,” she added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PRC chairman Richard Gordon on the other hand would distribute relief goods to patients, crew, and staff in the University of Sto. Tomas Hospital, Epifanio Delos Santos Hospital, and University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Hospital.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To recall the UERM hospital, UST hospitals and Philippine General Hospitals have called on all concerned citizens to donate some diesel for their generators that provide power to life-support systems to patients who are in critical condition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As of Wednesday, the PRC 143 volunteers has rescued some 1,047 individuals and assisting in the evacuation of more than 8,000 in Valenzuela, Rizal, Caloocan, Manila among others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Quezon City Red Cross assisted in the search and rescue of the victims of the landslides in Commonwealth where three persons were given first aid and transported to a nearby hospital.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The organization has also provided hot meals to more than 7,500 persons in various evacuation centers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It also deployed life-saving equipment such as amphibian, rubber boats, ambulances, and trucks and further intensified its rescue and relief operations to assist more people, especially in worst hit areas.<span style="color: red;">-Interaksyon (August 08, 2012 7:54PM)</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-8175432749803221871?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-18774050123349804492012-08-09T00:06:00.000+08:002012-08-09T00:04:15.277+08:002012-08-09T00:04:15.277+08:00China offers sympathies to Philippine flood victims<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China on Wednesday offered sympathies to the Filipino families affected by heavy rains.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I am saddened by the big losses that the torrential rains have brought about. The Chinese people are also fighting against the heavy rains and inundation which devastate many parts of China, so my hearts and thoughts are with the homeless and victims,” Zhang Hua, Chinese embassy spokesperson, said in an email to reporters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“I wish you and your family safe, and hope that normal life can be restored soon,” Zhang said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China’s Zheijiang province was also hit by Typhoon Haikui early Wednesday and 1.8 million people were evacuated ahead of the storm from parts of Shanghai and Zheijiang, according to the Xinhua News Agency.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The statement served as a break from the heated exchanges between China and the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea dispute.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tensions between China and the Philippines had been rising in the last months because of conflicting claims over Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.<span style="color: red;"><i>-Black Pearl (August 08, 2012 11:58PM)</i></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-1877405012334980449?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-58272694096909523062012-08-09T00:05:00.000+08:002012-08-09T00:02:44.404+08:002012-08-09T00:02:44.404+08:00Heavy floods hit Manila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/M4dQOgJMmbg?feature=player_detailpage" width="500"></iframe></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-5827269409690952306?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-56969732282389124892012-08-09T00:04:00.000+08:002012-08-09T00:03:25.098+08:002012-08-09T00:03:25.098+08:00Indonesia warns of further South China Sea tension<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Indonesia warned Wednesday of a "risk of further tensions" between nations with overlapping claims to swathes of the South China Sea if a "collective and common approach" is not soon agreed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were split in their views on the maritime dispute during the Phnom Penh meeting of foreign ministers in July, and the bloc for the first time in its 45-year history failed to deliver a joint communique.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"This is an issue that demands ASEAN's and China's collective and common approach and action, otherwise the risk of further tensions are very much ahead of us," Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told reporters on the sidelines of ASEAN's 45th anniversary celebrations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"In the absence of a code of conduct, we may be risking more incidents in the future."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Natalegawa toured the region after the ASEAN summit to push for progress on the long-stalled code of conduct, designed to reduce tensions over fishing, shipping rights and oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea.</span><br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSl3-0B_C5cxugoHLS3rbxDqeHF0E6GOijIfqHR2u9JbUukPeRZ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSl3-0B_C5cxugoHLS3rbxDqeHF0E6GOijIfqHR2u9JbUukPeRZ" width="143" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will visit Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia from Thursday, and Natalegawa said he hoped to "compare notes on where we are on the South China Sea" with him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China claims sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich sea, which is home to vital shipping lanes, but the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vietnam is scheduled next year to appoint a secretary general to head ASEAN after the five-year tenure of Thailand's Surin Pitsuwan comes to an end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vietnam frequently trades diplomatic barbs with China over oil exploration, fishing rights and the Spratly and Paracel Islands, which both countries claim as their own.<i><span style="color: red;">-ABS-CBN News (August 08, 2012 10:17PM)</span></i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-5696973228238912489?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-48856670545734918902012-08-09T00:03:00.000+08:002012-08-09T00:03:55.319+08:002012-08-09T00:03:55.319+08:00ASEAN, US sympathize with flood-hit PH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United States on Wednesday extended their sympathies to the Philippines where at least 1 million people were affected by deadly floods.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan assured the Philippines, particularly residents of the flood-hit capital Manila and nearby areas, of assistance from the bloc, which celebrates its 45th foundation today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“We salute the efforts of the Government and other humanitarian actors to save thousands of lives as we convey our assurance that ASEAN stands ready to assist and provide emergency relief as soon as requested,” Pitsuwan said in a statement posted on the ASEAN website.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pitsuwan said the Jakarta-based ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Centre or AHA Center is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for some response options in case the situation gets worse.</span><br />
<a href="http://theasiacareertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/pitsuwan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://theasiacareertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/pitsuwan.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“As the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator, I will continue to work closely with the AHA Centre to monitor the situation and initiate necessary actions,” he said.</span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>US gives $100,000</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the United States, through its embassy in Manila, said it intends to release $100,000 for relief efforts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas also extended his sympathies to those affected by the massive flooding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“On behalf of the U.S. government and the American people, I extend my heartfelt sympathies to those who are displaced and who have lost homes and livelihoods due to the floods,” he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The US said it will help assess the damage and determine the immediate needs in Metro Manila and surrounding areas through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).</span><br />
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>1 million affected</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More than one million people in and around the Philippine capital battled deadly floods Wednesday amid relentless monsoon rains, with neck-deep waters trapping slum dwellers and the wealthy on roofs.</span><br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSc9ieLz7pPGHiHAodv9SB7X_ghuQ6xhJAbw8VveUtMQOVRoxx0Tw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSc9ieLz7pPGHiHAodv9SB7X_ghuQ6xhJAbw8VveUtMQOVRoxx0Tw" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sixty percent of Manila remained under water and vast tracts of surrounding farmland were also submerged as the deluge stretched into its third day, according to the government.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The roads in some areas are like rivers. People have to use boats to move around. All the roads and alleys are flooded," civil defense chief Benito Ramos told AFP after surveying the megacity of 15 million people from the air.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The death toll from this week's rain in Manila and nearby provinces rose to 20 on Wednesday after four more people drowned, according to authorities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This brought the confirmed number of people killed across the country since a typhoon triggered heavy rains in late July to 73.<i><span style="color: red;">-ABS-CBN News (August 08, 2012 10:01PM)</span></i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-4885667054573491890?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-3392866305952182652012-08-08T01:41:00.000+08:002012-08-08T01:41:32.890+08:002012-08-08T01:41:32.890+08:00Malaysian toddler killed in suspected exorcism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Police in Malaysia say a toddler has died after seven of her family members and a maid piled on top of her in a suspected exorcism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The three-year-old girl's parents were among the adults who carried out the ritual late on Sunday in the town of Bukit Mertajam, a police chief said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A local newspaper said the ritual lasted 20 hours, but police could not confirm the length of time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The eight have been arrested, the local police chief Azman Abdul Lah said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Police broke into the house after receiving a tip-off and found the eight piled on top of the toddler, he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The adults - including the girl's grandmother, uncle, aunt and two cousins - were in a dark room under a blanket, he added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"They were chanting in the room. Police believe they were involved in an exorcism ritual to drive away evil spirits," he told reporters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girl died of suffocation, police said, and investigations were ongoing.<i><span style="color: red;">-British Broadcasting Corporation (August 07, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-339286630595218265?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-78931486313897402962012-08-08T00:06:00.000+08:002012-08-08T00:06:02.890+08:002012-08-08T00:06:02.890+08:00Floods paralyse Philippine capital Manila<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img height="240" src="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/files/2011/10/pampanga-flood.jpg" width="320" />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At least nine people have been reported dead as torrential rain caused flooding that paralysed most parts of the Philippine capital, Manila.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The flooding - neck-deep in some areas - forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, closing schools, offices and the stock exchange.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nine members of one family died after a landslide hit shanty houses in Quezon City, a government report said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More than 50 people died when Typhoon Saola struck more than a week ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Widespread flooding has been reported in the capital and the surrounding provinces, according to a statement from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.</span></div>
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<a href="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62089000/jpg/_62089172_015608983-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/62089000/jpg/_62089172_015608983-1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It said "the south-west monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm 'Haikui' located 300km [184 miles] north-east of Taiwan" was expected to bring more rain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Expect landslides and flashfloods in mountainous areas and floods in low-lying areas."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">President Benigno Aquino met civil defence officials to discuss the situation. "Everybody who is supposed to do something is doing what he is supposed to do," he said.</span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn-wac.emirates247.com/polopoly_fs/1.470572.1344318776!/image/3620845793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="http://cdn-wac.emirates247.com/polopoly_fs/1.470572.1344318776!/image/3620845793.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The severity of the rain since Monday afternoon - in an already saturated city - has led officials to issue the highest level of alert, says the BBC's Kate McGeown in Manila.</span></div>
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<span style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Casualties</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Four members of another family were rushed to hospital in the landslide that killed the family in Manila's Quezon City, according to the government's disaster council.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.trust.org/resize_image?path=/dotAsset/bf77eb92-7fbf-4c17-9d0e-9959b007c837.jpg&w=649" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://www.trust.org/resize_image?path=/dotAsset/bf77eb92-7fbf-4c17-9d0e-9959b007c837.jpg&w=649" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"This is where my house used to be, this one is the end of our fence," Jessie Bailon, one of those affected by the landslide, was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He said that his wife, two children and one grandchild were still missing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another resident said that "the ground was shaking" and that he barely made it before the landslide hit his home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A local police official was also quoted as saying that four people had drowned in another province, but this has not been confirmed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Weather officials warn that the floods could get worse as the overflowing La Mesa dam, which holds back Manila's main reservoir, spills more water.</span></div>
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<a href="http://media.kitsapsun.com/media/img/photos/2012/08/07/media_f9ed2a9c205c4bdf8dcb5d5d54ac1466_t607.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://media.kitsapsun.com/media/img/photos/2012/08/07/media_f9ed2a9c205c4bdf8dcb5d5d54ac1466_t607.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"If we put it in a percentage, at least 50% of Metro Manila is flooded," Jean Navarez, from the state weather service, was quoted by AFP as saying.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Residents living in slums and shanty towns on low ground have taken shelter in community buildings, reports said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Several key roads were impassable and power had also been cut in some areas, mostly as a precaution, officials said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dams and waterways in affected areas are also being closely monitored. Rescue efforts are now underway to help stranded residents.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1WXWXSjh_c/UCDljPeelPI/AAAAAAAAE_g/5eYIJZPaKQ8/s1600/Manila-City-Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1WXWXSjh_c/UCDljPeelPI/AAAAAAAAE_g/5eYIJZPaKQ8/s200/Manila-City-Hall.jpg" width="200" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"As of now, it's difficult to rescue the trapped residents, as we are battling strong currents with our life crafts," police rescuer Eric Baran told Reuters news agency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It's been raining continuously for over 24 hours now," resident Justin Robertson told the BBC from Quezon City.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/07/article-2184925-146CA313000005DC-731_964x642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/07/article-2184925-146CA313000005DC-731_964x642.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We live on a hill and at the bottom of the hill there is a junction which is covered in water. Most offices and schools are closed today and we've decided to remain indoors as the main roads are either flooded or blocked with broken down vehicles."<i><span style="color: red;">-Britsih Broadcasting Corporation (August 07, 2012)</span></i></span></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-7893148631389740296?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-48144004949791613312012-08-07T06:00:00.000+08:002012-08-07T06:00:30.689+08:002012-08-07T06:00:30.689+08:00WORLD NEWS: Sri Lankan navy arrests 37 Chinese fisherman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sri Lanka has arrested 37 Chinese fisherman on suspicion of fishing illegally off its eastern coast.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A spokesman for Sri Lanka's navy told the BBC two Sri Lankan nationals had been held along with the Chinese.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The navy says it found the men aboard two trawlers fishing in waters off the east coast town of Batticaloa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China has called for the men to be released. The arrests are being seen as a test of increasingly close ties between Beijing and Colombo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fishermen were arrested on Sunday night, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"They are in our custody and they have not been released yet," navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya told Reuters news agency on Monday, after Xinhua said the men had been freed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Sri Lankan police spokesman told the BBC Sinhala service the two Sri Lankans were due to appear in court on Tuesday. The fate of the Chinese remains unclear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China's embassy in Colombo had "urged Sri Lankan authorities to handle the issue in accordance with the law, sort out the truth and release the Chinese fishermen as soon as possible", Xinhua reported earlier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Analysts say the incident is unusual, but Chinese fishermen are increasingly travelling further afield because of a lack of fish closer to home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China has considerable influence in Sri Lanka, whose location in the Indian Ocean makes it of considerable strategic interest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beijing has loaned the country millions of pounds for infrastructure projects, including assistance for a sea port in the south at Hambantota.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sri Lanka's government says its growing ties with China are purely commercial. But some analysts speculate that Beijing is seeking a naval facility, a prospect that worries Sri Lanka's close neighbour India.<i><span style="color: red;">-Black Pearl Media (August 07, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-4814400494979161331?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-34870566951271325582012-08-07T05:01:00.000+08:002012-08-07T05:01:03.571+08:002012-08-07T05:01:03.571+08:00WORLD NEWS: Japan marks Hiroshima bombing amid anti-nuclear calls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Japan is marking the 67th anniversary of the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima in an annual ceremony.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tens of thousands of people attended the event, amid growing anti-nuclear sentiment and protests in the country.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A bell marked the start of a one-minute silence at 08:15 local time (23:15 GMT) when the US bomber Enola Gay dropped the bomb that killed 140,000 people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mayor Kazumi Matsui called for a nuclear-free world at the event at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I call on the Japanese government to establish without any delay an energy policy that guards the safety and security of the people," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr Matsui also called for more support for ageing survivors of the WW II attack who are battling health issues caused by radiation from the bomb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, at the ceremony, said the lessons of Hiroshima must not be forgotten.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We will establish an energy mix with which people can feel safe in the long- and medium-term, based on our policy that we will not rely on nuclear power," he said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr Noda has been under pressure from anti-nuclear activists since he ordered the restart of two nuclear reactors in June.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2012/0806-world-ohiroshima/13368366-1-eng-US/0806-world-ohiroshima_full_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/content/2012/0806-world-ohiroshima/13368366-1-eng-US/0806-world-ohiroshima_full_600.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All 50 of Japan's nuclear plants were shut after the meltdown at Fukushima, which was triggered by a tsunami and earthquake in March 2011.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The crisis was regarded as the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ceremony was also attended by a grandson of former US President Harry Truman, who ordered the bombing of Hiroshima and then Nagasaki.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clifton Truman Daniel is the first of the family to attend the annual ceremony.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mr Truman said while it was hard to hear the survivors' stories it was important for his family to understand the full consequence of decisions made by his grandfather, says the BBC's Mariko Oi.<i><span style="color: red;">-British Broadcasting Corporation (August 06, 2012)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-3487056695127132558?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-65094942531261995872012-08-07T03:01:00.001+08:002012-08-07T03:01:43.073+08:002012-08-07T03:01:43.073+08:00UN food agency lowers 2012 global rice forecast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) revised down its global rice forecast for 2012 on Monday due to low monsoon rainfall in India, but said world output should still be greater than in 2011.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 2012 forecast has been revised down by 7.8 million tonnes "due to a 22-percent lower-than-average monsoon rainfall in India through mid-July, which is likely to reduce output in the country this season," the Rome-based FAO said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Production forecasts have also been reduced for Cambodia, Taiwan, North and South Korea, and Nepal, according to the July 2012 issue of the Rice Market Monitor, which was published by the food agency on Monday.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, world output is still expected to surpass "the excellent results achieved in 2011," with production forecast to total 724.5 million tonnes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In price terms, rice has remained "surprisingly stable" after gaining two percent in May, in sharp contrast with maize and wheat markets, it said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Amid abundant rice supplies and stocks, the likelihood of a strong price rebound in coming months is minimal, but the future direction of rice prices remains uncertain," the agency added.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">China, Indonesia and Thailand are expected to see a rise in rice production, while output in Africa may increase by up to three percent and Australia's harvest was 32 percent higher than last year, it said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While prospects are good in much of South America, low rainfall and shifts towards more profitable products in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay are behind a seven-percent production drop in Latin America and the Caribbean.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The global rice trade is expected to decline by one million tonnes to 34.2 million tonnes in 2012, largely as a result of reduced import demand from Asian countries, the report said.<span style="color: red;"><i>-Interaksyon (August 06, 2012 6:12PM)</i></span></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-6509494253126199587?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-40503956080244175942012-08-07T02:54:00.001+08:002012-08-07T02:54:11.296+08:002012-08-07T02:54:11.296+08:00Indonesia 2Q growth up 6.4%, beats forecasts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Indonesia on Monday said its economy grew a faster-than-expected 6.4 percent in the second quarter from a year ago, buoyed by robust domestic demand and investment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Private consumption increased five percent year-on-year, government spending rose seven percent, while investment climbed 12.3 percent, said Suryamin, the head of the Central Statistics Agency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The data should help alleviate concerns about Southeast Asia's largest economy which posted a 6.3 percent on-year expansion in the first quarter from 6.5 percent in the previous quarter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The strong growth came even as the global downturn has hit Indonesia's exports, with the country recording its largest monthly trade deficit of $1.3 billion in June.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Exports, which account for roughly a quarter of GDP, increased by 1.9 percent in the second quarter, but imports also shot up by 10.9 percent year-on-year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The 6.4 percent figure for on-year growth beat the median forecast of 6.05 percent in a Dow Jones Newswires poll of 12 economists and 6.3 percent predicted by Bank Indonesia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Experts say domestic demand has made the nation of 240 million people with a growing middle class broadly resilient to the global economic slump and eurozone debt crisis that have hit other Asian nations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But Credit Suisse said in a statement that it was "sceptical that the current pace of economic expansion is sustainable over the long term" because of the slow pace of reforms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bank Indonesia will meet Thursday to set the benchmark interest rate, which has sat at an all-time low of 5.75 percent since February.<i><span style="color: red;">-Interaksyon (August 06, 2012 5:49PM)</span></i></span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/753123200248449411-4050395608024417594?l=thenewsblogofciveruas.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Civ Eruashttps://plus.google.com/108899857523709057217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-753123200248449411.post-51688080853451521052012-08-07T01:11:00.001+08:002012-08-07T01:11:37.098+08:002012-08-07T01:11:37.098+08:00World Bank unveils carbon credits from pig farms in Philippines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The World Bank said on Monday it plans to buy carbon credits from pig farms in the Philippines, helping farmers generate extra income by setting up environment friendly waste treatment facilities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Under the program it will finance the installation of such waste treatment systems that will capture methane gas from pig manure which could be used to generate electricity, thereby reducing dependence on fossil fuels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The World Bank's Carbon Finance Unit will buy carbon credits from farms that instal such systems, helping farmers secure an additional source of income, it said in a statement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"This is the first programme of activities from the Philippines to be registered and it is the first... in the animal waste sector in Southeast Asia, a region home to a significant number of the world's pigs," World Bank carbon finance specialist Nick Bowden was quoted as saying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About 100,000 tonnes of carbon credits could be earned each year through the program, the statement said, without providing details on what price it would pay for credits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The project, supported by the World Bank and implemented by the state-run Land Bank, will be carried out under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change that includes a programme for extracting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from pig farms.-<i><span style="color: red;">Interaksyon (August 06, 2012 9:11PM)</span></i></span><br />
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