Singapore’s powerful economic rebound and Asia's roaring growth lured companies from around the world to invest here last year. The strong investment momentum broke a few records and is expected to continue into this year, the Economic Development Board (EDB) said on Monday. In its annual recap, the EDB said companies last year committed to pour USD 10.1 billion into fixed assets such as factories and machinery here, handily beating the board's forecast of USD 8 billion to USD 9.5 billion. All this bodes well for job seekers. When completed, the projects committed to last year will result in 21,300 new skilled jobs, the most ever.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_628001.html
image from www.livetradingnews.com
Thailand – Yellow Shirts Return to Street Politics
More than a thousand people have camped out around the government's compound since Tuesday, demonstrating against its handling of a border dispute with neighbouring Cambodia. Despite relatively small numbers compared to their arch enemies - the anti-government 'Red Shirts' whose most recent rally attracted nearly 30,000 people - the group has managed to choke off streets around Government House. Tensions centre on 4.6 sq km of land around the ancient Preah Vihear temple, which the World Court ruled in 1962 belonged to Cambodia, although the main entrance lies in Thailand. 'I came here to help my country. We have to fight to protect our land,' said a protester.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630014.html
image from www.bbc.co.uk
Philippines – Fire Killed 12
Twelve people were killed in a huge fire that razed some 100 houses in a poor residential area in the Philippine capital on Sunday, authorities said. The fire at suburban Navotas city, north of Manila, began before midnight Saturday and lasted for about five hours. Among the twelve killed, five were children.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630028.html
Philippines - Terror Alert after Bus Bomb Kills 4
A bomb on a packed bus in the Philippines' financial hub killed four people on Tuesday, sparking a warning from President Benigno Aquino that the country faced a raised terror threat. Authorities said it was too early to say who was behind the explosion as the bus travelled along one of Manila's busiest roads, but Mr Aquino ordered security forces on alert.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_628362.html
Malaysian Student Gang-Raped in London
An 18-year old Malaysian student in London was allegedly gang-raped by several Russian men, including an intelligence officer who has been charged with the offence. The Sun tabloid of London, which broke the story on Thursday, reported that the girl had attended a party at the prestigious Bellerbys College in Greenwich, South London, where she is studying. The report, quoting sources, claimed that the girl was allegedly drugged and then filmed while being assaulted by seven Russian men, including the intelligence officer identified as Oleg Vladimirvich Ivanov, 23. The seven men had claimed to be students, but it quoted well-informed sources as saying that Ivanov worked in the Intelligence Section of the Moscow Police.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630012.html
Indonesia – Anti-graft Body Detains 19 Politicians
A sign that one of Indonesia's long-awaited corruption trials will begin soon, its anti-graft commission has detained 19 current and former Members of Parliament over alleged bribery related to the appointment of a central banker.
The suspects are accused of receiving traveller's cheques worth 150 million rupiah (S$21,400) to 1.45 billion rupiah each to elect Ms Miranda Goeltom as senior deputy governor of Bank Indonesia in 2004. Current legislators said KPK, the anti-graft body, could have overstepped its legal mandate. Nevertheless, Indonesia Corruption Watch coordinator Adnan Topan Husodo said it was a 'big step by KPK, a good move to start 2011'.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630010.html
Myanmar – First Parliament in Decades
Myanmar is preparing to open its first session of parliament in more than two decades, a major step in the ruling military's self-styled transition to democracy but one being carried out with little fanfare or public enthusiasm. Delegates are gathering for Monday morning's simultaneous opening of the 440-seat lower house and 224-seat upper house in a massive new building in Naypyitaw, the remote city to which the capital was moved from Yangon in 2005. One-quarter of the seats in each chamber are given under the 2008 constitution to the military, supporting criticism that the so-called roadmap to democracy is a fig leaf for continued rule by the army.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_630024.html
Thailand – Coral Crisis Part of Thai National Agenda
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is planning to make 'efforts against coralbleaching' a national agenda.
Many diving sites at famous marine national parks in the Andaman Sea have been closed to tourists since Jan 21 after coral bleaching killed a large portion of reefs. The head of the DNP, Mr. Songtham, says they are considering the use of zoning, admission fee hike and a ceiling on number of divers each day.
http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_629739.html
Malaysia - Politician's "No Handshake" Stirs Row
A Malaysian politician has caused a stir by declining to shake hands with men as she campaigned in a tight by-election, triggering debate across Malaysia's racial and religious divide.
Normala Sudirman, a rising star within the conservative Islamic party (PAS) which belongs to the opposition alliance, said her faith prohibits close contact between unrelated men and women. 'We (Muslim women) do not even shake hands with Muslim men,' she said this week, defending her stance against allegations that it was a sign of the rising 'Islamisation' of the multicultural state.
Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, is ruled by a coalition of race-based parties including the Malaysian Chinese Association. Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, who follow Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism among other religions, complain their rights are being trampled by the imposition of Muslim values on their way of life.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_628123.html
image from marvelousarchive.blogspot.com
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