News
Myanmar-China oil pipeline a reality
Nearly a decade in the making, a project to pump oil 770 km across Myanmar to southwest China is set for imminent start-up, with a supertanker nearing the port of Kyauk Phyu, marking the opening of a new oil trading route. Dogged by sensitive relations ...
ASEAN finds free trade a tougher sell in today's environment
As the U.S. pulls back and China expands, Southeast Asia tries to adjust. People become aware of the divine power of a mantra only when they no longer hear it. People have been hearing world leaders inveigh against protectionism after official meetings for so long ...
Microinsurance closes gaps in social safety nets
“I was very worried [about the hospital bill] because my father was in [intensive care] for a long time,” said Sheryl Tan, recalling the two painful months leading up to her father’s death last year. “So I was relieved when I heard that MediShield Life ...
Insurers help to pay for Asia's infrastructure needs
A recent $150 million refurbishment of two decades-old geothermal power plants on the Philippine island of Luzon may sound like just another project aimed at overcoming the country’s severe electricity shortages. But, for Asia’s insurance companies, there is more to it. Bonds issued to pay ...
Judge pledges to decide fairly in mining case
A Minbu court judge maintained that he would decide on a case involving illegal coal miners objectively, just a 400 people demonstrated against the prosecutions of a mining company owner and his workers. The protestors on Tuesday claimed that the Magway regional government had been ...
Thingyan permits will be revoked if resold
Mandalay authorities warned that they will revoke Thingyan pandal permits that are resold to third parties by winning bidders. Mandalay City Development Committee revenue department head U Win Maung said the authority was now auctioning off the building permits for pandals near the Mandalay moat, ...
Korean language test draws 30,000 workers
More than 30,000 people have applied to sit for a Korean language proficiency test, which is a requirement for those hoping to work in South Korea, said Daw Thin Thin Lwin, staff officer of the Government Overseas Employment Agency. The applications were released to be sold ...
Joint-venture between British and Myanmar firms eyes oil and gas sector
A British company has created a joint-venture with a Myanmar firm to enter the marine industry as well as oil and natural gas sector. Representatives from the UK firm, James Fisher and Sons, and the Myanmar firm Royal Marine Technology Co Ltd, signed a memorandum of ...
Derivatives licensing capped by regulator
Cambodia’s capital market regulator announced on March 22 that it would suspend the issuance of new central counterparty licences to derivatives trading firms, claiming that capping the market at four was sufficient to serve current demand. The Securities Exchange Commission of Cambodia said in an ...
Prison system sets up new accommodations for LGBT inmates
Bangkok’S Min Buri and Klong Prem prisons as well as Chon Buri’s Pattaya Prison have arranged separate zones to house self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender prisoners separate from non-LGBT prisoners, Department of Corrections director-general Kobkiat Kasiwiwat said on March 22. The move makes Thailand ...
