IV. International (08-01-09)

. ASEAN Foreign Ministers urged North Korea to return to talks on its nuclear program and vowed to combat extremism following the Jakarta bombings. They also reiterated calls for military-ruled Myanmar to free all political prisoners.

     . They defended the region’s first human rights watchdog against criticisms that it would be powerless to tackle rogue members, such as military-ruled Myanmar.

     . Beating the flames of recession, Asian economies are on the verge of leading a global trade recovery, said WTO chief Pascal Lamy, who added that it has revised further downward its forecast for world trade this year, projecting it to shrink by 10%.

. On July 22^nd, the earth happened to be near its farthest point from the sun. A small sun means the moon can cover it longer. At the same time, the moon was near its closest point to earth. A large moon covers the sun longer, lengthening the eclipse even more.

     . The eclipse was extra-long because of a lucky coincidence made possible by the elliptical shape of the planetary orbit. It lasted as long as 6 minutes and 39 seconds. In some places, not far short of the 7 and a half minute theoretical maximum. It won’t be surpassed in duration until the eclipse of June 13, 2132.

     . From the Gulf of Khambhat, the moon’s shadow raced across India, China and Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Over large cities in its path included Surat,Valodara, Bhopal, Varanasi, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hafei, Hangzhou, making it the best-observed solar eclipse in human history.

. New loans issued by Chinese banks in July are expected not to exceed 300 billion yuan ($73.2 billion), less than a third of that lent in June, state media reported.

     . Seven airlines will open branch offices in Taiwan. They are: Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Hinai Airlines, Shengzhen Airlines and Shandong Airlines. They will spend a combined total of $350k to open the offices.

     . Hu Jintao of China and Ma Ying-jeou of Taiwan have agreed to put aside disputes and promote cross-Straits pace and stability on the track of development and prosperity.

. The Taiwan Institute of Economic Research said Taiwan’s economy would shrink 1.91% this year, revising its April projection of 0.11% growth. The economy is expected to report growth in Q3.

     . Taiwan shipped to the US the last fuel kept in 2 long-suspended nuclear reactors, an official said. The fuel contains highly enriched uranium and was placed in 2 special containers aboard a US transport vessel.

     . Two former DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) members (Hse Jung-shu and Fan Cheng-tseng) drew fire from party members for attending the 5^th Cross-Straits Trade and Economic Forum held in Changsa in Hunan province.

. With elections looming, Japanese PM Taro Aso’s resolve to stay in power is clear that he is determined not to relinquish the leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) no mater what the cost to his own career may be.

     . Its seasonably adjusted unemployment rate reached a 6-year high of 5.4% in June clouding prospects for a real economic recovery anytime as some of the largest-ever number of people were axed, government data show.

     . PM Aso pledged to bring about 2% economic growth in the second half of 2010 and boost Japan’s per capita income to among the highest in the world within 10 years amidst loud boos from skeptics.



. Ten people in Hong Kong were jailed for 6 years for copyright violations for operating 3 pirated disc storage centers and retail outlets. Customs officers seized more than 35k pirated discs worth HK$820k ($105,900).

     . Secretary of Commerce & Economic Development (Rita Lau) left for Guangzhou, Jiangxi province to assess the municipal governments’ latest policies for attracting Hong Kong enterprises to relocate their production bases from Guangdong to Guangzhou.

     . Hong Kong confirmed 190 cases of A/H1N1 infection in just a 1-day inspection, the biggest number of confirmed cases in one day since they began updating the figures. The total number is now 2,702.

. Fernando Chui Sai On won the 3^rd term chief executive (CE) election of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on which he was the only candidate. The CE is elected within the 300-member of CE Election Committee.

   . After sweeping to victory, the CE said he will focus on challenges Macao faces amid the financial crisis using a people-oriented approach and ensure that government is a truly clean and highly efficient one.

     . Macao reported six new cases ofA/H1N1 bringing the total number to 149: 64 were locally infected while 85 were imported from outside visitors/travelers.

. The size of the Philippine economy has expanded 2.7x since 2001, and along with that growth the rise of huge corporations and their cartel-like behavior that hurts the public as demonstrated by the Smart-Globe oligopoly in that messaging business.

     . The National Economic & Development Authority (NEDA) warned that the multibillion boom project may turn out to be the next Philippine International Air Terminal Co. (Piatco) fiasco.

     . Despite national funding in the first half of the year, the Arroyo administration’s budget deficit widened by 75.2% as revenues fell below the target for the period.

     . Former president Corazon Aquino, whose people revolution swept Ferdinand Marcos from power, died after a 167-month battle with cancer. She was 76.

. The culprits in the 7/17 attack in Indonesia that killed 7 and wounded 50 are believed to have helped Jemaah Islamiyah “because there are similarities in the bomb used, said Maj. Gen. Nenan Sukarno. The decapitated bodies of 2 alleged suicide bombers are also recovered at the scenes, a repeat of what happened 4 years ago.

     . Pres. Susilo B. Yudhyuno will find it easier to implement future policies after the victory of his Democratic Party in the legislative election and the support of his coalition in parliament and regional legislative bodies.

     . A technical adviser at Tes-Ann, a Singapore-based company that deals with recycling electronic waste, said Indonesians were unaware that old cellular phones would be more useful if recycled rather than kept in a drawer.

. Islamist attacks in the villages of S. Thailand have reached an all-time high as schools become breeding ground for young fighters in the conflict between Muslim insurgents and Buddhists. The former came from provinces that border Malaysia and attacked monks & temples and fellow Muslims suspected of working with the Thai Govt.

     . Vigilante Buddhist groups or rogue factions of Thai security forces have been accused of seeking revenge by targeting mosques & Muslim schools. The level of violence, sophistication & religious fervor is up on both sides.

     . More than 3500 people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the insurgency began 5 years ago, and the brutality is expected to escalate, analysts say. Thailand’s ethnic Malay Muslims have been seeking independence for 5 decades, inspired by ethnic pride and history of oppression by the Thai GOVT.

. Crude palm oil (CPO) futures prices on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives are expected to be steady, taking the cue from US soya oil price movements as both markets compete for the same destination.

     . Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) is throwing them all back into the court on international shipping lines which have shunned the terminal operation for not penalizing shippers that overload their cargo containers on a vessel.

     . Nestle Bhd has invested RM 110 million to expand its manufacturing plan in Shah Alan, Selangor. It hopes to capture a bigger share of the soluble coffee market in the country as well as the region.

. India has agreed to buy US defense equipment under an agreement which will allow Washington to monitor its “end-use” to prevent weapons technology being sold to rogue nations. Agreement puts US ahead of rivals as India spends billions in modernizing its armed forces, including purchase of 126 fighter aircraft.

     . It reflects Washington’s need for a democratic partner in Asia to support its counter-terrorism efforts and as a check on China’s expanding influence in the region. The deal is a precursor to other defense and nuclear energy agreements which could be worth more than $40 billion to American companies.

     . The BSE benchmark index Sensex, urged by over 300 points to the highest in this year at 15,698 points in

early trade, increased cash capital flow by foreign funds on the back of impressive corporate earning amid firming global cues.

. Rao Shakir, a member of al-Quaeda group that abducted and killed WSJ reporter Daniel Pearl in 2003, was arrested in Islamabad (7/31) He was linked to several terrorist attacks, including suicide bombing of Marriott Hotel in Pakistan last year. His accomplices were arrested earlier.

     . Pervez Musharaf appears to be in trouble in the wake of the Supreme Court declaration that his imposition of martial law in 2007 was unconstitutional. Saudi Arabia stepped up to the plate and offered him political asylum (if he asks for one). I think he would rather stay in the UK (if they allow him).

     . A Pakistani mob attacked 2 churches and gutted 75 homes of Christians over an alleged desecration of papers

inscribed with Quran verses at a wedding ceremony in the Punjab. Muslims want non-Muslims to understand and accommodate them, but are most intolerant of others’ differences.

. The Vice Chairman of Shanghai Municipal Tourism Bureau (Zhu Chengrong) led a 10-member delegation from the bureau, Chinese travel agencies and media to Sri Lanka from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8.

     . The government will launch a new development program in the rural sector and pockets in the estate sector. The first infrastructure project will be inaugurated Aug. 1 in Passara in the Badulla district.
     . Pres. Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed Education Minister Premajayantha to conduct investigations on the provincial and zonal levels and submit a report to him.

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