IV. International (01-01-10)

. Just like China, the Philippine government is manipulating the monetary exchange rate for some years now. It is improbable and impossible that the Philippine peso is appreciating compared to the euro, British pound, rial and any other foreign currency. Even ASEAN countries are suffering from the global crisis. If Singapore, a developed country, is affected by the depreciation of their currency: what more of PI?

     . The ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement which took effect Jan. 1 will threaten the domestic textile industry players, because the Chinese goods are far cheaper than local products.

     . Asian stock markets added to big gains in the final day of trading for 2009. The past 12 months saw massive gains across Asia, among the world’s fastest growing regions & at the forefront of this year’s global equities run.



. Affected by the strong cold snap, temperature was to fall by 8 to 12 degrees Celsius in central & western Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, eastern parts of NW China, N. China, Guizhou and Chongqing, from Sunday to Monday, according to the Central Meteorological Station (CMS).

     . China’s State Council has endorsed the “Development Plan of an Efficient Eco-Economic Zone at Yellow River Delta.” The plan is to create a more logically sustainable economic zone along the river.

     . Two leaders of Beijing’s largest counterfeit medicine group who stored more than 10 tons of fake medicine were brought to the Zuenwu District court. Beijing police deployed more than 300 officers to investigate the fake medicine cure from Sept 2008 to April 2009. They also sold fake gold and silver jewelry, cosmetics and health products.

. The Obama administration is expected to approve the sale of several billion dollars-worth of Black Hawk helicopters and anti-missile batteries to Taiwan early this year, possibly accompanied by a plan gauging the design and manufacturing capacity for diesel-power submarines for the island, the Washington Post reported.

     . The cabinet-level National Communications Commission (NCC) will impose fines on 28 cable broadcasting system operators which have allegedly changed their line-up of channels without seeking prior approval from the NCC, with fines to range from NT$100k to NT$1 million, an NCC official said.

     . China and ASEAN kicked off the world’s largest free trade area (FTA) embracing developing countries. Businessmen and trucks loaded with vegetables and fruits thronged border markets.

. As Japan’s P.M. Yukio Hatoyama saw his approval rating dip from more than 70% to 48%, the lowest since he was inaugurated in Sept, speculation looms that the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) might opt to replace him well ahead of Japan’s Upper House elections next July.

     . Major department stores across the country kicked off business for 2010 with “lucky bags” at low prices gaining in popularity as consumers search out bargains amid the economic downturn.

     . Some 200 high-end watches worth 300 million yen in total were stolen from a jewelry store in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. Security cameras recorded 2 intruders carrying flashlights at around 4:50 am (1/02). The infrared sensors in the basement did not go off.

. Political parties are gearing up for upcoming local elections seen as a midterm evaluation of Pres. Lee Myung-bak’s performance and a barometer of the next parliamentary and presidential elections in 2012 in South Korea. The June 2 local elections will choose chiefs of 16 metropolitan and provincial governments, mayors, county heads, local councilors and education board members.

     . A revised bill to the labor union law has passed through the National Assembly on the first day of the New Year. The controversial law calls for allowing more than one labor union into one company and prevents employers from paying wage to employees working full-time for a labor union.

     . According to the Korea Drug & Food Administration, a total of 27 drug materials, including albumin and amino acid has been tested for melamine whose chronic exposure can cause cancer or reproductive damage.

. The US Congress increased development and security assistance to the Philippines for FY ’10 to $135.1 million. Specifically the combined Development Assistance Economic Support Fund was increased in 2010 to $70.3 million from $60 million in 2009. Foreign Military Financing increased to $32 million from $15 million.

     . The financial analyst at the World Bank would like to correct the current monetary exchange of the US dollar to the Philippine peso which is actually $1 = P52.

     . The average Filipino overseas worker is a hard worker, but is victimized by their corrupt government that is taking advantage of their hard-earned money. The GMA administration is blatantly milking each and every OFW all over the world of billions of pesos for its greedy selfish ends.

. The Thai military is preparing to forcibly return 4k Hmong asylum seekers to Laos in a lingering echo of the Vietnam War, observers said.

     . The government is mulling ways to keep embattled Dep. Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodi in the cabinet as pressure increases on him to resign for his part in alleged mismanagement of an 86 billion baht health budget.

     . Coalition partners are stepping up pressure on the Democratic Party to change the Charter. The Democrats and their partners in the government are divided over calls to change from multi-representative constituencies to a single-MP system.

. The “Don’t do what the crowd is doing” philosophy turned out to be a good strategy when it comes to investing in Indonesia’s stock market this year.

     . Although this year’s investment has failed to meet the target, an upstream oil and gas regulation claims that oil and gas contractors have proposed a $15.99 billion investment for upstream.

     . Industry associations are in the dark over the final proposals for modification of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement ACFTA) leading to full implementation on Jan. 1 next year.

. The year 2009 was one of the most colorful and exciting year in recent times as far as the Malaysian telecommunications (TELCO) is concerned.

     . The Halal Industry Development Corp (HDC) is hoping the government will allocate more funds and authority under the 10^th Malaysian Plan to make the country the global leader in the halal industry.

     . Malaysia’s rubber glove makers have appealed to the government to allocate more natural gas to them as they are fast becoming a significant contributor to the country’s export.

. Although the country has made extraordinary progress, the notion that India is anywhere close to establishing even a fledgling “middle class” is wildly farfetched. The reality of India is that poverty and misery continue to haunt the subcontinent.

     . The fact is that 400 million Indians are illiterate, that universal rural electrification (promised to be in place in 1990) is still out of reach, that infant mortality rates and child malnutrition are clamoring problems that non-union factory workers are still being exploited.

     . As more international pressure is brought to bear on Indian companies, more liberties are being taken with the industrial workforce. Unions are learning that prosperity and rosy predictions notwithstanding, they have to fight and claw for every last nickel.

. The Obama administration is turning up the pressure on Pakistan to fight the Taliban inside its borders, warning that if it does not act more aggressively, the US will considerably use more force on the Pakistani side of the border to shut down Taliban attacks on American forces in Afghanistan.

     . Public officials and private citizens combating the growing Taliban-led insurgency have been frequent targets of violence that has killed more 600 people in the past two-and-a-half months.

     . Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting (Qamar Zamen Kaira) said if politicians are to be held accountable, then generals and judiciary should also be held accountable.

" Supporting Asian and Minority Businesses"