Economic conditions
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has chosen Clark as the venue for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in 2007, marking a major development in the region's efforts to strengthen economic ties. The President has expressed confidence that the private sector will undertake the construction of necessary
Economic conditions
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has made it clear that he is personally committed to tackling corruption in his country as he seeks to attract greater Australian business investment. With Indonesia's increasing political stability since his election last year, President Yudhoyono believes that his country is poised for
Industry regulations
The Philippine government has stepped up its monitoring of potential terrorist financing channels, adding two new individuals to its watchlist in March 2023. Muhsin Al-Fadhli, a Kuwait-based Al Qaida leader, and Sulayman Khalid Darwish, a known associate of Al-Qaida, have been identified as potential conduits for terrorist funding in the
Economic conditions
New Zealand's Prime Minister, Helen Clark, has expressed her country's condolences to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono following a devastating 8.7-magnitude earthquake that struck under the sea off Indonesia's west coast. The earthquake, which may have claimed up to 2000 lives, has prompted
Industry regulations
The three-day blockade of the Port of Papeete in French Polynesia has come to an end with the signing of a protocol agreement by President Oscar Temaru, four labor unions, and Leonard Puputauki, a former head of the presidential intervention group known as the GIP. The agreement was reached after
Economic conditions
Two Nobel laureates in Economics have come out in support of China's decision not to appreciate its currency, the yuan, despite intense pressure from the US to do so. Joseph Stiglitz and Robert A. Mundell argue that a yuan appreciation would not be beneficial to either China or
Industry regulations
In a significant development, the heads of South Korean companies at the Kaesong industrial park in North Korea are set to meet with their North Korean counterparts on Monday, marking the first time such a meeting has taken place. The meeting, convened at the invitation of Kim Dong-keun, chairman of
Industry regulations
A massive quantity of semisolid gas is believed to exist beneath the waters surrounding the Dokdo islets in the East Sea, estimated to be equivalent to 30 years of South Korea's annual liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. The discovery was made by the Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) in
Economic conditions
Vietnam's Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has approved a plan for the Van Phong Bay economic zone in Khanh Hoa province, which aims to develop tourism, services, industry, aquaculture, and other economic sectors. Covering an area of approximately 150,000 hectares, the zone will have an international container
Economic conditions
As Australia struggles with a growing worker shortage, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone has confirmed an increase in the country's skilled migrant intake. The move is expected to bring the overall migration program to 140,000 this year, the largest in almost 20 years. Vanstone, however, denied that the
Industry regulations
The US opposition to a gas pipeline from Iran to India stems from a law that prohibits Tehran's economic expansion if it continues to support terrorist activities, according to Teresita Schaffer, former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Speaking at the Observer Research Foundation and the University of Madras,
Economic conditions
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's visit to the Federated Realty IT Park in Dumaguete City has sparked excitement among business leaders, who believe it will boost economic growth in Negros Oriental. The Federated Realty IT Park, a hub for business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centers, is seen as a
