Stigmabase | 香港

Bangkok to be 'world's most visited city' : Thailand's capital, the first point of entry for thousands who head to the country's beaches, has been named the number one destination for international visitors in 2013's Global Destination Cities Index forecast. The index predicts visitor numbers ... Telegraph.co.uk

Taiwan to open new cyberwar unit: report : TAIPEI : Taiwan is preparing to launch a fourth cyberwar unit, a local newspaper reported Wednesday, in response to what it claims is a growing security threat from Chinese hackers. The new unit is scheduled to open on July 1 and will work to counter ...

Rights groups demand North Korea account for defectors reportedly sent back ... South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the seven men and two women were flown home Tuesday via China despite a request from South Korea that Beijing not repatriate them. The report cited an anonymous Foreign Ministry official in ... “North Korea has to ...

North Korea: Denial of Rights Forces Back Refugees : Laos and China again demonstrated their disregard for human rights by allowing the North Korean government to forcibly return these nine people without fulfilling their obligations to allow refugee status determination. These three governments will ...

Architecture of Density, Photos Highlight Patterns & Textures of ... : Photographer Michael Wolf highlights the patterns, textures, and anonymity of Hong Kong's vast apartment towers in his photo series “Architecture of Density.” The series is available as a photo book. Architecture of Density by Michael Wolf ...

North Korean Defectors Sent Back by Laos, China : (SEOUL, South Korea) — Nine North Korean defectors have been forced to return to their country from China after being captured in Laos, a South Korean news report says. Laos had been assumed to be a safe route for North Koreans leaving their mostly ...

HRW: North Korean Refugees at Risk of Torture : Reports say the North Koreans , aged 15 to 23, were arrested in Laos this month and that authorities there turned them over to China. Their current whereabouts are unknown but South Korea's Yonhap news agency quotes officials in that country saying they ...

India, Thailand sign extradition treaty : In a “major boost” to bilateral security cooperation, India and Thailand on Thursday signed the much awaited extradition treaty after 20 years of intense negotiations, with New Delhi eyeing to bring back a key aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The ... Other geolocations

Taipei expands YouBike rental network : The four new YouBike stations are at Taipei Metro National Taiwan University Hospital Station, the Gongguan campus of National Taiwan Normal University, the Youth Park, and on the intersection of Qingnian and Guoxing roads near the Youth Park, ...

Hong Kong Starbucks Used "Toilet Water" To Make Coffee : In Hong Kong , Starbucks patrons are upset and for good reason: the coffee chain's Central Hong Kong branch has used "toilet water" to brew coffee since it opened two years ago. According to Apple Daily, a staffer would push a cart into a men's restroom ...

Rights Group: North Korean Refugees at Risk of Torture : "In this instance, it was clear that Laos and China collaborated with the North Korean government to abuse their rights. You know, what we saw was Laos and China again demonstrating their disregard for human rights by allowing the North Korean ...

Thailand's competitiveness ranking rises to 27th : Thailand's overall competitiveness ranking rose to the 27th spot this year from No 30 last year, according to the 25th-anniversary world competitiveness rankings of 60 economies released today by IMD, a top-ranked global business school based in ...

Thailand up in IMD rankings : Thailand rose to 27th from 30th last year, placing third among Asean countries behind Singapore and 15th-ranked Malaysia. To improve its ranking, Thailand should execute national strategies, speed up the 2-trillion-baht megaprojects, boost national ... Bangkok Post

South Korea's amazing rise : Almost out of nowhere -- after a devastating war, the near ruin of the 1990s Asian financial crisis, and the constant threats of annihilation from its nemesis to the north -- South Korea has moved into the first ranks of innovative, economically ... Christian Science Monitor

Taipei offers stickers for qualified starch food sellers : Taipei City health authority said of the food stalls, 465 of them are selling starch-food items, and 244 of the shops were able to present a certificate. The city government, however, worried that the certificate would prove too complicated for ...

Thailand: The Economy Is Rising, and So Are TV Opportunities : Thailand has a solid tradition of moviegoing, but its main lures for bizzers are its spectacular scenery for location work and well-appointed facilities. There were 636 foreign productions shot in the nation last year, a rise of 45% over the previous ... Other geolocations

India PM sees Thailand as Asean gateway : India and Thailand are neighbours, with millennia-old ties of culture, religion and commerce. These links, our proximity and Thailand's position as a gateway to Southeast Asia and East Asia make Thailand a very important partner for India. In recent ... Bangkok Post

North Korean escapees forced to return home, to rights groups' concern : Would-be defectors will be "more intimidated about trying to come to South Korea through Laos or other Southeast Asian countries," Kim Eun Young, an activist with the Seoul-based Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights , told the Associated Press. Other geolocations

HRW: North Korean Refugees at Risk of Torture : A human rights group is urging North Korea to "immediately reveal" the whereabouts of nine North Korean refugees who are believed to have been forced back to Pyongyang from Beijing. Human Rights Watch said Thursday it wants the North Korean ...

North Korea sanctions 'hit aid' : The sanctions are not supposed to affect humanitarian aid, but six Pyongyang-based aid organisations headquartered in Europe have issued a document spelling out their frustrations and calling the difficulties in transferring money to North Korea a “big ... Other geolocations

Report: 9 NKorean defectors sent home from Laos : In this May 29, 2013 photo, South Korean protesters stage a rally urging China to stop repatriating North Korean defectors in front of the Foreign Ministry in Seoul , South Korea. Nine North Korean defectors have been forced to return to their country ...

Seoul shares end at 2-month high, climb past 2000 points : SEOUL May 29 (Reuters) - South Korean shares finished at a 2-month closing high on Wednesday, fuelled by a return of foreign investors and continued pension fund demand, with firm gains in key heavy-weight technology and auto stocks lending support.

South Korea military drill: Floating tank transporters used on the Imjin River ... : South Korea and the US army have conducted a military drill using floating tank transporters on the Imjin River in Yeoncheon. It was a joint exercise involving around 400 military personnel in another show of unity. A South Korea military official said ...

S. Korea takes repatriation of N. Korean defectors to UN agencies SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has asked U.N. human rights agencies to help ensure the safety of nine North Korean defectors who were repatriated to the North from China after being caught in Laos, a senior Seoul official said Thursday. The ...

9 Young Defectors Escorted Back to N.Korea : Activists demonstrate against the repatriation of North Korean defectors in Seoul on Wednesday. /Courtesy of Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights . Earlier, a group aiding North Korean defectors accused the South Korean embassy in Laos of ... Other geolocations

Activists Say Laos Sent North Korean Refugees to China : ... three weeks ago and were moved to a detention center in Vientiane days later alongside the South Korean pastor and his wife who led them to Southeast Asia through China , according to the activists at the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human ... Wall Street Journal (blog)

PM's Thailand visit to elevate ties into 'strategic partnership' "The trilateral highway which will connect India's northeast region with Thailand via Myanmar by 2016 is expected to be a game changer as far as flow of goods, investment and services is concerned. The increased people to people contacts are expected ...

Taipei issues food safety labels after inspections : A waitress prepares food as a worker from the Taipei City Government's Department of Health distributes special stickers to food court stands at the Hankyu Department Store yesterday after they passed food safety inspections. 

Thailand ignoring slaves at sea, says EJF report on Burmese migrants : Thailand is facing fresh allegations of using slave labour in its fishing industry with the launch of a new investigation into the sale, abuse and exploitation of migrant workers on Thai fishing ships. The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), an ...

Thailand gets more competitive : Thailand's ranking has moved up three notches in the World Competitiveness Survey over its 2012 ranking, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) says. The country stood at 27th in the survey released Wednesday by the IMD, up from ...

Hong Kong: What the tide brought in : The first thought that comes to one's mind when one steps out on the streets of Hong Kong is its striking resemblance to Mumbai, albeit more planned and definitely cleaner. The skyscrapers, the necklace of lights embracing the sea, the salt laden mist ... Other geolocations

China, Sri Lanka agree loans, defence; seek to allay Indian worries : China has stood steadfast with Sri Lanka while it has faced international criticism including from Indian politicians for alleged human rights violations in the final stages of the war with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May 2009. HUMAN RIGHTS ...

Journalist killed by Thailand military's bullet An Italian photographer killed while covering the military's crackdown on anti-government protesters in Thailand's capital three years ago was shot by a high-velocity bullet like those issued to soldiers, a judge said Wednesday. The inquest said it was ...

Thailand trims interest rate as economy cools BANGKOK — Thailand on Wednesday cut its benchmark interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, the first reduction in seven months, after the domestic economy contracted in the first quarter of the year. Sluggish economic growth in China, the United ...

Italian photojournalist killed by high-velocity bullet used by Thailand army Rights groups have repeatedly called for Thailand's government to hold the powerful army accountable for its part in the violence. A Bangkok South Criminal Court judge said that the inquest into the death of 48-year-old Fabio Polenghi showed the fatal ...

STOCKS NEWS THAILAND-Airports at record high on strong earnings prospects : Shares in Airports of Thailand Pcl jumped 5.6 percent to a record high of 188 baht as strong passenger growth at its international and provincial airports boded well for its earnings outlook, brokers said. Broker Thanachart Securities upgraded its ...

A scene from hit Chinese comedy 'Lost in Thailand' : Bangkok this week emerged as the world's top tourism destination, and for the recent visitors, Thailand can especially thank the 2012 box-office-hit “Lost in Thailand .” Consider that comedy China's version of “The Hangover II,” except the movie makes ... Wall Street Journal (blog)

Hong Kong shares close up 1.1 pc, China shares rise to highest since March The Hang Seng Index closed up 1.1 percent at 22,924.3 while the China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings in Hong Kong climbed 1.6 percent. For both, this was their second-straight gain. The CSI300 of the leading Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share ...

Taipei Computer Association Recognizes New AMD-based Tablet PC Processor Semiconductor design innovator AMD announced its lowest-power accelerated processing unit (APU) for tablet, hybrid and clamshell notebook PCs is the winner of the 2013 Best Choice of COMPUTEX TAIPEI award, the third consecutive win for AMD.

Taipei summer jazz party to feature Grammy-winning artists : Taipei , May 29 (CNA) The Summer Jazz Party at the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH) will showcase four international jazz artists, three of whom are Grammy Award-winning musicians, the NTCH said Tuesday. The three musicians are American ...

Two economists question effectiveness of Cabinet plan : The Cabinet's new stimulus measures may not provide a significant boost to the economy this year, economists said yesterday. “The government did not prescribe the right medicine for the local economy's illness,” National Taiwan University economics ...

Thailand's economic growth to rise up to 5.2 pct in 2013: PM : BANGKOK, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's economic growth will rise up to 5.2 percent throughout this year, given a speculated rebound in global economies and a continual increase in domestic consumption, according to Thai Prime Minister Yingluck ... Other geolocations

Meet North Korea's new girl band: five girls who just wanna have state ... In North Korea , it does. DPRK pop music has an interesting history. From the revolution to the 1980s, it followed the typical communist path of rejecting Western styles and embracing nationalist folk – imagine a Britain in which all you were allowed to ...

S. Korea's plastic surgery fad goes extreme : A South Korean woman walking past a street billboard advertising double-jaw surgery at a subway station in Seoul. South Korea's obsession with plastic surgery has increased the popularity of a radical surgical procedure that requires months of often ... Arab News

North Korea plans massive ski resort : Kim Jong-un has ordered the North Korean military to construct a "world-class" ski resort that will rival the winter sports facilities being built in South Korea to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The dictator recently visited the location chosen ...

People can supress memories to dodge guilt test: study Such tests, which are commercially available in the US and are used by law enforcement agencies in several countries, including Japan and India, are based on the logic that criminals will have specific memories of their crime stored in their brain.

S. Korea's current account surplus reduces on dividend payment : SEOUL - South Korea 's current account surplus reduced last month as local companies with a book closing day of December 31 paid dividends to offshore investors, offsetting faster growth in exports. Current account surplus was 3.97 ...

S Korea Finance Minister Warns of Unintended Impact of Japan's Policy : PARIS-- South Korea's finance minister said Wednesday he supports Japan's initiative to boost its economy through looser monetary policy, but warned there could be unintended consequences in foreign exchange markets. Japan's central bank embarked on ...

Korea Electric Falls on Nuclear Reactor Shutdowns: Seoul Mover : Korea Electric Power Corp. (015760) shares fell to the lowest in five months in Seoul after South Korea's government ordered the shutdown of two nuclear reactors found to be using components whose safety certificates were faked. Korea Electric, parent ... Other geolocations

Activists Say Laos Sent North Korean Refugees to China : ... three weeks ago and were moved to a detention center in Vientiane days later alongside the South Korean pastor and his wife who led them to Southeast Asia through China, according to the activists at the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human ... Wall Street Journal (blog)

Laos Deports Nine North Korean Defectors to China : The report quoted a South Korean foreign ministry official as saying that Seoul had asked that the defectors be sent to South Korea instead, but Laos had “unexpectedly” rejected the request. A representative of a civil society organization in ... Kim ...

Seoul singer's suicide footage aired : Seoul - A South Korean television entertainment show came under fire for airing surveillance footage showing singer Son Ho Young's attempted suicide, it was reported. Son, formerly of boy band g.o.d, was hospitalised after his suicide attempt in his ... AsiaOne

China plans moves to open up to global economy: Chinese premier : The discussions covered the breadth of issues between Beijing and Berlin, from increased economic co-operation between the two nations to greater freedom for the press and artists such as Ai Weiwei, who is also a leading critic of human rights in China ... Other geolocations

Tiny Taipei now in Malaysia : Known as Tiny Taipei , this brand new attraction consists of a mix of retailers from Taiwan offering food, beverages and clothes. Located on the third floor of the East wing, Tiny Taipei embodies all the characteristics of Taipei's famous night markets. New Straits Times

Hong Kong tech start-ups need more active help : He returned to Hong Kong with a solution: a mobile application called Purpella that centralises the search for events on and off campus. But he lacked the resources to get his start-up off the ground. "For more than three years, I approached people for ...

Students to hold vigil in Taipei to call for Liu Xiaobo's release : Taipei , May 28 (CNA) A group of students will hold a vigil in Taipei to mark the 24th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in China and to call for the release of detained Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo and other political prisoners in China, the ... Other geolocations

Thailand Policy Feud Heats Up Before Key Rate Decision : BANGKOK—The Bank of Thailand's monetary policy committee meeting this Wednesday is the most hotly-anticipated in months, with the central bank coming under growing pressure from the government to cut interest rates to boost the country's flagging ...

Xinjiang to host China-Eurasia Expo in September - : GENEVA - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights , Ms. Navanethem Pillay, has spoken out on a number of issues of concern to Pakistan including the use of armed drones. In her statement on the opening day of the 23rd Session of ...

North Seeks to Bypass Seoul on Kaesong Dispute : The North says various comments from officials and the media in South Korea show Seoul isn't sincere about improving inter-Korean relations and have hurt the dignity of the North's leadership. South Korea withdrew all of its staff from the Kaesong ... Wall Street Journal (blog)

Hong Kong's total exports up 9% in April : HONG KONG - The value of Hong Kong's total goods exports and imports rose 9 percent and 7.7 percent year-on- year in April, respectively, the city's Census & Statistics Department announces Monday. The department said the value of total goods exports ...

Taipei, Manila 'to reach consensus after probes' : The parallel investigations by Taiwan and the Philippines into the fatal shooting of Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng (洪石成) by Philippine Coast Guard personnel on May 9 are intended to produce results both sides can agree on, Deputy Minister of ...

Taiwan to let insurers invest $3.3 billion in infrastructure : TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's cabinet said on Tuesday it will ease regulations to let insurance companies invest T$100 billion ($3.3 billion) in infrastructure projects, as part of a broader package to boost the economy which has been hurt by weak global ... Other geolocations

Taipei court extends Lai Su-ju's detention : TAIPEI , Taiwan -- The Taipei District Court yesterday extended the detention of Kuomintang (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lai Su-ju (賴素如) and real estate developer Cheng Hung-dao (程宏道) over their roles in the Twin Towers bidding scandal. Lai and ...

Taipei to widen food inspections : The Taipei City Government yesterday announced it would expand the scope of its inspections on maleic anhydride-modified industrial starch in food products and will help food vendors obtain safety certificates. Officials from the city's Department of ... Other geolocations

The Lions have landed : The outfits were designed for the squad's tour of Hong Kong and Australia by Thomas Pink, whose tailors had to accommodate the team's exceptional build, including making a shirt to fit the 51.5-inch chest of Welsh star Adam Jones. Suitable attire also ...

Thailand to extend controversial rice intervention for third year : Thailand has pledged to renew its controversial rice-buying scheme for a third year, defying opposition over a policy that has been blamed for straining government finances and slashing exports as the grain has piled up in warehouses The two-year old ... Other geolocations

No intervention in Cabinet development plans: Taipei : The Cabinet is set to carry out three land redevelopment projects in Taipei , including turning the site of the former Air Force Headquarters, which lies on Renai Road; the Taipei Institute on Dunhua North Road; and Huaguang Community near Chiang ...

Thailand to propose multi-faceted cooperation with Cambodia : At the meeting, he outlined five issues to be raised in the bilateral meeting, including the establishment of two special economic zones in Aranyaprathet district of Thailand's Sa Kaeo province and Poipet district of Cambodia's Banteay Manchey province ...

Thailand to propose multi-cooperation with Cambodia : He outlined five issues to be raised in the meeting including the establishment of two special economic zones in Aranyaprathet district of Sa Kaeo and Poipet district of Banteay Manchey, and Thailand's eastern province of Trat and Koh Kong of Cambodia.

South Korea Rejects North Korea's Invitation to Talks on Industrial Complex : SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea invited South Korean factory owners to a shuttered industrial complex on Tuesday to discuss its reopening, a gesture the South Korean government swiftly rejected. Other geolocations

North Korea Says South Korea Can Re-Enter Kaesong Complex : In this Feb. 15, 2013 photo, North Korean women perform during a mass synchronized swimming event to mark what would have been the birthday of the late leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea . (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) ...

Seoul shares move narrowly; Kaesong, defensives gain : image SEOUL : Seoul shares traded within a narrow range on Tuesday as activity remained subdued with investors awaiting direction from US and U.K. markets when they resume trade after holidays on Monday. "Boxed-range trade will continue much of ... Business Recorder (blog)

Seoul's elderly employment soars 50 pct in last decade : SEOUL , May 28 (Yonhap) -- The number of elderly Seoulites with jobs has leaped 50 percent over the past 10 years, while that of working youth has plunged more than 20 percent, data showed Tuesday. A total of 513,000 Seoul citizens aged 60 or older were ...

South Korea shuts more nuclear reactors over fake certificates : SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Tuesday it was suspending the operations of two nuclear power reactors and extended a shutdown of a third to replace cables that were supplied using fake certificates, threatening power shortages in Asia's ... Other geolocations

European Parliament Event on Human Rights in North Korea : We have tried to cover some recent developments in human rights work on North Korea coming out of Europe. This event caught our eye as it showcases Shin ...

Bill Gates hopeful of more aid from China : CANBERRA: The world's richest man Bill Gates Tuesday urged China to become a bigger player in foreign development following its success in lifting millions of its own people out of poverty . Speaking in Australia, where the Microsoft co-founder met with ... The Express Tribune

Myanmar port project to boost ties with Thailand : Thailand's construction giant Italian-Thai Development Co. has been involved in the construction of the deep-sea port, which is designed to accommodate ocean-going cargo ships that pass through the Indian and Pacific oceans, cutting short the maritime ... Other geolocations

400 Nigerian Prisoners Transferred From Thailand : Abuja — The Controller-General of the Nigeria Prisons Service, Mr Zakari Ibrahim, on Thursday said the Service had transferred 400 Nigerians serving prison terms in Thailand , for various offences to the country. Ibrahim who made this known in an ...

Thailand, VN jointly developing Southern Economic Corridor : Thailand and Vietnam have joined forces to develop the 900-kilometre R10 route, or Southern Economic Corridor, to support growing opportunities in trade, investments and tourism, link southern Vietnam to Dawei in Myanmar, and facilitate distribution of ... Other geolocations

Bangkok Tops List of World's Tourist Destinations : Bangkok has emerged as the world's top tourist destination, with 15.98 million visitors projected to descend in Thailand's capital city this year, according to the third annual Global Destination Cities Index released by MasterCard on Monday. Nopparat ... Wall Street Journal (blog)

Manila and Taipei begin parallel probes into fisherman's death : The Philippines and Taiwan have begun parallel investigations into the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman amid a diplomatic row. A team of eight from Manila arrived in Taiwan on Monday, while a team from Taipei also arrived in the Philippines, officials ... BBC News

Thailand:Bomb Explodes at Bangkok Market, Injures 7 : (BANGKOK) — Police say a bomb put inside a garbage bag exploded at a street market in Thailand's capital and injured seven people. Police Col. Narongrit Promsawat said the explosion slightly injured seven people and damaged merchandise stalls at the ... Other geolocations

South Korea Opposes 'Talks for Talks' Sake' With North : SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea opposes engaging North Korea in another round of “talks for talks' sake,” its foreign minister said Monday, after a special North Korean envoy reportedly told Beijing that the North was ready to return to the ... Other geolocations

Chill on the Peninsula: Seoul snubs North Korean moves to lower tensions : North Korea's apparent attempts to reduce tensions with its southern neighbor found no welcome in Seoul , which has slammed the North's proposed negotiations and a “two-faced” invitation to commemorate a key 2000 peace conference. A landmark ... RT

SAT Canceled In For The Entire Country South Korea Because Of ... : Some 1,500 South Korean students who dream of attending elite American colleges are scrambling after the U.S.-based administrator of the SAT cancelled the scheduled May 4 session of the exam because of allegations of widespread ...

South Korea accuses Japan of avoiding good relations : Seoul : South Korea's foreign minister said on Monday it would be difficult to resume top-level exchanges with Japan, as he accused Tokyo of “pouring cold water” on Seoul's efforts to improve ties. In his first press briefing since taking office in ... Other geolocations

South Korea Opposes 'Talks for Talks' Sake' With North : SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea opposes engaging North Korea in another round of “talks for talks' sake,” its foreign minister said Monday, after a special North Korean envoy reportedly told Beijing that the North was ready to return to the ...

DeGem to penetrate Thailand with new office : KUALA LUMPUR: Jeweller DeGem Bhd will soon establish an office in Thailand as a move to penetrate the market. It is currently in preliminary discussions with several parties to make inroads into Thailand . CEO Stephen Choong Kai Fatt said ...

Thai anger over airport escape : The botched escort of the 25 year-old German-born man by the security guards contracted by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has angered Thai authorities who said they were not informed of his arrival in Thailand . The man who served three ...

Taipei Arts Festival to take audience on adventures through art : 8 at venues around the city, will include an exhibition and 10 dance, theater and circus performances from Taiwan and abroad, according to the Taipei Culture Foundation, which is co-organizing the festival with the Taipei City government. This year's ...

An Interview with Zeng Jinyan : I must say that in China's human rights movement, there is definitely a huge gender imbalance. We urgently need to strengthen gender awareness in the community of lawyers and legal workers. To be gender aware requires far more than just publicising a ... Other geolocations

Thailand's old hairstyle rules take a cut : For most people, how you wear your hair is part of your personal style and expression. But that is not the case in some of Thailand's schools. Thai school regulations on haircuts have become a human rights issue. Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa reports ...

Rock musical adaptation of Chinese play to be staged in Taipei : Taipei , May 27 (CNA) A rock musical based on a play by Chinese writer Gao Xingjian, the 2000 Nobel Laureate for Literature, will be staged in Taipei in June, one of the producers said Sunday. The musical was adapted from Gao's play “A Tale of Shan Hai ... Other geolocations

Thailand to extend controversial rice intervention for another year A tractor arranges rice to dry in the sun at a mill in Suphan Buri province, about 65.2 miles (105 km) north of Bangkok on March 11, 2013. Thailand will renew its controversial rice-buying scheme in the crop year that begins in October 2013, the ...

Friends of Thailand honoured : BANGKOK: Tourism Authority of Thailand will present its “Friends of Thailand Awards” for the first time at the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2013, 5 June. The awards will be given to 38 individuals, institutions, companies and organisations ...

Hong Kong artists are taking their place in the spotlight : Follow @SCMP_News. Just six years ago, Grotto Fine Art was the sole gallery regularly exhibiting works that were "made in Hong Kong ". How that has changed. Although mainland art attracts more interest, Hong Kong artists have been receiving an ... Other geolocations

N. Korea says it continue to pursue nuclear weapons : North Korea said that it will continue its nuclear development program as a means to protect its independence against threats from the United States raising questions about Pyongyang's sincerity on returning to the negotiating table. "The key agenda of ...

Seoul Opposes 'Talks for Talks' Sake' With North : SEOUL , South Korea — South Korea opposes engaging North Korea in another round of “talks for talks' sake,” its foreign minister said on Monday, after a special envoy from North Korea reportedly told Beijing that it was ready to return to the ...

South Korea accuses Japan of avoiding good relations : But the foreign minister rejected suggestions that the tensions would affect cooperation with Japan in dealing with North Korea and its nuclear weapons programme. The two US allies see “eye to eye” on the issue of North Korea and would continue to work ... Other geolocations

S. Korea wants 'sincere' denuclearization interest from North before ... SEOUL — South Korea on Monday played down North Korea's apparent interest in a new round of disarmament talks, with its foreign minister saying such dialogue would only be worthwhile if Pyongyang first showed “sincere” intent to denuclearize. “I don't ...

Urban organic farming takes root in Taipei City : Xinyi District is considered the Manhattan of Taipei City given it is home to Taipei City Government, the headquarters of financial companies, various shopping malls and luxury apartments priced at over NT$400,000 (US$13,361) per square meter. In such ... Taiwan Today

Hong Kong issues dire warning on landfills amid protests by residents : Hong Kong would be swamped with rubbish if its three landfills were not expanded, the environment chief warned yesterday, as Tseung Kwan O residents took to the streets to oppose the plan. The landfills at Ta Kwu Ling, Tuen Mun ...

Users of pirated software ordered to pay full compensation SEOUL -  A Seoul court has ruled that users of pirated computer software are obliged to fully compensate their manufacturers, regardless of the period of illegality, court officials said Sunday. The ruling by the Seoul High Court was ...

North Korea Reiterates Commitment to Building Nuclear Weapons : SEOUL— North Korea's state media on Sunday reiterated Pyongyang's commitment to building nuclear weapons, dousing limited hopes the isolated state might engage in talks about its nuclear program under pressure from China. North Korea's highest ...

Artists seek global audience at Hong Kong's Art Basel : ...   HONG KONG : Having taken five Volkswagen Beetles and compressed them into spheres, artist Ichwan Noor was always going to grab attention at the inaugural Hong Kong Art Basel.

China: EP Vice President's Accusations against China's Human Rights ... : "I would suggest he read carefully the White Paper on Progress in China's Human Rights issued recently by the Chinese Government, which will help him get a comprehensive and objective picture of the situations in China instead of examining them through ... Fars News Agency

3 Israelis on trial for smuggling gold in Hong Kong : Three young Israelis are imprisoned in Hong Kong , awaiting their sentences for allegedly trying to smuggle out some 342 kilos (754 pounds) of gold from the China-controlled island. In addition to multiple gold barrels, during the arrest of Yoav Chen ...

UBS to Sponsor Art Basel in Hong Kong : UBS AG is taking over from Deutsche Bank AG as the lead sponsor of Art Basel in Hong Kong , the biggest art event in Asia, according to people familiar with the situation. The new deal solidifies the Swiss bank's position as the main sponsor of the ...

Should Thailand open an outlet in Marijuanaville? : The question is whether Thailand should answer the advert, and further, should Thailand sue the United States at the World Trade Organisation when Washington gets all huffy that another country's farmers and traders are trying to horn in on its ... Other geolocations

Thailand withers as Myanmar rises : And should we forget, Thailand and the US are celebrating their 180-year-old relationship on Wednesday at the Foreign Ministry with a reception, photo exhibition and some cultural performances. It was a much scaled-down version of the grand celebration ... The Nation