Asia

China’s economy is recovering. That’s good news for Southeast Asia
4Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, World

China’s economy is recovering. That’s good news for Southeast Asia

Pedestrians wearing face masks walk along a road in the Central Business District in Beijing on July 16, 2020. Wang Zhao | AFP | Getty Images Southeast Asian nations will likely benefit from China's economic rebound as the country commands a "lion's share" of regional exports, one economist said this week. China on Thursday said its gross domestic product grew by 3.2% for the second quarter of 2020, compared to the same period a year ago. The country's GDP shrank by 6.8% in the first quarter, when lockdowns were in place due to the coronavirus outbreak. Analysts were expect GDP to grow only 2.5% for the April to June quarter. "While numerous challenges remain, the uptick would rekindle hopes that China's economy can help to pull others along," Wellian Wiranto, an economist at OCBC Bank, w...
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Indian government undertakes various development projects in Srinagar to ease people’s lives
4Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Indian government undertakes various development projects in Srinagar to ease people’s lives

Between 2013 and 2019, the Indian government has completed various infrastructure projects, including a two-tube flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh to ease the lives of people living in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar.The work on the Rs 300 crore flyover, which has eased the traffic woes of the people started in 2013.The project to construct a length of 2.40 kilometers (kms) in four-lane with total length of four kms including accesses within a total cost of Rs 300.00 crores, was started in 2013. Benefitting an estimated population of four lakh Srinagar citizens, apart from the floating population from other districts, the project was finally thrown open to the public in August 2019.Similarly, the revetment along Jhelum riverfront, which was started in 2015, with a total cost of Rs 358 cr...
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Kashmiri youth avail PMEGP scheme to create new opportunities
4Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Kashmiri youth avail PMEGP scheme to create new opportunities

Zahoor Ahmad is one of the many people to establish livelihood means through the government’s employment generation scheme. As Covid-19 crisis gripped the Kashmir Valley, his garment-manufacturing unit, in South Kashmir's Pulwama, manufactured thousands of face masks for the people of the region."When this virus came, we made about 80,000 face masks after district administration placed an order with us," says Ahmad.The Khadi Village Industries Board (KVIB) helped him establish the factory, where other youth also work.After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, several governmental schemes have reached Kashmir and benefitted many like Ahmad, who borrowed a loan under Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generatin...
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Asia’s garment workers say COVID-19 used as cover to smash unions
3Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, USA, World

Asia’s garment workers say COVID-19 used as cover to smash unions

BANGKOK: From factory floors in India to the warehouses of Cambodia, garment workers for global brands say the collapse in demand triggered by COVID-19 is being used as a cover to break their unions. The crippling effect of the pandemic has seen orders worth billions of dollars cancelled across manufacturing hubs in China, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia and Myanmar. That has left hundreds of thousands out of work in some of Asia's poorest countries. But workers allege the financial turmoil has also provided an opportunity for bosses to target troublesome shop floors where unions have pressed for higher wages and better conditions. In southern India's Karnataka state - home to 20 per cent of India's massive garment manufacturing sector - union leader Padma has sat every day cross-legge...
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Apple starts manufacturing of iPhone 11 in India, leaving China behind
2Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

Apple starts manufacturing of iPhone 11 in India, leaving China behind

Tech giant Apple has reportedly started manufacturing of one of its flagship devices, the iPhone 11, at Chennai’s Foxconn plant, giving the Indian government’s “Aatamnirbhar” or self-reliant initiative a major boost.This is the first time Apple has manufactured a top-of-the-line model in India.Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced the news on Twitter, saying, “Significant boost to Make in India! Apple has started manufacturing iPhone 11 in India, bringing a top-of-the-line model for the first time in the country."Prior to this, the Cupertino-based tech giant had started assembling the iPhone XR in India in 2019. In 2017, Apple had started the domestic manufacturing of the Apple iPhone SE 2016 in the Bangalore plant.Apple also has plans to make the iPhone SE 2020 in India in its Wistron ...
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Pakistan jolts all-weather ally China, warns its app TikTok, blocks Bigo Live
31Jul By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Pakistan jolts all-weather ally China, warns its app TikTok, blocks Bigo Live

Pakistan has given a big jolt to the business ambition of Chinese tech firms in the country by issuing a “final warning” to video-sharing app TikTok over obscene and immoral content and blocking the Bigo Live streaming application.Such moves from Pakistan is unexpected for China, since it was Beijing which has invested billions of dollars in the country.The Pakistani establishment's unhappiness with theses Chinese social media applications is not overtly linked to security or geopolitical issues like India that banned 59 Chinese apps on security grounds.The United States is also seriously mulling a ban on TikTok, alleging that it's a front for data mining and all user data is shared with the Chinese government. TikTok is under scrutiny in Australia too for similar reasons.So even if there ...
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Article 370 abrogation: Indian government reserves jobs in Jammu and Kashmir for domiciles
30Jul By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Article 370 abrogation: Indian government reserves jobs in Jammu and Kashmir for domiciles

The Indian government has issued an order announcing that all government jobs in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be reserved for domiciles.The move comes months after the Narendra Modi government at the Centre abrogated Article 370, thus ending the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating it into two Union Territories (UTs) - Jammu and Kashmir division, and Ladakh division.The notification issued by Ministry of Home Affairs read, “any person who has resided for a period of 15 years in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir or has studied for a period of seven years and appeared in Class 10/12 examination in an educational institution located in the UT shall be deemed to be a domicile for the purpose of appointment to any post carrying a pay scale of not more than...
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Jammu & Kashmir joins ‘Boycott China’ campaign
29Jul By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

Jammu & Kashmir joins ‘Boycott China’ campaign

People in Jammu & Kashmir have now joined the rest of India in boycotting Chinese products and support ‘Make in India’ products after India lost 20 of its soldiers in Galwan valley clash with China on June 15.In Kashmir, people have donned ‘Boycott China face masks’ in protest against China’s expansionist policies. They also carried banners saying `let’s use Indian products’, `let’s Boycott China’ and `let’s build our nation’."China is a country, which has always cheated and backstabbed us. As per the direction of our government, we need to boycott all Chinese apps and other products. We should buy Make in India products," said Pritam Singh, local Corporator in Jammu.In support, Surinder Mahajan, president of Jammu's Rughnath Bazaar, said, "Boycott Chinese products is a good campaign. ...
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Commentary: Southeast Asia is now dominant in the illegal drugs trade
28Jul By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, World

Commentary: Southeast Asia is now dominant in the illegal drugs trade

Even COVID-19 could not stem the production and flow of illicit drugs from and through the region, say Dr Nehginpao Kipgen and Shivangi Dikshit. NEW DELHI: The Golden Triangle Region of Southeast Asia is one of the major producers of illicit drugs. This region includes northern Thailand, western Laos, and eastern Myanmar. Earlier, the region was known for its opium cultivation, processing and distribution across Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. However, in recent times the region has occupied a dominant position in the production and trafficking of methamphetamine as media reports estimate the synthetic drug’s total trade value in the Mekong sub-region at over US$40 billion a year. Another addictive stimulant drug, amphetamine, is also estimated to have a similar ...
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Pakistan saw highest inflation in the world during 2020: SBP
20Jul By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan saw highest inflation in the world during 2020: SBP

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has said that fiscal year 2020 was the worst year for Pakistani citizens as they witnessed highest inflation in the world forcing policy makers to increase interest rate.“Pakistan witnessed highest inflation not only in comparison with the developed economies but also with emerging economies,” said the Inflation Monitor for April issued by SBP.The Bank pushed up its interest rates to cool down the inflationary pressure during the fiscal year but high rates proved counterproductive as they further increased inflation while the private sector stopped borrowing costly money hampering industrial growth and services.January witnessed 12-year high inflation at 14.6 per cent. In response to the rising prices, the SBP rose the interest rates to 13.25pc.However, wit...
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