RoK withdraws personnel from DPRK’s resort

– The Republic of Korea (RoK)’s personnel on August 9 began withdrawing from the Mount Kumgang resort in the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) under the latter’s request.

The withdrawal was followed the DPRK’s statement that “unnecessary” RoK personnel would be expelled from the mountain resort, the RoK Ministry of Unification announced on August 10.

There have been four people reaching home, the ministry said, adding that there will be more others to return to the RoK by August 11 among the total of 146 RoK citizens working in the resort.

The DPRK’s statement was made on August 8 amid the tensions raised between the two Koreas, which occurred after the July 11 fatal shooting of a RoK woman who strayed into a restricted military area at the resort.–

EC, AusAid help Laos develop trade opportunities

– The European Commission (EC) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) have granted 6.8 million USD to the Lao government to develop trade opportunities, local media reported.

The grant, signed on August 8, will fund a trade development facility project which will be operated by the Lao Ministry of Industry and Commerce and aimed at supporting trade and investment in the country, according to the Vientiane Times.

This programme will provide technical assistance to government agencies to strengthen the capacity of institutions, improve the capability of human resources and support inter-agency and sector wide-coordination.

According to Lao Finance Deputy Minister Viengthong Siphandone the project’s goals would be based on five priorities listed by the Lao government, namely export competitiveness, trade facilitation, creating a favourable business environment, trade policy, trade agreements and trade opportunities for poor people.–

Singapore lowers 2008 GDP growth forecast

– Singapore has cut its 2008 growth forecast for a second time this year, news reports have said.

The island’s economy will expand between 4- 5 percent, from an earlier estimate of 4 to 6 percent, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said was quoted by news agencies as saying on August 9.

Like many other regional countries, Singapore is suffering the bad impacts of the US housing recession, and the difficulties will probably drag on well into next year before getting better, the Singaporean PM said.

In 2007, the country’s economic growth rate was 7.7 percent. –

Cambodia to invest 400 mln USD in irrigation

– Cambodia will spend roughly 400 million USD later this year to build new dams in a bid to improve the country’s irrigation system, a Cambodian newspaper reported on August 11.

The Cambodian Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology plans to build a huge dam worth over 200 million USD across Svay Rieng province’s Vaico River next dry season, the Mekong Times said, adding that the project jointed with Qatar will irrigate over 300,000 hectares of rice fields.

Another joint project, with Kuwait, will see the construction of a dam worth over 100 million USD across Stung Sen River, which will be capable of irrigating 100,000 hectares.

The ministry also plans to build Kraing Punley Dam next dry season using a loan of 33 million USD from the Republic of Korean government; Basal Dam and Chi Kreng Dam using a 30 million USD loan from the Indian government; and a 52 million USD dam on the Sangker River.-

Malaysia to install radar stations to step up security

– Malaysia will installed nine radar stations on the east coast of the Malaysian state of Sabah, the Sulu Sea, to step up surveillance and security along the coast.

“The infrared radar can capture and transmit images to the control centre for follow-up actions,” the commander of the country’s Joint Force II, Brigadier-General Sheikh Moksin was quoted by the New Straits Times Online of Malaysia as saying.

He added that the security in Sabah waters was under control but warned of threats including armed kidnapping, piracy, smuggling and the inflow of illegal immigrants into Sabah from neighbouring regions.

Sabah lies north of Kalimantan in the Indonesia part of Borneo and across the Sulu Sea from the southern Philippines, according to the New Straits Times.-

ASEAN okay pact assuring region’s oil supply

- Energy ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states have approved a draft of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), which would assure the region of an oil supply in the event of a shortage.

Philippine Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on August 11 as saying at the 26th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in Bangkok that the approval of the draft, which would be finalized and signed in December during the ASEAN Summit, was an important step in ensuring energy security in the region.

The agreement is for oil producers in the region to sell their oil at “friendship prices” to the region’s consuming nations if they face a 10-percent shortfall in their needs, the newspaper said, adding that the amended agreement would replace the current agreement, which has been in place since 1986 and which stipulates a 20-percent shortage trigger.

ASEAN’s energy consumption is expected to reach 400 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2020 and 782 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2032—sharply up from 265 million tonnes in 2000, the newspaper added.

ASEAN brings together Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.-

China to build university in Lao capital

– China’s Soochow University will build a big university in the Lao capital of Vientiane after completing its the pre-feasibility study, a university official said.

The tertiary education facility will be a new private-invested and managed university in Laos, Wang Jie Xian from the Soochow University said.

The new school, covering an area of 40,000 sq.m, is designed to have classrooms, libraries, in-door and out-door sports floor, labs, canteen and a hospital.

It will provide training programmes similar to those offered by the Soochow University, Wang said, adding that it will accommodate for 10,000 students and teachers.

According to Wang, the university project is awaiting for approval from the Lao government. –

Australia to help Indonesia fight poverty

Jakarta (VNA) – Australia will provide up to 2.5 billion AUD (close to 2.3 billion USD) over the next five years to help Indonesia tackle poverty, local media reported.

Australia is committed to working in partnership with Indonesia to meet the latter’s Millennium Development Goals and create a better life for the poorest people in Indonesia, Indonesia’s Antara news agency cited a report of the Australian embassy in Jakarta as saying on August 11.

Indonesia is Australia’s largest development assistance partner. Australia has also provided funds to help Indonesia improve its transportation system and education sector.

One of the flagship projects of the partnership is the 328 million-AUD initiative to improve hundreds of kilometres of national roads and bridges in 10 provinces across eastern Indonesia.

Under the Australia-Indonesia Basic Education Program, Australia was providing funding to assist Indonesia build or expand 2,000 junior secondary schools, according to Antara. –

Australian Prime Minister to visit Singapore

Hanoi (VNA) – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will make his first official visit to Singapore on August 12, a Singaporean news network reported.

Besides calling on Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, PM Rudd will also meet with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, the Channel News Asia (CNA) said.

He will deliver the 29 th Singapore Lecture entitled “Australia, Singapore, Our Region and The World” at the Ritz Carlton.

During his one-day visit, PM Rudd will also officially open the new pre-school and junior school campus of the Australian International School in Singapore, according to CNA. –

Students smash records at games

HA NOI — Track and field participants set five new records at the National Sports Games for Students on Tuesday, the 15th day of the competition, organised in Phu Tho Province’s Viet Tri City.

Vinh Long Province’s Nguyen Thi Thuy An broke the record for the girls’ 400m event twice over. In the qualifying round, An finished her race at 54.98 seconds, ending the eight-year reign of the former record setter. Some hours later, An outdid herself and clocked 54.56.

In the boys’ long jump, Dam Le Ngoc Bao of HCM City reached 7m04 in the qualifying round, breaking the former 7m01 record. In the final round, Bao only made 7m, but he still took home a gold.

The third record of the day went to Duong Van Thai of Nam Dinh in the boys’ 1,500m. Thinh clocked 4:4.83, beating the previous record of 4:05.61.

Tran Hue Hoa from HCM City surpassed the former girls’ high jump record by two centimetres, reaching 1m71.

In the girls’ long jump, Dao Thi Hoai Thuong set a record with 5m87, breaking the previous 5m81.

Swimmers also did well on Tuesday, with HCM City participants breaking three records. Le Nguyen Thanh Tam set a record and won a gold in the girls’ 50m backhand stroke with a time of 32.90sec. The two others records were set in the boys’ and girls’ 4×100m relays.

The HCM City team later added another gold medal to their pocket after winning the boys’ badminton team event. As the national badminton centre, the team met no difficulty to beat Bac Ninh, 2-1, in the final match. Bac Giang and Da Nang shared third place.

Tien Giang team took the girls’ team title and Ninh Binh won silver.

HCM City also took a gold medal in gymnastics with 78.000 points. Ha Noi ranked second with 72.667, followed by Hai Phong with 69.000.

Around 8,000 student are competing for 560 medals in 17 events at the 7th Student Games, which ends tomorrow. —