News
Dolphin deaths slowing
The critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin’s population in the Mekong is “stabilising”, the World Wildlife Fund said on December 27. With the sighting of 10 new dolphin calves and six reported deaths in the past year, 2016 saw a 30 percent drop in the mortality rate ...
Sky Angkor to stick with Airbus for expansion
Sky Angkor Airlines has abandoned a plan to lease two Russian Sukhoi aircraft after the deal proved “problematic,” and will instead look to use more conventional Airbus commercial jets to support its route expansion plans, a company executive said on December 27. The Korean-Cambodian airline ...
China poaches airport contract
The government has commissioned a Chinese consortium to build a new international airport for Siem Reap and formed a committee to determine how to compensate the French company that operates the city’s existing airport for prematurely ending its concession licence, according to documents obtained on ...
Zojirushi turns to Southeast Asia to bolster flagging growth
Japanese appliance maker aims to rely less on tourist shopping sprees. Zojirushi’s earnings have plateaued as buying by foreign tourists has ebbed, forcing the Japanese kitchen appliance manufacturer to seek customers in new markets, particularly Southeast Asia. The company said Monday that group sales edged ...
Indonesia’s rich list stacked with palm oil billionaires
Forbes’ annual catalog of the country’s wealthiest people reads like a who’s who of the palm oil industry tycoons and represents an example of wealth being unusually concentrated to a few oligarchs. Fourteen of the 32 Indonesian billionaires identified by Forbes magazine are palm oil tycoons, having accumulated ...
Myanmar pledges to improve HIV prevention services coverage next year
Myanmar Health Ministry has pledged to improve the coverage of its prevention services across the country against HIV next year, sources with the ministry said on December 26. The ministry is implementing the HIV prevention plan at over 35 hospitals in states and regions including some ...
Japan's Taiyo Life to open Myanmar software company
Japan’s Taiyo Life Insurance will jointly establish an insurance software company in Myanmar as early as February, partnering with local business in an effort to secure its position here before the market opens to foreign investment. The enterprise will launch with roughly 1.2 billion kyat ...
Stricter environment rules and fiercer competition threaten small paper firms
Small paper producers with an annual capacity of 10,000-20,000 tons will face more difficulties in 2018 due to stricter regulations on wastewater treatment and harsher competition from big companies, heard a meeting in HCMC last week. Vietnam Pulp and Paper Association general secretary Vu Ngoc ...
Companies to pay $2,000 a month to new university graduates
Some Vietnamese companies have confirmed they are willing to offer monthly pay of $2,000 to new university graduates. Le Quang Tien, former vice president of FPT, the Vietnamese largest information technology group, conducted a mini survey on salaries for new graduates after a debate about the ...
Assembly passes traffic law amendments
The National Assembly on December 26 approved amendments to nine articles in the Traffic Law, including an article which does not require people riding motorcycles under 125cc to have licenses. The amendments were passed with 93 out of 100 votes in favor of it, despite select ...