Vietnam News
Thai court jails US citizen for royal insult
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 04:30A court in Thailand on Thursday jailed an American for two-and-a-half years for insulting the king, drawing a protest from the United States, which said he was exercising his right to free speech.
Borneo pygmy elephant fatally gores Aussie tourist
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 04:30A pygmy elephant fatally gored an Australian tourist in a remote Malaysian wildlife reserve on Borneo island, an official said Thursday.
American sentenced to prison for Thai royal insult
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 04:27A court in Thailand sentenced a U.S. citizen to two and a half years in prison Thursday for defaming the country's royal family by translating excerpts of a locally banned biography of the king and posting them online.
China executes Filipino drug trafficker
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 03:54A 35-year-old Filipino drug trafficker was executed in China on Thursday after repeated pleas by the Philippine government for mercy were rejected, authorities said.
Mekong nations meet on controversial Laos dam
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 03:18Energy-starved Laos sought the green light from Southeast Asian neighbours on Thursday for a proposed hydropower dam on the Mekong River that faces fierce opposition from conservationists.
U.S. seeks to reassure China on Australia military ties
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 03:15BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States has sought to reassure China that expanding military U.S. ties with Australia are not aimed at containing China, a U.S. defence official said on Thursday, a day after talks with the Chinese army. U.S. President Barack Obama said on a trip to Asia last month the United States was "here to stay" and reached a deal to put a de facto U.S. military base in northern Australia. China's military denounced the plan at the time, warning that it could erode trust and fan Cold War-era antagonism. The talks on Wednesday, led by U.S. ...
Mekong nations meet on controversial Laos dam
Thu, 12/08/2011 - 02:56Energy-starved Laos sought the green light from Southeast Asian neighbours on Thursday for a proposed hydropower dam on the Mekong River that faces fierce opposition from conservationists.
Action and energy: Pantone picks orange as top hue
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 16:59The world doesn't need more gray, and the blues are covered, too. What consumer products need is a jolt, a shot of energy and boldness, all of which comes from Tangerine Tango, the reddish-orange hue that Pantone announced Wednesday as its top color for 2012.
Lip-synching Indonesia cop fired amid YouTube fame
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 12:35First, Indonesian police were angry about a young cop's YouTube lip-synching antics. Then, they championed him for softening the image of an unloved force. Now, after he put stardom over police duty, Norman Kamaru has been fired.
Review: 'New Year's Eve' drops the ball
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 11:20"New Year's Eve" is the second in a remarkably shallow series of holiday-themed, celebrity-stuffed confections from director Garry Marshall and screenwriter Katherine Fugate, following their 2010 "Valentine's Day" collaboration. Of course, the really good stuff will come once they get to "Columbus Day," or maybe, just maybe, "Ash Wednesday."
Fugitive Thai 'Red Shirt' leader surrenders
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 09:52A militant leader of Thailand's "Red Shirt" protest movement surrendered to authorities Wednesday on terrorism charges over his role in opposition rallies last year, after almost 20 months on the run.
Thai court to rule on US man in royal insult case
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 09:42A Thai court will deliver its verdict Thursday to a US citizen who has pleaded guilty to insulting the monarchy, hoping for leniency over charges punishable by up to 15 years in prison, his lawyer said.
Borneo pygmy elephant gores tourist to death
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 09:15A pygmy elephant gored an Australian woman to death Wednesday in a remote wildlife park on Borneo island in Malaysia.
Cambodia opens controversial mega-dam
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 09:03Energy-starved Cambodia on Wednesday opened the country's largest hydropower dam to date, a multi-million dollar Chinese-funded project that has attracted criticism from environmental groups.
Fugitive 'Red Shirt' leader surrenders in Thailand
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 08:43A fugitive leader of Thailand's "Red Shirts" protesters who escaped a police raid by rappelling down a hotel facade in a scene captured by network news teams surrendered Wednesday after 20 months on the run.
INSIGHT - Clinton visit opens Burma Road to investors
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 05:11YANGON (Reuters) - Just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left Myanmar last week, property prices began to soar. In central Yangon, an area of dilapidated colonial-era buildings, one property shot up to $1.8 million from $1.5 million. "He said he would be stupid not to ask for more," said German businessman Floyd Bennit, recounting what the developer told him and a partner while they were scoping out prospective investment properties in Myanmar's largest city on Saturday. ...
Palm planters blamed for decline of Borneo monkey
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 03:14Expanding palm-oil plantations in Malaysian Borneo are rapidly eating into the habitat of the rare proboscis monkey and causing its numbers to decline sharply, officials warned Wednesday.
Myanmar rebel talks raise guarded peace hopes
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 02:36Myanmar's bid to reach out to ethnic guerrillas as part of budding reforms has raised cautious hopes of an end to decades of conflict, but analysts say major challenges must be overcome to achieve peace.
Malaysia urged to fully probe Alstom allegations
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 02:17Transparency International on Wednesday called for a thorough probe by Malaysian authorities into alleged bribery by French industrial group Alstom, in a scandal involving several countries.
Decision looms on first Mekong mainstream dam
Wed, 12/07/2011 - 00:58Impoverished Laos is poised to erect the first dam across the Mekong River's mainstream as it pursues its goal of being Asia's battery despite intense opposition from downstream countries and environmental groups.
