China :: Asia

Indonesia is still the largest producer and marketer of motorcycle and motor-related products, and even the bigeest after-sales service provider in Southeast Asia in the last decade. ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asia Nation) Automotive Federation (AAF) data shows that the motorcycle sales in Indonesia reached 6.22 million units throughout January-September 2011 with total production of 6.15 million units. The total sales of motorcycle spare-part during the first 9 months of 2011 reached IDR30.5 trillion. The global crisis gives no effect yet, as Indonesia is the largest motorcycle consumer, making other ASEAN countries hardly follow such record. At motor shop Although Thailand is superior in producing and selling four wheeled vehicle in ASEAN, it only produced 1.78 million units of motorcyles in that period. Its sales were 1.63 million units with the total sales of auto part around IDR14.75 trillion. Meanwhile, the production and sales in Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore were on...

India has only 914 girls for every 1,000 boys, according to the latest census [Davinder Kumar/Plan International] Gender selective abortions have skewed birthrates, so millions of men will never find wives, potentially causing strife. Dr Neelam Singh is on the front line of India's battle to save its girls. Modern medical technology - specifically ultrasounds for determining the baby's sex - coupled with ancient cultural values which give preference to boys, mean that hundreds of thousands of girls are never being born. There were only 914 girls for every 1,000 boys under the age of six in India, according to the 2011 census, compared with 927 for every 1,000 boys in the 2001 census. Today's ratio is the highest imbalance since the country won independence in 1947. "I feel the demand [for abortions] every day," Singh told Al Jazeera. "Parents say it's important to have a son in the family. They want to keep their family name. I see this as the most heinou...

A soldier carries a wounded trooper from Basilan province as they land at the southern port city of Zamboanga, Philippines Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011. Philippine troops are battling Muslim guerrillas in fierce fighting in volatile Basilan province that has killed at least 15 combatants. (AP Photo) Read more: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20111021/rebel-attacks-philippines-111021/#ixzz1boAk7wNa By ELENA L. ABEN and AARON B. RECUENCO Three soldiers, an off-duty militiaman, and four civilians were killed, while 11 others were wounded in the latest attacks waged by armed men suspected to be members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels in Mindanao, the military said Sunday. The eight new deaths increase to 44 the number of persons killed in atrocities involving alleged rogue members of the MILF in a span of five days in the provinces of Basilan, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Lanao del Norte. In the list of fatalities were 27 soldiers, three policemen, one member of the Civilian Arm...

by: Drs. Ec. A. Cholis Hamzah, MSc. Sebenarnya sampai saat ini Propinsi Jawa Timur masih menjadi alternatif terbaik kedua diantara propinsi lain di Indonesia untuk melakukan kegiatan ekonomi setelah Jakarta dan sekitarnya. Banyak kalangan pengusaha terutama dari manca negara sering mengatakan bahwa apabila political stability is in place di Indonesia, maka mereka akan mempertimbangkan memilih propinsi ini menjadi basis usahanya. Hanya saja apabila syarat diatas tidak terpenuhi maka tentu sebaliknya mereka tidak akan memilih beraktitas ekonomi di propinsi ini bahkan di tempat lainnya di Indonesia. Wilayah Jawa Timur dalam kegiatan ekonomi tidak terbatas pada daratan dan lautan propinsi itu sendiri, melainkan juga mencakup wilayah hinterlandnya yaitu propinsi Jawa Tengah serta beberapa propinsi di wilayah timur Indonesia. Kegiatan ekspor Jawa Tengah misalnya, masih ada yang dilakukan di Jawa Timur, sementara itu untuk kegiatan perdagangan antar pulau, beberapa komoditi penting dari NTT, ...

Libya's NTC appears to have decided that an anonymous grave would ensure the site did not become a shrine. The bodies of the toppled Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, his son Mutassim and a former aide have been moved from a commercial freezer in a warehouse area of Misrata in anticipation of burial, according to a security guard. Ibrahim Beitalmal, local military spokesman, has said the burial is likely to take place on Tuesday. He said the three men would be interred in unmarked graves in a secret location to avoid vandalism. Asked about the removal of the bodies from the freezer, he said he was unaware of the process of burial getting under way. However, Salem al Mohandes, a security guard at the warehouse complex, said the bodies were moved late on Monday from the freezer, where they had been on display for the past four days. "Our job is finished," al-Mohandes said. "[Gaddafi] was transferred and the military council of Misrata took him away to an unknown location...

UIA students during their protest last Friday. KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 An undergraduate student group today labelled Datuk Seri Najib Razak a coward for cancelling late his scheduled visit to the International Islamic University (UIA) tonight. The campus in Gombak has in recent days turned into an intellectual battleground for academic freedom over the controversial suspension of an outspoken constitutional law professor alleged to have insulted the Selangor Ruler. The Malaysian Insider understands the prime minister has cancelled his appointments today to attend the Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz al-Saud's funeral. SMM views the prime ministers move to call off the visit as being too fearful to face the undergraduates, the group calling itself Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia said in a statement today. SMMs fight is for academic freedom and not only to defend Prof Dr Aziz Bari, it added, referring to the UIA lecturer. The student activists said it will go ahead wi...

By: Karen Boncocan The Black Eyed Peas concert Where Is the Love? This Is the Love, set this Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Concert Grounds, is not just a venue to get a dose of the groups electro-spiked hip-hop tunes but a special celebration of Filipino-American member apl.de.aps roots. Speaking to reporters at their press conference Monday at the EDSA Shangri-La, the four-member group composed of will.i.am (William Adams), apl.de.ap (Allan Pineda), Taboo (Jaime Gomez) and Fergie (Stacy Ann Ferguson) expressed their fondness for the Philippines, the local fans and the Filipino culture. Apl.de.ap described the concert to be a very important event in his life coming from the time he was adopted and taken to the United States from his hometown Sapang Bato, Angeles City, in Pampanga. He said that it was amazing just to be here right now, adding that the reception of the Filipino community for his Tagalog songs gave him the motivation to keep on singing (and) share my culture. (It...

Violence comes exactly a year after a shocking video of Papuan men being brutally tortured by Indonesian soldiers Survival At least seven people are feared dead after Indonesian police opened fire on hundreds of West Papuans at an independence rally close to the provinces capital. Representatives from tribes all over West Papua were meeting to choose a new leadership and to discuss the political future of the region. West Papua has been ruled by Indonesia since 1963. Police have confirmed the bodies of five Papuans have been found, two dumped behind an army barracks and three in the mountains. Survival International has spoken to reliable sources from Papua who say at least another two have been killed; their bodies have not yet been found. Tension mounted as Papuans held their Third National Congress in the town of Abepura. On Wednesday, armed soldiers and police surrounded the venue and, following a declaration of independence from Indonesia, the security forces stormed the stage, f...

The mother of a young woman whose photograph had been used to implicate the son of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in an alleged molestation case said she will consider all options in the interest of protecting her daughter. This may even include taking legal action against those parties propagating rumours about 21-year-old Anya Ann Corke, said her mother, Mei Sun. "As Anya's parent, I will check on the options to protect her from this kind of nuisance," she was quoted in the South China Morning Post today. Anya, a one-time Hong Kong chess champion who is now studying in the US, was alleged by pro-Umno bloggers to have been molested by Guan Engs teenage son, and was the reason for his transfer from the SMK Heng Ee school. Guan Eng had also paid Anyas parents some RM200,000 to cover up the purported scandal, they alleged. Anya, Guan Eng and the principal of SMK Heng Ee have all denied the incident ever happened, with the DAP secretary-general last Wednesday lashing ou...

?National carrier Garuda Indonesia has taken delivery of its 48th B737-800 NG (Next Generation) from the Boeing delivery facility in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.. Delivered on Monday, October 17, 2011, the new aircraft was received by the airlines CEO, Emirsyah Satar, and witnessed by the Indonesian Ambassador to Washington, D.C., Dino Pati Djalal, together with a visiting delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN). The next generation (image by smartjunko at flickr) In addition to being the 48th Boeing 737-800NG delivered to Garuda Indonesia, the new aircraft is the 123rd Boeing 737 purchased by the national carrier. Boeing Sky Interior The Boeing 737-800 New Generation aircraft ordered by Garuda Indonesia will all be equipped with unique ceiling color and lighting arrangements dubbed by the aircraft maker as Boeing Sky Interior. Boeing Sky Interior (image by balidiscovery.com) The interior feature allows the pilot to control the cabin lighting to provide a range of str...

Saya teringat ucapan teman saya,Qasim, warga negara Inggris keturunan Pakistan yang sudah sejak lama migrasi dan menetap di Inggris. Ucapan itu sederhana, dan bisa jadi dia ucapkan tanpa beban, karena kami waktu itu sedang minum kopi panas di tengah dinginnya udara di Birmingham, Inggris. Negara maju adalah negara yang rakyatnya punya keinginan, semangat dan optimisme untuk maju. Itu yang tidak saya lihat di Pakistan, dan saya akhirnya meninggalkannya ujarnya singkat. Ucapan itu terngiang kembali dalam benak saya setelah membaca tulisan pak SBY di majalah Strategic Review yang berjudul ?Indonesia In 2045: A centennial journeyof progress. Di awal tulisannya, beliau menulis bahwa kalau beruntung, generasi 2045 adalah generasi dengan karakter yang kuat, tapi kita tidak bisa bergantung dan mengandalkan faktor beruntung, tapi kita harus mengandalkan kerja keras. Tulisan itu senada dengan isi seminar di Phnom Penh tahun 2009 dimana saya salah satu pembicaranya, namun waktu itu topiknya adala...

Repression increases An unprecedented series of suicides erodes Beijings repressive policies, hinting at a new wave of unrest What is responsible for the unprecedented recent spate of Tibetans setting themselves afire? Over the past eight months, nine monks, former monks and a nun have immolated themselves. At least five have died, in what they have said is an attempt to send a message about dramatically deteriorating relations between Beijing and Tibetans. Tibetan Buddhists say growing religious repression has gripped the Ngaba (sometimes called Aba) prefecture of Chinas eastern Sichuan Province. The most recent incidents have occurred in Kirti Gompa , one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and the site of frequent unrest over the past three years. Ngaba County is in a state of siege, activists say. China accuses the Dalai Lama of encouraging separatism, saying that the self-immolations are part of a plan to violently overthrow Chinese rule in Tibet. Beijing has angrily rejec...