The Philippine government has expressed trust in the British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, even though some critics cast doubt on it over concerns about its reported success rate. They are confident that the AstraZeneca vaccine is being developed, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said Friday when the Philippine government signed the first procurement agreement for a coronavirus vaccine, a tripartite …

In an effort to integrate automated contact tracing data eight months after the pandemic, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Control of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) also allows national government departments and local government units to use StaySafe.ph, the government’s official contact tracing software. In its battle against the coronavirus, the government policy-making body also urges private organizations to use …

President Joko Widodo inspected the construction of the seed and seedling center in Rumpin, West Java’s Bogor District, which will provide seeds for reforestation in disaster-prone regions. The seedling center will be built over an area of 159.58 hectares, which will be split into multiple zones: the seedling zone, the public zone, the training zone and the business growth zone. …

Thailand’s initial public offering market has chalked up another impressive result, topping Singapore for the second year running as the biggest IPO market in South-east Asia by the value of funds raised. In the first half  months of this year, Singapore had eight listings that earned a total of US$852 million (S$1.14 billion). The US$3.9 billion raised in the same …

SINGAPORE – Going very green seems to offer up to US$1 trillion (S$1.35 trillion) in annual financial benefits to South-East Asian economies by 2030, a report by Bain and Company, a global administration consultancy firm, said in particular on Thursday (Nov 26). According to the writers, greater investment in renewable energy, reduced consumption and better waste management, less unhealthy crop-growing …

PETALING JAYA: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah thanked the parliamentary members for passing the Dewan Rakyat federal budget. A statement from Istana Negara said the King welcomed the help of MPs to ensure the people’s well-being and the economic recovery of the country. He also expresses his gratitude to MPs who have heeded his advice to support …

PETALING JAYA – In view of the high number of cases involving the party, Malaysia has imposed compulsory Covid-19 screening for 1.7 million foreign employees. And effective Thursday, November 26, if employers house their foreign workers in cramped spaces, the authorities will also begin enforcing a fine of RM50,000 (S$16,442) per worker. Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who declared this, …

In Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai city, East Nusa Tenggara, amenities and facilities are being built as part of efforts to turn it into a mega premium destination that will attract world leaders in addition to the well-heeled ones. President Joko Widodo, who visited Labuan Bajo in January and October this year, named it Beyond Bali, along with Borobudur in Central …

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha affirmed that martial law will not be invoked to quench anti-government demonstrations, stating that the new usual steps are adequate to deal with those who breach the law. Asked for martial law, Gen Prayut said he had not considered it and the new laws were adequate to cope with the demonstrators. Following a meeting of the …

This time in Zamboanga City, not even the coronavirus pandemic that emptied shopping centers could deter retail giant SM Supermalls from opening another outlet, as the organization aims to take advantage of travel restrictions to attract shoppers. Sy-led SM Prime Holdings Inc., the consolidated property arm of the SM Group, said in a statement sent to the stock exchange on …