CANBERRA, March 31 (NNN-Bernama) — Australia’s top universities on Wednesday called for a new visa that would clear the way for post- graduate students to gain permanent residency. The Australian government is reviewing its points system for skilled migrants ahead of changes to the list of preferred skills that will come into effect later this .
KUALA LUMPUR, March 31 (Bernama) — A strong earthquake of 6.4 magnitude hit the Andaman islands, India, at 12.55am Wednesday. A Meteorological Department statement here said the epicentre was at 13.51 degrees north and 92.85 degrees east, about 751km north west of Ranong, Thailand, and 1,110km north-west of Langkawi. No tsunami warning was issued. – .
KABUL, March 31 (NNN-UNNS) — The United Nations human rights office is urging that Afghanistan’s poor be at the centre of decision-making processes that affect their lives, after a new report found that rights abuses are exacerbating poverty in the country. “Poverty actually kills more Afghans than those who die as a direct result of .
PULLIYANKULAM (SRI LANKA), March 31 (NNN-IRIN) — The latest UN figures show that 160,000 houses in northern Sri Lanka have to be repaired or rebuilt as the conflict-displaced return to their home areas. “That’s what I want the most,” said Nagarajan Kallaiamuda, 22, a returnee to Pulliyankulum village in Mullaithivu District outside her temporary shelter. .
CANBERRA, March 31 (NNN-Bernama) — Australia Wednesday launched a bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast, a beachside city on its eastern coast. “We are very excited about putting forward this bid to our fellow Commonwealth Games Associations from 70 Commonwealth nations,” reports China’s Xinhua news agency citing Australian Commonwealth Games .
HANOI, March 31 (NNN-Bernama) — Some 5,000 child workers engaged in or at risk of engaging in the worst forms of child labour, will be directed towards new educational services in the next four years through a 2.5 million euro (US$3.4 million) project, according to Vietnam news agency. The project, co-organised by the Ministry of .
SEOUL, March 31 (NNN-Yonhap) — South Korea’s central bank on Wednesday said it will focus its monetary policy on helping cement an economic recovery, while paying close attention to price stability. The Bank of Korea (BOK) froze its key interest rate at an all-time low of 2 percent for the 13th consecutive month in March, .
BANGKOK, March 31 (NNN-TNA) — Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwannakhiri on Tuesday voiced his support for the Abhisit government’s proposed dissolution of the House of Representatives in the next nine months as part of efforts to ease the ongoing political standoff, saying it is a proper timeframe because the spending budget for fiscal 2011 should .
MANAMA, March 31 (NNN-TNA) — Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva thanked Bahrain for its understanding regarding the current situation in Thailand’s Muslim predominant southern border region and for supporting Thailand in the global arena. During a two-day official visit of Thai prime minister to Bahrain, Mr Abhisit met his Bahraini counterpart Prince Khalifa bin Salman .
BANGKOK, March 31 (NNN-TNA) — Bank of Thailand (BoT) Deputy Governor Krirk Vanikkul on Tuesday allowed that the country’s mounting political uncertainties might affect the loan growth target set earlier by commercial banks at around 10 per cent for this year. He said the ongoing political standoff put private companies in a more difficult position .
