When I first visited Fiji about six years ago, I did not pay much attention to the natural vegetation. I wrongly believed that there were oil palm trees among the palms that I saw. It was only when I …
Biodegradable PPE: Bangladeshi makes it with jute, crabs
In some good news for the country, a scientist, who also discovered jute polymer and is behind the invention of “Sonali Bag”, has come up with a method of making biodegradable protective g…
Oil prices advance as China ramps up U.S. crude imports
Oil prices rose on Monday as China’s plans to ship in large volumes of U.S. crude in August and September outweighed concerns over a slowdown in demand recovery after the coronavirus pandemic an…
Japanese companies shift focus to ASEAN due to US-China rows
A rising number of Japanese companies are expanding business in Southeast Asia and scaling down operations in China due to escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington, according to the Japan Ex…
Indonesia president calls to “reboot” economy amid pandemic
Indonesia must use the pandemic to reboot Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, including by improving food and energy security, as well as processing more natural resources at home, President Joko Widodo…
ADB to Help Boost Farm Incomes in the Philippines with $400 Million Loan
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $400 million policy-based loan to support reforms by the Philippine government aimed at raising the productivity and competitiveness of the country’s ag…
Andaman optical fiber may pitch India as alternative to China in ASEAN region
The submarine optical fibre from Chennai to Port Blair that promises fifth-generation (5G) connectivity, the latest in cellular wireless technology, to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be the fir…
Rubber prices remain steady
Physical rubber prices were steady on Monday. RSS4 finished flat at ₹134.00 a kg, according to traders and the Rubber Board. The grade was quoted unchanged at ₹130.00 a kg by Dealers. The trend was pa…
0.08 pct of rubber production used to build rubberised roads in 2019
About 0.08 per cent of the country’s current total rubber production was used in the construction of roads using rubber-based technology Cuplump Modified Bitumen (CMB) in 2019. Deputy Plantation Indus…
Malaysia Pushes Tech Hub to Help Economy Ride Out Pandemic
Malaysia’s technology cluster in Penang is helping drive an economic recovery that could see the country bounce back faster than any of its peers in Southeast Asia. The northern state drew 6.8 billion…