Cuba continues to encourage agricultural expansion

Havana (VNA) – The Cuban government has authorised putting farmland in private hands to reduce dependence on costly food imports.

Previously, a majority of farmland in Cuba were under the management of state-owned businesses and co-operatives.

Under a recent decree, the maximum of farmland to be handed over to individuals who do not hold land is nearly 14 hectares, and for those who hold and use lands effectively, the area can increase as high as 40.26 hectares.

The government will make new land grants for 10 years, which can be renewed. Government agencies and cooperatives also may get 25-year grants. The grants cannot be transferred or sold to third parties.

Cuba’s farmland is 6.6 million hectares, 1.2 million of which are fallow. –

Olympic athletes’ village welcomes first advance group

– The Beijing Olympics athletes’ village “softly” opened on July 20 as welcoming the advance contingents of 12 national Olympic committees, said local media.

During the August 8-24 Games, the village will be home to about 16, 000 athletes and officials, reported China’s Daily.

The 42-building complex in the north of the capital city also includes a hospital, a bank, shops, places of worship, restaurants, a swimming pool, and gyms, the newspaper said. However, the Olympics athletes’ village will officially open to delegations on July 27, two weeks before the start of the Olympics.

China’s Daily also reported that Beijing began on July 20 a two-month-long control of vehicle use to ease traffic pressure and improve air quality 19 days before the opening of the Olympic Games.

Earlier on July 19, China’s capital city of Beijing opened two new subway lines and an airport rail express ahead of the Olympic Games.

“With all the measures and people’s support, we are confident of ensuring smooth traffic during the Games.” Zhou Zhengyu, Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications deputy head was quoted as saying.-

Pharmaceutical sector becomes Cuba’s hard currency earner

Havana (VNA) – Pharmaceutical exports are becoming Cuba’s second largest hard foreign currency earner after nickel as the country earned around 350 million USD from pharmaceutical exports last year.

According to figures from Cuba’s Basic Industry Ministry, 2007 was the third consecutive year, pharmaceutical export earning came in ahead of traditional products such as tobacco, rum and sugar.

Cuba’s pharmaceuticals line-up includes vaccines for type B meningococcal meningitis, hepatitis B and influenza, as well as Heberprot P for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and interferon.

The Cuban government has given top priority to bio-technology and pharmaceutical development. The country is exporting 38 kinds of medicines to over 40 countries worldwide and providing free medicine to some developing countries.

Currently, Cuba has joint ventures with South Africa, India and China, as well as technology transfer agreements with Brazil and Iran, and joint development deals with several countries, including Venezuela, Vietnam and China.-

Malaysia beefs up polices to help poor

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia’s Social Welfare Department is actively searching for Malaysians who are eligible for financial aid but have not registered, local media reported.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen explained that this new initiative was intended to strengthen the department’s network.

“Over the next two months, we will seek and identify all those who are eligible to receive aid (from the department),” the Minister was quoted by The Star newspaper as saying. Categories eligible for aid include the disabled earning below 1,200 ringgits (roughly 300 USD), senior citizens above 60 and earning less than 700 ringgits and whose family members are unable support them, and children from households with less than 700 ringgits income.

Apart from the Ministry’s project, the government has carried out other assistance through ministries and branches to help the poor, such as school fee for children, food provision for malnourish children and housing programmes.

However, subsidy is not an optimal to help people rid off poverty, Dr Ng Yen Yen said, stressing that Malaysia is not a welfare state, therefore financial aid is not available to those who are able to work.-

China to build steel plants in Indonesia

– China will build two steel factories with a combined capacity of 3 million tonnes per annum in Indonesia, an Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) official has said.

The China Steel Resources Holding Company will build steel plants in two stages within a span of five years, Achmad Kurniadi was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying on the sidelines of an international convention of Chinese businessmen, running from July 18-19.

The first plant with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes will be built in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, he said, hoping that Chinese investors will invest in such other fields as manufacturing and transportation.-

Thai PM confident to lead government ship

– Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has said that he could lead the government ship through the crisis but his government’s term may be short-lived because of the opponents’ attempts to bring the administration down.

During the PM’s weekly TV talk show on July 20, PM Samak affirmed his government’s intention to be in office for four years but the situation, he added, would depend on whether the opponents’ attempts to bring down his government would be successful or not.

The current Constitution, the Election Commission and National Counter Corruption Commission are parts of the systematic attempt to bring down his government, he said.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy also plans to protest at 73 provincial halls nationwide starting on July 28 to disrupt the government works with an intention to prompt the military to stage another coup, the PM warned.-

Malaysian troops leave for peacekeeping in Lebanon

– The first batch of 160 Malaysian soldiers have arrived in Lebanon to take on peacekeeping duties in the country, according to Malaysia’s news agency.

Those soldiers from of the third Malaysian Contingent (MALCON III), which consists of 360 members, will join the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Bernama news agency said.

It quoted Malaysian Defence Forces Joint Force Commander Maj-Gen Allatif Mohamed Noor as saying that the second batch of MALCON III, comprising 200 members, would leave for Lebanon on July 29.

“MALCON III will serve in Lebanon for nine months while the three women from its first batch will be there for four months,” he said on July 20.

MALCON III will be replacing MALCON II, also consisting of 360 members, who will end their tour of peacekeeping duty in Lebanon on July 30 after being there since last October, the news agency added.-

41st ASEAN ministerial meeting opens in Singapore

Hanoi (VNA) – Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Singapore on July 21, news reports said.

High on the agenda will be issues relating to Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, assessment of Myanmar Cyclone Nargis disaster, the ASEAN Charter and regional security.

The 10-member grouping’s foreign ministers will release the Post- Nargis Joint Assessment Report later July 21, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was quoted as saying at the opening ceremoney.

Regarding the ASEAN Charter, the Singaporean PM said that the grouping has decided to press on with the Charter’s implementation without waiting for all ten members to ratify.

PM Lee also announced the establishment of an ASEAN Studies Centre within a think tank – the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) – in Singapore.

During the three-day meeting, the ASEAN foreign ministers will meet separately with foreign ministers and representatives from ASEAN dialogue partners.

Founded in 1967, the ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.–

Indonesia, US hold joint tsunami respond exercise

Hanoi (VNA) - The West Sumatra administration together with the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and the US Army are holding a joint tsunami response exercise in Padang from July 21 to 25.

“The focus of the activity is on the creation of a command system in facing disasters, while an exchange of knowledge is conducted based on experiences of respective country,” a spokesman for the West Administration office was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

He further explained that the 80 participants included 15 troops from the US, 20 from the Indonesian army, 5 from the Navy, 5 from the Air Force and 5 from the police, and 10 personnel of the disaster task force from seven tsunami-rampant districts/cities.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Navy and the US Navy began on July 21 the joint exercise of “Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) 2008 as part of bilateral cooperation. The exercise will run till July 26, involving 100 US Navy’s personnel and 150 Indonesian Navy’s personnel.-

ASEAN to hold disaster response exercise in Philippines

Hanoi (VNA) - The 10-member ASEAN is set to hold a joint disaster response drill in the Philippines around the first half of 2009 to test international coordination in heeding catastrophes, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said that members states of the ASEAN Regional Forum, a 27-member security assembly that includes the United States, Russia, the European Union, and China, may also take part in the exercise.

Details of the drill – the scenario, participants, Philippine location and date – are still being planned, but the Secretary said the exercise might be held around May, next year.

ASEAN foreign and defense ministers have recently agreed to formalise a mechanism of regional assistance in times of calamities, a need further underlined by the crises in food, rice supply and energy.-