COMMENTS (0)

RECOMMEND (84)

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PLUSONE

MORE

E-MAIL

PRINT

TEXT SIZE

Sixteen people—all foreign tourists—suffered smoke inhalation and were admitted to hospital, he said. About 400 other guests were evacuated safely. Police were investigating the cause of the fire, but initial investigations showed a short-circuit in the 30-year-old hotel was responsible. (AP)

Thaksin 'Unlikely to Return to Thailand in Near Future'

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is unlikely to return to Thailand in the near future because he fears for his safety, his public relations representatives said. A day after a Thai court issued a new set of arrest warrants for him and his wife, the Bell Pottinger Group public relations company said the exiled former leader was innocent of any crime. "This is another politically motivated attack on the reputation of Dr Thaksin and his family," the company said in the e-mail statement on Tuesday. "Dr Thaksin maintains his innocence and states that he is unlikely to be able to return to Thailand in the short term because of personal safety issues, his desire not be a cause of division in Thai society and the unlikelihood of a fair trial." Thaksin, who has been living abroad since he was ousted in a bloodless coup almost a year ago, is being sought by Thai authorities for allegedly violating stock-trading laws and on corruption-related charges.
Thaksin has always denied the allegations. (AP)

Singapore Apartment Block among Aga Khan Award Winners

A Singapore apartment block that uses innovative techniques for living in a hot climate is among the nine winners of the 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture, which celebrate the mundane to the magnificent around the globe. The 28-story Moulmein Rise Residential Tower incorporates the traditional monsoon window, a horizontal opening that lets in breezes but not rain. Other winners include a school in Bangladesh and a university in Kuala Lumpur. The award, established in 1977, recognizes architectural excellence in places where Muslims live. It covers the fields of contemporary design, social housing, community improvement, historical preservation, reuse and area conservation, as well as landscape design and improvement of environment. (AP)

---

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Investors Push Cambodia to Allow Foreign Ownership of Buildings, Condominiums

Foreign investors pushed the Cambodian government Tuesday to allow foreign ownership of buildings, apartments and condominiums, saying such a step is important to advance the country's economic growth. "It will help further develop the real estate market in Cambodia," said Bretton Sciaroni, an American lawyer, in a speech at a government forum Tuesday. Sciaroni was representing a group of investors in a regular meeting with the government to discuss the investment climate and the difficulties of doing business in Cambodia. He noted that real estate is already a dynamic sector in Cambodia. "But foreign ownership of apartments, condominiums and other such structures on the land will help spur future economic growth," he said.

The Cambodian constitution prohibits foreign ownership of land but doesn't explicitly ban foreigners from owning buildings. Two years ago, the government amended a land law with the aim of allowing foreign ownership of such permanent fixtures. But since then, the government has not issued any implementing regulation on the amendment, leaving lending institutions uncertain about investing in Cambodian real estates, Sciaroni said. (AP)

Malaysia's Mahathir Stable after Heart Bypass Surgery

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad was in stable condition after undergoing a second bypass surgery Tuesday following two recent heart attacks, his daughter said. Marina Mahathir said the surgery, which was performed at the National Heart Institute, was successful. She said Mahathir, 82, has not regained consciousness and it was not clear how long it will take before he can return home. Mahathir, who suffered heart attacks in November 2006 and May this year, was admitted to the National Heart Institute on Sunday after he elected to have the surgery. Two days earlier he had attended a national day parade to mark the country's 50th anniversary of independence. (AP)

Billions in Trade Deals Expected During Putin's Visit to Indonesia

Russia and Indonesia are expected to sign billions of dollars worth of weapons, mining and oil deals during Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit to the country this week, a presidential spokesman said Tuesday.