Burma to Dredge Irrawaddy River, Improve Navigation

Burma is planning to dredge the Irrawaddy river, where the buildup of sediment is threatening its navigability and the movement of goods through the country. The Weekly Eleven News reported Thursday that sediment in the river has narrowed sections of it to just 30 yards (meters), down from several miles (kilometers) wide. Chinese technicians hoping to win the contract have begun to survey the 1,300-mile- (2,100 kilometer-) long river, The Myanmar Times reported. China's Tianjin Dredging has already won a contract to open up part of the Rangoon river, a smaller waterway that leads to the country's most important port. Rangoon port handles about 90 percent of Burma's shipping cargo. That project will enable a 39,000-ton vessel to dock at Rangoon, up from 17,000 tons.

Powerful Quake of Indonesia's Island of Bali

A powerful earthquake off Indonesia rattled the popular resort island of Bali early Friday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, officials said. The US Geological Survey said the 6.5-magnitude quake struck at 1:08 a.m. (1708 GMT Thursday) and was centered 315 miles (510 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor. It hit waters 160 miles (260 kilometers) northeast of Bali. Beni Hendrawanto, of the country's geological and meteorology department, said it could be felt in the main city of Denpasar but there were no initial reports of damage or injuries.