Section: The Jakarta Post (Indonesia)
Further rupiah slip could be ‘dangerous’
Bank Indonesia has been warned by analysts and business stakeholders over its “dangerous” strategy of tolerating a weaker currency after the rupiah weakened to below the psychological barrier of 13,000 to the US dollar.The rupiah depreciated 0.4 percent on Thursday to trade at 13,022 against the greenback, according to the Jakarta Interbank Spot...
External factors put pressure on rupiah
Having held out from breaching the Rp 13,000 per US dollar level for days, the domestic currency finally breached the psychological threshold as economic concerns on China and the Ukraine affected investors’ appetite for emerging-market assets.The rupiah on Thursday weakened 0.4 percent to trade at 13,022 per dollar, according to the...
EU condemns Russia over Nemtsov funeral bans
EU-Russian relations took a further dip on Tuesday when the European Union strongly condemned Moscow for banning Polish and Latvian officials from entering the country to attend the funeral of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov. European Parliament President Martin Schulz called the bans a “high affront” and said he will intervene...
Mourners view body of slain opposition leader Boris Nemtsov
Thousands of mourners and dignitaries filed past the white-lined coffin of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov Tuesday, paying last respects to one of the most prominent figures of Russia’s beleaguered opposition. Nemtsov was shot to death late Friday while walking on a bridge near the Kremlin with a companion. No suspects have been...
Tourism thrives in Malaysia despite association with tragedy
Two airplane catastrophes put Malaysia on the map in a bad way in 2014. But they didn’t hurt the country’s tourism, and the higher visibility may even have helped: visitor numbers had their strongest growth in years.For the past decade, Malaysia has run an elaborate campaign to market itself abroad as an ideal Asian destination,...
Kerry defends Israel before UN rights panel
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday delivered a vigorous defense of Israel before the U.N. Human Rights Council, urging its members to end what the United States says is its unfair and biased focus on the Jewish State that could undermine its credibility. His remarks came as the Obama administration attempts to blunt complaints that it...
UN rights office: Death toll in eastern Ukraine passes 6,000
More than 6,000 people have died in eastern Ukraine since the start of the conflict almost a year ago that has led to a “merciless devastation of civilian lives and infrastructure,” the U.N. human rights office said Monday.Hundreds of civilians and military personnel have been killed in recent weeks alone after an upswing in fighting...
Kerry, Russian FM meet in Geneva as Ukraine tensions simmer
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is meeting his Russian counterpart for likely highly contentious talks amid continuing tensions over Ukraine and American calls for a full probe into the murder of a prominent opposition figure in Moscow.Neither Kerry nor Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov smiled or spoke substantively as they shook...
Fighting in eastern Ukraine displaces Donetsk’s soccer team
The sleek stadium, built six years ago and host to some of Europe’s biggest soccer matches, is silent. It sits in the middle of the city of Donetsk, a war zone controlled by pro-Russian separatists battling Ukrainian troops.The $425 million Donbass Arena now serves as a depot and distribution point for supplies of humanitarian aid.With...
Estonia’s ruling pro-Western Reform Party wins election
Estonia’s ruling Reform Party has emerged as the overall winner in the Baltic country’s general election dominated by economic issues and security concerns over Russia’s actions in Ukraine.With all votes counted, Prime Minister Taavi Roivas declared victory early Monday. Polls had predicted a close race between the governing...
