Briefs

As of February 20, Qatar will ply the skies 28 times per week on the Doha-Bangkok return trip, making it one of its busiest routes between its Doha hub and East Asia. 

Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar Al Baker said the additional flight was made possible by more long-haul aircraft joining the fleet. 

“Bangkok has proved to be an attractive route for us with increased passenger demand from key markets around the world. Now with the additional capacity being introduced next year, we will be able to offer passengers more choice when deciding to plan their holidays or business trips,” he said. – The Nation

 

New prime minister drives yen down

Before officially taking office, newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe succeeded in driving the yen down and boosting stock prices by urging the Bank of Japan to take drastic monetary-easing measures and expressing his stance of active government spending.

The new administration, which aims to take all possible measures to stem the yen’s rise and overcome deflation, will compile a new fiscal 2012 supplementary budget and has expressed its intention to intervene into foreign exchange markets if necessary.

However, it remains to be seen if the policies can be effective, as the government tries to fend off criticism that they are dole-out policies.

Abe told Taro Aso, the finance minister and state minister for financial services, to “proceed with all possible efforts” on behalf of the government to reach a policy accord with the Bank of Japan.

The accord will introduce major changes to the central bank’s monetary policies including setting a new inflation target of 2 per cent. – The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN

 

Soros heads to Yangon

Business magnate and philanthropist George Soros will visit Myanmar next month. 

Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundation, is scheduled to meet with the pro-democracy movement 88 Generation Students Group on January 8 at the Chatrium Hotel in Yangon.

The Open Society Foundation started its “Burma Project” in 1994 to introduce the situation of Myanmar to the international community, and to help ethnic minorities, women and children. 

 

Myanmar’s rice prices drop 

The price of rice in Myanmar is dropping due to shrinking exports to Bangladesh, paddy traders say. Both illegal and legal trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh has been suspended since the communal violence in Rakhine state in June. The price of export rice is $350 per tonne. The reason exporters prefer illegal trade is that the legal export prices are not much different from local prices. 

Though Bangladesh intends to resume buying rice from Myanmar, its offer price is much lower than expected. Moreover, rice in Rakhine state has only one growing season and the output is dropping. – Eleven Media Group