Arroyo does not buy the washing of hands MANILA: On Tuesday, just hours after President Macapagal- Arroyo declared that a plot to topple her government had been nipped in the bud, a giant mob was battering the gates of Malacaqang and threatening to grab the seat of power.

Malaysia nears deal with China, India to swap palm oil KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysia is near agreement with India and China on a multi-billion-dollar deal to swap palmoil for railway contracts, a minister was Wednesday quoted as saying. Primary Industries Minister Lim Keng Yaik, quoted by Business Times, said he expects the deal with India to be finalized during Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit here from May 13.

Thailand agrees to up border security KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Thailand has agreed to tighten security on its border with Malaysia to help stem the flow of illegal immigrants and smuggled arms into Malaysia, officials said on Wednesday. The number of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh sneaking into Malaysia through Thailand was growing, Malaysia's Inspector General of Police Norian Mai said after talks with Thai police chief Pornsak Durongkavibulya in Kuala Lumpur.

ASEAN ministers look north and south for growth SIEM REAP, Cambodia (AFP): Southeast Asian economic ministers will take a fresh look at expanding trade into the region's northeast and the Pacific as they kicked off a meeting here Wednesday, officials said. The impact of the U.S. economic slowdown on the economies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had underlined the need for closer economic integration with regional economies, they said.

Egco to sell RI coal shares SINGAPORE (Dow Jones): Thai independent power producer Electricity Generating PCL plans to complete the sale of its 70 percent stake in Egco Mining Co. this week, the Bangkok Post said on its Web site Wednesday. Egco Mining owns rights to a coal concession in Kalimantan, Indonesia. "It's the company's policy to focus on electricity production and distribution and get rid of non-core businesses," Egco President Sitthiporn Ratanophas said.

Eight Indians held for illegal entry JAKARTA (JP): Immigration officers acting on a tip-off arrested eight Indian nationals in Depok, West Java, for entering Indonesia using forged visas, very likely aided by the service of an illegal immigration syndicate. The director for immigration supervision, M. Indra, said in a statement on Wednesday that his men raided their hiding place in Depok on Tuesday.

Indosat reports higher first quarter earnings JAKARTA (JP): State-owned telecommunications company PT Indosat reported on Wednesday a 24.1 percent increase in unaudited earnings to Rp 538.5 billion (US$49.86 million) during the first quarter of 2001 compared to the same period last year. Earnings per share were at Rp 520 or US 50 cents per American Depository Shares, the company said in its first quarter report.

Journalists face violence, intimidation JAKARTA (JP): In the reform era where journalists have more freedom to write, they apparently face violence and intimidation, mostly from the public, government officials and the police. The Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) reported on Wednesday that during the past year, there were 106 cases of oppression against journalists and the media, with almost half of them, 47 cases, perpetrated by the public.