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Iran poll shows people want change, says Obama

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:40:07 -0400

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama has urged Iran's newly elected president to prove to the world that the Islamic republic was not pursuing a nuclear weapon programme as the White House welcomed election of a moderate leader as a hopeful sign. "I think it says that the Iranian people want to move in a different direction," Obama said of the election results in Iran that saw a surprising ...

Libya to hold trial of Gaddafi's son in August

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:29:24 -0400

LONDON - Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of deceased Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, will stand trial in August along with Gaddafi's last prime minister and a former intelligence director, the prosecutor's office has announced. The men will be tried for crimes against the Libyan people during the 2011 uprising that toppled the former regime. Notorious former spy chief Abdullah ...

Group of Eight leaders stop short of calling for Assad ouster

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:28:36 -0400

ENNISKILLEN - The Group of Eight industrialised nations called for a swift end to the bloody civil war in Syria and urgent peace talks but stopped short of calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in its joint statement at the end of talks Tuesday. Despite the lack of consensus among the G8 on the fate of Assad, as well as the use of chemical weapons by his regime, Canadian ...

US women in all combat units by 2016 Pentagon

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:50:02 -0400

American women will be fully integrated into frontline and special combat roles, including elite forces such as Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, by January 2016, the Pentagon has said. More than 200,000 women are in the active-duty military, representing about 14.5 percent of the overall force, according to Pentagon figures. Most serve in the army. While air force, army, navy, Marine and special ...

Facebook looking to partner with Samsung to boost mobile advertising sales

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:50:02 -0400

With the growing mobility of internet, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed potential partnership with Samsung company's president Shin Jong Kyun during Mark Zuckerberg's Asia tour. According to Bloomberg report, the partnership would reportedly focus on advancing mobile-advertising sales. Facebook has been strongly encouraging advertising on mobile. In April, Facebook Home had been launched ...

More Russian Oil Flows to China in Shift From Europe

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:15:14 -0400

MOSCOW Russia is steeply ramping up oil deliveries to China, with Asia now importing almost a fifth of oil exports from the world's largest crude producer in a strategic shift meant by the Kremlin to end reliance on weak and saturated European markets. Russia will increase oil supplies to China by 13 percent in July-September from the previous three months, a shipping schedule obtained ...

Karzai boycotts US-backed talks with Taliban because of Pakistani hand

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:59:24 -0400

Hamid Karzai suspended negotiation with Washington on Wednesday over a bilateral security agreement, angered by the perceived betrayal of Kabul by the Americans, who in turn appeared to have been suckered by Taliban. The terrorist group, given political stamp of approval by the Obama administration on Tuesday, killed four US soldiers in an attack hours after the talks agreement, despite ...

Lankan minister says India aiding separatist forces

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:59:21 -0400

COLOMBO: A key nationalist ally in the Sri Lankan government on Wednesday slammed India for aiding separatist forces in the country and backed President Mahinda Rajapaksa's plan to go ahead with tinkering the 13th amendment. "It was no secret that India aided the separatist forces in Sri Lanka," Wimal Weerawansa, ...

Southeast Asian Nations Partners to Discuss Regional Security

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:31:17 -0400

BANGKOK -- Foreign Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and their dialogue partners are gathering in Brunei for a three-day meeting beginning June 29. The ASEAN meetings are expected to discuss a range of security and economic issues. Top diplomats representing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, 16 Western and Asian countries, and the European Union will meet in ...

China’s Naval Ambitions and America’s Asia Problem

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:30:51 -0400

, entails plans for new economic and political bonds and a reinvigorated alliance system in the region. But China's territorial ambitions, if unchecked, could eventually create realities on the ground in Asia which will provide it with the legal basis to truly deny America strategic access. If that happens, we might find that - for all of our plans for a pivot toward Asia - Beijing actually ...

Video Russian Asian players eye lucrative plane market

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:28:44 -0400

Russian and Asian firms want a slice of the airliner market dominated by Airbus and Boeing. But they face a tough time convincing airlines to buy their planes. Julian Satterthwaite reports from the Paris Air ...

Filipino animators on the comeback trial

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:15:03 -0400

MANILA: The Philippines used to be known as the animation capital of the world, but the rise of animation industries in China and India has provided stiff competition.Tom and Jerry, Tarzan, Looney Tunes, and The Little Mermaid -- just some of the internationally renowned and well-loved cartoons which Filipinos helped create.For more than fifteen years, Toon City has been the animation production ...

Worlds first flying car up for grabs for $1 million

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:12:40 -0400

Aerocar could not only fly, it was designed to drive on roads, too. The flight system could be removed and towed by the car, then easily reassembled. The car which cruises at a 177 kph has foldable wings to keep it a street-worthy size is now on sale for $938,340. The 21-feet Aerocar is a two-place aircraft with side-by-side seating, four wheels, 30-feet wingspan and a ...

The Jury of MIPIM Asia Awards 2013 Is Revealed

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:06:15 -0400

http://www.mipimasia.com ), the property leaders' summit in Asia Pacific, reveals the composition of the jury for the 7th edition of the established MIPIM Asia Awards competition, which has honoured excellence and innovation in Asian real estate development in the Asia Pacific region since 2007. Vincent H.S. LO, Chairman of Shui On Group, and President of the Jury, comments: "The MIPIM ...

Asian trio punch World Cup tickets

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:58:15 -0400

Having everything to play for on Tuesday, Australia, Iran and South Korea all secured berths at the 2014 World Cup on a dramatic final day of Asian qualifying. They join Japan, which was the first nation to qualify. Australia beat Iraq 1-0, waiting until the 83rd minute before Josh Kennedy headed home the winner that secured second spot in Group B. Iran booked its place with a disciplined ...

Asian death wave tops a year of big disasters

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:51:55 -0400

The earthquake and tidal waves that took the lives of more than 23,000 in countries around the Indian Ocean was the latest and biggest of a series of natural disasters in 2004, one of the worst years in recent memory. The other events include:February 24Morocco. An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 hit the northeastern region of Al Hoceima, killing 628 and injuring more than 900. March ...

Send money to India

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:45:32 -0400

Interest rates are already coming down. So the foreigners' faith in India that India has got disproportionate allocation in emerging markets is also validating ...

China Vietnam agree to set up hotline

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:55 -0400

BEIJING -; China and Vietnam agreed on Wednesday to set up a hotline to resolve fishing incidents in disputed South China Sea waters that have been a frequent source of tensions between the two ideological ...

Markets drift as investors ready for Fed

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:15:54 -0400

The central bank wraps up a two-day policy meeting later and investors are looking to see if policymakers are moving towards any change in its monetary policy stance. The Fed's strategy of super-low interest rates and easy money over the past few years has been designed to shore up the U.S. economy. It has also helped drive sentiment in the ...

Asia sentiment rises in Q2

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:08:22 -0400

Asia's top companies have become more optimistic about their business outlook with the retail and shipping industries rebounding sharply in the second quarter of 2013, the latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey shows.The Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Index climbed six points to 71 in June, its highest level in five quarters and the third consecutive ...

The Taliban rebels ready for the peace table

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:35:49 -0400

religious extremism . The Taliban emerged in the 1990s, garnering support in Afghanistan by bringing order to rural areas wrecked by warlords, before imposing their austere version of Sunni Islamic law after fighting their way to power in 1996. Television, music and cinema were banned, girls were stopped from going to school, woman had to wear the all-covering burqa and men had to grow beards, as ...

President Obama to renew calls for nuclear reductionsPresident Barack Obama on Wednesday will renew his call to reduce the worlds nuclear stockpiles including a proposed one-third reduction in US and Russian arsenals a senior administration offici

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:35:48 -0400

Obama will make his case during a speech at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate. His address comes nearly 50 years after John F Kennedy's famous 'Cold War' speech in this once-divided ...

Hezbollah fighters battle rebels near Syria capital NGO

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:35:36 -0400

Damascus on Wednesday, monitors said, as President Bashar al-Assad's regime kept up a push to cut off the insurgents' supply lines. "Army troops and Hezbollah members fought rebels near the Khomeini hospital in Zayabiyeh village," southeast of Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. ...

More From Rest of World

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:35:24 -0400

Global warming may cause extreme droughts in India, World Bank warns Global warming could lead to more extreme droughts in large parts of India, resulting in widespread food shortages and hardship in the country, in the next few decades, a new World Bank report warned ...

Myanmar court convicts Muslims over violence

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:33:42 -0400

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Authorities in Myanmar say a court has found two Muslim women guilty of sparking a recent outbreak of sectarian violence in the country, one of them by bumping into a novice ...

Thailand cuts rice-buying subsidy after big losses

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:08:10 -0400

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand said Wednesday that it would slash the price paid to rice farmers under a controversial scheme that caused the kingdom to lose its place as the world's top exporter of the commodity last year.The country has paid its farmers around 50 percent more than the market value for rice since 2011 in an effort to boost incomes in the rural heartlands of the ruling party.The ...

Asia Pacific - IFJ affiliates in Southeast Asia form new network

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:58:09 -0400

Journalists' Unions and Associations in South East Asia, affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), have formed a new network aimed at tackling issues affecting journalists' safety, rights and freedoms in the region.The 'Southeast Asian Journalists' Unions Network,' formed during a meeting of the affiliates in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, aims to build ...

Asian markets mostly down ahead of Fed decision

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:34:31 -0400

HONG KONG (AFP) - Asian markets were mostly lower Wednesday, with focus on the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting later in the trading day, but Tokyo enjoyed another rally as data showed a surge in exports thanks to a weaker yen.Wall Street again provided a healthy cue, with investors betting the Fed will stop short of reeling in its "quantitative easing" (QE) bond-buying ...

Aberdeen favours Asia in tough year for investors

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:28:47 -0400

Asian companies could offer some of the best opportunities in 2009, in what promises to be another ';extremely tough year'; for investors, says Aberdeen Asset Management. The group expects investment in the key asset classes of equities, fixed income and property to continue to be challenging as evidence of a global economic slowdown accumulates. Aberdeen forecasts that both the ...

Chinas Xi harks back to Mao in party cleanup

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:23:28 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- China's new leader Xi Jinping is commanding wayward Communist Party cadres to purify themselves of corruption, and he's summed it up in a pithy slogan as Mao Zedong might have done: Look in the mirror, take a ...

AFCs President congratulates Asian soccer teams who have qualified for participation in the World Football Cup2014 in Brazil

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:42:45 -0400

Kuala Lumpur: June 19 -- (BNA)-- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s President, Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, congratulated the Asian football teams who qualified for participation in the World Football Cup finals in Brazil in 2014, wishing them success and best of luck in future in order to honor Asian soccer. Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa praised the great standard ...

Ex-USC professor on FBI most-wanted list captured in Mexico

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:21:01 -0400

A former University of Southern California professor on the FBI's most-wanted list for alleged sex crimes involving children was caught in Mexico, the FBI said. Bill Lewis, FBI assistant director in charge, said 64-year-old Walter Lee Williams was arrested Tuesday by Mexican authorities, The Los Angeles Times reported. The FBI said authorities have identified at least 10 of the alleged ...

China seeks shared development pragmatic cooperation with ASEAN FM

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:14:15 -0400

China strives for shared development and pragmatic cooperation with ASEAN countries to promote peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia, said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi at the ASEAN Plus China Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Bali, Indonesia Thursday.Yang said this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN dialogue relationship and in the past 20 ...

China seeks win-win development with Asia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:13:57 -0400

BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Residents in Hekou in southwest China can still recall its former days as a quiet, anonymous town that attracted few visitors from neighboring Vietnam for business or sightseeing.But major changes have hit the town in Yunnan province. With two roads and one rail line linking it with Vietnam, Hekou has become a bustling hub for Vietnamese visitors buying bargain ...

Activists targeting China dog meat festival

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:52:03 -0400

BEIJING (AFP) - A festival dedicated to dog meat in southern China has been targeted by protesting animal lovers, who have won a minor concession from local officials, an activist said on Wednesday.The annual festival, scheduled to take place on Friday in Guangxi province, sees dogs packed into cages before being killed, skinned and cooked -- but has met with increasing opposition from activists, ...

Haze update Indonesia to use rain-making technology to stop fires

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:49:59 -0400

An Indonesian firefighter extinguishes a fire near a forest area of Pekanbaru in Riau province located in Sumatra island on Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Indonesia plans to use weather changing technology to try to unleash torrents of rain and extinguish raging fires on Sumatra island that have cloaked neighbouring Singapore in thick haze, an official said on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: ...

Points to ponder on gold Asian demand and QE tapering

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:45:39 -0400

Asian gold demand, and that from China in particular, is of far more importance than markets credit - and QE tapering may not be negative for gold, at least in the medium to long ...

Ministries Partners and Experts to Meet at AfDB Africa-Asia Knowledge Exchange on Universal Health Coverage

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 07:37:24 -0400

The African Development Bank is organizing is a dialogue forum between African and Asian countries on achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Lusaka, Zambia on June 25-28, ...

Video Corporate Asia perks up but for how long

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:44:50 -0400

The latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey shows firms growing more optimistic. But with China looking shaky and costs set to rise, the celebrations may be ...

ASEAN China eye more cooperation in search rescue in South China Sea

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:35:47 -0400

Some 40 representatives from ASEAN and China Wednesday attended a workshop on strengthening ASEAN- China cooperation in search and rescue of persons and vessels in distress in the South China Sea.Addressing the workshop, Pham Quang Vinh, Vietnamese deputy minister of foreign affairs, said the workshop is a part of the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China ...

22 dead in monsoon floods in Nepal

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:32:37 -0400

At least 22 people have been killed in landslides and floods triggered by heavy monsoon rain in remote parts of Nepal, a government spokesman said ...

UNs Ban meets Chinas Xi for talks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:32:36 -0400

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Chinese president Xi Jinping for talks on Wednesday, with North Korea and Syria expected to dominate ...

SE Asia Stocks-Flat to weaker ahead of Fed Indonesia off high

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:32:18 -0400

BANGKOK, June 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets ended mostly weaker to flat on Wednesday as investors trimmed positions in the emerging region ahead of the results of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting. Share markets rose in early trade as the recently oversold region extended a rebound this week. But trading volume of all six Southeast Asian bourses dropped below a monthly ...

Japan finds highly toxic substance in Fukushima groundwater

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:30:10 -0400

Testing of groundwater outside the turbine building of reactor No. 2 had shown the level of strontium-90 had increased by more than 100 times between December 2012 and May this year. (Reuters ...

Nigella Lawson’s husband admits to throat grab

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:05:04 -0400

husband Charles Saatchi admitted assault and accepted a police caution after published photos showed him grasping her throat at a restaurant last ...

PHL eyes working with USASEAN on genetically modifiedcrop...

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 06:02:54 -0400

In his remarks during the agriculture and food security conference for the ASEAN diplomatic community in Washington DC, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. said the Philippines is willing to share the knowledge and experience it has obtained in the 10 years it has implemented its science-based regulatory system for products of modern biotechnology and also learn from the experiences of the US and ...

India monsoon floods leave 120 dead

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:40:41 -0400

DEHRADUN, India (AFP) - Military helicopters dropped emergency supplies Wednesday to thousands of tourists and pilgrims stranded by flash floods that tore through towns and temples in northern India, killing at least 120 people, officials said.Thousands of people have already been evacuated after floods and landslides caused by early monsoon rains forged a path of devastation through two tourist ...

Two Thai monks arrested in child sex scandal Police

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:38:51 -0400

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai police said on Wednesday they had arrested two monks for procuring a 14-year-old boy to perform sexual acts with an abbot, in the latest scandal to shake the kingdom's Buddhist clergy. The pair, who deny any knowledge of the alleged abuse, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, Police Colonel Wirachon Bunthawi said from the northern city of Chiang Mai. ...

Group decries Sri Lankas proposed media code

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:38:18 -0400

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -; An international rights group says a media code proposed by Sri Lanka's government could have a severe and chilling effect on free speech in the ...

Asian Stocks Fall On Uncertainty Over Fed Policy

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:37:34 -0400

Asian stocks fell broadly on Wednesday as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of the outcome of the two-day policy meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve. With Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke scheduled to hold a press conference shortly after the meeting, investors wait to hear what he has to say about possible tapering of bond purchases and the future course of Fed policy. Japanese shares bucked ...

UN US ask Filipinos not to leave Golan Heights

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:34:33 -0400

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippines' top diplomat says U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have appealed to Manila not to withdraw more than 300 Filipino peacekeepers from the Golan Heights to avoid "maximum volatility" in the restive Middle East region.Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Wednesday the diplomats made the appeal to him ...

Afghanistan suspends peace talks after US-Taliban move as Hamid Karzai protests at being left out of initial negotiations

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:31:25 -0400

Afghan peace talks could be derailed before they even begin after president Hamid Karzai halted talks with the US on a new security deal to protest at being left out of initial negotiations with the Taliban aimed at ending the 12-year ...

Musical spectacular to open first-ever Asia Pacific Special Olympics

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:27:57 -0400

Asia Pacific Games in December, with well-known Australian performers to take the stage in a two-hour spectacular of music, dance, theatre, lights and fireworks. Details of the gala event, planned for Dec 1, 2013 at the 30,000-seater Hunter Stadium in Newcastle were released on Wednesday. Aussie singers Anthony Callea, Marcia Hines and Marina Prior are among the line-up of entertainers, which ...

China N Korea hold strategic dialogue officials

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:27:32 -0400

A high-ranking North Korean official with long experience as his country's international nuclear negotiator held talks on Wednesday with Chinese officials, Beijing's foreign ministry ...

N.Korea threatens to kill authors of Hitler report

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:19:22 -0400

North Korea has angrily denied a report that its ruler used Adolf Hitler's memoir as a leadership guide, threatening to kill the authors of the report. The article by New Focus International, an online news portal run by North Korean defectors, said Kim Jong-Un had given copies of "Mein Kampf" to his top officials, urging them to study it as a leadership skills manual. He handed ...

Bribery trial of former Finmeccanica CEO opens

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:16:41 -0400

MILAN (AP) -- The former head of the Italian aerospace and defense giant Finmeccanica goes on trial in a case involving alleged bribes to win a 560 million euro ($670 million) helicopter contract in ...

Global Gold Demand Reinforced by Asian Consumers

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:11:09 -0400

Gold Council published a market update recently, which examines the effect of the recent fall in the gold price.The report also provides new consumer perspectives in India and China on gold price expectations and future purchasing ...

ASIA CREDIT CLOSE Credits weaken ahead of FOMC results

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:58:58 -0400

Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:58am EDT SINGAPORE, June 19 (IFR) - Asian credit spreads widened and bonds weakened in a very quiet market. With every single market participant waiting on Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke's speech this evening in the US and the outcome of a two-day FOMC meeting, there were no brave souls willing to take new positions, thus resulting in few trades going through in the ...

Monsoon floods kill 69 in India strand pilgrims

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:33:12 -0400

A view of the Hindu holy town of Kedarnath from a helicopter after a flood, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, India, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Monsoon torrential rains have cause havoc in northern India leading to flash floods, cloudbursts and landslides as the death toll continues to climb and more than 1,000 pilgrims bound for Himalayan shrines remain stranded. (AP ...

Vietnam hunger strike tests official intimidation

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:13:00 -0400

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- Cu Huy Ha Vu's books come with pages torn out by prison guards. Only some of his letters reach home. He is not allowed to access evidence from his trial or to see his wife ...

American predator professor suspected to have abused Filipino children roamed Asia

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:12:38 -0400

Mexican authorities have arrested an American professor who was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in the resort city of Playa del Carmen. Prosecutor Gaspar Armando Garcia Torres said Walter Lee Williams, 64, (pictured) a former university professor, is wanted on charges of sexual exploitation of children and traveling to Philippines for child sex. Garcia said Williams was ...

Plot against Wall Street foiled NSA chiefThe director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the US governments sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide including one directed at the New York Stock Exchang

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:56:16 -0400

Keith Alexander said the two recently disclosed programmes, one that gathers US phone records and another that is designed to track the use of US-based Internet servers by foreigners with possible links to terrorism, are critical in the terrorism fight. Alexander, seated side by side with top officials from ...

Mexico arrests man on FBIs top 10 Most Wanted list

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:56:00 -0400

Walter Lee Williams , an alleged child sexual predator on the FBI's list of top 10 Most Wanted criminals. Williams was arrested in Playa del Carmen, a seaside resort town just south of Cancun on ...

Business Briefs June 19

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:23:25 -0400

* Vietnam Infrastructure Development and Finance Investment Joint Stock Company (VIDIFI) has withdrawn from a project to construct four main roads in Thu Thiem new urban area in HCM City’s District 2 to focus its resources on the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway project, according to Trang Bao Son, deputy head of Thu Thiem Investment and Construction Authority. Dai Quang Minh Real Estate ...

Toxic radiation in groundwater at Fukushima operator

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:18:33 -0400

Cancer-causing radioactive substances have been found in groundwater at the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, its Japanese operator said ...

US House passes bill banning abortion after 20 weeks

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:18:32 -0400

The US House of Representatives approved a Republican measure restricting abortion to the first 20 weeks after conception, one of the most stringent pro-life bills in the past ...

US cabbie pursues charges after anti-Muslim rant caught on tape

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:15:47 -0400

MCLEAN, Virginia: For the second time in as many months, a Muslim civil rights group is pursuing criminal charges on behalf of a taxicab driver who was subjected to an anti-Islamic rant caught on tape. In the most recent case, an Ashburn, Virginia, woman unleashed a string of expletives and called the police emergency dispatcher to report that she was afraid for her life because she said her ...

Samoan airline introduces XL class for super-sized passengers

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:15:42 -0400

WELLINGTON: A tiny Samoan airline says it will introduce an "XL" class for super-sized passengers, featuring extra-wide rows and special ramps to help them reach their seats. Samoa Air has already pioneered a world first when late last year it began charging passengers fares based on how much they weigh, rather than a set price for each seat. Chief executive Chris Langton said the ...

Asia-Pacific Remains the Fastest Growing Region for Contact Center Services Finds Frost Sullivan

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:09:34 -0400

SINGAPORE, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The year 2012 was a good one for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) contact center market with contact center seats growing by 8.4 percent - relatively higher than in other regions. A strongly performing domestic contact center outsourcing industry represents the next stage of growth in the region and is poised to keep the market buoyant. New analysis from Frost ...

Tension anger as Asian giants reach World Cup

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 03:03:40 -0400

South Korea defender Kim Chang-Soo (L) and Iran midfielder Masoud Shojaei during their World Cup qualifier on June 18, 2013. Iran booked their ticket with a 1-0 smash-and-grab win in Ulsan, following a tetchy build-up between the two ...

Oil prices turn higher in Asian trade

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:59:17 -0400

With the Aadhaar unique identity number at its core, the scheme is heavily dependent on banks, which in turn are relying on technology firms to implement the ...

Asian mkts tense before Fed meet Nikkei gains

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:59:13 -0400

European stocks were expected to open steady ahead of the conclusion of the Fed's June 18-19 meeting. A policy statement is due at 1800 GMT and Fed ...

Professor on US FBIs most wanted list nabbed in Mexico

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:50:35 -0400

This 2011 image provided by the FBI shows Walter Lee Williams. He is wanted on charges of sexual exploitation of children and traveling abroad for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with ...

Protesters out again in Brazils biggest city

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:48:55 -0400

SAO PAULO (AP) -- Tens of thousands of Brazilians again flooded the streets of the country's biggest city to raise a collective cry against a longstanding lament - people are weighed down by high taxes and high prices but get low-quality public services and a system of government infected with ...

Japan formally OKs new nuke safety requirements

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:25:40 -0400

TOKYO -; Japan's nuclear watchdog has formally approved new safety requirements for atomic plants, paving the way for the reopening of facilities shut down since the Fukushima ...

US hopes Spore will import American beef again

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:14:48 -0400

Cuts of beef are displayed at Woodlands Meats in Kentfield, California. The United States beef industry is hoping that countries in Asia will soon lift restrictions on the import of American beef. (Justin Sullivan/Getty ...

Experts predict conflicting policies over Asian trade pacts

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:12:36 -0400

/enpproperty--> Chinese President Xi Jinping's recent request that US President Barack Obama keep him updated on progress in talks over the Trans-Pacific Partnership was ambiguous - not necessarily a sign of China's willingness to join the huge proposed free-trade accord but not an expression of skepticism either. Since the two leaders met in California nearly two weeks ago, ...

Asia Rubber-China buys local stocks prices at multi-year lows

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:06:48 -0400

* SIR20 done at 104.25-104.75 cents/lb * SMR20 sold at $2.35-$2.40/kg * China turns to own inventory By Lewa Pardomuan SINGAPORE, June 19 (Reuters) - Tyre makers in China have turned to the country's mounting inventory to get cheaper rubber, causing anxiety among sellers in Southeast Asia as physical prices stayed at multi-year lows, dealers said on Wednesday. Even though tyre ...

Refugee numbers at 20-year high UN

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:47:37 -0400

GENEVA: War and other crises drove one person from their home every 4.1 seconds in 2012, the UN's refugee agency said on Wednesday, pushing the number of people forcibly displaced to a two-decade high of 45.2 million. All told, the UNCHR's annual figures showed 1.1 million people fled across international borders in 2012, while 6.5 million were displaced within their homelands. ...

US Immigration overhaul would cut federal deficit

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:47:36 -0400

federal deficit over the next 20 years if it gets through Congress, congressional budget analysts said. Tuesday's assessment cheered supporters of an issue that ...

Taliban claim deadly US attack hours after peace moves

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:47:19 -0400

Taliban on Wednesday claimed responsibility for an overnight attack in Afghanistan that killed four US troops, just hours after Washington said its officials would meet the insurgents for talks. US ...

UN chief warns of new peacekeeping threats

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:45:46 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the world body's peacekeeping efforts face growing dangers from non-traditional threats such as suicide bombers and improvised explosive ...

China NKorea begin strategic talks in Beijing

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:22:03 -0400

BEIJING -; A top North Korean negotiator has arrived at China's Foreign Ministry for strategic talks following a rough patch in relations between the communist allies and Pyongyang's surprise weekend call for dialogue with the ...

Indian Shares Follow Asian Markets Lower

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:21:11 -0400

Indian shares are drifting lower on Wednesday, tracking weak Asian cues as investors await the outcome of a two-day Fed policy meeting later in the day, with expectations the U.S. central bank will continue with quantitative easing for the time being. Japan's Nikkei index is rallying a percent, bolstered by encouraging exports data, while the ...

Vasco da Gama’s journal included in list of worlds greatest documents

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:08:27 -0400

Africa to India, arriving in Calicut and starting a maritime route from Portugal to India, changing the course of history of humankind has been included in the most prestigious list of the world's greatest documents. Unesco's world heritage body that met on Tuesday has decided to include this journal - the only copy of the voyage of Vasco da Gama in the Memory of the World Register ...

UBM Asia and Restec to Launch International B2B Furniture Fair FIDexpo in 2014 in Moscow

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:02:30 -0400

MOSCOW, June 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM Asia and Restec are pleased to announce the launch of FIDexpo, an international B2B furniture fair, to take place from 12-15 May 2014 at the All Russian Exhibition centre (VVC) Pavilion 75, in Moscow, Russia. ...

Asian businesses optimistic sentiment in India falls

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:53:02 -0400

That’s how many engineers graduate in India every year. And they have never found it so hard to land a job. Some blame the slack job market, others point to poor quality of colleges and ...

Bus crashes in foggy valley in China 15 dead

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:42:32 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- A bus carrying 36 people veered from a road in heavy fog and crashed into a valley in western China, killing at least 15 people, state media ...

Asian Markets Pare Early Gains

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:16:59 -0400

markets are mostly trading lower on Wednesday, despite opening on a firm note on the back of a positive lead from Wall Street where the major averages surged higher overnight on some encouraging economic data.Concerns about a likely tapering of asset purchase program by the U.S. Federal Reserve appears to be weighing on sentiment and prompting investors to trim down positions.In the Australian ...

Hectic week in Asian markets amid Europe’s worries and concerns

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:13:41 -0400

Asian markets witnessed a hectic week full of important data from the region’s economy, where Europe’s debt crisis continued to weigh on the outlook and the market, the week of heavy data was very critical, but the star remains China with the surprise rate ...

Central banks’ decisions and important Chinese data highlight the Asian session this week

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:13:41 -0400

Asian markets are waiting for many critical economic data to be released this week, like rate decision for BOJ and RBNZ, as well as China’s trade ...

Sell-offs across Asia as Nikkei drops 6.4 on BoJ disappointment World Bank weighed

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:13:33 -0400

Asian stocks slipped on Thursday as Nikkei triggered sell-offs across the region after falling more than 6%, which places the index in a bear market, while the dollar/yen fell towards the 94-mark on BoJ’s lack of action to calm markets, pushing exporters ...

Asian stocks extend losses as BoJ woes continue to weigh

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:13:33 -0400

Asian stocks slid further on Wednesday as Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) latest monetary policy decision revived fears that other central banks, including the U.S. Federal Reserve, could scale back stimulus ...

Asian stocks mixed ahead of Fed meeting

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:13:32 -0400

Asian stocks were mixed on Tuesday as caution is rising ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve two-day convening Tuesday, which might give clues on when the central bank could start tapering monetary stimulus amid recovery ...

Asian stocks jump as Nikkei recovers some losses following strong U.S. data

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:13:32 -0400

Asian stocks jumped Friday as strong U.S. data lifted confidence about the ability of the U.S. economy to withstand any cut in stimulus. The upbeat retail sales and jobless claims triggered a rally on Wall Street and soothed the panicking Asian markets ahead of next weeks Federal Reserve policy ...

Australian jailed for life for rape murder

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:56:48 -0400

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- A serial sex offender was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday for raping and murdering an Irish immigrant while free on parole after previous convictions for raping five ...

Asia Markets China stocks fall Japan jumps ahead of Fed meet

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:52:58 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Chinese and South Korean stocks fell Wednesday on caution ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary-policy decision later in the day, while Japanese shares rallied on a weakened yen and strong overnight gains on Wall ...

Asia business sentiment rises in second quarter global growth risk still dominates

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:51:19 -0400

SEOUL (Reuters) - Asia's top companies have become more optimistic about their business outlook with the retail and shipping industries rebounding sharply in the second quarter of 2013, the latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey ...

Reforming Telecommunications in Burma

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:40:12 -0400

This 24-page report outlines steps necessary to promote adequate protections for Internet and mobile phone users in Burma, and ways to foster responsible investment in Burma's telecom sector. In January 2013, the Burmese government announced plans to open the country's telecom sector to foreign investment and is scheduled to award two nationwide licenses to companies by June 27. As of ...

Knox murder acquittal had discrepancies Italian courtItalys top court said on Tuesday it had ordered a re-run of the Meredith Kercher murder trial because the acquittal of American Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend contained shortcomings cont

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:37:15 -0400

American Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend contained "shortcomings, contradictions and inconsistencies". Knox and Italian Raffaele Sollecito were initially found guilty of killing the 21-year-old Leeds University student in 2007 during a drug-fuelled sexual assault, but both were cleared on appeal in 2011. In March this year, Italy's top appeals court overturned that acquittal and ...

Asia Markets mostly down as investors eye Fed

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:35:11 -0400

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Asian markets opened mostly lower Wednesday as investors waited for an update on the U.S. economy from the Federal Reserve and for some clarity from the Fed about its future ...

HIGHLIGHTS-Q2 ThomsonReutersINSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey - by sector

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:19:17 -0400

MUMBAI, June 19 | Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:19pm EDT MUMBAI, June 19 (Reuters) - Optimism among Asia's top companies gathered momentum in the second quarter despite lingering concerns about the global economy and rising costs, the latest Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Survey published on Wednesday showed. The Thomson Reuters/INSEAD Asia Business Sentiment Index climbed six ...

Malaysia budget airport launch pushed to May 2014

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:12:00 -0400

Airport workers unload passenger baggage from an AirAsia Bhd airplane at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb 25, 2009. Malaysia's airport operator says the launch of a new airport for budget carriers has been further delayed by 10 months to May 2014 due to a setback in construction. -- FILE PHOTO: ...

EM ASIA FX-Baht ringgit Philippine peso won weaker

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:51:54 -0400

June 19 (Reuters) - The following table shows the position of Asian currencies against the dollar at 0135 GMT. CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR Change on the day at 0135 GMT Currency Latest bid Previous day Pct Move Japan yen 95.44 95.38 -0.06 Sing dlr 1.2625 1.2623 -0.02 Taiwan dlr 29.905 30.002 +0.32 Korean won 1134.30 1131.10 -0.28 Baht 31.04 30.82 -0.71 Peso ...

Asian markets subdued as Fed looms Nikkei rallies

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:40:49 -0400

the rest of Asia was restrained as investors waited for clarity on the Federal Reserve's next policy step. Major currencies were subdued as well ahead of the outcome of the ...

REFILE-WRAPUP 1-Asian stocks to lead the way to years end Fed seen pulling back - poll

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:36:11 -0400

Member Benefits Manage your personalised Watchlist. Set up an online Virtual Portfolio. Participate in Share Chat. See more trades and director dealings. Play the Fantasy Share Trading ...

China ‘Benefit the Masses’ Campaign Surveilling Tibetans

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:35:15 -0400

It's hard to see the 'benefit' to Tibetans of thousands of political education sessions, partisan quasi-police force operations, and scrutiny of their political views. In a region where people are already subjected to extraordinary monitoring, this village-level drive, alongside similar efforts directed at towns and monasteries, effectively means that Tibetans cannot avoid state ...

Australian sentenced for life for migrants murder

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:05:44 -0400

MELBOURNE, Australia -; A serial sex offender has been sentenced to life in prison for a rape and murder that outraged Australia's second-largest ...

Asia Roundup Mixed as US Fed prepares for meeting

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:59:16 -0400

Asian markets were mixed yesterday, Tuesday June 18 2013 with traders sitting on the sidelines as they await the US Federal Reserve’s plans for its stimulus programme. The dollar enjoyed another positive day, with Wall Street also providing a strong lead thanks to upbeat US housing data. Tokyo stocks dropped 0.20 per cent, or 25.84 points, to 13,007.28, after jumping 2.73 per cent the day ...

FIFA World Cup Asian qualifying results

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:57:57 -0400

Following are the results of FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Tuesday:At SydneyAustralia 1, Iraq 0At SeoulSouth Korea 0, Iran 1At TashkentUzbekistan 5, Qatar 1Note: Australia, South Korea and Iran have qualified for the World Cup ...

East Asia trade pact to help ease tensions

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:53:31 -0400

The free trade talks involving China, Japan and South Korea must be accelerated to help ease political tensions and meet challenges from other FTAs, officials said on Tuesday. "Whatever the political relations, the FTA will go on as the three sides pursue win-win-win results and mutual economic benefits," Shin Bong-kil, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat, told ...

Hairy stockings to fend off perverts

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:51:17 -0400

Sina Weibo -- the Chinese equivalent of Twitter -- purports to promote 'hairy stockings'. The picture shows a pair of legs hairy from thigh to ankle but nonhairy feet -- leaving the gender of the subject open to debate. "Super sexy, summertime anti-pervert full-leg-of-hair stockings, essential for young girls going out," the post reads, according to trend watcher ChinaSMACK. ...

Four Americans killed in attack on Afghan base US official

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:26:07 -0400

US defense official said. The deaths were caused by insurgent "indirect fire," either mortars or rockets, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The report of casualties came hours after ...

GLOBAL MARKETS-Nikkei outperforms Asian stocks as Fed looms

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:02:15 -0400

Tue Jun 18, 2013 11:38pm EDT * Asian stocks softer as Fed outcome awaited * Markets hope for clarity on any pullback in Fed stimulus * Nikkei up as softer yen boosts exporters; currencies mostly steady By Ian Chua SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks rose on Wednesday, thanks to a positive lead from Wall Street plus a softer yen, outperforming the rest of Asia which anxiously seeks clarity ...

Hapag-Lloyd to Add Bahrain Call to Intra-Asia Services

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:52:32 -0400

will add a direct port call at Bahrain to its South China Sea Express and Middle East Express services.The new rotation will begin on Aug. 12, with the sailing of the NYK Theseus, voyage 26w/27e33, according to the container ...

Cambodia Court Upholds Unjust Verdict - Human Rights Watch

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:38:09 -0400

Cambodian court’s ruling upholding the conviction of a land rights activist on trumped-up charges shows the political use of the country’s legal system to persecute critics of the government, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 14, 2013, the Court of Appeals in Phnom Penh affirmed a guilty verdict on charges of aggravated assault against Yorm Bopha, while reducing her three-year ...

Market expected to be quiet in Asia ahead of the FOMC

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:32:47 -0400

Big one-off flows continue to dominate the FX market and once again we saw the EUR and the AUD headed in different directions on the back of some significant flows. The market took a dovish approach to the RBA minutes, although personally I failed to see anything new or surprising in the June minutes. EZ data was quickly ignored and the market concentrated instead on pushing through some big ...

Yen Holds Decline Versus Dollar on Stock Gains Fed Prospects

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:19 -0400

The yen extended declines against the dollar before the Federal Reserve starts a two-day meeting today amid speculation about when the central bank will slow its quantitative easing programme of bond purchases. The currency weakened against most of its 16 major peers after a Bank of Japan report showed its current-account balance will rise to a record amid unprecedented monetary stimulus. ...

Emerging Stocks Drop on Stimulus Concern as Philippines Rallies

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:18 -0400

Emerging-market stocks fell for the first time in three days amid concern rising Chinese home prices will limit the scope for monetary stimulus. Shares in the Philippines and Indonesia surged. GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd (3800) tumbled 12 percent in Hong Kong after a unit of China’s sovereign-wealth fund agreed to sell a stake in the company. S-Oil Corp. and Lotte Chemical Corp. (011170) ...

Alibaba-Backed Sinosoft Tech Plans $60 Million HK IPO

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:17 -0400

Sinosoft Technology Group, an export-services software firm in which Alibaba Group owns a 25 percent stake, is planning to raise around $60 million in an initial public offering in Hong Kong, a person familiar with the situation said Monday. The firm will start taking institutional investors’ orders from Wednesday and plans to list on the Hong Kong stock exchange on July 5. Alibaba ...

REITS in HK Singapore Lose Their Allure

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:17 -0400

Hong Kong and Singapore have seen a spate of initial public offerings by trusts playing on investors’ desire for two elements in recent months: yield and hard assets.But a recent selloff in real-estate investment trusts in both cities hints at the fading allure of dividend-paying stocks, as concerns that the US Federal Reserve may soon scale back its stimulus moves have driven up Treasury ...

Taiwan outpost looks to former foes for survival

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:15 -0400

Matsu used to be the most dangerous assignment there was for draftees into Taiwan’s military. Located only 9km from the coast of mainland China, commanders in the island group told of a time decades ago when Chinese special forces frogmen would land under the cover of darkness and kill unsuspecting young soldiers on guard duty. Nowadays, the islands and their residents are looking to the ...

Taiwan Negotiations With Philippines To Continue

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:14 -0400

Taiwan and the Philippines are expected to hold another meeting early next month to continue negotiating on fishing operations in the overlapping waters of their exclusive economic zones, an official said yesterday. The second preparatory meeting – to pave the way for fishery talks between the two countries – is set to take place in Taipei, said Benjamin Ho, director-general of the ...

UN chief Any US-N Korea talks must focus on denuclearising Korean peninsula

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:12 -0400

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes any dialogue between the United States and North Korea should focus on the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula, a UN spokesman said Monday. UN deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said that Ban also believes inter-Korean dialogue is key to defusing tensions and ensuring peace on the peninsula. Ban’s spokesman was asked to comment on North ...

Korea and US on same page

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:12 -0400

South Korea has joined the US in insisting that rival North Korea take ';concrete'; steps towards abandoning its nuclear weapons if it wants to end its international isolation. The South’s comment yesterday came a day after Pyongyang sought to circumvent Seoul by seeking talks with Washington. The move was widely seen as an effort to drive a wedge between the US and its South ...

N Korea Tries Nuclear Head Fake

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:10 -0400

North Korea-US: The Korean Central News Agency broadcast an important statement on 16 June. ';The spokesman for the National Defense Commission (NDC) of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) issued the following crucial statement on Sunday: The present US administration is now asserting that the development of the situation depends on the DPRK, urging the DPRK to show ...

Top Milk Producer Bulks Up in China

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:10 -0400

China’s top milk producer China Mengniu Dairy Co. 2319.HK 0.00 percent Ltd is buying a majority stake in smaller rival Yashili International Holdings Ltd, 1230.HK 0.00 percent two people familiar with the transaction said. The deal will trigger a mandatory offer for shareholders in Hong Kong-listed Yashili, which has a market capitalisation of $1.5 billion. Exactly how much Mengniu is ...

China’s Huawei launches smartphone

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:09 -0400

Chinese telecoms giant, Huawei, will hold its first global product launch, hoping to capture market share from the industry-leaders Apple and Samsung in the highly competitive smartphone market. The firm will launch its flagship smartphone, the Ascend P6, in London. Asia Business Report asked Andrew Milroy from the consultancy Frost and Sullivan if Huawei can compete with its bigger ...

China’s credit bubble is unprecedented Fitch

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:09 -0400

China’s shadow banking system is out of control and under mounting stress as borrowers struggle to roll over short-term debts, Fitch Ratings has warned. The agency said the scale of credit was so extreme that the country would find it very hard to grow its way out of the excesses as in past episodes, implying tougher times ahead. The debt snowball is getting bigger and bigger, without ...

China’s May coal imports fall from April on policy uncertainty

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:08 -0400

China’s coal imports, including lignite, fell 3.9 percent in May from a month ago as worries over import policies, high overseas prices and weak local demand curbed buyers’ appetites, data from the China Coal Transport and Distribution Association showed. China is the top coal consumer and traders there said weak domestic demand and uncertainty over whether Beijing would limit ...

Japan fears losing battle of buffets against China

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:07 -0400

Belt-tightening in Japan’s diplomatic service is cutting the quality of canapes on offer abroad, the Foreign Ministry has said, leading to fears Tokyo is losing the battle of the buffets to Beijing. Diplomats in Tokyo say China appears to be ramping up its spending on its missions while Japanese diplomats are being forced to scrimp, the ministry said. Allowances for embassy bashes have ...

China Stimulated Its Economy Like Crazy After The Financial Crisis… And Now The Nightmare Is Beginning

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:06 -0400

China is seeing slower economic growth. Concerns are building over a massive credit bubble, and some say it is no longer an engine of global growth. Excess capacity – in which demand for products is less than potential supply – continues to be one of China’s biggest problems. An excellent piece by Jamil Anderlini in today’s Financial Times looks at how excess ...

China’s Tianhe-2 retakes fastest supercomputer crown

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:05 -0400

A China-based supercomputer has leapfrogged rivals to be named the world’s most powerful system. Tianhe-2, developed by the government-run National University of Defence Technology, topped the latest list of the fastest 500 supercomputers, by a team of international researchers. They said the news was a ';surprise'; since the system had not been expected to be ready until ...

China’s economy at risk of turning Japanese

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:05 -0400

Thirty years after Japan’s arrival as an economic powerhouse, the country’s industrial and economic decline is palpable. China could be on the same trajectory, says Satyajit Das. Despite a history of conflict and competition, China and Japan share a contiguous geography and development models. China may also share Japan’s economic fate. Japan’s post-war economic ...

Bolton retires after failing to crack China

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:05 -0400

Anthony Bolton, one of the UK’s best-known and most successful fund managers, is to retire from running the Fidelity China Special Situations investment trust, admitting it had proved more difficult to make money from China than he had anticipated. Bolton came out of semi-retirement – at his request – in 2010 to set up and run the China-focused fund. He had made his name ...

China Court Ruling Could Threaten Foreign Investments in Country

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:04 -0400

Some are calling it ';bigger than Enron'; and ';a bit of a Ponzi scheme.'; A recent ruling by the Supreme People’s Court, the highest court in China, raises an important question: Is the future in question for more than half of the 200 Chinese companies listed on the New York and Nasdaq stock exchanges? Earlier this month, my colleague, Neil Gough, wrote about the ...

Starboard’s battle with Smithfield over China-deal adds to activist image

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:03 -0400

Since Starboard Value LP was spun off as a separate hedge fund just over two years ago it has been fast gaining a reputation for aggressive shareholder activism, pushing for change in household names including AOL (AOL.N) and Office Depot Inc (ODP.N). Initially investing in small cap value companies, Starboard quickly gained a reputation in Silicon Valley as a corporate raider, targeting mostly ...

Suspicions Snowden spied for China ‘groundless’ Beijing

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:02 -0400

China’s foreign ministry on Monday dismissed as ';groundless'; suspicions that former US contractor Edward Snowden spied for Beijing. ';I think it is completely groundless,'; said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying when asked at a regular news briefing if Snowden spied for China. They were the first concrete comments from Beijing on Snowden. Last week, Hua ...

Chinese dissident urges US to ensure family’s fair treatment

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:46:02 -0400

Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng called on the United States on Friday to ensure his family in China would be treated fairly, saying his imprisoned nephew was not receiving proper medical care from Chinese authorities, whom he accused of ';hooligan tactics.'; Chen, who made international headlines last year when he escaped house arrest and spent 20 hours on the run before finding ...

Japan’s Venture Republic invests in price comparison site Telunjuk its first deal in Indonesia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:59 -0400

Indonesia-based price comparison site Telunjuk has landed an undisclosed round of funding from Japan-based Venture Republic, which marks the firms’s first deal in Indonesia. The investment is the latest in a series of e-commerce funding deals in Indonesia in recent times, which have included C2C marketplace Tokopedia’s latest round announced last week and GREE and Sony’s ...

Kyocera announces $89M deal to provide solar energy to Japan’s farming community

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:59 -0400

Japan-based electronics manufacturer Kyocera announced today it is supplying approximately 30 megawatts of solar power to agricultural facilities across Japan in a deal worth 8.5 billion yen ($89 million). Kyocera will supply, engineer, construct, and maintain 30MW of solar power generating systems to the project implemented by the National Federation of Agriculture Cooperative Associations ...

Defense officials say four US troops killed in Afghanistan

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:45:38 -0400

Officials said Tuesday the four were killed by indirect fire, likely a mortar or rocket, but they had no other details. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to provide details on the deaths. The attack comes as US and allied forces formally handed over control of the country's security to the Afghan army and police in a ceremony in Kabul. The ...

Goldman Bets on Cheapest Asia Market After China

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:42:26 -0400

Asia's emerging markets have been among the worst hit amid the recent rout in global stocks, but Goldman Sachs advocates accumulating South Korean equities now, on the basis that the market will fare well in a rising rate environment. "In a rising rate environment...more cyclical markets like Korea may benefit given their higher sensitivity to global growth than rates," strategists ...

A year on Julian Assange stays put in Ecuadorean embassy in London

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:39:22 -0400

Julian Assange skipped out on a date with Swedish justice. Rather than comply with a British order that he go to the Scandinavian country for questioning about sex crimes allegations, ...

Coin bearing cross hits European Union hurdle

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:39:18 -0400

European Commission (EC), the union's executive arm, had ordered it to remove halos and crosses from special commemorative euro coins due to be minted this summer. The coins were intended to celebrate the 1,150th anniversary of Christianity's arrival in Slovak lands but have instead become tokens of the faith's retreat from contemporary Europe. "There is a movement in the EU ...

Mali and Tuareg rebels sign peace accord

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:38 -0400

OUAGADOUGOU: The nation of Mali, which lost half its territory last year to rebels, signed an accord Tuesday with Tuareg separatists who still control the country's northernmost province, paving the way for ...

Jolie stunt double sues Murdoch firm in US over phone hacking

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:37 -0400

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has become the first of six people to formally launch legal proceedings against Rupert Murdoch's media empire in America over alleged phone hacking. Eunice Huthart, a former star of the Gladiators television show who went on to become a stunt specialist in the US film industry, has lodged a damages claim in California. While previous hacking civil actions have ...

Turkey Police crackdown on protestersOvernight riot police in the capital Ankara briefly fired tear gas and used water cannons on protesters who hurled back stones and hid behind makeshift barricades but there were no other reports of confrontations.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:37 -0400

Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday claimed victory over anti-government protesters after a heavy crackdown on the movement, as police raided homes and arrested dozens of demonstrators to stamp out nearly three weeks of ...

Rising civilian casualties a pointer to future threat

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:34 -0400

President Hamid Karzai and the Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen. There are about 98,000 troops from 50 countries currently operating in Afghanistan led by General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr. of the US. Of these, over 68,000 are Americans. President Obama had announced earlier this year that the troops will be withdrawn from combat duty by 2014, leaving only a residual force of up to 9,000 ...

China to raise Snowden issue with UNs Ban Ki-Moon

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:21 -0400

Edward Snowden , a contractor for NSA, who is now hiding in Hong Kong. He has been described as a traitor by some senators in the US, who raised questions on whether he escaped to a city within China. Chinese foreign ministry continued to hedge questions on whether it would extradite Snowden if the US government made the request. Beijing does not want to be seen as giving orders to the Hong Kong ...

Fortress Asia Macro Fund Named “Best Asia-Based Macro Fund” and “Best Singapore Hedge Fund” at Eurekahedge Asian Hedge ...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:30:20 -0400

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fortress Investment Group's ( ) Fortress Asia Macro Fund was named "Best Asia-Based Macro Fund" and "Best Singapore Hedge Fund" at the Eurekahedge Asian Hedge Fund Awards 2013. Award winners were selected by an independent panel of judges based on qualitative and quantitative factors, including performance in 2012 and the first ...

Sri Lanka Proposed Media Code Threatens Free Speech

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:14:16 -0400

The government's proposed media code is part of a sustained campaign to control the media and curtail dissent. Sri Lankan journalists are already under enormous pressure not to be critical of the government, and the vagueness of this code will likely lead to greater self-censorship to avoid government ...

Egypt court ends Mubaraks detention in fraud caseThe North Cairo misdemeanour court ordered Mubaraks release but said it will continue to investigate accusations that he and his family acquired wealth illegally.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:11:53 -0400

illicit gains authority have been questioning Mubarak at the south Cairo prison, where he is being held to look into how he acquired several houses and villas around Egypt. According to sources close to the case, Mubarak insisted that all the property was acquired legitimately. Last week, Mubarak, his wife and one of their sons Gamal said they would return gifts worth a total of $600,000 to ...

Lawmaker 29 others die in Pakistan blast

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:11:51 -0400

funeral procession at Shergarh in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday. "... (The) dead included Imran Khan Mohmand, a member of provincial assembly. The bomber entered the funeral by foot," said Tahir Ayub, a local police officer. Mohmand had joined Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party after winning a provincial assembly seat as an ...

The ins and outs of G8 summit promises

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:11:42 -0400

The G8 leaders met Libya's Prime Minister Ali Zeidan to discuss ways of supporting democracy in the country following the overthrow of the late dictator Moammar ...

US House backs Taiwan at UN aviation body

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:47:23 -0400

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US House of Representatives urged the United Nations aviation group to give a role to Taiwan, a small victory for an island whose rivalry with China keeps it from world bodies.Lawmakers unanimously approved a bill that directed Secretary of State John Kerry to use US diplomacy to push for observer status for Taiwan when the International Civil Aviation Organization meets in ...

Brazils urban young get their Anna Hazare moment

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:05:45 -0400

Anna Hazare was making headlines with his fast at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, a group of Brazilians, wearing Gandhi caps, appeared on the Copacabana beach here in support of India's fight against corruption. It was not just an act of solidarity with a fellow emerging country, it was also an indication of things to come. On Monday, two weeks of protests against the 20 ...

Happy Birthday to You belongs to us all lawsuit says

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:05:40 -0400

NEW YORK: " Happy Birthday to You," the ditty sung around the world in tribute to everyone from toddlers to centenarians, belongs to the public, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. The proposed class action asks a federal court to declare the song to be in the public domain and that Warner/Chappel Music Inc, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, return "millions of ...

G-8 seeks unity on Syrian peace talks tax evasion

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:04:07 -0400

ENNISKILLEN, Northern Ireland (AP) -- President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other G-8 leaders attempted to speak with one voice Tuesday on seeking a negotiated Syrian peace settlement - yet couldn't publicly agree on whether this means President Bashar Assad must ...

Russia evacuates thousands after blasts at army munitions store

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:24:50 -0400

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Some 6,000 people were evacuated in Russia's south-western Samara region on Tuesday after ammunition explosions shook a military training area, the Emergencies Ministry said. The ministry said five explosions initially took place at the site on Tuesday evening, triggering a fire that was still causing blasts hours later. Footage aired on Russia's state television ...

Gangs of Cairo Egyptian minister fights culture war

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:19:52 -0400

View Photo Reuters/Reuters - Anti-Mursi protesters, made up of intellectuals and artists, demonstrate in front of the Ministry of Culture against what they claimed are increasing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood ...

Clashes erupt in Egypt over Islamist governors

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:57:51 -0400

CAIRO (AP) -- Clashes erupted between supporters and opponents of Egypt's president and his Muslim Brotherhood Tuesday over his appointment of new Islamist governors, some in areas where opponents are ...

British military stock left over from Afghan war being moved out

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:24:50 -0400

The details of what has been happening to Britain's military equipment in Afghanistan were given today as the government there assumed responsibility for security across the country and international forces embarked on the final part of their exit strategy from the ...

Greenback stays strong in Asia while dealers await Feds move

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:21:32 -0400

TOKYO--The U.S. dollar edged up in Asia on Tuesday as investors await the outcome of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting for an idea of when it will begin to reel in its massive stimulus ...

Defiant Edward Snowden promises further intel leaks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:21:20 -0400

WASHINGTON--Rogue U.S. intelligence tech Edward Snowden issued a defiant rebuke to his critics in Washington on Monday and warned more leaks were on the way, declaring: "Truth is coming and it cannot be ...

Fighters in Nigeria attack school kill 9 students

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:18:01 -0400

MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA: Suspected Islamic militants have opened fire on students taking exams at a school in the country's troubled northeast, killing at least nine pupils in the latest violence to wrack the volatile region, witnesses said on Tuesday. Bodies of the children in their school uniforms were brought to the local morgue, according to a hospital official who insisted on anonymity ...

Vancouver man was Asian crime gang member and should be kicked out of Canada federal government

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:14:04 -0400

This 6,018-sq-ft penthouse condo at 1139 W. Cordova St. in Vancouver features three bedrooms with private sundecks, five bathrooms, rooftop deck with patio and 360-degree views of the North Shore, Burrard Inlet, Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver. Take a ...

US to meet with Taliban as militants open Qatar office

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:26:48 -0400

KABUL (AFP) - US officials said Tuesday that they hoped to meet the Taliban within days, after the insurgents opened an office in Qatar and the Afghan government took control of nationwide security from NATO.The Islamist militia, which has been fighting against US-led NATO troops and the Afghan government for 12 years, broke off initial contacts with the Americans last year and have refused to ...

64 dead as early monsoon hammers north India

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:12:35 -0400

Torrential rains washed away hundreds of homes and roads, leaving at least 64 people dead and thousands stranded, after the annualmonsoonhit northern India earlier than expected, officials said ...

American business groups claim India hurting US jobs economy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:09:35 -0400

WASHINGTON: A group of major American business organisations and advocacy groups launched a new alliance against what they allege as India's "discriminatory" economic policies, including intellectual property issues, which they claim ...

Arab village in Israel targeted in racial attackVandals daubed Arabs out graffiti and punctured tyres in an Arab village near Jerusalem on Tuesday targeting a community widely seen in Israel as a showcase for Jewish-Arab coexistence.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:44:00 -0400

Jewish-Arab coexistence . Unlike similar attacks that have damaged Arab mosques, homes, vehicles and olive groves, the vandalism took place in an Arab village in Israel popular with Jewish visitors, rather than in a Palestinian community in the occupied West Bank. Abu Ghosh, where the tyres of 28 cars were punctured and anti-Arab slogans scrawled on walls, is located along the main Tel ...

Man charged over US plane bomb threat

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:44:00 -0400

US domestic flight , triggering emergency procedures, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Mark Michael Bote, 23, appeared nervous and was shaking and "rocking back and forth" in his seat last Friday on a flight from Knoxville, Tennessee to Denver, Colorado. "One passenger noticed Bote had his eyes closed .. A second passenger also noticed that Bote looked nervous, and that his eyes were ...

Israeli general warns of unrest if no peace talks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:16:09 -0400

An Israeli-Arab and children are seen on a street next to a graffiti in the village of Abu Gosh near Jerusalem, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Israeli police have launched an investigation to find perpetrators who vandalized cars and sprayed hate graffiti in an Arab town near Jerusalem. The Hebrew graffiti reads, "Racism or assimilation" and "Arabs out." (AP Photo/Mahmoud ...

Eiffel tower evacuated after latest suicide bid

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:36:26 -0400

Eiffel Tower had to be evacuated for two hours Tuesday after a man threatened to throw himself off in the latest of a string of suicide bids to cause chaos for visitors to the Paris landmark. The man, who described himself as Polish and was said by police to have mental health issues, was talked down and arrested just before 3pm (1300 GMT), by which time thousands of would-be visitors had been ...