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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 ...

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 ...

Antony for peaceful stable and democratic Pakistan

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:40:02 -0400

Asserting that a peaceful, stable and democratic Pakistan will help India, Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Tuesday urged Islamabad to take strong action against militant groups operating from its soil with an aim to improve cross-border relations between the two Asian neighbours. India was concerned about the militant groups, which were operating from Pakistani soil, Antony said. "Our ...

No corruption in Male airport deal says watchdog

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:30:01 -0400

The Maldives anti-corruption watchdog has ruled out any corruption in the deal to award the country's only operational international airport to Indian infrastructure giant GMR group, a media report said Tuesday. The $511 million project was abruptly cancelled by the Maldivian government in November 2012. The Anti-Corruption Commission's 61-page investigation report into alleged corruption in ...

Barack Obama to invoke call of history in Berlin speech

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:19:21 -0400

Barack Obama will invoke the Cold War history of German-US solidarity in a speech he will give today on his first visit to Berlin as ...

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 ...

Nigella’s husband admits to throat grab

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:15:32 -0400

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

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 ...

Hand written eye witness journal on Vasco da Gamas historic voyage to India declared one of the worlds greatest documents

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:06:11 -0400

LONDON: A hand written journal of Vasco da Gama's first voyage to India, dating back to 1497-1499 that describes how he led the first fleet around 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 ...

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 ...

Plot against Wall Street foiled US spy chief

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

National Security Agency said Tuesday the US government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange, in a forceful defense of the spy operations. Army Gen. Keith Alexander said the two recently disclosed programmes, one that gathers US phone records and another that is designed to track the use of ...

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 ...

Determining Rivers Vulnerable to Asian Carp Spawning in the Great Lakes Basin

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:42:31 -0400

Great Lakes resource managers can now determine rivers that may be vulnerable to Asian carp spawning if they were to spread into the Great Lakes Basin, according to ...

Syrian warplanes hit rebels near base in northSyrian activists say warplanes have hit rebel positions near a contested military air base in the northern province of Aleppo.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:30:11 -0400

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says that fighter jets struck near the Kweiras air base early on Tuesday. The group, which relies on a network of informants ...

Sun reporter prison officer charged in British bribery probe

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:30:03 -0400

The Sun has been charged for allegedly paying public officials for information, prosecutors said. Journalist Nick Parker faces three counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office relating to alleged payments to a prison officer and a police officer between 2007 and 2009. The prison officer, Lee Brockhouse, also faces two related charges of misconduct and conspiracy to commit ...

G8 calls for Syria peace conference as soon as possible

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:30:03 -0400

G8 leaders on Tuesday strongly endorsed calls for peace talks to be held in Geneva on the Syria conflict "as soon as possible". At the end of a summit in Northern Ireland, the leaders also called for an agreement on a Syrian transitional government "formed by mutual consent", noting that military forces and security services needed to be preserved or ...

U.S. to hold Afghan peace talks with Taliban in Doha

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:05:01 -0400

Reuters © Members of the Taliban voluntarily hand over their weapons and join a peace reconciliation program in Jalalabad province January 6, 2013. ...

Demonstrators flood Brazilian streets in protest

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:58:12 -0400

Protesters massed in four Brazilian cities Monday in what they hoped would be their biggest demonstrations yet against a hike in public transport fares, stoking fears of more clashes with police and raising questions about security during big events like the current Confederations Cup and a papal visit next ...

Turkey PM claims victory after protest crackdown

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:51:17 -0400

Turkish Prime Minister 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 ...

Beermen may lose players ahead of Fiba Asia tilt

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:47:55 -0400

DESPITE its victory in the Asean Basketball League, there's no guarantee that San Miguel Beer will represent the country in the Fiba Asia Champions Cup this September in Jordan. The Beermen, whose core players are set to go their separate ways, earned an outright slot in the continental club tournament as an incentive for capturing the ABL championship. "It's going to be an honor ...

Taliban to open office for peace talks

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:46:13 -0400

Zabiullah Mujahid , said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the group opposes the use of Afghan soil to threaten other countries and supports the negotiating process. Those two statements have been a key demand of both the U.S. and Afghan governments before talks can begin. There have been unconfirmed reports that the Doha office opening will be announced in the Gulf ...

US to begin meetings with Taliban

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:40:52 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- American officials say U.S. representatives will begin formal meetings with the Taliban in a few days at the group's new office opening in ...

Spy programme transparent ObamaPresident Barack Obama defended top secret National Security Agency spying programs as legal in a lengthy interview and called them transparent - even though they are authorized in secret.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:24:34 -0400

National Security Agency spying programs as legal in a lengthy interview, and called them transparent - even though they are authorized in secret. "It is transparent," Obama told Public Broadcasting Service's Charlie Rose in an interview broadcast late Monday. "That's why we set up the FISA court," he added, referring to the secret court set up by the Foreign ...

Markets edge higher as Fed meeting starts

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:21:22 -0400

LONDON (AP) -- Stock markets edged higher Tuesday as a two-day policy meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve got under way - a meeting that could have a huge influence on how investors see the future path of the country's monetary ...

US lawsuit filed against News Corp on phone hacking

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:58:23 -0400

NEW YORK (AFP) - News Corp's legal woes in the British phone hacking scandal have spread across the Atlantic, with a lawsuit filed in a US court alleging invasion of privacy of Angelina Jolie's stunt double.A suit filed on June 13 by British national Eunice Huthart accused the firm's now defunct News of the World of intercepting her voice mail messages while she was working as a ...

Death toll at Pakistan funeral blast jumps to 20

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:55:53 -0400

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -; A police officer says the death toll from a bomb that ripped through a crowded funeral in northwest Pakistan has risen to 20 ...

Bombing at Pakistani funeral kills 27

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:55:53 -0400

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -; A suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowd of hundreds of mourners attending a funeral in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 27 people. Among those killed was a newly-elected lawmaker who may have been the target, authorities ...

Thailand acknowledges $4.4B loss from rice scheme

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:55:52 -0400

BANGKOK -; Thailand's government on Tuesday acknowledged losing more than $4.46 billion in one year in a much-criticized scheme to support rice prices that ended up dislodging the country from its spot as the grain's top exporter. The program is likely to be amended to reduce the losses, the commerce minister ...

Oil prices climb above $98 before US Fed meeting

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:55:47 -0400

The price of oil climbed back above $98 a barrel Tuesday, a day after briefly touching a nine-month high, as traders awaited the start of a Federal Reserve policy ...

General Meeting and Strategy Conference - IFEX network calls for ASEAN action to protect free expression in Southeast Asia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:48:58 -0400

Brunei Darussalam: H.E. Pehin Dato Dr. Awang Hj. Ahmad bin Hj. Jumat, Cambodia: H.E. Srun Thirith, Indonesia: H.E. Rafendi Djamin, Lao PDR: H.E. Phoukhong Sisoulath, Malaysia: Dato' Sri Dr. Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, Myanmar: Amb. Kyaw Tint Swe, Philippines: Amb. Rosario Gonzales Manalo, Singapore: Amb. Chan Heng Chee, Thailand: H.E. Seree Nonthasoot, Vietnam: Amb.Le Thi Thu, ASEAN ...

Chinas Xi in thorough clean-up of party Xinhua

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:45:10 -0400

PresidentXiJinping is to launch a "thorough clean-up" of the ruling Communist Party, state media reported Tuesday, the latest strongly-worded anti-corruption drive to be enacted by China's new ...

Suicide bomber strikes during funeral in Pak 20 killed

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:42:24 -0400

At least 20 people including a provincial legislator were today killed and over 50 others injured when a suicide bomber targeted a funeral at Mardan in the troubled northwest Pakistan. About 100 people were at the funeral of a businessman in Shergarh area of Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province this afternoon when the bomber detonated his explosive vest, police officials and witnesses ...

Suicide bombers attack Baghdad Shiites kill 31

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:30:44 -0400

Map locating the Baghdad district of Qahira, where a twin suicide bomb attack killed dozens at a Shiite religious hall. Twin suicide bombings killed 31 people after midday prayers at a Shiite Muslim religious centre in Baghdad, the latest in violence sparking fears of a revival of full-blown sectarian ...

New diet craze offers five days of feasting for two days of famine

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:18:00 -0400

LONDON: Forget abandoning carbohydrates or detoxing. The new dieting craze sweeping Britain and taking off in the United States lets people eat whatever they like EUR" but only five days a week. "The Fast Diet", also known as the 5:2 diet, is the brainchild of TV medical ...

Bus plunges off road in China 11 dead

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:16:28 -0400

The official Xinhua News Agency says the accident happened Tuesday afternoon when the bus was traveling to a tourist spot near Changji city in the region of ...

Pakistan funeral bomb kills 10 including MP police

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:54:25 -0400

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) - A bomb attack killed 10 people, including a provincial lawmaker, and wounded more than 40 others at a funeral in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, police said.The attack took place in the town of Shergarh in Mardan district during funeral prayers for the owner of a local compressed natural gas (CNG) station, Abdullah ...

Asia Pacific countries gear up for high-speed mobile broadband

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:53:56 -0400

Weeks after the UAE decided to open up its 700 MHz and 800 MHz frequencies for high-speed mobile broadband, the Asia Pacific countries have followed suit with plans to align their 700Mhz spectrum by 2020. The telecoms authorities of Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia announced the news at the annual Infocomm Media Business Exchange, Asia's largest ICT and media exhibition. The ...

Brunei to host ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in early July

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:46:10 -0400

MOSCOW, June 18 (Itar-Tass) - Brunei will host a Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in early July, Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large Alexander Ivanov said on Tuesday. "Russia and ASEAN that was established in 1967 and unites ten countries of the region share common views not only on the architecture of regional security and ...

Indonesia president defends fuel hike plan after protests

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:41:21 -0400

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday defended his government's plan to hikefuelprices for the first time since 2008, a day after police battled demonstrators outside ...

Dolphin reportedly dies after China tourist abuse

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:41:18 -0400

A dolphin has died in China after tourists hoisted it out of the water to pose with it for photographs, local media said Tuesday, provoking outrage ...

Asia Region to Contribute to More than One-third of Global Insurance Premiums by 2020

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:40:48 -0400

Kuala Lumpur, June 18. (BNA) -- The 2nd Annual Takaful Conference: Asia Leaders Summit (WTC: ALS 2013), which opened today at the Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, saw more than 150 senior executive industry leaders in the regional Takaful industry engage in critical discussions on strategies for competing for growth and profitability in an increasingly competitive Asian Takaful market. The ...

Paks Punjab govt allocates millions of rupees for Hafiz Saeeds Jamaat-ud-Dawa

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:38:45 -0400

2008 Mumbai attacks . Besides a grant-in-aid of over Rs 61 million for the JuD's centre known as 'Markaz-e-Taiba', the provincial government has allocated Rs 350 million for setting up a "Knowledge Park" at the centre and other development initiatives. Details of the allocations were presented in budget documents tabled in the Punjab assembly on Monday by the PML-N ...

Charles Saatchi admits assault on celebrity chef wife Nigella Lawson

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:34:59 -0400

Prominent British art collector Charles Saatchi has admitted assault and accepted a police caution after published photos showed him grasping the throat of his wife, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. (Lionel Cironneau/Associated ...

Police arrest dozens in raids across TurkeyPolice raided multiple addresses in several cities across Turkey on Tuesday detaining dozens of people following more than two weeks of anti-government protests local media reported.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:14:09 -0400

ANKARA: Police raided multiple addresses in several cities across Turkey on Tuesday, detaining dozens of people following more than two weeks of anti-government protests, local media reported. State media TRT said 25 people had been detained in the capital Ankara, 13 in Eskisehir to the west, and "many" in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul. Ankara's police anti-terror department ...

4500 British soldiers to be axed

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:14:02 -0400

LONDON: Cash-strapped Britain on Tuesday axed nearly 4,500 Army personnel in the third and biggest round of job cuts since the 2010 defence review. A total of 4,480 have been told to leave as ...

Thailand admits losing $4.4bn from controversial rice scheme

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:48:29 -0400

BANGKOK -- Thailand's government has acknowledged losing more than $4.46 billion in a much-criticized scheme to support rice prices that ended up dislodging the country from its top spot as the grain's exporter. Prime Minister's Office Minister Warathep Rattanakorn said Tuesday the government's sales of the rice failed to cover the sum it paid to farmers under the 2011-2012 ...

Ban arrives in China for high-level talks spokesman

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:37:41 -0400

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Beijing on Tuesday for high-level talks with Chinese officials on North Korea, Syria and other issues, his spokesman ...

G8 leaders agree to stamp out terror ransom payments Britain

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:34:49 -0400

G8 leaders have agreed to stamp out the payment of ransoms for hostages kidnapped by "terrorists", British PM David Cameron's office said on Tuesday. Downing Street said the world leaders meeting at a summit in Northern Ireland would also call on companies to follow their lead in refusing to pay for the release of abductees. "Leaders agree to stamp out payment of ransoms to ...

Karzai Afghan troops take lead to secure country

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:32:38 -0400

View Photo Associated Press/Rahmat Gul - Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, left, shakes hands with NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen during a ceremony at a military academy on the outskirts of Kabul, ...

18 Vietnamese crew held as ship hits Philippine reef

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:29:58 -0400

MANILA : Eighteen Vietnamese crew members of a cargo ship have been detained after it ploughed into a coral reef in the central Philippines, the coastguard said ...

Singapore India working on Asian FTA

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:18:57 -0400

Foreign observers and investors continue to see India as a positive growth story, even as domestic players cower in the shadow of their own ...

Fed meeting keeps markets in check

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:45:03 -0400

LONDON -; Stocks edged higher Tuesday ahead of a two-day policy meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve that could have a huge influence on how investors see the future path of the country's monetary ...

Turkey vows to increase police powers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:31:46 -0400

Recep Tayyip Erdogan says he will increase police powers following a wave of anti-government protests. The announcement came on Tuesday as police carried out raids and detained dozens of people suspected of involvement in violence against officers. The government has been criticized for the disproportionate use of force by the police in anti-government protests that swept Turkey for over two ...

China End Violence Against Sex Workers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:10:10 -0400

In China, the police often act as if by engaging in sex work, women had forfeited their rights. The government must abandon its repressive laws against sex workers, discipline abusive police, and end the suppression of sex workers rights ...

SKorea begins bidding for $7.3 billion fighter buy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:04:18 -0400

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea has begun accepting bids from aircraft makers to supply 60 new fighter jets at an estimated cost of $7.3 billion (8.3 trillion ...

China bans private adoptions of abandoned infants

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:41:00 -0400

The Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Tuesday that people who find an abandoned child must immediately tell local residential committees and the police and not adopt the child at ...

Seeking influence China hosts Mideast peace forum

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:40:57 -0400

BEIJING -; China on Tuesday hosted a Mideast peace forum backing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, part of its quest for greater diplomatic influence in a region of growing importance to its ...

Asian Stocks End Mostly Higher Before Fed Meet

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:40:13 -0400

Asian stocks ended mostly higher in thin and directionless trading on Tuesday as investors positioned themselves ahead of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's press conference tomorrow after the conclusion of a two-day policy meeting. Investors seem to believe that the Fed has no compelling reason to scale back its stimulus measures anytime soon. U.S. housing data due later in the day will provide ...

India surpasses China as Kenyas biggest trading partner in Asia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:35:47 -0400

India News: India exported to Kenya goods worth $240 million, way ahead of Asia's biggest economy China, which exported goods valued at $148 million.The figure represents a growth of around 30 percent when compared to ...

South Korea invites North Korea to 2014 Asian Games

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:35:27 -0400

SEOUL, June 18 (Itar-Tass) - South Korea has invited North Korea to attend the 17th Asian Games that will take place in South Korea’s Incheon next year, the Yonhap news agency said on Tuesday. "We have sent an invitation to North Korea via the Olympic Council of Asia, but have received no response so far," said Park Jong-gil, the second vice minister for culture, sports and ...

At least three killed in Kabul bombing as Afghan forces take over security from Nato

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:34:19 -0400

A large bomb has killed three civilians in western Kabul this morning, shortly before the international military coalition officially passed responsibility for the security of Afghanistan to national ...

N Korea denounces US over spying revelations

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:30:28 -0400

North Korea, one of the world's most repressive societies, branded the United States a "kingpin" of human rights abuses Tuesday, following revelations of the US government's Internet surveillance ...

Mumbai commuters outraged over auto rickshaw drivers demands

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:30:27 -0400

Fifty thousand auto rickshaw drivers in Mumbai begin a three-day strike on Tuesday, calling for fares to be raised threefold in order to offset higher costs.(AFP/RIZWAN ...

Top Nazi war crimes suspect charged in Hungary

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:27:43 -0400

Hungarian Laszlo Csatary, who is suspected of war crimes against Jews during Word War Two, leaves the prosecution building in Budapest in this July 18, 2012 file photo. (Reuters ...

China launches its first carbon trading scheme

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:11:43 -0400

BEIJING (AFP) - China, the world's largest carbon emitter, was set Tuesday to launch its first carbon trading scheme aimed at reducing emissions, state-media said.A platform allowing businesses in the southern city of Shenzhen to trade permits to emit carbon was established on Sunday, with trading due to start on Tuesday, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.China plans to open ...

ASIA CREDIT CLOSE Credits give up early gains

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:08:33 -0400

Tue Jun 18, 2013 5:08am EDT HONG KONG, June 18 (IFR) - Asian credit spreads started the day on a positive note, but gave up gains in the afternoon amid market uncertainty over the roadmap the fed may unveil for reversing the US quantitative-easing programme. The Asia iTraxx IG index widened to 135bp after moving slightly tighter than yesterday's closing of 131bp/133bp in early ...

NOC approves UAE team for Asian Combat Games

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:06:54 -0400

65-member delegation will be represented in five disciplinesThe UAE contingent to the Asian Combat and Indoor Games in Incheon, South Korea from June 29 to July 6, was approved by Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee (NOC). Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, urged the participants to enhance the role of the UAE on the world ...

Afghanistan Weak Appointments Undermine Rights Body

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:06:16 -0400

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission plays an absolutely crucial role in protecting the rights of all Afghans, and it needs to have the right leadership to continue its crucial work. The five new commissioners have huge tasks ahead of them and need to show Afghans that they will be strong champions of their rights. Donors need to watch the work of the newly constituted commission ...

Pakistan working on new policy to stop US drone strikes Aziz

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:03:18 -0400

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is working on a new policy to stop US drone strikes, which are a contravention of the country's sovereignty and counter-productive for the campaign against terrorism, a top aide to Prime ...

Communist rebels in Philippines abduct 5 soldiers

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:01:36 -0400

MANILA, Philippines (AP) -- Communist rebels posing as government troops have abducted five Philippine army soldiers on the outskirts of a southern city, the military said ...

UPDATE 1-China takes cautious step towards carbon emissions trading

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:47:31 -0400

Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:47am EDT * China is battling to balance econ growth with environment * Nationwide trading scheme still a long way off * Country is world's main source of greenhouse gas (Adds prices of first trades) By David Stanway BEIJING, June 18 (Reuters) - China launched its first pilot carbon emissions exchange on Tuesday, though plans for a nationwide roll out and efforts to apply ...

Business Briefs June 18

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:31:42 -0400

* Switzerland-based healthcare company Hoffman – La Roche has proposed to cooperate with HCM City Department of Health and the HCM City Department of Information and Communications carry out programmes of providing remote medical checkups, assisting medical clinics in rural and remote areas. * VietJetAir will receive three fuel-saving A320 Sharklet aircraft later this year to increase its ...

EM ASIA FX-Worry on capital outflows hits Asia FX rupiah falls

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:17:27 -0400

* Concern on inflation spike on fuel price hike hurts rupiah * Ringgit hits 11-month low on weaker bonds * Philippine peso, Sing dlr fall on U.S. dlr short-covering (Adds text, updates prices) By Jongwoo Cheon SINGAPORE, June 18 (Reuters) - Emerging Asian currencies fell on Tuesday with investors anxious about capital outflows if the Federal Reserve cuts its stimulus, ...

Infosys seeing surge in job applications after Narayana Murthys return

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:57:54 -0400

job applications at the software firm, even in tepid market conditions. Infosys has seen a 39.1% drop in job applications in FY13 compared with the previous year. But healthy salary raise of 8%, a 3-year 'daunting' roadmap chalked out by executive ...

Hamid Karzai announces transfer of security from NATO to Afghan control

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:57:51 -0400

NATO coalition. The handover of responsibility is a significant milestone in the nearly 12-year war and marks a turning point for American and NATO military forces, which will now move entirely into a supporting role. It also opens the way for their full withdrawal in 18 months. "This is a historic moment for our country and from tomorrow all of the security operations will be in the hands ...

Shares wobble on uncertainty over US stimulus

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:55:47 -0400

TOKYO (AP) -- Shares were mixed in Asia on Tuesday as investors watched for signs of a possible change in U.S. stimulus efforts by the Federal ...

Standing man inspires silent protests in Turkey

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:35:48 -0400

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish man has staged an eight-hour silent vigil on Istanbul's Taksim Square, scene of violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters in recent weeks, inspiring hundreds of others to follow his lead.Erdem Gunduz said he wanted to take a stand against police stopping demonstrations near the square, Dogan news agency reported.He stood silently, facing the ...

UCRG will host “Forum on International Credit Rating System Reform” in Hong Kong on 25 June

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:26:43 -0400

"), an independent international credit rating agency, will host the "Forum on International Credit Rating System Reform" at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong on 25 June (Tuesday). Distinguished speakers including world-class economists, leaders in international politics, financial and business circles will present in the event and discuss trends and reform in the international credit ...

Indonesias new law on domestic workers garners positive response

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:22:09 -0400

The new law is expected to increase welfare and bring domestic workers out of legal limbo.Indonesia's domestic workers are bracing themselves for what could be a major turning point once the parliamentary bill gets passed.Thirty-one-year-old Murni has been working with a Jakarta based family for the past two years.She earns US$150 a month and gets one rest day in a month.Although her salary ...

Asian shares ease as Fed meet keeps mkts on edge

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:03:32 -0400

Ben Bernanke to clarify the US central bank's plans for its stimulus programme - with the mere suggestion of fine-tuning it enough to unnerve market sentiment. European stocks are seen easing, with financial spreadbetters predicting London's FTSE 100, Paris's CAC-40 and Frankfurt's DAX will open down as much as 0.3 percent. U.S. stock futures traded almost flat, hinting at a ...

China EU to hold talks on solar dispute

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:32:46 -0400

BEIJING (AFP) - China said on Tuesday it will hold this week talks with the European Union in a bid to resolve a dispute over solar panels and other business issues, as tensions between the two risk escalating into a trade war.The two sides have "tentatively decided" to hold the annual ministerial-level meeting of the joint economic and trade commission on Friday in Beijing, said Shen ...

Afghan presidents forces taking security lead

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:25:17 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his country's armed forces are taking over the lead for security around the country from the U.S.-led NATO coalition.The handover of responsibility on Tuesday marks a significant milestone in the nearly 12-year war and marks a turning point for American and NATO military forces, which will now move entirely into a supporting role. It ...

Prominent Afghan lawmaker escapes suicide attack

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:20:12 -0400

A prominent Afghan lawmaker escaped a suicide attack on Tuesday, aides said, on the day that the handover of security from NATO to Afghan forces was to be ...

Explosion in Kabul near Afghan national parliament police

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:08:33 -0400

KABUL (Reuters) - An explosion on Tuesday morning rocked an area in the west of the Afghan capital, Kabul, close to the country's national parliament, police ...

FDI into China rises in Jan-May govt

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 02:00:40 -0400

BEIJING (AFP) - Foreign direct investment (FDI) into China rose during the first five months of this year, the government announced Tuesday, paced by strong increases from the European Union and the United States.Incoming FDI, which excludes financial sectors, rose 1.0 percent to $47.6 billion from January through May, the Commerce Ministry announced. It was also up 0.3 percent in May to $9.26 ...

Afghanistan Blast Kills 3 Amid Security Transition

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:53:27 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan ...

US seizes 14 7-Eleven stores in immigration raids

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:52:34 -0400

Graphics depicting the locations of 7-Eleven stores involved in a federal indictment are shown after a news conference at the US Attorney's office. (AP ...

Pakistans Punjab government allocates mlns of rupees for JuD centre

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:52:32 -0400

Jamaat-ud-Dawah , considered a front for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba. Besides a grant-in-aid of over Rs 61 million for the JuD centre known as 'Markaz-e-Taiba', the provincial government has allocated Rs 350 million for setting up a 'Knowledge Park' at the centre and other development initiatives. Details of the allocations were presented in budget documents tabled in the ...

Japan moves to boost influence in Asia

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:31:41 -0400

The Japanese government is engaged in its own diplomatic offensive to cement relationships with countries in Asia, in line with the Obama administration's efforts to undermine Chinese influence in the region. At the end of May, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Burma (Myanmar) before hosting India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Tokyo. In Burma, Abe met with President Thein Sein and ...

Taiwan eyeing African markets to boost exports

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:28:27 -0400

Taipei, June 18 (CNA) African markets are relatively small and new to Taiwan, but their strong economic growth could turn them into drivers of the country's exports, Taiwan's main trade promotion body said Tuesday. Africa, along with other emerging markets, has great business potential and remains among the fastest growing markets in the world despite the global economic slowdown, the ...

U.S. stance on Taiwan unchanged after Obama-Xi summit envoy

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:28:25 -0400

Washington, June 17 (CNA) Taiwan's representative to the United States said Monday that the U.S.'s stance toward Taiwan remains unchanged following President ...

Blast in Afghan capital amid security transition

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:27:18 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan -; A large bomb exploded in the Afghan capital on Tuesday as the international military coalition hands over responsibility for fighting the Taliban insurgency to the nascent national army and police they have been ...

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