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After two weeks detention North Korea frees Chinese boat and 16 fishermen

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:21:12 -0400

PYONGYANG - A Chinese boat and 16 fishermen held by armed North Koreans for more than two weeks have been released, easing the latest tension in relations between the neighbouring allies. Owner Yu Xuejun, who was not on board the boat when it was seized on 5 May, wrote on his microblog that his captain called him at 3.50am to say the crew and boat were set free and that they were on their way ...

China wants cyber security communication with US

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:20:01 -0400

China has appealed for communication with the US on cyber security, Xinhua reported Tuesday. While stressing that cyber security was a global issue, confronting not only America but also China, a foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei said: "China proposes stronger cooperation with the United States on cyber security." The statement came during a daily press briefing in response to a question ...

Afghanistan Seeks Military Aid from India

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:07 -0400

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met with Indian leaders in hopes of securing more military aid before international troops leave the country next year. Mr. Karzai held talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late Tuesday in New Delhi, after meeting with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. The Afghan president is expected to seek India's assistance to help strengthen Afghan security ...

Coke Ad Hawks Pop Peace to India Pakistan

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:04 -0400

Massive corporations like Coca-Cola have a primary goal: Sell their products to make money. Sometimes, if they're lucky, that goal aligns with another endeavor: Make peace. A new three-minute advertisement released by the beverage company this week aims to do both. Coca-Cola filmed the advertisement in two locations: Pakistan and India, South Asia's nuclear-armed neighbors mired in ...

Kerry Mideast Talks on Syria to Include Russian Call for Involving Iran

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

STATE DEPARTMENT U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Middle East this week for talks to promote an international peace conference on Syria. Russia wants Iran to be part of the process. In this fight for control of Syria, Iran is one of the biggest backers of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. So Russia says Iran should be part of the peace process. "Iran has ...

Group to Take Nigeria Government to International Court

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) will file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Nigeria's government of human rights violations, according to spokesman Ango Abdullahi. "What we are doing now is to organize our evidence that would make it possible for us to make a very strong case against the government and its agencies, or up to individuals who may be ...

New iPhone App Speeds Care of Heart Attack Victims

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

Researchers have developed an experimental iPhone application, or app, designed to help emergency medical technicians diagnose a particularly deadly form of heart attack and send that information quickly to waiting hospital surgical teams. The inexpensive app can greatly improve a patient's odds of survival. The iPhone app is specially designed to identify patients suffering from a ...

Enhanced contract payments for Australian cricket eves

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:20:02 -0400

Cricket Australia (CA) Tuesday announced a restructuring of the contracting system for women players which will result in the Australian female cricketers becoming some of the best paid female athletes in the country. CA approved a restructure of the contract system with a move from a three-tier payment system to a squad-ranking system. The top player retainer increases substantially from ...

China to host maiden Royal Trophy golf meet

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:30:02 -0400

The Royal Trophy Golf Tournament will be held for the first time in China Dec 20-22 at Dragon Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, Royal Trophy co-managing director Ivan Ballesteros said Tuesday. "We are very pleased to announce that the next edition of the Royal Trophy will be held at Dragon Lake Golf Club in China. The previous edition of the competition was an enormous success with the Asian team ...

Did witty Li score brownie points over India

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:00:02 -0400

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Hack attack led to theft of 22 million IDs at Yahoo Japan

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:30:04 -0400

Yahoo Japan faced a hack attack, which reportedly led to a theft of 22 million user ids that constitutes one tenth of its 200 million members. A file of ID details was stolen from the administration system at Yahoo Japan, which was spotted late on 16th May. In a report by BBC, the tech firm cut the net access as soon as it detected the attack. Although the firm was not sure if the data had been ...

Warner expected to plead guilty for Twitter rant during CA hearing

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:40:02 -0400

Australian Test batsman David Warner is expected to plead guilty during Cricket Australia hearing over his recent Twitter rant with two prominent journalists. Senior Code of Behaviour Commissioner, Justice Gordon Lewis, will hear the case via teleconference. According to news.com.au, Warner faces sanction ranging from a fine, suspension, reprimand or counseling after being reported under CA's ...

Japan has many attractions for foreign tourists

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:30:03 -0400

"The Land of the Rising Sun" - Japan - attracts a large number of tourists from all over the world. The country, which will host the 2020 Olympic Games, has a lot to offer to its visitors. These tourists are being ferried from Takamatsu Airport to Setouchi Triennale 2013, a unique festival of contemporary art spread out and interlaced with the numerous islands dotting Japan's picturesque Seto ...

National Federation Party ready for 2014 Fiji elections

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:10:01 -0400

Fiji's National Federation Party (NFP), comprising mostly of Indian-origin members, says it is ready for the elections scheduled for 2014 in that south pacific island nation. Party president Raman Pratap said that there was no need for a change in the party's executive line-up and a meeting will be held in June to discuss the party's election strategy. "All we have to do now is start with our ...

US charges three NYU researchers for taking bribes from Chinese company

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:50:03 -0400

Three New York University researchers from China divulged results from a federally funded study to Chinese competitors in exchange for tuition, rent and other expenses. Federal prosecutors said that Yudong Zhu, a U.S.-educated NYU professor, and Xing Yang, a lab engineer, were released on bail after appearing in federal court in Manhattan to face commercial bribery and other charges. According ...

Blind Chinese dissident Guangcheng asks US to protect relatives in China

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:40:04 -0400

Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, who fled to the US last year, has said he thinks Washington should do more to protect the relatives he left behind in China. Guangcheng caused a diplomatic row between the US and China after he escaped house arrest and sought refuge in the American embassy in Beijing. Guangcheng, who exposed forced abortions and sterilisations in his home province of Shandong, ...

Li Keqiang declares 2014 as year of exchanges between India China to boost friendship

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:40:01 -0400

Stressing on the need for increased people-to-people interaction between India and China, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday declared 2014 as the year of exchanges between the two nations to boost understanding and friendship. Addressing captains of Indian industry at a function organised by FICCI here, Keqiang said: " The year of 2014 will be to boost understanding and friendship between ...

India China trade imbalance to grow Chinese experts

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:20:02 -0400

The trade imbalance between India and China may keep growing, experts here said with one of them noting that "India needs more Chinese manufactured products". As Premier Li Keqiang visits India, his first overseas trip, China Daily spoke to experts who said the trade imbalance is likely to keep growing and the situation is hard to change. "India's trade deficit with China is expanding. In the ...

Weaker yen fuels economic optimism in Japan

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:20:02 -0400

The Japanese government Monday revised upward its evaluation of the economy given the weakness of the yen, which is helping to push exports and encouraging companies to increase production. In its economic report for May, the cabinet raised its evaluation of three of the 14 categories it analyzes: exports, industrial production and profits. In addition, it said that the economy "is moving ...

Situation on Korean Peninsula still serious

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:40:01 -0400

The security situation on the Korean Peninsula is still serious after North Korea's recent missile launch and its defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons, South Korea has said. "We continue to face a grave situation due to a series of provocations and nuclear threats by North Korea," said South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se at an annual conference of chiefs of overseas diplomatic missions in ...

US Senate Committee Approves Immigration Reform Bill

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:54:18 -0400

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a massive immigration reform bill, voting to send it to the entire Senate for debate. Tuesday evening's vote was 13 to five. It came after one of the bill's eight sponsors, Democrat Patrick Leahy, withdrew an amendment that would have given same-sex couples the same legal protections in immigration questions as heterosexual couples. ...

Japans trade deficit hits $8.6B due to weaker yen

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:50:02 -0400

TOKYO -; Japan's trade deficit widened to a larger-than-expected 879.9 billion yen ($8.6 billion) in April as its weakening currency accentuated surging import ...

India China Sign MOUs to Address Trade Imbalance

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:44:26 -0400

have signed three memorandums of understanding regarding buffalo meat, fisheries and pharmaceuticals, as well as one agreement on feed and feed ingredients, in order to address the expanding trade imbalance between the two countries.India's trade deficit with China has widened from $1.08 billion in 2001 to 2002, to $40.77 billion in 2012 to 2013. The MOUs were signed during the visit of ...

5 killed 1 injured in S China road cave-in

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:05 -0400

Rescuers work at the accident site where a road cave-in occurred in Huamao Industrial Park in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, May 21, 2013. The accident occurred around 9:19 p.m. (1319 GMT) on May 20. As of 4:30 p.m. (0830 GMT) Tuesday, five bodies had been retrieved from a pit measuring three to four meters deep. Search and rescue efforts are under way. ...

Senior official details Chinas wildlife protection efforts

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:03 -0400

A top Chinese wildlife official on Tuesday detailed how recent years have seen China intensify efforts to protect animals and promote biodiversity.Speaking at a press conference on the eve of the International Day for Biological Diversity, Yin Hong, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration (SFA), said that the country, among the richest in wildlife species in the world, has attached ...

Chinese premier urges efforts to carry on China-India traditional friendship

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:01 -0400

Visiting Chinese premier Li Keqiang Tuesday called for efforts to carry on China-India traditional friendship as he paid tribute to an Indian doctor who died treating Chinese troops more than 70 years ago."Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis is a great friend of the Chinese people, " Li told relatives of the Indian doctor.Kotnis went to China "despite all the hardships and risks" more than ...

China India must grasp fresh opportunities in strategic cooperation Premier Li

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:58 -0400

China and India have vast room for further cooperation and both countries should seize new opportunities to advance their strategic ties, visiting Chinese premier Li Keqiang said Tuesday."China and India are two largest developing countries and emerging markets in the world," Li said in a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs."China-India relations are one of the ...

Premier Li stresses global strategic significance of China-India relations

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:57 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) meets with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi, India, May 21, 2013. Photo: Xinhua Visiting Chinese premier Li Keqiang stressed the global strategic significance of China-India relations Tuesday during a meeting with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee."China and India are strategic partners and friendly neighbors, " Li told Mukherjee on the third ...

Xi-Obama meeting to chart future course of China-US ties

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:56 -0400

Chinese president to visit three Latin American nations and US As Chinese president Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama is ready to meet for the first time after the leadership transition in both nations, analysts say the June 7-8 summit in the US state of California will chart the course of future development of China-US relations.They also believe that the meeting will show that ...

China sends condolences after tornado strikes US state

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:54 -0400

China on Tuesday sent its condolences after a deadly tornado struck the US state of Oklahoma.Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a regular press briefing that the Chinese side extends its deep condolences to the victims, as well as sincere sympathy to the wounded and disaster-affected people."May they overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homeland soon," he said.The ...

China expects cooperation with more Indian companies premier

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:52 -0400

China welcomes more Indian enterprises to cooperate with their Chinese counterparts to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win results, visiting Chinese premier Li Keqiang said Tuesday.Li made the remarks when touring India's industrial giant Tata Group in the financial capital of Mumbai.Li said that the group, which opened an office in China's Shanghai over a century ago, has a special ...

FM spokesman highlights importance of China-US summit

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:51 -0400

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that an impending meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama will aid in the construction of a new type of relationship between the two countries.The summit, the first of its kind to be held since Xi took office in March, would be conducive to strengthening strategic communication, increasing mutual trust, deepening bilateral ...

China defeats Kazakhstan at China International Mens Volleyball Tournament

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:42:33 -0400

Chinese national men's volleyball team defeated Kazakhstan 3-0 at the China International Men's Volleyball Tournament here in Luohe, central China's Henan Province on Tuesday.China beat Kazakhstan 25-20, 25-23, 25-16 with no difficulty because Kazakhstan was not a strong team."My team consists of young players who didn't completely obey my order, so I'm very ...

Australia number one for Brits

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:40:56 -0400

A new poll among British travellers found Australia to be their top pick for ‘Best Country in the World’. According to a survey conducted by the UK’s Ultratravel magazine, Australia was voted best country, outranking other popular destinations including; Italy, New Zealand, Thailand and the US. Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said although economic ...

Relatives join search for Canadian missing in Australias Snowy Mountains

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:39:58 -0400

OTTAWA -- Family members joined a frantic search Tuesday for a Canadian man with survival training missing for more than a week in Australia's Snowy Mountains region. Prabhdeep Srawn of Brampton, Ont., hasn't been heard from since parking his rental car on May 13 in the village of Charlotte Pass in Kosciuszko National Park. For the last two years, the 25-year-old has been a law ...

Japan exports disappoint full benefits of weak yen yet to show

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:26:48 -0400

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's exports rose less than expected in April from a year earlier due to weak demand from Europe and China, highlighting the challenges confronting the world's third-biggest economy as policymakers try to engineer a sustained ...

Op-Ed Contributor China’s Brutal One-Child Policy

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:26:11 -0400

China 's one-child policy. The People's Daily, the Communist Party mouthpiece, alleged that Mr. Zhang had fathered seven children with four different ...

Australia stocks advance paced by miners

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:47 -0400

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Australian stocks rose Wednesday, with mining issues continuing to recover from recent weakness that stemmed in part from concerns about slowing in China. The S&P/ASX ...

Japan stocks climb Mitsubishi Motors Sony jump

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:46 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks extended gains early Wednesday, with exporters spurred after two Federal Reserve members suggested the central bank wasn't close to slowing monetary stimulus in the U.S. The Nikkei Stock ...

Japans trade deficit widens as imports surge

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:24:44 -0400

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japan's trade deficit widened sharply in April, as export growth was tepid while imports surged, according to Finance Ministry data released Wednesday. The trade gap grew to 880 billion yen ($8.6 billion) from March's 364 billion deficit, as exports rose just 3.8% from a year earlier, well below Dow Jones Newswires and Reuters forecasts for a gain of 5% and ...

Japans trade deficit expands 70 in April

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:18:13 -0400

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's trade deficit expanded a worse-than-expected 70 percent on year to $8.6 billion in April, government data showed Wednesday, as a weaker yen made imports costlier.The monthly trade deficit came to 879.9 billion yen ($8.6 billion), 69.7 percent higher than the year-before deficit of 518.4 billion yen, finance ministry data showed.The deficit was the biggest for the month ...

US approves immigration bill raises H-1B visa cap to 110k

Tue, 21 May 2013 21:09:15 -0400

Senate Judiciary Committee on a solid bipartisan vote Tuesday night after supporters somberly sidestepped a controversy over the rights of gay spouses. The 13-5 vote cleared the way for an epic showdown on the Senate floor on the measure, which is one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities yet also gives the Republican Party a chance to recast itself as more appealing to ...

Chinas CITIC Sec plans to buy back stake in fund company

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:51:07 -0400

SHANGHAI | Tue May 21, 2013 8:51pm EDT SHANGHAI May 22 (Reuters) - CITIC Securities Co Ltd , China's biggest brokerage, plans to spend up to 2 billion yuan ($325.97 million) to acquire a 10 percent stake in China Asset Management, the country's top fund management company, it said late on Tuesday. CITIC Securities will buy the stake from Wuxi Guolian Development Group and will ...

Nigeria to Free All Female Islamist Suspects

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:45:08 -0400

Nigeria says it will release several Islamist suspects from prison, including the women in custody, as it seeks peace with Boko Haram extremists. The Defense Ministry said Tuesday the move is in line with what it calls "presidential magnanimity to enhance peace efforts." A panel set up by President Goodluck Jonathan is recommending the government open peace talks with Boko Haram ...

Japan Trade Deficit Y879.936 Billion In April

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:40:10 -0400

Japan saw a merchandise trade deficit of 879.936 billion yen in April, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.That missed forecasts for a shortfall of 620.6 billion yen following the downwardly revised deficit of 364.0 billion yen in March.Exports were up 3.8 percent on year, also missing forecasts for a gain of 5.4 percent after adding 1.1 percent in the previous month.Imports climbed an ...

Will China punish UK for giving award to Chen Guangcheng

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:33:21 -0400

HONG KONG - A little more than one year after he bravely escaped illegal house arrest in China for the United States, blind activist lawyer Chen Guangcheng has become a much bigger thorn in the side of his native country's Communist Party regime. "I think they're in a state of madness," he said last week in ...

Australia consumer confidence falls sharply in May

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:55 -0400

SYDNEY | Tue May 21, 2013 8:32pm EDT SYDNEY May 22 (Reuters) - A measure of Australian consumer confidence fell sharply in May as households reacted negatively to the government's budget announcement, even after a cut in interest rates to a record low. The poll of 1,200 people by the Melbourne Institute and Westpac Bank was conducted in the week the Labor government delayed a ...

Memo From Afghanistan In Afghanistan Hezb-i-Islami Takes Its Extremism Into Politics

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:47 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan ...

Three former Ford executives charged in Argentine torture cases

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:27:03 -0400

Argentine union workers for kidnapping and torture after the country's 1976 military coup. All three men are now in their 80s. Their case is part of a new wave of prosecutions focusing on corporate support for the dictators who ran Argentina in 1976-1983, and the 150-page indictment written by Judge Alicia Vence reads like a history lesson, going to considerable lengths to explain why their ...

Cadmium-Tainted Rice Discovered in Southern China

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:17:26 -0400

HONG KONG -- Government officials in southern China sought on Wednesday to calm public ire about toxic substances menacing the region's main food staple, rice, after the city of Guangzhou said that nearly half the rice tested at restaurants this year held excessive cadmium, a heavy metal that can cause cancer and other ...

Chinese Bear Bile Farming Draws Charges of Cruelty

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:17:24 -0400

Guizhentang Pharmaceutical uses bears to produce a traditional remedy it markets for a variety of ailments. A worker, above, drained bile from a bear's gallbladder in Fujian ...

Japans Nikkei rises 0.3 in opening minutes

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:15:59 -0400

NASDAQ traded symbols and their current financial status. Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. S&P/Dow Jones Indices (SM) from Dow Jones & Company, Inc. SEHK intraday data is provided by SIX Financial Information and is at least 60-minutes delayed. All quotes are in local exchange ...

FBI names Benghazi suspects but no arrests yet

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:01:41 -0400

diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing them by military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But there isn't enough proof to try them in a US civilian court as the Obama administration prefers. The men remain at large while the FBI gathers evidence. But the investigation has been slowed by the reduced US intelligence presence in ...

Anti-Muslim sentiments on rise in UK British minister

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:01:29 -0400

Sayeeda Warsi told TOI in an exclusive interview that "UK is witnessing a rising level of anti-Muslim sentiments" with hate crimes increasing by the ...

PM Li Keqiang faces litmus test in Pakistan Chinas iron brother

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:01:21 -0400

Chinese premier Li Keqiang faces the challenge of meeting conflicting demands for his attention and Beijing's purse when he lands in Pakistan on Wednesday at the end of his India visit, his first foreign tour after assuming ...

Los Angeles ranked worst US city for dog attacks on mail carriers

Tue, 21 May 2013 20:01:11 -0400

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles has earned the dubious distinction for the second year in a row as the US city with the most dog attacks on mail carriers, the US Postal Service said. California's biggest city accounted for 69 such attacks in fiscal 2012, which ended in September, compared with 42 attacks each in Seattle, Washington, and San Antonio, Texas, which tied for second place. Chicago ...

Biggest rubber duck sinks down due to...

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:59:23 -0400

The inflatable duck finally "collapsed"due to several breakage causing air leakage after floating in Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong for 12 days on May ...

On the Scene in Tornado Hit Town Even Trees are Stripped of Everything

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:37:04 -0400

VOA correspondent Greg Flakus is at the site of the tornado damage in Moore, Oklahoma. He spoke with English broadcaster David Byrd Tuesday afternoon about what he is ...

Kerry Presses US-Russian Plan for Syrian Peace Talks

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:37:03 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets Wednesday in the Jordanian capital with senior diplomats from 11 nations, as part of a U.S.-Russian push to end Syria's civil ...

Australia waits on US-Afghan decision

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:33:04 -0400

Australia is still waiting on the US to decide its post-2014 troop commitment to Afghanistan before announcing how many Australian troops will remain, Defence Minister Stephen Smith says.Speaking after meeting US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in Washington, Mr Smith said Australia remained willing to assist with training of Afghan officers.Australia was also ready to contribute special forces to ...

China looks to grow NT trade

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:30:19 -0400

THE Chinese Government wants to expand trade to the Territory and is seeking energy and minerals, high-ranking diplomats has told a mining summit held in ...

Japan Hotel trading and investment market likely to exhibit further improvements.

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:19:37 -0400

Jones Lang LaSalle releases Hotel Intelligence Japan 2013 research report.Jones Lang LaSalle's Hotels & Hospitality Group is pleased to announce that Hotel Intelligence Japan 2013 has been released today. ...

Horses flying... it was like movie Twister

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:18:50 -0400

tornado that hit Oklahoma by taking refuge in a horse stall, said the storm was just like the Hollywood movie "Twister" as he saw "horses and stuff flying around everywhere". Lando Hite was on a family farm when the massive tornado hit Moore area, when he noticed the wind pick up and walked outside to see debris flying. Hite was shirtless and muddy all over as he described ...

Australia shares seen edging up on Wall St miners may cap gains

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:16:40 -0400

SYDNEY | Tue May 21, 2013 7:16pm EDT SYDNEY May 22 (Reuters) - Australian shares are seen edging higher on Wednesday, after comments from Federal Reserve officials eased some concerns that the central bank might scale back its stimulus programme, helping Wall Street close at all-time highs. But mining stocks may fall on weaker copper prices . * Local share price index futures fell 0.1 ...

Japans Nikkei set to rise ahead of BOJ meeting

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:13:36 -0400

TOKYO, May 22 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average is likely to open higher on Wednesday, ahead of the outcome of the Bank of Japan meeting, buoyed by the U.S. Dow Jones and S&P 500 indexes closing at record highs on Federal Reserve officials' reassurance on the central bank's stimulus programme. The Nikkei is likely to trade between 15,350 and 15,550, strategists said, while Nikkei ...

7 Muslims Sentenced to Prison for Myanmar Violence

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:09:12 -0400

spasms of religious violence two months ago that left more than 40 people dead and chased thousands of people from their homes in central ...

Australias Myer Q3 sales edge up still cautious on outlook

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:07:22 -0400

SYDNEY | Tue May 21, 2013 7:07pm EDT SYDNEY May 22 (Reuters) - Myer Holdings Ltd, Australia's largest department store chain, posted a small rise in third-quarter sales on Wednesday and said it remained cautious about the outlook for retail trading. Myer, which has consistently traded below its 2009 initial public offer price, said sales in the third quarter rose 0.5 percent to ...

Air China makes baggage through check-in available to 14 cities

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:05:25 -0400

BEIJING, China - Air China will make its baggage through check-in service from international cities to domestic cities (I-D) via Beijing more accessible. Starting May 21 (Beijing time), Air China passengers who travel from London, Paris, Dusseldorf, Munich, Frankfurt, Rome, Milan, Stockholm, Vancouver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Geneva transferring to other Chinese cities via ...

Woman flees to UK refusing to be Swa...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:51:28 -0400

Swaziland king (Photo;Agencies) A young woman is seeking asylum in Britain after she spurned the advances of the polyamorous King Mswati III of Swaziland and refused to join his harem of 13 wives. Tintswalo Ngobeni, 22, fled to England from the southern African nation as a teenager after she caught the attention of the millionaire monarch. As part of Swazi custom, King Mswati III, 45, is ...

Owner smashes his Maserati to protest...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:51:27 -0400

Four men smashed a black Maserati Quattroporte with hammers outside an exhibition center in Qingdao, where an international auto show is being held Tuesday, May 14th, 2013. A friend of the luxury car's owner said they did this to protest the car dealer's bad service. The dealer reportedly repaired the sedan, worth 2.6 million yuan, with some used components. The dealer has admitted to ...

Man detained for organizing gay parad...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:51:27 -0400

By Yu Runze, Sina English A man was given 12 days of administrative detention for organizing a large scale gay rights parade in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, local police announced on May 19. "Xiang was given 12 days of detention for organizing a parade without seeking police's permission first," the police said on its official microblog. The 19-year-old Xiang ...

College student hijacks doctor for fa...

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:51:27 -0400

A university student surnamed Chen, 18, holds a female doctor hostage at Wuhan No. 9 Hospital, Hubei Province Saturday. Chen had hit an elderly woman with his bike, and could not afford to pay the medical fees her family ...

Oklahoma tornado Condolences from delegates at USNZ Pacific Partnership Forum

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:36:38 -0400

Delegates at the USNZ Pacific Partnership Forum meeting in Washington DC have expressed sorrow at the loss of life in the Oklahoma tornado. NZUS executive director Stephen Jacobi said delegates made note of the Canterbury earthquake, which had disrupted the last forum meeting. "Now the people of Oklahoma are facing devastation and loss of extraordinary proportions. "Our hearts go out to the ...

Search nearly complete after Oklahoma tornado

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:25:01 -0400

Justin Stehan salvages photographs from his tornado-ravaged home Tuesday, May 21, 2013, in Moore, Okla. A huge tornado roared through the Oklahoma City suburb Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds. (AP Photo/Charlie ...

Bank of Japan may seek to ease bond market jitters policy seen on hold

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:23:13 -0400

Reuters © Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda arrives at the G7 Finance Ministers meeting in Aylesbury, southern England May 10, 2013. REUTERS/Alastair ...

Japan Rate Decision On Tap For Wednesday

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:19:56 -0400

The Bank of Japan is on Wednesday scheduled to conclude its monetary policy meeting and then announce its decision on interest rates, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. The BoJ is widely expected to hold rates at 0.10 percent, although some additional stimulus may be introduced.Japan also will see April figures for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are ...

River cruise line adds a second vessel to sail Pacific Northwest

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:16:50 -0400

The former Empress of the North has been acquired by the American Queen Steamboat Co. and will sail rivers in the Pacific Northwest. (The photo was retouched with the boat's new name, American ...

Cardiffs Bradley Davies picked to captain Wales on tour to Japan

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:13:42 -0400

Bradley Davies, of Cardiff Blues, has been named as Wales captain for the tour of Japan after a period in the wilderness. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty ...

China Declares Global State of Emergency An Urgent Telegram from Taihu

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:13:09 -0400

most powerful politician, Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) opened the Second Conference of the (carbon-neutralized) ...

China coal imports to continue affecting global prices Platts

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:11:16 -0400

/enpproperty--> China's coal imports will continue from a more diversified number of sources over the long-term, exerting a major influence on international coal prices, according to Platts, a leading source of benchmark price assessments in the energy, petrochemicals and metals sectors. James O'Connell, the editor-in-chief of Platts' Coal Trader International, which ...

Netanyahu Arrives in China

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:10:24 -0400

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began an official visit to China Monday despite tensions back home following the alleged Israeli airstrikes on Syrian weapons storage facilities. Israeli commentators said it was important for Netanyahu to maintain his plans to signal that Israel is continuing its business as usual. Netanyahu did delay his departure slightly Sunday ...

With wary eye on the U.S. China courts India

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:37 -0400

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, smiling and effusive, was out to smooth ruffled feathers in India this week, promising to ease tensions and increase trade between Asia's fastest growing economies in his first trip overseas since taking ...

Chinas bird flu outbreak cost $6.5 billion

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:36 -0400

GENEVA (Reuters) - The H7N9 virus appears to have been brought under control in China largely due to restrictions at bird markets, but caused some $6.5 billion in losses to the economy, U.N. experts said on ...

Extensive gold reserves discovered in northwest China

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:43:28 -0400

Geologists in China say they've found gold reserves in a northwestern province that could be worth $32 billion to the country's economy. The discovery was made in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the country's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday. The gold deposit in Xinyuan County in the Ili Valley is estimated to contain at least 53 tons, Zeng Xiaogang, ...

Greek PM invites China to join Greeces success story

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:41:08 -0400

China's Premier Li Keqiang (r.) and Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras talk during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week. Mr. Samaras is hoping to convince the Chinese to invest in Greece, which could help ease the country's debt ...

Former President Rafsanjani Ahmadinejad ally barred from Iran election

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:39:54 -0400

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani , a relative moderate, from running in the June 14 election, along with a protege of the current president, leaving mainly hardliners left to contest the vote. Rafsanjani and Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, a close aide to current ...

China demands DPRK free crew of Chine...

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:37:40 -0400

China is urging Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to release a Chinese fishing boat and its crew reported to have been held since May 5. Counsellor Jiang Yaxian of the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK told Xinhua news agency yesterday that Yu Xuejun, the boat's owner, called the embassy for help on May 10 and it had immediately contacted the North Korean side. The Chinese ...

Gay marriage bill clears British House of Commons

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:13:13 -0400

LONDON (AP) — Britain's House of Commons has passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in England and Wales.The legislation, backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, passed by a vote of 366 to 161 on Tuesday.The bill will now move to the House of Lords, whose approval is also required. Members there are expected to hold their first debate in July.If approved, the law is expected to ...

China Builds Museums But Filling Them Is Another Story

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:06:47 -0400

One of the highlights of the new China Art Palace in Shanghai is a giant digital rendering of a famous ancient scroll, "Along the River During Qingming Festival," which includes figures that walk and talk. The work was first presented at the 2010 World Expo in ...

Polar Air Cargo to Upgrade Intra-Asia Trans-Pacific Services

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:03:23 -0400

Boeing 767-300 freighter will operate between Tokyo; Sydney; and Incheon, South Korea, while a second 767-300 will operate between Taipei, Taiwan; Nagoya, Japan; and Incheon. With other previously announced routes, this will allow connections to and from the U.S.Polar will also add two weekly flights between Hong Kong and Cincinnati."We are continuing to enhance our network to ensure that we ...

Li China India have vast room for further co-op

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:57:57 -0400

Li Keqiang said Tuesday. "China and India are two largest developing countries and emerging markets in the world," Li said in a speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs. "China-India relations are one of the world's most important bilateral relations in the 21st century," Li said. "Their cooperation has vast room of further development." Li urged both ...

US Congress grills former IRS chief over tax scandal

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:54:24 -0400

WASHINGTON: The political appointee who headed the IRS during the US tax agency's abusive treatment of conservative groups insisted on Tuesday that he was not involved in the scandal. US senators grilled retired IRS ...

Fossil fuel divestment campaigns victory in Australia will be a moral one | Alexander White

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:42:41 -0400

gigatons of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, fossil fuel companies have reserves of carbon from oil, coal and gas of almost 3000 gigatons --far exceeding the climate's safe limit if it were to all be burned.This "math" has been known for some years before McKibben's ...

Why China Can Handle Social Unrest

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:42:08 -0400

received significant international attention because they combined two major, hot-button issues in China: environmental pollution and government corruption. But the Kunming protests were hardly unusual in China; in fact, a ...

Scotiabank says China reevaluating Guangzhou deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:34:26 -0400

By Cameron French TORONTO | Tue May 21, 2013 4:34pm EDT TORONTO (Reuters) - Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) Chief Executive Rick Waugh said on Tuesday that Chinese authorities are reevaluating whether they want to go ahead with a deal to sell 20 percent of Bank of Guangzhou to the Canadian bank. Scotiabank, Canada's No. 3 lender, announced the C$719 million ($698.09 million) purchase ...

Obama against prosecuting reporters for doing their jobs White House

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:28:21 -0400

President Obama believes in the need for balance between national security concerns and the ability of reporters to work freely, White House has ...

Deal on Osama bin Laden evidence made in WikiLeaks case

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:28:20 -0400

Bradley Manning . It involves evidence that the slain al-Qaida leader saw some of the classified information that Manning has admitted he caused to be published on the WikiLeaks website. If the judge approves the deal and allows the evidence at Manning's trial starting on June 3, a member of ...

Search for US tornado survivors nearing end death toll lowered to 24

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:28:20 -0400

Oklahoma City suburb where massive tornado flattened homes and demolished an elementary school. Authorities lowered the death toll to 24, down from 51. Fire Chief Gary Bird said that he's "98 percent sure" there are no more survivors or bodies to recover under the rubble in Moore. He said every damaged home had been searched at least once and that he's hopeful the work could ...

U.S. slams Japanese mayors sex-slave comments as offensive

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:25:21 -0400

The United States condemned as "outrageous and offensive" comments by the mayor of the Japanese city of Osaka who said this week that Japan's military brothels during World War Two were "necessary" to provide respite for soldiers. The remarks by Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto drew strong criticism from China and South Korea, two nations sensitive to what they see as any ...

New Hope for Better Internet Access in Africa

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:02:11 -0400

WASHINGTON -- A non-profit technology company based in Kenya has created a wireless internet router that it says will help people living in places where electricity is spotty and internet service is unreliable. Founded in early 2008, Ushahidi is known primarily for its open-source software applications, but is now launching its first piece of hardware, called the BRCK. One of the BRCK's ...

In Japan Citizen Radiation-Tracking Project Goes Big Time

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:30 -0400

A post-Fukushima effort to crowdsource radiation data in Japan has since become the largest source of radiation data in the country. And it’s now set to expand to other parts of the world. Catherine Winter reports from ...

First AIBA Pro Boxing bout set for South Korea in July

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:50:27 -0400

May 21 - The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has announced the first ever AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) bout will take place on July 19 at Jeju Island in South Korea prior to the official launch of the competition next year. AIBA's most ambitious project to date, APB is looking to roll back decades of tradition by offering contracts that allow fighters to box professionally in the ...

Is China Pushing away from Diet of U.S. Treasuries Meet the New Old-Boy Network Banks Finally Draw a Line

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:49:51 -0400

YahooFinance ) In February, China held $1.251 trillion in U.S. Treasuries. In March, the figure dipped to $1.250 trillion. That's a billion dollar change in a month. Is that a big deal? On the surface, it may not seem like it. But if China begins to unwind from U.S. debt at the same time the Federal Reserve scales back its quantitative easing, that combination could pose trouble for ...

Family joins search for Ontario man missing in Australia

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:46:23 -0400

OTTAWA -- Family members joined a frantic search Tuesday for a Canadian man with survival training missing for more than a week in Australia's Gold Coast region. Prabhdeep Srawn of Brampton, Ont., hasn't been heard from since parking his rental car on May 13 in the village of Charlotte Pass in Kosciuszko National Park. For the last two years, the 25-year-old has been a law student ...

China to promote cleaner growth

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:46 -0400

/enpproperty--> China aims to promote cooperation among Asian political parties for sustainable development as Asia has become an engine of global economy but faces environmental challenges, an official of the Communist Party of China said on Tuesday. Shen Beili, director of Bureau I under the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks ahead of the opening of the ...

Chinas Xi to meet Obama months earlier than expected

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:44 -0400

BEIJING--China's new leader Xi Jinping will confer with U.S. President Barack Obama next month in California, months earlier than their expected first meeting, as both sides seek to stem a drift in relations, troubled by issues from cyberspying to North ...

China India in talks on trade strategy Li

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:43 -0400

Li Keqiang said on Tuesday in Mumbai. "There are solutions to helping the two countries maintain rapid growth in bilateral trade and investment," Li said during an evening banquet at the China-India Commercial ...

China-Japan trade will pick up report

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:38 -0400

/enpproperty--> Economic and trade cooperation between China and Japan will get back on track if there is no further deterioration of the countries' already strained ties, leading Chinese think tanks said in an annual report released on Tuesday. The row over ...

China rallies poultry industry as bird flu fears wane

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:45:22 -0400

/enpproperty--> WUHAN - Agricultural officials ate poultry products at an ongoing national animal husbandry expo in order to boost public confidence in the poultry industry, as bird flu concerns are starting to disappear. Several officials, including Li Xirong, head of the China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station and Wang Zongli, deputy head of the animal husbandry department of the ...

Massive sinkhole kills five in China

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:30:56 -0400

FIVE people have died after a 10-metre wide sinkhole opened up at the gates of an industrial estate in Shenzhen, the southern Chinese boom town neighbouring Hong ...

Hashimoto brings South Korea into fray

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:28:08 -0400

South Korean soldiers were guilty of abusing women in wartime, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) coleader and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto said in comments reported Tuesday, days after provoking a storm by labeling sex slaves a military necessity. In a remark likely to fuel outrage and further stoke tensions in an already uneasy relationship, Hashimoto said the South Korean military ...

China gains observer status on the Arctic Council

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:19:45 -0400

, the eyes of many nations are turning north. This week, the eight member states of the Arctic Council decided at their meeting in Kiruna, Sweden, to admit six non-Arctic nations as observers, most notably China. New Scientist examines the ...

Australia advises on avoiding resource curse

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:19:00 -0400

If resource-rich developing countries can avoid the "resource curse," they could reduce their dependency on aid, said an Australian government ...

Families endure desperate searches for Chinas missing children

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:17:11 -0400

XUZHOU, China - In front of a van plastered with pictures of about 100 children's faces, Xiao Zhaohua and Wu Xinghu pleaded with passersby for help. "Please don't think this is someone else's problem, and never take your eyes off your children!" they shouted. "We don't want more people to feel the same sadness we do." Xiao, 37, and Wu, 33, are on a ...

Iran Bars Election Candidacies of Rafsanjani Ahmadinejad Aide

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:17 -0400

Iran says a conservative body has barred two prominent figures from competing in next month's presidential election - moderate former president Hashemi Rafsanjani and a leading conservative allied to current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The Iranian interior ministry said Tuesday the Guardian Council of clerics and jurists excluded the two politicians from a final list of eight ...

Iconic Clubs Team Up to Grow US Soccer League

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:17 -0400

Major League Baseball's New York Yankees and English Premier League football club Manchester City are joining together to enter an expansion team in U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS). The new team will be named New York City Football Club and expects to begin play in 2015 as MLS's 20th franchise. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said "this is a transformational development that will ...

Kerry Visits Oman Seeking Syria Peace Consensus

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:17 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has held talks in Oman on his latest stop in a campaign to help arrange an internationally-sponsored Syrian peace ...

UN Works to Contain Disease Epidemics in Two African Countries

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:16 -0400

A child from the Central African Republic receives a measles vaccine in a refugee camp set up by the UNHCR in Nangungue, eastern Cameroon, April 12, ...

Liberace Film Spotlights Gay Rights at Cannes

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:16 -0400

CANNES -- The relationship between the flamboyant pianist Liberace and his young lover dazzled at the Cannes film festival on Tuesday and threw the spotlight on gay rights at the movie industry's largest annual gathering. Director Steven Soderbergh said he struggled five years ago to secure funding for "Behind the Candelabra" because some financiers thought the film would only ...

Oklahoma Tornado Victims Share Stories of Survival

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:15 -0400

The deadly tornado that ripped through the midwestern state of Oklahoma on Monday left entire neighborhoods flattened, homes, businesses and schools destroyed. As emergency workers sift through the wreckage Tuesday, survivors are sharing their experiences. Among the countless buildings struck by the three-kilometer-wide tornado were two elementary schools - hit just as students were about to ...

Dish Sprint-SoftBank deal is a step toward China away from national security

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:44:57 -0400

Dish Network Corp. played up a Sprint Nextel Corp. suitors ties to China as new plot points unfolded Tuesday in the Sprint-Dish-SoftBank Corp.-Clearwire Corp. drama. A Tuesday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission showed text from an anti-SoftBank-Sprint merger website paid for by Dish (Nasdaq: DISH), NationalSecurityMatters.com. On the site, Dish provides its take on SoftBanks ...

Microsoft unveils next Xbox games console

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:43:12 -0400

Microsoft Corp has given a first look at its new game console, hoping the newly named Xbox One will build on a solid core of gamer fans and become a hub for living room entertainment. The third-generation console, coming eight years after the Xbox 360, was unveiled by games unit chief Don Mattrick at an event at the software company's campus near ...

Dolphins Find 19th Century Navy Torpedo In Pacific Ocean

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:41:07 -0400

A rare piece of America's military history was located this spring, when dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program located an unusual artifact: a torpedo from the 19th century. Discovered during a training exercise in the ocean near San Diego, the torpedo will eventually make its way to a museum. The bottlenose dolphins were honing their ability to find underwater mines when the ...

Death Toll from E. China Plant Blast Hits 13

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:39:20 -0400

(MENAFN - Qatar News Agency) The death toll from a blast that ripped through an explosives manufacturing plant in east China's Shandong Province has climbed to 13, according to China's News Agency (Xinhua). The explosion, which occurred inside a workshop of a plant owned by Poly Explosives (Jinan) Co., Zhangqiu City, also injured 19 people. Thirty-four workers were in the workshop at ...

China-trained medical doctors doing fine in Nepal

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:37:09 -0400

Bhavuk Sharma Bajagain, 30, a medical doctor by profession, is often busy with his patients in the emergency ward of Kathmandu Model Hospital, one of the more reputable hospitals .In the morning, Bajagain also teaches and shares his medical experience with students in two different local medical institutions."I am very happy and satisfied when I see my patients relieved of pain after ...

Feathers fly as H7N9 hits Chinas down industry

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:36:31 -0400

The H7N9 bird flu epidemic, which has inflicted huge losses on China's poultry industry, is also hitting the country's down products manufacturers.The virus, which has so far killed 36 of the 130 people infected nationwide, prompted the culling of birds and the closure of poultry farms and thus cut the output of raw down feathers, sending their prices spiralling upward.As a result, many ...

China agrees to impose carbon targets by 2016

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:35:38 -0400

The battle against global warming has received a transformational boost after China, the world's biggest producer of carbon dioxide, proposed to set a cap on its greenhouse gas emissions for the first ...

Japan edges Denmark 3-2 at Sudirman Cup

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:34:16 -0400

Japan edged past Denmark 3-2 in Group D at the 13th Sudirman Cup team badminton championships here on Tuesday in a thrilling encounter which lasted more than five hours.Matsutomo Misaki/Takahashi Ayaka defeated last year's Malaysia Open champions Christinna Pedersen/Kamilla Rytter Juhl 22-20, 21-16 in the women's doubles to deliver Japan's winning point.Denmark took the lead first ...

How far can China be pushed

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:52 -0400

"People are worried about the current Korean tensions and don't want to visit North Korea," said Xiao Zhuang, the distressed marketing manager of Yijiang International Travel Service in Dandong, Liaoning Province, along the North Korean border. Usually busy season of visiting the hermit neighboring country starts from May, but this year it may not be as usual, Xiao said.The Yonhap ...

Japan Basks In Its New Position As An Affordable Travel Destination

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:33:35 -0400

The difference a year can make: When I spoke with Yuki Tanaka, the Executive Director of the Japan National Tourism Organization in the U.S., last May, travel to Japan was just recovering from the a drastic decline following the March 11, 2011 Sendai earthquake and a close call with disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. What's more, tourism to Japan was also facing a structural ...

Chinas trade surplus figures over-inflated

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:31:15 -0400

China's trade surplus figures in the first four months of the year were over-inflated by hot money smuggled into the country to profit from interest rate differentials and investments in the real estate and financial sectors amid the yuan's appreciation, according to economists. If the fake transactions, which were disguised as trade payments, are not taken into account, the real ...

UK government plans to boost British fund industry

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:27:36 -0400

LONDON: Britain has launched a campaign to attract more investment fund money to the country, with plans for tax breaks, cutting red tape and marketing campaigns in Asia and the Americas. In speeches to fund management executives on Tuesday afternoon, Treasury ministers Sajid Javid and Greg Clark said they aim to reverse a weakening of the UK's dominance as a centre for the funds industry. ...

China proposes emissions cap for first time

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24:47 -0400

Early summit date set for US and China

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24:45 -0400

The meeting, set for 7-8 June at a retreat south-east of Los Angeles, underlines the importance of the relationship between the countries as they work out ways to make room for an increasingly powerful China in a US-led world order.President Xi has said that China wants its rise to be peaceful, but that it will not compromise on issues of sovereignty - a stance that has aggravated disputes over ...

Chinese hostages released as North Korea backs down

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:24:45 -0400

Pyongyang has backed down from a potentially damaging confrontation with its closest ally by releasing the crew of a Chinese fishing boat held hostage for over two ...

House Panel Shoves Pentagon-China Satellite Deal Out of the Airlock

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:18:30 -0400

A Long March 3B carrier rocket carrying the APSTAR-7 communications satellite lifts off at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province in March 2012. Photo: AP The Pentagon insists that its deal with a Chinese satellite firm to carry U.S. troops’ communications isn’t a security risk. But Congressmen with the ultra-influential House Armed Services Committee don’t ...

China vice-premier in Zimbabwe for start of trade and development trip before Africa summit

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:12:37 -0400

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Chinese vice-premier Wang Yang has arrived in Zimbabwe at the start of an official trip to view his nation's burgeoning trade and development ties in Africa. Officials at the Harare airport said Tuesday that the third ranking of China's four vice-premiers in President Xi Jinping's communist party is scheduled to meet with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe on ...

Experts urge Japan watchdog to delay decision on closure of nuclear plant over seismic fault

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:12:16 -0400

TOKYO - Experts commissioned by the operator of a Japanese nuclear plant that faces possible closure because of a suspected active seismic fault say a decision should wait, citing insufficient data. Tuesday's request came a day before Japan's nuclear watchdog is to rule on the future of the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor in western Japan. The watchdog's own panel said last week that the ...

Learn from Japan the dangers of half measures

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:09:07 -0400

economy is being held back by fiscal austerity, low confidence and tight credit conditions. "Deep challenges persist in its financial system. Without sustained and significant reforms, a decade of stagnation threatens," Carney said in the prepared text of a speech he was delivering in Montreal. "Europe can draw lessons from Japan on the dangers of half measures," he said, ...

Oklahoma tornado Many children among 91 feared dead

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:00:15 -0400

Todd Lamb told CNN. There was an outpouring of grief on the school's Facebook page, with messages from around the country including one pleading simply: "Please find those little children." Another elementary school, homes and a hospital were among the buildings leveled, leaving residents of the town of about 50,000 people stunned at the devastation and loss of life. The Oklahoma ...

WRAPUP 1-EU and U.S. not coordinating on China solar dispute

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:37:16 -0400

By Daniel Bases and Doug Palmer Tue May 21, 2013 1:37pm EDT May 21 (Reuters)- NEW YORK/WASHINGTON - Europe and the United States both said on Tuesday they were not holding coordinated talks to negotiate an end to a trade dispute with China over the dumping of solar panels onto their respective markets. The European Union has until June 5 to decide whether to impose duties averaging 47 percent on ...

China to face Indonesia again in badminton quarters

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:52 -0400

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Luck was not on Indonesia's side on Tuesday as hours after suffering a crushing 5-0 defeat to China, they were drawn to meet the eight-time Sudirman Cup champions again, this time in the quarter-finals.Germany, who stunned hosts Malaysia 3-2, were matched against South Korea, while Taiwan will meet Denmark, and Thailand will face Japan in the other quarter-finals on ...

Video UN chief worried by North Koreas missile launches

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:04 -0400

In response to North Korea's recent missile launches, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges Pyongyang to return to talks and avoid further ...

China vice-premier arrives in Zimbabwe

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:02 -0400

HARARE, Zimbabwe -; Chinese vice-premier Wang Yang has arrived in Zimbabwe at the start of an official trip to view his nation's burgeoning trade and development ties in ...

China Fishery mulls bid

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:40 -0400

China Fishery Group plans to raise its bid for Peruvian fish feed maker Copeinca if an agreed deal with Cermaq fails to get shareholder approval on Tuesday, it said in a statement.Shareholders in Cermaq will vote on Tuesday whether to approve buying Copeinca and China Fishery Group said it was prepared to raise its offer price if the deal ran ...

China Galaxy gets market jump

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:26 -0400

Shares of China Galaxy Securities Co soared as much as 8.3 percent in gray market trading Tuesday, signaling expectations the State-owned brokerage will climb in its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Wednesday.China Galaxy shares changed hands at HK$5.70 ($0.73) in late afternoon and rose as high as HK$5.74, up from the IPO price of HK$5.30. The stock traded at HK$5.64, up 6.4 percent, at the ...

Essar inks landmark China deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:17 -0400

Essar Oil Ltd, India's second largest private refiner, was set to sign on Tuesday a $1 billion loan deal with China that sources said would be backed by a supply of refined products to PetroChina.Essar Oil was set to finalize a preliminary agreement with the China Development Bank (CDB) on Tuesday to borrow the amount during Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang's visit to Mumbai.The Indian ...

Philippines says to finish probe on shooting Taiwan fishermen soon

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:20:54 -0400

The Philippine National Bureau of Investigations (NBI) is close to finishing its investigations on a Taiwan fisherman shot dead by Philippine coast guards, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday.Except for the physical examination of the fishing vessel, the NBI has already completed its probe on the case, said Aquino in a chance interview after the 115th anniversary celebration of ...

Coaches collide in NE China casualties unknown

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:12 -0400

Two coaches collided in northeast China's Liaoning Province on Tuesday, injuring at least a dozen passengers while the death toll remains unknown, local authorities said.The accident happened at around 3:30 p.m. on a national expressway near the city of Anshan, said an official from the city's publicity bureau.Both vehicles had a designed capacity of more than 30 ...

Vatican denies video footage shows pope exorcism

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:06 -0400

In this image made from video provided by APTN, Pope Francis lays his hands on the head of a young man on Sunday, May 19, 2013, after celebrating Mass in St. Peter's Square. The young man heaved deeply a half-dozen times, convulsed and shook, and then slumped in his wheelchair as Francis prayed over him. The television station of the Italian bishops' conference said it had surveyed ...

China may probe EU wine report

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:18:06 -0400

China is likely to make substantive moves this year toward initiating an anti-dumping investigation into wine imported from the eurozone, the China Security Journal reported on Tuesday.The government may take a further step in pushing the probe in response to a strong call from the domestic wine industry and a string of anti-dumping cases brought by the European Union (EU) against Chinese ...

What an idiot thoughts of a skydiver who survived 13000ft fall

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:57 -0400

Rosa Silverman - 21 May 2013 A SKYDIVER who survived a 13,000ft fall after his parachute failed to open has spoken of what he feared were his final thoughts as he plunged towards the ...

South Korea officially appoints new ambassadors to China US Japan

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:16:31 -0400

South Korea has officially appointed its new ambassadors to China, the US and Japan after receiving the consent of the three countries on their nomination, South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday. According to Yonhap news agency, former lawmaker Kwon Young-se will become the next ambassador to Beijing, while former vice foreign minister Ahn Ho-young will be appointed the new US ambassador. ...

SK troops guilty of sex abuse Japan Mayor

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:15:33 -0400

South Korean soldiers were guilty of abusing women in wartime, a Japanese mayor said in comments reported Tuesday, days after he provoked a storm by labeling WWII sex slaves a military necessity.In a remark that provoked a sharp response from Seoul, further stoking tensions, Osaka mayor Toru Hashimoto said the South Korean military used women for sex during the Vietnam War.Hashimoto said last ...

Hawaiian flight to Australia returns to Honolulu because of system problem

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:13:34 -0400

A Hawaiian Airlines flight bound for Sydney, Australia, returned to Honolulu International Airport Monday afternoon because of a system problem. KHON reports the flight returned to Honolulu after a light in the cockpit came on about an hour into the flight indicating a problem with the system. KHON reports the 246 passengers on the flight were taken to dinner in Waikiki before leaving late Monday ...

Spokesman highlights China-US summit

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:54 -0400

/enpproperty--> BEIJING - A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Tuesday that an impending meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Barack Obama will aid in the construction of a new type of relationship between the two countries. The summit, the first of its kind to be held since Xi took office in March, would be conducive to strengthening strategic communication, increasing ...

BlackRock acquires MGPA boosts Asia-Pacific and European operations

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:50 -0400

/enpproperty--> BlackRock Inc announced on Tuesday that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire MGPA, a private equity real estate investment advisory company in Asia-Pacific and Europe, significantly extending its real estate investment capabilities in these regions. MGPA owns a retail mall in Chengdu and a grade A office building in Shanghai, while in Hong Kong it has a ...

EU set to brand Lebanons Hezbollah as terrorists

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:03:24 -0400

View Photo AFP/AFP/File - Hezbollah militants ride on a vehicle carrying a Fajr 5 missile during the annual parade in the southern Lebanese town of Nabatiyeh, on November 28, 2012, to mark the 13th day of Muharram ...

Chinese escape Karachi bomb ahead of Premier Lis arrival in Pakistan

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:54:40 -0400

1 of 3. Security officials collects the evidence at the site of a bomb blast in Karachi May 21, 2013. A roadside bomb exploded near the seafront in Karachi on Tuesday likely targeting a van full of Chinese port workers, police said, a day before Chinese Premier Li Keqiang arrives in the capital, ...

Peace debate exposes deep rifts in Israeli government

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:54:35 -0400

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) shakes hands with former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, head of the centrist Hatenuah party, during their joint statement at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem February 19, ...

Why China’s developmental state says no to liberalism

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:54:20 -0400

NEW YORK - Modern history is the story of how liberal democracy, originating in Britain and America, spread around the world. This may sound like an absurd fantasy. In actuality, this Whiggish narrative of progress underpins most newspaper editorials, political commentary and speeches in the West, and frames larger views of political developments in the non-West. It accounts for the gloomy ...

China probes rice tainted with cancer-causing cadmium

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:52:46 -0400

BEIJING Authorities are investigating rice mills in southern China following tests that found almost half of the staple grain in one of the country's largest cities was contaminated with a toxic metal. The mills in Hunan province's Youxian county were ordered to suspend business and recall their products after samples showed excessive levels of cadmium, according to an official notice ...

Cadmium-tainted rice closes three mills in central China

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:45:44 -0400

Three mills in central China have been closed and the rice they produced recalled after officials said Tuesday the grain was found to be tainted with cadmium. The mills, located in Youxian County in Hunan province, have been told to suspend operations while samples of rice stored at the mills is tested by the provincial quality inspection agency, Xinhua reported. A May 16 statement by the ...

UPDATE 1-Armani sees no slowdown even in China

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:36:54 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 12:36pm EDT * Revenue up 16 pct to 2.091 bln euros in 2012 * Net cash at 565 mln euros * Says planned succession but won't give details By Astrid Wendlandt and Isla Binnie PARIS/MILAN May 21 (Reuters) - Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani on Tuesday said it had not seen a slowdown, even in China, the industry's main engine of growth, where rivals noted more muted demand ...

Diplomats Iran Acts to Expand Sensitive Nuclear Capacity

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:55 -0400

VIENNA, AUSTRIA -- A U.N. nuclear agency report due this week is expected to show Iran further increasing its capacity to produce material that its adversaries fear could eventually be used to develop atomic bombs, Western diplomats said on Tuesday. But they said it also is likely to indicate that growth in Iran's most sensitive nuclear stockpile has been held back because some of it has ...

Former US Tax Chief Dismayed at Conservative Targeting

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:55 -0400

The former head of the U.S. tax agency says he was "dismayed and saddened" to learn that conservative groups were targeted for special scrutiny under his watch, but told a congressional panel Tuesday he did not know about it as it was ...

Russia Says Senior Islamist Insurgent Killed

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:53 -0400

MOSCOW -- The right-hand man of Russia's most wanted insurgent was killed by security forces on Tuesday, officials said, as Moscow tries to contain militancy in its Caucasus region before it hosts the Winter Olympics near there next February. Dzhamaleil Mutaliyev, a senior figure in a group fighting to establish an Islamist state, was killed along with another militant in a shootout in ...

Rescuers Dig for Survivors After Deadly US Tornado

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:53 -0400

U.S. search and rescue crews are digging for survivors in miles of wreckage, after a massive tornado leveled neighborhoods Monday in the central U.S. state of Oklahoma, killing at least 24 ...

Seven Feared Trapped in Cambodian Gold Mine Collapse

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:53 -0400

PHNOM PENH -- A gold mine shaft has collapsed in the Preah Vihear province of Cambodia, trapping at least seven miners, officials said Monday. Police said late Monday they are trying to rescue the trapped miners, near Romtum village, Rovieng district, but the shaft is very deep and old, making rescue efforts difficult. "We don’t have the identities or the exact number of people, ...

Afghanistan Sees Sharp Rise in Women Imprisoned for Moral Crimes

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:52 -0400

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Tuesday, the highest number since the Taliban were toppled almost 12 years ago. Running away from home, usually from abuse and forced marriage, and alleged adultery, which often involves rape, have landed most of the 600 women in prison. That figure is an increase of 50 percent over the last 18 months. "That increase reflects a shameful lack and failure ...

Emergency Response Grows in Chad

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:19:52 -0400

Emergency water supplies are being rushed to southeastern Chad where about 50-thousand people have fled fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region. Several Arab tribes have been battling for control of mining operations there. to De Capua report on Darfur displaced The refugees and migrants have been gathering around the village of Tissi since January. Felix Leger is the country director ...

Senators agree to expansion of high-tech visas

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:13:25 -0400

WASHINGTON -; Officials say leading senators trying to resolve a key issue on immigration legislation have agreed to a compromise covering expansion of a high-tech visa ...

Colombia Opening Gates to Asia Pacific Summit

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:11:33 -0400

Bogota, May 21 (Prensa Latina) The Summit of the member countries of the Asia Pacific Alliance, whose opening will be on Thursday, have an anteroom today in the southern city of Cali, with the meeting of the High Level Group comprising ministers Trade and Foreign Affairs. The ministers, who have been working for several months in the agreements to be sealed on the 23rd, developed technical ...

Hundreds seek compensation in Japan nuclear crisis

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:07:51 -0400

Koji Otani, a lawyer representing hundreds of residents and evacuees from just outside Fukushima, points at the Hippo district of Miyagi prefecture as he speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The residents said Tuesday they have been unfairly denied full compensation despite high radiation levels in their area caused by Japans 2011 nuclear disaster. Nearly 700 ...

Royal Trophy set for China debut in December

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:57:59 -0400

China will host the Royal Trophy team event for the first time this year, organizers said Tuesday, adding to a list of big golf tournaments in the country.The seventh edition of the tournament between Asia and Europe will be held at Dragon Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, the capital city of South China's Guangdong Province, from December 20 to 22, they said in a press release."The previous ...

China India pledge closer cooperation in joint statement

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:57:01 -0400

China and India issued a joint statement Monday highlighting their commitment to expanding common ground in bilateral cooperation and coordination in various fields.The statement, released during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's ongoing visit here, said the two Asian giants have a historic opportunity for economic and social development and the realization of this goal will advance peace and ...

UPDATE 1-No active U.S.-EU-China solar talks under way - USTR

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:43:56 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 11:43am EDT (Adds details on stock price moves, background on dispute) WASHINGTON May 21 (Reuters) - WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - The United States is not actively negotiating a solar trade deal with the European Union and China, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Tuesday without ruling out the idea. "Our goal is to support a healthy ...

Burberry upbeat on China prospects as it reveals strong menswear sales

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:56:52 -0400

Burberry today struck an upbeat note on its prospects in China, as an emerging army of luxury shoppers in the Asian country helped to drive a sharp uplift in annual ...

One mans escape from Camp 14 and North Korea

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:32:29 -0400

Only one prisoner born in North Korea's gulag is known to have escaped to tell his story. A Q&A with Blaine Harden, the journalist who wrote about Shin ...

North Koreas hidden labor camps exposed

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:32:26 -0400

A new UN panel is vowing to hold North Korea's Kim regime to 'full accountability' for decades of mass crime and murder. Will Pyongyang face ICC ...

Saudi debates access to stadiums for women

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:31:00 -0400

Football Federation chief Ahmed Eid. Eid raised the possibility of allocating 15 per cent of the capacity of a stadium being built in a sports complex in the western city of Jeddah to family booths where women could attend football matches. The stadium is due to be completed in 2014. His remarks have triggered a wide debate, mostly opposing the idea, in Saudi media forcing Eid to clarify that ...

China warns EU against trade probe into mobile telecom equipment

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:56:23 -0400

The interests of both sides would be hurt if the European Union (EU) goes ahead with an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation into mobile telecommunications equipment from China, said a senior Chinese official on Tuesday.Telecom manufacturers of China and the EU have enormous interests in each other's markets and have broad cooperation, Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng told ...

Former Greece basketball coach appointed to lead China to Rio 2016

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:54:18 -0400

May 21 - Panagiotis Giannakis, the man who led his native Greece to European glory in 2005, has taken over at the helm of the Chinese national men's basketball team, who parted company with American coach Bob Donewald Jr after they lost all five of their ties at London 2012. "The former Greek national team boss will be the national team coach," confirmed the Chinese Basketball ...

China protects Mogao Grottoes with huge investment

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:48:33 -0400

/enpproperty--> LANZHOU - China is investing millions of dollars in a flood control project to prevent Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northwest China's Gansu province, from seasonal flooding, the caves' administration said on Tuesday. Designed to combat a once-in-300-year flood, the banks of the Daquan River where the grottoes are located, will be strengthened with ...

Bayer wants to export technology made in China

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:48:29 -0400

/enpproperty--> Germany-based Bayer Group said that while China is continuously exporting products to the global market, it's also expected to export technology to the rest of the world. "We are aiming to reach a global innovation footprint for Bayer and its partners by exporting China-made technology to the rest of the world by 2020," said Patrick Thomas, CEO of Bayer ...

Smuggled snakes tortoises confiscated in S China

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:48:23 -0400

A large number of snakes and tortoises were confiscated in a cross-border smuggling case in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local border police said ...