Asia News latest RSS headlines - Asia Bulletin.com

North Korea envoy hands over China's Xi a note of peace

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:58:46 -0400

BEIJING - A senior North Korean envoy delivered a letter from his leader Kim Jong-un to Chinese President Xi Jinping and told him that Pyongyang was ready to take "positive action" to re-join stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks. The letter was handed over by envoy, Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae. Choe told Xi that North Korea is willing to take positive actions to solve problems ...

World becoming dangerous for refugees, warns Amnesty

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:37 -0400

LONDON - Global rights body Amnesty International has said that the world is "increasingly" becoming "dangerous place" for refugees due to inaction on human rights. The London-based group in its annual report cited the increasing number of refugees around the world, and highlighted the lack of support for them, as the key human rights issue for the past year. It said that the number of ...

UN rights experts call for stronger protection of victims of caste-based discrimination

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:15:59 -0400

24 May 2013 150 More than 260 million people across the world are still victims of human rights abuses due to caste-based discrimination, United Nations independent experts warned today, urging South Asian countries to strengthen legislation to protect them. "Caste-based discrimination remains widespread and deeply rooted, its victims face structural discrimination, marginalization and ...

China clears Boeing 787s for commercial service

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:50:02 -0400

Beijing, May 24 (Xinhua-ANI): The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a certification for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Thursday, a milestone for the 787 to begin commercial service in China. The CAAC presented Boeing with a Validation of Type Certification (VTC), indicating that the design of the 787 Dreamliner is compliant with China's aviation regulations and that China endorses ...

Radical preacher claims to know Woolwich attacker

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:54:34 -0400

LONDON: A radical Islamist preacher has now been identified who is believed to have brainwashed Britain's most hated man this moment--Michael Adebolajo. Photographs and videos have been found showing Adebolajo taking part in Islamic rallies by Anjem Choudary, former head of the banned Islamist organisation Al Muhajiroun. Adebolajo beheaded British ...

Security services tried to recruit London killing suspect Friend

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:54:34 -0400

An alleged friend of London soldier murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was arrested at the BBC after telling the broadcaster that British security services had tried to recruit his ...

US push on Myanmar enters new phase

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:15:12 -0400

After a landmark visit by Thein Sein, the United States is looking to a new phase of greater cooperation to encourage reform with Myanmar as it runs out of major symbolic ...

China woos Lanka with $580m loan

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:12:31 -0400

BEIJING: China stepped up its efforts to win over another South Asian country, Sri Lanka, with its state-owned bank extending $580 million in loans days ahead of president Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to Beijing on May 27-30. ...

Jet on fire shuts down Heathrow for an hour

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:46:52 -0400

Heathrow , was thrown into chaos after a flight that took off for Oslo made a U-turn following an engine fire. As many as 75 passengers had a close shave ...

UK fighters escort Pak plane after midair scare

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:46:52 -0400

Pakistan International Airlines pilot sent out an emergency call alarmed by two men trying to barge into the cockpit. Both the men were arrested after the plane was escorted by Royal Air Force fighters and diverted from Manchester to the ...

Kin mourn the death of big brother

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:46:51 -0400

terrorist attack in Woolwich. The shattered family of Rigby recalled the soldier as a doting father who would do "anything for anybody". The soldier, who was married and had a two-year-old son, was described as a "loving son, husband, father, brother and uncle, and a friend to many". In a statement, Rigby's family said: "Lee was lovely. He would do anything for ...

5 climbers feared dead on worlds third-highest peak in Nepal

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:09:59 -0400

Five men who disappeared earlier this week trying to climb the world's third-highest mountain are feared dead, searchers leading the recovery effort in Nepal said on Friday, saying few could survive this ...

World Briefing | Asia India 4 Soldiers and a Gunman Killed

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:08:50 -0400

Four Indian Army soldiers and a gunman suspected of being a rebel were killed in fighting in the Indian portion of Kashmir on Friday, officials said. Lt. Col Ankur Vashist, an army spokesman, said gunmen ambushed and fatally shot three soldiers near the village of Buchoo. After reinforcements arrived, another soldier was killed in an exchange of gunfire with the gunmen, Colonel Vashist ...

For weeks killers hunted for soldiers

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:03:48 -0400

Woolwich killers , both British men of Nigerian origin, went out hunting for soldiers in weeks before the attack in the same area. According to 46-year-old Paul Ramsamy, the pair confronted him after apparently mistaking him for a soldier because he was wearing combat trousers and boots. The incident took place in Greenwich as Ramsamy walked home. The father of two said the ...

Asia Stocks Cap Worst Week Since XXXX Japan Plunges

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:58:32 -0400

Asian equities fell the most since July this week as Chinese manufacturing data missed estimates and amid concern that the U.S. might begin to unwind stimulus. Japanese shares had the largest one-day plunge since March 2011. The Topix Index plummeted 6.9 percent on May 23, wiping $314 billion from the world's best-performing stock market this year. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. ...

Senate confirms Sri Srinivasan 97-0 to Court of Appeals in US Capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:38:54 -0400

Indian-American Srikanth Srinivasan whose nomination to the US Court of Appeals for DC Circuit as a judge was unanimously approved by the Senate in Washington. (PTI ...

Tokyo plunges more than 7pct as Asian markets fall

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:50 -0400

Asian markets fell Thursday with Tokyo plunging more than seven percent as investors took profits after weak Chinese data and signs the US Federal Reserve could start tapering off its massive stimulus measures. Tokyo dropped on record volumes in the afternoon as investors panicked in the rush to take profit, with the index suffering its biggest daily percentage fall since the March 2011 ...

Is China Inserting Itself Into the Taiwan-Philippines Spat

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:47 -0400

This week a Chinese warship and a couple of maritime agency vessels conducted a patrol in the areas of the Spratly Islands that the Philippines claims, prompting an official rebuke from Manila. According to Philippines officials, at least three Chinese ships and 10 fishing boats were spotted near the Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Spratly Islands and about 200 kms off the coast of the ...

Obama’s silence on Taiwan masks its significance in Asia

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:46 -0400

For decades, when US policymakers contemplated conflict with China, their fears focused on Taiwan. Today, by contrast, Sino-American tensions seem to be on the rise everywhere but Taiwan, where relations between this island and the mainland have significantly improved. Since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008, the government in Taipei has inked 18 agreements with China, ...

Japan slams Korea daily’s ‘A-bomb’ op-ed comments

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:43 -0400

Japan yesterday accused a South Korean newspaper of ';dishonourable'; behaviour for publishing an editorial suggesting the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were ';divine punishment';. The editorial in the Korean and English versions of the Joongang Ilbo daily on Monday said the 1945 nuclear bombs dropped by US planes, which together killed more than 200,000 people, ...

Chinese restaurant chain hopes to popularise hot pot in US

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:37 -0400

A popular chain of hot pot restaurants from China is set to be exported to the US this fall in the hopes of popularising the community style of eating among Western diners. According to a story in the Wall Street Journal, the first US outpost of Chinese restaurant chain Hai Di Lao will open in Los Angeles this fall, where diners will partake in what could be described as the Chinese version of ...

US China Set Pact On Auditor Access

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:37 -0400

The US and China have struck an agreement giving US accounting regulators access to documents from Chinese accounting firms. The deal, expected to be announced Friday, could help US regulators investigate the auditors of US-listed Chinese companies that might have been involved in accounting fraud. The agreement will allow the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to see audit records ...

New concerns for China’s rising middle class

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:36 -0400

With two cars, foreign holidays and a cook for their apartment, one Beijing family epitomises the new middle class created by China’s decades of rapid economic growth – and its resulting worries. Li Na, 42, a caterer at the capital’s zoo, and her husband Chi Shubo, 48, who works for a state-owned investment company, have seen their fortunes transformed since she arrived in ...

China Pakistan vow to deepen co-op in joint statement

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:35 -0400

China and Pakistan have agreed to cement their strategic partnership and deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation in various areas, according to a joint statement issued Thursday during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to the South Asian nation. The statement said both sides are satisfied with their relationship, which contributed to peace and stability in the region and acquired ...

The Powerful People Arguing for US-China Free Trade

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:31 -0400

Recommending that the US and China work toward a free-trade deal is a bit like stepping into a prize fight and asking the boxers to settle their differences peacefully. But some powerful people on both sides of the Pacific Ocean are doing exactly that. A report by a blue-ribbon, binational panel assembled by the China-United States Exchange Foundation said this week that the countries ...

Huawei’s Middle East revenue rose 18pct in 2012 executive

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:30 -0400

China’s Huawei Technologies Co’s Middle East revenue rose 18 percent to $2.08 billion in 2012 and the roll-out of 4G mobile networks and IT outsourcing will be among its main regional growth drivers, the firm said. The world’s second-largest telecom equipment maker also expects Middle East telecom operators to prioritise improving network efficiency, Shi Yaohong, president of ...

Japan’s Meiji Yasuda can start buying 10-yr JGBs at 1 pct

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:28 -0400

Japan’s Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Co said on Friday it will shift some of the money earmarked for foreign bonds to Japanese government bonds given their rise in yields. Japan’s third-largest private life insurer said it can start buying 10-year Japanese government bonds at 1 percent and 20-year debt at 1.7 percent. The 10-year yield was traded at 0.825 percent on Friday ...

Singapore economy basks in a rare burst of sunshine

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:27 -0400

IT was a good day for Singapore’s economy, with positive surprises on three fronts: An unexpected upgrade to gross domestic product (GDP) meant the economy grew 0.2 per cent instead of contracting in Q1, April inflation plunged to a three-year low of 1.5 per cent, and April factory output bounced 4.7 per cent not just on pharmaceuticals but also the first year-on-year electronics expansion ...

Indian companies line up to raise funds in Singapore

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:27 -0400

Easy access and a diversified investor base in the Singapore bond market is increasingly attracting Indian firms looking to raise money at cheaper rates. They have raised S$1 billion this year, already 30 percent higher than the whole of 2012, according to Dealogic, the global deal tracker. Recently, four Tata companies, including the marquee Tata Motors Ltd, raised $624 million in Singapore ...

Scientist’s family seeks US Congress Thai expert’s help

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:26 -0400

The parents of a US scientist found hanged in Singapore last year said Thursday they will seek a US congressional inquiry and tap a celebrity Thai pathologist to prove their son was murdered. Mary Todd, mother of the late researcher Shane Todd whose death in June 2012 was ruled a suicide by the Singapore police, indicated the family did not expect the US government to intervene because of its ...

HSBC Plans to Sell First Yuan Bond to Be Cleared in Singapore – Sources

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:26 -0400

HSBC Holdings PLC (HBC) plans to sell the first yuan-denominated bond to be cleared out of Singapore, in a step forward for the city-state which is trying to build itself into an offshore trading hub for the Chinese currency. The UK banking giant’s plan comes as Singapore is set to kick off its long-anticipated yuan-clearing service Monday, after Beijing in February approved Industrial ...

Philippines exports 15 metric tonnes of rice to HK

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:25 -0400

A shipment of 15 metric tonnes (MT) of black, brown and red rice from the Don Bosco Multi-Purpose Cooperative (DBMPC) in Cotabato was exported last May 15 to Hong Kong, the department said in a statement. This is the country’s second rice shipment this month. The first shipment was on May 6 where 35 MT of organic black rice and aromatic Jasponica rice was sent to Dubai. Agriculture ...

Philippines business sentiment at all-time high in Q2 Central bank survey

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:24 -0400

Business sentiment in the Philippines soared to an all-time high during the second quarter after the country was awarded investment grade credit ratings by Fitch Ratings and Standard & Poor’s, the central bank said on Thursday. The result of the central bank’s quarterly Business Expectations Survey showed the overall confidence index rising to 54.9 per cent from first ...

Philippines cemetery provides Manila’s poor a place to live among the dead

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:24 -0400

Every morning, Alberto Lagarda Evangelista, 71, leaves the two-storey, lemon-yellow home he has lived in for the past decade and walks to work at the cemetery next door. As a caretaker of about 20 graves, Evangelista earns just 20,000 pesos (GBP 315) a year, a sum so small that he must share his house with seven other people – all of whom are dead. Evangelista lives and works in the ...

Philippine capital angered by ‘Da Vinci Code’ author

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:23 -0400

Philippine authorities Thursday reacted angrily over ';Da Vinci Code'; author Dan Brown’s portrayal of Manila as ';the gates of hell'; in his latest novel. The book ';Inferno'; includes a character who describes the capital as a city of horrible traffic jams, suffocating pollution, massive poverty and a thriving child sex trade. The chair of the government ...

Grounded ship is Philippines’ last line of defence

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:03:23 -0400

A handful of marines living on a World War II-era ship that is grounded on a remote, tiny reef is the Philippines’ last line of defence against China’s efforts to control most of the South China Sea. The soldiers are stationed on Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands aboard a former US tank-landing vessel that was deliberately abandoned there to serve as a base, according to ...

Forum on Pan-Asian traveler trends

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:57 -0400

/enpproperty--> Set for June 3 at the Shanghai Theater, Portman Ritz-Carlton in Shanghai, the International Luxury Travel Market Asia 2013 opening forum will hear leading industry experts discussing the ongoing rise of the region's luxury travel industry and explore opportunities to build business across the region. Continuing until June 6, the expo will host nearly 500 elite ...

Reforming Telecommunications in Burma

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:34:17 -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 ...

Asias Week China Still on Flu Watch

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:55:18 -0400

Qingdao, for a while, grew to the sky. (Photo: Wikipedia) While Asia basked another week in generally favorable economic winds-minus that little 7% stock squall in Japan in Thursday, whatever that was about-there remained an undercurrent of worry about China. ...

Bail denied to Massachusetts teen accused of Facebook terror post

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:37:08 -0400

BOSTON (Reuters) - A judge denied bail on Friday to a Massachusetts teenager who was arrested on terrorism charges after posting lyrics on his Facebook page suggesting he could do worse than the Boston Marathon ...

UK clears first free school for Sikhs

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:23:51 -0400

LONDON: Authorities have approved England's first free school for Sikhs in Leicester, which has a sizeable ethnic minority population. Nine gurdwara leaders had proposed the school, which will open in September next year. The school, where only vegetarian food will be served, will be open to students from other two faiths too, but half its seats will be reserved for Sikh students. The state ...

Policeman five gunmen killed in Kabul Taliban attack

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:59 -0400

KABUL (AFP) - Explosions rocked central Kabul for several hours on Friday after Taliban gunmen launched a major suicide and gun attack centred on a compound of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).One police officer was killed and five militants were shot dead as security forces hunted down the attackers, with prolonged bursts of gunfire and grenade blasts heard across the Afghan ...

Boris Becker backing new Asian tennis league

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:44:28 -0400

The three-time Wimbledon champion is joining ex-players Justin Gimelstob and Mahesh Bhupathi in founding the International Premier Tennis ...

Asia Entertainment Resources Ltd. Announces Proposed Rights Offering

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:25:57 -0400

HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Asia Entertainment & Resources Ltd. ("AERL") ( ), which operates through its subsidiaries and related promoter companies as a VIP room gaming promoter in Macau, today announced the record date for a proposed rights offering. As AERL previously announced, AERL is seeking to dual list its securities on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. In order ...

Google eyes African Asian markets

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:21:37 -0400

GOOGLE is reportedly deeply involved in a series of projects to build and operate wireless networks in emerging markets including sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast ...

Yen trade volatile in Asia along with Japan market

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:23:29 -0400

TOKYO--Yen trading was volatile in Asia on Friday in tandem with wild swings on the Tokyo stock market, but some analysts said the Japanese currency's weakening trend was likely to ...

Pakistan releases 45 Indian fishermen from Karachi prison

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:12:13 -0400

prison in Karachi on Friday.After the release, the prisoners boarded a bus that drove them to Lahore where they will be handed over to the Indian authorities at the Wagah-Attari land border checkpost.The fishermen were released on the orders of caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso."As many as 45 fishermen, who have completed their jail term, are now being repatriated to India. Apart ...

Burma Investors Need Robust Rights Safeguards

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:56:11 -0400

Companies investing in Burma should disclose how they plan to deal with the very serious human rights risks they face. But the real test will be how companies on the ground actually address the abuses that have frequently accompanied major ...

Americold Names Hogwarth as SVP of Asia-Pacific

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:15:57 -0400

has appointed Jeff Hogarth as senior vice president of Asia-Pacific.He will report to Jeffrey M. Gault, president and CEO of the company, which specializes in temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics for the food industry.Hogarth has worked for Americold and its predecessor companies for 23 years. During his tenure, he has held various leadership roles within the company and will now be ...

SCFI Asia-to-US Spot Rates Strengthen

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:15:55 -0400

Shanghai Containerized Freight Index spot rates for U.S.-bound trade lanes experienced moderate increases in the week of May 24, following general rate increases of $400 per 40-foot container moving from Asia to the U.S. West Coast and $600 per FEU from Asia to the U.S. East Coast implemented by USL and CMA CGM on May ...

UK decides to bring back slain soldiers girlfriend from Afghanistan

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:07:51 -0400

ministry of defence saying Rigby was killed in a terrorist attack in Woolwich. The shattered family of Rigby recalled the soldier as being a doting father who would do "anything for anybody". The soldier, who was married and had a two-year-old son, was described as a "loving son, husband, father, brother and uncle, and a friend to many." In a statement, Rigby's family ...

Pittsburgh on the Hudson Wrong city in New York City campaign logo

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:07:49 -0400

Anthony Weiner , the road to City Hall leads through Pittsburgh. Weiner, the candidate who infamously resigned from the US Congress two years ago in a sexting scandal, unveiled a video announcing his mayoral candidacy and a campaign logo on his website on Wednesday. The logo is written in blue and orange -- the colors of Weiner's beloved New York Mets baseball team. But the image of the ...

Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary praises London killer Adebolajo

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:41:51 -0400

Lee Rigby in Woolwich on Wednesday in broad daylight. After committing the crime, Adebolajo made chilling rants on camera to passerbys watching in horror. He said, "Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers ... Tell them to bring our troops back so you can all live in peace". On Friday, radical preacher Choudary actually came out to praise Adebolajo's views. Choudary said he was ...

Obamas drone speech could improve Pakistan ties

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:40:10 -0400

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- President Barack Obama's decision to impose more restrictive rules governing U.S. drone strikes and his prediction that they will be used less could pave the way for better relations with the new government of key ally Pakistan, officials and analysts said ...

NKorean envoy delivers letter to Chinas president

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:08:43 -0400

In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, greets North Korean Vice Marshal Choe Ryong Hae in Beijing Friday, May 24, 2013. The top North Korean envoy delivered a letter from leader Kim Jong Un to Xi on Friday and told him Pyongyang would take steps to rejoin stalled six-nation nuclear disarmament talks, in an apparent victory for ...

Eimskip Profits From Strong Reefer Volume in Intra-Asia

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:02:35 -0400

Eimskip , the Icelandic shipping and logistics group, posted higher first quarter earnings and revenue as strong reefer traffic in intra-Asian trades more than offset flat container volumes in the North Atlantic.Net earnings more than tripled to 2.53 million euros ($3.3 million) from 582,000 euros ($757,000) in the first three months of 2012 on revenue up 12.4 percent at 105.3 million euros ($144 ...

Fire in British Airways flight from Heathrow shuts down both its runways

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:54:23 -0400

LONDON: Air traffic in one of the world's busiest airports - Heathrow was completely thrown into chaos after a flight that took off for Oslo made a quick U-turn back following an engine fire. As many as 75 passengers had a close shave when a British Airways jet was forced to perform an emergency landing at Heathrow with smoke and flames pouring out from one of its engines. Eye-witnesses saw ...

GM Paragua shares Asian chess top spot with Li

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:53:57 -0400

5.0 points--GM Mark Paragua (PH), GM Li Chao (Chn); 4.5--GM Julio Catalino Sadorra (PH), GM John Paul Gomez (PH), GM Le Quang Liem (Vie), GM Baskaran Adhiban (Ind), GM Subramanian Arun Prasad (Ind), GM Marat Dzhumaev (Uzb); 4.0--GM Richard Bitoon (PH), IM Wan Yunguo (Chn), GM Krishnan Sasikiran (Ind), GM G.N. Gopal (Ind), GM Santosh Gujrathi (Ind), IM Firman Syah Farid (Ina), GM Nguyen Ngoc ...

North Korea slams South Korean leader as confrontation maniac

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:29:09 -0400

Park Geun-hye of hurting the dignity of its leadership and slammed her as "a confrontation maniac". The warning came a day after Park denounced North Korean ...

Suicide bomb hits Kabul as Taliban battle police

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:53:18 -0400

Afghan police aim their weapons after a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, May 24, 2013. A suicide bomber struck in the heart of the Afghan capital on Friday, sending a plume of smoke billowing over Kabul and setting up a gun battle in the second major attack in the city in little over a week, police said. (AP Photo/Ahmad ...

Asian Stocks End Mixed Nikkei Rises After Turbulent Trading

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:52:15 -0400

Asian stocks traded mixed on Friday, with extreme volatility in Japanese shares keeping investors nervous. Japan's Nikkei index swung over 1,000 points for a second day in a row before ending notably higher on optimism over earnings growth and ...

Japan PM begins three-day visit to Myanmar

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:41:19 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe begins a three-day visit to Myanmar on Friday -- the first trip by a Japanese leader to the previously isolated nation in over three ...

Lebanese President cautions Hezbollah over Syria role

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:45:00 -0400

Hezbollah on Friday over its militants' intervention on the side of the regime in the conflict in neighbouring Syria. "The resistance is nobler and more important than anything, and should not get bogged down in the sands of dissension, whether in Syria or Lebanon," he said in a statement, referring to Hezbollah's traditional focus on fighting Israel. "The resistance has ...

London killers had attacked an Indian-origin man mistaking him to be a soldier

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:18:52 -0400

The slain soldier Lee Rigby, of the British army's 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, is seen in an undated photo released on May 23, 2013. (Via ...

Germans blame eurozone crisis for Eurovision debacle

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:18:14 -0400

eurozone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting. Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won the event, watched by around 125 million people across Europe, with 281 points while German act Cascada was 21st out of 26 countries, getting just 18 points from Austria, Israel, Spain, Albania and ...

PHL eyes working with USASEAN on genetically modifiedcrop...

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:17:24 -0400

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

N Korean envoy meets China president state media

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:53:17 -0400

A North Korean envoy met China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing Friday and handed him a personal letter from leader Kim Jong-Un, Chinese state-run media ...

Huge blasts gunfire heard near Indian embassy in Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:50:24 -0400

NEW DELHI: Large explosions have been heard in Kabul on Friday followed by gunfire. Sources told Times Now that the explosions happened near the Indian embassy though the mission was not the target of the attack. AFP reported that gunfire erupted as security forces rushed to the scene of the blasts that took place around 4pm local time. "There has been explosion in an area which is close to ...

Barack Obama seeks end to perpetual U.S. war on terror

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:46:25 -0400

WASHINGTON - Twelve years after the "war on terror" began, President Barack Obama wants to pull the United States back from some of the most controversial aspects of its global fight against Islamist militants. In a major policy speech on Thursday, Obama narrowed the scope of the targeted-killing drone campaign against al-Qaida and its allies and took steps toward closing the ...

Asia Flash Singapore posts improved activity indicators

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:38:23 -0400

The Japanese stock market recovered somewhat today (+0.9%), after a 2-day roller-coaster ride that saw losses of -7.3% yesterday on worries of a possible QE exit by the Fed and a much weaker-than-expected outturn of China's HSBC Flash PMI for May. The volatility in Japanese equity and bond markets underscores risks of the BoJ's dramatic easing campaign and the importance that markets ...

Syrian regime to attend peace talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:23:24 -0400

BEIRUT: The Syrian government has agreed "in principle" to attend a conference proposed by Russia and the United States on ending the Arab country's conflict, Russia's foreign ministry said Friday. It was the first confirmation that President Bashar Assad's government would be willing to take part in the talks with the opposition. But despite the announcement from Moscow, ...

Stockholm riots continue schools set ablaze

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:23:19 -0400

STOCKHOLM: More than a dozen cars were torched and schools, shops and a police station were set ablaze as riots swept through Stockholm's immigrant-dominated suburbs for the fifth straight night, police and firefighters said Friday. Police plan to call in reinforcements to help quell the riots, but parents and volunteer organisations who have patrolled the streets in recent nights have ...

Large explosions gunfire in central Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:23:15 -0400

Pakistan US diplomat kills pedestrian in accident

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:01:49 -0400

ISLAMABAD — The U.S. Embassy says an American diplomat accidentally killed a pedestrian while driving in the Pakistani capital. The embassy said in a statement sent to reporters that the diplomat hit the pedestrian near a market in Islamabad on Friday. The pedestrian died as a result of his injuries. The embassy expresses regret for the accident and says it is cooperating with Pakistani ...

Explosion hits heart of Afghan capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:48:34 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- An explosion has sent smoke rising over the heart of Afghanistan's capital. The strong blast was felt several kilometers (miles) ...

Ethnic Indian party in Malaysia faces new rival

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:30:13 -0400

KUALA LUMPUR: The entry of a hitherto shunned ethnic Hindu body into the folds of the prime minister's department has rattled Malaysia's largest Indian-origin political party. ...

Op-Ed Contributor Asian Tensions and the Problem of History

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:26:48 -0400

The political turmoil currently roiling Northeast Asia ...

Exiled cleric who taught UK soldiers killer praises courage

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:00:30 -0400

Lee Rigby on a London street praised the attack for its "courage" and said Muslims would see it as a strike on a military target. In an interview in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, where he has lived since being banished from Britain in ...

Asia goes on a debt binge as most of the world sobers up

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:55:21 -0400

In the heart of Kuala Lumpur lies the abandoned foundation of Plaza Rakyat, a never-built skyscraper and shopping mall. Rusty rebar jutting from concrete pilings and fetid green pools of rainwater serve as an unintended monument to the debt crisis that ravaged Asia in the late 1990s. Today, less than a half mile from the abandoned project, the next boom is under way in the Malaysian metropolis. ...

World stocks stabilize after big sell-off

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:53:33 -0400

MOSCOW (AP) -- World stocks stabilized on Friday, a day after global markets dropped sharply on concerns global growth is slowing and the Federal Reserve could start scaling back its monetary ...

STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-HSBC falls amid Asia worries stalling U.S. talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:38:59 -0400

* FTSEurofirst 300 down 0.5 pct, FTSE 100 down 0.7 pct* HSBC drags indexes on fears about U.S. case settlement* Selling pressure piles up as indexes test supportBy Francesco CanepaLONDON, May 24 (Reuters) - European shares edged lower ...

US lauds India for reducing Iranian oil imports

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:13:01 -0400

A senior official praised India for reducing oil imports from Iran and said the U.S. government will decide soon on New Delhi's request to renew a waiver from sanctions on ...

Suicide bomber kills 3 in northwest Pakistan

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:12:54 -0400

Police say a suicide bomber walked up to a vehicle owned by an Afghan religious leader in northwestern Pakistan and set off his explosives, killing three ...

Abe on 1st trip to Myanmar by Japan PM in 36 years

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:12:47 -0400

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is traveling to Myanmar on the first visit to the country by a Japanese leader in 36 years, as Tokyo bids to reassert its position as a top economic partner after decades of frosty relations with the previous military ...

Dai-ichi expands in Southeast Asia with Panin Life deal source

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:10:08 -0400

By Taiga Uranaka TOKYO | Fri May 24, 2013 7:10am EDT TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co Ltd (8750.T) has agreed to buy a 40 percent stake in Panin Life from the parent of the Indonesian insurer for around 30 billion yen ($295 million), a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The stake acquisition by one of Japan's top four life insurers is the latest ...

Asia Goes on a Debt Binge as Much of World Sobers Up

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:02:35 -0400

Foreign preacher takes rare turn on Vietnam stage

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:18:36 -0400

The 25,000 people at the soccer stadium and the millions more watching at home waited 90 minutes before the Australian evangelical preacher got to the message he had come to Communist-ruled Vietnam to ...

UK soldiers killing Attacker wielding butcher knife is a Christian who converted to Islam

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:15:10 -0400

LONDON: A man seen with bloody hands wielding a butcher knife after the killing of a British soldier on the streets of London was described as a convert to Islam who took part in demonstrations with a banned radical group, ...

SE Asia Stocks-Indonesia Vietnam recover from previous sessions falls

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:09:43 -0400

JAKARTA, May 24 (Reuters) - Indonesian and Vietnamese shares rebounded from their previous session's steep falls, while most Southeast Asian markets were closed on Friday for a local holiday. Jakarta's Composite Index rose 0.66 percent to 5,155.09, boosted by a 2 percent jump in property shares. Vietnam's broader benchmark index closed up 0.4 percent as ...

No guarantee of peace NKorean envoy warns China

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:08:17 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- China told a top North Korean envoy Friday it wants a peaceful, denuclearized Korean Peninsula, and said the emissary warned there is "no guarantee of peace" but that his country was willing to hold talks with all ...

2 former sex slaves demand Japan mayor quit

Fri, 24 May 2013 06:07:59 -0400

OSAKA, Japan (AP) -- Two Korean former sex slaves demanded the resignation of an outspoken Japanese mayor and canceled a meeting with him Friday for justifying Japan's wartime practice of forcing tens of thousands of Asian women into prostitution for its ...

London killers are Britons of Nigerian originBritain experienced a communal backlash against Muslims within 24 hours of a young serving soldier being butchered with stone age savagery in Woolwich by two radical British Nigerians who had chang

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:50:02 -0400

Woolwich by two radical British Nigerians who had changed from being "devout Christians to Muslims" recently. Mobs calling themselves English Defence League clashed with riot police after Wednesday's "terror attack" . Mosques in Woolwich, Braintree in Essex and Gillingham in Kent were attacked with bricks and bottles. Fearing such backlash could intensify and affect all ...

British Airways jet makes emergency landing at Heathrow airport after engine fire

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:49:41 -0400

Heathrow on Friday after a technical fault in an engine. "The BA762, Heathrow to Oslo service, returned back to Heathrow shortly after take-off due to a technical fault," BA parent company IAG said. ...

UPDATE 1-Morgan Stanley names Leleu Cheng in Asia ECM shakeup

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:23:32 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 5:23am EDT HONG KONG May 24 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley has named Jerome Leleu and Mille Cheng as co-heads of Asia Pacific equity capital markets in a shakeup of its management of that division, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters on Friday. The pair replace Justin Haik, who takes on a newly created senior client relationship role in the same unit, the memo ...

White House welcomes Burmese president as new ally in “pivot to Asia”

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:19:54 -0400

A meeting between US President Barack Obama and Burmese President Thein Sein in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday signalled Washington's embrace of the Burmese military-dominated government, as part of its efforts to strategically encircle China. Thein Sein is the first Burmese leader to be hosted in the White House since former junta leader General Ne Win's visit in 1966. ...

Weekend Plantings Downy Jasmine Asian Fruit Tree More

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:17:20 -0400

A plant so common that it often fades into the background is downy jasmine, a sprawling, viney shrub from East Asia. An evergreen species, downy jasmine (Jasminum multiflorum) bears small, starry, white flowers with a pleasing fragrance. Blossoms are produced year-round but peak in the warm months. Although this versatile, glossy-leaved plant can grow 10 feet tall in sun or light shade, it's ...

Business Briefs May 24

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:07:59 -0400

* The Securities Depository centre said that it has transferred the ownership of 389,057 shares of Long Hau JSC (LHG) from Ban Viet Securities Investment Fund to 21 investors on May 22. * PetroVietnam general Services Joint Stock Corp (PET) has sold 788,880 treasury shares as registered at an average price of ...

Asia Roundup US Fed and China news spook marts

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:07:58 -0400

Hawkish comments by United States Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke and weakness in China’s factory activity rocked Asian markets yesterday,Thursday May 23 3013 taking the dollar to three-year highs, sending share markets lower, and hitting the Japanese government bond market as yields rose to their highest in a year. Stock and bond markets took their cue from the drop in US equities ...

Chinese premier arrives in Switzerland for first trip to Europe

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:06:25 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L, front) is welcomed by Swiss Vice President and Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, upon his arrival in Zurich, Switzerland, May 23, 2013. Li Keqiang arrived here Thursday evening for an official visit to Switzerland. (Xinhua/Ju ...

Asia to be largest LTE market says Nokia Siemens Networks greater China head

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:04:50 -0400

Asia is expected to be the largest LTE market among regions around the world in 2015, Greater China president Markus Borchert for Nokia Siemens Networks said at the LTE Marketing Forum in Taipei on May ...

Morgan Stanley names new co-heads of Asia-Pacific ECM -memo

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:01:59 -0400

HONG KONG | Fri May 24, 2013 5:01am EDT HONG KONG May 24 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley has named Jerome Leleu and Mille Cheng as co-heads of equity capital markets in the Asia Pacific region, according to an internal memo obtained by Reuters on Friday. The pair replace Justin Haik, who takes on a newly created senior client relationship role in the same division, the memo said. Leleu joined ...

Emergency landing closes both Heathrow runways

Fri, 24 May 2013 05:00:26 -0400

British Airways plane made an emergency landing. Heathrow officials said passengers were evacuated safely on Friday morning. British Airways says more information will be provided ...

Li still flying the Asian flag by herself

Fri, 24 May 2013 04:03:02 -0400

Paris – Li Na's momentous French Open title win of 2011 was expected to open the floodgates for Asian – and in particular Chinese – players in world ...

Asia Markets Japan stocks end up after roller-coaster ride

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:58:37 -0400

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese shares ended modestly higher Friday after a roller-coaster ride that subjected the Nikkei Stock Average to a swing of more than 3% on both sides of the previous day's ...

Magnitude 8.2 earthquake strikes Russian Far East off Kamchatka

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:17:21 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Russia's Far East in the Sea of Okhotsk off the Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicentre of the quake was located 244 miles west north west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy at a depth of 385 miles, the USGS said. (Writing by John ...

Police Suicidal jumpers fall kills SKorean girl

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:15:16 -0400

South Korea (AP) -- South Korean police say a suicidal man jumping to his death killed a 5-year-old girl by falling on her as she walked with her parents outside the apartment building. ...

Asian markets mixed in volatile trade

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:11:13 -0400

Asian markets were mixed Friday in rollercoaster trade after routs sparked in part by fears of tighter US monetary policy, with Tokyo ending higher a day after suffering its worst drop since the March 2011 quake-tsunami disaster. Regional markets swung wildly after falling Thursday on indications from US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke that the Fed could soon start scaling back massive ...

Most Asian stock indexes are lower

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:05:55 -0400

The appetite for risk is neutral after improving in the US session on Thursday upon dissecting Wednesday's Federal Reserve reiteration of the likely scaling back its asset purchase program in June. All eyes are on Germany's Ifo report. But volatility persisted in the Nikkei 225. Most foreign currencies remain relatively firm after all reversed losses the day before. Most Asian stock ...

GLOBAL MARKET-Volatile Nikkei keeps Asian stocks on edge

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:55:09 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 3:45am EDT * Nikkei ends a seesaw day up 0.9 pct * Asian stocks outside Japan dip to 1-month lows * Yen rises vs USD and euro on turbulent Nikkei * European stocks expected to fare better By Ian Chua SYDNEY, May 24 (Reuters) - Asian stocks fell to one-month lows on Friday and the yen rebounded broadly as extreme volatility in the Nikkei kept investors on edge. The Nikkei has ...

US Boy Scouts to allow gay members

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:51:59 -0400

gay Scout leaders - a fiercely contested compromise that some warned could fracture the organization and lead to mass defections of members and donors. Of the roughly 1,400 voting members of the BSA's National Council who cast ballots, 61 percent supported the proposal drafted by the governing Executive Committee. The policy change takes effect on January 1. "This has been a challenging ...

North Korea town opens to Western tourists Travel agents

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:26:14 -0400

BEIJING: North Korea's authorities have opened the border town of Sinuiju to Western tourists, Chinese-based travel agencies said, despite international tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear test in February. The move opens up the possibility of foreign tourists being able to make day tours to the secretive state, a considerably cheaper option than the more expensive multi-day trips ...

Asia’s Benchmark Equity Index Swings as Australia Banks Decline

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:20:56 -0400

stock index swung between gains and losses as Australian banks declined and the yen rose after Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the central bank had announced sufficient stimulus. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index slid 0.2 percent to 138.42 as of 2:46 p.m. ...

Japans ANA to resume Boeing 787 flights on Sunday

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:19:13 -0400

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's All Nippon Airways, the launch customer for Boeing's 787 "Dreamliner," will resume commercial flights of the aircraft on Sunday, just over four months after the jets were grounded due to smoldering ...

Suspected Kashmiri rebels kill 3 Indian soldiers

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:19:12 -0400

SRINAGAR, India (AP) -- An official says suspected rebels have ambushed and fatally shot three Indian army soldiers in the Indian portion of ...

North Korea agrees to return to nuclear talks under pressure from China

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:15:31 -0400

Liu Yunshan (right), a senior Communist party official, poses for the cameras with North Korean envoy Choe Ryong-hae on Thursday. Photograph: China ...

Highway bridge collapses in US no deaths reported

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:01:35 -0400

MOUNT VERNON , Washington: The major highway bridge linking Seattle with Canada and the rest of the Pacific Northwest region collapsed Thursday evening, dumping at least a handful of vehicles and people into a river, ...

Oil falls below $94 on weak outlook for demand

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:59:57 -0400

Benchmark oil for July delivery was down 40 cents to $93.85 per barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile ...

Comfort women cancel meeting with Japan mayor

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:38:40 -0400

Two South Korean women forcibly drafted into Japanese military brothels during World War II have cancelled a meeting with a Japanese mayor who sparked outrage by calling them a wartime ...

Barack Obama in heated exchanges with Code Pink anti-war protester

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:36:04 -0400

WASHINGTON: The woman who interrupted President Barack Obama's speech on counterterrorism policy on Thursday is well-known around Washington as a perennial protester on national security ...

Obama lifts ban on transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to Yemen

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:36:03 -0400

Guantanamo Bay detainees to Yemen , a step toward his goal of closing the US military-run prison that he said "has become a symbol around the world for an America that flouts the rule of law." Nearly 100 of the 166 terrorist suspects held at the prison in Cuba are from Yemen and have had nowhere to go even if they had been cleared for transfer. Obama wouldn't send them home, and no ...

China End Violence Against Sex Workers

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:13:27 -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 ...

Yen weakens in Asian trade

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:23:17 -0400

TOKYO–The yen weakened against other major currencies in Asian morning trade on Friday as risk sentiment improved, with Tokyo stocks bouncing back following the previous day’s seven-percent plunge. The dollar rose to 102.33 yen in Tokyo from 101.82 yen in New York late Thursday as the benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange jumped over three three percent in early ...

Manila confirms boost to military spending

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:19:25 -0400

The Philippines is determined to spend $1.8 billion on military upgrades -- mostly naval -- to protect the country against "bullies" in its territorial waters. Philippines ...

US kidnap case hero gets burgers for lifeThe man who famously put down his Big Mac to help rescue three women held captive for a decade in an Ohio house will never have to pay for another burger in his hometown.

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:14:54 -0400

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports that the restaurant where Ramsey worked as a dishwasher initially created a special burger in his honor, but eateries in the city decided a larger tribute was ...

Taliban influence in Afghanistan to grow Russian intelligence agency

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:14:43 -0400

the situation in Afghanistan poses a "serious challenge to international stability" and that the withdrawal of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2014 could increase the threat of terrorism and religious extremism. "A diversified terrorist network, including suicide bomber training camps has already been established in the country and the Taliban has close links ...

Asia stock markets edge up after big sell-off

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:54:07 -0400

Asian stock markets staged a mild recovery Friday, a day after being routed by unexpectedly weak Chinese manufacturing and fears the Federal Reserve will start withdrawing its monetary ...

Barack Obama says US faces real threat from radicalised individuals

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:39:37 -0400

Washington: Citing Wisconsin Gurdwara shootout last year that killed six Sikh worshippers, the US President Barack Obama, has expressed concern over increasing instances of acts of violence inside the country by home-grown terrorists."We face a real threat from radicalised individuals here in the United States. Whether it's a shooter at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, a plane flying into a ...

Chinese PM singles out Germany for EU visit

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:39:31 -0400

JavaScript Tag // Tag for network 870: Expatica // Website: Expatica NL // Page: General // Placement: General-1-175 x 60 (3091233) // created at: Apr 28, 2011 6:01:02 ...

Chinese media North Korea envoy offers talks

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:19:37 -0400

BEIJING (AP) -- A North Korean envoy, on the second day of his fence-mending visit to ally China, heeded Beijing's wishes by offering to renew nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese state media ...

China threatens to end the military rule of the U.S. in Asia

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:19:03 -0400

In mid-April, the Chinese government said the increased U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region causes a lot of tension, and they plan to send more military forces and strengthen their partnerships with neighboring countries. A recent study found that China increasingly threatens to end the military supremacy of the ...

Barred from poll ex-president Rafsanjani calls Iranian leaders ignorant

Thu, 23 May 2013 23:00:13 -0400

Former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has accused Iran's leadership of incompetence and ignorance just days after he was barred from standing in an election next month, the opposition Kaleme website reported on Thursday.Rafsanjani's comments appeared to add to the political conflict between those loyal to the leadership and opposition groups who have been marginalized since ...

Inside China Taiwan China vie for toughness

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:48:24 -0400

View results The May 9 fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine coast guard set off an inadvertent naval competition between Taiwan and China.The incident occurred in the disputed Bashi Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines, and Taiwan and China each sent a large number of vessels to waters near the Philippines to demonstrate armed hostility. The Philippines is a key ...

ASIA MARKETS Japan Stocks Recover Modestly After Steep Sell-off

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:42:53 -0400

HONG KONG – Japanese stocks jumped Friday to stage a modest recovery, with relief buying emerging after the extreme losses they suffered the previous day, amid expectations that the rally that began late last year may have further to go.The Nikkei Stock Average climbed 3% after diving 7.3% in the previous session, while the broader Topix advanced 2.6% after Thursday's 6.9% ...

Soldier accused of filming female cadets in shower

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:28:16 -0400

WASHINGTON: A sergeant first class on the staff of the United States Military Academy at West Point has been accused of videotaping female cadets without their consent, sometimes when they were undressed in the bathroom or the shower, according to army officials. The army is contacting about a dozen women to alert them that their privacy may have been violated by the suspect, identified as Sgt. ...

89-yr-old chronicler of Everest completes 50 years of mountain record-keeping

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:28:13 -0400

American expedition to the Everest . That set off what was to become one of the most unique pursuits in mountaineering history. Hawley has since then met every single expedition that has come to climb not just Mount Everest but the rest of Nepal's mountain peaks. In fact no team goes for its summit without meeting her. As the world celebrates the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of ...

Phurba Tashi climbs Everest for 21st time equals record

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:28:12 -0400

Mount Everest on Thursday with Phurba Tashi Sherpa reaching the top of the mountain for the 21st time, equalling the record set by another Nepalese, Apa Sherpa, in 2011. Earlier in the day, 80-year-old ...

Human safaris Blow to Andamans

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:28:11 -0400

Survival International's call for a tourism boycott of the islands until 'human safaris' are stopped. The organization is asking nearly 200,000 tourists who visiting the islands every year to stay away - until tourists are banned from the road through the Jarawa forest and an alternative sea route set. Survival's director Stephen Corry said on Thursday, "In ...

Plus Three Boost For Asean Youth

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:05 -0400

Bandar Seri Begawan - China, Korea and japan, Asean's Plus Three partners are ready to provide continued support and cooperation to the Mean Youth Programme and have came up with new initiatives to give more opportunities for youths in Asean and Plus Three partners to interact as well as cooperate among thethselves while acquiring technical know-how. The close bond of friendship within ...

Royal Audience To Asean Delegates

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:05 -0400

His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, yesterday afternoon consented to receive in audience Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Heads of Delegate who are currently in Brunei Darussalam attending the 8th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Youth and the 4th Asean Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Youth. Also present at the ceremony was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee ...

Youths Play Vital Role In Building An Asean Of Tomorrow

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:04 -0400

Asean Ministerial Meeting on Youths (AMMY VIII) concluded on Tuesday as the ministers recognised that young professionals are in a unique position to boost Asean solidarity by offering voluntary community services in areas such as rural development, disaster relief, health, education and the environment as well as supporting vulnerable groups, including people who are differently-abled whilst ...

Youths Hold ‘Key’ To Aseans Future

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:04 -0400

AMMY+3) in Brunei Darussalam concluded yesterday with the release of joint ministerial statement agreed by attending officials from Asean members countries including their Plus Three partners China, Japan and Korea. The joint statement stated that ministers exchanged views on youth cooperation between Asean and the Plus Three nation whilst further exploring possibilities to strengthen ...

Sultan Meets Foreign Delegates Participating In Asean Ministerial Meeting On Youth

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:03 -0400

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, yesterday afternoon consented to receive in audience, Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Heads of Delegate who are currently in Brunei Darussalam attending the 8th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Youth (AMMY) and the 4th Asean+3 Ministerial Meeting on Youth. Also present at the ceremony was His Royal Highness Prince ...

Victim was Manchester United fan father of 2-yr-old kid

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:18 -0400

Royal Regiment of Fusiliers . Father of two-year-old Jack, Britain's ministry of defence called him "a real character, always smiling". Drummer Rigby, 'Riggers' to his friends, was born in July 1987 in Crumpsall, Manchester, and was a ...

UK mosques attacked in backlash of Woolwich beheading

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:17 -0400

LONDON: Britain experienced a communal backlash against Muslims within 24 hours of a young, serving soldier being butchered with "stone age savagery" ...

China doesnt rule out investing in POK

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:08 -0400

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir would not go up merely out of respect for Indian sensibilities. The signal came from the Chinese foreign ministry in midst of premier Li Keqiang's visit to Pakistan after spending three days in India. "It's for India and Pakistan to sort out their differences concerning Kashmir," the foreign ministry spokesman said in reply to specific questions about ...

Singapore GDP growth surprises beats economists’ forecast of contraction

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:58:57 -0400

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported a surprise expansion in its economy in the first quarter, helped by a surge in financial services as trading in stocks and foreign exchange soared. The city-state, whose economy is heavily dependent on trade, manufacturing and financial services, said gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 1.8% quarter-on-quarter in January-March, seasonally adjusted and annualised ...

Asia Stocks Rise as Japanese Shares Rebound From Slump

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:52:52 -0400

stocks rose, as Japanese shares rebounded from the biggest drop since 2011 that yesterday erased $314 billion of the country's shares, amid optimism growth in ...

Asean Ministers Endorse Brunei Proposal

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:44:59 -0400

Bandar Seri Begawan - Asean Ministers have endorsed a Brunei proposal to engage young professionals through a youth volunteer corps that will complement the Asean Youth Volunteer Programme (AYVP) through implementation of three initial short-term projects scheduled to be carried out in Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Philippines this year. The youth volunteer corps will be implemented before the ...

GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian stocks shaky Nikkei still seen vulnerable

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:29:33 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 12:22am EDT * Nikkei down 0.6 pct, erases earlier gains * Asian stocks outside Japan dip to 1-month lows * Yen rises vs USD and euro as Nikkei trims gains By Ian Chua SYDNEY, May 24 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks turned negative on Friday and the yen reversed early losses, keeping intact worries that the Nikkei's largest one-day drop in two years may be the start of a bigger ...

China Power Producers Fall on Import Concern HK Mover

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:14 -0400

Huaneng Power International Inc. (902) led declines at China’s electricity producers amid speculation the price for coal-fired power may be cut and concern a reported coal import ban may raise costs. Huaneng Power, the nation’s biggest producer, dropped 8.3 percent, the most since November 6, 2008, to close at HK$7.94 today in Hong Kong. The stock has shed 18 percent in the past ...

HK Police Make Fourth Arrest in Exchange Probe

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:13 -0400

Hong Kong police arrested a fourth man in its probe of Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange Ltd, widening a case begun by the Securities and Futures Commission for suspected irregularities in financial affairs. Police arrested a 60-year-old man yesterday, identified only by his surname Zhu, on suspicion of possession of false instruments, according to the Police Public Relations Branch. Three others ...

NBI off to Taiwan for shooting probe

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:12 -0400

It’s now the turn of Philippine investigators to go to Taiwan to gather evidence for their probe on the fatal shooting of a suspected Taiwanese poacher last May 9, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday. De Lima said Taipei has allowed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to get statements from the companions of slain fisherman Hung Shih-cheng as well as to examine their ...

Taiwan’s UMC sets up RD centre in Singapore

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:11 -0400

Taiwan’s United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), a leading microchip maker, Wednesday said it has spent $110 million setting up a research and development unit in Singapore. The unit will undertake R&D collaborations with local research institutes, such as Singapore’s Institute of Microelectronics, the company said in a statement. UMC is the world’s third biggest ...

Korea’s First Cargo Airline Plans China Route Chasing Samsung

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:09 -0400

Air Incheon Co., South Korea’s first cargo-only airline, plans to start services this year to smaller cities in China, where Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) and Apple Inc. (AAPL) assemblers are increasingly locating their factories. Air Incheon expects to receive its second leased aircraft in August and that will facilitate the China service, vice President Kim Gyu Hyeong said in an ...

N. Korea ‘special envoy’ in China meeting

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:08 -0400

A top North Korean general and confidant of leader Kim Jong-Un met a senior Chinese official in Beijing Wednesday, with relations between the allies strained ahead of a China-US summit. Choe Ryong-Hae, director of the Korean People’s Army politburo, is a ';special envoy'; of the North’s young leader, Pyongyang’s official news agency said. He met Wang Jiarui, head ...

China Pakistan plan ‘economic corridor’ Li

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:06 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang Wednesday linked growth in his country’s restive west with that in sluggish Pakistan, saying the two sides wanted to create an ';economic corridor'; to boost development. Li, on his first overseas trip since taking over in a once-in-a-decade power transfer in Beijing, congratulated Pakistan on its recent general election and hailed the countries’ ...

US ‘should act’ on China intellectual property theft

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:04 -0400

The United States should consider curbs on Chinese investment or even offensive operations against hackers to address the growing toll from intellectual property theft, a report said. The 11-month study led by high-ranking former US officials said that theft of software and other US-developed products was costing the American economy more than $300 billion each year – as much as the ...

Philippines and China Conflict and cooperation

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:03 -0400

Public attention has understandably been focused on the 2013 midterm elections. However recent events serve to remind us that Philippine-China relations will continue to be a major issue for policy makers and the consequences of these policy decisions will have an impact on the daily lives of Filipinos. First, there was the completion of the composition of the UN Arbitration panel which will ...

With eye on China Japan to provide patrol boats to Philippines

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:02 -0400

Japan will provide patrol boats to the Philippines to help the country bolster its capabilities in the face of China’s growing presence in regional waters. In a meeting in Tokyo on May 22, Foreign minister Fumio Kishida and his counterpart Albert del Rosario agreed to work together to improve the capabilities of the Philippine Coast Guard. Kishida said Japan will make arrangements for ...

China’s Lenovo buys and diversifies to outshine PC rivals

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:55:01 -0400

Lenovo Group Ltd’s bold acquisitions in its flagship PC business, a foray into mobile gadgets, and a relatively light debt load are setting it apart from PC rivals as industry shipments take their steepest fall in decades. Lenovo, a sliver away from unseating Hewlett-Packard Co as the world’s top PC maker by shipments, is expected on Thursday to post a two-thirds rise in quarterly ...

Farmers plant rice near crippled Fukushima site

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:59 -0400

Farmers have resumed planting rice for market only 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, a local official said Wednesday. It was the first time since the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami-nuclear disaster that farmers have gone inside the former 20-kilometre ';no-go'; zone around the doomed plant to sow rice intended for sale. ...

Cheaper yen attracts record visitors to Japan

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:59 -0400

A record 923,000 foreigners travelled to Japan in April, up 18.1 percent from a year earlier, taking advantage of a weaker yen and an increase in chartered flights, a government agency said Wednesday. The previous monthly high was 879,000 in July 2010, the Japan National Tourism Organisation said. Tourism has rebounded since 2011, when visitor numbers plunged following the massive earthquake ...

Japan Cites Active Fault at a Reactor

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:58 -0400

Japan’s nuclear watchdog on Wednesday endorsed a conclusion by a panel of seismologists that a fault under a reactor at an atomic plant in western Japan is active, potentially blocking a restart of the reactor. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said it agreed with the panel that the fault underneath the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor could set off an earthquake and cause an accident. Japanese ...

Singapore Economy Unexpectedly Expanded on Services Growth

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:56 -0400

Singapore’s economy unexpectedly expanded last quarter as services and construction strengthened, reducing pressure on the central bank to ease monetary policy to boost growth. Gross domestic product rose an annualised 1.8 percent in the three months through March from the previous quarter, when it grew 3.3 percent, the trade ministry said in a statement today. That compares with an April ...

Japan’s wartime brothels were wrong says 91-year-old veteran

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:56 -0400

When Masayoshi Matsumoto joined the Japanese army in 1943 and was sent to occupied China as a medic, he thought he was taking part in a righteous war to free Asia from the yoke of Western imperialism. Seven decades later, the 91-year-old retired Christian pastor says it’s his mission to speak out about the injustice of the war and the sufferings of women, mostly Asian and many Korean, ...

Singapore Says It’s Regretful Todd Family Quit Coroner’s Inquest

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:54:54 -0400

Singapore Foreign Affairs and Law minister K. Shanmugam said it was regretful that the family of US research engineer Shane Todd pulled out from a coroner’s inquest yesterday. The Todd family quit the inquest, opened by Singapore to determine how the 31-year-old died in June, after walking out of the courtroom on May 21. Edward Adelstein, a medical examiner engaged by the family, ...

Improving Chinese brand awareness in ASEAN markets

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:51:15 -0400

Experts say negative opinions of quality pose 'big obstacle' for exports to major trading partner China is to strengthen its efforts at improving brand awareness in Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets, a region now considered the country's third-largest trading partner. "Despite strong bilateral trade ties, some Chinese goods are still regarded as fake or of poor ...

US markets fail to follow Asian share slide

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:48:15 -0400

United States Global markets fell sharply on concerns about Chinese and European growth, but Wall Street failed to follow.The Dow Jones ended down just 13 points to 15,295 and the S&P 500 lost 0.3 per cent to 1,650.The falls were relatively small compared to Asian markets yesterday.Japan's Nikkei led the way down, dropping 7 per cent after a leading report by HSBC showed Chinese ...

Fernandes does his first firing in Apprentice Asia

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:47:14 -0400

after a premiere that saw two teams competing to sell fish in their first challenge. The show, which made its debut Wednesday on AXN, saw the 12 contestants being split into two groups of men and women in the first challenge to sell fish at a local market here. Both teams made losses in their sales but the men's group, Team Mavericks incurred a bigger loss. Hence, one of its members had to ...

Burma Japanese Leader’s Visit Should Highlight Rights

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:23:31 -0400

As Burma’s biggest aid donor and a major investor, Japan can play a critical role by pressing harder for human rights reforms and protections. Aid and investment in Burma should not ignore needed reforms in the rule of law, transparency, and ...

7.4 magnitude quake strikes southwest of Tonga—USGS

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:42:23 -0400

SYDNEY--A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck 255 kilometres (158 miles) southwest of Tonga early Friday, according to the US Geological Survey. The under-sea quake struck at 5:19 a.m. (1719 GMT Thursday) and sparked a tsunami alert, although no damage was expected due to its depth of 171 kilometers, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The earthquake, centred 282 kilometers southwest ...

Yuan Gold Trade in Hong Kong Triples as Currency Gains Cut Risk

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:30:00 -0400

yuan 's rally to a 19-year high helps limit risks for jewelers. Average daily volume was 6.5 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) in the first five months of this year, compared with 1.8 billion yuan for the same period in 2012, according to ...

Asia Now Resources Corp. Announces Changes to Board of Directors

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:29:15 -0400

") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Wenjin Yang to the board of directors of the Company. Dr. Wenjin Yang is Chief Financial Officer and Director of Yunnan Dong Xin Mineral Exploration Company Limited and Yunnan Now Mineral Exploration Company Limited, being Asia Now's two joint venture companies in China, since March 2011. He also has responsibility for setting up the ...

PH Taiwan seen to start talks on fishery agreement by June

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:27:11 -0400

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala: Possible meeting in June. INQUIRER file photo MANILA, Philippines--The Philippines-Taiwan technical working group (TWG) may meet by the middle of the year on a possible fishery agreement, when officials hope that the recent issue over a Taiwanese fisherman would have cooled. "The meeting may be held, possibly, by June but perhaps it would be better ...