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China accepts there are some problems with India but wants to resolve all issues peacefully

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:03 -0400

Chinese Premier, Li Keqiang, alluding to recent skirmishes on their Himalayan border, acknowledged on Monday, that there were some problems with good friend India but said that the two Asian giants should take a leaf out of their vast history to resolve all issues peacefully. "Since we are strategic partners and we are good friends that can speak to each other with candour, so we do not deny ...

Bangladesh online activist calls for ban of Islamists accused of wartime atrocities

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:40:02 -0400

Bangladesh online activist and spokesperson of the Shahbagh's Ganajagaran Mancha, Imran H Sarkar, has called for the banning of country's biggest Islamist party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, while blaming it for wartime atrocities committed during the 1971 liberation war. Jamaat, an Islamist ally of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), opposed independence from Pakistan, denied accusations ...

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets Salman Khurshid

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:10:04 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid here on Monday, as he sought to strengthen mutual trust and deepen cooperation between the two nations after a recent military standoff in Ladakh threatened to derail ties between the two Asian giants. The Chinese premier also visited Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi and paid homage to the father of the Indian ...

Rights liberties threatened in Sri Lanka says rights body

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:50:01 -0400

Respect for basic rights and liberties has declined in Sri Lanka in the four years since the government defeated the Tamil Tigers, Human Rights Watch said Monday. This week marks the fourth anniversary of the brutal civil war's end. Since the end of the 26-year-long civil war, the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has resisted taking meaningful steps to investigate and prosecute alleged ...

PCB chief assures complete cooperation to curb cricket corruption

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:30:05 -0400

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has assured that the board will put its best efforts to eradicate cricket corruption. A preliminary report by police in India has proved that Karachi is one of the hubs for corrupt practices in the game, apart from Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai, the Dawn reports. Ashraf claimed that PCB will extend its support to any country wanting to curb ...

Nawaz Kayani agree to overhaul Pakistans policy in closed door meeting

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:30:05 -0400

Incoming Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Ahfaq Parvez Kayani have agreed to 'overhaul' the country's national security and foreign policy in a closed door meeting. During the meeting, which lasted three-and-half hours, Sharif told Kayani that he planned to revisit the policies of the previous administration. He said that those policies have not only damaged ...

India lose 1-4 to Indonesia exit Sudirman Cup

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:20:02 -0400

Indian shuttlers Monday lost their second and final Group A tie to Indonesia 1-4 to exit the Sudirman Cup on the second day of competitions at the Putra Stadium here After suffering a humiliating 0-5 loss Sunday to four-time defending champions China in the biennial tournament, India only managed to win one match out of five as Parupalli Kashyap was the lone bright spot. In the first match of ...

Pak media says team to experience lack of warmth in Champions Trophy with Guls absence

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:50:01 -0400

Pakistan cricketer Umar Gul's absence from the ICC Champions Trophy squad due to the knee surgery is a big blow for Pakistan given his love for major tournaments, English conditions and, lately, digging his team out of trouble with the bat, according to the Pakistani media. According to The Dawn, although Gul's form has always been patchy and his wickets record inconsistent but it is his ...

Irish cricketers could be heading to Pakistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:30:02 -0400

Ireland has given hope of reviving international cricket in Pakistan after it reportedly agreed to consider visiting the country to reciprocate Pakistan's one-day international (ODI) tour of Ireland. At a time when all the Test playing nations have written-off touring Pakistan, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) associate member Cricket Ireland (CI) gave a positive response on that ...

Growing intolerance in Pak-occupied Kashmir

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:02 -0400

On February 17, 2013, 25-year-old Muhammad Ali Murtaza from Aghaar, Kotli, the son of a Kashmiri Imam of a masjid in Lahore, was brutally tortured and killed by the Pakistani Army. His crime? He was visiting his cousin sister's home in a village in District Kotli near the LOC. Before he could reach her home, he was picked up by the Pakistan Army from Chattar and handed over to the ISI. That was ...

Pakistani daily hopes Sharif Kayani work together

Mon, 20 May 2013 02:40:01 -0400

A leading Pakistani daily Monday hoped that incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani "can at least be expected to try and work together". Nawaz Sharif, who is all set to become the prime minister for the third time, had a long meeting in Lahore with General Kayani. "Of one meeting is not made a relationship, functional or otherwise...," said an editorial ...

US-based Pak filmmaker calls for ban on Hollywood Bollywood movies to save failing Pak film industry

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:00:01 -0400

An US-based Pakistani filmmaker has urged on a ban on Bollywood and Hollywood movies in Pakistan, and has offered his guidance and support to save the deteoriating Pakistani film industry. Urging the government to make efforts in the revival of the large screen by encouraging independent filmmakers and movies on social issues, Mumtaz Hassan said that it can be possible only by imposing a ban on ...

Karzai Seeks Indian Military Aid Amid Tensions with Pakistan

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:15:06 -0400

KABUL Afghan President Hamid Karzai plans to discuss potential arms deals with Indian officials during a trip to New Delhi this week, officials said, at a time when tensions are running high on Afghanistan's disputed border with Pakistan. Kabul's overtures to New Delhi are likely to rile Islamabad where a new government led by two-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to take office ...

Radical Islamist Killed in Tunisia Street Protests

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

Tunisian authorities say a street battle between radical Islamists and police has killed one Islamist protester on the outskirts of the capital, Tunis. Authorities said the man, in his late 20s, died of injuries sustained in Sunday's fighting in the Etadhamen district. The radical activists, also known as Salafists, threw stones at Tunisian police to protest a government ban on their annual ...

US Sees Climate of Intolerance on Global Religious Freedom

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:46 -0400

The United States said the right to global religious freedom was challenged last year, with governments often creating a "climate of intolerance" leading to hatred and violence. In an annual report, the State Department said Monday government officials worldwide are often allowed to act with impunity while violating the religious rights of their countrymen. It said there often is ...

Ugandan Police Shut Down Newspaper Offices

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:46 -0400

NAIROBI -- Police in Uganda's capital have closed down the offices of the Daily Monitor. According to the Daily Monitor's senior correspondent, police have declared the premises of their publication a crime scene and are doing a thorough search of the building. Earlier this month, the Daily Monitor published a series of stories about Uganda's coordinator of intelligence ...

Russian Billionaire Lebedev Pleads Not Guilty in Court

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:46 -0400

MOSCOW -- Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev has pleaded not guilty to charges of hooliganism motivated by political hatred. Lebedev says that he is being targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin because Putin believes he is funding the opposition. Alexander Lebedev, co-owner of Novaya Gazeta, Russia's leading opposition newspaper, went on trial Monday in a Moscow court. Lebedev ...

Indias Weak Congress Ponders Early Elections

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:45 -0400

NEW DELHI -- India's Congress party is debating holding a general election in November, six months ahead of schedule, senior party leaders said, reflecting an internal discussion over whether to pull the plug on the shaky ruling coalition or have it serve a full term. Officially, the Congress party says the government - which has been battered by a series of corruption scandals and now ...

Deadly Tornadoes Tear Through US Midwest

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:45 -0400

Zach Champion walks through the rubble of his mobile home looking for his belongings, in the Steelman Estates Mobile Home Park, destroyed in Sunday's tornado, near Shawnee, Oklahoma, May 20, ...

Knockoffs of Iconic American Brands in Myanmar

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:16:02 -0400

';Walmart'; in Yangon. (Photo: Patrick Winn) Myanmar President Thein Sein is in Washington this week for a historic meeting with President Obama. Not long ago, Thein Sein was on a travel black list. But in the past two years, Myanmar has undergone dramatic political change that pleases the White House. And Thein Sein is hoping that will mean more US investment in Myanmar. But, ...

Protests in Thailand in Parallel to Second Water Summit

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:12:07 -0400

Bangkok, Ma 20 (Prensa Latina) Groups of protesters today demanded in a parallel forum to the Water Summit responses to problems, such as droughts, floods, and waste materials, a topic that concerns all the world population. Protesters carrying banners demand measures to guarantee the preservation of the human race, and hold that some politicians fail to look into the social and environmental ...

Philippines Taiwan to cooperate in fisherman shooting investigation

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:08 -0400

MANILA -- The Philippines said Monday that it would make "coordinated efforts" with Taiwan to look into the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman but stopped short of a joint ...

Malaysias global hydropower meeting to commence in midst of controversy

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:06 -0400

The International Hydropower Association's (IHA) four-day biennial meeting to push "sustainable hydropower" opens Tuesday in Kuching, the languid capital of Sarawak state on Borneo island, and a highly contentious choice. Sarawak's powerful boss is widely accused of felling huge swathes of rainforest in a much-criticized dam-building drive. Opponents of Taib Mahmud -- ...

Mobile phones offer financial lifeline to millions of Asian migrants report

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:05 -0400

BANGKOK--Asia's mobile revolution is set to transform the region's financial services industry, offering a cheap way for millions of migrant workers to send money home to their families, a report said on ...

Oil prices edge lower in Asian trade

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:03 -0400

SINGAPORE--Oil prices were down in Asian trade Monday as investors locked in profits from last week's gains after U.S. stocks blazed to new record ...

Obama set to host leader from Myanmar at the White House

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:55:54 -0400

President Obama will become the first U.S. president in nearly 50 years to host a leader from Myanmar at the White House. And he may not mention the name "Burma." Alex Wagner discusses the historic meeting and the meaning behind the ...

No socks rule is latest bid to ease Pakistan power cuts

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:55:25 -0400

In the latest of a series of directives from the country's caretaker government, officials have announced that civil servants have been told that they should not wear socks to the office as part of a plan to try and keep cool without air-conditioning.Pakistan suffers from crippling, debilitating power cuts of up to 18 hours a day. Improving capacity and reducing those huge shortages will be ...

Enhancing India-ASEAN Connectivity Key Findings

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:52:02 -0400

Senior State Department Visiting Fellow and Project Lead, CSIS Twenty years ago, India launched its ‘Look East’ policy. For most of those 20 years, Myanmar’s isolation, mistrust between India and its neighbors and poor infrastructure connectivity hindered the development of links between South and Southeast Asia. With Myanmar’s tentative opening and improved relations ...

Anger as Barack Obama rewards Burmese President with White House visit despite recent claims of violence

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:51:38 -0400

Just eight months ago, Burma's President was still on a blacklist barring him from travelling to the United States. Now, the ugly past and anxieties about the future were set aside when Thein Sein was welcomed into the White House, becoming the first Burmese head of state to cross the threshold since Lyndon Johnson rolled out the red carpet for the military dictator Ne Win in ...

Record-Setting Burmese Python Captured In Miami-Dade County

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:40:15 -0400

Jason Leon (left) captured and killed record-setting Burmese python in Miami-Dade. it measured 18-feet, 8-inches and weighed 128 pounds. (Source: ...

Russia Two Militants Planning Terror Attack Killed Near Moscow

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:02:21 -0400

Russian officials said Monday that security forces killed two suspected militants and detained another, in a special operation near Moscow that thwarted a terrorist attack on the ...

Coffee May Protect Against Liver Disease

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:02:21 -0400

Coffee lovers have another reason to rejoice as a new study claims that regular consumption of the popular beverage can reduce the risk of a rare but serious liver disease. According ...

Pakistans Sharif supports Taliban peace talks

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:00:28 -0400

ISLAMABAD (AFP) - Pakistan's incoming prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday threw his support behind peace talks with the country's Taliban insurgents, saying it would be a top priority for his new government."If Taliban have offered us an option to have dialogue then we should take it seriously," Sharif said while addressing his party's newly elected parliamentarians in ...

Aust resident Abdi arrested in Jakarta

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:57:55 -0400

Indonesian police have arrested an Australian resident they are treating as a major people-smuggling suspect.Mohammad Abdi, 36, was arrested at an apartment in West Jakarta early on Monday, along with two other Iranians, The Australian newspaper says.Abdi has denied being involved in smuggling asylum-seekers to Australia.However, he is also known as Said Ali and is a major people smuggler, a ...

HM Responds Slowly to Bangladesh Factory Collapse Killing 1100

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:55:21 -0400

a new $3 billion fund to improve the safety of garment factories in Bangladesh . Watchdog organizations say the companies acted only because of external pressure by activists and workers. The announcement came weeks after Rana Plaza, a building that housed five garment factories, collapsed in Bangladesh last month leaving over 1,100 dead. While H&M was not among the many international ...

Weak data raises odds of rate cut

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:04 -0400

Louder call for a policy rate cut on May 29, to weaken baht and boost exports Despite growth of 5.3 per cent in the first quarter, the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has revised down its forecast for the year. This points to a further slowdown in economic activity in second half - which raises the odds of an interest rate cut. Bloomberg's growth consensus for the ...

Its time for Thaksin to respect the rule of law senior Democrats

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:03 -0400

Senior Democrat Party figures called on former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday to admit to his alleged wrongdoings and respect the courts - to uphold the rule of law in Thailand. They ...

Obec should be probed over exam cheating panel

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:02 -0400

A fact-finding panel has recommended that a probe be launched against Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) secretary general Chinnapat Bhumirat for dereliction of duty, after cheating plagued a recent recruitment exam. The exam was held to fill positions for Obec assistant teachers. Headed by Education Ministry permanent secretary Panita Kambhu na Ayutthaya, the fact-finding panel has ...

Pig farmers up in arms over US pressure

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:01 -0400

Members of the Swine Raisers Association of Thailand and other concerned parties are considering marching to Government House in protest against US pressure on Thailand to open up its market to US pork and offal. Surachai Sutthitham, president of the association, yesterday said pig farmers nationwide would write to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra asking the government for protection measures ...

Thai cultural extravaganza in Bahrain from May 23.

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:46:36 -0400

Manama, May 20 (BNA) -- The Royal Thai Embassy, Manama and Bahrain's Ministry of Culture are organizing the Thai cultural festival at the Cultural hall of the National Museum from May 23 to 25. The three day festival will commemorate the first anniversary of the cultural cooperation signed between the two countries. The event will feature two activities - a demonstration of Thai ...

Southeast Asia now leads the world for trust in banks

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:39:00 -0400

In sharp contrast to Europe and the US, many Asian countries have weathered the global financial crisis well and emerged with considerable economic momentum. That momentum helps explain why confidence in financial institutions was highest in Asia last year - particularly among emerging markets in Southeast and South Asia, where median trust was 77 per cent and 75 per cent, according to a Gallup ...

Second Cambodian factory collapse injures 23 workers who produce clothes for ... - NEWS.com.au

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:38:31 -0400

A COLLAPSING structure injured 23 workers Monday at a Cambodian factory producing garments for fashion brand H&M, police said, the latest incident to raise concerns about regional industrial ...

Imran Khan holds London-based rival responsible for Pakistani politicians murder – video

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:32:55 -0400

Imran Khan 'holds responsible' London-based MQM leader Altaf Hussain of the murder of Zahra Hussain, vice-president for Khan's party. The female politician was gunned down outside her home in Karachi on Saturday, sparking outcry among supporters of Khan's party, PTI, who claim Hussain threatened its supporters in a speech from London. A spokesman for MQM has accused Khan of ...

Starbucks Is Open for Business in Vietnam

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:28:00 -0400

opened up shop in Ho Chi Minh in February, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said that sales have exceeded expectations so far. Still, Vietnam may prove a challenge for the hegemonic coffee company because of the country's rich coffee culture that dates back at least a ...

Minorities Unsafe in Pakistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:25:44 -0400

Pakistan’s founder "Quaid-i-Azam" Mohammad Ali Jinnah dreamt of a country that would be Islamic and at the same time secular. The basic ideals behind the creation of Pakistan underscored security, welfare and cooperation of the people of all religions. Thanks to extremism and radicalization, today Pakistan is counted among the most dangerous places to live. Unfortunately, ...

Pakistani women faced major hurdles at polls

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:23:16 -0400

Pakistani women were often blocked from voting in recent elections, but many were compelled to vote, usually for their husband's or father's ...

Pakistans Musharraf Granted Bail in Bhutto Murder Case

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:55:47 -0400

A Pakistani court has granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in a case related to the murder of former prime minister Benazir ...

Burmese Presidents White House Visit a Reward for Reforms

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:55:47 -0400

President Barack Obama's invitation to his Burmese counterpart to meet at the White House marks a rapid diplomatic boost for Thein Sein, whom the United States removed from a blacklist of foreign officials denied entry to the country only last year. Mr. Obama also rewarded Burma's reform efforts by making the first visit to that nation by a sitting U.S. president last November. ...

More Regional Troops Going to Central African Republic

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:55:46 -0400

An armored vehicle of of the Congolese army, part of the Central African Multinational Force is parked in front of a bank in central Bangui on April 3, ...

Global Water is Under Threat

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:55:45 -0400

Scientists say a new geologic epoch has begun whereby humans are causing major damage to global water systems. They warn of a planetary transformation comparable to the retreat of the glaciers more than 11-thousand years ago. Scientists are meeting in Bonn, Germany this week (5/21-24) to discuss what can be done about it. to De Capua report on Anthropocene epoch While some still debate ...

Bundesbank Chief Says France Must Take Deficit Cuts Seriously

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:55:44 -0400

Germany's federal reserve Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann stands beside the door of a giant safe as he poses for a photograph at the money museum next to the Bundesbank headquarters, in Frankfurt, Germany, May 17, ...

RI expects growth at 6.4 to 6.9 percent in 2014

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:52:53 -0400

National Development Planning Minister Armida Alisjahbana said on Monday that Indonesia's economic growth in 2014 was set at between 6.4 and 6.9 percent."The projection of national economic growth in 2014 will be very much influenced by the dynamics of the global economy," said Armida during a plenary meeting at the House of Representatives, on Monday, as quoted by Antara news ...

Asian-Americans Smart High-Incomes And ... Poor

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:48:15 -0400

Asian-Americans have the highest income and education levels of any racial group in the country. So it might be surprising that they have a higher poverty rate than non-Hispanic whites. Michel Martin discusses the issue with Algernon Austin of the Economic Policy Institute and Rosalind Chou, co-author ...

Philippines Jan-Apr balance of payments posts USD1.8b surplus CB

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:47:15 -0400

(MENAFN) The Philippines central bank said that during the January-April period, the country's balance of payments (BOP) recorded a surplus of USD1.8 billion, reported Xinhua News.Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said that the figure exceeds half of the USD3-billion forecast for the current year.In April alone, the BOP surplus reached USD274 million, up from a deficit of USD74 million ...

Bangladeshs exports grow to USD21.78b in 10 months

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:47:14 -0400

(MENAFN) Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) announced that the country's income of exports of goods rose by more than 10 percent during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, reaching USD21.78 billion, reported Xinhua News.An official at EPB said that the figure is compared with USD17.77 billion recorded in the same period a year earlier.He added that in the July-April ...

Indonesias 2014 budget plan puts GDP growth at 6.4-6.9

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:47:10 -0400

(MENAFN) Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2014 would be between 6.4 percent and 6.9 percent according to the government's proposed budget plan, reported Reuters.The new figure is up from the 6.2-percent estimated by the Finance Ministry earlier.Furthermore, the budget gap would average between 1.7 and 2.3 percent of GDP.As for crude production, the government expects ...

Pakistan vows to be Asian tiger

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:47:09 -0400

(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Pakistan's prime minister-in-waiting Mohammad Nawaz Sharif has vowed to turn Pakistan into an Asian tiger in a short span of time.Intensely pro-business Sharif, is Prime Minister for the third time - a rare event in Pakistan where political charms wash off quickly. His strength - a majority in the National Assembly which he won on the strength of his 1990s ...

Indonesia into Sudirman cup last 8 after win

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:44:23 -0400

Former champions Indonesia reached the quarterfinals of the Sudirman Cup on Monday with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over India in Group A.Indonesia have been joined by China, Japan and Denmark in the last eight.Japan crushed Singapore 5-0 on Monday, a result that ensured Denmark also qualified from Group D as the Singaporeans were eliminated.Indonesia will meet eight-time champions China to ...

Plague of deforestation sweeps across south-east Asia

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:43:58 -0400

deforestation is dizzying, threatening the region's remarkable biodiversity, which includes more than 1,700 species discovered in the last 15 years alone. Many of the forests in Vietnam have been cut down for the furniture export market and the trees replaced by coffee bushes; in less than 10 years, Vietnam has gone from zero to number two in global coffee production. So much forest has been ...

Myanmar leader set for historic US visit

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:43:54 -0400

Myanmar President U Thein Sein will become the first leader of his country in 47 years to visit the White House, in one of the most symbolic US gestures yet to support his reforms.The former general will meet with President Barack Obama during the visit that started Monday and later seek to woo US businesses that see a lucrative market in the Southeast Asian nation.Some say that Obama's ...

2 dead 20 injured after explosions in Dagestan- Wave of violent attacks kills at least 86 in Iraq

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:26:14 -0400

MAKHACHKALA, Russia – Two people are dead and at least 20 are injured after two car bombs exploded Monday in Dagestan, in Russia's North Caucasus region, where armed militias are leading an Islamist insurgency. Both blasts were near the headquarters of the court bailiffs and appeared to have been detonated by remote control, a Russian state agency told Reuters. Police cordoned ...

How Coca-Cola Used Vending Machines To Try To Unite The People Of India And Pakistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:24:47 -0400

Specially-designed Small World Machines placed in both countries in March served as live communications portals. Now, Coke has released a video that allows everyone to witness the joyous ...

Former Pakistani Ruler Musharraf Granted Bail

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:50:26 -0400

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN -- A Pakistani court on Monday granted bail to former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf who has been under house arrest on charges of failing to provide adequate security for former prime minister Benazir Bhutto before her 2007 assassination. Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, returned to Pakistan in March to contest a May 11 general election after nearly ...

UN praises Bangladesh39s preparedness response to tropical storm Mahasen

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:49:06 -0400

Print 20 May 2013 &#150 The United Nations has commended the work carried out by the Bangladeshi Government ahead of tropical storm Mahasen, which hit the country last Thursday, noting it saved thousands of lives. 'While tropical storm Mahasen reached the coastline of Bangladesh on Thursday weaker than anticipated, the preparedness work undertaken by the Government and humanitarian ...

Shakespeares sonnets come to life in new app

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:48:52 -0400

By Natasha BakerTORONTO (Reuters) - A new app launched on Monday aims to bring William Shakespeare's sonnets to the masses with the help of short films starring stage actors performing them in front of New York landmarks.The Sonnet Project is a free app for the iPhone and iPad that showcases the bard's poetry through films of up to two minutes and performances by Tony-Award winning ...

Myanmar to pump oil and gas to energy-hungry China

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:48:41 -0400

Workers prepare to launch the China section of the Myanmar-China oil and gas pipeline in Anning in southwest China's Yunnan province. Ren Dong / Color China Photo / AP ...

US says Pakistan curbing explosive fertilizers

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:46:27 -0400

ISLAMABAD -; Pakistan has taken a number of steps to prevent fertilizers made within its borders for agriculture from being used as explosives in roadside bombs that target American troops in Afghanistan, said a top U.S. military officer ...

Pakistans presumptive PM calls for Taliban talks

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:46:25 -0400

The Taliban has been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for years that has killed thousands of security personnel and ...

Pakistan Energy Crisis Immediate Attention Needed

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:44:16 -0400

In Pakistan, depending on your place of residing, there is no electricity from six to twenty hours a day. Whereas it has hit hard the lives of the common man, making it impossible to function on a day to day basis, it has also brought down production in industrial sectors drastically, costing contracts and jobs of millions across the country. If we look at the issue- two reasons emerge. First ...

Hizb ut-Tahrir Protests against Tyrants of Bangladesh Khilafah will soon Avenge Your Crimes

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:41:47 -0400

Hizb ut-Tahrir Wilayah Pakistan demonstrated against the Bangladeshi regime's firing and slaughtering of Muslims on 6th May 2013 as they rose up over blasphemy against RasulAllah ??? ???? ???? ????. Hizb ut-Tahrir Wilayah Pakistan also delivered a letter of protest to the Bangladeshi diplomatic mission. Demonstrators were holding banners and placards ...

Thai economy contracts in Q1

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:39:21 -0400

Thailand's economy shrank 2.2 percent in the three months to March from the previous quarter - the first contraction in more than a year - as manufacturing output fell, official data showed Monday.The decline followed a blistering yearlong recovery from devastating floods in late 2011 that hit major factories north of the capital Bangkok and caused a double-digit drop in GDP.On a ...

Burmas Web-Savvy Rebels - By Patrick Boehler

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:38:59 -0400

Hagel's front office gets a new Hand; Shineski, under fire; Obama to talk drone, Gitmo policy; MCT: Amos being investigated; Terminal Lance: "Shut up!" and a bit more. - by Gordon ...

FSB prevents terror act in Moscow by militants trained in Afghanistan Pakistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:32:02 -0400

Russia's FSB has foiled a terror attack in Moscow as they managed to kill two and detain one of the militants planning it, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said. The three men are "Russian citizens, arrived from Afghani-Pakistani region, where they have been trained," the committee said in a statement. As FSB forces approached the house in a small town in the Moscow ...

Measles surges in UK years after flawed research

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:26:11 -0400

In this photo Thursday, April 25, 2013 Lucy Butler,15, getting ready to have her measles jab at All Saints School in Ingleby Barwick, Teesside, England, as a national vaccination catch-up campaign has been launched to curb a rise in measles cases in England. More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised ...

Indonesia fined for crowd trouble

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:16:10 -0400

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) have been hit with a 15,000-dollar (9,900 pounds) fine for repeated crowd infringements.The PSSI were handed a penalty of 10,000 dollars (6,600 pounds) when fans lit firecrackers and threw water bottles when Indonesia hosted Saudi Arabia in an Asian Cup qualifier on March ...

Abdullah bin Zayed Singapores Foreign Minister discuss cooperation

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:08:50 -0400

WAM ABU DHABI, May 20th, 2013 (WAM)-- H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, discussed with Singapore's Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam, bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation in all fields of mutual interest between the two countries. During the meeting, which was held at the Ministry today, the two ministers exchanged views on the latest regional and ...

Mixed reception for first Myanmar president to visit US

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:45:21 -0400

WASHINGTON // Thein Sein yesterday became the first Myanmar president to be welcomed to the White House in almost 47 years, crowning a dramatic diplomatic rehabilitation for his nation after years of international isolation. But activists are angry about Barack Obama hosting the former general, and legislators are wary. Thein Sein has led the shift from decades of direct military rule, but has ...

Unavailable sanitary landfills makes local govt fret about fines

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:44:55 -0400

West Tanjungjabung regional secretary Arief Munandar said the regency had to start implementing the sanitary landfill system to manage waste as stipulated by Law No.18/2008 on waste management."Otherwise, we could face a penalty of Rp 5 billion (US$512,455)," he said on Sunday.Arief said that with a growing waste problem, it was time for the dump in West Tanjungjabung regency, Jambi, to ...

US Pakistan moves to curb dangerous fertilizers

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:43:12 -0400

ISLAMABAD -; A top American military officer says Pakistan has taken steps to prevent fertilizers made in Pakistan from being used for roadside bombs targeting American troops in ...

Quantum says new team could recover Intrepid’s Indonesia stake

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:39:47 -0400

Quantum Pacific Investment Ltd. believes with a new leadership team it can recover some of Intrepid's stake in the Tujuh Bukit copper-gold ...

Caluag rules Asian BMX Elite category

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:30:03 -0400

LONDON Olympian Daniel Caluag greatly admired the undulating course at the Tampines Bike Park in Singapore, and it's not difficult to figure why. The Filipino-American validated his status as the continent's No. 1 BMX rider with a sizzling run on the dusty 355-meter Tampines course to win the gold medal in the men's Elite category of the recent 8th Asian BMX Championships. ...

14 now known dead 14 missing in Indonesia tunnel collapse

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:27:08 -0400

10 have been rescued after last week's tunnel collapse, the mining company says Crews have been combing the rubble since the accident A company executive says he is "deeply saddened and disturbed" by the ...

China Resumes Cyber Attacks on US Firm Says

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:43:43 -0400

A U.S. computer security firm says the Chinese military has resumed cyber attacks on American companies after a hiatus. Mandiant, which accused China of cyber attacks in a February report, says a Chinese army unit recently broke into the computer systems of more than 100 companies to steal trade secrets. It says the attacks started again just days after Chinese officials told Secretary of ...

Yahoo buying Tumblr for $1.1-billion vows won’t ‘screw it up’

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:41:21 -0400

This Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, photo, shows a sign in front of Yahoo! headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif., Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Associated ...

Philippines approves 3 wind farm projects to generate 208MW of power

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:40:24 -0400

Fishing boats are anchored next to windmills on Bangui Bay in Ilocos norte, north of Manila on May 4, 2013. The Philippines has approved three wind farm projects that will generate 208MW, enough to power more than 40,000 middle-class homes, an energy official said on Monday, May 20, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: ...

51 die in 2 South Sudan clashes army retakes town

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:39:53 -0400

JUBA, South Sudan -; Twenty-four people died in a battle between South Sudan's military and rebel fighters the government believes to be supported by neighboring Sudan, while a tribe-on-tribe cattle-raiding attack elsewhere in the country killed 27 people, officials said ...

Will U.S. Designate Egypt Pakistan Iraq and Nigeria As Religious Freedom Violators

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:30:53 -0400

Pakistani Christians protest against the country's blasphemy laws and violence targeting their minority community. An independent U.S. watchdog has urged the executive branch every year since 2002 to designate Pakistan as a "country of particular concern" over religious freedom violations. (AP Photo) (CNSNews.com) - As the State Department prepares to release its annual report on ...

Pakistans former military ruler Musharraf granted bail

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:29:17 -0400

A judge granted bail to Pakistan's former military ruler on Monday in a case related to the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, his lawyer ...

Pakistan court grants Musharraf bail in Bhutto case

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:28:21 -0400

Map: Pakistan A Pakistani court has granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf over the murder of Benazir Bhutto but the retired general remains under house arrest."General Musharraf's bail has been confirmed", court official Mohammad Aslam Joya said.Judge Habibur Rehman ordered Musharraf to pay two bonds worth one million rupees each, the court official ...

Egyptian army boosts forces in Sinai after kidnapping

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:22:37 -0400

View Photo Reuters/Reuters - Egyptian policemen shout slogans from the gates of the main Egyptian crossing point into the Gaza Strip, which has been closed for the third day, in Rafah city, about 350 km (217 miles) ...

Pakistans MQM denounces Imran Khan in Karachi protest

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:19:08 -0400

1 of 2. Imran Khan, Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician and chairman of political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), addresses his supporters after his visit to the mausoleum of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder and first governor-general of Pakistan, during an election campaign in Karachi May 7, ...

Fresh Plunge in Precious Metals Natural as Bearish Money Managers Hold Upper Hand Over Asian Household Buyers

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:16:18 -0400

WHOLESALE PRICES for gold and silver rallied from a fresh plunge in early London dealing on Monday, rising to stand unchanged and 2.3% lower respectively from the end of last week's trade by lunchtime.Asian stock markets closed sharply higher, even as the Japanese Yen reversed Friday's drop to new 4-year lows against the US Dollar.Commodities ticked lower as did major government bonds. ...

Burma leader making landmark White House visit- Kerry to Mideast to press Syria peace talks

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:16:01 -0400

Former general Thein Sein on Monday becomes the first Burma president to be welcomed to the White House in almost 47 years, crowning a dramatic diplomatic rehabilitation for his nation after years of international isolation. But activists are angry about President Obama hosting Thein Sein, and lawmakers are wary. The Burma leader has led the shift from decades of direct military rule, but ...

Gabon nets US$1.7bn Singaporean investments

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:21 -0400

Gabonese authorities have managed to secure investments worth a total of US$ 1.7 billion from Singapore, including a new fertilizer plant to be set up outside Port Gentil and palm oil ...

Rebels Army Clash in Eastern DRC

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:43:53 -0400

Fresh fighting has erupted in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the army and rebel group M23 -- the first clash between the sides in nearly six ...

The Latest Images from Syria

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:43:53 -0400

This citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens shows Syrian rebels preparing to repel an attack by government forces, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria, May 19, ...

India China Pledge to Overcome Border Tensions

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:43:52 -0400

NEW DELHI -- The leaders of Asian giants India and China say they will take steps to build greater mutual trust a month after a tense dispute over their shared border. With words like friendship, peace and consensus, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Li Keqiang, meeting in New Delhi, set out to move past the standoff that dominated headlines just weeks ago. ...

Trigana aircraft comes off runway at Wamena airport

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:41:36 -0400

A cargo aircraft operated by PT Trigana ran off the runway at Wamena airport at around 4:30 p.m. local time on Monday, an official has said."I've just received a report that an aircraft has run off the runway; but fortunately, there were no victims during the incident," head of Wamena airport in Jayawijaya, Papua, Junikar Pakondo, told The Jakarta Post.He said the incident occurred ...

Electric minibus launched in Yogyakarta

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:41:35 -0400

Marking National Awakening Day on Monday, the Research and Technology Ministry and the Yogyakarta city administration launched an electric minibus made by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) at the city's Taman Pintar [Pintar Park].The 12-seated electric minibus will be used to transport visitors free of charge to Taman Pintar and its surrounding areas, including Malioboro, Alun-Alun ...

Cambodia factory accident injures 23 Police

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:40:26 -0400

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - A collapsing structure injured 23 workers on Monday at a Cambodian factory producing garments for a top Western brand, police said, the latest incident to raise concerns about regional industrial safety. At least 23 workers were injured at a Cambodian factory that produced garments for a top Western brand on Monday, police said, the latest incident to raise concerns about ...

Rights group criticizes Sri Lankas rights record

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:39:51 -0400

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -; An international human rights group said Monday that respect for basic rights and liberties has declined in Sri Lanka in the four years since the government defeated separatist Tamil rebels to end a civil ...

Pertamina CEO Most Likely to Head Indonesia Investment Body

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:39:01 -0400

JAKARTA - PT Pertamina's Chief Executive Karen Agustiawan is the front-runner to head Indonesia's Coordinating Board for Investment after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Monday made the current chief the country's new finance minister, two people familiar with the matter said. "It's Karen who [likely] will be appointed as the new investment board chief," one of ...

Dog-meat mafia fuels Thai canine trade

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:33:44 -0400

Thai authorities are struggling to stop dogs from being stolen and smuggled to northern Vietnam, where a million dogs are eaten each year. This video report ...

US and Myanmar edge toward rapport

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:33:38 -0400

What triggers former foes to become friends and then listen to each other on their mutual interests is a puzzle for political scientists. But it's a process we see in the bilateral relations of the US and Myanmar.Until a year ago, Myanmar faced sanctions and its former military generals were denied visas for the US. The dual-track policy of the Obama administration, which began in 2009, has ...

Nepal investigates illegal Everest broadcast

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:29:13 -0400

Nepal A British mountaineer's interview with the BBC on his smartphone from the top of Mount Everest has stirred controversy, with the Nepalese government calling the broadcast "illegal".British mountaineer Daniel Hughes gave a live video interview to the BBC on his smartphone from the 8,848-metres peak on Sunday morning."This is the world's first live video call - ...

Do you know your Dakar from your Dhaka Airline mix-up sends couple 7000 miles off-course to wrong continent

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:25:56 -0400

All irritating, no doubt; but spare a thought for US couple Sandy Valdiviseo and her husband Triet Vo who ended up 7,000 miles from their destination after an airport code mix-up.The couple had planned to fly from Los Angeles to Dakar, Senegal, but instead found themselves 7,000 miles away in Dhaka, Bangladesh, after their carrier mixed up the airport codes.The bizarre situation resulted in a ...

Nigeria says switching to foreign debt to lower costs

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:23:03 -0400

Nigeria will increase the amount it borrows overseas to around 40 percent of all debt over the next three to five years, from 12 percent currently, to lower its cost of funds, the head of the debt office said on Monday. DMO Director ...

Iran electoral watchdog hints at Rafsanjani rejection

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:31 -0400

Iran 's electoral watchdog said on Monday it would bar physically feeble candidates from running for president, in an apparent hint that it could disqualify 78-year-old former ...

Subsidy reform dispute imperils Moroccos ruling coalition

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:25 -0400

By Aziz El Yaakoubi RABAT, May 20 (Reuters) - Morocco's junior government party is threatening to quit the coalition unless Islamist prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane moderates plans for sweeping cuts to subsidies on food and energy. Increased subsidies have been part of Morocco's strategy to prevent popular discontent welling up into an uprising of the kind that has toppled ...

GM revs up Asean expansion

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:10 -0400

The Chevrolet Spin mini-MPV is being assembled in Indonesia for sale throughout Asia including Thailand, where prices will start around 760,000 baht. "For Asean as a whole, all we can see is huge growth and enormous opportunities. The umbrella strategy is ‘build where you sell, and source where you build’," said Martin Apfel, president of GM’s Southeast Asia ...

Pakistan turns off air-conditioners and tells civil servants to ditch socks

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:16:35 -0400

Pakistan has told its civil servants not to wear socks as the country turns off air-conditioners amid soaring temperatures to deal with chronic power cuts.The government has turned off all air-conditioning in its offices as the country endures blackouts of up to 20 hours a day in some places."There shall be no more use of air-conditioners in public offices till such time that substantial ...

South Korea North Korea fires short-range projectiles for 3rd day launch considered routine

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:14:29 -0400

South Korean men watch a TV news program reporting missile launch conducted by North Korea, at a Seoul train station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 20, 2013. North Korea fired two more short-range projectiles into its own eastern waters Monday for a third straight day of such launches, Seoul officials said, as Pyongyang threatened to retaliate against what it calls South Korean and U.S. ...

Op-Ed Contributors What Obama Needs to Tell Myanmars Leader

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:10:08 -0400

President Thein Sein of Myanmar is in Washington this week, the first Burmese head of state to visit since the military dictator Gen Ne Win in 1966. Much has changed since 1966. Fifty years of direct military rule have ended, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is out of house arrest and sits in Parliament, along with 42 of her colleagues from the National League for Democracy, ...

China trying to manage exposure of corruption online

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:43:42 -0400

Reuters © Liu Tienan, then head of the National Energy Administration and deputy chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), attends a news conference about Spring Festival transport in Beijing in this January 8, 2012 file photograph. The latest bureaucrat to fall from grace thanks to the Internet was Liu Tienan, sacked from his job last week as deputy chief ...

Imran Khans party wins Karachi seat election rerun

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:43:31 -0400

KARACHI (AFP) - The party of former Pakistani cricket hero Imran Khan secured victory in a repeat election held in one constituency of violence-plagued Karachi, election officials said Monday.Voting was held under tight security in 43 polling stations on Sunday, a day after a senior official of Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party was shot dead outside her home in the city.Polling was re-run ...

Citing experience SBY names Chatib finance minister

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:42:56 -0400

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is praising Chatib Basri, his new finance minister, as an economist with extensive experience.Under the one year that Chatib led the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), investments in Indonesia grew significantly and contributed to the economic growth, he said."When we and several other countries experienced declining exports, investments have become the ...

Nepal considers plan to expand fibre coverage

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:42:25 -0400

Nepal's minister for information and communications Madhav Prasad Paudel has said the government is committed to improving its fibre-optic links in the country, specifically through the deployment of optical networks along highways and trunk roads. e-Kantipur notes that the state's backing of the plan comes at a time when its efforts to roll out the district optical fibre project are ...

Indonesian minorities slam Yudhoyonos interfaith award

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:41:42 -0400

JAKARTA (AFP) - Indonesian religious minorities on Monday slammed a decision by a United States interfaith group to honour President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at a time when attacks against minority faiths are on the increase. The Appeal of Conscience Foundation, which campaigns against crimes committed in the name of religion, has named Dr Yudhoyono its World Statesman of 2013, and he is due to ...

Former Pak dictator Pervez Musharraf granted bail

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:29:17 -0400

Pervez Musharraf became the first former army chief to be arrested, breaking an unwritten rule that the top ranks of the military are untouchable, even after they have ...

Bad debts falling in Vietnams ailing banks govt says

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:29:05 -0400

HANOI | Mon May 20, 2013 7:29am EDT HANOI May 20 (Reuters) - The ratio of non-performing loans held by Vietnam's troubled banks eased slightly in the first quarter as they have become better at controlling bad debt, though the overall level of NPLs remained high, the government said on Monday. Bad loans are a key factor stifling Vietnam's economic revival. The country's banks ...

Nepal takes issue with troubled BBCs Everest video

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:22:42 -0400

(21 mins ago) A British mountaineer's interview with the UK state broadcaster BBC on his smart phone from the top of Mount Everest has stirred controversy in Nepal where the government is calling the broadcast ';illegal'', officials said. Mountaineer Daniel Hughes went live on BBC via his smart phone from the 8,848-meter peak on Sunday morning. It was also seen on Asia ...

Dont wear socks hot Pakistanis told amid power crisis

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:22:35 -0400

A woman cooks over a wood-burning fire under a battery-run emergency light during a power outage in a slum in Islamabad April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Faisal ...

Nepal investigating Everest call

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:16:17 -0400

A BRITISH mountaineer's interview with the BBC on his smartphone from the top of Mount Everest has stirred controversy with the Nepalese government calling the broadcast "illegal", officials said Monday. British mountaineer Daniel Hughes gave a live video interview to the BBC on his smartphone from the 8,848-metres (29,029-feet) peak on Sunday morning. "This is the world's ...

Pakistani judge orders Musharraf held for 14 days

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:15:53 -0400

A Pakistani judge ordered Pervez Musharraf be held in custody for two more weeks, until the next hearing in a case related to his 2007 decision to sack and detain several ...

Obama schedule for Monday May 20

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:11:42 -0400

TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 20 (UPI) -- An investigation into the killing by the Philippines coast guard of a Taiwanese fisherman is focusing on whether rules of engagement were ...

UPI Thoroughbred Racing Roundup

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:11:38 -0400

There will be no Triple Crown winner again this year, but Orb's defeat in the Preakness Stakes does tee up an interesting summer of racing. Meanwhile, some other potential stars, including Last Gunfighter and Fiftyshadesofhay, emerged from the weekend of racing at Pimlico. Hong Kong horses ran off with both of Singapore's International Group 1 races, Farhh provided a bright spot for ...

Activists Say 23 Hezbollah Militants Killed in Syria Fighting

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:48:06 -0400

Citizen journalism image provided by Qusair Lens which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians inspecting the rubble of damaged buildings due to government airstrikes, in Qusair, Homs province, Syria, May 18, ...

Poor Countries Lack Modern Contraception

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:48:05 -0400

A new study says little is being done to meet the growing demand for modern contraception methods in poor countries. The Guttmacher Institute says there’s an increasing desire for smaller families. Guttmacher says between 2003 and 2012 the number of women wanting to avoid pregnancy – and in need of modern contraception – rose from 716 million to 867 million. The sharpest ...

Taiwan delegation gears up for WHA

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:45:30 -0400

Taiwan Today By Meg Chang A delegation headed by ROC Department of Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta is attending the 2013 World Health Assembly May 20 to 28 in Geneva, Switzerland, according to the DOH May 17. The 20-member representation is expected to deliver reports on 19 technical and six follow-up issues, covering topics such as enhancing health systems; promoting health care; responding to ...

ROC government reassures Philippine expats

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:45:27 -0400

Taiwan Today The ROC government moved May 19 to reassure Filipinos living and working in Taiwan that their rights will not be detrimentally impacted by the recent fatal attack on a Taiwan fishing boat by a Philippine government vessel. The assurances were made by ROC Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Council of Labor Affairs officials during a visit to the Holy Family Catholic Church in Taipei ...

UPDATE 3-Indonesia names new finance minister wins praise

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:31 -0400

Mon May 20, 2013 6:44am EDT * Former investment chief named finance minister * Economists praise choice * Slowing growth, bloated subsidy bill big challenges * Basri is protege of former finance minister (Updates with reaction, context) By Rieka Rahadiana and Andjarsari Paramaditha JAKARTA, May 20 (Reuters) - Indonesia named its respected investment chief as finance minister on Monday as ...

Campaign to raise questions over GPO chiefs sacking

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:41:28 -0400

A health advocacy group Monday kicked off its campaign to protest the sacking of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO)'s chief Witit Artavatkun. Deputy Public Health Minister Chonlanan Srikaew will Tuesday ask for Cabinet's approval for the sacking of Witit. The move comes after Public Health Minister Pradith Sinthawanarong on Friday signed an official letter ordering ...

SE Asia Stocks-Indonesia jumps after new finmin Thailand at new high

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:40:26 -0400

BANGKOK, May 20 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Monday as optimism about global growth lifted sentiment in overseas markets while Indonesia's main index rose to a new all-time closing high, after the appointment of a new finance minister. Jakarta's Composite Index ended up 1.4 percent at 5,214.97, pushing up its year-to-date gain to 21 percent, Southeast Asia's ...

Gunmen Attack Polio Workers in Pakistani Tribal Belt

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:39:59 -0400

PESHAWAR, Pakistan ...

Asian death wave tops a year of big disasters

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:15:50 -0400

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

Singapores CapitaLand launches $520 mln convertible bond-terms

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:08:30 -0400

HONG KONG, May 20 (Reuters) - CapitaLand Ltd, the biggest property developer in Southeast Asia, plans to raise up to $520 million in convertible bonds due 2020, according to a term sheet of the deal seen by Reuters on Monday. The bonds were ...

Parents to file malpractice lawsuit against hospital

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:49:34 -0400

A married couple claim their son was a victim of medical malpractice at the Baiturrahim Hospital in Jambi and have decided to take legal action.Rahmat and Nurmalisa, local residents of Kasang Jaya, East Jambi district, Jambi City, said they planned to file a lawsuit against the hospital after their son, Nazril, who is only 40 days, suffered eye swelling allegedly caused by wrongly-prescribed ...

MOFA affirms work of Taiwan investigators in Manila

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:47 -0400

MOFA Minister David Y. L. Lin states May 19 that Manila has agreed to launch a parallel investigation into the fatal attack on a Taiwan fishing boat by a Philippine government vessel. ...

MOJ deems Hong’s killing intentional homicide

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:45 -0400

Taiwan Today The ROC Ministry of Justice said May 18 that preliminary results of its investigation show fisherman Hong Shi-cheng aboard the Guang Da Xing No. 28 was the victim of intentional homicide at the hands of Philippine government officials. The main evidence that Hong's death was intentional homicide, rather than "unintended killing," comes from the large number of shots ...

World stocks rise on signs of steady US recovery

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:00 -0400

A man under an umbrella walks past an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo Monday, May 20, 2013. Japan's Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.4 percent to 15,352.84 as evidence of a steady economic recovery in the U.S. helped push Asian stock markets higher Monday. (AP Photo/Koji ...

Malaysia court orders release of 3 terror suspects

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:47:59 -0400

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -; A Malaysian court has ordered the release of an al-Qaida-linked former army captain and two other suspects charged with inciting terrorist ...

Asian Stocks Rise On Growth Optimism

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:47:16 -0400

Asian stocks rose on Monday, extending a two-week rally, as an upbeat reading on U.S. consumer confidence bolstered optimism about the economic recovery in the world's ...

After Nearly 50 Years Burmese Leader Comes To Washington

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:45:27 -0400

It's been a while since the last visit by a head of state from Myanmar. The last time was 47 years ago, when the country was still known as Burma. As President Thein Sein arrives at the White House Monday, some will hail him as a reformer who set his country on the path to democracy. Others may protest his arrival, as excessive recognition for a head of state that has presided over ...

Focus on communication skills

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:45:06 -0400

Nation University is seriously equipping its students with communication skills - the key for them to advance in their career and to prosper in daily life. "Communications are related to all fields of works and parts of daily lives. So, we have placed an emphasis on communications. This applies to students at all faculties, not just the Faculty of Communication Arts," Nation Multimedia ...

Asian shares extend winning streak

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:43:06 -0400

Hong Kong shares jumped to their highest since early February on Monday, led by Chinese cyclical counters, as investors chased a resurgent mainland China market on their return from a Friday holiday, which posted a fourth-straight day of ...

Retailers in Singapore forced to make tough decisions amid labour crunch

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:39:00 -0400

retail ers in Singapore are shutting their least profitable outlets, freezing expansion plans and even cutting opening hours. With rents going up at the same time, it seems that they have no choice. Rent and labour make up over 70 per cent of a ...

CREDIT BUBBLE BULLETIN Financial euphoria

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:38:27 -0400

Commentary and weekly watch by Doug Noland Tepper stokes the melt-up: "I am definitely bullish. The budget deficit is shrinking massively. Guys who are short, they better have a shovel to get out of the grave" - hedge fund manager David Tepper, CNBC, May 14, 2013. Mr Tepper has every reason to be euphoric. His US$7 billion estimated net worth places him at number 53 on the ...

Cambodian ceremony honors victims of Khmer Rouge - Quincy Herald-Whig | Illinois Missouri News Sports

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:32:58 -0400

(AP Photo/Heng Sinith). A Cambodian woman stands with burning incense sticks as she visits a memorial holding skulls of the Khmer Rouge victims at Choeung Ek "Killing Field" in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, May 20, ...

Teargas used on Dhaka textile workers

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:31:36 -0400

Rescue workers look for trapped garment workers in the collapsed Rana Plaza building in Savar, 30km outside Dhaka, in this April 26, 2013, file ...

CORRECTED-BRIEF-Talisman Energy says gross production expected to reach 15000 bblsday from 2 Vietnam oil fields

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:23:22 -0400

Mon May 20, 2013 5:23am EDT (Corrects headline to say gross production is expected to reach 15,000 bbls/day from 2 fields in Vietnam, not the whole company) May 20 (Reuters) - Talisman Energy Inc : * Announces first oil from hst/hsd development, offshore Vietnam growth continues in core Asia-pacific region * Says gross production is expected to reach 15,000 bbls/day once the facilities are ...

Report North Korea holding Chinese fishing boat crew

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:20:15 -0400

China has asked North Korea to immediately release a Chinese fishing boat and its crew, who have been held since May 5, diplomats said. The Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang asked North Koreans to ensure the safety of the detained fishermen, Chinese diplomat Jiang Yaxian told the official Chinese Xinhua News Agency. China's Global Times reported 16 Chinese fishermen were kidnapped May 5 by ...

Li Keqiang makes India first stop on his foreign visit

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:20:15 -0400

China's official media, in its extensive coverage of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's Indian visit, sought to play down the Asian neighbors' border disputes. Li, who made India the first stop on his first foreign tour since becoming the China's No. 2 leader, arrived in New Delhi Sunday on a three-day trip. The visit comes after last month's tense situation resulting from a ...

Myanmar needs a new nationalism

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:13:37 -0400

By Matthew J Walton Many outside observers have been shocked to see Buddhists in Myanmar leading recent violent actions against Muslims. Our recollections of tens of thousands of Buddhist monks chanting loving-kindness while demonstrating peacefully against the former military government in 2007 clash with recent images of monks using their sermons to advocate for a boycott of Muslim ...

Car Bombs Kills 31 in Iraq

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:56:43 -0400

Car bombs have exploded in mainly Shi'ite sections of Iraq's capital, and in the southern city of Basra, killing at least 31 people and wounding dozens ...

Suicide Bomber Kills 11 in Afghanistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:56:43 -0400

Afghan officials say a suicide bomber has struck outside government buildings in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 11 people, including a local senior politician. Police said Monday's blast outside the Baghlan provincial council building killed the head of the provincial council, Rasoul Mohseni. Some of his bodyguards were among those killed or the several people wounded. The ...

14 Dead 14 Missing in Indonesia Mine Collapse

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:56:43 -0400

Rescue workers in a remote region of West Papua, in eastern Indonesia, have recovered five more bodies from a collapsed tunnel in a gold and copper mine, bringing the death toll to 14, with 14 others still missing and feared ...

Chatib Basri to be sworn-in on Tuesday

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:54:50 -0400

Newly-appointed Finance Minister Chatib Basri will take the oath of office, on Tuesday.President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) chairman to take the Finance Minister position on Monday after he passed a fit-and-proper test at the Presidential Palace."After considering various aspects, I place my confidence in Chatib Basri," Yudhoyono told a ...

CAPDI conference calls for reconciliation

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:54:49 -0400

Centrist Asia-Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI) members are holding a three-day conference in Makassar, South Sulawesi, to call for peace and push for reconciliation between countries in the region.CAPDI chairman Jusuf Kalla said on Monday that the second conference was designed to renew the commitment of members to maintain regional and global peace."This conference invites all ...

CORRECTED-UPDATE 1-Indonesia 2013 govt budget assumes 45 pct hike in subsidised petrol price

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:53:49 -0400

Mon May 20, 2013 4:53am EDT (Corrects budget year in headline and paragraph 3 to 2013) JAKARTA May 20 (Reuters) - Indonesia's government is assuming there will be a 45 percent rise in the price of subsidised petrol, a move widely seen as essential to relieve mounting pressure on the state finances. The government has been agonising for months over how and when to hike prices of heavily ...

Will Musharraf be granted safe-exit from Pakistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:50:23 -0400

There are widespread speculations within and outside Pakistan that Pakistan's former military ruler Parvez Musharraf, who is presently in detention, may be granted safe-exit and allowed to leave ...

Cambodian Red Cross lauds Chinas humanitarian assistance

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:49:13 -0400

Cambodian Red Cross President Bun Rany, wife of Prime Minister Hun Sen, on Monday expressed her gratitude to the Chinese government and the Red Cross Society of China for actively assisting Cambodia in humanitarian activities.Speaking at a meeting with outgoing Ambassador of China to Cambodia Pan Guangxue, Bun Rany said China is not only leading in helping Cambodia in the building of roads, ...

RPT-Fitch revises national asset manager rating scale for Thailand

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:44:22 -0400

Mon May 20, 2013 4:44am EDT (Repeat for Additional Subscribers) May 20 (Reuters) - (The following statement was released by the rating agency) Fitch Ratings (Thailand) has announced the revision of its rating scale for Thailand's Asset Manager Ratings, following the update of Fitch's global asset manager ratings criteria and scale in April 2013. The key changes ...

Asia-Pacific leaders warn of water conflict threat

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:36:11 -0400

Fierce competition for water could trigger conflict unless nations cooperate to share the diminishing resource, leaders from Asia-Pacific nations warned Monday. From Central to Southeast Asia, regional efforts to secure water have sparked tensions between neighbours reliant on rivers to sustain booming populations. Breakneck urbanisation, climate change and surging demand from agriculture have ...

Khan’s party wins re-vote in Karachi

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:35:22 -0400

Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party of cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan protest against the killing of Zara Shahid Hussain, a leading member of the PTI, in ...

Thailand economic picture darkens

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:34:58 -0400

(37 mins ago) Thailand's economy shrank 2.2 percent in the three months to March from the previous quarter – the first contraction in more than a year – as manufacturing output fell, official data show. The decline followed a year-long recovery from devastating floods in late 2011 that hit major factories north of the capital Bangkok and caused a double-digit drop in gross ...

Investors to gain access to Pakistan with imminent fund launch

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:21:32 -0400

The first Pakistan fund, the Melchior Selected Trust Pakistan Opportunities Fund (MSTPOF), will be launched on 19 June by Dalton Strategic Partnership LLP, advised by KASB Funds in Karachi. At launch, it is believed that MSTPOF will be the only Luxembourg UCITS Fund dedicated to investing in Pakistan equities. Dalton Strategic Partnership LLP believes that Pakistan warrants particular ...

China to make joint effort with Vietnam to advance bilateral relations FM

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:16:48 -0400

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (2nd R) meets with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem (2nd L) in Bali, Indonesia, July 21, 2011. (Xinhua/Chen Duo)Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said in Bali Thursday that China hopes to make joint effort with Vietnam to advance the bilateral relations on the right track. China and Vietnam have established a ...

Russia S.Korea Singapore sign nanotechnology cooperation deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:16:48 -0400

Russia, South Korea and Singapore signed a cooperation deal on developing nanotechnology Thursday.A memorandum of understanding signed Thursday on the sidelines of the 2011 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum broadens investment in the Asia Nanotechnology Fund, which was set up last September by the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnology (RUSNANO), the Singaporean Economic Development ...

Pilots go on strike in Indonesia some flights delayed cancelled

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:16:39 -0400

Hundreds of pilots of leading carrier Garuda Indonesia staged a strike on Thursday that cause flight delays and cancellations in several airports in the country.The strike started since midnight Thursday after the president of Garuda Pilot Association Stephanus Gerardus told his colleagues to stop flight."This morning (Thursday) at 03:15 a.m. Jakarta time we instructed (the pilots) not to ...