Provides the latest RSS feeds for Asia News. For more headlines on Breaking, National, Business, Finance, Sports and World News, visit our home page Asia Pacific News.net http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/cat/bf053b50c46383e0/ en-us Mon, 20 May 2013 13:58:27 -0400 Mon, 20 May 2013 13:58:27 -0400 30 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634189/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:03 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634189/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629202/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:10:04 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629202/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday that India and China's relationship is essential for stability and prosperity in Asia and the world, while stressing the need "for an early resolution of the boundary dispute. "There are many areas of convergence between us. We agreed that the relationship is of growing significance and essential for peaceful development and stability and prosperity in ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626788/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:50:01 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626788/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214635887/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 11:46:27 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214635887/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214635886/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 11:46:26 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214635886/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 Monday.Nearly 60 million migrant workers from the Asia-Pacific region sent almost $260 billion home to their families in 2012, according to the study, co-authored by the World Bank and the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214635688/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 11:39:24 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214635688/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Human Rights Watch, we’ve been documenting abuses of unaccompanied migrant children for more than 10 years, and I’ve personally interviewed hundreds of these children. The kids I met with are sent abroad in a last ditch effort to find a better life or escape persecution. Traveling with smugglers-under trucks, by foot, and in rickety boats-at least 10,000 unaccompanied children enter ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214636805/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 11:11:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214636805/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634518/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 10:43:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634518/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 maids from being exploited in the Middle Eastern kingdom. The agreement guarantees Filipina maids benefits like a day off each week while preventing their hiring costs from being deducted from their salary among other safeguards, said labour secretary Rosalinda Baldoz in a statement. "We are very confident that cases of abuse will be less after this agreement takes effect because the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634564/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 10:30:21 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634564/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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. ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634626/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 10:30:03 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634626/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 LUCKNOW, India (AP) -- An Indian state official is recommending that 19 people be charged with misappropriating millions of dollars in the construction of monuments honoring dalits, the lowest Hindu ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634533/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 10:04:33 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634533/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A British mountaineer's interview with the BBC on his smartphone from the top of Mount Everest has stirred controversy with theNepalese government calling the broadcast "illegal", officials said ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634145/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:30:19 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634145/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633447/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:29:17 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633447/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Shia neighborhood in Baghdad has killed 13 people. The blast pushed the day's death toll from a deadly wave of bombings and shooting attacks across Iraq to 70. The officials say the latest blast struck on Monday afternoon in a busy market in the Shaab Shia neighborhood of the Iraqi capital. A police officer says 25 people wounded in the explosion. A medical official confirmed the casualty ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633425/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:27:33 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633425/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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. ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633209/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:16:18 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633209/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. has secured a "declaration of commerciality" certificate from the Department of Energy for its planned 54-megawatt wind farm in San Lorenzo, Guimaras. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange Monday, Trans-Asia said the DOE certificate also affirmed the conversion of its existing renewable energy service contract to ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634146/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:10:48 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214634146/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 LONDON: English speaking youngsters across the globe, who are 18 or under, use the word 'like' in conversation over five times as often as speakers who are over 70; 'because' is the most misspelled English word globally; the word 'love' is said and written over six times more frequently than the word 'hate'. These are the findings of a first-of-its-kind ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633391/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:10 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633391/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A September 30, 2000, file combo of TV grabs from France 2 footage taken during Israeli-Palestinian clashes in Netzarim in the Gaza Strip shows Jamal al-Dura and his son Mohammed, 12, hiding behind a barrel from Israeli-Palestinian cross fire. (via ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633392/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 09:03:05 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214633392/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING -; Police in central China have detained the 18-year-old organizer of a gay pride march in a sign of the government's nervousness over a growing civil society movement and demands for stronger individual ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632025/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:44:01 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632025/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (AFP) - A suicide bomber struck outside government buildings in northern Afghanistan on Monday, killing 14 people including a local politician in the latest attack to target provincial officials.Emergency services rushed to the scene and took the wounded to hospital after the bomber, who was wearing police uniform, blew himself up next to Rasoul Mohseni, the head of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632334/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:42:24 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632334/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632140/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:39:51 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632140/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A wrecked truck is removed from the site of a car bomb attack in front of a crowded popular restaurant in Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 20, 2013. Two car bombings in the southern city of Basra, killing and wounding dozens of people, police said. Iraq has seen a spike of attacks, including bombings hitting both Sunni and Shiite civilian targets over the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632142/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:35:34 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632142/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Rajiv Biswas , the Asia-Pacific chief economist for IHS Global Insight. In his book 'Future Asia', published by Palgrave Macmillan, Biswas says the key challenge in ensuring the Asian century is Asia's golden age will be the building of platforms for political and economic cooperation. Biswas spoke to Reuters in Singapore about Asian consumer spending and his insights from ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632948/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:18 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632948/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - Asian gasoil margins climbed on Monday as spot demand emerged from Saudi Arabia while maintenance was being carried out at several refineries, industry sources said. The June gasoil crack rose 16 cents to $16.94 a barrel above Dubai crude, Reuters data showed. Saudi Aramco's trading arm is seeking up to 1.3 million barrels of gasoil in the spot ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632949/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:17 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632949/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - The Asian naphtha price rose on Monday to reach $875.75 a tonne, the highest since May 10, while its margin hit a four-session high of $93.50 a tonne on spot and term demand. South Korea's top ethylene maker Lotte Chemical issued a tender to buy an additional 25,000 tonnes of naphtha for second-half June arrival at Daesan, surprising some traders as ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632950/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:16 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632950/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Singapore, May 20, 2013 - (ACN Newswire) - The ninth edition of the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX Asia), Asia-Pacific's foremost maritime defence show, ended on a high last Thursday, 16 May, with a record number of participating companies and VIP delegations. 9,072 trade visitors from 59 countries/regions, a 16% increase from the last show, attended the three-day event at ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632951/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:22:13 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632951/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632253/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:03:53 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632253/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 ISTANBUL: A Brazilian and a Spanish tourist died on Monday and 23 other people were hurt after two hot-air balloons collided in a beauty spot in central Turkey, officials said. The accident occurred over Cappadocia's sculpted rock formations when one balloon collided with the basket of another balloon above and crashed to the ground, the governor of Nevsehir province, Abdurrahman Savas, told ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632254/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 08:03:41 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632254/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631207/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:43:31 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631207/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 ZHUHAI, China ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632014/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:37:37 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214632014/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A Pakistani court on Monday granted bail to former military ruler Pervez Musharraf over the murder of Benazir Bhutto, an official said, but the retired general remains under house arrest. "General Musharraf's bail has been confirmed" by an anti-terrorism court in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, next to Islamabad, court official Mohammad Aslam Joya told AFP. Judge Habibur Rehman ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631477/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:31:31 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631477/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Singapore-based Ascott Limited, the world's largest international serviced residence owner-operator, has entered Saudi Arabia by securing a management contract for its first residence in ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214630986/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214630986/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - Asian fuel oil refining margins and cash premiums were under pressure on Monday, thanks to oversupply because of heavy arbitrage flows from the West, while demand showed no signs of expanding despite a drop in outright prices. Asia cash premiums for the 380-centistoke (cst) benchmark for the marine fuels market were at 9 cents a tonne, down 27 cents ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631789/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:24:16 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631789/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Vietnam should drop charges and free two activists arrested in October 2012 for "conducting propaganda against the state. Nguyen Phuong Uyen and Dinh Nguyen Kha are scheduled to be tried in the People’s Court of Long An province on Thursday, May 16, 2013. According to state media, Nguyen Phuong Uyen and Dinh Nguyen Kha were arrested for handing out leaflets that "distort the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631790/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 07:10:31 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631790/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang waves to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, as he leaves the Indian Presidential Palace after his ceremonial reception in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, Li visited India on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629742/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629742/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629741/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:44:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629741/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631214/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:40:26 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214631214/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 China has called on Pyongyang to intervene over North Koreans detaining a Chinese fishing boat, it said Monday, after the vessel's owner said armed hijackers had demanded a ransom for 16 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629824/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:35:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629824/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un applauds with children uring a visit to the Pyongyang Myohyangsan Children's Camp, situated at the foot of Mt. Myohyang in North Phyongan Province, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 20, 2013. ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629233/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:29:27 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629233/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629889/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:15:50 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629889/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 ATLANTA: President Barack Obama, in a soaring commencement address on work, sacrifice and opportunity, on Sunday told graduates of historically ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629834/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:09:24 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629834/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Syria to rein the militia in, highlighting the risks of a wider regional conflict if planned peace talks fail. Activists said it was the fiercest fighting in Syria's two year-old civil war involving Hezbollah, a Shi'ite group backed by Iran which they said appeared to be helping ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629833/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:09:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629833/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 WASHINGTON: The Associated Press' president and chief executive says the government's secret seizure of two months of reporters' phone records has already had a chilling effect on news gathering, a week after the subpoenas were revealed ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629835/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 06:09:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629835/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628419/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:00 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628419/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING -; A massive blast ripped through an explosives factory Monday in eastern China, killing at least 12 people and leaving others buried in the debris, state media ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628620/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:48:00 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628620/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628553/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:47:59 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628553/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628407/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:47:16 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628407/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628692/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:43:06 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628692/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon May 20, 2013 5:40am EDT SINGAPORE, May 20 (IFR) - Credit markets in Asia had a relatively quiet day in the context of a generally constructive tone, on the back of better-than-expected US consumer sentiment data and, as we come up to the close, stronger openings in European markets. The Itraxx IG index is 1bp tighter versus Friday's close, at 101bp bid. A Singapore-based trader saw that ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214630680/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:40:13 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214630680/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The Indian and Chinese premiers pledged on Monday to finally resolve a border disputethat has soured ties for decades, saying good relations between the two Asian giants were key to world ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628635/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:39:29 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628635/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at thousands of garment workers Monday as they demanded a wage hike at a protest in a manufacturing hub outside the capital ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629139/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:39:28 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629139/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Recently, global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide broke through the watershed level of 400 parts per million.Japanese automaker Terra Motors, however, believes its electric motorcycles and its three-wheeled vehicles can ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629140/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:39:26 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629140/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that more than 100 Hezbollah members have been wounded in the fighting around the town of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628668/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:37:13 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628668/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 (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, ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628724/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:32:58 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628724/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628644/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:20:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628644/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628767/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:20:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628767/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Four years after Sri Lanka's horrific civil war ended, many Sri Lankans await justice for the victims of abuses, news of the 'disappeared,' and respect for their basic rights. Instead, the Rajapaksa government has rejected investigations, clamped down harder on the media, and persisted in wartime abuses such as ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629141/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 05:18:48 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214629141/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BAGHDAD -; A wave of car bombings across Baghdad's Shiite neighborhoods and in the southern city of Basra killed at least 34 people on Monday, Iraqi officials ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627176/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:53:10 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627176/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING:China's ruling Communist Party should cut its more than 80 million members by nearly half to avoid the bloat that felled the Soviet Union, a political scientist has written in a party magazine.The Communist Party of China is the world's largest political party, having recruited a wide swathe of citizens in recent years in an effort to broaden support as its original ideological ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627291/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:43:29 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627291/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Poor infrastructure, healthy eating, and blood donation are among the topics tackled by a new wave of apps unveiled at the recent Apps for Asia - Redesigning Development programme in Uttar ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628301/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:42:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628301/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627527/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:36:11 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627527/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea says North Korea has fired a short-range projectile into its own eastern waters - for the fifth time in three ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628302/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:34:45 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628302/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon May 20, 2013 4:28am EDT * TOCOM rubber seen in range of 270 to 300 yen a kg this week * Thai sugar premiums supported by artificial tightness * Vietnam, Indonesia robusta beans at premiums (Adds technicals, TOCOM closing prices) By Lewa Pardomuan SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - Tokyo rubber futures could trade in a wide range this week, with bulging inventory in top consumer China holding ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628488/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:28:33 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628488/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Asian companies could offer some of the best opportunities in 2009, in what promises to be another ';extremely tough year'; for investors, says Aberdeen Asset Management. The group expects investment in the key asset classes of equities, fixed income and property to continue to be challenging as evidence of a global economic slowdown accumulates. Aberdeen forecasts that both the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628303/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:22:16 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628303/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 For NRIs, one of the key concerns while living abroad is sending money back to their loved ones in India. Plagued by inordinate delays, huge fees to wire the money or to be paid to the agent etc, sending money was often tougher than earning money!! But that's where the online remittance came into the picture. Doing away with all the inefficiencies of traditional options of sending money, ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628304/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:18:51 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214628304/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 China strives for shared development and pragmatic cooperation with ASEAN countries to promote peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia, said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi at the ASEAN Plus China Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Bali, Indonesia Thursday.Yang said this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN dialogue relationship and in the past 20 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627313/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:16:47 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214627313/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Macau was rocked by gangland killings in the run-up to its handover to China in 1999 but violence abated as its gambling industry boomed and foreigners opened ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626313/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 04:02:36 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626313/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 KABUL, Afghanistan -; Afghan officials say a suicide bomber has struck outside a provincial council building in the country's north. A lawmaker says the council chief and at least seven others were ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626162/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:59:03 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626162/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 * May 30 is announced as the ex-dividend date of Pharmedic Pharmaceutical Medicinal JSC (PMC) to receive dividend of the first round 2013 in cash at a rate of 10 percent. The final registration date is June 3. The payment date is June 20. * HCM Stock Exchange has decided to delist share of Ben Tre Forestry and Aquaproduct Import Export (FBT) because as of December 31 2012, its cumulative loss ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626724/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:54:08 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626724/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 FC Seoul and last year's runners-up Al Ahli, meanwhile, enter their home games hoping to build on draws at El Jaish and Beijing Guoan respectively. Despite being stunned 2-1 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626669/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:52:33 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626669/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - Malaysia-based Lotte Chemical Titan, a unit of South Korea's top ethylene maker Lotte Chemical, is seeking up to 130,000 tonnes of naphtha for July 2013 to June 2014 delivery, traders said on Monday. The volumes are lower than the 200,000 tonnes of full-range naphtha it bought last year for October 2012 to September 2013 delivery at about $2 a tonne ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626725/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:43:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626725/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets on Monday tracked another record close for U.S. stocks last week and an overnight rally in Asia, with banks leading most indexes higher. The Stoxx Europe 600 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626176/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:38:42 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214626176/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 KUCHING, Malaysia (AFP) - The world hydroelectric industry's decision to meet in a Malaysian state where dams have uprooted rainforests and native peoples is drawing bitter fire from environmental and tribal groups. The International Hydropower Association's (IHA) four-day biennial meeting to push "sustainable hydropower" opens on Tuesday in Kuching, the languid capital of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625539/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:06:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625539/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Local government administrator Faramosh Khan says the gunmen attacked the team on Monday in the town of Mamound in the Bajur tribal area, just as it had started a vaccination ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625137/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:05:48 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625137/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang, right, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wave during Li's ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, Monday, May 20, 2013. Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign three-day trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625195/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:05:48 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625195/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Diversified Events Hong Kong LLC , organisers of the highly successful, Restaurant & Bar exhibition, has today announced the launch of a major new trade show, Natural & Organic Products Asia, to take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on the 27-29 August ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625118/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:01:41 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625118/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Hong Kong - The dollar eased in Asia on Monday after a Japanese minister said the recent correction against the yen was nearly over, but analysts said the greenback would soon resume its ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625542/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 03:00:22 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625542/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledged Monday to build trust with India and declared that ties between the Asian giants were key to world peace as he visited New Delhi only weeks after a border ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625956/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:56:48 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625956/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Labour Party joins forces with Tory rebels in a vote on his bill. While Cameron, several senior party colleagues and his Liberal-Democrat coalition partners ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625548/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:54:34 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625548/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Oil Positive US consumer data drove up European stocks, while Asian shares almost reached a five-year high and the yen made a marked comeback. Russian markets slightly eased Friday, after low crude prices took their toll on last week's equities. After dropping nearly 4 percent over the past week, the MICEX slightly recovered and gained 0.16 percent to 1404.04, a four-day high. The RTS ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625098/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:53:31 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625098/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 This picture courtesy of the Gupta family shows Vela Gupta and her husband Indian-born Aaskash Jahajgarhia posing with relatives and guests during ceremonies for their wedding in Sun City, South Africa, on May 1, 2013. (AFP ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625310/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:33:33 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625310/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Asif Zardari has said that he should have quit his position and led the Pakistan People's Party's campaign in order to ensure a better performance in the just concluded general election. Zardari made the remarks while interacting with a delegation of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625311/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:33:32 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625311/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Residents in Hekou in southwest China can still recall its former days as a quiet, anonymous town that attracted few visitors from neighboring Vietnam for business or sightseeing.But major changes have hit the town in Yunnan province. With two roads and one rail line linking it with Vietnam, Hekou has become a bustling hub for Vietnamese visitors buying bargain ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625324/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:31:13 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625324/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 TAIPEI (AFP) - A Taiwanese fighter jet ploughed into the sea off the island's north coast on Monday, the air force's second crash in less than a week, military officials said.The crash happened when the French-made Mirage 2000-5 fighter was conducting a regular training mission, the air force said, adding that both crew managed to parachute to safety.The cause of the incident was under ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624756/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:16:04 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624756/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BANGKOK - The price of oil fell Monday ahead of the release later this week of economic data from the U.S. and China, the world's two largest economies, and a speech by the Federal Reserve chief. Benchmark crude for June delivery was down 25 cents to $95.77 a barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 86 cents to close at ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624486/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:14:11 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624486/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Imran Khan has blamed a political rival based in Britain for the murder of a politician from his own party who was shot dead outside her house in Karachi on Saturday ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624995/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:08:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624995/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon May 20, 2013 2:06am EDT * Dollar slips from Friday's 4-1/2 year high vs yen * Asian shares firmer after Friday's Wall Street rally * MSCI Asia Pacific ex-Japan rises 0.9 percent By Masayuki Kitano SINGAPORE, May 20 (Reuters) - The yen edged higher on Monday after Japan's economics minister said further weakness in the yen could harm households, while Asian shares rose in response ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625083/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:06:18 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214625083/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Myanmar's victims of communal strife were spared the full force of Cyclone Mahasen, but many are now returning to flimsy tents in flood-prone camps with the monsoon just weeks ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624997/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:05:02 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624997/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 ISMAILIA: Gunmen stormed an Egyptian security forces base in the Sinai Peninsula at dawn on Monday and exchanged gunfire with forces inside the base before retreating, security sources said. The gunmen attacked the base in ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624627/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:02:42 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624627/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING (AP) -- A businesswoman in southern China has been sentenced to death on charges of defrauding investors as the government tightens controls on informal financing that is widely used by ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624580/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 01:56:50 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214624580/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A large majority of Japanese people disagree with a high-profile politician who said women forced to provide sex during World War II were a military necessity, polls issued Monday ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623972/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 01:13:11 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623972/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Israel is the world's largest exporter of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in terms of number of systems sold, earning a whopping USD 4.6 billion in sales during the last eight years, excluding a major deal with India for the upgrade of unmanned aircrafts, according to a study by a business consulting firm. Frost & Sullivan business consulting firm in a study have noted that UAVs, or ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623841/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 01:10:47 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623841/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BANGKOK (AP) -- Evidence of a steady economic recovery in the U.S. helped push Asian stock markets higher Monday. A gauge of future economic activity issued Friday rose more than expected, a sign that the world's biggest economy is improving. Consumer confidence also rose, offsetting several lackluster reports on slowing manufacturing and an increase in applications for unemployment ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623406/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:14:41 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623406/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. ( ) and Lushington Entertainments Pte Ltd today announced that they have formed a joint venture, Live Nation Lushington, to promote live concerts in Hong Kong and Singapore. Hong Kong and Singapore are the two most established touring markets in Asia, outside of Japan. Lushington has been operating in the region since ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623764/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:14:17 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623764/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- South Korea is analyzing whether projectiles North Korea fired into its eastern waters over the weekend are short-range missiles or a new type of artillery the country may be developing, officials said ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623381/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:55:51 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623381/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Asia’s golf tourism industry will be gathering on China’s tropical island of Hainan next spring as the region’s most important golf tourism convention moves to award-winning golf resort Mission Hills Haikou. The baton for the 3rd Asia Golf Tourism Convention was passed to China at a signing and hand-over ceremony on the final day of AGTC 2013, held at the Royal Cliff Hotel ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622779/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:42:02 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622779/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 WELLINGTON, New Zealand -; Hundreds of tons of frozen mutton, lamb and beef from New Zealand have been stranded on Chinese docks after China halted imports from the country due to a certification ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622759/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:38:40 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622759/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING -- A businesswoman in southern China has been sentenced to death in the government's latest crackdown on underground lending that is widely used by entrepreneurs.The Intermediate People's Court of Wenzhou, a center for private sector business, says Lin Haiyan was convicted of "illegal fundraising" for collecting 640 million yuan ($101 million) from individual ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622886/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:35:14 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622886/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 In this Wednesday, May 15, 2013, file photo, people are reflected on the electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo. AP FILE PHOTO Hong Kong – Asian shares rose on Monday, reflecting a bullish mood on Wall Street and extending their two-week rally, buoyed by better-than-expected US data. Tokyo stocks were up 1.38 percent by the break, as Shanghai gained 0.12 percent and Sydney ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623180/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:33:19 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623180/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 South Korea on Monday predicted further missile tests by North Korea, which fired four short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan at the weekend, drawing criticism from Seoul and UN chief Ban ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623181/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:29:02 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623181/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 ) Android operating system. In studying Southeast Asia, market research firm GfK reports that sales for smartphones grew 61% over the past 12 months ending in March. That translated to more than 16 million more units sold, for 42.2 million units in total, with atotal increase of $3.4 billion to more than $11 billion. Sales of smartphones with display sizes of 4.5 inches and above made up 20% of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623182/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:21:42 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214623182/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Kabul: Afghan President Hamid Karzai will seek increased military aid from India during a three-day visit starting Monday and will discuss recent cross-border clashes with Pakistan, India's archrival, an aide said.The comments follow a weekend report that said Afghanistan's ambassador to India had said the country needs India's help with "equipment and weapons to fight." ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622862/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:19:45 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622862/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 TIMIKA, Indonesia (AP) -- Rescuers recovered four more bodies from a collapsed underground room at a giant U.S.-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia, bringing the confirmed death toll to 13, police said Monday. Fifteen other workers were still missing and feared ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622814/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 23:02:14 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622814/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 WELLINGTON, New Zealand -; Hundreds of tons of frozen mutton, lamb and beef from New Zealand have been stranded on Chinese docks after China halted imports from the country due to a certification ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622305/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:44:31 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622305/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 AP FILE PHOTO TOKYO - The dollar eased in Asia on Monday after a Japanese minister said the recent correction against the yen was nearly over, but analysts said the greenback would soon resume its climb. The dollar was changing hands at 102.84 yen in Tokyo morning trade, down from 103.19 yen in New York late Friday but still up from the lower 102-yen range seen before the Tokyo market closed on ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622620/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:39:17 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622620/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Asia's long road to the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ commences on Tuesday, with a record 16 sides featuring in the preliminaries for next March's 2014 AFC Women's Asian Cup in Japan, which serves as the qualifier for the global ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622387/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:37:43 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622387/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Russia is refocusing on Asean after years of inertia due to its domestic priorities and challenges. After Russia was invited to join the East Asia Summit (EAS) in 2010, former President Dmitry Medvedev did not attend the inaugural meeting in Bali and last year President Vladimir Putin, fresh from his third-term presidential victory, also failed to show up at the premier strategic forum. However, ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622376/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:34:37 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622376/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 MINEOLA, NEW YORK: In what police are describing as a crime of opportunity, a wanted man with a criminal history dating nearly 15 years entered a front door that had been left open at a New York home near Hofstra University. A short time later, the intruder, Dalton Smith, and a 21-year-old college junior, Andrea Rebello, were both dead. The two were killed early on Friday by ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622311/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:33:00 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622311/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 May 20 (Reuters) - The following table shows the position of Asian currencies against the dollar at 0140 GMT. CURRENCIES VS U.S. DOLLAR Change on the day at 0140 GMT Currency Latest bid Previous day Pct Move Japan yen 102.83 103.21 +0.37 Sing dlr 1.2569 1.2592 +0.18 Taiwan dlr 29.995 30.060 +0.22 Korean won 1119.55 1116.40 -0.28 Baht 29.88 29.78 -0.33 Peso ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622679/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:28:09 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622679/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks rallied to lead Asian markets higher Monday, tracking a positive global lead after U.S. indexes notched another record finish on Friday, although South Korean shares underperformed, weighed by geopolitical ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622298/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 22:22:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214622298/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 BEIJING -; The Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang asked North Korea to release a private Chinese fishing boat and its crew soon after its owner reported the detention 10 days ago, state media ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621838/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 21:51:49 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621838/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The numbers of cruise operators cutting back on their European programmes and ships is increasing, with Regent Seven Seas now cutting back dramatically on their programmes, Carnival announcing it was pulling out of Europe for 2014, with other lines cutting back in Europe for 2014 include Royal Caribbean which announced earlier this month that it would send only seven ships to Europe in 2014, down ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621213/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 20:53:23 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621213/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A two-day Bank of Japan meeting, a speech by the Federal Reserve's chief and minutes from the latest Reserve Bank of Australia gathering put central banks in focus for Asian markets in the week ahead. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) concludes its policy meeting on Wednesday and economists are not expecting any significant changes so soon after the central ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621159/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 20:52:30 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621159/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Virtus Health Pty is planning an Asia-Pacific and Middle East expansion as well as seeking acquisitions after an initial public offering said to have raised A$338 million ($329 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621687/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 20:45:27 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621687/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 topped the 103 handle on Friday, marking a fresh four-and-a-half-year high, but slipped below those levels in early Asia trade after Japan's economy minister was quoted as saying that the yen's excessive strength has largely been corrected and that more weakness could be harmful. ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621120/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:53:29 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621120/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Enlarge Thai security personnel inspect a grocer's shop where six people were shot dead by suspected Muslim militants in the southern province of Pattani on May 1, ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621121/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:40:33 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214621121/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 US diplomat accused by the Russians of being a CIA spy after they caught him allegedly trying to recruit agents last week left the country on Sunday, Russian television reported. Ryan Fogle flew out of Moscow, Russia's NTV state television channel said, broadcasting pictures showing him at Sheremetyevo International ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620657/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:37:50 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620657/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Over 60 people were injured when a two-car train derailed on Hong Kong’s light railway in the north of the city, throwing passengers onto the floor, police said Friday. Groups of passengers sat dazed on the pavement near where the train derailed, some bleeding and being treated by medics. Others were taken away on stretchers by dozens of paramedics and firefighters, television news ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620497/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:49 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620497/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Taiwan and Singapore have concluded two-year talks about a bilateral trade pact and will release an official report once an assessment has been completed, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement. The two sides are in the process of selecting appropriate legal texts for an official report, the Taipei Representative Office in Singapore and the Trade Office of the Republic of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620159/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:48 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620159/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The Philippine envoy to Taiwan on Friday advised thousands of Filipino workers there to eat at home and avoid the streets while emotions run high on the island over the shooting death of a fisherman by the Philippine coast guard. Philippine representative Amadeo Perez said after returning to Manila from Taipei late Thursday that his government has verified at least one attack, in which a ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620160/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:47 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620160/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 North Korea is still trying to import and export nuclear and ballistic missile-related items but financial and trade sanctions are slowing progress on development of their prohibited weapons, UN experts say in a new report. Key parts of the expert panel’s report, obtained Friday by the Associated Press, provide further information on North Korea’s attempts to evade four rounds of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620162/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:46 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620162/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 How does North Korea celebrate World Press Freedom Day? First of all, two weeks late, on May 15 rather than May 3, presumably (and tellingly) because that’s how long it took to get around to it. But get around to it North Korea did, with a special editorial in the state-run Rodong Sinmun, the country’s preeminent newspaper. Entitled ';Mockery of Press,'; it targets the US ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620161/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:46 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620161/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A small crack has appeared in the international show of unity against North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons, following the ';secret'; visit to Pyongyang this week by a special adviser to Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Isao Iijima arrived in the North Korean capital on Tuesday for a four-day visit that many believe was aimed at restarting talks on the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620163/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:43 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620163/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 When you think about centres of technological innovation, Silicon Valley, Seattle and Seoul are probably the first places that come to mind. After all, they are the homes of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung – companies whose innovations transform the way other sectors, from financial services to telecoms and media, do business. Now, however, the rise of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620164/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:42 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620164/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Foxconn Technology Group said on Friday it needs more time to reduce overtime at its China factories after labour monitors appointed by top client Apple Inc said cutting workers’ hours by a July 1 target would be a challenge. Apple last year commissioned the Fair Labour Association (FLA) to investigate working conditions at the plants after Foxconn, the holding company for Hon Hai ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620165/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:41 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620165/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 China’s private sector wages in urban areas grew 17.1 percent in 2012, official figures showed Friday, even as the country’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in 13 years. Average urban pay in private companies increased to 28,752 yuan ($4,681) last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on its website. But the rise was slower than the 18.3 percent of the previous ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620166/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:40 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620166/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The dire manners and ';uncivilised behaviour'; of some Chinese tourists abroad are harming the country’s image, said a top official who lamented their poor ';quality and breeding';, according to state-run media. Wang Yang, one of China’s four vice premiers, singled out for condemnation ';talking loudly in public places, jay-walking, spitting and wilfully ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620167/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:39 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620167/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Three Chinese government ships entered the waters of disputed islands on Friday, Japan’s coastguard said, more than a year after then-Tokyo governor set off the row by announcing plans to buy them. The Chinese maritime surveillance vessels were spotted off the Senkaku islands, which China calls the Diaoyus, in the East China Sea at around 2:30 pm (0530 GMT), the coastguard said. It is ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620168/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:37 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620168/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Prime minister Shinzo Abe defended in an interview Friday the right of Japan’s leaders to visit a controversial shrine to war dead but hit back at critics who accuse him of revisionism. Amid the latest flare-up with China and South Korea over history, Abe quoted a US scholar as comparing the Yasukuni shrine to Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, which has a section for ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620169/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:35 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620169/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat by a Philippine government vessel may involve criminal conduct and violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. A joint patrol of the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources shot up a Taiwanese fishing boat, the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, while it was ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620170/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:31 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620170/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Shortly after my piece on the Philippines’ continuing structural economic vulnerabilities, which generated considerable controversy and heated discussions among experts and observers alike, the country’s stock markets managed to record new historic highs – breaching the 7,000 mark and beyond. Meanwhile, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, following in the footsteps of ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620171/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:30 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620171/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The long-awaited labour agreement on Filipino household service workers (HSW) will finally be signed by the Kingdom and the Philippines tomorrow. Labour minister Adel Fakeih and his Philippine counterpart Labour Secretary Rosalinda Dimapiliz-Baldoz are scheduled to ink the bilateral labour agreement. Baldoz arrives today with key Filipino labour officials for the signing, said Labour Attache ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620172/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:29 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620172/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A clan whose chiefs are on trial for the Philippines’ worst political massacre secured big wins in local elections this week, results showed Friday, deepening fears that justice may never be served. Leaders of the Ampatuan family and their gunmen are accused of massacring 58 people, including 32 journalists, in the southern province of Maguindanao more than three years ago in a bid to ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620173/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:28 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620173/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Voters in the Philippines appear to have delivered a resounding victory to President Benigno Aquino in midterm elections. The son of former President Corazon Aquino looks set to control both houses of Congress, giving him a mandate to continue his reform policies. His biggest worry now is making them stick. In the first half of his six-year term, Aquino arrested his predecessor on corruption ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620174/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:27 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620174/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Thailand has agreed to offer duty free market access of selected Bangladeshi products to its market as it seeks to increase bilateral trade and investment, a commerce ministry statement said. The agreement came at the 3rd meeting of Bangladesh-Thailand Joint Trade Committee, held from May 14-15, 2013 in Bangkok. Commerce minister Ghulam Muhammed Quader led an eight-member Bangladeshi ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620175/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:26 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620175/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Struggling to cope with a slump in demand, Tata Motors has taken a call to postpone the development of its new assembly plant in Thailand worth 10 billion baht (around Rs 1,839 crore). The automaker has instead decided to break into Thailand’s passenger car market during the third quarter of this year with the introduction of its Nano budget car. At the end of 2012, Tata Motors had ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620178/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:25 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620178/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Rescuers are working for a fourth day to dig through a caved-in tunnel at a giant US-owned gold and copper mine in Indonesia to try to reach 23 trapped workers. The operator of the Grasberg mine in Indonesia’s province of Papua, PT Freeport Indonesia, said Friday that rescuers had successfully cleared two passages to provide access for heavy equipment to help expedite the rescue efforts. ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620177/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:21 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620177/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Malaysia’s economy will grow stronger in the second half this year, driven by the removal of the political uncertainty and the government’s firm economic policy, said Credit Suisse Securities (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Stephen Hagger. He said Malaysia would join an exclusive club currently comprising the Philippines and Thailand which had all the three certainties: primarily ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620176/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:20 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620176/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Malaysia’s UMW Holdings Bhd plans to sell 39 percent of its oil and gas unit in an initial public offering this year that could raise up to $1 billion, a source said Friday. The state-backed conglomerate’s announcement is the latest in a slew of planned listings, looking to build on last year’s momentum that saw the Southeast Asian nation become one of the world’s top ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620179/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:19 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620179/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Australia reported its first ever case of the deadly bat-borne lyssavirus in a horse Friday, warning that transmission to humans was possible as it quarantined a property. Biosecurity Queensland said the horse was euthanised last week after falling ill with what was initially suspected to be infection with another deadly virus, Hendra, which has killed four Australians since its discovery in ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620180/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:18 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620180/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 President Thein Sein’s historic invitation to the White House is an endorsement of ';Myanmar’s Spring'; and a further sign that the former pariah’s reforms are irreversible, a senior Myanmar official said. Washington will welcome the former general on Monday in a hugely symbolic reward for sweeping changes since he took power two years ago. He will be the first ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620181/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:14 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620181/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Myanmar released about 20 political prisoners on Friday, a top official said, hours before its reform-minded leader was due to leave on a landmark visit to the United States to meet President Barack Obama. President Thein Sein, a former general, has freed hundreds of political detainees since coming to power in early 2011 as part of sweeping changes that have led to the end of most Western ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620182/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:13 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620182/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Disgusted by corrupt local leaders, an angry miner picks up a shotgun. A migrant worker returning home looks to armed robbery to escape a life of relentless bleakness. A pretty receptionist at a sauna is driven to the limit when a gangster tries to rape her. And a young man drifts nightmarishly from job to job to try to make ends meet. These tableaux would not be out of place in a gritty ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620183/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:14:10 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620183/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Islamists fought street battles in Tunis on Sunday, with one protester killed and 15 policemen wounded, after the authorities banned the Salafists from staging their annual congress. The confrontations infuriated moderate Islamist Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, who for the first time linked the Salafist Ansar al-Sharia group which is considered close ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620140/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:08:40 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620140/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Myanmar President Thein Sein on Monday becomes the first leader of his country to visit the White House in nearly half a century, in one of the most symbolic US gestures yet to support his reforms. In a scene that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, the former general will meet with President Barack Obama and later speak to leaders of US businesses eager to invest in a country ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620227/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 19:04:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620227/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 TOPEKA, KAN. — Authorities say tornadoes have touched down in Wichita, Kan., and a suburb of Oklahoma City but there are no immediate reports of injuries or significant damage.Sedgwick County, Kan., emergency management director Randy Duncan says officials ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620291/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:51:59 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620291/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 A grandmother in Cambodia told me recently, "I just want you to know my story in case something happens and I am gone." Police and government officials have threatened and harassed "Kunthea" for her protests against government agencies and appeals to the World Bank after she was forcibly evicted from her home by a private company. The World Bank’s involvement was through ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620498/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:51:45 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620498/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 National Defense University in Washington, the president will discuss "our broad counter-terrorism policy, including our military, diplomatic, intelligence and legal efforts," a White House official said. "He will review the state of the threats we face, particularly ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620144/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:48:58 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214620144/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned on Sunday of a "dangerous escalation" after North Koreatest-fired a short-range missile off its east coast, its fourth in two days, despite pleas to ease ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619582/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:22:20 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619582/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 LONDON: A 22-year-old woman fled to Britain from the southern African nation of Swaziland and is seeking asylum after refusing to join the harem of 13 wives of Swazi king Mswati III. Tintswalo Ngobeni fled to Britain after she caught the attention of the millionaire monarch, known for his lavish lifestyle, the Daily Mail reported. As part of Swazi custom, the 45-year-old king is permitted to ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619575/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:20:15 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619575/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619997/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:03:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619997/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 The government and telecommunications companies have a unique opportunity to bring an open Internet to Burma so that the Burmese people can express themselves online without fear. But that won’t happen without real government reforms and meaningful corporate ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619996/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:03:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619996/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 It will take days to rebuild 2,000 feet (600 meters) of track, overhead wires and signals following the collision between two trains on Friday evening in the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619585/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:00:41 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619585/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mirza Ali , who becomes the third and youngest Pakistani male to scale the mountain. Nepal mountaineering department official Tilak Padney said 35 foreigners accompanied by 29 Nepalese Sherpa guides reached the peak after climbing all night from the highest camp on South Col - the pass between Everest and a neighbouring ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619584/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:00:39 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619584/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Afghan policy that suits its strategic and business interests, has been interacting with various Afghan lobbies, discreetly reaching out to Northern Alliance leaders as well as the Taliban, while also coordinating with Pakistan to create space for itself in possible political deliberations on the future of Afghanistan. Even as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang prepares to tour Pakistan soon after ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619102/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 17:10:53 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214619102/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Gary Pruitt, the president and CEO of the Associated Press (AP) has said that US justice department's seizure of phone records is hurting the agency's ability to gather ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618607/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:20:53 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618607/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 White House in recent days. After wavering initially, the US president has launched an all-out offensive to contain fallout from the trio of controversies. Senior Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer, doing the rounds of weekly television talk shows, went into damage control mode on the scandals, including one related to alleged abuses by the ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618195/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 15:51:18 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618195/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 extremists and three soldiers. Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, a military spokesman, said in a statement that one soldier also was missing as "forces have been engaging a large number of heavily armed terrorists" for the last two days. He did not say exactly where the fighting occurred but that about 20 people were arrested. There was no independent confirmation of the military's ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618170/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 15:51:12 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618170/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Asean integration is upon us. Whether Filipino organizations recognize it or not, the prospect of economic integration is changing business dynamics across the region, creating new opportunities and with it, new risks. Embracing a new reality is not always an easy task, even for experienced businessmen. There are a lot of adjustments that they will need to make, as the Asean Economic Community ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618471/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 15:36:39 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618471/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Enlarge A woman from the Thandawli village uses an broken umbrella to shelter herself from the rain in a Rohingya internally displaced persons (IDP) camp outside of Sittwe, Burma on May 14, ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618472/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 15:32:14 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214618472/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Two agents with the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team have been killed in a training accident off the coast of Virginia Beach. The accident happened on Friday afternoon during a training exercise involving at least one military helicopter, according to sources. The two FBI agents, whose identities have not been released, were based in Quantico, Va. and were in Hampton ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214617895/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 14:48:39 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214617895/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday began talks with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh on all crucial bilateral issues within hours of his arrival when he affirmed that his visit will "inject new vigour" into bilateral ties and strengthen mutual trust.57-year-old Li, accompanied by a senior-level delegation comprising government officials and businessmen, arrived around 3 pm on a ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214617055/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 14:00:27 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214617055/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Asia's flood-prone megacities should fund major drainage, water recycling and waste reduction projects to stem deluges and secure clean supply for their booming populations, experts said Sunday.Rapid urbanization has heaped pressure on water resources and drainage systems across Asia, leaving low-lying areas exposed to massive floods such as those that paralysed Jakarta and Manila last year ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616420/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:29:44 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616420/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Mexico is in a great moment. Macroeconomic stability and a low debt rate are part of our strengths as one of the top 15 economies in the world. We are an economy with a broad social perspective fully inserted into international trade, with an exchange of goods and services that amounts more than $700 billion each year. We offer a secure and trustworthy environment for foreign investment. Our ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616051/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:29:38 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616051/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Bangladesh's top court on Sunday ordered police to prevent the owner of a garmentfactory that catered to top Western retailers from leaving the country, six months after 111 of his employees died in a ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616421/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:27:26 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616421/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 JUBA: At least 29 people were killed when cattle raiders from a South Sudanese minority group opened fire on members of another minority in a village in Upper Nile state, a local official said Sunday. The gunmen crept into Tolleri village in Ulang county in the early hours of Saturday morning and sprayed it with bullets, killing 23 people instantly, said Dak Tap Chuol, commissioner for the nearby ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616055/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:04:52 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616055/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Barack Obama learned that the federal tax collection agency had targeted conservative groups only "when it came out in the news" while Republicans continued to press the administration for answers on Sunday. The Obama administration has also been forced on the defensive over its handling of last September's terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the US ambassador and ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616056/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 12:04:51 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214616056/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Editor's Note: This is the second part of a four-part series based on the new book, "Aliens in the Promised Land: Why Minority Leadership Is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions." The Christian Post series looks at racism and multi-ethnicity in the church from the perspective of African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American Christian leaders. Part One, an ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615510/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:36:16 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615510/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Bangladesh on Sunday slapped abanon rallies for a month in the wake of deadly protests by Islamists that left dozens of people killed earlier this ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615856/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:36:01 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615856/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 TEEN karter Gabe Tayao-Cabrera triumphed by just a fraction of a second to capture the Formula 125 Open Junior crown and emerge as the top Filipino finisher in the Philippine leg of the 2013 Asian Karting Open Championships held over the weekend at Carmona Racetrack in Cavite. Cabrera completed the 22-lap final race in 16 minutes and 12.090 seconds, just 0.424 ticks ahead of Singaporean Jon Lee ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615511/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:33:13 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615511/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Several independent candidates belonging to influential political families of Punjab and Sindh provinces are among those who have joined the PML-N, which emerged the single largest party in the May 11 general election by winning 124 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615485/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 11:13:18 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615485/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 TAIPEI (AFP) - Thousands of Taiwanese marched through the capital Taipei on Sunday urging the government to halt construction of a nearly completed nuclear power plant, citing the Japanese atomic crisis.The demonstrators chanted slogans like "No Nuke for Our Children" during the march which extended for miles as they evoked memories of the March 2011 Fukushima crisis sparked by an ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214614954/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 10:56:53 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214614954/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 KARACHI (AFP) - Under tight security, Pakistani officials Sunday held a repeat election in a district of violence-plagued Karachi, despite the killing of a senior politician in the city the day before.Troops, police and paramilitary rangers backed up by armoured personnel carriers guarded the 43 polling stations in the NA-250 constituency, following claims of ballot-stuffing there during the May ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615050/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 10:56:50 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214615050/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 ANKARA, Turkey: Turkey's state-run news agency says a jet has crashed during an airshow in southern Turkey, killing its pilot. The Anadolu Agency says there were no other casualties in Sunday's crash in the southern city of Adana. There was no immediate information on the plane's type. The agency says the airshow was part of public holiday festivities marking the 94th anniversary ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214614639/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 09:53:39 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214614639/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 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 ... http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214614857/scat/bf053b50c46383e0 Sun, 19 May 2013 09:30:50 -0400 http://www.asiapacificnews.net/index.php/sid/214614857/scat/bf053b50c46383e0