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

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

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

North Koreas bid to return to n-talks welcomed by Moscow

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:50:01 -0400

Russia regards as a "positive development" reports that North Korea is willing to return to six-party talks on the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, a Russian diplomat said. China's Xinhua news agency and South Korea's Yonhap reported Friday that Choe Ryong Hae, a special envoy for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, met Chinese President Xi Jinping and reaffirmed that Pyongyang "is ready ...

Obama Urges Military to Stamp Out Sexual Assaults

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

U.S. President Barack Obama says sexual assaults in the U.S. military undermine trust in the armed forces. The president used a commencement speech at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland Friday to tackle recent reports of widespread sexual violence in the military. "Those who commit sexual assault are not only committing a crime, they threaten the trust and discipline that ...

Japan PMs residence not haunted Government

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:50:01 -0400

The Japanese government has denied rumours which said the prime minister's official residence was haunted. The denial came after a query by an opposition lawmaker, who wanted to know if Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had not yet moved into his official residence, five months after coming to power, because of rumours that the building was haunted by the ghosts of young military officers who died there ...

Nine dead in China shop fire

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:00:01 -0400

As many as nine people, including three children, died in a fire that broke out in China's Guangdong province early Friday, fire authorities said. The flames engulfed an automobile repair shop in Foshan city in the morning, reported Xinhua citing a fire brigade official. It was a single-storey building, existing as shop-cum-residence, the official said, adding that the fire was later ...

China reaffirms denuclearisation on Korean Peninsula

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:40:01 -0400

President Xi Jinping Friday reaffirmed China's stance of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula while stressing that targets should be met by all parties involved irrespective of how the situation evolved. During his meeting with Choe Ryong Hae, the special envoy of Nork Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Xi stressed that denuclearisation and long-lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula ...

Sudirman Cup China overcome tough test against Indonesia

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:20:02 -0400

Indonesia almost scared China in their second meeting in three days but the defending champions still made the semifinals of the Sudirman Cup here. Tontowi Ahmad/Liliyana Natsir provided good start for Indonesia as they stunned Olympic runners-up Xu Chen/Ma Jin in mixed doubles 21-18, 14-21 and 21-16 Thursday. But Chen Long quickly levelled the score for China after he thrashed Tommy Sugiarto ...

China clears Boeing 787s for commercial service

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

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

China takes over operational control of Pakistans Gwadar Port

Fri, 24 May 2013 02:10:02 -0400

China has successfully taken over the operational control of Pakistan's Gwadar Port. After pull out by Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) of a 40-year port management and development contract signed in 2007, China will operate the port, which is strategically located close to the Pakistan-Iran border and the Strait of Hormuz in south-western Balochistan province, reports the Daily Times. The ...

Lis visit went beyond symbolic Pakistani daily

Fri, 24 May 2013 01:50:01 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's two-day Pakistan visit "went beyond the symbolic", said a daily which noted China is a wealthy neighbour that "does not hand out free lunches". Li's visit "went beyond the symbolic - significant because he was here at a crucial time in our political history, with the process of transition from one government to another now in train," said an editorial in the News ...

Attack on Police Convoy in Pakistan Kills 6

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:29:38 -0400

A militant attack on a police convoy near the city of Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan has killed at least six policemen. Several others were wounded, including the district police officer, in the attack Friday on the Indus Highway. Local media say the militants armed with rockets ambushed the convoy, which was on its way from Peshawar to Kohat. A wounded driver was able to reach Kohat, ...

Reports on Chinas rejection of urbanization plan untrue senior official

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:44 -0400

Media reports claiming that China's State Council has rejected a 40-trillion yuan (about $6.5 trillion) urbanization plan are untrue, the chief of China's top planning agency said Friday.Xu Shaoshi, head of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), told reporters here that his agency has been finalizing the drafting work of the urbanization plan with other relevant ...

China shuts down over 3700 firework plants

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:40 -0400

More than 3,700 firework plants have been shut down since local governments tightened safety regulations, according to China's top safety watchdog.The move means China now has 4,921 firework plants, scattered across 20 provinces and regions, said a State Administration of Work Safety statement.The administration will continue with its targeted crackdown to consolidate the industry, the ...

China vows to further liberalize interest rates

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:36 -0400

China will steadily push forward market-oriented reform in its interest rates and exchange rates mechanisms this year, a central bank report said on Friday.The central bank, or the People's Bank of China, has pledged to further optimize the credit structure to allow the financial sector to better serve the real economy, according to the report on China's financial stability.It calls for ...

China Switzerland to announce conclusion of FTA talks Chinese premier

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:27 -0400

China and Switzerland will announce the conclusion of talks over a free trade agreement (FTA), visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said here Friday.In a speech delivered at a luncheon with business and financial leaders, Li said he will jointly make the announcement with Swiss President Ueli Maurer.The China-Switzerland FTA would have special significance, as it will be the first one to be signed ...

Russia welcomes DPRK willingness to resume talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:27 -0400

Moscow welcomed Pyongyang's willingness to return to the negotiating table over the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, a senior Russian diplomat said Friday."Pyongyang deserves a positive mark for its readiness to return to the negotiating table following weeks of nuclear threats, orders to prepare for missiles strikes and other belligerent rhetoric," Interfax news agency ...

China plans urbanization steps

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:15:54 -0400

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China to issue $4.2b 2-yr T-bonds

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:15:51 -0400

Its a TD for AFL in China

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:15:33 -0400

/enpproperty--> The Arena Football League is set arrive in China when the first American arena football coach/referee training camp is held from May 27-31 at the Beijing Sports University. The camp marks the first time the AFL will come to China to hold a professional camp. "This means that AFL is now officially in China," said Gary Morris, CEO of Ganlan Media International ...

UN Chief lauds Chinas efforts on Korean denuclearization

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:15:18 -0400

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Friday voiced his appreciation of China's efforts to promote the denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, saying that Chinese ...

China Switzerland sign off on preliminary free trade deal

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:13:17 -0400

China China has signed the framework for a free trade deal with Switzerland - a deal which could become Beijing's first with a major Western economy.China's Premier Li Keqiang said the landmark agreement underscored Beijing's growing openness to the world."This free trade deal is the first between China and a continental European economy, and the first with one of the 20 ...

China woos Lanka with $580m loan

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

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

North Korean letter to China signals rapprochement

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:00:25 -0400

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

Jet on fire shuts down Heathrow for an hour

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

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

UK fighters escort Pak plane after midair scare

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

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

Kin mourn the death of big brother

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

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

DPRK ignores calls with launch of 4th missile

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:44:43 -0400

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired a short-range missile off its east coast yesterday, its fourth in two days, despite pleas from South Korea and the United Nations chief to halt the launches. The guided missile was fired into the Sea of Japan yesterday afternoon, a South Korean defense ministry spokesman said. On Saturday, North Korea fired three short-range missiles ...

North Korea still holds 16 fishermen

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:44:43 -0400

The 16 Chinese fishermen reportedly kidnapped by armed North Koreans on May 5 are yet to be released, the owner of the hijacked fishing boat said Sunday. Analysts said the Chinese government should take a tougher stance toward Pyongyang to firmly ensure the safety of its citizens. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy in North Korea is working on the detention issue, asking Pyongyang to ensure the ...

Filipinos told to limit activities in Taiwan

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:44:43 -0400

Philippine authorities have told Filipino workers to limit their activities in Taiwan following the Philippine Coast Guard's slaying of a Taiwanese fisherman. Violence against Filipinos in Taiwan has escalated since fisherman Hung Shih-chen was killed on May 9. The violence has prompted Taiwan to freeze hiring new Filipino workers, the Daily Inquirer reported. President Benigno Aquino ...

S.Korea proposes talk offers with DPRK on Kaesong issue

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:44:42 -0400

South Korean government proposed Thesday to hold working-level talks with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Kaesong industrial complex's unresolved issues, such as carrying out production material and goods which are still remaining at Kaesong industrial complex. Seoul suggested holding a working-level meeting with DPRK at the border village of Panmunjom and said ...

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

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

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

World Briefing | Asia India 4 Soldiers and a Gunman Killed

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

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

New horizon for China-Germany ties

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

Editor's note: Premier Li Keqiang wrote a signed article, titled "Open Up New Horizon for China-Germany Relations", in German-language newspaper Zeit on Thursday. Following is the full text of its English translation. I will soon be visiting Germany again to boost China's cooperation with Germany on all fronts. People may want to learn more about the visit, and I believe that ...

For weeks killers hunted for soldiers

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

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

Anthony Hilton Britain’s malaise will last for a while but at least it’s better than Japan

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:01:11 -0400

I remember a conversation with Paul Fisher in his office deep in the bowels of the Bank of England one day last summer when he said Japan was still struggling after 20 years to get back on its feet following its financial crash so we should not expect too much too soon from the United ...

China Airlines adding nonstop flights between Taiwan and Hawaii

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:47:51 -0400

China Airlines said it will begin flying two weekly nonstop flights between Taipei and Honolulu, using Airbus A330 aircraft. Seen here is a China Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft. China Airlines will launch regular nonstop flights between Taiwan and Hawaii on June 2, the airline said Friday. The airline will fly nonstop between Taipei and Honolulu International Airport using Airbus A330 aircraft ...

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

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

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

US Human Rights Abuses Continue in N. Nigeria

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:14:04 -0400

A U.S. official said Friday the State Department has been monitoring the situation and concludes that human rights abuses are continuing. The official says Secretary of State John Kerry plans to meet with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Ethiopia. Nigeria has declared a state of emergency in the north, where Boko Haram extremists have launched ...

Q A bet. China Daily and Hainan reform development institutes president

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:13:33 -0400

China Daily interviewed Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development in Hainan province, on the challenges facing the country's ...

Top 10 coastal hikes in California and the Pacific Northwest

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:02:12 -0400

Highway 101, which runs along America's west coast from Washington state through Oregon to California, offers access to some of the country's most stunning hiking ...

China taking great strides forward

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:58 -0400

/enpproperty--> Crop of promising young athletes following in the wake of star hurdler Liu Xiang's absence from the international arena has not slowed China's progress in track and field. Boasting robust results and character, a crop of young Chinese athletes has emerged from the star hurdler's shadow and is set to lead the country's charge against the ...

Valeos expansion into China shifts into higher gear

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:51 -0400

/enpproperty--> Valeo Group, the French automobile components and system supplier, aims to make China its largest market in terms of sales in the next two to three years, its president said on Thursday. The company, which already has 22 plants in China, plans to add four new factories in the country and expand three existing ones in Foshan, Wuhan and Nanjing this year, according to Edouard ...

China US agree to share audit details

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:50 -0400

/enpproperty--> China's securities watchdog announced on Friday that a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the United States on the sharing of audit details on Chinese companies listed in the US, in a move aimed at cracking down on illegal listing and trading activities. China Securities Regulatory Commission said the MOU was signed by the commission, Ministry of Finance ...

China may start taxing more luxury goods

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:43 -0400

/enpproperty--> China may start levying taxes on an increasing number of luxury goods as part of the country's efforts to push forward economic reform, an official with China's top planning agency said on Friday. More products might be taxed, as part of the country's tax reform plans for this year, said Kong Jingyuan, director-general of the department of comprehensive reform ...

US Christian Kenneth Bae Begins 15-Year Sentence in Special Prison in North Korea

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:38 -0400

May 24, 2013 7:02 pm As American citizen Kenneth Bae begins serving 15 years of hard labor at a "special prison" in North Korea for alleged hostile acts against the state, two videos related to the tour guide and Christian missionary have emerged that may shed light on Bae's evangelism activities in the oppressive communist ...

Thailand-Japan plan two-way tourism traffic flows.

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:57:06 -0400

In an effort to address a gap in travel between Thailand and the island of Kyushu in Japan, a tourism exchange was recently organized in the city of Fukuoka between the Thai Government and the private sector of ...

Marriott Foundation funds new charitable initiative for youth in China.

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:57:05 -0400

Million dollar investment to expand opportunities for youth through the China Hospitality Education Initiative.The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation has committed 40.5 million RMB ($6.5 million) over five years to support ...

US markets turn sober after Japan plunge

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:46:33 -0400

THE 7.3 per cent plunge in Japanese stocks during the week injected needed sobriety into US markets, but they showed a resilience that cheered investors worried about protecting the year's ...

Taliban Attack U.N. Affiliates Compound in Kabul Testing Afghan Security Forces

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:08:11 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan ...

Asias Week China Still on Flu Watch

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

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

Bail denied to Massachusetts teen accused of Facebook terror post

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

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

Pacific trade bloc negotiations end in Lima without agreement

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:35:54 -0400

LIMA, Peru - Negotiators working on a trade agreement among 11 Asia-Pacific nations have completed a 17th round of talks in Peru for the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership, and say Japan will join the talks when they reconvene in Malaysia in July. Member nations say they hope to finish negotiations by October. The trade bloc would encompass more than 700 million people. Current members are the ...

UK clears first free school for Sikhs

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

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

S. Korean president fires spokesman Yonhap

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:21:38 -0400

Yoon Chang-Jung(Photo:Agencies) South Korean President Park Geun-Hye fired her spokesman over an unspecified "unsavoury" act midway through a summit trip to the United States this week, Yonhap news agency reported Friday. Senior presidential press secretary Lee Nam-Ki announced Yoon Chang-Jung's dismissal, saying he was "personally involved in an unsavoury incident", ...

EMERGING MARKETS-Latam stocks unchanged despite China Fed worries

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:00:49 -0400

* Concerns over Chinese economic growth, Fed stimulus weigh * Brazil Bovespa, Mexico IPC flat; Chile IPSA down 0.94 pct By Asher Levine SAO PAULO, May 24 (Reuters) - Latin American stocks were largely flat on Friday despite concerns over weak economic growth in China and a possible winding down of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank's asset-buying program. Latin American markets also suffered this ...

Expert US Foreign Policy in Retreat

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:57:38 -0400

A former senior advisor to the late Richard Holbrooke, who served as U.S. special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, says when it comes to foreign policy, the U.S. is in "retreat." Vali Nasr, who is now dean of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), said the Obama administration has concluded that the best way forward for the United States is ...

British Security Services Scrutinized After Soldiers Murder

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:57:38 -0400

A police officer guards a block of flats in Greenwich following a raid in connection with the killing of a British soldier in nearby Woolwich, southeast London, May 23, ...

Head-to-heads of China vs Indonesia a...

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:03 -0400

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Following are the Sudirman Cup head-to-heads record between China and Indonesia who meet in the quarterfinals of the world team badminton championships here on Thursday: 1991, Copenhagen, Indonesia beat China, 3-2, group stage 1993, Birmingham, Indonesia bt China, 3-2, semifinals 1995, Lausanne, China bt Indonesia, 3-1, final 1997, Glasgow, China bt Indonesia, ...

Guangxi man makes moving hut to liv...

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:03 -0400

Liu Lingchao carries his "moving hut" on a road in Liucheng County of Liuzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 21, 2013. Liu, a 38-year-old migrant worker from Liuzhou's Rong'an County, decided to make a "moving hut" five years ago in Guangdong Province to live in on his way to Rong'an, his hometown. The hut measures about 60 ...

Chinese first lady makes Forbes list ...

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:03 -0400

(Clockwise from top left) Angela Merkel, Melinda Gates, Michelle Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Sheryl Sandberg and Christine Lagarde Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan makes the list of Forbes 2013 "Most Powerful Women", according to a report by Daily Mail on May 22. Peng is ranked No.54. "Peng Liyuan is the stylish wife of new leader Xi Jinping. She toured with her husband during ...

Kims envoy visits Beijing

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:02 -0400

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's special envoy Wednesday held talks with Wang Jiarui, a senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official in ...

Overloaded pedicab used as school bus

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:02 -0400

By Jia Xiaoguang, Sina English A motor tricycle loaded with 31 pupils was seen driving on a county road in Zhongmou, C China's Henan Province on May 20. The driver was a middle-aged woman, who had to tilted her head to see the road ahead as her daughter was standing on the tank right in front of her. All the kids on her tricycle, who attend the same school nearby, are children of the ...

Premier Li raises five-point proposal...

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:02 -0400

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) meets with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari (C) and interim Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso in Islamabad, Pakistan, May 22, 2013. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang presented in Islamabad Wednesday a five-point proposal for further deepening friendship and cooperation with Pakistan. He made the suggestions during talks with Pakistani President Asif ...

Hong Kong light rail derailment injur...

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:13:01 -0400

Up to 50 people were injured when multiple cars derailed on Hong Kong's light railway in the north of the city, throwing passengers onto the floor. "There was a derailment on the light rail and right now, there are 40 to 50 injuries," a police spokeswoman told AFP. the city, throwing passengers onto the ...

Putting Slurplus Food to Good Use

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:48:27 -0400

With world headlines warning of increasing drought and a hunger crisis and almost 15 percent of U.S. households struggling to put food on the table, a religious group in the shadow of the nation's capital is quietly putting surplus food on empty tables. Every Monday, about 150 people line up in the parking lot of Christian Life Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Joan ...

Japan must continue efforts to deactivate Fukushima nuclear plant - UN agency

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:47:05 -0400

IAEA's Director of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology Juan Carlos Lentijo (right), speaks with Shift Superintendent Ikuo Izawain at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Photo: IAEA/Greg ...

In Ma Jian’s new novel a family floats through a turbulent China

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:19 -0400

, reviewed by National Post columnist and noted literary critic Philip Marchand: "If [readers] are puzzled by what the Wutong Temple is all about, I have no idea either. If the storyline is meaningless, so are the characters. Nevertheless, the novel does reflect some of the political realities the author has lived through..."What these 20th-century ...

Campaign to merge US with Australia fails

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:46:15 -0400

THE campaign to force US President Barack Obama to look at merging the US and Australia to create a new super nation called Ameristralia, where inhabitants eat hotdogmeatpies and the coat of arms features a bald eagle with a koala's head, is dead. A petition on the White House's official website calling for the US and Australia merger failed on Friday to receive the 100,000 signatures ...

IMF chief named key witness in French payoff case

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

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde arrives for a second day of the court hearing at a special court house, in Paris, Friday, May 24, 2013. Lagarde faced questioning at a special Paris court Friday over her role in the 400 million euro ($520 million) pay-off to a controversial businessman when she was France's finance minister. (AP Photo/Thibault ...

China Considers Luxury Tax

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:36:46 -0400

Luxury products have become an important niche in the booming China consumer story. And as part of the country's tax reform plans this year, they could get hit with the first ever luxury tax, said Kong Jingyuan, a director-general at the National Development and Reform Commission. The guidelines for tax reforms were published by the Central Government on ...

China Swiss sign MOU on concluding FTA talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:34:45 -0400

/enpproperty--> BERNE - China and Switzerlandon Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on concluding negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). The MOU was signed during a meeting between visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Swiss President Ueli Maurer. The two sides also announced the establishment of a financial dialogue ...

The Prime Minister of Japan Wants Everyone to Know Hes Not Afraid of Ghosts

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:30:25 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet on Friday formally denied months-long rumours that the premier had not moved into his official residence over fears the mansion is haunted. The conservative leader took office in December but has yet to move into the 11-room brick home in central Tokyo, the longest holdout among any of his predecessors, according to local media. ... Abe’s ...

Swiss free trade deal underscores Chinas globalisation Li

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:14:50 -0400

BERNE, Switzerland (AFP) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday hailed a free trade deal with Switzerland as a landmark achievement, saying it had "huge meaning" for global trade and underscored Beijing's growing openness to the world."This free trade deal is the first between China and a continental European economy, and the first with one of the 20 leading economies of the ...

UPDATE 1-U.S. audit regulator reaches deal with China on document access

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:14:14 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 4:14pm EDT * U.S.-China deal reached after years of negotiations * Deal will pave way for auditor enforcement actions * U.S. had been blocked from probing Chinese audit failures By Dena Aubin and Sarah N. Lynch NEW YORK, May 24 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators will get access to Chinese companies' audit documents under a deal announced on Friday, opening the way to probes of ...

North Korea may open to day-tripping tourists

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:10:28 -0400

Tourism companies say they are preparing for North Korea to allow visitors to cross from Dandong City, China, to Sinuiju, North Korea's largest border town. The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph said if reports by Chinese news agencies are true that the Pyongyang government will permit expanded tourism, the resort community almost impossible for Western tourists to reach will be ...

Philippines apologises to Taiwan over fishermans death

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:03:21 -0400

The Philippines on Wednesday apologised to Taiwan after coastguards shot dead a Taiwanese fisherman sparking tensions that saw Taipei threaten a naval exercise near Philippine waters. Taiwan "foreign minister" David Lin told reporters that "the Philippines has voiced deep regret and apology for the incident" after a closed-door meeting with Antonio Basilio, the de facto ...

Glow-in-Dark Roach Worlds Smallest Frog Among Top New Species

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:37:51 -0400

A cockroach that glows in the dark, a black fungus that's ruining prehistoric cave art and a frog smaller than a child's fingernail. These are three in a top-ten list of newly discovered species for 2012. An international committee of taxonomists announced their annual picks this ...

Nepal’s Tibetan Refugees Struggle Under China’s Shadow

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:37:51 -0400

KATHMANDU -- Tibetan refugees in Nepal say they face increasing restrictions from Nepalese authorities due to pressure from China. VOA correspondent Aru Pande talks to Tibetans who, for decades, have made the Himalayan country their home. Dolma Lama learned to weave Tibetan carpets from her mother - who fled Tibet and settled in Kathmandu after a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese ...

Video South Korean comfort women want apology from Japan

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:35:47 -0400

Former so-called 'comfort women' from South Korea cancel their meeting with Japan's Mayor of Osaka after he said forcing women into wartime military brothels was "necessary". Lily Grimes ...

Slideshow Top 10 States Exporting to China

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:27:51 -0400

Nearly everyone knows the United States imports a lot from China (and if you don't, you're probably not a regular reader of The Journal of Commerce), but American companies are increasingly exporting more to the Asian manufacturing juggernaut, too. The U.S. exported $108.6 billion worth of goods to China last year, 6.5 percent more than a year earlier, according to a recent U.S.-China ...

China Sentiment Indicator Flops

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:25:42 -0400

Nice try. China's economy losing momentum. China business leaders preparing for rainier days. China continues to disappoint. Following HSBC Flash PMI going below 50, and below consensus, on Friday one of the big business surveys on China says sentiment in the C-suite is souring. ...

China Has Growth But Were Tapping The Brakes On Ford At $15

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:25:41 -0400

Ford Motors have rallied more than 20% in the past three months on the back of solid North American operations, some improvement in Europe and surging sales in China. Ford's Chinese sales have surged 49% through April, and the world's largest auto market now accounts for about a sixth of the automaker's global sales. Sales have been helped by the Focus and the Kuga, both of which ...

Taiwan lowers forecast for 13 GDP growth to 2.4

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:23:43 -0400

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting & Statistics (DGBAS) yesterday lowered its 2013 growth forecast for Taiwan by 1.19 percent to 2.4 percent, after the performance in the first quarter fell far below ...

Bosch Taiwan works toward improved sales results in 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:23:40 -0400

"After experiencing significant growth in the past years, our sales were subdued under the circumstances of high economic uncertainty in both the local and global economy in 2012. We aim to improve our sales performance in the current year despite the continuous influence of the considerable economic risks," said Bernd Barkey, managing director of Bosch Taiwan. "Despite the ...

Yen trade volatile in Asia along with Japan market

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

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

China manufacturing sees 1st fall in 7 months HSBC

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:23:19 -0400

BEIJING -- Manufacturing activity in China contracted in May for the first time in seven months, HSBC said Thursday, in another sign of the weakness of recovery in the world's second-largest ...

Taiwan forms cloud computing initiative to join Facebook project

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:23:11 -0400

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- In an effort to participate in Facebook's Open Computing Project (OCP), Taiwan's academia and enterprises yesterday joined forces, announcing plans to establish a certification center and standards to govern hardware specifications ...

TAIEX dives on US Fed concerns China data

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

Selling, in particular, accelerated after HSBC Holdings and Markit Economics reported a worse-than-expected Chinese Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) for May, which made concerns over the regional economy run deeper, the dealers said. Large-cap stocks such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the most weighted stock in the local bourse, faced heavy profit-taking pressure after ...

Pakistan releases 45 Indian fishermen from Karachi prison

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

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

Motion Filtering Ability Correlated to High IQ

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:44 -0400

Researchers at the University of Rochester in New York state say they can predict a person’s intelligence quotient, or IQ, using some simple visual tests. Test subjects were asked to watch brief video clips of black and white bars moving across a computer screen within three different sized circles. They were asked to identify in which direction the bars drifted. The exercise measures ...

Planemaker Embraer Sees American Closing Out US Regional Jet Cycle

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:44 -0400

SAO PAULO -- Embraer SA, the world's third-largest commercial jet maker, expects just one more big regional jet order as a result of its current U.S. sales campaign, Chief Executive Officer Frederico Curado said in an interview, after the Brazilian planemaker clinched three of four major deals since December. "After the American Airlines competition, the game is over for a ...

Obama Plan to Close Guantanamo Prison Faces Significant Obstacles

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:43 -0400

Activists wearing orange jumpsuits mark the 100th day of prisoners' hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay during a protest in front of the White House in Washington May 17, ...

Immigrant Drama Shoots for Top Cannes Prize

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:43 -0400

CANNES -- America's immigration debate finds echoes in a period drama that premiered at the Cannes film festival on Friday about a Polish woman who arrives at Ellis Island and fights to survive in 1920s New York. "The Immigrant" features French Oscar winner Marion Cotillard as the immigrant Ewa, speaking English and Polish in the film, with Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner as ...

Key step cleared to Swiss-China free trade deal

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:24:03 -0400

BERNE, Switzerland (AFP) - Switzerland and China cleared the final hurdle Friday towards a landmark free-trade agreement, as Beijing seeks to underscore its growing global ties via deals with European partners.As China's Premier Li Keqiang and Swiss President Ueli Maurer looked on, the two nations' economy ministers inked a memorandum of understanding which paves the way for the formal ...

China Gains Ground among Customers of Venezuelan Oil

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:19:55 -0400

Caracas, May 24 (Prensa Latina) China has consolidated its position among international purchasers of Venezuelan oil, with an average volume that currently amounts to 626,000 barrels per day, industry sources said. Notably, reports from the state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) show 350,000 barrels per day in 2012. However, the Minister of Petroleum and Mining and President of PDVSA, ...

Americold Names Hogwarth as SVP of Asia-Pacific

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

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

Satellite data network reaches S. China Sea

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:11:37 -0400

/enpproperty--> SANYA - A satellite data receiving station was launched on Friday enabling China to now obtain observation information about the South China Sea. The station, in Sanya in south China's island province of Hainan, was launched by the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. China will now be able to obtain satellite remote ...

China US sign memo on audit files access

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:11:34 -0400

/enpproperty--> BEIJING - China and the United States have signed a cooperation memorandum agreeing to share audit and accounting records of concerned companies, marking an important step in cross-border coordination of such probes. In a statement, China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said they had signed an agreement with the US Public Company ...

Radioactive Cesium Recorded at 10 Spots in Pacific Ocean

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:11:30 -0400

10 points in the Pacific Ocean, including a location as far as 1300 miles from the plant, less than a year after Fukushima nuclear disaster began, scientists revealed on ...

China opposes EUs probes into solar telecom companies

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:11:30 -0400

Premier Li Keqiang said on Friday that China firmly opposes the European Union's probes into Chinese solar and telecom products, suggesting that once the results of the investigations are released, both sides will be harmed. Li said in a speech delivered at a luncheon with business and financial leaders during his trip to Switzerland that China is keeping a close eye on the EU's trade ...

UK decides to bring back slain soldiers girlfriend from Afghanistan

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

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

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

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

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

Why Iran May Pose A Greater Cybersecurity Risk Than China

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:07:44 -0400

report from the Wall Street Journal about Iranian infiltration of U.S. energy firms shows why their cyber-assaults could pose a greater immediate threat to U.S. national security. While China pursues ...

North Koreas nuclear program

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:05:39 -0400

Russia regards reports that North Korea is willing to return to six-party talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a "positive development," a senior Russian diplomat said ...

Top Bosnia court orders release of president charged with graft

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:55:26 -0400

SARAJEVO (Reuters) - Bosnia's Constitutional Court ruled on Friday that the president of the autonomous Muslim-Croat federation, charged with corruption, had been detained illegally, and ordered a lower court to release him ...

Fitch Affirms Henderson China Opportunities Funds Satisfactory Rating

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:55:23 -0400

Macao Banks' Rapid China Growth Alters Risk Profiles Macao banks could see their risk profiles weaken as their exposure to China continues to climb.Fitch Ratingsexpects credit growth to accelerate to 30% in 2013 from 26% in 2012, primarily led by China-related trade financing. Generally Chinese exposures are driven by parent referrals and associated risk is adequately mitigated with ...

Radical British preacher Anjem Choudary praises London killer Adebolajo

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

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

After years of cajoling Japan inks global custody pact

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:40:22 -0400

child custody situations in which parents from the United States are forced to return home without the children that the other parent took to another country without permission or legal authority to do so. That has long been a common situation where Japan is concerned, with many Japanese mothers summarily taking children back to their home country and thereafter resisting all attempts of the ...

US special envoy cancels trip to South Korea report

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:39:40 -0400

The US special envoy for North Korean human rights has canceled a five-day trip to South Korea on Sunday, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported. Robert King, who had been scheduled to visit South Korea from Sunday to Thursday next week, abruptly canceled the visit without giving a reason, the report said, quoting multiple diplomatic sources. King had been scheduled to meet with ...

Devoy keeps clear of Peters China attack

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

New Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has refrained from joining critics of NZ First Leader Winston Peters' latest attack on China's growing influence in New Zealand, saying she doesn't want to get involved. But Ethnic Affairs Minister Judith Collins who appointed Dame Susan to the job two months ago labelled Mr Peters' comments "confrontational" and "insulting". In a speech to North ...

Oil under pressure from China data

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:30:00 -0400

Global oil prices have closed little changed, recovering from sharper early losses after weak Chinese manufacturing data. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate light crude for July, edged down US3c to settle on US$94.25 ($116.3) a barrel. WTI had hit an intraday low of US$92.21. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in July settled at US$102.44 a barrel, down US16c from ...

Sports scandal entertainment dominates the headlines in an India not that obsessed with China

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

East-Asia-Intel.com NEW DELHI -- It's a toss-up what's of more concern to India's 1.2 billion people -- border disputes with China or the arrests on bribery charges of stars of India's most popular sport, the old British game of cricket. India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh mingled firmness with smiles in a summit this week with China's Premier Li Keqiang that ...

From Nixon’s historic opening to the new U.S.-China world order Now what

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

John J. Metzler NEW YORK -- Dr. Henry Kissinger called for the United States and China to collaborate on a new global order, and a groundbreaking new report, "U.S.- China Economic Relations in the Next Ten Years," underscored the deepening commercial engagement between the two Pacific powers. Indeed with President Barack Obama meeting his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in California in ...

China and Switzerland to seal free-trade deal

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:11:33 -0400

Swiss President and Defence Minister Ueli Maurer shakes hands with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during the second day of an official visit to Switzerland at the government's guesthouse Lohn in the village of Kehrsatz, near the Swiss capital of Bern, May 24, 2013. (RUBEN ...

NKorean envoy delivers letter to Chinas president

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

North Korea Expresses Peace Talks Willingness

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:06:59 -0400

Beijing, May 24 (Prensa Latina) The special envoy for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un told Chinese authorities that Pyongyang is willing to engage in talks for a peaceful resolution to the situation in the Korean peninsula, local press reported today. This gesture from the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was passed along by North Korea's People's Army ...

Landmark Case In U.S. Civil Court On Rape By U.S. Military In Japan Eleven Years Ago

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:06:21 -0400

Catherine Fisher with a picture of her attacker. Picture: Gran Ole In a landmark case, on September 6, 2012, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Circuit Court Judge gave standing to an Australian woman to collect a Japanese civil judgment against a former US Navy sailor for raping her in Japan 11 years ago. A civil judgment by a Tokyo court in 2004 ordered sailor Bloke T. Deans to pay 3 million yen in ...

Hapag-Lloyd to Boost Trans-Pacific Rates in July

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:02:34 -0400

Shanghai Containerized Freight Index rates from Asia to the U.S. broke weeks-long slumps by rising slightly last week.Hapag-Lloyd has also revised the equipment inspection fee for all containers which are returned empty to a depot in ...

China’s Peng Shuai stuns American Stephens in Brussels

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:42 -0400

China's eighth seed Peng Shuai upset the rankings to defeat fourth-seeded American Sloane Stephens, 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the Brussels Open quarterfinals.Peng is now through to the seventh Premier-level semifinal of her career, having gone 1-5 in her previous six.However, she did make the final in the Belgian capital Brussels in 2011 where she lost to former World No.1 Caroline ...

President Xi Jinping meets Kim’s envoy

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:29 -0400

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed China's support for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula on Friday during a meeting with Choe Ryong-hae, the special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Choe, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, presented a handwritten letter from Kim to Xi and said North Korea is willing to take positive actions to solve ...

Tokyo cabinet denies ‘ghosts’ keeping prime minister out of official residence

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:25 -0400

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet on Friday formally denied months-long rumors that Abe had not moved into his official residence over fears the mansion is haunted.The conservative leader took office in December but has yet to move into the 11-room brick home in central Tokyo, the longest holdout among any of his predecessors, according to local media.Several former leaders have ...

IKEA to build new outlet in NW China

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:58:12 -0400

/enpproperty--> XI'AN - The world's largest furniture retailer IKEA will open an outlet in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi province, according to a Xi'an municipal government statement. The outlet as well as its logistics center will be located in Fengdong new town in Xi'an, the statement said. "We will sign an agreement with IKEA in early July, ...

Frances Air liquide wins gas contract in China

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:58:11 -0400

/enpproperty--> PARIS - French energy company Air Liquide announced on Friday a long-term deal to supply industrial gas to the private Chinese group Fujian Shenyuan. "Under the terms of the contract, Air Liquide will invest in an industrial gases complex of eight units including an Air Separation Unit of 2,000 tons of oxygen per day, a Gasification unit, a Purification unit of synthesis ...

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

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

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

All-Japan stint for karter Cabrera

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:53:56 -0400

PRODIGIOUS karter Gabe Tayao-Cabrera competes today and tomorrow in the All-Japan Junior Championships at Suzuka International Circuit in Suzuka City, Mie prefecture. Cabrera, fresh off his victories in the Formula 125 Open Junior, KF2-KF3 and the Yamaha Cup Novice races of the recent Asian Karting Open at Carmona Racetrack in Cavite, will race at Suzuka as the lone Filipino recruit of ...

Canada not joining Pacific Alliance trade bloc yet

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:51:12 -0400

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, front right, was part of the official photo at the Pacific Alliance Summit in Cali, Colombia on Thursday. Canada has observer status for these trade negotiations. (Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian ...

McDonald’s Mega Potato Fries To Clog Arteries In Japan

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:43:13 -0400

Kotaku ) that McDonald’s is now offering its largest calorie item in the history of the chain with the Mega Potato. It holds the equivalent of two large fries, but at almost half the price. Unfortunately for you McDonald’s french fry fans, the Mega Potato is only available in Japan. You could hop on a plane to grab some, but you have to be fast. The Mega Potato will only be on sale ...

Urbanization Is Making China Wealthy— But Is It Sustainable

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:42:33 -0400

China's plan to spend $6.5 trillion on urbanization to bolster the economy is running into snags, sources close to the government said, as top leaders fear another spending binge could push up local debt levels and inflate a property bubble. Premier Li Keqiang has rejected an urbanization proposal drafted by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), seeking changes to put more ...

Sidney Rittenberg on China

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:42:32 -0400

mentioned last week that I was going to do a Q-and-A in Seattle with Sidney Rittenberg, whose first-hand exposure to US-Chinese relations probably exceeds that of any other living person. In the 1940s he was a U.S. Army translator in China; then he was an associate of Mao's and Zhou Enlai's; then he spent two different terms, totaling 16 years, in solitary confinement in Chinese ...

Switzerland sees free-trade pact with China in July

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:42:08 -0400

Swiss President and Defence Minister Ueli Maurer (R) and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang listen to national anthems during the second day of an official visit to Switzerland at the government's guesthouse Lohn in the village of Kehrsatz, near the Swiss capital of Bern, May 24, ...

WTO to examine Japan-China steel duties dispute

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:37:39 -0400

World Trade Organization said Friday its dispute settlement board had agreed to a request from Japan to create a panel to examine its dispute with China over steel duties. Japan had requested for a panel to evaluate its complaint against China for imposing duties on steel tube imports, which Beijing claims were being sold at prices below market levels. Japan charged that the duties violated ...

Landmark Swiss-China trade deal on horizon in July

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:37:17 -0400

BERNE, Switzerland (AFP) - Switzerland and China could sign a landmark free-trade agreement as early as July, the Alpine country said Friday, as Beijing seeks to underscore its growing global ties via deals with European partners.With China's Premier Li Keqiang in Switzerland for high-level talks, the Swiss news agency ATS quoted Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann as saying he aimed to ...

Japan told to lean on Myanmar

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:33:08 -0400

The Japanese government needs to ensure it's getting a return on its investments in Myanmar by making human rights a priority, Human Rights Watch said. Japanese Prime ...

Cabinet Approves Establishment of Two Committees to Strengthen EconomicCooperation with China

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:27:45 -0400

Cabinet Approves Establishment of Two Committees to Strengthen Economic Cooperation with China (Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser) The Cabinet, at its weekly meeting today (Sunday, 19 May 2013), approved the establishment of two committees the goal of which is to formulate an action plan for strengthening economic ties between Israel and China, as well as increase ...

Highway Bridge Collapses in US

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

A road bridge on the main highway between the northwestern United States and Canada's British Columbia province collapsed and sent several cars tumbling into a river, injuring some motorists but causing no fatalities. Authorities said a tall truck hit an overhead girder on the 50-year-old bridge, and seconds later a large portion of the metal structure fell into shallow waters of the ...

Violence Continues in Conakry Over Upcoming Elections

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

DAKAR -- Guinea's government says it deployed extra soldiers and police to the streets of the capital, Conakry, Friday, as youth in several neighborhoods set up makeshift barriers, vandalized cars and attacked private businesses. The unrest comes the day after an opposition protest during which the government says one person was killed and at least ten were injured. The opposition puts the ...

Man Wanted for Quadruple Czech Murders Arrested in US

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

Czech police said Friday the suspect, identified by police as Kevin Dahlgren, was arrested at a Washington, D.C. airport after Czech authorities issued an international warrant. U.S. authorities have confirmed the arrest. Czech authorities found four bodies Wednesday in a family house in the city of Brno, about 200 kilometers southeast of Prague. Czech Television reports that the 20-year-old ...

Ethiopian Activist Recognized for Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:25 -0400

LONDON -- An Ethiopian activist who has worked to support women’s rights and battle female genital mutilation has been awarded an international prize in Europe. Bogaletch Gebre founded Kembatti Mentti Gezzima-Tope in the 1990s. The organization’s name translates as Kembatti Women Stand Together. The group has a unique approach to tackling women’s rights in ...

Explosions Gunfire Hit Center of Afghan Capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

Two large explosions shook a busy area in the center of the Afghan capital Friday, in the second major attack in Kabul in a little more than a ...

Little Free Libraries Promote Love of Books

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

What looks like a little red birdhouse with a pitched roof sits on a post outside Centreville Elementary School in Virginia, attracting a lot of attention. But there are no birds inside. The wooden box contains about two dozen children’s books. Any child in the community who wants to read is welcome to pick ...

Taliban Attacks Heart of Afghan Capital

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

Taliban militants have attacked the heart of the Afghan capital, setting off explosions and battling security forces. At least four blasts shook a busy area of Kabul Friday, in the second major attack in the city in a little more than a week. Shooting erupted in the area as militants and security forces engaged in a fierce gunbattle. Afghan officials say two of the attackers were ...

Bullying in Turkish Military Becomes a Human Rights Issue

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:24 -0400

FILE -Turkish military station at the border gate with Syria, across from Syrian rebel-controlled Tel Abyad town, in Akcakale, Turkey, October 7, ...

Kerry Urges Hard Decisions After Meetings with Israeli Palestinians

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:23 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) waves as he stands next to Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat before his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah May 23, ...

British Police Arrest Two on Diverted Pakistani Airliner

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:23 -0400

British police have arrested two men on board a Pakistan International Airlines plane that was diverted to an airport near London. A Royal Air Force fighter jet intercepted the airliner - which was en route from Lahore to Manchester - and escorted it to Stansted Airport. Authorities said there had been "an incident" on board the plane. They said the two men were arrested on ...

Pakistan Reiterates Opposition to US Drone Strikes

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:22 -0400

Pakistan has reiterated its opposition to U.S. drone strikes on its territory, after U.S. President Barack Obama justified "constrained" drone usage to save lives. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Friday that drone strikes are counter-productive, kill innocent civilians, have human rights implications, and violate national sovereignty and international law. Pakistan said, ...

Kerry Choice of Iranian Presidential Candidates Denies Popular Will

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:22 -0400

To get best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or other web browser. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found ...

Suspicions High as US China Summit Nears

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:58:21 -0400

BEIJING -- A top White House official is scheduled to arrive in Beijing this Sunday. His visit comes as concerns about cyber attacks, trade frictions and China’s territorial disputes with Japan test relations between the world’s two largest economies. The visit also comes as President Barack Obama and China’s new leader Xi Jinping prepare to hold their first talks next month in ...

Search for Chinas missing children goes online

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:29 -0400

BEIJING (AFP) - It took dozens of volunteers half a year searching old Chinese maps and villages, but finally the online-organised group helped Luo Gang find where he was kidnapped 23 years ago -- and his birth family.The search for China's missing children -- mainly boys abducted by traffickers to feed a traditional hunger for sons exacerbated by the one-child policy -- is moving into ...

Li visit raises landmark Swiss-China trade deal

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

BERNE, Switzerland (AFP) - China's Premier Li Keqiang was poised on Friday to sign a key accord with Switzerland bringing closer a free-trade deal seen as a touchstone for Beijing's growing global ties.After high-level talks, Li and the Swiss government were scheduled to ink a memorandum of understanding on the free-trade accord, paving the way for the expected official signature in ...

Luxury brands position for U.S. boom as China flags Europe sags

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:55:45 -0400

A Hermes bag is seen in this file photo. Luxury retailers are preparing for a resurgence in the U.S. market as affluent consumers prepare to spend again. (Fred Lum/The Globe and ...

Video Market View Is the Bank of Japans message to the markets getting lost

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:55:33 -0400

The Globe and Mail's Jacqueline Nelson takes a closer look at recent volatility in Asia and the Bank of Japan's efforts to assure investors over rising bond ...

Japanese World Championship Team Impresses on Day One of Japan Open

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:54:09 -0400

KANAGAWA, Japan, May 24. THE first day of the Japan open long course competition saw members of the country's world championship swim team impress in their first races since being added to the world team roster.With a world-leading 58.84 to her credit from the world championship trials in April, Aya Terakawa cruised to the win in the women's 100 back today with a 59.50. Sayaka Akase ...

2 on Diverted Pakistani Plane Made Threats They Called Jokes

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

LONDON ...

Suicide bomb hits Kabul as Taliban battle police

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

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

China Incinerates 3 US Shipments of Genetically Modified Corn

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:51:54 -0400

destroyed acres upon acres of Monsanto's GMO corn fields. Interestingly enough, my article on that subject became one of the most widely shared articles in recent years across the web thanks to the rising number of individuals who are behind the elimination of GMOs across the globe. And I suspect this move by China will be met with similar applause, as it represents a direct stand against ...

North Korea conveys to China willingness to take positive actions

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:47:33 -0400

International News: Choe Ryong-hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, met Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, in the highest-ranking visit by an official from Pyongyang in about six ...

Taiwans Blockbuster Documentary to Screen in Washington DC

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:46:56 -0400

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- D.C. Asian Pacific American Film, in collaboration with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative's Office (TECRO), is proud to present Taiwan's highest-grossing documentary, Go Grandriders, at Landmark's E Street Cinema (555 11th St. NW) on Wednesday, May 29, at 7 p.m. This is a FREE screening that you don't want to ...

Japan PM begins three-day visit to Myanmar

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

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

New clues about location of Ontario hiker missing in Australia

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:35:04 -0400

Rescuers searching for a missing Brampton, Ont., man in the mountains of southeastern Australia have clues he may have taken a different route than originally thought. ...

Sands China picks Deloitte as new auditor

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:32:59 -0400

HONG KONG | Fri May 24, 2013 11:32am EDT HONG KONG May 24 (Reuters) - Casino operator Sands China Ltd said on Friday that it had chosen Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu as its new auditor. Sands China, along with its controlling shareholder Las Vegas Sands Corp, received a letter in April from PricewaterhouseCoopers saying the firm would not stand for re-appointment as its auditor for the year ...

CORRECTED-Derivatives trade booms in wake of Japan stock slide

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:27:24 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 11:27am EDT (CORRECTS stimulus amount in graf 3) By Helen Bartholomew LONDON, May 24 (IFR) - Investors betting on a continuation of Japan's six-month runaway bull market suffered their biggest scare yet on Thursday as the Nikkei 225 lost more than 7% - its largest one-day loss in more than two years. But a corresponding spike in the Nikkei Volatility Index, from 27 to 48, ...

Care urged for split families when Japan joins Hague pact

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:26:24 -0400

Throughout most of Japan, June is the rainy season. While all that rainfall is great for rice paddies so that we can have delicious new harvest rice in the fall, it makes it a rather dull month for seasonal produce: The summer’s bounty of ...

Japan Atomic Power saw fiscal 2012 growth despite no power output

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:26:24 -0400

Kitajima claims victory in 100-meter breaststroke at Japan Open

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:25:58 -0400

India has reservations over Chinas activities in PoK

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:21:56 -0400

PoK and said New Delhi has conveyed its views to authorities in Beijing. Developments in other countries is not a matter of us. To the extent that it involves Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, India's views have conveyed to Beijing, Foreign ...

Russias Uralkali plans no H2 potash contract with China

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:07:15 -0400

MOSCOW | Fri May 24, 2013 11:07am EDT MOSCOW May 24 (Reuters) - Russia's Uralkali, one of the world's largest potash producers, does not plan to sign a contract with China to supply potash in the second half of 2013 due to unfavourable market conditions, a company spokesman said on Friday. Potash producers around the world keenly look out for signs of flagging demand in China, ...

Insurgents Attack Near U.N. Mission in Kabul

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:04:57 -0400

KABUL, Afghanistan ...

China reports rise in humans encountering wild Siberian tigers

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:51:13 -0400

Decades of poaching and logging in China and elsewhere have ravaged the Siberian tiger population, with only about 500 left in the wild worldwide. Photograph: Tim ...

Air China subsidiary to buy 100 Airbus planes for 8.85 bln USD

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:51:11 -0400

Air China, the country's leading carrier, and its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines have signed deals to buy a total of 100 Airbus 320-series planes for 8.85 billion US dollars, Air China said Friday in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange.According to the statement, Air China, listed both in Hong Kong and Shanghai, agreed to buy 60 Airbus 320-series aircraft for 5.37 billion US dollars, ...

North Korea slams South Korea leader as confrontation maniac

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:45:07 -0400

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

Lebanese President cautions Hezbollah over Syria role

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

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

Is Australia the Face of Climate Change to Come

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:39:14 -0400

leaving 24 people dead. Each of these one-off traumas was bad enough, wreaking havoc, but in Australia such events seem to be becoming commonplace. The Lucky Country has experienced a major spike in extreme weather in the past few years, with a string of devastating incidents just since January. That has people wondering if the island continent is somehow a perfect bellwether for the ...

China solar companies shun home market in pursuit of margins

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:36:22 -0400

(Reuters) - Chinese solar panel makers are shunning their overcrowded home market in favor of lucrative exports, a switch that has helped to arrest a two-year slump in margins and push shares to 12-month ...

Disease Outbreaks Is China Becoming More Transparent

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:32:58 -0400

testimony focused on China's response to public health emergencies. As the H7N9 virus appears to be burning itself out, the consensus among public health scholars and practitioners is that China has been much more transparent and open in handing this outbreak than it was in 2003 during the SARS epidemic. In fact, WHO Director-General Margaret ...