Thursday, January 31, 2013

HSBC among four British banks that may face new mis-selling claims

British banks are braced for another wave of compensation claims after regulators warned of “significant,’’ mis-selling of interest rate hedging prod...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31344

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Australian politician faces 149 fraud charges

Australian police arrested a member of parliament accused of spending union money on prostitutes, air travel and lavish meals and charged him with 1...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31343

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Chinese navy exercises in West Pacific

A Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet conducted the year's first open-sea training exercise in the West Pacific Ocean on Thursday mornin...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31342

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Japan vehicle output up 18pc in 2012

Japan's vehicle output in 2012 rebounded 18.4 percent from the previous year to 9,942,711 units following a double-digit fall in the previous year, sa...



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Charles Ho says Tsang off CPPCC membership list not surprising

Sing Tao News Corp chairman Charles Ho Tsu-kwok said he was not surprised that Tsang was not on the China's top advisory body membership list. Ho sa...



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French player owed salary fails to pay medical fees

A French player in Indonesia's premier league who caught typhoid was left unable to afford hospital treatment after his salary was withheld for nine m...



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(NBA) Suns snap Lakers' streak

Michael Beasley scored a season-high 27 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, as the Phoenix Suns rallied for a 92-86 NBA victory...



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Trading income lifts Mizuho Financial earnings

Japan's Mizuho Financial Group said net profit in the nine months to December soared 44.8 percent from a year earlier, thanks in part to big trading ...



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German jobless numbers ease, sans seasonal factors

The German economy remains surprisingly resilient to the euro zone debt crisis, with unemployment falling again this month, official data showed. Un...



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Tamil Nadu keeps ban against film that Muslims decry

The southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has defended its ban on a new film by veteran actor Kamal Haasan which has sparked anger over freedom of art...



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HK retailers pull in HK$445b

Hong Kong retailers logged moderate growth in 2012, with total sales surging 9.8 percent from 2011 to HK$445 billion. Sales volume gained 7.2 percen...



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Weak debut for Chinalco Mining

China's Chinalco Mining Corporation (3668) fell more than 11 percent on its Hong Kong trading debut today after raising US$397 million in the city's ...



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Red ink flows at Ericsson

Ericsson, a leading provider of telecom equipment to global markets, reported that net profit plunged by half last year, hit by a charge for its joi...



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South Africa rush-hour rail crash injures 300

Two passenger trains packed with school children and rush-hour commuters collided near the South Africa capital Pretoria today, injuring up to 300 peo...



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Hang Lung chief says vacancy tax not effective

Hang Lung Properties (0101) chairman Ronnie Chan Chi-chung vacancy tax is not helpful to stabilize local housing market. He said there is no successfu...



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Hezbollah says Israeli raid against Syria reveals hidden motives

The Israeli air strike on Syria has “unmasked’’ the true origins of the bloody conflict in the country, its closest ally in Lebanon, Hezbollah, said...



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Toshiba's profit six-folded

Japan's Toshiba said Thursday net profit in the nine months to December soared six fold to 54.52 billion yen (US$600 million) thanks to brisk sales i...



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Beijing calls NY Times hacking claims groundless

China on Thursday dismissed accusations that it had hacked into the system of the New York Times, in a cyberattack the paper linked to its expose of ...



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Parallel traders crowd Sheung Shui station

More people travelling up north have been crowding Sheung Shui MTR station since early afternoon, while more than 100 people lining up to weigh their ...



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Educational inequality gap widens in HK

Researchers say educational inequality is getting worse in Hong Kong, despite the increased number of publicly funded university places, RTHK reports....



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Hong Kong shares slip from peak, but score 5th monthly rise





Hong Kong shares slipped from a 21-month high on Thursday, trimming January’s gains, as investors turned cautious following a batch of profit warnings and knocked the Hang Seng Index off its most overbought levels in almost a month.


The Hang Seng Index closed down 0.4 per cent on the day, but up 4.7 per cent on the month at 23,729.5. The China Enterprises Index of the top Chinese listings in Hong Kong shed 0.3 per cent on Thursday, but rose 6.1 per cent in January.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/stock-talk/article/1140265/hong-kong-shares-slip-peak-score-5th-monthly-rise

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Hang Seng finishes lower

Hong Kong shares ended 0.39 percent lower on Thursday after hitting a 21-month high the previous day and following losses on Wall Street. The benchm...



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Japan judo coach to quit after accused of abuse

Japan's national women's judo head coach said Thursday he would resign, the day after allegations emerged he had beaten his athletes with wooden sword...



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European shares open lower

Europe's main stock markets fell at the start of trading on Thursday, with London's FTSE 100 index of top companies down 0.35 percent at 6,300.72 poi...



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Expert says Sea Smooth could have rescued stricken passengers

An expert told an inquiry today that the ferry Sea Smooth could have stopped to help rescue people after it collided with the Lamma IV -- the vessel t...



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Old age allowance details announced

More than 290,000 eligible elderly will be able to collect HK$11,400 -- equivalent to old age living allowances for five months -- in April, the Socia...



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Property losses hit Santander earnings

The Spanish banking group Santander, the euro zone's biggest by market capitalization, posted a 59-percent plunge in 2012 net profit to 2.205 billio...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31319

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AstraZeneca income dives 37pc

Anglo-Swedish pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca said net profits tumbled 37 percent last year as the group was hit by the expiry of patents on key d...



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(Africa Cup) Ivorians, Nigerians fancy their chances

One of three all-west African quarter-final clashes, between Ivory Coast and Nigeria, will headline the first knockout round of the 2013 Africa Cup of...



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Argentina tells Israel to back off over bomb investigation

Argentina has swung back after Israel protested an accord reached with Iran over a 1994 attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, accusing the Jewi...



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Honda trims full-year profit forecast, but quarterly rises





Fallout from the Diaoyu Islands dispute has taken the shine off earnings at Honda Motor, which trimmed its annual net profit forecast by 1.3 per cent to 370 billion yen, saying that a weak European market is also taking its toll on Japan’s third biggest automaker.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1140224/honda-trims-full-year-profit-forecast-quarterly-rises

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Deutsche Bank bleeds red ink over cleanup





Deutsche Bank’s posted a fourth-quarter pretax loss of 2.6 billion euros (US$3.5 billion) hit by hefty litigation and restructuring charges as the bank downsizes to a leaner investment banking environment under new leadership.


Germany’s largest lender said strong operating results at its business divisions were overshadowed by a 1.9 billion euro goodwill impairment to pay for a new divisional structure and to hive off assets into a non-core unit.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1140223/deutsche-bank-bleeds-red-ink-over-cleanup

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Shell profits tumble 14pc

British energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, which was recently found by a court to be partly responsible for pollution in Nigeria, said net profit slid 14...



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ANA earnings surge

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) said Thursday its net profit in the nine months to December soared 54.6 percent to US$574 million, and kept its annu...



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Gay couple make online love declaration

The impending marriage of two old men in Beijing has caused quite a stir online, according to the Guangzhou Daily. The gay couple, identified as "big...



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Deutsche Bank earnings plunge

Deutsche Bank, Germany's biggest bank, said one-off effects pushed it into the red in the fourth quarter of last year and led to a sharp drop in full...



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Borneo pygmy elephant fatalities hit 14

A fourteenth rare Borneo pygmy elephant has been found dead of suspected poisoning, Malaysian officials said, the latest in a series of fatalities t...



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Twenty-one building plans approved in December

Twenty-one building plans were approved in December, with seven on Hong Kong Island, three in Kowloon and 11 in the New Territories, the Buildings Dep...



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Tsang says inappropriate to take CPPCC post amid graft probe

Beijing had asked Donald Tsang Yam-kuen where he is prepared to join the new session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consu...



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One dead as quake hits northern Chile

A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake jolted northern Chile on Wednesday, killing a woman, knocking out electricity and phone services, and sending panick...



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Hong Kong shares nudged off 21-month high, China tepid





Hong Kong shares slipped from a 21-month high on Thursday, as investors turned cautious following a batch of profit warnings, knocking the Hang Seng Index off its most overbought levels in almost a month.


The Chinese steel and shipping sectors dominated the more than 10 profit warnings posted by Hong Kong-listed companies overnight, while mainland property developers slid after local media reported the Beijing city government had submitted a property tax plan to the State Council for approval.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/stock-talk/article/1140205/hong-kong-shares-nudged-21-month-high-china-tepid

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Honda logs higher 9-month net profit

Japanese automaker Honda said Thursday that its net profit for the nine months to December 2012 more than doubled to US$3.2 billion thanks to sales g...



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Smartphone maker RIM hopes it has the right number





BlackBerry launched its comeback effort yesterday with a revamped platform and a pair of sleek new handsets, along with a company name change as part of a move to reinvent the smartphone maker.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/1139779/smartphone-maker-rim-hopes-it-has-right-number

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Growing debt burden in mainland provinces causes concern





The debts of four provinces - Hubei, Jilin, Hainan and Hunan - are "fairly high" and may result in "high financial risks", said Terry Gao, an associate director at Fitch yesterday.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1139695/growing-debt-burden-mainland-provinces-causes-concern

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

US economy unexpectedly shrinks 0.1pct in fourth quarter





Gross domestic product fell at a 0.1 per cent annual rate after growing at a 3.1 per cent clip in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1139590/us-economy-unexpectedly-contracts-fourth-quarter

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Spanish economy plunges in final quarter of last year





Spain’s economy shrank at the fastest pace in more than three years in the final quarter of last year, official data showed on Wednesday, casting a shadow over the prospects of nearly six million unemployed.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1139563/spanish-economy-plunges-final-quarter-last-year

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Faulty airbags cause Toyota to recall 900,000 cars

Japanese auto giant Toyota said Wednesday it would recall more than 900,000 vehicles in Canada, Japan, Mexico and the United States because of an air...



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Fed likely to hold course on asset buying

Expectations are mounting that the US Federal Reserve policymakers will maintain asset purchases. They wrap up their two-day meeting today. The US ce...



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Fitch may cut US rating

Credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings says it may downgrade the United States triple-A credit rating if politicians in Washington can't reach agreement ...



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CNOOC eyes more production in 2013

The biggest mainland offshore energy producer, CNOOC, aims to increase crude and natural gas production by over 2 percent this year. That would mean t...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31269

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Lenovo posts record profit in fourth quarter

China's personal computer maker, Lenovo (0992), is on track to become the world's biggest maker after it posted a record quarterly profit. It earned...



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Qatar pours 1b euros into Greece

Qatar has announced it will invest up to a billion euros in a joint fund with Athens to bolster recession-hit Greek industry, the state news agency ...



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Loss-making SingAir dumps 76 pilots

Singapore Airlines said it will ask 76 foreign pilots to leave before their contracts expire. The carrier said the pilots, who are on three-year cont...



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China, Saudi trade reaches record high

The trade between China and Saudi Arabia reached the highest level of US$73.4 billion in 2012, an increase by 14 percent as compared with 2011, accord...



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Train makers to profit more on increasing railway investments

China's train manufacturers will likely see booming revenues in 2013, as railway authorities have released an ambitious bullet train purchase plan. ...



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Dutch hooligans make monkey calls at cup match

A Dutch cup match between Den Bosch and AZ Alkmaar was suspended for several minutes after repeated incidents of racist chanting at the ground, loca...



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African mining billionaire Motsepe pledges half his fortune to charity

South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe, a native of the land, said he would give half his family's fortune to a charity, matching a pledge made b...



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Citibank warns of fraudulent website

A website www.zzfwy.com resembling the official site of Citibank is fraudulent, the lender warned today. The case has been reported to the Hong Kong ...



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France suspends acne drug after contraception deaths

France suspended sales of an acne drug whose use as a birth control pill has been linked to the deaths of four women. The National Agency for the Sa...



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Gandhi letters to South African bodybuilder stirs more questions about friendship

A rare collection of letters between Indian independence icon Mahatma Gandhi and a South African bodybuilder with whom he shared a close relationshi...



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Euro zone optimism gains ground

Business leaders and consumers in the euro zone sent signals in January that the clouds of economic gloom are lifting slightly, marking the third-mo...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31258

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US gunman grabs child after killing school bus driver

A gunman boarded a school bus in the US state of Alabama, shot dead the driver and kidnapped a six-year-old, whom he is now holding in an undergroun...



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Turkey factory explosion claims six lives

At least six people were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday in an explosion at a chemical factory in southeastern Turkey, the local mayor said...



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Tesco admits horse flesh scandal and cans Irish supplier

British retailer Tesco, caught up in a horsemeat scandal, said it axed an Irish beef supplier. National outrage erupted after equine DNA was found in ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31255

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US court denies to grant retrail in Apple-Samsung patent case

A US judge has upheld a ruling against Samsung in its long legal battle with Apple, maintaining that South Korean firm owes more than US$1 billion in ...



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Hong Kong shares climb to 21-month high, China back at May peaks





Hong Kong shares climbed to their highest since end-April 2011 on Wednesday, helped by strength in China-related counters that pushed the Hang Seng Index above a chart level that had put a lid on gains for nearly two weeks.


The CSI300 Index of the top Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listings rose 0.5 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 1 per cent in the fourth-highest volume this month. Both closed at their highest since May 2012.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/stock-talk/article/1139390/hong-kong-shares-climb-21-month-high-china-back-may-peaks

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Bus drivers want 8pc pay hike

A public transportation workers' union wanted a 8-percent pak hike for franchised bus drivers this year. Union spokesman Tang Wai-cheung said last yea...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31253

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Motor school to re-hire hunger-strikers

Hong Kong School of Motoring has decided to rehire two hunger-striker driving teachers after one of them had his foot cut off in a serious traffic acc...



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Tuen Mun plot fetches HK$1.39B

Wheelock (0020 defeated 8 other bidders to win the plot at So Kwun Wat, Tuen Mun, New Territories for HK$1.388 billion, the Lands Department said toda...



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Shell survives legal challenge by Nigerian farmers

A Dutch court rejected a bid by a group of Nigerian farmers to have Shell's parent company held responsible for oil damage, saying only subsidiary S...



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EU banks aim to further tighten lending, ECB says

Euro zone banks expect to tighten their lending rules in the coming months even as their own access to funding has improved, the European Central Ban...



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Cute served to order at Taipei’s Barbie Café

With hot pink sofas, high heels-shaped tables and chairs decorated with tutus, the first Barbie-themed restaurant opened in Taiwan today catering to ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31248

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Korean president’s clean pledge sullied by tainted PM nominee

South Korean president-elect Park Geun Hye stressed the need for “clean government,’’ the day after her nominee for prime minister embarrassingly w...



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Canon earnings slump

Japanese electronics company Canon said full-year net profit fell 9.7 percent last year. The camera and office equipment maker said earnings slipped ...



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Europe moves marginally at open

Europe's main stock markets stabilized at the start of trading today. London's FTSE 100 index of leading companies was down 0.14 percent to 6,330.47 ...



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Final quarter brings more pain for Spain

Spain's economy contracted by 1.37 percent in 2012, the INE national statistics instute said in its first estimate, slightly better than the governm...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31242

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Naples broke, halts bus service

Buses ground to a halt in the cash-strapped Italian city of Naples after the local public transport company said it could not afford fuel following ...



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Hang Seng, Shanghai close higher

Shares in Hong Kong ended up 0.71 percent, hitting around 21-month highs, after the Dow closed just shy of its record finish. The benchmark Hang Seng...



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Beijing to raise rice prices

China will lift the minimum state procurement price for rice produced this year to encourage farmers to grow more grain and boost production, the coun...



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Briton convicted for drunk driving flees Taiwan

A British citizen who was due to serve a four-year prison sentence for killing a Taiwanese while driving drunk was found to have fled the island usin...



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Cancer drugs, diagnostics lift Roche earnings

Swiss drug giant Roche said net profit was up by 2 percent last year to 9.8 billion Swiss francs (HK$82.4 billion) and said it was increasing its divi...



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Singapore rejects statute marking Japanese war brothels

Singapore said it rejected plans by South Korean activists to erect a statue in the island commemorating women forced into sexual slavery by Japan dur...



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Nintendo predicts improved earnings

Japanese electronics giant Nintendo said today it returned to profit in the nine months to December and boosted its fiscal year earnings forecast. Th...



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Japan PM shrugs off global criticism over latest stimulus steps





Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe waded into the growing global debate about currency wars for the first time on Wednesday, shrugging off criticism that Tokyo was trying to intentionally weaken the yen with its monetary and fiscal stimulus measures.


“The measures taken by the government and the BOJ are aimed at beating deflation and achieving sustainable economic growth,” Abe said, when asked by an opposition party leader in parliament about criticism from some overseas policymakers that the steps were attempts by Tokyo to directly weaken the yen.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1139293/japan-pm-shrugs-global-criticism-over-latest-stimulus-steps

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Seoul launches space rocket

South Korea launched a rocket Wednesday in its third bid to put a satellite in orbit -- a high-stakes challenge to national pride after rival North Ko...



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RIM faces its day of reckoning with BlackBerry 10 launch





The innovative line of BlackBerry smartphones that Research In Motion will formally unveil on Wednesday has already succeeded on one crucial count - getting RIM back in the conversation.


The new BlackBerry 10 has created a buzz among technology watchers and financial analysts, thanks to nifty features that may set it apart in an overcrowded smartphone market. RIM stock has almost tripled over the past four months on hopes the devices can restore RIM to sustained prosperity.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1139276/rim-faces-its-day-reckoning-blackberry-10-launch

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Japanese men declare love in public

Valentine's Day hasn't arrived just yet, but Japanese men expressed love for their wives on Tuesday in a very public way. Dozens of Japanese men got ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31233

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Smog warning in Beijing

Beijing has urged residents to stay indoors as emergency measures were rolled out aimed at countering a heavy cloud of smog blanketing the capital and...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31232

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Canadian mining output to double by 2020: report

The output and employment of the mining sector in Canada's north is forecast to almost double by the end of the decade. The Conference Board of Canad...



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Dreamliner’s Japanese-made batteries changed many times

Japan's two major airlines said they had replaced a number of batteries in Dreamliners before they grounded Boeing's next generation aircraft earlier...



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Brutal Japanese coach abused female judokas

Japan's female Olympic judo athletes were beaten with bamboo swords and slapped by their coaches, officials said, weeks after a schoolboy's suicide s...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31228

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Lawmakers on policy address

Legislators are debating a motion of thanks for the chief executive's policy address. The motion was moved by legislator Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen -- who...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31229

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US judge okays BP plea, US$4b penalty





A US judge accepted an agreement by BP to plead guilty for its role in the Deepwater Horizon disaster and pay a record US$4 billion in criminal penalties for the worst offshore oil spill in US history.


The company said it pleaded guilty to 11 felony counts related to workers’ deaths, a felony related to obstruction of Congress and two misdemeanours. It faces five years’ probation and the imposition of two monitors who will oversee its safety and ethics for the next four years.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1139160/us-judge-okays-bp-plea-us4b-penalty

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Amazon shares soar after strong profit





Amazon.com shares hit a record after it reported better-than-expected quarterly profit, fueled by the growth of higher-margin businesses during the fiercely competitive holiday quarter.


The world’s largest Internet retailer said that its cloud computing services, video content sales and its aggressive expansion in e-books helped increase profitability.


In addition, a growing network of warehouses or fulfilment centres closer to customers held down shipping costs as it vied with Wal-Mart Stores and other major retailers for consumer dollars over the holidays.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1139155/amazon-shares-soar-after-strong-profit

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Australia to have election on September 14

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Wednesday called a general election for September 14 with parliament to be dissolved on August 12. Gilla...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31205

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Lazio boot Juventus out of Cup chase

Serie A leaders Juventus saw their hopes of a domestic double destroyed. The Italian giants suffered a 2-1 second leg defeat to Lazio in the Coppa Ita...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31204

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QPR force draw on City

Manchester City started life without Mario Balotelli with a frustrating goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers. This means the defending champions mis...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31203

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Germany commemorates 80 years after Hitler's rise to power

Berlin on Wednesday commemorates Adolf Hitler's rise to power 80 years ago, with exhibitions exploring what Chancellor Angela Merkel has called Germa...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31202

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Coach driver detained for drunk driving

A coach carrying mainland tourists has crashed in Tsing Yi, injuring 10 people. The accident happened early morning as the vehicle was travelling al...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31201

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Nikkei surges by break

Tokyo stocks jumped 1.14 percent on Wednesday morning thanks to a further weakening of the yen and receding concerns over Europe's sovereign debt pro...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31200

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Chinese firm wins A123 despite US technology fears





China’s largest auto parts maker won US government approval to buy A123 Systems Inc, a maker of electric car batteries, despite warnings by some lawmakers that the deal would transfer sensitive technology developed with US government money.


The sale of the lithium-ion battery maker to a US unit of Wanxiang Group was approved by a US government committee on foreign investment, according to a statement from the Chinese company. The companies later said the deal had been completed.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1139153/chinese-firm-wins-a123-despite-us-technology-fears

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China banks' roll over local government debt: report





China’s banks have rescheduled at least three quarters of loans made to the country’s local governments that were due to be repaid by the end of last year, according to Financial Times calculations from official data.


The paper said banks had rolled over an estimated 3 trillion yuan (US$482 billion), or even more, of 4 trillion yuan in loans and interest that had fallen due for repayment by the end of last year.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1139147/china-banks-roll-over-local-government-debt-report

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Five Chinese banks may soon win asset management approval: report





China’s securities regulator may soon grant five mid-sized Chinese lenders permission to launch fund management companies, in the latest push by regulators to cultivate a slate of integrated, globally competitive Chinese financial institutions.


The Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission recently met with fund-management executives from the five banks to discuss the approval process and hear presentations about the firms’ plans, official media reported on Wednesday.


The banks are Industrial Bank, Bank of Beijing, Bank of Shanghai, Bank of Ningbo, and Bank of Nanjing.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1139141/five-chinese-banks-may-soon-win-asset-management-approval

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Microsoft launches new Office for consumers





Microsoft has launched new Office software for home users, featuring constantly updated, online access to documents from all kinds of devices as the world’s largest software company attempts to tailor its most profitable product to a mobile generation.


The new Office suite of applications - including desktop staples Outlook email, Excel, Word and PowerPoint - is aimed at home users rather than businesses, and is designed to extend Microsoft’s domination of the workplace to the home office and beat back growing competition from Google Inc’s free online apps.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1139128/microsoft-launches-new-office-consumers

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Reformer Xi Jinping expected to boost investor confidence





The incoming leadership's reformist bent should help restore investor confidence in private mainland companies after a string of accounting scandals, said Henry Cai, held by some as the godfather of the Chinese capital market.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138846/reformer-xi-jinping-expected-boost-investor-confidence

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Mainland profit surge masks weakening earnings outlook





Three weeks ago this column argued that the Hong Kong and mainland stock markets would continue to surge, buoyed by plentiful liquidity.


Since then both markets have performed admirably. Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng index has climbed another 2.4 per cent, bringing its gains since the beginning of last September to a handsome 21 per cent.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138921/mainland-profit-surge-masks-weakening-earnings-outlook

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Market Open: Hang Seng seen higher on bullish China growth target





Investors may increase their holdings of infrastructure-related firms after an official newspaper said that many mainland provincial governments had set local economic growth targets for 2013 of more than 10 per cent.


The China Securities Journal reported Wednesday that China’s fixed asset investment (FAI) is expected to grow by 23.5 per cent from last year to reach more than 8 trillion yuan. That compares to a 20.6 annual FAI growth last year.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/comment/blogs/article/1139092/market-open-hang-seng-seen-higher-bullish-china-growth-target

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Big field in running for WTO director general





Candidates from nine mainly developing nations face off this week for the job of reviving stalled global trade talks as the new head of the World Trade Organisation.


Six men and three women, many of them present or former government ministers, have thrown their hat into the ring to replace Frenchman Pascal Lamy as head of the WTO.


"It is very good for the organisation to have so many candidates with so much experience and knowledge of the WTO system," agency spokesman Keith Rockwell told the Swiss news agency ATS on Monday.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138779/big-field-running-wto-director-general

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Anglo American takes US$4b charge over Brazilian iron ore mine





Anglo American will take a US$4 billion write-down on its Minas Rio iron ore operation in Brazil after delays and cost overruns forced the company to increase expenditure on the project.


The company also said yesterday it expected capital expenditure for the project to increase to US$8.8 billion.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/commodities/article/1138933/anglo-american-takes-us4b-charge-over-brazilian-iron-ore-mine

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Brussels in a fog





British Prime Minister David Cameron's pledge to review country's EU membership if he wins the next election has raised uncertainty.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138835/brussels-fog

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Royal Bank of Scotland plans bonus cut to help cover Libor rigging fines





Royal Bank of Scotland, Britain's biggest publicly owned lender, may reduce the bonus pool at its investment bank by more than a third as it prepares to pay fines to US and British regulators for Libor manipulation, a person with knowledge of the plan said.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138939/royal-bank-scotland-plans-bonus-cut-help-cover-libor

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KWG bond issue taps market for US$300m





KWG Property is marketing US dollar bonds less than two weeks after scrapping an offering.


KWG, whose projects include the five-star Sheraton Huadu Resort in Guangzhou, was seeking to sell as much as US$300 million of seven-year notes yielding about 9.25 per cent, a person familiar with the deal said.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138940/kwg-bond-issue-taps-market-us300m

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Sands China shares rise on clearance for 200 more gaming tables





Sands China shares rose 1.6 per cent yesterday after the casino operator said it had received government approval for 200 more gaming tables.


There was little change in the benchmark Hang Seng Index.


Some of the new gaming tables would be added before the Lunar New Year holiday, which starts on February 10, Sands China chief executive Edward Tracy said.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138941/sands-china-shares-rise-clearance-200-more-gaming

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Big players bullish after Shanghai hits 8-month high





The mainland stock market, which closed at its highest level in eight months yesterday, has turned bullish after three years of lacklustre performance, analysts said.


However, retail investors, who tend to lag behind institutions in sniffing out investment opportunities, are still in a wait-and-see mode, hesitant to increase equity holdings amid fears of an imminent correction.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138928/big-players-bullish-after-shanghai-hits-8-month

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Lenovo faces uphill climb to reach mobile phone summit





Lenovo, which saw its share price reach a 13-year high yesterday, is not expected to become one of the world's top-five mobile phone brands anytime soon, despite the company's aggressive expansion in its home market.


Market research firm Gartner had earlier forecast that Lenovo would unseat Samsung Electronics this year to become the mainland's No1 supplier of internet-ready smartphones.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138926/lenovo-faces-uphill-climb-reach-mobile-phone-summit

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Hong Kong Airlines gets lift from raising game





The city's aviation watchdog has allowed Hong Kong Airlines to expand its fleet to 22 aircraft from 20 after an improvement to its on-time performance.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138778/hong-kong-airlines-gets-lift-raising-game

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Philips Electronics sells audio-video assets after posting loss for quarter





Philips Electronics will sell its audio and video business to Japan's Funai Electric for €150 million (HK$1.56 billion) to focus on the more profitable areas of home appliances, health care and lighting.


The sale marks Philips' exit from one of its traditional businesses. It has already hived off its troubled television business, setting up a joint venture with Hong Kong's TPV last year.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138847/philips-electronics-sells-audio-video-assets-after-posting-loss

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Arbitration hearing in Hong Kong in row over US$500m railway contract





A dispute over a US$500 million railway contract between the Philippine government and a large Chinese state-owned company will be heard at the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre - a move hailed as a vote of confidence in the city's judicial independence.


The row between North Luzon Railways (North Rail) and China National Machinery and Equipment Corporation (Sinomach) over a lucrative project near Manila has dragged on for years, adding tension to already strained Sino-Philippine ties.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138893/arbitration-hearing-hong-kong-row-over-us500m-railway-contract

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Migration reform could raise growth





The sluggish US economy could get a lift if President Barack Obama and a bipartisan group of senators succeed in what could be the biggest overhaul of the nation's immigration system since the 1980s.


Relaxed immigration rules could encourage entrepreneurship, increase demand for housing, raise tax revenues and help reduce the budget deficit, economists said.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138936/migration-reform-could-raise-growth

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'Scary' bug threat to network systems





Bugs in widely used networking technology expose tens of millions of personal computers, printers and storage drives to attack by hackers over the regular internet, researchers with a security software maker say.


The problem lies in computer routers and other networking equipment that use a commonly employed standard known as Universal Plug and Play, or UPnP. UPnP makes it easy for networks to identify and communicate with equipment, cutting the amount of work it takes to set up networks.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138934/scary-bug-threat-network-systems

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Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council gets Chicago backing





The beleaguered Financial Services Development Council yesterday found an unexpected ally - all the way from Chicago.


The 22-member council, a brainchild of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, was set up two weeks ago to promote the city's financial industry. It is headed by Executive Council member Laura Cha Shih May-lung.


Lawmakers have complained that the council is beyond the ambit of their scrutiny and that its functions overlap with those of other regulators and promotional bodies.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138943/hong-kong-financial-services-development-council-gets

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Chalco expects to post loss of 4.8b yuan for last year





While the pickup in the mainland's economy would see higher demand and product prices this year, analysts expect the firm to remain in the red, although the loss would be narrower.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138938/chalco-expects-post-loss-48b-yuan-last-year

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A matter of some interest at Standard Chartered





A reader has complained bitterly to us over what he feels are Standard Chartered Bank's opaque practices with regard to time deposits.


He recently opened an integrated currency account with the bank in the hope of preserving his savings in a 12-month time deposit. This he did online and put in US$35,000 for which he receives the princely yield of 0.1 per cent. He also wanted a yuan time deposit but this could only be done at a branch.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138838/matter-some-interest-standard-chartered

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Rents rise as luxury brands return to West Berlin





West Berlin's Kurfuerstendamm is in fashion for the first time since Germany's reunification as luxury brands snub the east, pushing rents higher.


Apple may be the next company to appear on the 4km boulevard known as Ku'damm, in the capital's most expensive shopping district. The iPhone maker will open a store there, its first in the city, this year, a person with knowledge of the plan said.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138935/rents-rise-luxury-brands-return-west-berlin

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Filling in the gaps on squatter's title





What is adverse possession?


Adverse possession allows a squatter to obtain a right to possess land by occupying it long enough under the Limitation Ordinance (Cap. 347) to "extinguish" the original owner's title.


Except for government land, no action to recover landed property is allowed after 12 years from the date upon which the right of action accrued. Time starts to run when the owner has been dispossessed of his land and the squatter has taken exclusive possession.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138780/filling-gaps-squatters-title

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Credit Suisse looks to sublet ICC office space





Property agents have revealed that the bank started looking for tenants a few months ago to occupy more than 60,000 square feet, or three floors of vacant office space at the International Commerce Centre (ICC) in West Kowloon.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138851/credit-suisse-looks-sublet-icc-office-space

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China bulls buy record yuan structured notes





Investors turning bullish on China are buying record amounts of structured notes tied to the yuan as the country recovers from a two-year economic slowdown.


Individual investors in the United States bought US$79.9 million of notes since last month that rise and fall in value based on swings in the offshore yuan.


The nine notes created by HSBC use the highest leverage for such securities to generate yields as much as five times more than the yuan's appreciation.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1138782/china-bulls-buy-record-yuan-structured-notes

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

UN raises alert over danger of bird flu outbreak

The UN food agency warned the world risked a surge in bird flu outbreaks unless countries strengthen their monitoring against dangerous animal disea...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31199

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Asia visitor arrivals soar to 233m in year of 1b tourists

International tourist arrivals surpassed one billion for the first time last year, with the Asia-Pacific region posting the biggest increase in fore...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31198

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China to allow yuan quotas for Taiwan investors





China will give investment quotas for Taiwanese seeking to put money into its financial markets under the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (RQFII) programme.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138610/china-allow-yuan-quotas-taiwan-investors

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Anglo American suffers US$4b hit over Minas-Rio mine

Anglo American announced a write-off of US$4 billion caused by delays at its Minas-Rio iron-ore mining project in Brazil. The mining giant, which h...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31197

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Bolshoi ballerina on the run from spouse’s troubles

One of the Bolshoi ballet's best known ballerinas has fled Russia for Canada after receiving threats over a business dispute involving her husband, ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31196

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Court rejects plea to move Delhi gang rape hearings

India's Supreme Court rejected an application to move the trial of five men accused of the fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in the national capi...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31195

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(Africa Cup) Critical tussle for Togo and Tunisia

He probably was not aware of it at the time, but substitute Dove Wome's goal in the third minute of injury time in Togo's 2-0 win over Algeria could...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31194

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Kazakh jet crash claims 21 passengers

A passenger jet with 15 passengers and six crew members on board crashed today in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan, Interfax quoted sources ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31193

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British mastermind of Bali cocaine smuggling ring caged for six years

Briton Julian Ponder, accused of involvement in a global drugs trafficking ring based on the Indonesian resort island of Bali was sentenced to six y...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31192

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Hang Seng ends below highs

Shares in Hong Kong ended flat today as dealers took profits a day after the index rose to a 21-month high on the back of growing confidence in China...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31191

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Goldman Sachs launches US$1b sale of ICBC stock





Goldman Sachs launched a sale of about US$1 billion (HK$7.76 billion ) worth of Hong Kong-traded shares in Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138538/goldman-sachs-launches-us1b-sale-icbc-stock

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China may fine-tune loan-to-deposit ratio rule





China’s bank watchdog may fine-tune loan-to-deposit ratio rules to improve lenders’ risk controls as interest rates are gradually liberalised, a local newspaper reported on Tuesday.


A China Business News report said the China Banking Regulatory Commission Chairman Shang Fulin told a recent internal meeting that extensive research would be carried out on current rules on loan-to-deposit ratios and the methodology would be enhanced.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138560/china-may-fine-tune-loan-deposit-ratio-rule

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PBOC guides yuan lower despite strong demand





China’s yuan slipped to a three-week low on Tuesday in the spot market after the central bank again confounded the market by setting a weaker midpoint, despite little movement in the dollar overnight.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1138550/pboc-guides-yuan-lower-despite-strong-demand

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Sabah puzzled by deaths of 10 rare pygmy elephants

Ten endangered pygmy elephants have been found dead this month in Malaysian Borneo and are thought to have been poisoned, conservation officials sai...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31190

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Amid simmering hostility and shrinking population Singapore opens door to a few more migrants

Foreigners could make up nearly half of Singapore's population by 2030, the government said as it unveiled its politically sensitive projection toda...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31189

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Dutch monarch paves way for son’s historic accession

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands said she would abdicate in favor of her son Crown Prince Willem Alexander after 33 years as a monarch. “It is with ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31153

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Apple offers free iOS 6.1 update for iPhone and iPad

Apple said it is releasing updated mobile software for the iPhone and iPad which makes it easier for users to access high-speed networks. The iOS 6....



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31152

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Moody's downgrades six big Canadian banks

Moody's downgraded the long-term credit ratings of six large Canadian banks, citing concerns over record high Canadian consumer debt and soaring hom...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31151

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British prison officer held over bribes by journalists

British police investigating allegations of bribery of public officials by the media have arrested a serving prison officer, Scotland Yard said. Of...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31150

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Floods ravaging more Australian towns

Floodwaters are continuing to sweep down Australia's east coast today and Queensland's state capital Brisbane is bracing for its river to peak. Four...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31149

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Nikkei cools amid investor caution

Stocks in Tokyo stocks opened 0.68 percent lower today. Investors were cautious following falls on Wall Street and a pause in the yen's decline and a...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31148

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Yahoo! eyes regaining share of search market

Yahoo! shares bounced in after-hours trading as the struggling internet pioneer topped Wall Street expectations despite a slip in quarterly profit. ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31147

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Market Open: Hong Kong may dip on share placements, earnings fears





The Hong Kong stock market faces mounting selling pressure, with investors cautious about adding new positions and some even starting to sell down key blue-chip stocks to cash in on accumulated profits after the index's 22 per cent rally since last September.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/stock-talk/article/1138388/market-open-hong-kong-may-dip-share-placements-earnings

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Romanians denied bail over theft of masterpieces, trail leads to fashion designer

Romanian police investigating the October theft of seven masterpieces of art from a Rotterdam museum searched the home of a fashion designer yesterda...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31146

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Qianhai - a small zone with a big role





Qianhai, in Shenzhen, may be the smallest of the dozen experimental zones on the mainland - which include Nansha in Guangzhou and Hengqin in Zhuhai - but its role is arguably the most significant.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138279/qianhai-small-zone-big-role

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Cooling measures start to bite as homes market sees sharp sales drop





The number of new residential mortgage applications slumped 30 per cent last month from the previous month as the government's measures to cool the property market started to bite, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said.


Buying interest from across the border dropped throughout Hong Kong, hit by the new stamp duty imposed on non-locals and companies who buy homes, with mainlanders accounting for just one in 15 transactions last month, down 40 per cent from November, data from the Centaline Property Agency showed.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138262/cooling-measures-start-bite-homes-market-sees-sharp-sales-drop

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SFC signals HK$232m deficit for year as income misses target





The Securities and Futures Commission expects to remain in the red this year, with a total deficit of HK$435.16 million caused by lower fee income and rising staff costs, the second consecutive year the regulator will lose money.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138264/sfc-signals-hk232m-deficit-year-income-misses-target

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HKEx evening session worries lawmakers





The local bourse's plan to introduce six-hour evening sessions for futures trading in March has been criticised by lawmakers, while brokers appear divided.


In a special financial affairs panel meeting held yesterday, lawmakers and some brokers expressed concern over Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing's plan to launch a new six-hour session for three futures products from 5pm to 11pm from March.


The products will be the Hang Seng Index futures, H-share index futures and gold futures.


The extended hours are aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the local market.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138263/hkex-evening-session-worries-lawmakers

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Profit-taking likely as Hang Seng Index hits 21-month high





The risk of a short-term correction may be rising for the Hang Seng Index after it hit a 21-month high yesterday, as investors look to book short-term profits.


The rise has already prompted Goldman Sachs to sell shares in ICBC and would probably encourage others to book profits, strategists say.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138266/profit-taking-likely-hang-seng-index-hits-21-month

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Beijing urged to take quick action on shadow banking





Mainland regulators must take quick action to stop the so-called shadow banking problem from snowballing, which has emerged as one of the top threats to the nation's financial stability this year, analysts warn.


Market participants have grown increasingly concerned in the past few months about shadow banking after a bank scandal in Shanghai caused public jitters.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1138188/beijing-urged-take-quick-action-shadow-banking

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Free-trade Shanghai aims to create a 'mini-Hong Kong'





Shanghai has put its best foot forward in building the mainland's first free-trade zone, an ambitious project that demonstrates the city's increasing assertiveness in its bid to become a world-class metropolis.


The plan, aimed at eventually creating a "mini-Hong Kong" in the mainland's commercial capital, underlines the new city leaders' ambitions of transforming Shanghai into the envy of Asia amid China's rising economic might.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1138273/free-trade-shanghai-aims-create-mini-hong-kong

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London beats Hong Kong in office leasing costs





Hong Kong lost its position as the world's most expensive place to lease an office to London's West End last year as tenants fled pricy Central for more affordable areas.


A study by property consultancy DTZ found annual grade A office occupancy costs in Hong Kong dropped 12 per cent year on year to US$22,190 per workstation in 2012, the second-most expensive in the world.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138208/london-beats-hong-kong-office-leasing-costs

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Scrap metal giant CMR denies fraud allegation by US firm Glaucus





The company that claims to be the largest scrap metal recycling operator in China has denied allegations of fraud made by the American short-seller Glaucus Research Group.


China Metal Recycling (Holdings) (CMR) is the largest mainland scrap metal recycling company in China, based on its 2008 revenue, according to a survey by the China Association of Scrap Metal Utilisation.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1138207/scrap-metal-giant-cmr-denies-fraud-allegation-us

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Revealing Hong Kong identity numbers is not a privacy issue





Corporate governance advocate David Webb has come up with an interesting wheeze to persuade the government to drop its planned move to remove directors' addresses and ID numbers from the Company Registry. The ostensible reason for the government's move is to protect directors' privacy. But, as Webb and other opponents of the proposed change argue, the HKID isn't something private like a PIN number or a password that authenticates you. It is simply a more precise identifier than a name, since a number of different people can have the same name, but not the same ID number.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138198/revealing-hong-kong-identity-numbers-not-privacy-issue

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Gucci owner targets luxury brands to cash in on Chinese consumers





The firm that owns the Gucci and Yves St Laurent fashion labels is targeting more big brands in the luxury market, to cash in on the demand for status symbol fashion items among Chinese consumers with rising incomes and a growing willingness to spend.


PPR, the French luxury and sportswear group headed by the billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, which owns the sportswear brand Puma as well as Gucci and YSL, bought a large stake last month in Qeelin, the Hong Kong jeweller founded by local designer Dennis Chan and the French entrepreneur Guillaume Brochard in 2004.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138261/gucci-owner-targets-luxury-brands-cash-chinese-consumers

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Directors' privacy is a direct attack on the public interest





Yesterday's South China Morning Post carried a full page petition signed by 1,768 journalists protesting against the Hong Kong government's plans to restrict public access to information about company directors.


I signed the petition not so much because the government's proposal is a blatant attempt to limit press freedom - although it is that. I signed because in trying to conceal crucial details like the identity card numbers of company directors, the government is guilty of a gross betrayal of its public duty.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138201/directors-privacy-direct-attack-public-interest

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To win tourists, Hong Kong needs a visionary government





The Lunar New Year is fast approaching. You may have friends or relatives from overseas visiting during the holiday, and it could be a headache figuring out what they should see and do, particularly if it is not their first time in Hong Kong.


A few weeks ago, my uncle and his family from Indonesia came for a five-day visit. Disneyland was the first choice for my cousin, as she came with her children. However, my uncle and aunt are not young and were looking for activities that were more relaxing.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138186/win-tourists-hong-kong-needs-visionary-government

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Time to stop bosses dipping their fingers into the MPF





The government has finally given a timetable for allowing employees to have complete control of their Mandatory Provident Fund investment. But the reform has still not gone far enough.


Bosses can still dip into the employer contribution section of a worker's account to make long-service or severance payments, an exploitation of the 2.4 million workers under the scheme.


Many people do not care about the MPF, for the simple reason that the scheme from the beginning was designed in a way that gave the bosses more say than the workers.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1138260/time-stop-bosses-dipping-their-fingers-mpf

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Make way, not war





China's foreign-exchange regulator urged Group of 20 nations to improve collaboration to avoid any so-called currency wars while signalling he is comfortable with the value of the yuan.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138191/make-way-not-war

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Business Digest, January 29, 2013





Caterpillar profits plunge on China fraud









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/1138274/business-digest-january-29-2013

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Gome Electrical warns of 2012 loss





Gome Electrical Appliances, the mainland's second-biggest home appliance retail chain, said yesterday that it would probably post a loss for last year under the weight of rising rents and its loss-making e-commerce business.


In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, Gome said the losses were "closely linked with the negative impact on the group's business brought about by the consumption overdrafts as well as poor consumer sentiment and confidence as a result of the China's macroeconomic growth slowdown and economic stimulus policies termination".









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1138282/gome-electrical-warns-2012-loss

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Mainland corporate borrowing soars to service debt





Mainland companies are spending more than ever to service debt after their borrowing almost tripled over five years, prompting strategists to warn of rising default risk and a threat to economic growth.


Total short and long-term borrowing by 3,895 publicly traded non-financial companies rose to almost US$1.7 trillion in their latest filings, from US$604 billion at the end of 2007, data shows.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1138277/mainland-corporate-borrowing-soars-service-debt

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Protester killed near Tahrir Square

One person was killed near Cairo's Tahrir Square today as clashes between police and protesters went into a fifth straight day, a police official to...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31145

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Israel aims to downplay concerns over birth pills for Ethiopians

Israel’s health ministry has warned that immigrants must not be given contraceptives without their proper consent, after allegations that Ethiopian ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31144

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South Africa's poor pick up king-sized expense tab

South Africa's 10 kings and thousands of aristocrats cost the state a regal US$73 million last year, local media reported. The price tag was spent o...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31143

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Big-hitting lifts Sri Lanka

Mahela Jayawardena cracked an unbeaten 61 runs to help Sri Lanka post 161 for four wickets in the final Twenty20 international against Australia at ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31142

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Chinese firm plans to be first to migrate B- to A-shares





A Chinese company is preparing to move its US dollar-denominated B-shares to the mainstream A-share board, the beginning of a potential migration that could see individual foreign investors owning yuan-denominated shares in Chinese equities for the first time.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1137985/chinese-firm-plans-be-first-migrate-b-shares

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Galatasaray hangs out welcome sign for Drogba

Top flight Turkish football club Galatasaray confirmed that they are negotiating a deal that would bring Ivory Coast's veteran striker Didier Drogba...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31141

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Fewer HK home buyers borrowed in December

Fewer borrowers applied for home purchase loans from banks last month, data released today show. The data reflect the fall in purchases of new and sec...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31140

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British cocaine grandma appeals Bali conviction

A British grandmother convicted for smuggling cocaine into the resort island of Bali filed an appeal today against her death sentence by firing squa...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31139

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Euro zone bank lending to households shrinks further

Bank lending to private households in the euro area contracted again in December as the region's crippling debt crisis continues to put a freeze on ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31138

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Civilian graves in Mali town revealed as French take Timbuktu unapposed

French-led troops surrounded Mali's fabled desert city of Timbuktu today after seizing its airport in a rapid advance against Islamists driven from ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31137

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Hang Seng closes higher

Shares in Hong Kong ended 0.39 percent higher as dealers tracked a strong performance in Chinese markets and following a rally on Wall Street. The b...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31136

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Ex-chairman of firm linked to Caterpillar fraud 'dismayed'





The former chairman of a Chinese mining equipment firm bought by Caterpillar said on Monday he was dismayed by allegations of accounting misconduct at a subsidiary that prompted the US firm to take a US$580 million writedown.


Emory Williams Jr said Caterpillar had conducted extensive due diligence before its takeover of Hong Kong-listed ERA Mining Machinery last June, adding that he was seeking further details from the company, the world’s largest maker of tractors and excavators.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1137901/ex-chairman-firm-linked-caterpillar-fraud-dismayed

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Timbuktu in military hands

French-led troops in Mali controlled access to the city of Timbuktu after securing the airport of the fabled desert city as part of their push agains...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31135

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Japan finds no major issue at Dreamliner battery factory

Japan's transport ministry said Monday safety inspectors had found no major problem on the production line making batteries for Boeing's Dreamliner, ...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31134

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Japan eased safety standards ahead of Boeing 787 rollout





Japan’s government stepped in to give Boeing’s now-grounded 787 Dreamliner and its made-in-Japan technology a boost in 2008 by easing safety regulations, fast-tracking the rollout of the groundbreaking jet for Japan’s biggest airlines, according to records and participants in the process.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1137890/japan-eased-safety-standards-ahead-boeing-787-rollout

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New Zealand’s Fonterra on the defensive over chemical tainted milk

New Zealand dairy company Fonterra, the world's largest, said today its milk remains “100 percent,’’ safe despite tests finding trace elements of an...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31133

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Motor school refuses to reinstate sacked instructors

About 30 driving instructors blocked the entrance at the Shatin branch of the Hong Kong School of Motoring, making a dozen unable to take the road tes...



via The Standard - Breaking News http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=31132

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South Korea exports seen up sharply, but recovery still a way off





South Korea’s exports likely rebounded sharply in January, but the pick-up will be due to extra working days compared with a year earlier and won’t be enough to suggest that global demand is recovering in earnest, a Reuters survey showed.


Overseas shipments by the world’s seventh-largest exporter likely grew by 10.6 per cent from a year earlier, the median forecast from a Reuters survey of 17 analysts shows, following a 5.7 per cent fall in December and a 3.8 per cent rise in November.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1137885/south-korea-exports-seen-sharply-recovery-still-way

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BaFin probes Deutsche Bank over Euribor





German regulator BaFin has launched a special probe against four lenders including Deutsche Bank as part of an investigation into possible manipulation of the Europe Interbank Offered Rate (Euribor), the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper reported on Monday.


A special probe is the most severe kind of investigation the regulator can launch against a bank.


The German regulator is also investigating Portigon, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said, without citing sources. Portigon is what remains following the breakup of the bank that used to be known as WestLB.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/1137883/bafin-probes-deutsche-bank-over-euribor

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Bank of Korea renews QE warnings





The South Korean central bank’s policy board ramped up its warnings on Monday against a possible surge in capital inflows as a result of the ultra-loose monetary policy led by the advanced economies.


“An atmosphere of protectionism is spreading and South Korea needs to take a much more serious view about this,” Ha Sung-keun, a member of the Bank of Korea’s 7-member monetary policy committee, told reporters on behalf of the committee.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1137879/bank-korea-renews-qe-warnings

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Thai factory output up 23.4pc year-on-year





Thai factory output in December fell in December from the previous month and grew less than forecast from a year earlier, suggesting global problems continue to hurt exports and drag down production.


On a year-on-year basis, industrial output rose 23.4 per cent in December from the low base a year earlier when severe flooding devastated industry. The increase was below the 32 per cent forecast by economists in a Reuters poll.


On a monthly basis, unadjusted output fell 6.31 per cent in December after a revised 8.25 per cent expansion in November.









via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/economy/article/1137877/thai-factory-output-234pc-year-year

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