Human rights activists say Syrian security forces have killed at least four protesters following nighttime prayers, continuing a crackdown that has been condemned by the U.N. Security Council. The activists said Syrian troops attacked demonstrators opposed to President Bashar al-Assad late Wednesday in the capital, Damascus, as well as in the central city of Palmyra. […]
Activists Say Syrian Troops Kill 4 After UN Condemnation
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
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India’s Sonia Gandhi Undergoes Surgery in US
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 5:05 am (UTC-5)
The head of India’s ruling Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, has undergone surgery in the United States for an undisclosed medical condition. A party official told reporters Thursday that Gandhi could be away for two to three weeks while she recuperates. The official would not say what the surgery was for, but said Gandhi’s condition is […]
Asian Stocks Mixed
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 5:00 am (UTC-5)
Asian stock markets closed mixed Thursday. Tokyo’s Nikkei index gained nearly one-quarter of one percent to finish at 9,659. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index dropped one-half of one percent to finish the day’s trading at 21,885. Share prices were higher in Manila, Shanghai and Wellington, but lower in Sydney and Taipei. In currency trading, the […]
China, Japan Brace as Super Typhoon Muifa Approaches
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 4:55 am (UTC-5)
A super typhoon is barreling into the East China Sea toward Shanghai with winds up to 198 kilometers per hour at its core. Chinese authorities have begun ordering fishing boats back to shore, while Japanese officials have canceled flights in Okinawa, stranding hundreds of passengers. Late Thursday, Typhoon Muifa was positioned near the Ryukyu Islands, […]
Japan Intervenes in Markets to Drive Down Yen
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 4:05 am (UTC-5)
Japan intervened in currency markets Thursday, driving down the yen by more than 3 percent in an effort to shore up its export sector. Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Japan’s recovery from its twin disasters was threatened by the rise of the yen, which was approaching a post-World War Two high. That record was set […]
Bomb Kills Afghan Intelligence Official
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 3:50 am (UTC-5)
Officials in Afghanistan say a bomb attack has killed an Afghan intelligence official in the country’s north. The victim was an official in the Kunduz city branch of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security. Authorities say the blast Thursday destroyed the official’s car. The explosion also wounded three children. The attack comes two days after suicide […]
China Announces Measures to Limit Illegal Organ Transplants
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 3:15 am (UTC-5)
Chinese state media say the government is testing a new system to detect and prevent illegal human organ procurements and transplants. The Communist Party flagship People’s Daily said Thursday the system will make it easier for doctors and the public to report illegal organ trading. In an article first published in Taiwan’s China Daily, it […]
Japan’s Nikkei Rises, Dollar Surges After Yen Intervention
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 3:05 am (UTC-5)
Japanese markets closed higher Thursday, while the U.S. dollar is trading higher against the Japanese yen. Tokyo’s Nikkei index gained nearly one-quarter of one percent to finish at 9,659. The dollar was selling at 79.46 yen, a gain of nearly two-and-a-half yen from Wednesday. The value of the yen fell sharply after the Japanese government […]
Japanese Industrial Giants Consider Merger
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 2:45 am (UTC-5)
Hitachi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, two of Japan’s biggest manufacturers, are considering merging several of their infrastructure operations. With combined annual sales of more than $150 billion, the potential merger would create one of the world’s biggest infrastructure firms. Shares of both Hitachi and Mitsubishi rose Thursday, hours after Hitachi President Hiroaki Nakanishi announced […]
China Welcomes Locke Appointment, Warns on Taiwan F-16 Sale
Posted August 4th, 2011 at 2:40 am (UTC-5)
China is welcoming the confirmation of U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke in a commentary in the ruling party’s flagship newspaper. In the article Thursday, People’s Daily said the selection of former commerce secretary Locke shows the United States attaches great importance to economic and trade ties between the countries. Locke, the first Chinese-American to serve as […]
