China sees first quarterly trade deficit in seven years
China has posted its first quarterly trade deficit in seven years, as it continues efforts to rebalance its economy. The deficit for the first three months of the year stood at $1.02bn. China has been trying to boost domestic demand after criticism of its export-led growth policy over the past years. However, demand from its key markets like the US and Europe has slowed down, as those economies recover from the effects of the global financial crisis.
Hong Kong launches world's first yuan IPO outside China
The world's first Chinese-currency shares to trade on a stock exchange outside mainland China will be listed in Hong Kong on April 29. Hui Xian, a real estate investment trust, is selling yuan-denominated shares to investors in an IPO - initial public offering at the end of the month. The offer comes at a time when demand for investment products in the Chinese currency has been growing.
China tells US: Stop preaching on human rights
China has told the US to stop preaching on human rights, after the state department's annual report on the issue criticised China. Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the US should concentrate on its own rights issues and stop interfering. Chinese authorities have launched a major crackdown on dissent recently.
Insider trading in China thrives with selective disclosure
Every month, traders, investors and money managers like Shi Yu cull rumors about China's soon-to-be- released economic statistics for what might be the official numbers to try and get an edge in the market.
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US government shut-down averted
Lawmakers reached a budget agreement late Friday night to avert a partial government shutdown, but the details of what exactly they agreed to are a little murky. Lawmakers are realizing they've got a deal in hand, but not much else.
French veil curbs come into force
A law comes into force in France making it an offence for a Muslim woman to conceal her face behind a veil in public. Under the law, any woman - French or foreign - walking on the street or in a park in France and wearing a face-concealing veil such as the niqab or burqa can be stopped by police and given a fine. Anyone caught breaking the law will be liable to a fine of 150 euros ($217) and a citizenship course. People forcing women to wear the veil face a much larger fine and a prison sentence of up to two years. France is the first country in Europe to publicly ban a form of dress some Muslims regard as a religious duty.
"OMG! LOL's in the OED. LMAO!"
If you find the above string of letters utterly unintelligible, you are clearly an internet "noob". The internet slang term "LOL" (laughing out loud) has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary, to the mild dismay of language purists. The OED defines LOL as an interjection "used chiefly in electronic communications... to draw attention to a joke or humorous statement, or to express amusement". The phrase was ushered in alongside OMG (Oh My God), with dictionary guardians pointing to their growing occurrence "in e-mails, texts, social networking... and even in spoken use".
LOL-ternatives
- :D (smileys) - Simple and clear but may appear childish. Are you a Comic Sans fan?
- ROFL, LMAO, BWL (Rolling On the Floor, Laughing, Laughing My Ass Off, Bursting With Laughter) - Even more annoying than LOL.
- !!! - One is fine, three reeks of desperation: 'Look!!! I made a joke!!!' Yes, we noticed.
- Haha, Hehehe, Arf arf - The safe option. Effective but not very imaginative. Were you really laughing?
- Hilarious! How funny! - You are living in the dark ages.
Libya officials pledge new constitution, Gaddafi role unclear
Libyan officials on Sunday promised a new constitution and "a Libyan form" of democracy, but provided no explanation as to what role current Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi might play in the new government. Libya currently has no constitution, but rather, is governed by a book Gaddafi wrote in the 1970s, as well as Gaddafi himself. Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim gathered the media after midnight on Sunday and indicated that the decision is an attempt to force the opposition's hand, alleging that they are more interested in obtaining power for themselves than actually establishing a democracy. Libya's rebels said a cease-fire plan proposed by the African Union and agreed to by Muammar Qaddafi won't be acceptable if it allows the ruler and his sons to retain power.
Japan to extend evacuation zone
Japan says it will expand the evacuation zone around a crippled nuclear plant, as the country marks one month since the earthquake and tsunami.
Peru election results point to run-off vote
Partial results in Peru's presidential election give left-wing former army officer Ollanta Humala the lead, but without the 50% of votes needed to avoid a second round. With 43% of votes counted Mr Humala has 27%, with former PM Pedro Pablo Kuczynski on 23.6%. Keiko Fujimori, daughter of disgraced ex-leader Alberto Fujimori, has 21.8%. Peru is enjoying an economic boom and the campaign focused on how to maintain growth while tackling widespread poverty.
Mubarak summoned for questioning
Former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has been summoned by the state prosecutor for questioning over alleged corruption and killings of protesters. The announcement came shortly after Mubarak made his first statement since he was ousted two months ago, denying accusations of corruption. The former leader said he had the right to defend his reputation and denied having any assets in foreign countries.
UK and Netherlands to sue Iceland over lost deposits
The UK and Dutch governments are preparing court action against Iceland to recover 4bn euros (£3.5bn) lost when the country's bank system collapsed. It follows a referendum in Iceland which rejected a repayment plan. The UK said it was "disappointed" by the "no" vote, while the Dutch finance minister said the time for negotiations was "over".
NYSE rejects bid move from Nasdaq
NYSE Euronext rejects a bid from rival US exchanges Nasdaq and ICE, saying it will stick with plans to merge with Deutsche Boerse. Nasdaq and ICE, an Atlanta-based futures specialist, now have to decide whether to raise their offer, make a hostile bid for NYSE by appealing directly to its shareholders without the backing of the NYSE board, or whether to simply give up on the idea. Despite NYSE's backing for the lower bid from Deutsche Boerse, a merger is not certain as shareholders may prefer to take the higher offer from Nasdaq should it chose to persist with its bid. There are also regulatory concerns attached to both bids.
Ferrero claims Singapore coffee chain's Nutello drink violates trademark
Ferrero SpA , the maker of the Nutella hazelnut spread controlled by billionaire Michele Ferrero , sought to stop a Singapore coffee shop chain from selling a drink called Nutello, claiming a trademark violation.
Rajaratnam must refute 14 counts as defense begins in insider trading case
Hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam , after four weeks of prosecution evidence at his insider-trading trial, today gets his chance to refute a case built on wiretaps, e-mails and the testimony of former friends and colleagues. His lawyers plan to call five witnesses to testify for the defense at his insider trading trial, including a former top executive at his hedge fund.
US jury acquits anti-Castro militant on perjury charges
A federal jury on Friday acquitted anti-Castro Cuban militant Luis Posada Carriles of charges of lying to federal immigration officials. He was indicted before the US District Court for the Western District of Texas on two counts of perjury and nine counts of making false statements regarding his involvement in the bombing of tourist attractions in Havana in 1997 and the 1976 bombing of a Cuban airliner. US District judge Kathleen Cardone suspended the trial several times following mistrial motions filed by Posada's attorney, who accused a government witness of lying on the stand and alleged that the prosecution delayed delivery of important documents.
Kenya leaders appear before ICC to face allegations of inciting violence
Three Kenyan officials made an initial appearance before the ICC - International Criminal Court on Friday and were notified of the charges pending against them, stemming from violence surrounding the December 2007 Kenyan elections. The charges against the men under the Rome Statute of the ICC include rape, murder, forcible deportation and persecution. The purpose of the hearing was to verify the identity of the suspects, inform them of their rights under the Rome statute and to ensure that they were informed of the pending charges.
BP fast becoming a takeover target
BP, the British oil giant, should be on bid alert. It has many hallmarks of a target: a discounted share price, a strategic setback and a weakened management team. Though Shell, known for being ultracautious, would be unlikely to make a hostile offer, Exxon must be tempted. The cost savings from its 1998 deal to buy Mobil were about 10 percent of combined operating expenses. On that basis, an Exxon-BP combination could yield annual savings of $12bn.
JPMorgan accused of breaking its duty to clients
A lawsuit sheds new light on one of Wall Street's oldest problems — whether banks treat their clients' money with the same care that they treat their own.
J&J settles U.S. bribery, kickback charges
Johnson & Johnson on Friday agreed to pay $70m to settle U.S. charges that it paid bribes and kickbacks to win business overseas, the first big drug company to settle since the Obama administration began its scrutiny of the industry more than a year ago.
U.S. probes leaks from fourth law firm
A corporate lawyer accused of leaking confidential information from three top law firms may have passed on tips from a fourth firm in an alleged insider-trading scheme that has sent shock waves through the global corporate-legal industry. The probe by federal prosecutors in New Jersey comes amid questions about whether some of the country's top law firms didn't spot or ignored warning signs involving Matthew Kluger, a 50-year-old attorney, accused in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday of participating in a 17-year scheme that netted about $32m in profits. Kluger worked as an attorney in mergers-and-acquisitions departments of major law firms in different cities for the past 17 years. He also was mired in an employment dispute with one of his former employers and last year had his law license revoked in New Jersey. In the criminal complaint, prosecutors accused Kluger of leaking information from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York, where he started as a summer associate in 1994, at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York and California, and most recently from his job at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC in Washington, where he worked from late 2005 until last month. Prosecutors are now investigating Kluger's activities at a fourth firm, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.
Time
Why we are still fighting the Civil War. The Way We Weren't. North and South shared the burden of slavery, and after the war, they shared in forgetting about it. But 150 years later, it's time to tell the truth.
Newsweek
What's Really Going On With Gabby Giffords? The untold story of the congresswoman's struggle, her husband's faith, and their long, hard road to recovery.
Business Week
How To Pay No Taxes.The More You Make, the Less You Pay. Eleven shelters, dodges, and rolls—all perfectly legal—used by America's wealthiest people.
The Economist
70 or bust!. Current plans to raise the retirement age are not bold enough.
Der Spiegel
Hilflos im Alter - Wenn Eltern ihre Kinder brauchen
Qaddafi gives nod to cease-fire
Al Arabiya, Online news, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Gaddafi 'accepts' AU plan to end fighting
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Islamic enclave in Yemen shows militant risk
Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab daily, London, England
Yemenis reject Gulf exit plan
Egyptian Gazette, English-language, Cairo, Egypt
Lieberman to be served draft indictment for graft in next 24 hours
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
Syrian forces seal off Banias as sectarian tension mounts
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
French woman challenge burqa ban as law comes into force
Nahamet, Online news portal, Beirut, Lebanon
AL council urges air embargo on Israeli military fights over Gaza
Sana, Syrian Arab News Agency, Damascus, Syria
Indonesian lawmaker quits parliament over porn
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Cabinet approves guidelines of government services
Yemen Observer, Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
UK retail banks 'need protecting'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Berlusconi in rare court appearance
BreakingNews.ie, Online news portal, Cork, Ireland
U.N. forces target Gbagbo loyalists
CNN International, London, England
Families bury school gunman victims
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Libya ceasefire: Gaddafi agrees deal to end bloodshed says Jacob Zuma
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
X Factor judge Simon Cowell's mother begs 'slow down, you'll have a heart attack'
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
Japan to extend evacuation zone around Fukushima
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France
LIBYA: Gaddafi accepts African Union plan to end conflict
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
Anonymous letter prompts new investigation of nuclear plant
Moscow Times The, Independent daily, Moscow, Russia
Pakistan's top spy visits U.S.
Radio Free Europe, Prague, Czech Republic
Col Gaddafi accepts African Union peace plan
Sky News, Independent newscaster, Middlesex, England
AU official says Gaddafi exit was discussed
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
Ouattara forces commit abuses: human rights group
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
Energy crisis leaves Nepal in the dark
Daily Jang, Left-wing daily, Karachi, Pakistan
Syrian rights groups demand probe into Banias killing
Dawn, English-language daily, Karachi, Pakistan
ISAF joins Karzai in condemning Farah blast
Pajhwok Afghan News, (Independent news agency), Kabul, Afghanistan
Libyan gov't accepts AU peace roadmap, agrees to talks with rebels
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Rajaratnam defence to present its case for NY jury
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India
7.1 magnitude quake hits Japan, tsunami warning issued
Times of India, Conservative, New Delhi, India
Japan rattled by aftershock on quake anniversary
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Cuba balancing bane and blessing of oil
Caribbean360, Online news portal, St. Michael, Barbados
BRAZIL: Belo Monte dam faces endless hurdles and controversies
IPS Latin America, International cooperative of journalists, Rome, Italy
Berlusconi arrives in court for tax trial
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S
Lawyers want grim Jackson autopsy photos excluded from trial
Vancouver Sun The, Conservative, Vancouver, Canada
Gaddafi 'accepts AU truce plan'
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
UN names some of the victims of deadly plane crash
CongoPlanet.com, Independent online news aggregator