Posts
Global
economy
CONCERNS
about the global economic outlook have deepened with fresh
data showing falling orders for China's small and medium
manufacturers
Global
growth worries slammed stocks, triggering a bearish
recommendation from Goldman Sachs that accelerated declines and
helped drive major benchmarks to their second-biggest losses of
the year.
Independent
auditors said Spanish banks may need up to 62 billion euros in extra
capital, to be filled mostly by a euro zone bailout, after
Spain's medium-term borrowing costs spiraled to a euro-era record on
Thursday.
Airline
Death Spiral
We
could go under, Qantas tells MPs
QANTAS
management is warning the airline could ''go under'' if the
state-owned Etihad is allowed to buy enough of a share of Virgin
Australia to allow it to start undercutting Qantas on its profitable
domestic routes.
Military/intelligence
KHYBER
PAKHTUNKHWA: Pakistan's anti-drugs squad has ordered the
arrest of the country's proposed new prime minister on the
day he lodged his application for the job.
BRITAIN
and the United States are willing to offer Bashar al-Assad safe
passage - even clemency - as part of a push to convene a United
Nations-sponsored conference in Geneva on political transition
in Syria.
REBELS
fighting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have
launched an offensive to recapture the Baba Amro neighbourhood
in the city of Homs, an area they lost to government forces in
February after a 26-day siege that trapped civilians, left
hundreds dead and destroyed scores of buildings.
Sweden
has raised the alert at all its nuclear facilities after bomb sniffer
dogs discovered an explosive device in the back of a truck near
Stockholm’s Ringhals atomic power station. Police are investigating
the incident.
Revealed:
CIA secretly operates on Syrian border, supplies arms to
rebels
American
secret service operatives are distributing illegal assault rifles,
anti-tank rocket launchers and other ammunition to Syrian opposition,
the New York Times reports. But due to some rebels’ links to Al
Qaeda, the CIA’s task is precarious
This
story is confirmed by Haaretz
According
to report, U.S. operatives are stationed in southeast Turkey to
ensure weapons meant for anti-Assad groups do not fall in hands of
groups linked to al-Qaida.
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has ruled out any peace plan for
Syria that calls on President Bashar al-Assad to step down and go
into exile.
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected recent comments by
British Prime Minister David Cameron that Russia has changed its
stance on Syria.
Environmental/disasters
A
PROPOSED method of cutting harmful carbon emissions in the atmosphere
by storing them underground risks causing earthquakes and is
unlikely to succeed, a US study says.
Oman
records back-to-back earthquake tremors
Two
back-to-back earthquakes were recorded closer to Oman by the
Earthquake Monitoring Centre at Sultan Qaboos University in the last
24 hours but there were no reports of damage to property or loss
of life.
Russia
has declared a state of emergency in several eastern regions due to
hundreds of wildfires
Civil
unrest/revolution
CHINESE
security forces are arming themselves with guns, fire hydrants
and 1960 communist propaganda as they battle a wave of
self-immolations spreading across the Tibetan plateau.
Energy/resources
China
has increased its oil imports from Iran following the settlement
of ambiguities by the two countries regarding the terms of the
existing crude sale agreements.
Egypt
OFFICIALS
have put off declaring a winner in Egypt's first democratic
presidential election, leaving the country
on tenterhooks.
Supporters
of Muslim Brotherhood's presidenial candidate gather as confusion
mounts over former leader Mubarak's health.
Europe
The
new Greek Government is due to ask international lenders for a two
year extension on the bailout terms in order to balance between
public demands for a softer austerity policy and pressure from the
Troika.
Athens
pharmacists on Thursday announced a decision to extend their boycott
of the cash-strapped country’s largest state-backed health
insurance fund until Saturday, June 30.
Cyprus
is in negotiations with the European Union for a possible rescue
package, while it is also looking into the prospect of loans from an
individual nation, Cypriot government spokesman Stefanos
Stefanou said on Thursday, while an anonymous government official
confirmed Nicosia has appealed to Moscow
USA
The
average U.S. rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell this week to a
record low for the seventh time in eight weeks.
Australia/NZ
Global
stocks fell more than 1 per cent and Brent crude hit its lowest
since December 2010 on Thursday following data showing Chinese,
European and US manufacturing activity had slowed further.
TOYOTA'S
Australian subsidiary has blamed supply disruptions caused by
the Japanese earthquake and floods in Thailand for its annual
loss more than doubling to $32.6 million.
Home
owners stay put as affordability worsens (Australia)
THE
aftermath of the property boom has left homes changing hands at
the slowest pace since at least 2000, forcing many to remain in
housing ill-suited to needs.
A
surprise surge in growth in the first three months of the year has
delivered some rare good news for the Government, but ministers were
yesterday loath to gloat.
Media/internet
The
world`s most famous whistleblowing website WikiLeaks is suing
Valitor, formerly VISA Iceland, over suspension of financial
services. The hearing is taking place before the Icelandic courts in
Reykjavik on Thursday.
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