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North Korean leader Kim used luxury yacht to tour coast, says report
SEOUL, South Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has used a luxury boat to tour the country's east coast amid indications that the 90-feet-long yacht may have been smuggled into the country in defiance of UN sanctions that bans importing of luxury items to the impoverished country. A website that tracks events in the reclusive state said the yacht, a Princess 95MY made by British-based ...
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Dalian Wand Group to enhance UK presence with luxury hotel and yacht unit
LONDON - China's largest premier commercial property and entertainment conglomerate, Dalian Wanda Group Wednesday entered into 320million pounds definite acquisition deal with leading British yacht company, Sunseeker International Ltd, under which Wanda will acquire a majority shareholding of 91.81% in pre-eminent luxury motor yacht manufacturer. Under the agreement, the remaining 8.19% ...
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Beetles Housefly Larvae Show Great Potential for Animal Feed Sector
PARIS French start-up company Ynsect has identified a cheap, nourishing and locally produced alternative to soybeans as a vital source of protein in animal feed. The clue is in its name. Ynsect is not alone in looking to invertebrates to meet a jump in demand for meat and fish, and so for feed, in coming decades. Black soldier flies, common housefly larvae, silkworms and yellow ...
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Analysts Assess Impact of Military Attack on Iran
The United States and the European Union believe Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its program is for peaceful, civilian purposes. The international community has been trying for years to persuade Iran to end its uranium-enrichment program, but to no avail. Low-enriched uranium can be used for civilian nuclear-power plants, but highly enriched uranium is an ...
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US Congressional Human-Rights Panel Condemns Sudan
CAPITOL HILL Members of a U.S. Congressional human-rights panel are calling on Sudan to stop alleged state-sponsored violence and abuses against civilians. The government is fighting rebel movements in the western Darfur region and two southern states, and stands accused of a long string of rights violations, including alleged "scorched earth" tactics against villages in Blue Nile State. At a ...
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American Medical Association Obesity is a Disease
The largest U.S. doctors' group said obesity is a disease. The decision, announced this week by the American Medical Association at its annual meeting, could lead to increased funding for obesity research and help people obtain insurance coverage for treatment for obesity. The AMA said obesity requires a range of medical interventions for treatment and prevention. Most insurance companies ...
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Tourism Protests Keep New Luxor Governor Away in Egypt
LUXOR A hardline Islamist appointed governor of Luxor stayed away from his new office on Wednesday as protesters barred access and demanded Egypt's president revoke a nomination they fear will hurt local tourism. Adel Mohamed al-Khayat, appointed by President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, is a member of al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, the movement accused of killing 58 foreign tourists ...
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Africa Must First Tackle Poverty Says Ex-Malawi President
Malawi's former president says democracy and independence alone are not the ultimate answer to addressing the growing poverty levels in Africa. But Bakili Muluzi also says the democratic strides Malawi has achieved will remain meaningless if citizens continue to live in abject poverty. "Independence alone is not enough. Democracy alone is not enough People don't eat ...
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President Xi Obama summit was very successful China
The first summit between President Xi Jingping and his US counterpart Barack Obama held earlier this month proved very successful, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Wednesday. During a telephonic conversation Wednesday with US Secretary of State John Kerry, the Chinese foreign minister also said that President Xi and Obama during the summit in California agreed to build a new model of ...
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One killed 150 injured in China restaurant blasts
A series of blasts ripped through a restaurant in China's Shanxi province Wednesday night, killing one person and injuring over 150 others, officials said. The incident took place in a two-storey building housing the restaurant in Shuozhou city, Xinhua reported. Among the 156 injured, dozens are fire fighters who were at the scene when the final blast occurred. Three fire-fighting trucks were ...
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China holds talks with North Korea
China and North Korea Wednesday held a "strategic dialogue" on denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui met his North Korean counterpart Kim Kye Gwan, and told him that it was in the interest of all parties concerned to realise denuclearisation on the peninsula, safeguard its peace and stability and resolve all relevant issues through dialogue and ...
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US women in all combat units by 2016 Pentagon
American women will be fully integrated into frontline and special combat roles, including elite forces such as Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, by January 2016, the Pentagon has said. More than 200,000 women are in the active-duty military, representing about 14.5 percent of the overall force, according to Pentagon figures. Most serve in the army. While air force, army, navy, Marine and special ...
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Over 8000 held for food crimes in China
More than 8,200 people have been arrested in China since a crackdown on food safety crimes was launched in January, authorities said Wednesday. The ministry of public security said police uncovered more than 4,500 cases involving food safety offences and closed about 6,300 workshops and markets that produced or sold illegal food products. Police confiscated more than 150,000 illegal products, ...
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Radioactive element found in groundwater near Japan n-plant
High levels of a toxic radioactive isotope have been found in groundwater near the tsunami-hit Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, the plant operator said Wednesday. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said tests showed Strontium-90 was present at 30 times the legal rate, BBC reported. The radioactive isotope tritium was also detected at elevated levels. The nuclear plant was crippled by ...
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80 Sri Lankans held while trying to migrate to Australia
At least 80 Sri Lankans were detained by the navy Wednesday for attempting to illegally migrate to Australia, the navy said. The trawler in which the detainees were travelling was intercepted by the navy. They were handed over to police for investigation, Xinhua reported. On May 30, as many as 52 Sri Lankans were detained, and later handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department. The ...
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Australian charged in attack on Indian restaurateur
Police in Australia charged a man Wednesday in connection with a vicious gang attack on the owner of an Indian restaurateur earlier this month. The 19-year-old man handed himself in to the police in connection with the attack on Himanshu Goyal, 22, while he was closing his restaurant in Bridge Mall at Ballarat in the Australian state of Victoria June 7, according to media reports. The eight ...
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Cricket Australia rejects Channel Nine claims of influencing team selection
Cricket Australia has rejected claims by Channel 9 that it would influence team selection and scheduling as part of its new deal on TV rights. The channel's managing director Jeff Browne said that as part of the network's 400 million dollars deal for international cricket rights, he expected to have a say in both matters. But CA chief executive James Sutherland rejected the deal's impact, ...
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Sri Lanka calls for Tamil refugees in Australia to return
Sri Lankan external affairs minister has asked the Tamil refugees in Australia who fled the nation's bloody civil war to come home. The Tamils had quietly slipped into Canberra for talks on combating people smugglers. According to the Age, G.L. Peiris said Sri Lanka was now in a perfectly stable condition, with an economic boom in the once devastated northern Tamil regions. He, however, ...
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Smith to lead Australia A in Africa
Cricket Australia's (CA) National Selection Panel (NSP) Wednesday named a 15-man squad for Australia A's tour to Africa in July and August. All-rounder Steve Smith will lead the side, and right-hand bat Aaron Finch has been named as his deputy. The side will play three four-day matches against Zimbabwe and South Africa A in July before the tri-series involving South Africa A and India A in ...
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Now a sign-language service via iPads
East Japan Railway Co. has started testing a sign-language interpretation service in Tokyo on Monday using a videophone application on an Apple iPad tablet for guiding hearing-impaired people. According to the Japan Times, the company earlier used written messages for guiding such people. Through this application, passengers at information booth can use sign-language to ask their queries to a ...
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Nua Nan Bank JCB LOVE TSCC Debit Card to be launched in Taiwan in August
The Japan Credit Bureau (JCB), in collaboration with Hua Nan Bank, has announced that it will launch the Nua Nan Bank JCB LOVE TSCC Debit Card in Taiwan in August. It is the first debit card that has an option to be equipped with TSCC, a contactless payment service which can be used as a fare card on trains and buses. The debit card will also be accepted at some shops and restaurants. In ...
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Japan registers trade deficit
Japan registered 993.9 billion yen of goods trade deficit in May, the government said Wednesday. Exports increased 10.1 percent from a year earlier, while imports rose 10 percent, the finance ministry said in a preliminary report. The figures were calculated on a customs-cleared basis, reported ...
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Sex tape official stands trial in China
The trial of a former official embroiled in a sex tape scandal opened Wednesday in a court in southwest China's Chongqing city. The Chongqing No.1 Intermediate People's Court will hear the case of Lei Zhengfu, former secretary of Chongqing's Beibei district committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Lei, who also stands accused of accepting bribes, was dismissed from his post and placed ...
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Beckham travels to China
Retired soccer champ David Beckham is in China to build enthusiasm for the game in the world's most populous country, where fans are pretty discouraged at the moment over the poor performance of their national team. The former England international, who became a goodwill ambassador for Chinese soccer earlier this year, arrived in Beijing Monday, two days after China's national squad suffered a ...
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Australia A squad to add players from defeated Champions Trophy team
Cricket Australia (CA) will reportedly be sending certain players from the defeated ICC Champions Trophy squad to join Australia A to maximise preparation time for the Ashes. Following a disappointing pool-round exit from the Champions Trophy, Australia will use the extra time before the opening tour match to give some players time with the A team, who completed a 93-run first-class win over ...
Digest on Australia
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Australia the energy superpower?
A new boom in the extraction of Australia's natural gas reserves will have immense economic benefits for the country and especially the state of Western Australia, but conservationists warn of an environmental impact.
Australia is a country rich in natural resources, because of this its economy is an export driven one, and coal, iron ore, wool, meat, gold, and wheat are some of its main exports. It was in the 1920’s that Australia’s economic potential was underpinned by the gold rush that saw its population triple in size in just ten years. Read more
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