• Japan claims statue in front of Seoul embassy violates int’l convention

    The Japanese government has officially claimed that the “peace statue” in front of its embassy in Seoul violates international convention on diplomatic relations, a report submitted to the Diet showed Saturday. According to the daily Sankei Shimbun, the report compiled in response to questions raised by lawmakers said the bronze…

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  • Mini golf course to be introduced in S.China kindergarten

    ZHUHAI, June 9 (Xinhua) — A golf course is expected to be introduced to a kindergarten in south China’s booming coastal city of Zhuhai in Guangdong Province from Sepmtember, local authorities said Saturday. The mini golf court is a round green carpet with a diameter of two meters. Children can…

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  • Politics

    Japan’s Noda urges nation to go nuclear

    TOKYO, June 9 (Xinhua) — Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has made a nationwide appeal to the people of Japan to understand that two idled nuclear reactors in western Japan must be restarted to protect people’s livelihoods and the economy in general. The No. 3 and 4 reactors at the…

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  • Politics

    Eurogroup confirms up to 100-bln-euro aid ready for Spain’s banks

    BRUSSELS/MADRID, June 9 (Xinhua) — Eurozone finance ministers confirmed on Saturday that the single-currency area is ready to offer up to 100 billion euros (about 125 billion U.S. dollars) in financial aid to rescue Spain’s ailing banking sector. “The loan amount must cover estimated capital requirements with an additional safety…

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  • China Focus: Lackluster data point to further stimulus

    BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) — A string of economic data released on Saturday showed China’s economy has not yet bottomed out from domestic and external jitters, fuelling calls for more stimulus measures to secure sound growth. China’s industrial output grew at a slower-than-expected 9.6 percent year-on-year in May, rebounding 0.3…

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  • West Asia

    Israel Builds Separating Wall on Borders With Lebanon

    MARJEYOUN, June 9 (Xinhua) — Israel has completed the construction of a separating wall on the borders with Lebanon over the past 24 hours, aiming at preventing any direct confrontation between Israeli soldiers and Lebanese civilians, Lebanese security sources told Xinhua on Saturday. The sources said that Israeli construction teams…

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  • World

    Turkey Holds 1st Ecology Festival ‘ECOFEST’

    Visitors walk past an artwork made of recycling paper during Turkey’s first international ecology festival, ECOFEST, which aims at promoting environmental public awareness, in Istanbul, June 9, 2012. <Xinhua/Ma Yan> news@theasian.asia

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  • East Asia

    Blue-Green Algae Gathers In Chaohu Lake, China

    Blue-green algae is seen on the Chaohu Lake in Chaohu, east China’s Anhui Province, June 9, 2012. Blue-green algae gathered at some water areas of Chaohu Lake recently, due to the current conditions including the rising temperature and the wind directions. <Xinhua/Liu Junxi> news@theasian.asia

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  • Politics

    “Turkey cannot remain silent to tragedy in Syria”: Turkish FM

    Turkish Foreign Minister on Saturday said a humanitarian tragedy unfolded everyday in Syria, adding that Turkey could not remain silent in the face of the Syrian regime’s brutal crackdown on its people. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said that It was impossible that we remain indifferent to this tragedy. “Not…

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  • Eurozone Agrees to Bail Out Spanish Banks

    Euro zone finance ministers have agreed to lend Spain up to 100 billion euros ($125 billion) to bail out its troubled banks as Madrid officially stated its intention to ask the Eurogroup for help. “The loan amount must cover estimated capital requirements with an additional safety margin, estimated as summing…

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