authorities snorted rene wife and when they see foreign reporters they
demand to know when the international community will come to their aid
but the state has not been entirely absent single immaculate red fire engine
lumbered around the central district north of the presidential palace doing what
it could to help the volunteer rescuers
summoned by local police they intervened to put out blaze in an abandoned
general store that had threatened to spread to the modest home of year old
ludovic jean who cannot remember any disaster to compare to the quake
one of the firefighters had to face tragedy of his own however his engine was
called to his own house where the dust coated feet of his daughter nadeje and
her friend maxo were found limply entwined under rubble
staring at her solemn face on her identity card he blinked back tears and
brushed away reporter don you worry about it he said before heading
back out to the next ruined home
three streets away maryse started to cry out faintly
airbus partners committed britain
london jan afp
countries involved in the multi billion euro dollar airbus have voiced
their commitment to the delayed military aircraft programme but not at any
price britain said on friday
project partners are inviting european plane maker airbus and its parent group
eads to meeting in the next few days to try and achieve an acceptable
settlement spokesman for the british defence ministry said in statement
the seven nations belgium britain france germany luxembourg spain and
turkey had held crunch talks in london on thursday amid doubts over the
future of the delayed and heavily over budget programme
meanwhile the heads of airbus and eads ramped up pressure on the seven nations
this week to pledge more money for the programme by the end of january warning
that the future of the european aerospace giant depended on it
all nations remain committed to the programme but not at any price the
defence ministry spokesman said on friday
while the difficulties facing the programme are complex good progress has been
made on all fronts with the only outstanding issue surrounding any additional
funding he added
airbus has said it could scrap the project unless it gets extra money
airbus has employees around europe with some working on the
transporter that can carry troops armoured vehicles and helicopters
the seven client nations have ordered total of aircraft for some
billion euros billion dollars
china says forex reserves hit record trillion dollars
beijing jan afp
china foreign exchange reserves surged to record trillion dollars at
the end of december the central bank said on friday
the reserves already the world largest grew percent from year ago
the people bank of china said in statement on its website
the central bank had said previously its reserves were at trillion dollars
as of the end of september
hong kong shares end percent lower
hong kong jan afp
hong kong shares closed lower on friday as investors remained wary of possible
further monetary tightening moves from beijing aimed at keeping economic growth
in check
the benchmark hang seng index fell percent or points to
turnover was billion hong kong dollars billion us
but chinese investors picked up bargains in the afternoon to send the market
percent higher after spending early trade in the red
the shanghai composite index which covers both and shares was up
points at on turnover of billion yuan billion dollars
andean community coordinating haiti relief efforts
lima jan afp
the andean community and international organizations in peru said they would
coordinate their efforts to channel assistance to earthquake ravaged haiti
it the biggest tragedy in the americas oscar feo secretary general of the
andean health organization said thursday
haitians were spending third night amid the ruins of their capital city on
thursday after massive earthquake struck on tuesday haitian officials
fear may have perished
feo spoke after meeting of representatives from organizations including
unicef the inter american development bank the world food program and the
andean community regional grouping
the organization and the national institute of civil defense are planning to set
up website to serve as clearing house for information on the situation in
haiti and track donations
the groups said they planned to channel donations through the peruvian red cross
and caritas
right now the most important thing is monetary donations it the mechanism
that can produce the best results said jorge lafoss the secretary general of
caritas in peru
indian policeman killed in kashmir attack spokesman
srinagar india jan afp
policeman was killed and four people were injured friday when suspected
islamic militants launched grenade and gun attack in indian kashmir police
said
the assault near busy police station in sopore town about kilometres
miles north of the state summer capital srinagar sent people running for
cover it was the latest incident in sudden upsurge in violence
police and paramilitary forces have sealed off the area police spokesman
said adding that the injured comprised three policemen and civilian
kashmir had been relatively stable in recent months but indian police have
reported spike in violence over the past days
on thursday last week indian commandos stormed hotel in srinagar where two
militants had been holed up for nearly hours killing the gunmen civilian
and policeman were also killed during the siege
suspected rebels have also killed three former accomplices during the last week
police said
the insurgency erupted in against indian rule of the muslim majority region
and has claimed more than lives according to an official count
china online population swells to million
beijing jan afp
the number of internet users in china already the largest in the world rose to
million by the end of government linked industry body said friday
the online population in the world most populous nation increased by
percent last year from the end of the china internet network information
centre cnnic said in report published on its website
users accessing the internet with mobile phones jumped by million last year
to million with the fast expansion of the country third generation
network allowing high speed transmission of images and video it said
the report added that chinese web users are most interested in music news and
search engine services
china spiralling online population has turned the internet into forum for
citizens to express their opinions in way rarely seen in country where the
traditional media is under strict government control
the growing strength and influence of the web population has prompted concern in
beijing about the internet potential as tool for generating social unrest
and authorities have stepped up surveillance in recent years
the government blocks web content that it deems politically sensitive in vast
system dubbed the great firewall of china
this week internet giant google said it was considering shutting down its
google cn search engine and ending its operations in china altogether over
series of cyber attacks believed to have originated in the asian nation
it also said it was no longer willing to filter its search results as demanded
by chinese government censors
hong kong gold closes lower
hong kong jan afp
hong kong gold closed lower friday at us dollars down from
thursday finish of dollars
it opened at dollars
korea punishing refugees more harshly un envoy
seoul jan afp
human rights conditions in north korea remain dire and punishment of people who
try to flee the country has become harsher united nations special envoy said
friday
the current situation is extremely grave said vitit muntarbhorn un special
rapporteur on north korean human rights
north koreans who are caught trying to leave the country or repatriated after
crossing the border are punished severely he told press conference at the
end of six day fact finding mission to south korea
in and he said offenders had been sent to labour camps instead of
prisons but that slight mitigation had been reversed
now we get reports of serious punishment muntarbhorn said citing the
imprisonment of those repatriated the collective punishment of their families
and even possible executions in some cases
as result muntarbhorn said there has been decline in the number fleeing to
neighbouring countries
almost all refugees flee in the first instance to china which repatriates those
it catches policy strongly criticised by rights groups
muntarbhorn paying his last visit to south korea in his six year tenure in the
post has never been allowed to visit the communist north
the thai academic said north korea made some nominal adjustments in recent
years to its legal system but substance was what mattered
there had been some legal adjustments such as new law on persons with
disabilities and various policies on children he said
but in terms of substance there have been very serious transgressions
in report to the un general assembly in october muntarbhorn described the
north rights record as abysmal and said more than one third of its
million people go hungry despite abundant natural resources
people are subject to persecution clampdowns collective punishment torture
arbitrary executions and public executions he said in the report
citizens were pressured into informing on each other authorities engaged in
extensive surveillance and even officials lived in fear as colleagues were
encouraged to inform on one another he told the general assembly
muntarbhorn visit coincided with trip to south korea by the new us envoy on
north korean human rights robert king
king on monday termed the north rights record appalling and said it must
improve if pyongyang wants better relations with washington
shiseido to buy bare escentuals for billion dollars
tokyo jan afp
japan top cosmetics maker shiseido co stepped up its global expansion drive
friday with deal to buy bare escentuals of the united states in friendly
takeover worth billion dollars
the deal reflects renewed push by japanese companies into overseas markets to
compensate for weak domestic demand in the face of shrinking population and an
economy hit by its worst downturn in decades
the management of the two companies have struck definitive agreement on an
all cash tender offer of dollars per share for bare escentuals maker of
mineral based cosmetics shiseido said in statement
shiseido japan largest cosmetics company has enjoyed fast growing profits in
recent years helped by booming demand for beauty products in china and other
asian markets
with the takeover offer which must be accepted by majority of bare escentuals
shareholders shiseido aims to expand its brand into mineral based products and
widen its customer base
natural cosmetics products good for users skin health and even to the
environment will increasingly become the global market trend in the future
said shiseido chief executive shinzo maeda
bare escentuals flagship product line bareminerals has percent share of
the mineral based powder foundation market in the united states according to
shiseido
the us company for its part aims to benefit from shiseido distribution
channels in japan and asia particularly its strong foothold in china
shiseido founded in in tokyo has increased its market share in asia as
well as europe where its subsidiary beaute prestige international has gained
presence as designers fragrance brand
but the japanese company which sells skin care make up fragrance and hair
care products for both men and women has struggled to raise its presence in
north america
by acquiring bare escentuals which has grown quickly with its mineral based
products that appeal to natural minded consumers shiseido can take larger
share of the us cosmetics market maeda said
once it becomes more global brand based in north america it would also boost
the image in asia and eventually the presence of asia in the world
bare escentuals founded in has also built direct marketing network
through tv shopping which would complement shiseido marketing strategy
heavily based on sales at department stores maeda said
investors welcomed the deal with shiseido shares soaring percent to close
at yen
anger mounts as haitians gasp for aid
port au prince jan afp
anger and despair mounted in quake hit haiti with rotting bodies littering the
rubble strewn streets and little sign of international aid as the red cross said
up to people may be dead
the stench of death hung over the capital port au prince as residents still
clawing through rubble in the hunt for survivors faced another night in the
open traumatized by aftershocks triggered by tuesday earthquake
despite the launch of massive foreign aid operation there was no sign of
heavy lifting equipment among the ruins as tons of material and badly needed
supplies clogged up the international airport
some dead had already been buried by thursday peruvian prime minister
velasquez quesquen said from port au prince after haitian officials warned the
overall death toll may top
up to three million people one third of haiti long suffering population
were affected the officials said
the international committee of the red cross said the quake the largest to hit
the caribbean country in more than years had killed between and
people
if international aid doesn come the situation will deteriorate quickly we
need water and food urgently said haitian survivor lucille
sporadic gunshots were heard and witnesses said there had already been some
looting in city that is all too familiar with bloodshed and natural disasters
the uss carl vinson giant nuclear powered aircraft carrier was expected to
drop anchor off the stricken nation on friday
the carrier cavernous space ordinarily reserved for fighter jets was filled
instead with helicopters due to dispatch water medicine and other aid to
thousands of desperate haitians
in port au prince flights jostled for space on the small airport tarmac and
single runway as aid poured in from around the world
secretary of state hillary clinton and defense secretary robert gates cancelled
foreign trips to help coordinate the us effort which includes million
dollars in immediate assistance and the deployment of over us troops plus
three amphibious ships and several coast guard cutters
former haitian president jean bertrand aristide exiled to south africa since he
was ousted in said he was ready to return to help rebuild his country
across the capital frustrated haitians dug with their hands through mountains of
concrete and rubble their exhausting efforts punctuated by the intermittent
screams and moans of those buried below
some set up temporary shelters with sheets and covers in public square while
others were trekking out carrying meagre belongings searching for safer places
outside the city
hundreds of bodies some mutilated and half clothed lay rotting outside the
devastated central hospital as waves of distraught haitians moved from corpse to
corpse in search of loved ones
haitian born rap star wyclef jean described conditions as the apocalypse and
said haiti needed to raise million dollars day to survive
we spent the day picking up dead bodies all day that what we did there so
much bodies in the streets that the morgues are filled up the cemeteries are
filled up he told fox news
doctors were struggling to treat the vast numbers of sick and injured with
medical charity medecins sans frontieres describing patients with severe
traumas head wounds crushed limbs and burns
us state department spokesman pj crowley said eight search and rescue teams with
total of people were on the ground and countries had pledged or
already sent help
china france iceland the united states and venezuela were among those with
teams deployed on the ground
the united states has taken over air traffic control at the swamped airport
which is now operating round the clock crowley said flights were delayed
though as staff struggled to unload supplies
little aid had trickled down to the streets an afp video showed scuffles
breaking out as helicopter dropped food over one part of port au prince
haitians were also angered they had had no word from their leaders
one group trying to free man trapped in the rubble of the tax office looked up
wearily at the planes flying overhead
we hear on the radio that rescue teams are coming from the outside but nothing
is coming we only have our fingers to look for survivors said jean baptiste
lafontin wilfried
dozens of people were rescued as sniffer dogs began to comb the ruins but the
moments of joy were few compared to the universal death and destruction
the united nations said of its staffers had been killed in the worst
disaster in the global body history while were missing
us president barack obama said to the people of haiti we say clearly and with
conviction you will not be forsaken you will not be forgotten
obama and french president nicolas sarkozy along with brazil canada and
others are planning to hold conference on haiti reconstruction the french
presidency said
people throughout the world want to help said un chief ban ki moon
michelin says to shut japanese plant
tokyo jan afp
french tyre maker michelin announced friday it would close its japanese plant
which employs about people and move the production to other sites in asia
europe and north america
michelin said it would retain presence in japan home to its arch rival
bridgestone with research and development programmes and sales network in the
world number two economy
it blamed the move on the global economic crisis and the high production costs
at the ota plant north of tokyo
world scrambles rescue teams aid to haiti apocalypse
washington jan afp
rescuers doctors and soldiers joined in global push to help haiti
earthquake survivors on friday as anger mounted that the promised aid was only
trickling through to those on the ground
us president barack obama promised haitians they would not be forgotten
offering million dollars to buy life saving equipment food water and
medicine and every element of us power to help them
this investment will grow over the coming year as we embark on the long term
recovery from this unimaginable tragedy he said
pledges came from governments donations rolled in by telephone text message and
the internet hollywood idol george clooney lent his star power to appeals for
help and even america major league baseball pledged one million dollars
but with the clock ticking in the search for survivors there was no sign of
desperately needed heavy lifting equipment in the stricken haitian capital
where anger and despair mounted along with the stench of corpses
haitian officials said tuesday magnitude quake which flattened much of
port au prince may have killed more than people while the red cross
put the number at
us aircraft carrier was expected to drop anchor off the stricken caribbean
island nation on friday and serve as landing pad for helicopters flying in
emergency teams and supplies
the uss carl vinson is fitted with dozens of hospital beds three operating
theaters and water purifying equipment that can make gallons of drinking
water day
after obama and french president nicolas sarkozy discussed the earthquake
sarkozy office said the two countries together with brazil canada and others
in the region would organize an international conference on rebuilding the
former french colony
as the relief effort mounted hundreds of thousands of homeless injured and
traumatized people awaited help on the corpse strewn streets of port au prince
planes began arriving with surgeons field hospitals water and medical
supplies while search and rescue teams with sniffer dogs started picking
through the debris
but little aid reached the streets and an afp video showed scuffles breaking out
as helicopter dropped food over part of the city
the united states took over air traffic control at the overwhelmed airport
where authorities at one point asked for no more flights to be authorized as the
facility was saturated
governments and aid organizations unlocked millions of dollars and launched
appeals for more to help survivors and rebuild homes schools and hospitals in
one of the world poorest nations
us army spokesman said the first members of brigade of us troops had
begun arriving on thursday while chinese aircraft also brought relief
workers
other countries sending rescuers and supplies included belgium britain canada
france germany japan the philippines poland russia south korea spain and
switzerland
the red cross has launched million dollar appeal for donations the world
food programme has offered tons of food and the world bank and
international monetary fund have each pledged million dollars
the european commission pledged three million euros
aid group medecins sans frontieres msf dispatched an inflatable field hospital
including operating theaters beds and medical staff to haiti
the international red cross said it was sending tons of medical supplies
while the international organization for migration called for tents tents and
more tents to shelter the homeless
several aid organizations have launched sms campaigns enabling people to donate
money by text message with credit card companies american express and visa
waiving their fees
as pictures of haiti were beamed around the world george clooney was to host
fund raising telethon on the mtv network and hollywood power couple brad pitt
and angelina jolie made one million dollar donation
the us state department said the red cross had raised million dollars in two
days from people donating dollars time by texting haiti to the number
in port au prince haitian native and hip hop super star wyclef jean spent
thursday clearing bodies from the streets
describing conditions as the apocalypse he said we spent the day picking up
dead bodies all day that what we did there so much bodies in the streets
that the morgues are filled up the cemeteries are filled up
we have to raise million dollars day he told fox news in four or five
days this whole country is going to be in chaos
former haiti president aristide says ready to return
johannesburg jan afp
former haitian president jean bertrand aristide exiled in south africa since
said friday he was ready to return to help rebuild the country in the wake
of the devastating earthquake
as far as we are concerned we are ready to leave today tomorrow at any time
to join the people of haiti to share in their suffering help rebuild the
country he told reporters
friends from around the world have confirmed their willingness to organise an
airplane carrying medical supplies emergency needs and ourselves he said
standing alongside his wife
as we all know many people remain buried under tonnes of ruble and debris
waiting to be rescued when we think of the suffering we feel deeply and
profoundly that we should be there in haiti with them trying our best to
prevent death
the year old former priest was haiti first democratically elected leader
but failed to win the approval of the caribbean nation middle and upper
classes during his two stints as president
he was ousted in and has long maintained that he was forced to step down
under pressure from the united states and france
the strongest earthquake to hit haiti in over century rocked the impoverished
nation late tuesday afternoon
former haiti president aristide says ready to return
johannesburg jan afp
former haitian president jean bertrand aristide exiled in south africa since
said friday he was ready to return to help rebuild the country in the wake
of the devastating earthquake
as far as we are concerned we are ready to leave today tomorrow at any time
to join the people of haiti to share in their suffering help rebuild the
country he told reporters
friends from around the world have confirmed their willingness to organise an
airplane carrying medical supplies emergency needs and ourselves he said
standing alongside his wife
japan ends refuelling mission for afghanistan war
tokyo jan afp
japan on friday ended naval refuelling mission that has supported the us led
military effort in afghanistan since as the centre left government flexes
its muscles in its ties with washington
the move fulfils pledge by prime minister yukio hatoyama government which
ousted the long ruling conservatives four months ago pledging less subservient
relationship with the united states
it comes days before washington and tokyo mark the th anniversary of signing
their security alliance which has been strained by row over the relocation of
us military base on the southern island of okinawa
defence minister toshimi kitazawa ordered the two naval ships and their
personnel to return home after eight years of helping supply oil and water to
vessels used by international forces that are engaged in afghanistan
the defence minister issued an order today to the fleet commander to end
refuelling activity in the indian ocean at gmt on january
and to send the troops home ministry statement said
kitazawa told the mission leader captain ryo sakai in teleconference
since the terrorists attacks you have been working on the frontline of
japan anti terror activities you are the pride of our country
hatoyama in statement expressed his sincere respect and appreciation to the
self defence force personnel who kept high morale and discipline and
accomplished their duty under harsh work conditions far from home
our country will continue to engage in international anti terrorism measures
positively on our own initiative because contributing to the peace and stability
of the international community is in our interest
with the end of the refuelling mission hatoyama has pledged that japan would
instead step up humanitarian aid to afghanistan tokyo has offered five billion
dollars over the next five years to help rebuild the war torn nation
hatoyama whose coalition includes the strongly pacifist social democrats has
stressed japan would not deploy troops to afghanistan
under its post war pacifist constitution japan is barred from sending armed
forces overseas for combat although tokyo has deployed soldiers abroad for
peacekeeping and military support missions in iraq and elsewhere
japan ties with the united states its closest security ally have been
strained by the row over the base in okinawa subtropical island where more
than half of the us troops in japan are stationed
both countries agreed in that the locally unpopular futenma marine corps
air station would be moved from crowded urban area to quieter coastal region
by but hatoyama government is now reviewing the deal
many local residents on the island which was the scene of some of the bloodiest
battles of world war ii have opposed the heavy us troops presence and
complained of aircraft noise pollution and crimes committed by us troops
hatoyama has said his government would decide by may where to relocate the base
as it is considering alternative sites with various options including moving it
off okinawa altogether to washington chagrin
this week us secretary of state hillary clinton pressed her japanese counterpart
katsuya okada to stick by the original pact on moving the base but got no
commitment from tokyo during the hawaii meeting
she reiterated the us view that the base deal known as the realignment road
map is the way forward for the long time allies
the us japan security treaty signed on january has been the bedrock
of the post war alliance under which pacifist japan relies on massive us
military presence to guarantee its security
urgent former haiti president aristide says ready to return
johannesburg jan afp
former haitian president jean bertrand aristide exiled in south africa since
said friday he was ready to return to help rebuild the country in the wake
of the devastating earthquake
alert
former president aristide ready to return to haiti
dollar mixed in asia as investors eye data
tokyo jan afp
the dollar was mixed in asian trade friday as lacklustre us economic data cooled
speculation that the federal reserve might raise interest rates sooner than
previously expected dealers said
at the same time the euro was also weighed down by uncertainty surrounding the
economic outlook in europe and prospects of monetary policy tightening in the
region
the dollar dropped to yen in tokyo afternoon trade from in new york
late thursday the euro slid to dollars from while holding steady
at yen
traders scaled back their expectations of fed rate hikes following disappointing
retail sales and jobless claims data in the united states nab capital
strategist john kyriakopoulos said
new york federal reserve president william dudley said the fed funds rate could
remain low for an extended period between six months and as long as two years
investors were waiting for fresh leads on prospects for the us economy from
slew of data out later in the day including inflation manufacturing activity
and consumer confidence
these data should do nothing to hurry the fed from exiting too quickly from
accommodative policies calyon analyst sebastien barbe said
us retail sales major indicator of the consumer spending that drives two
thirds of us economic activity fell unexpectedly by percent in december
overturning analyst expectations for percent gain
the labor department meanwhile reported initial claims for unemployment
insurance benefits rose more than expected last week
the euro was bogged down after european central bank governor jean claude
trichet warned that an economic recovery in the common currency zone was
subject to uncertainty due to greece debt woes
the comments came after the bank kept its main refinance rate unchanged at
record low of percent
against such backdrop the euro dollar exchange rate may lack clear
direction in the near term said barbe
against asian currencies the dollar rose to south korean won from
day earlier to indonesian rupiah from to
philippine pesos from and to singapore dollars from
but the greenback crept lower to taiwan dollars from and to
thai baht from
nba jazz down cavs on buzzer beater by unheralded gaines
