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- Thousands join Turkey protests defying PM
- Istanbul protest park 'wont become shopping mall': mayor
- 28 dead as protesters attack ex-Libya rebel HQ
- Baghdad car bomb in Shiite area kills four
- Nadal withdraws from Gerry Weber Open to rest
- Vettel takes 3rd straight pole at Canadian GP
- Choi shoots 67, leads LPGA Championship by a shot
- Bryans win men's doubles title at French Open
- England too good for Australia in Champions Trophy
- ICC charges Ramdin for claiming dropped catch
- Buoyant Kiwis gear up for Sri Lanka's spin trial
- 9 killed as migrants boat sinks in Indian Ocean
- Fiat could look for new China partner for Jeep: CEO
- China's exports dip in May
- Threats of Governor rule being given: Sharjeel Memon
| Thousands join Turkey protests defying PM Posted: ISTANBUL (AFP) - Thousands of angry Turks poured into the streets on Saturday to join mass anti-government protests, defying Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's call to end the worst civil unrest of his decade-long rule.Protesters blew whistles and waved flags in Istanbul's Taksim Square, the epicentre of the protests which erupted on May 31, while others brought blankets and food to settle in for the weekend at the adjoining Gezi Park, now a festival-like camp site.A week ago, I could never imagine myself sleeping out on the streets of Istanbul, said 22-year-old Aleyna, wrapped up under a blanket with a stray kitten, pointing to her dirty clothes. Now I don't know how I can ever go back.Fresh rallies were also held in the capital Ankara, with over a thousand people gathering peacefully in the central Kizilay Square, singing revolutionary songs and dancing.Erdogan, meanwhile, was meeting in Istanbul with top officials of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) to discuss the crisis, and a deputy prime minister was due to make a speech later on Saturday.Turkey's assertive leader on Friday called for an immediate end to the protests, saying his Islamic-rooted government was open to democratic demands but insisting that the protests were bordering on vandalism.The political turmoil erupted after police cracked down heavily on a small campaign to save Gezi Park from demolition, spiralling into nationwide protests against Erdogan and the AKP, seen as increasingly authoritarian.Police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in clashes that have left three dead and thousands injured, tarnishing Turkey's image as a model of Islamic democracy.In a bid to calm tensions, Istanbul's mayor Kadir Topbas on Saturday said the park would not be turned into a shopping mall, as some feared.But the reconstruction of Ottoman-era military barracks at the site would go ahead, he said, echoing earlier comments by Erdogan. The plan for the barracks was part of our election promises, the mayor told reporters.Erdogan has faced international condemnation for his handling of the unrest in Turkey, a NATO member and key strategic partner for the United States and other Western allies.EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, speaking in Istanbul on Friday, called for a swift and transparent probe into the protest violence.But Erdogan accused his critics of double standards, saying those involved in a similar protest would in any European country face a harsher response.Only one Istanbul suburb saw fresh clashes overnight, with police using tear gas and water cannon on protesters who reportedly threw fireworks and homemade bombs at them.Taksim itself has been free of a police presence since officers relinquished the square to protesters last Saturday after the government acknowledged it was the police's heavy-handed response that fueled the unrest.  |
| Istanbul protest park 'wont become shopping mall': mayor Posted: ISTANBUL (AFP) - A small Istanbul park whose conservation fight sparked mass protests will not be turned into a shopping mall, the city's mayor assured protesters Friday, but insisted the site's controversial redevelopment would go ahead.We are definitely not thinking of building a shopping mall there, no hotel or residence either. It can be... a city museum or an exhibition centre, Istanbul mayor Kadir Topbas told reporters.Activists have been trying to halt plans to demolish the park to make way for a replica of Ottoman-era military barracks and, some protesters feared, a shopping centre.A campaign to protect Gezi Park's 600 trees, the last patch of green in the heart of the Turkey's largest city, was met with a violent police crackdown last week, triggering anti-government demos across the country that have left thousands injured by police using tear gas and water cannon.The unrest has also claimed three lives.Turkey's Prime Recep Tayyip Erdogan has responded with defiance, vowing to press on with the barracks project but leaving open whether the area would become a shopping district.In a more conciliatory tone, Topbas said the final plans would be made through dialogue and the number of trees can be increased.But he stood firm on the overall project: The plan for the barracks was part of our election promises, the people gave us the authority to do it.The park, next to Istanbul's main Taksim Square, has become the symbolic heart of the nationwide protest movement and has transformed into a festival-like camp site packed with mostly young demonstrators.  |
| 28 dead as protesters attack ex-Libya rebel HQ Posted: BENGHAZI (AFP) - At least 28 people were killed and 60 were wounded on Saturday when demonstrators attacked the headquarters in Benghazi of former rebels who had fought to oust Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi, a hospital official said.We have so far identified 28 people dead and some 60 injured, a doctor at the Al-Jala hospital in the eastern city told AFP, more than doubling an earlier toll.Fighting erupted after dozens of demonstrators, some of them armed, tried to dislodge the powerful Shield of Libya brigade from its barracks in Benghazi, said an AFP correspondent at the scene.They encircled the headquarters and called on regular security forces to step in.Libyas post-Kadhafi authorities, who have still not managed to form a professional new army and police corps, often call on the Shield of Libya to intervene in the various tribal conflicts that trouble the country.Adel Tarhuni, spokesman for the Shield of Libya group, said one member of the brigade had died and another seven were wounded. Tarhuni also defended the legitimacy of the brigade, saying it officially came under the umbrella of the defence ministry. He reported that a peaceful demonstration in front of the brigades headquarters had been infiltrated by armed aggressors.The gunmen then opened fire on the Shield of Libya building and threw improvised explosives, Tarhuni told television station Libya Al-Ahrar.Armed forces spokesman Colonel Ali al-Shikhi told Lana the brigade was a reserve force of the Libyan army, and that an attack on them was equivalent to an attack on the legitimate authorities.Shikhi said the incident was very serious, and called on restraint from all parties. Overnight Saturday, Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said that the Shield of Libya members had left their headquarters and that the regular army had taken over the location and had taken charge of the heavy weaponry it found there.Speaking on national television, Zeidan announced the opening of an enquiry into the incident, calling for calm on all sides.The new authorities in Libya have failed to disarm and dissolve the former rebel groups, while seeking to legitimise some despite wide opposition in the general population.Benghazi, the birthplace of the 2011 Libyan revolution, has seen several bombings and attacks against security services and Western diplomatic missions in recent months, highlighting the inability of the authorities to establish effective security in the country.The attacks have been blamed on radical Islamists, like the one last September 11 against the US consulate that killed four Americans, including ambassador Chris Stevens.The following month, people in Benghazi managed to force other militias from their bases.NATO is sending a team to Libya to look at the possibility of training its military, alliance head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Tuesday, some two years after NATO helped the rebels oust Kadhafi.The team will be sent as soon as possible and return by the end of June when the next step will be determined, Rasmussen said.  |
| Baghdad car bomb in Shiite area kills four Posted: BAGHDAD (AFP) - A car bomb in a majority Shiite area of Iraq's capital killed four people Saturday, officials said, the latest in a spate of attacks sparking fears of a revival of all-out sectarian bloodshed.The explosion near a clinic in Al-Amin district of southeast Baghdad also wounded 20 people including four children.Sunni Muslim insurgents in Iraq, including members of Al-Qaeda, consider the country's Shiite majority to be apostates and regularly single them out for attack.Another car bomb on Saturday, this one detonated by a suicide attacker, near a military base in the main northern city of Mosul wounded 21 people -- 12 soldiers and nine civilians -- according to officials.Saturday's violence comes as Iraq experiences one of its deadliest periods in weeks. The United Nations said more than 1,000 people were killed in May alone, making it Iraq's deadliest month since 2008.  |
| Nadal withdraws from Gerry Weber Open to rest Posted: HALLE (AP) - Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Gerry Weber Open on Saturday to rest ahead of Wimbledon.Nadal said the grueling physical demands of recent weeks, including the French Open, led to his decision to withdraw from the grass-court event.The 11-time Grand Slam winner plays fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in Sunday's French Open final, after coming through a ferocious five-set encounter with top-ranked Novak Djokovic in Friday's semifinal.After these past months and all the matches I have been able to play my doctors have recommended to rest after Roland Garros, said Nadal, whose place will be taken by wildcard Mischa Zverev of Germany.Nadal's withdrawal leaves Roger Federer as the favorite to win his sixth title at the Halle tournament, which begins Monday.Nadal said he would begin grass-court preparations a few days after his eighth French Open final.We all know the transition is not easy and after these past months I have to approach this in a different way, the 27-year-old Nadal said.Nadal played in Halle last year despite suffering knee problems. He was knocked out in the last-16 by beaten finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber and was eventually forced to take a long injury lay-off after Wimbledon.It is a shame and regrettable that Rafael cannot come, but I can understand his decision, said tournament director Ralf Weber. I know that it was not an easy one to take, but the player's health comes first.  |
| Vettel takes 3rd straight pole at Canadian GP Posted: MONTREAL (AP) - Sebastian Vettel earned pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix for the third consecutive year on Saturday.The Formula One points leader timed 1 minute, 25.425 seconds in the final qualifying session. It's his third pole of the year, and he will be looking for his third victory in Sunday's race.Lewis Hamilton also will be in the front row at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It's the second straight year the two will line up side-by-side.Intermittent rain dampened the course and slowed the cars for the last two of the three qualifying sessions. The forecast on Sunday called for a low chance of rain.Driving for Red Bull, Vettel enters the weekend with a 21-point lead over Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus.The second qualifying session was interrupted when Felipe Massa turned sideways and skidded into the wall at Turn 3. The Brazilian banged his hands on the steering wheel before climbing out of the Ferrari.Rookie Valtteri Bottas was third in qualifying the first time he has qualified in the front two rows. Monaco winner Nico Rosberg, who had been on the pole for the previous three races this year, was fourth, followed by Mark Webber and Fernando Alonso.Earlier, the teams completed their third practice run, a session that was cut short to allow for the repair of a barrier that was damaged during a support race. Webber had the fastest lap in Saturday's practice, 1:17.895.  |
| Choi shoots 67, leads LPGA Championship by a shot Posted: PITTSFORD (AP) - Chella Choi overcame a late band of rain and a soggy course to shoot a 5-under 67 on Friday and take a one-shot lead after the first round of the rain-delayed LPGA Championship.The 22-year-old South Korean, who has never won on the LPGA Tour, was a stroke ahead of Morgan Pressel.Brittany Lincicome and Jiyai Shin were tied for third at 69, while Jessica Korda and Se Ri Pak were tied for fifth, another stroke back. Defending champion Shanshan Feng of China had a 2-over 74 as only 14 players broke par in the second major of the year.Playing in the afternoon long after Pressel had shot 68 to gain the early lead, Choi surged up the leaderboard with a flawless performance on the front nine at rain-soaked Locust Hill Country Club. She made five birdies and no bogeys on her opening nine, averting most of the trouble that lurked at every hole of the waterlogged layout by hitting all 14 fairways and reaching 15 greens in regulation.I had a really good driver today, said Choi, whose 54-year-old father, Ji Yeon, has vowed to serve as her caddie until she gets that first victory. My goal was to hit the fairways.Playing in light drizzle, Choi reached 6 under with another birdie at the deceptively difficult par-4 10th hole, which yielded only 12 birdies to go with 58 bogeys and seven double bogeys.The first steady rain of the day put a damper on Choi's final seven holes, but she remained steady, making her only bogey at the par-4 13th hole and parring out.Choi's best finish in four-plus years on the tour is a tie for second in the Manulife tournament in Canada a year ago. She had three top-five finishes last year and held the third-round lead at the Mobile Bay Classic last month before fading on the final day and finishing in a tie for fourth.I want my first win with my father, she said.More than nine inches of rain had fallen on the course in the previous nine days, half of that coming on Thursday when the opening round was pushed back one day. Casual water remained in various spots around the soggy 6,615-yard layout, and players were permitted to lift, clean and place their golf balls.  |
| Bryans win men's doubles title at French Open Posted: PARIS (AP) - Top-ranked American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their record 14th major doubles title by defeating Michael Llodra and Nicolas Mahut of France 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4) in the French Open men's doubles final on Saturday.In the tiebreaker, the Bryan brothers rallied from 4-2 down to clinch the victory when Mahut sent a forehand wide.The Bryans won their only other French Open in 2003. They lost in the final in 2005, 2006 and 2012.When they won the Australian Open this year, they broke a tie for most doubles majors with Australian greats John Newcombe and Tony Roche.Llodra and Mahut were bidding to become the first Frenchmen to win the doubles since Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte in 1984.The Bryans overcame a partisan crowd, who encouraged Llodra and Mahut, who were playing only their second Grand Slam tournament together. Their lack of understanding sometimes showed as Llodra shouted yours or mine to his partner.In the first set, the Bryans put pressure on Llodra's serve in the opening game, forcing their opponents to save five break points. The Americans broke for 3-2 when Mahut hit a forehand volley long. They took the first set on Llodra's backhand return that sailed long.The French fought back in the second set, relying on their powerful serve. They combined for 15 aces in the match compared to only three for the Bryans. In the second game, Mahut netted a backhand and expressed his frustration by kicking the ball onto the other side. But a few points later, Llodra hit a forehand pass to go 2-0 up.The Bryans broke back in the next game as Mike hit a backhand return winner. Then in a heated rally at 3-3, Mike fired a smash into Mahut's left calf. Mike apologized but the crowd still booed him as Mahut wobbled for a few seconds. Mahut had his leg treated with a spray during the changeover at 5-4 and then at 2-1 in the third.The French pair evened the match by taking Bob's serve as Llodra converted his first set point with a backhand pass down the middle.Mahut created the only break point of the final set with a backhand return winner at 4-3. But the French team failed to convert it as Llodra sent a forehand return into the net.  |
| England too good for Australia in Champions Trophy Posted: BIRMINGHAM (AP) - Ian Bell's patient 91 and a disciplined bowling performance led by James Anderson helped England beat fierce rival Australia by 48 runs in the Champions Trophy on Saturday, landing an early psychological blow ahead of the Ashes series.Chasing a competitive but very catchable target of 270 on a benign strip under blue, sunny skies at Edgbaston, the out-of-form Australians struggled to 221-9 to leave their title defense in tatters after just one group match.Anderson is likely to be Australia's chief tormentor in the five-test Ashes that starts next month and he caused damage with his reverse swing and accuracy here, taking 3-30 and becoming England's leading wicket-taker in ODIs in the process.He is so skillful, Australia stand-in captain George Bailey said of Anderson. To be so accurate was testament to the bowler he is and how important he is to England's team.Bell had earlier laid the foundations on his home ground, falling just short of a fourth ODI century after sharing a second-wicket stand of 111 with Jonathan Trott (43). England's total of 269-6 was disappointing after such a promising start the team was 168-1 after 33 overs but Australia didn't come close to chasing it down.These are worrying times for Australia, which was bowled out for just 65 to lose a warmup match against India by 243 runs and was without captain and talisman Michael Clarke because of a nagging lower back injury. Winning the Champions Trophy for a third straight time looks well beyond them but England, which has never won a 50-over ICC competition, must be an outside bet on home soil.This was the first of a minimum 26 matches across all formats between the old foes over the next nine months, with back-to-back test series really starting to whet the appetite.That gave this contest some added bite if it was ever needed with both teams looking to make a statement of intent. England did just that.It doesn't matter who we were playing today, we just wanted to win, man-of-the-match Bell said. Whether it was Australia or Sri Lanka wasn't important, it was about getting a good start (to the tournament).Bailey, who top-scored for Australia with 55, echoed those sentiments but didn't sound too convincing.None whatsoever, he said, laughing, when asked whether the result had any importance ahead of the Ashes. You want to win every game when it's England vs. Australia. It's a huge rivalry and every game means something.But it's not a marker. Well, it might be, but you can only say that in hindsight, really.The Australians are already up against it in Group A, and they need to beat New Zealand on Wednesday to stand a chance of progressing to the semifinals.England looks in better shape, although Bell acknowledged the side targeted reaching at least 300 after its solid start.Trott's departure for 43 heralded a mid-innings collapse, with Joe Root (12), Eoin Morgan (8) and Jos Buttler (1) going cheaply. Bell also departed in that mini-meltdown clean bowled by James Faulkner after a patient 115-ball knock that contained seven fours.Suddenly England was 213-6, having been 168-1, and with no momentum.Ravi Bopara (46 not out) and Tim Bresnan (19 not out) provided some flourishes in a belated rally the one and only six of the innings came from Bopara in the penultimate over but there was a fear England had wasted a great opportunity.That didn't prove to be the case.Australia's reply never really got going, losing wickets at regular intervals starting with David Warner (9) in the sixth over when he was caught behind off Stuart Broad.Alastair Cook dropped tough chances off Shane Watson and Phil Hughes, but snagged Watson (24) following an inside edge onto his pads off Bresnan. When Hughes departed for 30, lbw to Root's part-time offspin, Australia was always struggling even with Bailey and Faulkner (unbeaten 54) plugging away.Anderson claimed the wickets of Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade at the start of his second spell and then Starc later to move onto 237 ODI wickets, having jointly held the record with Darren Gough on 234.The test series, starting on July 10 in Trent Bridge, will be another matter entirely but this will have proved to be a useful exercise in probing for weaknesses and sizing each other up.The tension was already there going by a skirmish in the 31st over in England's innings between Trott and wicketkeeper Wade, who faced up to the batsman after tripping over his bat while attempting to field a return throw near the stumps. Words were clearly exchanged and the umpires came in to intervene.They didn't come to blows but this was definitely round one to England.  |
| ICC charges Ramdin for claiming dropped catch Posted: CARDIFF (AFP) - The International Cricket Council on Saturday charged West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for wrongly claiming a catch against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy.The incident took place at the Oval, London, on Friday when Ramdin caught Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq off Kemar Roach before the batsman had opened his account.Australian umpire Steve Davis gave Misbah out, but the decision was referred to third umpire Tony Hill following the intervention of English official Nigel Llong at square leg.Replays showed that while Ramdin had, initially, caught the ball, he had subsequently allowed it to spill out of his grasp. It was eventually decided that Ramdin did not have full control over the ball.The ICC said in a statement that Ramdin had been charged with a Level two breach of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.Ramdin has pleaded not guilty to the offence, and a hearing will take place in London on Monday, the ICC said.If found guilty, Ramdin could be fined between 50 and 100 percent of his match fees and/or be suspended for up to two one-day internationals.Misbah, who went on to make 96 not out in his side's two-wicket defeat, slammed Ramdin's action after the match.I don't think I would be happy if my wicketkeeper did that, the Pakistan captain said.If you don't know if it is (a catch) then fine, but if you know it's not a catch you should not claim it because it's not in the spirit of the game.West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo defended Ramdin against accusations of bad sportsmanship, insisting the 'keeper genuinely believed he had held on for long enough to claim a fair catch.Denesh thought he honestly had control of the ball, Bravo said.He is a very honest player and history shows that we as a team don't have any stigma of negativity around us. We play the game in the right way. I don't see anything wrong with it.  |
| Buoyant Kiwis gear up for Sri Lanka's spin trial Posted: CARDIFF (AFP) - New Zealand are preparing to face a spin barrage from Sri Lanka when the two sides meet in the Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Sunday.New Zealand go into the tournament after a morale-boosting 2-1 one-day series win over hosts England, but Brendon McCullum's side know Sri Lanka will throw up new challenges.We could conceivably be facing 30-35 overs of spin, Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said ahead of the group A game. We need to be proactive against it.Sri Lanka's spin attack includes four capable tweakers in Sachitra Senanayake, Jeevan Mendis, Rangana Herath and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Unorthodox slow bowler Ajantha Mendis was not picked for the tournament.With sling-arm fast bowler Lasith Malinga and steady seamer Nuwan Kulasekara also in the ranks, Sri Lanka have their options covered for what are expected to be good batting conditions in Cardiff.India and South Africa played a high-scoring match at the same venue on Thursday, with the Proteas making 305 in reply to a commanding 331-7 by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's World Cup champions.With Australia and England the other two teams in their group, both New Zealand and Sri Lanka know a victory in the first match assumes greater significance.Two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, making it almost mandatory to win at least two of the three games to make the grade.It's as close to a knock-out competition as you can get, Hesson said. We are certainly not thinking two weeks ahead.Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews, leading his country for the first time in a major competition, agreed that winning the first fixture was important.You would want to win every game you play, but in a format like this it is important to get a good start, he said.Sri Lanka will be desperate to overcome the heartache of losing four title clashes in recent years - during the 50-over World Cups in 2007 and 2011 and the World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2012.They have not enjoyed a good run in the Champions Trophy, failing to make the finals of the last three editions, even though they were joint-winners with India at home in Colombo 2002.Sri Lanka will be encouraged by the fact they have won 10 of their last 11 completed 50-over games against New Zealand, including the last six in a row.Sri Lanka's batting will once again revolve around three seasoned former captains, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Dilshan, who must all fire to protect the fragile lower order.Dilshan will have as his opening partner an exciting 22-year-old left-hander, Kusal Perera, who averages 55.33 in six one-day innings so far with a strike-rate of 84.26.Perera plundered the Indian attack for seven fours and three sixes during his innings of 82 off 94 balls in a warm-up match in Birmingham on June 1, lifting his side to 333-5 in 50 overs.But Sri Lanka still lost that game with one over to spare as India rode Dinesh Karthik's unbeaten 106 and Virat Kohli's 144 to a five-wicket victory.  |
| 9 killed as migrants boat sinks in Indian Ocean Posted: CANBERRA (AP) - Authorities say a boat carrying up to 60 asylum seekers capsized in the Indian Ocean. At least nine bodies have been recovered and no survivors have yet been found.Australian Customs says the submerged hull of the boat was spotted by the crew of a search plane on Friday 120 kilometers (75 nautical miles) northwest of Christmas Island, an Australian territory 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Jakarta.An Australian navy ship joined the search and recovered nine bodies Saturday. No survivors have been seen.Australian Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Jo Meehan says up to 60 people are believed to have been aboard the boat, which was headed for Christmas Island. Their nationalities are unknown.She says two ships and two airplanes resumed the search for survivors Sunday.  |
| Fiat could look for new China partner for Jeep: CEO Posted: VENICE (Reuters) - Italian carmaker Fiat (FIA.MI) could look for a new China partner to help it manufacture Chrysler's Jeep brand in the world's largest car market in 2014, said Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne on Saturday.Chrysler aims to produce over 100,000 new Jeep models in China, in a move that is key to Fiat's goal of selling 300,000 vehicles annually in China by next year.Fiat and Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group have a joint venture called GAC-Fiat to produce Fiat cars in China.In China we have a good partner, and we have the possibility to use a second one to develop Jeep, he said.Marchionne said Chrysler is not currently in talks with a partner for Jeep, but added that there have been a number of expressions of interest.  |
| Posted: BEIJING (Reuters) - China's exports posted their lowest growth rate in almost a year in May while imports unexpectedly fell, government data showed on Saturday, underlining concerns that growth in the world's second-largest economy could slow anew in the second quarter.Evidence has mounted in recent weeks that the economy is fast losing growth momentum as sluggish domestic demand fails to make up for lethargic export sales. The latest figures, shorn of the hot money speculation and exports to warehouses but booked as sales that had inflated previous months' data, more accurately reflect the grim reality facing China's exporters.The trade data reflects the sluggish domestic and overseas demand, signaling a slower-than-expected recovery in the second quarter, said Shen Lan, an economist at Standard Chartered in Shanghai.Data for May retail sales and industrial output, as well as investment and inflation, are due on Sunday and could provide more evidence of the slowdown.Exports edged up 1 percent in May from a year earlier, the lowest growth since last July and against a median forecast in a Reuters poll of a rise of 7.3 percent. Data was even worse for imports - they fell 0.3 percent against expectations of a 6 percent rise.Exports to the United States, China's top export destination, fell 1.6 percent in May, the third straight month of declines, while those to the European Union, the second most important market, fell 9.7 percent, also the third straight month of declines.However, in one bright sign, separate customs data showed that China's imports of major commodities rose in May compared with the previous month, helped by lower prices on world markets and pointing to resilient demand.It has been an uncomfortable few months for China's leaders as a raft of data has pointed to a lack of traction for growth.The domestic economy is facing great downward pressure and the stable development of foreign trade still faces great challenges, Vice-Minister of Commerce Zhong Shan said in a statement on the ministry's website (www.mofcom.gov.cn).China's overseas demand had not recovered obviously while exporters faced more fierce competition in the global market, Zhong said.However, Premier Li Keqiang struck a more upbeat note, being quoted by state television as saying that China's economy was generally stable, growth was within a relatively high and reasonable range and the employment situation was stable.There are increasingly intricate and complicated factors in the economy and we should strictly monitor the changes in the economic situation, said Li.China needs to make use of liquidity already in the economy to support real economic development and curb over-capacity in certain industries, he added.Surveys this month showed that China's factory activity shrank for the first time in seven months in May, with export orders falling, while growth in the services sector cooled.A Reuters poll taken before Sunday's retail and industrial data shows industrial output is seen up 9.3 percent, unchanged from April, while growth in fixed-asset investment, one of the two main drivers of China's economy in 2012, likely rose 20.5 percent in the first five months of this year.That would be equivalent to investment rising 20.2 percent in May from a year ago, Reuters' calculations showed, the slackest pace in at least three months.Growth in retail sales is forecast at 12.9 percent in May, little changed from April's 12.8 percent and below last year's monthly average expansion of 14.2 percent.The IMF and OECD last month cut their forecasts for China's 2013 economic growth to 7.75 percent and 7.8 percent, respectively.China's annual economic growth had slowed to 7.7 percent in the first quarter from 7.9 percent in the previous quarter. The full-year annual growth of 7.8 percent in 2012 was the weakest since 1999.However, China's leaders have adopted a greater tolerance for a slowdown and are likely to allow quarterly growth to slip as far as 7 percent before triggering fresh stimulus to lift activity, sources told Reuters this week.One of the reasons the May export data was so grim is that the government had cracked down on the speculative activities that had created double digit rises in export growth every month this year, even as China's main markets slowed.The dramatic slowdown in yoy (year-on-year) export growth in May in part reflects the impact of a clamp down by the government on firms dressing up financial inflows as exports, Louis Kuijs, an economist at RBS, said in an emailed note.China's customs also acknowledged the lack of extraneous factors, reflected in the fact that exports to Hong Kong, the main centre for currency arbitrage and warehouse storage, grew only 7.7 percent in May, down from a 57 percent surge in April.  |
| Threats of Governor rule being given: Sharjeel Memon Posted: HYDERABAD: Sharjeel Memon said that the threats of Governor rule imposition in the province are being given to the provincial government soon after its formation.Talking to the media along with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah here on Saturday, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that any attempt to steal people’s mandate would be fully resisted, adding that if anybody wanted to join treasury benches in Sindh then they should contact the PPP. He said that any attempt to steal people’s mandate would be fully resisted.  |
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