Politics | GlobalPost

Asian markets tumble as Fed eyes end to stimulus

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 00:02

Asian markets suffered a sell-off Thursday, following heavy losses on Wall Street, after the Federal Reserve indicated it would start easing back on its multi-billion-dollar stimulus drive this year. But the news came with an upbeat assessment of the US economy, providing support to the dollar, which enjoyed healthy gains in New York. Tokyo shed 1.04 percent, Hong Kong lost 1.37 percent, Sydney fell 1.24 percent, Shanghai was 0.77 percent lower and Seoul down 0.91 percent.

Greek coalition still split over fate of state broadcaster

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 00:02

Talks between Greece's prime minister and his coalition partners failed to resolve the political deadlock caused by the government's shutdown of state broadcaster ERT, but will resume on Thursday. Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had a three-and-a-half hour meeting Wednesday with the leaders of the Socialist Pasok and the moderate left Democratic Left to try to reach agreement on ERT's future. Both Pasok and the Democratic Left strongly oppose ERT's sudden closure, a move that has seriously shaken the coalition government's cohesion.

Syria opposition vows to fight on to topple Assad

Agence France-PresseJune 20, 2013 00:01

Syria's opposition vowed Wednesday to fight on to topple President Bashar al-Assad, saying any political solution to the conflict must lead to the fall of the regime. The National Coalition spoke out as troops and rebels were locked in fierce clashes outside the Damascus district of Qabun as the army tried to storm the area, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The opposition's statement also came after G8 leaders meeting in northern Ireland this week said they were "committed to achieving a political solution" to the war.

The new Iranian president's restrained power: Bremmer

Thomson ReutersJune 19, 2013 23:34

By Ian Bremmer (Reuters) - This past weekend, centrist candidate Hassan Rohani won the Iranian presidential election by a landslide. Rohani beat the two perceived front-runners who were hand-selected conservative loyalists to supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and he did it with an outright majority, bypassing an expected run-off. According to the interior ministry, turnout topped 72 percent, a level that the United States hasn't attained in a century.

Government review says American-US Airways merger would reduce competition on many routes

The Canadian PressJune 19, 2013 18:01

DALLAS - A government review finds that the merger of American Airlines and US Airways would reduce competition on more than 1,600 routes travelled by more than 53 million passengers. That's a greater loss of competition than occurred with the 2010 merger of United Airlines and Continental Airlines, an analyst for the Government Accountability Office told a U.S. Senate panel on Wednesday.

Regulator mulls package sale of Woori Finance's main bank, card units

Yonhap News AgencyJune 19, 2013 23:32

SEOUL, June 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's financial watchdog is considering selling Woori Finance Holdings Co.'s flagship banking unit and non-core affiliates in a lump sum as part of its move to privatize the state-invested banking group, a source said Thursday. The Financial Services Commission (FSC) plans to unveil detailed plans next week to resume the sale of South Korea's top banking group by assets, a move aimed at recouping tax payers' money.

NORTH KOREA NEWSLETTER NO. 267 (June 20, 2013)

Yonhap News AgencyJune 19, 2013 23:31

*** NEWS IN BRIEF North Korea to Begin Arirang Mass Game Performances in July SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korea will start the famous Arirang mass game festival on July 22, celebrating its late leaders and the 60th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, which it sees as a victory, the country's media reported on June 14. North Korea mobilizes tens of thousands of people for the highly choreographed performances that are open to foreign visitors. The annual festival continues for weeks.

NORTH KOREA NEWSLETTER NO. 267 (June 20, 2013)

Yonhap News AgencyJune 19, 2013 23:31

*** INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS S. Korea Regrets N. Korea's Buck-passing over Aborted Talks SEOUL (Yonhap) -- South Korea accused North Korea on June 13 of wrongly holding it responsible for the last-minute cancellation of high-level inter-Korean talks and urged the socialist country to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. The two Koreas earlier had agreed to hold high-level government talks in Seoul this week, but the meeting was called off a day before it was due to be held after North Korea disputed the level of the chief South Korean negotiator.

NORTH KOREA NEWSLETTER NO. 267 (June 20, 2013)

Yonhap News AgencyJune 19, 2013 23:31

*** CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW SEOUL (Yonhap) -- The following is a chronological review of major developments related to North Korea from June 13-19, 2013. June 13 The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of (North) Korea (CPRK) slams South Korean authorities for the cancellation of the North-South talks. 13 The (North) Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) says Pyongyang International Football School has taken shape on the scenic Rungna Islet on the Taedong River in Pyongyang as a center for training reserve footballers.

NORTH KOREA NEWSLETTER NO. 267 (June 20, 2013)

Yonhap News AgencyJune 19, 2013 23:31

*** TOPIC OF THE WEEK (Part 1) N. Korea Proposes Talks with U.S. to Discuss Military Tension, Peace Treaty SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Following the aborted inter-Korean talks, North Korea proposed high-level talks with the United States on June 16 to defuse military tensions, and discuss a peace treaty and the U.S. campaign for a nuclear-free world.