Wednesday

US tries saving Taliban talks after Hamid Karzai objects

Associated Press | Thursday June 20, 2013

Hopes dimmed for talks aimed at ending the Afghan war when an angry President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday suspended security negotiations with the US and scuttled a peace delegation to the Taliban, sending American officials scrambling to preserve the ...

Neymar inspires Brazil to 2-0 win over Mexico, spot in Confederations Cup semis

Associated Press | Thursday June 20, 2013

Brazil, which opened with a 3-0 win over Japan, will play Italy on Saturday to see which team will finish first in Group A. Italy rallied to beat Japan 4-3 later on Wednesday to pick up its second win.

Shooting in US building, 3 killed, one injured

Associated Press | Thursday June 20, 2013

Gunfire erupted Wednesday in a Louisville condominium building, leaving three people dead and a fourth person seriously injured, authorities said.

US cites Russia, China among worst in human trafficking

Reuters | Thursday June 20, 2013

An annual US State Department report on Wednesday cited Russia and China among the world's worst offenders in fighting forced labour and sex trafficking, which could lead to US sanctions.

Sopranos star James Gandolfini dead at 51

Agence France Presse | Thursday June 20, 2013

Emmy award-winning US actor James Gandolfini, the star of the long-running mafia drama The Sopranos, has died at the age of 51 in Italy, his managers said on Wednesday (June 20, 2013).

Fresenius Kabi challenges Sebi's minimum public holding order

Thursday June 20, 2013

Healthcare firm Fresenius Kabi Oncology approached the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) on Wednesday against market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of Indias order on minimum 25 per cent public shareholding and sought permission to delist ...

Weak rupee indication of falling competitiveness: Uday Kotak

Thursday June 20, 2013

Terming rupee depreciation as a sign of falling competitiveness of the domestic economy, Uday Kotak, vice-chairman and managing director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, said on Wednesday that efforts should be made to increase productivity rather than only r...

Bernanke points to reduced Fed bond buying this year

Thursday June 20, 2013

US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said on Wednesday that the US central bank expects to slow the pace of its bond purchases later this year and bring them to a halt around the middle of 2014, comments that weighed on stocks and pushed bond yie...

World stocks, bonds drop as Bernanke points to reduced Fed bond buying

Thursday June 20, 2013

Bond prices and equities fell while the dollar rose on Wednesday after Ben Bernanke laid out a blueprint for how the Federal Reserve could wind down its bond purchase program.

No US-Taliban talks scheduled: State Department

Agence France-Presse | Thursday June 20, 2013

The United States has not scheduled talks with the Taliban, the State Department said Wednesday, after reports that discussions with the Afghan insurgent group could begin this week in Qatar.

What experts say on Fed's decision to stay bond buying

Thursday June 20, 2013

The US Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it would keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month and gave no explicit indication that it was close to scaling back the program, despite intense market speculation it could soon start drawing it to a cl...

Alliance intact as long as BJP sticks to Hindutva: Uddhav Thackeray

Press Trust of India | Thursday June 20, 2013

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said his party's alliance with BJP would last as long as the latter did not forsake 'Hindutva'. Talking about his meeting with BJP president Rajnath Singh, Mr Thackeray said, "Rajnath Singh said the allia...

Singapore's air turns 'hazardous' as Indonesian fires rage

Reuters | Thursday June 20, 2013

Singapore's air quality deteriorated to "hazardous" levels late on Wednesday as smoke from slash-and-burn land clearing in Indonesia enveloped the city-state, inflaming tensions between the Southeast Asian neighbours.

Iraq bombings kill 13 ahead of vote

Agence France-Presse | Thursday June 20, 2013

A suicide bombing in northern Iraq killed a provincial political party leader and four relatives on Wednesday, officials said, ahead of elections in which his bloc was to participate.

US Federal Reserve stays bond buying at $85 billion a month

Wednesday June 19, 2013

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday said it would keep buying $85 billion in bonds per month and gave no explicit indication that it was close to scaling back the program, despite intense market speculation it could soon start drawing it to a close.