Olam shares fall despite rebuttal of Muddy Waters' report

SINGAPORE: Olam International's shares continued to slide Wednesday despite its rebuttal of a research firm's warning that the Singapore farm commodities giant could collapse like US energy trader Enron."Olam faces no risk of insolvency. We have proactively planned for an appropriate capital structure and raised the requisite equity and debt to meet our investment plans," it said in a...

Read More..

Gujral 'very critical', doctor says

GURGAON: The condition of former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral remains "very critical", a doctor said on Wednesday. "His condition is the same as yesterday -- very critical," K.L. Sehgal, a doctor from the Medicity Medanta Hospital here, told IANS. On Tuesday, Gujral fell unconscious and his urine output was blocked. Gujral, 93, was admitted to Medicity with a lung infection Nov 19, and...

Read More..

CDC: HIV spread high in young gay males

NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials say 1 in 5 new HIV infections occur in a tiny segment of the population — young men who are gay or bisexual.The government on Tuesday released new numbers that spotlight how the spread of the AIDS virus is heavily concentrated in young males who have sex with other males. Only about a quarter of new infections in the 13-to-24 age group are from injecting drugs or heterosexual...

Read More..

Powerball Fever Sweeps the Nation, Fuels Jackpot

The allure of the record $500 Powerball jackpot has led to long lines across the nation at local mini-marts and gas stations, with Americans hoping their champagne and caviar dreams become a reality when the numbers are drawn tonight.The jackpot was boosted Tuesday from $425 million to the now historic $500 million sum, which is expected to get sweeter as millions of Americans...

Read More..

Arafat's grave opened for poison tests

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Forensic experts took samples from Yasser Arafat's buried corpse in the West Bank on Tuesday, trying to determine if he was murdered by Israeli agents using the hard-to-trace radioactive poison, Polonium. Palestinians witnessed the funeral of their hero and longtime leader eight years ago, but conspiracy theories surrounding his death have never been laid...

Read More..

HK's securities watchdog urges support for new regulatory framework

HONG KONG : The chief of Hong Kong's securities watchdog has called on regional regulators to fully participate in the global implementation of new financial rules or risk Asia being isolated.He said a "one-size-fits-all" set of financial regulations imposed by the West could hurt Asian markets. The financial world is facing regulatory changes in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis,...

Read More..

FDI in retail: We have the numbers in Parliament, says PM after meeting

NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday said that the UPA was ready to discuss along with a vote the issue of FDI in multi-brand retail under any rule in Parliament."We are not concerned about a vote," parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said. "It is for the Lok Sabha Speaker to decide under which rule a discussion on FDI should be held," Kamal Nath added.Kamal Nath was speaking to reporters after...

Read More..

Bounce houses a party hit but kids' injuries soar

CHICAGO (AP) — They may be a big hit at kids' birthday parties, but inflatable bounce houses can be dangerous, with the number of injuries soaring in recent years, a nationwide study found.Kids often crowd into bounce houses, and jumping up and down can send other children flying into the air, too.The numbers suggest 30 U.S. children a day are treated in emergency rooms for broken bones, sprains,...

Read More..

Violating Norquist's No-Tax Pledge Could Hurt GOP

The most talked about name in the opening weeks of the fiscal cliff negotiations isn't Barack Obama, House Speaker John Boehner or Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. It's Grover Norquist.Norquist is not a publicly elected official or even a government appointee. The 56-year-old conservative leader is the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform and promoter of the...

Read More..

Egypt's Mursi to meet judges over power grab

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi meets senior judges on Monday to try to ease a crisis over his seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of the revolution last year that brought his Islamist movement to power. The protesters, some camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square, have said only retracting his decree will satisfy them, a sign of the deep rift...

Read More..