Israel Torn on Apologizing to Turks over Gaza Ship

By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM

(Reuters) - Israel is debating whether to say sorry for storming a Gaza-bound Turkish activist ship last year, after its jurists recommended satisfying Ankara's demand for an apology to help fend off war-crimes lawsuits.

Opinion : Asia's Mistrust of China

Fear of Beijing is based on its past behavior and strategic culture.

Hillary Clinton is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Bali this weekend—the same event at which the U.S. Secretary of State surprised the Chinese last year by declaring that Washington wants to play a role in resolving disputes over the South China Sea. Nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines asked Washington to show leadership, and the Obama Administration responded.

Clinton to Meet Asian Ministers in Indonesia

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday kicks off two days of talks with her Asian counterparts focusing on security issues, amid rising tension in the South China Sea.

Clinton arrived on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Thursday after a trip to India where she urged New Delhi to be more assertive in Asia, a message likely to be read with deep suspicion by the government in Beijing.

She will meet her counterparts from the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the wider East Asia Summit on Friday, followed a day later by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Malaysia’s Political Awakening: A Call for US Leadership

Written by  John Malott

A Malaysian recently wrote to me, “Most Americans don’t know or even care where Malaysia is.” Even among the so-called foreign policy elite, little attention is paid to Malaysia.

There are few American academics who specialize in domestic Malaysian politics, and except for hosting visits by senior Malaysian leaders, think tanks and universities hold few Malaysia-themed programs. US newspaper and magazine reports are few, with most articles focusing on tourism and the delights of Malaysian cuisine.

Karpal to Nazri: Quit Now, You’re Incompetent

Athi Shankar

DAP chairman Karpal Singh says Nazri is incompetent for making a statement supporting the use of the Emergency Ordinance to detain the six PSM leaders.

GEORGE TOWN: Veteran lawyer and DAP chairman Karpal Singh has had enough of Nazri Abdul Aziz’s bumbling ways – he told Nazri, the de facto law minister, to quit the Cabinet immediately on grounds of incompetence.

Karpal said he was shocked by Nazri’s public statement that the Emergency Ordinance (EO) was used in the name of national security to detain the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders ahead of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

Analysis & Opinion : Why is Obama Giving Libya to The Russians?

By John Bolton
The opinions expressed are his own.

With President Obama’s Libya policy staggering from one embarrassment to another, last week he and Secretary of State Clinton outdid themselves. They publicly welcomed Russia’s effort to insert itself as a mediator, an act of such strategic myopia that it must leave even Moscow’s leadership speechless.

Asian Diplomats Make Progress on Sea Dispute

By PATRICK BARTA

Vietnamese police on Sunday
dragged off a man in Hanoi who was
among a small group protesting China's
actions in the South China Sea

Asian diplomats said they made new progress in negotiating guidelines for behavior in the disputed South China Sea waters ahead of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is expected to discuss the contentious issue with Chinese and other regional leaders at a summit later this week.

Asian governments remain far from any binding agreement on the sea, a potentially oil-rich area where Vietnam, the Philippines, China and several other nations have conflicting territorial claims. Some of the diplomats involved in the latest talks said even those lacked teeth.

William and Kate: It's Panic Time

By SAMANTHA BEE

Samantha Bee offers her 'tuppence' for the royal nuptials. For one, beware of bad hair-color jobs

No pressure, only the whole world is
watching. Kate Middleton and
Prince William on April 11, above.

I have a vague recollection of being woken up 30 years ago at 4 a.m. and ushered into the living room to witness the most magical event in any child's life: the wedding of two adults I had never heard of who lived across the ocean.

And as I watched Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles something-or-other join in Holy Matrimony on that Blessed Day, my mind raced in so many different directions. Will I, too, get married some day? What will my dress be like? Who will my husband be? Can it be my cousin Jeff? And why is that pretty young lady marrying that old man? Things pretty much went downhill from there and then we all ate bangers in the dark and went back to bed.

Malaysia Airlines Chairman Quits

Loss-making Malaysia Airlines said Wednesday that its chairman Mohamed Munir Abdul Majid will leave the flag carrier as it restructures its top team in an effort to return to profit.

In a statement to the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange the airline said Munir will leave his post on July 31 when his contract expires but did not provide reasons. He joined the board in August 2004.

The chairman's departure comes almost three weeks after Bernard Francis, a senior general manager quit the airline.

Francis, who had been at the carrier for nearly six years, handed in his resignation letter on July 3 about five months ahead of the expiry of his contract.

Malaysia Bans Australia Horses on Virus Fears: Report

Malaysia has imposed a ban on the import of horses from Australia as a precautionary measure following the outbreak of a deadly bat-borne horse virus in the country, a report said Wednesday.

Australia is an important supplier of horses for racing in this Southeast Asian country, where it is a popular sport. It is estimated that Malaysia's yearly import of horseflesh is worth some 1.0 billion ringgit ($330 million).

The Star newspaper said the ban took effect from July 8. The ban will be lifted after Kuala Lumpur gets the all-clear from the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. The Hendra virus can also kill humans.

Showdown Time Comes for Murdoch

By ALISTAIR MACDONALD And MARTIN PEERS

Reputations at Stake as News Corp. CEO Testifies Before U.K. Panel on Tabloid-Hacking Scandal

News Corp. is embroiled in a phone-hacking
 scandal that threatens the legacy of CEO
Rupert Murdoch, left, shown
with son James in 2010

Tuesday's scheduled appearance by Rupert Murdoch before a panel of U.K. lawmakers was prompted by a phone-hacking scandal dogging News Corp. But it is the culmination of a 40-year love-hate power struggle between the News Corp. chief and Britain's public and politicians.

At stake is both the reputation of a global empire—which has 51,000 employees and annual revenue of $32 billion—and the level of support that the Murdoch family, particularly Rupert and his son James, will have among investors.

Obama Pushes for '11th Hour' Debt Deal

US President Barack Obama urged polarized lawmakers to find an "11th hour" deal to avert a calamitous early August debt default and heaped praise on a newly unveiled bipartisan budget plan.

US President Barack Obama urged polarized lawmakers to find an "11th hour" deal to avert a calamitous early August debt default and heaped praise on a newly unveiled bipartisan budget plan.

Obama cited "some progress" in talks with Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives on raising the US debt ceiling, but warned time was running out to forge a broad deficit-cutting compromise.

Scientists Find Rice 'Chalk' Gene, Eye Yield Rise

Scientists expect to soon be able to remove a chalk-like part of rice, dramatically raising global harvests amid rising demand for the staple, an international research outfit said Tuesday.

The International Rice Research Institute announced the breakthrough after a 15-year study on what makes rice chalky, which causes the loss of up to a fourth of grain content in milling, said spokeswoman Sophie Clayton.

The discovery follows a 2008 global crisis that saw the price of rice, the staple of half of the world, rise three-fold and pushing an estimated 100 million people into poverty.

'I Have Never Been so Contemptous of Govt' – Samad Said

KUALA LUMPUR - National laureate A Samad Said said he had never felt so much contempt for the present government as he was currently.

“Never before I felt so disgusted at the government," Samad told the audience at the launch of the 'Yellow Saturday' campaign at PAS's centre in Taman Melewas last weekend.

South China Sea Tensions Rise Ahead of ASEAN Meet

The war of words between China and the Philippines over disputed islands in the South China Sea escalated on Tuesday, ahead of a key regional security dialogue in Indonesia.

China's embassy in the Philippines warned that plans by five Filipino lawmakers to visit the disputed Spratly archipelago -- in what Manila calls the the West Philippine Sea -- could damage bilateral ties.

"It... serves no purpose but to undermine peace and stability in the region and sabotage the China-Philippines relationship," the embassy said of the one-day trip scheduled for Wednesday.

DCNS, Boustead Get RM10b Contract ?

Syed Jaymal Zahiid

French DCNS and Boustead Naval Shipyard are believed to have sealed a contract to build patrol vessels, according to Kita president Zaid Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial companies, French DCNS and Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS), are said to have received a contract to build patrol vessels worth RM10 billion, according to former law minister Zaid Ibrahim.

Analysis & Opinion : The Real Rupert Murdoch Exposed

Felix Salmon

A slice of lime in the soda

The single most important task facing Rupert Murdoch right now is to persuade the world that the illegal goings-on in the UK were isolated and not indicative of the News Corp culture more generally. He’s tried this with zero success in the past: first he said that they were isolated to a single reporter, and then to a handful of people having their phones tapped, and then to the News of the World — but in each case the scandal proved bigger than News Corp would have had us believed.

The Price of Malaysia's Racism

By JOHN R. MALOTT

Slower growth and a drain of talented citizens are only the beginning.

Malaysia's national tourism agency promotes the country as "a bubbling, bustling melting pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony." Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak echoed this view when he announced his government's theme, One Malaysia. "What makes Malaysia unique," Mr. Najib said, "is the diversity of our peoples. One Malaysia's goal is to preserve and enhance this unity in diversity, which has always been our strength and remains our best hope for the future."

Vatican, Malaysia Establish Diplomatic Ties: Statement

The Vatican and Malaysia have established official diplomatic ties, the Holy See announced on Monday after talks between Pope Benedict XVI and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

"In the cordial conversations, the positive developments in bilateral relations were discussed, and an agreement was reached to establish diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Holy See," the Vatican said in a statement.

Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country of around 28 million people, is the 179th country to have diplomatic relations with the Vatican.

Malaysian Rally Activists Dismiss Jewish Claim

Claims in a government-linked Malaysian newspaper Monday that a protest for electoral reform could open the country up to interference from Jewish groups has been rubbished by poll activists.

The Malay-language Utusan Malaysia said in an editorial: "When the drums in the name of basic human rights become louder, it gives an opportunity to pro-Jewish groups to interfere in any Muslim country."

"Muslims and Malaysians should not allow any party, especially Jews, from interfering in the affairs of this country," said the newspaper, which is owned by Prime Minister Najib Razak's party.

More Solidarity For Sarawak

Top of the mast

This morning, in distant Tasmania, an intrepid group of young protesters defied Taib’s family company Ta Ann.

They boarded a boat laden with wood that Ta Ann had taken from their own primary jungle, climbed right to the top of a crane tower and chained themselves to it.

‘Malay Dinosaur’ Ibrahim Hits Out At ‘Crocodile’ Wong

Stephanie Sta Maria

The Perkasa chief hits back at Wong Chun Wai for calling him a "dinosaur" and labels him as “father of crocodile”.

PETALING JAYA: Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali has branded Group Chief Editor of the Star, Wong Chun Wai, as the “father of crocodile” and accused him of writing “very subtly to destroy the country’s basic constitution”.

Ibrahim’s latest tirade was provoked by Wong’s column in the Sunday Star today entitled “Talk Less, Listen Harder” in which he suggested that politicians begin paying attention to the real boss – the rakyat.

The Unpublished Truth About Malaysia's Political Situation.

Written by  Iskandar Dzulkarnain

On June 17th a series of new guidelines were drawn to ensure that the mainstream media do not go overboard in their zest to stretch the truth. It is morally wrong to criticise a democratically elected government like BN.

Today the pro-opposition media and blogs have overtaken the MSM and pro-government by 10 to 1, which is a constant headache for the Information Ministry. The MSM cannot dispense the truth fast enough to counter the lies by the opposition.

Malaysian Scientists Tag Borneo Slow Loris

Malaysian wildlife researchers have tagged a Bornean slow loris for the first time as part of efforts to find out more about the nocturnal primate known for its big eyes and rare toxic bite.

The researchers in Sabah state on Borneo island fitted a radio-collar on a recently caught slow loris -- a protected species that is threatened by the illegal pet trade -- to enable them to study its behaviour.

It will give scientists a valuable insight into the animal's habits, such as where it sleeps and how it hunts for insects, lizards and other prey, they said in a statement on Sunday.

Japan Bathes In Glory Of World Cup Win

Japan erupted in joy early Monday after their women's football team won the World Cup in Germany, hailing the "dream come true" as a welcome boost after this year's quake and tsunami disaster.

Supporters watched the cliff-hanger 3-1 penalty shootout win over twice champions the United States live on television at home, in sports bars and in public places across the country.

Hundreds of fans, many of them clad in blue Japan jerseys, bundled out onto the streets of Shibuya, a hub of Tokyo's nightlife, chanting "Nippon! Nippon!" after the match ended at around 6:20 am on Monday.

Female Bodyguards For New Thai PM Yingluck

"Female bodyguards are able to remain closer to female VIPs," said Pol Lt-Colonel Korakarn Arunplod, who is among the first generation of female bodyguards in Thailand.

Korakarn started her career as a bodyguard in 1995. Among the VIPs she has taken care of are Hillary Rodham Clinton, Empress Michiko of Japan and members of the Thai Royal Family.

Spectacular Eruption At Indonesian Volcano

An Indonesian volcano saw it biggest eruption in weeks on Sunday, sending huge clouds of ash 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) into the sky, an official said.

"The volcano erupted again this morning, the biggest since late June. It spewed rocks and ash," government vulcanologist Kristianto told AFP.

"We have informed the airport to be on alert as the ash is quite high this time. But so far, flights are not affected yet and the airport is not closed," Kristianto said.

UN's Highest Court To Rule On Thai Troop Withdrawal

The UN's highest court is to rule Monday on a request by Cambodia for an immediate Thai troop withdrawal from a disputed border area around an ancient Khmer temple, where clashes have taken place.

International Court of Justice president, Judge Hisashi Owada, is expected to read the court's order at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) at the Hague-based Peace Palace, where the ICJ is seated.

"The court will deliver an order Monday on Cambodia's request for Thailand to stop military activity" in the area, an observer close to the ICJ told AFP, adding Owada would be accompanied by a 14-judge bench and two ad hoc judges.

Breakingviews : Facebook’s Primary Engine Nears Burnout

By Robert Cyran
The author is a Reuters Breakingviews columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.

Facebook has added 150 million members over the past six months, bringing its total to 750 million. The end of the social network’s rocket ride may, however, be in sight. The company’s growth rate has been slowing. It took less than eight months to go from 100 million to 200 million users. The latest doubling took about a year and a half.

Scientists Discover Lost Toad In Malaysian Jungle

Scientists have rediscovered a spindly-legged toad species almost 90 years after it was last sighted in Malaysia's Borneo jungle, an environmental group said Thursday.

The Sambas Stream Toad, or Borneo Rainbow Toad, was found by a team of scientists after months of scouring remote forest in Sarawak state on Borneo island, Conservation International (CI) said in a release.

The endangered toad was last seen in 1924 and was previously known from only three individuals.

US Airs Concerns On Malaysia Crackdown

The United States on Wednesday voiced concern about Malaysia's weekend crackdown on an opposition-backed rally and said it would keep an eye on developments.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon to end Saturday's electoral reform rally and arrested more than 1,600 people.

One man died during the rally. His family said he collapsed after fleeing tear gas, while police said he was a bystander who died of a heart attack.

Analysis & Opinion : Murdoch Schadenfreude Has Worrying Downside, Too

By Rob Cox and Richard Beales
The authors are Reuters Breakingviews columnists. The opinions expressed are their own.

Britain’s press and public are having a field day over the travails of News Corp. With good reason: the News of the World’s phone hacking was reprehensible. And, given Rupert Murdoch’s political king-making history in the UK through the pages of News Corp’s newspapers, some backlash is overdue. But there’s a potential dark side to Murdoch Schadenfreude, too.

Riots Erupt In N.Ireland After Protestant Marches

By Conor Humphries and Ian Graham

BELFAST

(Reuters) - Police fired plastic bullets and water cannon at Catholic youths in Northern Ireland's provincial capital Belfast on Tuesday after rioting erupted when a Protestant parade passed their estate.

Sporadic violence erupted across the British-ruled province on the culmination of a season of parades by pro-British Protestants to mark a 17th-century military victory, a tradition many Catholics say is provocative.

US Shuttle Era Finishes With Final Spacewalk

Two US astronauts have wrapped up the last spacewalk of the shuttle era at the International Space Station, where Atlantis is docked on the final mission of the 30-year US program.

Two US astronauts have wrapped up the last spacewalk of the shuttle era at the International Space Station, where Atlantis is docked on the final mission of the 30-year US program.

Americans Ron Garan and Mike Fossum, who were already aboard the ISS as part of the six-member international Expedition 28 crew when Atlantis arrived on Sunday, successfully completed their repair and maintenance tasks at the lab.

UN Rights Disappointed By Malaysian Police Crackdown

The UN human rights office expressed disappointment Tuesday at Malaysia's crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, saying that police appeared to have used excessive force.

Riot police fired tear gas and water cannon and arrested more than 1,600 people to end a rally to demand electoral changes on Saturday, drawing intense criticism from human rights groups.

"We are very concerned by the recent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators by the government in Malaysia," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Malaysian Poll Activists Call For Royal Commission

Malaysian activists who staged a mass rally for poll reforms called on Tuesday for a royal probe into the electoral system after the clampdown on their weekend protest.

Bersih 2.0, a coalition of non-governmental organisations, said it would not abandon its campaign, with Prime Minister Najib Razak widely expected to call elections by early next year.

The opposition say voting favours the Barisan Nasional coalition, who have ruled Malaysia for half a century but saw their majority slashed in the previous general election, in 2008.

IMF Names First Chinese Deputy Managing Director

The International Monetary Fund named Chinese economist Zhu Min to a new deputy managing director's position, giving long-awaited recognition to China's huge power in the global economy.

The IMF also named White House aide David Lipton to the Fund's number-two position, replacing outgoing first deputy managing director John Lipsky.

They were the first appointments made by new IMF managing director Christine Lagarde, who arrived last week promising a greater role for the world's large emerging economies, currently underrepresented on the IMF board and management.

No Big Budget Deal ? Blame Obama, Not Boehner

By James Pethokoukis

President Barack Obama could have done two things that might have saved his Mother of All Budget Deals.

First, he could have embraced market-centered, consumer -focused reforms to Medicare. That was about as likely as him accepting an Obamacare rollback.  Second, he could have agreed — as House Speaker John Boehner and Republicans suggested —  to sharply reduce tax rates in return for fewer special tax deductions/breaks/loopholes/subsidies. Recall that is what his own debt commission recommended.

Russia Says 128 Likely Dead In Volga River Accident

By Gennady Novik and Nikolai Isayev

SYUKEYEVO, Russia

 

(Reuters) - Russia said there was little hope of finding any more people alive on Monday after an overloaded tourist boat sank in the Volga River, killing 128 people in Russia's worst river accident in three decades.

Eighty people were rescued on Sunday after the Bulgaria, a double-decked river cruiser built in 1955, sank 3 km (2 miles)from shore in a broad stretch of the river in Tatarstan.

US Astronauts Set For Last Shuttle Era Spacewalk

Two US astronauts were to step out on the last spacewalk of the shuttle era Tuesday at the International Space Station where Atlantis is docked for a final time as the US program winds down after 30 years.

Two US astronauts were to step out on the last spacewalk of the shuttle era Tuesday at the International Space Station where Atlantis is docked for a final time as the US program winds down after 30 years.

Americans Ron Garan and Mike Fossum were chosen for the six and a half hour spacewalk, aimed at retrieving a failed ammonia pump from the orbiting lab and moving it to the shuttle's payload bay for return to Earth.

Vietnam Wins WTO Anti-Dumping Case Against US

Vietnam scored a victory Monday in its first challenge at the World Trade Organization against the United States over anti-dumping measures imposed by Washington on frozen shrimps.

The trade watchdog found that Washington's use of the so-called zeroing method to calculate dumping margins were "inconsistent" with international trade rules, and must therefore halt such action.

The United States has lost several major cases at the WTO related to the zeroing method -- which involves counting negative values as zero when calculating an average -- including against Brazil and the European Union.

According to complainants, the zeroing method allows Washington to increase its estimate of the degree of dumping on its markets.