US to Push China on Economic Issues
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says China should implement a number of economic reforms, including a move to a more flexible market-driven exchange rate.
During a speech Tuesday before the U.S.-China Business Council, Geithner laid out economic issues to be discussed during high-level talks with Chinese officials next week. He said a stronger yuan would reduce trade imbalances between the U.S. and China, and boost Beijing's efforts to ward off inflation.
Geithner acknowledged China has allowed the yuan to rise in value by about five percent against the U.S. dollar since June. But U.S. lawmakers and manufacturers say the currency is undervalued by as much as 40 percent, making Chinese-made goods cheaper on the global market.
Geithner also said Beijing must stop providing low-cost loans to large, state-owned enterprises, giving them an advantage over other firms.
Geithner also called on China to honor pledges made by President Hu Jintao during his state visit to Washington in January, including better protection for intellectual property rights held by American companies.
Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will host the annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington next week. The Chinese delegation will be led by Vice Premier Wang Quishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo.
Japanese Sorties Against Russian, Chinese Aircraft Reach 15-Year High
Japan's defense ministry says it scrambled jets to intercept approaching foreign aircraft more frequently last year than at any time in the past 15 years.
The ministry said more than two-thirds of the sorties were flown against approaching Russian aircraft during the fiscal year that ended March 30. That was an increase of 30 percent over the year before.
It said 96 of the 386 incidents involved Chinese aircraft, more than twice as many as in the previous year. There were 12 incidents involving North Korean aircraft in fiscal 2009 but none last year.
National NHK television on Wednesday quoted the defense ministry saying the figures reflect increased intelligence gathering by Russian aircraft. The network said China is also believed to have strengthened its intelligence gathering, using upgraded jets.
Japan has also engaged in fierce diplomatic disputes with both Russia and China during the past 12 months over disputed island chains.
The 386 sorties in fiscal 2010 were the most since 1991, when Japanese fighters were scrambled 488 times to intercept foreign aircraft.
The ministry said no uninvited foreign aircraft actually entered Japanese airspace last year, although Chinese aircraft came within about 80 kilometers over the East China Sea on one occasion in March.
New Zealand Tornado Victim Identified as Philippine Immigrant
New Zealand officials Wednesday identified the only person killed in a freak tornado a day earlier as a 37-year-old construction worker, originally from the Philippines.
Earlier reports had said two people were killed by Tuesday's twister, which overturned cars, tore the roof off of a shopping mall and left 14 people injured.
Student nurse Sophie Bond told reporters she had tried to save the construction worker after seeing him picked up and thrown against a concrete wall by the wind, which was estimated at up to 200 kilometers per hour.
But she said the man had suffered a severe head wound with heavy loss of blood and could not be saved. The man's name was given as Benedict Dacayan.
Bush Declines Obama’s Invitation to Ground Zero
A spokesman for former U.S. president George W. Bush says he has declined an invitation to join President Barack Obama in New York City Thursday for an observance at the site of the destroyed World Trade Center.
The spokesman said Mr. Bush appreciates the invitation but chooses to remain out of the spotlight now that his presidency is over.
Mr. Obama is scheduled to meet with families of some of the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center on Thursday, days after a U.S. Navy SEALs assault killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
The September 11 attacks, carried out by al-Qaida, killed some 3,000 people in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
Press freedom more relevant than ever in digital era, UN stresses
Freedom of expression remains as important as ever in the digital age, serving as a basis for democracy and human dignity everywhere, senior United Nations officials stressed on Tuesday as the Organization observed World Press Freedom Day with a series of events around the globe.
From a book fair in Egypt to a march in Timor-Leste, and from an exhibition of photographs and blog entries in Moldova to a conference in Ecuador and a training session for journalists in Nigeria, the UN is staging events to coincide with this year’s theme – “21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers.”
In Washington, DC, Irina Bokova, the director-general of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will award the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize in absentia to the Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi, who is currently imprisoned in his home country.
Bokova, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a joint statement to mark the Day in which they noted that new media and technologies offer the public “unprecedented opportunities” for expression.
“More and more people are able to share information and exchange views, within and across national borders,” the trio said. “This is a blessing for creativity, for healthy societies, for including everyone in new forms of dialogue.”
But the message warned that new threats are arising alongside the technology, noting that “measures to block, filter and censor information emerge every day.”
The Internet must be a truly global resource to which everyone has access and where all voices can be heard, the officials stressed.
“This calls for action to defend the integrity and safety of online reporters. All principles of freedom of expression must be brought to the online world. And they must be protected. Over the last decade, more than 500 journalists lost their lives in the pursuit of their profession. Sixty killings were reported worldwide in 2010 alone. Every week brings more reports of journalists and bloggers suffering from intimidation and violence.”
In a separate statement, Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, noted the vital role played by new media in the pro-democracy movements that have swept across North Africa and the Middle East this year.
“I commend and stand in solidarity with these courageous individuals, including journalists, bloggers and activists, who have risen above fear to express their legitimate grievances and to demand reforms, democracy and transparency, using at great risk their freedom of expression and new information communication technologies,” he said.
La Rue voiced sadness that so many journalists, as well as human rights activists and opposition figures, continue to be targeted in such countries as Libya, Syria and Yemen.
“I believe that we are currently in a historic moment. Never in the history of humankind have individuals been so interconnected across the globe. Social networking platforms have given individuals the means to share and disseminate information in ‘real time,’ and have played a key role in the recent demonstrations.
“As one activist tweeted during the protests in Egypt, ‘we use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the world’.”
The General Assembly paid tribute to the reporters who have lost their lives in the course of their work and called for better protection of media professionals.
“We, the General Assembly, are constantly striving to promote the fundamental values of the United Nations Charter, and in doing so we hope we hope that our global village will continue to show unity and resolve in stating that no one, no journalist, no citizen, should be harassed, threatened or killed, as they attempt to do their work,” said the Assembly in a message delivered by its acting president, Ambassador Zahir Tanin of Afghanistan.
He said that there can be no international security and development unless human rights are respected and those who violate them punished.
Jamaican PM invites regional comments on special prosecutor's office
Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding has invited commentary from regional prosecutors meeting in Montego Bay, on Jamaica's planned move to establish a special prosecutor’s office, through a Bill now before Parliament.
The special prosecutor will be empowered under the provisions of the law to investigate and prosecute corrupt high-level public and private officials.
“We are introducing that office because we feel there is a need to create a special focus on corruption,” Golding explained in his address at the Commonwealth Caribbean Prosecutors conference dinner held on Saturday evening.
He said that, in drafting the bill, "we have had to tread carefully, and we have insisted and ensured, subject to and in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution that, that special prosecutor is subject to the direction of the Director of Public Prosecution, who can overrule, who can take over, who can discontinue, and (also) deal with corruption as an issue that has to be aggressively pursued.”
Some 14 Commonwealth Caribbean countries represented by their directors and deputy directors of public prosecution and senior crown counsel met in Montego Bay from April 29 to May 1 for discussions aimed at, among other things, the establishment of a Caribbean Association of Prosecutors, in line with the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP).
Golding urged that the regional association, once established, should seek to become an associate institution of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
He said that there is the provision within the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas for the recognition of an associate institution, which leaves that body with its independence from CARICOM institutional arrangements.
LIME CONGRATULATES CARIFTA ATHLETES & ORGANISERS
LIME, presenting sponsors of the 2011 CARIFTA Games, the Caribbean’s most prestigious Junior Track and Field Championships, is pleased with the execution of this year’s meet and thrilled with the standard of competition.
“The North America Central America and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) and Local Organizing Committee (LOC) put the Games on at very short notice, and produced a high-quality competition,” said Grace Silvera, LIME Regional Vice-President, Marketing and Corporate Communications. “Records were falling, and it was great to see that although there was heated rivalry between these young people, there was also genuine camaraderie and fine displays of sportsmanship.”
The 2011 LIME CARIFTA Games concluded successfully over the Easter weekend, April at the recently built Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, Jamaica. This marked the first time in 15 years that the Games were being held in Jamaica, which is the home of the World’s Fastest Man, current 100m World Record Holder, Usain Bolt. Over 600 junior athletes from 26 territories took part in the highly competitive meet.
Many track and field fans viewed the CARIFTA Games live on LIME Mobile TV in Jamaica on region-wide television broadcasts sponsored by LIME. There was also live streaming on lime.com, with over 100,000 unique views from North America, Europe and as far off as Taiwan and Australia. The Internet stream featured a live chat that generated hundreds of comments from passionate fans. Fans also visited the time4LIME Facebook page and @LIMECarifta on Twitter, with live event-by-event updates and photos from the Games.
Patrons at Catherine Hall got a chance to be part of the LIME Fun Zone, with music, giveaways, a mini-track, video games, and a host of other amenities. Government ministers from Jamaica, Bermuda and The Bahamas, as well as World Champions Asafa Powell and Nesta Carter joined in the fun and games.
Continuing a 27 year tradition, Jamaica was the overall winner of the Games. However there were record-breaking performances from athletes from The Bahamas, Barbados, St Kitts-Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago. Some of these athletes will go on to represent their countries and the wider Caribbean at the World Youth Championships, 6-10 July in Lille, France.
The 2012 LIME CARIFTA Games will be held in Bermuda.
A late 14-0 run lifts Heat past Celtics, 102-91
With the outcome decided in the final seconds, LeBron James walked toward Mario Chalmers to begin his version of a celebration.
He playfully punched his teammate twice in the chest.
Fitting, because James and the Miami Heat have now landed two blows against the Boston Celtics .
James scored 24 of his 35 points in the second half, Dwyane Wade added 28 and the Heat used a late 14-0 run to pull away and beat the aching Celtics 102-91 in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.
"Feel good about it," James said. "Series is far - far, far, far - away from over. It's really just beginning for us."
James shot 14 of 25 from the field, and logged 44 minutes with no turnovers. Chris Bosh finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for Miami, which leads the best-of-seven 2-0.
Game 3 in Boston isn't until Saturday night, and the Celtics may be particularly thankful for the break.
Rajon Rondo played through a balky back to score 20 points and add 12 assists for Boston, which got 16 points from Kevin Garnett and 13 from Paul Pierce - who retreated to the locker room for treatment on his strained left Achilles' in the first half. Ray Allen was held to seven points, and left with what he said was a bruised chest cavity courtesy of an elbow from James in the third quarter.
"Being down 2-0 doesn't scare any of us, doesn't make us nervous," Allen said. "It's just an opportunity to come out shining."
Boston tied the game at 80 on a pair of free throws by Pierce with 7:10 left. The Celtics missed their next six shots and Miami pulled away, taking command of both the game and the series.
"That's our staple. We know the only way for us to win games, especially in the playoffs, is to play defense," James said. "Everyone has each other's back. If one guy gets beat, another steps up. They made a run, a heck of a run ... but we just kept grinding, kept playing our principles, and we finally wore them down."
Jeff Green scored 11 and Delonte West added 10 for the Celtics.
Even for a franchise with such fabled history as the Celtics, an 0-2 deficit represents a colossal challenge.
This is now the ninth time Boston has dropped the first two games in a best-of-seven series. In the previous eight, the Celtics prevailed only against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA finals.
And it's something this group of Celtics has never faced before, either.
The last time Boston lost the first two games of a playoff matchup was in 2004, when it was swept by Indiana. The current core of Celtics had lost Game 1s four other times before this series, then bounced back to win Game 2 each time, against Chicago and Orlando in 2009, then Cleveland and the Lakers in 2010.
Not this time.
"Nothing we can do about it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We've got a third game and we've got to take care of that. Whatever the past is, it is. They've won two games at home. But we can't allow them to play like this, or it's going to be tough at our place."
To win this series, Boston will need to prevail four times in a five-game span - which it did in the first round against Miami last year, then again in the second round at the expense of James and the Cavaliers in the East semis. So it can be done, but neither James (7-0) nor Wade (5-0) has ever been part of a playoff series defeat after their clubs won the first two games.
"This is a great team we are going against right now," James said. "We're just trying to give ourselves a good chance to win, just try to keep on attacking them, playing as hard as we can defensively, just trying to wear them down throughout the game, but it's a great team."
That's one of the titles the Heat are trying to claim, too.
James won the MVP award in 2009 and 2010, his reign officially ending a couple hours before Tuesday's game when the NBA made the long-expected announcement that Chicago's Derrick Rose was this season's top player.
James' name did not appear on nine of the 121 ballots cast. Wade was entirely left off all but 10 of the ballots; voters were asked to rank the league's best five players.
They noticed.
"At the end of the day, we don't really play this game for individual awards," Wade said. "He has two MVP trophies, which is awesome. I have a finals MVP trophy. Our body of work speaks for itself. What we've done in this game speaks for itself."
The Celtics had more than a chance to avoid the 0-2 hole.
James scored 12 points in the third quarter, one more than he managed in the first half, to help Miami take a 72-67 cushion into the final 12 minutes. James then added the first basket of the fourth, but Boston answered with a 13-6 run over the next 4 minutes to knot the game at 80.
The outcome was undecided - momentarily.
That's when Miami's big run began, including a three-point play where James dunked and got fouled after Joel Anthony kept an offensive rebound alive. Chalmers started it all with a 3-pointer - his only points of the night - off a pass from Wade, and Miami was on its way.
"Great trust," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
Jermaine O'Neal had a chance to end Boston's drought with 4:53 left, but his dunk was partially blocked by Anthony and bounced off the rim. James hit a long jumper from the left corner 17 seconds later, pushing the Heat lead to 92-80, their biggest to that point and the celebration was underway a few minutes later.
"Now the mental discipline begins," Spoelstra said. "This thing is just getting started."
Source: sportsillustrated
Lendl Simmons steers West Indies to win over Pakistan
West Indies broke their duck in the home one-day series against Pakistan with a one-run win in a rain-affected match in Barbados
The tourists, already 3-0 up in the series, made 248-9 in their 50 overs, with opener Mohammad Hafeez making 121.
After a rain interruption, West Indies faced a target of 223 off 39 overs.
Lendl Simmons hit 76 off 70 balls to see them to 154-4 in the 30th over and they were declared the winners after more rain prevented any further play.
It was the home side's first win over a team above them in the one-day rankings since June 2009, albeit one achieved with the help of the Duckworth-Lewis calculations for weather-affected matches.
And relieved skipper Darren Sammy afterwards admitted: "We needed that. We created an opportunity today and it was good to see the guys pulling us through in the end."
Opposite number Shahid Afrid was unhappy with his team's failure to reach a total of 270-275 after Hafeez, who struck three sixes and seven fours in his highest limited-overs international score, and Asad Shafiq (71) had put on 153 for the second wicket.
Tail-ender Tanvir Ahmed (18) was the only other Pakistan batsman to reach double figures, with leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo picking up 3-37 for West Indies.
The home side began their reply badly when Kirk Edwards edged the second ball of Junaid Khan's opening over to the keeper and departed for a golden duck.
But Simmons batted confidently to reach his third successive half-century, clearing the ropes on three occasions as he shared stands of 56 and 55 with Darren Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
His dismissal, caught at deep cover by Usman Salahuddin off seam bowler Tanvir, came just four overs before the teams were forced from the field by the weather for the final time.
Rory McIlroy says he was 'not ready' to win Masters
Rory McIlroy believes he was not ready to win his first major at the Masters last month.
The Northern Irishman, who will be 22 on Wednesday, led after 63 holes before crashing to a last-round 80 at Augusta.
McIlroy, who will defend his Wells Fargo Championship title at Quail Hollow this week, said: "I displayed a few weaknesses that I need to work on.
"I was just trying to stay ahead of the field, which, in hindsight, probably wasn't a good thing."
The world number six, who fired a closing 62 to win his maiden PGA Tour title 12 months ago, led by four strokes going into the last day at Augusta but his round unravelled after a triple-bogey seven at the 10th and he ended up 10 shots adrift of winner Charl Schwartzel.
"I just should have gone out, played my game and said 'Right, if I play well today I'm capable of shooting 65 around this golf course and winning by 10'," he told reporters in Charlotte, North Carolina - the venue for this week's tournament.
"But that's not the way it worked out and that's experience. That's just learning to be in that position more often.
"Hopefully I'll be able to get myself in those positions more often in my career and sooner or later it's going to happen where it finally clicks and I'm able to handle the whole thing a lot better and win.
"It took me a couple of days maybe to get over it. It was a great chance to win a first major, but it's only golf at the end of the day.
"No-one died. I'm very happy with my life, very happy with my game."
McIlroy went straight from the Masters to the Malaysian Open, where he needed a closing birdie to tie 17-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero for the lead, but instead ran up a bogey six and came third.
The Northern Irishman, who finished third in the last two majors of 2010, has had two other top-10 finishes on the European Tour this season, coming 10th in both the WGC-Cadillac Championship and the Dubai Desert Classic.
McIlroy will play with Americans Jim Furyk and Bubba Watson, who was last week's PGA Tour winner, in the opening round at Quail Hollow.
World number two Martin Kaymer, fourth-ranked Phil Mickelson, England's Paul Casey and Justin Rose and Ireland's three-time major champion Padraig Harrington are among those also in the strong field.