The London Stock Exchange is considering forging a link with the Shanghai bourse like that between Hong Kong and the Chinese financial hub, state media reported today.
	"We are working on it and trying to understand what might be involved," Nicolas Bertrand, head of equity and derivative markets for the London Stock Exchange Group (LSE), said in Beijing, according to the China Daily.
	The paper said the programme would be similar to the stock connect between the Shanghai and Hong Kong bourses.
	That scheme, which was launched in November, enables international investors to trade selected stocks on Shanghai's tightly restricted exchange while also allowing mainland investors to buy shares in the former British colony.
	The tie-up was set up as part of China's move to open up its financial markets and officials said in March it will also link trading between the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock markets, though the launch is still pending.
	Bertrand did not offer a timetable for the ...

London considers tie-up with Shanghai bourse: report

PTI Automatic

An Australian mother today won her bid to breastfeed her baby after a court overturned a decision banning her from suckling the infant due to the risk of infection from tattoos.
	The 20-year-old mother, who cannot be named, was ordered not to breastfeed her 11-month old son earlier this month by a judge concerned about the risk of him contracting HIV or other diseases from two new tattoos.
	But the full bench of the Family Court today unanimously reversed the decision, ruling that the evidence "was not capable of establishing the risk identified".
	The case first came before Judge Mathew Myers on June 3 when the mother complained that the father, from whom she is separated, had failed to return the baby to her care.
	At that hearing, the judge raised the fact that the mother was breastfeeding in relation to evidence that she was taking medication for post-natal depression.
	She had also used cannabis once in the past two years and had acquired two new tattoos on her foot and finger ...

Australian mum with tattoos wins right to breastfeed

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange today clocks up three years inside the Ecuadoran embassy in London, after claiming that Swedish prosecutors cancelled a landmark meeting in his case earlier this week.
	The Australian activist said a long-awaited interview with the prosecutors fell through in what he labelled a "public relations exercise", although the prosecutor's office declined to comment.
	Assange, 43, sought asylum in the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faces allegations by two women, one of rape and one of sexual assault, which he denies.
	The former computer hacker fears extradition to Sweden could lead to him being transferred to the United States to face trial over WikiLeaks' publication of classified US military and diplomatic documents.
	Prosecutors had long insisted that he travel to Sweden for questioning but in March they agreed to go to London instead.
	They said they changed their stance because some of the alleged offences will reach their 

Frustrated Assange marks third year in Ecuadoran embassy

At least 70 people have been killed, 500 wounded and over 1,000 jailed in weeks of political violence in Burundi, a rights groups has said.
	The troubled central African nation has been in crisis since late April over President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial bid to stand for a third consecutive five-year term, a move branded by opponents as unconstitutional and a violation of a 2006 peace deal that ended 13 years of civil war.
	Parliamentary elections are planned for June 29, ahead of the presidential vote on July 15.
	"We have identified 70 people killed, mostly by bullets but also grenades... The majority are civilians, as well as police and soldiers," said Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa, who heads Burundi's influential rights group Aprodeh.
	"There were also some 500 wounded by bullets, grenades and stones, including fifty remain hospitalised."
	More than 100,000 people have fled the violence to neighbouring countries.
	A United Nations source said they had counted at least 50 people ...

At least 70 killed in Burundi violence: rights group

Pakistan suffered early blows as they began their reply to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 300 on the scheduled third day of the first Test in Galle today.
     Seamer Dhammika Prasad removed both openers by the third over and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath also chipped in with a wicket as the tourists plodded to 38 for three by tea.
     Prasad had Mohammad Hafeez caught at third slip off his sixth delivery and then trapped Ahmed Shehzad leg-before in his next over to reduce Pakistan to 11 for two.
     It became 35-3 when Herath, brought in to the attack in the sixth over, had Azhar Ali leg-before in his third over.
     The collapse left the two veterans, Younis Khan (17) and skipper Misbah-ul Haq (two), unbeaten at tea with their team still 262 runs behind.
     Sri Lanka's innings was built around a painstaking century from opener Kaushal Silva, who defended solidly at one end even as Pakistan ran through the batting at the other end.
     The diminutive right-hander lit up ..

Pakistan struggle after Silva's century

Opener Kaushal Silva compiled a painstaking century to lift Sri Lanka to 273-6 in their first innings at lunch on the scheduled third day of the first Test against Pakistan in Galle on Friday.
     The diminutive right-hander was unbeaten on 113 off 273 deliveries, his second Test century after making 139 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in January last year.
     Dilruwan Perera was the other batsman at the crease on 11 after Pakistan, who elected to field after winning the toss, grabbed three wickets in the extended morning session of the rain-hit Test.
     After bad weather had washed out the entire first day's play on Wednesday, just 64 overs were bowled on the second day due to a wet outfield at the Galle International Stadium.
     Sri Lanka added 11 runs to their overnight score of 178-3 before they lost the wicket of skipper Angelo Mathews, who was bowled by left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz for 19.
     Dinesh Chandimal contributed 23 in a fifth-wicket stand of 37 with Silva when he was 

Ton-up Silva boosts Sri Lanka against Pakistan

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today denounced what he called the "hypocrisy" of the United Nations after UN chief Ban Ki-moon demanded Israel protect the lives of children in Gaza.
	"This is a black day for the UN," Netanyahu said. "Instead of pointing out the fact that Hamas made hostages of Gaza children when it fired from kindergartens... The UN chooses once again to preach at Israel."
	"Evidently there is no limit to hypocrisy," the Israeli leader said in a statement.
	Ban yesterday asked Israel to protect the lives of Palestinian children, who bore the brunt of last year's military operations in the Gaza Strip.
	"Last year was one of the worst in recent memory for children in countries affected by conflict," the UN chief said, adding he was "deeply alarmed at the suffering of so many children as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza last year."
	He made his remarks as the United Nations issued a new report highlighting what Ban called "unprecedented challenges for ..

Netanyahu denounces UN's Ban over Gaza children remarks

A woman has been killed when a boat carrying 20 Mexican migrants collided with a US border patrol vessel off the California coast, authorities said.
	The Mexican government called for an investigation into the yesterday's incident in which four people were also injured.
	According to a statement from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency, a patrol boat had spotted a suspected human smuggling vessel off Encinitas in southern California.
	US agents ordered the boat to stop, but it failed to do so.
	"After failing to yield, warning shots were fired," the CBP said in a statement.
	"After the suspected smuggling vessel failed to comply, the two vessels collided. The smuggler's vessel capsized, resulting in 20 people going into the water."
	US agents pulled everyone out of the water but one woman was unresponsive and was later pronounced dead.
	Of the 19 survivors, four were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
	All 20 people were suspected of attempting to .

One killed as US patrol vessel hits Mexican smuggling boat

Al-Qaeda in North Africa has denied reports its former leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed in a US air strike last week in Libya, in a statement posted online.
	"The mujahid Khaled Abu al-Abbas is still alive and well," said the statement from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb overnight, using the name by which Belmokhtar is widely known in jihadist circles.
	"The real target of the air strike was the Libyan lions," the extremist group said, referring to fighters in the strife-torn North African country.
	Libya's internationally recognised government said on Sunday that Belmokhtar - who has been reported dead on several previous occasions - was killed in a US air strike.
	The Pentagon said Belmokhtar had been the target of the strike but was non-committal about whether F-15 Strike Eagle fighter jets armed with 500-pound bombs had succeeded in killing the notorious Algerian jihadist.
	On Monday, the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Sharia jihadist group also denied Belmokhtar had been killed in 

Qaeda in North Africa denies US strike killed ex-chief

Eight in 10 Filipinos are worried a festering South China Sea territorial dispute could lead to "armed conflict" with the world's most populous nation, an independent polling outfit said today.
	Manila-based Social Weather Stations said this sentiment had weighed on people's minds since the Philippines backed down from a tense standoff with China over control of rich fishing grounds around Scarborough Shoal in 2012.
	The study showed 84 per cent of 1,200 respondents were "worried" about armed conflict with China.
	About half were "worried a great deal" while more than a third were "somewhat worried".
	The same poll has been conducted every year since 2012, and in each of the surveys at least 80 per cent of respondents have been concerned that the sea dispute could escalate into a full-blown conflict with the Philippines' powerful Asian neighbour.
	"It is natural for us to worry about armed conflict as it is a fact that it does not benefit anyone," presidential spokeswoman Abigail ...

Filipinos fear 'armed conflict' with China over sea row: poll

The state of Texas has executed a man for the 2001 murder of a 75-year-old auto mechanic, prison authorities said, the seventeenth execution in the US this year.
	Gregory Russeau, 45, was declared dead by lethal injection at the Huntsville prison yesterday, said Jason Clark, a Texas criminal justice spokesman.
	Russeau had spent 14 years on death row after being convicted of bludgeoning to death mechanic James Syvertson at his garage.
	Authorities said Russeau was under the influence of crack cocaine and that his DNA was found at the garage.
	In October, the US Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal.
	Of the 17 people executed this year in the US, nine have been put to death in Texas, the state that executes the most, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Texas executes man for 2001 mechanic murder

Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson took full advantage of perfect morning conditions to fire five-under 65s and take a share of the US Open first round lead at Chambers Bay.
     On a day when Tiger Woods took another battering, the Swede and the American, both striving for a first major title after several near misses, ended up with a single stroke lead over the rest of the field.
     Young American Patrick Reed was solo in second after a 66, with countrymen Matt Kuchar, Ben Martin and amateur Brian Campbell a further stroke back as home golfers dominated the top of the leaderboard.
     Masters champion Jordan Spieth struggled early on, but three straight birdies from the 11th spurred him on to a satisfying 68.
     Among a large group tied on two under with Spieth were Australian Jason Day, Scotland's Marc Warren and American Jason Dufner.
     World number one and tournament favourite Rory McIlroy had less to be pleased about as four bogeys on the day meant he had to settle for a .

Stenson and Johnson share US Open lead

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson believes Saturday's deciding one-day international against England in Durham will provide a "fantastic finale" to an enthralling series.
     England ensured a winner-takes-all clash at Chester-le-Street after levelling the five-match campaign at 2-2 with a stunning seven-wicket win at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
     New Zealand -- who thrashed England by eight wickets in Wellington in February en route to the World Cup final -- appeared to be well-placed after making 349 for seven.
     But England romped to victory with six overs to spare following a third-wicket stand of 198 between Joe Root (106 not out) and skipper Eoin Morgan (113).
     Runs have flowed from the bats of both teams this series and Hesson said: "It's been a very entertaining four matches.
     "Obviously, getting down to Durham should be a fantastic finale."
     There is no doubt that, aware of the class of their opponents, a revamped England have raised their white-ball game so far 

Hesson set for 'fantastic' England finale

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt conceded defeat general election and resigned as Social Democratic party leader after a record score for an anti-immigration party lifted the opposition right-wing bloc to victory.
	"Dear friends, I have decided to step down and therefore our party now has to find another leader," she said, her voice shaking yesterday.
	 "Tomorrow I will go to the Queen and tell her that the government is stepping down. Now it is up to Lars Lokke Rasmussen to try to form a government," she added, referring to the leader of the main right-wing party Venstre.
	The anti-immigration Danish People's Party (DPP) unexpectedly became the second-largest winners from the vote, helping the right-wing opposition to victory in a race that pollsters had described as too close to call.
	Thorning-Schmidt's approval ratings languished for most of her four-year tenure as the economy dipped in and out of recession and her centre-left coalition cut benefits and lowered ...

Danish PM Thorning-Schmidt concedes election defeat

A fourth US citizen has been arrested in the greater New York area in less than a week on allegations of supporting the Islamic State extremist group, officials said.
	Samuel Rahamin Topaz, 21, from Fort Lee, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to the IS group, which has declared a "caliphate" based in Iraq and Syria.
	He faces 15 years in prison if convicted and was remanded without bail after being arrested at home on Wednesday, prosecutors said yesterday.
	Court papers allege he was in close contact with Munther Omar Saleh, a 20-year-old student from New York who was arrested last Saturday after trying to stab an FBI surveillance officer.
	The FBI accused Saleh of trying to recruit Topaz, who was allegedly making plans to travel to join the IS group in the Middle East.
	The pair allegedly met up at a Manhattan subway station a few blocks from the World Trade Center on May 31.
	Prosecutors in New York have accused Saleh of planning to carry out a bomb 

Fourth alleged IS suspect arrested in NY area

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro lashed out at US billionaire and presidential candidate Donald Trump for saying Mexican immigrants were bringing crime and drugs to the United States.
	"I completely reject Donald Trump's statements. Rogue. Thief. How dare you mess with our brothers. Your country has already persecuted and exploited them enough," the Socialist leader said in a typically boisterous diatribe on national TV and radio yesterday.
	"Venezuela raises its voice in defence of the Mexican people offended by this magnate, this bigwig," said Maduro, the hand-picked successor of late leftist firebrand Hugo Chavez.
	Trump made the remarks on Tuesday as he announced his decision to run for president, joining a packed field of Republican contenders for the 2016 race.
	Speaking from his Trump Tower in New York, the 69-year-old property tycoon ridiculed his opponents and launched a tirade against Mexico.
	"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best," he said. ...

Venezuela's Maduro calls Donald Trump a 'thief'

The Nasdaq powered to a fresh record today, easily topping the prior all-time high in a broad rally that withstood signs that a Greek debt default could be moving closer.
	At the closing bell, the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite was at 5,132.95, up 68.07 points (1.34 percent), more than 25 points above the May 27 record close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 178.43 (0.99 percent) to 18,114.17, while the broad-based S&P 500 gained 20.51 (0.98 percent) at 2,120.95.

Nasdaq powers to new all-time high

Sweden's anti-corruption authorities said today they had launched an inquiry into the Swedish Maritime Administration's 2012 purchase of seven rescue helicopters from Italian maker AgustaWestland.
	"I can confirm that I have launched a preliminary investigation," anti-corruption prosecutor Robert Engstedt said, refusing to disclose further details.
	A Swedish television programme, Uppdrag Granskning (Assignment Investigation), reported in April that the deal between government agency SMA and AgustaWestland, worth $120 million (108 million euros), was sewn up in advance of a public tender, which is illegal in Sweden.
	It alleged that the 2012 deal was set up through private emails on Hotmail accounts directly between management at the two organisations.
	The SMA said Swedish police had raided their offices early Wednesday, seizing documents and IT material.
	"We welcome the authorities' initiative and are collaborating with the authorities to swiftly provide all the material ...

AgustaWestland implicated in Swedish corruption probe

Oil prices rose slightly today as traders weigh signs of improved US demand against a backdrop of high global supplies, analysts said.
	US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for July delivery grew 21 cents to USD 60.13 a barrel compared with yesterday's close.
	Brent North Sea crude for August won 20 cents to stand at USD 64.07 a barrel in late London deals.
	Investors are switching focus "between price-supporting news from the US where inventories and rig counts are falling" and concerns about the global supply glut, according to Sanjeev Gupta, head of the Asia-Pacific oil and gas practice at business consultancy firm EY.
	The US Department of Energy on Wednesday said the country's crude reserves fell 2.7 million barrels last week, the seventh straight decline.
	Dealers have been hoping that a drawdown of the United States' burgeoning commercial reserves coupled with a slowdown in its shale output could whittle down excess global supplies.
	A surplus of US stocks was one of the ...

Oil prices higher after data, Fed

President Barack Obama today praised the pope's call for action on climate change and said the United States should lead global efforts to cut carbon pollution and bolster clean energy sources.
	"I welcome His Holiness Pope Francis's encyclical and deeply admire the pope's decision to make the case -- clearly, powerfully and with the full moral authority of his position -- for action on global climate change," Obama said in a statement.
	"As Pope Francis so eloquently stated this morning, we have a profound responsibility to protect our children, and our children's children, from the damaging impacts of climate change."
	The pontiff said today that rich countries must bear responsibility for creating the problem posed by climate change, and finance a solution.
	In a nearly 200-page document, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics blamed human greed and consumerism but also business and political figures for the current situation.
	Obama said he looked forward to discussing ...

Obama hails pope's 'clear and powerful' message on climate

Yukos shareholders said today that Russian government assets in France including bank accounts and real estate had been frozen in a dispute over compensation for the seizure of the defunct oil giant.
	"It's bank accounts and real estate," Tim Osborne, executive director of main shareholder GML, told AFP, adding that accounts in around 40 banks had been frozen along with "eight or nine buildings".
	He said the asset freeze occurred two weeks ago but had only been "leaked" by Russia on Thursday. There was no immediate official confirmation from Moscow or Paris.
	"Proceedings are already under way in Britain and the United States and further countries will follow," he said, following a move by Belgium to freeze Russian government accounts which sparked anger in Moscow.
	Osborne explained that legislation in Belgium and France made it easier to freeze assets pending the outcome of the Yukos compensation dispute.
	The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled last year that Moscow .

AFP

AFP

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