US meat giant Tyson Foods today won the bidding war to take over sausage maker Hillshire Brands, when its sharply increased bid forced Brazilian-owned rival Pilgrim's Pride to pull out.
	Tyson submitted a USD 63 dollar a share all-cash offer, topping Pilgrim's Pride's previous USD 55 bid, and Pilgrim's, mainly a chicken processor, withdrew from the two-week-old fight.
	Locked in the low-margin meat processing industry, both companies were seeking to move downstream into branded, processed foods where profits are higher and income more stable.
	Tyson's bid was worth USD 8.6 billion, including the assumption of Hillshire debt, far above the USD 6.4 billion first offered on May 27 by Pilgrim's Pride.
	Hillshire, which makes Jimmy Dean sausages and Ball Park hot dogs, acknowledged the new offer, while refraining from formally accepting it.
	To allow the Tyson takeover to go through, Hillshire must first undo its own early May commitment to take over another branded foods business, ...

Tyson wins bidding war for sausage maker Hillshire

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Police in Sao Paulo today fired tear gas to disperse protesters supporting a subway strike that has unleashed transport chaos three days before the Brazilian mega-city hosts the World Cup kick-off.
	A group of about 150 strikers and protesters set fire to piles of garbage to block a central avenue in the Brazilian business hub, prompting some two dozen riot police to fire stun grenades and then tear gas to disperse them.
	But demonstrators regrouped with chants of "There won't be a Cup, there will be a strike!"
	The protest grew to about 1,000 people, who marched toward the state transport secretariat waving red banners, banging drums and blowing whistles and vuvuzelas.
	The demonstrators are backing a five-day-old strike by subway workers, the latest in a wave of protests and strikes that has swept Brazil ahead of the World Cup and elections in October.
	The subway strike has posed a major headache for commuters in Sao Paulo, a sprawling city of 20 million people, and threatens to ...

Brazilian police crack down on pre-World Cup protest

China today expressed displeasure after Vietnamese and Filipino troops played sports together on a contested island, with the foreign ministry denouncing the activity as "a farce."
	The retort from Beijing came one day after Vietnam hosted Filipino troops on an island it controls in the disputed Spratlys archipelago in the South China Sea that the Philippines' navy said was designed to "foster camaraderie".
	Tensions between China and both countries have risen in recent months over contested territory in the region, with a dispute between Hanoi and Beijing triggering violent anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam last month.
	Asked about the joint sports activity, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said today at a regular briefing: "Don't you think that these small tricks conducted by the Philippines and Vietnam are nothing but a farce?"
	She also urged Hanoi and Manila to "refrain from taking any actions that may complicate or magnify the dispute" and said that China "exercises 

China decries Vietnam-Philippines island games as 'farce'

China's central bank today announced details of a plan that reduces the amount of money rural banks must keep in reserve, a move aimed at stimulating the economy amid slowing growth.
	In a statement posted on its website, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 0.5 percentage points for certain agricultural banks, as well as for financial leasing companies and auto financing firms.
	The move, which takes effect on June 16, will "encourage commercial banks and other financial institutions to allocate more funds to areas of the real economy in need of support," the central bank said.
	The State Council, China's cabinet, first announced the planned cut in late May but did not give details.
	China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 7.4 per cent in the first three months of 2014, weaker than the 7.7 per cent recorded in October-December last year and the worst since a similar 7.4 per cent expansion in the third quarter of 2012.
	Chinese ..

China to reduce rural banks' reserve requirements

More than 100 bodies have been buried almost a week after a Boko Haram attack in northeast Nigeria, local leaders said today, but added that many more victims of the attacks had yet to be found.
	Lawan Abba Kaka and John Gulla, from Attagara in Borno state, said nearly 110 people had now been interred after Islamist militant fighters stormed the village and at least three others nearby on Tuesday and Wednesday last week.
	Boko Haram, which kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in Borno in April, has in recent months stepped up its insurgency, with civilians bearing the brunt of the violence.
	Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in Nigeria's Senate, said burials had taken place in nine villages: 42 in Attagara, 24 in Aganjara and 20 in Agapalwa.
	"From what those who fled told us, there are more corpses in nearby bushes and the mountainside," he told reporters after a meeting in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.
	"Many people that fled the communities are also 

Villagers bury dead nearly a week after Boko Haram attack

General anaesthesia before the age of one may impair memory later in childhood, possibly life-long, a study said today.
	This was the conclusion of scientists who compared the recollection skills of two groups of children -- some who had undergone anaesthesia in infancy and others who had not.
	The children, aged six to 11 and divided into two groups of 28 each, were tested over a period of 10 months for their ability to recollect specific drawings and details therein.
	The children who had been anaesthetised as babies had about 28 per cent less recollection on average than their peers, and scored 20 per cent lower in tests that assessed how much detail they could remember about the drawings.
	"The children did not differ in tests measuring intelligence or behaviour, but those who had received anaesthesia had significantly lower recollection scores," said a media summary provided by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, which published the results.
	Recollection plays a role in ...

Anaesthesia may harm memory: study

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane bound for Beijing with 292 people on board was grounded today after airport staff discovered a white substance in the cargo hold, the carrier said.
	SIA said, however, that the substance found on the Boeing 777 was harmless. A replacement plane ferried the passengers to their destination.
	"Ground staff at Singapore Changi Airport had discovered a white substance in the cargo hold of SQ806, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 with 276 passengers and 16 crew onboard," SIA said in a statement.
	The aircraft had been due to depart for Beijing at around 3:45pm local time (0745GMT).
	"The relevant authorities were notified and after investigating, concluded that the substance was harmless," it said, adding that the replacement aircraft departed at 7:20 pm.

Singapore Airlines plane grounded after white substance found

A Eurofighter jet crashed while attempting to landing at an air base in southwestern Spain on today, killing its pilot, the defence ministry said.
	"A Eurofighter crashed on landing at the start of the runway of the Moron base," near Sevilla, a ministry spokeswoman told AFP.
	The sole pilot of the plane, an air force captain, was killed, a defence ministry spokesman said.
	The Moron air base is shared by Spain and the US Air Force, but only Spain operates the Eurofighter jet.
	The Eurofighter, a multi-purpose twin-engine fighter jet introduced in 2003, is built by a consortium made up of British defence group BAE, European aerospace group Airbus and Italian defence contractor Finmeccanica.
	It is designed as a highly agile multi-role aircraft, capable of ground-attack as well as its primary air defence role.
	The Eurofighter consortium, Europe's largest defence programme, is in fierce competition with other fighter-jet makers such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Dassault ...

Eurofighter jet crashes in Spain, pilot killed

Felipe Massa accused rival driver Sergio Perez of being "dangerous" after the Mexican had caused their near-300kph collision in Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.
	Massa spoke out in the early hours on Monday after both men had escaped serious injury in a horrifying accident on the closing laps of a memorable race which saw Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull claim his maiden victory.
	Brazilian Massa had tried to pass Perez for fourth position as they approached Turn One when their cars collided, an impact that sent both into the barriers at high speed.
	"We've had the rules for a few years that when one car is up the side, the other cannot move anymore," said Massa, who was driving for Williams.
	"He just move and we touched. It's dangerous. For me, five places is not enough. He was dangerous. We could have crashed into (Sebastian) Vettel."
	Mexican Perez of Force India was given a five-place grid penalty for the next race, the Austrian Grand Prix on June 22.
	Both men were able to ..

Massa accuses Perez of being 'dangerous'

A Russian court today jailed two men for life for the 2006 murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya while handing down sentences of between 12 and 20 years to three others.
	Rustam Makhmudov of Chechnya, convicted of firing the fatal shots at Politkovskaya, and his uncle Lom-Ali Gaitukayev, found guilty of organising the brazen hit, were jailed for life at Moscow city court, Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement.
	Makhmudov's two brothers Dzhabrail and Ibragim were sentenced to 14 and 12 years respectively in a penal colony for their roles in the killing, while former Moscow police officer Sergei Khadzhikurbanov was handed a 20-year term.
	Politkovskaya, a reporter at liberal newspaper Novaya Gazeta who had been a fierce critic of the Kremlin's tactics in Chechnya, was gunned down at age 48 in the lobby of her Moscow apartment block on October 7, 2006.
	An earlier trial in the murder involving several of the same defendants ended in an acquittal in 2009. ...

Two jailed for life for murder of Russian journalist

High street giant Gap is to become the first American retailer to source garments made in Myanmar, the US embassy in Yangon said, over a decade after sanctions against the former junta slashed the country's textile industry.
	The US embassy said products made at two Yangon factories would be in Gap stores by this summer, in the latest sign of growing interest from multinationals in the fast-changing former pariah state.
	Most Western embargoes on Myanmar - which previously blocked exports from the Southeast Asian nation - have been lifted in response to wide-ranging democratic reforms introduced in 2011.
	"The garment industry stands poised to become a significant source of jobs, exports and opportunity for the people of this country," the US embassy said in a statement.
	"By producing its products from two factories in Yangon, Gap Inc. Becomes the first American retailer to enter the Myanmar market," it said.
	Gap will operate in partnership with the US Agency for International ...

Gap to be first US retailer to sell 'Made in Myanmar' goods

The world's largest platinum producers and striking South African miners were holding last-ditch talks under government mediation today in a bid to end a crippling five-month strike.
	Mineral Resources Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi, who in recent days injected fresh impetus into the stalled talks, said that today's negotiations were the last his meditators would be involved in.
	Ramatlhodi said he was "convinced we did enough work" for the negotiating parties to come to a settlement.
	Ministry spokesman Mahlodi Muofhe would not be drawn on the state of the talks Monday apart from telling AFP "we believe that they are talking to each other in good terms".
	After months of standing on the sidelines, the government stepped in at the end of May to try break the deadlock between the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) and the platinum mining firms.
	The government became involved following several rounds of failed negotiations after 80,000 platinum mine workers downed ...

S Africa govt in final bid to help end platinum strike

Clashes broke out in Nigeria's second-biggest city today as hundreds of supporters of the newly appointed emir of Kano battled with backers of his main rival for the key post.
	An AFP reporter in the ancient city said people turned out in force wearing white robes and red caps in solidarity with the new emir, the ousted former central bank chief Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.
	But as they headed to the state government headquarters, they came under attack from a rival crowd out in support of Sanusi's rival for the role, the late emir's eldest son, Aminu Ado Bayero.
	The reporter said he saw Sanusi supporters covered in blood and Bayero's backers armed with machetes, sticks and clubs.
	No soldiers were seen in the area, and unarmed traffic police and the city's so-called "morality police", the Hisbah, were trying to restore order, he added.
	The post of emir of Kano - the second-most senior Muslim leader in Nigeria - holds major influence across the north.
	Sanusi's appointment, announced by ...

Clashes in Nigeria's Kano over naming of religious leader

A radio broadcaster was shot dead in the Philippines today, police said, the third journalist in just over a month to be murdered in one of the most dangerous countries for media workers.
	A gunman riding a motorcycle shot Nilo Baculo, 67, from close range outside his home in the small, central city of Calapan, local police chief Superintendent Glicerio Cansilao said.
	"We are investigating whether it had something to do with his work, although at the moment we could not say categorically," Cansilao told AFP.
	He said Baculo used to work as a commentator and newsreader for the DWIM radio until it shut down last year.
	The Philippines is the third most dangerous country in the world to be a media worker, behind Syria and Iraq, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
	The Philippines is so dangerous because of what is described as a "culture of impunity", where powerful figures, such as politicians or businessmen, can organise the killing of journalists or ...

Another Philippine journalist murdered: police

Brazil avenging their traumatic 1950 World Cup final defeat by beating Uruguay in the final in July would be the ideal result, said Brazilian legend Pele.
     The 73-year-old three time World Cup winner said in answer to a question of whether he would like a Brazil v Argentina final on July 13 at the Maracana it would be much more to his taste to play Uruguay and beat them.
     "I would prefer to have a Brazil v Uruguay final in order that we could avenge our defeat in 1950," Pele told a select group of journalists invited by FIFA to a bar in Sao Paulo.
    	The Uruguayans stunned the 200,000 spectators at the Maracana into silence back in 1950 when a late goal earned them a 2-1 win and that was enough on the old system for them to be crowned world champions and not Brazil, who went into the match just requiring a draw.
    	The match earned the nickname the 'Maracanazo' on the back of it.
	Pele, the record goalscorer for Brazil, said that the importance of what football had done ...

Pele looks to Brazil avenging 'Maracanazo' in final

When outgoing Afghan leader Hamid Karzai moves out of the presidential palace post-elections to take up residence next door, he will be relinquishing power but not influence, as he seeks an active public role in his "retirement" years.
	Karzai is due to step down in the coming weeks after yesterday's run-off election, paving the way for Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power.
	The elections are meant to signal a fresh start for Afghanistan after the 13-year rule of Karzai dominated by the US-led military intervention that followed the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
	Karzai's relations with the US have collapsed, his regime is accused of massive corruption, and the country is still beset by the Taliban insurgency as NATO troops pull out and aid money declines.
	But any prediction that the new president can turn the page decisively looks misplaced.
	"The truth is that President Karzai built up such a vast patronage network that he has to stay influential to keep his people ...

Afghan President Karzai eyes active 'retirement'

China is in the forefront of the development of an "Internet of Things", leading the way with the number of machine-to-machine connections and opening a new market for operators, a study showed today.
	In the past four years the number of machine-to-machine connections via mobile networks has grown by 35 per cent annually and now accounts for more than 3 per cent of total mobile connections, according to the GSMA association of mobile operators.
	China has lead the way and accounts for 40 per cent of the total mobile machine-to-machine connections, ahead of the United States and Japan combined.
	Hooking up machines via mobile networks has already allowed for deployment of systems which allow for real-time monitoring of the location of buses, systems which direct drivers to free parking spots, and energy meters which report consumption automatically.
	Regulatory uncertainty has held back the deployment of machine-to-machine applications in some countries, while in China support from ...

China driving development of 'Internet of Things': report

Senior Iranian and US officials were poised to hold direct talks in Geneva today aimed at bridging gaps on Tehran's disputed nuclear programme ahead of a July deadline for a deal.
	For the Islamic republic, the goal is to make a leap towards ending the international sanctions that have battered its economy.
	For Washington and its allies, the aim is to make certain that what Iran says is a peaceful atomic power programme is not a covert attempt to build a nuclear bomb.
	The talks, at an upscale Geneva hotel, were expected to last two days.
	It is a traditional venue for closed-door diplomatic negotiations, most recently hosting sessions on Syria and Ukraine.
	Abbas Araqchi, Iran's vice foreign minister and nuclear pointman, said yesterday that the tete-a-tete with US officials was essential as the negotiations are delicately poised.
	The Geneva meeting marks the first time since the 1980s that Tehran and Washington have held official, direct talks on the nuclear issue outside the ...

Iran, US hold direct talks in Geneva for nuclear deal

Japan's prime minister told parliament today he would boost his efforts towards restarting commercial whaling, despite a top UN court's order that Tokyo must stop killing whales in the Antarctic.
	Shinzo Abe's comments put him firmly on a collision course with anti-whaling groups, who had hoped the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) would herald the beginning of the end for the mammal hunt.
	"I want to aim for the resumption of commercial whaling by conducting whaling research in order to obtain scientific data indispensable for the management of whale resources," Abe told a parliamentary commission.
	"To that end, I will step up efforts further to get understanding from the international community," he said.
	Abe said that in contrast to the foreign perception that whaling communities mercilessly exploit the giant mammals, whaling towns appreciate the meat and show respect to the creatures with religious services at the end of every hunting season.
	"It is regrettable 

Japan PM vows efforts to resume commercial whale hunt

A Vietnamese court today sentenced a disgraced banking tycoon to 30 years in jail over a multi-million dollar scandal that shocked the nation's already fragile financial markets.
	Nguyen Duc Kien, 50, was found guilty of fraud, tax evasion, illegal trade and "deliberate wrongdoing causing serious consequences", according to the verdict read at the Hanoi People's Court.
	"The accused was not honest and so must be given serious punishment in line with his crime," court president Nguyen Huu Chinh said at the end of the two-week trial today.
	Kien, who denied the charges against him, was given 30 years in jail and handed a USD 3.5 million fine.
	The flamboyant multi-millionaire went on trial alongside seven other defendants, all top bankers at Asia Commercial Bank (ACB), which counts global banking giant Standard Chartered as one of its "strategic partners".
	The other defendants were given sentences of between two and eight years. The most senior of the other defendants, the former ...

Vietnam banking tycoon given 30-year jail term

Libya's supreme court ruled today that the election of prime minister Ahmed Miitig in a chaotic session in the interim parliament in early May was unconstitutional.
	"The court has judged the election of Miitig at the General National Congress (the interim parliament) as unconstitutional," a judge at the court said after a short hearing.
	Outgoing premier Abdullah al-Thani had said he would await the judiciary's ruling before deciding whether to hand over power.
	The ruling will be examined by the administrative court today, lawyers said.
	Thani had announced his resignation earlier this year after an armed attack on his family, but he insisted that his successor should be chosen by a new parliament rather than its contested predecessor and refused to recognise Miitig's cabinet.
	Miitig, 42, an independent backed by the Islamists, had been due to lead the country for a short interim period until June 25, when the country is due to hold an election to replace the GNC.
	The GNC was ...

AFP

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