Worldwide News

Can the nation’s businesses bounce back from a string of adversities, including the Great East Japan Earthquake, to achieve an early V-shaped recovery? Every company must exercise its ingenuity in crafting an aggressive strategy. Now is the peak of the season for announcements of settlements of accounts by companies listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the business year ended in March. Overall, the firms in the TSE’s major section seem to have fallen short of achieving earnings growth for the third consecutive year, with most expected to post declines in profit in spite of rises to some degree in revenues. The March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami disaster disrupted…

BRUSSELS — The European Union says that a recession brought on by a crippling debt crisis could give way to a modest recovery later this year — provided governments persevere on the tough austerity track. It suggested that more growth-enhancing measures can be pursued alongside strict budgetary controls but only as long as they do not detract from reaching deficit reduction targets. In its half-yearly economic projections, the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, said Friday that the economy of the 17 countries that use the euro will shrink…

EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press= UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. envoy in Libya said Thursday there are positive signs that the country is moving toward democracy but longstanding tensions have escalated into armed conflicts, detainees are still being tortured, and there is rising discontent among former revolutionary fighters. Less than seven months after the end of Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year dictatorship, Libyans are increasingly exercising their freedom of speech and have a strong desire to be consulted on national issues and a determination to hold their leaders accountable, Ian Martin told the U.N. Security Council. But he said that as the country prepares for the election of a…

UN Humanitarian chief Valerie Amos speaks to reporters in Kabul, Afghanistan. UN Photo/Fardin Waezi10 May 2012 – The top United Nations relief official today called for greater efforts to build the resilience and preparedness of the people of Afghanistan to natural disasters, given the country’s vulnerability to floods and droughts that affect large segments of the population every year. “Annual…

KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO says a bomb attack has killed one of its service members in southern Afghanistan, while another has died of non-battle related injuries. NATO provided no other details about Saturday’s deaths, including the nationalities of the troops. The coalition normally waits for member nations to provide those details. Elsewhere, the spokesman for the governor of the northwestern province of Badghis says four police officers were killed Saturday when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Qadis district. So far this month, 16 NATO service members have been killed in…

India has more than 10,500 drug makers with a domestic turnover of nearly $9bn. Yet, something is rotten with the way drugs are tested and sold in the country. A has found serious issues with the way approvals for foreign drugs are given and clinical trials are being carried out. Here are some of the startling findings: Of the 42 drugs picked up randomly for scrutiny by the panel, the health ministry could not provide any documents on three drugs - pefloxacin, lomefloxacin and sparfloxacin. Reason: their files were untraceable. The documents related to sponsors, clinical trials, overseas regulatory status, names of experts consulted and post-marketing safety reports. "All these drugs…

It was the first outburst from the normally subdued crowd watching the terror trial in Oslo’s district court since the proceedings began in mid-April. Journalists watching the proceedings in the court room and through a live broadcast at the court’s press center said the man got up and took of his shoe and threw it at Breivik, but missed. The shoe hit the chair of one of his defense lawyers, Norwegian broadcaster NRK said. The man yelled "go to hell" and "you killer" before he was escorted out of the court room by security guards, a Swedish journalist watching the trial in the press center told The Associated Press. "Some spectators were uncomfortable. Some started…