Asian shares mixed after weak China data

ASIAN shares have closed mixed following data showing that Chinese manufacturing activity shrank further in July, adding to mounting concerns about the world's second-biggest economy.

Profit-takers also weighed on bourses following the previous day's regional rally, although the Dow provided another record-breaking lead.

Tokyo on Wednesday slipped 0.32 per cent, or 47.23 points, to 14,731.28 and Shanghai was down 0.52 per cent, or 10.55 points, at 2,033.33. Hong Kong added 0.24 per cent, or 53.51 points, to 21,968.93.

But Sydney rose 0.36 per cent, or 18.0 points, to 5,035.1 and Seoul finished 0.42 per cent higher, adding 7.93 points to 1,912.08.

HSBC's preliminary Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) of Chinese manufacturing activity fell to 47.7 in July - an 11-month low - from a final reading of 48.2 in June.

A figure above 50 points to growth while anything below shows a contraction.

"The lower reading of the July HSBC Flash China Manufacturing PMI suggests a continuous slowdown in manufacturing sectors thanks to weaker new orders and faster destocking," HSBC economist Qu Hongbin said in a statement.

The result is the latest in a series of data suggesting previous double-digit growth rates in China are a thing of the past as Beijing looks to shift its growth engine from exports to domestic consumption.

Shanghai at one point tumbled more than one per cent, but it pared those losses towards the end of the day.

The market had climbed almost two per cent on Tuesday after a report that Premier Li Keqiang had said economic growth should not be allowed to fall below seven per cent. The comments suggested the government would be willing to step in with support should the economy look to be in trouble.

HSBC's Qu added: "As Beijing has recently stressed to secure the minimum level of growth required to ensure stable employment, the flash PMI reinforces the need to introduce additional fine-tuning measures to stabilise growth."

On Wall Street, the Dow was up 0.14 per cent to yet another record high, although the S&P 500 gave up 0.19 per cent and the Nasdaq slid 0.59 per cent.

US shares were hit by a mixed bag of corporate earnings, although a surprisingly downbeat manufacturing report reinforced expectations the Federal Reserve would hold off winding down its stimulus anytime soon.

In Asian forex trading, the US dollar bought Y100.00 compared with Y99.48 in New York late on Tuesday, while the euro fetched $US1.3237 and Y132.39, against $US1.3222 and Y131.53.

In oil markets New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate for delivery in September, was up 17 US cents at $US107.40 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for September delivery shed 22 US cents to $US108.20.

Gold cost $US1,340.09 per ounce at 1800 AEST, compared with $US1,328.50 late on Tuesday.

In other markets:

- Wellington rose 0.51 per cent, or 18.61 points, to 4,599.20.

Telecom was up 0.86 per cent at $NZ2.35 and Contact Energy rose 0.55 per cent to $NZ5.50.

- Manila rose 0.90 per cent, or 60.95 points, to 6,804.16.

- Taipei fell 0.22 per cent, or 18.46 points, to 8,196.19.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co put on 2.0 per cent to $Tw102.0, while smartphone maker HTC fell 2.85 per cent to $Tw170.5.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Man charged over NSW road death

A MAN has been charged with running over a pedestrian found fatally injured in northern NSW five months ago.

The 58-year-old was discovered with extensive injuries lying in Wallaby Lane at Brooms Head on February 5.

He was taken to Lismore Hospital where he later died.

Police on Wednesday charged a 52-year-old with dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death over the incident.

He's due before Maclean Local Court on September 10.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chinese bank no longer world's largest

Who'd want to be a Bronco: Tallis

BRONCOS great Gorden Tallis has taken a sledgehammer to the battling club, saying he wouldn't want to play with many in the current squad.

Apple hacker breaks silence

A LONDON developer claiming to be the person behind the hack on Apple's developer site last week says he did it because the company failed to do anything about security flaws he had reported.

Plane awkward encounter caught on camera

A PASSENGER has filmed an extremely awkward close encounter with a sleepy seatmate on a plane. Watch the lengths he goes to in order to escape from the situation.

What not to say to a new mum

AS BRITAIN'S Prince William and his wife, Kate, move along on their parenting journey, it seems even the queen has had a what-not-to-say moment.

The filthy rich who own Australia

AUSTRALIA'S super rich aren't a new breed, with three old-monied families retaining their long-held reign as the nation's wealthiest dynasties.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rheinmetall, MAN in $A1.6bn ADF deal

GERMAN defence technology group Rheinmetall says its military vehicles joint venture with truck maker MAN has landed a 1.1 billion euro ($A1.58 billion)) contract in Australia.

"The Australian Defence Force has contracted with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) to supply it with an extensive fleet of advanced logistical vehicles," Rheinmetall said in a statement on Tuesday.

As part of a modernisation program, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) would procure "some 2,500 protected and non-protected logistical vehicles from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Australia," the statement said.

The contract covered trucks "in a number of different weight classes in various configurations," Rheinmetall continued.

They would include medium and heavyweight recovery vehicles, heavy-duty logistical vehicles, integrated load handling systems, as well as medium-sized cargo bed variants with cranes, fuel and water modules and tipper bodies.

Rheinmetall said RMMV had beaten leading European and US rivals to secure the contract in what had been "a hard-fought contest."

16.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Afghan donkey bomber kills 3 NATO soldiers

A SUICIDE bomber rode a donkey into an Afghan and NATO military convoy, killing three Western soldiers and their Afghan interpreter, officials say.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force confirmed three casualties in a bombing in eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, but gave no details.

Afghan authorities said the attack happened in Wardak province, a hotbed of the Taliban insurgency just south of the capital Kabul.

Ataullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial administration, said a suicide bomber riding a donkey blew himself up and killed three NATO soldiers and their Afghan interpreter.

Four Afghan soldiers who were also in the convoy in Sayedabad district were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Taliban are behind almost all the suicide attacks in the country.

Along with roadside bombings, the suicide attacks - often carried out by multiple insurgents storming buildings and government facilities in big cities - are the group's main tactic.

Wardak is traversed by the highway between Kabul and southern and western provinces, including the key city of Kandahar in the south.

16.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tokyo points to recovery in Japan economy

Japan's Cabinet Office says the economy is showing some movements on the way to recovery. Source: AAP

JAPAN has lifted its view of the world's third-largest economy, as the government used the word "recovery" for the first time in a nearly a year and hinted an end to deflation was near.

The upbeat outlook comes after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party won upper house elections on Sunday, giving him more legislative muscle to press on with a big-spending program aimed at boosting growth.

In its July report, the Cabinet Office gave its third monthly upgrade, saying: "The economy is picking up steadily and shows some movements on the way to recovery."

It is the first time it has used the word in 10 months.

Officials added that years of falling prices, which have crimped private spending and business investment, appear to be reversing course.

"Recent price developments indicate that deflation is easing," it said.

The comments from the government come after the Bank of Japan this month also used the word "recover" for the first time since 2011, pointing to a pick-up in investment as well as consumer and business confidence.

Voters on Sunday gave the thumbs up to Abe's efforts to drag Japan out of long-running deflation with a mix of big government spending and monetary easing, similar to the US Federal Reserve's huge stimulus drive.

Official data indicate the efforts are working as consumer prices in May were flat from year-earlier levels, after half a year of declining figures.

The moves have also pushed the yen down sharply since late last year - giving a boost to exports - as the economy grew at an annualised rate of 4.1 per cent in the first quarter.

But, while the outlook was upbeat, an annual government report on Tuesday cautioned that the national debt, already the worst among industrialised nations at more than twice the size of the economy, had to be reined in.

"Improving Japan's fiscal health is a pressing issue, given sovereign debt crises" in Europe, it said.

Tokyo is set to make a decision later this year on hiking the nation's sales tax, which is seen as crucial for getting its fiscal house in order.

However, there are fears tax increases could bring bring a halt to Abe's momentum, as Tokyo looks at ushering in painful structural reforms to the economy that have stirred concern among cosseted industries such as the farming sector.

16.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

NZ pet sheep killed in 'grotesque manner'

NEW Zealand police are on the hunt for party-goers they believe brutally attacked a pet sheep and set it on fire on its owner's doorstep.

The pet sheep was stolen from the Dunedin property early on Sunday morning, before it was discovered by its owners, burning at their front door.

Police said the sheep was killed in a "grotesque manner" with it's head stomped on so badly it's skull was crushed.

"Then what we think happened is the sheep was put in a wheelbarrow and taken back up to where they've taken it from and put it on the front door step and set it alight," Sergeant Dean Pearce told AAP.

Police believe the thief or thieves were attending a party at a nearby residence when they took the sheep.

"At the party, there were a number of intoxicated persons," Sergeant Pearce said.

"You could draw the conclusion that perhaps the people are known to each other, given the fact that the property is well off the road and you wouldn't know the sheep was there."

He said police had been given some names, but were searching for more people who may have been involved.

If caught, the culprits face charges of burglary and cruelty to an animal.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newman stands by police minister

QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman is backing his police minister who is accused of manufacturing an official event in Cairns to coincide with a personal trip.

Labor's Bill Byrne asked Jack Dempsey last week in a budget estimates hearing whether he instructed staff to prepare official business, which would enable him to use his government travel allowance.

An email from Mr Dempsey's senior media adviser to police media on May 21, 2012, explained that the minister was visiting Cairns on a personal trip and asked if there was a "quick event we can throw together for this?".

The visit, on May 26-27, was Mr Dempsey's first to Cairns as police minister.

He met emergency service workers and police.

Mr Newman believes the case is closed and Mr Dempsey doesn't have any questions to answer.

"He was the new police minister, getting going in the job, and I have no problems what he was doing in terms of asking what the availability was to go out and talk about local issues," Mr Newman said.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

At least 54 dead in twin China quakes

AT least 54 people have been killed and more than 300 severely injured when two shallow earthquakes struck northwest China , officials said, as rescuers battled to reach survivors in the remote, mountainous area.

The local government in Dingxi in Gansu province, where the 5.9- and 5.6-magnitude tremors struck, gave the figures on its verified social media account.

"More than 21,000 buildings were severely damaged and more than 1,200 have collapsed," an official at the provincial earthquake bureau told AFP, adding that 371 aftershocks had been recorded.

The US Geological Survey said the initial 5.9-magnitude quake hit at 7:45 am , with its epicentre 151 kilometres west of Beidao in Gansu at a depth of just 9.8 kilometres.

A second 5.6-magnitude tremor hit the same region at 9:12 am and was 10.1 kilometres deep, USGS said.

A resident of Min county said he was at work at a medicine production plant when the tremor struck and he saw tower blocks shake "ferociously".

"I was in the workshop. I felt violent shaking and so I ran to the yard of the plant immediately," said the man, surnamed Ma.

"Our factory is only one floor. When I came to the yard, I saw an 18 storey building, the tallest in our county, shaking ferociously, especially the 18th floor."

An official surnamed He from the Min county Communist Party committee told AFP there were more than 200 injured in seven affected townships in the area.

While Gansu is one of China's more sparsely populated provinces, Dingxi city, which includes the worst-hit counties, has a population of about 2.7 million.

A report on the 163.com internet news portal said 500 troops, including 120 specialised rescuers were on their way to the disaster zone.

Pictures broadcast on state television showed rural villages with rubble-strewn streets.

A total of 380 buildings collapsed and thousands were damaged in Zhang county, according to an online post by the Dingxi local government. Communications were cut off in 13 towns in the county, the official Xinhua news agency said, and power was off in some areas.

The quake was felt in the provincial capital Lanzhou and as far away as Xian, the capital of the neighbouring province of Shaanxi, Xinhua reported.

People posting on China's hugely popular microblogs expressed sympathy for the victims. "I hope the dead will rest in peace," read one typical remark.

Beijing's own China Earthquake Networks Centre put the magnitude of the larger quake at 6.6, it added.

The China Earthquake Administration said the same fault zone was linked to a magnitude 8.0 quake on July 21, 1654, Xinhua added.

The USGS rated Monday's main tremor at seven on its "shakemap", with shaking perceived to be "very strong" and the potential to cause "moderate" damage.

Weather reports also said rain was expected in the area, which could hamper rescue efforts in the mountainous region.

Disaster relief agencies have sent 500 tents and 2,000 quilts to the quake-hit area, Xinhua said.

Much of western China is prone to earthquakes.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nurses to strike at 160 NSW hospitals

Nurses and midwives will strike at more than 160 public hospitals and community health services. Source: AAP

NURSES and midwives at every major hospital in NSW will be walking off the job on Wednesday.

Staff at more than 160 public hospitals and community health services across the state have notified the union about their plans to strike.

They are protesting over what they say is the state government's failure to provide safe nurse staffing levels.

NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association General Secretary Brett Holmes said more branches were expected to join the cause by Wednesday.

"For a few hundred million dollars a year the state government can dramatically improve patient care in our public hospitals," he said in a statement on Sunday.

The union wants one nurse to four patients in all general medical, surgical and acute inpatient mental health wards.

It's also calling for one nurse per three children in general children's wards and one nurse to three patients in emergency departments.

The extra staffing would "save lives and money", Mr Holmes said, adding that the nurse-to-patient ratios needed to be consistent at every hospital in NSW, including those in the country.

A special general meeting will be held at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre from 11.30am (AEST) on Wednesday, with a live webcast to 17 regional centres, including Albury, Broken Hill, Kempsey, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga.

During the strike life-preserving services will be maintained in all hospitals and community health services, the union said.

16.41 | 0 komentar | Read More