South Africa's President Jacob Zuma has warned the West that it needs to change its "colonial" approach towards Africa or risk losing to competition from China and other developing nations.
On the 5th of February, Wen Jiabao informed that the growth target for 2013 was left unchanged at 7.5 percent. While the leaders did not decide to change growth target, they modified inflation goal establishing it at the level of 3.5 percent.
If there is anybody or any entity more than prepared to welcome the new 266th pope of the Roman Catholic church, that must be the family-owned Gammarelli tailor shop which has dressed the papacy ever since the 18th century.
Thomson Reuters has released on Tuesday its latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2012-2013 where six Australian institutions made it to the list of the global top 100.
Majority of the cardinal electors are already present in Vatican, hobnobbing with each other in and outside private meetings. But this majority chose not to determine yet a date for the start of the papal conclave as they wait for the arrival of 12 more fellow cardinals. In the meantime, talks on corruption and sex issues hounded the first day of pre-conclave meetings on Monday.
Had he researched much better and prepared enough, self-proclaimed Bishop Ralph Napierski may have been able to penetrate, witness and even mingle in this year's highly guarded and secluded papal conclave up to the very end. But the black fedora hat, when it should have been a red skullcap, and the glaring purple or magenta scarf, when it should have been a red sash, gave him away.
First Monday of March and the 115 Catholic cardinals responsible to elect the new pope are getting ready to work in a series of meetings in Vatican City.
The Hurun Report has released its Global Rich List 2013 where it stated that most of the world's top billionaires are found in Asia.
Now that Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger has formally relinquished his papal duties as the 265th pope, all focus is now on who will emerge the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The anticipation is not only felt by believers of the faith but also by punters who aim to earn cash as the stakes go higher and higher at online betting forums.
At 1900 GMT on Thursday, Feb. 28, the secular faith Roman Catholic Church enters a period known as "Sede Vacante" or Vacant See. Immediately, a senior cardinal, who will be referred as "camerlengo" or chamberlain, temporarily takes over interim powers of the Catholic Church until such time a new pope is elected.
At 1900 GMT on Thursday, Feb. 28, the secular faith Roman Catholic Church enters a period known as "Sede Vacante" or Vacant See. Immediately, a senior cardinal, who will be referred as "camerlengo" or chamberlain, temporarily takes over interim powers of the Catholic Church until such time a new pope is elected.
In the midst of the sexual abuse crisis now hounding the Roman Catholic church which ironically is in its most critical period in selecting the new pope, believers of the faith say it is not enough that the highly anticipated new leader is just plain spiritual or has charisma to convert bigots into the secular religion.
During his term as spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic church, he was merely known as Pope Benedict XVI. But on Feb. 28 at 8:00 p.m., once his resignation and abdication becomes official, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger will get to maintain and be conferred three titles by the Vatican: His Holiness Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus or Roman Pontiff Emeritus.
Things are getting out of hand. Recent credit growth data from China's economy should be enough to excite the bears and the bulls alike. Total social financing, the metric of credit growth used to encapsulate both bank and non-bank lending in China, was a whopping US$400 billion in January alone. Or $4.8 trillion annualised!
The UK is expected to benefit from an increase in North Sea investment as oil and gas companies will spend at least £13 billion in 2013. What is interesting is the fact that 2013 North Sea spending is estimated to reach its highest level in 30 years.
Initial data on China's manufacturing activity indicated a sharp decrease in February, raising concerns over the recovery of the Asian dragon. The deceleration was driven by weak global demand for China's exports and the timing of the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. A survey by HSBC and Markit Economics showed that China's manufacturing expanded at the slowest rate in four months.
Huawei, the Chinese smartphone company and the world's third-largest maker, released on Sunday what it claims the world's fastest smartphone to date, the Ascend P2.
We may have some of the world's most liveable cities, but Australian children (and adults) live a severely deprived life. It's probably got something to do with the time difference, but the cultural phenomenon of 'Domino Day' never seems to feature on Australian television screens. Even when Kylie Minogue received the world's ultimate honour of knocking over the first domino in 2001, nobody in Australia got to watch, as far as we know.
Singapore, the better business destination, informed that its economy expanded in the fourth quarter of 2012 more than initially expected, proving that Asia is slowly recovering. However, it has been underlined that the outlook for the Singapore's economy was "cautiously positive," indicating that growth is expected to reach 1 - 3 percent for 2013.
In what could be his last final stand before actual resignation day, outgoing Pope Benedict XVI is mulling to implement last-minute changes to the 99-yea- old procedures surrounding a papal conclave in a bid seen to hold this year's much anticipated assembly of cardinals at a much earlier date, or on Mar. 10.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, cracked on Wednesday a joke about the Philippine migration phenomenon, telling a Filipina nurse at the opening of a ￡5.5-million cardiac centre that "The Philippines must be half-empty - you're all here running the NHS."
Newest data showed that China's foreign direct investment slumped as much as 7.3 percent in January on a year-on-year basis.
A few days from now, or on Feb 28 to be exact, Pope Benedict XVI, the 265th pope, officially steps down as head of the secular Roman Catholic religion.From then it begins the month-long arduous process of choosing and electing the next pope of the world's 1 billion Catholics.
China has bested the United States of America to now become the world's biggest market for smartphone and tablet devices, a no mean feat since it is by far the world's most populous country.
New Zealand's major telecoms players, Telecom, Vodafone and Telstra, announced on Tuesday that they have entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding that would pave for the construction of a new $60 million worth fiber-optic cable connecting New Zealand with Australia. Opposition parties in the country immediately slammed the concept as furthering the already monopolistic nature of connectivity and pricing that they already have.
Thailand witnessed strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2012 as industry recovered from effects of severe floods. The result of 3.6 percent growth topped analysts' estimates. The Thailand's economy and other Asian countries demonstrated resistance to the struggling global economy as local and domestic demand increased.
China has fired up its first nuclear power plant after the destructive 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, near Wafangdian in Liaoning province at its northeast portion.
Finding the exclusive Catholic mass services for gays and lesbians being offered at a Soho London church directly running against the teachings of the Roman Catholic hierarchy, the archbishop who had approved its concept in 2007 has called for the closure of the services.
Australian boys on Friday became the first in the world to receive a vaccine against the dreaded cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV). A $21 million worth program, boys aged 12-13 will be the priority to get vaccinated with Gardasil, and then the aged 14-15 in coming months as part of a catch-up programme.
While the world ponders and debates on the real reason behind the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, another rampage has heated up, this time a sale storm where souvenir relics of everything related to the 265th Pope must go and be sold.
