<p>LONDON - BRITISH mobile phone giant Vodafone has announced the sale of its 3.2 per cent stake in China Mobile for around 4.3 billion pounds (S$8.9 billion).</p><p>The sale, announced late on Tuesday, is the first in what is expected to be a series of sell-offs of Vodafone's minority holdings as it seeks to focus on core markets in a bid to improve its share price.</p>

Vodafone sells minority stake

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<p> SINGAPORE - ASIA-PACIFIC airlines are raising ticket prices as travellers return in their droves after holding back on their travel plans last year because of the global recession. </p><p>A strong economic rebound, led by China, has resulted in carriers filling more seats during the summer holidays and demand should remain robust despite slower expansion in the second half of this year, industry analysts said. </p>

Air fares rise with demand

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<p>MANILA - A POWERFUL Muslim politician went on trial on Wednesday, accused of murdering 57 people in the worst political massacre in the Philippines, AFP reporters in the courtroom said. </p><p>The first witness, a man named Lakmudin Suliya, climbed onto the stand after lower court judge Jocelyn Reyes rejected a motion by lawyers for main defendant Andal Ampatuan Jnr to move back the start of the trial 10 days. </p>

Massacre trial begins

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<p>THE National Environment Agency issued a heavy rain warning on Wednesday, with heavy showers and thunder expected between 10.15am and midday. </p><p>Flash floods may occur in low-lying areas in the event of heavy rain, the Public Utilities Board said in the same statement.</p>

Heavy rain expected: NEA

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<p> TOKYO- JAPAN'S current account surplus rose for the first time in three months in July, boosted by increased trade with other Asian nations, government data showed on Wednesday. </p><p>The surplus in the current account - the broadest measure of trade with the rest of the world - went up by 26.1 percent from a year earlier to 1.676 trillion yen (20 billion dollars) in July, the finance ministry said. </p>

Japan's July trade surplus up

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<p>Plan your journey when using the Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints this Hari Raya Puasa.</p><p>With Hari Raya Puasa coinciding with the end of the week-long school holidays, heavy traffic build-up is expected to start from Thursday and to last through the weekend, said the Land Transport Authority (LTA).</p>

Heavy traffic at checkpoints

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<p> TOKYO (AP) - JAPAN'S machinery orders, a key gauge of future business investment, rose 8.8 per cent in July from the previous month, the government said on Wednesday.</p><p>The result marks the second straight month of increase as solid overseas demand drove company spending. The figure surpassed Kyodo news agency's average market forecast for a 1.5 per cent rise. </p>

Japan machinery up 8.8%

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<p>SINGAPORE shares opened lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index at 3,017.14 in early trade, down 0.62 per cent, or 18.95 points.</p><p>Around 70.2 million shares exchanged hands.</p>

STI opens lower

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<p>PETALING JAYA - WILDLIFE trafficker Anson Wong may be behind bars, but an animal collector claims several pet shops in the Klang Valley are still receiving their supply from sources related to him.</p><p>Nicholas Lee (not his real name), who has a collection of over 50 exotic pets, claimed that a pet shop owner told him that its supply of wild animals would not be cut off although Wong had been sentenced to six months in jail.</p>

Wildlife trade is still roaring

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<p>KULAIJAYA - A 19-YEAR-OLD female trainee pilot was killed when the plane she was flying crashed into an oil palm plantation in Ladang Sri Pulai here.</p><p>Dione Woon Yong Chin, who suffered severe burns, died at the scene while her examiner, Kpt Zaini Ramli, 38, from the Department of Civil Aviation survived the crash. He has been warded at the Sultan Ismail Hospital for burns.</p>

Teen pilot dies in plane crash

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<p>LONDON - THE BBC World Service could face drastic budget cuts that may force it to withdraw from Myanmar, a move that critics fear would be a 'gift to the military junta', a report said on Wednesday.</p><p>The Foreign Office, the British government department which funds the World Service through an annual grant, has told executives to be ready for a possible cut to its budget of 25 per cent from April 2011, said the Guardian newspaper.</p>

BBC may axe Myanmar office

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<p><b> TOKYO</b><br>Japanese share prices lost 1.97 per cent by noon on Wednesday, dragged down by worries that the strong yen would erode exporters? profits, brokers said.</p><p>The headline Nikkei-225 index fell 181.61 points to end the morning session at 9,044.39. The Topix index of all first section shares of the Tokyo Stock Exchange dropped 1.70 per cent or 14.18 points to 820.74.</p>

Asian stocks open lower

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<p>PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong has congratulated his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard on her 'hard-fought victory' at the recent federal elections and her reappointment as PM of the country.</p><p>In a congratulatory letter on Monday to Ms Gillard, who retained power by a tiny, one-seat majority, PM Lee also renewed his invitation to the Labor Party leader to make an official visit to Singapore.</p>

PM invites Gillard to S'pore

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<p>A CHINESE national was hit and killed by a train that was travelling from Malaysia to Singapore early Tuesday morning.</p><p>Her body, which sustained facial injuries, was found near the railway track off Hillview Avenue. </p>

Woman killed by train

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<p>COLOGNE (Germany) - GERMANY striker Miroslav Klose took his tally to 55 international goals with a double in the 6-1 rout of Azerbaijan to fire his side to the top of their Euro 2012 qualification group.</p><p>Before the game, Klose received a special presentation for winning his 100th cap during the World Cup and he capped his 103rd appearance with two goals to leave him as joint second Germany goal-scorer of all time.</p>

Klose double sinks Azerbaijan

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<p>OSLO - RUDDERLESS Portugal did themselves no favours here on Tuesday, losing 1-0 to Norway to leave them trailing in their Euro 2012 qualifying group after the opening skirmishes. </p> <p>The hosts and beaten finalists of Euro 2004 were held to a shock 4-4 draw at home to minnows Cyprus on Friday, and after failing to pick up any points from this trip to Oslo are languishing in fourth in Group H. </p>

Norway edge Portugal

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<p>FLORENCE - ITALY were far from brilliant yet still managed to secure an easy 5-0 win over the Faroes Islands at the Stadio Artemio Franchi here on Tuesday.</p><p>The win was enough to put Italy in control of Group C following their 2-1 success in Estonia on Friday.</p>

Italy stroll past Faroes to top

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<p>NEW YORK - WALL Street stocks closed low on Tuesday as traders returning from a long weekend holiday cashed in on last week's robust gains amid concerns over the European banking system.</p> <p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 107.24 points (1.03 per cent) to 10,340.69 at the closing bell, while the broader S&P 500 index shed 12.67 points (1.15 per cent) to 1,091.84 points.</p>

US stocks slide over concerns

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<p>WASHINGTON - BANKS on both sides of the Atlantic must be better prepared for hard times, the head of the European Central Bank said on Tuesday in the midst of renewed concerns about the health of Europe's financial houses. </p> <p>Stressing the need for a 'more solid' and 'more resilient' banking sector Jean-Claude Trichet told US television station CNBC there was a need for capital to be 'reinforced'. His comments, recorded at the weekend, were broadcast amid fears about the rigidity of recent European bank 'stress tests' dominated global stock markets. </p>

Capital must be 'reinforced'

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<p>WASHINGTON - PRESIDENT Barack Obama's pick to be his new budget chief will face a key US Senate committee next week in a confirmation hearing barely seven weeks before key elections, the panel announced on Tuesday. </p> <p>Jacob Lew will likely face fierce questioning on the administration's economic outlook and plans for government spending as well as scheduled tax hikes when he goes before the Senate Budget Committee on Sept 16. </p>

Obama's pick to face grilling

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