Single auto parts maker shakes S Korea's auto industry

A single auto engine parts maker shook South Korea's auto industry. One of the country's auto parts makers went on strike on May 18, resulting in suspended production of some models in top automaker Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors.Workers at Yoosung Enterprise started a walkout on Wednesday last week after the management and the labor union failed to agree on working conditions and wages. Yoosung provides key engine parts such as piston rings, cylinder liners and camshafts for Hyundai, Kia, GM Korea, Renault Samsung Motors and Ssangyong Motor.Following 11 rounds of failed negotiation, unionized workers at Yoosung staged a sit-in and the management shut down two of its five factories in the nation in response to the labor dispute. Angry union members occupied production lines and...

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China- Myanmar relations head for new high: ambassador

The upcoming state visit of Myanmar President U Thein Sein to China would certainly push the two countries' strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation towards a new high, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Li Junhua told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on the eve of the president's visit.At the invitation his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, President U Thein Sein is to pay the first ever state visit to China from Thursday to Saturday in the capacity of a Myanmar top leader after the new government took office.Leading over 10 government ministers, U Thein Sein will pay the state visit to Beijing and there will be talks and meetings with Chinese leaders, Ambassador Li said.Li disclosed that during the visit, a number of bilateral cooperation accords or framework agreements between government departments...

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Nan'ao One: Underwater archaeology lacks experts

The wreck of the Nan'ao 0ne is one of 200 underwater heritage sites in China. Despite its relatively late start, the field of underwater archaeology in China is making significant progress. But as Zhang Nini finds out, even with financial backing from the government, a lack of professional expertise is hampering advances.Into the murky depths of the sea. China's archaeological teams are diving deep in search for past civilizations.A group of twenty archaeologists are taking turns to plunge into the South China Sea, where they uncover troves of cultural artifacts from Nan'ao One, a Ming dynasty sunken vessel.They are each equipped with a face mask which allows real time communication with the headquarters, underwater flashlights with a backup bulb; a knife to cut through fishnet trappings,...

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NATO airstrike kills 19, injures 130 in Tripoli: Libyan gov't spokesman

A NATO airstrike killed 19 people and injured over 130 others in the libyan capital Tripoli overnight Tuesday, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.Moussa Ibrahim told Xinhua that the drastic air raid, the heaviest against the capital in more than two months, lasted over one hour, and also caused huge property dama...

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Posted in: injures 130 in Tripoli: Libyan gov't spokesman,NATO airstrike kills 19

Spanish cyclist found dead in freak accident

A cyclist from the Spanish Movistar team, Xavier Tondo, died in a freak accident on Monday as he set out to train for the upcoming Tour de FranceTondo who won a stage on the Paris-Nice race and finished sixth in the Tour of Spain had also won the 2011 Tour of Castilla and Leon. The 32-year-old was found by police crushed between a garage door and his car.He was planning to join his colleague Alejandro Valverde in the Sierra Nevada for some long distance training. He made headlines earlier this year when he blew the whistle on a doping ring. He informed authorities after receiving emails in which he was offered banned substances.His body was taken to the Independent Forensic Institute in Granada where his family members and Movistar team officials later gathered.Movistar officials said they...

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Australia's Cougar Energy to open Beijing office for China UCG Projects

Australia's Cougar Energy Ltd will open an office in Beijing to grow its underground coal gasification (UCG) projects in China and across the Asian region, the company announced on Wednesday.Cougar says the Beijing office will be headed by Kevin Garner, who has been appointed as General Manager Asia from June 1, 2011.Garner, a chartered engineer and Chinese resident, will be responsible for technical and operational aspects of executing the UCG projects.Cougar on Wednesday also announced the appointment of Alyssa Liao as Commercial Adviser to the company.Liao is a former private banker with UBS and HSBC and will be based in Shanghai, Cougar sa...

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Peru, China sign 3.07-mln-dollar cooperation agreement

Peru and China on Tuesday signed an agreement on bilateral economic and technical cooperation, under which China would grant assistance worth 20 million yuan (3.07 million U.S. dollars) to the South American country.The money will be used in Peru's education, culture and health sectors.Chinese Ambassador to Peru Zhao Wuyi and Carlos Pando, executive director of the Peruvian Agency for International Cooperation, inked the deal."The signing of this agreement reaffirms the friendship and mutual understanding between both countries and shows China's firm support to Peru's social and economic development," Zhao said."Trade isn't the full content of bilateral cooperation. There are many potential areas for both sides to increase cooperation, including sectors such as anti-poverty fight and infrastructure...

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Posted in: China sign 3.07-mln-dollar cooperation agreement,Peru

EU representative hails Honduras deal

EU's permanent representative in Central America, Mendel Goldstein, on Tuesday hailed the agreement to end Honduras' political crisis.Honduran President Porfirio Lobo and exiled leader Manuel Zelaya signed an agreement over the weekend to allow Zelaya's return, ending a two-year-old political crisis.Goldstein said the deal was important for the entire Latin American region. It not only brings the nation one step closer to return as a member of the Organization of American States (OAS), but constitutes an important step toward political reconciliation, he said.Honduras was suspended from the OAS after Zelaya was removed from power in June 2009. With the new agreement, the Central American country is expected to be allowed back to the OAS at next general meetings scheduled for June 5-6 in El...

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Greek opposition: No new austerity

 The main Greek opposition leader is refusing to back additional austerity measures, designed to tackle the country's debt crisis. The New Democracy Party says the changes would only deepen the current recession, despite the European Union's insistence on multi-faceted support.Top EU finance officials are arguing that Greece needs all of its political groups to back the latest debt-cutting plans, in order to ensure smooth implementation.They also stress the importance of the Greek opposition's support for receiving the next installment of the bailout due in late June.Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has met with the heads of competing factions to seek consensus, a day after the country announced extra measures to shrink its budget deficit.But he's being rebuffed by the main opposition...

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Arrest warrant issued for former Colombian secret service director

Bogota's criminal division of the Superior Court Wednesday ordered the arrest of a former secret service director who has been accused of participating in illegal spying during the administration of former President Alvaro Uribe.Maria del Pilar Hurtado, who was granted territorial asylum in Panama last November, served as director of the Department of Administrative Security (DAS). She has been accused of ordering the illegal wiretapping and surveillance of opposition politicians, High Court judges and journalists."The long list of facts for the prosecution, although in some areas undermined by the activities of the defenders, is still allowed to make reasonable that there can be criminal offenses for which a trial is necessary," Luis Fernando Ramirez, the judge at the criminal division of...

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AIDS-plagued province to cooperate with UK on epidemic prevention

 Authorities in central China's Henan Province said it would collaborate with the UK HPA (Health Protection Agency) and Birmingham Heartlands Hospital in a joint battle against AIDS.The two sides have agreed to advance research on AIDS control and prevention by diagnosing and treating AIDS patients in Henan, among the worst hit of Chinese provinces by the epidemic, said Liang Rui, an official at the Health Department of Henan."Birmingham Heartlands Hospital has experience in treating AIDS patients with drug-resistance, and they are interested in our remedy that uses traditional Chinese medicines," Liang said.Both sides will send experts and doctors on exchange tours. Doctors from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital will provide consulting services through the Internet, Liang said.Liang said...

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Cargo handling at S Korea's seaports rises 7.7% in April

The volume of cargo handled at seaports in South Korea rose 7.7 percent in April compared with a year ago, government data showed Wednesday.The country's seaports handled 107.6 million tons of cargo last month, up 7.7 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the data by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs.The growth was mainly driven by increased shipments of oil- related products and bituminous coal in and out of the country's seaports.Cargo shipments of oil products surged 15.2 percent in April compared with a year ago, while bituminous coal posted a 9.4 percent increase over the same period, according to the data.The volume of container cargo handled at local seaports also climbed 11.2 percent last month to 1.83 million TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent uni...

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Indian Navy to induct two more stealth frigates into fleet

The Indian Navy is soon to induct two more deadly stealth frigates to bolster its growing "blue water" warfare capabilities, local media reported Wednesday.According to sources, the 6,200-ton indigenous stealth frigate INS Satpura is likely to be commissioned in June-July, while the Russian-built 4,900-ton INS Teg should finally be ready for induction by September-October, The Times of India newspaper reported.INS Satpura and INS Teg will certainly boost combat capabilities, packed as they are with sensors, weapons and missile systems, coupled with their stealthy nature due to "vastly reduced " radar, infra-red, noise, frequency and magnetic "signatures" to beat enemy detection systems, the report said."With the security situation being fluid, we need to maintain the organizational ability...

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Australian economic growth outlook stabilizing: survey

The outlook for Australia's economic growth appears to be stabilizing and may push back the next interest rate rise, a report released by Australia's Westpac Banking Corporation and the Melbourne Institute on Wednesday has found.The annualized growth rate of the Westpac/Melbourne Institute Leading Index, which indicates the likely pace of economic activity three to nine months into the future, rose 5.3 percent in March 2011, above its long term trend of 3.4 percent.Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said the growth rate of the leading index appeared to be stabilizing at a pace above its trend rate."That growth pace is broadly consistent with Westpac's forecast that the Australian economy will be growing at an annualized pace of around 4.5 percent in the second half of 2011," he said in the...

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Obama invites rebels to open office in Washington DC

A senior U.S. diplomat says President Barack Obama has invited the Libyan rebels' National Transitional Council to open an office in Washington DC.Speaking in the de-facto rebel capital of Benghazi, "U.S. Assistant Secretary-of-State for Near Eastern Affairs", Jeffrey Feltman, says the invitation marked an "important milestone" in the relationship with the NTC, and that he was pleased they had accepted the offer. Several countries, including France and Italy, have recognized the NTC, while the U.S., the European Union and others have established a diplomatic presence in Benghazi. In addition, Feltman announced that the US has given more than 50-million U.S. dollars to aid the Libyan people.He said, "We've given today 53.5 (m) million (U.S.) dollars to address the humanitarian crisis that stems...

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Sony shares bounce back uncertainty removed

 Sony shares are bouncing back. Analysts say the company's warning yesterday that it could post a third straight annual net loss, helped remove an element of uncertainty.Sony shares bounced from a two-month low Tuesday (May 24) as investors welcomed the certainty that comes with the company's latest earnings revisions.The Japanese consumer technology giant says it expects a big net loss for the business year that ended March 2011, but says operating profit will come in at $2.4 billion.More critically for investors, Sony is targeting a similar level of operating profit for the new business year that started in April.Analysts say the revisions now provide a realistic view of the impact of the March 11 quake and a PlayStation network hacking incident that saw as many as 100 million customer...

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Posted in: Sony shares bounce back uncertainty removed

Taiwan-funded companies urged to ensure production safety after fatal Foxconn blast

Chinese mainland spokeswoman Fan Liqing on Wednesday urged all Taiwan-funded companies to draw lessons from Friday's Foxconn blast, which killed three, and ensure production safety.Fan, spokeswoman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a news briefing in Beijing that Foxconn and other Taiwan-funded companies should strengthen internal monitoring and management efforts and make timely precautions and investigate potential dangers.Fan's remarks came after the blast occurred about 7 p.m. Friday at a workshop in Hongfujin Precision Electronics (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, located in the provincial capital of Chengdu in Sichuan Province.Two people were found dead and 16 others injured on Friday. The death toll rose to three after one...

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Wounded Australian soldiers making good recovery in Afghanistan: DM

Two Australian soldiers seriously hurt in a bomb blast in Afghanistan is making good recovery, Defense Minister Stephen Smith said on Wednesday.In the latest Afghanistan fatality on Monday, Sergeant Brett Wood, 32, was killed in the explosion of an insurgent improvised explosive device, while two other Australian soldiers were seriously wounded."I am very pleased to be able to indicate that the latest advice I have this morning is that the two who were seriously injured are now in a satisfactory condition, "Smith told ABC television on Wednesday."They are both in an International Security Assistance Force medical facility in Afghanistan and so we are now confident that they will make a full recovery."In a separate incident, another three Australian soldiers on Monday morning were hurt in a...

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S Korea's Samsung signs contract to build oil facilities in Indonesia

An senior official said that the Indonesian unit of ExxonMobil Corp. has awarded contracts worth more than 780 million U.S. dollars to South Korean giant Samsung and its Indonesian partner, Tripatra Engineering, to build facilities at Cepu block, local media reported here on Wednesday.BPMigas chairman Raden Priyono said the project would include building an oil-production facility at the oil and gas field in Central Java. The project was estimated to cost 900 million US dollars, but the consortium bid 780 million U.S. dollars."The tender will be completed soon, and its construction is expected to start in August this year," Piryono said on Tuesday. Tripatra is the engineering, procurement and construction services unit of Indika Energy, the nation's leading integrated energy company.The Cepu...

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Federer eases to 2nd round at French Open

16-time Grand Slam title winner Roger Federer took on Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.Federer had won their previous eight meetings. And the third seed was cruising in this contest taking the first two sets.The Spaniard was a little more competitive in the third, forcing a tie breaker but that just prolonged the inevitable as Federer rolls in to the next round in straight sets. He'll meet local Stephane Robert who edged out the sixth seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.Also on day two, Bjorn Phau from Germany lost to Frenchman Gael Monfils. Richard Gasquet beat Radek Stepanek in straight sets. Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro won his match in four sets. Marcos Baghdatis defeated Frederico Gil, and Denis Gremelmayr lost to Nikolay Davyden...

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Computer-aided system likely to advance brain surgery

A Chinese professor and his team at a Japanese university have invented a computer-aided system for brain surgery that will likely improve the success rate of surgical brain intervention.Prof. Guo Shuxiang with Kagawa University said they had completed testing on the system and released a report at the ongoing medical engineering conference in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province.According to Guo, surgical intervention is commonly used on organs such as liver, heart and lungs, but is rare and much more sophisticated when involving the brain.The system consists of a computer and a controller that simulates human hand movements and inserts a tube into the brain accurately, which significantly improves the intervention effect.Sensors are installed within the tube so doctors...

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Carlo Ancelotti out as coach for Chelsea

Chelsea is parting ways with coach Carlo Ancelotti. The announcement came moments after the club played out their final game of the season on Sunday, a 1-0 defeat at Everton.Ancelotti joined Chelsea on June 1st 2009, a day after they won the FA Cup final by beating Everton 2-1 at Wembley.In his first season in charge, he led 'The Blues' to the first league and cup 'double' in their 106-year history, but the 2010-11 campaign has been less successful.A poor run of results, following the sacking of popular assistant manager Ray Wilkins last November hampered their attempts to retain the title, but it was widely reported that Ancelotti himself retained the support of Russian club owner Roman Abramovich.In February, Chelsea were knocked out of the FA Cup by Everton in the fifth round and in mid-April...

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Canada imposes sanctions on Syria

 Canada Tuesday announced targeted sanctions on Syria following unrest and violent clashes in the Middle East country.The measures include a travel ban on people associated with the Syrian government, an asset freeze on designated people and entities involved in Syria's security and military operations, and a suspension of cooperation agreements and initiatives between the two nations, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement.He said Canada would also place a ban under the Export and Import Permits Act on certain Canadian commodity and technology exports to Syria that are subject to export controls, including arms, munitions, military, nuclear and strategic items.But Harper said the sanctions are "not intended to cause harm to the Syrian people."Since the onset of Syria's social...

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Mubarak to be tried, over 60 killed in Yemeni clashes

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons will be tried for killing peaceful protesters, while over 60 people were killed in fresh clashes in Yemen Tuesday.Egypt's General Prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud decided to refer Mubarak and his two sons to a criminal court over charges of intentionally killing peaceful protesters, according to the state-run news agency MENA.Mubarak and his sons Alaa and Gamal were accused of various charges, including premeditated murder of protesters during the nationwide anti-regime demonstration that toppled Mubarak's 30-year rule, the abuse of presidential power for private gain and profit, and the waste of public funds.Mubarak is now being detained in a hospital in Red Sea resort Sharm El-Sheikh.He was forced to resign on Feb. 11 after 18-day nationwide...

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Posted in: Mubarak to be tried,over 60 killed in Yemeni clashes

Indonesian president calls on NAM to be more proactive in 21st century

Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the Non-Alligned Movement (NAM) to be more proactive to help sharp the new world of 21st century, after he formally established the 16th Ministerial Conference and Commemorative Meeting of the 50th Anniversary of NAM in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, on Wednesday morning.The president said that the Movement, with the power of 118 member states, could be a greater force for peace, justice and prosperity in the 21st century, which is different from 1960s when NAM was founded.The new world was marked by rapid power-shifts, as new power centers with growing economic, military and diplomatic resources were emerging, which were changing the weight of the world; as the media, non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector, and...

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Posted in: Indonesian president calls on NAM to be more proactive in 21st century

Detention centers riots cost Australia more than 9 mln USD

Riots at the Australian immigration detention centers are estimated to have caused losses of about 9 million AU dollars (9.45 million U.S. dollars) in damage, the Australian Immigration Department said on Wednesday.A number of buildings were destroyed during violent protests at the Christmas Island and Villawood centers in earlier 2011.Department spokeswoman Fiona Lynch-Magor told a Senate hearing Serco, the company that runs the centers, would make an insurance claim for the damage.The Immigration Department also said there were not enough federal police on Christmas Island to arrest asylum seekers who escaped from the detention center during protests earlier this year.Department spokeswoman Jackie Wilson told Australian Broadcasting Corporation that it was not possible to arrest the group."The...

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Posted in: Detention centers riots cost Australia more than 9 mln USD

China donates more than 200 Chinese books to Cambodia

 The Embassy of China here on Wednesday donated more than 200 Chinese language books to the Confucius Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia.The hand-over ceremony was held at the Royal Academy of Cambodia (RAC) between Chinese ambassador Pan Guangxue and the RAC ' s president, Khlot Thyda.The books include Chinese dictionaries, cultures, traditions, economics, politics, stories, sciences, poetries and so on, said Pan Guangxue."We hope that the books will help Cambodian students and researchers to learn and understand broadly about China," he said."Besides helping Cambodia in social and economic development, China wishes to see flourishing cooperation with Cambodia on education and culture."Meanwhile, Khlot Thyda thanked China for both financial and technical supports to the RAC and...

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Tornadoes, storms kill 6 in Oklahoma, Kansas

At least six people were killed and many others injured after a string of tornadoes and thunderstorms Tuesday hit Oklahoma and Kansas, authorities said.The Oklahoma's Canadian County Sheriff said that a large tornado near El Reno, a city in Canadian County, destroyed residences and caused a gas leak at an energy plant west of Oklahoma City.A spokesperson for the state medical examiner confirmed that four people died in the county.The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management Statewide said at least 60 people were injured and nearly 58,000 homes lost power around the state. Besides, damage was reported in at least 14 counties.Moreover, two motorists died when an uprooted tree hit their van in Stafford County, Kansas, according to Kansas state adjutant general's office.About 1,200 people packed...

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Posted in: Kansas,storms kill 6 in Oklahoma,Tornadoes

Could Thai election cool political unrest

It is very certain that the ruling Democrat Party and the opposition Pheu Thai Party will fight each other tooth and nail in the upcoming general election slated for July 3 though both are not expected to win enough seats to form a single-party government, analysts said.This general election will be held in the wake of deadly crisis in 2009 and 2010 when the anti-government "red-shirts", backed by ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Pheu Thai Party, organized mass protest to press for dissolution of lower house of parliament and holding a snap election.The prolonged demonstration in the capital Bangkok from March to May in 2010 ended up with a bloody crackdown and left 91 people dead and almost 1,900 injured.UNCERTAIN SITUATION FOR THE WINNERAll recent opinion polls conducted by different institutes...

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UN turns up heat on Gillard's refugee solution

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has attacked Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard's latest attempt to deflect asylum seekers from landing on Australian soil.Speaking before a packed audience in Sydney's Town Hall, Navi Pillay was fiercely critical of the Australian Government's recent deal with Malaysia, saying it was in violation of the international refugee convention.Pillay said that because Malaysia has not ratified the commonly held conventions on torture or refugees, Australia was effectively dealing with a partner that remains unbound in its obligations.The Commissioner urged Australians to reject the proposed deal. "Australians or people who uphold refugee standards internationally should not collaborate with these types of schemes, " she said.Prime Minister Julia Gillard's...

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No evidence that dam causes drought: experts

Specialists said Wednesday there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest water conservation project, is to blame for the severe drought currently plaguing central China."With the current observation devices and data, we have found no evidence that the drought was caused by the dam," said Liu Min, a meteorological specialist with the Hubei Provincial Weather Bureau.Judging from data collected before and after the dam was built, Liu said it had "very little" impact on the regional temperature, humidity, wind velocity and other climate conditions.In their report on the Three Gorges Dam's impact on the local environment, Liu and his colleagues concluded the impact was less than 10 kilometers."So we believe the ongoing drought is more a periodical...

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Posted in: No evidence that dam causes drought: experts

Unilever raises prices in China weeks after being fined for price-hike speculation

Unilever (China) Co., Ltd. has raised the prices of some of its products in China three weeks after it was fined by the Chinese government over spreading news of price hike. Many supermarkets and shopping malls in China's southern city of Guangzhou have been informed about the price hike from the company, the Guangzhou Daily reported Wednesday.Unilever's brands in China, which include Lux and Hazeline, have posted 10-percent price increases, the newspaper said after visiting some supermarkets in Guangzhou.The company was unavailable for comment.China's top price regulator announced on May 6 that Unilever would face a fine of 2 million yuan (303,000 U.S. dollars) over its statements of planned price hikes that contributed to the public's inflationary...

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Posted in: Unilever raises prices in China weeks after being fined for price-hike speculation