511-Vingt-neuf pêcheurs chinois ont été enlevés et leurs bateaux saisis en pleine mer par des Nord-coréens armés qui exigent une rançon de 1,2 million de yuans (150.000 euros), ont rapporté jeudi des proches des victimes et des organes de presse. Les pêcheurs se trouvaient le 8 mai à bord de trois navires quand l'attaque s'est produite: les Nord-coréens sont montés de force à bord des bateaux dont ils se sont emparés en neutralisant les équipages, a relaté un propriétaire de navire nommé Sun.

455-Asian stocks eked out gains Thursday as traders hunted for bargains after sharp selling in recent days, but markets in Europe fell amid intensifying fears of a messy exit by Greece from the euro common currency. Greece called a new round of elections for June 17 after coalition talks to form a government fell apart. The president said depositors were pulling hundreds of millions of euros out of banks, weakening the country's strained financial system.

392-You need to enable Javascript to play media on Bloomberg.com A Greek exit from the euro could cause contagion comparable to the Asian financial crisis, according to Malaysia's central bank Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz, who had first-hand experience of that turmoil. "The worst-case scenario is what we saw in Asia," Zeti, 64, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Istanbul yesterday.

257-Vingt-neuf pêcheurs chinois ont été enlevés et leurs bateaux saisis en pleine mer par des Nord-Coréens armés qui exigent une rançon de 1,2 million de yuans (150 000 euros), ont rapporté jeudi 17 mai des proches des victimes et des organes de presse.

491-Filipino protesters said on Thursday they plan to sail to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, amid efforts by rival claimants China and the Philippines to resolve a tense maritime stand-off. Led by Nicanor Faeldon, an outspoken former captain in the Philippines Marines, the group is to launch out toward Scarborough Shoal on Friday, his spokesman Kit Guerrero said Thursday. "They want to protest against the aggression being committed by China against our country," Guerrero told AFP.

416-JOHANNESBURG, May 17, 2012 /CNW/ - Gold Fields Limited (NYSE & JSE: GFI) today announced net earnings for the March quarter of R2,082 million compared with R2,605 million in the December quarter and R1,100 million in the March 2011 quarter.  In US dollar terms net earnings for the March quarter were US$268 million, compared with US$336 million in the December quarter and US$158 million in the March 2011 quarter.

425-Australian police warned Thursday that paedophiles were using Internet live-streaming sites to order "bespoke" child sex crimes for real-time viewing, from countries including the Philippines. Neil Gaughan, head of the Australian Federal Police's high-tech crime squad, said sites like Skype were being used to arrange "made-to-order" child abuse, where sex offenders could tailor sex crimes to their own viewing preferences.

283-CHICAGO, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- New York is the lowest risk city in the world for recruiting, employing and relocating employees, according to rankings released today by Aon Hewitt, the global human resources business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON). (Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.

459-Manny Pacquiao says he loves and supports gays and lesbians, even though he does not approve of gay marriage. The world champion boxer and Filipino congressman has been criticized ever since he was quoted in an interview on the examiner.com website saying he opposed President Barack Obama's support for gay marriage. Pacquiao said Wednesday in an interview with The Associated Press that he doesn't support gay marriage because of his Roman Catholic beliefs.

497-SHANGHAI - Renewable energy companies around the world are awaiting a decision Thursday by the U.S. Commerce Department on whether to impose anti-dumping tariffs on solar panels imported from China, as a little-noticed policy shift by the department last year has made the outcome of the case unusually hard to predict Chinese companies grabbed nearly half the U.S. market for solar panels last year through aggressive price cuts that helped make solar energy considerably more affordable for U.S.

482-Manny Pacquiao said in an interview Wednesday that he has nothing against gay people and that hateful comments attributed to him are untrue. "What I said is a reporter asked me about gay marriage...I am against gay marriage, but I'm not condemning gays," the boxer said in an interview with The Times. "I have family -- a cousin -- who's gay, and friends, too. I'm just against gay marriage. I don't even want to talk about the issue, but I was asked about it, so I gave my opinion.

321-The Philippines imposed a two-month ban on fishing around a disputed South China Sea shoal on Wednesday, after saying it did not recognise a similar order by China. Both countries have had ships posted at Scarborough Shoal since April 10, when Chinese vessels prevented a Philippine ship from arresting Chinese fishermen.

397-MOSCOW, May 16, 2012 (IPS) - As the number of migrant Filipino workers in Russia inches closer to 5000, Moscow and Manila are busy negotiating a bilateral labour agreement that could allow thousands more overseas workers into various sectors of the Russian economy. Formal discussions are slated to be held on May 30, Grace Cruz-Fabella, consul general of the Philippine embassy in Rome, told IPS.

471-TAX cuts for millions of Australians to flow from July 1 will be scrapped if the Coalition wins government. The PM and ministers faced a Community Cabinet, voters grilled the PM on the carbon tax and other issues. The newest attack submarine in the U.S. fleet docks at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Rough cut (no reporter narration). Replying to the Budget speech at Canberra's National Press Club,  Mr Hockey promised a surplus in every year of a Coalition first term.

443-By JOSEPHINE CUNETA And JAMES HOOKWAY The Philippines' dispute with China over territorial claims in the South China Sea is threatening to exact an economic toll on key Philippine industries, including its vital tourism and agricultural sectors. Chinese tour groups have canceled trips, while Philippine fruit exports to China are coming under increasing scrutiny, although Chinese officials have said this has nothing to do with the tensions.

315-When it comes to choosing what airline to fly, the bottom line is often, well, the bottom line: how much it costs to get where you need to go.  But with all that laser-sharp focus on saving money, it's easy to lose sight of the little things that can make a trip feel like a journey, rather than an endurance test.

367-OK, so it doesn't have the ring of "Thrilla in Manilla" but the candidates to fill the Giffords seat here in Congressional District 8 are getting ready to rumble… moderator-style. KUAT (channel 6) will run a pre-taped candidate forum tonight (Wed 5.16) at 6 pm. Kelly and Barber will then face off in a live, open-to-the-public debate next Wednesday (5.23) at 7 pm.