Global private equity firms eyeing Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE : More global private equity firms have been setting up offices in Southeast Asia, and the funds raised in the region are expected to grow at an annual rate of 30 per cent over the next three years. Private equity investors are also likely to cast the spotlight on Singapore, Indonesia and China. Things are heating up in Singapore's private equity space. Singapore-based venture...

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Tremors shake towns in Himachal Pradesh

SHIMLA: Tremors of a light intensity were felt in Himachal Pradesh Tuesday evening. No loss of life or damage to property has been reported. An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale was felt for some seconds around 5.45 pm in the state, including in Shimla and Solan districts, an official at the state meteorological office here said. He said the epicentre was in Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand....

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Bounce houses a party hit but kids' injuries soar

CHICAGO (AP) — They may be a big hit at kids' birthday parties, but inflatable bounce houses can be dangerous, with the number of injuries soaring in recent years, a nationwide study found.Kids often crowd into bounce houses, and jumping up and down can send other children flying into the air, too.The numbers suggest 30 U.S. children a day are treated in emergency rooms for broken bones, sprains,...

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President Obama Prepares for Cabinet Shuffle

Nov 26, 2012 6:45am Carolyn Kaster/AP PhotoAs President Obama prepares for his second term, preparations have begun for the traditional shuffling of the Cabinet.Top priority for the president: filling slots for those top officials heading — if not running — for the door: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.To replace Clinton,...

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Egypt's Mursi to meet judges over power grab

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi meets senior judges on Monday to try to defuse a crisis over his seizure of new powers which has set off violent protests reminiscent of the revolution last year that led to the rise of his Islamist movement. The justice minister said he believed Mursi would agree with the country's highest judicial authority on its proposal to limit...

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Thailand lifts Internal Security Act in Bangkok

BANGKOK: The Thai government has lifted the Internal Security Act (ISA) invoked in some parts of the capital as the security situation returned to normalcy following an anti-government rally. Government spokesman Tosaporn Sereerak said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra signed the order on Monday. Initially, the ISA was invoked for nine days starting last Thursday in the Pranakorn, Dusit...

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Make workplace harassment laws gender neutral, demand NGOs

NAGPUR: Workplace harassment laws in the country favour women and differentiate against men. These laws should be made gender neutral, demanded a coalition of multinational NGOs. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2010 was passed by the Lok Sabha in September. NGOs like Save Indian Family Foundation, Men Seek Justice, All India Men's Welfare...

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AP PHOTOS: Simple surgery heals blind Indonesians

PADANG SIDEMPUAN, Indonesia (AP) — They came from the remotest parts of Indonesia, taking crowded overnight ferries and riding for hours in cars or buses — all in the hope that a simple, and free, surgical procedure would restore their eyesight.Many patients were elderly and needed help to reach two hospitals in Sumatra where mass eye camps were held earlier this month by Nepalese surgeon Dr. Sanduk...

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New Congress: Fewer Moderates Make Deals Harder

When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and 11 fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010 who sought a second term.Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of pragmatic, centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist...

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Entire BJP behind Narendra Modi, Arun Jaitley says

AHMEDABAD: Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that since so many leaders have campaigned in Gujarat, it indicates that the entire BJP is behind Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. "Many BJP leaders are going to address rallies. This is a indication that the entire party is standing behind Gujarat BJP and Narendrabhai. We are here to give our party a historic victory,"...

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