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Situations
Where is My Vote?
Partial recount shows election valid, says Iran
The Hindu,  30 June
Iran's election oversight body on Monday declared the hotly disputed presidential vote to be valid after a partial recount,...
Advance of the CNY
Yuan milestone
The Standard,  30 June , Katherine Ng, Alfred Liu
Beijing yesterday sealed a long-awaited agreement that will allow Hong Kong businesses to settle cross-border transactions in yuan.
Regions
East Asia
Aso 'has no plans to change top posts'
Daily Yomiuri,  26 June
Prime Minister Taro Aso hinted Saturday night during talks with LDP Secretary General Hiroyuki Hosoda that he would retain three top Liberal Democratic Party executives,...
Companies appeal to China to drop Web filter plan
The China Post,  27 June

Beijing - Global business groups have made an unusual direct appeal to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao to scrap an order for PC makers to supply controversial Internet filtering software, citing security and privacy concerns.

South Asia
How much does a babu cost?
Times of India,  29 June , Jug Suraiya
Can India afford the luxury of its babus? In the past three and a half years, our bureaucrats - often accompanied by their spouses - travelled on international junkets to the collective tune of 5.65 crore km, which is equivalent to 70 round trips to the moon. Who paid for such high-flying extravagance?
Welfare for all: Rs 139 per Indian, per month
Times of India,  28 June , Subodh Varma
In a few days, the UPA government will present its first budget to the country.
Joint forces wrest control of Ramgarh
The Hindu,  28 June , Raktima Bose
Heavy gun battle with Maoists on tenth day of operation.
South East Asia
Thai PM woos Chinese businesses
China Daily,  27 June , Li Xiaokun
Political unrest comes readily to most people's mind when they think about the greatest challenge facing Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, especially after the abrupt cancellation of the East Asia summit in April.
More Filipino teachers off to jobs abroad
Daily Inquirer,  26 June , Philip Tubeza
MANILA, Philippines - The exodus of Filipino teachers to other countries is expected to continue in the coming years, according to a labor group.
Economics
Business
Firms tipped to tap $100b
The Standard,  30 June , Alfred Liu
Companies listing in Hong Kong are expected to raise HK$100 billion this year,...
China's power generation may rise in June
China Daily,  27 June
China's monthly power generation is expected to rise for the first time in June, after eight months of declines,...
Tsunami sweeps away half of HK millionaires
The Standard,  26 June , Benjamin Scent, Dana Bruce
The financial tsunami has caused more than half of Hong Kong's millionaires to lose their coveted status,...
Technology & Environment
A new lease of life for all on Net
The Hindu,  28 June , Shanthi Kannan
Second Life offers a real business sense apart from entertaining you.
Wildlife on menu spurs smuggling
China Daily,  24 June , Wang Zhuoqiong
A rising appetite for wildlife and its increasing use in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are fueling an increase in the illegal imports of endangered animals, a senior official has said.
People
First family of Tandoors
LiveMint,  29 June
New Delhi: In the Lal family, it is a well-known fact that one of its members invented the commercial tandoor,...
Controversial abbot named inheritor of Shaolin kungfu
China Daily, 
Zhengzhou - China's most controversial monk, Shi Yongxin, has been named "the representative inheritor of the Shaolin martial arts" amid a new public debate.
Weekend
Travel & Leisure
Highland jewel in an enchanted isle
Japan Times,  28 June , Jeff Kingston
The war is over, peace-building is under way, and Sri Lanka is one of the most enchanting islands you could ever imagine.
The Golden Lining
Amritsar, the Wagah border and beyond
LiveMint,  26 June , S. Mitra Kalita

It began as a horrible holiday. Lucky for us, we were in Amritsar.

Korean royal tombs become World Cultural Heritage
Korea Times,  27 June
South Korea's 40 ancient royal tombs are now designated as World Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO), to become the nation's ninth such site,...
The Grand Canal
The forgotten jewel of ancient China
China Daily, 
It has existed for more than 2,500 years and has been a vital vein through which China's lifeblood has flowed, but conservation experts say the ancient Grand Canal is an all but forgotten relic...
Books & Arts
A food-lover's guide to KL
The Edge,  , Melody Song
Knowing how much Malaysians love their food, property developer Bukit Kiara Properties Sdn Bhd (BKP), together with Bosch and Siemens Home Appliances Group (BSH) and The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd published and launched 33 Food Hotspots: Kuala Lumpur's Ultimate Food Guide at BKP Gallery...
Secrets to studying Japanese film
Japan Times,  21 June , Donald Richie
In its field I cannot imagine a research guide more needed. For whole decades scholars have struggled simply to locate sources...
Breaking News
Op Ed