Raw material prices to stay high: Philippine central bank (AFP via Yahoo! Singapore News) Non-oil commodity prices are expected to stay high and help push Philippine inflation above official targets for 2008 and 2009, the central bank said Friday.
Inspired Malaysia look to overcome Singapore (The New Straits Times) WHILE the semi-final of the ACC [...]

Top Thai court hits Thaksin over Myanmar loans (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Thailand’s Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear a case against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over allegations he arranged soft loans to Myanmar while in office to benefit his family’s telecoms business.
Raw material prices to stay high: Philippine central bank [...]

Fresh Syria-Israel talks next month (Dawn) ISTANBUL, July 30: Israel and Syria will hold their next indirect peace talks in Turkey in mid-August after failing to move on to face-to-face negotiations, a source close to the talks said on Wednesday.
Blasts in Gaza Stoke Tensions Between Factions Hamas police [...]

Official: Iran sanctions could chill talks (Moldova.org) Threats of new sanctions against Iran could compromise negotiations between the West and the Islamic republic, an Iranian official said Thursday.Iran’s permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said U.S threats against Tehran could result in increased diplomatic tensions, RIA Novosti reported.The statements made by U.S. officials [...]

Philippines May M3 Money Supply +3.7% On Year Vs +0.8% In Apr in May. The central bank said the growth of credit extended to the private sector tracked the trend of domestic liquidity, accelerating to 8.6% on year in May after slowing in April. Credit extende…
Four killed in clashes in northern [...]

Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers killed in renewed fighting (Adnkronos) Sri Lanka: Tamil Tigers killed in renewed fighting (AKI) – At least 24 Tamil Tiger separatist rebels and a soldier have been killed in fresh fighting in Sri Lanka’s north, the Defence Ministry said [...]

Putin orders to render humanitarian assistance to flood stricken areas of Ukraine and Moldova (Itar-Tass) MOSCOW, July 31 (Itar-Tass) – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations and the Foreign Ministry to render humanitarian assistance to flood stricken territories of Ukraine and Moldova, the press service of the Russian government [...]

Iraq: Troops arrest 189 in security swoop (Adnkronos) Iraq: Troops arrest 189 in security swoop (AKI) – Iraqi and US forces on Thursday arrested 189 people in a massive security operation targeting al-Qaeda in the northern province of Diyala, the Defense Ministry said on [...]

Somalia: Leaders Decry Killing, Abduction of Aid Workers (AllAfrica.com) Representatives of religious groups in Somalia have condemned the killing and abduction of humanitarian workers, saying the increase of such incidents was worrying.
Somalia win stadium reconstruction (FIFA) Somalia is the latest country to benefit from FIFA’s ‘Win in Africa with Africa’ project, with [...]