Asian markets slip after Wall Street losses, US data

Posted: HONG KONG (AFP) - Asian stocks slipped on Wednesday following broad losses on Wall Street as upbeat US service sector data added to speculation the Federal Reserve will soon start reeling in its stimulus.The euro eased further after the European Union downgraded its growth forecast for the eurozone, a week after soft inflation figures raised concerns over the bloc.Tokyo was flat at the break, Hong Kong was 0.15 percent lower, Shanghai dropped 0.31 percent and Sydney gave up 0.28 percent, while Seoul was flat.While the focus is on US third-quarter growth data and October jobs figures due out later this week, the non-manufacturing numbers indicated the economy is showing signs of strength.The ISM purchasing managers index for the service sector rose to 55.4 percent in October -- up from a September reading of 54.4 percent and much higher than the expected 54.0 percent. A figure above 50 points to growth while anything below indicates contraction.Analysts highlighted a surge in the employment reading for the services sector, which accounts for about 80 percent of private-sector jobs.The positive numbers show the recovery in the world's number one economy is gaining traction but raise questions about the future of the Fed's stimulus.The bank has said it will only begin cutting back on its $85 billion a month bond-buying scheme -- which has been credited with sparking a global stocks rally -- once the economy is strong enough.The... data indicated that the impact of the US government's partial shutdown (at the start of October) was limited, Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.On Wall Street, the Dow eased 0.13 percent, the S&P 500 dipped 0.28 percent and the Nasdaq edged up 0.08 percent.The euro remained under pressure after the European Union cut its 2014 growth forecast for the 17-nation eurozone to just 1.1 percent, down from the 1.2 percent it forecast in May. It left unchanged its forecast of a 0.4 percent contraction for this year.Data last week showed inflation at just 0.7 percent in the eurozone in October, its lowest in four years, raising concerns over deflation while putting pressure on the European Central Bank to cut interest rates.The single currency bought $1.3468 and 132.66 yen in early Tokyo trade, compared with $1.3474 and 132.76 yen in New York on Tuesday. It is well down from the $1.3738 and 135.35 yen in the middle of last week before the inflation data.The dollar stood at 98.44 yen, against 98.53 yen.Oil prices rose. New York's main contract, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for December delivery, gained 35 cents to $93.72 a barrel in morning Asian trade, while Brent North Sea crude for December climbed 31 cents to $105.64.Gold dropped to $1,310.75 per ounce at 0210 GMT compared with $1,311.73 on Tuesday.

China: Explosions outside Communist provincial HQ Posted: BEIJING (AFP) - A series of devices packed with ball-bearings exploded outside a provincial headquarters of China's ruling Communist Party on Wednesday, police and reports said.There were several explosions caused by small explosive devices near the party provincial commission in Taiyuan, the capital of the northern province of Shanxi, local police said on a verified social media account.According to the police statement, one person was wounded and two cars were damaged.Public security officials are currently on the scene and working all-out to investigate the incident, it added.Ball bearings were seen scattered around the scene, China's official Xinhua news agency reported. They are an ingredient used by bombmakers to increase the chances of blasts inflicting injuries.The accident is suspected to be caused by self-made bombs, it said.Pictures posted on China's hugely popular weibo social networks showed vehicle doors peppered with small impacts, and tyres with holes punched through them. Other photos showed car windows blown out and debris scattered across the road.Xinhua quoted two witnesses near the site who said they heard a loud noise, then saw smoke, followed by a mini-van exploding.Images showed several fire engines on a road, which had been blocked to traffic, and a large crowd on one side of the street.Several photos that appeared to be taken from inside a car showed billowing grey smoke rising above a city street.China's state broadcaster CCTV reported that about 20 cars parked 100 metres away from the site had been damaged, and that firefighters and police were conducting rescue work and an investigation.The blasts come a little over one week after a car barrelled into Beijing's Tiananmen Square, killing two tourists and injuring dozens, with the three people inside dying after they set the vehicle on fire.Authorities termed that incident a terrorist attack and have said that it was carried out by several people with links to a separatist group known as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement from China's far-western Xinjiang region, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.The latest incident comes ahead of a highly anticipated meeting of top party leaders in Beijing this weekend, at which broad economic reforms are among the items expected to be on the agenda.

Tajiks set to elect strongman leader for fourth term Posted: DUSHANBE (AFP) - Voters in Tajikistan, the poorest state in the former USSR, were Wednesday expected to hand President Emomali Rakhmon an easy victory for a fourth term at the helm of his Central Asian state bordering Afghanistan.In a tale all too familiar for elections throughout the Muslim but vehemently secular ex-Soviet states of Central Asia, the five candidates standing against Rakhmon are virtual unknowns even inside the country, with next to no chance of victory.The potentially most significant rival candidate, female rights lawyer Oinikhol Bobonazarova of the moderate opposition Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan was unable to stand after narrowly failing to muster the signatures required to register her candidacy.Bobonazarova gathered only 202,000 of the 210,000 signatures required that equates to five percent of the electorate, a shortfall her party blamed on harassment from local authorities on its activists during the signature campaign.Her party's spokesman confirmed that the Islamic Revival Party would not be taking part in the polls and would give its estimate after election day.Another main opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, said it was boycotting the elections due to violations of the constitution, organised falsifications and a lack of democracy and transparency.The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which will be monitoring the polls, noted in its interim report that there is no visible campaign by other candidates so far, while state media had extensively and positively covered the president's trips around the country.Polls opened at 0100 GMT and were due to remain open until 1500 GMT, with official results expected the next day. Some 4 million voters can vote in the polls.Shadowed by the more than 7,000 metre high peaks of the Pamir mountains, Persian-speaking Tajikistan boasts a crucial strategic position, bordering China and Afghanistan, as well as ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.Its importance could grow with the pullout of US troops from Afghanistan in 2014.Yet the resource-poor country suffers from chronic energy shortages and is mired in grinding poverty which have left it the poorest ex-Soviet state and forced many to work in Russia, with their remittances providing a crucial chunk of GDP.Its electricity shortage means that residents suffer hours of daily power and heating cuts, even in the capital Dushanbe.Rakhmon, who came to power in 1992 amid the chaos of the start of Tajikistan's five-year civil war, has made the country's energy independence the key plank of his campaign, in particular ensuring the construction of his vastly ambitious pet project, the Rogun hydroelectric dam.Tajikistan also suffers from dire relations with its regionally powerful neighbour Uzbekistan, with not even direct air connections between Dushanbe and Tashkent and trade stymied.Rakhmon has a deeply acrimonious personal relationship with Uzbek President Islam Karimov who has accused Dushanbe of trying to rob his country of precious water resources and effectively warned that the building of the Rogun dam could lead to war.After his initial wartime appointment by the Tajik Supreme Soviet in 1992, Rakhmon enjoyed easy re-elections in 1994, 1999 and 2006. With the Tajik presidential mandate now seven years, he could potentially stay in power until 2020.Rakhmon, 61, the father of nine children -- one of whom is tipped as a possible successor, warned candidates ahead of the polls not to disrupt the state's stability and behave with full patriotic responsibility.Our elections should not turn into an opportunity for adventurism, he said.

Guatemala court to restart ex-leader trial in 2015 Posted: GUATEMALA CITY (AP) - A Guatemalan court official says the trial of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt will restart in January 2015 in response to the Constitutional Court throwing out an earlier conviction of the strongman for the massacre of thousands of Maya.Court secretary Wilbert Molina said Tuesday that the panel of judges will be occupied with other trials in 2013 and 2014.Molina says the trial is set to start Jan. 5, 2015, because appeals in the process have led to postponements.In May, 87-year-old Rios Montt was sentenced to 80 years in prison after being convicted of knowing about the slaughter of 1,771 Ixil Mayans during Guatemalas civil war. The Constitutional Court overturned the conviction 10 days later, saying proceedings should have waited while defense appeals were resolved.

Samsung promises to boost dividend Posted: SEOUL (AFP) - Samsung Electronics promised to boost shareholder returns as it held its first analysts briefing in eight years Wednesday in a bid to shore up its flagging stock price.Samsung President Lee Sang-hoon said the company would put more emphasis on shareholder return and would target a dividend yield this year of 1.0 percent of the average share price.The company will review its shareholder return policy every three years to reflect changes in business conditions, he added.The current dividend yield is around 0.5 percent.Wednesdays briefing, which saw the companys top executives address 350 invited analysts and institutional investors at a Seoul Hotel, was a rare event for a company renowned for its relative lack of transparency.The worlds largest technology firm by revenue, Samsung has posted record profits in six of the last seven quarters, largely due to its growing dominance of the global smartphone market.At the same time however, its dividend yield has fallen to a near-historic lows and its stock price has been down by as much as 20 percent this year.Another major issue addressed at the briefing was Samsungs plan for managing its net cash balance, which currently stands at $50 billion -- or more than 20 percent of its market cap.As well as the increased dividend yield, Lee signalled a greater investment in research and development, particularly in software, to help secure future growth.He also acknowledged that Samsung had been somewhat conservative in the field of mergers and acquisitions, but added that this may be different in the future.

Djokovic slams anti-doping programme after Troicki ban Posted: LONDON (AFP) - Novak Djokovic has made a scathing attack on the anti-doping programme in tennis in a furious response to his fellow Serb Viktor Troickis ban for missing a drugs test.World number two Djokovic was shocked to hear on Tuesday that Troicki had been told by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that he must serve a 12-month ban.Troicki had originally been suspended for 18 months by an International Tennis Federation anti-doping tribunal but had appealed to CAS to have the sanction overturned.He refused to take a blood test at the Monte Carlo Masters in April because he was feeling unwell and has a severe phobia of needles.The player has always maintained the doping control officer (DCO) had assured him he would not face punishment.The CAS panel accepted the DCO should have made sure he understood the gravity of the situation but found he had committed a doping offence.The verdict came only 11 days after Croatias Marin Cilic had his ban for failing a doping test reduced from nine months to four months by CAS.Djokovic has been one of Troickis most vocal supporters and, following his victory over Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, he made it clear he had lost all faith in the anti-doping process.Its very bad news that we got for him, and for me, for all of us who are close to him, Djokovic said. But I think its just not bad news for him, it proves again that this system does not work.First of all, hes not positive on any banned substance. Im not saying that its completely not his fault. She (the DCO) did not clearly present him all the severe consequences that he will have if he avoids that. She told him that he needs to write a report and that he will be just fine.And because of her negligence and because of her unprofessionalism, he is now off the tour for one year. And now it makes me nervous as a player to do any kind of test.I dont have trust in them anymore. I dont have trust in whats going on.I dont know if tomorrow the (anti-doping) representative, because of their unprofessionalism, because of their negligence, because of their inability to explain the rules in a proper way, I dont know if theyre going to misplace the test that I have or anything worse than that.For me, the whole procedure of the court case is totally against the player and players rights.Now in Viktors case, hes going to be sanctioned until July next year, and this lady, the DCO, shes going to come back tomorrow for the job. Nobody is going to answer for that. Only him. Why?For me, this is total injustice. Its just incredible.The ATP, the governing body for players and tournaments on the mens tour, did not escape Djokovics wrath either as he accused them of failing to support Troicki.After this kind of announcement and after this particular situation, the only one who is suffering here is the player, he said.The ATP, which is supposed to be an association of players of tennis professionals, which is supposed to be the governing body, the association that stands behind the players, is not going to answer on this announcement, is not going to do anything for Viktor.So Viktor is there by himself. Tomorrow it can be anybody else. Cilic was there in this situation.Im emotionally connected to Viktor but, looking at the whole scenario, it doesnt give me any trust in that, in them, in the whole procedure, in the whole rules, in anything.Thats it. Thats my statement. Sorry, but thats what I had to do. Not just because of him, but because of the sake of the players and because of the sake of the sport. Its just ridiculous.

Watson cleared of serious injuries Posted: SYDNEY (AFP) - Australian batsman Shane Watson was Wednesday cleared of serious injury, with team officials confident he will be fit for the first Ashes Test against England.The powerful and experienced all-rounder had scans this week on a left hamstring strain he picked up during Australia's recent tour of India, raising concerns that he could miss the Test opener at Brisbane starting on November 21.But team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said he was quietly confident Watson would be ready, describing the injury as a low-grade muscle strain.He will have intense treatment and rehabilitation in Sydney over the coming days and just how well he responds to this will determine how quickly he can resume full training and match preparation, he said.It goes without saying that Shane and the medical team will be doing everything possible to get him fit and available for selection ahead of the first Test.We'll be assessing him on a daily basis and expect to have a clearer picture of his progress later in the week.Hamstring injuries have been common for the former vice-captain -- he missed the 2006-07 Ashes campaign with one -- and there has always been a question over how to balance his workload as an all-rounder.His absence, or inability to bowl, would increase the chances of fellow all-rounder James Faulkner winning his second Test cap.

KPK announces public holiday on 1st Muharram Posted: PESHAWAR (Dunya News) The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced public holiday across the province on the occasion of 1st Muharram, 1435 Hijra.The Administration Department government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has notified the public holiday for Wednesday (today).Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. On the first day of Muharram, the Islamic New Year is observed by Muslims. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year.Hence it is a little different from the Gregorian calender that is used in the western nations. When compared with the Gregorian calendar, which is a solar calendar, the lunar month of Muharram shifts from year to year.The month of Muharram is of great religious significance to Islamic people the world over. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan. The word Muharram is often considered synonymous with Ashura, the tenth day of the Muharram month.

Karachi killings aimed at fan sectarianism: police chief Posted: KARACHI(Web Desk) - City police Chief Shahid Hayat said a conspiracy is being hatched to fan Sunni-Shiite clashes in the city.We have identified the shooters and will arrest the killers within a couple of days, Hayat told a delegation of local businessmen.At least five Shiite Muslims, including two doctors, were shot dead on Monday, while another Shiite Muslim who was injured in an attack on a tailor shop also died Tuesday morning, hospital officials said.The killings came ahead of the Muslim holy month of Moharram which starts on Wednesday in which Shiites mourn the seventh century martyrdom of Hussain, the grandson of prophet Mohammad, along with his family members.Shiites make up around a fifth of Pakistan's population.Police are already carrying out operations against criminal groups to curb sectarian and political killings.Security would be further tightened in the month of Moharram, they said.Karachi, a city of 18 million people which contributes 42 percent of Pakistan's GDP, is rife with murder and kidnappings and has been plagued for years by ethnic, sectarian and political violence.

Karachi stocks end higher; rupee weakens Posted: KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan’s main stock exchange closed higher on Tuesday, with the benchmark 100-share index rising 1.84 per cent, or 412.87 points, to 22,790.70.Renewed buying interest in oil stocks like Oil and Gas Development Co Ltd and Pakistan Petroleum helped the index gain 150 points, dealers said.Oil and Gas Development Co Ltd rose 2.82 per cent to 265.50 rupees while Pakistan Petroleum Ltd was up 3.31 per cent at 207.40 rupees.The rupee ended weaker at 107.23/107.28 against the dollar, compared with Monday’s close of 106.98/107.05.Overnight rates in the money market rose to 8.50 per cent from Monday’s close of 8.25 per cent.

Nadal proves too good for Ferrer at ATP Finals Posted: LONDON (AP) - Top-ranked Rafael Nadal made a winning return at the ATP World Tour Finals as he breezed past fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2 in his first round-robin match on Tuesday.Playing for the first time in two years at the season-ending tournament, Nadal traded breaks early but then became untouchable on serve, dictating the play from the baseline and forcing third-ranked Ferrer into a stack of errors. Nadal converted six of seven break points.He claimed his 21st win in 26 matches against Ferrer but only his first indoors and avenged his loss in their Paris Masters semifinal last week.He played a lot better than me in Paris but today I played a little bit better than him and its important for my confidence to start with a victory after Paris, Nadal said There is no rest but the energy of this stadium is fantastic.Nadal and Ferrer play in Group A, alongside Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Tomas Berdych in his opening match on Monday. No. 2 Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, playing late Tuesday, are in Group B with Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet.Nadal is bidding to win the elite event for the first time. He will be guaranteed of the year-end No. 1 spot if he wins a second match at O2 Arena.He broke Ferrer in the first game with a forehand winner down the line but Ferrer broke back immediately, and spectators braced themselves for a hard-fought contest.But Nadal, who did not play last year because of his bad knee, then dropped only one point on his next three service games while Ferrer gave easy points and struggled to keep the ball in the court.Nadal broke again for 3-2 and earned three set points with a brilliant forehand passing shot down the line before sealing the set when Ferrer made another unforced error to drop his serve at love.Nadal then built a 5-0 lead but Ferrer refused to surrender easily, and mounted a comeback playing more aggressively and taking chances at the net.He broke Nadal before dropping his serve after sending a backhand wide and burying a forehand in the net.Nadal proves too good for Ferrer at ATP FinalsNadal made a winning return at ATP World Tour Finals as he breezed past Ferrer 6-3, 6-2.LONDON (AP) - Top-ranked Rafael Nadal made a winning return at the ATP World Tour Finals as he breezed past fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2 in his first round-robin match on Tuesday.Playing for the first time in two years at the season-ending tournament, Nadal traded breaks early but then became untouchable on serve, dictating the play from the baseline and forcing third-ranked Ferrer into a stack of errors. Nadal converted six of seven break points.He claimed his 21st win in 26 matches against Ferrer but only his first indoors and avenged his loss in their Paris Masters semifinal last week.He played a lot better than me in Paris but today I played a little bit better than him and its important for my confidence to start with a victory after Paris, Nadal said There is no rest but the energy of this stadium is fantastic.Nadal and Ferrer play in Group A, alongside Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Tomas Berdych in his opening match on Monday. No. 2 Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, playing late Tuesday, are in Group B with Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet.Nadal is bidding to win the elite event for the first time. He will be guaranteed of the year-end No. 1 spot if he wins a second match at O2 Arena.He broke Ferrer in the first game with a forehand winner down the line but Ferrer broke back immediately, and spectators braced themselves for a hard-fought contest.But Nadal, who did not play last year because of his bad knee, then dropped only one point on his next three service games while Ferrer gave easy points and struggled to keep the ball in the court.Nadal broke again for 3-2 and earned three set points with a brilliant forehand passing shot down the line before sealing the set when Ferrer made another unforced error to drop his serve at love.Nadal then built a 5-0 lead but Ferrer refused to surrender easily, and mounted a comeback playing more aggressively and taking chances at the net.He broke Nadal before dropping his serve after sending a backhand wide and burying a forehand in the net.

Nigeria farmers lose $19 million to uprising Posted: MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Farmers in northeastern Nigeria have lost 3 billion naira ($18.75 million) in food crops because of an Islamic uprising that has terrorized the region for the past three years, the chairman of a state farmers association said Monday.Hundreds of farmers have been killed or forced to abandon rice and other crops ready for harvesting or just planted, Muhammed Namadi, the Borno State Farmers Association chairman said.He spoke in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital and a former insurgent stronghold. Without immediate relief, farmers in Borno, who already live with abject poverty, insecurity and isolation, could also face widespread hunger.We have suffered a great deal as farmers in the last three years, Namadi said, asking the state to provide farmers with money and equipment. Many young and old farmers have been forced to leave their farms.Nearly 20,000 farmers have been driven from their land by both the insurgency and the military crackdown since Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in May declared a state of emergency in Borno and two other northeastern states, according to the Borno state agriculture commission.Entire villages have been cut off from their farmlands by military roadblocks and insurgents increasingly operate in the countryside.The insurgents, known as Boko Haram, have killed hundreds in suicide bombs and other attacks on churches, mosques, schools, media houses, communications networks and the local U.N. headquarters.After six months of emergency rule in the northeast, security forces have pushed the militants out of major urban centers, but the violence continues to escalate. More than 250 deaths reported in the past two weeks, half of them suspected insurgents.As early as June Borno State farmers reported losing access to fields in the north, saying crops were not being harvested, and families were growing hungry.That month, the Chad Basin Development Authority reported that 10,000 hectares (24,700 acres) of rice paddies had been abandoned at the peak of harvesting season.Namadi said northeast Nigeria once led the country in the production of wheat, rice and maize. But today, he said. The reverse seems to be the case.

Turkey plans to ban mix-sex hostel rooms Posted: ANKARA (AFP) - Turkeys conservative Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday defended a plan to do away with mixed-sex dorms which has sparked an uproar in the mainly Muslim but staunchly secular country.We will not allow girls and boys to live together in state-owned student residences, Erdogan told lawmakers from his party.Anything can happen when it is mixed. We have received complaints from families who asked us to intervene and it is our duty to intervene, he said.The values I hold on to do not allow such a thing, said the Turkish premier.Erdogan first floated the idea at a closed-door meeting with lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) last weekend.Female and male students cannot live in the same house, he was quoted as saying by the local media. That is contrary to our structure, which is conservative-democratic.Erdogans remarks sparked outrage on Twitter, where he was accused of contradictory policies.One tweet, signed by @kanturasoyu, read: Mr Prime Minister Its really interesting that you bring up the issue of single-sex dorms as someone who freed adultery in this country.Another by @delisalvoo, read: Adultery is free in the country Conservatives have two wives Child rape is free Killing a woman is free But mixed-gender dorms are bannedErdogan, who has ruled Turkey for more than a decade, is accused of forcing Islamic values on the predominantly Muslim country.Critics say that his rule has left Turkish society more polarized than ever, with opponents of the AKP government openly voicing concerns that Turkey is sliding toward conservative Islam.In 2004, the AKP attempted to submit a controversial amendment on banning adultery but had to back down amid criticism from opposition parties and womens groups.In May, Turkeys parliament where Erdogans AKP has a comfortable majority passed legislation curbing alcohol sales and advertising, the toughest such measures in the republics history.In late September, Erdogan introduced a package of reforms, using the opportunity to lift a long-standing ban on the highly charged headscarf.

What is Google building out in San Francisco Bay? Posted: SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - San Franciscos mayor says he doesnt know what it is. Police say its not their jurisdiction. And government inspectors are sworn to secrecy.Google is erecting a four-story structure in the heart of the San Francisco Bay but is managing to conceal its purpose by constructing it on docked barges instead of on land, where city building permits and public plans are mandatory. Construction became obvious a few weeks ago.The Internet giants actions at Treasure Island appear legal. But the mystery surrounding the bulky floating building and a similar one off Portland, Maine is generating rumors and worries.Privacy experts, environmentalists and legal authorities say that whether it is a store to sell Googles Internet-connected glasses, a data storage center or something else, the secrecy may backfire because Silicon Valley residents are highly protective of one of the most scenic and environmentally sensitive bays in the U.S.At some point theyre going to have to unveil what it is theyre doing, and it will be sad if they have put a lot of money into something that is simply not allowable in the bay, said Deb Self, executive director of the environmental group Baykeeper.Self said whether the barge-mounted structure is a store, as is widely rumored, or a data center powered by wave action, for which Google has a patent, there are going to be grave concerns.We dont really want to see the bay used as a shopping mall. Unacceptable, she said. And environmentalists warn that water-cooled data centers might warm the sea and harm marine life.Googles usually responsive media relations team did not respond to repeated calls or emails over several days, but records and other official accounts identify the project as Googles.Google has dodged public scrutiny by essentially constructing a vessel, not a building. Thus it doesnt need permits from San Francisco, a city with copious inspection and paperwork requirements for builders.Google has also avoided the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, a state agency that governs projects on the water and has its own long list of public reviews and permit requirements.If, when the projects ready, Google wants to sail it out the Golden Gate and into the Pacific Ocean, the tech giant wont ever need to explain what its been up to.But if Google wants to do anything with the structure in the bay, it will have to face public scrutiny, said BCDC executive director Larry Goldzband. He said the agency has had a few meetings with Google, but theyve been less than specific about their plans.When they decide to let us know what they plan to do with it, or hope to do with it, then we can decide if its allowable, he said.Work on the barge is kept under wraps, literally. Supplies are kept onshore in hangars rented by a Delaware corporation named By and Large, (a play on the word barge?), under a $79,000-per-month lease that expires next August.The name and number for By and Large on the lease led to a man named Mike Darby, who seemed baffled by a call from The Associated Press. Im not sure how my name got on the lease, he said. I have nothing to do with it. Im in Singapore and its the middle of the night.A second man on the lease, Kenneth Yi, could not be located.There is one agency keeping an eye on things: The Coast Guard has been routinely inspecting the two barges on the East and West coasts, as it would any vessel under construction, but spokeswoman Lt. Anna Dixon said she couldnt talk about what the agency has found, citing nondisclosure agreements with an entity other than Google.Such agreements, she said, are not a standard practice at her agency. She said she didnt know the name of the entity.A similar four-story structure was built this summer in the New London, Connecticut, harbor, and has now moved north off Maine. The Day newspaper in Connecticut found details tying that barge to Google in documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.Santa Clara University law professor Dorothy Glancy said nondisclosure agreements involving inspectors are common for land-bound Silicon Valley construction projects because there are plenty of trade secrets in the clean rooms and laboratories where computer chips are built and technology is developed.But she said Google might want to take a lesson from another bay-area mystery barge. In the 1970s, billionaire Howard Hughes docked an enormous barge called the Glomar Explorer just off Mountain View, California, where Google is now headquartered. Hughes said the Glomar was going to mine manganese from the ocean floor, but in reality it was being used for a top-secret CIA mission to search for nuclear missile codes in sunken Soviet submarines.That experience should have told Google that being mysterious like this tends not to build public confidence, Glancy said.Privacy advocate Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said it is ironic that the company that wants to open the worlds information to everyone so zealously guards its own corporate secrecy.The barge is a perfect metaphor for a company that likes to ask forgiveness for its transgressions rather than permission, he said. Its also a symbol of how far from mainland values the company is going with Glass and its privacy problems.

Dont let spying row disrupt trade talks, Kerry urges EU Posted: WARSAW (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday urged European leaders not to allow a row over revelations about US spying to disrupt talks with the EU to create the worlds largest free trade zone.And he renewed calls for US partners to voice their concerns with Washington in order to strengthen intelligence relationships in the future.Speaking on a visit to Poland, Kerry said negotiations with the European Union for a proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would create one of the most powerful economic forces on the planet and it will raise the standards by which all countries are engaging in economic activities.The second round of talks are set to resume on November 11 in Brussels after being postponed due to the US government shutdown last month.But they have also been clouded by a wave of outrage among European leaders -- most notably the leader of Europes economic powerhouse German Chancellor Angela Merkel -- after the revelations US security services had tapped European leaders phones.We need to understand as partners were all in this together. Were all in the effort to try to provide protection to our citizens, Kerry said at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski.The United States was working to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and obviously the privacy of all of our citizens, he added.US President Barack Obama has ordered a review of the intelligence services in the light ot the revelations from former US National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden.Kerry arrived late Monday in Warsaw for a brief visit during which he also discussed defence and the proposed deployment of a US missile defence system in Poland by 2018.Sikorski said earlier this year that Poland would spend 33.6 billion euros ($43.3 billion) to upgrade the army and build up its deterrence forces.We want to hear from our alliesKerry also met with Prime Minister Donald Tusk before talks with Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak at the Lask air base where US and Polish pilots have been training since November 2012.He lauded Polands plan to invest tens of billions in defence and pitched US-made equipment.With this investment Poland is showing its steadfast commitment to peace and to stability and it is sending a powerful message to all NATO members, Kerry said.We believe deeply in the quality of US arms Kerry added while pointing to F-16 warplanes on display at Lask.We are prepared to make that equipment available to Poland as it makes its choices, he said.The State Department has hailed Poland as an economic success story after it shed communism in 1989.And US officials underscore that EU and NATO member Poland is investing $100 billion in defence modernisation, energy and other infrastructure upgrades over the next 10 years.Earlier Tuesday in Warsaw, the top US diplomat, who last week said that US spying activities had gone too far, urged European leaders to voice their concerns.We want to hear from our allies, we want to have this conversation, Kerry said.If we get this right, which we will, we can not only alleviate concerns but we can actually strengthen our intelligence relationships going forward.But he urged the Europeans not to confuse the issue with the trade talks.The TTIP is really separate from and different from any other issues that people may have on their minds. This is about jobs, its about the economy, its about economic competition in a global economy that competes sometimes by rules that are very questionable and shaky.That should not be confused with whatever legitimate questions exist with respect to NSA and other activities, Kerry said.Kerry left Poland Tuesday afternoon headed for talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank later in the day.