Asia

I have never really bought the argument about the dollar and gold (GLD). Yes, many years ago there was a relationship between gold and the dollar, but that was because the world monetary system was different. Today, the amount of money in circulation has nothing to do with gold. Look at Japan -- it has been printing overtime for many years now, as well as all of Asia. Why does gold have to be a function of U.S. dollar printing, and not a function of international money printing? Funny enough, gold bulls never really mention money printing in the rest of the world.Either way, the reason why gold and silver (SLV) will go up or down is demand. Is does not matter where this demand is coming from. Demand is demand, and at the margin increased demand will raise prices. Demand destruction, on the other hand, will take

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Itron Modernizes Water Infrastructure in India with Smart Technology Two new projects aim to reduce treated water losses and ensure continuity of service for people in India LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. & NEW DELHI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Itron, Inc. (NAS: ITRI) announced today that it is helping address water conservation and efficiency efforts in India by delivering advanced automation technology. Itron has been selected by Larsen & Turbo, the largest construction company in India, to provide an advanced metering solution to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The solution includes 120,000 advanced automated meters, 40,000 standard meters, mobile collection equipment and software, which will be used to collect, measure and analyze water usage. With 120,000 advanced meters deployed in New Delhi, the project will be India's largest mobile advanced metering system when completed. DJB produces and supplies water within the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India. Accurately measuring water consumption has become an important priority for DJB as the population in its service territory constantly grows. Itron's solution enables DJB to efficiently collect information and process bills for water usage. Itron was selected after a six-month pilot in collaboration with Larsen & Turbo. In 2011, Itron was also selected by Larsen & Turbo to supply DJB with 300,000 residential water meters. The new project will be DJB's first domestic metering automation project in New Delhi and is expected to be completed in March 2014. "We are proud to work with Larsen & Turbo to provide a solution for DJB's metering automation project," said Pawan Mathur, director, Water & Heat, for Itron in India. "Following the success of the recent Itron pilot with DJB, we are confident that our solution will allow DJB to conserve water and more effectively deliver water to the residents of New Delhi." Itron has also been awarded another contract by a leading Indian infrastructure development company, SPML, to provide 90,000 advanced meters to DJB in the Malviya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Mehrauli areas of New Delhi. Through a consortium led by Suez Environment and SPML, the 12-year pilot project aims to improve water distribution and ensure continuity of service throughout the day, reduce water losses in the network and improve customer service. The project will provide residents with a continuous water supply—currently, they receive water for only three to eight hours per day. Itron's meters will replace all current meters in the district. All meters supplied under both contracts are manufactured in Itron's water meter factory in Dehradun, India. About Itron Itron is a global technology company. We build solutions that help utilities measure, manage and analyze energy and water. Our broad product portfolio includes electricity, gas, water and thermal energy measurement and control technology; communications systems; software; and professional services. With thousands of employees supporting nearly 8,000 utilities in more than 100 countries, Itron empowers utilities to responsibly and efficiently manage energy and water resources. Join us in creating a more resourceful world; start here: www.itron.com. Itron, Inc.Sharelynn Moore, 509-891-3524Vice President, Corporate Communicationssharelynn.moore@itron.comKEYWORDS:   United States  Asia Pacific  North America  India  WashingtonINDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

Hong Kong’s old Kai Tak Airport is the stuff of barside stories of grizzled expats at bars across Asia. Now it has reopend for the slow and steady approach of cruise ships. Click here to view the embedded video. The terminal will accommodate cruise ships too large for Ocean Terminal. The first arrivals were last week and next in November when regular monthly arrivals commence, see the full schedule. I only flew into Kai Tak once, in 1997 on school trip, a few weeks before the handover to China. Here’s a crosswind landing in 1998: Click here to view the embedded video. Readers, share your Kai Tak memories! Rapid Travel Chai email updates ¦ twitter ¦ facebook        Related StoriesChina Bargaining Tips from Mrs RTCHotel Brochures that Keep Creeping Back in the Way – My Battle with a Cartoon OctopusChinese Bayberries in the Boardroom 

The non-profit sector in China has always been tightly regulated, and civil groups are required to register with a government sponsor. However, Christina Larson reports for Business Week that the number of non-profits and their scale of activity have seen an increase since Xi Jinping took over as President: In the past, Chinese grassroots groups were almost entirely supported by grants from foreign foundations and governments—such as the Ford Foundation, Open Society Institute, and embassy grants. Funding from overseas remains significant, but in the past few years, a handful of private foundations have arisen in China and begun to support local nonprofits. Last year, China’s central government also announced the launch of a 200 million renminbi ($32.5 million) fund for social initiatives—and it invited nonprofits to submit applications. Some critics worry that state funding could co-opt NGOs’ missions, but others point out that the creation of the fund is also an acknowledgement by China’s government that civil society has a legitimate role to play. That’s especially true today, as the state struggles to meet fast-expanding demand for such services as eldercare. Another notable change is the more assertive stance of Chinese grassroots groups today, as compared with seven years ago. In 2006, a majority of groups that answered a CDB survey said they saw their primary role as “raising awareness” or collaborating with government programs. “In 2013, we see a different picture,” Shieh told a group of foreign journalists last week in Beijing. “Now more Chinese NGOs are adopting a rights-based perspective for public advocacy.” [Source] One reason for the expansion of the non-profit sector is a rise in charitable giving, which has accompanied the growth of wealth in the country. The Wall Street Journal reports: Despite the drop in donation value, the number of nonprofit organizations rose 6% in 2012 as more Chinese want to play an active role in philanthropy. Businessmen are increasingly turning to nonprofits where they feel they can contribute. For example, the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology, a non-profit organization run by property developers, uses its $4.7 million of assets on projects such as waste-water treatment. “Chinese donors are very hands-on,” said Wei Wei, Asia director of UBS’s Optimus Foundation, an independent foundation that offers the Swiss bank’s clients options to support charity projects. “They don’t want to just write checks. They visit often and do a lot of due diligence.” Philanthropy is on the rise in China as many realize that charitable giving can bring substantial benefits to their finances, careers and families. Being perceived as a caring entrepreneur can helpful in a society that tends to resent those who get rich fast. [Source] The charity sector has faced public skepticism in recent year following high-profile scandals involving the Chinese Red Cross. Read more about NGOs and civil society in China, via CDT. See also the China Development Brief for more news about China’s civil society. © Sophie Beach for China Digital Times (CDT), 2013. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us Post tags: charity, civil society, NGOs, Red Cross, wealth Download Tools to Circumvent the Great Firewall

How have Chinese responded to revelations about the extent of the NSA's domestic surveillance activities? Depends on where you're looking. First, you have to separate the mainland from Hong Kong, where avowed leaker Edward Snowden remains in hiding, according to The Guardian. Though of course a part of China, the region enjoys greater autonomy than areas directly controlled by Beijing. As a result, we get the picture at the right, which shows demonstrators imploring Hong Kong authorities not to extradite Snowden to the U.S. On the mainland, awareness of the issue is more diffuse. We spoke with two Beijing business professionals who both said there hasn't been much talk of it among people they know. One said it's likely Party officials do not want to make a big deal out of Snowden, lest it encourage debate about the government's own aggressive domestic surveillance programs. Council on Foreign Relations East Asia export Adam Segal agreed. "Officials have been pretty quiet about it — they're unlikely to raise it directly," he told us. NPR's Frank Langfitt reported that as of Tuesday, Snowden had not cracked the top 10 hot topics on Chinese social media site Weibo, although ABC's Gloria Riviera reported that when surveyed, 78% of Weibo users said Snowden was a "freedom fighter." What coverage there has been from state-sponsored media has focused on the perceived hypocrisy of the U.S., which has accused China of attempting to hack defense networks, among other targets. "They're taking the revelations about Chinese targets as a sign of the U.S. trying to distract from its own 'evil empire'...And also the U.S. portraying itself as a champion of Internet freedom — that that can’t take be taken seriously." The AP's Malin Rising reported today there have now been "informal" talks of Snowden coming to Iceland, which has a tradition of granting asylum in contentious political cases.Join the conversation about this story »

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- "Killer" music video by 360 - Added on 19-06-2013 - Genre : Hip-Hop - Description : Australian MC 360 Unveils Latest Single "Killer" And Preps For Lollapalooza Appearance After conquering his native Australia, Melbourne MC 360, aka Matt Colwell, now has his sights set on American shores. Armed with acerbic wit, infectious beats and genre-bending giddiness, the rocket-like trajectory of 360 has only just begun. Building on the hype and goodwill won through his free mixtape series (Please Be Seated 1, Read MoreBlog: New On The Fuzzy TubeRelated: Occupy FBi: Pete Rock, Jean Grae, Mr Len, Foreign Beggars, 12th Planet & Borgore TakeoverHAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY - Triple J - 2011 Hottest 100 //Durag Dynasty (Killer Ben, Planet Asia & TriState) 360 Waves [video]Durag Dynasty (Killer Ben, Planet Asia & TriState) The Worlds Most Dangerous [mp3]Durag Dynasty (Killer Ben, Planet Asia & TriState) Durag Dynasty Theme (prod. Alchemist) [audio]405 Games: Suda51s Killer is Dead trailer released

It’s known as the “King of Fruits,” which is perfectly fitting, supposing the kingdom in question just happens to be a pointy sewer. Both loved and loathed all over Southeast Asia, the durian is a large, porcupine-looking fruit whose smell has been described simultaneously as “almonds, rotten onions, turpentine” and “raw sewage,” according to Wikipedia. It also happens to be McDonald’s Singapore’s newest limited time McFlurry flavor, for . . . reasons. Available at all McDonald’s Singapore dessert kiosks (because apparently they have kiosks in addition to actual restaurants over there), the new Durian Crunch McFlurry features “a mix of vanilla soft serve, durian syrup, and what looks to be some kind of crunchy cereal,” according to Brand Eating. Considering McDonald’s tendency to water down local cuisine, however, chances are the actual product will be relatively harmless – more of a publicity tool than anything, similar to a chocolate bacon sundae or Watermelon Oreos (ohohohoho). I personally have never tried durian, though growing up I did confuse it with jackfruit and couldn’t understand for the life of me what the big deal was. Several advocators on the interwebs claim that once you get over the smell, though, the actual taste of durian is absolutely delicious. They also recommend starting off with milder recipes like durian cakes or durian custard to get yourself acclimated to its glory. To that end, maybe Mickey D’s is just trying to help out the Singaporean durian market by releasing a baby version of the King to the masses. This could be stealth marketing at its finest, folks. Those sly, sly dogs. H/T + PicThx Brand Eating The post Run For Your Lives, It’s a Durian McFlurry appeared first on Foodbeast.

ThaiEasyElec – Thailand. VCTEC KOREA – South Korea. These are just 2 of our distributors in the Asia region, make sure to visit the Adafruit distributor page to view all! We will be spotlighting Adafruit resellers from around the world on a regular basis! We recently updated our distributor, reseller and hackerspace pricing! Now, 1 quantity has UP TO a 30% discount off many items, this is allows you to get a great discount by just ordering 1 of something. Great for folks who just want to try 1 item of each of something out in their store, etc. As always, once you order 50+ or more of something the discount goes UP TO 40% off many items as well. Note! *Not ALL items have reseller pricing, reseller pricing is for items we can discount for our resellers. We are adding more all the time! Remember, the minimum order is $250 per order, not including shipping. We have a very easy reseller program and would love to have more great people & companies as a distributors/resellers/hackerspaces. Our products are high-quality and we think they’re the best engineered & designed in the market. How can you be a distributor? Just fill our form here, keep in mind the following questions! Are you an online store, a physical store or a hackerspace that would like to distribute our products? Please include a link. Can you place orders $250 and over (Not including shipping) each time? Can you pay via paypal or credit card? For international large orders, can you pay via wire transfer? Do you have a UPS account? (This is not required, but helpful). We’ll be adding more features for resellers in 2013 enjoy! To become a distributor, click here.