AP Interview: Toyota chief stresses safe growth

AP Interview: Toyota chief stresses safe growth


AP Interview: Toyota chief stresses safe growth

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:39 PM PST

In this Wednesday, March 6, 2013 photo, Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda speaks during an interview in Tokyo. In the exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Toyota's president said he is putting new auto plant openings on hold for three years and reshaping the automaker's structure to give more autonomy to regional divisions and foreign executives. (AP Photo/Junji Kurokawa)TOKYO (AP) — After four tumultuous years bookended by an unprecedented recall crisis and a return to the top of the global auto industry, Akio Toyoda is refashioning Toyota Motor Corp. into a leaner company that's more imbued with the venture spirit of founder Kiichiro Toyoda, his grandfather.


China rebukes monastery at heart of fiery protests

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:33 PM PST

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese officials on Thursday castigated a Tibetan monastery at the center of a wave of self-immolations, saying it has been inciting the fiery protests. They also indicated that authorities will not relax controls over the region.

10 Things Every Leader Should Challenge

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:29 PM PST

News Flash - innovation, growth and development cannot occur by pretending we live in a world that has long since passed us by. Leading in the 21st Century affords no safe haven for 20th Century thinkers. Old, static, institutionalized thinking will gate the pace of forward progress faster than just about anything. If you want to expose yourself as an out of touch, dated leader, keep trying to address today's issues and opportunities with yesterday's thinking.

Members Of New Forbes Billionaires List Out In Force At Key China Political Gatherings

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:27 PM PST

Led by mainland China's richest man Zong Qinghou and Internet heavyweights Robin Li and Ma Huateng, nearly 50 members of the 2013 Forbes Billionaires List from mainland China and Hong Kong are attending high-profile political gatherings in Beijing this month that surround the expected selection of the country's next president.

Chavez last words were 'I don't want to die'

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:39 PM PST

As country begins seven days of mourning, head of presidential guard says Chavez died of a massive heart attack.

Analysis: North Korea's Kim Jong-un to ride out sanctions in nuclear push

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:22 PM PST

SEOUL (Reuters) - Fresh U.N. sanctions are unlikely to halt North Korea's nuclear program given that seven years of previous measures from the world body and more than 50 years of U.S. penalties have failed to dissuade North Korea from trying to develop banned weapons.

China faces social, financial risks in urbanization push

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:16 PM PST

People arrive at a city bus station in the town of Zhoukou, Henan ProvinceBEIJING (Reuters) - China's urbanization drive could fuel social unrest over land disputes and pose financial risks if money is thrown around recklessly, a senior communist party official and a leading economist said on Thursday. Shifting people from the countryside to cities is a policy priority for China's new leaders as they seek to sustain economic growth that last year slowed to a 13-year low of 7.8 percent. The government hopes 60 percent of China's population of almost 1.4 billion will be urban residents by 2020. ...


Mainland, HK Delegates To The NPC, CPPCC On The 2013 Forbes Billionaires List

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:22 PM PST

Here's a list of members of the 2013 Forbes Billionaires List from mainland China and Hong Kong attending this month's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in Beijing. NPC:

China faces social, financial risks in urbanization push

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:16 PM PST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's urbanization drive could fuel social unrest over land disputes and pose financial risks if money is thrown around recklessly, a senior communist party official and a leading economist said on Thursday.

Ending White House Tours Instead Of Ending Medicare And Medicaid Fraud

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:01 PM PST

"White House Tours will be canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013 until further notice," according to a White House email.  Meanwhile, billions of dollars pour out of Medicare and Medicaid because of waste and fraud.  Indeed, eliminating Medicare and Medicaid fraud, rather than White House tours, would offset the sequester cuts for the next decade.

What Can Marketers Do To Manage And Leverage Big Data?

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:58 PM PST

Information. Big Data. The amount of – and access to – business transforming information is changing what it means to be a marketer.  25 years ago, the head of marketing could easily have grown up in an ad agency and been a brilliant "creative mind" who developed strong ad campaigns. Today, a great Superbowl ad isn't sufficient. Effective marketers must understand data, know how to generate insight from, in some cases, millions of transactions, and be capable of interpreting and using statistical output to create smart strategies and plans.

General: Heart attack killed a suffering Chavez

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 10:20 PM PST

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Hugo Chavez' mother Elena Frias, third from left, and brothers Adan, second from left, Argenis, first right, and Adelis, fourth from right, stand next to the flag-draped coffin containing the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez on display during his wake at a military academy where his body will lie in state until his funeral in in state in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Seven days of mourning were declared, all schools were suspended for the week and friendly heads of state were expected for an elaborate funeral Friday. (AP Photo/Miraflores Presidential Press Office)CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — President Hugo Chavez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela's presidential guard said late Wednesday.


Malaysia tries to block escape of Filipino gunmen

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:35 PM PST

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia is reinforcing efforts to block armed Filipino intruders from escaping by sea or vanishing into Borneo's population following deadly clashes that prompted the U.N. chief to urge both sides to seek a peaceful resolution.

Semiconductors Positive in January

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:32 PM PST

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) posted the update of the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) on Monday.  January sales were almost 4% higher than January of 2012 but were down nearly 3% from December, a fact that can be explained away by seasonal cycles.

Philippines to accuse police, soldiers in killings

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 08:56 PM PST

UPDATES CAPTION INFORMATION - FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2013 file photo released by the Philippine National Police Quezon Provincial Director's Office, Quezon provincial police chief Valeriano de Leon, right, looks at a bullet-riddled vehicle at a checkpoint along a road in the town of Atimonan in Quezon province, southeast of Manila, Philippines. Security personnel originally claimed the incident as a shootout with suspected criminals, but the Philippine justice secretary said Wednesday, March 7, investigators will file a murder case against 35 police officers and soldiers for allegedly executing 13 people at the road checkpoint in a plan by a police colonel to eliminate a rival in an illegal gambling operation. (AP Photo/Philippine National Police Quezon Provincial Director's Office, File)MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine investigators will file a murder case against 35 police officers and soldiers for allegedly executing 13 people at a road checkpoint in a plan by a police colonel to eliminate a rival in an illegal gambling operation, the justice secretary said Wednesday.


Earthquake shakes buildings in Taiwan

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 09:51 PM PST

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake is felt throughout Taiwan, but no casualties or damage reported.

Brazil Eases Bias Against Interest-Rate Hikes

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 05:52 PM PST

Brazil's central bank signaled on Wednesday night that it is ready to delve into detailed data on economic conditions in a review that could well result in a round of interest-rate increases later in the year.

South American Retailer Bulks Up

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 08:12 PM PST

Wal-Mart StoresInc. and Casino Groupe SA are huge in South America, but underdog local retailer Cencosud SA is nipping at their heels.

What Do Mozart, Oprah Have in Common? Big Heads in Korea

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 08:47 PM PST

The Great Stone Face Sculpture Park is one of South Korea's most unusual tourist sites.

Giant Stone Faces

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 08:18 PM PST

Chung Geun-hee's life work is on display in one of South Korea's most unusual tourist sites, the Great Stone Face Sculpture Park.

International Women's Day: Your stories

International Women's Day: Your stories


International Women's Day: Your stories

Posted: 05 Mar 2013 08:18 PM PST

Tell us your stories of the women who inspire you

In Mexico's "Alcatraz" High, students, parents dream of overhaul

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:58 PM PST

NEZAHUALCOYOTL, Mexico (Reuters) - "Alcatraz jail" is scrawled in graffiti by the compound's entrance. Inside, tales abound of drug abuse, bribes and beatings doled out by mini-mafias who charge for access to the toilets.

France to Begin Mali Pullout in April

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:44 PM PST

France will start drawing down some of the 4,000 troops it has engaged in Mali next month after a final phase of chasing Islamist militants in the African country's vast desert, President François Hollande said.

Insight: Iran's Khamenei seen tightening his grip in vote to replace Ahmadinejad

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:48 PM PST

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The presidential campaign season in Iran this year started with a warning. During a visit to the holy city of Qom in mid-January, the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a packed crowd that both internal and external enemies may try to undermine the vote.

Cable suggests 'more borrowing'

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:39 PM PST

The government may need to borrow more to fund capital spending if the UK's economy is to recover, Business Secretary Vince Cable suggests.

Steenkamp uncle ready to forgive

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:43 PM PST

Reeva Steenkamp's family breaks their silence in an exclusive interview on Anderson Cooper 360 Wednesday night.

Syria rebels abduct 20 U.N. observers

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:20 PM PST

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — Syrian rebels abducted around 20 U.N. observers from the Golan Heights on Wednesday and threatened to hold them until the Syrian government withdraws its troops from the area, marking the most serious escalation of the conflict yet along Syria's southern border with Israel.

Read full article >>

Hugo Chavez’s death brings mixed reactions

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:56 AM PST

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died March 5 in Caracas of complications from an unspecified cancer in his pelvic area. Juan Forero reported:

He was 58 and had been president since 1999, longer than any other democratically elected leader in the Americas. Vice President Nicolas Maduro announced the death.

Read full article >>

Hugo Chavez's legacy, in six charts

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:47 AM PST

Depending on whom you ask, Hugo Chavez was either a brutal dictator or an inspiring revolutionary. But his legacy comes into sharper contrast when you consider how public opinion changed over the course of his 14-year presidency.

Read full article >>

Kerry finds old friends and new restrictions in his first trip as secretary of state

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:10 AM PST

DOHA, Qatar — Secretary of State John F. Kerry called his first foreign trip as the nation's top diplomat a listening tour, but anyone familiar with his 28 years in the Senate or his 2004 presidential run will not be surprised to learn that Kerry did a lot of talking, too.

Read full article >>

Jordan close to commissioning two nuclear reactors, declines to sign accord with U.S.

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:08 AM PST

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Jordan is close to commissioning two nuclear reactors, to be built about 100 kilometers south of the Syrian border, as atomic energy spreads through the Arab world, even as uprisings convulse the region.

Read full article >>

Arkansas Adopts Restrictive Abortion Law

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:09 PM PST

Legal experts said a ban on abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, adopted on Wednesday, so sharply contradicts existing constitutional doctrine that it would quickly be voided.

Jobs to Fill, Employers Wait for Perfection

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:04 AM PST

Job openings are staying unfilled much longer than they used to, despite well-qualified candidates, in part because companies are reluctant to commit to new hires.

US Iraq rebuilding 'achieved little'

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 12:17 PM PST

The US rebuilding effort in Iraq achieved little despite $60bn (£40bn) spent since the 2003 invasion and at least $8bn wasted, a US auditor says.

Pistorius news didn't shock everyone

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:59 AM PST

Oscar Pistorius first gained international fame amid a raging debate over whether his prosthetic legs would give him a competitive advantage in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Not everyone surprised by Pistorius murder charge

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:59 AM PST

Oscar Pistorius first gained international fame amid a raging debate over whether his prosthetic legs would give him a competitive advantage in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Costa Concordia reveals its darkest secrets

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:00 AM PST

The shock of seeing the forlorn hulk of the Costa Concordia hasn't been dimmed by time. I'm here once again on the pristine little Italian island of Giglio, made famous not for its beauty, but for the tragedy on its shores.

Obama dines with Republican senators

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 01:04 PM PST

US President Barack Obama invites a group of Republican senators for dinner to advance stalled budget negotiations, the White House says.

Suspect in Fatal Hit and Run to Surrender Today, Friend Tells Police

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:29 AM PST

Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said the friend said he was acting as a liaison for Julio Acevedo, who he said would turn himself in with a lawyer.

State of the Art: 2 Ways to Subscribe to Microsoft’s Office, Eternally

Posted: 06 Mar 2013 11:02 AM PST

This year with Microsoft Office, it's not what the features are, but how you pay for them. There are two ways to subscribe.