Iraqi Security Forces Ripping Off Their Uniforms and Fleeing Naked

A man displays an Iraqi army jacket near the burnt vehicles belonging to Iraqi security forces at a checkpoint in east Mosul, one day after radical Sunni Muslim insurgents seized control of the cityReuters

Iraqi security forces are ripping off their uniforms and fleeing naked from the cities that are under siege by Sunni Islamist militants who press ahead towards the capital Baghdad.

Fearing identification and execution by extremists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is now advancing at lightning speed capturing several cities, the police forces are reported to be on the run.

Their uniforms are lying scattered on the roads of Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, suggest pictures taken from the streets.

With little resistance from the collapsing Iraqi security forces, the al-Qaida-inspired insurgents are tightening their grip on cities such as Tikrit, the hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein, and Kirkuk, where Iraq's biggest oil refinery is located.

"Our forces were caught by surprise, they never expected ISIL would use police and army Humvee vehicles, we mistook them for government forces and it was too late to stop them. We are fighting devils and not ordinary people," a police captain, who escaped from Tikrit to Samarra, told Reuters.

Tikrit lies between Mosul, the city from where half a million people have already fled, and Baghdad. Overnight, the militants had reached the flashpoint city of Samarra, which is only a little more than 100kms from Baghdad.

On their march, the militants have freed hundreds of prisoners in various cities and are continuously gaining strength.

The rapid speed with which the Islamists are advancing has raised serious doubts regarding the capabilities of the US-trained Iraqi forces and the Shiite-led administration.

The ISIL militant group is currently estimated to be in control of about 10 to 15% percent of Iraqi territory.

Yemen President Hadi Reshuffles Government After Sanaa Fuel Protests

Protesters demonstrating against Yemen's fuel shortages, shout slogans near the residence of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi.(Reuters)

Yemen's President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi has reshuffled top ministers in his government after days of power cuts saw hundreds of protesters take to the streets and call for the government to fall in the capital Sanaa.

Anger erupted in front of Hadi's house where protesters gathered to call for the overthrow of the government.

"Leave us, leave us, down with the corrupt leader!" Yemenis chanted, according to Reuters.

"This failure by the government has turned our lives into hell: no electricity, no gasoline or water. They have to leave us right away," a protester told the news agency.

State news agency Saba reported changes at the ministry of finance, oil, electricity and foreign affairs, as Hadi tries to appease Yemeni citizens enraged by power outages in the capital.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia, a United States ally, is concerned about long-term stability in Yemen, where 54% of the population lives below the poverty line and unemployment stands at 40%.

Yemen has been plagued by political and social turmoil since the former long-standing leader Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to resign in 2011 after massive street protests.

Regular attacks on oil pipelines have been blamed for months of blackouts in the capital.

Hadi named Mohammed Zamam as finance minister and Jamal Abdullah al-Sallal as foreign minister, while Ahmed Abdul Qader Shayyeh was installed as oil minister.

Mexico City: Circus Employees Protest Animal Ban that 'Will Leave Thousands Unemployed'

Circus employees protest at ban on animals in circusAFP

More than 1,000 circus employees have rallied in Mexico City, following a ban on using animals in circus activities.

According to the new law, lions, tigers, bears, horses and dogs will not be allowed to perform in circuses.

The law also bans the use of animals in advertisements, prizes, lotteries and many other activities which require what it is described as "a change in the environment, feeding or natural instinct of the animals".

Penalties include fines ranging from $45,000 (£26,811) to $60,000 (£35,748).

The ban does not apply to dolphin shows or bullfighting.

The protesters argued that thousands of people will be left unemployed following the ban.

"Hundreds of families are going to be out of work," clown Julio Cesar Ramirez was quoted by the BBC as saying.

The president of the national circus association, Armando Cedeno, said the measure would affect about 50,000 circus employees and 3,000 to 3,500 animals.

''It is impossible to take these animals back to their natural habitat because they would die,'' Cedeno said.

He added that the animals were treated well.

Isaid Berti, an animal trainer, was quoted by AFP as saying: "We have already demonstrated that we do not harm our animals. They are part of our family!"

He added: "We have watched these animals be born and take care of them their whole lives. How would we abuse them?"

The animal trainer acknowledged that animal abuse does happen in some circuses and suggested an inspection system for the city's estimated 50 circuses.

"Why should those who have done no wrong pay the price for those who have?"

In a press conference, Jesus Sesma, the politician who pushed the law, described it as promoting "a respect for living beings who are not human".

According to Animal Circuses, which aims at educating people about the physical and phsycological suffering of animals in captivity - circuses deny captive-born wild animals their need to exhibit their natural behaviours.

"In a circus, elephants are chained or confined to a small space and are only able to stand up, lie down or shuffle a few paces backwards and forwards," the NGO said.

"Lions and tigers are shut in their beast wagons for over 90% of the time. They, too, need to be able to socialise and roam freely.

"Life in the wild cannot be replicated on the back of transportation trucks or at circus sites around the country."

Arctic Fox and Woolly Rhino Evolved in Ancient Tibet 'Training Ground', Scientists Claim

The Arctic fox evolved in Tibet, scientists have said.Michael Haferkamp

Ancient Tibet acted as a "cradle of evolution" for early cold-adapted mammals, providing a "training ground" before they migrated north to the Arctic region.

Early mammals including the arctic fox, an extinct species of woolly rhino, the three-toed horse and a Tibetan bharal – or blue sheep – were all found to have evolved on the Tibetan Plateau.

Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, an international team of scientists looked at fossil specimens discovered in the Zanda Basin in Southern Tibet in 2010.

They believe that the fossils found show the evolution of present day animals in the Arctic region are closely connected to ancestors who were first adapted to life in the cold in Tibet.

The advance and retreat of ice sheets during Ice Ages have had a huge impact on the evolution and geographical distribution of animals.

Scientists found the fossil of a three to five million-year-old Tibetan Fox from the Himalayan Mountains that was probably the ancestor of the modern Arctic fox. They also discovered the fossils of 29 other mammals, including a badger, snow leopard, Tibetan antelope, blue sheep, three-toed horse and woolly rhino.

The adaption of these species has normally been attributed to the arctic tundra or other cold areas. However, the team suggest a new "out of Tibet" theory that suggests some Ice Age megafauna used Tibet as a "training ground" where they evolved to cope with extremely cold conditions.

These animals were, as a result, pre-adapted to life during the Ice Age that started around 2.6 million years ago.

Lead author Xiaoming Wang, of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, said the discovery of the fossils was the result of 15 expeditions to Tibet, working at high altitudes where it is difficult to breath and water freezes overnight.

"There are a lot of challenges," he said, "but in paleontological terms, it is a relatively unexplored environment. Our efforts are rewriting a significant chapter of our planet's recent geological history."

Isis Seize Mosul: Turkey's Consul and 24 Officials Kidnapped by Islamic Militants

Families fleeing violence in Mosul, capital of the northern Nineveh province, gather at a checkpointAFP

The head of the Turkish mission in the Iraqi city of Mosul, which has been seized by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shams (Isis), has been kidnapped along with 24 other consulate officials.

An unnamed police colonel told AFP that Isis members "managed to abduct the Turkish consul and 24 of his guards and assistants".

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan held an emergency meeting with the Undersecretary of Turkey's National Intelligence Agency (MIT) and Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay to discuss the developments, Turkish media reported.

The Islamist militants took control of Mosul after hundreds of its fighters overwhelmed government military forces in a lightning attack on Monday, forcing up to 500,000 people to flee the city and Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki to call a national state of emergency.

The militants freed up to 1,000 inmates from Mosul's central prison, according to senior police officials. They are also in control of Mosul airport and local television stations.

Siemens and Mitsubishi Mull Joint Alstom Energy Bid

A file photograph of Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser.Reuters

German conglomerate Siemens has joined forces with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to examine a potential acquisition pitch for French firm Alstom's energy assets, and oppose a $17bn offer by General Electric.

Siemens and Mitsubishi (MHI) will take a decision on the submission of a proposal to Alstom's board of directors by 16 June, according to a statement by the German firm.

Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens said in the statement: "I appreciate MHI's commitment to join our efforts and I do look forward to working together with MHI to create a long-term oriented solution for Alstom, MHI and Siemens."

Shunishi Miyanaga, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said in the statement: "MHI has been invited by Siemens to join forces and we firmly believe that we can substantially contribute to a partnership solution for Alstom which will create value for all parties involved, including the country of France."

The French government has sought to encourage Alstom's larger German competitor Siemens as a probable rival bidder to General Electric.

GE Bid

General Electric in May bettered its offer for troubled French engineering conglomerate Alstom's energy unit, in particular regarding the impact on jobs.

On 27 May, GE chief executive Jeff Immelt told French lawmakers GE will make detailed commitments to boost jobs in France.

Paris had previously disapproved of GE's $16.9bn (£10.1bn, €12.5bn) bid for Alstom's power division and, earlier in May, boosted its takeover law giving itself the power to prevent a foreign takeover of "strategic" industrial groups -- a potential obstacle to GE's bid.

Mosul Siege: Isis Militants Threaten Major Oil Town as Baghdad Insists Exports Secure

Children stand next to a burnt-out vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and al Qaida-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the northern Iraq city of MosulReuters

Militants from the al Qaida offshoot who seized Iraq's second largest city of Mosul have advanced into the oil refinery town of Baiji..

Located close to Mosul in the north of the country, the town is home to Iraq's largest refinery protected by around 250 guards.

According to Reuters sources, militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) sent a group of tribal sheikhs to negotiate with the guards, who said they would withdraw if they were given safe passage to another town.

Iraq's Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi has said export facilities in the country are secure, with shipments running around 2.6m barrels per day.

"All our exports are now from the Basra terminal in the south – and it's a very, very safe area." Luaibi told reporters.

Isis have just seized control of Iraq's second city, after the national army and security forces withdrew. Iraq's prime minister has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency across the whole country.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, around 500,000 Iraqis fled the violence in Mosul, which lies around 225 miles northwest of the capital Baghdad.

Mayan Religious House and Sculpted Artwork Discovered in Guatemala

In yet another Mayan archaeological find, a religious house of the ancient civilisation has been discovered in Peten, Guatemala.Wiki Commons/Wolfgang Sauber

Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered what they believe is an ancient Mayan religious house.

A council house dating back about 700 years was unearthed at the site of Nixtun-Ch'ich' in Petén.

The house has altars and sculpted artworks featuring animal figures that indicate the house would have been used for religious or sacred purposes.

According to researcher Timothy Pugh, a professor at Queens College in New York, the Mayan council house has two halls, constructed side by side, the walls of which were once adorned with sculpted imagery of reptiles and parrots.

The house's two altars were decorated with turtle figures sculpted on each.

Pugh said a Mayan group called the Chakan Itza would have used this council house as a place for worshipping, to hold meetings, and for marriage ceremonies.

"Basically almost every political and religious ritual would have been held there," Pugh told Live Science.

"The leaders who gathered there would have held power in the community and perhaps the broader region."

An incense burner showing the head of Itzamna, a Mayan deity, was also discovered at the council house.

Some of the other incense burners recovered at the site seem to be shaped like a seedling ceiba tree, which is the national tree of Guatemala and which, Pugh said, held importance to the Mayan people.

According to archaeologists, the council house was in use between AD1300 and 1500 and perhaps a few years after 1500.

But around 1500, the Mayan group may have destroyed the house to move the seat of power to another location.

"The Maya paid close attention to time and calendars. After a certain cycle of time they would move the ruling seat to a new location," Pugh said.

He added: "They destroyed the altars and they covered the building [with dirt]. They basically conducted a ritual that cancelled out the power of this space."

China: Students Use High Tech 'James Bond' Spy Devices to Cheat in College Exams

Nearly 10 million high school students sat China's national college entrance exams last weekend. The 'Gaokao' is a fiercely competitive, make-or-break test that determines the path of a student's life. Some tried to improve their chances by using high-tech equipment straight out of a James Bond film.

Police have released photos of some of the devices they confiscated, such as a camera hidden in a pair of glasses and a tiny receiver that looks like a coin.

A hidden coil in a shirt, two batteries, a mobile phone and a receiver are displayed after being found on a student about to take an exam, in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.Reuters

A police officer displays a pair of glasses with a hidden camera and a tiny receiver attached to a coin in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China.Reuters

A hidden camera in a pen and a receiver in the shape of an eraser are displayed after being confiscated by the authorities in Chengdu, Sichuan province.Reuters

Mobile devices and receivers which can be placed in ears are displayed after being confiscated by the authorities in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.Reuters

A staff member monitors radio signals to prevent students cheating during the university entrance exam in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province.AFP

A member of staff monitors radio signals to prevent students cheating during the university entrance exam in Qingdao, east China's Shandong province.AFP

The Gaokao determines which university a student will attend. The test is deemed so important that streets around exam halls are guarded by the police, and people who make noise on testing days can be fined.

Authorities arrested a man for allegedly taking bribes while serving as an admissions official at Beijing's elite Renmin University. Cai Rongsheng was arrested on allegations that he took more than 10 million yuan (£955,966) in exchange for the help he extended to those seeking admission to the university.

Armed policemen stand on patrol at the gate of a high school as students sit the 2014 college entrance exam in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province.AFP

Students wearing T-shirts saying 'fear nothing' walk into the exam room to sit the 2014 college entrance exam in Bozhou, east China's Anhui province.AFP

Students vow to obey regulations before sitting the 2014 college entrance exam in Bozhou, east China's Anhui province.AFP

Family members burn offerings to pray for their children taking the national college entrance exam in Wuhan, Hubei province.Reuters

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World Bank Lowers Global Growth Outlook to 2.8%

A file photograph of dark clouds covering the financial district of Shanghai.Reuters

The World Bank has trimmed its global growth forecast to 2.8% for 2014, which is lower than its forecast of 3.2% made in January, and said it expects the global economy to pick up speed as the year progresses.

The bank has left its global growth forecasts for 2015 and 2016 unchanged at 3.4% and 3.5%, respectively.

A confluence of events such as the crisis in Ukraine, rebalancing in China and bad winter weather in the US weighed down on economic expansion in the first half of 2014, the World Bank (WB) said in its twice-yearly Global Economic Prospects report.

US and China

The bank cut its growth forecast for the US, to 2.1% from 2.8%, to account for the beating the American economy took in the wake of the cold wave that swept the country at the start of 2014.

Growth for China is expected to ease gradually from 7.6% in 2014 to 7.4% by 2016, reflecting continued rebalancing, the bank added.

Emerging Markets

The poverty-fighting institution also fretted about the chances of financial volatility in emerging market economies once the US Federal Reserve, the world's most powerful central bank, starts to raise interest rates -- a move that could trigger a capital exodus in developing markets.

Kaushik Basu, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at the World Bank said in a statement: "The financial health of economies has improved. With the exception of China and Russia, stock markets have done well in emerging economies, notably, India and Indonesia.

"But we are not totally out of the woods yet. A gradual tightening of fiscal policy and structural reforms are desirable to restore fiscal space depleted by the 2008 financial crisis. In brief, now is the time to prepare for the next crisis."

Andrew Burns, lead author of the report said in the statement: "Spending more wisely rather than spending more will be key. Bottlenecks in energy and infrastructure, labor markets and business climate in many large middle-income countries are holding back GDP and productivity growth.

"Subsidy reform is one potential avenue for generating the money to raise the quality of public investments in human capital and physical infrastructure."

The US economy, the world's largest, contracted for the first time in three years in the first quarter of 2014, but it already appears to be recovering.

US GDP growth slowed to 0.1% in the first quarter of 2014, a 2.5% quarterly dip.

By comparison, the Chinese economy, the world's second-largest, expanded at a pace of 7.4%, but that rate was the slowest in 18 months owing to weak domestic and international demand.

Check out the WB infographic on global economic prospects.

Global economic growth prospects.World Bank, JPMorgan, Haver Analytics

Egypt Keeps Spot in MSCI Index After Gulf Aid Injection

Traders are seen working below the Egyptian Exchange bell at the stock exchange in Cairo.(Reuters)

Egypt has retained its position on the MSCI Index after receiving a major boost in its foreign currency reserves.

Egypt's MSCI had been earmarked for exclusion from the emerging markets index, following three years of economic political turmoil that saw the country's foreign currency reserves dwindle.

In its annual market classification review, MSCI confirmed Egypt has kept its place in the club.

"Following the substantial increase in Egyptian foreign currency reserves, MSCI also announced that it is no longer considering launching a public consultation on a potential exclusion of the MSCI Egypt Index from the MSCI Emerging Markets Index," it said.

Losing its place on the index could have sparked a wave of foreign capital flight from Egypt, MSCI said a year ago, as it cited concern over Cairo's foreign currency reserves which had fallen to $16bn from a pre-uprising high of $36bn.

However, the index compiler is no longer considering Egypt's index for removal, after Gulf States Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates showered Cairo with billions of aid dollars. A huge chunk has been used to prop up Egypt's foreign currency reserves, which reached $17.3bn at the end of May.

In total, $12bn in aid packages were announced in July 2013 following the ousting of Islamist former president Mohamed Morsi, in a military coup.

The former general that led the coup, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has since been elected as Egypt's President, prompting Saudi Arabia to call for further aid packages for the Arab world's most populous country. Investors are confident that Sisi can usher in a period of stability and strong relations with wealthy Gulf States.

Egyptian Activist Alaa Abdel Fattah Sentenced to 15 Years in Jail

Alaa Abdel Fattah (R)Reuters

Leading activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for violating a protest law and other charges, according to a lawyer.

Abdel Fattah, one of the most prominent activists in the 2011 revolution against president Hosni Mubarak and co-founder of the April 6 Youth Movement, was reportedly tried in absentia. His sister Mona Seif said the activist was outside the court when the sentence was passed.

The ruling comes just three days after former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was inaugurated as Egypt's president, after winning a landslide election.

Abdel Fattah was accused of violating the controversial Protest Law, of acquiring weapons during a protest, illegal assembly, blocking roads and attacking a police officer and stealing his radio.

He was arrested on 28 November 2013 for a rally against Article 198 of the constitution, which allows the military trial of civilians under certain circumstances. The protest took place in front of the Shura Council on 26 November and was attended by several youth groups.

Abdel Fattah and co-defendant Ahmed Abdel Rahman were held in custody until March 2014. They were then released on bail. The activist was previously arrested under the Mubarak regime after he called for an independent judiciary.

Ancient Paddle Prints Show How Nothosaurs Swam 245 Million Years Ago

Nothosaurs swam by using a rowing motion.Brian Choo, 2014

Ancient sea reptiles from 245 million years ago were able to swim with the help of paddle-like limbs, scientists have discovered.

Nothosaurs lived during the Mesozoic period, 252-66 million years ago. They were top predators of the Triassic coasts around 245 million years ago and measured between one and three metres in length.

The marine reptiles were semi-aquatic hunters with long bodies and paddle-like limbs that helped propel them forward. However, the mode of swimming has long been debated – some say they rowed themselves along with a back and forth motion, while others suggest they "flew" underwater, by sweeing their forepaddles in a figure of eight motion.

The paddle prints were found in Yunnan, southwest China.Chengdu Center of China Geological Survey

Scientists from the University of Bristol, together with colleagues from China, say paddle prints recently on an ancient seabed in Yunnan have solved this mystery.

The tracks were arranged in pairs in a long series of 10 to 50. They followed straight lines and sweeping curves.

The size and spacing suggest they were made by the forelimbs of nothosaurs and showed they moved over the seafloor by rowing their forelimbs in unison – the first evidence to show how they swam.

Study co-author Michael Benton said: "When I first saw the site, I couldn't believe the amazing quality of the fossils. It's quite unusual to find skeletons of marine reptiles such as the nothosaurs so close to evidence of their tracks."

The excavation site of the nothosaur paddle prints.Chengdu Center of China Geological Survey

Qiyue Zhang, leader of the research, added: "We interpret the tracks as foraging trails. The nothosaur was a predator, and this was a smart way to feed. As its paddles scooped out the soft mud, they probably disturbed fishes and shrimps, which it snapped up with needle-sharp teeth."

Nothosaurs and other marine reptiles were new members of recovering ecosystems after the Permo-Triassic mass extinction event, that killed off about 90% of all species on Earth.

Co-author Professor Shixue Hu said: "Here we see a detailed snapshot of how life was within 8 million years of the mass extinction. It took all that time for the Earth to settle down from the cataclysm, and the arrival of these large, complex marine predators shows us the ecosystems had finally rebuilt themselves, and life could be said to have recovered from the crisis."

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Solar Flare, Exam Cheats, Prince Harry Goat

A solar flare bursts off the left limb of the sun in this image captured by Nasa's Solar Dynamics ObservatoryReuters

A man cools himself in a pond on a hot summer day on the outskirts of Jammu,Kashmir. North India has endured a heat wave in the last week, with temperatures in some parts of Delhi reaching a 62-year high of 45.2. The minimum temperature was above 31 degreesReuters

Indian motorcyclists cover their heads as they travel in the heat in Amritsar, with temperatures hovering around 45-47 degrees CelsiusAFP

An auto rickshaw drives through a heavy pre-monsoon rain shower on the outskirts of Agartala, capital of India's northeastern state of TripuraReuters

Rescue workers push a vehicle on a flooded street in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, ChinaReuters

Motorists drive past a parked vehicle damaged by a landslide due to monsoon rains brought by Typhoon Ester in Baguio, the northern PhilippinesReuters

A man past an uprooted tree in Grey Lynn Park in Auckland, New Zealand. Cyclonic winds and heavy rainfall have caused power outages and property damage across a swathe of the countryGetty

A boarded-up vacant home is seen in front of the General Motors headquarters in DetroitReuters

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Anthony Gormley poses in front of a new work entitled ROOM, a crouching figure on the facade of the new Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, the interior of which is a hotel suiteGetty

A hidden coil in a shirt, two batteries, a mobile phone and a receiver are displayed after being found on a student about to take an exam, in Chengdu, Sichuan province, ChinaReuters

Peruvian shamans perform a ritual while holding the official ball for 2014 World Cup and a poster of Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo at the National Stadium in Lima, to wish Peru good fortuneReuters

Pallbearers carry the coffin of one of three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers killed last week in Moncton, New Brunswick, CanadaReuters

Gaming enthusiasts watch a Nintendo Super Smash Bros tournament at the 2014 Electronic Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los AngelesReuters

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Prince Harry greets Shenkin, the regimental mascot of the 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh, at the 50th anniversary screening of Zulu at Odeon Leicester Square, LondonGetty

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Children stand next to a burnt-out vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and al Qaida-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in the northern Iraq city of MosulReuters

A Seleka fighter wearing a black scarf patrols the town of Kuango, close to the border between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of CongoGoran Tomasevic / Reuters

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Airbus, AugustaWestland and Bell Vie for $2bn Japanese Helicopter Deal

Members of Japan's Ground Self-Defence Force 1st Airborne Brigade boarding a UH-1 helicopter.Reuters

Airbus Helicopters, AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter and their Japanese partners are competing to bag a $2bn contract to build transport aircraft for Japan's military that would also be exported.

Negotiations began some two months ago, according to a Reuters report.

The contract, to build the so called UH-X helicopters, could last for at least a decade and cost about $2bn (£1.2bn, €1.5bn).

Japan's UH-X helicopter project aims to replace around 150 of Japan's aging fleet of troop-carrying Huey helicopters, a Bell design.

Airbus Helicopters, a division of the European aerospace giant, has partnered with the Japanese defence contractor Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Bell Helicopter, a unit of industrial conglomerate Textron has joined forces with Fuji Heavy Industries, the maker of Subaru cars.

AgustaWestland, part of Italy's Finmeccanica and Japanese trading firm Mitsui & Co have partnered to sell helicopters to Tokyo, to be assembled by Fuji Heavy, the report added.

The contract is part of a plan to develop a domestic military export industry that will also bring down Japan's defence procurement costs amid rising tensions between Tokyo and Beijing.

Japan decided to open up its arms export market earlier in the year in order to strengthen its domestic defence industry.

Hawkish Prime Minister Shinzo, in April, eased 50-year-old restrictions to limit the self-imposed sales ban to conflict zones and comply with UN resolutions.

Territorial Dispute

Japan and China are embroiled in a serious territorial dispute often escalated by rhetoric from the armed forces of both countries.

In 2013, the Japanese government said the country needs better defence against growing threats in the region, apparently referring to North Korea and China.

Japan's defence ministry lobbied hard in 2013 to acquire marines and drones. A July 2013 interim report also suggested that Japan acquire pre-emptive strike capability.

Kuwait Expects Opec to Maintain Oil Production Levels

Workers clean the windows of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) headquarters in Vienna(Reuters)

Kuwait believes the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) will keep global oil production capped at 30 million barrels of oil per day, according to the country's oil minister.

When asked if he believes the oil cartel will preserve current output levels, Ali al-Omair said "I think yes."

"I think all parameters lead to keeping the production as it is and this, of course, will be reflected in (oil) prices" Omair told journalists before leaving for the Opec summit.

The Opec cartel supplies around a third of the world's crude oil and pumps around 30 million barrels each day.

Omair said he did not expect any "big changes" in crude prices.

Oil prices consolidated around $110 a barrel for Brent crude on Tuesday after rallying on Monday. Libya's political crisis is keeping supply tight while global demand is expected to grow in the coming months as the economy emerges from a period of low growth.