Typhoon Matmo Slams Taiwan but Expected to Weaken Before Reaching China

A couple try to keep their umbrella open as gusty winds hit Taiwan in the wake of Typhoon Matmo in Taipei July 23, 2014. REUTERS/Pichi Chuang (TAIWAN - Tags: ENVIRONMENT)

Typhoon Matmo slammed into Taiwan with heavy rains and strong winds going up to 173 kph (107 mph), shutting financial markets and schools, leaving one person killed, five injured and some damage to property.

A category two on Tropical Storm Risk's scale of one to five, Matmo made landfall early on Wednesday, the central weather bureau said.

A man in northern Taiwan died after falling into a pool on his farm. Other reports cite a tourist as missing after taking pictures on a shore.

After Taiwan, Matmo is expected to continue northwest toward China. Interaction with terrain over Taiwan is expected to weaken the typhoon and bring wind speed down to 80 mph. With only a brief ride over the warm waters of the Taiwan Strait, no significant strengthening is expected before it makes landfall in mainland China.

Typhoons are common at this time of year in the South China Sea, picking up strength from the warm waters and dissipating over land.

Matmo was the first tropical storm to hit the island this year.

Taiwan's military had gathered and distributed sandbags in anticipation of flooding.

"At 8am, Typhoon Matmo was centred about 210km east-southeast of Xiamen. It is forecast to move northwest at about 20km/h towards the vicinity of Fujian," said a statement on the Hong Kong Observatory's website.

Earlier more than 5,000 tourists were evacuated from outlying islands as Matmo churned towards Taiwan, packing gusts of up to 173km/h. Some 5,400 tourists were evacuated from Green Island and Orchid Island, two popular scenic spots off the southeastern Taitung county.

Matmo arrived a week after Typhoon Rammasun killed 97 people in the Philippines and 46 in China, with 25 still missing. The China Meteorological Administration said Rammasun was the strongest storm to strike southern China since 1973.

It will be very hot in Hong Kong today, with maximum temperatures of 33 degrees Celsius, according to the Observatory.

Rammasun Toll at 46

Meanwhile the death toll from the strongest storm to hit China for decades, typhoon Rammasun, has reached 46 with another 25 missing, authorities said.

Typhoon Rammasun has left 19 people dead in south China's island province of Hainan, 18 in southwestern Yunnan and nine in neighbouring Guangxi, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said in a statement on its website.

Over 620,000 people have been relocated and some 252,000 are in need of "emergency aid", the statement said.

A total of 37,000 houses have been destroyed since the storm first made landfall in China on Friday afternoon as a super typhoon, packing winds exceeding 200 kilometres an hour.

The strongest typhoon to hit south China since 1973 also caused devastation in the southern Guangdong province. Rammasun -- meaning "Thunder God" in Thai -- has caused more than 120 deaths in the Philippines and Vietnam.

Malaysia Airlines MH17: Victims' Bodies Set to be Flown to Netherlands for Identification

A guard stands on a train carrying the remains of victims of Malaysia Airlines MH17 downed over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine after it arrived in the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine.Reuters

The bodies recovered from the site in eastern Ukraine, where the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashed, are set to be flown to the Netherlands for identification.

In the first leg of the journey, the remains were taken by refrigerated train from the rebel-held territories in Donetsk region to the city of Kharkiv. The train, containing about 200 body bags, arrived in Kharkiv - controlled by Ukrainian government forces - on Tuesday, 22 July.

The corpses will be flown to the Netherlands later in the day. The Dutch government has declared a day of mourning for the victims.

"Screening is being done and the bodies are being kept in boxes before put into a C130 military aircraft to Amsterdam," said Malaysia's health ministry official Hisham Abdullah. Malaysian forensic experts are also expected to accompany the bodies.

The first set of bodies is to arrive in Eindhoven at about 16:00 local time (14:00 GMT, while the Dutch prime minister and members of the royal family are scheduled to be at the airport.

The identification process will be lengthy and is likely to take weeks, if not months.

The search operation to find the remaining bodies continues at the crash site.

The Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur jetliner with 298 people on board was shot down while it was cruising in Ukrainian airspace on 17 July.

Meanwhile, British experts are to analyse the flight recorders in the hunt for clues that could throw more light on the downing of the aircraft.

"The black boxes will therefore be flown to Farnborough, United Kingdom, accompanied by Malaysian experts and other members of the international investigation team," said Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

"Following the agreement, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak brokered with rebel leaders [in eastern Ukraine], Malaysia has taken custody of flight MH17's black boxes. As the Prime Minister said, they will be passed to the international investigation team for analysis," he said in a statement.

In a separate development, the US intelligence officials have said the plane is likely to have been shot "by mistake".

"Five days into it [following the crash] it does appear to be a mistake," an American official, who does not wish to be identified, told reporters.

Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan: 'I No Longer Talk to Barack Obama'

Erdogan addresses MPs from his ruling AK Party during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in AnkaraReuters

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that he has stopped talking to US President Barack Obama on the phone as relations between Washington and Ankara worsen.

Erdogan is at odds with the United States over their handling of the Syrian civil war. As a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Erdogan believed the US to have betrayed Turkey when they pulled out of military action against Damascus.

"In the past, I was calling him [Obama] directly. Because I can't get the expected results on Syria, our foreign ministers are now talking to each other," Erdogan said in an interview on Turkish channel ATV.

"And I have talked to [US Vice President Joe] Biden. He calls me and I call him," he added.

In a swipe at Washington for their lack of action in Syria, Erdogan expressed disbelief that Obama allowed Assad to continue his three-year campaign against Syrian civilians.

"I expect justice in this process. I couldn't imagine something like this from those who are championing justice."

The last phone conversation between the two occurred on 20 February.

Erdogan has also disagreed with Washington's reaction to the Gaza crisis in which over 600 Palestinians have been killed by an Israeli ground and air offensive.

As a supporter of the Palestinian people, the Turkish leader wore a keffiyah in solidarity with the people of Gaza during his weekly meeting and has condemned Israel for carrying out "state terrorism" and a "genocide" of the Palestinian people.

Speaking to supporters at a political rally in the Black Sea city of Ordu on Saturday, he said: "[Israelis] have no conscience, no honour, no pride. Those who condemn Hitler day and night have surpassed Hitler in barbarism."

Erdogan is the front-runner in the Turkish presidential elections set for 10 August after serving his third term as Turkish Prime Minister.

Gaza-Israel Crisis: All US Flights to Tel Aviv Suspended Amid Hamas Rocket Fears

Fire-fighters tackle a blaze that broke out when a rocket hit a petrol station in the southern Israeli city of AshdodReuters

US airlines are banned from flying to Tel Aviv amid concerns over a rocket fired from Gaza that ended up near the Israeli city's Ben Gurion airport.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has outlawed all flights from the US to Tel Aviv for 24 hours. Delta, United Airlines and US Airways are the only American carriers that go to Ben Gurion.

"The notice was issued in response to a rocket strike which landed approximately one mile from Ben Gurion International Airport on the morning of July 22, 2014," said the FAA.

There has been a renewed and violent conflict between Israel and the Palestinian-controlled Gaza territory. Israeli troops have entered the Gaza Strip and heavily bombarded the area, leaving hundreds of civilians dead.

Hamas militants have fired rockets over the border at Israeli towns and cities, including Tel Aviv where warning sirens sound several times a day.

Delta said its flight 468, a Boeing 747 from JFK with 273 passengers and 17 crew, diverted to Paris-Charles de Gaulle "after reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv".

Airlines are increasingly cautious following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine by it is believed pro-Russian rebels fighting for independence.

The rebels, who deny responsibility for the incident that claimed 298 civilian lives, have shot down several Ukrainian military planes in recent months.

The latest flare up between Israel and Gaza was sparked by the murders of three Israeli teenagers and the subsequent killings of Palestinian youths.

A spokesman for British Airways said they will continue to operate flights to Tel Aviv, but that customer and employee safety was its highest priority and it will closely monitor the situation.

Families Evicted From World's Tallest Slum: Tower of David Skyscraper in Caracas, Venezuela

Hundreds of families are being evicted from a half-built, 45-storey skyscraper that dominates the Caracas skyline and is often called the world's tallest slum.

Members of the Venezuelan National Guard carry residents' belongings into a truck outside the Tower of David (seen in the background)Reuters

Venezuelan soldiers and officials have begun moving residents out of the "Tower of David", which was originally intended to be a bank centre before work on it was abandoned in 1994.

Residents are being moved to new homes in the town of Cua, south of Caracas, under the state's Great Housing Mission project - a flagship policy of late socialist leader Hugo Chávez.

Maria Davila and her pet bird named Coti sit on a bus that will transport them to their new homeReuters

Evicted residents wait for a busReuters

Nicknamed after its developer, financier and horse-breeder David Brillembourg, the Tower of David was viewed by many Caracas residents as a focus for crime gangs and a symbol of property "invasions" encouraged in the Chávez era.

Squatters began occupying the unfinished building in 2007 and about 3,000 people called the tower their home.

Work was sufficiently advanced by the time construction halted for the first 28 floors to be habitable, though the squatters had to brick up dangerous open spaces and put in their own basic plumbing, electrical and water systems.

People walk along a corridor on the tenth floorJorge Silva/Reuters

Looking down on to the lobby of the Tower of DavidJorge Silva/Reuters

People look down at a basketball court inside the skyscraperJorge Silva/Reuters

Life was far from easy. Occasionally, people fell off dangerous ledges. Running water reached only the fifth floor, forcing those above to carry water by hand. There were no lifts; residents could use motorcycles to travel up and down the first ten floors but had to walk up the stairs for the remaining levels.

Residents said the building became a refuge from the city's crime-ridden 'barrios' and had turned into something of a model commune.

The vistas, however, matched those of the city's smartest high-rise buildings. "The view was so beautiful," mused caterer Robinson Alarcon, 34, who spent five years on the ninth floor and was leaving with his wife and three children.

Men rest after salvaging metal on the 30th floor of the Tower of DavidJorge Silva/Reuters

Gabriel Rivas, 30, lifts weights on a balcony on the 28th floorJorge Silva/Reuters

The Tower of David skyscraper is seen in CaracasJorge Silva/Reuters

A girl rides a bicycle on a large balconyJorge Silva/Reuters

A woman who runs a shop inside the building looks out from behind a barred service windowJorge Silva/Reuters

The building was featured an episode of US TV drama Homeland. In an episode called Tower of David, Nicholas Brody (played by Damian Lewis) was held captive and watched in horror as a gang tossed a thief off the skyscraper.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government has not yet said what it will do with the tower but one local newspaper reported Chinese banks were buying it to restore to its original purpose.

Politically, the tower was a stronghold of "Chavismo". "This is all thanks to the 'comandante'," said Carlos Francisco, 36, a plastics factory worker loading up his belongings. "First, that he let us live here. And now that he built us new homes. May he rest in peace."

Former residents of the Tower of David wait for a bus to transport them to their new homesReuters

An evicted child sits on a bus, as the building is reflected in the windowReuters

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Ukraine Crisis: EU Announces Fresh Sanctions on Russia

An armed pro-Russian separatist gestures to reporters at the MH17 crash siteReuters

The European Union has agreed to impose tougher sanctions on individuals and companies with ties to Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said the bloc would impose penalties against officials it deemed responsible for Russia's actions in Ukraine.

EU foreign ministers met on Tuesday for the first time since a Malaysia Airlines plane crashed in eastern Ukraine on 17 July.

Timmermans said the EU's "forceful decision" will see asset freezes and travel bans on more officials with links to the Kremlin.

Timmermans said the ministers requested the EU's executive arm to prepare for tighter sanctions against Russia's arms, energy and financial sectors if Russia does not act to de-escalate the crisis in Ukraine.

Some European leaders have accused pro-Russian rebels of shooting down the MH17 passenger airliner and said Russia has been involved in backing the rebels with arms and fighters.

The United States has ramped up pressure on European leaders to boost sanctions after Washington announced penalties against Russia's biggest oil producer, Rosneft, its second biggest gas producer, Novatek, and its third biggest bank Gazprombank.

European leaders had announced softer measures against Moscow on the same day but the plane crash has renewed calls to punish Russia for its role in the Ukraine crisis.

Further details on the fresh EU measures will be announced on Thursday.

Gaza-Israel Crisis: Delta Suspends Tel Aviv Flights After Hamas Rocket Fired Near Ben Gurion Airport

Israeli artillery fires a 155mm shell towards targets in the Gaza StripAFP

US airline Delta has suspended all flights to Tel Aviv in Israel over safety concerns because of the on-going conflict in the area and reports of a rocket near the city's airport.

Israeli troops have launched ground offensives into the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza, a densely populated area that has also been heavily bombarded leaving hundreds of civilians dead.

Militants belonging to Hamas, which has political control in Gaza, have fired rockets over the border at Israeli towns and cities, including Tel Aviv. Over a dozen Israeli troops have died.

"Delta has suspended service until further notice to and from Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and its New York-JFK hub," said a statement from the airline, which flies 165 million passengers a year to 333 locations.

"Delta, in coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration, is doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees.

"Delta flight 468, a Boeing 747 from JFK with 273 passengers and 17 crew, diverted to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Tuesday after reports of a rocket or associated debris near the airport in Tel Aviv. Delta is working to reaccommodate these customers."

Airlines are increasingly cautious following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian rebels fighting for independence.

The rebels, who deny responsibility for the incident which claimed 298 civilian lives, have shot down several Ukrainian military planes in recent months.

The latest flare up between Israel and Gaza was sparked by the murders of three Israeli teenagers and the subsequent killings of Palestinian youths.

Syria Conflict Has Cost Oil and Gas Industries $21.4 Billion

Men work at a makeshift oil refinery site in the Kurdish town of al-Qahtaniya of al-Hasakah Governorate, SyriaReuters

Syria's oil and gas industries have lost $21.4bn (£12.55bn) since conflict erupted in the country in 2011, according to the Syrian government.

"The circumstances the country is going through have caused considerable losses to the oil and gas sectors," said Oil Minister Suleiman Abbas in a statement.

Stolen and wasted oil and gas have caused a $3.5bn (£2.05bn) direct loss, along with damage and theft of infrastructure, pipelines and vehicles.

The remaining $17.9bn (£10.5bn) consists of lost profits.

While Syria has never been a major oil and gas supplier in the region, it was producing around 385,000 barrels a day in the run up to the rebellion that erupted in March 2011. That figure has fallen to as low as 17,000 barrels per day, while gas production is estimated to have halved during the conflict, which has now lasted for 40 months.

Jihadists target oil and gas facilities

As security deteriorated across Syria in 2012, groups of foreign Sunni fighters poured into the country to wage jihad against Bashar al-Assad, who belongs to the Alawi sect of Shia Islam. Assad and his forces had introduced and fomented a sectarian edge to the worsening conflict.

The two most effective groups of jihadists were the Al-Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The latter is now referred to as the Islamic State.

In a bid to boost their revenues and reduce their dependence on international state backers, both Nusra and the Islamic State fought for control of oil and gas production facilities.

Most of these are located in the eastern Deir Ezzor province, which government forces abandoned relatively early in the conflict, focusing its resources on key urban centres of Aleppo, Homs and Damascus.

While rival rebel factions, including Kurdish fighters, have battled for control of Deir Ezzor's oilfields, the Islamic State has prevailed as the dominant group.

The group were in control of all the province's oilfields by July and has launched an attack on the Shaer gas field in Homs province.

Forces loyal to the government have sought to expel the jihadists, who killed 270 guards and employees when they overran the facility, according to an opposition-aligned watchdog. The government has continued to attempt to retake the oilfield.

Meanwhile, the government said it was set to press ahead with a new gas project in close proximity to IS-controlled territory in the north of the country.

The plant, near the city of Tabaqa, is scheduled to start operations in August and is expected to produce 1.22 million cubic metres of gas per day.

The oil ministry said the site was "secure."

Gaza Crisis: Netanyahu Says Palestinians are 'Victims of Brutal Hamas Regime'

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Hamas for Palestinian civilian deathsReuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the "people of Gaza are the victims of the brutal Hamas regime," in a joint press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

"The people of Gaza are the victims of the brutal Hamas regime. They are holding them hostage. They are hiding behind them," he said.

"We did not seek this escalation in Gaza. We accepted this ceasefire proposal by Egypt. The international community must hold Hamas accountable for its crimes."

"Hamas is like Isis, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. They don't want a two-state solution, their grievance is that we exist," he concluded.

Netanyahu said that he showed Ki-moon all of the evidence Israel holds that Hamas militants are using civilian targets, such as ambulances, hospitals and schools, to hide themselves and their weaponry.

Ki-moon flew into Israel from Egypt as the international community seeks a ceasefire between Hamas militants and the Israeli military.

"My position is clear. I condemn strongly rocket attacks and they must stop," he said. "I condemn the use of schools, hospitals and mosques for military purposes in Gaza."

However, he added: "I urge Israel to exercise maximum restraint. All international parties have a responsibility to protect civilians."

The chief UN diplomat called on both parties to put their weapons down and get around the table to solve the conflict.

"Stop fighting, start talking and take on the root causes of the conflict. There is no alternative to a two-state solution."

"Too many Palestinian and Israeli mothers are burying their children. We owe it to their sacrifice to intensify efforts to find solution."

US Secretary of State John Kerry also spoke in Egypt to announce that the US was sending $47m (£28m) in humanitarian aid to Gaza to "alleviate the immediate humanitarian crisis."

Kerry called again for an immediate ceasefire and that the causes of the conflict needed to be addressed.

More than 600 Palestinians have been killed and 3,640 injured in Israel's air and ground offensive, while 29 Israelis have been killed in the fighting, 27 of whom were Israel Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers.

Xiaomi Mi 4: The iPhone 6 Killer From the Apple of China

Lei Jun, founder and CEO of China's mobile company Xiaomi, speaks at a launch ceremony of Xiaomi Mi 4, in Beijing.Reuters

Xiaomi - the Chinese company seen as the Apple of the East - has launched its latest flagship smartphone, hoping the Mi 4 will see off the challenge expected from the iPhone 6 later this year.

China is a key battleground in the premium smartphone market as it is one of the last big markets where there is still significant growth happening.

While China's own Xiaomi is a practical unknown in western countries owing to the fact it doesn't sell phone here (yet), in its home territory it is the number three smartphone maker and isn't resting on its laurels.

The Mi 4 is a smartphone which continues the company's tradition of combining high-end hardware with budget pricing.

The new phone has a 5in Full HD screen with a top-of-the-line Qualcomm 801 processor, uses premium materials and will go on sale for 1999 yuan (£190) at the end of the month.

An equivalent iPhone 5s costs £550.

Whiter than white

"Our product really is better than the iPhone. Our white version is also better than their white version. Even our white colour is whiter," founder and CEO Lei Jun said during a glitzy launch event in Beijing on Tuesday.

Over the years, Lei has carefully cultivated a Steve Jobs-like image - after reading a book about the iconic Apple founder in college. As well as adopting a lot of Apple's marketing techniques, Jun also dresses like his idol by wearing jeans and dark shirts.

In January, Apple began selling its iPhones through China Mobile, the country's and indeed the world's biggest mobile phone network with a customer base closing in on 800 million.

It was seen as a significant move for Apple and described as a "watershed moment" by CEO Tim Cook. The company is widely expected to launch two new iPhone 6 models with larger screens later this year which will be competing directly with Xiaomi in the Chinese market.

At the moment, Xiaomi is only really competing with Apple in China, though it is slowly expanding beyond its home territory, launching smartphones in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines while on Tuesday its flagship smartphone sold out within 38 minutes when it went on sale in India.

The company plans to expand to Brazil and Indonesia later this year.

Xiaomi launched a $13 wristband/fitness tracker alongside the Mi 4 which will act as an ID authenticator meaning the phone can be unlocked without having to enter a password.

This is likely to be a lot cheaper than Apple's iWatch which is expected to be released around the same time as the iPhone 6.

Singapore Exchange Opens India Office to Draw Listings

Singapore Exchange opens India office to draw listings.Reuters

The Singapore Exchange has opened a liaison office in Mumbai to attract listings and capital raising from India at a time when New Delhi is looking to allow more companies to raise funds overseas.

Five Indian firms are listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

Indian issuers have raised $60bn (£35bn, €44bn) in bonds listed on the Singapore bourse, making India the third-largest issuer of SGX-listed bonds, according to an SGX statement.

These issuers span a wide spectrum of sectors including banking and financial services, energy and commodities, property, healthcare, utilities, telecommunications and transportation.

In addition, about 80% of listed international bonds by Indian issuers are listed on the SGX, the 22 July statement added.

SGX Chief Executive Magnus Bocker said in the statement: "The opening of our India Office re-affirms SGX's long-standing commitment to India. We will continue to strengthen our partnership with NSE as we grow the Nifty franchise internationally. As a stakeholder in BSE, we will support the exchange by bringing efficiency with new initiatives and IPOs.

"At the same time, our India Office will enable us to better support Indian enterprises seeking to raise capital as India is one of the world's fastest growing economies with significant funding needs to support its growth and development..."

Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said earlier in the month that New Delhi will liberalise norms for real estate investment trusts (REITs) and American and global depositary receipts (ADRs and GDRs) from domestic companies.

SGX has experienced a sharp drop in listings so far this year, adding to the pain of 2013's penny stock scandal in which three commodity firms together lost over $6bn in market value in October.

Why Businesses Should be Cautious of Apple's iOS8

Why Apple's iOS8 is Great But a Challenge for Business

To much excitement, Apple recently unveiled details of its latest iPhone and iPad operating system at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June. Set for an autumn launch, iOS8 promises a host of new features that may not appear ground breaking on their own, but together they reflect the evolution of Apple mobile devices as business tools.

The new operating system is yet to be rolled out, but we've taken a preliminary look at some of the top new features and have some thoughts on what these new features could mean in the work environment.

Handoff / iCloud Drive

Two new features have been announced that could give even greater flexibility to workers who use multiple devices. iCloud Drive will allow employees to work on any document – presentation, .pdf or text document - from any location, and from any iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or even a Windows PC.

This collaboration and continuity of working is further enhanced with Handoff. Handoff has been designed to allow for a seamless transfer of data between devices sharing the same iCloud login.

For example, if you were to start drafting a note on your iPhone and wanted to continue the project on your iMac in your office, that document would already be waiting in the state that you left it when you sit down at your computer.

The issue businesses need to be aware of is that it can potentially increase the chances of sensitive data going missing or falling into the wrong hands.

Currently, Handoff has only been designed to work with Apple's own apps, but if this functionality is rolled out to third party apps then the data loss risks could become even greater.

Third party APIs

One of the biggest surprises to come out of the Developer Conference was the news that Apple has made the decision to open up some aspects of its mobile operating system to third party developers.

This means third party applications will have greater control over the device. An example of this is third party keyboard 'Swype' being made available on iOS devices for the first time.

Previously, the only choice of keyboard was the one that comes pre-installed. While this will mean even greater choice and functionality of apps, it also has the potential to open up new vulnerabilities. After all, if you leave the door unlocked for a friend, others can enter, as well.

Fingerprint Identification

Introduced with the iPhone 5s last September, Apple's Touch ID fingerprint scanner has so far been used to unlock the handset itself and as a verification tool when making purchases through Apple's App store. iOS8 makes this available to third party developers, as well, giving users the ability to unlock a greater range of apps via their fingerprints.

This could be great news for businesses, as it has the potential to act as the second part of a two-factor authentication system. This is especially important given the lax attitude many employees have towards password security.

If an employee's fingerprint is used in conjunction with a traditional password, it adds another layer to protect critical data on the device without adding an undue burden for employees.

The Business Challenge

The new features soon hitting the iPad and iPhone will bring added benefits for many, and show how Apple is continuing to meet the needs of the user.

However, in the wider business environment, firms need to be on their guard, and consider exactly what impact these new features will have on the way corporate data is stored and accessed.

Providing your employees with the flexibility they need to work how they want, when they want and on the device they want is absolutely vital to improving productivity and staff retention.

What this means is that businesses need to implement a secure framework for managing all devices, while maintaining the balancing act between data security and usability.

The key is choosing a single management solution across the business that is able to cope with multiple devices, form factors and operating systems. Once such a system is in place, applications and devices can be delivered that meet the need of the employees, but without compromising security.

Tim Williams, Director of Product Management, Absolute Software

Libya: Burnt-out Planes Litter Runway as Battle for Tripoli Airport Continues [PHOTOS]

Clashes between rival Libyan militias fighting for control of Tripoli's international airport have killed 47 people over the last week.

The week-long battle in the Libyan capital began when Islamist-led militias launched a surprise assault on the airport, under control of rival gunmen.

The clashes resumed on Sunday after cease-fire efforts failed. The burned-out shell of an Airbus A330 sits on the tarmac, while inside the airport, closed since last Monday, the fighting has left holes in the ceiling and scattered bits of its roof strewn across the floor.

July 21, 2014: The wreckage of a burnt aircraft lies on the tarmac at Tripoli International Airport after heavy fighting erupted between Islamist-led militias and rival fighters from the western mountain town of ZintanReuters

July 21, 2014: The remains of an explosive device lies on the tarmac of Tripoli international airportAFP

July 21, 2014: Bullet holes are seen in the roof of the arrivals hall at Tripoli international airport after Islamist-led militiamen stepped up their assault on the country's main airport, which is controlled by rival fighterAFP

July 21, 2014: Libyan Ministry of Transportation Abdul Qader Mohammed Ahmed inspects the destruction at Tripoli international airportAFP

At least three people were killed when a stray rocket hit their house near the airport.

Libya is witnessing one of its worst spasms of violence since the ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

All the militias fighting around the airport are on the government's payroll since successive transitional authorities have depended on them to restore order.

July 17, 2014: Fire damage is seen around a luggage reclaim conveyor belt after shelling at the airportReuters

July 16, 2014: An unexploded mortar shell sticks out of the tarmac at Tripoli international airportAFP

July 16, 2014: Burnt-out helicopters are seen at Tripoli airportAFP

July 16, 2014: Flames and smoke billow from a plane on the tarmac at Tripoli international airport. Islamist militias have fired dozens of rockets at Tripoli airport, damaging planes and closing down Libya's main air link with the outside worldAFP

July 16, 2014: The remains of a plane smoulder at Tripoli international airport after coming under rocket fire for a fourth straight day, in attacks aimed at ousting anti-Islamist fighters who control the facilityAFP

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Sanctuary or Killing Fields? Four Asiatic Lions Died on Rail Tracks in India's Gir Reserve This Year

Unlike the African lion, there are only around 411 Asiatic lions left. Most are found in the Indian state of Gujarat.Reuters

Four lions, including cubs, from the Gir Sanctuary in the western Indian state of Gujarat have died in rail accidents this year. That may not look like a big figure unless seen in the context of census figures that put the number of Asiatic lions at a mere 411.

Indian Minister of State for Railways, Manoj Sinha, said that measures like restricting the speed of trains to 30 km per hour, cautious driving in the forest area and restricting train movements during night were some steps taken to protect the animals.

The railways had increased co-ordination with the forest department to inform railway locomotive drives about movements of lions in these areas, he said.

The deaths come as worrying news for the state government, which is fighting to retain its lions in the face of national plans to translocate them from Gir in Gujarat to Kuno Palpur sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh.

The latest census puts the number at 411, up from 359 in 2005.

But wildlife experts believe the lions have outgrown the Gir forest, and a single epidemic or calamity could wipe out the entire population. This was why the translocation plan was made almost a decade ago.

Kuno was chosen because of its size -- 3000 sq km -- and diverse prey base. Wildlife studies have shown that the prey count in Kuno is higher than that at Gir, according to experts. Around 24 villages were relocated in Kuno at considerable expense to make way for the lions.

But a petition filed in the supreme court early this year has again delayed the process. The petitioner contended that the court had been misguided on the status of lions in the state.

While the 2000 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) report had placed Asiatic Lions on the red list, describing them as critically endangered species, it has now moved out from the critically endangered list to the endangered list.

The IUCN report on the Asiatic Lions further noted how lion populations had not only stabilised but also extended beyond the Gir Forest across four regions of Gujarat.

Israel-Gaza Conflict: Hezbollah Chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Pledges Support to Hamas

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah holds phone call with leaders of Hamas and Islamic JihadReuters

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon-based insurgent outfit Hezbollah, has held telephone conversations with senior figures of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad pledging support to Palestine in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.

Speaking to Hamas chief Khaled Mashal, Nasrallah assured his fighters would be ready to stand by the Palestinians.

"Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance will stand by the Palestinian people's uprising and resistance in our heart, willpower, hope and destiny," Nasrallah told Mashal during a late-night telephone conversation, according to a Hezbollah statement.

Nasrallah also warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the statement. "If Netanyahu is counting on governmental and international support in his [Gaza] offensive, the resistance in Gaza relies by all means on the strongest popular support."

The Hamas leader asserted the Palestinian group "will remain steadfast and make a second victory in July, God willing".

Hezbollah, a Shiite-militant outfit backed by Iran, has been involved in several armed hostilities with Israel in the past.

In another phone conversation with Ramadan Abdullah Shalah, the chief of Islamic Jihad, Nasrallah promised "Hezbollah's and the Islamic resistance in Lebanon's support for Hamas in Gaza."

Hezbollah has so far not entered the Israel-Gaza conflict. The group's interference in the Syrian civil war to fight on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad's regime has tilted the balance in favour of Damascus in recent months.

South Korean Ferry Disaster Boss Found Dead

South Korean rescue teams take part in recovery operations at the site of the sunken Sewol ferryAFP

The South Korean billionaire who owned the ferry that killed more than 300 people in April has been found dead, local police have confirmed.

Authorities found the body of 73-year-old Yoo Byung-eun in an agricultural field in the southern South Korean city of Suncheon last month.

The businessman went missing with his son shortly after the disaster, sparking a massive manhunt.

Police had wanted to question him on possible charges of embezzlement and criminal negligence after a ferry owned by his family business, Chonghaedjin Marine Co, went down near Jindo island killing 300 passengers, who were mostly children.

Yonhap news agency reported that police found a heavily decomposed body in a plum field in Suncheon in June. Police spokeman Woo Hyung-ho said on Tuesday (22 July) that DNA samples from the body matched those of Yoo's brother.

Many of Yoo's family members have been arrested since the ferry disaster and his daughter, who lives in France, is currently fighting an extradition bid. Yoo's eldest son is still on the run.

Two separate trials, one for the ferry's captain and crew, and another for Chonghaejin Marine Co officials, began last month.

Filipino Worker Beheaded in Libya 'for Being Non-Muslim'

A member of the Libyan army runs with a weapon during clashes with members of Islamist militant groups.(Reuters)

A Filipino construction worker has been killed in Libya allegedly for being a non-Muslim in the country's first beheading since 2011.

The murder, revealed in a statement from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, is thought to have been conducted by a band of militia in Benghazi, though it is unclear which one.

The announcement comes at the same time as the Philippine government begins evacuating 13,000 of its citizens from the country, which is currently ravaged by armed conflict.

The government has put an Alert Level 4 in place in Libya - the highest alert to be instituted on countries in the midst of fighting.

The foreign affairs department claims that, as well as being Libya's first reported beheading in three years, the murder constitutes the first Filipino death in the Middle Eastern country since the start of the revolution in 2011.

The construction worker was kidnapped on 15 July at a checkpoint in the Gwarsha district of Benghazi. Libyan media sources report that the man's name was Antonio Espares, an employee of the construction firm Kibra.

A spokesperson from the department said the kidnappers demanded a random of $160,000. According to Philippine media, the construction company negotiated with the kidnappers for four days. The employee's remains were discovered at a hospital on Saturday.

The Filipino government has issued a statement urging all of its citizens in Libya to return home "as soon as possible" by contacting the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli to register for repatriation.

Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Painting Grass Green, MH17 Black Box, Lego Prince George

A rebel fighter sits on stacked chairs as he aims his weapon through a hole inside a house in the town of Morek in Hama province, SyriaReuters

An Israeli tank manoeuvres outside the northern Gaza Stripat sunsetReuters

A Palestinian man looks at copies of the Koran, Islam's holy book, in the rubble of a mosque destroyed by an Israeli military strike in Gaza CityAFP

Palestinians inspect a cemetery damaged during Israeli shelling, in Gaza CityReuters

Friends and relatives of 20-year-old Israeli Staff Sergeant Moshe Melako of the Golani Brigade, who was killed during fighting with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, mourn during his funeral at the Mt Herzel military cemetery in JerusalemAFP

Bulgarian Roma people sit in front of their house after it was demolished in a suburb of Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. Municipal authorities are demolishing 55 illegally built shacks and houses in the suburbReuters

The wreckage of a burnt aircraft is pictured after shelling at Tripoli International Airport in LibyaReuters

Part of the wreckage is seen at the crash site of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 in the Donetsk region of eastern UkraineReuters

A sign calling Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko a terrorist is seen near the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17AFP

A pro-Russian separatist shows members of the media a black box said to belong to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, before handing it over to Malaysian representatives, in Donetsk, UkraineReuters

Armed pro-Russia separatists stand guard near the train station as shelling rocked the area, in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk in eastern UkraineAFP

A worker walks past a 6.5-metre high scarecrow secured to the ground as Typhoon Matmo approached the town of Shanhsing in Ilan county, TaiwanAFP

Green Canary worker Samuel Bucio sprays green water-based paint on a drought-affected brown lawn at the Almaden Valley Athletic Club in San Jose, California. As the severe drought continues, home owners and businesses looking to conserve water are letting lawns die off and are having them painted to look green. The paint lasts up to 90 days on dormant lawns and will not wash offGetty

A man smokes on his houseboat on a section of weed-covered river in Wuhan, Hubei province, ChinaReuters

The Costa Concordia is seen during the refloat operation at Giglio harbour, two and a half years after the luxury liner capsized off the Italian coast, killing 32 peopleReuters

Nina Saunders makes her way across a zip wire over the river Clyde from the Finnieston Crane in Glasgow, carrying the Commonwealth Games batonGetty

Prince George sits in a high chair, flanked by his parents and his birthday presents and cakeGetty

Kate Middleton and Prince William take Prince George to visit the Sensational Butterflies exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, in a photo released on his first birthdayReuters