Reuters

By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh Vu

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam forfeited at least $2.5 billion in foreign aid over the last three years and may lose another $1 billion because of administrative paralysis, the United Nations, the World Bank and Western donors told the government in a letter seen by Reuters.

The previously unreported figures from the unpublished document, dated March 6, highlight frustration among foreign investors over... (continue reading...)

By Clare Jim

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A Hong Kong court adjourned to June 11 a hearing of a petition on Friday seeking liquidation of Country Garden, providing a breather to the embattled Chinese developer amid Beijing's efforts to revive the crisis-hit property sector.

A Hong Kong firm filed the petition against Country Garden in February for non-payment of a $205 million loan. The developer defaulted on $11 billion of offshore bonds last... (continue reading...)

By Bernard Orr

BEIJING (Reuters) - After sealing pledges of a "new era" of strategic partnership with China's Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday is set to highlight the growing importance of trade near the Russian border in China's northeast.

Putin ends his two-day, red-carpet visit to China in Harbin in Heilongjiang province, which has long-running trade and cultural ties to Russia, touring a Russian-China Expo and a... (continue reading...)

By Kirsty Needham and Camille Raynaud

SYDNEY/PARIS (Reuters) - French police reinforcements have started arriving in New Caledonia as part of a massive operation to regain control of the capital Noumea, the top French official in the Pacific island territory said on Friday.

The number of police and gendarmes on the French-ruled island will rise to 2,700 from 1,700 by Friday evening.

After rioting that began on Monday... (continue reading...)

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's economic improvement will be further consolidated and strengthened as macro policies take effect, Liu Aihua, a spokesperson of the National Bureau of Statistics, said on Friday.

China's consumer price index (CPI) is expected to grow mildly in the next stage, Liu told a news conference.

(Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Kevin Yao; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)