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LONDON (Reuters) - Sponsor Adidas has criticised Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia for a jibe directed at Tiger Woods that has drawn accusations of racism. A repentant Garcia said "sorry" 11 times and used the word "apology" on five occasions on Wednesday when he told reporters of his regret at saying he planned to invite Woods to dinner and serve him "fried chicken". Fried chicken has become a racial stereotype in the United States when referring to African-Americans - a reference to the days before the abolition of slavery when chicken was believed to be a staple part of the diet. ...

By Nick Macfie ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Chinese Premier Li Keqiang praised the Sino-Pakistan relationship to the hilt on Thursday, urging the "all-weather friends" to boost cooperation in business, trade, energy and infrastructure and build a long-vaunted economic corridor. But not everyone is convinced China has Pakistan interests totally at heart. Li arrived in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday on the second leg of his first official trip since taking office in March and after a visit to Pakistan and China's arch rival, India. He leaves for Switzerland and Germany later on Thursday. ...

REUTERS - Taiwan's world boxing (AIBA) chief Ching-kuo Wu announced his intention to run for International Olympic Committee president on Thursday, saying the Olympic movement should be bigger than just the Games. IOC Executive Board member Wu is the fourth IOC member following Germany's Thomas Bach and Singaporean Ng Ser Miang, both IOC vice presidents, and Puerto Rico's Richard Carrion to decide to run for the post. The election is set for September 10 at the IOC session in Buenos Aires. ...

By Abdoulaye Massalatchi NIAMEY (Reuters) - Two suicide bombers struck on Thursday at a military barracks and a plant run by French nuclear group Areva in northern Niger, military and company sources said. The bombers killed themselves and wounded at least four people in the attacks in the towns of Agadez and Arlit, the sources said. They were the first suicide attacks in Niger since a French-led offensive in January to oust Islamist rebels from neighbouring northern Mali, in which the Nigerien army is participating as part of a West African force. ...

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - An 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber who has had four heart surgeries reached the top of Mount Everest on Thursday becoming the oldest person to conquer the world's highest mountain. Yuichiro Miura, who took the standard southeast ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay 60 years ago, reached the top of the 8,848 metre (29,028 feet) mountain at about 9:00 a.m. (0315 GMT). He was accompanied by three other Japanese, including his son, and six Nepali sherpas. ...

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The government will be comfortable with a stable rupee exchange rate and there was no reason for the currency to be unstable, chief economic adviser Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday. The rupee fell to its lowest in over 8-1/2 months on Thursday, heading for a fifth consecutive session of falls, as the dollar rallied at the prospect the Federal Reserve might scale back its stimulus programme this year. Nifty futures also fell as much as 2.2 percent amid U.S. stimulus worries and a weak China manufacturing survey. Rajan said according to his "reading," the U.S. ...

By Abhishek Vishnoi MUMBAI (Reuters) - The BSE Sensex fell more than 1 percent on Thursday, while a volatility index surged, as the prospect of an end to the U.S. stimulus programme and a weak China manufacturing survey sparked concerns that foreign investors will end their recent buying spree. Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke's comments suggesting bond purchases could be scaled back if U.S. economy improves sparked the falls, with Asian shares also hit badly, while State Bank of India slumped after disappointing quarterly earnings. A potential early wind-down of the U.S. ...

By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY (Reuters) - Chronic knee problem, left ankle fracture, hamstring strain, shoulder problem, back strain, hip pain and, most recently, a tender Achilles - Australia's Ryan Harris has had almost as many injuries as he has played test matches in the last three years. Such is the esteem in which the 33-year-old pace bowler is held Down Under, however, that this weekend, he will board a jet for England looking to augment his tally of 47 wickets in 12 tests and help Australia win back the Ashes. His average of 23. ...

REUTERS - State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, posted its first quarterly net profit drop in two years, missing market estimates after being dragged down by lower interest income and higher provisions for loan losses. The state-run bank posted net profit of 32.99 billion rupees in the January-March quarter, compared with 40.50 billion rupees in the same period a year ago. Net interest income, the difference between interest earned and interest expended, fell 4.4 percent to 110.8 billion rupees. Analysts, on average, had expected net profit of 37. ...

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India has agreed to pay 450 billion rupees for the March quarter to state-owned fuel retailers as compensation for selling products at cheaper government-set rates, officials at these companies said on Thursday. The decision, taken on Wednesday, has not yet been formally intimated by the finance ministry, but the current tranche will enable the companies to report quarterly profits at their earnings next week, officials at the three companies, who declined to be named, said. ...

By Richard Hubbard LONDON (Reuters) - Concerns over the future of the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary stimulus and weak Chinese factory data sent shares sharply lower and safe haven currencies like the yen higher on Thursday. The shift from riskier assets to safer markets was triggered when Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke told a congressional committee on Wednesday the central bank could scale back the pace of bond purchases at one of its next few policy meetings. A weak manufacturing survey from China added to investors' worries, dragging MSCI's world equity index down 1. ...

DUBAI (Reuters) - Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani sharply criticised the country's leadership, opposition website Kaleme said on Thursday, two days after he was disqualified from running in next month's presidential election. "I don't think the country could have been run worse, even if it had been planned in advance," Rafsanjani reportedly told members of his campaign team on Wednesday, the well respected website reported. "I don't want to get stoop to their propaganda and attacks but ignorance is troubling. Don't they understand what they're doing. ...

By Aileen Wang and Koh Gui Qing BEIJING (Reuters) - China's factory activity shrank for the first time in seven months in May as new orders fell, a preliminary manufacturing survey showed, entrenching fears that its economic recovery has stalled and that a sharper cooldown may be imminent. The flash HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for May fell to 49.6, slipping under the 50-point level demarcating expansion from contraction for the first since October and sending Asian financial markets sharply lower. The final HSBC PMI stood at 50.4 in April. ...

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The government is committed to enacting the National Food Security Bill, which legally entitles poor families to five kilograms of subsidised grain per person per month, an official document said Thursday.

New Delhi/Gurgaon/Noida, May 23 (IANS) Devil chicken with angry sauce, rigatroni au gratin washed down with grass jelly fresh milk: the capital's culinary aficionados are in for a treat with renowned food chains from around the world entering the market and setting the stage for a global food fest.

Lagos (Nigeria), May 23 (IANS) India wants increased partnership with Nigeria in education through institutional cooperation, content development, faculty exchange and joint ventures that would enhance the West African country's human resource devlopment, according to Indian High Commissioner Mahesh Sachdev.

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) "Saat Phere" fame Rajshree Thakur, who is making a comeback to the small screen after three years, says her motto is to do prominent characters that suit here personality.

Vancouver, May 23 (IANS) The Asia-Pacific region will continue to power global economic growth in 2013, but the region's increasing ageing population will cast a shadow on the long-term development, according to a Canadian think-tank.

Panaji, May 23 (IANS) Aiming to position Goa as a leader in green practices in construction, manufacturing and hospitality industry, a CII conference on eco-friendly practices will be held later this month, organisers said Thursday.

Chennai, May 23 (IANS) The untitled Tamil remake of Telugu blockbuster "Ala Modalaindi" starring Gautham Karthik went on the floors here Thursday.

Los Angeles, May 23 (IANS) Actress Gwyneth Paltrow reportedly earned $2 million for the campaign of Hugo Boss's latest scent - Boss Jour Pour Femme.

Singapore, May 23 (IANS) Singapore's external trade continued to fall in the first quarter of this year, with declines for total trade, non-oil domestic exports (NODX) and non-oil re-exports (NORX), the city-state's trade promotion agency, International Enterprise Singapore, said Thursday.

Seoul, May 23 (IANS) Retail sales in South Korea decreased last month as domestic demand remained in the doldrums amid the sluggish economic recovery, a government report showed Thursday.

Washington, May 23 (IANS) General Motors Corporation said it is recalling nearly 20,000 new Cadillac SRX SUVs for faulty wheel lug nuts, according to a Detroit News report.

Rio de Janeiro, May 23 (IANS) The Brazilian government has announced a curtailment of 28 billion reais ($13.65 billion) in the 2013 federal budget.

Beijing, May 23 (IANS) China's manufacturing activity fell into contraction for the first time since October, a preliminary survey from the HSBC showed.