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 Li Binlan

Age: 56

2011 net worth (US$): 1 billion

2010 net worth (US$): NA

General ranking: 135

Company: A Best

Headquarters: Guangdong

Title: Chairwoman

Main focus: Retail

A newcomer on this year’s list, Li Binlan’s reputation as a strong-willed and visionary leader has earned her the nickname “Iron Lady of Retail.” Her reign at A Best has seen the company expand rapidly since its first supermarket opened in Bao’an, Shenzhen, in 1995 to more than 100 stores across the country today. Last year, the company reported a US$2.6 billion operations revenue, ranking 22nd in China’s retail industry.

(10) Liu Xiaomeng

Age: 56

2011 net worth (US$): 1 billion

2010 net worth (US$): 980 million

General ranking: 135

Company: Suning Appliance Group Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Jiangsu

Title: Director of Fund Settlement Center

Main focus: Retail – appliances

Very little is known about Liu Xiaomeng, 56, who has kept a very low public profile. She helped to start Suning, one of the largest electrical appliance retailers in China, in 1990. Since then, the company has grown to include nearly 1,400 franchised stores in China and Japan, going public on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2004. In 2010, Suning made US$24.4 billion in revenue and has a brand value worth US$7.94 billion. Liu, as one of the company’s “old heads,” now has a 42 percent stake.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Paying two bucks a share for Yahoo!. --

Sources tell Reuters the Internet giant’s board is expected to consider plan to sell most of its Asian assets. One investment manager tells Reuters the deal would put — two dollar share valuation on the rest of the company. In about it already has in cash on its books. Proposal calls for Yahoo! to effectively transfer most of its 40% last Alibaba. Back to the Chinese company and all of its stake in Yahoo! Japan sources that. NYSE Euronext and Deutsche reports officials will likely have to appealed directly to the European commission’s antitrust commissioner. To save their merger deal sources say that’s because they’re not making headway in convincing — EC’s antitrust case — If — nine billion dollar deal should go through that team had expressed concern that the combined exchange would monopolize European listed derivatives trading. The deal would create the world’s largest exchange the other option for the two exchanges is to — the so called college of 27 commissioners. The great lady is shelling — a lot of Green. Sources tell Reuters outgoing New York Times CEO Janet Robinson will receive an exit package worth more than fifteen million dollars. That package includes nearly eleven million dollars in pension benefits that — accrued over 28. Years of service. A regulatory filing indicated the times policy previously stipulated she is eligible for these benefits. Only if she had been with the company for thirty years. Shares of the New York Times are down 25% this year and about 80% over Robinson seven year tenure as CO. Thomson Reuters IFR markets these third quarter GDP coming down today. It looks for a final reading of one point 9%. Down from the previous 2% reading as it expects consumers spent less on services and previously thought that report comes out at 830. Other reports out today include weekly jobless claims and the Thomson Reuters University of Michigan final December consumer sentiment reading. I authorities lack of a deal on a payroll tax cut extension impacting sentiment which it thinks he’ll come in at 68. That’s roughly world was the last time that report comes out at 955. And that is your morning call this Thursday I’m Fred Katayama and this is Reuters Insider.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

(Reuters) – EBay Inc said on Thursday it bought BillSafe, a purchase and invoicing technology provider with clients in Germany, and will combine it with its PayPal online payments service, in a move to strengthen its e-commerce capabilities in Northern Europe.

BillSafe’s technology lets shoppers buy and receive an item and pay later once they get an invoice. It is the most common form of e-commerce payment in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, eBay said.

EBay took a minority stake in BillSafe last year and now owns the entire company. The company did not disclose terms of the deal but said it would have no material impact on the financial forecast it gave in October.

The deal is eBay’s latest this year to build its business abroad. In April it bought a Turkish auction site for $235.3 million.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

SICKENING SPECTACLE THAT IS THE AFRICAN STATE OF THE CONGO

Mariam

Mariam Twaibu Shirika isn’t strong enough to work after the injuries she sustained when she was raped in her home 18 months ago. Now living in Goma in accommodation provided by Women for Women. Has three surviving children, three others died of illness in 1989.

My name is Miriam Shirika and I am weak. I am in the women’s group because of housing problems.

I was living with my mum, my children and my siblings in a tent where I also had a small stall.

On December 5, 2007, thugs broke into my house. They took everything that I had at that time. They broke in a second time on December 27th. They met nothing so they decided to rape.

There were four. They were in civilian clothing not in military clothing, and they were speaking Kinyrwandan, the language from Rwanda.

They tore everything with a knife, everything: all the clothes. They raped me before my brothers, my sister, my mother, my uncle and the children. So they intimidated them.

They did this act in their presence, they blocked my shoulders and they started to rape me in the presence of all.

The aim was to rape me and my children together. They stopped as I was struggling a lot. One of them locked my shoulder this side, another this side, another one took this leg, pulling it so one of them succeeded in raping me. My children were there and the children saw everything so I’m quite sure it affected them, my children.

The children were there, my mother was there, everybody was there. I was very ashamed because they were seeing me at every moment, my nakedness at every moment.

When I was raped I was mentally upset. I could be walking along the road, not concentrating. I couldn’t even see the car that was coming.

Then one day the [Women for Women] enrolment team was passing by. They met me and they saw that I had a problem and they took me as a special case.

I would go crazy but Women for Women are giving me morale and hope and they showed me how to live again and that’s why I’m trying to be strong for the sake of my children. And now I am getting a little bit better as we are getting the training about trauma.

Since that time I have stopped selling as I do not feel strong enough to do any activity.

I’m living in a house I rent for $3 a month. It’s in a very critical bad condition. When it rains I get wet. I am living like a bird, I don’t know whether I am going to eat or not.

I have a boy and two daughters. The first one is in high school, 6th form, but now he is not going to school. I can’t pay the school fees. He is now 24 years old.

The youngest daughter is in year five. She’ll be 13 in July.

The other daughter is now a street girl, she is not living with me now. She is 15 years old. I haven’t seen her for one month now. I don’t know what’s going on. I think she has met with some friends who are better off, who are from another class other than mine. And I even don’t have time to look for her because I have to struggle for the other one just to get something, just food.

When I moved I felt a little bit relieved. I couldn’t talk with [my children] about such an issue.

What can I tell them? I don’t know what to tell them. Even the relationship with my 15-year-old has worsened. I’m ashamed of myself, of what happened. I don’t feel responsible for those children.

Yafanshize

Yafanshize Nihargwe was married at 17 and is now 22 years old. She and her husband were farmers in Massisi. She has been at Heal Africa in Goma since April 2004 with fistula, after being gang raped by soldiers while she was fleeing her home.

When I was eight months pregnant [my husband and I] ran away because of war.

One night we were in a field and we were visited by soldiers. Six soldiers took me and raped me, and then they took my husband. If he died or if he is alive, I don’t know.

And when they raped me, as I was eight months pregnant, the water began to break.

And then during the morning the ones who ran away far from where [the soldiers] were began to look for people who had died, and found that I was alive.

They took me up to the road and they brought me here to Goma. And [Heal Africa] begin to treat me.

There were so many patients at the hospital, so then they brought me here (to Heal Africa transit centre accommodation).

Now I have had five surgeries. I haven’t recovered yet and I am waiting for the sixth one.

The Interhamwe took my husband and I don’t know where he is. Sometimes when I think about my husband and how they took him, I think that he died.

My parents died while they were walking from the war. I have one brother and one sister left in Massisi. Five were killed during the war.

I used to pray and if God helps me to be well, to recover I will work only for God.

In a future life I cannot cultivate like before they raped me. Now if I am well I would go to the road with a machine and begin to sew for people.

If I recover I will get a place here in Goma, I can’t go back to Massisi. They say in Massisi the war continues, how could I go back?

Zamunda

Zamunda Sikujuwa is 53 years old. Mai Mai rebels raped her and killed her husband and children in 2006. She blames her relatives for turning to the rebels and causing the attack.

I’m here for treatment for the way they broke my body.

I came from Kindu because I was left with nothing, not even my children. That’s what brought me here to Heal Africa.

Local soldiers and Mai Mai arrived in the village. After five days, seven people came and we had to give them money.

One night at 4am there was a big attack by soldiers. Then they took my husband.

The children were there and they brought the husband into the room, and they killed him. The children were killed at the same moment.

Then they entered the room and they put a gun into my private part.

People from across the road took me to a local hospital. A priest had me flown to Baucavu. I had surgery in Baucavu.

If I went back to Kindu [the soldiers] said they would cut up my body and eat my body so I have to stay in Goma. If I went back to Kindu I would die.

In the beginning was very difficult to walk.

I need to find somewhere to live.

I wake up every night thinking of my husband and my children. I wish sometimes soldiers would have killed me so I can’t live. I don’t have anywhere to go and no one to care for me.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha