There was little movement in the yen on currency markets as the BoJ said its earlier view that Japan's prospects were improving remained on course.

It would also ban the deployment of any US troops on the ground in the war-torn nation, where fighting now in its third year has claimed more than 110,000 lives.

The United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing, announced at its Facebook and Twitter webcast that the satellite was launched on a Delta IV Heavy rocket, the largest of the kind in the States, at 11:03 a.m. PDT, local time. It failed to say when the satellite would enter the orbit.

Discussions at the Retreat focused on regional and global defence and security, especially the importance of defence cooperation towards building an ASEAN Political-Security Community by 2015.  Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh and counterparts at the ADMM+. Photo: VNA

 The New York Times were hit with cyber attacks on Tuesday, with credit quickly claimed by a group backing embattled Syrian strongman Bashar Al-Assad.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

The twelve countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) reaffirmed their commitment to finalise a regional free trade agreement this year when they wrapped up the ministerial meeting of the 19th round of TPP negotiations in Brunei on August 23.  Overview of the meeting. Photo: VNA

ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh