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DUBAI, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Walid Bin Talal on Monday ordered an Airbus A380, making him the first private buyer of the next generation super jumbo aircraft.Prince Walid, one of the world’s richest men, inked the deal for the “flying palace” at a ceremony with executives from the European aircraft […]
Asian stocks suffer another mauling
TOKYO, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Asian stocks were rocked by another large sell-off Monday with Tokyo hitting a 15-month low, battered by a weak dollar and growing fears over the fallout from the US subprime loan crisis, dealers said. They said the Chinese central bank’s latest move to try to cool the economy had […]
Galileo satellite project in the balance as Britain ask tough questions
LONDON, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – The European Union appears to be “sleepwalking into a vast financial commitment” with its troubled Galileo satellite network, and a rigorous cost-benefit analysis must be produced on the system, a British parliamentary committee said Monday.In a report into the network, the House of Commons Transport Committee said it had […]
Commonwealth mulls Pakistan action after poll announcement
LONDON, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Foreign ministers will Monday debate a possible suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth at an extraordinary meeting in London after President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency last week. Although Musharraf met a key demand of his critics by announcing Sunday that elections would be held by January […]
Sri Lanka troops kill six women Tiger fighters
Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops shot dead at least six women fighters of the Tamil Tigers during a clash in the north of the island, the defence ministry said Monday.Following an attack on a bunker line of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) along the de facto front line with guerrilla-held […]
Sri Lanka private sector calls for fewer, simpler taxes
Nov 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s private sector Monday urged the government to do more to reduce the multitude of taxes and simplify the system in order to make payment and collection more efficient. It also warned against what appeared to be government moves to resurrect unsuccessful welfare measures in an attempt to cushion […]
Commonwealth to debate Pakistan suspension after emergency rule
LONDON, Nov 11, 2007 (AFP) – Foreign ministers will debate whether Pakistan should be suspended from the Commonwealth over President Pervez Musharraf’s declaration of emergency rule at an extraordinary meeting Monday.Nations including Britain and Canada have called for tough action ahead of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group gathering and Secretary-General Don McKinnon described the state […]
One Laptop Per Child: the dream starts to deliver
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 10, 2007 (AFP) – Low-cost computers meant to usher poor children worldwide into the digital age are being mass produced in China as US nonprofit One Laptop Per Child strives to deliver on its promise. The first of the XO laptops being built at a Quanta Computer facility in Changshu are destined […]
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SANTIAGO, Nov 10, 2007 (AFP) – Spain’s King Juan Carlos I told Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to “just shut up,” bringing an Ibero-American summit to end in spectacular fashion on Saturday.Spain’s monarch stormed out just before the scheduled end of the forum, visibly furious at Chavez’s description of his former prime minister as a “fascist” […]
Sri Lanka asks Australia to end Test blackout
Nov 11, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s cricket governing body Sunday asked their counterparts in Australia to end the lock out of international media from the ongoing Test series between the two nations. The conditions imposed on photographers and journalists applying for credentials to cover cricket raise grave concerns about press freedom, the agencies said. […]