Category: Other

NEW DELHI, June 20, 2008 (AFP) – India’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 11.05 percent, its highest level in 13 years, according to data on Friday, piling pressure on the government as general elections loom. Inflation jumped by more than two percentage points to hit 11.05 percent for the week ended June 7 from 8.75 […]

NEW YORK, June 18, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar held steady against other major currencies Wednesday in volatile trade as investors weighed prospects of US and eurozone interest rate hikes to counter rising inflation.The single European currency was at 1.5532 dollars around 2100 GMT, up from 1.5508 dollars late Tuesday. The dollar stood at 107.86 […]

BEIJING, June 19, 2008 (AFP) – The World Bank said Thursday it expected China’s economic growth to fall to single digits in 2008 for the first time in six years, while inflation would be higher than previously forecast. “China’s economic growth has moderated to a more sustainable pace,” the bank said in its quarterly report […]

BRUSSELS, June 19, 2008 (AFP) – Soaring fuel and food prices posed a stiff challenge to EU leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels on Thursday, amid clear divisions over how to respond to growing calls for intervention.Following Irish voters’ rejection of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty last week, EU leaders are eager to demonstrate […]

SAN FRANCISCO, June 18, 2008 (AFP) – Mozilla on Tuesday released an improved version of its Firefox web browser that has gained popularity as a free alternative to Microsoft’s ubiquitous Internet Explorer.Mozilla said Firefox 3 promises Internet surfing that is fast, secure, and easy to customize because it is designed to adapt to people’s online […]

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2008 (AFP) – A civilian Pentagon official in charge of the largest US military contract in Iraq was removed from his job in 2004 after refusing to pay one billion dollars to KBR Inc. because the company was unable to credibly justify its expenses, the New York Times reported Tuesday. KBR is […]

SINGAPORE, June 18, 2008 (AFP) – Lower costs are drawing more and more users to access the Internet via their mobiles, and opening up opportunities for advertisers, industry players said. Flat rates for data are becoming increasingly common, and mobile devices for accessing Internet content are more widely available, said Andre Levisse, of management consulting […]

YANGON, June 17 (Asia Pulse) – Most of the rice mills in Myanmar’s Yangon division, which were destroyed in a cyclone storm early last month, have resumed operation after prompt repair, the local weekly Flower News reported Tuesday. Of the 110 over-15-ton rice mills in Yangon division, nearly 100 have returned to normal operation since […]

SINGAPORE, June 17, 2008 (AFP) – Finnish telecom giant Nokia has launched two new email-capable handsets for business users and vowed to defend its position as the world’s leading mobile phone maker.Nokia said the E71 and E66 were pre-loaded with Microsoft’s popular email programme and would cater to business professionals who wanted easy and instant […]

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17, 2008 (AFP) – Incidents of terrorism and human trafficking will spike due to the global economic slowdown led by surging prices for food and fuel, a top Malaysian minister said Tuesday. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who ovesees internal security, said spiralling inflation will cause serious hardship among Asia’s poor. “The […]

SINGAPORE, June 16, 2008 (AFP) – South Korea’s Samsung on Monday unveiled its latest smart phone, a touch-screen model to be commercially launched in Southeast Asia this week.The Omnia, which means “everything” in Latin, comes with a five megapixel built-in camera, 3.2-inch (eight-centimetre) screen as well as video functions, the company said. With its touch-sensitive […]