Category: Other
New York Times to shrink pages, staff
NEW YORK, July 18, 2006 (AFP) – The New York Times said Tuesday that in 2008 it will narrow down its pages by 38 milimeters (1.5 inches), close a printing operation in New Jersey and slash its staff by 250 workers to save 42 million dollars a year The measures that will go into effect […]
Malaysian ministers ask their drivers to slow down after fines blitz
KUALA LUMPUR, July 18, 2006 (AFP) – Malaysian ministers have asked their drivers to stick to the speed limit after several ministers, including Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, racked up numerous unpaid traffic fines.Deputy Transport Minister Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar told parliament the cabinet had resolved that ministers and deputy ministers were not exempt […]
Public Smoke
July 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s monopoly cigarette maker has asked for six months to enforce a public smoking and advertising ban, following legal amendments to anti-smoking laws that were passed in July. The amendments to the National Tobacco and Alcohol Authority Act softens some of the rules on public smoking in hotels, restaurants […]
Doggie hotel opens — 23 dollars a night, television optional
WASHINGTON, July 18, 2006 (AFP) – Washingtonians can now drop their pooches off at a pet hotel that cares for their friendly canines in a five-star environment — pet-themed television shows optional. In the mahogany paneled lobby of the PetSmart PetHotel, which just opened in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, the pets’ human “parents” line […]
Indian villagers perform marriage of donkeys to promote peace
NEW DELHI, July 17, 2006 (AFP) – A group of Indian villagers presided over the marriage of two donkeys at an ancient Hindu temple in southern India in a bid to promote world peace, a report said Monday.The wedding took place Sunday evening in the Sri Thirumoola Natha Swamy Temple in Tamil Nadu state, the […]
Car trunks key for Zimbabwean ‘millionaires’
HARARE, July 16, 2006 (AFP) – Becoming a millionaire in Zimbabwe is easy these days, but wallets and purses have given way to car trunks and suitcases as the crucial accessory for carrying wads of nearly worthless cash.As the southern African country battles hyper-inflation and grinding fuel and foreign exchange shortages amid a seven-year economic […]
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HARARE, July 16, 2006 (AFP) – Becoming a millionaire in Zimbabwe is easy these days, but wallets and purses have given way to car trunks and suitcases as the crucial accessory for carrying wads of nearly worthless cash.As the southern African country battles hyper-inflation and grinding fuel and foreign exchange shortages amid a seven-year economic […]
In India, women fight harassment of “Eve teasing”
BANGALORE, India, July 14, 2006 (AFP) – On the streets of this booming Indian city, Laura Neuhaus says she is constantly on guard against men who brush against her body. “People run up and grab my butt, my breast and brush against me purposely,” Neuhaus says. “It happens so fast.” “I will be walking with […]
Tsunami aid worth 7,100 dollars per person: study
GENEVA, July 14, 2006 (AFP) – The outpouring of international aid in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami translated into an average of 7,100 dollars per affected person, according to a new report Friday.The study by the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition (TEC), an international group of aid agencies, said that donors’ generosity contrasted starkly […]
Bowling Wide
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – The controversial marketing firm GoldQuest has gone to the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka asking for an opportunity to explain its position to the country’s central bank. They also asked court to direct the Central Bank to determine if GoldQuest’s marketing plan is against Sri Lanka’s Banking Laws, following […]
Bottled water in meaty flavours? Dogs lap it up
SYDNEY, July 13, 2006 (AFP) – Cool bottled water in three delicious flavours — beef, chicken and bacon. Not tempted? Your dog will be. An Australian man has taken pooch-pampering to the next level with the launch of Aqua Dog. With one canine for every five Australians, the country has one of the world’s highest […]
Illegal Stay
LONDON, July 12, 2006 (AFP) – The British government announced Wednesday it had ruled out the possibility of an anmesty for immigrants who are in the kingdom illegally, in a review of immigration procedures. “In the end a system that denies full rights to all migrants in the UK is both socially unjust and is […]