Category: World

FRANKFURT, March 2, 2008 (AFP) – The European Central Bank will make a cut of sorts this week — but with eurozone inflation stubbornly high the cut will be to its growth forecasts, not interest rates. “The ECB council will cut on Thursday its forecasts for growth in the euro zone, but not its main […]

NEW DELHI, March 2, 2008 (AFP) – A populist budget unveiled by India’s ruling Congress party forgiving loans for poor farmers and cutting income taxes is unlikely to help its re-election chances in looming polls, analysts say.“People say Uttar Pradesh is just a glimpse of what’s going to unfold at the national level,” declared Mayawati […]

MONTEREY, California, Feb 28, 2008 (AFP) – A scientist who mapped his genome and the genetic diversity of the oceans said Thursday he is creating a life form that feeds on climate-ruining carbon dioxide to produce fuel.“We are a ways away from designing people. Our goal is just to make sure they survive long enough […]

NEW YORK, Feb 28, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar plunged to a fresh record low against the euro Thursday amid more glum US economic news and downbeat comments on the outlook from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.In late New York trade, the dollar stood at 105.30 yen from 106.45 Wednesday and 1.0512 Swiss francs after […]

SINGAPORE, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) – World oil prices continued higher Friday, trading around fresh record levels as speculators piled into the market on the back of a sharp decline in the US dollar after a weak report on US economic growth, dealers said.In morning trade, New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery […]

WASHINGTON, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) – A US regulator on Wednesday said it would lift mortgage portfolio limits on two government-backed companies, raising the prospects of increased capital for the distressed housing market. Shares in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rallied after the government removed the size restrictions on their portfolios, but subsequently lost steam. […]

NEW YORK, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar slumped to an all-time low against the euro Wednesday as Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the US central bank was prepared to cut interest rates further to ward off a severe economic slump.The US currency was quoted at 1.0630 Swiss francs, down from 1.0752. The […]

HANOI, Feb 28, 2008 (AFP) – Vietnamese consumer prices rose more than 15 percent year-on-year in February, according to official figures released Thursday, heightening inflation concerns especially for the poor. The General Statistics Office (GSO) said the consumer price index (CPI) for February rose 15.67 percent compared to the same period last year. The figure […]

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 26, 2008 (AFP) – Google’s stock price sank Tuesday in the wake of a report hinting that boom times may be over for the Internet darling’s money-making online advertising. The number of click ads in January was essentially the same as it was in the same month a year earlier, and dipped […]

BEIJING, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) – China has raised its inflation target for 2008 to 4.8 percent due to steeper-than-expected price rises last year and the impact of the worst winter in 50 years, state media said Wednesday. Inflation is a key concern for the political leadership, and the central bank has warned it may […]

SINGAPORE, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) – The Singapore dollar climbed on Wednesday to a fresh 11-year high against the US dollar which also slid against other regional currencies following weak US economic data, dealers said.Details of the trading band are not made public to prevent speculation in the Singapore dollar. They said Asian currencies gained […]

LONDON, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar plunged Wednesday to another record euro low thanks to a stream of negative US data, while the tumbling greenback helped crude oil and gold prices hit historic highs, analysts said. The US currency also slid ahead of US Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke’s testimony before Congress later […]