Category: World

BEIJING, June 6, 2007 (AFP) – China’s central bank is on guard against the recent rise in food prices and might consider an interest rate hike to cool rising inflation, state media said Wednesday, citing the central bank chief. In a report to clients, Goldman Sachs forecast late last month that the rise in pork […]

PANAMA CITY, June 3, 2007 (AFP) – The head of the Organization of American States opened a hemispheric summit late Sunday with a warning against “silencing” political opponents, a week after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez shut down an opposition television station.“The first duty of a democratic government is broadening democracy,” OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel […]

NEW YORK, June 2, 2007 (AFP) – US authorities said Saturday they foiled an Islamic terrorist plot to bomb fuel supplies and pipelines at John F. Kennedy airport, averting a potentially catastrophic attack and “unthinkable” carnage at and around the massive airfield. Four suspected Islamic extremists — including Abdul Kadir, a former member of Guyana’s […]

June 03, 2007 (LBO) – The European Union (EU) has called on the Maldivian government to re-start talks with the opposition aimed to bring democracy to the islands. “The EU urgently calls upon the President of the Maldives to take concrete steps in this direction by creating an enabling environment for talks,” the EU said […]

CARACAS, June 1, 2007 (AFP) – Dodging police cordons around the National Assembly, thousands of students Friday managed to reach lawmakers to deny any subversive intent in their protest against the shutdown of anti-government RCTV channel. “We’ve come here to get their document.We think there has to be a dialogue so everyone of us can […]

June 2, 2007 (AFP) – Former Sri Lankan cricket coach Tom Moody says he is embarrassed by the derogatory reaction and constant harassment directed by Australian crowds towards Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.Muralitharan’s ultra-flexible bowling action has come under its heaviest scrutiny in Australia, where he has been called for throwing on two tours, prompting […]

BANGALORE, India, June 1, 2007 (AFP) – Indian liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya bought a 26 percent stake Thursday in Air Deccan, throwing a 5.5 billion rupee (135 million dollar) lifeline to the loss-making discount carrier.Jet Airways bought rival Air Sahara for 340 million dollars in April. Bangalore-based Deccan will issue new preferential shares to Mallya’s […]

TOKYO, June 1, 2007 (AFP) – Japan was expected on Friday to name a replacement for agriculture minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka, who committed suicide earlier this week amid allegations of corruption, news reports said.Matsuoka, 62, known as a fervent lobbyist for farmers in his district, hanged himself Monday as he was set to face questioning in […]

OTTAWA, May 30, 2007 (AFP) – Everyone likes the sound of French it seems, and a zoo in western Canada has asked visitors to speak French to its Siberian tiger. “We hope people will come to the zoo and speak French to him to keep him company,” said Jan Archbold, a spokeswoman for the Edmonton […]

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2007 (AFP) – US President George W. Bush was on Wednesday to name administration pointman Robert Zoellick to head the World Bank, replacing Paul Wolfowitz, who quit over a favoritism scandal involving his bank employee girlfriend. The naming of the steady, stalwart Zoellick was meant to end weeks of upheaval in the […]

CHENNAI, India, May 30, 2007 (AFP) – Tamil, one of India’s ancient Dravidian languages, is to have its own government-funded institute, Tamil Nadu state’s chief minister said.The federal government has agreed to set up the International Institute of Classical Tamil Language in the state capital Chennai, where language politics have often boiled over. M. Karunanidhi […]

BEIJING, May 29, 2007 (AFP) – A Beijing court sentenced the former head of China’s food and drug administration to death Tuesday on corruption charges, state media reported.Zheng Xiaoyu, the former director of China’s State Food and Drug Administration, was convicted for taking bribes and dereliction of duty, the Xinhua news agency said.The sentence was […]