Category: World

HONIARA, April 2, 2007 (AFP) – A powerful undersea earthquake unleashed a tsunami that pounded the Solomon Islands early Monday, flattening villages and killing at least six people and sparking scenes of panic, officials said.Witnesses said the wall of water triggered by the 8.0-magnitude quake was up to five metres (16.5 feet) high and swamped […]

NEW DELHI, April 2, 2007 (AFP) – South Asia’s expanding but underperforming SAARC grouping needs to work harder and overcome internal rivalries to boost regional cooperation, officials said Monday on the eve of a summit.“We are at a defining moment in SAARC history,” Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said ahead of the South Asian Association […]

KUALA LUMPUR, March 31, 2007 (AFP) – Malaysia’s top anti-corruption official, who is facing a police investigation into graft allegations against him, will not have his contract renewed, a report said Saturday.Malaysians believe their country has an “acute” corruption problem, international monitor Transparency International said recently, warning the issue could drive away foreign investors.Zulkipli Mat […]

LOS ANGELES, March 19, 2007 (AFP) – The giant Airbus A380 superjumbo landed on US soil for the first time Monday, dazzling large crowds gathered in Los Angeles and New York to catch a glimpse of the world’s biggest passenger plane. The 555-seat double-decker behemoth with a wingspan the size of a football pitch descended […]

DHAKA, March 20, 2007 (AFP) – A Kuwait-based company has joined Bangladesh’s leading air-cargo operator to launch the country’s second private passenger airline, a company official said Tuesday.Biman reported a record loss of 120 million dollars in the year to June last year. Aqeeq Aviation Holding has bought a 49 percent stake in Best Aviation […]

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16, 2007 (AFP) – Malaysia on Friday issued licences to four telecommunication operators to provide fourth generation (4G) wireless high speed Internet services nationwide this year.The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said the winning bidders are Bizsurf (M) Sdn Bhd, MIB Comm Sdn Bhd, Redtone-CNX Broadband Sdn Bhd and Asiaspace Dotcom […]

HONG KONG, March 14, 2007 (AFP) – Asian stock markets closed sharply lower Wednesday, hit by a fresh round of turmoil after Wall Street tumbled overnight on figures showed growing problems in the US housing market, dealers said.They said investors were already wary following their battering earlier this month when a dramatic sell-off in Chinese […]

SEOUL, March 13, 2007 (AFP) – South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun said Tuesday his government could scrap free trade talks with Washington if Seoul’s economic interests are not properly reflected in a final deal. Roh instructed his cabinet to consider “real economic benefits” in forging a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, saying […]

BEIJING, March 13, 2007 (AFP) – Police poured into a central Chinese city to quell riots sparked by rising bus fees, residents said Tuesday, in the latest incident to highlight rising social pressures in the fast-changing country. Detachments from the People’s Armed Police joined local security forces in Yongzhou city in Hunan province overnight Monday, […]

NEW YORK, March 8, 2007 (AFP) – Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is still the richest man in the world, but his lead over other entrepreneurs is narrowing, according to Forbes magazine’s list of billionaires published Thursday. Despite Gates leading the rich list for a 13th straight year with a tidy nest egg of 56 billion […]

LONDON, March 8, 2007 (AFP) – European stock markets moved higher on Thursday, following bumper gains earlier in Tokyo, as investors regained confidence after a recent slump in global equities, dealers said. However, trading was cautious ahead of crucial interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE). London’s […]

KOLKATA, India, March 8, 2007 (AFP) – Hundreds of people have rushed to a village in eastern India to see a male calf defy its herbivore nature by eating live chicks. In majority Hindu India, the cow is revered as a sacred animal. Ghosh said his calf has now been named Lal (‘Red’), after the […]