Category: World

GENEVA, July 27, 2008 (AFP) – A clash between developing countries over protectionist measures to save farmers from surging imports threatened Sunday to scupper a bid for a new global trade pact, delegates said.Among the issues being thrashed out by trade ministers in Geneva are “special safeguard mechanisms” (SSM) that increase tariffs on agricultural products […]

AHMEDABAD, July 27, 2008 (AFP) – Indian leaders issued appeals for calm Sunday as the army was called out after a wave of bombings killed 45 people in Ahmedabad, a city rocked by deadly Hindu-Muslim riots six years ago. The string of 16 bombings, which left more than 160 people injured, ripped through crowded places […]

LONDON, July 25, 2008 (AFP) – Oil prices fell further this week, leaving them about 20 dollars off record highs, while there were also losses for metals futures.OIL: Oil prices headed south again amid a drop in fuel demand across the United States, the world’s biggest consumer of energy. Crude futures had risen earlier Friday […]

AHMEDABAD, July 26, 2008 (AFP) – At least 55 people were injured as a series of blasts rocked the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on Saturday, senior officials said.The Press Trust of India news agency, quoting city police, said at least two people also died in the explosions but this could not immediately be confirmed. […]

ALGIERS, July 26, 2008 (AFP) – The price of oil could drop to between 70 and 80 dollars a barrel if the dollar strengthens and concerns over Iran are reduced, OPEC chief Chakib Khelil said Saturday.“If the dollar strengthens and if the crisis with Iran is resolved, the trend in oil prices should be to […]

SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2008 (AFP) – Internet security researchers on Thursday warned that hackers have caught on to a “critical” flaw that lets them control traffic on the Internet.An elite squad of computer industry engineers that labored in secret to solve the problem released a software “patch” two weeks ago and sought to keep […]

FRANKFURT, July 25, 2008 (AFP) – Growth of eurozone money supply and credit eased sharply last month, the European Central Bank said on Friday, providing more evidence of a possibly major economic slowdown, analysts said.The ECB said its M3 indicator of money supply showed growth of 9.5 percent in June, down from a revised May […]

BANGALORE, July 25, 2008 (AFP) – India’s high-technology capital Bangalore was hit by a string of seven coordinated bomb blasts Friday with at least one person killed and several wounded, police said.Police said the southern city had been put on high alert, with bomb disposal teams and forensic experts rushed into action. “One woman died […]

TOKYO, July 23, 2008 (AFP) – One of Japan’s top business leaders called Wednesday for a change of government to shake up Asia’s largest economy, which faces major challenges from a shrinking population. Democracy is still “immature” in Japan, where the Liberal Democratic Party has ruled almost continuously since it was created in 1955, said […]

HANOI, July 24, 2008 (AFP) – Vietnam’s annual inflation rate hit 27 percent in July, the government said Thursday, as rocketing food and fuel costs saddle its economy with one of Asia’s toughest battles against rising prices. The figure was only a little higher than June’s 26.8 percent, but the government’s decision earlier this week […]

MUMBAI, July 24, 2008 (AFP) – India’s top mobile phone company, Bharti Airtel, said its first-quarter net profit increased by a better-than-expected 34 percent, as subscriptions rose in the world’s fastest-growing wireless market.Net profit for the three months to June was 20.25 billion rupees (470 million dollars) from 15.12 billion rupees for the same period […]

NEW YORK, July 23, 2008 (AFP) – Oil prices tumbled Wednesday as supply concerns eased after a bigger-than-expected increase in gasoline reserves was reported in the United States.The threat to supply from Hurricane Dolly in the Gulf of Mexico diminished as the storm veered away from offshore oil installations. New York’s main contract, light sweet […]