Category: World

TOKYO, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – The world must spend one percent of its annual economic output to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the IEA said Friday, calling for an “energy technology revolution” to curb global warming. Unless governments take action now, carbon dioxide emissions will rise by 130 percent by the middle of […]

NEW DELHI, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – An Indian court has upheld the right of state-owned Air India to ground overweight flight attendants, a report said.Lawyers for the airline told the court the attendants were moved from flight duty to ground duty when they failed to meet minimum physical fitness standards, the Hindu newspaper reported. […]

ATHENS, June 5, 2008 (AFP) – Drug cheats will be banned from future Olympics after Beijing 2008 if they are caught and sanctioned for over six months, the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday.“An athlete would not be deemed eligible to compete at an edition of the Olympic Games if he or she were caught […]

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – Malaysia plans to almost halve the number of foreigners working in the plantation and manufacturing sectors by 2010 by reducing its yearly foreign intake by 400,000, a report said Friday.Human Resources Minister S. Subramaniam said the government wanted to reduce the imported labour force in the country from […]

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2008 (AFP) – Incidents of piracy have spiked across the world since 2000 but there is no evidence to support fears of extremist groups linking up with pirates for their operations, a new study finds.It attributed the rise to the expansion of the global sea trade, congested chokepoints, corrupt officials, shifting spending […]

SYDNEY, June 5, 2008 (AFP) – Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called on Asia-Pacific countries Thursday to form a European Union-style grouping that he said would enhance regional security and prosperity.Rudd said an Asia-Pacific Community — a potential economic powerhouse including China, India, the United States and Japan — could be established by 2020. “The […]

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2008 (AFP) – Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke signaled Tuesday that the US central bank is worried about the dollar, saying the sagging currency has led to “unwelcome” inflation pressures.“We may see somewhat better economic conditions during the second half of 2008, reflecting the effects of monetary and fiscal stimulus, reduced drag […]

OAKLAND, June 4, 2008 (AFP) – A private San Francisco area university dedicated to the study of the cannabis industry is giving a whole new meaning to higher education. At Oaksterdam University — so called after the nickname locals have given to Oakland — students learn how to grow, harvest and cook marijuana, as well […]

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4, 2008 (AFP) – Malaysia said petrol prices will jump 40 percent from Thursday, as it moves to cut the spiralling cost of subsidies despite the prospect of public outrage. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the price hike could suppress economic growth and drive up inflation as high as 5.0 percent […]

LONDON, June 4, 2008 (AFP) – Oil prices fell on Wednesday, extending recent heavy losses made on the back of the stronger dollar, as investors awaited the latest weekly report on energy inventories in the United States.New York’s main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, shed 59 cents to 123.72 dollars a […]

NEW DELHI, June 4, 2008 (AFP) – India’s airlines suffered a combined loss of nearly a billion dollars in the past financial year and the figure could double this year if fuel prices keep rising, a government official said on Wednesday.The firms suffered a total loss of around 40 billion rupees (937.6 billion dollars) in […]

GENEVA, June 2, 2008 (AFP) – The WTO’s chief negotiator on freeing up access for industrial products said Monday he sees no point in further talks until member states are ready to compromise over tariffs and other key sticking points. The 152 members of the WTO need to “work among themselves to bridge their positions […]