Category: World

JAKARTA, March 30, 2008 (AFP) – With prices for key commodities at record highs, Indonesia — Southeast Asia’s biggest economy and a key exporter — should, at first glance, be enjoying good times. But with high oil prices leading to a government fuel subsidy blowout and rising food prices hitting the poor, analysts say most […]

NEW YORK, March 28, 2008 (AFP) – World oil prices fell sharply Friday on renewed concern that a slowdown in the US economy would dampen energy demand and on news that damage to an Iraqi pipeline was not as serious as first thought. New York crude values dropped under 106 dollars a barrel, a day […]

MANILA, March 29, 2008 (AFP) – Philippine PC manufacturer Neo and multinational computer processor maker Intel have jointly launched a new 16,999-peso (406-dollar) mini laptop, spokesmen said Saturday.The Neo Explore is a “ruggedized and shock-proof” laptop with a keyboard that will not be damaged by spillages of liquids, said Neo spokeswoman Mariel Que. It weighs […]

LONDON, March 28, 2008 (AFP) – Finance minister Alistair Darling outlined plans on Friday to equip Britain’s financial watchdog with powers to give individuals whistleblower protection in return for evidence in investigations.Darling’s proposals in an interview with The Guardian came just days after British bank Halifax Bank of Scotland was forced to deny market rumours […]

SYDNEY, March 27, 2008 (AFP) – The Australian financial system had coped better with the recent global strains than many other countries, the central bank said Thursday in its half yearly financial stability review.The banking system remained highly profitable and well capitalised, with the banks having minimal direct exposure to the subprime problems in the […]

COLOMBO, March 27, 2008 (AFP) – Maldives police have started a probe into the source of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of heroin found smuggled into the tiny island capital of Male, officials said Thursday.Police found the drugs at a two-storey apartment on Wednesday night and said the haul was the biggest illegal drug find in […]

UNITED NATIONS, March 26, 2008 (AFP) – Nearly 500,000 people will die of AIDS each year in Asia by 2020 unless prevention efforts are fully implemented, a UN report said Wednesday. The figure is up from 440,000 that currently die each year, according to the report commissioned by the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). […]

BEVERLY HILLS, California, March 26, 2008 (AFP) – Plans for a two-seater aircraft designed to shuttle tourists to the brink of outer space were unveiled Wednesday by a firm aiming to secure a slice of the nascent galactic travel market.California-based XCOR Aerospace hopes that its Lynx craft will allow space tourists to get a tantalising […]

PROVIDENCE, Guyana, March 25, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka were put under some early pressure after they set West Indies 437 to win in a minimum of 113 overs in the opening Test on Tuesday. Though they poached an early scalp, the Sri Lankans were put on the back-foot as West Indies reached 96 for […]

MADRID, March 25, 2008 (AFP) – Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend, the country’s wind power association said Tuesday.As heavy winds lashed Spain on Saturday evening wind parks generated 9,862 megawatts of power which translated to 40.8 […]

NEW YORK, March 25, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar weakened on foreign exchange markets Tuesday as a gauge that tracks US consumer confidence dived to a five-year low amid mounting economic uncertainty. Traders said a monthly survey by the Conference Board, a private research group, showed its consumer confidence index falling to 64.5 points in […]

BRUSSELS, March 26, 2008 (AFP) – Air passengers flying between Europe and the United States should get more choice and cheaper tickets if all goes as officials plan under a new EU-US aviation pact taking effect on Sunday. After more than four years of often tense negotiations, hopes are high that the new so-called “open […]