Category: Other

WASHINGTON, Nov 15, 2007 (AFP) – China’s economy is 40 percent smaller than most recent estimates, a US economist said Wednesday, citing data from the Asian Development Bank and guidelines from the World Bank.That effort is “still very much work in progress,” he said.“It’s too early to tell what the final implications will be.” Albert […]

Nov 15, 2007 (LBO) – The United States has frozen the assets of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) for raising funds and buying arms for the Tamil Tigers, which is a designated terrorist organization, the US embassy in Colombo said. “In the United States, the TRO has raised funds on behalf of the LTTE [Liberation […]

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) – A globe kept by Adolf Hitler in his Eagle’s Nest compound and retrieved from the rubble after the end of World War II sold Tuesday for 100,000 dollars to an art collector and entrepreneur. The globe sat for 62 years in John Barsamian’s dusty attic in Oakland but […]

DUBAI, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) – Dubai-owned Emirates airline, already the largest carrier in the Middle East, has reinforced its position as regional market leader with multi-billion-dollar orders at the Dubai air show. Emirates’ buying spree is in step with the ambitious plans of the city-state to establish itself as a regional hub for travel, […]

LONDON, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) – The Commonwealth on Monday gave Pakistan a 10-day deadline to restore its constitution and lift other emergency measures or face suspension from the 53-nation grouping.The ultimatum came after emergency talks among the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) in London to decide how to respond to President Pervez Musharraf’s declaration […]

BEIJING, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) – China’s consumer price index, the main gauge of inflation, rose 6.5 percent in October year-on-year, the government said Tuesday, as Premier Wen Jiabao promised to stabilise prices.The figure was up from 6.2 percent in September, and the same as the 6.5 percent in August, then the highest level in […]

DHAKA, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) – Bangladesh on Tuesday launched an investigation after the country’s Internet link was sabotaged, disrupting communications nationwide for most of the day.Officials said cables were also severed twice last week causing massive disruption to businesses in the impoverished country. “We are investigating the cable cutting incident which took place today […]

DUBAI, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Walid Bin Talal on Monday ordered an Airbus A380, making him the first private buyer of the next generation super jumbo aircraft.Prince Walid, one of the world’s richest men, inked the deal for the “flying palace” at a ceremony with executives from the European aircraft […]

PARIS, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – The Council of Europe issued a damning report Monday accusing governments of eroding basic rights in the name of the United States-led “war on terror”.“Increasingly, in the name of the war on terror, the executive is in the process of severely limiting the sphere of competence of judiciary power,” […]

LONDON, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – Foreign ministers will Monday debate a possible suspension of Pakistan from the Commonwealth at an extraordinary meeting in London after President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency last week. Although Musharraf met a key demand of his critics by announcing Sunday that elections would be held by January […]

LONDON, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) – The European Union appears to be “sleepwalking into a vast financial commitment” with its troubled Galileo satellite network, and a rigorous cost-benefit analysis must be produced on the system, a British parliamentary committee said Monday.In a report into the network, the House of Commons Transport Committee said it had […]