XIN_ENG_20061127.0300

CAIRO, Nov. 27 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Egypt's Mubarak to visit three European nations

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would start from Dec. 6 a five-day European tour which would take him to Ireland, France and Germany, presidential spokesman Suliman Awwad announced here Monday.

During the European tour, President Mubarak would hold talks with leaders of the three countries on bilateral and regional issues of common concern, Awwad told the official MENA news agency.

According to the spokesman, Mubarak is scheduled to meet with Irish President Mary Mcaleese and Prime Minister Bertie Ahern during his visit to Ireland.

While in France, Mubarak would discuss the latest Middle East developments with French President Jacques Chirac and inaugurate the exhibition of "Egypt's Sunken Treasures" to be kicked off in Paris on Dec. 8.

In Berlin, President Mubarak would hold intensive talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said Awwad.

Nov. 27 , 2006

Dec. 6

Monday

Dec. 8


AFP_ENG_20051211.0515

WASHINGTON, Dec 12 , 2005

beef

US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Sunday voiced satisfaction after Japan gave the final go-ahead to resume imports of some US beef after a two-year ban.

"I'm very pleased to announce that the Japanese market is now open to US beef products," Johanns said in a statement. "Resuming beef trade with Japan is great news for American producers and Japanese consumers, as well as an important step toward normalized trade based on scientifically sound, internationally recognized standards."

Japan barred imports of US beef in December 2003 after cases of mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), were discovered in cattle in the country.

It was a devastating blow to the US farming industry as Japan was the number one overseas market for its beef, buying 1.7 billion dollars worth in 2002. Japan had imposed a similar ban on Canadian beef in May 2003.

The row with Washington turned bitter in October 2004 when Japan promised to exempt US cows aged 20 months or younger from screening if high-risk parts were removed. Washington interpreted the agreement as a breakthrough but Tokyo said it needed more time to verify how to test the age of the cattle.

Japan now was to send inspectors to North America to ensure compliance with the Japanese safety guidelines.

Johanns said that "reopening the Japanese market to US beef has been a top priority for me since becoming Secretary... Japan's action today sets an excellent example for other countries in Asia whose markets remain closed.

"Now is the time for Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and others to open their markets to US beef. I urge all countries to take a science-based approach and adopt OIE standards for allowing beef trade from 30-month animals," Johanns added.

US farm-state senators had even pressed for sanctions worth 3.1 billion dollars unless Tokyo opened up again by the year-end.

It is still unclear, however, if the lifting of the ban will appease disgruntled US farmers and politicians, with Japan expected only to import a fraction of the beef it once took in.

The United States in 2001 banned Japanese beef imports -- mostly the niche market of luxury Kobe beef -- after Japan became the only Asian country to report mad-cow disease in a herd.

Japan exported 800,000 dollars worth of beef to the United States in 2000.

Dec 12 , 2005

Sunday

two-year

now

December 2003

May 2003

October 2004

now

today


XIN_ENG_20051111.0298

MONTEVIDEO, Nov. 11 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Uruguay seeks home victory against Australia in World Cup playoff

The Uruguayan national football team will meet Australia in Montevideo on Saturday, hoping to win the first of two World Cup play-off games and set themselves up for Sydney's return match.

The winner of the two-leg playoff will go through to the 2006 Germany World Cup.

The match takes place in the historic Centenario Stadium, which will be filled with 60,000 Uruguay fans.

The play-offs are being held in a tense atmosphere thanks to statements made by both teams, and also because both countries have met before at this stage.

Uruguay won the ticket to the 2002 World Cup held in Seoul and Tokyo, losing its first game 1-0 but winning the re-match 3-0. That year, a group of violent Uruguayan fans spat on and insulted the Austrian team at Montevideo airport, trying to intimate them on the way to the match.

This year, Australia has asked for security guarantees and has begun its training in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, so that they can arrive a day before the game.

Uruguay has played in 10 World Cups and won two, while Australia has only taken part in the World Cup once, in Germany in 1974.

Australia made the play-offs for the last three World Cups, but was beaten each time, by Argentina in 1994, by Iran in 1998 and last time by Uruguay.

Uruguay will take on an offensive strategy with three forwards: Marcelo Zalayeta of Italy's Juventus, Richard Morales of Spanish league team Malaga and either Forlan or Silva as the third.

Australia is expected to exploit a conservative strategy with only one forward Mark Viduka of English league team Middlesborough.

Nov. 11 , 2005

Saturday

That year

This year


WSJ891102-0022
 = 891102
 891102-0022.
 Business Brief -- Meridian National Corp.:
@  McAlpines Acquire 10.2%
@  Of Common for $1 Million
 11/02/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 MRCO
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)

   Meridian National Corp. said it sold 750,000 shares of its common stock to the McAlpine family interests, for $1 million, or $1.35 a share.
The sale represents 10.2% of Meridian's shares outstanding.

   The McAlpine family, which operates a number of multinational companies, including a London-based engineering and construction company, also lent to Meridian National $500,000.
That amount is convertible into shares of Meridian common stock at $2 a share during its one-year term.
The loan may be extended by the McAlpine group for an additional year with an increase in the conversion price to $2.50 a share.

   The sale of shares to the McAlpine family along with the recent sale of 750,000 shares of Meridian stock to Haden MacLellan Holding PLC of Surrey, England and a recent public offering have increased Meridian's net worth to $8.5 million, said William Feniger, chief executive officer of Toledo, Ohio-based Meridian.

one-year term

an additional year


XIN_ENG_20061104.0270

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 5 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Iran to provide electricity to Pakistan

Iran has offered to provide cheap electricity to Pakistan that could also be extended to India like the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, local newspaper Dawn reported on Sunday.

The offer was made by Iranian Ambassador in Pakistan Masha Allah Shakeri in his meeting with Pakistani Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi.

During the meeting, the two countries agreed to extend cooperation in water and power sectors and to establish a joint investment company for achieving the objectives in the near future.

Regional and global situation along with bilateral trade relations particularly investment opportunities in power sector were also discussed in the meeting, according to the report.

Investment procedure in the power sector had been simplified which attracted foreign investment in power sector, Jatoi said, adding that the demand for electricity in Pakistan had crossed 18, 000 megawatt while the existing availability of power was 13,500 megawatt.

Jatoi invited the Iranian government to come forward and participate in the mega hydro power projects through International Competitive Bidding (ICB), including the Basha dam project.

The Iranian ambassador appreciated the growing economic development of Pakistan and offered Iranian investment in water and power sectors, particularly in the dams' construction.

He also suggested the establishment of a joint investment company to look into the exchange of expertise to pave way for investment opportunities in water and power sectors.

Nov. 5 , 2006

Sunday

the near future


AFP_ENG_20061226.0201

LAGOS, Dec 26 , 2006, 2006

At least 200 killed in fire at vandalised pipeline in Nigeria

A blast and fire at a vandalised oil pipeline Tuesday in Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos killed at least 200 people and left dozens more badly burned, according to an AFP correspondent at the scene.

Scores of bodies lay in the foam and water that firefighters were using to bring the blaze in the city's northern Abule Egba district under control.

Dec 26 , 2006

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_19970415.0265

ZAGREB, April 15 , 1997 (AFP)

Serbs still voting at one polling station in Eastern Slavonia

Serbs in Eastern Slavonia, the last Serb-held part of Croatia, were still voting Tuesday at one polling station in the region after problems with ballot papers Sunday and Monday, a UN spokesman said.

UN spokesman Douglas Coffman told AFP that the polling station in the village of Klisa was open from 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) to 2 p.m. (1200 GMT) to allow the 250 people there to vote.

He said that incorrect ballot papers had been delivered the day before. Aside from this polling stations, all others closed on Monday, some staying open late, he said.

Problems with late arrival of ballot papers and incomplete voter registration lists dogged the UN-organised local, regional and upper house polls in the region.

Voting had been due to end Sunday, as in the rest of Croatia, but had to be extended in the light of the chaos.

The vote will be a key step in returning Eastern Slavonia, captured by Serbs in bitter fighting in 1991, to Croatian control.

Coffman said that UN was pleased at the way the vote had gone.

"We were pleased with the extremely high turnout and the conditions of calm, quiet and security which prevailed throughout the two days of voting," he said, speaking by telephone from Vukovar, the main town of the region.

"We are glad that we believe that everyone who became eligible to vote was able to vote," he said.

Coffman said that he hoped counting would be finished by Wednesday, but said the vote would not be certified until later in the week.

April 15 , 1997

Tuesday

Sunday

10 a.m.

the day before

Monday

Sunday

the two days

Wednesday

the week


XIN_ENG_20061118.0038

CAIRO, Nov. 18 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Xinhua Middle East news advisory -- Nov. 18

The following are some of major Mideast news stories due to be covered or pursued by Xinhua News Agency on Saturday.

-- Monitoring development in negotiations between Fatah and Hamas on the formation of a national unity government in Palestine.

-- Foreign Ministers from countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) hold an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to probe the fallout of Israeli offensive in Beit Hanoun.

-- Monitoring the restive situation in Iraq as roadside bombs, group kidnappings and sectarian violence continue.

-- Keep watching Iran's nuclear file as a top Iranian official indicated that Tehran would respond decisively to any act of aggression by the United States or Israel.

Nov. 18 , 2006

Saturday


AFP_ENG_20061221.0593

LIVERPOOL, England, Dec 22 , 2006, 2006

by Neil Johnston

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has played down suggestions by his captain Steven Gerrard that the club can still pip Manchester United and Chelsea to the title.

Benitez's side host bottom club Watford at Anfield on Saturday seeking to cement their position in the top three by securing a fourth successive league win.

After a slow start to the season, the Merseyside club enter the busy Christmas period on the back of their best domestic form of the campaign prompting England midfielder Gerrard to suggest that the title is still possible despite trailing leaders United by 13 points.

Benitez has masterminded Champions League and FA Cup triumphs since he arrived at Anfield in 2004. But he has endured too many setbacks in the league to get carried and is taking a more cautious approach as he prepares to celebrate his third Christmas in England.

"If Steven was talking about this then it means he has confidence and he is positive," said Benitez.

"But as an experienced manager it is better to talk about one game at a time and think about the next three points.

"We have four games in the space of a few days over Christmas and we will see after these four games where we are in the table. But I am not thinking about the title race. I'm not looking at the table every week, I promise you."

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six league outings since last month's tame 3-0 surrender at Arsenal which appeared to have killed off their hopes of catching the top two.

But Benitez insisted that he never doubted his players when the critics wrote them off, and has saluted his team for the way they have responded in recent weeks.

"We still had confidence when everyone was talking about us being in mid-table and struggling," added Benitez.

"We said to the players 'listen, we will move closer to the top if we carry on doing the same things'.

"One of the best things about my players is that they are really good workers. They train really well and as a manager you know that when your team trains hard, they will be near the top of the table because they have enough quality."

Watford arrive at Anfield six points adrift of safety at the foot of the table and still seeking a first league win of the season.

Manager Adrian Boothroyd has been optimistic about his side's survival chances throughout the season, but has admitted for the first time that his players are in a relegation battle.

"I set our sights high, but I know we are in a relegation battle," said the 35-year-old handler.

"We need to add new players in January, but I am convinced we can go on a little run.

"But even so, I am not a realist - I refuse to be. When you believe in conventional wisdom, you have a problem.

"We are bottom of the league, and we need to fight for everything we can. I know what we have to do, and I believe we will do it."

Dec 22 , 2006

Saturday

Christmas

Christmas

every week

last month

recent weeks

the season

January


XIN_ENG_20061123.0036

WARSAW, Nov. 23 , 2006 (Xinhua)

All trapped miners killed in Poland's mine explosion

All 23 miners trapped in a mine explosion in southern Poland were confirmed dead, the official PAP news agency reported on Thursday.

The confirmation came after the last body of the trapped miners was recovered by rescue teams, the report said.

Nov. 23 , 2006

Thursday


XIN_ENG_20061115.0349

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 , 2006 (Xinhua)

U.S. commander says troops in Iraq should not be reduced

The top U.S. commander for the Middle East said Wednesday that American troops in Iraq should not be reduced, and that he would not recommend troop withdrawals.

"Under current circumstances, I would not recommend troop withdrawals," General John Abizaid, commander of the Central Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Specific timetables "limit that flexibility," he said.

Abizaid also said he did not see the need to increase the number of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. "I do not believe that more American troops right now is the solution to the problem," he said.

The United States has about 141,000 troops in Iraq at present.

Abizaid said levels of sectarian violence in Iraq were still dangerously high, but he was "optimistic" that American forces could stabilize Iraq.

Asked by lawmakers how long it would take to quell the ongoing sectarian violence in Iraq, Abizaid said the U.S. military and Iraqi forces had four to six months to get the levels of sectarian violence down before it tipped into civil war.

The key to stabilize Iraq was "effective, loyal, non-sectarian Iraqi security forces coupled with an effective government of national unity," he said.

Abizaid said American commanders believed that Iraqi security forces could take control of security responsibilities faster if the U.S. military beefed up training teams embedded with the Iraqis, speeded up the delivery of equipment, and helped Iraqi authorities to root out militias.

Abizaid's testimony before the Senate committee came after last week's congressional elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress largely due to American voters' dissatisfaction with the situation in Iraq.

President George W. Bush has faced enormous pressure for a major change in his Iraq policy.

Bush formally launched a sweeping internal review of the Iraq policy on Tuesday, pulling together studies underway by various government agencies, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The initiative paralleled the effort by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which had conducted interviews with the president, his foreign policy team, military leaders and Democrats, and was expected to make recommendations on the government's Iraq policy next month.

Nov. 15 , 2006

Wednesday

six months

last week

Tuesday

Wednesday

next month


XIN_ENG_20061107.0256

BEIJING, Nov. 7 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Economic Leaders' Meeting

Chinese President Hu Jintao will pay successive state visits to Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan from Nov. 15 to 26, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu announced here Tuesday.

While in Vietnam, Hu will also attend the 14th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held in Hanoi from Nov. 17 to 19, Jiang said.

Hu is to pay the state visits as guest of Vietnamese Communist Party leader Nong Duc Manh and its State President Nguyen Minh Triet, Lao President Choummaly Sayasone, Indian President Abdul Kalam and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Vietnam, Laos, India and Pakistan are good neighbors of China and the bilateral ties between China and the four countries kept good momentum, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said here Tuesday.

The upcoming visits will be of great significance and exert far-reaching influences on pushing ahead relations between China and the four nations, Cui said at a news conference on Hu's visits.

Hu's four-nation Asian tour will first take him to Vietnam. Cui said the two leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on relations between two countries and parties from strategic perspective and overall concern.

Through this visit, Cui said, China hopes to deepen traditional friendship, increase political mutual trust, expand mutually-beneficial cooperation and layout future development trend of bilateral relations.

The year of 2006 marks the 45th anniversary since China and Laos forged diplomatic ties. As second leg of his visit, Hu will visit Laos from Nov. 19 to 20, after conclusion of the APEC meeting.

Cui said the visit will beef up the bilateral relations, friendship and cooperation.

Hu will visit India from Nov. 20 to 23, which will be the first visit by top Chinese leaders in ten years.

The visit will demonstrate to the world that the common development of China and India will make positive contributions to peace, stability and development of the world, Cui said.

The last leg of Hu's visit will take him to Pakistan from Nov. 23 to 26, which is also will be the first visit by top Chinese leaders to this South Asian country in ten years.

China hopes to promote political relations with Pakistan and expand bilateral cooperation in various fields through this visit, Cui said.

He believed that the visit will become a milestone in consolidating the China-Pakistan traditional friendly relations of cooperation.

Nov. 7 , 2006

Nov. 15

Tuesday

Nov. 17

Tuesday

Nov. 19

Nov. 20

ten years

Nov. 23

ten years


XIN_ENG_20051107.0312

CANBERRA, Nov. 8 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Australian police arrest 17 terror suspects

Seventeen people have been arrested in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest and second largest cities, as a result of a counter-terrorism operation.

The joint operation involved the Australian Federal Police (AFP) ,Australian Security Intelligence Organization and police from the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, and the NSW Crime Commission.

"The men have been charged with a range of offenses including sections of Commonwealth legislation that have not been previously used, relating to being a member of a terrorist group, conspiring to commit a terrorist act and directing a terrorist organization," said the AFP in a statement Tuesday.

While executing 22 search warrants across Sydney and Melbourne Tuesday morning, police officers also seized a range of material including unidentified substances, firearms, travel documents, computers and backpacks.

"By working collaboratively Australia's law enforcement and intelligence agencies have managed to disrupt the alleged activities of this group and therefore protect the Australian community from a potential terrorist threat," AFP Deputy Commissioner John Lawler said.

All have been charged under the Criminal Code Act 1995. The charges include Acts in Preparation of a Terrorist Act, being a member of a Terrorist Group, Conspiracy to Commit a Terrorist Act and one man has been charged with Directing a Terrorist Organization.

"Today's arrests follow a lengthy operation where law enforcement and intelligence agencies have been monitoring and investigating the activities of a group allegedly intent on carrying out what we assess as some sort of terrorist act in Australia," said NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney.

"It will be alleged in court that following months of discussion individuals had moved to the point of planning some sort of activity including the purchase of potentially dangerous materials," he said.

Those charged are expected to appear in Sydney and Melbourne courts later on Tuesday.

Nov. 8 , 2005

Tuesday

Tuesday morning

Act 1995

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20061225.0135

LONDON, Dec 25 , 2006, 2006

by Phil Hazlewood

The leader of the world's Anglicans on Monday urged the international community not to ignore the problems in the Middle East amid continued stalemate in the peace process and intra-Palestinian violence.

In his Christmas Day sermon, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams spoke of his recent visit to the region with other senior British Christian leaders and likened the troubles there to those facing all humankind.

He said it was "chilling" that neither Palestinians nor Israelis were hopeful of an imminent political settlement, despite a meeting this week of Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

But he said the world should put politics to one side in determining who deserved support, saying both sides were impoverished in different ways.

For Israel, that meant the continuing legacy Jewish people's troubled history as persecuted "largely unwelcome guests among other nations" and the effects of the severe economic crisis gripping the Palestinian territories.

"As soon as we try to sort out which we give the advantage to we shall be deciding to some extent who we're against; and that will undoubtedly create another round of poverty and anger and bitterness...

"Both deserve the best. And the best we can give them in such circumstances is at least the assurance of friendship.

"Go and see, go and listen; let them know, Israelis and Palestinians alike, that they will be heard and not forgotten," he told the congregation at Canterbury Cathedral in southeast England.

Williams, the Church of England's most senior cleric, said both communities dreaded the prospect of the world turning its back on them, likening the problems there to those closer to home.

"The tragedies of the Holy Land are not the problems of exotic barbarians far away. They are signs of the underlying tragedies that cripple all human life, individual and collective," he said.

"Every wall we build to defend ourselves and keep out what may destroy us is also a wall that keeps us in and that will change us in ways we did not choose or want.

"Every human solution to fears and threats generates a new set of fears and threats."

Williams said whether it was Israel's controversial security barrier in the West Bank, Britain's planned renewal of its Trident missile nuclear deterrent system or tactics to protect oneself against harm, defences were destructive.

"Defences do something terrible to us as well as to our real and imagined enemies," he said.

Williams's sermon comes after a visit to the West Bank town of Bethlehem -- a place of pilgrimage for Christians because of its significance as the birthplace of Jesus -- to see at firsthand the lives of ordinary Palestinians.

During the trip, he described the Israeli-built security barrier that surrounds the town as symbolising what was "deeply wrong in the human heart".

On Saturday, he launched a strongly worded attack in The Times newspaper against Britain and its allies' "short-sighted" and "ignorant" policy in Iraq, which he said was putting Christians in the Middle East at risk.

He warned that Christians could be chased out of the region because they were now being viewed by their countrymen as "supporters of the crusading West".

His comments were backed by the Muslim Council of Britain umbrella group but the British government said it was not its policies, but "intolerant extremism" of those bent on causing pain, suffering and chaos which was to blame.

Dec 25 , 2006

Monday

Christmas

this week

Saturday

Times

now


AFP_ENG_20061230.0244

ROME, Dec 30 , 2006, 2006

Venice's 'vaporetti' water buses to hike fares in February

The cost of a single ride on a "vaporetto" -- the water bus that is Venice's main form of public transport -- will rise 20 percent to six euros (eight dollars) on February 1, the ANSA news agency reported Saturday.

An all-day ticket will cost 15 euros, and the three-day fare will rise to 30 euros, the agency said, quoting a statement from the Venice transport authority.

The hikes will not affect card-bearing Venice residents, it noted.

Fare increases are also in store for travellers on Italy's train network Trenitalia.

From Monday, fares will be up an average of nine percent on inter-city and high-speed routes, the company said.

The increases are Trenitalia's first in five years.

Dec 30 , 2006

February 1

Saturday

Monday

five years


AFP_ENG_20051221.0109

FRANKFURT, Dec 21 , 2005

German court orders new Mannesmann case

The German Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a new trial over huge bonuses paid to executives in the takeover of telecoms giant Mannesmann, reversing acquittals by a lower court against six accused including the head of Deutsche Bank, Josef Ackermann.

The case concerns allegations that the accused received big payments in exchange for giving their approval for the acquisition of Mannesmann by British telephone operator Vodafone in 2000.

A lower court had decided that the payments, although against Mannesmann's interests and therefore inadmissable under German stock law, did not amount to criminal abuse of confidence.

The case was seen as raising controversial issues of corporate governance and commission payments for performance.

A re-trial is considered by many observers to put the future of Ackermann at the head of Deutsche Bank in question.

As head of the bank, he counts as the most powerful private banker in Germany, but during the first trial he had to attend court twice a week for six months.

Dec 21 , 2005

Wednesday

week

six months


AFP_ENG_20061216.0046

NARITA, Japan, Dec 16 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS quotes on "hostile policy", sanctions ///

US chief negotiator Christopher Hill said Saturday he will meet with his North Korean counterpart in Beijing ahead of the opening of next week's six-way nuclear disarmament talks.

Hill, arriving in Japan for an overnight stop, said he will meet with North Korean envoy Kim Kye-Gwan in Beijing on Sunday.

"I believe I will be meeting with Kim Kye-Gwan bilaterally tomorrow," Hill told reporters at Narita International Airport near Tokyo.

"I look forward to seeing him tomorrow and exchanging views with him," he said.

Kim, speaking earlier Saturday, warned he was not optimistic about the six-way talks due to the "hostile" US stance.

Hill responded that the US was opposed to North Korea's nuclear program, not the regime itself.

"I have made very clear that the United States has hostile policies to the DPRK's nuclear policy," he said, using the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"I'm not going to negotiate with Mr. Kim through the media," he added, saying the two would have "ample opportunity" to talk in Beijing.

The negotiations -- which include the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia, the United States -- are resuming after a 13-month hiatus during which North Korea tested an atom bomb.

The US has repeatedly met with North Korea on the sidelines of the talks but has refused to hold full-fledged bilateral talks outside the framework of six-way talks.

North Korea walked away from the six-way talks in November 2005, demanding that the US lift financial sanctions on a Macau-based bank accused of laundering and counterfeiting money on behalf of the impoverished regime.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution slapping new sanctions on North Korea after its October 9 nuclear test.

Asked if Washington was ready to lift sanctions, Hill said: "I think Mr. Kim knows well what the status of the UN sanctions are and he knows very well what the resolution is."

"I think he also knows very well that what we are trying to achieve is the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," Hill said.

Dec 16 , 2006

Saturday

next week

Sunday

tomorrow

tomorrow

Saturday

November 2005

October 9


XIN_ENG_20061110.0060

KABUL, Nov. 10 , 2006 (Xinhua)

by Yu Zhixiao, Zhang Haibo

The Afghan government is taking various tough measures including the sacking of governors, possible ground chemical spraying, to prevent the rocketing poppy cultivation in this country, a senior Afghan officer said Friday.

"If governors and district chiefs are not able to reduce poppy cultivation, at least they will lose their jobs," Said Mohammad Azam, director of Public Relation and Public Information of Afghan Counter Narcotics Ministry, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

District and police chiefs of Daryam in the northeastern Badakhshan province had been sacked for incapability in fighting drug, he added.

Azam said an eight-member anti-narcotics committee, grouping district and police chiefs, has been established in 108 districts of 11 provinces where poppy cultivation is rife.

The committee would supervise poppy crops closely and find ways to reduce it, he added.

In 2006, poppy cultivation in Afghanistan reached a record 165, 000 hectares, up 59 percent from last year, according to a report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime issued in September.

Opium production reached 6,100 tons, witnessing a 49 percent rise over 2005 and accounting for 92 percent of the world's total supply, the report said.

The Afghan government has been severely criticized by the international community, especially Western countries for its failure to curb the booming opium industry.

Azam said "Ground chemical spraying would be the last option if all other options do not work. But no decision of using chemical spraying has been made."

It is the first time that the Afghan government accepted that chemical spraying could be considered to curb poppy cultivation.

But Azam said aerial spraying is out of the choice, as it would do great harm to water resources, cattle, human being, etc.

The number of 6,100 tons of opium is "not acceptable and not tolerable," and it "brings a bad name for the country," said Azam, adding Afghanistan is pushing the national anti-drug campaign led by President Hamid Karzai.

However, analysts say it is a daunting task to curb opium production in Afghanistan as insecurity, official corruption and poverty there are providing fertile soil for the industry.

Moreover, as Azam said the government would not provide job opportunities, crop seeds, and other compensation for those who are forced or persuaded out of planting poppy, it is extraordinarily difficult for farmers to abandon the industry, which many tightly tie their lives to.

Nov. 10 , 2006

Friday

last year

September


XIN_ENG_20051115.0127

HONG KONG, Nov. 15 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Hong Kong share prices close almost flat -- Nov. 15

Hong Kong shares ended almost flat Tuesday with Hang Seng Index falling 2.08 points, or 0.01 percent, to 14,627.41 after trading between 14,518.75 and 14,671. 02 during the session.

Turnover totaled 16.11 billion HK dollars, down from 17.1 billion HK dollars Monday.

Property shares fell. Sun Hung Kai Properties slipped 0.5 percent to 72.3 HK dollars while Henderson Land Development lost 0. 4 percent to 34.75 HK dollars.

Mid-tier developer New World Development fell 0.5 percent to 9.45 HK dollars and Sino Land dropped 2.4 percent to 8.25 HK dollars. The Hang Seng Properties sub-index shed 0.4 percent to 17,265.36.

HSBC Holdings also weighed on the benchmark share index, ending down 0.1 percent at 124.4 HK dollars.

The declines of HSBC and property stocks offset the slim gains of other index heavyweights.

Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa, two blue chips owned by tycoon Li Ka-shing, rebounded slightly from recent falls.

Hutchison shares rose 0.3 percent to 73.25 HK dollars, while Cheung Kong edged up 0.1 percent to 78.35 HK dollars.

Nov. 15 , 2005

Tuesday

Monday


XIN_ENG_20051124.0255

OTTAWA, Nov. 24 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Canadians one step closer to winter election

Canadians are one step closer to a rare winter election as the opposition Conservatives tabled a motion of non-confidence on Thursday in the parliament, setting the stage for toppling the Liberal minority government led by Prime Minister Paul Martin.

Stephen Harper, Leader of the Conservative Party, spoke widely about the sponsorship scandal and corruption of the Liberal governments in his address to the House when introducing the motion.

"The Liberal culture of entitlement goes on. The public must be given a chance to put it to an end,'' he said.

Harper said the Liberal party has had no moral authority to govern since April when testimony at the inquiry into the sponsorship program alleged kickbacks.

It would be impossible to bring down the government without the support of the New Democratic Party (NDP) which withdrew its support for the Liberals early this month, he said.

The NDP chose to back the Conservatives and the Bloc Quebecois following failed talks with the Liberals over health care following the initial investigation report on the sponsorship scandal confirmed former Liberal government was responsible for the scandal.

The three opposition parties hold the majority of the 308 seats in the House. If the motion passes, Prime Minister Paul Martin is widely expected to ask Governor General Michaelle Jean to dissolve Parliament on Tuesday, leading to an election on Jan. 16 or Jan. 23.

In response to Harper's motion, Liberal House Leader Tony Valeri cited eight straight balanced federal budgets, the lowest unemployment in 30 years and the lowest interest rates in a generation.

"The opposition calls it arrogance. Canadians call it achievement," Valeri said. "We will work to make the best country in the world even better."

Thursday's non-confidence motion is being tabled on the same day as the start of a two-day historic first ministers' meeting including aboriginal groups.

The Martin government are expected to announce a commitment of 4 billion Canadian dollars (about 3.2 billion US dollars) in Federal cash for aboriginal housing, education and health, at the conclusion of the summit in Kelowna, British Columbia on Friday.

On Wednesday, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein predicted Canada would be left with another minority Liberal government if the opposition forces an election in the new year.

Speaking in Halifax on Wednesday as part of a cross-Canada speaking tour, Klein said he saw no many changes in the political landscape after an expected federal election in January.

The outspoken Conservative premier said it was unlikely the federal Conservatives will gain much ground because they would not be able to win enough support in vote-rich Ontario.

Nov. 24 , 2005

Thursday

April

this month

Tuesday

Jan. 16 or Jan. 23

30 years

Thursday

the same day

Friday

Wednesday

the new year

Wednesday

January


AFP_ENG_19970419.0342

NEW YORK, April 19 , 1997 (AFP)

US, S. Korea still hope for peace talks despite North's no-show (new series) by Carole Landry

The United States and South Korea failed to get a keenly awaited reply from North Korea on their joint proposal for peace talks, but hopes lingered that a response may still come, possibly on Monday.

The top US envoy to talks between North and South Korea returned to Washington Saturday after Pyongyang's emissaries twice failed to show up for meetings here -- scheduled Friday and Saturday -- to hear their reply.

Both times the North Koreans said they were awaiting instructions from Pyongyang.

Saturday US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charles Kartman left a few aides behind in New York to consult with the North Koreans on the possibility of a meeting on Monday, a US official said.

"We are working on trying to obtain a response from the North Koreans to our proposal, which we hope will be an acceptance of that proposal and that's what we are working towards," said the official, who asked not to be named.

North Korea's refusal to deliver its response confounded US and South Korean officials, who optimistically began the discussions Wednesday at North Korea's request.

The North Koreans called the meeting to give their answer to a year- old offer from the United States and South Korea to hold four-party negotiations on a peace treaty that would replace the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

Under the proposal offered by President Bill Clinton and South Korean President Kim Young-Sam, the two Koreas would be joined by the United States and China as intermediaries at the peace table.

China, the North's ideological ally and now an economic partner with South Korea, accepted the proposal in November.

After predicting "good results" from the talks on Wednesday, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan, who heads Pyongyang's delegation, refused to resume discussions.

North Korean spokesman Kim Myong Gil told AFP the delegation was awaiting final instructions from Pyongyang. Asked whether the message could arrive Sunday, he replied: "I think so."

Seoul's envoys, also hopeful that the meeting could be held Monday, decided to remain in New York city, a South Korean diplomat said.

South Korean officials did not hide their frustration with the North's unpredictable behavior, but they also appeared to keep a cool-headed approach to the turn of events.

"If they aren't prepared, we won't push," said one South Korean diplomat.

Communist North Korea and capitalist South Korea have been locked in a tense truce under the 1953 armistice agreement that divided the Korean peninsula.

At Wednesday's meeting, the delegation from Pyongyang repeatedly raised the food crisis in their country in an apparent bid to gain more pledges of assistance, according to US and South Korean diplomats.

But US and South Korean officials reiterated that there would be no further pledges of food aid until Pyongyang said yes to peace talks.

The United States last week announced an additional 15 million dollars in food aid to help North Korea avoid famine after 1995-96 flooding that devastated farmlands.

April 19 , 1997

Monday

Friday

Saturday

Monday

Wednesday

now

November

Wednesday

Monday

Wednesday

last week


AFP_ENG_19970401.0445

LOS ANGELES, California, April 1 , 1997 (AFP)

Food in Heaven's Gate mansion shows followers had a sweet tooth

Members of the Heaven's Gate cult who committed suicide apparently had a sweet tooth, if the contents of the kitchen of their Rancho Santa Fe mansion is any indication.

San Diego County officials searching the mansion outside San Diego the bodies of 39 men and women were discovered March 26 found candy, cookies and ice cream -- along with 5,400 dollars in cash.

"These weren't people who ate rocks," said county official Susan Jamme. "That was what impacted me: the normalcy."

Their refrigerator contained everything from frozen pizza to sodas, authorities said, along with food cult members had purchased in bulk. Stickers on the pantry shelves identified neatly organized boxes and cans of food.

Authorities found stickers with cult members' initials on clothes, shoes and vitamin containers. The members also kept a detailed schedule showing when sect members had to cut their hair. Male and female cult members all had the same cropped haircut.

"We considered ourselves as part of an astronaut training program in preparation to be given membership in a completely separate level of existence," former sect member Frank Lyford told the San Diego Union Tribune in a telephone interview from Canada.

Lyford quit the sect in 1993 after being a member for 18 years. He originally joined the group with friend Erika Ernst, who was among the cult members who committed suicide.

Authorities said they will eventually auction off the cult household items, including a gold ring found at the mansion.

April 1 , 1997

March 26

18 years


WSJ891030-0130
 = 891030
 891030-0130.
 Crane Co. Holds 8.9%
@  Of Milton Roy Corp.,
@  May Seek Control
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 CR MRC
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)
 NEW YORK

   Crane Co. said it holds an 8.9% stake in Milton Roy Corp., an analytical-instruments maker, and may seek control of the company.

   Crane, a maker of engineered products for aerospace, construction, defense and other uses, made the disclosure in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

   In the filing, Crane said that in the past it considered seeking control of Milton Roy, of St. Petersburg, Fla., through a merger or tender offer and that it expects to continue to evaluate an acquisition from time to time.
Crane officials did n't return phone calls seeking comment.

   Crane holds 504,200 Milton Roy shares, including 254,200 bought from Sept. 14 to Thursday for $15.50 to $16.75 each.
In New York Stock Exchange composite trading Friday, Milton Roy shares leaped $2, to $18.375 each, while Crane sank $1.125, to $21.125 a share.

   John M. McNamara, chief financial officer of Milton Roy, said the company has no comment on Crane's filing.

   Milton Roy recently fended off unsolicited overtures from Thermo Electron Corp., a Waltham, Mass., maker of biomedical products.
Milton Roy disclosed in May that it was approached for a possible acquisition by Thermo Electron, which agreed to purchase Milton Roy's liquid-chromatography line for $22 million in February.
Thermo Electron acquired some 6% of Milton Roy's common stock before throwing in the towel and reducing its stake in early September.

   Gabelli Group began raising its Milton Roy stake in July, and holds 14.6%, according to a recent SEC filing.
It has n't made merger overtures to the board.

   Earlier this month, Milton Roy signed a letter of intent to acquire Automated Custom Systems Inc., Orange, Calif., and its sister operation, Environmental Testing Co., in Aurora, Colo.

The companies are automotive-emissions-testing concerns.

   Under the terms, Milton Roy will pay an initial $4 million for the operations and additional payments during the next four years based on the earnings performance of the businesses.

   In the nine months, Milton Roy earned $6.6 million, or $1.18 a share, on sales of $94.3 million.

the past

from time to time

Sept. 14

Thursday

Friday

recently

May

February

early September

July

recent

Earlier this month

the next four years

the nine months


XIN_ENG_20051125.0055

TOKYO, Nov. 25 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Dollar rises to lower 119 yen level in Tokyo

The US dollar rose to the lower 119 yen level Friday in Tokyo as the yen faced selling after Japan's tame inflation data dimmed prospects that the Bank of Japan would abandon its ultra-loose monetary policy in the near future.

At 5 p.m., the dollar was quoted at 119.26-28 yen, up from Thursday's quotes of 118.75-85 yen at 4 p.m. in London and 118.76- 79 yen at 5 p.m. in Tokyo. US financial markets were closed Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

The dollar moved between 118.90 yen and 119.32 yen during the day, trading most frequently at 119.27 yen.

The euro was quoted at 1.1752-1754 dollars and 140.16-20 yen against 1.1780-1790 dollars and 140.05-10 yen at 4 p.m. Thursday in London and 1.1812-1815 dollars and 140.31-35 yen at 5 p.m. Thursday in Tokyo.

Nov. 25 , 2005

Friday

the near future

Thursday

Thursday

the day

4 p.m.

Thursday

5 p.m.

Thursday


XIN_ENG_20061109.0212

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 , 2006 (Xinhua)

U.S. trade deficit down in September

The U.S. trade deficit declined by 6.8 percent to 64.3 billion U.S. dollars in September, a Commerce Department report said on Thursday.

The drop of 4.7 billion dollars in September, down from a revised record estimate of 69 billion dollars in August, was the biggest one-month decline since February 2001.

The report said the sharp drop was due to the fact that oil import prices fell for the first time in five months and U.S. exports edged higher to a new record.

In September, the goods and services deficit was down 0.7 billion dollars from September 2005. Exports were up 16.8 billion, or 15.8 percent, to a record estimate of 123.2 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, U.S. imports in September were up 16.2 billion dollars, or 9.4 percent, to 187.5 billion dollars.

Nov. 9 , 2006

September

Thursday

September

August

February 2001

five months

September

September 2005

September


AFP_ENG_19970403.0059

TOKYO, April 3 , 1997 (AFP)

Sex assault fuels new controversy over US bases in Japan by Miwa Suzuki

The Japanese cabinet on Thursday approved measures to force Okinawa landowners to renew US base leases as a new sex attack blamed on a US Navy officer threatened to cause a fresh controversy over the US military presence in Japan.

The cabinet approved a bill to revise a special law so US military forces can continue using land on the southern island of Okinawa despite the angry refusal of landowners to renew leases.

The bill was sent to parliament with debate expected to start Friday, parliament officials said. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto hoped to enact the bill on April 18 before he leaves for the United States on April 24 for key talks, Jiji press said.

Hashimoto said he would not ask US President Bill Clinton to reduce the number of troops in Japan at their summit on April 25.

"It is not a time for discussing a reduction in US troops," he told a parliament committee.

Okinawa Governor Masahide Ota issued a statement saying the cabinet decision was "very regrettable," while a landlords' group denounced the government move as "an outrageous, fascist act."

A new controversy over the US military presence was expected after a US Navy petty officer was taken into custody by US military authorities Wednesday accused of sexually assaulting a Japanese woman.

Anti-US sentiment was heightened in Okinawa after the rape of a local schoolgirl by three US servicemen in September 1995.

The latest assault allegedly took place at a navy enlisted quarters in Yokosuka, near Tokyo. It also came just ahead of a visit to Japan by US Defense Secretary William Cohen.

Japanese police are leading the investigation. After the 1995 rape, an accord on US personnel in Japan was revised to enable Japanese authorities to question accused US military even before they are formally charged.

The law change would allow the US military to continue running 12 Okinawa facilities on land owned by some 3,000 people who have refused to renew leases which expire on May 14.

The bill stipulates the government can continue using land for the US military by providing compensation to landlords, even if it fails to gain approval for new leases.

Around 27,000 of the 47,000 US troops in Japan are in Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6 percent of Japan's land area, but accommodates three-quarters of US military facilities in the country.

The move to revise the 1952 land expropriation law has been strongly opposed by Okinawans and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) which has generally allied itself to Hashimoto's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in parliament.

But calls to reduce the number of troops in the island have been rejected by the United States because of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

The base issue has also shaken the ruling alliance in which the LDP has teamed up with the SDP and centrist New party Sakigake against the main opposition New Frontier Party (NFP).

The SDP is under growing pressure over the bases. The Sankei Shimbun quoted a senior LDP official as saying the socialists were "too selfish" in seeking a continued alliance with the LDP while opposing the law revision.

SDP chairman Takako Doi voiced opposition to the revision bill.

"The bill is far from a minimum measure ... It would enpower the government to do whatever it wants, and I am opposed to it," Jiji quoted Doi as telling reporters.

NFP leader Ichiro Ozawa is reportedly ready to cooperate with Hashimoto.

The two failed to reach an accord on the law revision at meeting which went into the early hours of Thursday, but Hashimoto told reporters after that the two had "a common view in many points."

An NFP official said Ozawa was to meet Hashimoto again on Thursday or later.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said Ozawa's contact with Hashimoto had made a future conservative alliance between his party and the LDP look "more realistic."

The LDP and NFP have a combined 385 votes in the 500-seat lower house.

April 3 , 1997

Thursday

Friday

April 18

April 24

April 25

Wednesday

September 1995

May 14

Thursday

Thursday


AFP_ENG_19970428.0427

NICOSIA, April 28 , 1997 (AFP)

Iraq says deals with foreign oil firms in final stages: report

Iraq says it is close to agreement on upstream oil deals and their implementation with several foreign companies, thanks in part to a more favorable international atmosphere, an economic review published here reported Monday.

Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Rashid said his country has reached an understanding with interested oil companies on the plan for implementing the contracts, given the international sanctions against Iraq, the Middle East Economic Survey (MEES) reported.

The United Nations imposed sanctions on Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in 1990. The sanctions are to be lifted after verification that Iraq has destroyed its weapons of mass destruction.

The international political atmosphere is more positive toward Iraq and continues to change gradually in Baghdad's favor, Rashid told MEES by telephone from Rome.

The minister was in the Italian capital for talks with the Italian energy group ENI and its subsidiary Agip and said they are close to signing a 23-year agreement on the development of the Nasiriyah oil field in southern Iraq.

The field has a production capacity of about 300,000 barrels a day, and Agip would invest two billion dollars to develop it.

Rashid also held talks with senior political officials in Italy, where the Senate voted last week in favor of a gradual lifting of UN sanctions against Iraq.

April 28 , 1997

Monday

last week


WSJ891101-0051
 = 891101
 891101-0051.
 Business Brief -- Murphy Oil Corp.:
@  Ocean Drilling Unit to Sell
@  Contract-Drilling Operation
 11/01/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 ODR MUR
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)
EARNINGS (ERN)

   Ocean Drilling amp Exploration Co. will sell its contract-drilling business, and took a $50.9 million loss from discontinued operations in the third quarter because of the planned sale.

   The New Orleans oil and gas exploration and diving operations company added that it does n't expect any further adverse financial impact from the restructuring.

   In the third quarter, the company, which is 61%-owned by Murphy Oil Corp. of Arkansas, had a net loss of $46.9 million, or 91 cents a share, compared with a restated loss of $9 million, or 18 cents a share, a year ago.
The latest period had profit from continuing operations of $4 million.
Revenue gained 13% to $77.3 million from $68.5 million.

   Ocean Drilling said it will offer 15% to 20% of the contract-drilling business through an initial public offering in the near future.
It has long been rumored that Ocean Drilling would sell the unit to concentrate on its core oil and gas business.

   Ocean Drilling said it wo n't hold any shares of the new company after the restructuring.

the third quarter

the third quarter

a year ago

The latest period

the near future


XIN_ENG_20061113.0286

NICOSIA, Nov. 13 , 2006 (Xinhua)

initiative on Ankara-Nicosia ties

Cyprus here Monday denied any responsibility for a possible failure to Finland's initiative on Ankara-Nicosia ties in order to avert any possible derailment of Turkey's EU accession course.

Cyprus government spokesman Christodoulos Pashiardis told the press that the failure will be an unpleasant development which the Republic of Cyprus would not be responsible for in the least and the responsibility cannot be allocated to all involved to provide a sense of balance.

Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, has been working on a draft proposal, providing for opening of Turkish occupied port of Famagusta (Varosha) under the EU administration for 24 months in combination with the opening of Turkish ports to ships carrying the Cypriot flag and the transfer of Famagusta to the UN.

For the purpose, The EU presidency had prepared the ground for a possible meeting in Helsinki between Cyprus and Turkey before cancelling the consultations on Nov. 2, following Ankara's refusal to meet its EU obligations and Cyprus' position that Turkey must do exactly that before EU accession negotiations are allowed to move further on.

But Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, meanwhile, promised that "efforts to find a solution that will enable the uninterrupted continuation of Turkey's accession negotiations and improve the situation of both communities in Cyprus will continue. "

Pashiardis said that "we don't know at the moment of any change of the presidency's original ideas. However, it is aware of our firm position on Varosha, which is a precondition for the successful outcome of the Finnish presidency initiative."

"Our side is demanding something which is logical and rejects the irrational. The Turkish side is demanding irrational things and rejects the logical," he added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey militarily intervened and occupied the north of Cyprus following a coup by a group of Greek officers.

Turkey, a country aspiring to become an EU member state, does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and has failed so far to implement the EU-Turkey Customs Union Protocol, which provides for opening of its ports and airports to Cyprus.

The EU formally launched talks with Turkey over the country's accession last October. The negotiations are expected to last at least a decade and Ankara is required to meet a number of criteria spelled out by the EU before entry.

The Republic of Cyprus, which entered the EU on behalf of the whole island in May 2004, is able to block Turkey's entry talks with its veto.

Nov. 13 , 2006

Monday

24 months

Nov. 2

last October

May 2004


AFP_ENG_20061218.0115

FRANKFURT, Dec 18 , 2006, 2006

Lower Saxony seeks allies in battle with Porsche for VW: report

In the escalating battle for control of German auto giant Volkswagen, the regional state authorities of Lower Saxony are seeking support from other shareholders versus luxury sports car maker Porsche, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

Lower Saxony's regional premier Christian Wulff is to meet leading institutional investors early next year to gauge whether to fight Porsche's increasing influence over VW, the newspaper said, quoting shareholders.

Porsche has recently become VW's largest shareholder and is seeking three or four seats on the car maker's supervisory board, including the chairmanship, instead of two.

The meetings with investors are likely before a supervisory board meeting in February, the last sitting before board nominations are made at the group's annual meeting in April, FT said.

If Wulff secures key investor support, the simmering conflict between Lower Saxony, VW's second-biggest shareholder, and Porsche, could escalate further, the newspaper said.

Dec 18 , 2006

Monday

early next year

February

April


XIN_ENG_20061127.0268

BANGKOK, Nov. 27 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Tax cuts, investment promotion proposed for Thai southern provinces

The Thai government plans to reduce taxes on both personal income and corporate tax, as well as insurance fee for entrepreneurs in five southern provinces, the state-run news agency Monday announced.

Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula announced the future preferential policies for southern provinces after a Monday meeting entitled "A Special Economic Zone in Southern Thailand."

The main purpose of the meeting was to find out measures to materialize the government's plan to set up a special development zone in the country's five southern border provinces: Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Satun, the Thai News Agency said.

Pridiyathorn said that the government is considering reducing corporate tax from 30 percent to 25 percent. Tax incentives will also be extended to cover personal income. He will hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Kosit Panpiemras about the possibility for the Board of Investment under the supervision of the Industry Minister to come with other forms of incentive to promote more investment in the violence-plagued region.

Other incentives may include insurance fee reductions and permission for foreign laborers to work in some areas in the restive provinces.

Details of the plan will be submitted for Cabinet approval on Dec. 6.

The interim government expressed hope that the project will serve as a measure to help solve the problem of violence in this border region, the report said.

More than 1,700 people have been killed since the violence reemerged in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand in January 2004. Since being appointed as Prime Minister after the Sept. 19 coup, Gen. Surayud Chulanont has listed the violence in the south as one of his top priorities. He has been promoting reconciliation and apologized for the previous government's mistreatment to the people in the South.

Nov. 27 , 2006

Monday

Monday

Dec. 6

January 2004

Sept. 19


AFP_ENG_19970425.0055

HONG KONG, April 25 , 1997 (AFP)

US immigration official acquitted of forged passport charge

A former US diplomat was charged Friday with possession of forged instruments after being earlier acquitted of possessing forged passports.

Jerry Wolf Stuchiner, 45, a top immigration official at the US consulate in Honduras was immediately rearrested Friday by anti-graft officers after winning an appeal against his conviction and 40-month jail term for possessing forged passports.

He appeared in court under the new charge but no plea was taken and the case was adjourned until next Tuesday.

Stuchiner was remanded under the custody of the anti-graft body, the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

He was convicted last August of possessing five blank Honduran passports.

In his appeal, lodged last week, he admitted holding the passports but pleaded not guilty because they were blank.

Under Hong Kong immigration law, forged passports must carry a photograph for a crime to be committed.

In handing down the appeal court's decision, Judge Henry Litton said "it is quite clear" that the charge against the defendant was "unsustainable under the law."

Stuchiner's application for the court to pay legal costs was rejected.

Stuchiner was arrested at Hong Kong's Kai Tak airport on July 15 last year carrying the passports he allegedly planned to sell to allow people from China, Macau and Taiwan to get into the United States.

He was sentenced to three years and four months in jail on August 16 last year.

Stuchiner was head of the US immigration service in Honduras at the time of his arrest. Before that, he held a similar position at the US consulate in Hong Kong between 1989-1994.

Last month another US diplomat was suspended from work over a case of suspected visa fraud.

James DeBates, 45, acting officer-in-charge of the US Immigration and Naturalization Service in Hong Kong, and his wife, Heddy, a US citizen of Chinese origin, were detained for questioning by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in mid-March.

DeBates was suspended after being released without charge. He claimed diplomatic immunity and his wife was released on bail.

April 25 , 1997

Friday

Friday

next Tuesday

last August

last week

July 15 last year

August 16 last year

Last month


XIN_ENG_20061104.0112

BEIJING, Nov. 4 , 2006 (Xinhua)

African leaders

Chinese President Hu Jintao held here Saturday a welcoming banquet at the Great Hall of the People for the leaders and representatives of 48 African countries, who are here for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

The Summit, themed on "friendship, peace, cooperation and development", is regarded as the largest diplomatic event ever held between China and Africa.

At the opening ceremony on Saturday morning, Hu announced a package of measures covering assistance, investment, trade and social development for Africa in an effort to forge a new type of strategic partnership and strengthen cooperation in more areas and at a higher level.

Two documents -- a declaration and an action plan for 2007-2009 -- are expected to be adopted at the summit, due to conclude on Sunday.

Nov. 4 , 2006

Saturday

Saturday morning

Sunday.


AFP_ENG_20061230.0237

RIYADH, Dec 30 , 2006, 2006

URGENT  Saudi 'dismayed' by Saddam hanging on Eid

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that the hanging of Saddam Hussein on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival caused "surprise and dismay", the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Dec 30 , 2006

Saturday


XIN_ENG_20051107.0353

HANOI, Nov. 8 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Half of Vietnam's urban population face water shortage

Nearly half of Vietnam's urban population currently have no or little access to water supply, according to the Water Resources Management Department under the country's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Total capacity of water plants in urban areas can supply urban residents with nearly 150 liters per head a day, but they only receive around 50 liters, partly due to scarcity of water input and losses of water supply, the department said Tuesday.

The fact that waterfalls and river flow distribute unequally in Vietnam, and that two-thirds of the country's water flows in from outside its territory are major causes for droughts.

Water shortage in dry seasons is also a factor. The country has average annual rainfall of 1,690 millimeters, a high level in the world, but only 10-30 percent is in the dry season lasting 7-8 months, the department noted.

Water supply losses of 240 water plants with combined daily design capacity of more than 3.2 million cubic meters stood at 35 percent in late 2004, down from 40 percent in 2002. Over 75 percent of populations of major cities accessed running water at that time.

Vietnam has aimed to establish water supply systems in all cities and towns nationwide by 2010. The country has also planned to supply safe water to 85 percent of its rural population by that year.

As of early this year, Vietnam had a population of some 82.1 million, with 26 percent residing in urban areas.

Nov. 8 , 2005

Tuesday

late 2004

that year

early this year


XIN_ENG_20051116.0182

JERUSALEM, Nov. 16 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Abbas, Israeli FM hold talks in Tunis

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom met on the sidelines of a world information summit in the Tunisian capital Tunis on Wednesday, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported.

The newspaper quoted Israeli officials as saying that the two met by accident and held 30-minute-long talks.

Abbas said he was satisfied about a US-brokered agreement reached on Tuesday between the Palestinians and Israel to re-open the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border on Nov. 25, according to the report.

The Palestinian leader also voiced hope that the agreement, lauded by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as a "big step forward", can lead to renewed peace negotiations, it added.

Shalom, on his part, re-asserted Israel's displeasure over the participation of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Jan. 25 Palestinian parliamentary elections.

Hamas has vowed to destroy Israel and staged rocket and suicide attacks on Israel in the past.

The meeting between Abbas and Shalom, who are both in Tunis for a UN-sponsored three-day summit on information, was the highest- level contact between the two sides since a conference between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in June.

A recent upsurge of violence has prompted Israel to freeze high-level contacts with the Palestinians.

Shalom is the first Israeli foreign minister to visit the Arab country of Tunisia.

Israel has recently exerted more efforts to improve its relations with the Arab world fretted by the decades-long Israeli- Palestinian conflict.

Currently, only two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, have inked peace agreements with the Jewish state.

Nov. 16 , 2005

Wednesday

Tuesday

Nov. 25

Jan. 25

the past

June


XIN_ENG_20051129.0117

MEXICO CITY, Nov. 29 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Mexican soccer championship quarterfinal fixtures

Following ar ethe fixtures from the Mexican championship Quarterfinal first leg soccer matches on Tuesday:

Quarterfinal Apertura, first leg

Wednesday, November 30 (GMT)

Pachuca v Necaxa

UAG   v Monterrey

Quarterfinal Apertura, first leg

Thursday, December 1 (GMT)

Tigres  v America

Toluca  v Cruz Azul

Nov. 29 , 2005

Tuesday

Wednesday, November 30

Thursday, December 1


XIN_ENG_20061129.0222

DHAKA, Nov. 29 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Bangladesh to hold fair elections: president

Bangaldeshi President and Chief Advisor Professor Iajuddin Ahmed told a visiting UN special envoy here Wednesday that all steps are taken to hold free, fair, neutral and peaceful parliamentary elections, private news agency UNB reported.

Iajuddin urged the UN to send election observers to Bangladesh.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy, Craig Genness, arrived here Wednesday morning carrying his message for the caretaker government and the political leaders of Bangladesh that the world organization is concerned over the political situation stemming from electoral issues here.

He called on Ahmed in the afternoon in the first instance before talks with the political parties on both sides of the political division concerning the contentious electoral issues.

Listing to the measures taken to remove hurdles to the polls, Professor Ahmed told the envoy that the Chief Election Commissioner MA Aziz went on leave, two new Election Commissioners were appointed in view of some political parties' demand for creating congenial atmosphere for the elections while the EC announced the election schedule.

Besides, he said, contract jobs at different levels have been canceled and necessary reshuffles in the administration done for impartial elections.

The President pointed out that, as a constitutional body, the Election Commission has initiated all steps to hold free and fair elections. He assured the envoy of fair polls going to be held in the country, following such comprehensive groundwork.

"The party who will secure electoral mandate will form the next government," he told the UN emissary.

Reiterating country's commitment to the United Nations, the president said Bangladesh has been playing a lead role in various programs of the world body, including the UN peacekeeping mission.

He thanked the UN secretary general for extending cooperation in advancing democratic process in Bangladesh.

In response, the special envoy said the UN does not like to see any political violence in Bangladesh and noted that all problems can be resolved through the holding of peaceful elections.

"The United Nations is concerned at the violence on street," Genness was quoted by a President House spokesman as saying during the meeting with the President. He thanked the chief advisor for taking the initiatives for holding free and fair polls.

The envoy requested the chief advisor to take steps for establishment of peace in the country.

Genness informed the president that he would convey the UN Secretary General's concern about "political violence" during his meetings with the leaders of major political parties.

Both the President and the envoy observed with unanimity of views that all parties should come forward, realizing the reality, for maintaining peace and advancing democracy in the country.

Since the former ruling BNP-led 4-party alliance government led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia ended its tenure on Oct. 27, the former main opposition Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine had staged three rounds of countrywide blockade demanding reconstitution of Election Commission paving way for fair elections due in January next.

Awami League announced Monday if their demands are not met, they will stage another round of blockade from Sunday.

During the blockades, there were dozens of people killed and thousands wounded in clashes between supporters of BNP and AL. The country's economy suffered a great loss.

According to the Constitution, a neutral caretaker government supervises the country's elections within 90 days since 1996.

Nov. 29 , 2006

Wednesday

Wednesday morning

the afternoon

Oct. 27

January

Monday

Sunday

90 days


AFP_ENG_20051214.0639

TOKYO, Dec 15 , 2005

Japanese shares open lower

Japanese share prices opened lower Thursday, with the benchmark Nikkei-225 index down 88.31 points, or 0.57 percent, to 15,376.27 in the first minutes of trading.

Dec 15 , 2005

Thursday


AFP_ENG_20051221.0110

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, Dec 21 , 2005

= (PICTURES) =

A reshuffled Pakistan team restricted a struggling England to 206-9 in the fifth and final day-night limited overs international at Pindi cricket stadium here on Wednesday.

Vikram Solanki top-scored with 49 while Andrew Flintoff (39) and Paul Collingwood (33) were other notable contributors after England won the toss and decided to bat on a slow pitch which assisted spin.

England have already lost the five-match series 3-1 and were playing for pride and for an opportunity to improve their international one-day rankings.

Marcus Trescothick, leading England in the absence of the injured Michael Vaughan, continued his run of poor form. He played on to debutant Mohammad Asif in the second over after scoring just one.

Asif, who turned 23 on Tuesday and was one of three changes Pakistan made to rest their players, then accounted for Matthew Prior (nine) in his third over as the batsman flicked straight into the hands of square-leg.

England had crawled to 52 by the 18th over as their batsmen found the going tough against some tight Pakistan bowling, especially by the spinners.

Off-spinner Arshad Khan deceived Andrew Strauss in the air and had him stumped by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal for 26, leaving England struggling on 52-3.

Solanki steadied the faltering innings with a 65-run fourth wicket stand with Flintoff, before he miscued a drive off leg-spinner Shahid Afridi and was caught in the covers. He hit six boundaries during his 86-ball knock.

Naved-ul-Hasan then claimed Flintoff and Ian Blackwell off successive deliveries before Geraint Jones (three) and Collingwood further added to the tourists' misery with sloppy run outs.

Flintoff, who played only as a batsman due to a sore ankle, hit three boundaries and a six in his 73-ball knock.

In a late-order charge Liam Plunkett hit three boundaries and a six in his 12-ball 24 to take England past 200.

Asif finished with 2-14 off seven overs before being surprisingly replaced by super-sub Danish Kaneria.

Pakistan rested their captain Inzamam-ul-Haq after he strained his groin during Pakistan's 13-run win in the fourth match here on Monday.

Younis Khan, who led Pakistan to victory against the West Indies in his only one-day match as captain early this year, took over the captaincy. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami (both rested) made way for Asif and Yasir Hameed.

England were forced to omit Kabir Ali, who hurt his back in practice, and batsman Ian Bell. But bowling spearhead Steve Harmison returned after missing Monday's match with sore throat and flu.

Off-spinner Shaun Udal was brought in for batsman Bell.

Dec 21 , 2005

Wednesday

Tuesday

the 18th

12-ball 24

Monday

early this year

Monday


AFP_ENG_20061214.0366

DOHA, Dec 14 , 2006, 2006

Asian Games tennis results

Asian Games tennis results on Thursday (x denotes seeding):

Finals

Men

Singles

Danai Udomchoke (THA x3) bt Lee Hyung Taik (KOR x1) 7-5, 6-3

Women

Doubles

Zheng Jie/Yan Zi (CHN x1) bt Chan Yung Jan/Chuang Chia Jung (TPE x4) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)

Dec 14 , 2006

Thursday


AFP_ENG_19970408.0476

BEIJING, April 8 , 1997 (AFP)

Beijing to promote less-polluting unleaded fuel

China's capital city plans to lead the country to use of less- polluting unleaded fuel, the official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday.

Beginning July 1, unleaded petrol will be available at 300 filling stations across the city, the report said.

It cited Machinery Ministry efforts to develop catalytic converters -- which allow existing vehicles to use unleaded petrol -- but did not specify whether measures would be taken to compel use of the cleaner- burning fuel.

China's four other main cities, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, will gradually adopt similar measures, Xinhua said.

Heavy air pollution in Beijing caused by use of coal in factories and households has worsened in recent years as the number of vehicles on the road has grown.

April 8 , 1997

Tuesday

July 1

recent years


XIN_ENG_20051115.0091

HONG KONG, Nov. 15 , 2005 (Xinhua)

US information services provider sets up office in HK

US-based premier information aggregating and integrating services company, OneSource Information Services, announced Tuesday the official open of its office in Hong Kong.

At the launching ceremony, Vice President of Europe and Asia Pacific of OneSource Paul Brown, said that the Hong Kong office was primarily a sales and support operation responsible for growing OneSource's business and servicing clients in the region.

It also oversaw business activities in the Mainland market and served as a base for expanding the company's business network in this part of the world.

"The free flow of information in the city is also crucial for business intelligence companies like us. And more importantly, Hong Kong provides a natural base for our entry into the Mainland market with its proximity and enormous experience of doing business with Mainland enterprises," said Brown.

"The opening of OneSource in Hong Kong has once again shown that Hong Kong is the preferred location for world-class business services providers to operate in the region," said Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong Mike Rowse.

OneSource is a subsidiary of the NASDAQ-listed infoUSA. In addition to its headquarters in Massachusetts, US, and the new Hong Kong office, OneSource also has offices in London, Sydney and Singapore.

The company helps clients to increase productivity and effectiveness by distilling, combining and organizing business information, including industry profiles, executive biographies, business press coverage and financial data.

Invest Hong Kong is the Hong Kong government department charged with encouraging and facilitating inward investment into the city by providing all the support needed to establish a business presence here.

Nov. 15 , 2005

Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20051115.0313

MOSCOW, Nov. 15 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Russia-India military ties help maintain global stability, says defense chief

Russia-India military cooperation contributes to maintaining global stability, Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Tuesday.

Russian-Indian military-technical cooperation "is one of the key factors in maintaining peace and stability not only in South Asia but also in the world as a whole," Ivanov said at the start of a session of the two countries' intergovernmental commission for military-technical cooperation in Moscow.

Russia is No. 1 supplier of arms to India, with about 40 percent of its arms exports going to the South Asian nation. India says its weapons contracts with Russia have totaled 9 billion US dollars in value.

In a separate meeting with Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukerji, Ivanov said similar stances on contemporary threats foster the development of military cooperation between the two countries.

"The important thing is Russian and Indian stances on contemporary threats and challenges are similar. This is the reason behind the joint military maneuvers in October on Indian territory," Ivanov said.

"The issue of terrorism is very acute today, and many states face the threat. Unfortunately, Russia and India are among these states," he said.

Ivanov said earlier that India has voiced its intention to buy Tunguska rocket systems and Smerch salvo systems and wanted its T- 72 tanks modernized.

Nov. 15 , 2005

Tuesday

October

today


AFP_ENG_20061211.0471

DUBAI, Dec 11 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS background ///

Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya said Monday that Iran has pledged about 250 million dollars in aid to his cash-strapped Hamas-led government.

"My visit to the Islamic republic achieved (a pledge of) aid of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars," Haniya told Dubai-based Al-Arabiya satellite television in remarks broadcast Monday.

Tehran has allocated 120 million dollars to the Palestinian government for 2007, in addition to committing to pay the salaries of civil servants in three ministries for the coming six months, said Haniya, who has just made a four-day visit to the Islamic republic.

Iran has also "adopted" 100,000 Palestinian workers, who will receive 100 dollars a month each for the next six months, a total of 60 million dollars.

Iran will also disburse 100 dollars a month over the next six months to 3,000 Palestinian fishermen who have been unable to work for a long time, added Haniya, who is now in Sudan.

Hamas is seeking to bolster ties with its regional allies as it desperately tries to replenish Palestinian coffers after Western countries froze aid when the party took office after an upset January election win.

Haniya, on his first trip to Iran as prime minister, met on Sunday with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

His visit came after the collapse of talks between Hamas and the secular Fatah faction of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on forming a government of national unity that would lead to ending the aid blockade.

Iran, like Haniya's Islamist Hamas party, refuses to recognize Israel.

In November, Palestinian foreign minister Mahmud Zahar said during a visit to Tehran that Iran had already donated 120 million dollars to the Palestinians.

Hamas is at odds with the Fatah party of moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, who said he plans to call early parliamentary and presidential elections to resolve the crisis.

Dec 11 , 2006

Monday

Monday

the coming six months

the next six months

the next six months

now

Sunday

November


XIN_ENG_20061106.0397

TOKYO, Nov. 6 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Japan, S. Korea to enhance cooperation on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visiting South Korean foreign minister Ban Ki Moon agreed on Monday to enhance cooperation in having the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) stop its nuclear plan.

Abe and Ban exchanged ideas over the resumption of six-party talks on Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. The premier said that dialogues under the six-party talks framework and pressure sent through the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution are equally important.

During their meeting, the two also touched on the reforms of the United Nations. Ban, who is to assume the post of UN secretary general in January, said that he is willing to discuss issues in the United Nations with the Japanese government.

Ban arrived in Japan on Sunday and held talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso later in the day. Their talks also centered around the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

The six-party talks on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue, which involves the DPRK, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, were last held in November, 2005.

Nov. 6 , 2006

Monday

January

Sunday

the day

November, 2005


AFP_ENG_19970425.0473

PRAGUE, April 25 , 1997 (AFP)

Pope arrives in Prague to uncertain welcome

Pope John Paul II arrived in Prague Friday afternoon for a three-day visit to a country which has largely eschewed God for materialism in its post-Communist daily life.

Met at Ruzyne airport by Czech President Vaclav Havel and Havel's former-actress wife, Dagmar, the pontiff said the head of state was "one of great artists in the renaissance of this country."

It is the pope's third trip to Prague. The first time, in 1990, half-a-million people greeted him for his first visit to an eastern European capital after the 1989 collapse of Communism.

In 1995, however, he was mostly met with indifference by the country's 10.5 million inhabitants, half of whom are atheist.

Apparently remembering that, the pope said Friday that he hoped the spiritual motive of his current visit would "find an echo in people who, for different reasons, consider themselves distant from the Church and from religion."

The pope will hold a non-denominational service Sunday for non- Catholic Christians.

In his welcome, Havel raised the modern challenges faced by the Czech Republic since the end of Communism.

"Today we have the chance to live in a country where, unlike other parts of our continent, evil doesn't take a brutal and tragic form. But there are other menaces, more subtle, and perhaps even more dangerous, facing our civilisation. Together and separately we must confront these, and we haven't yet shown ourselves to be very capable," he said.

The two men also paid hommage to St Adalbert, a bishop of Prague martyred in 997 and the patron saint of Poland. The 1,000-year celebration of the saint is one of the main reasons for the pope's visit.

On arriving in Prague itself, the pontiff was greeted by the ringing of the city's church bells. After the official welcoming ceremony, he headed to the Breznov monastery where his bullet-proof "Popemobile" awaited him. From there he was taken to a religious residence in the city centre where he will stay during his visit.

The pope's message is expected to focus on denouncing western habits largely adopted here and on downplaying the centuries-old schism between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox church.

The Czech Catholic church for its part is facing its own identity crisis as it tries to find its place in a heavily secular society. It is also smarting from a year-old scandal at the Prague school of theology which was accused of employing teachers suspected of having collaborated with the communist era secret police.

Pope John Paul is likely to stress the importance of both churches working together and to reject fiery accusations against the Vatican, mainly by the Greek Orthodox Church, of proselytism.

Before the service late Sunday commemorating St Adalbert, the pope will hold two other ceremonies: a mass Saturday in front of 50,000 young people, and another Sunday which is expected to attract 120,000 faithful.

Nationwide, only 50,000 people attend church.

April 25 , 1997

Friday afternoon

Friday

Sunday

Today

Sunday


WSJ891102-0019
 = 891102
 891102-0019.
 Business Brief -- Valley Federal SampL:
@  California SampL Had Charge,
@  Loss in the Third Quarter
 11/02/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 VFED
 EARNINGS (ERN)

   Valley Federal Savings amp Loan Association took an $89.9 million charge as it reported a third-quarter loss of $70.7 million, or $12.09 a share.

   The Van Nuys, Calif., thrift had net income of $132,000, or three cents a share, a year ago.

   The bulk of the pretax charge is a $62 million write-off of capitalized servicing at the mobile home financing subsidiary, which the company said had been a big drain on earnings.
The company said the one-time provision would  substantially eliminate all future losses at the unit.
Valley Federal also added $18 million  to realestate loan reserves and eliminated $9.9 million of good will.

   The thrift said that "after these charges and assuming no dramatic fluctuation in interest rates, the association expects  to achieve near record earnings in 1990."

   Valley Federal  is  currently being examined by regulators.
New loans continue  to slow; they were $6.6 million in the quarter compared with $361.8 million a year ago.
The thrift has assets of $3.2 billion.

third-quarter

a year ago

future

currently

the quarter

a year ago


AFP_ENG_19970410.0247

BEIJING, April 10 , 1997 (AFP)

500,000 Dutch tulips deck out Beijing park

More than 500,000 Dutch tulips will deck out a park next to Beijing's Tiananmen Square from April 12, China's official Xinhua news agency reported Thursday.

The tulips, provided by the Dutch Euro-Asia Flower Group, will be arranged in ten large floral mozaics in Zhongshan park and are aimed at giving Beijingers a taste of the Netherlands in Spring.

The one-month display will also feature 6,000 blooming peonies, azaleas, and orchids.

April 10 , 1997

April 12

Thursday

Spring


XIN_ENG_20061103.0074

BEIJING, Nov. 3 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Business deals come ahead of historical China-Africa summit

During a whirlwind visit on Friday morning to China's first national corporation on international engineering projects, Guinea-Bissau President Joao Bernardo Vieira rapped the gavel on two proposed projects: electric power development and water reservoir construction.

"Please draft out the cooperation plans immediately. What Guinea-Bissau needs most is development, especially better infrastructure facilities," said the 67-year-old at the China Machinery and Equipment Import and Export General Corporation ( CMEC)

"My biggest wish is to make power supply accessible across the whole country," said Vieira who was here to attend the Beijing Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation slated for Nov. 4-5.

His visit to CMEC, which established its name in Africa after winning a contract to construct four units of 30 MW hydro-power stations there in 1990s, came two days after an economic and technical cooperation agreement was signed in the presence of Chinese President Hu Jintao. Both sides have yet to disclose the details of the agreement.

Vieira seems very enthusiastic about bringing in Chinese capital and technology into the west African country. He said priorities for bilateral cooperation could expand to ports, roads, bridges and mineral resources.

Inspired by Vieira's enthusiasm, CMEC vice president Zhou Li promised that a special team would fly to Guinea-Bissau to discuss the details.

Vieira reminded her that apart from Guinea-Bissau, other west African countries such as Senegal and Guinea also need power- generation facilities badly.

Regarding China as a strategic friend who offers aids without political strings, many African countries impressed with the country's two-digit economic growth are seizing time to explore cooperative opportunities during their stay in Beijing to boost domestic economy.

Vieira said after the summit, he would visit Shanghai and Nanjing, both of which are economically advanced in China.

Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo said earlier that more than 2,500 business deals would be under discussion at the summit, without revealing specifics.

The China Southern Airlines announced on Wednesday a new air route linking Beijing with Lagos, the commercial and industrial center of Nigeria in western Africa would be launched soon.

Another double-track railway, about 1,400-km-long and involving an investment of 8.3 billion U.S. dollars, will be jointly built by the Nigerian government and the China Civil Engineering Construction Cooperation, the Nigerian Railway Corporation has announced.

Nov. 3 , 2006

Friday morning

Nov. 4-5

two days

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20051206.0440

PARIS, Dec 6 , 2005

URGENT Chirac calls on Blair to make new budget proposals

French President Jacques Chirac called on British Prime Minister Tony Blair to "make new proposals" for the EU's disputed budget, and said Britain should "play its full part" in funding the bloc's enlargement, Chirac's office said Tuesday.

Dec 6 , 2005

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20051217.0127

ANKARA, Dec 17 , 2005

ATTENTION - ADDS Erdogan quotes, FM comments, background ///

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended Saturday author Orhan Pamuk's right to free speech, but rejected European Union pressure on Ankara to halt the controversial trial of the internationally renowned novelist.

"My stance on freedom of thought is clear because I myself have become a victim (of restrictions) in this context," Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anatolia news agency in the central city of Konya.

He said, however, that the EU, which sees Pamuk's trial as a test for Turkey's commitment to democracy and human rights, "is trying to put our judiciary under pressure," Anatolia reported.

"This is wrong," Erdogan said. "Either right or wrong, the case is now before the justice... Let's see the outcome and then make comments."

Pamuk, Turkey's best-known writer and winner of many international awards, appeared before court in Istanbul Friday on charges of denigrating Turkish national identity for telling a Swiss magazine that "one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares talk about it."

The case was adjourned to February to await a decision by the justice ministry, whose authorization is needed to proceed with the trial.

European Parliament members, who attended the hearing, criticized the government for having squandered the opportunity to demonstrate its respect for freedom of speech by failing to halt the trial.

Turkey began membership talks on October 4, but critics say the country has yet to fully embrace the EU's democarcy norms despite the far-reaching reforms it has already undertaken.

Erdogan has defended freedom of speech citing his own conviction for "inciting religious hatred" by reciting a poem with Islamic messages during a political rally in 1997, which earned him a four-month stint in prison.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul called on the EU not to judge Turkey's record by a single case.

"Let's not be unfair towards Turkey," he told the Sabah daily. "There is no conviction (in the Pamuk case) yet. There is no one in jail in Turkey because of (exercising) freedom of expression."

Gul pledged more efforts to ensure that the reforms Turkey undertook to boost its EU bid are properly implemented on the ground.

"It's our duty to strengthen the reform process," he said. "The changes adopted so far are not cosmetic, but there is still more to be done."

Erdogan said he had also asked the interior minister to investigate the apparent security lapses at Friday's trial, which was marred by nationalist militants heaping abuse on the writer and foreign observers.

Slogans accusing Pamuk of being a "traitor" followed him to the courtroom, and along the way a woman hit him on the head with a file. His car was pelted with eggs as he left.

British parliamentarian Denis MacShane, a former Europe minister, said he had been punched in the face by a hostile lawyer inside the courthouse.

Erdogan denounced the scenes as "ugliness" and said the police had committed "a serious mistake" by allowing such incidents.

The Turkish press accused the authorities of damaging Turkey's image by failing both to stop the trial and to ensure security at the hearing.

"Orhan Pamuk's trial and the scenes at the courthouse leave me with the impression that some people within the state favour such incidents in order to undermine (Turkey's) EU membership bid," a Sabah columnist wrote.

Dec 17 , 2005

Saturday

now

Friday

February

October 4

Friday


AFP_ENG_20051217.0353

LONDON, Dec 18 , 2005

England cricketer Gough bowled over by TV dance win

Pace bowler Darren Gough has got England cricket back to winning ways -- but only by carrying off top prize on a television ballroom dancing talent contest.

Gough, 35, who opted out of England's ongoing tour to Pakistan, danced his way to victory in BBC television's "Strictly Come Dancing", beating former 110 metres hurdles world record holder Colin Jackson into second place.

The hugely popular Saturday night variety show -- last year's final pulled in 10.6 million viewers -- has featured former sports stars, television news readers, actresses and celebrity chefs.

Twelve celebrities with limited or no dance experience are taken through their paces by professional dancers before performing in front of a panel of experienced dance judges.

A weekly public phone vote then decides who stays or goes.

Gough, wearing a black shirt and trousers with silver sequinned braces rather than his customary cricket whites, said he was delighted with the win, and praised his partner and teacher Lilia Kopylova.

"I thought I would be saying this 10 weeks ago but it has been an amazing journey for a guy who has never danced," he said.

"She (Lilia) has turned me into some sort of dancer. I cannot believe I had the confidence to do that tonight. I could not have wished for a better partner."

Dec 18 , 2005

Saturday

last year

this 10 weeks ago


XIN_ENG_20061109.0343

BRUSSELS, Nov. 9 , 2006 (Xinhua)

EU condemns attack on displaced people in Sri Lanka

The European Commission on Thursday condemned the attack on a camp for displaced persons in Sri Lanka.

"We are deeply shocked by the attack yesterday (Wednesday) on displaced civilians taking refuge in a school in eastern Sri Lanka. We strongly condemn attacks which lead to loss of innocent civilian life," said European Union (EU) external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and humanitarian aid commissioner Louis Michel in a joint statement.

"This is totally unacceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances. We are deeply concerned by latest events and call on the government of Sri Lanka to take immediate and appropriate precautions to protect civilian life and guarantee the security of SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission)."

The European Commission calls on the government and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) to end violations of fundamental principles of humanitarian law and human rights and guarantee conditions in which humanitarian assistance can be delivered, they said.

They also urged Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to cease hostilities immediately and return to negotiations for a settlement.

"There is no military solution to the conflict," they said.

Nov. 9 , 2006

Thursday

Wednesday