XIN_ENG_20061126.0051

LONDON, Nov. 26 , 2006 (Xinhua)

UK to strengthen trade ties with China: official

The United Kingdom (UK) will seek a closer tie with China in its bid to make the country one of the leading business partner in the world of economic globalization, a senior trade official has said.

"China, with its massive influence in global trade, is of great importance to UK's trade and industry, which is trying to attract a new wave of high-value investment," Alistair Darling, Britain's secretary of sate for trade and industry, said in the weekend before his visit to China.

Darling, who will visit Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, is on his first ever trip to China's mainland. He, who will lead a 15-strong delegation, said that Sino-British trade ties will be strengthened through mutual investment, not only trade.

The UK, whose manufacturing industry has shrunk much during its economic structure readjustment in the past decades, finds that it has opportunities in helping China in fields like environment protection and power plant building.

The British trade and industry leader said that globalization provides a tremendous opportunity for both UK and China in which both countries could cooperate to curb climate change and improve bilateral trade.

Darling was appointed Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, replacing Alan Johnson in the government reshuffle in May.

Nov. 26 , 2006

the weekend

the past decades

May


XIN_ENG_20051128.0266

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 , 2005 (Xinhua)

US congressman pleads guilty to bribe charges

A US congressman pleaded guilty Monday to bribe charges that he sold his home to a defense contractor at an inflated price in 2003.

In a court hearing in San Diego, California, the 63-year-old Republican congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham answered "yes" when asked by US District Judge Larry Burns if he had accepted bribes from someone in exchange for his performance of official duties.

He now faces a maximum of ten years in jail and a fine.

Prosecutors said two years ago, Cunningham and his wife sold their home for over 1.6 million US dollars to a defense contractor named Mitchell Wade and then used the proceeds from the sale to buy a 2.55-million-dollar mansion.

A year later, Wade put Cunningham's old home back on the market and sold it for less than a million dollars.

Wade also let Cunningham live rent-free on his yacht while his firm, MZM Inc., donated generously to Cunningham's political campaigns.

By bribing Cunningham, Wade and MZM won several valuable defense contracts, since the congressman sits on the House Appropriations Subcommittee which controls defense budgets.

Cunningham, a former Vietnam War pilot who has been in Congress since 1991, announced in July that he wouldn't seek re-election next year.

He drew little notice outside his San Diego-area district before a local newspaper reported last June that he sold the home to Wade.

Nov. 28 , 2005

Monday

now

ten years

two years ago

A year

July

next year

last June


AFP_ENG_20061219.0059

SEOUL, Dec 19 , 2006, 2006

Ukrainian economy to grow 10 percent every year: Yushchenko

Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko told South Korean business leaders Tuesday his country would be one of the world's fastest growing economies in a year or two, expanding 10 percent every year.

"Within a year or two, Ukraine will be regarded as one of the world's fastest growing economies," Yushchenko told them, calling for investment in his country.

"Ukraine's economy will be stabilized shortly and grow more than 10 percent every year," he was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency.

Stressing that international ratings have been upgraded from stable to positive, Yushchenko said Ukraine has emerged as one of the world's largest recipients of foreign investment.

He suggested the two countries engage in joint projects including in nuclear energy, aerospace and the defence industry.

"Especially, there is a lot of interest in the fields of aerospace and the defence industry," Yushchenko told a press conference later Tuesday, noting that the two countries signed two agreements in those sectors on Monday.

"This is a very significant development in bilateral ties," he said.

At a summit with President Roh Moo-Hyun on Monday, Yushchenko said Ukraine's experience in scrapping its nuclear arsenal could be helpful in defusing the standoff over North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes.

"The Ukranian side proposed to share the experience of its nuclear disarmament with the Korean side," a joint statement said.

Ukraine abandoned nuclear weapons in the 1990s in return for a collective security guarantee and economic assistance.

Roh and Yushchenko welcomed the resumption of six-party talks in Beijing this week and called for "substantive progress" in the dismantling of North Korean nuclear weapons, the statement said.

Yushchenko arrived here Monday for a two-day state visit.

Dec 19 , 2006

Tuesday

a year or two

every year

a year or two

every year

Tuesday

Monday

Monday

the 1990s

this week

Monday


AFP_ENG_20061211.0214

DOHA, Dec 11 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS quotes, details ///

A second weightlifter from Myanmar has tested positive for drugs and has been stripped of her medal and disqualified from the Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia announced Monday.

She was named as Oo Mya Sanda, 29, who won the silver medal in the 75kg category.

Oo tested positive for a metabolite of an anabolic agent that helps athletes build muscle bulk and also hastens the recovery period after training. She waived her right to have her "B" sample tested.

It means that South Korea's Kim Soon now gets the silver and Indonesia's Sinta Darmariani is promoted from fourth to third. China's Cao Lei won gold.

Fellow Myanmar competitor Kyi Kyi Than, who failed to win a medal in the women's 48kg category, was disqualified on Saturday for failing a drugs test.

Uzbek weightlifters Elmira Ramileva and Alexander Urinov, in the women's 69kg and men's 105kg categories respectively, were tossed out of the Games on Sunday for doping offences.

Despite drugs again blighting a major sporting event, Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain al-Musallem said given there had been more than 800 drugs tests here so far, four positives was not a bad percentage.

"We have conducted more than 800 tests and the percentage of positives is not high compared to other big events like this," he said.

"People complain about weightlifting, but weightlifting is a good sport. There are just some individual cheaters, or they have been given the wrong advice.

"We are fighting the cheaters. Hopefully in the future we can eliminate all cheaters."

Despite the positive drugs tests, Musallem said the Games were "in a good state".

"Before, the positive cases were high and the testing levels low," he said.

"In Busan four years ago, we had under 1,000 tests and around 10 positive tests, while the number of sports was less and there was no pre-competition testing.

"In these Games, we will carry out 1,200 urine tests and around 50 blood tests. We also carried out 86 pre-competition tests."

Musallem said the OCA had initiated a drugs awareness programme in 2004 in the run-up to the Games.

"Asia is divided into five regions, and we organised two-day briefings for NOC officials (in the respective regions) about the doping programme," including information on banned drugs and how to access that information.

Musallem added that the OCA's own website would shortly launch a multilingual guide to the list of banned substances currently only available in English, in a bid to avoid any confusion.

Dec 11 , 2006

Monday

now

Saturday

Sunday

the future

Busan four years ago


XIN_ENG_20061120.0073

TEHRAN, Nov. 20 , 2006 (Xinhua)

program: ISNA

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday that his country wants to have 100,000 centrifuges for enriching uranium, the Iranian Student's News Agency (ISNA) reported.

"We intend to have 100,000 centrifuges and, God willing, Iran will be able to meet its needs in nuclear fuel by next year," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.

The current Iranian year ends on March 20, 2006.

The Iranian president had said last week that Iran intended to launch 60,000 centrifuges in its nuclear program.

Nov. 20 , 2006

Monday

next year

current Iranian year

March 20, 2006

last week


AFP_ENG_20061227.0363

VIENNA, Dec 27 , 2006, 2006

Mozart piano score discovered in Salzburg

A hitherto unknown piano score extremely likely to be by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been discovered in the composer's birthplace Salzburg, Austrian broadcaster ORF said on Wednesday.

The score's facsimile will be officially presented and played by clavichordist Florian Birsak on Friday, it said.

Some time ago, the archives of the city's episcopal office were offered unsigned keyboard works, including an "Allegro di Wolfgango Mozart". Detailed tests led experts to conclude that the piece was indeed written by the master, when he was between six and 10 years old.

A second score in the collection could also be by Mozart.

Mozart was born 250 years ago, and Austria has been abuzz with events marking the occasion all year long.

Dec 27 , 2006

Wednesday

Friday

Some time ago

six and 10 years old

250 years ago

all year long


XIN_ENG_20051101.0358

CARACAS, Nov. 1 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Venezuela, China sign satellite launch agreement

Venezuela on Tuesday signed an agreement to purchase a satellite from China as part of a plan to guarantee its telecommunications autonomy, the Venezuelan government said.

At the signing ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez thanked China for the scientific and technological support, saying the satellite will help Venezuela develop its own industries of telecommunications, movies and TV, culture and education.

The satellite, named after Simon Bolivar, the famous South American independence hero, will be send into orbit in 2008, according to the Venezuelan Ministry of Science and Technology.

The satellite will provide telecommunications services to all parts of Venezuela, including scarcely populated areas that have never been reached by commercial communications firms.

The ministry said the satellite will also help in the early detection of natural disasters and be used to broadcast educational and information programs.

Nov. 1 , 2005

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20061227.0414

NEW YORK, Dec 27 , 2006, 2006

Yankees sign Japanese pitcher Igawa to five-year deal

The New York Yankees unveiled Major League Baseball's latest Japanese import on Wednesday, announcing they have signed lefthanded pitcher Kei Igawa to a five-year contract.

The move comes less than two weeks after New York's American League East rivals Boston signed Daisuke Matsuzaka to a six-year, 52-million-dollar deal.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Yomiuri Shimbun reported two weeks ago that Igawa's contract is worth 20 million dollars.

Igawa, 27, became the fifth Japanese player to come to the major leagues this offseason, joining Matsuzaka, Red Sox lefthander Hideki Okajima, Tampa Bay Devil Rays infielder Akinori Iwamura and Pittsburgh Pirates righthander Masumi Kuwata.

The Yankees earned exclusive negotiation rights with Igawa after posting a winning bid of 26 million dollars on November 28.

They had until midnight on Thursday to reach a contract agreement with Igawa, who otherwise would have returned to his Japanese club, the Hanshin Tigers.

Igawa will likely join a starting rotation which already includes Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang and Carl Pavano. The Yankees reportedly are looking to trade 43-year-old lefthander Randy Johnson, who has underachieved in his two seasons in New York.

Igawa went 14-9 with a 2.97 ERA for the Tigers last season. He recorded 197 strikeouts to lead the Central League in strikeouts for the third time in eight seasons.

Dec 27 , 2006

Wednesday

less than two weeks

two weeks ago

November 28

Thursday

eight seasons


AFP_ENG_20051204.0219

BAMAKO, Dec 4 , 2005

///

Leaders at a Franco-African summit have warned against some developments in world trade that are "too liberal", French President Jacques Chirac told reporters on Sunday at a closing news conference.

"We all warned against certain evolutions that are too liberal, which risk bringing satisfaction to rich countries and emerging countries in trade issues and notably agriculture, to the detriment of the poorest countries," Chirac said.

The 148-strong World Trade Organisation will at a December 13-18 ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, push for an agreement paving the way for a global trade pact to take effect next year.

Four years of talks have largely stalled over the degree to which rich countries offer financial support to their agriculture sectors. France is the biggest recipient of EU farm subsidies.

The French leader, who gathered here with more than 20 African counterparts, plus officials from across the continent, also urged the international community to double public aid for development.

"We must, in general, double and bring to 150 billion (dollars) a year public assistance for development," he told reporters.

But he said this could not be achieved via state budgets alone, and insisted on the importance of innovative financing "to raise this sum thanks to an international tax, of one form or another.

"It's vital."

Dec 4 , 2005

Sunday

December 13-18

next year

Four years


XIN_ENG_20061129.0043

BEIJING, Nov. 29 , 2006 (Xinhua)

(Beijing Olympics) Tickets for Beijing Olympics affordable for ordinary people

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) Wednesday revealed details of the most affordable ticketing program in recent Olympic history.

Fifty-eight percent of the tickets for sale will be priced at or lower than RMB 100 yuans (about 13 US dollars). Among them, a significant portion will be available to students at less than RMB 10 (about one dollar and 30 cents).

In mapping out the program, BOCOG has evaluated the ticketing policies of previous Olympic Games and other major international meets, conducted consultations with experts in the field and made thorough marketing research.

Throughout the process, the Organizing Committee has carried out its commitment to ensure the greatest number of people to enjoy the Olympic enthusiasm and to devote themselves to the national drive for a harmonious society.

Therefore, the ticketing program reflects both the spirit of the Olympic Games and the hope of the host country, said BOCOG officials.

Under the ticketing policy, prices for preliminaries range from RMB 30 (about four US dollars) to RMB 300 (about 40 dollars), while the finals will be priced at RMB 60 (about eight dollars) to RMB 1,000 (about 130 dollars).

The lowest tickets for the opening ceremony will be priced at RMB 200 (about 26 dollars), with the highest at RMB 5,000 (about 650 dollars), and the cheapest for the closing ceremony will be at RMB 150 (about 20 dollars), with the highest at RMB 3,000 (about 400 dollars).

In line with the Olympic Education Program, BOCOG has also allocated a number of special tickets to encourage attendance from among China's youth. Those tickets for preliminaries will be available for students at RMB 5 (less than one US dollar) and for finals at RMB 10 (about one dollar and 30 cents).

About 14 percent of the tickets available will be reserved for the Chinese students.

Tickets will become available in China in the first half of 2007.

Nov. 29 , 2006

Wednesday

the first half of 2007


AFP_ENG_20061227.0080

MOGADISHU, Dec 27 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - RECASTS, ADDS WFP suspends air operations ///

Heavy fighting resumed in central Somalia Wednesday after retreating Islamist fighters opened fire on a force of government and Ethiopian troops, officials and residents said, as the conflict in the Horn of Africa nation entered its second week.

Hours after the UN Security Council failed to agree on the withdrawal of foreign troops, Islamists fighters in trenches near the town of Jowhar opened fire to stop Somali-Ethiopian troops from advancing further southwards.

"Very heavy fighting has erupted outside Jowhar. The Islamic forces say they will keep fighting," said Mohamed Abdi Ali, a resident of the town about 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of the Islamist-controled capital of Mogadishu.

"Ethiopians have not started using planes yet, but we do not rule that out," he added.

"Our Islamist fighters are showing strength, they are in their defensive positions. God willing we will drive back the Ethiopian invaders," said Islamist commander Sheikh Takow.

Fighting first erupted December 20 after the Islamists, who controled most of the country, demanded the departure of Ethiopian troops supporting the UN-backed, but feeble government.

Somalia has been wracked by conflict since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

The government Wednesday predicted Jowhar would fall as the allied Somali-Ethiopian forces consolidate their grip across the country's central and southern region with Islamic forces retreating.

"We expect to capture the town in the coming hours," said government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari.

Fleeing residents said rival sides deployed heavy artillery on the eighth day of duels that occurred 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Jowhar.

"This fighting is very heavy, I have never heard such weapons used in Somalia, my wife and children are asking me to take them from the village because of the heavy artillery and mortar shells," said one resident, Hasan Doyow Nur.

The Islamists have retreated from their frontlines and accused Ethiopian forces of massacring civilians in the name of killing foreign fighters believed to be supporting the movement.

Witnesses said columns of Islamist forces had retreated to the heavily-fortified capital Mogadishu, where ruling clerics vowed to dig in for a long-lasting war with Ethiopian troops.

The Islamists said it was a "tactical retreat" that was forced by Addis Ababa's air assault on their positions.

The sustained clashes over the past week forced the UN World Food Programme to suspend its air operations and pull out its air-support staff.

"The WFP on Tuesday temporarily relocated two MI8 helicopters and 25 humanitarian workers from Kismayo to Nairobi," WFP spokesman Peter Smerdon told AFP Wednesday.

"The air operation had also become difficult because of an airspace ban into Somalia declared by the transitional federal government," he said.

"Therefore the helicopter operations and food airdrop from Antonov 12 into southern Somalia are currently suspended because of the airspace restriction," Smerdon said.

He emphasized the agency had suspended air but not land operations.

On Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Meles Zenawi said his forces had killed more than 1,000 rival fighters, including Eritreans, forcing the Islamists to "full retreat", but added he was not aiming to take over Mogadishu.

In New York, the UN Security Council late Tuesday failed to agree on calling for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Somalia with key powers pressing for a ceasefire and a resumption of dialogue between warring Somali parties.

Washington, which accuses the Islamists of links to Al-Qaeda, put its weight behind Addis Ababa, but called on its regional anti-terrorism ally to exercise "maximum restraint."

Regional peacemaker Kenya, which helped form the Somali government in 2004, asked Ethiopia to cease military operations, as it announced plans to organise a regional meeting to discuss the escalation of the conflict in Somalia.

Dec 27 , 2006

Wednesday

second week

December 20

Wednesday

the eighth day

Tuesday

Tuesday

Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20061104.0147

HONG KONG, Nov. 4 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Mechanical failure suspends Hong Kong's unique Peak Tram service

A mechanical failure struck Hong Kong's landmark Peak Tram during rush tourist hours Saturday, bringing the service to suspension and upsetting hundreds of travelers.

The accident occurred about 10:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) Saturday when about 100 tourists rode the centenarian tram from the mid-levels in Central District to the 500-meter height Victoria Peak.

The trapped tourists had to walk from the mountainside to the tram's starting terminal after it failed to restart. No one was hurt.

It took engineers six hours to fix the tram system and the Peak Tram company resumed service at about 4:20 p.m. (0820 GMT).

Transport authority organized extra buses to help tourists climb to the peak for a bird's-eye sightseeing of the Victoria Harbor and entire Hong Kong.

The transport authority demanded the Peak Tram company to submit a report on the accident.

Built in 1888, the Peak Tram was one of Hong Kong's must-see tourist areas for its picturesque landscape and unique angel of view.

Nov. 4 , 2006

Saturday

10:00 a.m.

Saturday

4:20 p.m.


XIN_ENG_20061130.0332

DOHA, Nov. 30 , 2006 (Xinhua)

South Korea in Asiad volleyball

Defending champion China crushed Vietnam Thursday in straight sets at the women's volleyball tournament here on Thursday to open its campaign for the seventh Asian Games title since 1978.

The reigning Olympic champion, in desperate need of a victory after a disappointing fifth-place finish at the 2006 World Championship in Japan, fielded a full-strength squad led by captain Feng Kun.

The Chinese spiker handed out a volleyball lesson to the Vietnamese peers with devastating spikes and powerful servings, ending the one-sided match 25-18, 25-9 and 25-10 in less than one hour.

Chen Zhonghe, China's head coach, was satisfied with his team, but kept a low-key on his expectations at the games.

"It's a challenge for China to play weaker teams. So, I asked my players to go all out in this match and they didn't let me down, " said Chen.

"But at the first set, we had some serving errors, which left a 12-12 tie to Vietnam and that's what I hadn't expected," said Chen. "Every match is the key match for us and now, we are concentrating on the preparations for the matches later."

In the following match of the day, South Korea rallied from two sets down to upset arch rival Chinese Taipei 3-2, revenging the 2- 3 loss to the latter at the World Championship.

Due to a slow start and a string of service errors, South Korean, silver medalist of the Busan Asiad, lost the opening two sets 21-25 and 20-25, but came back to life and controlled the rhythm of the match's rest time, pulling it back 25-23, 25-19 and 15-9.

"I'm happy with the victory, but I'm not satisfied with my players at the beginning of the match. They moved too slowly," said Kim Myeong Soo, head coach of South Korea. "We should focus on the next match against powerful China now. That is what I care about."

Lin Kuang Hung, head coach of Chinese Taipei, blamed the poor physical conditions and excessive serving and receiving errors of his team for the dramatic loss.

"The World Championship cost us dear and left little time for the recovery," said Lin. "However, we should learn from the never- give-up spirit of the Koreans."

In another two matches of the day, Busan Asiad's bronze medalist Japan powered to a straight-set victory over Mongolia, while Thailand overshadowed Tajikstan 3-0.

Nine teams split into two groups to battle for the women's volleyball championship, with China, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Vietnam playing in Group A and Kazakhstan, Japan, Thailand, Tajikistan and Mongolia in Group B.

Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei were generally regarded as the major opponents of China at the Asian Games.

Nov. 30 , 2006

Thursday

Thursday

less than one hour

now

Tajikstan 3-0


AFP_ENG_19970417.0185

JERUSALEM, April 17 , 1997 (AFP)

Israeli army demolishes Palestinian homes, two shot in clashes

Israeli troops on Thursday demolished a second home in the Palestinian village of Surif on the West Bank where a curfew is in force in connection with last month's Tel Aviv suicide bombing, the army said.

A first home was destroyed on Wednesday night belonging to Ibrahim Ghanimat, a member of a cell of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) accused of causing the deaths of 11 Israelis in a series of attacks.

The demolition sparked clashes with troops during which two villagers were shot and wounded as protesters took to the streets in violation of the curfew, hospital sources said.

The army sent in the bulldozers again on Thursday to tear down the home of Abdel Rahman Ghanimat, who like his namesake has been linked to the Islamic suicide bomber who killed three Israeli women in Tel Aviv on March 21.

The curfew on Surif, a town of 15,000 inhabitants, was imposed after the army discovered the body of a kidnapped Israeli soldier, Sergeant Sharon Edry, in the village last Thursday.

The HAMAS radicals were arrested on suspicion of involvement in Edry's murder and the 10 other deaths.

April 17 , 1997

Thursday

last month

Wednesday night

Thursday

March 21

last Thursday


AFP_ENG_20061203.0085

TOKYO, Dec 3 , 2006, 2006

=(PICTURE)=

Bulgaria captured their first medal in 20 years by beating Serbia and Montenegro to finish third in the men's world volleyball championships on Sunday.

The Bulgarian men, who have not won a medal since the 1986 worlds, coasted to a close 22-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-23 victory over the 2000 Olympic champions.

"We are very happy, because after 20 years we received this medal. It doesn't matter (whether it's gold or silver), it's the bronze, but it's very important for us," said Bulgarian captain Plamen Konstantinov.

"Life is interesting, because yesterday it was the most disappointing day and today is the happiest day for us. We found power to win this game after yesterday's match."

Bulgaria's coach Martin Stoev said his team had bigger motivation than the Serbians, because they had not won a medal in the past 20 years.

"The Serbians won the Olympic gold medal, and they have medals from the European championships and the world championships. We didn't win anything in the last 20 years. That's why we had better motivation for today," said Stoev.

It was Bulgaria's fourth bronze medal in the world championships, following medals in 1949, 1952 and 1986. They also won the silver medal in 1970.

It was Serbia and Montenegro's last international tournament as a united team, since the countries declared their independence in June after a referendum in Montenegro.

"We came here with a big wish to have the best possible way to say goodbye to big international competitions with the name of Serbia and Montenegro. Also I think some of the players who will say goodbye to the national team deserved to win the medal," said Serbian coach Igor Kolakovic.

"Unfortunately we weren't strong enough to win the medal before we left the competition."

It was the last tournament for Vladimir Grbic, the elder brother of Bulgarian captain Nikola Grbic, who announced his retirement before the championships.

"This was his last tournament for the national team," admitted the captain. "I also have to think about it, because I will become a father in a month. It's a completely new situation for me."

Dec 3 , 2006

20 years

Sunday

22-25, 25-23, 25-23

20 years

yesterday

today

yesterday

the past 20 years

last 20 years

today

June

a month


WSJ891102-0006
 = 891102
 891102-0006.
 Upjohn Offers
@  Plan to Reduce
@  Its Work Force
@  ----
@  By Bradley A. Stertz
@  Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
 11/02/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 UPJ
 DRUG MANUFACTURERS (DRG)
 KALAMAZOO, Mich.

   Upjohn Co. said it will offer an early retirement package to as many as 1,100 employees in a cost-cutting move expected to result in a fourth-quarter charge.

   Upjohn officials said they could n't estimate the size of the charge until they determine which employees, and how many, will participate in the retirement plan.
But the pharmaceutical company said it "anticipates the long-term savings resulting from the plan's implementation will more than offset short-term costs."

   The program, available to Upjohn employees 55 years old or older, could increase an individual's retirement benefits 10% to 20%.
In addition, Upjohn is offering a one-time retirement bonus equal to six months of base pay.

   Chairman Theodore Cooper called the program part of the company's two-year strategy to implement budget constraints and "an effective headcount-control program."

   But some analysts questioned how much of an impact the retirement package will have, because few jobs will end up being eliminated.
"It's a cosmetic move," said Jonathan S. Gelles of Wertheim Schroder amp Co.

   According to Upjohn's estimates, only 50% to 60% of the 1,100 eligible employees will take advantage of the plan.
Upjohn further estimated that about 50% of the employees who leave for early retirement may be replaced.
As a result, Upjohn will likely trim only about 275 to 350 of its more than 21,000 jobs world-wide.

   In composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange yesterday, Upjohn shares rose 87.5 cents to $38.875 apiece.

   An Upjohn spokesman said he had " heard nothing" to suggest the early retirement package was spurred by shareholder pressure or a potential bidder for the company, which occasionally has been the target of takeover speculation.
The company earlier this year adopted a shareholder-rights plan to ward off unwanted suitors.

   The spokesman said it is the first early retirement plan offered under its two-year cost-control strategy.
Earlier staff-reduction moves have trimmed about 300 jobs, the spokesman said.

fourth-quarter

two-year

yesterday

earlier this year

Earlier


AFP_ENG_19970429.0513

PRETORIA, April 29 , 1997 (AFP)

Virgin and Air France bid to buy S.Africa's Sun Air

Air France, Malaysia Air and Britain's Virgin Atlantic Airways are among eight finalist bidders for South Africa's domestic Sun Air, Public Enterprises Minister Stella Sigcau told journalists Tuesday.

The other finalists, out of an original 16 bidders, include various groupings representing combinations of domestic airlines, trade unions, financial institutions and black business consortiums, the minister said.

Virgin has teamed up with six black empowerment groups, including the National Empowerment Corporation (NEC), which last year made headlines by purchasing a controlling share in Johnnic, the subsidiary investment firm of mining giant Anglo American.

Air France and Air Malaysia have launched independent bids without local partners for Sun Air, a para-statal company created during the apartheid era.

President Nelson Mandela's government launched an ambition privatisation programme in 1995, which culminated in the selling of a partial share of national Telkom to a group including Telekom Malaysia and Texas-based SBC Communications.

April 29 , 1997

Tuesday

era


AFP_ENG_19970405.0194

CAIRO, April 5 , 1997 (AFP)

Former Italian beauty queen claims to be last wife of Faruq

A former Italian beauty queen has claimed she was married to Egypt's deposed King Faruq, drawing immediate denials here Saturday from an Egyptian historian and an authority on the late monarch.

"She definitely was not his wife. His mistress or a girlfriend but not his wife. I am one billion percent sure of that," Magdi Farag told AFP.

The government weekly Akhbar al-Yom, in a dispatch from Rome, quoted the former Miss Naples identified as Irma Capucci Minitolo, on Saturday as saying "I was the wife of King Faruq."

"We exchanged private vows with God as our witness ... but we could not register our wedding officially. In Paris the king introduced me to his friends as his wife and said he will marry me officially once I converted to Islam," she told Akhbar Al-Yom.

Irma said she was currently writing her memoirs to set the record straight about her "matrimony" with Faruq, who was reputed to like the good life and the company of beautiful women.

Irma said she first met Faruq in Naples where her father ran the rowing club which boasted nobility among its members. She was only 7 and was chosen to present the royal couple with a bouquet of flowers. They met again in the Italian resort of Capri when she was 15 and it was love at first sight.

"I hit the ceiling when I saw it when I read this report," said Farag, a historian who specialises in modern Egypt and widely considered an authority on the royal family.

Farag admitted that Irma and Faruq were linked. "I have many photographs of her and the king. But he never married after he was sent into exile." Akhbar Al-Yom also printed several pictures showing Faruq and Irma.

"There are many impostors in this game. I meet at least two each year," Farag said.

He identified one of them as Egyptian Fuad Shedid, whom claims to be the illegitimate son of Faruq from a Jewish mistress.

"Shedid is very fat and smokes cigars like King Faruq. He makes sure he gets invited to low-level embassies and goes to restaurants where he pretends he's the king's son and gets away by not paying the bill."

"After all these years people are still trying to cash on him (Faruq). This is a shame," Farag said.

The monarchy was toppled in 1952 and Faruq went into exile in Italy, where he died in 1965.

He married twice, repudiating his first wife Farida and later married Nariman.

April 5 , 1997

Saturday

Saturday

each year

these years


XIN_ENG_20061113.0180

URUMQI, Nov. 13 , 2006 (Xinhua)

27 foreign drug traffickers arrested in Xinjiang this year

Twenty-seven foreign drug traffickers have been arrested this year in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region amid China's efforts to prevent the influx of heroin from the "Golden Crescent" area of central Asia.

The 27 people came from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Africa, said Jin Peng, an anti-drug smuggling official with the region's public security department.

The regional police have cracked 13 drug trafficking cases involving 53.1 kilograms of heroin since last January, nearly three times the total of last year, according to Jin.

As Xinjiang is promoting trade with its eight neighboring countries, drugs from the Golden Crescent which includes parts of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran are "pouring" into China across the 5,400 kilometer-long border, Jin said.

"Drug trafficking gangs have created channels and set up a drug purchase, transport, storage and trade network in China," he said.

Low prices and the high purity of the heroin has also encouraged drug traffickers to take the risk, Jin said.

A two-week class began in the cities and prefectures of Urumqi, Kashi and Ili on Nov. 6 to educate policemen, custom officers, train staff and postmen about drug smuggling.

In April 2005, China launched a People's War on Drugs, calling on the public to help rehabilitate drug addicts and offering rewards for information that led to the arrest of traffickers.

The Chinese government also announced plans to support opium replacement planting abroad in the country's first bill on drug control which was introduced to the legislature in August.

The draft law also stipulates that Chinese police should share information with other countries and international organizations and enhance collaboration in drug smuggling investigations.

Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle, an area along the Mekong River delta, including Myanmar, Laos and northern Thailand, has been blamed for most of the country's drug-related problems.

Nov. 13 , 2006

this year

last January

last year

Nov. 6

April 2005

August


WSJ891102-0161
 = 891102
 891102-0161.
 Montedison Bid for Erbamont
 11/02/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 MNT ERB
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)
DRUG MANUFACTURERS (DRG)
 NEW YORK

   Italian chemical giant Montedison S.p.A., through its Montedison Acquisition N.V. indirect unit, began its $37-a-share tender offer for all the common shares outstanding of Erbamont N.V., a maker of pharmaceuticals incorporated in the Netherlands.

   The offer, advertised in today's editions of The Wall Street Journal, is scheduled to expire at the the end of November.

   Montedison currently owns about 72% of Erbamont's common shares outstanding.

   The offer is being launched pursuant to a previously announced agreement between the companies.

today

the end of November

currently

previously


XIN_ENG_20051129.0367

WELLINGTON, Nov. 30 , 2005 (Xinhua)

NZ economy heads for a fall: OECD report

New Zealand's economy could be heading for a hard fall, a report by the organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Wednesday.

New Zealand local media NZPA quoted the report of the Paris- based organization as saying "the economic growth rate was expected to fall to 2.8 percent in 2005, down from 4.4 percent last year."

Monetary tightening by Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard had failed slow domestic demand growth, the OECD economic report said.

The OECD paper examined the rise in house prices, and current valuations against a range of benchmarks. It also reviewed the possibility of a correction of housing prices and real activity.

Bollard last month issued a severe warning of imbalances and " significant excesses" developing in the economy.

The report said New Zealand was an OECD country where the cost of housing and rent had risen much more rapidly than incomes.

In its May economic outlook, the OECD said New Zealand was one of the world's top performers over the past two years.

While the economy was slowing down as higher interest rates took effect, it was heading for a soft landing, said the OECD report.

New Zealand Finance Minister Michael Cullen said Wednesday the latest OECD report on New Zealand should "silence the clamor for tax cuts."

"I agree with the OECD that the current account deficit poses a potential risk to this outlook and that continued careful fiscal management is necessary to mitigate that risk," said Cullen.

Nov. 30 , 2005

Wednesday

last year

last month

May

the past two years

Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20051114.0053

BAGHDAD, Nov. 14 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Four Iraqis killed in two bomb attacks in Baghdad

Four Iraqis, including a police commando, were killed and seven others wounded in two roadside bomb attacks in Baghdad on Monday, a police source said.

"A roadside bomb struck a police commando patrol at about 8:30 a.m. (0530 GMT) in Saidiyah district in southern Baghdad, killing a commando member and wounding three others," Ahmed Abdullah from Baghdad police told Xinhua.

"Another roadside bomb exploded at about 9:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) in the Camp Sarah area in southeastern Baghdad shortly after an Iraqi army convoy passed by," Abdullah said.

The blast destroyed a civilian car, killing three people and wounding four others, he added.

Insurgents frequently target the fledgling Iraqi security troops, accusing them of collaborating with the US occupation forces.

Nov. 14 , 2005

Monday

9:00 a.m.


XIN_ENG_20051117.0031

SHANGHAI, Nov. 17 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Farmers in Shanghai enjoy two-digit rise in income

The per-capita disposable income of farmers in Shanghai increased by 10 percent in the first three quarters of this year, thanks largely to accruement in housing rents, proceedings from land transfers and various forms of social welfare.

Farmers' income in Shanghai, the economic hub of the country, went up 10.3 percent year-on-year to 6,998 yuan (863 US dollars) in the January-September period, according to the municipal rural work commission.

The growth rate was 0.7 percentage points higher than the year-earlier level, the source said, adding that Shanghai continued to rank first among China's provincial regions in terms of farmers' income over the past 10 years or so, the source added.

Officials with the commission owed the fast growth in farmers' income to the fact that more farmers began to work in enterprises which offer the farmers higher pay, in addition to the rise in housing rents and proceedings from land transfers.

The income growth was also attributed to increasing social welfare, including pension and funds for education and poverty relief as well as that for the handicapped and the low-income earners.

Suburbs, covering more than 90 percent of Shanghai's total land area, have become a major propeller of the local economy, the commission said.

The rural areas realized 200 billion yuan (24.6 billion US dollars) in value-added output in the first three quarters, up 19.4 percent from the same period of last year.

Nov. 17 , 2005

the first three quarters of this year

the January-September period

the past 10 years or so

the first three quarters

last year


AFP_ENG_20061225.0285

TOKYO, Dec 26 , 2006, 2006

Herewith a corrected repetition ///

Japanese core consumer prices rose by 0.2 percent in November from a year earlier, the government said Tuesday as deflationary pressure eases in the country.

Consumer prices in November as a whole, including volatile prices of fresh food, rose 0.3 percent year-on-year, preliminary figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs showed.

The December core consumer price index (CPI) for Tokyo alone -- the leading indicator for national price trends -- rose 0.2 percent from a year earlier.

Dec 26 , 2006

November

a year earlier

Tuesday

November

December

a year earlier


XIN_ENG_20061121.0286

NAIROBI, Nov. 21 , 2006 (Xinhua)

IOM to help internally displaced Sudanese return home

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday it had begun the registration of internally displaced Sudanese living in Khartoum who wants to return home after a peace agreement ended a 21-year-old civil war in the south.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, the organization said the registrations which will continue till next February, will allow the first rounds of organized returns to communities in southern Sudan, most likely next year.

About 100,000 households with an average size of six people per family are expected to register.

"As well as registering those IDPs (internally displaced persons) in Khartoum state who want to return home, IOM is also providing information and material assistance to the displaced, including facilitating transportation to destinations in the south, " it said.

"The Government of South Sudan and the United Nations have agreed that 150,000 people displaced in the north will be assisted through organized returns, with the IOM facilitating the transportation of 35,000 people," it added.

Another estimated 48,000 southern Sudanese IDPs, currently in southern Darfur and other states, will be assisted to go back home by the IOM between now and next July.

An estimated 4 million Sudanese are still displaced within their country as a result of the conflict in the south.

Nov. 21 , 2006

Tuesday

next February

next year

now

next July


XIN_ENG_20061103.0312

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 3 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Nigeria aims to export more gas to increase revenues

Nigeria aims to export more gas to increase revenues

ABUJA, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government has planned to export more liquefied natural gas (LNG) to capture significant market shares in the world to increase the nation's revenues, a senior petroleum official said here on Friday.

Funsho Kupolokun, group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, told reporters that "the strategy being adopted to capture the market will focus on growing the LNG market and gas export pipelines."

He said a project carried out by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) "has attracted over 3.6 billion (U.S.) dollars revenues to the country," adding that part of the money had been reinvested for further growth and the country's gas sector.

According to him, the NLNG will contribute a whopping 20 percent of Nigeria's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2007.

Kupolokun said Train 5 of the country's LNG project was commissioned in December 2005 and the Train 6 was slated for being commissioned in 2008, with the growth forecast for the NLNG capacity of about 30 million tons annually by 2012.

He said the West African Gas Pipeline project would be commissioned by the end of the first quarter of 2007.

The official also disclosed that two additional regional pipelines were under evaluation including the supply to Equatorial Guinea.

Nov. 3 , 2006

Nov. 3

Friday

December 2005

the end of the first quarter of 2007


AFP_ENG_20061222.0446

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 22 , 2006, 2006

FBI focusing on lawyer as leak source in BALCO case: report

FBI agents are focusing upon defense attorney Troy Ellerman as the source of leaks of grand jury testimony linking Barry Bonds and other top athletes to steroids, Yahoo Sports reported Friday.

Larry McCormack, who worked as an investigator on the BALCO steroids case, told the website that Ellerman has been the subject of an FBI probe. McCormack said he was based in the same office as Ellerman at the time of the leaks.

McCormack told he performed investigative work on behalf of BALCO founder Victor Conte and said he told the FBI Ellerman relayed confidential grand jury information to a San Francisco Chronicle reporter in 2004.

"I felt it was wrong," McCormack said of the leaks. "I said it was wrong from the get-go."

Grand jury testimony, which was to remain secret, was published in the Chronicle and the words of Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and sprinter Tim Montgomery were used to link them to the steroid scandal.

The Chronicle reporters, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, wrote a book on the BALCO scandal. They face longer prison sentences for refusing to reveal the source of the leaked testimony than any served by the five men convicted in the BALCO scandal.

Michael Rains, the attorney representing Bonds, told Yahoo he does not believe Ellerman leaked grand jury information or transcripts, saying Ellerman would not have had access to some information reported by the Chronicle.

Dec 22 , 2006

Friday


AFP_ENG_20051216.0310

KABUL, Dec 16 , 2005

ATTENTION - INSERTS Taliban claim of responsibility ///

A bomb exploded Friday near the building where Afghanistan's parliament will meet next week for the first time in three decades, killing an apparent suicide attacker and wounding two passers-by.

The bomb was in a car and exploded about 500 metres (1,650 feet) from the building where parliament is scheduled to open on Monday, killing the driver who appeared to be a suicide bomber, a government official said.

The bloodied and shredded remains of the dead man were flung about 50 metres off the road, which was strewn with metal and glass shards of the destroyed vehicle.

"It's believed to have been a suicide attack that was not able to make it to a potential target -- we believe it exploded prematurely," interior ministry spokesman Yousuf Stanizai told AFP.

"The bomb was placed in a pressure cooker. The driver has been killed and two passers-by were wounded," he said, blaming the attack on the "enemies of Afghanistan" -- a term used to refer to insurgents, including from the Taliban government ousted in 2001 in a US-led invasion.

A Norwegian vehicle in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force that patrols the heavily fortified capital was slightly damaged in the blast, ISAF said.

It was unclear if the ISAF convoy was the target of the blast, a spokesman said. ISAF patrols in the city were hit by two suicide blasts on November 14 which killed a German soldier and eight Afghans. Police blamed Taliban insurgents and their Al-Qaeda allies.

A purported spokesman for the toppled Taliban said one of the movement's fighters had carried out Friday's attack, which he claimed had been intended for the parliament building.

"The attack was carried out by one of our mujahedin (holy warriors)," Mohammed Hanif said by telephone.

"The actual target was the parliament building but when he saw lots of security outside, he changed his target to the NATO convoy," he said.

Another man who often contacts the media claiming to be a Taliban spokesman warned earlier that the parliament, elected in September in the first general legislative election since 1969, would become a target of the insurgency.

"The parliament has been made up by invader Americans. They want to impose it on Afghans," said Qari Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi.

"We'll attack them as we attack the government and invading American infidels," he said by telephone.

The United States launched the attack that removed the Taliban from power after the hardliners refused to hand over Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Taliban rebels are mostly active in southern and eastern Afghanistan with the insurgency leaving more than 1,500 people dead this year. There has been an upsurge in Taliban-blamed suicide attacks in the past weeks, with about 10 since late September.

The violence has cast a shadow on the war-scarred country's attempts to moves towards democracy, a key step being the election for the parliament to meet on Monday.

Presidential spokesman Karim Rahimi said there may be some "disturbances" related to the sitting of the new parliament but this would not affect the quest for democracy.

"We believe that the process that the majority of the people of Afghanistan have chosen -- going towards democracy, having a parliament -- that will continue, despite some problems. This will not stop progress," he said.

Dec 16 , 2005

Friday

next week

three decades

Monday

November 14

Friday

September

September 11

this year

the past weeks

late September

Monday


AFP_ENG_20051207.0327

TALLINN, Dec 7 , 2005

Estonia protests further alleged air space violation by Russia

Estonia has protested to the Russian authorities after a Russian military plane breached the Baltic state's air space in the fifth such violation this year, officials said Wednesday.

"A Russian military transport An-26 entered Estonian airspace without permission Tuesday," the Estonian defence forces said in a statement.

"The plane, flying towards Kaliningrad, entered Estonian airspace near the island of Vaindloo in the Gulf of Finland."

The Russian plane, which posed no threat to civilian air traffic, was picked up on the radar of the Estonian Air Sovereignty Centre and left the Baltic state's air space after it was contacted by Estonian officials.

Kaliningrad is a heavily militarised Russian enclave which lies to the south of the three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which joined NATO last year.

NATO member countries take turns patrolling the skies of the Baltic states, which were incorporated into the Soviet Union after World War II and regained independence in 1991.

Dec 7 , 2005

this year

Wednesday

Tuesday

last year


XIN_ENG_20051108.0207

GAZA, Nov. 8 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Palestinians slam Israeli call to end UN mandate in Gaza

Senior Palestinian officials on Tuesday slammed an Israeli call to suspend activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip.

Hatem Abdel Qader, a Palestinian legislator, told reporters that Israel attempts to end the UNRWA's mandate to remove the issue of refugees and their right of return.

He said the international community should pay close attention to the issue of Palestinian refugees and work to alleviate their sufferings.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom called on the UNRWA to transfer its mandate to the Palestinian National Authority and end its activities in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Sami Mushasha, a spokesperson for the UNRWA in Jerusalem, said Shalom's request was a personal one and the UNRWA has rejected his request.

Nov. 8 , 2005

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_19970414.0222

LONDON, April 14 , 1997 (AFP)

British output prices fall by 0.1 percent in March

A surprise fall in factory gate prices here in the month of March may mask inflationary pressures in Britain's dominant service sector, economists said on Monday.

British output prices, or the price of goods at the factory gate, showed their sharpest fall since September 1986 in March, when they fell by 0.1 percent from the figure for February. Output prices rose by 1.0 percent on a 12-month comparison, official figures showed.

These figures were slightly lower than analysts had expected. The market median forecast was for output prices to rise by 0.2 percent over the month and to rise by 1.3 percent on a 12-month comparison.

Economist at the HSBC James Capel trading house, Adam Cole, said that the data -- which is only applicable to the manufacturing sector -- covers just 20 percent of the British economy.

"The weakness of the manufacturing sector has been well documented, while it is the strength of the service sector which is giving cause for concern with regard to the build up of inflationary pressures," Cole said.

British inflation figures will be published on Thursday. Economists said that they would also pay close attention to average earnings and unemployment data which was due to be published on Wednesday.

Input prices, or the cost of raw materials for industry, showed their sharpest fall since December 1986 and fell by 0.5 percent in March from the figure for February. On a 12-month comparison, input prices fell by 7.7 percent .

The fall in prices was higher than analysts had forecast. The market median forecast was for input prices to rise by 0.3 percent over the month and to fall by 6.5 percent on a 12-month comparison.

In February, factory-gate prices had risen by 1.3 percent on a 12-month comparison. Input prices fell by 6.5 percent.

April 14 , 1997

the month

Monday

September 1986

March

February

the month

Thursday

Wednesday

December 1986

March

February

the month

February


AFP_ENG_19970408.0598

GENEVA, April 8 , 1997 (AFP)

Aung San Suu Kyi calls for action to restore democracy

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday urged the international community to denounce the escalating human rights violations in Burma and restore the democracy snatched away by the ruling military junta.

"There are hardly any human rights which have not been violated by this military regime. And we need strong action from the international community to put an end to these constant violations of basic human rights," Aung San Suu Kyi said.

She further asked the international community to implement a general assembly resolution, calling for the restoration of democracy in Burma.

"Our political rights are getting fewer and fewer by the day. There are more restrictions, more repression, the autorities seem determined to crush any kind of political movement," the opposition leader said in a video message, smuggled out of Burma and delivered to the 53rd session of the annual session of the UN Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva.

The European Union is expected to present a resolution condemning Burma to the commission.

Last month, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma denounced arbitrary executions, torture, forced labour, deportation, rape and the general climate of fear under Burma's ruling junta.

The junta in 1990 cancelled the election victory of the opposition National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

The opposition leader accused the government of persecuting its opponents, their sympathisers and their families through economic pressure and carrying out arrests on the basis of trumped up charges.

For the past three months, all of her visitors have been filtered by the military and she said access is often denied to diplomats and foreign journalists.

Aung Sang Suu Kyi urged the United Nations to ensure that the UN human rights rapporteur to Burma should be authorised to travel to the country and she further called for the establishment of a human rights surveillance group.

Lastly, she called on Thai authorities to welcome refugees driven out by the Burmese army's offensive against ethnic minorities carried out earlier this year.

She is anxious that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees should have access to the approximately 100,000 refugees that the Thai authorities are preparing to send back to Burma following an agreement with the ruling military.

April 8 , 1997

Tuesday

the day

Last month

the past three months

earlier this year


XIN_ENG_20051128.0235

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 28 , 2005 (Xinhua)

S. African rand steady

The South African rand was steady in late trade on Monday despite a weaker euro, supported by two-way trade and a stronger gold price which was at a 18-year high.

At 15:40 (1340 GMT), the rand was bid at 6.5160 per dollar from Friday's close of 6.4940 and Thursday's close of 6.5011.

It was bid at 7.6386 to the euro from Friday's close of 7.6163 and Thursday's close of 7.6875 and at 11.1090 against sterling from a previous 11.1052 and Thursday's 11.2023.

Traders said that gold, which seems once again to be eyeing the key 500 US dollars per ounce level, would lend support to the local currency.

At 15:40 (1340 GMT), gold was quoted at 495.60 dollars a troy ounce, having earlier traded at an 18-year high of 499.14 dollars per ounce.

Nov. 28 , 2005

Monday

Friday

Thursday

Friday

Thursday

Thursday's 11.2023


WSJ891027-0143
 = 891027
 891027-0143.
 Dividend News:
@  AEP Industries Inc.
 10/27/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 AEPI
 DIVIDENDS (DIV)

   AEP INDUSTRIES Inc. directors authorized a 3-for-2 split of the common, payable Dec. 7 to stock of record Nov. 22.
The split was aimed at boosting the stock's liquidity, said Brendan Barba, chairman of the Moonachie, N.J., maker of plastic film products.
After the split, the company will have more than 4.7 million shares outstanding.
In national over-the-counter trading yesterday, AEP shares closed at $21.25, down 50 cents.

Dec. 7

Nov. 22

yesterday


XIN_ENG_20061116.0135

BEIJING, Nov. 16 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Chinese father "prolongs" son's life by organ donation

A father from Shenzhen has donated all of his dying son's organs in an attempt to make his son's life more meaningful and memorable.

When 17-year-old Xia Chao Ming was diagnosed with an incurable galloping tumor in his head, his 48-year-old father Xia Yueyan decided to donate his son's organs. Initially, the shocked family could not agree but Xia's perseverance and persuasion finally made them change their minds.

"His eyes will still be shining and we will feel his heart beating if his organs remain alive somewhere in this world after his death", Xia Yueyan said.

Xia added that his son's life would be more meaningful and "prolonged" as more people would remember him.

The Xia family left their farmland in Yuanjiang of China's central Hunan province and opened a small restaurant in Shenzhen just a year ago. Xia Yueyan decided to donate his son's organs to the Shenzhen branch of the Red Cross Society and entered his son's name on the donation agreement after a long conversation with him.

Xia Chaoming agreed to his father's decision and said it was the right thing to do as he could not do enough to pay back his parents and society.

Many people sent money to Xia's family after media exposure and were declined. "Money is irrelevant. We are donating the organs not selling them", Xia said.

China is suffering a serious shortage of human organ donations as many Chinese believe that their body are their parents' flesh and blood and few are willing to donate their organs after death.

According to a recent report, about 1.5 million patients in China need organ transplants each year, but only around 10,000 operations can be carried out due to organ shortages.

Nov. 16 , 2006

a year ago

each year


WSJ891030-0174
 = 891030
 891030-0174.
 Crossland Savings Stock Plunges as Firm
@  Recommends Suspension of Dividends
@  ----
@  By Udayan Gupta
@  Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 CRL
 DIVIDENDS (DIV)
FINANCIAL, ACCOUNTING, LEASING (FIN)
EARNINGS (ERN)
 NEW YORK

   Crossland Savings Bank's stock plummeted after management recommended a suspension of dividend payments on both its common and preferred stock because Crossland may not meet the new government capital criteria effective Dec. 7.

   In composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday, Crossland closed at $5.25, down $1.875, a 26% decline.

   A spokesman said the savings bank may not qualify for the capital requirements because, under the proposed guidelines, its $380 million of preferred stock does n't meet the "core capital" criteria outlined under the new Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989.
He added that final guidelines to be published in early November will determine whether the bank is in compliance.

   Crossland said it retained three investment bankers to assist it in developing and implementing a financial restructuring plan.
It would n't identify the bankers.

   Additionally, Crossland reported a third-quarter loss of $175.5 million, or $13.44 a share, compared with net income of $27.1 million, or $1.16 a share, a year ago.
A major factor in the third-quarter loss was the write-down of $143.6 million of goodwill.

   The spokesman said that the proposed guidelines caused Crossland to revise its business objectives and, consequently , to write down the asset value of some previous acquisitions.
Crossland recorded an additional $20 million in loan loss reserves in the third quarter.

   Net interest income for the third quarter declined to $35.6 million from $70.1 million a year ago.
However, non-interest income rose to $23.5 million from $22 million.
Third-quarter loan originations dropped sharply to $663 million from $1 billion a year ago.

   Standard amp Poor's Corp. lowered the rating on Crossland's preferred stock to double-C from single-B-minus and placed it on CreditWatch for possible further downgrade.
It also placed on CreditWatch for possible downgrade other securities, including the double-B-minus/B rating of Crossland's certificates of deposit and the single-B rating of its senior subordinated capital notes.
About $518 million of debt is affected.

Dec. 7

Friday

early November

third-quarter

a year ago

third-quarter

the third quarter

the third quarter

a year ago

Third-quarter

a year ago


AFP_ENG_20051215.0066

LONDON, Dec 15 , 2005

Macquarie makes formal offer for LSE

Australian investment group Macquarie Bank made a formal cash offer of 580 pence per share for the London Stock Exchange on Thursday, valuing the LSE at about 1.5 billion pounds (2.2 billion euros, 2.7 billion dollars).

Last week, the LSE had rejected an informal offer from Macquarie Bank which valued the stock market operator at 1.48 billion pounds, describing it as "derisory".

Thursday's offer was made before a December 15 deadline set by the British Takeover Panel for Macquarie Bank to make a formal bid or walk away.

Macquarie said that if its bid succeeded, the LSE would continue to be regulated solely by the Financial Services Authority. The exchange would continue to be managed in London.

The Australian group said one week ago that it had approached the LSE, the biggest equity market in Europe, over bid talks and indicated that it would be prepared to offer 580 pence per share in cash.

Dec 15 , 2005

Thursday

Last week

Thursday

December 15

one week ago


XIN_ENG_20061125.0028

DOHA, Nov. 25 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Iraq makes second stage of 15th ASIAD soccer with Jordan, Syria and Kyrgyzstan

Jordan slashed a pounding 13-0 victory over Macao of China and Iraq drew 0-0 with Syria here Friday in the final preliminary round of the soccer tournament in the Doha Asian Games.

Iraq and Jordan, with seven and five points respectively, have become the winners of two groups to qualify for the next stage.

Syria, together with Kyrgyzstan which tied with Tajikistan 2-2 earlier on Friday, is also able to stay in Doha as runner-up of Gruop B.

According to the newest rule issued by the Asian Games organizer,the runners-up are to take the berths of the next round in the tournament because Turkmenistan and Yemen had withdrawn from the Games.

Despite finishing on the same points with Jordan and Kyrgyzstan in Group A, Tajikistan fall out on goal difference due to Kyrgyzstan's three-goal superiority.

However, as the best third-placer, the middle Asian side still saw a glimpse of hope if Iran was banned from the game.

According to news reaching here, the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) announced a decision earlier to suspend the Iran Association from all international games.

Till now, no official advice has been received from the Asian Football Conference about Iran's suspension or what changes would be made to competition, said the official website of the 15th Asian Games.

In another uneventful game in Group A, Singapore drew with Indonesia 1-1 and both were eliminated form the competition.

The eight teams must play this preliminary round because they had not competed in the 2002 Asian Games soccer tournament.

Nov. 25 , 2006

Friday

the next stage

Friday

now


XIN_ENG_20051122.0126

SHANGHAI, Nov 22 , 2005 (Xinhua)

French minister praises China's efforts to prevent bird flu

China's approach to its fight against the bird flu is "resolute and comprehensive", said Xavier Bertrand, the French Minister of Health and Solidarity, Tuesday during his two-day visit to Shanghai.

"The Chinese government has a very full, clear understanding on the importance of containing the pandemic and the general public here have not shown an unnecessary sign of panic," Bertrand said.

He said both Chinese and French governments have taken prudent measures in preventing bird flu, adding that China has made great efforts to share information with the rest of the world.

Bertrand was invited by the Chinese Ministry of Health to kick off his first official visit to China on Nov 21. During the two-day visit, he discussed a range of issues on the topic of bird flu prevention and control with his Chinese counterpart Gao Qiang.

"China and France have a long history of cooperation in the medical field and the two sides will continue to promote medical exchanges in the future," Bertrand said.

Nov 22 , 2005

Nov 21

the future


AFP_ENG_19970405.0240

BONN, April 5 , 1997 (AFP)

Kinkel slams Ankara after criticism of deadly fire

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel has blasted Ankara for its fierce criticism of Germany following a fire there in which three Turkish people died that was initially blamed on racists.

Kinkel told the weekly Welt am Sonntag to be published Sunday that "megaphone diplomacy conducted in the gutter" could only "destroy relations nurtured over a long period."

He also called on Ankara not to exacerbate difficulties in German- Turkish relations.

The Turkish press and government reacted furiously to the fire, which occurred on March 31 in the western city of Krefeld, plunging Turkish- German relations to a new low.

A 41-year-old woman, her 19-year-old daughter and 17-year-old son were killed in the blaze.

On Thursday an angry exchange between the two countries reached a peak when Turkish Interior Minister Meral Aksener accused Germany of trying to "burn" Turks out of the country.

However investigators found no evidence of a racist or political motive for the deadly blaze, and on Friday the woman's husband, Aziz Demir, 42, was arrested and charged over the incident.

Police said he was apparently angry that his wife was planning a divorce.

Kinkel stressed that Turkey and Germany were "very important partners for each other" and said that Turks were living in Germany as "well- regarded fellow citizens."

"We are a country that likes foreigners," he said.

German legislators also criticised Ankara.

Cornelia Schmalz-Jacobsen, a deputy of the Free Democratic Party, warned that Turkey's "premature" judgement could have negative consequences for relations between the two countries.

In an interview in the daily Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung on Saturday she said that politicians should "watch their language."

Cem Ozdemir, a member of parliament for the opposition Greens party who is of Turkish origin, told the weekly Bild am Sonntag that Ankara's reaction "not only damages official relations between Germany and Turkey" but also "puts pressure on daily life" between members of the two communities.

April 5 , 1997

Sunday

March 31

Thursday

Friday

Saturday


nyt_20130321_cyprus

2013-03-21

For Euro Zone, a Cyprus Exit Would Have Little Impact

A Cyprus exit from the euro union, if it comes to that, would have a devastating effect on the country's citizens, who are among the most indebted in the euro zone. And for European unity and diplomacy, the Cyprus debacle has already been at least a short-term disaster.

ut for the broader financial system in Europe, the losses resulting from a Cypriot banking collapse and the country's return to its former currency would be minimal compared with the havoc that Greece would have created had it not been bailed out.

And that, economists and investors contend, is why Germany and its Dutch stalking horse, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, were so adamant that depositors - large and small, Cypriot and Russian - contribute 5.8 billion euros ($7.5 billion) toward the 10 billion euro bailout of Cyprus's largest banks.

Greece may well have been too big to fail last year, but Cyprus, which creates less than one-half percent of the euro zone's gross domestic product, is certainly not.

From a financial standpoint, what is most noteworthy is that the combined debt of the Cypriot people, companies and government is 2.6 times the size of the country's gross domestic product. Only Ireland, still struggling to recover from the banking collapse that required an international bailout in 2010, has a higher debt-to-G.D.P. ratio among euro zone countries.

As debts in Europe mount in inverse proportion to the ability of its citizens, companies and governments to make good on them, the view is forming in Berlin and Brussels that a signal must be sent that citizens and investors must start accepting losses for the euro zone to survive in the long run.

"There have been too many bailouts in Europe; it's time to remove the air bags," said Stephen Jen, a former economist at the International Monetary Fund who runs a hedge fund in London. "This is not a Lehman," he said, referring to the disastrous chain reaction touched off by the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

Eric Dor is a French economist who has studied the mechanics of how a country might remove itself from the monetary union. By his calculations, the euro zone - through its central banking system and its national banks - has just 27 billion euros in outstanding credit exposure to Cyprus. That is a mere rounding error compared with the euro zone G.D.P. of 9.4 trillion euros.

Estimates of the potential cost if Greece had been forced into a disorderly euro exit have ranged from 200 billion euros to 800 billion euros, given the larger exposure that the European Central Bank and European banks had to the country.

"This explains why Germany and others are putting so much pressure on Cyprus," said Mr. Dor, head of research at the Ieseg School of Management in Lille, France. "They are saying we can take the risk of pushing Cyprus out of the euro zone, and that Europe can take the losses without going broke."

Mr. Dor notes that the current euro zonewide system of insuring bank deposits up to 100,000 euros was put in place after the financial panic that followed the Lehman collapse. Those deposits are supposed to be insured by national governments.

So when the president of Cyprus admitted this week that his country did not have the money to backstop the 30 billion euros of guaranteed bank deposits - a figure greater than the Cypriot economy itself - a crucial bond of trust between a government and its citizens was snapped.

"It is the first time ever that the leader of a euro zone country has admitted that he could not afford to pay the guarantee," Mr. Dor said.

A hasty expulsion from the euro zone would make the savings of the Cypriot people all the more evanescent, once they are converted back into Cypriot pounds, the currency Cyprus used before adopting the euro in 2007.

last year

this week


AFP_ENG_20051212.0102

PARIS, Dec 12 , 2005

Police swoop in Paris region nets 20 to 30

Between 20 and 30 people were arrested early Monday in the Paris region under an investigation into the funding of Islamist extremists, officials said.

Investigators believe some of the detainees are active in organised crime and have carried out armed robberies to raise money for Islamist groups, the officials said.

The suspects were under surveillance for several weeks and were detained after evidence emerged that "violent actions" were being planned, the officials added.

Dec 12 , 2005

early Monday

several weeks


XIN_ENG_20051128.0035

TOKYO, Nov. 28 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Tokyo stocks end higher

Japan's key stock index rose for the eighth straight trading day Monday to set a new five-year closing high as export-oriented high-tech and auto maker issues attracted buying on the dollar's rise to near the 120 yen line.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 202.65 points, or 1.37 percent, to 14,986.94, its highest close since 15,168.68 was registered on Dec. 13, 2000.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed 13.76 points, or 0.90 percent, to 1, 543.43, setting its highest finish since 1,543.63 was marked on Aug. 28, 2000.

Mizuho Trust  Banking was the day's volume leader, down 6 yen to 383 yen.

Softbank was the most heavily traded issue by value. It rose 470 yen to 9,830 yen.

Trading volume on the TSE's main section came to 2,046.45 million shares against Friday's 2,264.31 million shares.

Export-related issues gained and bank, oil and mining issues were the major decliners.

Advancing issues outnumbered decliners 975 to 595, with 93 shares ending unchanged.

The TSE's Second Section index rose 39.27 points, or 0.86 percent, to 4,602.64 on a volume of 142.00 million shares. In Osaka, the near-term December Nikkei 225 index futures contract surged 190 points to 14,970.

Nov. 28 , 2005

day Monday

Dec. 13, 2000

Aug. 28, 2000

Friday


AFP_ENG_20061220.0634

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Dec 20 , 2006, 2006

Williams sisters did not break contract: lawyer

The Williams sisters did not breach a 2001 contract for an unplayed tennis tournament because the promise to play was a letter signed by their father and not the tennis stars, their lawyer said at the close of a trial here Wednesday.

"There is no contract which my clients entered into," Malcolm Cunningham told a jury of eight at the close of a nine-million-dollar lawsuit brought by two promoters for breach of contract. The first trial was annulled a year ago.

The jury withdrew and was expected to arrive at a verdict as soon as Thursday.

At the heart of the lawsuit is a written promise their father, Richard Williams, signed for the appearance of his daughters Venus and Serena in a 2001 tournament, billed as the battle of the sexes. The event never took place and the plaintiffs say the Williams sisters reneged on their promise.

Cunningham maintained that what the promoters's lawyers called a "valid and binding contract" was simply a letter of introduction to the private company that handles the sisters' business.

The so-called contract, the lawyer told the jury, "was signed by Richard Williams, not Venus Williams, not Serena Williams ... this letter is not a contract."

He went on to say that the Williams sisters signed their own contracts and that neither was aware of what their father had done.

"There's simply no evidence here that Venus and Serena Williams did something wrong here. They simply did not know," Cunningham said.

A lawyer for the promoters, who claim they lost nine million dollars by cancelling the tournament, maintained the tennis stars' father was involved with all aspects of his daughters' careers.

Richard Williams negotiated their contracts and signed documents in their names, said John Romano who showed the jury a video in which Williams said his daughters were aware of all his business deals.

Romano also showed tax returns filed by Williams showing he was paid two million dollars by his daughters for his training and administrative services.

"An income tax return didn't authorize Richard Williams" to make deals on behalf of his daughters, replied Cunningham.

Dec 20 , 2006

Wednesday

a year ago

Thursday


AFP_ENG_19970404.0089

PAPEETE, April 4 , 1997 (AFP)

Black pearl is jewel in the Polynesian crown

Exports of French Polynesian black pearls rose 46 percent in 1996 against the previous to become the jewel of the French territory's economy, officials said Friday.

The 750 million francs (135 million dollars) earned from the pearls made up 90 percent of the value of French Polynesia's exports, according to the territorial economy minister, Georges Puchon.

He added that a tripling of the pearl industry exports in the next 10 years could bring the trade account into surplus. The territory currently exports about 850 million francs worth of goods but imports around five billion francs of goods.

Japan takes around two thirds of the pearls, with the United States, Hong Kong and Singapore the other main markets.

Some 87,000 black pearls from the Tuamotu and Gambier islands were to be put on show in Papeete on Friday and Saturday before being auctioned. Around 145 lots will be offered to around 50 foreign wholesalers and jewelers and 30 local buyers.

Producers hope to make 35 million francs from the auction, against 17 million francs last year.

April 4 , 1997

Friday

the next 10 years

currently

Friday

last year


XIN_ENG_20061108.0124

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 8 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Malaysia stock market closes higher

Share prices on Malaysia stock market closed higher on Wednesday.

At the closing bell, the benchmark Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) gained 4.01 points to 1007.29.

The Second Board Index dropped 0.74 of a point to 87.03, the Industrial Index rose 23.43 points to 2119.66 and Mesdaq edged down 0.29 of a point to 115.50.

Losers led gainers 419 to 389 while 322 counters traded unchanged.

Volume stood at 984.13 million shares worth 1.274 billion ringgit (344.32 million U.S. dollars), up from 875.15 million shares worth 1.22 billion ringgit (330 million U.S. dollars on Tuesday.

Nov. 8 , 2006

Wednesday

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20061210.0248

KHARTOUM, Dec 10 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS details on AU observers ///

Twenty-two civilians were killed in a weekend attack in western Sudan which the government blamed on Darfur rebels and which threatened to deepen the crisis in the war-torn region.

The latest violence erupted as US envoy in Sudan Andrew Natsios stepped up efforts to persuade Khartoum to accept a joint African Union-UN peacekeeping force for Darfur.

African Union spokesman Nureddin Mezni said 22 civilians were killed and 10 wounded on Saturday when gunmen ambushed a vehicle in Sirba, 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state.

Mezni did not identify the attackers but said an investigation would be launched into the attack.

The governor of West Darfur said the attack was carried out by rebel groups who refused to sign the May peace agreement reached between Khartoum and the main faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement.

"The raid was perpetrated by the rebels from the National Redemption Front, who are committed to a military escalation," interim governor Mohammed Yusef al-Tulib was quoted as saying by the state-run SUNA news agency.

He also provided a lower casualty toll of 15 dead and 14 wounded, saying the attack targeted a bus carrying 34 civilians near the border with Chad.

Eight AU observers, who were sent to investigate the incident, and their helicopter crew were held for 24 hours by an angry crowd near Sirba, the African body said.

Local residents insisted the AU team take pictures of the bodies and prevented them from flying out. The observers were eventually released unharmed on Sunday.

"Our team was freed," Mezni told AFP.

The incident comes as the fragile alliance between Khartoum and the dominant faction of the SLM was closer than ever to breaking point.

According to the United Nations, at least 200,000 people have died from the combined effects of war and famine since the fighting erupted in February 2003. Some sources put the toll much higher.

The African Union, whose 7,000 military observers in Darfur have struggled to contain the nearly four-year-old violence, said two civilians were killed on Saturday in El-Fasher, the largest town in Darfur.

The latest incident in El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state and the main base for AU troops, came a week after five people were killed in fighting between SLM former rebels and pro-government forces.

SLM chief Minni Minnawi threatened to quit the government over what he said were repeated attacks by the Janjaweed militia abetted by the regime of President Omar al-Beshir.

The UN Security Council in August adopted a resolution calling for the deployment of 20,000 UN peacekeepers in Darfur, but Beshir has so far rejected such an option as well as proposals for a "hybrid" AU-UN force.

Natsios arrived in Khartoum on Saturday in a bid to soften Khartoum's stance on peacekeepers and met Foreign Minister Lam Akol on Sunday.

"Natsios came with the idea that Sudan had a uncompromising stance and hadn't accepted everything that was decided in Abuja," foreign ministry spokesman Ali Sadek told reporters after the meeting.

"So we explained that have indeed accepted that the command of the African force be decided in consultation with the government, the AU and the UN," he said, in reference to an AU meeting held earlier this month in Abuja.

The spokesman said Khartoum had also accepted the principle of some logistical UN support to African Union forces in Darfur.

During his trip, Natsios is expected to visit the southern city of Malakal -- where violent clashes broke out last month -- as well as the disputed central territory of Abyei.

Dec 10 , 2006

Saturday

May

24 hours

Sunday

February 2003

Saturday

week

August

Saturday

Sunday

earlier this month

last month


AFP_ENG_20051206.0287

LJUBLJANA, Dec 6 , 2005

OSCE fails to agree joint declaration

The 55 member states of the OSCE failed Tuesday to agree a joint declaration at a ministerial meeting here, instead issuing a statement by the current holder of its rotating presidency, Slovenia.

The statement was issued by the conference chairman, Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel.

The move followed Russia's refusal to acknowledge a 1999 commitment to withdraw troops from Georgia and Moldova.

Dec 6 , 2005

current


XIN_ENG_20051108.0293

BAGHDAD, Nov. 8 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Xinhua Mideast news summary at 2200 GMT, Nov. 8

A lawyer for ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's codefendants was killed and another injured when gunmen opened fire at their car in Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.

"Unknown gunmen opened fire at a car carrying the two defense lawyers in al-Adil district in western Baghdad, killing Adel Muhammed Abbas and wounding Thamir Hmoud Hadi," police officer Col. Ali Muhmoud told Xinhua. (Iraq-Saddam-Lawyers-2nd Lead)

KHARTOUM, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A British aid worker working for the International Aid Services (IAS) was ambushed and shot dead by armed men in southern Sudan, a spokesman of IAS said on Tuesday.

Andreas Zetterlund said three members of its staff aboard a vehicle were ambushed Saturday by a group of armed men while they were traveling from Kaya in Uganda to Yei, a town in southern Sudan. (Sudan-Attack)

TEHRAN, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Tuesday rejected a recent statement issued by the European Union (EU) which urges Tehran to fully suspend activities related to uranium enrichment before the two sides resume the stalled bilateral nuclear talks.

Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani Tuesday rejected the EU call to stop the uranium conversion facilities and condemned the EU for having gone extremes and adopting journalistic hype toward the Iranian nuclear issue, the official IRNA news agency reported. (Iran-Nuclear)

GAZA, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mahmoud al-Zahar, a prominent leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday called on ruling Fatah movement to step down from the authority if its unable to solve its internal problems.

Al-Zahar told reporters that Fatah movement is not responsible for all Palestinians, adding that the pursuit of a Palestinian state is not strictly in the hands of that movement. (Palestinians- Hamas)

CAIRO, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that the international organization is interested in pushing forward the Middle East peace process at all tracks.

Annan, who arrived here late Monday, made the remarks at a press conference after talks with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit. (Egypt-Annan-Mideast)

DAMASCUS, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- A senior Syrian official said here Tuesday that the country would keep its firm stances and deal with mounting international pressure against Damascus in an objective and flexible way.

Information Minister Mahdi Dakhlullah made the remarks to reporters in a statement following a weekly cabinet session.

"The pressure against Syria is due to its rejection of occupation, aggression and hegemony policies in this region and in any part of the world," Dakhlullah told the reporters. (Syria- Pressure)

JERUSALEM, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Tuesday that the targeted killings of wanted Palestinian militants will continue.

Sharon made the position clear at a meeting of the Knesset ( parliament) Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. (Israel- Palestinians-Target)

Nov. 8 , 2005

Tuesday

Nov. 8

Tuesday

Saturday

Nov. 8

Tuesday

Tuesday

Nov. 8

Tuesday

Nov. 8

Tuesday

late Monday

Nov. 8

Tuesday

Nov. 8

Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20061129.0214

AMMAN, Nov. 29 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Urgent: Iraq's Maliki arrives in Amman for talks with Bush

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived here Wednesday for talks with U.S. President George W. Bush on ways to halt violence in his war-torn country.

Nov. 29 , 2006

Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20061112.0150

JERUSALEM, Nov. 12 , 2006 (Xinhua)

IDF chief of staff rejects findings of inquiry on soldiers' capture

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Dan Halutz on Sunday rejected some of conclusions formulated by a commission of inquiry investigating the abduction of two IDF soldiers on the Lebanese border in July, which led to a recent war with Hezbollah.

During a meeting of the IDF General Staff, Halutz said that some of criticisms by the commission, headed by Major General Doron Almog, were baseless.

Almog lashed criticism at the policy of restraint employed by the IDF in recent years, saying that it failed to curb the growing forces of Hezbollah on Lebanon's border with Israel.

Earlier in the day, IDF Galilee Division Commander Brigadier General Gal Hirsch decided to resign from his position amid criticism of his performance prior to and during the month-long war with Hezbollah.

Hirsch hinted in his letter of resignation to Halutz that his superiors should take responsibility for failures made during the war, causing speculation that the comments may be aimed at Halutz himself.

Hirsch also said that he had acted appropriately before and during the war, and he has decided to leave the army because of the anguish caused to his family by recent events.

"I believe that placing divisional commanders at the focus of the investigation of the fighting was a grave error," Hirsch wrote in the letter.

"I believe that it would be right to conclude that concrete responsibility for the errors, the missteps, and the failures, falls not only on the forward units and their commanders -- there is responsibility that truly should be taken by senior echelons," he said.

Almog, who is expected to present his findings later in the day to Defense Minister Amir Peretz, has said recently that he insisted that Hirsch be dismissed from the IDF over his responsibility for the abduction.

In the aftermath of the war, there have been public calls for resignations of Israeli political and military leaders, including Halutz, Peretz and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Nov. 12 , 2006

Sunday

July

recent

recent years

the day


AFP_ENG_19970401.0534

SHANGHAI, April 2 , 1997 (AFP)

Shanghai police raid home of another underground priest

Shanghai police have raided the home of a second underground Catholic priest carting away money and religious items, a US-based pressure group said Wednesday.

The Cardinal Kung Foundation said in a statement faxed here that six public security officials searched the home of Father Zen Caijun on March 29 for five hours and took away cash, a video casette recorder, religious videos and other electrical goods.

"The raid consisting of six policemen started in the late evening March 29 until early morning of March 30, lasting about five hours," the statement said, adding that no reason was given for the search and no receipt issued for the goods seized.

An official of the municipal religious affairs bureau said that they knew of the incident.

"This is a secretive matter. We cannot talk about this to the public because it involves many different opinions," she said.

A public security bureau official said the police were unable to comment on the statement.

But Shanghai police did say that on March 24 they had taken similar action against Bishop Joseph Fan Zhongliang, coadjutor of the underground Roman Catholic Church. They declined to provide details.

The Stamford, Conneticut-based Cardinal Kung Foundation said police took away 20,000 yuan (2,500 dollars), bibles, rosaries, religious medals and books.

Fan, 79, is coadjutor bishop in the absence of the Vatican-appointed Bishop of Shanghai, Cardinal Ignatius Kung, who left Shanghai in 1988 to seek medical treatment in the United States where he remains today.

The Roman Catholic Church was driven underground after the Chinese government formed its own Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in 1957. The official church is still seeking Vatican recognition.

On Sunday, US House of Representatives Speaker Newt Gringrich and Australian Prime Minister John Howard attended Easter service at an official protestant church in Shanghai.

Gringrich said it was a "wonderful thing to be able in Shanghai to be celebrating the resurrection of Christ and to worship with Chinese, Australian and with others."

"And I think it is a good sign, we want to encourage that kind of openess," he said.

April 2 , 1997

Wednesday

March 29

five hours

March 29

early morning of March 30

five hours

March 24

Sunday

Easter


XIN_ENG_20051108.0206

JAKARTA, Nov. 8 , 2005 (Xinhua)

World Bank offers assistance to Indonesia for overcoming bird flu

Paul Wolfowitz, president of the World Bank and former US ambassador to Indonesia, has offered assistance to Indonesia to overcome bird flu epidemic that has so far killed 14 people in the country.

"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Saturday received a telephone call from World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz who conveyed 'Happy Idul Fitri' greetings and congratulated him on his first anniversary as president. The two later discussed two issues namely cooperation to overcome bird flu and reconstruction process in Aceh," presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said here on Tuesday.

President Yudhoyono welcomed the offer of assistance among others compensation for farmers whose poultry would be culled to prevent the spread of the bird flu, Antara news agency quoted the spokesman as saying.

"It will be followed up. Of course there will be compensation and other things. It is still being studied," he said.

The bird flu virus H5N1 is reported to have killed 63 people in four countries and has led to the culling of 150 million poultry across the world.

Regarding Aceh reconstruction Dino said President Yudhoyono had explained to Wolfowitz that the Indonesian government was focusing efforts especially on development of infrastructural facilities and houses for refugees now still in camps.

Over 220,000 people were killed after the province was hit by the December 26 tsunami last year.

Nov. 8 , 2005

Saturday

Tuesday

now

December 26

last year


AFP_ENG_19970419.0152

KINSHASA, April 19 , 1997 (AFP)

Hopes of Mobutu-Kabila talks stumble over rebel demands by Mario Fiorito

Hopes of direct talks between Zairean President Mobutu Sese Seko and rebel leader Laurent Kabila receded Saturday, as demands that Mobutu quit immediately enraged his entourage and damaged prospects of a face-saving exit.

Mobutu's special advisor said Friday the president had agreed in principle to meet Kabila at the request of South African President Nelson Mandela.

But, as the rebels insist the only negotiations they will agree to must be on the manner of his departure, and given the differences on a ceasefire that still divide the warring sides, the chances of an encounter appear remote.

Mobutu's aide, Honore Ngbanda Nzambo, told a news conference Friday that Mobutu had accepted Mandela's invitation for talks, but practical details on time and date remained to be sorted out.

Later Friday, the Zairean government called for a "complete and immediate cessation of hostilities."

Mandela's spokesman was more confident, saying Mobutu could meet Kabila in Cape Town "in the first part of next week, probably on Monday or Tuesday."

However, that supposes a sudden climbdown on the part of Kabila who, with his forces already in control of half the nation and most of its vast mineral resources, can call the shots.

Kabila has not yet confirmed that he will meet Mobutu, who the rebels have continually called on to resign throughout their six-month campaign.

On Friday, rebel "foreign minister" Bizima Kahara restated that position, saying "Mobutu must quit power" and "no ceasefire is possible before the end of the war," nor would the rebels ever share power.

"We will not stop hostilities, we want an end to the war. We cannot sign a ceasefire with mercenaries," he added, stating that both negotiations and the military option were open to the rebels.

Ngbanda rejected any suggestion that Mobutu should relinquish his 32-year rule or go into exile, but said there was agreement between the two sides on free and fair elections open to all, including the president.

Cancer-stricken Mobutu, 66, has resolutely clung to power despite the rebel onslaught and announced he may stand if presidential elections are held.

Given his long autocratic hold on power, the rebel demands -- coupled with hints from capitals around the world that he should resign -- must be hurting Mobutu's pride.

Kabila meanwhile continues to threaten to take Kinshasa by June, but says he will spare the lives of expatriates, as if hinting they could be hostages. The rebels say they are 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the capital, although diplomats put them further away.

"What difference is there for Zaire between Mobutu and Kabila," a diplomat here asked Saturday.

"Kabila must understand that routing the Zairean army is one thing, it is not difficult, but colliding with the powerful machinery of the international community is another matter altogether."

The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, also voiced a rumour that has already surfaced in Kinshasa -- the presence of a total of 4,000 Belgian, British, French and US soldiers in neighbouring countries to evacuate foreign nationals if necessary.

"He (Kabila) should ask wy the West has placed so many of your best troops around Zaire ... to evacuate less than 3,000 people."

Kabila himself was due to hold a public meeting on Saturday in Lubumbashi, Zaire's second city and its economic hub, which was captured by the rebels 10 days ago, the rebels' Voice of People radio station reported.

At the end of the morning, local people were starting to converge on foot on the stadium, still named after Mobutu.

April 19 , 1997

Saturday

Friday

Friday

Friday

next week

Monday or Tuesday

Friday

June

Saturday

Saturday

10 days ago

the end of the morning