AFP_ENG_19970417.0024

BANGKOK, April 17 , 1997 (AFP)

First Thai ambassdor to WTO dies

The first Thai ambassdor to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Danai Tulalampa, has died of cancer, a foreign ministry official said Thursday.

Danai, 61, who died Monday, was appointed in early 1995 as the first Thai ambassdor to the WTO, where he chaired the agriculture committee before retiring at age 60.

Before working at the WTO, he held posts as deputy permanent secretary of the commerce ministry and director-general of the foreign ministry's economic department.

He also served as ambassdor to Belgium and to the European Union for four years from 1988.

April 17 , 1997

Thursday

Monday

early 1995

four years


XIN_ENG_20061102.0193

PORT VILA, Vanuatu, Nov. 2 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Vanuatu FM reiterates one-China policy

Vanuatu Deputy Prime Minister Sato Kilman on Thursday reiterated his country's one- China policy, expressing satisfaction over the development of Vanuatu-China relations.

Kilman, also the South Pacific island country's foreign minister, told Xinhua here that all major political parties in Vanuatu support the one-China policy.

He said the Chinese government's endeavor towards a peaceful reunification of the country is not only conducive to the well- being of the peoples across the Taiwan Straits, but also to the peace in the region at large.

"The Chinese government has done a lot in this regard," he said.

He expressed his appreciation over China's assistance to Vanuatu, saying the Chinese medical teams, agricultural teams and sports coaches have earned respect from the Vanuatu people.

Kilman welcomed Chinese tourists to his country as one of the ways to further boost the bilateral cooperation.

He spoke highly of the role of the Chinese community, which is about 400 to 500 out of the country's 200,000 population, in the local social and economic life.

"It is the Chinese business people who helped Vanuatu's development," he noted, adding the country values very much the Chinese community's contribution to the economy.

Nov. 2 , 2006

Thursday


AFP_ENG_19970412.0416

OTTAWA, April 12 , 1997 (AFP)

Lebanese PM alter Canadian visit, on doctor's advice

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri canceled a planned visit to Alberta on doctor's advice to rest in Ottawa, the Canadian foreign ministry said Saturday.

Hariri was to have traveled to Edmonton Saturday for a meeting with the provincial premier, Ralph Klein, and other meetings with business leaders.

Canadian officials said Hariri had a hectic schedule following his arrival here Thursday directly from Moscow.

The Lebanese prime minister will resume his normal activities Sunday, flying to Montreal for talks on economic cooperation and meetings with members of the Lebanese community, officials said.

He is to leave Monday for Lebanon.

Al-Hariri is the first Lebanese prime minister ever to visit Canada while in office.

April 12 , 1997

Saturday

Thursday

Sunday

Monday


XIN_ENG_20061108.0399

QUITO, Nov. 8 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Chavez accused of "interference" in Ecuador's elections

Ecuador's President Alfredo Palacio on Wednesday denounced Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's "interference" in Ecuador's presidential elections.

"This is unacceptable. There cannot be such outside interference," said Palacio, referring to Chavez's remarks that banana tycoon Alvaro Noboa used his vast wealth to exert influence in the elections.

Noboa finished first "in a somewhat strange fashion" in the first round, Chavez told foreign correspondents in Caracas on Wednesday. "He showed up in the first place and started spreading money around all over the place."

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Francisco Carrion said he had summoned Venezuelan Ambassador to Ecuador, Oscar Navas, on Wednesday morning to lodge a complaint about Chavez's comments.

After the meeting, Navas told reporters that "there is no interference" as Chavez "said nothing against the Ecuadorean government."

According to Ecuadorian law, a candidate needs 50 percent, or at least 40 percent and a 10-percentage-point lead over the rest of the field, to avoid a runoff.

As the Oct. 15 Ecuadorian elections failed to produce an outright winner, Noboa and Rafael Correa, a leftist candidate favored by Chavez, will face each other in a runoff on Nov. 26.

Nov. 8 , 2006

Wednesday

Wednesday

Wednesday morning

Oct. 15

Nov. 26


XIN_ENG_20061121.0156

LONDON, Nov. 21 , 2006 (Xinhua)

British stocks trade higher at midday

British stocks traded higher at midday on Tuesday on the London Stock Exchange.

The FTSE 100-share index was up 21.00 points, at 6,226.10 at noon.

Nov. 21 , 2006

Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20061127.0071

BEIJING, Nov. 27 , 2006 (Xinhua)

awards

Chinese film director Chen Kaige, who received a controversial nomination for a "Green Chinese" award, didn't make the short list for the awards which was released on Sunday.

Chen Kaige's 340-million-yuan (42 million US dollars) film, "The Promise" damaged the environment near a pristine lake shore in Shangri-la in southwest Yunnan Province, according to the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA).

Another controversial nominee, director Zhang Jizhong, who was accused of damaging the Jiuzhaigou National Park during filming also didn't make the short list.

Wang Panpu, secretary-general of the award's organizing committee, said Chen and Zhang were ranked well down on the list of 235 nominees and were quickly eliminated from the 24-person short list.

Chen and Zhang's nominations announced a month ago stirred a hot debate on the Internet and in the media.

The "Green Chinese" annual award is co-sponsored by seven government departments and supported by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), which selects five to ten Chinese who have made a significant contribution to protecting the environment.

Internet users were encouraged to submit their own nominations which are checked for eligibility by the organizing committee, said a spokeswoman for the awards.

Many netizens described the nomination of the directors as an outrageous irony.

"Most Internet users wrote that Chen was a negative example but if it wasn't for his movie there wouldn't have been such a huge debate about environmental protection," the spokeswoman said.

Zhang Jizhong apologized for damaging the environment during the shooting of his film.

Chen Kaige's film production company was fined 90,000 yuan for damaging the lake near Shangrila.

Nov. 27 , 2006

Sunday

a month ago


AFP_ENG_20051206.0159

LONDON, Dec 6 , 2005

Dame Kelly hangs up spikes

Double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes has announced her retirement from athletics and will not now bow out at next year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne as planned.

The 35-year-old former army sergeant said Tuesday she had been badly affected by the death of a man she met while visiting her physiotherapist in Ireland.

And she admitted she lacked the motivation to continue in the sport after winning gold in the 800 metres and 1,500m in Athens last year.

Holmes' double gold in Athens was the highlight of a career peppered with injury and disappointment.

She had battled an Achilles tendon injury to make the team for Melbourne.

Dec 6 , 2005

now

next year

Tuesday

last year


AFP_ENG_20051215.0472

BRUSSELS, Dec 15 , 2005

Bickering EU leaders to fill up on Cullen Skink

European Union leaders were to discover the pleasures of Cullen Skink when they sit down to dinner Thursday to haggle over EU financial perspectives.

It's a hearty smoked-haddock soup from Scotland -- Cullen is a coastal town and skink comes from the Gaelic word for essence -- that British Prime Minister Tony Blair hopes can help warm the mood.

Anyone wanting to spoil the mood could point out that Scotland's fisheries have been hit hard by EU fisheries policy, with tough quotas now in place after years of overfishing in the North Sea.

The two-day summit in Brussels is dominated by intense wrangling over the bloc's budget for 2007 to 2013, but the dinner itself is likely to be a more harmonious occasion.

The main course, a European diplomat told AFP, would be "carre d'agneau" -- that reads better on a menu than "lamb chops" -- from Northern Ireland, accompanied with cabbage and mushrooms.

A selection of British cheeses and oatcakes was to follow, together with coffee and, in a return to things Scottish, shortbread.

To wash it all down, there was to be Sharpham Beenleigh red wine from Devon, southwest England, and Tintern Parva white from Wales, as well as mineral water from Shropshire, in the north of England.

Coffee and shortbread was to round out the evening.

Dec 15 , 2005

Thursday

now

years


XIN_ENG_20061106.0044

BEIJING, Nov. 6 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Shenzhen stock index up -- Nov. 6

The Component Stock Index on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange closed at 4,785.37 points on Monday, up 94.94 points from the previous close.

A Share Index: 5,024.66 points, up 99.68 points;

B Share Index: 2,817.62 points, up 61.12 points;

Total Turnover: 14,619,420,000 yuan.

Nov. 6 , 2006

Monday


AFP_ENG_20051204.0117

LONDON, Dec 4 , 2005

Redknapp rues quitting Pompey

Harry Redknapp admitted Sunday that he made a "monumental mistake" in leaving Portsmouth for Southampton a year ago.

Redknapp quit Saints Saturday claiming his position was untenable after chairman Rupert Lowe refused an approach by Pompey counterpart Milan Mandaric to speak to his former manager.

And Redknapp said that despite his very public fall-out with Mandaric last season he would welcome a return to Fratton Park.

"The last year has been the worst of my life and that is no exaggeration," he told the Sunday Mirror.

"I don't know what possessed me to leave Portsmouth in the first place. I'm an emotional man at the best of times but I made a monumental mistake walking out of Fratton Park and a day hasn't passed since I left the ground for the last time that I didn't regret my decision.

"The truth is I have had my rows with chairman Milan Mandaric but they were petty and the vast majority were my fault."

Redknapp added: "The only reason I remained at the club (Southampton) following relegation was I felt I owed it to the fans to get them back up but I would be a liar if I said my heart was in the job.

"Events this season have simply increased my desire to get away and once Portsmouth asked permission to speak to me this week I knew I had to go back.

"I have no intention of signing a long-term deal at Pompey. If and when I can get round a table with Milan I will make it clear that I will work without a contract for the rest of the season."

Lowe's decision to bring former England rugby world cup-winning coach Clive Woodward into the backroom staff was one of the reasons for his unhappiness.

"As a bloke I got on with him but I have to say the decision to bring him in was bizarre. The relationship between me and Clive was never going to work because there were too many people undermining the structure Rupert Lowe wanted at the club," he added.

In an open letter by Mandaric published in the Sunday Mirror the Pompey chairman said: "If I'm honest I never wanted Harry to leave in the first place.

"Of all the candidates Harry is the one which that stands out. The supporters have to trust me."

Dec 4 , 2005

Sunday

a year ago

Saturday

The last year

Sunday

this week


AFP_ENG_20061219.0620

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19 , 2006, 2006

Annan hails major Spanish donation for UN poverty-reduction goals

Outgoing UN chief Kofi Annan on Tuesday praised Spain for donating 700 million dollars (550 million euros) to help the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at halving extreme poverty around the world by 2015.

"This is the largest contribution yet made to the UN for this purpose by any country, and I believe it is a splendid example of international solidarity which I hope other members will follow," Annan told a press conference, his last before he steps down on December 31 after 10 years in office.

Annan was on hand along with visiting Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at a signing ceremony for the donation here Monday.

The deal, signed between Spanish Secretary of State for International Cooperation Leire Pajin and Kemal Dervis, the UN Development Program (UNDP) Administrator, sets up the UN Fund for the Achievement of the MDGs, which will be managed by Spain and UNDP.

The MDGs call for 500 million people to be "lifted out of extreme poverty" in the next decade, putting 115 million children put in school, and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Dec 19 , 2006

Tuesday

December 31

10 years

Monday

the next decade


AFP_ENG_20051217.0257

PARIS, Dec 17 , 2005

Don't be fooled by 'democratic marriage': Al-Qaeda in Iraq

The Iraqi branch of Al-Qaeda on Saturday urged the country's Sunni Arabs not to be fooled by the apparent success of this week's landmark elections.

"We say to our (Sunni) brothers: do not be fooled by what you have heard of the propaganda from the crusaders and their footmen.

"The coming days will show you the fate of this 'democratic marriage' and the marriage of prostitution that it celebrated," the group said in a statement on a frequently used Islamist website.

"Their armed forces (of the Iraqi government) will be useless. Know that the decision of the crusaders to pull out of Iraq has already been taken," reads the statement, whose authenticity could not be verified.

The group, led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is threatening to continue its attacks in Iraq and says it did not halt them during last Thursday's elections for a full-term parliament.

"The Mujahedeen (holy warriors) succeeded in striking the positions of the crusader forces and the apostate government," it said.

On the eve of the election, during which the Sunnis flocked to the polls, the group declared it was launching a large-scale offensive against "the apostate's bastions" in order to disrupt the polls.

However this offensive did not materialise and the rare outbreaks of violence on polling day left four people dead.

Leading Sunni Arab politician Adnan al-Dulaimi on Saturday called for a coalition to protect national unity in a new parliament as he thanked insurgents for not attacking polling stations during the vote.

"The resistance announced it would protect polling stations and not allow a single group to attack them and it respected its promise," he said, referring to another militant group.

"In the name of National Concord Front, we thank them," said Dulaimi referring to the electoral coalition of which he is a leader.

Dec 17 , 2005

Saturday

this week

last Thursday

Saturday


XIN_ENG_20061101.0023

DHAKA, Nov. 1 , 2006 (Xinhua)

1st Ld: At least 16 people killed in bus accident in Bangladesh

At least 16 people were killed and 62 others injured when two passenger buses collided head on in Bangladesh's northwestern Sirajganj district Wednesday, police said.

Primary report said the accident occurred when a bus from capital Dhaka lost control and crushed into another bus at about 11:15 am local time (5:15 GMT). Local people said the casualty figure may go up as conditions of some of the injured were critical.

The injured passengers were rushed to different hospitals and clinics nearby.

Police said most passengers of the two buses were returning to their work places after Muslim's Eid festival and subsequent political agitation that disrupted communications late last month.

The accident on highway is a regular feature in the country where bus drivers do not take much care of traffic rule while the traffic department does not monitor the speed limit of vehicles on roads.

Nov. 1 , 2006

Wednesday

11:15 am local time (5:15 GMT

last month


XIN_ENG_20061103.0399

GUANGZHOU, Nov. 4 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Slump continues for Guangdong's Christmas commodities exports

Exports of Christmas commodities made in south China's Guangdong Province are still in the slump that hit the industry in 2004, a local Customs spokesman said.

The officer of the Huangpu Customs of Guangdong said the province's Christmas commodities exports were only 550 million U.S. dollars in the first nine months, just 1.7 percent up on the same period last year.

July, August and September, the mid-season for Christmas commodities, had passed, and the province's exports were unlikely to rise in the final three months, he said.

Guangdong exported 640 million U.S. dollars of Christmas commodities in 2002, a rise of 22.3 percent year-on-year, and its exports in 2003 edged up by 25.2 percent to reach 790 million U.S. dollars.

However, in 2004, Guangdong just exported 630 million U.S. dollars of Christmas commodities, down by 20.1 percent from 2003. The figure last year was 620 million U.S. dollars, down 1.8 percent year-on-year.

Exports of Chinese-made Christmas commodities had been hindered by rising costs of raw materials and increased competition for the foreign markets, said the Customs spokesman.

As Christmas gained in popularity among Chinese, especially young people, many manufacturers have focused on the domestic market and reduced their exports.

Many Chinese Christmas commodities also failed to meet quality and safety standards in the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries, said the official.

Customs officers were advising domestic manufacturers to diversify their products and improve quality to sharpen their competitiveness on the international market.

China's total export value of Christmas commodities was about 1.07 billion U.S. dollars each year in 2004 and 2005.

Nov. 4 , 2006

the first nine months

the same period last year

Christmas

the final three months

last year


AFP_ENG_19970430.0553

KINSHASA, April 30 , 1997 (AFP)

Mobutu, Kabila to meet Friday on ship: US envoy

Zairean President Mobutu Sese Seko will meet Friday for historic face- to-face talks on board a South African ship, US envoy Bill Richardson announced here.

The meeting will take place under UN auspices in international waters on a ship that will set sail from the Gabonese capital of Libreville, he added.

"I am pleased to announce that President Mobutu and Mr. Kabila have agreed to face-to-face talks," he said.

"This is a historic occasion that hopefully will lead to a peaceful transition in Zaire. "There are no pre-conditions."

The breakthrough announcement came after Richardson met Mobutu for the second time in two days. In between, he met Kabila in the rebel-held city of Lubumbashi in southeast Zaire.

Asked about the possibility of a ceasefire while the meeting is held, he replied: "It is our hope that there will be a ceasefire while these talks take place."

Mobutu did not appear after the 90-minute meeting, although he was briefly seen at the window of his palatial residence here.

Informed Zairean sources said that Mobutu would leave Kinshasa on Thursday to head to the talks.

Kabila's rebels have captured more than half this country since they launched their offensive to topple Mobutu more than six months ago.

The ailing Mobutu, 66, who is recuperating after prostate cancer surgery, has ruled over Zaire for 32 years.

Earlier Wednesday, the president's son and spokesman Nzanga Mobutu said his father did not want to meet Kabila on board the South African vessel.

Richardson said other African leaders would also take part in the encounter. He did not say who they would be, but went out of his way to praise South African President Nelson Mandela and his Gabonese counterpart Omar Bongo.

Mandela is expected to chair the talks.

The US envoy will also be present at the start of the talks, but the agenda itself will be up to Mobutu and Kabila, he added.

France said it could "only welcome" the development if the meeting were indeed to take place.

The foreign ministry said the meeting "should coincide with a defintive halt to hostilities." The venue was immaterial: "the important thing is that the meeting should take place."

April 30 , 1997

Friday

two

Thursday

six months ago

32 years

Earlier Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20051114.0166

MANILA, Nov. 14 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Philippines to seek agreement with US over custody of US marines accused of rape

The Philippines said Monday it cannot ask the US government to hand over the six US marines accused of raping a 22-year-old Filipino woman early this month, but will seek an agreement with the US side to solve the issue.

Philippine Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Zosimo Paredes said that the government can arrange for a bilateral agreement with the United States regarding custody of the suspects before a warrant of arrest is issued by a Filipino court.

"Considering that they will agree that it is an extraordinary case. Any disagreement regarding custody shall be resolved at the diplomatic level. So it has to be bilateral," said Paredes, who is executive director of the US-Filipino Visiting Forces Agreement Committee (VFACOM), which is tasked to cope with cases of alleged offenses by US servicemen visiting the Philippines.

According to the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) signed by the United States and the Philippines in 1999, cases considered extraordinary include heinous crimes such as rape, offenses punishable under the Dangerous Drug Act, and offenses punishable under the Child Abuse Law.

But Paredes said that the US authorities may transfer the soldiers to any US military facility abroad to start serving their sentences if they are found guilty by a US court martial.

"The provision of VFA is clear. Custody shall immediately reside with the US military if they so request. So we can't do anything about it," he said.

The US embassy in Manila said the US military is making a separate investigation into the case.

The six US marines were accused by a Filipino young woman of raping early this month at the former US navy base in Subic Bay. The marines, who are reportedly staying in the US embassy in Manila, have been subpoenaed by a Filipino prosecutor to appear later this month.

Nov. 14 , 2005

Monday

this month

early this month

this month


XIN_ENG_20061101.0394

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Three U.S. cities to convene on bid for 2016 Olympic Games

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) said on Wednesday that three U.S. cities will meet to discuss how to bid for the the 2016 Olympic Games.

Representatives from the candidate cities of Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco will meet in Orange County, California on Nov. 7-9, the USOC said in a statement e-mailed to Xinhua.

The two-day seminar, to be hosted by USOC, will brief the U.S. candidate cities on the USOC's long term vision and strategy, provide the cities with more practical insight on the future bid process and coordinate specific requirements for the remainder of the evaluation process, said the statement.

USOC president Peter Ueberroth will provide the keynote address, entitled "The Promise of the Olympic Movement for Our World", while Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr will speak about "Vision of the USOC Toward Beijng and Vancouver and the USOC Game Plan," according to the statement.

"This seminar is the latest step in our pragmatic, but engaged approach to the domestic bid process," said U.S. IOC Member and USOC Vice President Bob Ctvrtlik, who will be kicking off the seminar with an overview of the process and the USOC's expectations of the cities moving forward.

"We are very pleased with the level of effort and commitment demonstrated by the cities thus far, and while there is still much work to do, we want to offer the cities the opportunity to delve more deeply into the relevant themes. Our ultimate goal remains to find a city with the best chance to win internationally."

The USOC will decide whether to move forward with a 2016 bid by the end of year. If the organization moves forward with the process to submit a bid city for the Games, the USOC Board of Directors will make a choice on the USOC's candidate city in April, 2007.

The Domestic Candidate City Seminar will include a variety of topics, including: history of the Modern Olympic Games, an overview of the bid process, International Relations vision and programs, communications guidelines, marketing opportunities, Olympic venues, building the budget and framework, and bid city partnership with the USOC, according to the statement.

During the second day of the seminar, the USOC will meet individually with each city's representatives to provide feedback on previous questions and to conduct a general question-and-answer session regarding their bids.

For the next phase of the evaluation, the USOC delivered guidelines to each of the cities last week for producing a domestic set of bid books. The requirements are based on the International Olympic Committee's Candidate City Questionnaire and include questions on all 17 themes in the international candidature city files. The bid books will be due back to the USOC on Jan. 22, 2007.

Following an analysis of the bid book content, the USOC will send an Evaluation Commission to each city for an on-site review. The USOC reserves the right to eliminate any city from consideration at that time or at any point in the process.

Final presentations by each of the remaining cities will be made to the USOC Board of Directors in April.

Nov. 1 , 2006

Wednesday

Nov. 7-9

the end of year

April, 2007

the second day

the next phase

last week

Jan. 22, 2007

April


AFP_ENG_19970428.0236

ROME, April 28 , 1997 (AFP)

Italy's centre-left coalition hangs on in local polls by Suzette Bloch

Italy's centre-left coalition appears to have just held its ground against the right in the first round of partial local elections, and looks more dependent than ever on its Marxist allies.

The Olive Tree coalition had hoped for a vote of confidence from the Sunday poll, in which one-fifth of the electorate voted in around 1,000 municipalities, including the major northern cities of Milan, Turin and Trieste.

Counting began Monday morning and final results will be published later in the day.

However, exit polls gave an indication of the overall trends, which suggested a left-right polarisation in Italian politics.

The Refounded Communist Party, the Marxist party which supports the government without participating in it, made a particularly strong showing.

Also notable was a disastrous performance by the secessionist Northern League.

In Milan, Italy's economic powerhourse, and the only city controlled by the league, outgoing mayor Marco Formentini was soundly defeated.

Formentini came in in third place and will not take part in a second round of voting on May 11.

Leading the poll was centre-right Freedom Alliance candidate Gabriele Albertini while Olive Tree hopeful Aldo Fumagalli came in second, exit polls indicated.

The Refounded Communist Party candidate won 9.2 percent.

The coalition was more hopeful of holding onto Turin and Trieste.

However in Turin, capital of the automobile industry, outgoing Olive Tree mayor Valentino Castellani was forced into second place by right- wing candidate Raffaele Costa. Costa took around 43.5 percent of the vote to Castellani's 34 percent.

In Trieste, centre-left mayor Ricardo Illy came in well in front with 38 percent of the vote, but will face one of two centre-right candidates who each took about 21.7 percent in the second round.

Elsewhere, the left won the central cities of Sienna and Ravenna outright, as well as the northern town of Belluno.

In the south, in Reggio di Calabria, outgoing centre-left mayor was leading and also likely to win in a single round. In Catanzaro, the outgoing right-wing mayor was ahead, but will face a centre-left candidate in the second round.

The polls also chose local councillors according to lists submitted by the parties.

According to exit polls, both the Refounded Communist Party and the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), the main party in the ruling coalition, made gains.

However centrist parties suffered a major defeat.

Italian newspapers highlighted the success of the Refounded Communist Party and advances by the right.

La Stampa noted the Marxists' "spectacular ability to lead the dance" and said this would "complicate the task of the government."

La Repubblica said Olive Tree was "a minority without the Refounded Communists," while noting it would "govern with difficulty" with the Marxists.

April 28 , 1997

Sunday

Monday morning

the day

May 11


AFP_ENG_20061213.0054

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 13 , 2006, 2006

US city to set safety standards for nanoparticles

Leaders of the famed college town of Berkeley in California voted on Tuesday to monitor manufactured nanoparticles as potentially hazardous materials.

City council members unanimously endorsed what they hoped would be trend setting regulation of sub-atomic particles created or used by businesses or research laboratories.

"This stuff needs to be tracked and monitored to ensure it is safe," said Berkeley hazardous materials manager Nabil Al-Hadithy.

"It appeared governments were afraid of being perceived as anti-business. Since this was seen as the newest goose about to lay the golden egg no one wanted to set standards for safety."

The ordinance calls on businesses within the city limits to report whether they use nanoparticles and, if so, to provide details regarding storage, handling, tracking, disposal and emergency plans for accidental releases.

Similar regulation was recommended in Britain by the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2004 in a report titled "Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: Opportunities and Uncertainties," Al-Hadithy said.

"We thought Britain was going to be first but the government denied the proposal," Al-Hadithy told AFP.

"These are world renowned scientific bodies and to have bureaucrats say they are not going to do it is shocking."

Detailed regulations will be crafted in Berkeley after the ordinance becomes law at the end of the week. Letters asking for accountings of nanoparticles will be sent to local businesses in January.

"It is unlikely we will find much, given the small industrial sector in Berkeley," Al-Hadithy said.

"But the fact is this is not only an ordinance for Berkeley. It clearly appeared to us someone needed to break the ice and start a regulation and maybe others would follow."

There are nanotechnology laboratories at the University of California at Berkeley and at a newly-built Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in the hills above the college.

Both facilities are exempted from local regulation because they are federally funded and regulated.

"We are not really that scared of laboratories," Al-Hadithy said. "They use small quantities of material and have lots of scientists on board. Production facilities are our concern."

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory officials endorsed the ordinance, getting the city to amend it to call on elected political leaders to lobby for more money to pay for health and safety research.

Dec 13 , 2006

Tuesday

the end of the week

January


XIN_ENG_20061104.0044

BEIJING, Nov. 4 , 2006 (Xinhua)

up

China-Africa Joint Chamber of Commerce will be formally set up on Sunday, Wan Jifei, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said at the High-level Dialogue and 2nd Conference of Chinese and African Entrepreneurs on Saturday.

Nov. 4 , 2006

Sunday

Saturday


XIN_ENG_20061101.0056

KABUL, Nov. 1 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Afghan, coalition forces kill 3 suspected terrorists

Afghan and the U.S.-led coalition forces killed three suspected terrorists and arrested another in Afghanistan's eastern Khost province, a coalition press release said Wednesday.

"Three armed terrorists were killed and another detained during an early Wednesday morning operation by Afghan and coalition forces near the town of Taranli in Khost province," it said.

They were inside a compound and intelligence information led to their location and finally their elimination, it added.

No civilians were harmed during the operation. There were no casualties on Afghan and coalition forces, it further said.

Khost, a mountainous region, has been a hotbed of Taliban and other militants, who clash with foreign and government forces frequently.

Nov. 1 , 2006

Wednesday

an early Wednesday morning


XIN_ENG_20061127.0254

GUIYANG, Nov. 27 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Chinese workers dead

Seven people were killed in a colliery accident in Southwest China on Monday, bringing the death toll in coal mine tragedies to 85 over the past three days across the country.

Eleven workers who were sorting impurities from a coal heap were buried when the heap collapsed at 9:47 a.m. at the Shuicheng Coal Mine Group colliery, in mountainous province of Guizhou.

Seven workers died and four were rescued, said the work safety administration in Liupanshui city, where the mine group is located.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

The past weekend has been tragic with three mine disasters leaving at least 78 people dead. Investigations show coal miners continued production even after government ordered to halt production at the three mines amid safety concerns.

Twenty-two miners were confirmed dead and five others missing in Saturday's gas blast in Yuanhua Coal Mine in Jixi, a city in northeastern Heilongjiang Province.

Three managers responsible for the blast have been arrested, said local police. An investigation shows at the end of August, the mine was forced by local government to halt production due to outdated work safety license, but the owners continued production.

In another tragedy, 32 miners were killed and 28 injured in a colliery gas explosion at Changyuan Coal Mine in Fuyuan, a county in southwestern Yunnan Province.

Investigation shows the mine owners started production at the Chuangyuan mine before they got all the required licenses.

A third gas blast on Sunday hit Luweitan Colliery in Linfen city, North China's coal-rich province of Shanxi, killing all 24 miners underground, the local government said on Monday.

It added the mine's production permit and safety license have both expired.

"We can't put up with the owner's illegal production with no consideration to miners lives," said Liang Jiakun, vice director of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), in Jixi. He has earlier arrived at there to coordinate rescue effort and investigation.

Liang said the disaster also highlighted the local government's insufficient efforts to crack down on illegal mining.

Chen Qiwen, a county official in Guizhou, was jailed Monday for a ten-year term on taking 730,000 yuan (93,000 U.S. dollars) in bribes from coal mine owners. He offered them safety licenses after their mines were ordered to halt production amid safety concerns.

Chinese coal mines suffer frequent explosions, flooding and cave-ins, claiming about 6,000 lives a year.

Unsafe small coal mines account for two-thirds of the total fatalities in mine accidents, government figures show.

The SAWS said earlier China will seal off 2,652 small mines with an annual output of less than 30,000 tons this year and another 2,209 next year.

Amid efforts to avoid huge fatalities, China will allow no more than 100 miners to work underground per shift in state-owned coal mines, said Zhao Tiechui, director of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety. He said this is feasible for all 176 mines owned by 13 state-owned enterprises.

Nov. 27 , 2006

Monday

the past three days

9:47 a.m.

The past weekend

Saturday

the end of August

Sunday

Monday

Monday

a year

this year and another 2,209 next year


XIN_ENG_20061129.0251

DOHA, Nov. 29 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Factbox: Rowing in Asian Games

Rowing is a traditional sport that has been practiced competitively since the 18th century. Rowers sit in a narrow boat, facing backwards, and use oars or sculls to move the boat forward.

There are two basic types of competitions: regatta and head-of- the-river races. The regatta is decided by knockout, with a final being held to determine the winning crew.

Head-of-the-river races are decided by the crew that achieves the fastest time over a set course.

Rowers have some of the highest power outputs of any athletes in the world and must develop both as endurance and sprint athletes. They also have to tailor their breathing, as the rowing motion compresses rowers' lungs, limiting the amount of available oxygen.

History:

Rowing was a means of transport in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome, but rowing as a sport began in Victorian England in the 19th century.

Rowing was first recorded as a competitive sport in 1716 when boats raced five miles between two different pubs on the River Thames, an event that still takes place. In 1829 the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities was established.

As rowing became more competitive, races and equipment changed. In 1846 Oxford developed outriggers, oars that were secured away from the side of the boat to give more leverage, while fixed seats were changed to sliding ones by Yale oarsmen in 1870.

Modern rowing boats are called shells and are made from composite materials rather than wood.

Men's rowing was included as an Olympic sport in 1896, while women competitors were admitted to the Games at Montreal in 1976.

Rowing has been in the Asian Games program since the 9th Asian Games in Delhi, India, in 1982.

Sources: Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee, Xinhua Database

Nov. 29 , 2006

the 18th century

the 19th century

the 9th


AFP_ENG_20061215.0033

DOHA, Dec 15 , 2006, 2006

by Dave James

They're the not so magnificent seven, the countries who came to Doha with no expectations and spectacularly lived down to them.

Of the 45 countries who took part in the 15th Asian Games, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Maldives, Oman and the Palestinian territories went home with not as much as a bronze between them.

For Brunei and Palestinian territories, it marks a decline. Four years ago in Busan, they picked up a bronze each.

Palestinian footballers lost all three games they played without scoring.

"There are players in the side who I only saw for the first time when we arrived in Doha," said coach Hasan Aabed.

"They live in Gaza and I can't get there from where I live. It's not an excuse but it made our preparations difficult."

The Maldives also went home without a medal, but they claimed a moral victory after only losing 3-1 to mighty Iran in the football first round.

Nine years ago, they went down to a record 17-0 defeat against the same opponents in a World Cup qualifier.

"It was a great challenge," said coach Ivanov Stoikov. "We have improved a lot since Iran beat us 17-0."

Oman are the only Gulf nation to go home without a medal despite bringing a team of 82 on the short trip to Qatar.

They failed to make the second round of the football tournament and veteran coach Milan Macala blamed the set-up.

"There are six professional players in this team, they were tired from club league matches and we didn't get enough time to prepare," said Macala.

"Sixteen of our national players are out of the country to play club league matches."

Its best hope in Doha had been with shooter Saleem Al Nasri who finished just outside the top 20 in the double trap at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

But here, he was 23rd.

Furthermore, their hockey team also went home in disgrace when player Hossam Hassan was thrown out after he assaulted Bangladesh's Mamunur Rahman with his hockey stick.

For the continent's other no-hopers, there were similar tales of woe.

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, strong in archery, saw both their men's and women's team lose in the first round while oil-rich Brunei fared little better with three bowlers finishing in 87th, 93rd and 97th places respectively.

Eddie Johari had the country's best showing with a quarter-final place in karate. Four years ago, they won their only medal ever - a bronze in karate.

Cambodia put two athletes on the track and lived to regret it as sprinter Lun Chhay was sixth in his heat in 11.42sec while 5000m runner Bunting Hem was 13th, almost two minutes behind the champion James Kurui of Qatar.

East Timor, who made their Games debut in Busan in 2002, are still waiting for a medal breakthrough but it won't come from Alain Soares who finished a huge 46 minutes behind winner, Qatar's Hassan Shami, in the marathon.

Laos would have also suffered a similar feeling had it not been for Phoxay Aphailath who picked up a wushu silver on the penultimate day.

It could have been better had injury not forced the 21-year-old to withdraw from his final against China's Li Teng.

Dec 15 , 2006

the 15th

Four years ago

Nine years ago

Four years ago

almost two minutes

huge 46 minutes

the penultimate day


XIN_ENG_20061122.0202

BEIJING, Nov. 22 , 2006 (Xinhua)

China's cabinet tightens controls on social security funds

China's cabinet moved to tighten controls on social security funds on Wednesday after hearing how parts of the country were plagued by embezzlement.

Misappropriated funds must be paid back in full within strict time limits and the officials involved should be punished, the State Council agreed at a meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.

The misappropriation of social security funds was highlighted in September by the Shanghai scandal, involving 3.2 billion yuan of city funds, which brought down Chen Liangyu, secretary of local committee of Communist Party of China (CPC).

The National Audit Office delivered a report to the council on the results of a nationwide audit of social security funds in the past two months.

The funds were growing with the expansion of coverage expansion, but policies regarding management were not strictly implemented in some regions, the council heard.

It ordered the responsible departments to coordinate and ensure funds were kept in special accounts with separate management over collection and expenditure.

The social security framework includes five main insurance programs: pensions, unemployment, medical, injuries at work, and pre-natal and post-natal care for women workers.

By the end of 2005, China's social security funds totaled 1.84 trillion yuan (233.35 billion US dollars).

Councilors called for enhanced transparency in fund management and public supervision.

They ordered government bodies to draw up measures to improve fund investment returns.

State councilors also discussed and approved in principle the draft of the law on urban and rural planning.

Nov. 22 , 2006

Wednesday

September

the past two months

the end of 2005


AFP_ENG_19970424.0005

TAIPEI, April 24 , 1997 (AFP)

Taipei shares finish 0.6 percent higher

Share prices in Taiwan closed 0.6 percent higher Thursday amid strong buying of financial issues, dealers said.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange weighted price index gained 52.29 points to 8,629.23.

April 24 , 1997

Thursday


AFP_ENG_20051215.0160

SINGAPORE, Dec 15 , 2005

March start for Singapore Airlines Moscow flights

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will start flying to Russia in March with the launch of a service to the capital Moscow, the flag carrier said Thursday.

The airline will fly three times a week via Dubai using the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, SIA said in a statement.

The service will enhance already emerging business and leisure ties between Russia and Singapore, the airline said.

"Russia is a growing trading partner with the region," SIA said.

Announcing plans for the Russian service last October, SIA's general manager in Russia, Jayaraj Shanmugam, said Russians are increasingly drawn to exotic Asian holiday spots such as Phuket and Hanoi, routes already served by the SIA group.

SIA flies to 90 destinations worldwide.

Dec 15 , 2005

March

Thursday

a week

last October


XIN_ENG_20061117.0263

MOSCOW, Nov. 17 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Russia open for energy security cooperation with APEC: Putin

Russia is open for cooperation with the APEC members in energy security, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a written interview published on the presidential official website on Friday.

"As one of the leading providers of energy to global markets, Russia is open for cooperation in this sphere. We deem it important in this respect to establish mutually beneficial conditions for partnership," Putin said ahead of the 14th APEC ( Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit meeting in Hanoi.

"They should be based on mutual responsibility of producers and users of energy resources, fair distribution of risks between them, the exchange of assets in the energy sector," he added.

According to Putin, a plan of action adopted at the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg this July "envisages measures for increasing transparency, predictability and stability of energy markets, and improving the investment climate as a whole."

Besides, "it is important to develop energy-saving technology and diversify types of energy and routes of its transportation." Substantial steps are also "needed in such directions as ensuring energy infrastructure security, overcoming energy poverty and solving ecological problems."

All these issues are especially important "considering the growing need for creating in the Asia Pacific Region a new, more reliable energy configuration. Russia is ready to actively participate in the implementation of this large-scale initiative," Putin said.

"Moreover, we are going to propose and implement several concrete infrastructure projects. The talk is about the construction of oil and gas pipelines for delivery of carbohydrates to the Asia Pacific Region from the eastern part of our country," Putin said.

Founded in 1989, APEC is a major regional forum acting as the primary regional vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic and technical cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

It represents the most economically dynamic region in the world, with its 21 member economies accounting for more than one third of the world's population, approximately 60 percent of world GDP, and about 47 percent of world trade.

Nov. 17 , 2006

Friday

July


XIN_ENG_20061102.0342

CAIRO, Nov. 2 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Egypt wins women's 100m hurdle in under-21 Arab athletics

Egypt grabbed the gold medal of the women's 100m hurdle at the 12th under-21 Arab track and field championship here on Thursday, MENA news agency reported.

Salma Emam Abul-Hasan came first in the race. Syria's Fadwa Ibrahim trailed second while Egyptian Nagla Khalifa finished third.

The four-day Arab Junior Athletics Championship, which began on Wednesday, drew some 500 Arab athletes representing 15 Arab nations.

Nov. 2 , 2006

Thursday

Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20061101.0171

TOKYO, Nov. 1 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Abe, Bush to hold 1st summit in Hanoi

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President George W. Bush will hold their first talks in mid-November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hanoi, Kyodo News reported on Wednesday.

The two leaders agreed on the schedule through a telephone conversation the day after Abe stepped onto the post of prime minister on Sept. 26, Japanese government sources said.

Their topics of discussion are likely to include the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the realignment of U.S. military presence in Japan, and the reinforcement of the Japan-U.S. alliance, the report quoted sources as saying.

Nov. 1 , 2006

mid-November

Wednesday

Sept. 26


AFP_ENG_19970409.0221

ROME, April 9 , 1997 (AFP)

Prodi says his fate up to president if parliament rejects Albania force

Prime Minister Romano Prodi told the Italian parliament Wednesday that if his government loses a vote on sending troops to Albania he would put its future in the hands of President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro.

Prodi made the statement at the start of a day-long debate on Italy's planned leadership of a multinational force to protect aid supplies to Albania.

The Refounded Communists, allies of the government in parliament, have withdrawn their support ahead of the vote on the force for Albania.

"If the opposition of the Refounded Communists continues I will immediately go to the head of state to officially inform him of the situation, and leave the decision up to him," Prodi said.

April 9 , 1997

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20061221.0341

KHARTOUM, Dec 21 , 2006, 2006

200 Darfur rebels killed in fresh attack: Sudan army

The Sudanese army said Thursday it had killed 200 rebels and lost four of its own men while repelling an attack in the war-torn western region of Darfur.

In a statement quoted by the state-run SUNA news agency, the army also said that 20 of its troops were wounded during the fighting, which took place in northern Darfur on Wednesday.

Dec 21 , 2006

Thursday

Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20061121.0112

HARBIN, Nov. 21 , 2006 (Xinhua)

39 injured in NE China traffic accident

Eight primary school children were killed and 39 injured in a traffic accident in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, said local traffic police.

The accident occurred at about 6:40 a.m. in Zhoujia township, Shuangcheng City, 50 kilometers from the provincial capital of Harbin, when a bus carrying 50 students plunged off a six-meter-high bridge.

The police said the students were all from the Zhoujia town central primary school.

The injured, including seven in critical condition, were rushed to a nearby hospital and all except one was out of danger, according to the Harbin city government, which administers Shuangcheng.

However, an earlier press release from the provincial educational commission said nine were seriously injured.

Local government has called in senior pediatricians and surgeons from another hospital for emergency medical treatment.

An initial investigation showed the owner of the bus had no licence to operate a school bus service.

Police have detained Guan Jingquan, the driver. They claimed he was not licensed to drive a bus, holding only a type B driver's license for trucks. Bus drivers require type A licenses.

Overloading and speeding were suspected causes of the accident. Police said the bus, supposed to carry 26 people, carried 52 passengers.

"The bus was going too fast," said third-grader Zhao Wenwen at the No. 242 Hospital in Harbin. Hours after the accident, she was still very shaken.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.

The Harbin city government has launched a city-wide crackdown on unlicensed school buses, overloading and speeding. It is also trying to raise safety awareness among drivers.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, traffic accidents killed 98,738 people in China last year, and 73,955 in the first 10 months of this year.

Nov. 21 , 2006

Tuesday

last year

the first 10 months

this year


XIN_ENG_20061114.0406

HANOI, Nov. 15 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Chinese joint venture to build power plant in northern Vietnam

A joint venture between Vietnam and China will invest 28 million U.S. dollars in constructing a hydroelectric plant in northern Lao Cai province, local newspaper Vietnam News reported Wednesday.

The plant to be built by the joint venture between the Power Company No. 1, affiliated to the state-owed Electricity of Vietnam, and China's Yunnan Power Grid Company is expected to contribute around 98.5 million kWh to the national grid annually when it goes online at the end of next year.

The two companies have recently agreed to extend their two existing contracts on purchasing Chinese electricity via the 110- kV power grid for the next four years, ensuring power supplies for the five Vietnamese provinces of Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Ha Giang, Yen Bai and Tuyen Quang.

Vietnam has purchased 588 million kWh each year under the contracts since they were signed in 2004, said the report.

Nov. 15 , 2006

Wednesday

the end of next year

the next four years

each year


XIN_ENG_20061117.0186

KABUL, Nov. 17 , 2006 (Xinhua)

URGENT: Flood kills 47, leaves 50 missing in W. Afghanistan

A flash flood killed at least 47 residents and left 50 others missing in Badghis province of western Afghanistan, Health Minister Mohammad Amin Fatimi told Xinhua on Friday.

The flood caused the casualties in Balamurghab district on Thursday night, he added.

Nov. 17 , 2006

Friday

Thursday night


AFP_ENG_19970429.0399

THE HAGUE, April 29 , 1997 (AFP)

Croatian warcrimes suspect to plead not guilty

Zlatko Aleksovski, extradited to The Hague to stand trial at the international warcrimes tribunal here, said Tuesday he would plead not guilty to the charges against him.

Aleksovski, a former officer in the Bosnian Croat militia (HVO), is charged with involvement in the massacre of dozens of Moslems in the central Bosnian village of Ahmici during Moslem-Croat fighting in 1993.

"I am innocent of everything" I have been accused of, he said at a public hearing.

He said he had read the charge list over night after being transfered to The Hague by Croatia on Monday.

April 29 , 1997

Tuesday

Monday


AFP_ENG_20061230.0186

ROME, Dec 30 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS further reax ///

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said Saturday he was "concerned" over tensions fanned in Iraq by the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

"From the first hours, we've seen that the consequences have been an increase in tensions and violence, as you could have predicted," Prodi said outside his home in Bologna, the ANSA news agency reported.

"I hope it won't continue," he added.

Within hours of Saddam's dawn hanging in Baghdad, a car bomb exploded in a fish market in the central Iraqi Shiite city of Kufa, killing at least 31 people, but it was not immediately clear whether the attack represented the first reprisal from his supporters.

Prodi on Friday had issued a final plea against Saddam's execution, calling for "wisdom and magnanimity to prevail".

"No fault can determine one man to be the bearer of death to another. This is a principle that unites all civilizations and all religions. And it is the only principle that can allow the building of solid and lasting peace," he said.

"The decision to go ahead with the execution of Saddam Hussein fills us with horror. We had hoped that human pity and political sense would inspire wiser decisions," he added.

Other Italian left-wing commentators also denounced the execution, calling it "barbaric" and "a new political mistake."

Right-wing politicians echoed the left's opposition to the death penalty, but a Forza Italia official, Fabrizio Cicchitto, lamented that capital punishment practiced routinely in China and Cuba does not elicit such a vocal reaction.

Only the far-right Northern League hailed the execution, with former reforms minister Roberto Calderoli saying Saddam "had to pay for the barbarisms and crimes he committed."

Dec 30 , 2006

Saturday

Friday


AFP_ENG_20061210.0309

DOHA, Dec 10 , 2006, 2006

Thailand beat Malaysia to win men's sepaktakraw regu gold

Thailand overcame Malaysia 21-19, 22-20 to win the Asian Games men's sepaktakraw regu gold medal here Sunday.

Myanmar and Indonesia shared bronze.

Dec 10 , 2006

Sunday


AFP_ENG_20061220.0389

MUNICH, Germany, Dec 20 , 2006, 2006

Sign Kaka now urges Bayern's Sagnol

French international defender Willy Sagnol has urged Bayern Munich to get the cheque book out in the winter break and sign AC Milan's Brazilian international playmaker Kaka.

"Having a player like Kaka - who I know wants to leave AC Milan - at Bayern would be a dream," Sagnol said in an interview with the Munchner AZ. "Of course he would not be cheap but it would be a great idea for us to sign a playmaker in the winter break."

AC Milan are in the bottom half of the Serie A table but would be reluctant to part with midfield maestro Kaka particulary after losing Ukraine international Andrei Shevchenko to Chelsea in the summer.

Bayern watched German international captain Michael Ballack join Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer themselves and have struggled without him, lying third in the league heading into the six-week winter hiatus.

The 29-year-old Sagnol, who signed from Monaco in 2000, plans to end his career at Bayern and dreams of repeating the 2001 Champions League win.

"I am here until 2010 and I hope to win the Champions League again," added Sagnol.

Bayern have reached the last 16 of this season's Champions League where they will face Real Madrid.

Dec 20 , 2006

the summer

the last 16 of this season


AFP_ENG_20051214.0341

ISLAMABAD, Dec 14 , 2005

= (PICTURES) =

England lived up to their top billing and favourites tag by defeating Egypt 2-0 in the final to lift the World Team squash title here on Wednesday.

Led by world number two James Willstrop and former world number one Peter Nicol, they annihilated the Egyptians who despite having the services of reigning world champion Amr Shabana failed to pose any challenge.

England, who won the team titles in 1995 and 1997, were pre-tournament favourites and compensated for their semi-finals loss against France in the last championship held in Vienna, Austria in 2003.

"It is a fantastic win and something to cherish about. It will further help lift the sport back home," said Nicol.

England were given a flying start by Willstrop who overcame the first game loss to defeat Shabana 4-9, 9-6, 9-3, 9-1 in 57 minutes.

Nicol, a former world and British open champion brushed aside Mohammad Abbas 9-0, 9-2, 9-1 in under half-an-hour to give England an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Egypt, whose only title came in 1999, conceded without playing the third match of the tie.

Number three seeds France had the consolation of third place after seeing off a tough challenge from Canada and winning in the end 2-1.

World number one Thierry Lincou of France upstaged Jonathon Power of Canada 9-4, 9-2, 9-2 to give France a 1-0 lead, but Canadian Shahier Razik upset Renan Lavigne of France 9-7, 7-9, 9-7, 6-9, 9-3 to draw level.

World number eleven Gregory Gaultier sealed the tie for France by beating Graham Ryding of Canada 9-2, 9-4, 9-1.

Defending champions Australia, upset by Canada in the quarter-finals, finished fifth by defeating Malaysia 2-0. Malaysia finished sixth.

Hosts Pakistan, winners on six occasions, downed Wales 2-1 to finish seventh.

Wales finished eighth, South Africa ninth and Germany were 10th in the 22-nation event.

Dec 14 , 2005

Wednesday

57 minutes


XIN_ENG_20051116.0184

KABUL, Nov. 16 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Roundup: Taliban copies Iraqi style militants' attacks in Afghanistan

Remnants of the former Taliban regime have resorted to Iraqi style militants activities in the post-Taliban Afghanistan as the rebels conducted three suicide attacks over the past three days leaving at least 10 killed and over a dozen wounded.

The militias in their latest wave of violence rammed a car laden with explosives in a US military convoy in Kandahar, the former stronghold of Taliban Wednesday morning killing at least four and injuring four others.

Though the authorities denied any casualties to the US military, the locals said the explosion inflicted loses to the occupants of the US army vehicle.

Kandahar is the second military base of some 20,000-strong US- led coalition troops in Afghanistan after Bagram, 50 km north of Kabul, where a Bagram-bound transport plane crashed last Friday and Taliban claimed to shoot it down for carrying communities equipment to the US troops Headquarters.

In the previous double deadly attacks which shocked the war- weary capital city on Monday, at least six people including a German soldier of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed and 11 others including two Germans and one Greek were wounded.

Wednesday's suicide bomb attack is the ninth of its kind over the past two months, a phenomenon rarely reported in the conservative Muslim society of Afghanistan.

Remnants of the former fundamentalist regime in mine attack carried out near a US military base in the southeast restive Paktika province on Tuesday killed one US soldier and wounded another. Two Afghan troops were also wounded in the attack.

Similar mine attack in the same province, according to officials claimed the lives of five police officers and injured two others on the same day while the police have taken two suspected Taliban fighters in this case so far.

The new tactics of violence the suicide attack, which is forbidden in Islam, has been taking place in the post-Taliban nation amid reported appointment of two Arab nationals by Osama- led al-Qaida network as the commanders of foreigners' fighters in Afghanistan.

The newly appointed militants' commanders, according to media, including Abdul Hadi Iraqi and Khalid Habib, have come from the insurgency-plaguing Iraq to conduct activities in Afghanistan.

Ayman Al-Zawahir, the second in command of al-Qaida hierarchy and a wanted man by Washington, in a message some months back warned to intensify militancy against the US military in both Afghanistan and Iraq and tried to prove both the lands as quagmire for the US and allies.

Both the Arab nationals have been tasked to command anti- government militants in the south and southeast of the war- shattered Afghanistan.

Afghan Defense Ministry has also admitted last month that reported penetration of terrorists suicide attackers in big cities including the capital and said the law enforcing agencies have taken all necessary and precautionary measures to foil the terrorists designs.

Furthermore, a Taliban commander Mullah Ahmadullah from his unknown location told media that the radical movement had prepared some 300 volunteers suicide bombers to mount pressure on Afghan and foreign forces stationed here.

Spokesman of the ousted regime Qari Yusuf Ahmadi also claimed that three Afghans loyal to the movement carried out the bloody suicide bomb explosions in the capital city on Monday.

Taliban's fugitive supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar whose regime was ousted by US military in late 2001 in a recent message on the eve of Eidul Feter, the religious festival, to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month called on his loyalists and compatriots to continue Jihad or holy war until the withdrawal of US-dominated foreign troops from Afghanistan.

Nov. 16 , 2005

the past three days

Wednesday morning

last Friday

Monday

Wednesday

the past two months

Tuesday

last month

Monday

late 2001


XIN_ENG_20051115.0291

ATHENS, Nov. 15 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Greece rules out withdrawal from Afghanistan amid protests

The Greek government ruled out on Tuesday the withdrawal of its troops stationed in Afghanistan, noting that they were there at the request of the United Nations and that Greece "has obligations that it must observe".

Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said that Greece had sent one company of 128 men from the army engineers' corps to support road building networks and provide humanitarian and public benefit services and, since August this year, an additional 45 troops to provide services to the 291st mobile hospital.

From Dec. 1, meanwhile, another 44 Greek Air force officers will be sent to the area to take over the rotating command of Kabul airport.

Also in the day, members of the "Stop the War" coalition held a protest outside the Greek defense ministry in Athens over the presence of Greek troops among the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

The protest was organized only one day after two Greek soldiers stationed in Afghanistan were injured during an attack on a Greek convoy outside Kabul.

Alexandros Magakis, a former minister under main opposition PASOK, told reporters that the injury of the two soldiers highlighted in the most dramatic way the dangers of escalating Greece's involvement in the US war on Afghanistan.

One anti-war activist accused the Greek government of sending troops to Afghanistan, saying that the government shared the guilt and responsibility for Bush's crimes.

Nov. 15 , 2005

Tuesday

August this year

Dec. 1

one day


XIN_ENG_20051130.0016

YONGZHOU, Hunan, Nov. 30 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Poultry culling ends in central China's bird flu-hit area

The newly reported bird flu-hit city of Yongzhou in central China's Hunan Province has finished poultry culling to prevent the spread of the epidemic, the local government said Wednesday.

By 0:00 a.m. Wednesday, Lingling District, where a bird flu outbreak was reported on Nov. 18, more than 108,000 fowls had been killed and another 140,000 vaccinated, said He Ningsheng, a local disease prevention and control official.

Local farmers will be compensated 10 yuan (1.2 US dollars) for each poultry killed, he said.

The provincial vets department has shipped 500,000 ml of bird flu vaccine and 2,500 exposure suits to Lingling District to aid its vaccination and disease control efforts.

China's Ministry of Agriculture confirmed on Monday that 390 chickens and 12 ducks died of the H5N1 strain of the highly pathogenic avian flu in Laobutou village, Qilidian town on Nov. 18.

No human infection cases have been detected in the bird flu-hit area, said He.

Nov. 30 , 2005

Wednesday

0:00 a.m.

Wednesday

Nov. 18

Monday

Nov. 18


AFP_ENG_20051212.0266

SOWETO, South Africa, Dec 12 , 2005

= (PICTURES) =

Having carved a niche as South Africa's first black showjumper in a sport traditionally reserved for rich whites, Enos Mafokate has now taken his love for horses to the heart of Soweto township.

Here in the sprawling city southwest of Johannesburg, Mafokate is cultivating the hope that township children will one day too fly high the colours of South Africa's rainbow nation.

"I was born with a horse in me!" he laughs when he explains the passion which drove him to open an equestrian school in the sprawling township, with virtually no funding.

Champion showjumper and teacher, the 61-year-old Mafokate is also responsable for the township's "horse unit" at the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

Between two classes, "free of course, otherwise nobody would come", he looks after the many horses which draw carriages in the chaotic traffic of Soweto, where they are used to deliver coal and other living materials.

"People trust us and come to us when a horse is hurt," explains Mafokate as he gets ready to go into one of the township slums to look after an old workhorse suffering from tickbite fever.

When he gets there, he has a long discussion in Zulu with the horse's owner, who balks at sending his livelihood to the dispensary.

"He will not be able to work anymore. But he realised that if the horse died, it will be worse," says Mafokate afterwards.

The inhabitants of Soweto can bring their pets to be cured for free at the PDSA, a veterinary clinic which runs on private donations.

At the back, 15 riders between the ages of five and 19 are getting their horse-riding gear ready: on old waste ground large drums painted white and three poles are the showjumping obstacles.

The equipment available does nothing to dampen the riders' spirits.

"I love jumping. I can jump 80 centimetres!" says an enthusiastic nine-year-old Anele Maholwana.

Enos wants to offer these children the facilities he didn't have, having to wait 44 years before he could buy his own steed.

"I had to borrow 700 rand (100 dollars, 90 euros)," he remembers. "It was a township horse and he did not live long," said a rueful Mafokate said who has now bought 12 horses and ponies for his students.

Mafokate's story starts in Alexandra, Johannesburg's slum township in the north, where he was born and then grew up on a farm where his father worked.

"There was a white boy John. He had a pony, I had a donkey. We used to ride pony to donkey. His parents didn't like it. But us, we never saw the colour," he told AFP.

To get some pocket money, he used to open the gate to visitors: "I loved holding their horses but was always asking: 'Why do only whites ride?'"

As a teenager he realised that the only way was to become a stable boy and participate in competitions among black grooms.

In 1975, the College of the Marist Brothers revolutionised South Africa's racially segregated environment by opening its horse competitions for people of all colours.

"They had to struggle to get authorisation from the government," says Mafokate.

"In 1978, I was the first black rider in 127 years to compete in the Pietermaritzburg Royal Agricultural Horse Show," he remembers.

He went to London in 1980 with then British champion David Broom and competed at Wembley. Nine years later he opened his school even as apartheid still prevailed in South Africa.

Since then, four of his ten grand children and dozens of kids in Soweto have followed his example.

But he is not resting on his laurels.

"I have a dream that one day, that one of them compete for South Africa in the Olympic games," he says.

Dec 12 , 2005

now

one day

44 years

now

127 years

Nine years


XIN_ENG_20051107.0288

NEW YORK, Nov. 7 , 2005 (Xinhua)

US shares edge up as oil prices plummet

US shares edged up Monday while crude oil prices plummeted below 60 dollars.

Guidant sued Johnson  Johnson to complete the 25.4 billion dollars purchase of Guidant after J missed the Nov. 4 deadline for closing the transaction. Guidant, the heart-device maker facing US probes and New York state fraud claims, is seeking an order for J to consummate the transaction. Guidant fell 1.40 dollars to 57.52 dollars, while J rose 55 cents to 61.43 dollars.

At the close of trading, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 55.47, or 0.53 percent, to 10,586.23, its highest close since Sept. 16.

Broader stock indicators were also higher. The Standard  Poor' s 500 index was up 2.67, or 0.22 percent, at 1,222.81, and the Nasdaq composite index advanced 8.81, or 0.41 percent, to 2,178.24.

Advancing issues led decliners by about 9 to 4 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume of 1.47 billion shares lagged the 1. 53 billion shares traded on Friday.

New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, fell 1.11 dollars to 59.47 dollars per barrel in closing deals, after hitting an intraday low of 58.60 dollars a barrel, the lowest price for a front-month contract since July 26.

Nov. 7 , 2005

Monday

Nov. 4

Sept. 16

Friday

December

July 26


AFP_ENG_19970421.0516

LONDON, April 21 , 1997 (AFP)

Irish inquiry hears of two-million-dollar payment to ex-premier

A leading businessman testified Monday that he arranged payments to help former Irish prime minister Charles Haughey over financial problems while he was in office.

In the latest development of a scandal that has poisoned Irish politics for months, Ben Dunne, former chief executive of Ireland's Dunnes Stores chain, told a Dublin inquiry he was asked in 1987 to contribute 700,000 punts (1.2 million dollars) to aid the ex-premier.

Dunne has claimed he ended up handing over a total of 1.3 million punts (2.1 million dollars) to benefit Haughey over a period of years.

And he said he received thanks from the now-retired politician after personally handing over three drafts totalling 210,000 punts (342,000 dollars).

The tribunal was set up in February to trace who received 3.5 million punts of a total 5.63 million punts (nine million dollars) paid out by Dunne.

The payments controversy first came to light in November when then transport minister, Michael Lowry, resigned after it emerged that Dunne had paid for an extension worth 400,000 punts (650,000 dollars) to his home.

The court heard the money had been solicited to help "overcome business problems relating to Mr. Haughey."

Speculation over Haughey's involvement in the payoff scandal had been intense, although until Monday the name of the man referred to as a "very prominent former member of parliament" had never been officially disclosed.

Like the "sleaze" scandal which has dogged the Conservative party during the British general election campaign, the allegations and the inquiry threaten to overshadow Fianna Fail's bid to win power from the ruling coalition in general elections that could be held as early as next month.

But unlike in Britain, the sums involved are much larger, the accusations go right to the top of the party and the inquiry could run in tandem with the election campaign as any decision to suspend it is for the judiciary alone.

April 21 , 1997

Monday

months

a period of years

February

November

Monday

next month


AFP_ENG_20051203.0375

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 3 , 2005

Three-try Samoa see off Pumas

Samoa ran in three tries to record an impressive 28-12 win against Argentina in a one-off rugby union Test here on Saturday.

Paul Tupai (10), Semo Sititi (14) and Sailosi Tagicakibau (57) all scored tries with Roger Warren kicking two conversions, two penalties as well as a drop goal.

Juan Fernandez Lobbe (four) and Horacio Agulla (24) were Argentina's try scorers with Juan Fernandez Miranda adding one converison for the Pumas.

Dec 3 , 2005

Saturday


AFP_ENG_19970405.0041

SEOUL, April 5 , 1997 (AFP)

SKorean stocks expected to fare well in week ahead

South Korean stocks are expected to fare well in the near term after rising 3.0 percent over the past week amid expectations that an economic downturn has bottomed out, brokers said.

"We are likely to see a strong market for this month," providing there are no unexpected outside developments, said a broker at Shinyoung Securities here on the last trading day Friday.

The Korea Stock Exchange's composite index rose 20.23 points to 687.42 points over the week before closing for a holiday Saturday.

Shares rallied 1.5 percent Monday after the government announced plans to bolster the economy and stabilize financial markets,.

Dismal trade figures led to a 0.6 percent decline Tuesday but foreign investors helped the market index climb 0.9 percent the following day as they awaited an increase in the foreign shareholding limit on May 1.

The market eased marginally Thursday amid rumours about a probe into price rigging of selected stocks but it rebounded 1.3 percent Friday as investors hunted for bargains among petrochemical and steel shares, brokers said.

Over week, shares in Pohang Iron and Steel rallied 5,500 won (62 US cents) to 52,300 won (5.88 dollars) and Samsung Electronics rose 2,800 won to 62,000 won.

April 5 , 1997

the near term

this month

Friday

Saturday

Monday

Tuesday

May 1

Thursday

Friday

Over week


WSJ891030-0132
 = 891030
 891030-0132.
 Unisys' $648.2 Million 3rd-Period Loss
@  Shows Intensified Fight for Turnaround
@  ----
@  By Paul B. Carroll
@  Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 UIS
 EARNINGS (ERN)
COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (CPR)

   Unisys Corp.'s announcement Friday of a $648.2 million loss for the third quarter showed that the company is moving even faster than expected to take write-offs on its various problems and prepare for a turnaround next year.

   At the same time, the sheer size of the loss, coupled with a slowing of orders, made some securities analysts wonder just how strong that turnaround will be at the computer maker and defense-electronics concern.

   "Unisys is getting clobbered.
Just clobbered," said Ulric Weil, an analyst at Weil amp Associates who had once been high on the company.
"The quarter was terrible, and the future looks anything but encouraging."

   Unisys, whose revenue inched up 3.7% in the quarter to $2.35 billion from $2.27 billion in the year-earlier quarter, had an operating loss of about $30 million.
On top of that, the Blue Bell, Pa., concern took a $230 million charge related to the layoffs of 8,000 employees.
That is at the high end of the range of 7,000 to 8,000 employees that Unisys said a month ago would be laid off.
Unisys said that should help it save $500 million a year in costs, again at the high end of the previously reported range of $400 million to $500 million.

   The company also took a write-off of $150 million to cover losses on some fixed-price defense contracts, as some new managers took a hard look at the prospects for that slow-growing business.
In addition, Unisys set up an unspecified reserve -- apparently $60 million to $70 million -- to cover the minimum amount it will have to pay the government because of its involvement in the defense-procurement scandal.
Unisys also noted that it paid $78.8 million in taxes during the quarter, even though tax payments normally would be minimal in a quarter that produced such a big loss.

   The tax payments will leave Unisys with $225 million in loss carry-forwards that will cut tax payments in future quarters.
In addition, Unisys said it reduced computer inventories a further $100 million during the quarter, leaving it within $100 million of its goal of a reduction of $500 million by the end of the year.

   Still, Unisys said its European business was weak during the quarter, a worrisome sign given that the company has relied on solid results overseas to overcome weakness in the U.S. over the past several quarters.

   The company also reported slower growth in another important business: systems that use the Unix operating system.
That would be a huge problem if it were to continue, because Unisys is betting its business on the assumption that customers want to move away from using operating systems that run on only one manufacturer's equipment and toward systems -- mainly Unix -- that work on almost anyone's machines.

   In addition, Unisys must deal with its increasingly oppressive debt load.
Debt has risen to around $4 billion, or about 50% of total capitalization.
That means Unisys must pay about $100 million in interest every quarter, on top of $27 million in dividends on preferred stock.

   Jim Unruh, Unisys's president, said he is approaching next year with caution.
He said the strength of the world-wide economy is suspect, and does n't see much revenue growth in the cards.

   He also said that the price wars flaring up in parts of the computer industry will continue through next year.
He said the move toward standard operating systems means customers are n't locked into buying from their traditional computer supplier and can force prices down.
That, he said, is why Unisys is overhauling its whole business: It needs to prepare for a world in which profit margins will be lower than computer companies have been used to.

   "We've approached this not as a response to a temporary condition in the industry but as a fundamental change the industry is going through," Mr. Unruh said.
"The information-systems industry is still going to be a high-growth business, and we're confident that we have tremendous assets as a company.
But we do n't minimize the challenges of the near term."

   Securities analysts were even more cautious, having been burned repeatedly on Unisys this year.
Some had predicted earnings of more than $4 a share for this year, up from last year's fully diluted $3.27 a share on earnings of $680.6 million.
But the company said Friday that it had losses of $673.3 million through the first nine months, compared with earnings a year earlier of $382.2 million, or $2.22 a share fully diluted, as revenue inched up 1.4% to $7.13 billion from $7.03 billion.
And Unisys is expected to do little better than break even in the fourth quarter.

   So Steve Milunovich at First Boston said he is cutting his earnings estimate for next year to $2 a share from $3.
"I was feeling like I was too high to begin with," he said.

   Mr. Weil of Weil amp Associates said he will remain at $1 a share for next year but said he wonders whether even that low target is at risk.
"The break-even point for next year is much lower, but is it low enough?" he asked.

   Reflecting the concern, Unisys stock fell a further 75 cents to $16.25 in composite trading Friday on the New York Stock Exchange.

Friday

the third quarter

next year

the quarter

the year-earlier quarter

a month ago

the quarter

future quarters

the quarter

the end of the year

the quarter

the past several quarters

every quarter

next year

the near term

this year

this year

last year

Friday

the first nine months

a year

the fourth quarter

next year

next year

next year

Friday


AFP_ENG_20061214.0764

RAFAH, Gaza Strip, Dec 15 , 2006, 2006

=(PICTURE)=

The ruling Palestinian party Hamas has accused the presidential guard of trying to assassinate prime minister Ismail Haniya after an attack on his convoy that left his son injured and a bodyguard dead.

The shoot-out occurred as the convoy crossed into the Gaza Strip from Egypt late Thursday after waiting for hours at a border checkpoint that Israel had closed to keep him from returning home after a fundraising tour of Arab states.

One of Haniya's bodyguards was killed and five people were wounded including his son, who serves as the prime minister's political advisor, a government source said.

"We know who opened fire," Haniya told journalists after arriving safely home in Gaza.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said the shots were "a planned attempt by Force 17 (the presidential guard) to assassinate brother Ismail Haniya."

"We want (President) Mahmud Abbas to order that those responsible be found," he added.

The closure of the Rafah crossing earlier sparked the storming of the border terminal by dozens of Hamas gunmen, which caused panic among travelers and sent European Union observers running from the building.

At least 13 Palestinians were wounded by gunfire after the militants went on a rampage inside the terminal building, smashing windows and furniture and firing into the air and at the building itself.

Israel had wanted to prevent Haniya entering Gaza with "tens of millions of dollars" he was carrying after his fund-raising trip because, according to an Israeli source, it believed the money would be used to finance terrorism.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who deplored the deadly violence, said Haniya had deposited the money at an Egyptian bank.

"The money he was carrying is not across the border, it is now in a bank in Egypt," Solana told journalists in Brussels.

An Egyptian security source in Gaza said earlier that Israel and Cairo had reached a compromise under which Haniya would be allowed to pass, but that the 35 million dollars that he was reported to be carrying would be deposited into an Egyptian bank to be transferred later to a Palestinian Authority account.

Haniya had cut short his first foreign trip to deal with rising internecine tensions in Gaza ahead of a speech by President Mahmud Abbas on Saturday on resolving months of political deadlock and crisis.

Gaza has been gripped by rising friction between supporters of the ruling Islamists of Hamas and Abbas's Fatah party after a series of killings and threats of retaliation over the past several days.

But when Haniya's convoy reached Rafah -- Gaza's only border crossing that bypasses Israel -- the Jewish state closed the terminal.

"Defense Minister Amir Peretz ordered the closing of the Rafah crossing in order to prevent tens of millions of dollars from entering Gaza together with Haniya," an Israeli security source said on condition of anonymity.

During his tour, Haniya secured promises from Iran to provide 250 million dollars of aid to the cash-strapped Palestinian government and from Qatar to pay the salaries of health and education ministry staff. Sudan also pledged 10 million dollars in emergency aid.

In his Saturday speech, Abbas is expected to lay out his plans for resolving a months-long standoff with Hamas.

Abbas aides say the president is likely to call for early presidential and parliamentary elections, following the collapse of talks with Hamas over forming a unity government.

Hamas, which took power after a stunning election win over Fatah in January, has warned that such a move would amount to a coup. The current Palestinian parliament is due to remain in place until 2010.

The moderate Palestinian president and the ruling Islamists have tried for months to form a coalition, but their talks collapsed over Hamas's refusal to bend to Western conditions and disagreement over key ministerial posts.

The European Union and the United States, which consider Hamas a terrorist organization, froze direct aid to the Palestinian government after the Islamists formed a cabinet in March, demanding that they renounce violence and recognize Israel and past peace deals.

Dec 15 , 2006

Thursday

now

Saturday

the past several

Saturday

January

March


XIN_ENG_20061128.0053

CARACAS, Nov. 27 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Int'l observers to oversee Venezuela's presidential elections

A total of 205 international observers will begin to arrive in Venezuela on Tuesday to monitor the South American country's presidential elections scheduled for Dec. 3, the National Electoral Council said on Monday.

Incumbent President Hugo Chavez, who is running for re-election, is favored to beat opposition candidate Manuel Rosales.

The observers will inspect the voting stations and supervise the counting and the process of announcing the voting results.

They will release their conclusions at a press conference after exchanging views with the National Electoral Council on Dec. 5.

The international groups watching the elections include the European Union, the Organization of American States and the Common Market of the South (Mercosur).

About 130 representatives from the European Union have already arrived in Venezuela. In addition, eight to 10 observers from the Carter Center will also oversee the elections.

Nearly 16 million voters have registered to vote in the upcoming elections.

Nov. 27 , 2006

Tuesday

Dec. 3

Monday

Dec. 5


XIN_ENG_20061103.0270

WUHAN, Nov. 3 , 2006 (Xinhua)

China to set up 18 patented technology exhibition, trade centers

The Chinese government has announced plans for 18 patented technology exhibition and trade centers, to promote patent application and implementation.

The centers will be set up in cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan and Chongqing. They will conduct exhibitions, trade and promotions of patented technology, daily patent management and carry out training in patent brokerage, and intellectual property protection.

"The centers will form a trade platform for amateur inventors, medium-sized and small enterprises and investors," said Zhang Qin, deputy director of the State Intellectual Property Office, on Friday.

The slow development of a patented technology market and lack of trustworthy agencies led to difficulties in the application and implementation of patents in China, said Zhang.

The non-profit centers were backed by the government and would help protect inventors, said Zhang.

Last year, the country handled more than 470,000 patent applications.

The 18 centers open for trade from Monday to Friday.

By 2010, the State Intellectual Property Office will build another 80 to 100 regional patented technology exhibition and trade centers in key cities.

Nov. 3 , 2006

Friday

Last year

Monday to Friday


XIN_ENG_20061128.0394

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 28 , 2006 (Xinhua)

UN chief alarmed by recent violence in Tonga

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is alarmed by the recent violence in the Kingdom of Tonga, a UN spokesman said Tuesday.

"He urges the parties to persevere with inclusive national consultations to support the democratic reform process, and to overcome their disagreements through dialogue," the spokesman said in a statement.

"The secretary-general stands ready to support national and regional efforts aimed at facilitating a broad political consensus, " the statement said.

Riots erupted in Tonga on Nov. 18 when hundreds of pro- democracy rioters destroyed around most of the capital Nuku'alofa' s business district. Nearly 30 Chinese-owned stores were set afire or looted by the mobs.

The South Pacific country, halfway between Australia and Tahiti, has a population of about 108,000. Its economy depends on pumpkin and vanilla exports, fishing, foreign aid and remittances from Tongans abroad.

Nov. 28 , 2006

Tuesday

Nov. 18


AFP_ENG_20061215.0433

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 15 , 2006, 2006

Ganguly survives pace onslaught on Indian top order

The recalled Sourav Ganguly was the only Indian top order batsman to survive a sustained pace onslaught by South Africa on the first day of the first Test at the Wanderers Stadium Friday.

India were 156 for five after a day shortened by a damp pitch, the threat of lightning and bad light. Only 56.5 overs were bowled.

Ganguly was unbeaten on 14 at the close which came because of bad light immediately after VVS Laxman was caught behind by Mark Boucher off Makhaya Ntini.

All-rounder Jacques Kallis struck two crucial blows for South Africa on either side of tea when he claimed the crucial wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid after India's most experienced pair had staged a painstaking recovery following the early loss of both their opening batsman.

Tendulkar was caught at second slip for 44 after he and Dravid put on 61 for the third wicket. Dravid followed when he edged a drive to first slip after making 32.

Laxman and Ganguly put on 46 for the fifth wicket before Ntini was called back into the South African attack late in the day and induced an edge from Laxman, pushing away from his body.

Ganguly was struck on the chest by a lifting ball from Andre Nel and then played and missed at the next ball but otherwise batted solidly for 72 minutes during which he faced 42 balls.

Kallis finished the day with two for 37, while Ntini took two for 34.

Fast bowler Dale Steyn left the field after bowling one ball of his eleventh over because of a left thigh strain, which appeared to be a recurrence of an injury which caused him to miss two domestic first-class matches leading up to the Test.

The morning's play was restricted to an hour. The start was delayed by 90 minutes because of damp patches, which the Gauteng Cricket Board said were caused by wet hessian placed on the pitch overnight because groundsman Chris Scott was concerned that the surface was too dry and that it might break up on the fourth and fifth days.

"After removing the covers this morning, there was a lot more moisture on the wicket than anticipated," officials explained.

Despite the late start, the pitch looked good for batting on a hot, cloudless day and although there was grass cover it had a brown tinge.

Batting proved awkward, however, with South Africa's all-seam attack able to extract plenty of bounce from the surface and India limped to lunch at 19 for two. Tea was taken early and extended by 44 minutes because of an approaching thunderstorm, with lightning flashing near the ground.

Dravid was particularly watchful, eking out his runs in 151 minutes off 83 balls. Tendulkar was also cautious but his innings was interspersed with some sparkling strokes, including a cover drive off Ntini that raced to the boundary. He faced 89 balls and hit seven boundaries before edging an out-swinger from Kallis.

Dravid and Tendulkar came together after opening batsmen Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag fell within the space of six balls.

Jaffer was leg before wicket to Ntini for nine when he padded up to a ball just outside his off stump which was slanting in.

Sehwag was caught behind off Shaun Pollock in the next over when he was squared up by a lifting delivery. The normally dashing Sehwag scored only four runs off 26 balls.

Dravid, recovered from a finger injury, took a painful blow in the ribs from Pollock before he had scored but batted with typical resolve on the ground where he made his maiden Test century ten seasons ago.

Dec 15 , 2006

Friday

the day

day

90 minutes

maiden Test century ten seasons ago


AFP_ENG_19970422.0319

TOKYO, April 22 , 1997 (AFP)

Japanese parliament seeks US base cut in Okinawa

Japan's lower house adopted a resolution Tuesday calling on the government to make "its utmost effort" to slash US military bases in Okinawa.

The vote comes three days before the summit between Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and President Bill Clinton in Washington.

It was the first Diet resolution on Okinawa US military bases since parliament passed a similar resolution in 1971 when Japan and the United States signed an accord on the return of the southern island.

"The House of Representatives will urge the government to make its utmost effort to consolidate, realign, reduce and relocate the US military bases in Okinawa," the resolution said.

The resolution asked the government to consult with the United States on military postures, including the structure of the US military force in the Asia-Pacific region.

It also urged the government to take "comprehensive and effective" measures to boost the Okinawa economy.

Last week, the Japanse parliament passed legislation allowing the US military to keep using land in Okinawa amid protest from landowners and their supporters.

Okinawa has been a major headache for successive governments following the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three American servicemen in 1995. The rape triggered outrage among locals and prompted the prefectural governor, Masahide Ota, to seek the complete withdrawal of American troops by 2015.

The southern island prefecture is home to more than half of the 47,000 American troops in Japan and also accounts for about 75 percent of US military facilities on the entire archipelago.

April 22 , 1997

Tuesday

three days

Last week


AFP_ENG_20061213.0457

WASHINGTON, Dec 13 , 2006, 2006

New study suggests prostate cancer treatment helps elderly

Elderly men with early prostate cancer live significantly longer if they receive treatment than those who adopt a wait-and-see approach, as commonly recommended, according to a new study released Wednesday.

The study of 44,630 men age 65 to 80 years found that those who sought treatment for their prostate cancer with radiation or surgery had a 31 percent lower risk of death than those who waited.

Even the oldest men between the ages of 75 and 80 benefitted from treatment, the study found.

"Even though prostate cancer commonly is considered an indolent (slow to develop and painless) disease, this observational study suggests a reduced risk of mortality associated with active treatment for low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer in the elderly (...) population examined," the authors of the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association said.

Dr Yu-Ning Wong of the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philidelphia, who led the study, told AFP that the findings challenge the commonly held notion that early prostate cancer in elderly patients evolves so slowly that there is no need to treat them as they will probably die of something else first.

"The treatment of prostate cancer in older men (...) has been controversial because the concern about side effects is an important one," Wong said. "I think our study suggests there may be a benefit to treatment in this patient population but that of course needs to be weighed against other concerns."

Wong also acknowledged that the study's design had limitations and would need to be confirmed by further research.

Postate cancer is the most common cancer found in American men, along with skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

ACS estimates that 234,460 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2006 and some 27,350 will die of the disease.

Dec 13 , 2006

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20051204.0498

SYDNEY, Dec 5 , 2005

ATTENTION - INCORPORATES -warcrimes-Iraq-immigration ///

Australia has developed a reputation for being a safe haven for war criminals attempting to avoid prosecution, a former war crimes investigator said Monday amid media reports that as many as 30 people accused of crimes against humanity have lived here freely.

Former deputy prosecutor at the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague, Graham Blewitt, said some "perpetrators are being allowed to roam free in this country without any fear."

"I believe that Australia has a reputation amongst those who have been involved in war crimes as a safe haven," he told ABC radio.

"You are not going to be prosecuted and frankly that is a reputation that Australia should not be prepared to wear."

Blewitt, formerly the head of an Australian unit investigating Nazi war criminals, was responding to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald that a member of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's family and personal security force, had been given temporary residency here.

Oday Adnan Al Tekriti, 38, was initially refused a visa after he arrived in the country six years ago because immigration officials found serious reasons to believe he had committed crimes against humanity.

But the visa refusal was overturned and he has been given temporary safe haven in the southern city of Adelaide where he lives with his wife, an Australian doctor.

Blewitt said there had been previous instances where Canberra had allowed some people into the country because of the potential for them to give Australian authorities valuable intelligence information.

"It could well be that this chap is also involved in supplying information and intelligence," he said.

Blewitt said he had enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that there were mass murderers, torturers and other criminals living in Australia.

"There are some nasty people out there," he said.

"They put on a cloak of respectability when they get here and just subsume themselves into the Australian way of life. We shouldn't allow that to happen."

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that as many as 30 war criminals from Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey and India had been investigated by Australian immigration officials over the past 10 years and refused asylum but lived here freely until their appeals were heard.

The whereabouts of several are not known.

There was no evidence any of the men found to be war criminals by Australian authorities had ever had to stand trial overseas, the Herald said.

Among the cases cited by the Herald were a former Maoist rebel from Nepal now working as an accountant in Sydney, a one-time member of the Lebanese security service who reportedly admitted torturing detainees and a Sri Lankan naval officer who allegedly told immigration officials he participated in a 1993 massacre of civilians in a refugee camp.

Other countries where immigration officers found that visa applicants allegedly committed atrocities included Bangladesh, Algeria, Myanmar and the former Yugoslavia, it said.

Blewitt said because of a lack of publicity, many asylum seekers are allowed to live freely in Australia until they have exhausted the appeals process and are often able to blend into society where they take jobs, study and marry, thus strengthening their claims for residency.

"I would suspect that if the government knew what their background was, and it was so bad, then they just would not allow those people to come into Australia. That's the end of it," he said.

"But people who slip through the net, once they arrive here, nothing absolutely nothing, is being done to investigate them for the crimes they had committed."

Dec 5 , 2005

Monday

six years ago

the past 10 years

now