AFP_ENG_19970430.0004

TAIPEI, April 30 , 1997 (AFP)

Taipei shares end 1.2 percent lower

Share prices in Taiwan closed 1.2 percent lower Wednesday due to dwindling buying interest among investors, brokers said.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange weighted price index fell 106.78 points to 8,485.66.

April 30 , 1997

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20051205.0017

TOKYO, Dec 5 , 2005

ATTENTION - UPDATE rates, ADDS quotes and Asian currencies ///

The yen hit a 32-month low against the dollar and sank to an all-time trough against the euro Monday as G7 powers including Japan appeared unfazed by the currency's decline at a weekend meeting, dealers said.

Contrary to reports ahead of the Group of Seven gathering in London, there was no specific discussion of the yen's recent slide, Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the world's seven richest nations, Tanigaki said the yen's depreciation against the US currency merely reflected "current fundamentals".

With US Treasury Secretary John Snow also denying earlier reports he would raise the issue of the yen's weakness at the meeting, dealers took the comments as the green light to drive the Japanese unit down to new lows.

The dollar rose to 121.34 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade from 120.56 yen in New York late Friday, the highest since late March 2003.

The euro fell to 1.1693 dollars from 1.1716 dollars as a backdrop of rising US interest rates continued to support the US unit.

The euro also hit the highest level since its launch in 1999 against the Japanese unit, climbing to 141.91 yen. It later stood at 141.87 in late Tokyo trade, up from 141.30 in New York on Friday.

"The dollar remains strong,"said Kikuko Takeda, currency analyst at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi.

"Amid on-going interest rate differentials, the weaker yen was re-confirmed at the G7 meeting and the market is prone to sell the yen given lower interest rates in Japan," she said.

Saturday's G7 statement said that "exchange rates should reflect economic fundamentals (whilst) ... excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates are undesirable for economic growth".

Analysts said the yen was likely to extend its losses against the dollar but just how far was still unclear.

The currency market showed little reaction to a firm performance by Tokyo share prices and the release of a quarterly survey by Japan's finance ministry showing strong growth in capital expenditure, dealers said.

"Judging from fundamentals ... including strong share prices and relatively positive economic data, the recent fall of the yen is apparently overdone," said Commerzbank currency watcher Ryohei Muramatsu.

"However, the falling momentum of the yen is so strong that market participants disregard news that is positive for the yen," he added.

"The next target of the yen looks to be around 122.50 yen against the dollar and 142.50 yen against the euro," he added.

In early afternoon trading, the dollar rose to 41.4350 Thai baht from 41.2300 on Friday and to 1,038.6 South Korean won from 1,033.5.

The dollar fell to 54.130 Philippine pesos from 54.180, to 9,998 Indonesian rupiah from 10,030, to 1.6898 Singapore dollars from 1.6914 and to 33.491 Taiwan dollars from 33.546.

Dec 5 , 2005

Friday

late March 2003

Friday

Saturday

recent fall

Friday


AFP_ENG_20061214.0571

DOHA, Dec 14 , 2006, 2006

China's clean sweeps all 10 Asiad diving gold

Lin Yue and Wang Xin won the men's and women's 10m platform golds here Thursday, handing China a record clean sweep of all 10 titles at the Asian Games.

Lin, 15, beat teamamte Zhou Luxin into silver with North Korea's Kim Chon Man taking bronze, while Wang, 14, edged compatriot Chen Ruolin and North Korea's Hong In Sun.

It was the first time in the history of the Games that one country has taken all 10 medals. China also won six silver.

"I didn't do very well in the first several dives tonight," said Lin. "I made some small mistakes but in the latter dives I did well.

"I have practised for this for a long time. These are my first Asian Games and I am trying to increase my degrees of difficulty as well as the quality of my dives. I will learn from our former world champions and Olympic champions."

China is a world force in diving and Olympic diving champion Guo Jingjing on Tuesday became the most successful female diver in Asian Games history.

Guo, who has already announced she will retire after the Beijing Olympics, took the women's 3-metre synchronized springboard title here with Li Ting to add to the three golds from previous Asian Games.

Dec 14 , 2006

Thursday

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20051212.0301

BAGHDAD, Dec 12 , 2005

Iraqi PM defends government on campaign trail

Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari on Monday defended his 10-month record in government, just three days before a general election that could see him lose the top cabinet job.

Jaafari, who has been criticised by rivals for a weak administration that has failed to quell violence, said his mandate had improved Iraq's security services and enshrined the principle of a peaceful change of power.

"Despite the short mandate which has been our lot, with God's help we have had security, economic and political successes," said the premier, a devout Shiite and leader of the Dawa party.

Jaafari was sworn in last May. His predecessor as interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, has accused the current administration of exacerbating sectarian divisions and marching the country to the brink of civil war.

"Praise be to God, Iraq is today stronger after overcoming so many obstacles," said Jaafari, recalling 35 years of political and economic instability, and international isolation under former dictator Saddam Hussein.

"We inherited a difficult situation with disorganised security services and we have now completed two-thirds of our objectives for the manning and equipment of these forces," he told a Baghdad news conference.

"On the political level, the principle of a peaceful transfer of power has become a reality and we are ready to re-assume power if that is what the people decide," he said.

His government created 59,000 jobs in the education ministry alone and brought back 4,000 staff to their former positions at the information ministry, Jaafari said before expressing hopes for a peaceful election on Thursday.

In a direct response to complaints from Allawi against institutional abuses among Shiite-dominated security forces and torture in prisons, Jaafari pointed the finger at his secular rival.

"The towns of Fallujah and Najaf continue to bleed from the effects of actions" taken by Allawi's administration.

As prime minister from June 2004 to April 2005, Allawi's unflinching support for US military campaigns against Sunni and Shiite insurgents in Fallujah and Najaf left him few friends in those cities.

Jaafari also hit out against accusations of human rights abuses and pointed out that he had brought Sunnis into his government saying "Iraq can only rebuild itself with their participation.

"The new Iraq excludes none of its sons.

"My government avoided any sectarianism," he concluded.

Dec 12 , 2005

Monday

three days

last May

Thursday

June 2004

April 2005


AFP_ENG_19970407.0123

SEOUL, April 7 , 1997 (AFP)

Seoul shares close 1.1 percent higher

Share prices rose 1.1 percent on the Korea Stock Exchange Monday as local institutional investors went on a buying spree ahead of a planned rise in the foreign shareholding ceiling, dealers said.

The composite index gained 7.48 points to finish at 694.90.

April 7 , 1997

Monday


AFP_ENG_20061208.0027

NEW YORK, Dec 8 , 2006, 2006

US stocks higher as job growth improves; Dow up 0.24 percent

US stocks ended higher Friday after a government report showed an improving job market last month as employers added a better-than-expected 132,000 nonfarm positions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up 29.08 points (0.24 percent) at 12,307.49 just after the closing bell.

The tech-dominated Nasdaq composite gained 9.67 points (0.40 percent) to 2,437.36 while the broad-market Standard and Poor's 500 index added 2.55 points (0.18 percent) to a preliminary close of 1,409.84.

The Labor Department said that US employers added 132,000 jobs in November in a report that suggested overall economic growth remains on track days before the Federal Reserve meets to deliberate interest rates.

Merger speculation rose as Merrill Lynch banking analysts meanwhile said in a research report that they believe Bank of America is "very interested" in acquiring Barclays bank of Britain.

The banking analysts said such a potential deal would be profitable even if Bank of America had to pay a 25-to-30 percent premium to acquire Barclays.

"We don't comment on market rumors or speculation," said Scott Silvestri, a Bank of America spokesman.

Dec 8 , 2006

Friday

last month

November


WSJ891030-0061
 = 891030
 891030-0061.
 Labatt Plans to Place
@  New Preferred Shares
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 T.LBT
 LONDON, Ontario

   John Labatt Ltd. said it plans a private placement of 150 million Canadian dollars (US$127.5 million) in preferred shares, to be completed around Nov. 1.

   Proceeds will be used to reduce short-term debt at the beer and food concern, said Robert Vaux, vice president, finance.

   The preferred shares will carry a floating annual dividend equal to 72% of the 30-day bankers' acceptance rate until Dec. 31, 1994.
Thereafter, the rate will be renegotiated.
Mr. Vaux said that if no agreement is reached, other buyers will be sought by bid or auction.
The shares are redeemable after the end of 1994.

   Mr. Vaux said the share issue is part of a strategy to strengthen Labatt's balance sheet in anticipation of acquisitions to be made during the next 12 to 18 months.
Labatt's has no takeover bids outstanding currently, he said.

   Lead underwriter to the issue is Toronto Dominion Securities Inc.

around Nov. 1

Dec. 31, 1994

the end of 1994

the next 12 to 18 months

currently


XIN_ENG_20051107.0233

BERLIN, Nov. 7 , 2005 (Xinhua)

this is a test

this is a test file. this is a test file. this is a test file.

Nov. 7 , 2005


XIN_ENG_20061129.0133

SEOUL, Nov. 29 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Seoul stock market ends higher

The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) added 11.08 points to 1,422.55 on Wednesday.

The volume of KOSPI was moderate at 247 million shares worth 3. 46 trillion won (3.7 billion U.S. dollars).

The tech-rich KOSDAQ index gained 4.26 points to 617.19 with a volume of 671.025 million shares worth 2.275 trillion won (2.445 billion U.S. dollars).

The local currency ended at 930.50 won to one U.S. dollar, up 0. 30 won from Tuesday's close.

Nov. 29 , 2006

Wednesday

Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20061102.0125

NANNING, Nov. 2 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Int'l contracts with total investment of 5.845 bln USD inked at China-ASEAN Expo

Businessmen have signed 132 international cooperation projects involving investment of 5.845 billion US dollars by the press time at the ongoing Third China- ASEAN Expo, up 10.47 percent from the figures of last year's Expo.

The statistics was released by the Expo's Organizing Committee on Thursday.

Participants of the Third China-ASEAN Expo also endorsed 301 domestic cooperation projects involving 55.374 billion yuan (6.9 billion US dollars) of investment, up 10.36 percent from the figure of last year.

The Third China-ASEAN Expo was held here from Oct. 31 to Nov.3, attracting more than 2,000 companies from China and ASEAN countries.

Nov. 2 , 2006

last year

Thursday

last year

Oct. 31


AFP_ENG_19970413.0423

ZAGREB, April 13 , 1997 (AFP)

Croatian ruling party wins 35 percent in capital: preliminary results

The ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has won 35.94 percent in the elections for Zagreb city council, a key battlefield with the opposition, according to preliminary results announced early Monday.

The figures were slightly down from its share of the vote after local elections in 1995 when it won 36.55 percent.

Electoral commission chairman Ivan Mrkonjic said that with about half the votes counted, the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) in coalition with the tiny Croatian People's Party (HNS) had won 23.87 percent, a small rise on 1995.

The Croatian Social and Liberal Party (HSLS) had won 12.24 percent, as against 12.87 percent it won two years ago.

In elections in 1995, the opposition won control of the city council after which Tudjman four times vetoed their choice of mayor, drawing international condemnation.

Final results for the local, regional and upper house polls were expected Monday or Tuesday.

April 13 , 1997

early Monday

two years ago

Monday or Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20061127.0429

VIENNA, Nov. 27 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Oil prices down may cause OPEC further output cut

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)'s weekly average crude oil prices dropped 0.17 U.S.dollars to 54.89 dollars per barrel last week, the cartel's secretariat said on Monday.

Following its decision on Oct. 20 to slash oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day from Nov. 1, OPEC's oil prices fluctuated within a narrow range of 54.16 to 55.74 dollars per barrel in the last five weeks, and daily oil prices hit the lowest of 53.37 dollars on Oct. 31.

Market analysts believed, the narrow range of OPEC's oil prices fluctuation indicated that OPEC had achieved its purpose of arresting the sharp fall in oil prices through output cut.

In the meantime, plentiful inventories of U.S. crude oil and the calm winter in the Northern Hemisphere helped to ease worry about oil supply in the market.

They forecast that the international oil prices would continue to hover until the Northern Hemisphere's cold airflow set in, or OPEC cut the output again.

The possibility of OPEC's another cut increased.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Nuaimi warned recently that OPEC would cut production again at its December meeting, should the recent production cuts fail to balance the market.

OPEC's rotating President Edmund Daukoru, who is also Nigeria's Oil Minister, last Friday expressed his worry about the U.S. overhigh crude oil stock, and said that OPEC would be likely to cut its output at least by 500,000 barrels at December meeting.

Nov. 27 , 2006

last week

Monday

Oct. 20

Nov. 1

the last five weeks

Oct. 31

December

last Friday

December


XIN_ENG_20051130.0243

BRUSSELS, Nov. 30 , 2005 (Xinhua)

EU to grant market economy status to Ukraine

The European Union (EU) is to grant market economy status to Ukraine during the first EU-Ukraine summit, to be held on Thursday in Kiev, the European Commission ( EC)said here on Wednesday.

"Tomorrow I look forward to informing President Yushchenko of our intention to grant Market Economy Status to Ukraine," said EC President Jose Manuel Barroso before he left for Kiev to attend the summit.

In a press release, the EU's executive said three agreements were to be signed at the one-day summit - a memorandum of understanding on energy cooperation, and agreements on Galileo and Aviation.

"The summit is expected to announce that Ukraine has now met the technical criteria for the granting of Market Economy Status," said the press release.

According to the EC, the EU would reiterate its strong support for Ukraine's early accession to World Trade Organization (WTO), and encourage the government to address the last remaining issues in this regard, so that work can start on deepening economic integration between the EU and Ukraine through the creation of a Free Trade Area.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair, whose country is holding the EU presidency, Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will attend the summit.

Nov. 30 , 2005

Thursday

Wednesday

Tomorrow


XIN_ENG_20061123.0326

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 23 , 2006 (Xinhua)

S. African wheelchair basketball coach confident for Beijing

New South African wheelchair basketball team coach Viv Sierra came through the opening day of the Wheelchair Basketball Challenge on Thursday confident that the core of his squad for the 2008 Beijing Paralympics is in place.

Sierra watched the opening match of the Wheelchair Basketball between local league outfit the Pumas and a visiting Angola team, which the Pumas won 72-40, at the Vodacom Mandeville Indoor Center in Johannesburg on Thursday evening.

Thereafter Sierra oversaw the first of two national trial matches he has arranged during the Challenge as part of his final selection process for the Paralympics.

The second trial match will take place on Saturday, after which Sierra will announce his final squad of 15 players for Beijing.

"I've got a fairly good idea of my squad. I know the core of the team. Players like Marius Papenfuss, Justin Govender, and the oversees-based players like Richard Nortje, David Curle and Nick Taylor basically pick themselves," Sierra was quoted as saying by the SAPA news agency.

"But this tournament will give me a good chance to look at some of the guys I think are fighting for places," Sierra said.

As the newly-elected coach of the South African wheelchair basketball team, Sierra said he will use this event to bring a different focus to the national side.

"I'm looking for team players, not individual stars. That's what I want in order to build for the next two years for Beijing. We've certainly got the players. It's now just a question of getting them to play a particular style that works for them as a team," he said.

Nov. 23 , 2006

the opening day

Thursday

Thursday evening

Saturday

the next two years

now


AFP_ENG_20051206.0048

MUSAYYIB, Iraq, Dec 6 , 2005

Nine bodies found south of Baghdad

Police have discovered nine bodies of Iraqi civilians shot dead near Mussayab, south of the capital, police said Tuesday.

The victims had all been shot at close range and were men in their 30s, added police.

Iraq has seen a spike of violence in the run-up to legislative elections on December 15.

Dec 6 , 2005

Tuesday

December 15


XIN_ENG_20051117.0189

BEIJING, Nov. 17 , 2005 (Xinhua)

bird flu."

"We have conquered the SARS epidemic in 2003, and we will surely conquer the bird flu virus," said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao here Thursday when inspecting workshops of bird flu human vaccine and medicine.

Accompanied by Vice Premiers Wu Yi and Hui Liangyu, Wen came to the Beijing Kexing Biological Product Company on Thursday morning for inspection of China's research on bird flu human vaccine.

Kexing company, the first in the world to develop SARS vaccines, is now taking joint effort with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to research bird flu human vaccine.

Chinese scientists have developed human vaccines for the bird flu and will carry out clinical tests in days.

Millions of chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry have been culled after bird flu outbreaks were reported in Xinjiang, Liaoning, Hubei, Anhui and Hunan provinces.

China's health authorities have confirmed on Wednesday the first two human infection cases of bird flu in the country, and enhanced efforts to prevent and control the epidemic.

The two confirmed cases involve a nine-year-old boy in Xiangtan County of Hunan Province and a 24-year-old woman farmer in Zongyang County of Anhui Province. The boy has been discharged from hospital. The woman died on November 10.

When coming to the vaccine workshop, Wen watched carefully the whole process of vaccine manufacture and packing, frequently asking questions about the progress of vaccine research and development, technical characteristics and producing capacity.

"The public pay great attention to the vaccine safety problem, which should not be overlooked," Wen told company leaders.

Later Wen paid a visit to the institute researching and manufacturing medicines for treatment of human cases of bird flu. He said he was happy to know that progress has been made in researching such medicine.

"Currently China's bird flu prevention and control situation is severe," said Wen after his inspection tour.

"Prevention of human infection of bird flu and safeguarding people's health and safety are the focus of the prevention work," he said.

The efficient prevention and control work of highly pathogenic bird flu epidemic depends on science and technology, he said.

China has made important breakthroughs in researching fowl-use vaccines and substantive progress in researching human-use vaccines and medicines, he said.

He called for new progress in bird flu vaccine, medicine research and production, as well as in monitoring migratory birds.

China hastened to fight bird flu earlier this month, when a cabinet meeting chaired by Premier Wen decided to set aside 2 billion yuan (248 million dollars) to check the spreading of the virus. On Tuesday, China announced plans to vaccinate its more than 14 billion farm birds.

Nov. 17 , 2005

Thursday

Thursday morning

now

Wednesday

November 10

this month

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20061203.0219

CAIRO, Dec 3 , 2006, 2006

Egypt dismisses theory that concrete was used in pyramids

Egypt's antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass on Sunday derided new studies according to which an early form of concrete rather than natural limestone was used to build the great pyramids.

"It's really silly. It was limestone, it's been studied before by hundreds of chemists," Hawass, who heads the Supreme Council of Antiquities, told AFP.

French Professor Gilles Hug, from the Office of National Aerospatial Studies and Research) and Egyptian-born Michel Barsoum, a professor at Philadelphia's Drexel University analysed the mineralogy of samples from the Giza pyramids.

They found that what would be the earliest known occurrence of concrete was used and not only limestone from the nearby quarries, explaining in part the mystery of how the Egyptians were able to erect such colossal structures.

"The sophistication and endurance of this ancient concrete technology is simply astounding," said the article printed in the December issue of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.

But Hawass dismissed the study and questioned the origin of the samples.

"We don't know the origin of these samples... We certainly never gave permission for anyone to take samples," he said. "This well-worn theory keeps coming up for publicity purposes."

Mark Lehner, a leading Egyptologist, also received the latest research supporting the concrete theory with caution. "Where did these samples come from is the first important question," he told AFP.

The theory that the great pyramids were built using man-made agglomerated stone was first put forward in the early eighties by French chemist Joseph Davidovits.

Dec 3 , 2006

Sunday

December


XIN_ENG_20051120.0256

KATHMANDU, Nov. 21 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Landmine explosions kill 1, injuring 6 in central Nepal

At least one security man died and six others were injured in two separate land mine explosions on Sunday in central Nepal, a local police office said Monday.

"At least one security man died and another was injured when a security patrol overran an anti-government guerrillas planted land mine in Dayagaun area of Kavre district, some 50 km east of Kathmandu," the district police office of Kavre said in a press statement.

Meanwhile, five others of the same patrol team were injured in another explosion at Chaukidanda area of the district, the press statement said.

At the same day, security forces and guerrillas clashed at Sapsu Khola area of Khotang district, some 200 km east of Kathmandu.

"However, in the 45-minute long clash, no casualties were reported on either side," said Ramesh Thapa Magar, chief of Indra Dhwoj Army Battalion.

Over 12,000 Nepalese people have been killed since the anti- government insurgency took place in the Himalayan kingdom in February 1996.

Nov. 21 , 2005

Sunday

Monday

February 1996


AFP_ENG_20051207.0417

JERUSALEM, Dec 7 , 2005

ATTENTION - ADDS Likud meeting ///

Israel's beleaguered right-wing Likud suffered a new blow Wednesday when its acting chairman, cabinet minister Tzahi Hanegbi, announced his defection to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's new Kadima party.

Hanegbi, a minister without portfolio, became the sixth minister to follow Sharon out of Likud as part of the continuing turmoil in Israeli politics in the run-up to a March general election.

"My heart was telling me to stay in Likud but my head told me otherwise and so therefore I am today announcing my resignation from Likud after representing the party for the last 17 years in the Knesset," he told a press conference.

"Prime minister, I am with you," Hanegbi said. "Israel can place its trust in Ariel Sharon, who has always fought mercilessly against terrorism and has never compromised on Israel's security."

Hanegbi said he would stand down as an MP immediately but would remain in the cabinet.

The move came amid reports that police are to recommend Hanegbi's prosecution on charges of cronyism during his time as environment minister.

While the other five Likud ministers to have joined Sharon were seen as close allies of the premier, Hanegbi was regarded as an opponent of his controversial decision to pull troops and settlers out of the Gaza Strip.

As interim head of the Likud central committee, the party's main governing body, Hanegbi was to have played a key role in organising the leadership election to replace Sharon due on December 19.

Senior Likud officials met at party headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening to discuss their next move, with the head of the party's faction in parliament, Gideon Saar, touted as a possible replacement for Hanegbi.

The defection will be seen as another major blow to Likud which won 38 out of the 120 seats in the Knesset at the last election but is now set to win only a dozen, according to an opinion poll in Wednesday's Haaretz newspaper.

The survey found Kadima was on course to emerge as the largest party with 39 seats after the March 28 election, comfortably ahead of the centre-left Labour with 22.

The findings demonstrate how Kadima has been able to shatter the mould of Israeli politics, which had been essentially a two-party system, since its formation on November 21.

Apart from the Likud defectors, Sharon has also won the endorsement of the former Labour leader Shimon Peres.

Sharon decided to break from the party he was instrumental in founding 32 years ago, fed up with battling hardliners who refused to forgive him for pulling out of Gaza after a 38-year occupation.

In a speech Wednesday by the tomb of the Jewish state's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion, the current premier indicated that Israel must be ready for more pullouts from the West Bank.

"In order to achieve peace, we are ready to give up some of what is rightfully ours," Sharon said during a ceremony in the southern Negev desert.

Former premier Benjamin Netanyahu, who is favourite to regain the Likud leadership, insisted security and military strength would bring peace to Israel as he took a swipe at his arch-rival Sharon.

"Our peace is dependent on our strength ... and not on endless (territorial) retreats," he said in his first press conference since Sharon's split.

Before news emerged of Hanegbi's switch, there were widespread reports that police were about to submit a file on the minister to the state prosecutor which contained enough evidence to justify pursuing a case through the courts.

Police opened an investigation in August last year after a report by state comptroller Eliezer Goldberg found Hanegbi had "trampled on the law" by appointing dozens of political supporters to posts while environment minister.

Asked about the reports of an imminent prosecution, Hanegbi dismissed them as "newspaper speculation."

Dec 7 , 2005

Wednesday

March

today

the last 17 years

December 19

Wednesday evening

now

Wednesday

March 28

November 21

32 years ago

Wednesday

August last year


AFP_ENG_20051212.0284

ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 , 2005

Iran's FM in Pakistan this week, nuclear programme on agenda

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will visit Pakistan this week for talks with Pakistani leaders likely to touch on Tehran's controversial nuclear programme, an official said Monday.

Mottaki -- who was due to arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday -- will be making his first visit to the country since August when he was named to his post, foreign ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam told a weekly press briefing.

"The visit offers a useful opportunity to review bilateral relations and intensify cooperation in areas of mutual interest," she said.

Mottaki was also expected to discuss Iran's controversial nuclear programme with Pakistani officials, she said.

"Yes I think that will be (on the agenda). We will discuss bilateral issues, we will discuss regional and international issues and this will probably figure in the meetings," Aslam said.

Mottaki's visit to Pakistan comes ahead of December 21 talks between Iran and the so-called European Union 3 -- Britain, France and Germany -- on its disputed nuclear programme.

EU-Iran talks collapsed in August when Tehran ended its suspension of uranium conversion, a first step towards enrichment, and the planned talks are aimed at determining if negotiations can resume.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has figured in the International Atomic Energy Agency's investigation of Iran's atomic fuel reactor programme.

Pakistan in May sent parts from used nuclear centrifuges to the IAEA to allow the agency to compare microscopic traces of uranium on them with those found on devices in Iran.

The IAEA confirmed in August that the particles found at a key nuclear site in Iran were from Pakistani centrifuges, which were passed to Tehran by the disgraced Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Dec 12 , 2005

this week

Monday

Wednesday

August

December 21

August

May

August


XIN_ENG_20061106.0247

NAIROBI, Nov. 6 , 2006 (Xinhua)

UN warns of climate change threat as conference opens in Kenya

A series of climate change meetings opened at the UN Office in Nairobi, Kenya on Monday with participants warning that climate change is fast proving to be one of the greatest challenges in the history of humankind.

Thousands of participants to the meetings, dubbed as "the United Nations Climate Change Conference -- Nairobi 2006", called for collective action to tackle the threat.

"Climate change is rapidly emerging as one of the most serious threats that humanity may ever face," said the newly-elected President of the conference, Kenyan Environment Minister Kivutha Kibwana at the opening ceremony.

The Nov. 6-17 conference, including the 12th Conference of the 189 Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 2nd meeting of the 166 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and other side events, is the first UN climate summit held in sub-Saharan Africa.

Kibwana warned that global warming threatened the development goals for billions of the world's poorest people.

"We face a genuine danger that recent gains in poverty reduction will be thrown into reverse in coming decades, particularly for the poorest communities on the continent of Africa," he said.

The conference president went on to say that for these communities, scarce resources that would otherwise be channeled into essential projects to further economic development would instead be used for other emergencies, such as health care crises, water shortages and food stock failures.

He called on parties meeting in Nairobi to work together to ensure that real action is achieved on the issue of adaptation to climate change.

"Past and current greenhouse gas emission levels have already committed us to at least some level of temperature increase, and therefore a certain level of adaptation measures will be needed as a result," Kibwana said.

The UNFCCC's Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer called for specific activities to be agreed within the five-year work plan on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation.

"We expect countries to take decisions in Nairobi that will enhance action on adaptation on the ground," he said.

Another key outcome expected of the conference is agreement on how to manage the UNFCCC's Adaptation Fund. The fund is financed by a share of proceeds generated by the Kyoto Protocol's clean development mechanism (CDM).

The CDM permits industrialized countries which are members of the protocol to invest in sustainable development projects in developing countries, and thereby generate tradable emission credits.

"Ministers meeting in Nairobi have an opportunity to reach agreement on critical elements of the governance and management of the Adaptation Fund," the UN top climate change official said.

Kibwana called on the meeting to address the key obstacles faced by the least developed countries, in particular those in Africa, in participating successfully in the CDM.

He added that after a successful start in May 2006 in Bonn, discussion on future action to mitigate climate change would continue in Nairobi.

One track is for negotiating commitments beyond 2012 for countries under the Kyoto Protocol, the other deals with talks under the UNFCCC on the future of the climate change process, with a focus on how to advance development in a sustainable way and on how to realize the full potential of market-based opportunities.

"We need an equitable and effective future climate change regime that enables us to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases while at the same time allowing economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner," Kibwana said.

Nov. 6 , 2006

Monday

Nov. 6-17

coming decades

May 2006


AFP_ENG_20061205.0070

MOSCOW, Dec 5 , 2006, 2006

Russian ex-PM suffering 'unknown' illness

Russian doctors treating former prime minister Yegor Gaidar have detected symptoms that "do not correspond to any known illness" but cannot say for sure that he was a victim of poisoning, Gaidar's office said Tuesday.

"The sudden development of the illness, the multi-faceted nature of the symptoms... do not correspond to any known illness," although "doctors cannot unequivocally diagnose poisoning," the office said in a statement.

Dec 5 , 2006

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20051207.0065

SEOUL, Dec 7 , 2005

ATTENTION - UPDATES with government action, details ///

The South Korean goverment threatened Wednesday to invoke emergency powers to avert a strike by Korean Air pilots.

The warning came after pilots of the country's largest airline said they would strike from shortly after midnight Wednesday unless they reached a last-minute compromise in pay bargaining with management.

The government issued a statement urging pilots to cancel the strike and resolve the dispute with their management through negotiations.

"Otherwise, we will take stong measures such as our emergency arbitration rights," it said in a statement.

"We have kept the door open for dialogue with management," said an official of the union that represents 1,344 of Korean Air's 1,986 pilots.

They are demanding a 6.5 percent increase in wages and a 50 percent rise in bonuses. Of the 1,126 pilots who voted, 897 supported the strike, the union said.

The pilots earlier rejected a proposal by the government's arbitration body for a 2.5 percent increase in wages and a 50 percent rise in bonuses.

Korean Air officials said the pilots had been given enough incentives this year, including special allowances amounting to 11.4 percent of their annual pay.

Due to mounting fuel costs, Korean Air suffered a net loss of 42.5 billion won (40 million dollars) in the second quarter to June but in the third quarter, net profit jumped 59 percent from a year earlier to 154.2 billion won, helped by growth in passenger demand and lower costs.

In August pilots at Korean Air called off threatened strike action after a compromise over improved working conditions was reached with management.

At rival Asiana Airlines, the government invoked rarely-used emergency powers and mobilized riot police to end a 25-day stoppage by pilots in August.

"Korean Air's stoppage will seriously hurt our exports and credibility abroad," Construction and Transportation Minister Choo Byung-Jik said.

The goverment estimates that a strike by Korean Air pilots could cause 18.7 billion won (18.1 million dollars) in losses to the airline and 50 billion won to the country.

Korean Air accounts for 40.6 percent of international passenger services and 48.1 percent of international cargo services out of South Korea.

Dec 7 , 2005

Wednesday

Wednesday

this year

second quarter

June

the third quarter

a year earlier

August

August


bbc_20130322_1150

2013-03-22

Last 1953 Everest team member George Lowe dies, aged 89

The last surviving member of the team which first conquered Everest in 1953 has died in a Derbyshire nursing home.

George Lowe, 89, died in Ripley on Wednesday after a long-term illness, with his wife Mary by his side.

New Zealand-born Mr Lowe was part of the team that helped Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the summit in 1953.

Family friend and historian Dr Huw Lewis-Jones paid tribute to a "gentle soul and fine climber" who shunned the limelight.

Mr Lowe also took part in the trans-Antarctic expedition of 1957-58, which made the first successful overland crossing of Antarctica via the South Pole.

He later made expeditions to Greenland, Greece and Ethiopia.

Speaking to the BBC in 1995, Mr Lowe said of his Antarctic adventure: "We estimated we could do it in 100 days, and we got across on the 99th day.

"There was a great feeling of euphoria from everyone. It had a multiplying effect.

"We were pleased that England and New Zealand knew about it, and we thought that's where it would stop."

He also talked about his "second job" as the group's cameraman, and having to wear four pairs of gloves to work the clockwork camera.

"When there were dramas, there was a split problem. Do you take part in the urgency - or do you record it?" he said.

Dr Lewis-Jones, the former curator at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge, who first met Mr Lowe in 2005, called him a "hero".

"I don't often use that word but then it is not very often that you get to meet one," he said.

A book of memoirs and photographs from the climb by Mr Lowe, which he worked on with Dr Lewis-Jones, is due to be published in May.

He said: "Lowe was a brilliant, kind fellow who never sought the limelight... and 60 years on from Everest his achievements deserve wider recognition.

"He was involved in two of the most important explorations of the 20th Century... yet remained a humble, happy man right to the end... an inspirational lesson to us all."

Before retiring in 1984, Mr Lowe worked as an Inspector of Schools with the Department of Education and Sciences, and he leaves three sons from a previous marriage.

The last British climbing member of the 1953 team, Mike Westmacott, died last June.

Wednesday

100 days

the 99th day

May

60 years

20th Century

last June


XIN_ENG_20061113.0206

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 13 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Photo exhibition on Sun Yat-sen's life held in Pakistan

A photo exhibition to mark the 140th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, one of the forefathers of modern China, opened here Monday.

The exhibition was organized by the Chinese Embassy to Pakistan and Pakistan National Council of the Arts.

Some 200 people including representatives of the overseas Chinese, Chinese students in Pakistan and Pakistani friends were present at the occasion in Pakistan National Art Gallery.

Speaking on the occasion, Cultural Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy Shan Baoxiang recalled the glorious life of Sun and his great achievements made in the past for realizing independence, democracy and prosperity of China.

Shan Baoxiang said that Dr. Sun Yat-sen is respected by the Chinese people as the forerunner of the Chinese Revolution. His life had also been a story of struggles and self-sacrifices.

Shan said that Dr. Sun Yat-sen brought democracy to China, which still heavily influences the Chinese government today, from which the Chinese people are still benefiting.

He added that without Sun's efforts and ideological contributions, we will not have been able to stand here with you and talking about our deep-rooted friendships.

On displayed at the exhibition are 84 sheets of photos introducing Sun's glory life.

Nov. 13 , 2006

Monday

today


AFP_ENG_19970410.0299

NEW DELHI, April 10 , 1997 (AFP)

India's tottering government given more breathing time

India's Congress (I) party Thursday gave the ruling coalition government until Friday to sack Prime Minister H.D. Deve in return for its support in a vote of confidence.

Congress spokesman Ved Prakash said: "We have told the United Front (government) that if it does not come to a viable solution before 11 a.m. (0530 GMT) tomorrow the Congress will vote against it.

"Then the government will fall."

Prakash's comments came after final peace talks between the two sides failed Thursday.

Prakash, however, said a rapprochement could not be ruled out until the last minute.

The Congress last month withdrew its parliamentary backing to the minority centre-left alliance, accusing the government of misrule.

It said Deve Gowda should be sacked and announced it wanted to form its own coalition. Neither group, however, is strong enough to govern without outside backing.

Prakash added: "In politics, you cannot say anything has failed until the very end. There are still lots of possibilities and scope for compromise."

April 10 , 1997

Thursday

Friday

11 a.m.

Thursday

the last minute

last month


AFP_ENG_20061202.0190

NAGANO, Japan, Dec 2 , 2006, 2006

=(PICTURE)=

Japanese wondergirl skater Mao Asada is heading to Russia to defend the Grand Prix Final after winning the NHK Trophy Friday with the highest ever score for a woman.

Japanese rivals Fumie Suguri and Yukari Nakano, who won the NHK event last year, delighted the home fans by finishing second and third respectively.

Asada, 16, collected 199.52 points in the Japanese competition, having marked 130.02 points in the free skating section and 69.50 from the short program.

The overall point score edged above 198.06 points won by two-time world champion Irina Slutskaya of Russia at the 2005 Cup of Russia.

"I was so happy because this is my first victory this season," Asada said. "About the total score...it was a surprise and I was happy to see that."

Asada gained her international prominence by beating Slutskaya to win the Grand Prix Final last year.

Asada, the crowd's all-out favorite, kicked off her free skating program with a wobbly landing from a triple axel, but her performance improved after that.

"I thought I could ride the wave if I could succeed the triple axel. Today, I landed but kind of wobbled a bit. But it was not a failure and I was on my wave," she said.

"The rest of the programs had jumps that I felt confident about. I was able to do as I wanted, and I was relieved by that," she said.

There was considerable pressure on the high school student, who needed to win the competition to advance to the Grand Prix Final in Saint Petersburg later this month. The NHK Trophy is the last in the six-round qualifying series for the Final.

"This was the first time that I was put in a high-pressure situation like this. I was nervous but I came out OK. Maybe I grew up a little," said Asada, a driving force behind Japan's figure skating craze.

"I want to keep this momentum going into the finals. I hope I can do (a triple axel) there," Asada said.

Second-placed Suguri, 25, the world silver medallist who also came in second at Skate Canada this season, said she had struggled with fitness for the home competition.

"New generations of skaters are growing, even girls who are 10 years younger than I. I must to work more in order to survive," said Suguri, who won a total 179.31 points, scoring 117.39 in free skating and 61.92 from her short program.

"Maybe I failed to build my stamina, and it might have shown at the end," she said. "I want to learn from new ideas from new girls."

Nakano, who failed to defend her title, said she was disappointed about repeated mistakes, particularly in her free skating, but that she would work to sharpen the accuracy of her jumps and spins.

Dec 2 , 2006

Friday

last year

this season

last year

Today

later this month


AFP_ENG_20061219.0486

KINSHASA, Dec 19 , 2006, 2006

UN airlifts 1,800 Angolan refugees home from DR Congo

The UN refugee agency has begun to fly home 1,800 Angolan refugees who have lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo for many years, it announced on Tuesday.

"Some 50 of them left (Monday) afternoon on the first flight from Kinshasa to Mbanza Kongo, in the north of Angola," said a statement from the office in the DRC capital of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Until December 30, there will be three daily flights carrying a total of about 150 Angolans who have volunteered for repatriation, with a Christmas break between December 24 and 25, the agency said.

Refugee flights are costly, but the UNHCR said that "return transport by air is currently the only possible option due to the condition of roads and bridges that are inaccessible in the rainy season".

Angolan refugees moved into the DRC during the course of a civil war that ravaged their southern African country from independence in 1975 until 2002, but the UNHCR said that by the end of this year, 52,000 of them should be home.

The Angolan government paid for Monday's first airlift, the UNHCR said.

Voluntary repatriations began after the DRC, Angola and the UN agency signed a tripartite accord in 2003, the year a regional war that had raged across the vast central African country came to an end. During that conflict, Angola was one of three countries to send troops to support Kinshasa against rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda.

The refugees are being flown either to Mbanza Kongo or to Uige in northern Angola and the UNHCR allows them to take 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of luggage, and gives them either cash subsidies or assistance packages of food and items like cooking utensils, depending on their destination.

The latest registered number of Angolan refugees in the DRC was 145,000, among 224,000 refugees from neighbouring countries. The UNHCR also estimates that 410,000 DRC refugees live abroad, mainly in Tanzania, Zambia and Congo.

Dec 19 , 2006

many years

Tuesday

Monday) afternoon

December 30

Christmas

December 24

season

the end of this year

Monday

the year


XIN_ENG_20061102.0077

ISLAMABAD, Nov. 2 , 2006 (Xinhua)

60,000 Afghans registered so far in Pakistan: UNHCR

More than 60,000 Afghans in Pakistan have so far been registered since the largest ever registration has been started on Oct. 15, the UN refugee agency said on Thursday.

Pakistan had launched the registration process in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the process would be completed by the end of this year, Pakistan news agency NNI reported.

Senior Regional Public Information Officer of UNHCR Vivian Tan said that UNHCR is trying to give identification to Afghan refugees and their registration process would be completed by the end of year.

She said it is a wrong perception that process of registration of Afghan refugees will be used for expelling Afghan refugee from Pakistan.

She said that the basic purpose of the registration process is to protect Afghan refugees from harassment as after the registration Afghan refugees could legally stay for three years in Pakistan and they could obtain passports and identity cards to prove their identification.

She said that it is true that Afghan refugees are afraid of the registration process and they do not want to do so but the UNHCR is trying to convince them for registration.

She said that it is true that the UNHCR is lacking fund for completion of the registration process but the donors have pledged to provide more funds.

She said that 1 million Afghan refugees have been staying in 74 camps in Pakistan, mostly in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and southwestern Balochistan province.

She said that they would ask Pakistan government to set up more registration centers outside Islamabad, adding that the meeting is scheduled to be held in December to review the registration process.

She said, "We are giving them 12 U.S. dollars per person going back to Afghanistan with a traveling allowance of four to 37 dollars according to their distance."

It is true that most of the Afghan refugees are coming back to Pakistan but there is no way to document the record of these people, said Van.

"We have always stressed the need of development in Afghanistan so that these people could stay in their country," she added.

Nov. 2 , 2006

Oct. 15

Thursday

the end of this year

the end of year

three years

December


XIN_ENG_20061123.0054

NANJING, Nov. 23 , 2006 (Xinhua)

China's new Schmidt telescope's test observation successful

Tests on China's Schmidt telescope, which is designed to detect near-earth objects (NEO) that could threaten the planet were successful.

The telescope, measuring one meter in diameter, was tested by scientists at the Mount Zijin Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in the suburb of Huai'an city of east China's Jiangsu Province.

It is the fist telescope in China specialized in NEO observation and one of only six, one-meter NEO observation telescopes in the world, said Yang Jiexing, a researcher with the observatory.

Near-earth objects are comets and asteroids that have been nudged by the gravitational pull and may collide with earth.

Using the most sensitive CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) detectors, the telescope can take pictures of the high-orbit satellites, spatial debris, nebula and variable stars.

After the test observation, the telescope will help astronomers document all NEOs, including unknown ones, for further study, and enable astronomers to know in advance whether an NEO poses a threat to the earth, said Yang.

Once the danger is found, astronomers will exchange the information within the global observation network, Yang said .

A global observation network has been set up to prevent the NEOs from colliding with earth.

So far, more than 800 near-earth asteroids have been discovered by scientists, including nearly 100 with a diameter of more than 1,000 meters.

Nov. 23 , 2006


XIN_ENG_20051122.0154

TAIPEI, Nov. 22 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Taiwan to start first ever "three-in-one" election to saving money

The "Central Election Commission" of the Taiwan authorities on Tuesday announced a candidate list for the island's election of county heads, county councilors and village heads.

It is the first time for the island to put the election of county heads, county councilors and village heads in one election.

The election will be held in December.

The so called "three-in-one" election aims to economize election costs, according to the Taiwan authorities.

Statistics offered by the "Central Election Commission" showed that the Taiwan authorities spent more than 13.1 billion New Taiwan dollars (409 million US dollars) holding a total of 21 elections over the past ten years.

Although three elections integrated in one, the island's election atmosphere is still crazy. News of the election, candidate introductions and election analysis are frequently seen on local newspapers and TV programs. Candidates' photos and posters with their competition slogans were put up along the streets.

There are also reports of corruption. At present, 12 candidates are sued for being suspected of taking bribes for more votes.

Nov. 22 , 2005

Tuesday

December

the past ten years


XIN_ENG_20051127.0202

BEIJING, Nov. 28 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Xinhua International News Advisory -- Nov. 28

Following are some of the major international news stories scheduled to be covered or pursued by Xinhua on Monday.

-- Exit polls show that opposition candidate Manuel Zelaya leads Sunday's presidential election in Honduras, winning more than 50 percent of the vote.

-- Ice on the wings of the West Caribbean Airways (WCA) airplane had caused the Colombian company's plane to crash in Venezuela, killing the 160 people on board on Aug. 16 this year, Colombian media said on Sunday.

-- Jordan has a new cabinet on Sunday, which faces the tasks of fighting against terrorism and improving the country's economy.

Nov. 28 , 2005

Monday

Sunday

Aug. 16 this year

Sunday

Sunday


XIN_ENG_20061109.0364

LUSAKA, Nov. 9 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Zambia soccer squad formed for CECAFA

Zambian national team coach has named a 19-member squad for the Confederation of East and Central African Football Association (CECAFA) championship that will start this month in Ethiopia.

According to the list released here Wednesday by Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Patrick Phiri has blended experience and new talent in his team, bringing in players from both the Under 20 and Under 23.

The championship that will also feature Malawi and the host Ethiopia will run from November 25 to December 10.

FAZ spokesperson Joseph Nkole said: "We are taking this championship seriously because it would help our players to prepare for the Ghana 2008 Africa Cup qualifiers early next year."

Nkole said FAZ decided to include the Under 20 players in the team to shape them up for the Africa Youth Championship next year.

Nov. 9 , 2006

this month

Wednesday

November 25

December 10

early next year

next year


XIN_ENG_20061113.0308

LAGOS, Nov. 13 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Sea pirates raid police station in south Nigeria

A group of sea pirates have raided a police station in southern Nigeria and carted away arms and salaries of local government workers, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported on Monday.

An eyewitness was quoted as saying that about a dozen of pirates stormed Bori Divisional Police Station in southern state of Rivers on early Sunday morning and shot sporadically to scare away policemen on duty before looting.

The pirates also took away funds belonging to the local government and burnt their bus before escaping in a boat, the witness added.

Confirming the event, police public relation officer Ireju Barasua said that a special police team had been deployed to the station and investigations had been started.

She appealed to the public to be vigilant and assist the police with useful information on the movement of strange persons and criminal activities in the area.

Nov. 13 , 2006

Monday

early Sunday morning


AFP_ENG_19970430.0024

BANGKOK, April 30 , 1997 (AFP)

I was a youthful Don Juan, says Thai PM

Thai Prime Minister Chaowalit Yongchaiyudh, who recently divulged that he had been married three times, has admitted to being a womanizer in his youth, The Nation reported Wednesday.

Chaowalit denied allegations of having been married to a fourth woman without the knowledge of the Thai public, but told reporters he had enjoyed a number of short term affairs as a young man.

"I had a lot of those kind of affairs. It was like a moon being surrounded by stars. I could not help it if I was a womanizer when I was young," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

Speculation over Chaowalit's marital history has been rife in the Thai press in recent weeks after an interview with his second wife, whose existence was largely unknown to the general public, was published in a leading newspaper.

Chaowalit and his second wife were married for three years in the 1960s after he divorced from his first wife.

The prime minister said the revelations had not caused any anguish to his current wife, who knew all about his colorful past.

Asked to describe his second wife by reporters, Chaowlait responded: "All women are the same -- they are all lovely."

April 30 , 1997

Wednesday

recent weeks

three years


NYT19980212.0019
 NEWS STORY
 02/12/1998 01:58:00

A4195 Cx1f taf-z
u a Cx13  Cx11  BC-NY-LAUNDRY-MURDER-NYT     02-12 0207

 BC-NY-LAUNDRY-MURDER-NYT

WOMAN KILLED AT BROOKLYN LAUNDROMAT

(lh) QL
UR c.1998 N.Y. Times News Service LR  QC  QL

NEW YORK _ A Brooklyn woman who  was watching her clothes dry in
a laundromat  was killed Thursday evening when two would-be robbers
emptied their pistols into the store, the police said.
The men appeared in the store at 469 Vermont St. in Brownsville
around 7:15 p.m., after the victim, Linda Sanders, 35,  had finished
her cleaning and  was waiting for her clothes  to dry, detectives
said.
``It looks as though they panicked,'' a detective, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said of the robbers. ``They intended  to rob
the place. There were four or five people inside, and they just started firing.''
Ms. Sanders  was hit several times and  was pronounced dead at the
scene. The other customers fled, and the police said it did not appear that anyone else was injured.
The men took no money from their victim or from the
establishment, said Detective Joseph Pentangelo, a Police
Department spokesman.
Victor Miranda, who lives in Ms. Sanders' apartment building at
405 Williams Ave., said the laundry machines in the building  were removed a few years ago to make room for management offices.

NYT-02-12-98 0158EST

02/12/1998 01:58:00

Thursday evening

around 7:15 p.m.

a few years ago


XIN_ENG_20051105.0104

BAKU, Nov. 5 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Azerbaijan starts parliamentary elections amid opposition protests

Some 4.66 million registered voters in Azerbaijan Saturday went to the polls amid opposition protests.

The oppositions said the elections to choose the 125-seat Milli Majlis, or national assembly, have been marked by "harassment" as a leading opposition party's campaign leader has been kept under arrest for a third day.

Faramaz Javadov, campaign manager for the Democratic Party, was reportedly arrested in a raid on the party's election headquarters on Thursday evening.

Opposition parties of the country, including Javadov's Democratic Party, which are united in the the Azadlyq (Freedom) Bloc, have promised demonstrations if any fraud is detected.

Pledging a fair and transparent vote, an Interior Ministry spokesman said Javadov was arrested when police were searching his offices after a tip-off about illegal weapons.

"Faramaz Javadov put up resistance and he was therefore arrested for obstructing police." said the spokesman.

The government of President Ilham Aliyev has introduced a package of anti-fraud measures, including applying special ink on voters' fingers to prevent multiple voting in the elections which have drawn much attention from western countries.

Meanwhile, the voting process in the oil-rich nation of eight million people will also be watched by about 2,000 Azeri monitors, as well as 1,291 foreign observers.

The polls will be closed at 1500 GMT and preliminary results are expected to come out within 24 hours.

Nov. 5 , 2005

Saturday

a third day

Thursday evening

24 hours


XIN_ENG_20051118.0227

BEIJING, Nov. 18 , 2005 (Xinhua)

humans

The Beijing-based vaccine producer Sinovac Biotech, the first in the world to develop SARS vaccine, said Friday it has made preparations to produce human-use bird flu vaccine in mass quantity.

Sinovac has installed a special production line for the human-use bird flu vaccine, said Yin Weidong. general manager of the company, which is working with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention to research bird flu human vaccine.

"We have applied for human clinical trials for the vaccine with the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration and the vaccine can be put into production once the clinical trials complete," said Yin, adding the price of the vaccine could be lower than the commonly-used flu vaccines.

Chinese scientists have developed a bird flue vaccine for human use and will carry out clinical tests in days.

"Tests show that the vaccine is highly safe," said Yin.

Founded in 2001, Sinovac, known in China as Beijing Kexing Bioproducts Limited Company, focuses on manufacturing and marketing human-use vaccines and related products for infectious diseases such as Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B, influenza and SARS.

The company was designated to cooperate with the state disease control and prevention center to carry out the research and development for human-use bird flu vaccine, to be used for preventing the disease among humans, since the epidemic among birds was first found in March 2004.

"We get the virus samples from the lab of the influenza center under the World Health Organization and the research is going on well," said Yin.

"If the bird flu virus mutates, we can develop new vaccines in four months," said Yin.

Millions of chickens, ducks, geese and other poultry have been culled after bird flu outbreaks were reported in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Hunan, Hubei, and Anhui provinces this year.

China's health authorities have confirmed on Wednesday the first two human infection cases of bird flu in the country, and enhanced efforts to prevent and control the epidemic.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao inspected the workshops of bird flu vaccine and medicine for human use in Sinovac on Thursday and called for new progress on the research and development of the bird flu vaccine.

Nov. 18 , 2005

Friday

March 2004

four months

this year

Wednesday

Thursday


nyt_20130322_strange_computer

2013-03-22

A Strange Computer Promises Great Speed

Our digital age is all about bits, those precise ones and zeros that are the stuff of modern computer code.

But a powerful new type of computer that is about to be commercially deployed by a major American military contractor is taking computing into the strange, subatomic realm of quantum mechanics. In that infinitesimal neighborhood, common sense logic no longer seems to apply. A one can be a one, or it can be a one and a zero and everything in between  all at the same time.

It sounds preposterous, particularly to those familiar with the yes/no world of conventional computing. But academic researchers and scientists at companies like Microsoft, I.B.M. and Hewlett-Packard have been working to develop quantum computers.

Now, Lockheed Martin  which bought an early version of such a computer from the Canadian company D-Wave Systems two years ago  is confident enough in the technology to upgrade it to commercial scale, becoming the first company to use quantum computing as part of its business.

Skeptics say that D-Wave has yet to prove to outside scientists that it has solved the myriad challenges involved in quantum computation.

But if it performs as Lockheed and D-Wave expect, the design could be used to supercharge even the most powerful systems, solving some science and business problems millions of times faster than can be done today.

Ray Johnson, Lockheeds chief technical officer, said his company would use the quantum computer to create and test complex radar, space and aircraft systems. It could be possible, for example, to tell instantly how the millions of lines of software running a network of satellites would react to a solar burst or a pulse from a nuclear explosion  something that can now take weeks, if ever, to determine.

digital

Now

two years ago

today

now

weeks


XIN_ENG_20061114.0389

MEXICO CITY, Nov. 14 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Five police killed on drug patrol in Mexico

Five police officers were killed in an ambush by drug gangs in the western Mexican state of Michoacan on Tuesday, state prosecutors said.

An investigative officer and four police officers were shot dead when conducting a routine patrol in the mountain town of Aguililla where farmers grow opium poppies and marijuana, a spokesman for the state prosecutor said.

The victims' bodies were found bullet-riddled.

The incident happened close to Tumbuscatio, where Mexican soldiers killed one drug trafficker and arrested two last week, and seized a vast cache of weapons.

Drug violence has surged in western Mexican states like Michoacan and Guerrero recently, despite efforts by the government of President Vicente Fox to break the gangs.

Since the beginning of this year, 30 police have been killed in drug-related violence.

Nov. 14 , 2006

Tuesday

last week

the beginning of this year


XIN_ENG_20051126.0121

TEHRAN, Nov. 26 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Some 2.8 tons of drugs seized in southeastern Iran in three days

Iranian anti-drug police have seized some 2.8 tons of illicit drugs in the southeastern city of Zahedan during the past three days, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

The massive haul, including 2,000 kg of opium, 400 kg of hashish, 400 kg of heroin and some narcotics, were seized when police searched suspected vehicles in the city during a drug- busting operation, a police officer was quoted by the IRNA as saying.

Over 100 weapons were also confiscated during the operation and 39 drug traffickers arrested, the officer added.

Zahedan is the capital city of the Sistan-Baluchestan province, which shares a 1,100-km border with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Drug addiction and transportation has been a serious social problem in Iran, a country sitting in the crossroad linking drug producing Afghanistan and Pakistan and markets in the Persian Gulf states, central Asia, western Europe and other regions.

According to official statistics, there are at least 2 million drug addicts in Iran.

The country also accounts for 80 percent of the opium and 90 percent of the morphine intercepted worldwide, according to the International Narcotics Control Board.

The Islamic Republic spends 5 billion US dollars annually on anti-drug programs, and over 3,100 police have lost their lives in clashes with drug smugglers during the past two decades.

Nov. 26 , 2005

the past three days

Saturday

the past two decades


XIN_ENG_20051125.0253

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 25 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Annan calls for strong action to eliminate violence against women

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called on states on Friday to take strong action to eliminate violence against women.

The United Nations on Friday marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women with calls for states to take legal action against the global scourge, for societies to change a mindset that permits such abuse, and for women themselves to stand up and speak out against a culture of shame.

In a message on the Day, Annan pointed out that "violence against women remains pervasive worldwide."

"It is the most atrocious manifestation of the systemic discrimination and inequality women continue to face, in law and in their everyday lives, around the world. It occurs in every region, country, and culture, regardless of income, class, race or ethnicity," he said.

Noting that leaders at September's UN World Summit pledged to redouble efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and the girls, he stressed that this required a change of the mindset, still all too common and deep-seated, that violence against women is acceptable.

"That means leadership in showing, by example, that when it comes to violence against women and girls, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses," the Secretary-General declared.

Nov. 25 , 2005

Friday

Friday

September


AFP_ENG_19970422.0093

SEOUL, April 22 , 1997 (AFP)

Seoul shares close 1.3 percent lower

Share prices fell 1.3 percent on the Korea Stock Exchange Tuesday, hit by reports of financial problems at Jinro group subsidiaries, dealers said.

The composite index closed down 9.38 points at 687.96.

April 22 , 1997

Tuesday


WSJ891026-0053
 = 891026
 891026-0053.
 Bethlehem Steel
@  Net Fell 54%
@  In 3rd Period
@  ---
@  Higher Costs, Less Volume
@  Are Cited; 2 Others Post
@  Lower Operating Profits
@  ----
@  By Clare Ansberry
@  Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
 10/26/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 BS AS NII
 STEEL MANUFACTURERS (STL)
EARNINGS (ERN)

   Bethlehem Steel Corp., hammered by higher costs and lower shipments to key automotive and service-center customers, posted a 54% drop in third-quarter profit.

   Separately, two more of the nation's top steelmakers -- Armco Inc. and National Intergroup Inc. -- reported lower operating earnings in their steel businesses, marking what is generally believed to be the end of a two-year boom in the industry.

   Wall Street analysts expect the disappointing trend to continue into the fourth quarter and through at least the first two quarters of 1990, when the industry will increasingly see the effect of price erosion in major product lines, such as rolled sheet used for cars, appliances and construction.

   "It does n't bode well for coming quarters," said John Jacobson, who follows the steel industry for AUS Consultants.
In fact, he thinks several steelmakers will report actual losses through the third quarter of 1990.

   Bethlehem, the nation's second largest steelmaker, earned $46.9 million, or 54 cents a share.
The figures include $15 million in costs related to a blast furnace outage and $8 million in losses from unauthorized work outages at the company's coal operations.
In the year-ago period, Bethlehem earned $101.4 million, or $1.27 a share, including a $3.8 million gain from early retirement of debt.

   Third-quarter sales dropped 11% to $1.27 billion from $1.43 billion a year ago.

   In composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Bethlehem shares rose 50 cents to $17.375.

   Of all the major steelmakers, Bethlehem would seem to be the most vulnerable to a slowdown.
It hasn't diversified beyond steel, nor has it linked up with a joint venture partner to share costs and risks.

   However, in spite of the difficult industrywide environment of high cost and low volume, Bethlehem "had pretty good earnings numbers," said Michelle Galanter Applebaum, an analyst with Salomon Brothers Inc. Ms. Applebaum had estimated third-quarter earnings of 55 cents a shhha55 cents a share,   ents a share, but  ssa share, but said the losses for the unusual items were larger than expected.

   Still, Bethlehem's core basic steel operations experienced a steep drop in operating profit to $58.6 million from $186.4 million a year ago, when the industry enjoyed strong demand and pricing.
The company said its shipments declined as a result of a reduction in inventories by service centers, a lackluster automotive market and increasing competitive pressures in the construction market.

   At the same time, production costs, compared with a year ago, were boosted by higher raw material and employment costs, which resulted from the company's new labor pact effective June 1.

   "We anticipate that steel market conditions will exhibit a further moderate decline in the fourth quarter as the automotive sector remains weak and customers continue to adjust inventories," said Bethlehem Chairman Walter F. Williams.
He noted , however, that the company's order entry has increased from the low levels of the early summer, following the end of labor negotiations.

   steel business, said third-quarter net income dropped 8% to $33 million, or 35 cents a share, from $36 million, or 39 cents a share in the year-ago quarter.
Sales dropped to $441.1 million from $820.4 million, because the company no longer consolidates its Eastern Steel division, which is now a joint venture with Kawasaki Steel Corp.

   Along with reduced volume, analysts said the nation's fifth largest steelmaker was hurt by holding higher-cost inventory when raw material costs of such key products as nickel dropped.
Operating profit dropped 46% in its specialty flat-rolled steel segment.
Moreover, the company said higher sales and shipments to service centers from its Armco Steel Co. joint venture failed to offset weakness in the automotive market, higher production costs and a poorer product mix.

   Armco shares closed unchanged at $10.625 in composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

   National Intergroup, which owns 50% of the nation's sixth largest steelmaker -- National Steel Corp. -- posted net income for the fiscal second-quarter of $8.6 million, or 33 cents a share, compared with a net loss of $50.3 million.
Sales increased in the quarter ended Sept. 30 to $747.8 million from $623.5 million a year ago.
The latest period includes gains of $9.1 million from early retirement of debt and tax loss carry-forward.
Last year's results were hurt by $41.3 million in restructuring charges.

   National Intergroup stock closed at $15, unchanged in composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

   The company noted that its Fox-Meyer Drug Co., Ben Franklin Stores Inc. and Permian Corp. operations showed improvements as a result of restructuring moves.
However, its equity in the net income of National Steel declined to $6.3 million from $10.9 million as a result of softer demand and lost orders following prolonged labor talks and a threatened strike.
National Intergroup is negotiating for the sale of its 50% interest in National Steel to concentrate more fully on drug distribution operations.

third-quarter

two-year

the fourth quarter

first two quarters of 1990

coming quarters

the third quarter of 1990

year-ago period

Third-quarter

a year ago

third-quarter

a year ago

a year ago

June 1

the fourth quarter

the early summer

third-quarter

the year-ago quarter

now

fiscal second-quarter

quarter

Sept. 30

a year ago

The latest period

Last year


XIN_ENG_20061112.0067

BAGHDAD, Nov. 12 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Two people killed in two roadside bombs in central Baghdad

Two people were killed and five others wounded when two roadside bombs went off at central Baghdad district on Sunday, a well-informed police source said.

"Two roadside bombs detonated at about 1:40 a.m. (1040 GMT) in the Fanarah district near the Taiyran Square, killing two civilians and wounding five others," the source said on condition of anonymity.

In an earlier incident, the death toll of a suicide bomb attack at a police commando recruitment center in western Baghdad rose to 35, with up to 60 others wounded, the source said.

Violence rages in Iraq as sectarian killings, car bombings and roadside bombings claim lives of dozens of Iraqis on the daily basis.

Nov. 12 , 2006

Sunday

1:40 a.m.


XIN_ENG_20061113.0225

BEIJING, Nov. 13 , 2006 (Xinhua)

China Netcom and Spanish Telefonica form joint venture for PCCW

China Netcom Group Corp announced on Monday an agreement with Spain's Telefonica SA to form a joint venture which will hold controlling shares in PCCW, a Hong Kong-based phone operator.

Telefonica will purchase an eight percent stake in PCCW which would increase the shares of the joint venture in PCCW to 27.94 percent, said China Netcom Group in a press release.

China Netcom Group, Telefonica and PCCW have signed a strategic alliance which will enable the three companies to fully cooperate in mobile services and voice communication.

China Netcom Group said that Telefonica was a well-known international telecom operator and its entry into PCCW would help to enhance the value of PCCW and guarantee better returns to the shareholders.

China Netcom Group acquired a 20 percent stake in the enlarged share capital of Hong Kong-listed PCCW last year for one billion U.S. dollars, at 5.90 HK dollars per share.

Nov. 13 , 2006

Monday

last year


AFP_ENG_19970422.0680

WASHINGTON, April 22 , 1997 (AFP)

URGENT Washington blames casualties in Lima on rebels

The United States blamed leftist hostage-takers Tuesday for what it said were "some casualties" suffered as Peruvian security forces ended the siege at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima.

April 22 , 1997

Tuesday


AFP_ENG_20051216.0340

BELFAST, Dec 16 , 2005

Britain

A senior figure of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA), has been expelled from the party after admitting he had been a spy for the British government, a party spokesman said on Friday.

Dec 16 , 2005

Friday


AFP_ENG_20061213.0411

PARIS, Dec 13 , 2006, 2006

Bogus Segolene Royal haunts Second Life

An avatar made up to look like French presidential candidate Segolene Royal has made an appearance in the popular virtual world of Second Life, though it is not piloted by the politician or her any of her supporters.

Vincent Feltesse, the head of the "new technologies division" of Royal's Socialist party, told AFP the character -- known as Segolene RoyalE -- had been spotted some time ago but nothing had been done to stop it.

"That's just par for the course for the 'net," he said.

He added that, while the behaviour of the avatar was "sophomoric" and not approved of by the party, it would go unhindered "as long as it's not an initiative controlled by a PR agency."

A French free newspaper, Metro, on Wednesday conducted an interview with the character.

Second Life, a vast online world created by a San Francisco technology company called Linden Lab, counts around two million "residents", or virtual characters whose likenesses are made up by members.

The computerised environment has attracted several real-world companies, including car manufacturers and sports clothing makers, which created 3-D stores.

It also has a branch of the French far-right group the National Front, which was opened by its youth movement to promote the presidential candidacy of its leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Dec 13 , 2006

some time ago

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20051214.0485

LONDON, Dec 14 , 2005

=(PICTURE)=

London mayor Ken Livingstone never meant to offend Jewish people by comparing a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration guard, his lawyer said Wednesday.

His remarks to a journalist from London's Evening Standard newspaper were instead triggered by his dislike of Associated Newspapers, which owns the title and its national sister paper the Daily Mail, and its alleged support for anti-Semitism, lawyer Tony Child said.

The anti-Semitism claims -- made by Livingstone during a February 22 response to the controversy -- refer to a leaving party thrown for an outgoing Daily Mail editor in which some guests were reportedly dressed as Nazis.

He also referred to the Daily Mail's support for facism and its opposition to allowing Jews fleeing European pogroms to come to Britain in the 1930s.

"What Mr. Livingstone was doing when he made the statement which has led to this hearing is to reflect his long-held and, it's accepted, honestly held political view of the Mail group," Child told a disciplinary hearing in central London.

"An apology may be relevant to mitigation, but a lack of an apology cannot determine liability."

Livingstone, who was not at Wednesday's hearing, is facing charges that he failed to treat others with respect or had brought his office into disrepute.

If found guilty, he could be banned from office for five years, ordered to make an apology, suspended, made to undergo training or be censured.

When Evening Standard reporter Oliver Finegold approached Livingstone at a public function in February, the mayor asked him whether he had ever been a "German war criminal".

On hearing that Finegold was Jewish, Livingstone likened him to a Nazi concentration camp guard.

The publicised remarks led to calls from Jewish groups, concentration camp survivors and politicians, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, for an apology, but none has been forthcoming.

Despite once being the newspaper's restaurant critic, there is no love lost between Livingstone and the Evening Standard, which the mayor believes has waged a lengthy hate campaign against him.

Dec 14 , 2005

Wednesday

February 22

the 1930s

Wednesday

five years

February


AFP_ENG_20051205.0389

BAGHDAD, Dec 5 , 2005

URGENT Saddam trial adjourned until Wednesday

The trial of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was adjourned Monday until Wednesday, an AFP correspondent said.

Dec 5 , 2005

Monday

Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20051113.0183

AMMAN, Nov. 13 , 2005 (Xinhua)

1st lead: Woman suicide bomber confesses to bomb attack

The woman suicide bomber in Wednesday's Amman hotel bombing attacks confessed that she was told to carry out the bombing, the official Jordanian television reported on Sunday.

Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, an Iraqi national, appeared on the television with explosives strapped around her waist.

The 35-year-old confessed to failing in her mission of carrying out the attack, which killed at least 57 people in Radisson, Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels in the Jordanian capital Wednesday night and wounded over 110 others.

She said she was told by her husband, Ali Hussein Ali al- Shamari who was identified as one of another three Iraqi suicide bombers, to wear an explosive belt, but she failed to blow herself up when accompanying her husband to attack Radisson Hotel.

The other two were identified as Rawad Jassem Mohammed Abed and Safaa Mohammed Ali.

Earlier reports said the woman was sister of a senior aide of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. The aide was killed by US-Iraqi forces in Iraq earlier this year.

Al-Shamari and his wife were disguised as guests to a wedding party held in Radisson Hotel before the attack, Jordanian authorities said.

Al-Qaida terror group in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the blasts in an Internet statement.

In the wake of the bloodshed, Jordan has vowed to hunt down the attackers and those behind the blasts. Scores of suspects have been rounded up by Jordanian police across the country and investigations are underway.

Nov. 13 , 2005

Wednesday

Sunday

Wednesday night

earlier this year


AFP_ENG_20061203.0613

BEIJING, Dec 4 , 2006, 2006

fund loss

China has ordered local governments to make up shortfalls in their social security funds after it found 7.1 billion yuan (900 million dollars) had been misappropriated, state media reported Monday.

Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Liu Yongfu was quoted by state newspapers as saying local governments should recover the embezzled funds but must compensate for the losses if they fail to do so.

"For the funds that have been lost and unable to be recovered, the (local) governments have to compensate," according to the report.

Local governments must also submit plans to recover misused funds from illegal investments to the ministry before the end of this year, Liu was quoted by the People's Daily as saying.

"As the supervising government department... the ministry takes major responsibility. And we must learn a lesson and make timely corrections," Liu said.

The ministry will also look into building a mechanism to improve transparency by requiring local governments regularly report on the use of social security funds.

Last month, the National Audit Office said it has unearthed a total of 7.1 billion yuan in social security funds that have been misappropriated.

Most of the misused funds was used for construction of government buildings or other property projects, unauthorized overseas investment and loans to companies, it said.

"We have to strengthen reform and make efforts to prevent similar incidents from happening," the ministry was cited in the People's Daily as saying.

Meanwhile, a local official in northeast China's Liaoning province was found to have embezzled 11.5 million yuan in rural pension funds in illegal stock investments, according to the Liaoshen Evening News.

The official surnamed Fu was sentenced to three years in jail by a local court, it said.

Corruption involving national social security funds has become the focus of attention since it was revealed that about 3.2 billion yuan worth of funds in Shanghai had been misappropriated by officials in the real estate market.

The biggest political corruption scandal in more than a decade brought down Shanghai's top Communist Party official Chen Liangyu in late September and scores of officials and businessmen have been implicated since.

Dec 4 , 2006

Monday

the end of this year

Last month

late September


AFP_ENG_20061217.0099

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 17 , 2006, 2006

Controversy hits South African cricket

South African cricket, already reeling after the national team collapsed to 84 all out in the first Test against India, found itself enmeshed in front page controversy Sunday.

The Sunday Times reported that vice-captain and star all-rounder Jacques Kallis refused to sing the national anthem, while the Afrikaans newspaper Rapport published strong criticism of the sport's officials by spin bowler Nicky Boje, who retired suddenly when he was due to join the team for the Test.

Cricket South Africa (SA)will discuss with Kallis what the player describes as "good and valid personal reasons" why he does not sing the national anthem when it is played before international matches.

The Sunday Times published an e-mail from Kallis to a member of the public who had queried why he did not sing the anthem. Kallis wrote: "It is my choice whether I sing or do not sing the anthem. I certainly do not have to explain my reasons to anyone, especially you. I do have good and valid personal reasons and I intend to keep it that way."

Kallis refused to elaborate on his comments but Cricket SA chief executive Gerald Majola said the issue would be discussed with the player after the Test.

National symbols are a particularly sensitive issue in South Africa with a new anthem and new flag introduced when the country achieved majority rule in 1994.

Majola said Cricket SA "insists on having the SA anthem sung." He listed several reasons, including the enhancement and encouragement of nation-building and because it was "a bridge between the players and the spectators, unifying their support of their nation and of each other."

Majola said these reasons had been explained to the players and there had been no request from any player not to sing the anthem.

Meanwhile, Boje told Rapport he felt he had been harshly treated by the selectors. "At some stage you have to ask yourself where you are going and where your loyalties lie. Mine are no longer with the Proteas."

Boje, who will continue to play domestic cricket for the Eagles franchise, said an unhealthy situation had developed in South African cricket.

He said he believed several players would opt to play their cricket in other countries if they were not selected for the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

"With the uncertainty over places and the scramble to be part of the group it seems as though certain players are playing for themselves and their own places - and that is unhealthy for SA cricket," said Boje.

Former Test off-spinner Pat Symcox joined the criticism when he said South African captain Graeme Smith was so busy dealing with non-cricket issues that he did not have time to concentrate on his game.

Smith, who has been in woeful form, was out for five Saturday at the start of his team's slide to 84 all out, their lowest total since the country returned to international cricket in 1991.

Although cricket officials have denied there is conflict in the national team set-up, there was a public rift between Smith and selection convenor Haroon Lorgat shortly before the third one-day international in Cape Town where Lorgat insisted on a late change to the team when Smith was walking out for the toss.

Dec 17 , 2006

Sunday

Sunday Times

Sunday Times

five Saturday


AFP_ENG_20061223.0002

DALLAS, Dec 22 , 2006, 2006

Sore ankle no problem for Nowitzki as NBA Mavericks romp

Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds despite playing on a sore left ankle to spark the Dallas Mavericks past the Los Angeles Clippers 115-83 here Friday.

Josh Howard scored 25 points and Devean George scored a season-high 21 points with 5-of-6 3-point accuracy as the Mavericks hit 15-of-27 from beyond the 3-point arc for their sixth victory in a row.

Nowitzki left Wednesday's game against Seattle in the first quarter after hurting his left ankle and had been questionable, but the 7-foot German star answered all soubts by shooting 7-for-15, 3-of-5 in 3-pointers, in 26 minutes.

Dallas led by as many as 43 points in the fourth quarter over the Clippers, who lost their six game in a row.

Dec 22 , 2006

Friday

Wednesday

the first quarter

26 minutes

the fourth quarter


XIN_ENG_20051122.0233

TEHRAN, Nov. 22 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Iranian supreme leader says no limit on cooperation with Iraq

Iranian Supreme Leader Seyed Ali Khamenei said here on Tuesday that there was no limit for Iran on the development of cooperation with Iraq, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"Iran is proud of Iraq's progress, security, independence and national strength and there is no limit on the development of cooperation with Iraq," Khamenei was quoted as saying at a meeting with visiting Iraqi President Jalal Talabani.

Khamenei said Iran and Iraq enjoyed long-standing religious, cultural and historical affinity, stressing that Iran was pleased with the political process for the establishment of a democratic government in Iraq.

Khamenei called on the Iraqi nation to "leave behind the current ordeal" and foster national solidarity in order to pave the way for setting a timetable for the withdrawal of occupation forces.

"Iraqi people will be exposed to the US pressure if the government and Iraqi people fail to strengthen their unity," Khamenei said.

For his part, Talabani expressed pleasure with his visit to Iran, terming the bilateral relations as strategic, according to IRNA.

Earlier in the day, Talabani also met Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Leading a ranking delegation, Talabani arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday afternoon for a three-day official visit. The Iraqi president held close-door official talks with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad soon after arrival.

Iran and Iraq fought a lengthy war from 1980 to 1988, during which altogether more than 500,000 people were killed.

The downfall of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein paved the way to the normalization of relations between the two once hostile neighbors.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari paid a landmark official visit to Iran in mid-July, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Nov. 22 , 2005

Tuesday

Monday afternoon


XIN_ENG_20051122.0146

JAKARTA, Nov. 22 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Indonesia tries to stop flow of funds for terrorists

Although a channel to flow fund from overseas for terrorist cell in Indonesia has been cut, the Indonesian police would persistently track down the other possible ways to flow funds for the cell here, in a bid to totally stop the channeling of finance to the cell in the world most populated Muslim country, Police chief General Sutanto said here on Tuesday.

Sutanto said that the police would hunt and capture curriers of funds as well as cooperate with banking sectors to freeze the money.

He said that terrorist cell in overseas had sent money to terrorist cells here to finance explosions.

"We hope to continuously able to stop the flow of their funds. We will capture their curriers and cooperate with banks," he said.

To prevent from the authority's surveilance, the terrorists in overseas had ignored to send their funds through bank, but currier, Sutanto said.

"After sending fund with currier, terrorist changes the currier with other person for the other sending," he said.

Sutanto claimed that currently the terrorist cells in the country were facing financial problem, as they had raised funds through selling of mobile phone vouchers and robbing gold store.

A key terrorist suspect Imam Samudra and other terrorist fellows robbed a gold store in West java province to finance Bali bombings in 2002.

Abdullah Sonanta, who channeled fund from a terrorist cell in Saudi Arabia, was captured in June last year, his arrest has disrupted the funding from the cell, said Sutanto.

Sonata was a member of group of Azhari Husin, the mastermind of major suicide bombings in the country and shot death on Nov. 9 in a villa in East Java province.

Nov. 22 , 2005

Tuesday

June last year

Nov. 9


WSJ891030-0016
 = 891030
 891030-0016.
 Business Brief -- Octel Communications Corp.:
@  Hewlett-Packard Co. Raises
@  Stake to 8.5% of Common
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 HWP OCTL
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)

   Hewlett-Packard Co. said it raised its stake in Octel Communications Corp. to 8.5% of the common shares outstanding.

   In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Hewlett-Packard said it now holds 1,384,119 Octel common shares, including 100,000 shares bought from Aug. 26 to Oct. 20 for $23.31 to $24.25 a share.

   Hewlett-Packard, a Palo Alto, Calif., computer company, said it acquired the stock "to develop and maintain a strategic partnership in which each company remains independent while working together to market and sell their products."

   Octel said the purchase was expected.
Hewlett-Packard affirmed it does n't plan to obtain control of Octel, a Milpitas, Calif., maker of voice-processing systems.

   According to the filing, Hewlett-Packard acquired 730,070 common shares from Octel as a result of an Aug. 10, 1988, stock purchase agreement.
That accord also called for Hewlett-Packard to buy 730,070 Octel shares in the open market within 18 months.
In addition, Hewlett-Packard acquired a two-year option to buy an extra 10%, of which half may be sold directly to Hewlett-Packard by Octel.

Aug. 26

Oct. 20

Aug. 10, 1988

18 months

two-year


XIN_ENG_20061110.0245

PARIS, Nov. 10 , 2006 (Xinhua)

French economy stagnates unexpectedly in 3rd quarter

The French economy came to a halt in the third quarter of the year, stagnating from the second quarter when it climbed 1.2 percent, French national statistics office Insee announced on Friday.

France's gross domestic product registered no growth compared with the April-June period, casting doubt on a government target of economic growth of 2.3 percent this year, Insee data showed on Friday.

Industrial production had fallen in September by 0.9 percent compared with August after a rise of 0.9 percent in August from July.

The drop tracked the fortunes of the auto industry. PSA peugeot Citroen, Europe's second-biggest carmaker, cut its profit target on Oct. 26 for the second time since July, as European sales slumped for models such as 307 compact and the 407 midsized sedan.

The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for French growth next year to 2.3 percent, with an estimate of 2.5 percent this year. In 2005, the growth was 1.2 percent.

Nov. 10 , 2006

the third quarter of the year

the second quarter

Friday

this year

Friday

September

August

August from July

Oct. 26

July

next year

this year


AFP_ENG_20051216.0587

HONG KONG, Dec 17 , 2005

WTO chief presents compromise on agriculture at trade talks

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy has put forward a compromise text on eliminating agricultural export subsidies in a last-minute bid to overcome a stalemate at trade talks here.

The text, presented to WTO ministers late Friday and seen by AFP, seeks to assure the European Union that whatever concessions it makes on farm trade will be matched by parallel moves from the United States and other developed countries.

The EU has come under intense pressure from all sides at World Trade Organization talks here to offer deeper cuts in trade-distorting farm subsidies and import tariffs but has steadfastly refused to change its position.

The deadlock threatens the outcome of the conference, called to spur movement toward a global trade liberalization accord and which ends Sunday.

The text calls for "detailed modalities that ensure the parallel elimination of all forms of export subsidies and disciplines on all export measures with equivalent effect."

As to a date by which such government support will be scrapped, the document mentions within brackets both the year 2010 and "by x years after implementation" of the overall accord.

That agreement, which would emerge from the current Doha Round of negotiations, would probably not take effect until 2008 under the best of circumstances, trade analysts said.

The European Union has refused to agree to a date by which export subsidies would be abolished on grounds that the United States has not made an equivalent commitment on its export credits and food aid program, which the EU sees as trade distorting.

The EU is also pressing Australia, New Zealand and Canada to reform their state trading monopolies.

On the issue of market access, the proposal says WTO members would adopt "four bands for structuring tariff cuts." Such a system would give greater flexibility to governments to tailor tariff cuts to specific products.

It says in essence that governments wishing to maintain high tariffs on "sensitive products," those that are of special economic importance, would be obliged to offer exporters a comparably higher access quota.

Dec 17 , 2005

Friday

Sunday

the year 2010

x years


XIN_ENG_20051104.0305

BEIJING, Nov. 5 , 2005 (Xinhua)

About 60,000 state-owned enterprises turn private in 10 years

From 1996 to 2005, about 60,000 state-owned industrial corporations have been changed into private ones, according to a report recently released by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

By 2005, about 50 percent of state-owned industrial corporations have been privatized, and 26 percent have been merged or liquidated, said the IFC.

In 1996, China had about 114,000 state-owned industrial corporations, and in 2005, the figure dropped to 27,000. Over 70 percent have been partly or completely privatized, the IFC said.

In recent years, the reform process of China's state-owned enterprises has been accelerating, now covering almost all types of industrial enterprises.

The ownership of those corporations has been changed in various ways, including bankruptcy, going public, auctioning and being sold to domestic or overseas business persons.

Nov. 5 , 2005

recent years

now


XIN_ENG_20051108.0026

KAMPALA, Nov. 8 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Africa's leasing volume grows to 6.3 billion dollars in 2005

Africa's leasing volume has grown to 6.3 billion US dollars in 2005 from 3.7 billion dollars in 2003, according to the World's Leasing Year Book 2005.

South Africa has the largest leasing industry in the continent with 4.6 billion dollars in 2005, which is about 73 percent of the African leasing volume.

Three other largest leasing countries are Egypt with 660 million dollars, Morocco 550 million dollars and Nigeria 440 million dollars.

East Africa accounts for only 100 million dollars in 2005.

A lease is a usage agreement between the equipment owner ( lessor) and user of the equipment (lessee).

Uganda's Dfcu Bank's business development manager David Mulinde was quoted by local media on Tuesday as saying that the lease industry is characterized by high concentration of equipment in the transport, construction and manufacturing sectors.

He said the region's average lease transactions are between 10, 000 dollars and 250,000 dollars.

Nov. 8 , 2005

Tuesday