XIN_ENG_20061107.0099

HONG KONG, Nov. 7 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Hong Kong shares close fresh high -- Nov. 7

Hong Kong share prices closed fresh high on Tuesday but the speed is slowing down, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index going up only 7.03 points, or 0.04 percent to 18943.58, breaking the previous record of 18,936.69 on Monday.

The Index opened 166.33 points higher to 19102.88 and reached an all-time high at 19,161.38 during the trading, but can not keep the momentum and fell back at closing with a turnover of 51.72 billion HK dollars (6.56 billion U.S. dollars).

Market heavyweights China Mobile fell 2.47 percent to 67.05 HK dollars, while HSBC went up 0.53 percent to 151.20 HK dollars.

Hong Kong property companies performed well on the news of bank interests cut this morning, with Cheung Kong up 2.07 percent to 88.75 HK dollars, Henderson Land up 3.81 percent to 46.3 HK dollars and SHK PPT up 3.34 percent to 91.3 HK dollars.

Nov. 7 , 2006

Tuesday

Monday

this morning


XIN_ENG_20061106.0199

TIRANA, Nov. 6 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Overseas visitors to Albania hit record in summer

A record number of overseas visitors came to Albania in the past summer, reaching well over 550,000 people, an Albanian official said on Monday.

Eris Hozha, director of the National Tourism Organization, explained that the increasing numbers of visitors are attracted by Albania's well reserved cultural heritage.

"Albania is home to the internationally renowned archeological sites, such as the Butrint National Park, the country's Stone City of Gjirokastra and its 2500-year-old city of Berati," he said, adding that Berati is expected to be granted World Heritage site status in 2007.

He said that after the new terminal at the Tirana International Airport is completed in early 2007, an even greater number of visitors will come to Albania.

Albania is a small, mountainous country, boasting some of the wildest mountain scenery in Europe. It has a least built-up coastline of 150 miles in the Mediterranean region.

Nov. 6 , 2006

the past summer

Monday

early 2007


AFP_ENG_19970423.0676

HONG KONG, April 24 , 1997 (AFP)

CITIC Hong Kong-backed long-term debt assigned Baa3 rating by Moody's

International rating agency Moody's Investors Service said Thursday it has assigned a medium grade rating to long-term foreign currency debt of a Hong Kong-listed China-owned firm.

Moody's assigned a "Baa 3" rating to long-term foreign currency debt guaranteed by China International Trust and Investment Corp. Hong Kong (Holdings) Ltd, which owns CITIC Pacific Ltd.

It said that the rating reflected "the critical position" of CITIC Hong Kong in the group structure of the Beijing-based China International Trust and Investment Corp.

CITIC Hong Kong's role within the group's structure underpins its credit strength, Moody's said.

April 24 , 1997

Thursday


WSJ891101-0016
 = 891101
 891101-0016.
 Business Brief -- Ogden Corp.:
@  Ogden Estimates Unit Had
@  Jump in Third-Period Net
 11/01/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 OG
 EARNINGS (ERN)

   Ogden Projects Inc. said net income jumped to $6.6 million, or 18 cents a share, in the third quarter.

   The Fairfield, N.J., company, which is 92%-owned by Ogden Corp., New York, had net of $1.1 million, or four cents a share, a year ago.
Revenue soared to $101.7 million from $39.5 million.

   Ogden Projects, whose shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in August, closed yesterday at $26.875, down 75 cents.
The stock began trading this summer at $14 apiece.

   Ogden Projects, which has interests in solid-waste recovery and hazardous-waste cleanup, said it has 13 facilities in operation, up from seven a year ago.

   Meanwhile, Ogden Corp., which also has interests in building maintenance and management, reported third-quarter net income of $27.1 million, or 67 cents a share, more than twice the $13.5 million, or 34 cents a share, a year earlier.
Revenue rose 33% to $378.1 million from $283.8 million.

the third quarter

a year ago

August

yesterday

this summer

a year ago

third-quarter

a year


AFP_ENG_19970404.0556

UNITED NATIONS, April 4 , 1997 (AFP)

UN Security Council denounces Libyan violation of air embargo

The UN Security Council Friday denounced Libya for a "clear violation" of a UN air embargo for carrying passengers from Libya for the annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca.

In a statement read by council president Antonio Monteiro of Portugal, the council noted that arrangements had been made for Libyan worshippers to travel to Saudi Arabia without violating the embargo.

But diplomats here said no additional action is planned against Tripoli.

Libya violated the embargo for the third consecutive year Friday by bringing 105 pilgrims, including members of Libya's official delegation, to Saudi Arabia on a Libyan Arab Airways flight.

The plane returned to Libya the next morning.

Libya also violated the flight embargo in 1995 and 1996 to transport pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, and for some trips by its leader, Colonel Moamer Kadhafi.

The United Nations imposed an international embargo on Libya in April 1992 for its refusal to hand over two Libyans suspected of involvement in the bombing of a Pan Am plane over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988 which killed 270 people.

April 4 , 1997

Friday

the third consecutive year Friday

the next morning

April 1992


XIN_ENG_20061101.0202

GAZA, Nov. 1 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Abbas, Haneya slam Israel's new round of Gaza offensive

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haneya slammed on Wednesday separately a fresh Israeli raid into northern Gaza Strip where six Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded.

Abbas described the Israeli operations as "a circle of dangerous and ignoble series because Israel is considering systematic operations in Gaza Strip without any reason."

Israeli army confirmed on Wednesday morning that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) is conducting a large-scale operation in Beit Hanoun, northern town of the Gaza Stripe.

Six Palestinians had been reported as being killed and over 20 others injured in the operation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Haneya also condemned the Israeli operation in Gaza at a news conference held outside his office in Gaza.

He said that the Israeli operation came as part of a pressure campaign exerted against the Hamas-led government and the Palestinian people.

Attributing the action to the inclusion of an ultra-nationalist politician into Israel's government, Haneya said that "The massacre committed today in Beit Hanoun is a result of the Israeli government's move to include a radical minister."

He warned that the inclusion of Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the extreme-right party Yisrael Beiteinu, into the Israeli cabinet "would affect the nature of the Israeli escalation against the Palestinian people."

On Monday evening, Israeli Knesset (parliament) voted and approved the addition of extreme-right party Yisrael Beiteinu into the government coalition, drawing criticisms from Israel's left parties and Palestinian side.

Haneya also called on the international community and the Arab League to intervene immediately and put an end to the Israeli offensive, while urging the Palestinian people to unite and shelve their differences.

The Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement also condemned the Israeli military operations in Gaza Strip, saying the Israeli army "tries to recover its dignity lost in the recent war in Lebanon."

Islamic Jihad's leader in Gaza, Khaled al-Batsh, told reporters that Israel "was seeking a fake victory in Gaza."

He also said the operations "are a gift to the ultra- nationalist bigot Avigdor Lieberman who joined the government to expand aggression and terrorism."

Meanwhile, Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Israeli escalation "became intolerable."

Calling on the international community to bear responsibility and intervene, Erekat said that the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) had repeatedly called for the European countries' intervention, but the Israeli aggression, however, continued.

Erekat expressed hope the Middle East Quartet would move to revive the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, adding the release of the Israeli soldier and forming a new Palestinian government would pave the way for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Nov. 1 , 2006

Wednesday

Wednesday morning

today

Monday evening


XIN_ENG_20061115.0034

JERUSALEM, Nov. 15 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Urgent: Israeli woman killed by Palestinian rocket attack: TV

An Israeli woman was killed in the town of Sderot by a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Israel's Channel 2 television reported.

Nov. 15 , 2006

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20061231.0046

ATHENS, Dec 31 , 2006, 2006

Saddam-related bomb scare forces Greek plane landing

A Greek aircraft bound for New York made a dawn emergency landing Sunday in Ireland after a telephone caller said there was a bomb on board "for Saddam (Hussein)", the dead Iraqi dictator.

The plane, belonging to Olympic Airlines, had left Athens for the United States with 183 passengers and 12 crew and landed at Shannon in the west of Ireland.

Those aboard disembarked and were taken to a hotel while the aircraft, an Airbus 340, was searched.

"Unknown individuals speaking English with an Arab accent warned of the presence of a bomb on the plane, saying it was 'for Saddam'", an airline spokesman said, adding two calls had been received at Athens airport early Suday morning.

The airline told the aircraft to land at the nearest airport and it touched down at Shannon at 4:20 am (0420GMT).

Dec 31 , 2006

Sunday

early Suday morning


AFP_ENG_19970425.0034

NEW DELHI, April 25 , 1997 (AFP)

India disowns 'Saudi bungling' claim after Mecca blaze

India has disowned a foreign ministry official's allegations that Saudi bungling led to the deaths of some Indian pilgrims in last week's Mecca disaster, newspapers reported Friday.

The Hindustan Times said the foreign ministry had rejected the allegations by India's Consul General Afzal Amanullah in Jeddah following a blaze on April 15 which left at least 343 dead.

Amanullah claimed Indian pilgrims had been locked in their camp by their Saudi guides, condemning them to their fate. More than 100 Indians are believed to have died in the fire.

But a foreign ministry official said the consul general views appeared to be based on "information provided by a few of the injured relating to the conduct of an individual gatekeeper."

He said no pilgrims had made a complaint about a locked gate to an investigating team from India and it would be "premature to approportion blame."

He added: "No broad generalisations about the tragic accident can be drawn on this basis."

Saudi officials say the fire killed at least 343 people and left more than 1,500 wounded during the annual Moslem pilgrimage to Mecca known as the hajj.

A preliminary Indian investigation, however, has indicated 600 may have died. Most of the victims were from Asian countries, notably India and Pakistan.

The Saudi authorities said the blaze, which incinerated 70,000 tents, was started accidently by the explosion of a gas canister used for cooking in the Pakistani pilgrims' camp.

Amanullah reportedly said there had been time to save the pilgrims, adding: "You do not prevent your own pilgrims from rushing out to safety. You do not confine them to a small space and certain death."

The Hindustan Times said the foreign ministry announcement had been made "apparently in deference to Saudi clout."

The Asian Age, in an unsourced front page article, accused the Indian government of a "soft approach", arguing India did not want to offend Saudi Arabia since many of its nationals worked there and it also relied on Saudi oil supplies.

The newspaper added that many returning pilgrims also accused their guides of "fleecing" them of their money.

But Maqbool Dar, an Indian home minister who was on the pilgrimage and who is to brief Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral on the tragedy, told the paper that there had been "excellent arrangements" by the authorities at the hajj.

Relatives of the Indian victims, meanwhile, are reportedly due to be paid 100,000 rupees (around 2,800 dollars) in compensation by the government.

April 25 , 1997

last week

Friday

April 15


XIN_ENG_20061113.0148

BEIJING, Nov. 13 , 2006 (Xinhua)

report

China's economy will continue to grow at around 9.5 percent in 2007, with fixed asset investment up 20 percent on 2006, according to the latest report from the State Information Center (SIC).

According to the SIC, a think tank under the National Development and Reform Commission, the three main engines driving Chinese economic growth -- exports, consumption and investment -- will all slow down a little.

Fixed asset investment is expected to hit 13.45 trillion yuan (1.68 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2007, up 20 percent, but 6.5 percentage points lower than the figure predicted for 2006.

China's fixed asset investment rose to 7.19 trillion yuan in the first nine months of this year, up 27.3 percent from the same period of 2005, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Meanwhile, the volume of retail sales will reach 8.59 trillion yuan in 2007, a nominal growth of 12.5 percent, but again 1.1 percentage points lower than the predicted whole-year growth rate for 2006.

Exports will jump 15 percent in 2007, which is 9.5 percentage points slower than in 2006. The trade surplus is expected to reach 177 billion U.S. dollars, 30 billion U.S. dollars more than in 2006.

To achieve a balance in international payments, the think tank suggested adjusting the tax system and speeding up the standardization of corporate income tax for domestic and overseas-funded companies.

It said that China could use its ample foreign reserves to buy in reserves of strategic resources like crude oil and major metal products when prices on the international market are low.

The SIC also suggested the government institute heavier taxes on fossil energy such as coal, oil and natural gas, in order to improve energy efficiency.

China should follow a slightly more stringent monetary policy in 2007, restricting newly increased loans to three trillion yuan, said the report.

Sizzling fixed asset investment needed to be curbed, but more work should also be done to regulate investment structure, and government should put more money into public service sectors like education, public sanitation, resource conservation and environmental protection.

China's 11th five-year plan (2006-2010) projects continued high economic growth based on higher domestic consumption.

According to the latest statistics, China's consumer price index, the key inflation indicator, rose by 1.4 percent year-on-year in October, 0.2 percentage points higher than a year ago.

Nov. 13 , 2006

the first nine months

this year

the same period of 2005

October

a year ago


WSJ891102-0021
 = 891102
 891102-0021.
 Business Brief -- Ratners Group PLC:
@  Bid for Another Jeweler
@  Is Raised to $62.1 Million
 11/02/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 RATNY WEIS
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)

   Ratners Group PLC, a fast-growing, acquisition-minded London-based jeweler, raised its price for Seattle-based specialty jeweler Weisfield's Inc. to $57.50 a share, or $62.1 million, from $50 a share, or $55 million, after another concern said it would be prepared to outbid Ratners's initial offer.
The other concern was n't identified.

   Ratners's chairman, Gerald Ratner, said the deal remains of "substantial benefit to Ratners."
In London at mid-afternoon yesterday, Ratners's shares were up 2 pence (1.26 cents), at 260 pence ($1.64).

   The sweetened offer has acceptances from more than 50% of Weisfield's shareholders, and it is scheduled for completion by Dec. 10.

   The acquisition of 87-store Weisfield's raises Ratners's U.S. presence to 450 stores.
About 30% of Ratners's profit already is derived from the U.S.

mid-afternoon yesterday

Dec. 10

already


XIN_ENG_20051113.0238

BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 14 , 2005 (Xinhua)

S.Korean, Japanese FMs to hold meeting on sidelines of APEC forum

South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers are to hold bilateral meeting later Monday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ( APEC) forum, according to a schedule distributed by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Monday.

It will be their first meeting since Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Asao took office in late October.

During their meeting, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and Asao are expected to discuss bilateral relations which had been in a cold water since Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi paid a visit to a controversial shrine in October.

On Oct. 17, Koizumi paid his fifth homage to the Yasukuni Shrine which honors 2 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class A criminals of the World War II.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban initially hinted at canceling his planned visit to Tokyo in protest against Koizumi's shrine visit but later went ahead with the trip in late October, citing the need for "unavoidable diplomatic activities."

The Ban-Aso meeting, to be held at the BEXCO (Busan Exhibition and Convention) center on late Monday afternoon, comes ahead of a summit meeting between South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and Koizumi on Friday.

The two diplomats are also to have dinner meeting on Monday.

The APEC Ministerial Meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at BEXCO, before the holding of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on Nov. 18-19 in Busan.

Nov. 14 , 2005

Monday

Monday

late October

October

Oct. 17

late October

late Monday afternoon

Friday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Nov. 18-19


AFP_ENG_20061230.0256

AUGUSTA, Georgia, Dec 30 , 2006, 2006

=(PICTURE)=

Mourners Saturday paid a last tribute to "Godfather of Soul" James Brown, whose body lay in state at a public funeral ceremony in his hometown deep in the US South.

Fans of the towering music icon filed silently past the open, white-lined casket set among huge wreaths at the center of the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, a civil rights advocate, former presidential contender and close friend of Brown, was scheduled to participate later in the day in what was dubbed a "Homecoming Celebration."

The event was was the final tribute for Brown, who was honored on Thursday at the famed Apollo Theater in New York's Harlem neighborhood, and at a private ceremony relatives held in Augusta on Friday.

Brown, who shaped American rhythm-and-blues, funk and disco genres for a half-century and was a charter inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, died of complications from pneumonia in the state capital Atlanta on Christmas Day. He was 73.

Born in the small South Carolina town of Barnwell in 1933, Brown moved at the age of four to Augusta, where he grew up in a brothel run by his aunt.

For the past days, mournful and adoring fans have flocked to a statue of Brown leaving flowers, records and messages at its feet.

The bronze statue, depicting Brown microphone-in-hand and shrouded in an American flag, stands in a square named after the famous singer.

Augusta recently adopted "We Feel Good" as its city motto -- a play on Brown's 1965 hit "I Got You (I Feel Good)."

Dec 30 , 2006

Saturday

Thursday

Friday

a half-century

Christmas Day

the past days

recently


WSJ891101-0043
 = 891101
 891101-0043.
 Business Brief -- StatesWest Airlines:
@  Offer for Mesa Withdrawn;
@  Firm to Continue Pursuit
 11/01/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 SWAL MESA
 TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)

   StatesWest Airlines, Phoenix, Ariz., said it withdrew its offer to acquire Mesa Airlines because the Farmington, N.M., carrier did n't respond to its offer by the close of business yesterday, a deadline StatesWest had set for a response.

   However, StatesWest is n't abandoning its pursuit of the much-larger Mesa.
StatesWest, which has a 7.25% stake in Mesa, said it may purchase more Mesa stock or make a tender offer directly to Mesa shareholders.

   StatesWest had proposed acquiring Mesa for $7 a share and one share of a new series of StatesWest 6% convertible preferred stock it values at $3 a share.
Earlier, Mesa had rejected a general proposal from StatesWest to combine the two carriers in some way.

   StatesWest serves 10 cities in California, Arizona and Nevada.
Mesa flies to 42 cities in New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado and Texas.

yesterday


XIN_ENG_20061122.0254

NAIROBI, Nov. 22 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Relief agency steps up emergency operations in Somalia

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday launched emergency operations to help hundreds of thousands of people affected by severe floods in Somalia.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, the relief agency said it was stepping up its emergency operation to assist more than 300,00 people affected by floods in southern Somalia.

"The year 2006 has been catastrophic for the Somali people. After the worst drought in a decade, they are now facing torrential rain," said Pascal Hundt, head of the ICRC delegation in Somalia.

"Families are pushed to the limit of their capabilities, trying to survive under such extreme climate conditions. What they need most is drinking water, shelter and food," Hundt added.

The ICRC started airlifting tarpaulins to assist 324,000 people in Jubba, Gedo and Hiraan regions, where floods have swept farmlands, disrupted food supplies and cut off villages, claiming at least 52 lives and affecting nearly a million people.

The World Food Program (WFP) on Monday launched a three-month regional air operation with fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to transport humanitarian workers and aid to regions in Somalia and Kenya that have been cut off by the floods.

"We are particularly concerned about the situation in Somalia. The floods compound what was already one of the most horrendous humanitarian situations in the world. The country has endured 15 years of armed conflict; it lacks basic health services and infrastructure," Hundt said.

The rain has also dislodged landmines seeded in Somalia's long- running strife, posing additional hazards.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimated that it would need well over 7 million U.S. dollars in Somalia alone to provide aid to a projected 1 million flood victims.

The floods which also affect Kenya and Ethiopia began in late October and intensified food insecurity brought about by the drought earlier this year.

In many areas, the soil was so dry that it could not even absorb rainwater. The few crops that survived the drought are now destroyed.

Nov. 22 , 2006

Wednesday

2006 has

now

Monday

15 years

late October

earlier this year


XIN_ENG_20061120.0355

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 , 2006 (Xinhua)

U.S., Japan, EU, Norway open conference on Sri Lanka's peace

Officials from the United States, Japan, the European Union (EU) and Norway opened a two-day conference here on Monday regarding Sri Lanka's fragile peace process.

"This is basically the main forum that we're using to discuss strategies that the international community can pursue to be able to encourage the peace process in Sri Lanka," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said at a briefing.

"We will be looking to see what we can do to help move that process forward. And we think it's important for the people of Sri Lanka that peace process does move forward and ultimately leads to a resolution of the long-standing situation in that country," Casey said.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and Richard Boucher, U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asia, will join officials from the EU, Japan and Norway at the conference, Casey added.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting for a separate homeland for 3.2 million ethnic Tamils living in Sri Lanka, accusing the majority Sinhalese population of discriminating them. Although neither side has officially withdrawn from the truce signed in 2002, over 3,200 people have been killed in the ongoing violence since December last year.

Nov. 20 , 2006

Monday

December last year


AFP_ENG_20051206.0377

BERLIN, Dec 6 , 2005

ATTENTION - ADDS quotes, Mars project, figures ///

European ministers meeting at a two-day conference of the European Space Agency (ESA) have agreed to prioritise European satellite launchers over cheaper options in other countries, ESA officials told AFP on Tuesday.

The ministers adopted a five-year programme, which will cost about 8.255 billion euros (9.710 million dollars) and includes an Earth surveillance project that is focused on both security and the environment, they said.

The decisions prove "the will and the desire to take Europe further" in space research, an area that has become "strategic", Dutch Economy Minister Laurens Jan Brinkhorst, told the press.

The "European preference" will mean that the 17 member countries of ESA will give priority to launchers developed by the agency, such as the Ariane 5 and its smaller cousin Vega, which is expected to make its first flight at the end of 2007.

Russia's Soyuz launcher is to be used as a medium-sized option when launched from the ESA centre in French Guyana from 2008-2009.

The European Space Agency had been seeking to persuade member states to give preference to Europe-produced launchers, rather than cheaper alternatives in Russia and India, in order to support technology developed on the continent.

European operators will have recourse to non-European satellite launchers only if the price in Europe is more than 25 percent higher than an alternative elsewhere, or if their technical needs cannot be met in Europe, according to the principle accepted by ministers, official said.

"It is going to reinforce the coherence of the ESA member states' policies on satellites. We are increasingly going to develop European standards," ESA director Jean-Jacques Dordain said.

In other measures adopted at the meeting, ministers agreed to continue financing the International Space Station, which faced an uncertain future. The project is to receive 650 million euros (766 million dollars) until 2008, the sources said.

Ministers also agreed to increase their budget payments for space research by 2.5 percent per year until 2010 to take account of inflation. The ESA budget for space research is 500 million euros and is paid for by all member states of ESA.

The ExoMars mission, which is aimed at sending a robot in search of traces of past or present life on Mars in 2011, was given additional funding at the meeting.

"Europe will land on Mars in 2011," Dordain said.

The ministers also gave their backing to a project to prepare for ESA to have a stake in a future inhabitable moon base. They approved a total 724 million euros for this and the ExoMars mission.

The only project that was shelved was ESA's planned participation in the so-called Russian space aircraft project Clipper.

Dordain said it was however only a delay and ESA could return to the issue later.

Dec 6 , 2005

Tuesday

the end of 2007


AFP_ENG_19970429.0014

WELLINGTON, April 29 , 1997 (AFP)

NZ wins right to fish Antarctic waters but worried about illegal trade

New Zealand has won the legal right to fish in Antarctic waters but a senior cabinet minister Tuesday said the country was worried about illegal fishing spreading in the region.

Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Upton said there had been reports of large-scale illegal fishing of Antarctic toothfish in waters south of South Africa.

"More than 40 vessels are reported as having caught over 30,000 tonnes of the high value toothfish," he said in a statement.

Fishing in these waters was subject to regulation by the Hobart-based Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, which, for the first time, has agreed to let New Zealand fish for toothfish in the Ross Sea this year.

New Zealand would be bound by strict limitations set by the convention, Upton said.

Unregulated fishing on the scale reportedly taking place off the coast of South Africa threatened the fragile Antarctic ecosystem, he said.

"It may pose a threat to the waters south of New Zealand, if reports that this fishing is continuing to spread westwards into French and Australian Antarctic waters, are borne out."

April 29 , 1997

Tuesday


XIN_ENG_20061104.0214

LONDON, Nov. 4 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Fulham beat Everton 1-0 in English Premiership

Claus Jensen's deflected second-half strike awarded Fulham a 1-0 victory over visiting Everton in the English Premiership on Saturday.

The sole goal of the game came in the 65th minute when Jensen's angled shot from 20 yards flew off Tim Cahill and beyond Everton keeper Tim Howard.

It completed the transformation of a game Everton had completely dominated for the first half.

Andrew Johnson missed two good chances and also saw clear penalty appeals ignored when he tumbled under a challenge from Fulham's Ian Pearce.

It continued Everton's miserable sequence of 40 years without a win at Fulham and maintained Chris Coleman's side's steady start to the season.

Everton named an unchanged side after the creditable draw at Arsenal, while Fulham were able to recall captain Luis Boa Morte after he recovered from a fractured cheekbone.

And the Merseysiders controlled the first 45 minutes, with England striker Johnson a central figure.

Nov. 4 , 2006

Saturday

the first half

40 years


AFP_ENG_20061205.0340

PARIS, Dec 5 , 2006, 2006

Paris busts stereotypes with new tourist ads aimed at Britons

A dip in arrivals from Britain, its biggest tourist market, has pushed Paris to re-think the way it packages itself and throw off some of the sniffy stereotypes it has been saddled with.

On Tuesday, the tourist board for the Paris region launched a new ad campaign aimed at Britons that, far from flaunting its well-known monuments and museums, seeks to portray the French capital as an energetic, youthful and trendy city.

The 970,000-euro (1.3-million-dollar) billboard and postcard campaign "is to show Londoners that Paris isn't a stuffy museum city, but that it is a vibrant destination brimming with exiting events that are worth visiting regularly," the board said in a statement.

The ads can be seen on a new website (www.cestsoparis.com), and include, for instance, a picture of the inside of the Versaille palace with partying young things letting loose in the MTV style of Sofia Coppola's recent "Marie Antoinette" movie under the tag: "At Versaille, you're treated like royalty."

The site also features a page of actors in pantomime poses meant to convey common French gestures, such as the "Gallic shrug" or showing when someone is "fed up".

At stake is a strategy to boost the number of British tourists, especially those from London. Britons already account for one in five visitors to Paris, but their flow dropped 0.9 percent last year, to 3.2 million people.

Dec 5 , 2006

Tuesday

last year


XIN_ENG_20061102.0069

CANBERRA, Nov. 2 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Australian stock market closes lower

The Australian stock exchange market closed lower Thursday as the benchmark S/ASX200 lost 7.0 points to 5,409.4, while the all ordinaries dipped 6.5 points to 5, 377.1.

Market turnover was 1.4 billion shares worth 5.47 billion Australian dollars (4.22 billion U.S. dollars), with 584 stocks down, 578 up and 315 unchanged.

Among the resources stocks, BHP Billiton advanced 8 cents to 27. 60 dollars, Rio Tinto improved 9 cents to 79.20 dollars.

Among the banking stocks, the National Australia Bank softened 24 cents to 38.20 dollars, the Commonwealth Bank rose 12 cents to 47.81 dollars, and the ANZ lifted 5 cents to 29.59 dollars.

In the media sector, News Corp slid 53 cents to 27.67 dollars.

Telecommunications giant Telstra slumped 4 cents to 3.88 dollars.

Nov. 2 , 2006

Thursday


XIN_ENG_20061129.0206

BEIJING, Nov. 29 , 2006 (Xinhua)

China's mainland calls for weekend charter flights with Taiwan

A Chinese mainland official has called for weekend charter flights between the mainland and Taiwan, following the realization of charter flights on major festivals.

A mainland spokesman on Wednesday also called for normalizing charter flights on major festivals, including the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, instead of negotiations on each occasion.

Li Weiyi, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said the expansion of charter flights was necessary to facilitate the cross-Straits traffic of people in Taiwan and the mainland.

He said the mainland hoped to realize comprehensive and direct cross-Straits air traffic as soon as possible.

He said on the basis of three Spring Festival charter flights, airliners would provide better services to Taiwan businessmen on the mainland.

As of the end of October, a total of 71,027 Taiwan-funded projects were approved by the mainland, while the total actual use of Taiwan capital reached 43.46 billion dollars.

Nov. 29 , 2006

Wednesday

Spring Festival

three Spring Festival

the end of October


AFP_ENG_20061205.0282

FRANKFURT, Dec 5 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS details ///

Many of the EU countries hoping to sign up to the euro are making progress in meeting economic conditions but must do more on inflation or spending deficits, the European Central Bank said on Tuesday.

Compared with a so-called convergence report published two years ago, the ECB found in its 2006 study that "many of the countries under review have made progress with economic convergence".

However, "in some countries there have also been setbacks", the guardian of the euro wrote.

In order to be able to adopt the euro, candidate countries must fulfil a total five different convergence criteria, most importantly with regard to inflation and to strict budgetary discipline.

The 2006 convergence report examined nine countries with respect to their fulfilment of the different criteria for euro entry: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden.

Two other countries, Slovenia and Lithuania, had already been the object of a convergence report in May this year and so were not included in the latest report.

Slovenia is scheduled to adopt the euro from January 1, 2007.

Of the nine countries examined this time round, four had inflation rates below the reference value of 2.8 percent, namely the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Poland and Sweden, the ECB found.

"However, in some countries with inflation above the reference value, significant increases in inflation have been recorded in recent years," the report said.

The largest deviations were seen in Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia, it found.

With regard to the budgetary situation, five countries currently had so-called excessive deficits -- public deficits in excess of 3.0 percent of output -- namely the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia.

Furthermore, "further fiscal consolidation is required in most of the countries under review," the ECB said.

The ECB did not give any recommendation as to the possible date when the euro aspirants might adopt the euro.

The EU Commission in Brussels published its own separate report at the same time, in which it found that none of the prospective euro candidates fulfilled all of the necessary criteria.

The ECB does not only look at the different economic criteria, but also examines the legal framework within the countries wanting to adopt the euro, particularly with regard to central bank independence.

On this front, the bank expressed "particular concern about recent growing signs of pressure being put on the decision-making bodies of some member states' national central banks, which would be inconsistent with the spirit of the (Maastricht) Treaty as regards central bank independence".

The ECB said it was "closely monitor any developments" in this area "prior to any final positive assessment" with regard to euro membership.

The bank did not name any specific country. But ECB chief Jean-Claude Trichet publicly expressed concern earlier this year about the independence of the Polish central bank.

Dec 5 , 2006

Tuesday

two years ago

May this year

January 1, 2007

recent years

this year


XIN_ENG_20061101.0308

MOSCOW, Nov. 1 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Georgian FM visits Moscow to mend ties

Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili met with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Wednesday to mend ties between the two neighbors that have dipped to a new low since the Caucasus nation's brief detention of Russian officers in late September.

"We are not meeting in the best period in our relations. I expect that there will be more clarity as a result of this meeting about what we are to do to put right what is an unhealthy situation," Lavrov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying at the start of talks with Bezhuashvili.

Moscow, infuriated by the arrest of four Russian officers in Georgia, has imposed an economic blockade on the Caucasus nation by cutting transport and postal links and deported Georgians accused of staying in Russian illegally.

Speaking after talks with Lavrov, which Bezhuashvili described as "very useful," the Georgian minister said Russian sanctions against Georgia were raised at the meeting. "We certainly did. How could I not have brought up this issue."

He also said Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a planned summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Minsk, capital of Belarus, later this month.

Relations between Moscow and Tbilisi have been strained by tensions over Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the country's bid to join NATO since Saakashvili came to power in 2003.

Bezhuashvili said current Georgian-Russian relations were not normal, but added: "Our openness gives us reasons to think that we will be able to put the situation on a normal course."

Nov. 1 , 2006

Wednesday

late September

the best period

this month


XIN_ENG_20061115.0229

CHANGSHA, Nov. 15 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Backgrounder: major warship visits between China, U.S.

ZHANJIANG, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) --The USS Juneau (LPD 10) on Wednesday arrived in Zhanjiang, a port city of South China's Guangdong Province, for an upcoming search-and-rescue exercise with the Chinese navy.

Warship visits constitute an important part of military exchanges. The following were major warship visits between China and the United States.

-- November 1986

A U.S. navy fleet composed of three warships visited Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong Province. It was the first visit to China by the U.S. warships since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

--April 1989

"Zhenghe" Training Ship of Chinese navy visited the Pearl Harbor, the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, marking the first visit of the Chinese warship to the United States.

-- May 1989

The "Blue Ridge" of the U.S. Navy, together with other two warships, visited Shanghai, establishing warship visit mechanism between China and the United States.

-- March 1997

China's guided missile destroyer "Harbin" and the warship "Pearl River" visited Haiwaii and California's San Diego. It was the first time that the Chinese warship visited the mainland of the United States.

-- November 2002

The U.S. navy's missile destroyer "Foster" visited Qingdao, a sign of resumption of Sino-U.S. military exchanges. The exchange halted in 2001 when a Chinese fighter aircraft was damaged by a U.S. surveillance plane over the South China Sea.

-- September, 2006

China's missile destroyer "Qingdao" and fuel tanker "Hongze Lake" visited Haiwaii and California's San Diego. They participated in the first-phase of the first-ever search-and-rescue exercise between China and the United States.

Nov. 15 , 2006

Nov. 15

Wednesday

November 1986

--April 1989

May 1989

March 1997

November 2002


XIN_ENG_20051116.0330

LONDON, Nov. 16 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Major European stock markets end lower

The major European stock markets closed down on Wednesday as a drop in the price of crude hit oil companies and the FTSE 100 closed down 0.18 percent and other markets took similar trend.

In London, leading shares closed lower, led by weak mining stocks and drug distributor Alliance Unichem on concerns over its merger with Boots and the FTSE 100 index was quoted 9.6 points lower, or 0.2 percent, at 5,430.

Early losses in the oil sector were tempered after crude prices jumped back above 57 dollars a barrel.

Some investors took UK's central bank, the Bank of England's latest Inflation Report as a sign interest rates could dip early next year.

In Paris, French shares fell, tracking declines in most of Europe's main markets as a drop in the price of crude hit oil companies and the CAC 40 index was quoted 31.02 points lower, or 0. 68 percent, at 4,512.13.

Vivendi Universal, which lost 2.3 percent to 25.10 euros was the leading slider. Insurer Axa and car group Peugeot also declined.

On the plus side, Vinci, Pernod-Ricard, Thales and EADS attracted the most support.

In Frankfurt, German shares fell on the day, led lower by RWE after the utility reported earnings that disappointed the market, with Frankfurt's benchmark DAX index lost 29.15 points, or 0.57 percent, to 5,081.46.

RWE lost 2.2 percent to 56.53 euros, reversing Tuesday's gains that had been driven by optimism about it earnings report.

Sporting goods producer Adidas-Salomon, and chip firm Infineon also declined.

Commerzbank gained for a fourth day after announcing it planned a takeover.

In the currency market, the US dollar inched up over the euro, ending the day at 1.1692 dollars to a euro from 1.1698, and the dollar also closed slightly higher over Japanese yen at one dollar to 118.96 yen from 118.90 yen.

The greenback went higher over the British sterling, ending at 1.7180 dollars to a pound from 1.7354.

Nov. 16 , 2005

Wednesday

early next year

Tuesday

a fourth day


AFP_ENG_19970430.0571

LUBUMBASHI, Zaire, April 30 , 1997 (AFP)

Rebels agree Friday's meeting with Mobutu

Rebel leader Laurent Kabila has agreed to historic face-to-face talks with Zaire's embattled President Mobutu Sese Seko aboard a South African naval vessel Friday, rebel officials told AFP.

Sources close to the negotiators made the comments Wednesday in this rebel-held city, Zaire's second largest, after US envoy Bill Richardson announced in the capital Kinshasa that Mobutu would attend the talks.

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

"This is a historic occasion that hopefully will lead to a peaceful transition in Zaire.

"There are no pre-conditions," he added.

April 30 , 1997

Friday

Wednesday


AFP_ENG_20061204.0340

SANTIAGO, Dec 4 , 2006, 2006

Pinochet released on bail, while on death bed

A Santiago court Monday released Pinochet on bail from house arrest, although the ailing former leader is gravely ill in hospital after suffering a massive heart attack over the weekend.

The release order follows charges against Pinochet, 91, in connection with two murders by the "Caravan of Death," a band of soldiers who conducted extrajudicial killings in the months after the 1973 coup that brought him to power.

In 2002, the Supreme Court dropped an earlier attempt to try Pinochet on the "Caravan of Death" case, arguing that mild dementia hindered his ability to defend himself.

Dec 4 , 2006

Monday

the weekend

months


XIN_ENG_20051118.0019

HOHHOT, Nov. 18 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Gas spill kills two in Inner Mongolia

Two people were gassed to death and two others hospitalized Thursday while exhausting a heating pipeline in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the local government said Friday.

The accident occurred at around 4:00 p.m. in Haibowan district in the city of Wuhai, the city's work safety supervision authority told Xinhua.

They said the workers were injecting water into the pipeline to exhaust gas and were suffocated by an obvious gas spill. The two other injured workers are being treated at the People's Hospital in Wuhai.

The pipeline belongs to the city's heating power corporation and cause of the accident is under investigation.

Nov. 18 , 2005

Thursday

Friday


AFP_ENG_20061211.0367

LONDON, Dec 11 , 2006, 2006

Hammers sack Pardew

Struggling English Premiership side West Ham on Monday sacked manager Alan Pardew.

The club are in 18th place in the Premiership after Saturday's 4-0 thrashing at Bolton with only three points separating them from bottom club Watford.

The Hammers have lost five of their last six Premiership games including both matches since Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson became chairman a week ago.

Dec 11 , 2006

Monday

Saturday

a week ago


XIN_ENG_20061124.0026

KATHMANDU, Nov. 24 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Nepali Election Commission urges early issuance of interim constitution

As Nepal is gearing up for the election to constituent assembly (CA), the first time in history, the Election Commission (EC) has to face many difficulties in the absence of needed legislations for holding the election by mid- June 2007.

Although the government and the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) (formerly known as guerrillas) have expressed their commitment to hold the CA election by set date, they are yet to finalize the interim constitution, under which other needed laws are to be formulated.

"We need two Acts -- Election Commission Act and Electoral Role Act immediately to carry out our activities legally. But, these Acts can not be formulated without interim constitution," Bhojraj Pokharel, chief election commissioner, told Xinhua.

The first Act gives us mandate to conduct CA election and the second one describes what kind of people can vote in the election, he said, noting the existing EC Act is based on the constitution of 1990, which has no provision on conducting CA election.

However, the political parties'failure to issue an interim constitution on scheduled time is delaying the formulation of needed Acts, he said. Both the government and CPN pledged to issue the new constitution by Nov. 21, which has not been materialized yet.

He said the EC would feel comfortable to carry out its activities if the above two Acts were formulated by mid-December. "We will start preparing voters' list after that," he added.

Pokharel said the EC is now making assessments of required resources to conduct the poll and interacting with all stakeholders including political parties and civil society members on how to successfully conduct the poll.

Nov. 24 , 2006

June 2007

Nov. 21

now


WSJ891030-0125
 = 891030
 891030-0125.
 Control Data Says It May Repurchase
@  Debt Soon, Seeks Alliances With Others
@  ----
@  By Richard Gibson
@  Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 CDA
 COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (CPR)
TENDER OFFERS, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS (TNM)
 MINNEAPOLIS

   Control Data Corp., which just months ago was hemorrhaging financially , thinks it will be healthy enough soon to consider repurchasing public debt.

   Moreover, the company, whose go-it-alone approach nearly proved fatal, now sees alliances with others as the way back to prosperity in what it calls "the data solutions" business.

   "I'm not saying everything is hunky-dory, but we have completed the transition," Robert M. Price, chairman and chief executive, said in an interview.
"Transition" is a reference to the company's five-year restructuring effort.
During that time, Control Data had losses of more than $1 billion.

   Now , following asset sales that shrank revenue by more than one-third this year alone, Control Data is flush with cash.
So its senior executives are talking openly about possibly buying back some of the company's $172.5 million in subordinated convertible debentures next year.

   "We'd like to continue to reduce debt," President Lawrence Perlman said.
Noting that the company is offering to buy back $154.2 million in senior notes paying 12 3/4%, he said the response will help determine future debt-reduction efforts.
The offer was automatically triggered by the recent sale of Control Data's Imprimis disk-drive business to Seagate Technology Inc.

   Mr. Perlman, who is also acting chief financial officer and the odds-on favorite to become the next chief executive, said the company is achieving "modest positive cash flow from operations, and we expect that to continue into 1990."

   He said the company has no intention of tapping its short-term bank lines "for a good part of 1990."
Sometime next year, Control Data will " develop a new bank relationship," Mr. Perlman said.
In recent months a group of lenders, led by Bank of America, has extended Control Data up to $90 million in revolving loans through January, as well as $115 million in standby letters of credit.

   Loan covenants require that the company achieve specified levels of operating earnings and meet a rolling four-quarter profitability test.
Last week Control Data reported third-quarter earnings of $9.8 million, or 23 cents a share, on revenue of $763 million.
Through the first nine months, the company had a loss of $484 million, largely reflecting the closing of its supercomputer unit.

   While a few assets are still being shopped -- including the sports and entertainment ticketing portion of the company's Ticketron unit -- Mr. Price said future restructuring would be a question of strategy.
"We do n't need the cash."

   Ticketron's automated wagering business, which operates lotteries in a half dozen states, is not  for sale, the company said.
Rather, Mr. Perlman said, Control Data intends to bid for the coming Minnesota lottery contract and is seeking new applications for the technology overseas, where "there is great interest in games of skill."
He would n't elaborate.

   Control Data's semiconductor business, VTC Inc., continues to lose money, the executives acknowledged, but they said they consider some of the technology vital to national defense and so are reluctant to dispose of it.

   The company's strategy for keeping its computer products business profitable -- it recently achieved profitability after several quarters of losses -- calls for a narrow focus and a lid on expenses.
Partly, costs will be held down through strategic technology alliances, management said.
Control Data recently announced an agreement with MIPS Computer Systems Inc. to jointly develop machines with simplified operating software.

   James E. Ousley, computer products group president, said such arrangements could help slash Control Data's computer research and development costs in half by the end of 1990.
He disclosed that before Control Data scrapped its ETA Systems Inc. supercomputer business this past spring, those costs were running at nearly 35% of group revenue.
At the same time four of six design projects were spiked, he said.

   Asked how the company hopes to expand its computer hardware business, Mr. Ousley said it sees good opportunities in systems integration.
"We think we're getting only 10% of the integration dollars our customers are spending," he said.
"We're in environments that are going to spend a lot of money on that."

   Control Data mainframes are designed for numerically intensive computing users, such as the scientific, engineering and academic communities.
Utilities management is a major commercial niche.

   Reviewing the company's scrape with disaster, Mr. Price conceded it had tried to do too much on its own.
"Absolutely," he said.

   But while its stock is selling at about half Control Data's estimated breakup value, neither Messrs.
Perlman nor Price said he spends much time considering the possibility of a hostile takeover.
"We've been listed as a candidate for so long it's not worth worrying about," said Mr. Price.

months ago

soon

now

five-year

that time

this year

next year

recent

a good part of 1990

next year

recent months

January

Last week

third-quarter

the first nine months

recently

several quarters

recently

the end of 1990

this past spring


AFP_ENG_19970412.0041

BANGKOK, April 12 , 1997 (AFP)

Burmese democrat MP gets four years prison sentence

An elected MP of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) has been sentenced to four years in prison for alleged medical malpractice, a senior party official said Saturday.

Doctor Than Aung, an MP for a Rangoon township was sentenced Friday for running an unlicensed clinic and causing the death of a patient through negligence. He has been sent to the capital's notorious Insein prison.

Speaking by telephone from Rangoon, NLD joint vice-chairman, Tin Oo said the negligence charge was "fabricated" and noted that Than Aung had been a practising doctor for 25 years.

"He's a member of the NLD and a member of parliament. The authorities are continuing to act oppressively against our league," he said of the verdict.

The NLD swept the last general elections to be held in military-run Burma in 1990, the results of which were never recognised by the ruling junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC).

The sentencing of Than Aung follows lighter treatment earlier this month of another NLD MP and doctor, Than Nyein, who was released from custody and ordered to pay a small fine for operating a clinic without a license.

Observers in the Burmese capital speculated that he was granted favourable treatment because he was brother-in-law of Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt, the SLORC first secretary and military intelligence chief.

The cases of the two NLD doctors are the first time that members of the pro-democracy party have been granted a formal trial, with opportunity to have defence witnesses.

Previously, NLD members found guilty of even a minor law violation have been given arbitrary sentences ranging from three to seven years.

Tin Oo declined to speculate on whether Than Nyein had been granted leniency because of the family connection, but noted that the judicial system in Burma "is not independent and according to due process of law."

He said that the NLD would appeal against the sentencing of Than Aung to the high court, and if necessary, to the supreme court and to the chairman of the SLORC.

April 12 , 1997

Saturday

Friday

25 years

this month


AFP_ENG_19970411.0435

KINSHASA, April 11 , 1997 (AFP)

URGENT Zairean premier forms government

Zairean Prime Minister General Likulia Bolongo on Friday announced the formation of a "national salvation" government which includes two generals.

Generals were appointed to the posts of interior and defense minister while former foreign minister Gerard Kamanda Wa Kamanda was reappointed.

April 11 , 1997

Friday


XIN_ENG_20051114.0336

LONDON, Nov. 14 , 2005 (Xinhua)

US, EU urged to take ambitious steps at HK trade talks

British Prime Minister Tony Blair called on the United States and the European Union Monday night to take "bold" and "ambitious" steps to make the international trade negotiations next month a success.

In his speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet at the Guildhall in central London in honor of the past mayor, Blair said the EU and US should "break the logjam" which threatens the talks in Hong Kong by making concessions on agricultural subsidies and tariffs.

In return, he said, developing countries must open up to foreign investment.

Terrorism also tops his speech. In Blair's view, reducing world poverty would help fight terrorism.

"In a modern world there is no security or prosperity at home unless we deal with the global challenges of conflict, terrorism, climate change and poverty. Self interest and mutual interest are inextricably linked. National interests can best be advanced through collective action," he said.

He urged the world to calculate not just "the human misery of the poor themselves", but the loss of developed countries, "the aid, the lost opportunity to trade, the short-term consequences of the multiple conflicts; the long-term consequences on the attitude to the wealthy world of injustice and abject deprivation amongst the poor."

The World Trade Organization meeting is scheduled on December 13 in Hong Kong, with growing fears that the pledge on poverty by Group of Eight leaders at Gleneagles in July may not result in a meaningful deal.

Despite offers from major players like the US and the EU to consider reductions in agricultural subsidies and tariffs in order to open up markets to poorer nations, negotiators have so far held back from the kind of breakthrough sought by anti-poverty campaigners.

"We need a comprehensive, ambitious agreement to cut barriers to trade in the three key areas: agriculture, non-agricultural market access, and services," Blair said.

The British leader suggested that specific measures to help the poorest countries should include doubling investment in infrastructure and eliminating all export subsidies, while rules applied to exports from the poorest developing countries be simplified.

The Hong Kong meeting comes at the end of Blair's year-long presidency of the G8 as well as the six-month presidency of the EU. And Blair is trying hard for a trade deal at the meeting.

Nov. 14 , 2005

Monday night

next month

December 13

July


XIN_ENG_20051108.0344

BEIJING, Nov. 9 , 2005 (Xinhua)

talks

Chief negotiator of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the six-party talks urged here Wednesday all parties to have more patience in the new round of talks.

The path is still "open" for all sides to implement the joint statement through consultations, Song Min-soon told reporters when leaving the hotel to attend the fifth round of the six-party talks, which opened in Beijing Wednesday morning.

The fifth-round talks will lay the groundwork for carrying out the first joint statement among the parties, he said, adding that in the coming three days, all parties will exchange views and hold consultations in this regard.

Song admitted that differences exist among the parties, but all sides will find out methods to narrow the differences.

The ROK delegation will hold bilateral consultations with other delegations respectively on Wednesday afternoon, Song added.

Nov. 9 , 2005

Wednesday

Wednesday morning

the coming three days

Wednesday afternoon


XIN_ENG_20051105.0052

GAZA, Nov. 5 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Palestinian militants continue launching rockets at Israel

Palestinian militant groups continued on Saturday launching homemade rockets from northern Gaza Strip at Israel as a revenge for killing their fellow members last week.

Israel Radio reported that two rockets landed at an Israeli army base near the Erez Crossing early Saturday, causing two explosions, but no injuries had been reported.

Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, armed wing of the ruling Fatah movement, has claimed responsibility for the rocket attack, said the report.

Meanwhile, residents of central Israel have expressed fear that militants would fire rockets from the West Bank at their towns, and called the Israeli army to station early alarming system in their areas.

Heads of local councils in areas between the West Bank and Tel Aviv in central Israel met with Israeli Defense Minister Shaoul Mofaz and asked for taking serious measures against firing rockets, said the radio.

Last week, Israeli troops arrested three Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip, who were said to be on their way to the West Bank to start lunching homemade rockets at central Israel.

The three are members of Sallah el Dein Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees that was active during five years of the Palestinian Intifada (uprising) in carrying armed attacks against Israel.

Israel and the United States have repeatedly asked Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to rein on militants and prevent them from launching homemade rockets at Israel.

Nov. 5 , 2005

Saturday

last week

Saturday

Last week

five years


AFP_ENG_19970410.0337

BRUSSELS, April 10 , 1997 (AFP)

Brussels warns France on textile aid

France must inform the European Commission of how it plans to recover some 500 million francs of illegal state aid to textile producers and could face action in the European Court if it fails to do so, commission officials said Thursday.

The warning came the day after Brussels rejected a French plan to boost employment in its textile industries by cutting payroll taxes, judging the scheme to be an indirect state subsidy that would give French companies an unfair competitive edge over other EU producers.

French Industry Minister Frank Borotra has said he has no intention of asking companies to pay back an amount equivalent to what they gained from the scheme.

Some 500 French companies have received aid with a value above 100,000 ecus (114,000 dollars) -- the threshold at which the approval of Brussels is required for any state subsidy.

The commission said on Wednesday when it rejected the textile plan that it would consider a broader job-creating scheme on condition this was not confined to one sector.

April 10 , 1997

Thursday

Wednesday


XIN_ENG_20051112.0046

BAGHDAD, Nov. 12 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Urgent: Annan pays surprise visit to Iraq

Urgent: Annan pays surprise visit to Iraq

BAGHDAD, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan paid a surprise visit to Iraq on Saturday.

Nov. 12 , 2005

Nov. 12

Saturday


AFP_ENG_20051202.0007

LAKE LOUISE, Canada, Dec 2 , 2005

Italy's Recchia crashes during Lake Louise downhill

Italy's Lucia Recchia crashed at high speed in Friday's women's World Cup downhill and was airlifted to hospital.

Starting from the 18th spot, the 26-year-old Recchia apparently lost a ski and hit a gate shortly after starting her run, then before crashed through the safety netting on the side of the course.

She was put on a stretcher and airlifted off the mountain by helicopter to a waiting ambulance.

Recchia was conscious as ski patrol and medical staff assisted her on the mountain.

Dec 2 , 2005

Friday


AFP_ENG_19970417.0232

TEHRAN, April 17 , 1997 (AFP)

Iranian war veterans hold overnight sit-in in front of German embassy

Dozens of war veterans disabled by chemical weapon attacks during the 1980-1988 war against Iraq staged a sit-in Thursday in front of the German embassy here to protest alleged chemical aid to Baghdad by German firms.

They began their protest on Wednesday along with thousands of other people, and some 200 people stayed camped outside the mission overnight.

The veterans, who included patients who left hospital for the protest, set up a canvas awning on the pavement in front of the embassy compound to shelter them from rain.

They are also protesting a German court ruling accusing the Iranian government in the 1992 murder of four Kurdish dissidents in Berlin. The veterans have vowed to stay there until Bonn appologizes to Tehran for the "insult."

A giant poster of a young man with his face badly deformed by a chemical attack has been set up along the front gate of the compound as a proof of "German crimes" against Iran.

The veterans came forward after the Iranian authorities accused 24 German companies of providing Iraq with chemical weapons technology in the 1980s, saying they were preparing to sue them.

Bonn says several German pharmaceutical companies helped Iraq to build agricultural plants, but that the factories were later modified to produce chemical weapons.

The state Foundation for the War Disabled has brought a number of disabled veterans from hospitals and dropped them off in front of the mission, which is tightly protected by Iranian security forces.

A make-shift hospital has been set up in the area to care for the patients while they continue with their protest, Iran's official IRNA news agency said.

Several rallies have already been held in front of the German embassy in Tehran and in other Iranian cities since the Berlin court verdict was announced a week ago.

April 17 , 1997

Thursday

Wednesday

the 1980s

a week ago


AFP_ENG_20051207.0175

PARIS, Dec 7 , 2005

French transplant woman pleads for privacy

The 38-year-old French woman who received the world's first facial transplant pleaded with the media to let her to recover in peace from the high-risk operation, in an interview published on Wednesday.

"I feel very well," she told the French newspaper Le Parisien. "Everything is fine, but I would like to send out a message: I have just had an operation, for the sake of my health, I need to live these moments in peace and quiet."

"At the moment, I feel shaken up. I also want my family to be left out of all this. They didn't ask to be thrown into the spotlight," she told the paper by telephone from the university hospital in the eastern city of Lyon.

She also said she thanked the whole team -- "from the cleaning lady to the nurses" -- who made the operation possible. "They are all wonderful."

The mother of two from the town of Valenciennes in northern France, lost both lips, her nose and chin after she was mauled by her dog in May, and was unable to speak or eat properly.

Doctors transplanted a nose, chin and mouth taken from a brain-dead donor on to her lower face at a university hospital in the northern French town of Amiens on October 27, a world first for an operation that carries high medical risks.

She is currently under medical observation in Lyon by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard, a transplant pioneer who carried out the world's first double hand graft five years ago.

Reports -- denied by her medical team -- that the woman was injured during a suicide attempt, have raised questions about her psychological ability to cope with the aftermath of the operation, which has drawn intense media attention.

Dec 7 , 2005

Wednesday

May

October 27

five years ago


XIN_ENG_20051122.0015

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, Nov. 22 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Fourth Vasaloppet China int'l ski race to be held in NE China

The fourth Vasaloppet China international cross-country ski race is to be held in January 2006 in Changchun City, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province, an official of the organizing committee said Monday.

"We are busy preparing for the ski race these days," Gong Wenbin, an official of the organizing committee, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Monday.

The event, known as Vasaloppet China, will enter its fourth edition in Changchun after it was brought to China in 2003.

"Three experts of the International Ski Federation (FIS) came to Changchun in October this year to help reconstruct the skiing lanes for the competition," Gong said.

"The construction of the new design is underway."

With the theme of cultural exchanges, the fourth Vasaloppet China aims to promote relationship and strengthen exchanges between China and Sweden, Gong said.

In addition, a snow sculpture show and a special ski race for the disabled will be held during the event.

Vasaloppet, a long distance cross-country ski race, is held annually in Sweden and has a long history of more than 80 years.

Nov. 22 , 2005

January 2006

Monday

these days

Monday

October

this year


XIN_ENG_20051112.0219

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 12 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Pierce and Mauresmo to fight for title of WTA Championships

Mary Pierce and her French fellow Amelie Mauresmo will meet each other on Sunday's final after both winning their semifinals in the WTA Tour Championships here on Saturday.

Pierce beat top-ranked American Lindsay Davenport 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6), while Mauresmo defeated defending champion Russian Maria Sharapova 7-6 (1) and 6-3.

No French player has ever won the championships, although Pierce was runner-up in 1997 and Mauresmo finished second in 2003. Pierce had 10 aces in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 round-robin victory over Mauresmo on Friday.

Sharapova appeared listless against Mauresmo, falling to 4-7 in semifinals this year. The 18-year-old Russian hasn't reached a final since June when she won a Wimbledon warmup at Birmingham.

She has been bothered by a strained right chest muscle since August, and it hurt during the match.

"I couldn't serve very big, especially in the second set," she said. "That's not very good when you're playing a top player in the semifinals. Without the injury, I felt like I was in control and that still gives me a lot of confidence for next year."

Sharapova broke Mauresmo to open the match, built a 5-2 lead, then double-faulted away the tiebreaker after committing five forehand errors -- among her 39 unforced errors.

"At 5-2 down, I felt I could still come back," Mauresmo said. "I only had one bad game on my own service. I didn't know she got injured. Maybe that's why she didn't manage to put her first serves in on big moments."

Sharapova saved one match point and held trailing 5-3, then led 30-love in the next game. But she made four consecutive errors to end the match, sending a backhand wide on the final point.

She made a lowly 19 percent of her second serves, while Mauresmo 's first-serve percentage was 81.

Pierce led 4-0 before Davenport won three straight points. The American closed to 5-4 on a big forehand, but trailed 6-4 on a netted forehand. Davenport used her big serve to get to 6-5 before Pierce won the first tiebreaker on a net cord forehand.

There were no service breaks in the back-and-forth second set. Davenport used a 100-mph ace to go up 6-5, but her forehand error in the next game allowed Pierce to force the second tiebreaker.

"I made a few errors in each tie break like one shot in each tie break I would love to take back," said Davenport. "And the year is over."

Pierce was 5-5 in tiebreaks this year coming in. In 11 previous meetings, they had never played a tiebreaker.

The two players combined to serve seven love games, with Pierce connecting on 70 percent of her first serves and firing 10 aces to Davenport's 12.

Davenport hit nine more winners than Pierce, but had 24 unforced errors to Pierce's 10.

Davenport is assured of ending the year at No. 1 for the fourth time in her career despite not winning a Grand Slam title. She was runner-up at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Nov. 12 , 2005

Sunday

Saturday

Friday

this year

June

August

next year

the year

this year

the year


XIN_ENG_20061122.0072

JAKARTA, Nov. 22 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Jihad recruiter gets life sentence in Indonesia

An Islamic teacher believed to have recruited suicide bombers was convicted of terrorism by an Indonesian court Wednesday and sentenced to a lifetime jail term.

Subur Sugiarto, 33, is proven guilty of the primary charges of sheltering the country's top terror fugitive Noordin Moh Top, the tightly-guarded District Court in the Central Java capital of Semarang heard.

Malaysian-born Noordin is the suspected brains behind a series of bombings that killed more than 230 people since 2002.

Sugiarto, alias Abu Mujahid, is also convicted of illegal arms possession.

He was arrested in January and brought to trials along with three other militants.

Police believed that Sugiarto was the key aide of Noordin, whose hunting remains fruitless so far.

He has allegedly recruited people to launch suicide bombings, including three young men from Central Java and West Java who carried out triple suicide attacks on Bali island last October, in which 19 people were killed.

Nov. 22 , 2006

Wednesday

January

last October


AFP_ENG_20051206.0011

LOS ANGELES, Dec 5 , 2005

Aniston sues photographer for trying to take topless photos

US actress Jennifer Aniston has filed suit against a photographer for allegedly illegally using a telephoto lens to take snapshots of her when she was topless in her own home.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Friday alleges that Peter Brandt used "a powerful telephoto lens" to capture images of Aniston last month "in the privacy of her home," where she could only be observed "from a great distance through invasive, intrusive and unlawful measures."

Attorneys for the actress charge Brandt then offered to sell the photos to various media organizations.

Aniston is seeking damages and an injunction stopping Brandt -- and any organization that bought the photos from him -- from using them.

Dec 5 , 2005

Friday

last month


AFP_ENG_19970418.0168

KISANGANI, Zaire, April 18 , 1997 (AFP)

Villagers stone UNHCR vehicles

Villagers near the Zairean city of Kisangani threw stones Friday at vehicles of the United Nations, Filipo Grandi, coordinator in eastern Zaire for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told AFP.

Grandi said local residents attacked the UN vehicles to protest at the presence of Rwandan Hutu refugees in their area, saying the situation remained extremely tense although an uneasy calm had been restored.

Witnesses said the incident was sparked by the killings of seven local villagers 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Kisangani, deaths blamed by locals on the refugees.

"Local people blocked the vehicles on the town's left bank (of the Zaire river) to protest against the presence of refugees and thus of humanitarian organisations. Our teams were trapped in the vehicles as they were stoned," Grandi said.

He added that UN officials would investigate the claims that local people had been killed by the refugees. At the end of last month, several villagers were killed near refugee camps, sparking the looting of several UN World Food Programme trucks in retaliation.

Between 80,000 and 100,000 Hutu refugees have been sheltering in camps south of Kisangani, which was taken on March 15 by Zairean rebels fighting the regime of President Mobutu Sese Seko.

They had fled westwards from camps near the Rwandan border as the rebels swept across the eastern half of the country, taking a string of key towns, and took refuge in tropical forests where relief workers could not get aid to them.

The UNHCR had planned on Friday to start a huge airlift operation to help the refugees on their way back to Rwanda, but this was delayed at least until Saturday.

Local rebel authorities failed to give the green light because of fears that an outbreak of cholera among the refugees could spread among the local population. However, the UNHCR said there was no risk and that only people in good health would initially be repatriated.

More than a million Rwandan Hutus fled their small neighbouring country in 1994 as Rwandan Tutsi rebels won a civil war in which at least 500,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred by the Hutu former army and militia groups.

Among the refugees are armed Hutus held to be responsible for the Rwandan genocide. Many Rwandans, however, have returned home to their country, now dominated by the Tutsi minority.

April 18 , 1997

Friday

last month

March 15

Friday

Saturday


WSJ891030-0114
 = 891030
 891030-0114.
 OTC Focus:
@  Sell Programs
@  Are Hurting
@  Market Makers
@  ----
@  By Sonja Steptoe and Craig Smith
@  Staff Reporters of The Wall Street Journal
 10/30/89
 WALL STREET JOURNAL (J)
 STOCK MARKET, OFFERINGS (STK)
STOCK INDEXES (NDX)
SECURITIES INDUSTRY (SCR)
 NEW YORK

   Market makers in Nasdaq over-the-counter stocks are adding their voices to the swelling chorus of complaints about program trading.

   Their motivation, however , has a strong practical aspect: Program trading is hazardous to their paychecks.
The most controversial form of program trading, stock-index arbitrage, is " making it tough for traders to make money," declares Robert Antolini, head of OTC trading at Donaldson, Lufkin amp Jenrette.

   Stock-index arbitrage -- the computer-guided buying and selling of stocks with offsetting trades in stock-index futures to profit from fleeting price discrepancies -- affects the OTC market directly through the 31 stocks included in Standard amp Poor's 500-stock index.
The SampP 500 is often used in arbitrage strategies.

   The portion of OTC volume attributable to program trading isn't known, as it is on the New York Stock Exchange, where it amounted to more than 13% in September.
Estimates from traders put it at less than 5% of Nasdaq's average daily volume of roughly 133 million shares.

   Other market-maker gripes: Program trading also causes the Nasdaq Composite Index to lose ground against other segments of the stock market.
Because of program trading it is more difficult to trade many OTC stocks without sharp price moves, a condition known as illiquidity.
Moreover, the price volatility that is amplified by program trading is undercutting efforts to woo individual investors back to an OTC market that sorely misses them.

   Some of these problems are neither new nor unique to the OTC market.
But the big, often tumultuous slide in stock prices this month has turned some of those who have been profiting from the practice against it.

   Peter DaPuzzo, head of retail equity trading at Shearson Lehman Hutton, acknowledges that he wasn't troubled by program trading when it began in the pre-crash bull market because it added liquidity and people were pleased to see stock prices rising.

   "We were n't  as concerned until they became sell programs," says Mr. DaPuzzo, who now thinks it adds unnecessary volatility.
Shearson Lehman, however , executes program trades for clients.

   Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Kidder Peabody, in addition to Shearson, do program-trade OTC stocks.
Shearson, Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs say they do so only for customers, however.
Kidder Peabody does program trading for its own as well as clients' accounts.

   Of course, there were sell programs in past years, too, but they seem to hurt market makers more painfully these days.
That's largely because of defensive measures they adopted after the 1987 crash, when individual investors fled the market and trading activity dwindled.
Market makers, to cut costs, slashed inventories of stocks they keep on hand to sell investors when other holders are n't selling.

   And to protect their reduced capital investment from eroding further, market makers became quicker to lower price quotes when sell programs are in progress.
On days when prices are tumbling, they must be willing to buy shares from sellers when no one else will.
In such an environment, market makers can suffer huge losses both on trades made that day at steadily dropping prices and in the value of their inventories of shares.

   "It makes no sense for us to put money at risk when you know you're going to lose," says Mr. Antolini, of Donaldson Lufkin.

   But this skittishness, Mr. Antolini says, is creating liquidity problems in certain OTC stocks.
"It's harder to sell stocks when the sell programs come in because some market makers do n't want to { take the orders}.
No one has big positions and no one wants to take big risks."

   Joseph Hardiman, president of the National Association of Securities Dealers, which oversees trading on Nasdaq, agrees that program trading is hurting the market's efforts to bring back small investors.
But, he observes, while makers suffer losses when program trading drags the market down, they also make money when program trading pushes the prices higher.
"Sometimes {traders} lose sight of that," he says.

   The OTC stocks in the SampP 500 include Nasdaq's biggest, such as Apple Computer, MCI Communications, Tele-Communications and Liz Claiborne.
These big stocks greatly influence the Nasdaq Composite Index.
When the computers say "sell," the composite tumbles as well as the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

   The problem, market makers say, is that while the industrial average and the SampP 500 usually recover as buy programs kick in, the Nasdaq Composite frequently is left behind.

   Eight trading days after Oct. 12, the day before the stock market plunge, for instance, the Nasdaq Composite had fallen 4.3%, compared with 3.3% for the SampP 500, 3.5% for the New York Stock Exchange Composite Index and 3.6% for the industrial average.
This gap eventually closes, but slowly.
Three days later, as of Friday's close, the Nasdaq Composite was down 6%, compared with 5.9% for the industrial average, 5.7% for the SampP 500 and 5.8% for the Big Board Composite.

   The main reason for this lag is that individual investors own 65% of the OTC market's capitalization, according to Mr. Hardiman, much more than on the Big Board.
Such investors tend to be more cautious than institutional investors are about re-entering the market after massive selloffs, market makers say.

   ---

   Friday's Market Activity

   The Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 5.39, or 1.2% to 452.76 on Friday.
For the week, the index dropped 3.8%.

   Weakness in big technology stocks hurt the composite as well as the Nasdaq 100 Index, which fell 1.4%, or 6.43, on Friday, to 437.68.
The Nasdaq Financial Index lost about 1%, or 3.95, to 448.80.

   Friday's trading volume totaled 132.8 million shares.
The average daily share turnover for October is almost 148 million shares.

   LIN Broadcasting surged 4 5/8 to 112 5/8; LIN and BellSouth sweetened their merger agreement in an attempt to keep shareholders from tendering their shares to McCaw Cellular Communications.
McCaw, which dropped 2 1/2 to 37 3/4, has offered $125 a share for a majority of LIN's shares.

   The revised LIN-BellSouth agreement boosts the dollar amount of the special dividend LIN promises to pay shareholders.
LIN now plans to dole out $42 a share in cash, up from the earlier $20 amount.

   Intel eased 1/8 to 31 7/8.
The semiconductor concern said the interruption in shipment of its 80486 computer chip will be brief and have little impact on the company's earnings.
The stock fell 7/8 Thursday amid concerns over problems discovered with the chip.
Intel told analysts that the company will resume shipments of the chips within two to three weeks.

   Weisfield's rocketed 9 1/2 to 39 after the jewelry store operator said it is in preliminary discussions, with a party it would n't identify, regarding the possible acquisition of the company.

   Starpointe Savings Bank rose 3 to 20 after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. approved Dime Savings Bank of New York's $21-a-share acquisition of Starpointe.

   Kirschner Medical fell 4 to 15.
The company said its third-quarter earnings will probably be lower than the 16 cents a share it reported last year, despite a rise in the company's revenue.
Kirschner earned $376,000 on revenue of $14.5 million in the 1988 quarter.
The company blamed a number of factors for the earnings decline, including softer sales of joint-implants.

September

this month

now

past years

these days

Eight trading days

Oct. 12

the day

Three days

Friday

Friday

the week

Friday

Friday

October

now

Thursday

two to three weeks

third-quarter

last year

the 1988 quarter


XIN_ENG_20061112.0068

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 p.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 p.m.


AFP_ENG_20051206.0362

ABUJA, Dec 6 , 2005

By Helen Vesperini

The HIV/AIDS virus is destroying family life across Africa, international health experts warned Tuesday as they met in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

"The family has been made fragile in Africa because of poverty and because of AIDS," Rima Salah, deputy executive director of the UN children's agency UNICEF, told reporters.

"Our interventions focus on treating individuals and ignore the cornerstone of African society, the family," she added.

Delegates to the 14th International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) said that while the family should be a strong unit in the fight against AIDS, it was being undermined.

In poor families where the two parents had difficulty in making ends meet, the death of even one parent from AIDS places an intolerable economic strain on the household.

If both parents die, the children are left to fend for themselves and take charge of younger brothers and sisters.

Girls with little education who find themselves catapulted into the role of head of household may have no option other than turning to prostitution to support their brothers and sisters, putting themselves at risk of being infected if they are not already.

"Children being affected is a major social crisis ... in terms of taking care of them and in terms of family stability", Michel Sidibe, deputy director of UNAIDS, the body that groups together ten UN agencies in the fight against AIDS.

Husbands infect their wives and mothers infect their children.

Even though the technology to prevent mother-to-child transmission exists, the necessary measures can only be implemented if pregnant women attend ante-natal consultations. Such consultations are unheard of in large swathes of rural sub-Saharan Africa.

Cliff, a 23-year-old Nigerian living with AIDS told delegates how, as a teenager, he had been told he could only catch the disease through "serial relationships with prostitutes".

He became infected. He was kicked out of the navy after his HIV-positive status became known and, ashamed to stay in his home village, ran away to Abuja.

Now his wife and two-year old son are also infected.

Even though half of mother-to-child transmissions occur during delivery, his wife was told that as long as she avoided breast-feeding any child she bore would be free of the virus.

"When my son was one year old he was declared HIV-positive", Cliff said, adding: "I often feel tears coming to my eyes when I see him".

Sub-Saharan Africa, the region the worst affected by the pandemic, was home to an estimated two million HIV-positive children in late 2005.

Some poverty-stricken parents may hesitate to take antiretrovirals, even now that their prices have been slashed across the continent, because the money they do have to spend on the drugs means less food is available to feed the family.

For Jim Kim, the World Health Organization's outgoing head of HIV/AIDS, the fact that mothers now have access to antiretrovirals, which can, if the patient has access to adequate food, prolong life by up to 15 years, is already a positive step.

"If we can prevent mother-to-child transmission and treat children then we're going to be able to allow (infected) mothers to raise their children to the age of 15", he told AFP.

Dec 6 , 2005

one year

late 2005

now

now

up to 15 years


CNN19980213.2130.0155
 NEWS STORY

 President Clinton says he is committed to a possible strike against Iraq,
 despite objections from other countries.
 Steve Hurst has that.

 The US military buildup in the Persian gulf continues apace, more
 planes headed from the united states and senior officials say Iraq's
 president Saddam Hussein can expect punishing air strikes to continue well
 into the future if he does n't stop building biological and chemical
 weapons.

 Saddam will know by our actions and our warning that we will be prepared to act again if we have evidence he is trying to rebuild his weapons of mass
 destruction capabilities.

 In a bit of television diplomacy, Iraq's deputy foreign minister responded
 from Baghdad in less than one hour, saying Washington would break
 international law by attacking without UN approval.

 The united states is not authorized to use force before going to the
 council.

 President Clinton, meantime, glossed over stern warnings from Moscow on
Thursday that US air strikes against Iraq could do serious harm to
 relations with the Kremlin.

 We're trying to find a diplomatic solution.
 And I hope that, whatever happens today, that our relationships with Russia
 will continue to be productive and constructive and strong, because that's
 very important to the future of our peoples.

 One contrary view of the issue presented itself to the president as he
 arrived in Philadelphia later in the day.
 Nevertheless, the president said Washington would use force if diplomacy
 fails to force Saddam Hussein to back down.
 The Russian foreign minister, meanwhile , sought to soften the harsh words
 of his military counterpart, saying on Friday that Russia now feels the
 US must hold off at least until UN secretary general Kofi Annan visits
 Baghdad in a last-ditch effort at diplomacy.
 Annan has no trip planned so far.
 Meanwhile, secretary of state Madeleine Albright, Berger and defense
 secretary William Cohen announced plans to travel to an unnamed city
 in the US heartland next week, to explain to the American people just why
 military force will be necessary if diplomacy fails.
 Steve Hurst, CNN, the state department.

the future

less than one hour

Thursday

today

the day

Friday

now

next week


AFP_ENG_20061211.0048

SYDNEY, Dec 11 , 2006, 2006

ATTENTION - ADDS details, background, closing shares ///

Shares in Australian flag carrier Qantas jumped more than four percent Monday amid expectations a takeover consortium is finally ready to formally table a multi-billion dollar offer for the airline.

The consortium, led by Australia's biggest investment bank Macquarie and US-based private equity firm, Texas Pacific Group, has reportedly finalised the debt financing package for the bid.

The Australian Financial Review reported the offer, worth up to 10.9 billion dollars (8.4 billion US), could be unveiled as early as Tuesday, more than three weeks after Qantas revealed the initial approach.

After intense speculation about the bid's structure, Bell Potter private client advisor Stuart Smith said the market responded positively to the prospect of seeing details.

Qantas shares closed up 21 cents or 4.2 percent to 5.26 dollars on the Australian Stock Exchange after briefly hitting a record intra-day high of 5.30 dollars.

Macquarie Bank closed up 1.30 at 73.10 dollars.

The Australian Financial Review, citing unnamed sources, said the bid would be pitched at more than 5.50 dollars a Qantas share.

It said Macquarie and Texas Pacific planned to sell bonds backed by Qantas' fleet of 217 planes to finance more than half the debt incurred if the bid proceeds.

The newspaper said Canberra was struggling to formulate a policy to deal with the bid, torn between its commitment to free-market economics and protecting a national icon.

Government backbencher Bruce Baird said the value of protectionist measures designed to shore up Qantas' position against rivals such as Singapore Airlines and Emirates would be questioned if the bid was successful.

"I'm sure the protection it has got from Singapore Airlines is one of the things that makes it attractive. Maybe we have fatted the calf too much for market day," he said.

The government has ruled out changing the law to prevent Qantas being broken up and says it will maintain rules limiting overall foreign ownership of the airline at 49 percent and capping single stakes available to foreign firms at 25 percent.

But Baird signalled other trade barriers protecting Qantas could be up for review if a takeover meant the airline became "just another multinational organisation".

Singapore Airlines vice-president TK Mun said over the weekend that the airline remained keen to complete with Qantas on the lucrative Australia-US route even though Canberra rejected its application earlier this year.

Mun said Singapore Airlines was closely watching the takeover bid and potential implications for the trans-Pacific route.

"The subject is very much alive; nothing is forever," Mun told Australian Associated Press.

Qantas earlier this month said it expected profits to lift up to 30 percent in the 2006/07 financial year if fuel prices remain near current levels.

Dec 11 , 2006

Monday

Tuesday

more than three weeks

the weekend

earlier this year

earlier this month


XIN_ENG_20061119.0158

NIMBA, Liberia, Nov. 19 , 2006 (Xinhua)

Roundup: Liberians urged to sustain food security initiatives

UN peacekeeping troops in Liberia from Bangladesh called on Liberians over the weekend to mitigate the effects of 14 years of civil war and sustain ongoing initiatives towards achieving self-sufficiency in food production.

"Liberians must move towards a brighter future of self- dependence," Col. Abdul Haque, commander of the 10th Battalion of the Bangladeshi peacekeeping troops, told Liberians at the inaugural harvesting of mechanized rice farms in Ganta, a once embattled town in Nimba county, about 300 km north of the Liberian capital Monrovia.

The inaugural harvesting was part of two days of festivities in commemoration of the World Food Day organized by the Liberian government.

Under the slogan "Mechanized Farming is the Key to Agriculture Success," Bangladeshi peacekeepers have been assisting the farmers to start mechanized farming at viable project sites abandoned during the civil crisis. A modest amount of lands have been redeveloped and cultivated for seed rice multiplication by the farmers through the assistance of the peacekeepers who provided tractors, fuel and training.

Liberian Agriculture Minister Chris Toe hailed the peacekeepers' efforts, saying that the initiative would lead the way to food security in the country. He assured, "As the economy improves and with available resources, there would be marked improvement within the agriculture sector within five years."

"Next year we will triple the amount of lands and the government will buy each bag of seed rice that would be produced by the farms," Toe told farmers.

Food insecurity in the country is a challenge the Liberian government is committed to cope with through its own initiatives and with the support from development partners, Toe said.

According to a commerce ministry's estimate, food imports in Liberia account for more than 50 percent, among which rice imports take up over 50 percent.

The World Food Day was set by the United Nations on October 16, but last month's global celebration of the World Food Day was postponed in Liberia by a month to accommodate mass participation.

Officials of the government, nongovernmental organizations and the diplomatic community, as well as Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and UN Special Envoy Alan Doss, gathered in the town of Ganta for the festivities and were impressed by the huge turnout and the variety of produce hundreds of farmers put on display from around country.

Johnson-Sirleaf said to farmers, "Do not see this as a one-day event. See it as a kickoff to continue the work."

In view of the need for smaller countries to gain maximum benefits from increased investment in agriculture, Doss called for a "level playing field" in global trade by appealing to industrialized nations to do away with barrels that hinder fair trade to the disadvantage of smaller nations.

Nov. 19 , 2006

the weekend

14 years

two days

five years

October 16

last month

a month


AFP_ENG_19970421.0340

NICOSIA, April 21 , 1997 (AFP)

Iran's exiled opposition calls boycott of presidential polls

Iran's main opposition group called Monday for a boycott of next month's presidential elections in Iran, calling it an "illegitimate mascarade."

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) said that "this vote, like all the other mascarades of this theocracy, is completely illegitimate," according to a statement received by AFP in Nicosia.

Massud Radjavi, head of the Paris-based NCRI and chief of the armed opposition group People's Mujahedeen, called the May 23 polls a "political funeral and the inevitable sweeping aside" of outgoing president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

"This event is the most import schism that will affect the regime in its terminal stage," he said.

April 21 , 1997

Monday

next month

May 23


AFP_ENG_20061218.0079

PARIS, Dec 18 , 2006, 2006

Dexia bank to vote against Euronext-NYSE merger

Dexia bank, a big shareholder in pan-European stock market operator Euronext, will vote against a merger between the operator and the New York Stock Exchange, chief executive Axel Miller said on Tuesday.

He told the French financial newspaper Les Echos: "We will vote against the trans-Atlantic merger project."

This was because the bank felt that the NYSE would eventually dominate the new entity and because the merger ran counter to Euronext's original vision of a pan-European stock market.

"It would be sort of like the birth of America Next," he added.

Euronext groups the stock markets in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lisbon, and the Liffe financial futures market in London, and its shareholders are to vote Tuesday on the planned merger with the NYSE.

Miller also objected that "under the cover of an open market, the United States is demonstrating regulatory hegemony."

He forecast that other members of a pact of Euronext shareholders that disbanded last week would also vote against the deal, but stressed he could speak only for his company.

On June 1, the boards of the two markets signed an agreement in principle under which the NYSE was valued at 22 billion euros (28.8 billion dollars) and Euronext at about 10.5 billion euros.

The marriage was presented as a "merger of equals". But a report, strongly critical of the deal, published by an association of financial interests in France called Paris Europlace, said that the marriage amounted to a takeover by the NYSE.

Dec 18 , 2006

Tuesday

Tuesday

last week

June 1


XIN_ENG_20051112.0061

FALLUJAH, Iraq, Nov. 12 , 2005 (Xinhua)

Sniper hunts two US soldiers west of Baghdad

An insurgent sniper hunted two US soldiers in the flashpoint city of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, on Saturday, a witness said.

"A sniper opened fire at a US military patrol in Souq al-Qadiem district, and picked off two soldiers before he fled the scene," Abdul-Rahman told Xinhua.

"Another insurgent hurled a grenade at a US patrol in the city damaging a US Humvee, but it was not known whether there was any casualty," he said.

US troops returned fire and cordoned off the area and searched for the attackers, he added.

Fallujah, some 50 km west of Baghdad in the restive Anbar province, has witnessed frequent attacks against US and Iraqi forces.

Nov. 12 , 2005

Saturday