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Print - 2007-12-27
US presidential hopefuls bid Christmas break adieu

US presidential hopefuls bid Christmas break adieu

After a day off for Christmas celebrations, US presidential contenders hit the campaign trail full tilt Wednesday, just days before voters in key states begin to narrow the field of White House hopefuls.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Anti-Qaeda fighters in Iraq face an uncertain future

Anti-Qaeda fighters in Iraq face an uncertain future

The fate of tens of thousands of US-led Sunni Arabs fighting al Qaeda in Iraq hangs in the balance as US and Iraqi leaders debate their future and as they are increasingly targeted by the Islamists.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia

Two foreign aid workers kidnapped in Somalia

Militiamen in north-eastern Somalia on Wednesday kidnapped two foreign female aid workers, sparking a heavy exchange of fire with the chasing local police, local officials said.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
WWII suicides to reappear in Japanese textbooks: ministry

WWII suicides to reappear in Japanese textbooks: ministry

Faced with strong protests, Japan's education ministry said Wednesday it was partly restoring references in history textbooks to the military's role in mass suicides in Okinawa in World War II. The 83-day Battle of Okinawa, the bloodiest in the Pacific wa
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Huge search on for missing in Nepal bridge collapse

Huge search on for missing in Nepal bridge collapse

Troops joined police searching Wednesday for hundreds of people missing a day after a bridge collapsed killing 16 and injuring 40 more in a steep river gorge in Nepal, officials said. Nearly 400 people were on the bridge over the Bheri river, 380 kilometr
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Ukraine 2007 white sugar output at 1.84 million tonnes

Ukraine 2007 white sugar output at 1.84 million tonnes

Ukrainian sugar refineries have almost completed their 2007 white sugar refining, producing 1.84 million tonnes of the commodity as of December 24, local agriculture agencies said on Wednesday. The agencies quoted Ukraine's Ukrtsukor sugar union as saying
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
India sugar futures rise

India sugar futures rise

Indian sugar futures rose on Wednesday on expectations of tighter supply of white sugar due to a late start to crushing in one region and as millers looked to sell raws for export, analysts said. Expectations that the government may extend freight subsidi
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Shanghai copper up

Shanghai copper up

Shanghai copper futures rose more than half a percent on Wednesday and were expected to extend gains on rising physical demand in China, while a holiday in London capped demand.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Platinum close firmer in Asian markets

Platinum close firmer in Asian markets

Platinum was little changed in the post-Christmas holiday trade on Wednesday, but remained near a record high as supply worries drew buying interest. Spot gold edged higher in a thin trading from late Asian trade on Tuesday, buoyed by firmness in Japanese
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Indian soyaoil futures higher

Indian soyaoil futures higher

Indian soyaoil futures rose on Wednesday tracking gains in Malaysian palm oil, which was pushed higher by concerns over supplies in coming months. By 1:20 pm (0750 GMT), the January contract on the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange was up 0.33 p
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Oil steady after holiday

Oil steady after holiday

Oil was steady above $94 a barrel on Wednesday, although Mexican export terminals reopened following a cold front that had helped fuel pre-holiday gains. US light sweet crude for February delivery was 5 cents higher at $94.18 a barrel after gaining 82 cen
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
China soya and soyaoil futures hit record

China soya and soyaoil futures hit record

Dalian soyabean and soyaoil futures rose to record highs on Wednesday, spurred by robust physical demand ahead of the New Year holidays, traders said. Spot prices are also at record highs, reflecting broader inflation in food prices that is increasingly c
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Shanghai rubber higher

Shanghai rubber higher

Shanghai rubber futures rose 3 percent over the past week and analysts expect a further rise after the New Year's Day holiday, when Chinese tyre manufacturers are expected to build up stocks. The most active rubber futures contract on the Shanghai Futures
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Malaysian tin

Malaysian tin

Malaysian tin gained 0.6 percent on Wednesday, due to Japanese and European demand on short covering and book squaring for the year-end, a dealer said.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Asian physical rubber prices

Asian physical rubber prices

Asian physical rubber was quoted mostly unchanged on Wednesday as sluggish demand offset small rises of futures contract prices on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange. Physical trade was thin with most buyers on year-end holidays, traders said.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Indonesian palm oil prices higher

Indonesian palm oil prices higher

Indonesian palm oil-based cooking oil prices rose 2.5 percent on Wednesday as Malaysian crude palm oil futures soared to a new record but the local crude palm oil market remained lacklustre with most traders still on holiday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Tocom rubber hits seven-week high

Tocom rubber hits seven-week high

Tokyo rubber futures hit a seven-week high on Wednesday as a weaker yen encouraged buying, but arbitrage selling checked the gains. The benchmark rubber contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange for June delivery rose 1.8 yen to settle at 310.7 yen ($2.72)
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Malaysian palm oil surges to new high

Malaysian palm oil surges to new high

Malaysian palm oil surged to a record high on Wednesday, gaining close to 2 percent, as surging demand for food and fuel amid fears of falling production raised concerns about the supply outlook next year.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Japan plans world's fastest train

Japan plans world's fastest train

A Japanese rail operator said Wednesday it plans to introduce the world's fastest train in the next two decades, a next-generation maglev built at a cost of 45 billion dollars. "Maglev," or magnetically levitated, trains travel above ground through an ele
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Coal to remain top energy source: China

Coal to remain top energy source: China

China reiterated Wednesday its long-term dependence on coal for energy, but pledged to step up efforts to burn the fuel more cleanly to reduce its impact on global warming. In its first white paper on energy, the Chinese government also vowed to develop s
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Gazprom opposes foreign ownership of energy reserves

Gazprom opposes foreign ownership of energy reserves

A top Gazprom executive voiced opposition on Wednesday to foreign ownership of Russian energy reserves, saying it could deprive Russian consumers of much-needed natural gas, news agencies reported.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Major lunar probe begins full operation

Major lunar probe begins full operation

Japan's first lunar probe, the world's most extensive mission to the moon in decades, has gone into full operation on schedule, the space agency announced Wednesday. The Kaguya orbiter completed a two-month initial phase to inspect the functioning of all
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Japan Prime Minister pledges eco diplomacy in new year

Japan Prime Minister pledges eco diplomacy in new year

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda of Japan, which becomes head of the Group of Eight industrial nations in the new year, pledged Wednesday to use the role to promote eco-friendly technology.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Kuwait approves bill to cut foreign firms' tax

Kuwait approves bill to cut foreign firms' tax

Kuwait's parliament approved a government-proposed bill on Wednesday that would slash tax on foreign firms' profits to a flat 15 percent from up to 55 percent.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bosnia's Energoinvest in $52 million deal with Libya

Bosnia's Energoinvest in $52 million deal with Libya

Bosnia's largest engineering group Energoinvest has clinched a new $52 million deal with Libya to build power transmission lines and a transformer station, General Manager Dzemail Vlahovljak said on Wednesday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Nepal hikes petrol prices

Nepal hikes petrol prices

Nepal's state-owned oil company on Wednesday hiked petrol prices by nearly 10 percent, the second increase in the last two months, to meet a rising import bill in the landlocked nation, officials said.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Iran-Malaysia sign $6 billion gas deal

Iran-Malaysia sign $6 billion gas deal

Iran signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Malaysia on Wednesday to develop two offshore Iranian gas fields, boasting that the planned investment was the biggest ever in the country. The mega deal comes in defiance of US pressure on European and Asian f
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Singapore printer Xpress aims to tap Vietnam stock boom

Singapore printer Xpress aims to tap Vietnam stock boom

Singapore's Xpress Holdings, a dotcom firm turned printer, plans to expand in Vietnam to tap demand from the country's growing financial sector for services, company officials told Reuters.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Singapore printer Xpress aims to tap Vietnam stock boom

Singapore printer Xpress aims to tap Vietnam stock boom

Singapore's Xpress Holdings, a dotcom firm turned printer, plans to expand in Vietnam to tap demand from the country's growing financial sector for services, company officials told Reuters.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Malaysian shares end firmer

Malaysian shares end firmer

Malaysian share prices closed up 0.1 percent on Wednesday as investors continued to buy palm oil-related plantation stocks, dealers said. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) was up 0.78 points at 1,424.02. The local bourse was closed Tuesday for Chris
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
JGB futures climb after three-day fall

JGB futures climb after three-day fall

Japanese government bond futures climbed on Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains after a three-session slide, while minutes from the Bank of Japan's November meeting showed policy board members talked about increasing downside risks in the US econom
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
JGB futures climb after three-day fall

JGB futures climb after three-day fall

Japanese government bond futures climbed on Wednesday as investors hunted for bargains after a three-session slide, while minutes from the Bank of Japan's November meeting showed policy board members talked about increasing downside risks in the US econom
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Taiwan stocks tumble

Taiwan stocks tumble

Taiwan stocks fell 0.1 percent on Wednesday, ending a three-day winning streak, with shares of Mediatek Inc slumping after the island's top chip designer cut its fourth-quarter sales forecast. The main TAIEX share index closed down 10.68 points at 8,156.3
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Chinese shares up

Chinese shares up

China's stock market rose on Wednesday as financial and property shares sagged but the vast majority of other stocks climbed in fairly active turnover. The Shanghai Composite Index, which had ended the morning 0.60 percent lower, closed the day up 0.62 pe
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Seoul stocks decline

Seoul stocks decline

Seoul shares fell for the first time in three sessions on Wednesday, with brokerages retreating as a rally that started before Christmas lost steam, while petrochemical firms slid on a price-fixing investigation.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Philippines shares make strong gains

Philippines shares make strong gains

Philippines share prices closed 2.3 percent higher on Wednesday with investors hopeful about the profit outlook for some big firms, dealers said. The composite index added 79.65 points to 3,612.63. The broader all-share index rose 41.24 points to 2,217.98
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Jakarta shares rise

Jakarta shares rise

Indonesian shares closed 2.1 percent higher on Wednesday, belatedly following gains on Wall Street, dealers said. Fund managers were also active as they tidied up their portfolios before the end of the year, they said. The Jakarta composite index closed u
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Singapore shares close 1.12 percent higher

Singapore shares close 1.12 percent higher

Singapore shares closed 1.12 percent higher on Wednesday as investors took comfort from a fresh injection of funds into banks hit by a crisis in the US subprime mortgage sector, dealers said. They said some fund managers were also active as they tidied up
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Indian shares jump

Indian shares jump

Indian share prices closed up 1.74 percent on Wednesday as concerns about the fallout from a global credit squeeze receded, dealers said. They said metal, property and capital goods stocks rose. The 30-share Mumbai stock exchange Sensex index rose 345.4 p
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
South Korean bonds soar

South Korean bonds soar

South Korea's benchmark government bonds rose on Wednesday as foreign buying in treasury futures lifted market sentiment in thin trade and after a state research house lowered next year's growth forecast. Trading in benchmark bonds was limited while some
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
South Korean bonds soar

South Korean bonds soar

South Korea's benchmark government bonds rose on Wednesday as foreign buying in treasury futures lifted market sentiment in thin trade and after a state research house lowered next year's growth forecast. Trading in benchmark bonds was limited while some
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Tokyo stocks hit two-week closing high

Tokyo stocks hit two-week closing high

Japanese stocks finished at their highest in two weeks on Wednesday, led higher by technology shares and automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp as the yen weakened and US holiday spending data eased concerns that the major export market was tipping into rec
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bangladesh interbank forex, interest rates

Bangladesh interbank forex, interest rates

Interbank buy/sell rates for the taka against the dollar on Wednesday. 68.54/68.58 (previous 68.48/68.58). Call Money Rates: 8.00-13.75 percent (previous 8.75-15.50 percent.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Kuwait dinar unchanged

Kuwait dinar unchanged

Kuwait kept the dinar reference rate unchanged for a second day on Wednesday after the dollar hit a six-week high against the yen and made some losses versus the euro. The dinar will trade around a mid point of 0.27450 per dollar, unchanged from the day e
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Taiwan dollar weakens

Taiwan dollar weakens

The Taiwan dollar fell on Wednesday as importers and insurers bought US dollars, although trade remained thin during the holiday season. The Taiwan dollar ended weaker at T$32.529 to the US dollar, down from the previous close of T$32.499. The local curre
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Sri Lanka bank holds rates steady

Sri Lanka bank holds rates steady

Sri Lanka's central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday for a 10th successive month, saying its policy was tight enough to control demand pressures even as inflation was running at a 17-year high.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Vietnam December inflation to hit 12.6 percent

Vietnam December inflation to hit 12.6 percent

Vietnam estimated on Tuesday its consumer prices in December would be 12.63 percent higher than a year earlier, rising at the fastest rate in a decade due to rising cost of housing, food and fuel prices. Rising foreign investment in Vietnam a year after t
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Yen near seven-week low versus dollar

Yen near seven-week low versus dollar

The yen hovered near a seven-week low against the dollar on Wednesday as signs of a recovery in risk appetite were seen supporting demand for carry trades. Activity remained light after US and European markets were closed on Tuesday for Christmas and as m
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bangladesh bank net profit rises 44 percent in 2006-07

Bangladesh bank net profit rises 44 percent in 2006-07

Bangladesh central bank's net profit rose 44.2 percent to 34.6 billion taka ($505 million) in the 2006/07 financial year that ended in June. "From the net profit an amount of 7.6 billion taka and 0.2 billion taka were transferred to foreign exchange reval
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bangladesh bank net profit rises 44 percent in 2006-07

Bangladesh bank net profit rises 44 percent in 2006-07

Bangladesh central bank's net profit rose 44.2 percent to 34.6 billion taka ($505 million) in the 2006/07 financial year that ended in June. "From the net profit an amount of 7.6 billion taka and 0.2 billion taka were transferred to foreign exchange reval
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Most Asian currencies steady

Most Asian currencies steady

Asian currencies were mostly steady on Wednesday amid the year-end holiday season, while optimism rose that the formation of a new government in Thailand after weekend elections would underpin the baht.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
South Korean won steady

South Korean won steady

The South Korean won held steady against the dollar on Wednesday in slow trade despite foreign net sales of local stocks, as traders took to the sidelines in a year-end holiday mood. The won ended local trade at 938.8/9.1 per dollar, compared with the pre
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Chinese yuan ends down

Chinese yuan ends down

China's yuan fell against the dollar on Wednesday after two days of strong gains, but traders said the medium-term outlook was still for faster appreciation. The yuan, which hit a new post-revaluation high of 7.3270 versus the US currency on Tuesday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Samuels and Gayle put West Indies on top

Samuels and Gayle put West Indies on top

Marlon Samuels and captain Chris Gayle played contrasting innings as the West Indies belied their underdog status on the first day of the first Test against South Africa at St George's Park Wednesday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Villains hold Chelsea in Christmas cracker

Villains hold Chelsea in Christmas cracker

Aston Villa held hosts Chelsea to a 4-4 draw with a last-minute equaliser in a festive football feast bursting with controversy at Stamford Bridge. Wednesday's Boxing Day holiday clash had it all, swinging this way and that with Villa going 2-0 up, three
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
New Zealand prevails home over Bangladesh

New Zealand prevails home over Bangladesh

New Zealand produced a morale-boosting performance as they romped to a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in their one-day cricket international here Wednesday, the first of a three-match series.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Skipper Kumble spins India into Test contention

Skipper Kumble spins India into Test contention

Skipper Anil Kumble inspired a dramatic Indian fightback to almost bowl Australia out on the opening day of the first cricket Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday. It all looked grim for the tourists, chasing their first series win in Austral
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Pakistan bars rebel league players from domestic game

Pakistan bars rebel league players from domestic game

Pakistan cricket authorities announced on Wednesday that all players who featured in a rebel Indian league will be banned from domestic matches. Several stars, including former national skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, signed up to play in the breakaway Indian Cri
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Tremor hits Iran

Tremor hits Iran

The ancient Iranian city of Bam was hit by a mild earthquake almost four years to the day after a catastrophic quake there killed tens of thousands of people, state media reported on Wednesday. The suburbs of Bam in south-eastern Iran were rocked by the 4
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Pope says many Christians tortured for faith

Pope says many Christians tortured for faith

Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday lamented that Christians across the world were "imprisoned, tortured and deprived of their freedom," for their faith. "It is not uncommon today for us to receive information from various parts of the world of missionaries, prie
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Hindus burn churches in India leaving one dead

Hindus burn churches in India leaving one dead

Hindus attacked at least 10 churches in eastern India leaving one man dead and 30 injured on Christmas night, police said Wednesday. Protesters backed by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) set fire to six churches and ransacked another four i
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Japanese mayor resigns in US base row: official

Japanese mayor resigns in US base row: official

The mayor of a western Japanese city who fervently opposed a plan to host more US warplanes offered to resign Wednesday in a stand-off with supporters of the military base.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Child-killings in Germany

Child-killings in Germany

Two parents killed their children in separate cases over Christmas, German police said Wednesday, the latest of a series of infanticides that have shocked the country and forced the government to act to improve child-welfare and social services.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bird flu reappears in Germany

Bird flu reappears in Germany

A third outbreak of the H5N1 strain of avian flu, which is potentially lethal to humans, was confirmed this month in Germany's Brandenburg region outside Berlin, a veterinarian official said Wednesday. Fifteen chickens kept in a coop in Heiligengrabe-Blum
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
UN and EU try to fix Afghan misunderstanding

UN and EU try to fix Afghan misunderstanding

The United Nations and European Union were Wednesday trying to settle a "misunderstanding" that led Kabul to order the expulsion of two senior European diplomats after claims they contacted Taliban militants.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Sri Lanka says 40 Tigers killed in sea battle

Sri Lanka says 40 Tigers killed in sea battle

Sri Lanka's navy Wednesday clashed with Tamil Tiger vessels off the island's northern coast of Jaffna, sinking 11 rebel boats and leaving at least 40 guerrillas dead, the defence ministry said.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Sri Lanka frees detained French TV crew

Sri Lanka frees detained French TV crew

A Sri Lankan judge on Wednesday freed two foreignials said. The two-member crew of France 24 were detained overnight at Ratgama, 105 kilometres (65 miles) south of the ca without any charges."
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
'Moscow to release six detained fishermen'

'Moscow to release six detained fishermen'

Russia will release six of 11 Japanese fishermen captured in disputed waters later this week, the Japanese foreign ministry said Wednesday. Japan will send a vessel to pick up the six crew members to waters off Shikotan Island, one of four Kuril islands r
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Japan doubts North Korea to meet deadline: official

Japan doubts North Korea to meet deadline: official

Japan does not expect North Korea to meet a year-end deadline to declare its nuclear programmes but wants a full accounting once it does, an official said Wednesday. The communist state was given until the end of 2007 to disable and declare all its nuclea
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Russia optimistic on resolving London museum dispute

Russia optimistic on resolving London museum dispute

Russia's culture minister on Wednesday said new British laws providing legal immunity for some contested artworks would clear the way for a planned exhibit of Russian art in London next month.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Escaped tiger kills one, injures two at San Francisco zoo

Escaped tiger kills one, injures two at San Francisco zoo

A Siberian tiger escaped from its enclosure at the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas day, killing one visitor and mauling two others before being shot dead by police, authorities said. The attack was lamented as "tragic" by city officials and came a year aft
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Tunisia jails 10 men for links to al Qaeda in Iraq

Tunisia jails 10 men for links to al Qaeda in Iraq

A Tunisian court jailed 10 men for up to five years on Wednesday for attempting to join al Qaeda fighters in Iraq, a defence lawyer said. "Karim Elbaloumi, an architecture student, was given five years in prison and the other nine were sentenced to two ye
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Iran Jews deny link to Israel operation

Iran Jews deny link to Israel operation

Iran's main Jewish organisation on Wednesday denied any involvement in a secret operation organised by Israel to transport a group of 40 Iranian Jews to the Jewish state. "Iranian Jews affirm that considering the good living conditions of religious minori
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Chad prosecutor seeks forced labour for six French

Chad prosecutor seeks forced labour for six French

Chad's chief prosecutor asked a court on Wednesday to sentence a group of French aid workers to between 7 and 11 years forced labour for trying to kidnap 103 children from the African country.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Former Solomons A-G to be deported to Australia

Former Solomons A-G to be deported to Australia

A controversial Solomon Islands politician sacked as the country's attorney general this week will be deported to Australia Thursday to face child sex charges, it was reported Wednesday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Mauritania investigates al Qaeda link in killings

Mauritania investigates al Qaeda link in killings

Mauritanian prosecutors said on Wednesday they suspected Islamic extremists allied to al Qaeda were the killers of four French tourists gunned down when they stopped for a Christmas Eve picnic.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Russian rights groups appeal to Medvedev over detentions

Russian rights groups appeal to Medvedev over detentions

Russian human rights groups have appealed to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev-touted as Russia's next president-over the detention of four anti-Kremlin activists, warning it could lead to "student unrest."
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Iran insists on border deal with Iraq

Iran insists on border deal with Iraq

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki insisted on Wednesday that a 32-year-old territorial accord with Iraq remained in force, despite the Iraqi president reportedly saying it was now void.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Delhi Hindu temple world's largest: Guinness

Delhi Hindu temple world's largest: Guinness

Guinness World Records has recognised a sprawling mock-ancient monument in the Indian capital as the world's largest Hindu temple, the Press Trust of India reported Wednesday. The ersatz Akshardham temple, which covers 32 acres (13 hectares) and is built
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Russia to supply new air defence system to Iran

Russia to supply new air defence system to Iran

Iran announced on Wednesday it is to receive S-300 air missile defence systems from Russia, a move that risks angering the United States which has been critical of past arms sales to Tehran.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bush signs budget with Iraq funds

Bush signs budget with Iraq funds

US President George W. Bush signed Wednesday a 555 billion dollar catch-all budget bill for 2008 that includes 70 billion dollars for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars without any timeline for troop withdrawal.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Hamas won't budge in demands for Israeli soldier

Hamas won't budge in demands for Israeli soldier

Hamas will not release a captured Israeli soldier unless Israel meets its demand to free nearly 1,400 Palestinian prisoners, including 350 with life sentences, a leader of the Islamist group in Gaza said on Wednesday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Iraq cabinet approves draft law pardoning detainees

Iraq cabinet approves draft law pardoning detainees

The Iraqi cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law that offers a general pardon to thousands of detainees held in US and Iraqi prisons in a bid to boost national reconciliation, an official told AFP.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Kosovo independence: Serbs to say 'No' to EU

Kosovo independence: Serbs to say 'No' to EU

Serbia's parliament was set to adopt a resolution on Wednesday implicitly rejecting membership of the European Union and Nato if the West recognises the independence of Kosovo.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Asia remembers tsunami victims three years on

Asia remembers tsunami victims three years on

Three years after Indian Ocean nations were lashed by massive tsunamis, sombre ceremonies were held Wednesday to recall those lost in one of the worst natural catastrophes in modern times.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Bodies of 17 men found in Iraq

Bodies of 17 men found in Iraq

The decomposed bodies of 17 men have been found in Iraq's restive Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, the Iraqi army said on Wednesday. The bodies were found in a town near the provincial capital of Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad, in the past
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Egypt hits back at Israeli charges over Gaza

Egypt hits back at Israeli charges over Gaza

Egypt rejected Israeli complaints about weapons smuggling into Gaza on Wednesday, after talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. Egypt also accused Israel of trying to distract attention from its building act
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Russian official says Nato plans very worrying

Russian official says Nato plans very worrying

Russia is "extremely" concerned by the development of Natoand opposes further expansion by the Western military alliance, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Wednesday, state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Turkey praises US help as jets bomb Iraq

Turkey praises US help as jets bomb Iraq

Turkish President Abdullah Gul praised the US on Wednesday for providing military intelligence as Ankara confirmed its third air strike in 10 days against Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq. "Things are going on well at the moment. Intelligence is be
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Scores dead or missing in Indonesia landslides

Scores dead or missing in Indonesia landslides

Floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains left close to 100 people dead or missing on the main Indonesian island of Java on Wednesday, officials said.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Brazil currency to lose some steam in 2008

Brazil currency to lose some steam in 2008

The flood of US dollars to Brazil should slow in 2008, creating greater volatility in the exchange rate and slowing the appreciation of the real, analysts said. Brazil's currency gained 20 percent in 2007 because of a record $90 billion of net dollar infl
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
Indian rupee up

Indian rupee up

The Indian rupee crept up in thin year-end dealing on Wednesday as firmer shares sparked hopes that foreign funds may resume their strong buying of local stocks. The partially convertible rupee tiptoed up to end at 39.42/43 per dollar, above Monday's clos
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
European markets closed

European markets closed

Leading European financial markets were closed on Wednesday, the day after the Christmas holiday, but were to be open normally on Thursday and Friday. Markets in Hong Kong were also closed on Wednesday.
Published 27 Dec, 2007 12:00am
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