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Print - 2008-12-29
Videogames may do the aging brain good

Videogames may do the aging brain good

Older adults might want to take an interest in their grandchildren's' video games, if early research on the brain benefits of gaming is correct. In a study of 40 adults in their 60s and 70s, researchers found that those who learned to play a strategy-heav
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Tropics cooled by volcanic eruptions

Tropics cooled by volcanic eruptions

Volcanic eruptions have periodically cooled the tropics over at least the last 450 years by spewing out particles that girdle the world at high altitude and reflect sunlight, according to a study released on December 22.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Pain pills may cut risk of bowel cancer

Pain pills may cut risk of bowel cancer

Use of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) for over 5 years may lessen a person's risk of developing cancer of the lower portion of the large bowel, study findings suggest.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Himalayan villagers on global warming frontline

Himalayan villagers on global warming frontline

Standing in the Himalayan valley of Langtang, Rinjin Dorje Lama remembers where he used to play as a child in the 1960s. "When I was a kid, it was a lot longer," said Lama, pointing at the Lirung glacier surrounded by snowy peaks on Nepal's northern borde
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Experts identify gene variants linked to lung cancer

Experts identify gene variants linked to lung cancer

Researchers in China and the United States have identified mutations of two genes which appear to make ethnic Chinese more susceptible to lung cancer, they wrote in the journal Cancer.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Seawater science can help climate change forecasts

Seawater science can help climate change forecasts

A team of scientists has come up with a new definition of seawater, which is set to boost the accuracy of projections for oceans and climate. Oceans help regulate the planet's weather by shifting heat from the equator to the poles. Changes in salinity and
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Liver disease may resolve with weight loss surgery

Liver disease may resolve with weight loss surgery

Obesity surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, not only helps obese individuals shed a significant amount of weight, it also significantly improves or completely resolves a common obesity-related liver problem known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Even a tiny bit of flab raises heart failure risk

Even a tiny bit of flab raises heart failure risk

Even a little bit of extra weight can raise the risk of heart failure, according to a US study published on December 22 that calculated the heart hazards of being pudgy but not obese. It comes as little surprise that obesity makes a person much more apt t
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Vitamin D deficiency common in diabetic kids

Vitamin D deficiency common in diabetic kids

Children and teenagers with type 1 diabetes may have a particularly high rate of deficiency in bone-building vitamin D, a small study suggests. The findings, say researchers, underscore the importance of adequate vitamin D intake for children with type 1
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Nintendo to offer videos on Wii

Nintendo to offer videos on Wii

Nintendo Co said on Thursday it will start offering videos through its blockbuster Wii game console, the latest new feature for the Japanese entertainment giant. Nintendo said it would develop original programming which Wii users could access via the Inte
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Notebooks outship desktops for first time

Notebooks outship desktops for first time

World-wide notebook computer shipments topped those of desktops for the first time ever in the third quarter, research group iSuppli said on Tuesday, calling it a "watershed event" for the industry.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
US and European 2009 IT spending seen down two percent

US and European 2009 IT spending seen down two percent

Companies in the United States and Europe expect to spend two percent less on IT in 2009 after a flat 2008, with SAP AG seen as most likely to benefit from any increase in spending, according to a UBS survey.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Americans prefer news from Web to newspapers

Americans prefer news from Web to newspapers

The Internet has surpassed newspapers as the main source for national and international news for Americans, according to a new survey. Television, however, remains the preferred medium for Americans, according to the survey by the Washington-based Pew Res
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Vietnam tightens controls on bloggers

Vietnam tightens controls on bloggers

Vietnam has tightened curbs on bloggers to ban views seen as opposing the state or undermining national security, according to a new edict which asks online service providers to provide data on users. The Internet has given Vietnamese people a forum to ex
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
5,000-10,000 new Twitter accounts a day: study

5,000-10,000 new Twitter accounts a day: study

Micro-blogging service Twitter is gaining 5,000 to 10,000 new accounts a day and most of its users have joined this year, according to a study released on Tuesday.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
D Telekom and Vodafone combine to expand German VDSL

D Telekom and Vodafone combine to expand German VDSL

Telecom giants Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone will work together to expand high-speed VDSL Internet broadband services in Germany, the companies said on Tuesday. "We are also in talks with other competitors and open for further co-operation," a Deutsche Te
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Web portal provides more awareness of children games

Web portal provides more awareness of children games

Parents should get together to decide which computer games their children are allowed to play as it banning a game at home is pointless, if your kids are going to play it at their friends' houses, recommended medienbewsusst - a new Internet portal in Germ
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Microsoft extends XP life again

Microsoft extends XP life again

Microsoft has given another reprieve to its faithful old operating system Windows XP in a sign of the lingering difficulties facing its successor Windows Vista.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Make difficult for spammers

Make difficult for spammers

Spammers use automated tools to harvest e-mail addresses. Make it difficult for them. Whenever you give out your e-mail address in a public forum - such as a newsgroup, mask it so that only a human can understand it. For example, if your e-mail address is
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Increase text size on web page quickly

Increase text size on web page quickly

Text on a web page too difficult to read? In both Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox, you can quickly increase the size of text by holding down the Ctrl key and tapping the plus sign (+) on you keyboard's number pad. Conversely, you can decrease the
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
In Short: Microsoft's first public beta of Windows Vista SP2

In Short: Microsoft's first public beta of Windows Vista SP2

Microsoft has released the first public beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), available from both its Microsoft's Vista web site and via Windows Update. The beta, which is free for registered Vista users, includes improvements in security and perfor
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Warning about vulnerability in VLC Media Player

Warning about vulnerability in VLC Media Player

A security hole has been discovered in the VLC Media Player, the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn reported. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability using rigged Real Media files (file ending with "rm") to install
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
GraphicBooster: first laptop with external graphics

GraphicBooster: first laptop with external graphics

Fujitsu Siemens is offering its first laptop with external graphics: the AMILO Notebook Sa 3650 works with a device the company is calling a "GraphicBooster." This primarily consists of a 18 x 13 x 3.35 cm case containing an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 gr
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
IN SHORT: difference between My Computer & Windows Explorer

IN SHORT: difference between My Computer & Windows Explorer

In Windows, have you ever wondered what the difference is between "My Computer" and Windows Explorer? There isn't much of one. The major difference is Explorer has a left pane that contains folders within a tree structure so that you can easily locate fol
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
China milk scandal firm declared bankrupt

China milk scandal firm declared bankrupt

A Chinese dairy firm at the heart of a scandal over melamine-tainted powdered milk has been declared bankrupt, a New Zealand partner with major shares in the company said on December 24. New Zealand-based Fonterra said a court in northern China's Shijiazh
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
China milk scandal firm declared bankrupt

China milk scandal firm declared bankrupt

A Chinese dairy firm at the heart of a scandal over melamine-tainted powdered milk has been declared bankrupt, a New Zealand partner with major shares in the company said on December 24. New Zealand-based Fonterra said a court in northern China's Shijiazh
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Pension funds storing up investment moves: MSIM

Pension funds storing up investment moves: MSIM

Pension funds have lost faith in star managers' ability to outperform markets, and many are sitting on their hands, having yet to decide where to put their money, a senior investment management executive told Reuters.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Pension funds storing up investment moves: MSIM

Pension funds storing up investment moves: MSIM

Pension funds have lost faith in star managers' ability to outperform markets, and many are sitting on their hands, having yet to decide where to put their money, a senior investment management executive told Reuters.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Australian firms face tough 2009 credit access

Australian firms face tough 2009 credit access

The credit crunch is likely to get worse before it gets better for Australian companies, as foreign lenders retreat and Australian banks keep tighter control over who they lend to.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Massive layoffs expected in UAE: report

Massive layoffs expected in UAE: report

Up to 45 percent of the construction workforce in the United Arab Emirates could be laid off, with thousands already having lost their jobs due to the global financial crisis, a report said on December 24.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Insurer Zurich actively looking for deals

Insurer Zurich actively looking for deals

Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services Group, a serial acquirer in recent years, is not letting tighter credit markets hamper its pursuit of acquisitions, a company executive said on December 22. "Zurich is definitely in a position where it can consider
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Siemens wins huge Iraqi order

Siemens wins huge Iraqi order

German turbine maker Siemens said it had won a major order from Iraq for 16 high-efficiency gas turbines costing 1.5 billion euros (2.1 billion dollars). Iraq's ministry of electricity is struggling to end constant power outages and restore damaged oil an
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
China firm to spend $2.6 billion on Liberia iron

China firm to spend $2.6 billion on Liberia iron

A Chinese firm will make the biggest ever investment in Liberia when it signs a $2.6 billion iron ore deal in January, the West African nation says. The 25-year project to be undertaken by China Union will directly and indirectly create 18,000 jobs, and g
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
General Motors sees no major change in Asia investment

General Motors sees no major change in Asia investment

General Motors Corp expects no major changes in its investment plans for Asia Pacific in the next few years although it is cutting back on non-essential projects, its president for the region said on December 23.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
US banks to slash payouts as recession persists

US banks to slash payouts as recession persists

Bank stocks yielding close to 10 percent might tempt investors in a market where such income is rare, but the payouts are likely to plummet if not disappear. While yields on many bonds, especially those issued by the US Treasury, are approaching zero, reg
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Newcastle owner Ashley takes club off market

Newcastle owner Ashley takes club off market

Premier League club Newcastle United was taken off the market by owner Mike Ashley on Sunday. Ashley, who made his fortune in sportswear, put the club up for sale three months ago after saying he could no longer attend home matches because of abuse from f
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Superb Liverpool move three points clear at top

Superb Liverpool move three points clear at top

Liverpool moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League after they beat Newcastle United 5-1 and second-placed Chelsea were held to a 2-2 draw at neighbours Fulham on Sunday.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
NBP Gold Hockey Tournament: PIA, NBP, Army through to semi finals

NBP Gold Hockey Tournament: PIA, NBP, Army through to semi finals

PIA, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Army qualified for the semi finals of NBP Gold Cup Hockey Tournament, here at National Hockey Stadium on Sunday. Due to the heavy fog, fourth quarterfinal could not be played on Sunday and it will now be staged bet
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Jayawardene ton puts Sri Lanka on top

Jayawardene ton puts Sri Lanka on top

Mahela Jayawardene smashed a solid 129 not out to put Sri Lanka in a winning position on the third day of the opening Test against Bangladesh here on Sunday. The Sri Lankan captain hit one six and 15 fours in his 24th Test hundred to help his side post 29
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Reds sign free-agent Taveras

Reds sign free-agent Taveras

The Cincinnati Reds have signed free agent Willy Taveras to a two-year contract, the team said on Saturday. "Willy Taveras fills two significant needs for our ball club, a base-stealing threat at the top of the order and superior defence in centre field,"
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Johnson's 41pts help Hawks maintain run

Johnson's 41pts help Hawks maintain run

Joe Johnson scored a season-high 41 points to lead the surging Atlanta Hawks to a 129-117 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. Johnson also had eight assists for Atlanta, who claimed their fourth successive win with a sixth home victory in seven ga
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Alonso has Ferrari deal for 2011

Alonso has Ferrari deal for 2011

Fernando Alonso has a secret agreement to join Ferrari for four years from 2011, Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Sunday. The twice Formula One world champion has never hidden his desire to go to the Italian team and Ferrari presid
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Vietnam win their first international title

Vietnam win their first international title

Vietnam scored a last gasp second-leg equaliser for a 1-1 draw with Thailand to clinch the Southeast Asian championship for the first time on Sunday. With the match tied 2-2 on aggregate and seconds away from extra time, the dangerous Le Cong Vinh leapt h
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Ryder and McCullum onslaught gets New Zealand home

Ryder and McCullum onslaught gets New Zealand home

A 130-run onslaught by Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum led New Zealand to victory over the West Indies by 36 runs in their Twenty20 match here Sunday. Man-of-the-match Ryder posted 62 and McCullum 59 in a record Twenty20 stand for New Zealand.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Sailing: Wild Oats XI wins fourth straight Hobart race

Sailing: Wild Oats XI wins fourth straight Hobart race

The discovery of a fishy stowaway helped Australian maxi Wild Oats XI surge to an unprecedented fourth successive line honours victory in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race on Sunday, captain Mark Richards said.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Duminy's Brilliant ton leads South Africa fight back

Duminy's Brilliant ton leads South Africa fight back

JP Duminy's outstanding maiden century provided more evidence for South African claims they are the best side in the world on a day when Australia flopped, fumbled and allowed a stunning recovery that almost certainly ended their chances of winning the se
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
South Korea to invest $28.5 billion in new power plants

South Korea to invest $28.5 billion in new power plants

South Korea plans to invest 37 trillion won ($28.5 billion) from 2009 to 2022 on new power plants, including 12 new nuclear plants, to boost fuel efficiency and cut emissions, Seoul's energy ministry said on Sunday.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Huge public schemes will help Gulf economies amid crunch

Huge public schemes will help Gulf economies amid crunch

Major air and rail projects are among huge public sector schemes going full steam ahead in Gulf countries, underpinning local economies as the credit crunch takes a big toll on private businesses.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Bangladesh receives $35 million World Bank loan

Bangladesh receives $35 million World Bank loan

Bangladesh will receive a $35 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary arm, to support a government project for disabled people and vulnerable children, the bank said on Sunday. "The assistance will
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Political row stalled Gulf-EU trade talks: GCC official

Political row stalled Gulf-EU trade talks: GCC official

A disagreement over human rights and democracy was behind the suspension earlier this month of trade talks between the Gulf Co-operation Council and the European Union, an Omani official said on Sunday. "It is suspended because we reached a roadblock on p
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Most German exporters feel no credit crunch: report

Most German exporters feel no credit crunch: report

Most German exporters and wholesalers are not experiencing financing problems, a magazine on Sunday reported trade association BGA's chief as saying. The BGA, which represents exporters and wholesalers, surveyed some 1,000 of its member firms and found th
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Germany's Steinmeier wants help for auto sector

Germany's Steinmeier wants help for auto sector

The German government should create incentives for consumers to buy cars, Vice Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a newspaper interview published on Sunday. Germany's carmakers are suffering from collapsing global demand. In November, BMW reported
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Kuwait cancels $17 billion joint venture with Dow Chemical

Kuwait cancels $17 billion joint venture with Dow Chemical

Kuwait's cabinet has cancelled a deal to form a $17.4 billion petrochemical joint venture with US firm Dow Chemical, which has met with opposition in parliament, Kuwaiti television station Al Rai said on Sunday. There was no immediate official confirmatio
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Britain will meet financial fight in 2009: Prime Minister

Britain will meet financial fight in 2009: Prime Minister

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to say in his New Year message that Britain will stand up to the economic challenges thrown its way in 2009, media reported Sunday. Using language close to US president-elect Barack Obama's "Yes we can" slogan, Brown was to
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
'China says 2008 crude production up 1.6 percent'

'China says 2008 crude production up 1.6 percent'

China is expected to produce a total of 189 million tonnes of crude oil in 2008, an increase of 1.6 percent over last year, state media reported Sunday. PetroChina, the nation's leading oil producer, released figures saying China had found more than 20.7
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Japan steel-makers expecting 12 percent drop in profits

Japan steel-makers expecting 12 percent drop in profits

Japan's two biggest steelmakers will likely downgrade earnings for the year to March 2009 and announce a 12 percent drop in profits, a leading Japanese business newspaper said on Sunday.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Panasonic Electric to shut three plants, cut 800 jobs

Panasonic Electric to shut three plants, cut 800 jobs

Panasonic Electric Works, the building materials unit of consumer electronics maker Panasonic Corp, said it will close three additional plants in Japan and cut 800 workers as a slowing economy hits demand.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Panasonic Electric to shut three plants, cut 800 jobs

Panasonic Electric to shut three plants, cut 800 jobs

Panasonic Electric Works, the building materials unit of consumer electronics maker Panasonic Corp, said it will close three additional plants in Japan and cut 800 workers as a slowing economy hits demand.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
JGBs up on grim data, 20-year yield hits five-year low

JGBs up on grim data, 20-year yield hits five-year low

Japanese government bonds (JGBs) gained on Friday, with the 20-year bond yield declining to a five-year low, as the yield curve flattened on the back of a worsening outlook for the economy and easing steps announced by the Bank of Japan last week.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
JGBs up on grim data, 20-year yield hits five-year low

JGBs up on grim data, 20-year yield hits five-year low

Japanese government bonds (JGBs) gained on Friday, with the 20-year bond yield declining to a five-year low, as the yield curve flattened on the back of a worsening outlook for the economy and easing steps announced by the Bank of Japan last week.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Chile stocks close higher in light trade

Chile stocks close higher in light trade

Chilean stocks closed slightly higher in sleepy holiday season trade on Friday, in tune with Wall Street's modest gains, while the peso slipped against the dollar. Chile's blue chip IPSA index rose 0.51 percent to close at 2,350.46, while the all-market I
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Egypt stock indices nearly flat in quiet trade

Egypt stock indices nearly flat in quiet trade

Main Egyptian stock indexes were nearly flat in quiet trade on Sunday, with investors hunting for bargains buying into Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), traders said. Shares in OCI, Egypt's largest listed builder, rose more than 1 percent before craw
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Emerging markets stocks edge higher

Emerging markets stocks edge higher

Latin American stock markets rose marginally in thin post-Christmas holiday trade on Friday while sovereign bonds were little changed and currencies were mostlyy lower against the US dollar A rebound in crude oil and metals prices aided Brazil's stock mar
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Tokyo shares may close volatile year

Tokyo shares may close volatile year

The Japanese stock market will close the volatile year early next week with eyes on exchange rates after a recent surge in the yen, dealers said Friday. Over the week to December 26, the benchmark Nikkei-225 index rose 151.00 points or 1.76 percent to end
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Seoul bourse likely to undergo corrections

Seoul bourse likely to undergo corrections

South Korea's stock market is likely to continue undergoing corrections in the coming week due to concerns over weak corporate earnings and the ongoing global economic slump, an analyst said Friday. Over the week to December 26, the KOSPI fell 63.11 point
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Indian bourse may gain on rate cut hopes

Indian bourse may gain on rate cut hopes

Indian markets are likely to edge up next week on hopes of a fresh economic stimulus package to boost growth and further rate cuts from India's central bank as inflation fell to a nine-month low.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Russia's rouble falls to three-year low against dollar

Russia's rouble falls to three-year low against dollar

The Russian rouble dropped to a three-year low against the dollar on Friday, as a senior central bank official dismissed rumours of a sharp New Year's Eve devaluation as "complete nonsense." His comments came after the central bank allowed the currency to
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Thai stocks to move narrowly next week

Thai stocks to move narrowly next week

The Thai stock market is likely to move within a very narrow range next week as most investors remain on the sidelines throughout New Year holidays, an analyst said. "We can expect light trading will continue next week, similar to this week," said Chai Ch
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Singapore shares to remain stagnant

Singapore shares to remain stagnant

Singapore shares are expected to remain stagnant in the last days of trading before the New Year, dealers said. "Many investors have closed their books for the year and are unlikely to make any large moves until 2009," said securities firm Westcomb.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Malaysian shares may stay range-bound

Malaysian shares may stay range-bound

Malaysian shares are set to trade within a strict range as investors keep to the sidelines amid the holidays, analysts said on Friday. "The market is expected to be range-bound next week as most investors are off for the holidays and there will only be tw
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Taiwan shares likely to trade in strict range

Taiwan shares likely to trade in strict range

Taiwan shares are expected to trade in a strict range next week ahead of the upcoming four-day New Year holiday, dealers said on Friday. With many foreign institutional investors away for their holidays, daily turnover was expected to remain low, keeping
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Hong Kong shares likely to trade narrowly

Hong Kong shares likely to trade narrowly

Hong Kong stocks are set to trade narrowly as investors prefer to stay on the sidelines in face of scant economic news at the year end, dealers said. For the week ending December 26, the benchmark Hang Seng Index closed at 14,184.14, dropping 943.37 point
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
China opens road tunnel under Yangtze

China opens road tunnel under Yangtze

The first road tunnel beneath the Yangtze River opened to traffic on Sunday in central China, state media reported. The 3.6-kilometre (2.2-mile) four-lane tunnel has begun a three-month trial, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Turkish jets hit PKK targets in Northern Iraq

Turkish jets hit PKK targets in Northern Iraq

Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish guerrilla targets in northern Iraq in operations carried out on Saturday and Sunday, Turkish army sources told Reuters. They said Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in Hakurke region in northern Iraq were hit on Saturda
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
First lady says shoe-throwing an assault

First lady says shoe-throwing an assault

First lady Laura Bush says President George W. Bush laughed it off, but that it was an ``assault' when an Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at the president during a news conference in Baghdad. In an interview aired Sunday on Fox News Sunday, Mrs. Bush said
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Cuba celebrates 50 years of Communism

Cuba celebrates 50 years of Communism

On January 1, Cuba celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Communist revolution, which ushered in decades of enmity with the United States, fuelling one of the world's most enduring and defining geopolitical dramas. One of the world's last communists stron
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Iraq presidency approves staying of UK troops

Iraq presidency approves staying of UK troops

Iraq's Presidency Council on Sunday ratified a measure by parliament that clears the way for troops from Britain, Australia and a handful of other nations to stay in Iraq after a UN mandate expires at the year's end. Iraq's parliament gave approval to the
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
300 migrants feared dead off remote Indian islands

300 migrants feared dead off remote Indian islands

About 300 illegal migrants, mostly Bangladeshis, are feared dead after they jumped from a boat and tried to swim ashore in India's remote Andaman islands, the Indian coast guard said on Sunday.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Ghanaians choose president in run-off vote

Ghanaians choose president in run-off vote

Ghanaians voted Sunday to choose a successor to John Kufuor as the outgoing president called for calm, while the opposition claimed foul play in a poll being closely watched in Africa and further afield.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Cyclist killed after suicidal man jumps from 35th floor

Cyclist killed after suicidal man jumps from 35th floor

A cyclist in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen died after he was hit by an apparently suicidal man who jumped from the 35th floor of a nearby building, state media said on Sunday.The 52-year-old cyclist, surnamed Li, was making deliveries from his fas
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Ugandan army says rebels kill 45 people in Congo church

Ugandan army says rebels kill 45 people in Congo church

The Ugandan army on Sunday accused Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels of hacking to death 45 people in a church in north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. An aid official confirmed Friday's massacre, saying the killings took place in a Catholic churc
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Thaksin followers begin three-day protest

Thaksin followers begin three-day protest

Thousands of supporters of Thailand's exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra prepared Sunday to converge on Parliament, sparking fears of a replay of the mass demonstrations that paralysed the government for months and culminated in an eight-day
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Twenty-five die in Bangladesh road accident

Twenty-five die in Bangladesh road accident

At least 25 people were killed and 15 others were injured when a truck in which they were travelling skidded off a highway in Bangladesh on Sunday, police said. The accident occurred in thick fog. The truck, carrying mostly labourers, crashed into a ditch
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Protesters disrupt holiday shoppers in Athens

Protesters disrupt holiday shoppers in Athens

Dozens of pro-union demonstrators disrupted shopping on Athens' busiest high street on Sunday to protest an exceptional one-day opening aimed at helping businesses recover after recent violent youth protests. About 100 protestors fanned out as hundreds of
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Suicide bomber kills six in Sri Lankan capital

Suicide bomber kills six in Sri Lankan capital

A suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber killed six paramilitary guards and wounded more than a dozen others in a residential area of Sri Lanka's capital Colombo on Sunday, officials said.
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
7-20 percent increase in drug prices allowed

7-20 percent increase in drug prices allowed

The Federal Health Ministry, after a gap of 7 years, granted permission to local pharmaceutical companies to make an upward revision in the prices from 7 to 20 percent on 240 locally manufactured drugs. The increase came into affect after persistence appe
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Politics of extremism

Politics of extremism

Pakistan moved its troops away from the Afghan border towards Indian border on Friday amid tensions following the Mumbai attacks. On the other hand Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with the chiefs of the army, navy and air force to discuss "the pr
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
The plight of Hajis

The plight of Hajis

Seventy percent of those who perform Haj are from Pakistan's middle and lower middle class people. Most of them manage to do so with their lifelong savings. The Hajis have been taken for a ride by the PIA management, assuming that most of them will never
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Nation united against any foreign aggression: Badr

Nation united against any foreign aggression: Badr

The Secretary General of PPP Jhangir Badr in a Quran Khawani on Benazir Bhutto here on Sunday said that UNO investigating her murder was likely to constitute a commission by mid next month. Jhangir Badr said his party would only present evidence before th
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
ROVER'S DIARY: PR without ethics in deception

ROVER'S DIARY: PR without ethics in deception

Can public relation professionals play a role in building a harmonious society in a globalisation era? This was the question at the top of my mind when I registered for the International Public Relations Association (IPRA) 17th Congress in Beijing. The th
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Jobless Philippine workers return home to an uncertain future

Jobless Philippine workers return home to an uncertain future

Americans were already defaulting on home payments when Gertrudes Capili mortgaged her modest farm near Manila to help send her two granddaughters to Taiwan. There they worked in a factory making microchips for appliances sold to an American consumer mark
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
Whose responsibility is it to control inflation?

Whose responsibility is it to control inflation?

What exactly does the State Bank do is a question that crops up repeatedly, especially during times when prices are high and the exchange rate appears to be in a freefall. In Pakistan these days, unfortunately, the rate of inflation on a weekly basis is a
Published 29 Dec, 2008 12:00am
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