Indonesia busts US$20 bln on fuel subsidies as inflation picks up
JAKARTA, March 30, 2008 (AFP) - With prices for key commodities at record highs, Indonesia -- Southeast Asia's biggest economy and a key exporter -- should, at …
World
Oil prices volatile in bubbly trade
NEW YORK, March 28, 2008 (AFP) - World oil prices fell sharply Friday on renewed concern that a slowdown in the US economy would dampen energy demand and on …
Philippine company launches 406-dollar mini laptop
MANILA, March 29, 2008 (AFP) - Philippine PC manufacturer Neo and multinational computer processor maker Intel have jointly launched a new 16,999-peso …
British finance minister outlines plans for whistleblower law
LONDON, March 28, 2008 (AFP) - Finance minister Alistair Darling outlined plans on Friday to equip Britain's financial watchdog with powers to give individuals …
Maldives police investigate major heroin find
COLOMBO, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - Maldives police have started a probe into the source of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of heroin found smuggled into the tiny island …
UN spotlights scope of AIDS epidemic in Asia
UNITED NATIONS, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - Nearly 500,000 people will die of AIDS each year in Asia by 2020 unless prevention efforts are fully implemented, a UN …
US firm unveils two-seat craft for space tourism
BEVERLY HILLS, California, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - Plans for a two-seater aircraft designed to shuttle tourists to the brink of outer space were unveiled …
Australian financial system coping with global strains: central bank
SYDNEY, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - The Australian financial system had coped better with the recent global strains than many other countries, the central bank said …
Sri Lanka shaken after setting Windies 437 for victory
PROVIDENCE, Guyana, March 25, 2008 (AFP) - Sri Lanka were put under some early pressure after they set West Indies 437 to win in a minimum of 113 overs in the …
Wind power breaks records in Spain
MADRID, March 25, 2008 (AFP) - Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief …
Dollar pulls back as US consumer confidence tumbles
NEW YORK, March 25, 2008 (AFP) - The dollar weakened on foreign exchange markets Tuesday as a gauge that tracks US consumer confidence dived to a five-year low …
The new EU-US aviation pact to open airways
BRUSSELS, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - Air passengers flying between Europe and the United States should get more choice and cheaper tickets if all goes as officials …
British regulator admits failings in Northern Rock fiasco
LONDON, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - Britain's top financial services regulator admitted Wednesday to serious failings in its oversight of Northern Rock, the British …
Bear Stearns price hike helps Wall Street extend rally
NEW YORK, March 24, 2008 (AFP) - US stocks powered higher Monday as a sharply higher price announced for the takeover of troubled investment bank Bear Stearns …
Google push for wireless Internet on unused television spectrum
SAN FRANCISCO, March 24, 2008 (AFP) - Google wants US regulators to sign off on a plan to pack wireless Internet services into "TV white space" left empty as …
NTT Communications joins giant trans-Pacific cable
TOKYO, March 25, 2008 (AFP) - Japanese and US telecom giants NTT and AT&T said Tuesday they were joining a next-generation underwater cable project to speed up …
After unrest, China likely to focus on Buddhism’s future leaders
SHANGRILA, China, March 25, 2008 (AFP) - Tibetan monks have expressed fears that a stepped-up political campaign following violent anti-Chinese riots in Lhasa …
Dollar gains some ground; US home sales pick up
NEW YORK, March 24, 2008 (AFP) - The dollar regained some strength Monday after an industry survey showed a surprise rebound in existing US home sales in …
Christians celebrate Easter, pope calls for Tibet solution
CARACAS, March 23, 2008 (AFP) - From the streets of Caracas to a rain-soaked Saint Peter's Square, Christians around the world celebrated Easter Sunday amid …
Afghanistan to privatise national telephone firm
KABUL, March 23, 2008 (AFP) - Afghanistan said Sunday it planned to sell up to 80 percent of its telecommunications arm in one of the most ambitious parts of …