Xinhua News Agency back issues from Thursday, March 25:
Writethru: Al-Qaida's No. 2 urges Pakistanis to overthrow government on purported tape
Mar 25, 2004 ... Writethru: Al-Qaida's No. 2 urges Pakistanis to overthrowgovernment on purported tape Eds: Updates with more quotes,backgroundCAIRO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A new tape purportedly recorded by al-Qaida terror network's number two, Ayman al-Zawahri, called on thePakistanis to ...
5 hijacker suspects killed in shoot-out in northern Philippines
Mar 25, 2004 ... 5 hijacker suspects killed in shoot-out in northern PhilippinesMANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Five suspected hijackers were killedin an alleged shoot-out with policemen late Wednesday night in thenorthern Philippine province of Bulacan, a local media reportedThursday. The ...
Foreign exchange rates in the Philippines
Mar 25, 2004 ... Foreign exchange rates in the PhilippinesMANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The following are foreign exchangerates against the Philippine peso released Thursday by the centralbank of the Philippines: ThursdayWednesdayUS dollar ...
Experts say high suicide rate of US soldiers in Iraq not crisis
Mar 25, 2004 ... Experts say high suicide rate of US soldiers in Iraq not crisisWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- US mental health specialists sentto Iraq to examine the above-normal suicide rate among Americansoldiers there concluded that measures should be taken but there isno crisis, officials ...
Indonesian minister questions his peer cabinet member's statement on investment
Mar 25, 2004 ... Indonesian minister questions his peer cabinet member's statementon investmentJAKARTA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian State Minister/Head ofthe National Development Planning Board Kwik Kian Gie here onThursday questioned a statement of his peer cabinet member sayingthat ...
Major news items in leading Japanese newspapers
Mar 25, 2004 ... Major news items in leading Japanese newspapersTOKYO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news items inleading Japanese newspapers on Thursday. Asahi: -- US officials have asked Japan to consider alternative plans torelocate a Marine Corps base in Okinawa ...
Major news items in leading Philippine newspapers
Mar 25, 2004 ... Major news items in leading Philippine newspapersMANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news items inleading Philippine newspapers on Thursday. The Philippine Star -- Some 53,000 candidates will slug it out for thousands ofpositions from congressman ...
Indonesian elections risk delay
Mar 25, 2004 ... Indonesian elections risk delayJAKARTA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- In spite of repeated assurances fromthe Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) that the electionwould be held on schedule, several delays in the preparations haveled one highly placed minister to consider a ...
URGENT: Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting held in Vietnam
Mar 25, 2004 ... URGENT: Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting held inVietnamHUE (Vietnam), March 25 (Xinhua) -- The 3rd Asia-EuropeParliamentary Partnership Meeting (ASEP 3) opened in Vietnam'scentral Hue city on Thursday morning. Delegates to the two-day meeting will focus their ...
Foreign exchange rates in Thailand
Mar 25, 2004 ... Foreign exchange rates in ThailandBANGKOK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The following are foreign exchangerates against the baht on Thursday as offered by the Bangkok Bank: ThursdayWednesday US dollar 39.14/39.74 39.14/39.75 British ...
Vietnam sees more tuberculosis patients
Mar 25, 2004 ... Vietnam sees more tuberculosis patientsHANOI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has nearly 400 newtuberculosis (TB) patients every day, of whom 70 percent are 15 to 55years old, according to local media on Thursday. Of the patients, 178 suffer lung TB, which easily spreads ...
6 killed in ambush in northern Philippines
Mar 25, 2004 ... 6 killed in ambush in northern PhilippinesMANILA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Six persons, including a femalevillage captain and her husband, were killed in an ambush Wednesdaynight in the northern Philippine province of Isabela, local mediareported Thursday. The victims were ...
Major news items in leading Indian newspapers
Mar 25, 2004 ... Major news items in leading Indian newspapersNEW DELHI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news itemsin leading Indian newspapers on Thursday.The Statesman: -- India and China have decided to work out a five-year program toenhance economic cooperation ...
More Vietnamese urban dwellers suffer obesity
Mar 25, 2004 ... More Vietnamese urban dwellers suffer obesityHANOI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Ten percent of Vietnam's urbandwellers are overweight or obese, according to the NutritionInstitute under the country's Ministry of Health on Thursday. Especially, the institute warned about the ...
FAO confirms decrease in bird flu cases in Indonesia
Mar 25, 2004 ... FAO confirms decrease in bird flu cases in IndonesiaJAKARTA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A Jakarta-based FAO representativesaid that the number of bird flu cases in Indonesia had beendecreasing since November last year, but warned the government tostay alert for any reemerging of the ...
Sri Lanka ratifies prisoner transfer agreement with Britain
Mar 25, 2004 ... Sri Lanka ratifies prisoner transfer agreement with BritainCOLOMBO, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has recently ratifiedprisoner transfer agreement with Britain which was signed in Londonby the two countries last year, the Foreign Ministry said in astatement available on ...
Violence in south Thailand to alter investors' confidence: NESDB
Mar 25, 2004 ... Violence in south Thailand to alter investors' confidence: NESDBBANGKOK, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A think tank of the Thai governmenthas admitted that current violence in the south would alterinvestors'confidence but the impact on the second quarter grossdomestic product (GDP) would ...
ADB urges more efforts to coordinate poverty monitoring
Mar 25, 2004 ... ADB urges more efforts to coordinate poverty monitoringMANILA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Countries and developmentorganizations must step up their efforts to coordinate povertymonitoring if they are to more efficiently help the millions ofAsians mired in poverty, an official of the ...
Hong Kong stocks open lower
Mar 25, 2004 ... Hong Kong stocks open lowerHONG KONG, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong ...
Sri Lanka condemns assassination of Hamas spiritual leader
Mar 25, 2004 ... Sri Lanka condemns assassination of Hamas spiritual leaderCOLOMBO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka condemned theassassination of Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader of Hamas inan Israeli missile attack on Monday, the Foreign Ministry said in astatement on Wednesday ....
Sri Lanka to hold int'l export trade exhibition
Mar 25, 2004 ... Sri Lanka to hold int'l export trade exhibitionCOLOMBO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government hasplanned to hold a major international export trade exhibition on Nov.10 to 14 in the capital, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister RaviKarunanayake said on Wednesday ....
Afghanistan needs over 27 billion US dollars within seven years
Mar 25, 2004 ... Afghanistan needs over 27 billion US dollars within seven yearsKABUL, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The post-war Afghanistan is in need ofover 25 billion US dollars within the next seven years to recoverfrom around quarter-century of war devastation, Afghan FinanceMinister Ashraf Ghani ...
Pakistani president meets Chinese defense chief
Mar 25, 2004 ... Pakistani president meets Chinese defense chiefISLAMABAD, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani President PervezMusharraf here on Wednesday met with visiting Chinese DefenseMinister Cao Gangchuan. Extending warm welcome to Cao and his delegation, Musharraf saidthe Sino-Pakistani ...
Ethnic violence claims 29 lives in eastern India
Mar 25, 2004 ... Ethnic violence claims 29 lives in eastern IndiaNEW DELHI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- At least 29 Karbi tribal villagerswere killed and eight others injured by unidentified militants of arival tribe in four remote villages of Assam's Karbi AnglongDistrict, eastern India, Wednesday ....
News items from Asia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua (Part 2)
Mar 25, 2004 ... News items from Asia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua (Part 2)HONG KONG, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Following are news items from theAsia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua in Hong Kong Wednesday:14 Indian villagers massacred by militants Malaysian cease-fire monitors in southern Philippines ...
Hamas new chief hints not to assume spiritual leader
Mar 25, 2004 ... Hamas new chief hints not to assume spiritual leaderDAMASCUS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Hamas new leader Khaled Meshaalsaid here on Wednesday night that Hamas does not change after theassassination of its founder Sheik Ahmed Yassin, indicating that hewill not assume the ...
Opener, Advisory
Mar 25, 2004 ... Xinhua News Agency closes its cycle of English service forWednesday, March 24, 2004, and begins ...
Shares close up in Mexico, and down in Argentina, Brazil
Mar 25, 2004 ... Shares close up in Mexico, and down in Argentina, BrazilMEXICO CITY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Latin America's three majorstock markets -- Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Mexico -- closed mixedon Wednesday. Mexico City's stock market IPC index, led by transportation ...
FLASH: SUSPECT BOMB FOUND ON FRENCH RAILWAY LINE, SAYS INTERIORMINISTRY
Mar 25, 2004 ... FLASH: SUSPECT BOMB FOUND ON FRENCH ...
US to lift some economic sanctions on Libya
Mar 25, 2004 ... US to lift some economic sanctions on LibyaWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The US government has decided tolift some economic sanctions against Libya, but the timing has stillto be worked out, Senior US officials have said. Libya's decision last December to abandon its ...
Portuguese, British PMs call for unity against terror
Mar 25, 2004 ... Portuguese, British PMs call for unity against terrorLISBON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair andhis Portuguese counterpart, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, called hereWednesday on European leaders to fight terror with unity andcohesion. Blair arrived in ...
British Petroleum to invest 20 million dollars in Brazil
Mar 25, 2004 ... British Petroleum to invest 20 million dollars in BrazilRIO DE JANEIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The British oil companyBritish Petroleum (BP) announced on Wednesday that it will make aninitial 20-million-US dollar investment in Brazil for an oilfieldexploiting project. The ...
EU commissioner named Spanish finance minister
Mar 25, 2004 ... EU commissioner named Spanish finance ministerMADRID, March 24 (Xinhua) -- European Union monetary affairscommissioner Pedro Solbes will become the second deputy primeminister and finance minister in the socialist government to be swornin next April. The Spanish Socialist ...
Venezuela's Chavez hails invalidation of recall signatures
Mar 25, 2004 ... Venezuela's Chavez hails invalidation of recall signaturesCARACAS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Hugo ChavezWednesday hailed a high court ruling that invalidated some signaturesgathered by the opposition for a recall referendum against him. The Constitutional ...
France, Spain vow to boost French-Spanish ties
Mar 25, 2004 ... France, Spain vow to boost French-Spanish tiesMADRID, March 24 (Xinhua) -- French President Jacques Chirac andSpain's Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero vowed hereWednesday to reinforce bilateral relations and strengthen theircooperation against terror ....
US might consider giving UN new role in Iraq: Powell
Mar 25, 2004 ... US might consider giving UN new role in Iraq: PowellMADRID, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Washington might re-evaluate the roleof the United Nations in Iraq, US Secretary of State Colin Powelltold Spanish Prime Minister-elect Jose Luis Rodriguez ZapateroWednesday. The United ...
Microsoft's CEO seeks settlement with EU
Mar 25, 2004 ... Microsoft's CEO seeks settlement with EUWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft Chief Executive SteveBallmer said Wednesday that the world's biggest software maker wouldstill try to resume discussions with the European Commission to reacha mutual resolution. "We worked ...
Spain insists on troops withdrawal despite pressure from US,Britain
Mar 25, 2004 ... Spain insists on troops withdrawal despite pressure from US,BritainMADRID, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Prime Minister-elect JoseLuis Rodriguez Zapatero reiterated on Wednesday that Spain willfollow its schedule to withdraw troops from Iraq by June 30. Miguel Angel ...
US hopes to enhance anti-terror cooperation with Panama
Mar 25, 2004 ... US hopes to enhance anti-terror cooperation with PanamaPANAMA CITY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A visiting US security missionhas voiced desire to reinforce cooperation with Panama in fightingagainst terrorism, press reports said Wednesday. "We have advanced a lot with Panama and ...
Wall Street stocks end mixed on terrorism fears
Mar 25, 2004 ... Wall Street stocks end mixed on terrorism fearsNEW YORK, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Wall Streets stocks closed mixedWednesday after four days of declines as terrorism fears and EuropeanUnion's ruling against Microsoft Corp. offset upbeat economic news. The Dow Jones industrial ...
Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, March 25
Mar 25, 2004 ... Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, March 25PARIS -- The bomb containing several detonators and nitrate fuelfound Wednesday on the rail line linking Paris to the Swiss city ofBasel "did not correspond to what was in the letters signed by AZF,"French Interior Ministry said. ...
US to Lift some economic sanctions on Libya: officials
Mar 25, 2004 ... US to Lift some economic sanctions on Libya: officialsWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The US government has made thedecision to lift some economic sanctions against Libya, but thetiming has still to be worked out, senior US officials said. Libya's decision last December ...
Venezuelan opposition says high court ruling won't annul recall
Mar 25, 2004 ... Venezuelan opposition says high court ruling won't annul recallCARACAS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan opposition saidWednesday that a Supreme Court ruling invalidating some of itssignatures calling for a recall referendum against President HugoChavez will not block the way ...
Venezuela reaffirms OPEC's oil output cut
Mar 25, 2004 ... Venezuela reaffirms OPEC's oil output cutCARACAS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of PetroleumExporting Countries (OPEC) holds its decision firm to cut 1 millionbarrels a day in oil production as of April 1, the Venezuelangovernment announced Wednesday. Venezuela's ...
US lifts sanctions on Pakistan
Mar 25, 2004 ... US lifts sanctions on PakistanWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Wednesdaywaivered the sanctions imposed on Pakistan in 1999 after PresidentPervez Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup. In a statement, President George W. Bush said the lifting of ...
US judge rejects Jackson's demand for unpaid royalties
Mar 25, 2004 ... US judge rejects Jackson's demand for unpaid royaltiesLOS ANGELES, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A US judge on Wednesday threwout Michael Jackson's claim from a lawsuit alleging Universal MusicGroup (UMG) owes him royalties, but allowed other claims in the caseto continue. Los ...
US introduces UN draft resolution on weapons of mass destruction
Mar 25, 2004 ... US introduces UN draft resolution on weapons of mass destructionUNITED NATIONS, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The United States formallyintroduced on Wednesday a draft UN resolution which aims to preventterrorists and other non-state elements from obtaining weapons ofmass destruction ...
Mexico seeks explanation from Britain on trapped cavers
Mar 25, 2004 ... Mexico seeks explanation from Britain on trapped caversMEXICO CITY, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government onWednesday demanded Britain to explain the background of the Britishcavers who are now trapped in partly flooded caverns in centralPuebla state, 180 km northeast of ...
Fujimori delivers paper to Peruvian court to defend himself
Mar 25, 2004 ... Fujimori delivers paper to Peruvian court to defend himselfLIMA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Peru's ex-President Alberto Fujimori,now in exile in Japan, has delivered a paper to Peruvian SupremeCourt to defend himself against a dozen charges of corruption andhuman rights abuses, top ...
Libya, US hail meeting between Gaddafi, US senior official
Mar 25, 2004 ... Libya, US hail meeting between Gaddafi, US senior officialTRIPOLI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan government said onWednesday that the meeting here between leader Muammar Gaddafi and asenior US official was a positive step towards building ties of trustbetween Libya and the ...
Backgrounder: Cyprus issue
Mar 25, 2004 ... Backgrounder: Cyprus issueBEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN-led Cyprus reunification talks between the Greek Cypriot and TurkishCypriot sides have entered the enlarged second phrase in Burgenstock,Swiss, with the participation of Greece and Turkey. The two communities began ...
Xinhua world economic news summary at 0440 GMT, March 25
Mar 25, 2004 ... Xinhua world economic news summary at 0440 GMT, March 25WASHINGTON -- Sales of new homes in the United States rose anunexpectedly strong 5.8 percent in February, registering the biggestjump since August, reported the Commerce Department Wednesday. February's sales increased ...
Int'l peace forces condemned for shooting civilians in Haiti
Mar 25, 2004 ... Int'l peace forces condemned for shooting civilians in HaitiHAVANA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The international peacekeeping forcesdeployed in Haiti were condemned on Wednesday by Haiti's NationalHuman Rights Coalition (CNDH) for opening fire against civilians,reports reaching here ...
Backgrounder: UN plan on Cyprus reunification, chronology of talks,unsettled disputes
Mar 25, 2004 ... Backgrounder: UN plan on Cyprus reunification, chronology oftalks, unsettled disputesBEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN-led Cyprus reunification talksbetween the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides have entered theenlarged second phrase in Burgenstock, Swiss, with the ...
EU foreign policy chief visits Kosovo after ethnic clashes
Mar 25, 2004 ... EU foreign policy chief visits Kosovo after ethnic clashesBELGRADE, March 24 (Xinhua) -- EU foreign policy chief JavierSolana said on Wednesday that he was appalled by the violence inKosovo, the Beta news agency reported. Solana and EU external affairs commissioner Chris ...
Results of figure skating World championships
Mar 25, 2004 ... Results of figure skating World championshipsBERLIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Following are the results from theworld figure skating championships on Wednesday: Pairs final result 1. Tatiana Totmianina/Maxim Marinin, Russia, 2.5 2. Shen Xue/Zhao Hongbo, China, ...
Russian pairs Totmianina/Marinin claim gold
Mar 25, 2004 ... Russian pairs Totmianina/Marinin claim goldBERLIN, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian pairs Tatiana Totmianina andMaxim Marinin finally won a pairs world gold medal with graceful freeskating in Dortmund of Germany on Wednesday. The Russians, silver medallists at the last two ...
Soccer qualifiers for Olympic Games from Asian zone
Mar 25, 2004 ... Soccer qualifiers for Olympic Games from Asian zoneRIYADH, Saudi Arabia, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Following are theOlympic Games Asian zone soccer qualifiers results and standingsafter latest matches in Dammam of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday: Group A At Kuala Lumpur ...
Results of Miami Masters first round
Mar 25, 2004 ... Results of Miami Masters first roundWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Following are the first roundresults at the $6.5 million Nasdaq-100 Open ATP Masters Series/WTAtennis tournament in Miami of Florida on Wednesday (prefix numberdenotes seedings): Men Julien ...
Chelsea earns 1-1 draw with Arsenal
Mar 25, 2004 ... Chelsea earns 1-1 draw with ArsenalLONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Robert Pires scored the equaliser toearn Arsenal a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the first leg of ChampionsLeague quarterfinals on Wednesday. Chelsea's striker Eidur Gudjohnsen from Iceland put the home teamahead ...
U.S. squad for friendly against Poland
Mar 25, 2004 ... U.S. squad for friendly against PolandWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Following are the U.S. squad forthe international friendly against Poland on March: Goalkeepers: Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers), Jonny Walker (NewYork/New Jersey) Defenders: Gregg Berhalter ...
Summaries of Champions League matches
Mar 25, 2004 ... Summaries of Champions League matchesLONDON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Following are the collated summariesof Champions League quarterfinal, first leg matches played onWednesday: In London: Chelsea drew with Arsenal 1-1 Scorers: Chelsea - Eidur ...
Bryant's accuser testifies in court
Mar 25, 2004 ... Bryant's accuser testifies in courtWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Kobe Bryant's accuser was incourt Wednesday answering questions about her sexual history todetermine if the information is permissible in court for theimpending trial in Eagle, Colorado. The 19-year-old ...
Portugual puts military air bases into civil service during Euro2004
Mar 25, 2004 ... Portugual puts military air bases into civil service during Euro2004LISBON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Portugal plans to use military airbases to help handle the sharp increase in passengers during soccer'sEuropean Championship in June, public works secretary Jorge Costasaid on ...
LeBron's page most popular on NBA.com
Mar 25, 2004 ... LeBron's page most popular on NBA.comWASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Cleveland Cavaliers rookie LeBronJames is the most popular player on NBA.com with more than 3.1million page views received to date during the 2003-04 season, thewebsite announced Wednesday. Houston ...