Xinhua News Agency back issues from Friday, March 18:
Sri Lanka students take to streets against privatization plans
Mar 18, 2005 ... Sri Lanka students take to streets against privatization plansCOLOMBO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of students took tostreets in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo Thursday against what theyalleged plans by the government to privatize the education system inthe country ....
Planned Russia-China military exercise not directs at any thirdcountry: Russian army chief
Mar 18, 2005 ... Planned Russia-China military exercise not directs at any thirdcountry: Russian army chiefBEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian army chief saidhere Thursday that the preparing Russian and Chinese joint militaryexercise is not targeted at any third country. "The ...
Opener, Advisory
Mar 18, 2005 ... Xinhua News Agency closes its cycle of English service forThursday, March 17, 2005, and begins ...
British MP removed from parliament after claiming Blair misledlawmakers over Iraq
Mar 18, 2005 ... British MP removed from parliament after claiming Blair misledlawmakers over IraqLONDON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A British lawmaker was on Thursdayordered to leave the House of Commons after refusing to withdrawcomments that Prime Minister Tony Blair misled the lower house ...
Bangladesh, India agree to defuse border tensions
Mar 18, 2005 ... Bangladesh, India agree to defuse border tensionsDhaka, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh and India agreed to work inclose cooperation to curb "all types of border crimes" and takeeffective measures to defuse border tensions. "There is a peaceful atmosphere now prevailing at ...
Freeway traffic pileup kills five in E. China
Mar 18, 2005 ... Freeway traffic pileup kills five in E. ChinaHEFEI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and manyothers injured in an freeway traffic pileup, which occurred Thursdaymorning in east China's Anhui Province due to heavy fog, local policesaid. Dozens of vehicles ...
Al Gore stresses sustainability of world economic growth
Mar 18, 2005 ... Al Gore stresses sustainability of world economic growthSINGAPORE, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Former US vice president Al Gorestressed sustainability of the world economic growth at the AsianBanker Summit 2005 held in Singapore, according to a summit pressrelease on Thursday night ....
News items from Asia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua (Part 2)
Mar 18, 2005 ... News items from Asia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua (Part 2)HONG KONG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are news items from theAsia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua in Hong Kong Thursday:Foreign exchange rates in Hong Kong -- March 17 Singapore shares end lower Foreign ...
Japan, Sri Lanka discuss warning system against tsunami
Mar 18, 2005 ... Japan, Sri Lanka discuss warning system against tsunamiCOLOMBO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese team of natural hazardmanagement experts called on Sri Lankan President ChandrikaKumaratunga Thursday to discuss the establishment of an early warningsystem (EWS) for the region ....
Rice encourages Pakistan, India to continue peace progress
Mar 18, 2005 ... Rice encourages Pakistan, India to continue peace progressISLAMABAD, March 17 (Xinhua) -- US Secretary of States CondoleezzaRice here Thursday encouraged both Islamabad and New Delhi tocontinue their efforts to resolve their outstanding disputesincluding Kashmir and reaffirmed ...
Anti-Secession Law promotes China's peaceful reunification
Mar 18, 2005 ... Anti-Secession Law promotes China's peaceful reunificationBEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua News Agency published asigned article Thursday saying the newly-enacted Anti-Secession Lawis designed to promote peaceful reunification across the TaiwanStraits. The article, ...
Local government confirms 19 trapped in SW China coal mine blast
Mar 18, 2005 ... Local government confirms 19 trapped in SW China coal mine blastCHONGQING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Nineteen miners were confirmed tobe trapped in a coal mine blast in southwest China's ChongqingMunicipality on Thursday, according to local government. the blast occurred around ...
China Economic Review: stricter financial policies of housing loansto prevent bubble
Mar 18, 2005 ... China Economic Review: stricter financial policies of housingloans to prevent bubbleBy Han Qiao BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Stricter policies for issuinghousing loans, launched by the central bank Thursday, could preventhousing bubble. China ended the favorable ...
Anti-Secession Law safeguards cross-Straits peace: People's Daily
Mar 18, 2005 ... Anti-Secession Law safeguards cross-Straits peace: People's Daily BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- People's Daily, China's leadingnewspaper, ran a signed article Thursday, saying the newly-enactedAnti-Secession Law is designed to "protect peace in the TaiwanStraits." "The ...
Domestic news items from Xinhua -- March 17
Mar 18, 2005 ... Domestic news items from Xinhua -- March 17 BEIJING, March 17(Xinhua) -- Following are the domestic news items released by Xinhuaon Thursday: Market exchange rates -- March 17 Highlights of major Beijing-based newspapers -- March 17 China's first private airlines ...
Xinhua African news summary at 2100 GMT, March 17
Mar 18, 2005 ... Xinhua African news summary at 2100 GMT, March 17ADDIS ABABA -- Eleven years into his exile in Ethiopia, Mogadishunative Ali Abdi succumbed to unbearable homesickness and got up hisnerve to go on a reconnaissance mission back to the violent Somalicapital, according to a UNHCR ...
Zimbabwe forbids citizens living abroad to vote
Mar 18, 2005 ... Zimbabwe forbids citizens living abroad to voteHARARE, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabweans living abroad cannot votein the country's general and presidential elections, the SupremeCourt, sitting as a constitutional court, ruled unanimously onThursday. Chief Justice Godfrey ...
Xinhua Mideast news summary at 2220 GMT, March 17
Mar 18, 2005 ... Xinhua Mideast news summary at 2220 GMT, March 17BEIRUT -- Lebanese army sources disclosed on Thursday that Syriantroops have roughly complete first phase of withdrawal from Lebanon. The Syrians, including army troops and intelligence agents,completed their first phase of ...
UEFA Cup summaries
Mar 18, 2005 ... UEFA Cup summariesGENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are the collated summariesof UEFA Cup second knockout round matches played on Thursday: Second knockout round, second legIn Auxerre: AJ Auxerre (France) 0 Lille (France) 0 (First leg 1-0, AJ Auxerre ...
Fog delays flights from Wellington Airport
Mar 18, 2005 ... Fog delays flights from Wellington AirportWELLINGTON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- No flights are leaving orarriving at Wellington Airport Friday morning due to thick fog. The airport was open this morning but there were no availableplanes to take off and airlines were not checking ...
UEFA Cup quarter-finalists
Mar 18, 2005 ... UEFA Cup quarter-finalistsGENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are the clubs going intoFriday's draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the UEFA Cup: AJ Auxerre (France) AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands) Austria Vienna (Austria) CSKA Moscow (Russia) ...
Azerbaijan names squad for World Cup ties
Mar 18, 2005 ... Azerbaijan names squad for World Cup tiesBAKU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan's Brazilian coach CarlosAlberto Torres named the following 22-man squad on Thursday for WorldCup Group Six qualifiers away to Poland and England on March 26 and30: Goalkeepers: Dmitry ...
45 detained after fights before Nordic soccer match in Sweden
Mar 18, 2005 ... 45 detained after fights before Nordic soccer match in SwedenSTOCKHOLM, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Police detained 45 Danish andSwedish soccer fans on Thursday for fighting before a pan-NordicRoyal League game before Sweden's Malmo and visiting FC Copenhagen,News agency TT reported ....
42 teams confirmed to play Sudirman Cup
Mar 18, 2005 ... 42 teams confirmed to play Sudirman CupBEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The International BadmintonFederation has announced that 42 teams will compete in the badmintonmixed team championship or Sudirman Cup slated to start in Beijing onMay 10. Eight first division teams, ...
Major news items in leading Japanese newspapers
Mar 18, 2005 ... Major news items in leading Japanese newspapersTOKYO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news items inleading Japanese newspapers on Friday.Asahi, Yomiuri, Mainichi: -- the Construction and Transport Ministry on Thursday issued anoperational improvement ...
Results of figure skating worlds (updated)
Mar 18, 2005 ... Results of figure skating worlds (updated)MOSCOW, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are the results from theworld figure skating championships in Moscow on Thursday: Men's final standings: 1. Stephane Lambiel, Switzerland 262.46 2. Jeffrey ...
Result at Indian Wells ATP/WTA tournament
Mar 18, 2005 ... Result at Indian Wells ATP/WTA tournamentWASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following is the result from thequarter-finals of the Pacific Life Open ATP/WTA ...
UEFA Cup results
Mar 18, 2005 ... UEFA Cup resultsGENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are the collated results ofUEFA Cup second knockout round matches played on Thursday: Second knockout round, second leg AJ Auxerre (France) drew Lille (France) 0-0 (First leg 1-0, Auxerre won 1-0 on ...
Market exchange rates -- March 18
Mar 18, 2005 ... Market exchange rates -- March 18BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Market exchange rates of four majorcurrencies against RMB yuan for Friday, announced by the People'sBank of China:Currency Unit Middle Price (in RMB yuan) US Dollar 100...
Swiss Lambiel wins first world title after Plushenko quits
Mar 18, 2005 ... Swiss Lambiel wins first world title after Plushenko quitsMOSCOW, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland's teenager StephaneLambiel claimed his first men's world figure skating gold medal onThursday and home favorite Yevgeny Plushenko had to withdrawn earlierin the day due to injury ....
NBA leaders in four statistics through March 16
Mar 18, 2005 ... NBA leaders in four statistics through March 16WASHINGTON, Mar. 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are the leaders of theNational Basketball Association in four statistics through March 16: ScoringG FG FT PTS AVG Iverson, Phil. 58 583 515 1757 30.3 ...
Ministry of Railways cancels all sub-administrations
Mar 18, 2005 ... Ministry of Railways cancels all sub-administrationsBEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Railways announcedhere Friday ...
Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, March 18
Mar 18, 2005 ... Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, March 18CAIRO -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Palestinianfactions agreed on Thursday to maintain recent calm with Israel untilthe end of this year provided that Israel stops its "aggression" onthe Palestinian people ....
Some 60 percent of Portugal's territory in extreme drought
Mar 18, 2005 ... Some 60 percent of Portugal's territory in extreme droughtLISBON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Drought in Portugal has worsened inthe past half a month due to scanty rainfall, causing some 60 percentof Portuguese territory to suffer extreme drought. The Water Institute (Inag) said ...
Magic fire Davis as head coach
Mar 18, 2005 ... Magic fire Davis as head coachWASHINGTON, Mar. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Orlando Maaic fired HohnnyDavis as head coach just hours after the team lost their sixthstraight game on Wednesday, and named Chris Jent interim coach,according to reports from Orlando, Florida, on Thursday ....
Earthquake jolts western El Salvador
Mar 18, 2005 ... Earthquake jolts western El SalvadorMEXICO CITY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A quake measuring 5.9 magnitudeon the Richter scale jolted western El Salvador on Thursday, but nodamage or injuries were reported, according to information from SanSalvador. The earthquake occurred at ...
Vietnam detects new bird flu patient
Mar 18, 2005 ... Vietnam detects new bird flu patientHANOI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Specimens from a five-year-old boyfrom Vietnam's central Quang Binh province, who is receivingtreatment at a ...
Global warming in 21st century inevitable: US research
Mar 18, 2005 ... Global warming in 21st century inevitable: US researchLOS ANGELES, March 17 (Xinhua)-- The earth will be warmer and thesea level will rise more greatly even if all greenhouse gases hadbeen stabilized in the year 2000, a latest US research said Thursday. This new study, ...
Congress denies immunity to steroids hearing witnesses
Mar 18, 2005 ... Congress denies immunity to steroids hearing witnessesWASHINGTON, Mar. 17 (Xinhua) -- The House Government ReformCommittee denied Jose Canseco and all other witnesses immunity forThursday's hearing which continued nearly five hours here. Canseco took the witness stand ...
Results/standings of Asian Champions league
Mar 18, 2005 ... Results/standings of Asian Champions leagueTOKYO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following are the collated results andstandings of Asian Champions League matches played in midweek: Group A Al Rayyan (Qatar) bt Al Salmiya (Kuwait) 2-1 Played on Tuesday Al ...
Bolivian Congress rejects president's request for early elections
Mar 18, 2005 ... Bolivian Congress rejects president's request for early elections LIMA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Bolivian Congress on Thursdayafternoon dismissed the request of President Carlos Mesa to callearly general elections on Aug. 28, said reports from La Paz, theadministrative capital of ...
Cuba stages signature drive against US anti-Cuba resolution
Mar 18, 2005 ... Cuba stages signature drive against US anti-Cuba resolutionHAVANA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Cubans have launched a signaturedrive in support of their country against the United States, whichpromote its anti-Cuba resolution before the United Nations Commissionon Human Rights (UNHRC) ...
Price of copper in international market reaches new high
Mar 18, 2005 ... Price of copper in international market reaches new highSANTIAGO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The price of copper in theinternational market has climbed to about 1.55 US dollars a pound,the highest in 16 years, local press reported Thursday. The metal was traded at 1.5533 dollars ...
Bulgaria to cut military presence in Iraq
Mar 18, 2005 ... Bulgaria to cut military presence in IraqSOFIA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria plans to reduce the number ofits troops in Iraq by a quarter in June and will decide this monthwhether to completely pull them out by the end of 2005, said thegovernment here on Thursday. "There ...
Vietnam detects new bird flu case
Mar 18, 2005 ... Vietnam detects new bird flu caseHANOI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Specimens from a five-year-old boyfrom Vietnam's central Quang Binh province has just been testedpositive to bird flu virus strain H5N1, raising the total number ofinfection in the country to 25 since mid-December ...
Switzerland helps China train management talents in SW province
Mar 18, 2005 ... Switzerland helps China train management talents in SW provinceCHENGDU, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Sino-Swiss management trainingprogram began three courses in southwestern Sichuan ProvinceThursday. The courses cover the development of ecological tourism inSichuan, the water ...
Ministry of Railways streamlines administration
Mar 18, 2005 ... Ministry of Railways streamlines administrationBEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Railways announcedhere Friday that it has canceled all railway sub- administrations andput the stations and sections directly under the railwayadministrations. Currently there are ...
Mexico compiles visual dictionaries of indigenous languages
Mar 18, 2005 ... Mexico compiles visual dictionaries of indigenous languagesMEXICO CITY, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The old Indian languages anddialects of the different indigenous groups living in Mexico arebeing collected by linguists of the National Anthropology and HistoryInstitute (INAH) and ...
Result/standings of Dutch first division
Mar 18, 2005 ... Result/standings of Dutch first divisionBRUSSELS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following is the result of a Dutchfirst division soccer match played on Thursday: Groningen lost to PSV Eindhoven 0-1 Played on Wednesday: ADO Den Haag lost to Heerenveen 0-2 ...
Italian reform minister resigns
Mar 18, 2005 ... Italian reform minister resignsROME, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Italian Reform Minister RobertoCalderoli, a member of the Northern League party, submitted hisresignation Thursday in protest against the delays in approvinginstitutional reforms. Calderoli, in submitting his ...
Result from Italian Cup quarter-final second leg
Mar 18, 2005 ... Result from Italian Cup quarter-final second legROME, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Following is the result of an ItalianCup quarter-final, second leg on Thursday: Sampdoria bt Cagliari 3-2 (First leg 0-2 ....
Switzerland names squad for World Cup qualifier
Mar 18, 2005 ... Switzerland names squad for World Cup qualifierGENEVA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Swiss coach Jakob Kuhn Thursday namedsquad for the World Cup European Group Four qualifier against Franceon March 26 and Cyprus on March 30. Kuhn called up Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Reto ...
Cagliari meets Inter in Italian Cup semi-finals
Mar 18, 2005 ... Cagliari meets Inter in Italian Cup semi-finalsROME, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Cagliari will take on Inter Milan in anItalian Cup semi-final clash after they sealed a 4-3 aggregate windespite losing the second leg of the tie 3-2 at Sampdoria onThursday. Sampdoria, who lost the ...
Highlights of major Beijing-based newspapers -- March 18
Mar 18, 2005 ... Highlights of major Beijing-based newspapers -- March 18BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Highlights of major Beijing-basednewspapers on Friday:People's Daily -- Shandong Province in east China has improved workplace safetyby taking preventive measures. ...
Madagascan national assembly president to visit China
Mar 18, 2005 ... Madagascan national assembly president to visit ChinaBEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Jean Rahiniriko, president of theNational Assembly of Madagascar, will pay an official goodwill visitto China ...
Macedonian goalkeeper has positive test for doping
Mar 18, 2005 ... Macedonian goalkeeper has positive test for dopingBELGRADE, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Rabotnicki Kometal Skopje club saidon Thursday that their Macedonia international goalkeeper JordeGeorgievski has tested positive for a banned substance, Reutersreported. According to the ...
Pele to write autobiography
Mar 18, 2005 ... Pele to write autobiographyWASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian soccer legend Pele willwrite his autobiography after he signed a contract with Simon &Schuster, the publisher said on Thursday. Simon & Schuster's New York spokesman Adam Rothberg said thepublisher's ...
Luxembourg vows to make EU lift arms embargo against China
Mar 18, 2005 ... Luxembourg vows to make EU lift arms embargo against ChinaLUXEMBOURG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Luxembourg Foreign Minister JeanAsselborn, whose country holds the rotating European Union ( EU)presidency, pledged here Thursday that Luxembourg will "do its best"to make the EU lift its ...
UN force launches new operation in northeastern DRC
Mar 18, 2005 ... UN force launches new operation in northeastern DRCKINSHASA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations peacekeepingforce launched a new military initiative in the Ituri region of theDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in an effort to disarm localmilitants and pressure them to join ...
Venezuela blasts US for double standards on arms deal
Mar 18, 2005 ... Venezuela blasts US for double standards on arms dealCARACAS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela on Thursday rebuffed thelatest US charges of its arms deal, saying Washington is applyingdouble standards to the issue. Venezuelan Vice President Jose Rangel told a press conference ...
IMF calls for faster reforms in Haiti
Mar 18, 2005 ... IMF calls for faster reforms in HaitiWASHINGTON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund(IMF) has called on Haiti to accelerate its structural reforms andfurther strengthen government management and transparency, astatement from the organization said Thursday ....
China sets up ministerial office to stem coal mine accidents
Mar 18, 2005 ... China sets up ministerial office to stem coal mine accidentsBEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Eleven ministries and institutesunder the central government have established a coordination officeto stem the country's rampant coal mine accidents, according to theState Development and ...
Ukraine cuts army, reduces conscription length
Mar 18, 2005 ... Ukraine cuts army, reduces conscription lengthKIEV, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's parliament decided Thursdayto cut the size of its 285,000-strong armed forces by 40, 000 andreduce the term of service for draftees from 18 months to one year.According to the ...
Major news items in leading Indian newspapers
Mar 18, 2005 ... Major news items in leading Indian newspapersNEW DELHI, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The following are the major newsitems in leading Indian newspapers on Friday.The Times of India: -- The Dec. 26 earthquake that triggered the giant tsunami pushedIndia 12 cm closer to ...
Bolivian Congress rejects president's request for early elections
Mar 18, 2005 ... Bolivian Congress rejects president's request for early elections LIMA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Bolivian Congress on Thursdayafternoon dismissed the request of President Carlos Mesa to callearly general elections on Aug. 28, said reports from La Paz, theadministrative capital of ...