Xinhua News Agency back issues from Thursday, August 7:
Hamas frees 150 prisoners from Gazan jails
Aug 07, 2008 ... Hamas frees 150 prisoners from Gazan jails GAZA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The interior ministry of the deposedHamas government said on Thursday that it freed 150 prisoners fromits jails in Gaza, including rival Fatah movement's senior leaders. The ministry said in a statement that ...
UAE's largest emirate records 21.8 pct growth in GDP
Aug 07, 2008 ... UAE's largest emirate records 21.8 pct growth in GDP ABU DHABI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The gross domestic product (GDP) ofAbu Dhabi, the largest emirate of oil-rich the United Arab Emirates(UAE), exceeded 400 billion dirhams (109 billion U.S. dollars) in2007, up 21.8 percent over 341 ...
Arab League to dispatch envoy to Mauritania
Aug 07, 2008 ... Arab League to dispatch envoy to Mauritania CAIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Cairo-based Arab League (AL) hasdecided to send a high-level delegation to look into the situationin Mauritania after a military coup in the country ousted itspresident. The AL delegation, led by ...
Jordan's foreign grants up three fold in first half year
Aug 07, 2008 ... Jordan's foreign grants up three fold in first half year AMMAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The foreign grants Jordan received inthe first half of 2008 have climbed about three times over theamount of the same period in 2007, official news agency Petrareported on Thursday. Official ...
Tel Aviv stock exchange index closes higher
Aug 07, 2008 ... Tel Aviv stock exchange index closes higher JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange generalshare index closed at 824.79 ...
Three killed in plane crash in northern Israel
Aug 07, 2008 ... Three killed in plane crash in northern Israel JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people died on Thursday whena small private plane crashed at an airport in Haifa, a coastal cityin the north of Israel, local media reported. Three others were critically injured in the ...
Palestinian official: no final peace deal without prisoners' release
Aug 07, 2008 ... Palestinian official: no final peace deal without prisoners'release RAMALLAH, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Minister of prisoners' affairs inthe caretaker Palestinian government Ashraf el-Ajrami stressed onThursday that a final peace agreement can't be reached beforeclosing the file of ...
Q2 unemployment rate drop to 9.1 pct in Morocco
Aug 07, 2008 ... Q2 unemployment rate drop to 9.1 pct in Morocco RABAT, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment rate dropped inMorocco to 9.1 percent in the second quarter of 2008 from 9.4percent as construction and service sectors managed to create some19,000 jobs, the High Commission for Planning ...
Three explosions occur in Istanbul
Aug 07, 2008 ... Three explosions occur in Istanbul ANKARA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three explosions took place near amunicipal building in Uskudar district on the Asian side of Istanbulon Thursday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. Mehmet Cakir, mayor of the district, was quoted as ...
Hamas questions Abbas' popularity
Aug 07, 2008 ... Hamas questions Abbas' popularity GAZA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement onThursday challenged President Mahmoud Abbas' popularity which manypolls showed that he gains more confidence than his Hamas rivalsamong the Palestinian people. "As long as ...
Lebanese speaker: Gov't vote of confidence ends next Tuesday
Aug 07, 2008 ... Lebanese speaker: Gov't vote of confidence ends next Tuesday BEIRUT, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Parliament speaker NabihBerri said that its parliament session starting Friday to discussgiving vote of confidence to the new government will end nextTuesday by 40 lawmakers having ...
Israel allows more cargo into Gaza: sources
Aug 07, 2008 ... Israel allows more cargo into Gaza: sources GAZA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Security sources in Gaza said ThursdayIsrael facilitated movement at commercial crossing points andallowed more sorts of goods to enter the coastal Gaza Strip over thepast two days. The improvement comes ...
Major news items in leading Egyptian newspapers
Aug 07, 2008 ... Major news items in leading Egyptian newspapers CAIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news items inleading Egyptian newspapers on Thursday. Al Ahram: -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit Wednesday instatements to "From al-Quds" program on the ...
Hamas-Fatah tension delays Egyptian effort for dialogue
Aug 07, 2008 ... Hamas-Fatah tension delays Egyptian effort for dialogue GAZA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Recent tensions between Hamas and Fatahhas scattered hopes of holding inter-Palestinian dialogue to endpolitical split, a senior Fatah leader said Thursday on condition ofanonymity. Egypt, the ...
Three people injured in explosions in Istanbul
Aug 07, 2008 ... Three people injured in explosions in Istanbul ANKARA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people were slightly injured inthe explosions in Uskudar district on the Asian side of Istanbul onThursday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. Istanbul Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah ...
Abbas security forces arrest 10 Hamas activists in West Bank
Aug 07, 2008 ... Abbas security forces arrest 10 Hamas activists in West Bank RAMALLAH, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The security forces of PalestinianPresident Mahmoud Abbas arrested on Thursday ten Islamic Hamasmovement's activists in the West Bank, Hamas movement said in astatement. The statement ...
Israeli finance minister backs Livni for Kadima leader
Aug 07, 2008 ... Israeli finance minister backs Livni for Kadima leader JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Finance Minister Ronnie Bar-On on Thursday announced that he supports Foreign Minister TzipiLivni to replace Ehud Olmert both as chair of the ruling Kadimaparty and prime minister ....
UAE contributes 10 mln USD to IAEA nuclear fuel bank proposal
Aug 07, 2008 ... UAE contributes 10 mln USD to IAEA nuclear fuel bank proposal ABU DHABI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) hascontributed 10 million U.S. dollars to a nuclear fuel bank proposalthat calls for a dedicated low-enriched uranium stockpile to beowned and administered by ...
Iraq postpones provincial elections over disputes
Aug 07, 2008 ... Iraq postpones provincial elections over disputes BAGHDAD, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iraq said Thursday it would delayprovincial elections, originally slated in October, after politicalblocs in the parliament failed to reach an agreement in time on thedisputed provincial election bill ....
Jordan's stock market index closes higher
Aug 07, 2008 ... Jordan's stock market index closes higher AMMAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The shares price index of Jordan'sAmman stock market closed at 4,467 points on Thursday, up 36 ...
Jordan to tap oil shale within decade
Aug 07, 2008 ... Jordan to tap oil shale within decade AMMAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's Natural Resource Authority (NRA) said the kingdom is expected to start commercial oil shaleextraction within next decade, local daily Jordan Times reported onThursday. NRA Director Maher Hijazin said ...
Four people killed in Iraq's Mosul attacks
Aug 07, 2008 ... Four people killed in Iraq's Mosul attacks MOSUL, Iraq, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Four people, including a keymember of a Sunni Arab party, were killed in Iraq's northern city ofMosul on Thursday, a local police source said. "Mahmoud Younis, a leader in the Iraqi Islamic Party in ...
Q2 unemployment rate drops to 9.1 pct in Morocco
Aug 07, 2008 ... Q2 unemployment rate drops to 9.1 pct in Morocco RABAT, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment rate dropped inMorocco to 9.1 percent in the second quarter of 2008 from 9.4percent as construction and service sectors managed to create some19,000 jobs, the High Commission for Planning ...
UAE energy company announces 249 pct growth in net profit
Aug 07, 2008 ... UAE energy company announces 249 pct growth in net profit ABU DHABI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Abu Dhabi National EnergyCompany (TAQA) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Thursdayits net profit in the first half of 2008 hit 869 million dirhams (236.78 million U.S. dollars), up ...
Japanese PM heads for China to attend Olympics opening ceremony
Aug 07, 2008 ... Japanese PM heads for China to attend Olympics opening ceremony TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda,accompanied by his wife Kiyoko, left for China Friday morning toattend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Fukuda will be the first Japanese prime ...
News Analysis: Israel's prisoners release leaves many question marks
Aug 07, 2008 ... News Analysis: Israel's prisoners release leaves many questionmarks by Zhang Yanyang JERUSALEM, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel Wednesday agreed to releasea number of Palestinian prisoners by the end of August, leaving manywondering about the motives of outgoing Prime Minister ...
Dollar firm at lower 109 yen level in Tokyo
Aug 07, 2008 ... Dollar firm at lower 109 yen level in Tokyo TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. dollar stood firm at the lower109 yen level early Friday in Tokyo. The dollar traded at 109.33-38 yen at 9 a.m., compared with 109.39-49 yen in New York ...
Major news items in leading Australian newspapers
Aug 07, 2008 ... Major news items in leading Australian newspapers CANBERRA, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news itemsin leading Australian newspapers on Friday: The Australian: -- A key government economic adviser has launched a scathingattack on Labor's industry policy, ...
Major news items in leading Japanese newspapers
Aug 07, 2008 ... Major news items in leading Japanese newspapers TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The following are major news items inleading Japanese newspapers on Friday: The Daily Yomiuri: -- Only about one-third of Tokyo and 46 prefectural chapters ofthe Liberal Democratic Party want ...
Tokyo stocks open nearly 1 pct lower
Aug 07, 2008 ... Tokyo stocks open nearly 1 pct lower TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks opened lower Friday. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei StockAverage dropped 124.63 points, or 0.95 ...
S.Korean president leaves for Beijing for Olympic opening ceremony
Aug 07, 2008 ... S.Korean president leaves for Beijing for Olympic openingceremony SEOUL, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak onFriday left for Beijing to attend the 29th Summer Olympics openingceremony scheduled for Friday night. Lee, accompanied by first lady Kim ...
Thai PM plans to visit Preah Vihear area: Cambodian official
Aug 07, 2008 ... Thai PM plans to visit Preah Vihear area: Cambodian official PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister SamakSundaravej is scheduled to visit the area near the Preah VihearTemple in the eponymous Cambodian province, English-Khmer languagenewspaper the Cambodia Daily Friday ...
Cambodian PM refuses to approve pardon for Prince Ranariddh
Aug 07, 2008 ... Cambodian PM refuses to approve pardon for Prince Ranariddh PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Senannounced that he will not sign any request for King NorodomSihamoni to pardon his half brother Prince Norodom Ranariddh, whoseconviction for breach of trust ...
Rice to lift Cambodia out of poverty: PM
Aug 07, 2008 ... Rice to lift Cambodia out of poverty: PM PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Hun Sen said thatglobal inflation may prove a boon for Cambodian agriculture,predicting the kingdom's rice paddies would yield the "white gold"needed to lift the nation out of poverty, the ...
Tokyo stocks down in morning trading
Aug 07, 2008 ... Tokyo stocks down in morning trading TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks went down Friday morning. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average shrank 74.03 points, or ...
Myanmar top leader anticipates future emergence of ASEAN community
Aug 07, 2008 ... Myanmar top leader anticipates future emergence of ASEANcommunity YANGON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar top leader Senior-General ThanShwe on Friday said that an ASEAN community will benefit Myanmarcitizens along with others of the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) in ...
Nepali big parties step up consultations on gov't formation
Aug 07, 2008 ... Nepali big parties step up consultations on gov't formation KATHMANDU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- With just a day to go before thedeadline given by Nepali President Ram Baran Yadav to the CommunistParty of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) to form a national consensusgovernment, the big political ...
Cambodian company plans to produce organic fertilizer from garbage
Aug 07, 2008 ... Cambodian company plans to produce organic fertilizer fromgarbage PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Cintri, the firm charged with themammoth task of collecting the capital's garbage, has unveiled plansto recycle Phnom Penh's mountains of trash into organic fertilizer,but city ...
Myanmar official media hail Kuwaiti PM goodwill visit
Aug 07, 2008 ... Myanmar official media hail Kuwaiti PM goodwill visit YANGON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar official media hailed onFriday the current goodwill visit to the country by Kuwaiti PrimeMinister Sheik Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, sayingthat his visit will not only ...
Low standards, high prices put Cambodia s building boom at risk
Aug 07, 2008 ... Low standards, high prices put Cambodia s building boom at risk PHNOM PENH, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- As the skeletons of towering newstructures rise above Phnom Penh's horizon, fierce competition overhighly-priced construction materials is putting standards, andalmost certainly safety ...
Breaching gov't order, 90 Tibetan separatists detained in Nepal
Aug 07, 2008 ... Breaching gov't order, 90 Tibetan separatists detained in Nepal KATHMANDU, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Some 90 Tibetan separatists,severely breaching Nepali government's prohibitory order, weredetained by Nepali police on Friday morning. At around 08:00 local time (0215 GMT), Tibetan ...
Major news items in leading Indian newspapers
Aug 07, 2008 ... Major news items in leading Indian newspapers NEW DELHI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The following are major newsheadlines in leading Indian newspapers on Thursday. The Hindu: -- Expressing deep concern over the situation in Indiancontrolled Kashmir district in the wake of ...
Major news items in leading Indian newspapers
Aug 07, 2008 ... Major news items in leading Indian newspapers NEW DELHI, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Following are major news headlinesin leading Indian newspapers on Friday. The Indian Express: -- India's Inflation rate crossed 12 percent for the first timein 13 years at 12.1 percent for ...
Vietnam to widen door to foreign publishers, distributors
Aug 07, 2008 ... Vietnam to widen door to foreign publishers, distributors HANOI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam will, next year, permit foreignindividuals and organizations to import publications into thecountry, and consider the possibility of licensing privatepublishers by 2020, local newspaper ...
Philippine foreign reserves reach 36.9 bln USD
Aug 07, 2008 ... Philippine foreign reserves reach 36.9 bln USD MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The foreign reserves of thePhilippines rose to 36.9 billion U.S. dollars at the end of July,the central bank said Thursday. The country's foreign reserves rose 0.2 billion U.S. dollars inJuly from ...
Kuwait deports hundreds of Bangladesh workers for instigating unrest
Aug 07, 2008 ... Kuwait deports hundreds of Bangladesh workers for instigatingunrest DHAKA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait has so far deported 739Bangladesh workers for their alleged involvement in instigatingunrest in the Gulf state, leading English daily The Independentreported Thursday. The ...
Philippines threatens use of force against "towns occupying" rebels
Aug 07, 2008 ... Philippines threatens use of force against "towns occupying"rebels MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government on Thursdayordered hundreds of Muslim rebels to leave towns which they"forcibly taken" in the southern Philippines, otherwise the militaryand police will take ...
25 militants killed in Pakistan's tribal region
Aug 07, 2008 ... 25 militants killed in Pakistan's tribal region ISLAMABAD, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 militants have beenkilled and 35 others injured in clashes between security forces andmilitants in northwestern Pakistan's Bajaur tribal agency, local TVchannel reported on Thursday ....
Indian stock market opens lower
Aug 07, 2008 ... Indian stock market opens lower MUMBAI, Aug.7 (Xinhua) -- Indian shares opened lower on Thursday,with the key Sensex index down 0.28 percent shortly after opening. Sensex declined 41.68 points, or 0.28 percent to 15,031.86 . Sensex ...
1st Ld-Writethru: Philippines threatens use of force against "towns occupying" rebels
Aug 07, 2008 ... 1st Ld-Writethru: Philippines threatens use of force against"towns occupying" rebels MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government on Thursdayordered hundreds of Muslim rebels to leave towns which they"forcibly taken" in the southern Philippines, otherwise the militaryand ...
S. Korea plans to build solar power plant on disputed islets
Aug 07, 2008 ... S. Korea plans to build solar power plant on disputed islets SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government plans tobuild a solar power plant on the disputed islets of Dokdo, whichJapan calls Takeshima, by November, the Korea Herald reportedThursday. According to the ...
S. Korea's central bank raises key interest rate to 5.25 pct
Aug 07, 2008 ... S. Korea's central bank raises key interest rate to 5.25 pct SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's central bank saidThursday it will raise its key interest rate for August to 5.25percent, up 0.25 percentage point from the previous month. It was the first time that the Bank ...
Afghan president leaves for China to attend Olympic Games opening ceremony
Aug 07, 2008 ... Afghan president leaves for China to attend Olympic Games openingceremony KABUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai leftKabul for China's capital Beijing on Thursday to attend theinaugural ceremony of Olympic Games on Aug. 8, a statement of AfghanPresidential ...
Tokyo stocks slide
Aug 07, 2008 ... Tokyo stocks slide TOKYO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks slid Thursday. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 129.90 points, or 0.98percent, from ...
Sky Tower lights gold for New Zealand Olympians
Aug 07, 2008 ... Sky Tower lights gold for New Zealand Olympians WELLINGTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The 328-meter-high Sky Tower inAuckland will be light gold on Friday in support of New Zealand'sOlympic athletes going for gold in Beijing. To mark the opening ceremony in Beijing on the ...
Philippines, Malaysia hold joint air force drill
Aug 07, 2008 ... Philippines, Malaysia hold joint air force drill MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine and Malaysian armies onThursday launched a regular military exercise at the Philippine AirForce base in northern Pampanga province. Ninety-six Philippine air force soldiers will train ...
Afghan gun battles kill several militants
Aug 07, 2008 ... Afghan gun battles kill several militants KABUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Several insurgents were killed in gunbattles with Afghan police in the country's southern and easternregions, a press release issued by the Interior Ministry saidThursday. Police in Kalal Salwagha area of ...
Forensic investigators link recent bombings to earlier blasts in India
Aug 07, 2008 ... Forensic investigators link recent bombings to earlier blasts inIndia NEW DELHI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Forensic investigators haveconcluded that the explosion devices used in July's serial bombingsin Indian western state Gujarat were constructed by the same bomb-makers responsible ...
Poor environmental sanitation costs Vietnam 780 mln USD a year: study
Aug 07, 2008 ... Poor environmental sanitation costs Vietnam 780 mln USD a year:study HANOI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Poor environmental sanitation costsVietnam an estimated 780 million U.S. dollars a year, the VietnamNews Agency reported Thursday, citing a study by the World Bank. The most ...
1st LD: Tokyo stocks slide on Thursday
Aug 07, 2008 ... 1st LD: Tokyo stocks slide on Thursday TOKYO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks slid Thursday. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 129.90 points, or 0.98 percent, fromWednesday to 13,124.99. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the TokyoStock Exchange ...
Pakistan's ruling coalition finishes draft on Musharraf's impeachment: TV
Aug 07, 2008 ... Pakistan's ruling coalition finishes draft on Musharraf'simpeachment: TV ISLAMABAD, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's ruling coalition hascompleted a draft statement regarding impeachment of PresidentPervez Musharraf, which will be released later on Thursday, local TVreported ....
Bush boasts accomplishments in forging U.S.-Asian ties
Aug 07, 2008 ... Bush boasts accomplishments in forging U.S.-Asian ties BANGKOK, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush onThursday applauded his government's "accomplishments" in bolsteringAmerican engagement with Asia under his running-out eight-yeartenure. Bush made the remarks ...
Vietnam sends over 50,000 people to work abroad in 7 months
Aug 07, 2008 ... Vietnam sends over 50,000 people to work abroad in 7 months HANOI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam sent 50,980 experts and workersto work abroad in the first seven months of 2008, realizing roughly60 percent of its target set for the year, according to a locallabor agency on Thursday ....
U.S. Navy sub leaks more radioactive water in Japan
Aug 07, 2008 ... U.S. Navy sub leaks more radioactive water in Japan TOKYO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Navy's nuclear-poweredsubmarine Houston has leaked radioactive water at another two portsin Japan beside at the previously reported Sasebo port in March, theJapanese Foreign Ministry announced ...
News items from Asia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua (Part 1)
Aug 07, 2008 ... News items from Asia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua (Part 1) HONG KONG, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Following are news items from theAsia-Pacific Desk of Xinhua in Hong Kong on Thursday: Major news items in leading Australian newspapers Major news items in leading New Zealand ...