Asian stock markets were lower in early trading Friday. Tokyo’s Nikkei index dropped two-and-a-half percent , to close at 8,719. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index fell three percent , to end at 19,400. Elsewhere, share prices were lower in Taipei, Sydney, Manila, Shanghai and Wellington. The dollar was selling at 76.41 yen in currency trading, […]
Democracy Leader to Meet Burma President
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
A Burmese government official says democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will meet Friday with President Thein Sein in the administrative capital Naypyidaw. It will be the first meeting between the Nobel peace laureate and Burma’s first civilian president. Anonymous government officials did not say what the two would discuss. In March, Burma’s military regime […]
Libyan Leader’s 42-Year Reign Marked by Controversy
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 4:00 am (UTC-5)
Embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is the Arab world’s longest-serving head of state, in power since 1969 when he deposed the nation’s king in a military coup. Colonel Gadhafi gained a reputation as an eccentric, donning flowing robes and animal skins and surrounding himself with all female bodyguards. Labeled the “mad dog of the Middle […]
Japanese Stocks, Asian Markets Plunge
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 3:40 am (UTC-5)
Asian stock markets have sustained massive losses during Friday’s trading session, a day after stocks plunged on U.S. and European exchanges. Japan’s Nikkei index lost just over two-and-a-half percent at the closing bell, while Taiwan’s index plunged more than three-and-a-half percent. Indexes in Hong Kong, Seoul and Sydney have lost anywhere between three and six […]
Turkish Prime Minister Arrives in Somalia With Aid
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 3:25 am (UTC-5)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Somalia Friday, bringing more aid and drawing international attention to the famine gripping the Horn of Africa country. Mr.Erdogan’s wife and a host of government officials also made the one day trip to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. They plan to visit refugee camps and hospitals and deliver aid […]
Indian Anti-Corruption Activist Leaves Jail to Begin Hunger Strike
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 3:10 am (UTC-5)
Indian activist Anna Hazare left Tihar jail in New Delhi Friday to the cheers and applause of his supporters as he prepares to embark on a 15-day public hunger strike to demand tougher anti-corruption legislation. The 74-year old activist accepted an offer Thursday from police to hold the public protest starting Friday at an open-air […]
Tokyo Stocks, Dollar Down
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 2:25 am (UTC-5)
Japanese share prices ended lower Friday, while the dollar slipped against the yen. Tokyo’s Nikkei index dropped two-and-a-half percent , to close at 8,719. In currency trading, the dollar was selling at 76.55 yen, down slightly from late Thursday. The Taipei market plunged more than three-and-a-half percent , to close at 7,343.
China Vice President Confident of US Economic Strength
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 2:15 am (UTC-5)
China’s Vice President Xi Jinping expressed confidence Friday in the battered U.S. economy as he and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met in Beijing with corporate executives from the two countries. Xi told the businessmen that the U.S. economy is highly resilient and has a strong capacity of self-repair. He also warned that Beijing and […]
3 Killed in Suicide Attack in Afghan Capital
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 2:00 am (UTC-5)
Afghan officials say at least two suicide bomb blasts have killed three people in the capital, Kabul. Authorities say two Afghan police and a civilian were killed in the early Friday attack on a British cultural center. A gunfight between Afghan security forces and militants followed the explosions. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the […]
North Korea, US to Discuss Recovery of War Dead
Posted August 19th, 2011 at 1:20 am (UTC-5)
North Korea said Friday it will discuss with the United States resuming the recovery of American soldiers killed during the Korean War. A foreign ministry spokesman told the North’s official Korean Central News Agency that Pyongyang had accepted the United States’ proposal on humanitarian grounds and work is already underway to arrange talks between the […]
