xNews® World News: Taiwan, China to build first direct undersea cable

Taiwan, China to build first direct undersea cable

Taiwan, China to build first direct undersea cable
Philippine leader under fire over Porsche
Japan pays $1mn to innocent man jailed for 17 years
Food crisis feared due to tight supply
Taiwan bans government ads disguised as news
Ship carrying acid overturns in Germany: police
Australia steels for disease surge after floods
India's farmer suicides blamed on fertiliser over-use
Press freedom bill raises new issues of concern
AIG credit ratings cut, outlook stable
Top Philippine carrier to invest $1bn, hire 2,000
Cambodia grants bail to Thai lawmaker
S. Lanka plots relief aid for 950,000 flood victims
Wild cat once thought extinct spotted in Borneo
Work to revamp KTM Komuter ticketing system goes on
S. Korea may charge Google with collecting personal data
Sultan orders suspension of Khir's title: state secretary
Tenang by-election of two Chuas
ETP projects to have multi-thronged spin-off effects on economy
Govt plans to give PR status to foreign spouse of Malaysians: Muhyiddin

Taiwan, China to build first direct undersea cable

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:58 AM PST

TAIPEI, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Five major telecom operators from Taiwan and China signed a contract Thursday to build the first undersea cable directly linking the island and the mainland to meet mounting demand, officials said.

Philippine leader under fire over Porsche

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:57 AM PST

MANILA, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Philippine President Benigno Aquino said Thursday he had splashed out on a luxury Porsche sportscar, sparking criticism in a country where a third of the population live on less than a dollar a day.

Japan pays $1mn to innocent man jailed for 17 years

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:42 AM PST

TOKYO, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - A Japanese court on Thursday awarded $1.1 million, the maximum possible compensation, to a 64-year-old man who spent 17 years in jail after being wrongly convicted of a child's murder.

Food crisis feared due to tight supply

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:41 AM PST

Weather shocks as well as supply and demand uncertainties may trigger another full-blown Asian food crisis this year.

Taiwan bans government ads disguised as news

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:40 AM PST

TAIPEI, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Taiwan's parliament has barred the government from buying advertisements disguised as news after critics said it was unethical to spend taxpayer money on positive coverage.

Ship carrying acid overturns in Germany: police

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:39 AM PST

BERLIN, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - A ship carrying 2,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid overturned Thursday in the Rhine river near Sankt Goar, northwest of Mainz, and two members of its crew are missing, river police told AFP.

Australia steels for disease surge after floods

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:34 AM PST

BRISBANE, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Australian medical officials braced Thursday for rampant disease in the country's swamped northeast, with filthy floodwaters harbouring sewage, dead animals and dangerous debris.

India's farmer suicides blamed on fertiliser over-use

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:33 AM PST

BHOPAL, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - The agriculture minister of a central Indian state on Thursday blamed a recent spate of farmer suicides on over-use of chemical fertilisers and urged the country to embrace organic production.

Press freedom bill raises new issues of concern

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:32 AM PST

When a government, especially one in a developing society struggling with institution building and defining the extent of free expression, talks about 'press freedom', it is usually a cause for concern.

AIG credit ratings cut, outlook stable

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:32 AM PST

NEW YORK, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Ratings agency Moody's has downgraded AIG by one notch, after the cash-strapped US insurance giant promised to undergo by Friday recapitalization measures to repay a government bailout.

Top Philippine carrier to invest $1bn, hire 2,000

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:30 AM PST

MANILA, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Top Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific said Thursday it would invest a billion dollars in new aircraft and hire 2,000 more staff over four years as it boosts its international operations.

Cambodia grants bail to Thai lawmaker

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:29 AM PST

PHNOM PENH, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - A Thai ruling party politician who was among seven Thais charged with illegally entering Cambodia has been granted bail along with one other member of the group, their lawyer said Thursday.

S. Lanka plots relief aid for 950,000 flood victims

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:28 AM PST

COLOMBO, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - Sri Lankan authorities on Thursday gathered emergency food, clothing and bedding for nearly one million people forced out of their homes by flooding over the last week.

Wild cat once thought extinct spotted in Borneo

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:27 AM PST

One of the world's rarest wild cats, an elusive creature once thought to be extinct, has been spotted in camera traps in Malaysian Borneo for the first time since 2003, researchers said Thursday.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Work to revamp KTM Komuter ticketing system goes on

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:24 AM PST

Work to revamp the ticketing system at all 56 KTM Komuter stations in the Klang Valley and Negeri Sembilan will proceed amid ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

S. Korea may charge Google with collecting personal data

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:24 AM PST

SEOUL, Thursday 13 January 2011 (AFP) - South Korean police said Thursday they had asked prosecutors to charge Google with collecting personal data while producing its Street View mapping service, and had handed over supporting evidence.

Sultan orders suspension of Khir's title: state secretary

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:21 AM PST

The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had ordered the suspension of the "Datuk Seri" title of former Selangor menteri besar Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo, State Secretary Datuk Mohamed Khusrin Munawi said today.

Tenang by-election of two Chuas

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:21 AM PST

The Tenang by-election will likely see two prominent politicians from both sides of the political divide wooing the Chinese votes.

ETP projects to have multi-thronged spin-off effects on economy

Posted: 13 Jan 2011 12:19 AM PST

The projects to be unveiled under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) are expected to have multi-pronged spin-off effects on the country's economy.