6 Wednesday 19th March, 2008 Oil prices steady above US$106 SINGAPORE (AP) - Oil prices (euro149.78 million) - or US$2 a "It was a broad based drop of US$106.14 a barrel in electronic Tuesday. The bank is expected to steadied Tuesday in Asia after share - just a fraction of the commodities last night, and oil got trading on the New York aggressively cut a key interest falling more than US$4 a barrel investment bank's book value last caught up in that," said David Mercantile Exchange by midday in rate even lower as it races to con- overnight as investors worried the week. Moore, a commodity strategist Singapore. tain spreading financial fires that sale of Bear Stearns Cos. is a sign The deal, while averting a with the Commonwealth Bank of The contract dropped US$4.53 threaten an economic meltdown. of deep economic trouble in the bankruptcy filing for Bear Stearns, Australia in Sydney. "It mainly to settle at US$105.68 a barrel United States. showed the severity of the fallout "Traders are more or less reflected concerns about the U.S. Monday, hours after crude futures JPMorgan on Sunday agreed from the country's credit problems. catching their breath after last economic outlook given the reached a new trading high of to bail out Bear Stearns by buying Prices of oil and other commodi- stresses in the U.S. financial sys- night and I think looking forward, US$111.80. the investment bank in a U.S. ties plunged as investors mulled tem." they're now waiting to see what Traders were focusing on the Federal Reserve-backed deal the next round of financial woes Light, sweet crude for April action the Fed will take," Moore worth US$236.2 million following the Bear Stearns sale. delivery added 46 cents to Federal Reserve's meeting later said. Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Japan recognizes Ahmad Badawi talks to media during a press conference as he unveiled a Kosovo's new Cabinet at Prime Minister Office in Putrajaya, Tuesday, March 18, independence 2008. China's premier from Serbia TOKYO (AP) - Japan recognized Malaysia PM Kosovo as an independent state Tuesday, amid reports of the announces new worst violent clashes in the region since it declared inde- streamlined pendence from Serbia a month denounces Tibet ago. "Japan hopes that Kosovo's Cabinet BEIJING (AP) - China's premier underscored the com- nothing but lies," he said. independence will contribute to the stability of the region in the KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Premier Wen Jiabao denounced munist leadership's determina- Wen underscored that China supporters of the Dalai Lama tion to regain control over the will only consider dialogue with long term," the Foreign Ministry (AP) - Malaysia's Prime Minister said in a statement, adding that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has Tuesday as separatists and region and ensure a smooth the Dalai Lama if the exiled instigators of anti-Chinese riots run-up to games. spiritual leader was "willing to Tokyo wished to continue friend- unveiled a new Cabinet, reducing ly ties with Serbia. its strength from 90 previously to in Tibet's capital, after a dead- "There is ample fact - and we give up his proposition for so- line for the rioters to turn them- also have plenty of evidence - called Tibetan independence." Japan joins 25 other coun- 68. tries, including Britain and the Abdullah announced Tuesday selves in passed without any proving that this incident was "This is the position we have apparent surrenders. organized, premeditated, mas- made for dealing with this United States, in recognizing an that half of the Cabinet members independent Kosovo, according will be new. He said he stream- Wen's remarks were the high- terminded and incited by the issue," Wen said, "and this posi- est-level response to last week's Dalai clique," Wen told tion remains unchanged." Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaks to the ministry. lined the Cabinet by doing away to reporters at a press conference On Monday, Serb demonstra- with the posts of parliamentary rampage in Lhasa, which the reporters at a news conference Hours after Monday's mid- government said killed 16 peo- held at the end of China's night deadline for protesters to after the closing ceremony of the tors in Kosovo attacked interna- secretaries, who are No. 3 in a tional peacekeepers with rocks, ministry behind the minister and ple and injured dozens and national legislative meeting. He turn themselves in or face National People's Congress in which focused world attention gave no details. severe punishment, the U.S. Beijing's Great Hall of the People grenades and Molotov cocktails, deputy minister. setting off the worst violence in The new Cabinet was formed on China's human rights record "This has all the more government-funded Radio Free Tuesday, March 18, 2007. The annual ahead of this summer's Beijing revealed that the consistent Asia on Tuesday quoted an Kosovo since the Feb. 17 declara- after the March 8 general elec- session of China's ceremonial parlia- tion of independence. tions in which Abdullah's ruling Olympics. claims made by the Dalai clique unnamed witness as saying that ment was drawing to a close Tuesday, National Front coalition suffered The hardline stance taken by that they pursue not independ- authorities in Lhasa had began the normally mild-mannered ence but peaceful dialogue are arresting hundreds of people. overshadowed by deadly anti-govern- a massive erosion of its two- ment protests in Tibet. (AP) thirds majority in Parliament. Singapore Airlines flies the A380, the Police launched a crackdown on Female suicide bomber kills 43 rowdiness and drunken driving, world's biggest jet, which typically follow the day's in Shiite holy city of Karbala parading in Dublin and a half- to London dozen smaller Irish cities. Police BAGHDAD (AP) - A female bringing the American death said four teenagers were arrested SINGAPORE (AP) - A suicide bomber struck Shiite toll closer to 4,000 as the U.S.- during the parade and likely would Singapore Airlines A380, the worshippers in the holy city led war enters its sixth year. face charges of disorderly behavior world's biggest airplane, took off of Karbala, an official and a At least 3,990 members of the and assaulting officers. Tuesday from Singapore for witness said, killing at least U.S. military have died since Irish Prime Minister Bertie London on its first commercial Ahern, who was in Washington to 43 people and leaving pools of the beginning of the Iraq war flight to Europe. meet U.S. President George W. blood on the street leading to in March 2003, according to Bush and present him with a cere- With 449 passengers on board, one of Iraq's most revered an Associated Press count. monial bowl of shamrocks, called flight SQ308 was scheduled to mosques. The violence marred over- on people back home to drink in land at Heathrow Airport in the The blast Monday was the lapping trips by Vice moderation "and not to get behind British capital at 3:05 p.m. local deadliest in a series of President Dick Cheney and the wheel after doing it." time (1505 GMT). "There's no reason (why) people attacks that left at least 72 Sen. John McCain to The carrier hosted a send-off can't enjoy themselves and be part Iraqis dead, including six Baghdad. Their visits were event for passengers at youths killed when mortar of the celebrations without going aimed at touting recent secu- over the top," he said. Singapore's Changi Airport to rounds slammed into a soccer rity gains and stressing Virtually the entire Irish gov- commemorate the double-decker field in eastern Baghdad. Washington's long-term com- ernment left Ireland at the week- plane's European commercial Two U.S. soldiers also were mitment to fighting insur- end to attend events worldwide, debut. Passengers took pictures killed Monday in a roadside from Buenos Aires to Beijing. gents in Iraq. and helped themselves to break- bombing north of Baghdad, One of the few who remained, James Carrol enjoys the St. Patrick's Day Parade Monday, March 17, 2008 in President Mary McAleese, invited fast ahead of boarding. New York City. This annual parade has been held for the past 247 years in hundreds of leaders of Ireland's honor of the Patron Saint of Ireland and the Archdiocese of New York.(AP) rapidly growing immigrant com- munity to her lavish state resi- dence in Dublin's Phoenix Park for SLRC... From page 1 Ireland's leaders call for a St. Patrick's Day party. to the victims and prevent In a speech to her guests, she harassment of workers by the called Patrick "our most famous SLRC administration. alcohol restraint during St. immigrant." That referred to his They said that the agreement background as a Briton who was between the unions and the enslaved by Irish raiders in his President had been made in the Patrick's Day youth - but after winning freedom presence of Defence Secretary returned to Ireland to spread Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Basil DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) - A Dublin's sidewalks for Monday's Christianity in the pagan land. Rajapaksa, MP, IGP Victor Perera record-setting 650,000 revelers parade - the centerpiece of McAleese, a Belfast-born and Media Ministers Anura lined the sunny streets of Dublin Ireland's five-day St. Patrick's Catholic who emphasizes the need Priyadarshana Yapa and for St. Patrick's Day, as Ireland's Festival. Many brought ladders or to build better relations with the Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.