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Author: AFP

Norway hikes interest rate, bucking global trend

OSLO: Norway’s central bank raised its key interest rate on Thursday and said it would continue to tighten its monetary policy due to the strength of the Scandinavian country’s economy, in contrast to a slowdown in much of the rest of the world. The key rate was hiked by 0.25

Italy driver hijacks and torches school bus

ROME: Italian police on Wednesday rescued 51 children taken hostage by their school bus driver, who doused the vehicle in petrol and set it alight apparently in protest at migrant deaths in the Mediterranean. Some of the children were tied up during the 30-minute ordeal, which saw the bus slam

Boulder-sized sunfish washes ashore in Australia

SYDNEY: A boulder-sized fish of a kind known to “sink yachts” has washed up on an Australian beach. The 1.8 metre specimen – believed to be a Mola Mola, or ocean sunfish – came ashore near the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia at the weekend. The enormous

Lyon edge Wolfsburg in first-leg q-final

PARIS: Reigning champions Lyon beat two-time former winners Wolfsburg 2-1 in the Champions League quarter-finals first leg on Wednesday. France forward Eugenie Le Sommer and club captain Wendie Renard scored in the first half for the home side at the Groupama Stadium before Nilla Fischer clawed one back for the

NZ bans assault weapons within days of massacre

CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand): New Zealand imposed a ban on assault weapons yesterday, moving swiftly following the Christchurch massacre and triggering renewed calls from leading American politicians for gun controls in the United States. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons were now banned with immediate effect, making

Blast rocks China chemical plant, injuries reported

BEIJING: A huge explosion rocked a chemical plant in eastern China yesterday, injuring at least 12 people and shattering the windows of nearby buildings, officials and state media said. The blast occurred at around 2:50 pm at a chemical facility run by Tianjiayi Chemical in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, city officials

Dow falls after dovish Fed decision as Brexit chaos hammers pound

NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks finished a volatile session mostly lower on Wednesday following a dovish Federal Reserve decision, while the pound dropped amid Brexit chaos as Britain tries to avoid a damaging no-deal exit. US stocks rallied shortly after the Fed kept interest rates unchanged and released a forecast

Bleak future for cradle of Venezuela oil industry

MENE GRANDE: Greasy slicks continue to darken the ground in Mene Grande, a modest town where Venezuela’s oil boom was born more than a century ago. But now the days of crude glory are gone, replaced by desolation. The asphalt on the roads is worn down. Water, cooking gas and

Osaka silent over ex-coach lawsuit

MIAMI: World number one Naomi Osaka refused on Wednesday to become embroiled in a dispute with one of her former coaches who is suing her for 20 percent of her career earnings. Christophe Jean, who helped the Japanese two-time Grand Slam champion when she was a junior, wants at least

Park back after break to defend crown

LOS ANGELES: Seven-time major champion Park In-bee, who ended a long break two weeks ago in Singapore, isn’t feeling  any rust as she defends her title  at this week’s LPGA Founders Cup. The 30-year-old South Korean star and reigning Olympic  champion tees off in Thursday’s opening round at Wildfire Golf