SOUTHPORT, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - Beastly Birkdale sent some big names packing on Friday when the cut fell at the British Open.

World top tenners Geoff Ogilvy (3rd), Stewart Cink (6th) and Vijay Singh (10th) were all casualties and they will head home to join the injured No.1 Tiger Woods watching the weekend's action on TV.

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2008 (AFP) - The following is the full text of the statement issued Wednesday by the Federal Open Market Committee in announcing a 25 basis point reduction in the base federal funds rate to 2.0 percent:

'The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 25 basis points to 2 percent.

PARIS, April 7, 2008 (AFP) - The Paris leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay was cut short Monday after citywide protests against China's crackdown in Tibet, police said.

The torch was put on a bus outside the French parliament to be carried on the final stretch of its trip to a stadium in the south of the city.

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2008 (AFP) - The US Federal Reserve slashed key rates three-quarters of a point Tuesday, bringing the federal funds rate to 2.25 percent, to fight a mushrooming credit crisis.

The central bank also trimmed its discount rate for direct loans to banks, and now available to some securities firms, by a similar amount, bringing the rate to 2.50 percent.

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2008 (AFP) - The following is the full text of the statement issued Tuesday by the Federal Open Market Committee in announcing a 75 basis point reduction in the base federal funds rate to 2.25 percent:

'The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 75 basis points to 2.25 percent.

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2008 (AFP) - The US Federal Reserve slashed key rates three-quarters of a point Tuesday, bringing the federal funds rate to 2.25 percent, to fight a mushrooming credit crisis.

The central bank also trimmed its discount rate for direct loans to banks, and now available to some securities firms, by a similar amount, bringing the rate to 2.50 percent.

MOSCOW, March 4, 2008 (AFP) - Russia reduced gas supplies to Ukraine by an additional quarter on Tuesday after a 25 percent cut in a debt dispute, a spokesman for Russian gas monopoly Gazprom said on state television.

'Supplies of gas for Ukrainian consumers... have been reduced by an additional 25 percent,' the spokesman, Sergei Kupriyanov, told reporters.

MOSCOW, March 4, 2008 (AFP) - European customers will not be affected by a huge cut in gas deliveries to Ukraine by Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, the company said Tuesday.

Deliveries 'will be assured at full volume,' spokesman Sergei Kuprianov said on state television after announcing that a further 25 percent cut would be imposed in supplies to Ukraine.

MOSCOW, March 4, 2008 (AFP) - Russian gas monopoly Gazprom said Tuesday it would cut Ukraine's gas supply by a further 25 percent over a debt dispute.

Gazprom has already cut supplies by 25 percent and has decided 'to cut deliveries by another 25 percent' at 1700 GMT Tuesday, spokesman Sergei Kuprianov said on state television.

KIEV, March 3, 2008 (AFP) - Ukraine on Monday said Russia's Gazprom was to cut gas supplies by more than a third, rather than by just 25 percent as the Russian gas giant announced earlier, in a dispute over unpaid debts.

MOSCOW, March 3, 2008 (AFP) - Russia on Monday cut gas supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent after talks in a pricing dispute failed, but supplies to Europe will not be affected, Russian gas monopoly Gazprom said.

MOSCOW, March 3, 2008 (AFP) - Russia on Monday cut gas supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent after the two countries failed to reach agreement in a gas pricing dispute, Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said.

'Gazprom today reduced supplies to Ukraine by 25 percent from 10:00 am,' (0700 GMT), Kupriyanov said in televised comments.

GURGAON, India, March 1, 2008 (AFP) - Scotland's Colin Montgomerie missed the cut at the Johnnie Walker Classic on Friday, dealing a blow to his hopes of qualifying for the US Masters.

The eight-time European merit winner slumped to four-over-par 76, added to his first-round 74, to finish in the bottom 12 at the par-72 DLF Golf and Country Club.

WASHINGTON, Jan 30, 2008 (AFP) - The US Federal Reserve has stepped up its campaign to head off recession with another half-point rate cut as part of an aggressive move to avert a downward economic spiral, analysts say.

WASHINGTON, Jan 30, 2008 (AFP) - The US Federal Reserve slashed its base federal funds rate a half-point Wednesday to 3.0 percent in its second cut in eight days to help an economy that some say is on the brink of recession.

WASHINGTON, Jan 30, 2008 (AFP) - The US Federal Reserve trimmed its base federal funds rate a half-point Wednesday to 3.0 percent in its second cut in eight days to help an economy that some say is on the brink of recession.

WASHINGTON, Jan 30, 2008 (AFP) - The following is the full text of the statement issued Wednesday by the Federal Open Market Committee in announcing a half-a-percentage-point cut in the base federal funds rate, to 3.00 percent:

'The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 50 basis points to 3.00 percent.

WASHINGTON, Jan 30, 2008 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve cut its base federal funds rate a half-point Wednesday to 3.0 percent in its second reduction in eight days to help stimulate a flagging US economy.

The action came a week after an emergency cut of 0.75 percentage points in the face of a global market rout amid concerns the US economy was headed toward recession.

DUSHANBE, Jan 24, 2008 (AFP) - Uzbekistan has cut gas supplies to Tajikistan by a third because of debts amid freezing winter weather in the mountainous Central Asian state, the head of Tajikistan's gas monopoly said on Thursday.

DETROIT, Michigan, Jan 23, 2008 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve's surprise rate cut should reignite consumer confidence, chairman and chief executive officer of Chrysler LLC Robert Nardelli said.

'I'm very pleased with the move the Fed made,' Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli told reporters after a speech here Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve slashed its main interest rate by an unprecedented amount Tuesday in an aggressive move aimed at calming global financial markets roiled by fears of a widening US recession.

WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday welcomed the US Federal Reserve's decision to cut its main interest rate by three quarters of a point as 'appropriate and helpful.'

WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday welcomed the US Federal Reserve's decision to cut its main interest rate by three quarters of a point as 'appropriate and helpful.'

WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve slashed its main interest rate by an unprecedented amount Tuesday in an aggressive move aimed at calming global financial markets roiled by fears of a US recession.

WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve slashed its key interest rate by an unprecedented three-fourths of a point Tuesday in a move to calm global financial markets roiled by fears of a US spreading US recession.

WASHINGTON, Jan 22, 2008 (AFP) - The US Federal Reserve slashed its key federal funds short-term interest rate by three quarters of a percentage point to 3.50 percent Tuesday amid sharp falls on global stock markets.

WASHINGTON, Dec 11, 2007 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve cut its base federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point Tuesday to 4.25 percent in an effort to shore up economic activity in the face of weak housing and credit turmoil.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9-1 in favor of the action, with one member supporting a half-point reduction.

WASHINGTON, Dec 11, 2007 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve cut its base federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point Tuesday to 4.25 percent in an effort to shore up economic activity in the face of weak housing and credit turmoil.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9-1 in favor of the action, with one member supporting a half-point reduction.

WASHINGTON, Dec 11, 2007 (AFP) - The following is the full text of the statement issued Tuesday by the Federal Open Market Committee in announcing a quarter-percentage-point cut in the base federal funds rate, to 4.25 percent:

'The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 25 basis points to 4.25 percent.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve cut US short-term interest rates Wednesday in a widely anticipated move, saying it had acted because of concerns economic growth will likely cool in coming months.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve cut US short-term interest rates Wednesday in a widely anticipated move, saying it had acted amid concerns economic growth will likely cool in coming months.

The central bank said it had cut its federal funds interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.50 percent. Wall Street shares closed with a rally in the wake of the announcement.

'The pace of economic expansion will likely slow in the near term, partly reflecting the intensification of the housing correction,' the Fed said in a statement.

NEW YORK, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - The euro topped the 1.45-dollar level for the first time Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve lowered its base federal funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point ot 4.50 percent.

The single European currency hit 1.4504 dollars nearly an hour after the Fed's widely anticipated short-term rate cut.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve, in a widely expected move, cut US short-term interest rates Wednesday saying that economic momentum was likely to slow in coming months.

The central bank announced it had cut its federal funds short-term interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.50 percent. The rate cut was welcomed by Wall Street which had been hoping for a reduction in borrowing costs.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - The following is the full text of the statement issued Wednesday by the Federal Open Market Committee in announcing a quarter of a percentage point cut in the base federal funds rate, to 4.50 percent:

'The Federal Open Market Committee decided today to lower its target for the federal funds rate 25 basis points to 4.5 percent.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it had cut its base federal funds interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.50 percent to shore up a distressed housing sector and ailing credit markets.

The central bank's move had been widely anticipated by the financial markets.

The rate cut marks the second reduction in the federal funds short-term rate in as many months. Fed officials are concerned the housing slump could destabilize the wider economy.

ABU DHABI, Sept 23, 2007 (AFP) - The United Arab Emirates will cut oil output by around 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) in November due to maintenance work at three oilfields, the state-run Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said Sunday.

'A scheduled essential maintenance programme will take place in November 2007 at three offshore fields -- Upper Zakum, Lower Zakum and Umm Shaif. During the maintenance period, production will be reduced by approximately 600,000 bpd,' ADNOC said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - US shares, the euro and oil prices surged Tuesday minutes after the Federal Reserve slashed a half point from its key federal funds rate.

The European currency hit a record high of 1.3976 dollars, while the price of crude oil climbed to 81.90 dollars a barrel in New York after the 1815 GMT announcement by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC).

Around 1830 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 201.19 points, or 1.50 percent, to 13,604.61 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 42.93 points, or 1.66 percent, to 2,624.59.

WASHINGTON, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - The following is the full text of the statement issued Tuesday by the Federal Open Market Committee in announcing a half-point cut in the base federal funds rate, to 4.75 percent:

'The Federal Open Market Commit