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HEATHROW AIRPORT

He said up to 40 people were injured during a mid-air incident but the nature of the mid-air incident is unknown, according to a report by Australian Associated Press.

Emergency services and medical staff were at the airport.

An emergency services worker said paramedics had boarded the Qantas aircraft and were tending to the injured.

Police said the plane was thought to be Qantas Flight 72 flying from Singapore to Perth.

The police spokesman said the injuries were thought to include broken bones and lacerations and there were varying reports on the number of the injured.

Qantas said that there were no details available at this stage as to what caused the altitude change.

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TOKYO-- Japan's foreign exchange reserves fell 851 million dollars from late August to 995.89 billion dollars at the end of September, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

It is the second straight month decline since the foreign reserve fell below the 1 trillion mark in August. (Japan-Forex Reserves)

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CANBERRA -- Up to 40 people were injured when a passenger jet carrying more than 300 people made an emergency landing near Exmouth in West Australia following a mid-air incident Tuesday afternoon.

Sergeant Greg Lambert from the Western Australian police said the Airbus A320 owned by Australia's largest airline company Qantas landed safety at 1:35 pm WST (0535 GMT) at Learmonth Airport near Exmouth after a mayday call. (Australia-Mid Air Incident)

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BANGKOK -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh on Tuesday tendered a resignation letter to take responsibility for collapse of negotiation efforts to reach reconciliation between government and protesters after new violent clashes between police and protesters.

After being appointed Deputy Prime Minister last month, Chavalit, a 76-year-old veteran politician and retired general, was earlier tasked with taking charge of security matters and acting as chief government negotiator with the anti-government movement People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to find peaceful solution for the country's current political impasse. (Thailand- Deputy PM-Resignation)

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MALE -- Six candidates including the incumbent President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom will contest the first-ever multiparty presidential elections in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Maldives on Wednesday.

The 71-year-old Gayoom, who has been the president since November 1978, signed a new constitution into effect in August this year, paving the way for the country's first multiparty presidential elections. (Maldives-Elections)

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TOKYO -- Tokyo stocks closed sharply lower Tuesday with the key Nikkei index briefly dipping below the 10,000 mark for the first time since December 2003.

The benchmark Nikkei-225 Stock Average lost 317.19 points, or 3. 03 percent, from Monday to 10,155.90 at its close. (Japan-Stock) ----

WELLINGTON -- British migrants seeking a balance of the best quality of life and the lowest cost of living should look to New Zealand, said an international bank on Tuesday.

New Zealand was found to offer the cheapest and finest existence in a poll by savings bank Alliance and Leicester International. (New Zealand-British Expats)

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HANOI -- Vietnamese Ministry of Finance has decided to reduce export tariff on steel ingots from the current ten percent to five percent, the Vietnam News reported on Monday.

This is the second tax cut on steel ingot export over the past month. The ministry announced to cut the tax from 20 percent to ten percent in late September. (Vietnam-Tariff)