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State Intervention
SYDNEY, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – Australian investment firms have frozen an estimated 12 billion dollars (7.8 billion US) in investors’ funds to stem an exodus sparked by a government bank deposit guarantee, the industry said Friday. Thirteen of the nation’s top 20 fund managers have so far blocked redemptions since Canberra guaranteed deposits in […]
Sri Lanka to tailor tourist promotions to Indian states
Oct 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourism promotion agency will market Sri Lanka to Indians on a state by state basis, with the Gujarat in Andhra Pradesh as its pilot project, officials said. Head of Sri Lanka Renton de Alwis says India is a large market but it is difficult to market due its […]
Sri Lanka tries to limit tea production to stop price plunge
Oct 24, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tea Board Friday said it was advising producers to manufacture only good quality tea and reduce output in an effort to stabilise prices which have crashed in recent weeks.About half the volume of low grown teas remained unsold at the auction this week, creating cash flow problems for […]
Sri Lanka says troops push into Tiger territory
October 24, 2008 (AFP) – Security forces pushed deeper into territory held by Tamil Tiger rebels in northern Sri Lanka and captured several strongholds of the guerrillas, the defence ministry said Friday. Government forces are engaged in a major offensive to capture the town of Kilinochchi which has served as the political headquarters of the […]
Wall Street plunges amid global meltdown
NEW YORK, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – US shares plunged Friday amid a wave of panic selling and a meltdown in share prices around the world on rising fears of a global recession. NEW YORK, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – US shares plunged Friday amid a wave of panic selling and a meltdown in share […]
OPEC confident member countries will abide by cuts: president
VIENNA, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – OPEC President Chakib Khelil expressed confidence on Friday that the oil cartel’s members would stand by their commitments to cut output as decided at an emergency meeting here. “I’m very confident. I think they don’t have a choice,” Khelil told a news conference here. “What choice do they have? […]
India central bank keeps rate on hold but says ready to act swiftly
MUMBAI, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – India’s central bank kept its key interest rates steady on Friday but declared it was ready to take “unconventional and swift” measures to deal with the global financial crisis.“This (crisis) is unchartered territory with no standard or conventional solutions,” Reserve Bank of India governor D. Subbarao said in his […]
Yen in 13-year high over US dollar
TOKYO, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – The US dollar tumbled to a 13-year low against the yen in Asian trade on Friday as investors sought refuge amid rising fears of a global recession, dealers said. The euro fared little better, hitting the lowest level in about six years against the yen on expectations that European […]
Sri Lanka ace Jayasuriya confirmed for HK Sixes
HONG KONG, October 24, 2008 (AFP) – Big hitting Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya has been confirmed for the annual Hong Kong Cricket Sixes tournament, organisers said Friday. The former 1996 Cricket World Cup winner will join an All Star team that includes West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Australian Justin Langer, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming […]
Sri Lanka central bank calms forex markets as treasuries stock rockets to Rs59bn
Oct 24, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank says it is ready to accommodate additional foreign currency outflows from foreign bond holders even as snowballing T-bill purchases showed pressure building up in the monetary system. The central bank said in a statement Thursday that it had ‘absorbed’ dollar inflows of 622 million in the […]