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Dubai starts budget airline
July 2, 2008 (LBO) – The United Arab Emirates has started a new budget airline branded ‘FlyDubai’, but the carrier would be run separately from the full-service, Emirates, the company said in a statement. “FlyDubai is a simple, yet powerful call to action,” Sheikh Ahmed Saeed Al-Maktoum who also owns Emirates Airlines, said in a […]
Millions of India truckers in strike over hikes in tax, fuel price
NEW DELHI, July 2, 2008 (AFP) – An estimated four million truckers on Wednesday went on strike to press for uniform diesel prices and protest at an increase in taxes, the government and a union leader said.The action was called after talks with the government failed late Tuesday. “We had talks with the government, but […]
German firm stops supplying blank banknotes to Zimbabwe
BERLIN, July 2, 2008 (AFP) – A German firm said Wednesday it has bowed to pressure and will stop supplying blank banknotes to Zimbabwe where the regime of Robert Mugabe fills them with ever increasing numbers of zeros. “By stopping with immediate effect we are taking into account the position of the (German) government and […]
Bangladesh hikes bus fares 20 pct: official
DHAKA, July 2, 2008 (AFP) – Impoverished Bangladesh hiked bus fares 20 percent Wednesday following a controversial rise in state-set fuel prices, an official said, as Asia continued to reel from soaring crude oil costs.The government said the new fares were introduced after some operators had unilaterally raised fares up to 50 percent following Bangladesh’s […]
”: UNEP
NAIROBI, July 02, 2008 (AFP) – A green “gold rush” is underway, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said as it announced a 60 percent rise in new investment entering the sustainable energy sector in 2007.More than 148 billion dollars (93 billion euros) of new funds were ploughed into the quest for cleaner energy last year. […]
Sri Lanka journalists protest over attacks
July 2, 2008 (AFP) – Hundreds of Sri Lankan reporters and cameramen staged a protest outside President Mahinda Rajapakse’s home Wednesday demanding an end to a wave of killings, abductions and assaults against journalists.Media workers’ associations peacefully demonstrated outside the main access to Rajapakse’s Temple Trees residence while dozens of unarmed police stood behind yellow […]
Sri Lankan media offers reward for tips on attackers
July 02, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) and the Newspaper Publishers Association are offering a reward of five million rupees for information on the assault on journalist Namal Perera.Informants could give information that lead to the arrest of the assailants by calling 0033 147 777 414 or sending emails to helppresssrilanka@gmail.com, […]
‘s war against journalists a conspiracy: President
July 2, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s continuing attacks on the media is a conspiracy to discredit the government, President Mahinda Rajapakse said, while the latest assault against a mediaman and a UK embassy staffer drew new condemnation.At a time when the government was fighting terror and implementing development projects, there were moves to de-stabilize […]
Sri Lanka government treasury chief says subsidies inefficient
July 02, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government treasury secretary P B Jayasundera has described subsidies as an inefficient way of managing economic affairs and said the government was moving to reduce the burden of handouts with price increases in a range of commodities. “Any form of subsidy is inefficient,” Jayasundera, who is also […]
Sri Lanka fuel subsidy cuts a good move: Daim
July 2, 2008 (LBO) – Cutting fuel subsidies when the national budget is de-stabilized is a necessary move to keep the economy stable and development ticking, former Malaysian finance minister Daim Zainuddin has said.In Sri Lanka, left-oriented political parties led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) pushed state policy towards subsidizing imported commodities from mid-2004 […]