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Man dies after inhaling deadly garden fungus
Backyard gardener dies after inhaling fungal spores PARIS, June 12, 2008 (AFP) – An otherwise healthy 47-year-old man fell horribly ill and died within 10 days after inhaling fungal spores that had grown in a bag of gardening mulch, according to a study released Friday. The man, whose identity was not revealed, showed up at […]
ECB poised for moderate rate rise: Belgian bank chief
BRUSSELS, June 12, 2008 (AFP) – ECB is preparing for a “moderate increase” in interest rates next month but not a series of hikes in the face of record inflation, governing board member and Belgian central banker Guy Quaden said. “What’s on the table for the month of July, is a moderate increase and not […]
From Johnson to Munich, scandal and tragedy has marked Olympics
PARIS, June 13, 2008 (AFP) – Planning and staging an Olympics has never been an easy task and the chances are that Beijing 2008 will have its share of problems before it all ends for another four years.However it will have to go some way to surpass several previous Olympics. From the humiliating spectacle of […]
Sri Lanka govt muzzled media during EU visit: rights group
June 13, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government pressured independent newspapers not to publish critical stories during a visit by a European Union delegation to the island earlier this week, a media rights group said. The statement said that journalists working for several newspapers told Reporters Without Borders on condition of anonymity that during […]
Sri Lanka to get US$900mn from World Bank for regional growth
June 13, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka could get 900 million US dollars from the World Bank over the next three years to build infrastructure in lagging regions, improve health, education and safety nets, the multilateral lender said. The World Bank’s executive directors had endorsed a country assistance strategy (CAS) covering the period from July […]
Pakistan inflation caused by money printing for budget: finance minister
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Unprecedented borrowings from the central bank or ‘money printing’ to finance subsidies have caused inflation in Pakistan to go to a historic high, the country’s finance minister has said. Finance minister Naveed Qamar told Pakistan’s parliament that large subsidies not financed in the original budget had been given by the […]
Sri Lanka stocks buffeted by inflation
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks dropped 0.60 percent Thursday with brokers forecasting the slide to continue owing to raging inflation, high interest rates and a slowdown in the economy.The All Share Price Index fell 0.60 percent (14.94 points) to end at 2,459.99 while the more liquid Milanka was down 0.90 percent (26.84 […]
Rail Loan
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers had given the nod to borrow 100 million US dollars from India to upgrade a part of the island’s railway system, a senior government minister said. The southern track was also torn up by the 2004 December tsunami. It was quickly repaired by the cash-strapped […]
Sri Lankan tea prices stay buoyant
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea prices remained strong for the third week running at this week’s auctions in Colombo with firm demand from the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States, brokers said. The strong market for tea, along with rubber and palm oil, prompted investors on the Colombo bourse to […]
Undersea Links
June 12, 2008 (LBO) – Lanka Bell, a Sri Lankan wireless fixed access firm, said its link to a high speed private undersea fibre optic cable operated by India’s Reliance group had gone live, enabling it to offer unrestricted broadband services. The company said in a statement it had already set up the infrastructure for […]