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Sri Lanka bomb kills eight in east: military
May 9, 2008 (AFP) – At least eight people were killed and many more wounded when a powerful bomb exploded late Friday in eastern Sri Lanka a day before local elections in the area, military spokesman said.The blast occurred inside a crowded cafe in Amapara town, a defence ministry statement said, adding that the target […]
Thai police seize nearly 21,000 fake passports
BANGKOK, May 9, 2008 (AFP) – Thai police Friday seized nearly 21,000 fake passports and arrested 12 people in what they described as their biggest-ever bust of a counterfeiting ring, a senior official said.Most of the 20,904 documents seized were fake passports that not yet been completed, Lieutenant General Chatchawal Suksomjit, commander of Immigration police […]
Sri Lanka attack helicopters support army offensive
May 9, 2008 (AFP) – Helicopter gunships provided air cover Friday for ground troops advancing into rebel areas of northern Sri Lanka where at least 30 rebel guerrillas were killed, the defence ministry said.Airforce Mi-24 helicopters flew support as soldiers moved on Alankulam, in Mannar district, killing 15 rebels and injuring 20, a ministry statement […]
Sri Lankan troops capture key rebel town: defence ministry
May 9, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan government forces captured Friday a key guerrilla town in the north of the island killing 15 Tamil rebels, the defence ministry said. Two soldiers also died in the fierce fighting as government troops took Adampan town in Mannar district, the ministry said. There was no immediate comment from […]
Wrong response aggravates Asia food crisis: ADB report
MANILA, May 9, 2008 (AFP) – Asia’s response to tightening global grain supplies has aggravated food price inflation and uncertainty, according to an Asian Development Bank report released here Friday.Export bans and price floors imposed by grain exporters including China, Pakistan, Vietnam and India “have increased price volatility and uncertainty in the international rice markets,” […]
Majority of economists mislead over commodity bubble: survey
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 (AFP) – A surge in food and energy prices is being driven by fundamental market conditions, rather than an investment bubble, according to a Wall Street Journal survey of economists published Thursday.Fifty-one percent of the respondents said demand from China and India was the prime factor in soaring energy prices, and […]
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NEW DELHI, May 8, 2008 (AFP) – India’s government on Thursday halted trading in futures contracts for key staple foods and for rubber as it battled to avoid an election drubbing due to high inflation.The government suspended futures trade in basic foods such as chickpeas, soybean oil and potatoes for four months, saying the move […]
Indian inflation at 7.6-pct in April
NEW DELHI, May 9, 2008 (AFP) – India’s annual inflation rate rose marginally to a near four-year high at 7.61 percent on the back of rising food prices, official data released Friday showed.The government immediately announced prices were stabilising and would soon come down after weeks of steady increases. Inflation moved up for the week […]
”Karuna released into immigration detention
May 9, 2008 (AFP) – A former leader of Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebel splinter group, jailed in Britain since January, has been released and transferred to an immigration detention centre, officials said Friday.Vinayagmoorthy Muralitharan, also known as Colonel Karuna, was released Thursday following his imprisonment for possessing false documents, the British High Commission (embassy) […]