All Blogs
‘s Premier League cricket
NEW DELHI, April 18, 2008 (AFP) – Agence France-Presse (AFP) and other top news agencies have said they will not cover cricket’s inaugural Indian Premier League, which starts Friday, due to curbs on the distribution of photographs.IPL officials have prohibited news agencies from supplying photographs to cricket-specific websites for the eight-team, Twenty20 tournament. The London-based […]
Sri Lanka rice price controls fuels fears of black market
April 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan traders Friday said they had agreed to sell rice at the new government controlled price but many wholesale shops remained closed in key markets amid warnings of a shortage and emergence of a ‘black market’. Government officials said they would crack down on ‘unscrupulous’ traders who were trying […]
China imposes new visa restrictions
HONG KONG, April 18, 2008 (AFP) – China has imposed further curbs on visitors, just weeks after it stopped issuing multiple-entry visas, Hong Kong travel agents said Friday, sparking concern among the business community.“You now need a copy of your travel ticket both in and out of the country and a hotel voucher before they […]
Hundreds arrested as Olympic torch makes tense Indian passage
NEW DELHI, April 17, 2008 (AFP) – Hundreds of Tibetan demonstrators were arrested in India and neighbouring Nepal Thursday as thousands of police and soldiers defended the Beijing Olympic torch on a suffocating run through New Delhi.The heart of the Indian capital was sealed off for the most sensitive leg of the protest-hit global relay […]
Ecuador set to revoke thousands of mining concessions
QUITO, April 17, 2008 (AFP) – President Rafael Correa said Thursday Ecuador was close to revoking some 4,000 mining concessions granted since 2004, many of them to US and Canadian companies, that have been idle and used solely for speculation.A government-sponsored bill revoking about 80 percent of mining concessions in gold, silver and limestone deposits […]
Google profits jump 30 pct despite worries over online ads
SAN FRANCISCO, April 17, 2008 (AFP) – Google reported Thursday that its profits surged more than 30 percent to 1.31 billion dollars in the first three months of the year, erasing fears of sagging online advertising revenues. Google’s stock leaped more than 17 percent to 526 dollars a share in after-hours trading on the news. […]
” in Germany: report
FRANKFURT, April 18, 2008 (AFP) – More than one German in five works in the “low wage” category, a higher proportion than in Britain but below that in the United States, a press report said Friday.The left-of-centre Frankfurter Rundshau quoted researcher Gerhard Bosch as saying the trend was “worrying.” “The conclusions for Germany are worrying,” […]
Sri Lanka media watchdog says its treasurer threatened, ransom demanded
April 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Free Media Movement (FMM), a media watchdog, said Friday its treasurer, journalist K. Rushangan, has received threats demanding the payment of a ransom before April 25. Despite complaints to the police, no action has been taken to probe the threats, the organisation said in a statement. Rushangan is […]
Sri Lanka Telecom stakes bought by GTH
April 17, 2008 (LBO) “Global Telecommunication Holdings (GTH), a Netherlands incorporated unit through which Malaysia’s UT group is trying to acquire control of Sri Lanka Telecom, has raised its stake in the telco, brokers said Thursday. GTH bought over 6.7 million shares of SLT at 49 rupees per share Thursday, CT Smith Stockbrokers, which bought […]
Sri Lanka Telecom, plantations drive share market higher
April 17, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s shares closed higher Thursday, driven by a large trade in market heavyweight Sri Lanka Telecom and interest in plantations stocks on anticipation of higher earnings owing to strong commodity prices, brokers said.The All Share price Index ended 24.08 points (0.91 percent) higher at 2,671.83 while the more liquid […]