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‘s closest relatives in Sri Lanka face extinction
Oct 27, 2007 (LBO) – Two Sri Lankan primates, man’s closest relatives in the wild, have been named as being among 25 species that are most severely threatened with extinction globally, in a new report by conservationists. . Chimpanzees, gorillas and monkeys are among the most widely known primates, though it also includes others such […]
Off Air
COLOMBO, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Friday ordered the closure of a Colombo radio station, charging that it had sparked panic with a false report of a rebel attack against civilians, officials said.The ABC radio station was ordered off the air following an investigation into a report broadcast Wednesday, media ministry officials […]
Buy-Out
Oct 26, 2007 (LBO) – India’s state-run telecom firm MTNL, which is trying to buy Sri Lanka’s fixed wireless operator Suntel, has put conditions for the buy-out as it tries to cash in on legal cases the Sri Lankan firm is involved in. “We are the preferred bidder and are working hard at it. During […]
Nearly one-third of primates in peril: world conservation body
GENEVA, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) – Nearly a third of all non-human primates could be wiped out, threatened by illegal wildlife trade, climate change and destruction of their habitat, a new report warned on Friday.The gorillas face loss of habitat from deforestation, as trees are chopped down from fuel, as well as from poaching. Twenty-nine […]
‘ gun-toting entourages
NEW DELHI, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) – An Indian court has criticised politicians who surround themselves with scores of gun-toting bodyguards, advising them to stay home if they fear frequenting public places, a report said Friday.“I do not know why it has become a matter of prestige for them to move with 10-15 uniformed security […]
Oil surges past 91 dollars in Asian trade
SINGAPORE, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) – Oil surged past 91 dollars in Asian trade Friday on rising tensions in the Middle East following Turkey’s military threat against Kurdish rebels in Iraq and new US sanctions on Iran, dealers said. At 2:00 pm (0600 GMT) New York’s main futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in […]
Grumpy Aussie miners get sex lessons
SYDNEY, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) – Grumpy Australian coal miners are getting lessons on “exploring their wives” to revive their sex lives and boost production at work.Men working at the Bulga mine near Sydney attend classes on issues such as menopause and foreplay because, a manager told the Sydney Morning Herald, a miner not having […]
Sri Lanka balance of payments surplus to double after bond: CB
Oct 26, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank said the balance of payments surplus in 2007 would more than double to 450 million dollars with the help of a sovereign bond issue, after holding policy rates steady in October. “This inflow has stabilized both the exchange rate and market interest rates and this trend […]
Points from GEO-4, major UN environment report
NAIROBI, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) – Following are key points from the fourth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-4) report, issued on Thursday by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) — Of major vertebrate groups on the planet, 30 percent of amphibians, 23 percent of mammals and 12 percent of birds are threatened — Humanity’s current “footprint”, […]
Tamil Tigers ruin Sri Lanka military plans: observers
COLOMBO, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels have dealt a serious blow to Sri Lanka’s intelligence gathering with a devastating suicide attack that destroyed virtually its entire fleet of spy planes, observers said Thursday.Tiger guerrillas, who were widely regarded as being on the defensive, turned the tables Monday with a suicide strike that […]