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Business travel costs surging on high fuel costs, demand: survey
NEW YORK, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Business travel costs around the world are expected to see a big surge in 2008 with air fares pushed up by rising fuel prices and hotels rates squeezed by growing demands, a survey showed Tuesday.The American Express Global Business Travel Forecast said hotel rates are especially pressured in […]
Oil prices fall for third straight day in Asia
SINGAPORE, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) – World oil prices fell for the third straight day in Asia on Wednesday, pulling back further from record highs reached last week.Dealers said worries about slowing economic growth have pushed aside fears about tensions between Turkey and Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, which helped push prices sky-high last week. […]
Sri Lanka captain to play for Derbyshire
Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will play English county cricket for Derbyshire next year, the county’s official website said on Wednesday.“I knew that he was the right player after I had spoken to him and I could tell that he has the desire to play county cricket and contribute both […]
Sri Lanka says war plan going ahead despite air force debacle
Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s top defence official vowed Wednesday to push ahead with operations against the Tamil Tiger rebels, who launched a devastating attack on a key air force base earlier this week.Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse told the government’s main website that the deadly raid by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam […]
The bizarre battle between IMF, well-meaning charities like Oxfam and poverty
WASHINGTON, Oct 24, 2007 (LBO) – At this year’s annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the largest lender to poor countries, the World Bank, there were no high profile protests by charities and lobby groups. Deficit-happy charities would have plenty of work to do then, helping out a new set of freshly created […]
Sri Lanka tourism arrivals down 21 percent
Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Tuesday reported a sharp 21 percent drop in holidaymakers visiting the island, a day after Tamil Tigers launched a major suicide attack against a key military base. Tourist arrivals during the month of September slipped 3.6 percent to 37,104 compared to the same period in 2006. The […]
‘s Talawakelle Tea Estates profits nose dive
Oct 23, 2007 (LBO) –Hayleys subsidiary Talawakelle Tea Estates has reported a sharp fall in profits up to September this year as it struggles to recover from the effects of a strike which crippled production late last year and bad weather. Production fell even after the strike as estates were forced to prune and discard […]
Dodgy Doctors
Oct 23, 2007 (LBO) – Some Sri Lankan doctors who work long hours attending to other people’s health, hide their wealth so well that they pay income tax on less than half their earnings, it was revealed at a recent investor forum. A health care professional working for a pharmaceuticals company told the forum organized […]
Locked Up
BEIRUT, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Locked up and cut off from her family for nine years, without even a penny for the endless scrubbing and washing up, Siriani knew it was time to flee or, as she says, die.Like thousands of Filipinas, Sri Lankans, Nepalese or Ethiopians, Siriani came to Beirut at the age […]
Indian shares surge 4.99 percent on relief for foreign investors
MUMBAI, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Indian shares surged 4.99 percent Tuesday as investors cheered a move that eased concerns about a proposed regulatory change previously seen as soon limiting purchases by overseas buyers, dealers said. The Mumbai stock exchange Sensex index rose 878.85 points or 4.99 percent to 18,492.84 after the regulator allowed foreign […]