All Blogs
‘s economy shrinks, adding to global concerns
TOKYO, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) – Japan’s economy contracted in the second quarter of 2007 as firms cut spending on new factories and equipment, the government said Monday, adding to jitters over the global economic climate. Past GDP estimates were also revised, showing the economy shrank by 0.1 percent in the third quarter of 2006, […]
WHO says time to get tough with tobacco giants
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) – A top World Health Organisation official on Monday urged the world to get tough with tobacco companies, saying smoking deaths are an international scandal. “The deaths and misery caused by smoking continue to be one of the greatest scandals of our time,” said Shigeru Omi, WHO […]
Oil price danger looms over OPEC meeting
VIENNA, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) – OPEC oil ministers arrive in Vienna on Monday, under pressure to help combat high crude prices, which have surged to near-record highs and loom as a new risk for the global economy.The outcome is uncertain of a formal meeting on Tuesday, when the group will decide whether to raise […]
Swann and Wright selected for Sri Lanka one-day series
LONDON, Sept 10, 2007 (AFP) – England have selected off-spinner Graeme Swann and all-rounder Luke Wright for their forthcoming one-day international tour of Sri Lanka.Paul Collingwood (Durham, capt), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Stuart Broad (Leicestershire), Alastair Cook (Essex), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire), Monty Panesar (Northamptonshire), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), […]
Taxes in Sri Lanka: limiting damage or doing good?
Sept 10, 2007 (LBO) – Once Parliament figures out what really happened when the taxation provisions were supposedly debated and passed on the 6th of September, hopefully, we will find out that the regressive LKR 50 tax on mobile subscribers has been removed. So much for the braggadocio of the Government Whip, Minister Fernandopulle, about getting […]
Asia Pacific leaders close summit with trade plea
SYDNEY, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) – Key world leaders called Sunday for “urgent” efforts to salvage global talks on trade as they wrapped up a summit marked by unprecedented security and wrangling over a plan to tackle climate change. Representing 21 economies that account for nearly half the world’s trade, Asia Pacific leaders said it […]
Changing Fortunes
September 09 (LBO) – Thanuja was orphaned at a very young age. She started to study the art of making coir products at the village Kohu Samithiya, or coir association from the time she was 17 years old. Realizing that she had a knack for it, she decided to strike out on her own. Unbankable […]
Home Truths
Sept 09, 2007 (LBO) – Trade analysts say that Sri Lanka should make the most of existing trade deals like the Bay of Bengal Initiative before negotiating more bilateral and multilateral agreements. Japan has played a big role in enhancing Sri Lanka™s infrastructure and is a major investment partner in the services sector. Sri Lanka […]
Sly Workers
Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan authorities have launched a crackdown on Indian nationals who arrive as tourists and stay on to work, an immigration official said Sunday.Eight Indian men were arrested Friday in the south of the island, where they had been employed as farm workers, the official said, adding that all had […]
Asia-Pacific summit pumps up brothel business
SYDNEY, Sept 9, 2007 (AFP) – Sydney brothels have had to import prostitutes from other states to get over a demand hump caused by security agents and delegates attending an Asia-Pacific summit, an industry spokesman said Sunday. APEC groups Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua […]