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Bank of Japan in hot water over excessive travel expenses
TOKYO, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – The Bank of Japan faced a fresh scandal Friday as it admitted giving 73 million yen (632,800 dollars) in excessive travel expenses to officials for business trips over the past seven years.The central bank, which is working to regain public trust after its governor’s private investment scandal, said it […]
‘s highest court wants Coke, Pepsi ingredients
NEW DELHI, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – India’s Supreme Court has told US beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to supply it with details of the chemical composition and ingredients of their products, a report said Friday.The notice to the two companies was issued after a study released this week said their drinks contained unacceptable levels […]
Hong Kong ranks bottom in sex frequency survey
HONG KONG, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Hong Kong people have the least sex in the world, managing it less than once a week, a survey has found. “Pressures from life and the relationship of a couple will also affect sex ability,” he said, urging couples to communicate better about their love lives to enhance […]
Sri Lanka police find haul of land mines
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police Friday found a large haul of land mines and grenades and arrested two men who were transporting the cargo deep into a plantation in the island’s south, officials said.Police found 18 Claymore mines, 15 hand grenades, three automatic assault rifles and 100 detonators hidden inside a truck […]
Muslims flee as Sri Lanka warring parties shut out foreign aid
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Thousands of civilians clambered onto bull-drawn carts, tractors and other rickety vehicles Friday to flee fighting between Sri Lankan troops and Tigers in a Muslim fishing town, witnesses said.Women and children were the first to escape the town of Muttur, just a few kilometres (miles) from the […]
ICRC says relief effort fails in Sri Lanka
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday it had failed to get relief to thousands of civilians trapped by fierce fighting between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil Tiger rebels.“We have not been able to achieve the humanitarian corridor we wanted to establish for us to move freely and […]
26 killed in battle for Sri Lanka town
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Five Muslim civilians were killed in shell attacks in the Sri Lankan town of Muttur Friday, raising the death toll from clashes between the army and Tamil rebels to 26, a Muslim legislator said.The attack on a school came despite appeals to both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to […]
Norway in talks to save Sri Lanka from full-scale war, Muslims flee
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Norway launched high-level talks Friday in a bid to pull Sri Lanka back from all-out war as thousands of Muslims fled the bloodiest fighting in four years that has claimed nearly 170 lives.Peace broker Oslo sent special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer who immediately went in for talks with Prime Minister Ratnasiri […]
‘s Jan-June trade deficit widens sharply on oil
August 4, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit expanded 48.0 percent to 1,793 million dollars for the six months to June, compared with the same period 2005, the central bank said Friday, as the island spent more to import fuel. From January-June, the island imported 4,955 million dollars worth of goods, up 20.3 percent […]
Corporate Chase
August 3, 2006 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s Bank of Ceylon, a state-owned bank which is heavily involved in financing the government, is targeting corporate clients with its computerisation plan nearing completion.Unlike the private commercial banks which went on-line much earlier, the state owned giant with a large branch network spread into the far corners of […]