Author: lbostgadmin
” cannot be taken in isolation: economists
June 7, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should have a holistic approach to avert the threat of the household food security of the vulnerable groups due to the prevailing food crisis, officials and economists have said. A global commodity bubble – fired by money printing in reserve currency countries in particular – has brought higher […]
Dollar tumbles; Oil hits new record of US$138 a barrel
NEW YORK, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar tumbled Friday after a US government survey revealed a much higher-than-expected jump in the nation’s unemployment rate during May to 5.5 percent. Analysts said the report underlined lingering economic woes but noted the Federal Reserve’s precarious position because further interest rate cuts could spur inflationary pressures […]
Sri Lanka detains over 50 a day after twin bus bombs: military
June 7, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police detained more than 50 people for questioning following twin bomb attacks blamed on Tamil Tiger rebels that killed 23 civilians, the defence ministry said on Saturday. The suspects were rounded up near the town of Moratuwa, south of Colombo, where a crowded passenger bus hit a roadside […]
Sri Lanka gets World Bank loan to rebuild in conflict areas
June 06, 2008 (LBO) – The World Bank plans to give Sri Lanka a loan of 75.6 million dollars mainly to rebuild the homes of people in the war-ravaged north and east, the lending agency said in statement. Technical assistance will also be provided under the program to help meet the long term housing needs […]
Sliding Up
June 06, 2008 (LBO) – Chevron Lubricants Lanka has raised prices of its products following sharp increases in the prices of crude and base oil, a senior company official said Friday. “With rising petrol and diesel prices, people are finding it difficult to maintain their vehicles and so tend to postpone service decisions.” The two […]
Legends of the Olympic Games
PARIS, June 5, 2008 (AFP) – With the 2008 Olympics getting under way in Beijing on August 8, AFP Sport presents a selection of the legends who have lit up the event down the years: Abebe Bikila (ETH) – Running barefoot, Bikila of Ethiopia won the marathon at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Despite undergoing an […]
Hormone serotonin, impulsivity linked in British study
WASHINGTON, June 5, 2008 (AFP) – Serotonin plays a key role in regulating emotions such as aggression and impulsivity during decision making, according to British research appearing Thursday in the United States. Neurologists and psychiatrists have long linked serotonin, a hormone that transmits chemical messages between nerve cells, and social behavior, but its precise role […]
” to tackle global warming
TOKYO, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – The world must spend one percent of its annual economic output to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the IEA said Friday, calling for an “energy technology revolution” to curb global warming. Unless governments take action now, carbon dioxide emissions will rise by 130 percent by the middle of […]
Court agrees flight attendants are too fat to fly: report
NEW DELHI, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – An Indian court has upheld the right of state-owned Air India to ground overweight flight attendants, a report said.Lawyers for the airline told the court the attendants were moved from flight duty to ground duty when they failed to meet minimum physical fitness standards, the Hindu newspaper reported. […]
Drug cheats with bans over six months to miss Games, says IOC
ATHENS, June 5, 2008 (AFP) – Drug cheats will be banned from future Olympics after Beijing 2008 if they are caught and sanctioned for over six months, the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday.“An athlete would not be deemed eligible to compete at an edition of the Olympic Games if he or she were caught […]
Malaysia to halve foreigners in manufacturing, plantations by 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6, 2008 (AFP) – Malaysia plans to almost halve the number of foreigners working in the plantation and manufacturing sectors by 2010 by reducing its yearly foreign intake by 400,000, a report said Friday.Human Resources Minister S. Subramaniam said the government wanted to reduce the imported labour force in the country from […]
Sri Lanka Brandix is top apparel exporter
June 6, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s export promotion agency has named Brandix as the island’s top apparel exporter Friday, the group which employs more than 25,000 people, said. Brandix makes lingerie, casuals, sport wear, textiles, knitted fabrics, thread, accessories and hangers. It also has wet processing, finishing and fabric printing facilities. “The concluded year […]