Author: lbostgadmin
Biodiversity loss costs six percent of world income: report
BERLIN, May 17, 2008 (AFP) – The destruction of flora and fauna is costing the world two trillion euros (3.1 trillion dollars) a year, or six percent of its overall gross national product, according to a report trailed by German news weekly Der Spiegel.The European Union and German environment ministry-led research, entitled “The Economics of […]
Ex-Soviet economies hit by high inflation: EBRD
KIEV, May 18, 2008 (AFP) – The new market economies of the former Soviet block have shrugged off the global credit crunch but are facing slower economic growth because of rampant inflation, the EBRD said Sunday at its annual meet. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s 17th annual two-day conference takes place this year […]
‘s Reliance Entertainment signs Hollywood deals
NEW DELHI, May 18, 2008 (AFP) – India’s Reliance Entertainment said Sunday it had signed deals with the production houses of top Hollywood stars such as Brad Pitt and George Clooney to make films worth about a billion dollars.The media group has signed separate deals with the production firms of Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage, Jim […]
Inside Sri Lanka M&”’ factory
May 18, 2008 (LBO) – Built on the naturally sloping ground inside the 180-acre Thulhiriya Fabric Park, north of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, surrounded by patches of greenery and pools of water stands a building. At first glance, the MAS group’s new lingerie factory that manufactures exclusively for Marks and Spencer looks like any […]
Sri Lanka attacks Tiger lines in north
May 18, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka mounted air and ground attacks against the Tamil Tigers across the island’s embattled northern district at the weekend, killing at least 17 rebels, the defence ministry said Sunday. Russian-built Mi-24 helicopter gunships backed troops advancing towards rebel-held areas in the Mannar area on Sunday, air force spokesman Wing […]
Sri Lanka tsunami film wins recognition at Cannes
CANNES, France, May 17, 2008 (AFP) – A small flick went from refugee camp to red carpet Friday as Sean Penn, backed by rock star Bono and film-maker Michael Moore, brought an Australian aid worker’s tsunami film to the Cannes fest.Thompson, who had basic first aid training, took care of the wounded as the team […]
‘s inflation edges toward 8 pct as hits 44-month high
NEW DELHI, May 16, 2008 (AFP) – India’s inflation rate accelerated to a 44-month high of nearly eight percent on Friday, dealing a fresh blow to the government which fears a voter backlash.Annual inflation climbed more than two-tenths of a percentage point to 7.83 percent for the week ended May 3 from 7.61 percent the […]
‘s Orange in deal to roll out iPhone to Europe and beyond
PARIS, May 16, 2008 (AFP) – French wireless carrier Orange announced a deal Friday to bring Apple’s iPhone to more than a dozen countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.The deal was announced some 10 days after British mobile phone carrier Vodafone said it would distribute the handset to customers in 10 […]
Africans agree on custom union by September: Kenya
NAIROBI, May 17, 2008 (AFP) – Africa’s main trading bloc has agreed to finalise the details of a customs union by September to pave the way for its launch by the year’s end, Kenyan Trade Minister Uhuru Kenyatta said. Ministers of the 19-member Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) ended a two-day meeting […]
‘s quake zone survivors say
JUYUAN, China, May 17, 2008 (AFP) – Local residents have a simple answer for why the four-storey Juyuan Middle School collapsed during the China quake — killing hundreds of children — while nearby buildings remained standing.Greed. “Look at the building materials they used,” said one resident in this rural community in southwest China.“The cement wasn’t […]
Sri Lanka clashes leave 16 Tiger rebels dead: military
May 17, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan ground troops killed at least 16 Tamil Tiger rebels while airforce fighter jets bombed guerrilla targets in the island’s north, the defence ministry said on Saturday.The air sorties were carried out over the rebel-held Iranamadu area late on Friday, the ministry said in a statement. The offensive came […]
Tree Walkers
WASHINGTON, 2008 (AFP) – Scientists have long thought that walking is easier than climbing for primates — explaining why we humans ended up on our feet all the time.But researchers at two US universities have found that, at least for smaller primates like squirrel monkeys and lemurs, climbing is no more difficult and energy-consuming than […]