Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka military says 41 killed in fresh fighting
Feb 25, 2008 (AFP) – At least 36 Tamil Tiger guerrillas and five Sri Lankan government soldiers have been killed in fresh fighting in and around rebel-held territory, the island’s defence ministry said Monday. War planes bombed a suspected Tamil Tiger naval base in the district of Kilinochchi on Sunday, inflicting heavy damage, the ministry […]
Six million North Koreans chronically short of food
SEOUL, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) – Nearly six million North Koreans are in chronic need of foreign food aid this year with children, nursing and expectant mothers and the poor most at risk, the World Food Programme said Sunday. A Seoul official and media reports said this month however that South Korean rice aid intended […]
Virgin test flies coconut oil powered jumbo jet
LONDON, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) – The first flight by a commercial airline to be partly powered by biofuels and billed as heralding a eco-friendlier and cheaper era of airline travel took place on Sunday, Virgin Atlantic said.Airlines meanwhile also see biofuels as cheaper alternatives to kerosene, whose price is soaring as oil futures strike […]
China may raise rates further as inflation hits 7.1-pct
BEIJING, Feb 25, 2008 (AFP) – Inflation remains the primary risk to China’s economy, and the government will stick to a tight monetary policy, state media reported Monday, citing a central bank vice governor.China hiked interest rates six times last year in an effort to tame inflation and cool the economy, which nevertheless grew at […]
EU wants code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds
BEIJING, Feb 25, 2008 (AFP) – The European Union wants a global code of conduct for sovereign wealth funds to ensure transparency and good governance, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said Monday. Mandelson’s remarks, made during a visit to Beijing, come as the clout of funds such as the cash-flush China Investment Corp.are rapidly on […]
” dominates Oscars, Europeans score high
HOLLYWOOD, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) – Violent thriller “No Country for Old Men” won the best picture Oscar at the 80th Academy Awards here Sunday as European stars scored a clean sweep in the acting honors in an historic Hollywood night.The Golden Globes were canceled after stars vowed to boycott the event in support of […]
Oil Skills
Feb 25, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank plans to hire professionals with expertise in the petroleum industry to support the government’s oil exploration and development efforts. It has just advertised for petroleum economists, geophysicists, petroleum geologists and petroleum risk analysts for positions in the central bank’s middle management level. Applicants with qualifications in […]
Sri Lanka investors chase plantations stocks
Feb 25, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed slightly higher Monday with trading dominated by shares of plantations companies which are enjoying higher earnings owing to the boom in commodities, brokers said. The All Share Price Index gained 10.19 points or 0.41 percent to close at 2,520.98 while the more liquid Milanka index went […]
Lanka Ratings re-branded as RAM Ratings Lanka
Feb 25, 2008 (LBO) – Credit rating agency Lanka Ratings was re-branded as RAM Ratings (Lanka) Limited following a reorganization of its Malaysian parent company RAM Holdings Berhad, Monday. RAM Holdings, an affiliate of the world’s largest ratings agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P), plans to expand regionally following the re-branding process. Suresh Menon, executive director […]
Sri Lanka suicide attack kills two
Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) – A suspected Tamil rebel suicide bomber killed two rival militants in eastern Sri Lanka on Sunday, officials said, as the government stepped up security in the capital to prevent new attacks. The suspected suicide attacker crashed his motorcycle into another motorbike carrying two members of a breakaway rebel faction in […]
‘s inflation soars, world fears knock-on effects
SHANGHAI, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) – As China’s factory floors feel the pressure from spiralling costs, there is growing nervousness in the rest of the world that the Asian giant’s next big export could be inflation.From air-conditioned US shopping malls to bustling African street markets and remote Asian villages, shoppers have become accustomed over recent […]
A row with girlfriend that could divorce England from Scotland
EDINBURGH, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) – Alex Salmond, the head of Scotland’s government, has spent his political life fighting for independence from London but says he bears no ill-will towards the “auld enemy”, the English. Nine months after his election as first minister, Salmond sits in his elegant official residence in Edinburgh insisting that independence […]