Author: lbostgadmin
Free Visa
Oct 24, 2007 (LBO) – The United States government Wednesday urged Sri Lankans wishing to migrate to America to be vigilant of US Green Card resident visa scams. Some travel daily from Mexico to US while others settle down. The US government is unable to prosecute persons connected to bogus US Green Card web sites […]
Sri Lanka Treasury bill yields crash after debt issue
Oct 24, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lankan government Treasury bill yields have fallen sharply after the government’s 500 million US dollar bond sale, dealers said. The bond issue was arranged by HSBC, Barclays, and JPMorgan and co-managed by the Bank of Ceylon. In the equity markets, the All Share index closed one point lower at […]
Sri Lanka rating agency warns of real estate market downturn
Oct 23, 2007 (LBO) – Lanka Rating Agency has warned of a possible slump in the property market which has been growing rapidly in recent years and shows signs of a classic ‘bubble’. LRA said that real estate markets are vulnerable to “waves of optimism and herd behaviour that result in bubbles.” It said in […]
Talent show may have helped Sri Lanka suicide attack
COLOMBO, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan defence officials said Tuesday that a major Tamil Tiger suicide attack against a key military base may have been helped by security lapses during the screening of a popular TV talent contest. A rebel “Black Tiger” suicide squad of 21 on Monday infiltrated the Anuradhapura army and […]
Sri Lanka military reshuffle after airbase attack
Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military made key changes in its command on Tuesday, a day after the Tamil Tigers infiltrated an air base and destroyed several aircraft, officials said.President Mahinda Rajapakse appointed Major General Sanath Karunaratne Overall Operations Commander in the north-central region of the Anuradhapura area, where Tamil Tiger rebels devastated […]
‘t expect Murali to face racist abuse
SYDNEY, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Tuesday he did not believe Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan would face racist abuse from crowds during their upcoming tour.Sutherland was responding to reported comments from former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga advising Murali to skip the tour in the wake of Australia’s […]
Oil falls below 86 dollars
SINGAPORE, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – World oil prices slipped further in Asia on Tuesday as worries over slowing economic growth in the United States shadowed the market, dealers said.New York’s main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for delivery in December, was 30 cents lower at 85.72 dollars a barrel. The November contract closed […]
US ethanol plan causing food prices to surge: bank
OTTAWA, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) – Attempts to reduce US dependence on imported oil by adding more ethanol to its gas tanks are only driving up food prices while delivering moot energy benefits, a Canadian bank warned on Monday.Corn prices have already jumped by 60 percent over the past two years as American ethanol producers […]
Dale Carnegie opens “finishing school” for graduates in India
BANGALORE, India, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Dale Carnegie Training, which has taught business skills to more than eight million professionals worldwide, said Monday it will open its first school in India to make graduates “employable.” The New York-based company tied up with Walchand PeopleFirst to open the “finishing school” in Bangalore to smooth out […]
Free trade, changing diets to put pressure on rice production: expert
MANILA, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Free trade, changing diets, and rapid urbanisation is leading to a decline in rice production, one of the world’s leading experts on the crop said.“As prosperous rice-growing countries move toward free trade in agricultural production, they may increasingly find it difficult to sustain producers’ interest in rice farming,” said […]
Indian shares surge 4.99 percent on relief for foreign investors
MUMBAI, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Indian shares surged 4.99 percent Tuesday as investors cheered a move that eased concerns about a proposed regulatory change previously seen as soon limiting purchases by overseas buyers, dealers said. The Mumbai stock exchange Sensex index rose 878.85 points or 4.99 percent to 18,492.84 after the regulator allowed foreign […]
Locked Up
BEIRUT, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) – Locked up and cut off from her family for nine years, without even a penny for the endless scrubbing and washing up, Siriani knew it was time to flee or, as she says, die.Like thousands of Filipinas, Sri Lankans, Nepalese or Ethiopians, Siriani came to Beirut at the age […]