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Sri Lanka military says 5,000 rebels killed this year
July 20, 2008 (AFP) – More than 5,000 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed by Sri Lanka’s military since the beginning of the year, the defence ministry said Sunday.The ministry said its latest figures showed 5,036 rebels and 446 of its own soldiers had died in fighting between the start of the year and Friday […]
”, say US lawyers for Afghan reporter
KABUL, July 20, 2008 (AFP) – US human rights lawyers charged Sunday that US military prisons are “legal black holes” and the force is detaining journalists to “shut people up” about activities in Iraq and Afghanistan.A vast detention camp planned for the main US base in Afghanistan will be a “second Guantanamo” where laws do […]
ECB fight against inflation a tough sell as economy stumbles
FRANKFURT, July 20, 2008 (AFP) – The European Central Bank is trying to convince people in the eurozone that taking a tough stand on inflation will get them through lean economic times, arguing that long-term gains warrant short-term pain.“There is a particular need to speak to citizens on inflation and monetary policy right now,” Natixis […]
Gulf states look to harvest food from foreign investment
DUBAI, July 20, 2008 (AFP) – Faced with a scarcity of fertile land, water shortages and surging world food prices, wealthy Arab states in the Gulf are seeking to secure their food supplies by investing in agriculture abroad. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the top food importers among Arab countries in the Gulf, […]
True Olympic spirit found in those who come last
PARIS, July 20, 2008 (AFP) – True Olympic spirit is often found away from gold medallists with their agents and sponsorship deals — it is found in its purest sense in those that come last.Swimmer Eric “The Eel” Moussambani and Paula Barila Bolopa may have made a splash in Sydney but only the best memories […]
Sri Lanka draws against India
July 20, 2008 (AFP) – Opener Gautam Gambhir scored an unbeaten half-century as India drew their rain-hit three-day tour match against a Sri Lanka Board XI here on Sunday. Brief Scores: Sri Lanka Board XI: 224 and 247-6 dec. in 55 overs (C. Silva 59 not out, J. Mubarak 41; Harbhajan Singh 2-53). Indians: 196-8 […]
IOC will crackdown on drug testing – president Rogge
LAUSANNE, July 20, 2008 (AFP) – International Olympic Committee (IOC) boss Jacques Rogge has promised a drug-testing crackdown at the Beijing Games in a bid to banish memories of cheat Marion Jones. “We had 26 positive tests in Athens, so classic tests work.But if we look at statistics most athletes are tested out of competition.” […]
Capital Controls
July 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal has said its exchange control department had streamlined approvals for overseas investments by local firms.The government wants to encourage big Sri Lankan companies to grow bigger and invest abroad, as a few have already done, he said. “Now the exchange control department […]
Sri Lanka army chief says war nearly won
July 19, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s army chief said Saturday his forces had wiped out two-thirds of the Tamil Tigers’ military capability, and that the decades-old conflict with the rebels was at its tail-end.Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) would gradually start collapsing, the state-run Daily News paper […]
Zimbabwe introduces 100-billion-dollar note
HARARE, July 19, 2008 (AFP) – Zimbabwe, grappling with a record 2.2 million percent inflation, has introduced a new 100-billion-dollar bank note in a bid to tackle rampant cash shortages, the central bank said Saturday. The new note will go into circulation on Monday, the bank said in a statement cited by state media, joining […]
Nepal to vote for first president
KATHMANDU, July 19, 2008 (AFP) – Lawmakers in Nepal are expected to vote on Saturday for the country’s first president following the abolition of the Hindu monarchy, paving the way for the dominant Maoists to form a government.“With the three parties going three separate ways, the road to the smooth functioning of the new government […]
Global commodity bubble wobbles, as economies run out of steam
LONDON, July 18, 2008 (AFP) – Oil prices slumped this week as traders worried the slowing US economy would dampen demand from the world’s biggest energy consumer, sparking losses across other key commodity markets.OIL: Crude futures plummeted further from record high points above 147 dollars per barrel that were struck exactly one week ago. “The […]