Category:
EU investment in India surges past China in 2007: Eurostat
BRUSSELS, May 19, 2008 (AFP) – The flow of European cash into Indian firms surged more than fourfold last year, far surpassing EU investments into Chinese companies, estimates from the bloc’s Eurostat data agency showed on Monday.Foreign direct investment from the 27-nation European Union into India jumped to 10.9 billion euros (17.0 billion dollars) last […]
Microsoft says mulling new Yahoo deal, without a takeover
WASHINGTON, May 18, 2008 (AFP) – Microsoft said Sunday it was considering some kind of new deal with Yahoo that would not involve a new takeover bid, two weeks after withdrawing its offer to acquire the struggling Internet pioneer.“In light of developments since the withdrawal of the Microsoft proposal to acquire Yahoo Inc., Microsoft announced […]
Afghanistan take first step towards cricket World Cup
KARACHI, May 19, 2008 (AFP) – Burgeoning cricket talent Afghanistan are confident as they prepare for the first step towards the 2011 World Cup, captain Norooz Khan Mangal was quoted as saying Monday. “The tour to Peshawar was a good one in which we won 13 out of 14 40-overs-a-side matches. In our domestic cricket, […]
‘s disaster: SMS or cell broadcasting for early warning?
May 19, 2008 (LBO) – The loss of tens of thousands of lives in Burma (Myanmar) in our region’s largest human disaster since the 2004 tsunami reminds us once again of the urgency of solving the problem of the last mile of the early-warning chain. I no longer call these events “natural” because, for the […]
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 […]
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 […]
‘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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Takeover Watch
May 17, 2008 (LBO) – Fitch Sri Lanka has placed the ‘A-(lka)’ rated Commercial Leasing Company on credit watch after Lanka Orix Leasing Company (LOLC) gained 67 percent control of the firm. CLC was started in 1988 by Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, Chemanex Limited, and Singer (Sri Lanka) Limited (‘A+(lka)’/Negative). It has a network […]
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 […]
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 […]