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Indonesia issues tsunami alert after 7.9-magnitude quake
JAKARTA, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) – A massive 7.9-magnitude quake struck off the western coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Wednesday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning, meteorologists said. The archipelago nation sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The undersea earthquake, which hit […]
Sri Lanka treasury yields move up; cut off edges to 18%
Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka treasury 3-month Treasury bill yields went up 13 basis points to 17.93 percent with the cut-off tripping over 18.00 percent dealers said. The government debt office said 10.7 billion rupees worth of bills were rolled over and 1.8 billion retired at Wednesday’s auction. Six months bills edged up […]
Southeast Asia gears up for palm oil boom
JAKARTA, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) – Southeast Asian nations are gearing up for a palm oil boom as interest in biofuels soars, but activists warn the crop may not satisfy a global thirst for energy that is both clean and green. They caution that oil palm plantations require massive swathes of land — either what’s […]
Dollar drops as speculation grows on Fed move
NEW YORK, Sept 11, 2007 (AFP) – The euro flirted with a new record high against the dollar Tuesday as speculation increased about a Federal Reserve rate cut to help get credit flowing and stave off a US economic downturn.The single European currency fetched 1.3838 dollars at 2100 GMT after 1.3797 late Monday in New […]
Fleming sacked as New Zealand Test captain for Vettori
WELLINGTON, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) – Stephen Fleming has been dumped as New Zealand Test captain after a decade in favour of one-day skipper Daniel Vettori. Fleming led the one-day team to 98 wins from 218 games over the past 10 years.He played 279 one-dayers, scoring 8,007 runs — the highest total of any New […]
Sri Lanka opposition slam HSBC, business chambers over dollar bond
Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition has slammed HSBC Bank over its involvement in a controversial sovereign bond issue and accused two trade chambers that came to its aid of creating a “new class of exploiters”. Last week HSBC defended itself saying it was following local rules after the opposition United National […]
Sri Lanka lifts tsunami warning
Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has lifted a tsunami warning and evacuation order issued after an 8.2 magnitude earthquake generated a small wave in Indonesia. Sri Lanka lifted the warning after Indonesia gave the all clear. Police said residents along southern coastal settlements fled inland and to high ground when the tsunami alert […]
Sri Lanka issues evacuation order; waves reach Indonesia
Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has issued evacuation orders to people living in coastal areas after a tsunami struck the coast of Indonesia from a 8.2 magnitude earthquake. Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre estimates that the first waves could reach Sri Lanka by 7.30 pm local time (1400GMT) The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre […]
Sri Lanka issues tsunami warning
Sept 12, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has issued a tsunami warning following a 7.9 magnitude quake in Indonesia. The department of meterology asked residents of Northern, Southern and Southwestern Sri Lanka to stay away from coastal areas. The Pacific Tsunami waring center said and Indian Ocean wide tsunami watch was in effect for the […]
Australia says 72 Sri Lankan boatpeople are refugees
SYDNEY, Sept 12, 2007 (AFP) – Australia Wednesday granted refugee status to 72 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers who were intercepted at sea in February but said they would be settled overseas. Earlier this month two Indonesians who were on the boat with the Sri Lankans were jailed in Australia over the people-smuggling operation. A boat carrying […]
Norway confident stalled Sri Lanka talks will start again
OSLO, Sept 11, 2007 (AFP) – The main mediator in Sri Lanka’s peace process, Norwegian Erik Solheim, expressed confidence Tuesday that stalled talks between the army and Tamil Tiger rebels would one day start again. “It’s very clear that again they will come back to the table” of negotiations, Solheim told reporters in Oslo. “We […]
New High
VIENNA, Sept 11, 2007 (AFP) – OPEC exporters agreed Tuesday to pump an extra 500,000 barrels of oil a day to cool near-record crude prices, in a victory for Saudi Arabia over its reluctant partners.Analysts said that while the gesture would ease fears about a supply crunch heading into the northern hemisphere winter, the peak […]