Category:
Americans look to Asia for affordable heart, hip and other surgeries
WASHINGTON, Nov 16, 2006 (AFP) – When Wayne Steinard visited his doctor earlier this year he faced two options: either undergo open heart surgery in the US for 100,000 dollars or have it done in India for 6,700 dollars. “I chose India,” the 59-year-old uninsured building contractor from Florida told AFP, reflecting a growing trend […]
India expresses deep concern over civilian killings in Sri Lanka
NEW DELHI, Nov 16, 2006 (AFP) – India’s prime minister has expressed deep concern over rising civilian deaths in Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, saying there was no justification for the violence, the Press Trust of India reported.Manmohan Singh, in a letter to the chief minister of southern Tamil Nadu state M. Karunanidhi, said he planned […]
Sri Lanka asks Tigers to resume talks as war budget bites
Nov 16, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president appealed to Tiger rebels Thursday to enter talks and end spiralling violence on the island as a British envoy moved to jumpstart stalled peace efforts. The deficit of 235 billion rupees (2.18 billion dollars) is to be financed mainly through domestic and foreign borrowings. Please click to […]
Rights panel backs UN child soldiers charge against Sri Lanka
Nov 16, 2006 (AFP) – A New York-based rights group asked Sri Lanka’s government Thursday to arrest security force members allegedly involved in forcibly recruiting child soldiers on behalf of a Tamil rebel faction. Human Rights Watch said its investigations supported the findings of a top UN official who charged Monday that Sri Lankan security […]
‘s Tiger rebels
Nov 16, 2006 (AFP) – A British envoy was holding talks with Sri Lanka’s Tiger rebels Thursday to help salvage a faltering peace initiative, while in the capital the president wooed moderate Tamils, officials said.British MP Paul Murphy toured the violence-hit port city of Trincomalee Wednesday and began talks with Tamil Tiger guerrillas at the […]
Sri Lanka lowers economic forecasts for 2006
November 16, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Thursday cut the island’s next year economic growth to 7.5 percent from 8.0 percent announced earlier. In its half yearly review of this year’s economy, the bank expects year-end gross domestic product to touch 7.4 percent, led by growth in telecom, ports, industrial and agricultural services. […]
Sri Lanka plans war budget
Nov 15, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka plans to announce a war budget Thursday in which it will hike defence spending next year by 45 percent amid a spiralling conflict with separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, officials say. However money sent by Sri Lankans working abroad grew by 23 percent to 1.73 billion dollars and helped […]
Disk Doctor
Nov 15, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Government and the ICT Agency will launch an emergency response unit next month to counter threats and vulnerabilities affecting computer systems and networks, officials said Wednesday. The response unit CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) will be a source of expertise to assist member organizations in responding to and […]
Bangladesh exports set new quarterly record
DHAKA, Nov 15, 2006 (AFP) – Bangladesh exports grew a record 31.5 per cent to 3.25 billion dollars in the first quarter of the 2006-2007 financial year amid a boom in the textile industry, an official said Wednesday. The growth was powered by a 33.5 percent year-on-year growth of textile shipments such as t-shirts, jeans […]
Seven banks announce plan for new European stock market
LONDON, Nov 15, 2006 (AFP) – Seven big investment banks said on Wednesday that they planned to create a new pan-European platform for trading shares to rival established stock markets. The seven banks are Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and UBS. The initiative by the banks is aimed at […]
Nobel laureate touts microcredit, but how does it work?
HALIFAX, Canada, Nov 14, 2006 (AFP) – Few people had heard of microcredit before a determined Bangladeshi economist called Muhammad Yunus won this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, but Yunus has put the industry in the spotlight as a potential poverty-busting tool.“Governments in developing countries must demonstrate a strong political commitment towards supporting microfinance as an […]
China plans to expand luxury tax
BEIJING, Nov 15, 2006 (AFP) – China is planning to expand a consumption tax on luxury items and adjust upward other taxes in an effort to even out income distribution and reduce poverty, state press reported Wednesday.Ongoing tax reforms should include adjustments to the personal income tax, property tax, and consumption tax in an effort […]