Category: Other
India patent case threatens cheap drug supply: MSF
NEW DELHI, September 5, 2011 (AFP) – Supply of cheap copycat drugs for the developing world could be blocked if Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis wins a challenge to India’s patent law, medical charity MSF said on Monday. “We couldn’t afford to treat them all without these generic drugs,” said Joanna Keenan, spokesman for the Geneva-based […]
‘t let Doha trade talks collapse: India
NEW DELHI, September 5, 2011 (AFP) – The struggling decade-old Doha Development Round of free-trade talks must not be allowed to collapse, India’s trade minister said on Monday. The call came as failure threatens the negotiations on expanding the global free trade system by cutting subsidies and barriers for farm produce and reducing import tariffs […]
India to introduce key land bill in parliament
NEW DELHI, September 6, 2011 (AFP) – India’s cabinet has cleared a new land acquisition bill to be introduced in parliament Wednesday, aimed at addressing the concerns of farmers whose land is purchased for industrial development. The bill, adopted by the cabinet late Monday, seeks to give farmers fairer prices for their land — a […]
Digital debate: Do birds have thumbs?
PARIS, September 4, 2011 (AFP) – It is the kind of question that keeps biologists up at night: from an evolutionary standpoint, is the innermost digit of a bird’s three-pronged wing more like a thumb or an index finger? A study published online Sunday by Nature says it’s a bit of both. The stemcells in […]
”
THIMPHU, September 5, 2011 (AFP) – The isolated kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most expensive holiday destinations in the world and a haven for celebrities and the well-heeled. In 2012, it will become even more costly. By doing a better job of marketing Bhutan overseas and increasing flight links, tourism officials hope more […]
Malaysia seizes 1,000 elephant tusks: reports
KUALA LUMPUR, September 3, 2011 (AFP) – Malaysia has seized more than 1,000 African elephant tusks in two separate shipments in the past two months, reports said Saturday. The wildlife watchdog says that the illegal ivory trade has been rising globally since 2004 largely due to increasing demand in China, where ivory is often ground […]
Sri Lanka launches Ceylon cinnamon brand to promote exports
Sep 03, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has launched a brand for cinnamon, its main spice export, aiming to build an image like its main export, Ceylon tea, and exploit growing awareness of its health benefits. The ‘Pure Ceylon cinnamon’ brand will be registered in key markets in North America and Europe, said Janaka Ratnayake, […]
” after US raid
WASHINGTON, September 2, 2011 (AFP) – Gibson Guitar Corp. renewed its plea of innocence on Friday after US agents raided its Tennessee plants and seized rare ebony wood from India used to make some of the world’s most coveted guitars. “We were not engaged in smuggling,” chief executive Henry Juszkiewicz told CNN television. “We have […]
Sri Lanka finds nearly 6,000 elephants in count
Sep 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s authorities say nearly 6,000 elephants had been found in an island wide census, which was slammed by conservationists as a cover for rulers to identify tusked elephants for capture and domestication. “Out of the total wild elephant population 1107 are calves and juveniles,” minister of agrarian services and […]
‘s Peugeot upbeat about return to India
MUMBAI, September 1, 2011 (AFP) – French auto giant PSA Peugeot Citroen on Thursday signalled its return to India, announcing a new assembly plant in the west of the country as part of wider plans to sell more cars outside Europe. Europe’s second-largest car maker said it had signed a deal with the state government […]
Detention Order
Aug 31, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Wednesday used draconian anti-terror laws to detain thousands of Tamil rebel suspects who would have had to be freed when a state of emergency ended after 28 years, an official said. Attorney General Mohan Peiris said President Mahinda Rajapakse invoked regulations under the Prevention of Terrorism Act […]
Detention End
August 31, 2011 (AFP) – About 1,200 alleged Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka will be released, with the end of emergency rule imposed 28 years ago to deal with the separatist movement, state media said Wednesday. The Daily News quoted Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem as saying that the end of emergency rule, announced by […]