Category: Other
French workers made sick by Indian radioactive lift buttons
GRENOBLE, October 22, 2008 (AFP) – French factory workers were exposed to excessive levels of radiation as they handled luminous lift buttons made using unsafe material from India, officials said. France’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) classed the incident at “Level Two” on a scale of seven because of the exposure of more than 10 people […]
Sri Lanka agro firm warns price controls are hurting quality
Oct 22, 2008 (LBO) – A top Sri Lankan agro enterprise has warned that state controls of prices would block quality gains of agricultural produce with government slapping price ceilings on rice in the wake of a global bubble in April. “In the question of price control of rice what has happened is that you […]
Debt Consultant
Oct 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Securities and Exchange Commission has issued a statement on a consultant Toshihisa Iida, the spouse of the head of the World Bank country office, Naoko Ishii. The statement is reproduced below: We refer to an article which appeared on a Sunday newspaper pertaining to Mr. Toshihisa Iida, Consultant […]
India plans to complete global 3G spectrum auction in January
NEW DELHI, October 21, 2008 (AFP) – India said Tuesday its planned global auction for airwaves to offer high-speed third generation mobile phone services will likely be completed by mid-January.The auction of 3G phone spectrum could spur greater growth in the world’s fastest-expanding mobile market, which has been adding eight million new subscribers monthly, and […]
Pakistani officials to meet IMF over economic crisis
KARACHI, October 21, 2008 (AFP) – Pakistani officials are to meet International Monetary Fund representatives in Dubai on Tuesday as the violence-hit country looks for billions of dollars to stave off an economic meltdown. The government has insisted that seeking IMF help to avoid a balance of payments crisis is only a “back-up plan”, but […]
Sri Lankan firms drawn to carbon trade
Oct 21, 2008 (LBO) – A host of Sri Lankan companies, especially plantations firms, have submitted proposals for projects to earn carbon credits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Ministry of Environment officials said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 Most of the projects are for […]
Sri Lankan tea prices tumble at Colombo auction
Oct 21, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea auction prices tumbled Tuesday amidst a collapsing global commodity bubble, though brokers said volumes picked up and an approaching winter was likely to bring more buying interest.“We’re confident that, while the market won’t go back to pre-currency drop rates, demand will pick up and stocks will begin […]
Aussie non-banks face run after government guarantees banks deposits
SYDNEY, October 21, 2008 (AFP) – Australia’s largest mortgage fund, Challenger Howard, is set to freeze investor redemptions following a rush of withdrawals sparked by the government’s guarantee of bank deposits, a report said Tuesday. The Australian Financial Review reported that the 2.9-billion-dollar (two billion US) fund would act imminently to prevent a flight of […]
Anti-dumping probes surge 39 percent in first half of 2008: WTO
GENEVA, October 20, 2008 (AFP) – The number of anti-dumping probes launched by trading nations against alleged unfairly-priced imports surged 39 percent in the first half of the year, with China a key target, the WTO said Monday. Between January and June 2008, 16 World Trade Organization members initiated 85 new probes, compared to 61 […]
Chinese exporters gear up for worst crisis in their miracle rise
CIXI, October 21, 2008 (AFP) – Richard Fan is preparing for what may be the worst crisis of his six-year manufacturing career as the world markets that made his business in eastern China thrive are drying up at an alarming rate. Standing on the shop floor of Henwei Industrial, which produces everything from bottle openers […]
Obama to dash to side of sick grandmother
WEST PALM BEACH, October 21, 2008 (AFP) – Democrat Barack Obama will leave the White House trail later this week to dash to the side of his gravely ill 85-year-old grandmother in Hawaii, just 11 days before the election. The Illinois senator will cancel events in midwestern Iowa and Wisconsin and head to his native […]
Iran hopes OPEC cut would push oil prices to 150 dollars
TEHRAN, October 21, 2008 (AFP) – Iran’s oil minister said on Tuesday that Tehran believes OPEC should cut production by between two million and 2.5 million barrels a day, and that prices could go higher than 150 dollars a barrel.Attiyah also said OPEC “might be obliged to reduce production to balance supply and demand,” at […]