Category: Other
ASEAN, India to sign free trade pact in December: official
BANGKOK, August 8, 2008 (AFP) – Southeast Asian nations will sign a free trade pact with India in December on the sidelines of a regional summit in Bangkok, an official said Friday. Talks in Brunei removed the remaining obstacles to the pact, which will liberalise trade in goods between India and the 10-member Association of […]
Oil prices slide beneath 116 dollars
LONDON, August 8, 2008 (AFP) – Crude prices slumped below 116 dollars a barrel on Friday as the market shrugged off confirmation that separatist Kurdish rebels were behind a blast that has cut a strategic oil pipeline in Turkey. Brent North Sea crude for September delivery shed 1.91 dollars to 115.99 dollars per barrel in […]
Sri Lanka to more than double spending on fertilizer subsidy
Aug 07, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has decided to spend at extra 25 billion rupees (230 million US dollars) on a politically important fertilizer subsidy, a senior minister said, as the country is seeking commercial funding for vital infrastructure projects.In the fiscal budget for 2008, Sri Lanka allocated 15 billion rupees for fertilizer subsidies, […]
US, UN condemn military coup in Mauritania
WASHINGTON, August 6, 2008 (AFP) – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday condemned the military coup in Mauritania and called for the release of the African country’s president and prime minister. “The United States condemns the Mauritanian military’s overthrow of the democratically elected Government of Mauritania and welcomes the statements by the African […]
German insurer Allianz warns on profits after weak second quarter
FRANKFURT, August 7, 2008 (AFP) – Shares in the German insurance group Allianz plunged on Thursday after the group warned that it would not reach its operating profit target going into 2009 following a difficult second quarter.Allianz shares showed a loss of 3.52 percent to 109 euros in initial trading on the Frankfurt stock exchange […]
Sri Lanka blamed for serious security lapse at South Asian summit
August 07, 2008 (AFP) – India said there had been serious security lapses during a visit to Sri Lanka by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh despite the island nation’s promise of “ultimate security.” The Sri Lankan bodyguard assigned to protect Singh did not turn up during a regional summit last weekend, while the motorcade for India’s […]
India completes key trade road in Afghanistan
KABUL, August 07, 2008 (AFP) – India has almost completed a key road linking Afghanistan to Iranian sea ports despite Taliban attacks that claimed more than 100 lives in two years, the deputy public works minister said.The 217-kilometre (134-mile) route connects a nearly completed ring road around Afghanistan to the Iranian port cities of Bandar-i-Abas […]
Fed avoids rate hike as oil bubble pauses
WASHINGTON, August 5, 2008 (AFP) – The Federal Reserve, in a widely predicted move, kept its main interest rate unchanged at 2.0 percent Tuesday citing concerns about sputtering economic growth and inflationary pressures. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rocketed 331 points to close at 11,615.77 as investors cheered the announcement, although tumbling oil prices also […]
‘s Prince Philip has prostate cancer: report
LONDON, August 6, 2008 (AFP) – Queen Elizabeth II’s elderly husband Prince Philip has been diagnosed with prostate cancer but is defying the disease and carrying on with engagements, London’s Evening Standard reported Wednesday. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the report, which cited “medical sources” as saying the diagnosis was made in April. “Medical […]
Maldives heads for democracy amid political intrigue
August 06, 2008 (LBO) – Maldives is set to ratify a new constitution this week which will bring multi-party democracy the Indian Ocean tourist paradise, but the archipelago’s politics are already tainted with allegations of bribery amid fears of a constitutional crisis.Under that, an Elections Commission must be formed within 30 days, a Supreme Court […]
Southern Sri Lanka shaken by earth tremor
Aug 06, 2008 (LBO) – Southern parts of Sri Lanka were shaken by minor tremors, early on Wednesday morning, and investigations are underway to find the cause, an official said. The tremors were felt in Tangalle, Beliatte, Ranna and Kudawella, in Sri Lanka’s southern province by residents around 5.45 to 5.50 am local time, JNW […]
US charges 11 in massive credit, debit card scam
WASHINGTON, August 6, 2008 (AFP) – Eleven people were indicted in Boston Tuesday for stealing and selling some 40 million credit and debit card numbers they obtained by hacking into the computers of nine major US retailers, the US Justice Department said. In what the department believes is the largest hacking and identity theft case […]