Category: Other
‘s cyclone-hit rice mills resume production
YANGON, June 17 (Asia Pulse) – Most of the rice mills in Myanmar’s Yangon division, which were destroyed in a cyclone storm early last month, have resumed operation after prompt repair, the local weekly Flower News reported Tuesday. Of the 110 over-15-ton rice mills in Yangon division, nearly 100 have returned to normal operation since […]
Nokia launches new phones, vows to stay number one
SINGAPORE, June 17, 2008 (AFP) – Finnish telecom giant Nokia has launched two new email-capable handsets for business users and vowed to defend its position as the world’s leading mobile phone maker.Nokia said the E71 and E66 were pre-loaded with Microsoft’s popular email programme and would cater to business professionals who wanted easy and instant […]
Economic slowdown to spur terrorism: Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, June 17, 2008 (AFP) – Incidents of terrorism and human trafficking will spike due to the global economic slowdown led by surging prices for food and fuel, a top Malaysian minister said Tuesday. Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar, who ovesees internal security, said spiralling inflation will cause serious hardship among Asia’s poor. “The […]
Sri Lanka professionals call for policy reform in agriculture
June 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka must have a clear cut agriculture policy, especially for paddy, without resorting to short term solutions, if the country is to tackle the approaching food security issues, agriculture professionals said. “We have been having ad hoc approaches to food security and food policy,” said Nimal Ranaweera, a former […]
Samsung unveils touch-screen smart phone
SINGAPORE, June 16, 2008 (AFP) – South Korea’s Samsung on Monday unveiled its latest smart phone, a touch-screen model to be commercially launched in Southeast Asia this week.The Omnia, which means “everything” in Latin, comes with a five megapixel built-in camera, 3.2-inch (eight-centimetre) screen as well as video functions, the company said. With its touch-sensitive […]
Britain warns of high attack risk in UAE
DUBAI, June 16, 2008 (AFP) – Britain has warned of a high risk of a terror attack in the United Arab Emirates, the booming oil-rich Gulf state and regional economic and tourst hub that is home to several million foreigners.“There is a high threat from terrorism.We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks […]
Sri Lankan tea pluckers not reaping benefits: study
June 15, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea estate community, which plucked the leaf that kept the economy afloat for more than a century, has not reaped the benefits of the trade, says a new study on the link between trade and poverty. “The estate sector in Sri Lanka is a prime example of trade […]
G8 finance chiefs send message to oil speculators: analysts
OSAKA, June 15, 2008 (AFP) – Group of Eight finance chiefs sent a warning signal to oil speculators this weekend, highlighting the inflation threat to the global economy in an attempt to cool red-hot energy prices, analysts said.Although the finance ministers said it was unclear how much influence speculators wield over energy markets, their remarks […]
and military secrets at the Bagram bazaar
BAGRAM, June 15, 2008 (AFP) – “I don’t really know what it is for,” says a salesman with some embarrassment, despite the explicit illustrations on the bottle of “Long Love Spray”.Alongside it on the shelf of a tiny shop in the bazaar at Bagram is a “special sex” gel as well as distinctive blue pills […]
British Patels are top consumers of hi-tec gadgets
LONDON, June 13 (Asia Pulse) – In the world of hi-tech gadgetry, you no longer need to keep up with the Joneses but with the Patels. Analysis of buying behaviour among people with common surnames has found that those called Patel are most likely to own must-have gadgets. Based on 12 months of sales figures […]
US will take a 100 years to recover from Bush: Gore Vidal
MADRID, June 14, 2008 (AFP) – It will take the the United States a century to recover from the damage wreaked by President George.W. Bush, US writer Gore Vidal said in an interview published Saturday.“The president behaved like a virtual criminal but we didn’t have the courage to sack him for fear of violating the […]
Sri Lanka returns orphaned baby elephants to the wild
UDAWALAWE, June 14, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Saturday released eight orphaned baby elephants into the jungle after rescuing them from near certain death, wildlife officials said. Official figures show about 150 are killed annually by villagers whose crops are destroyed by marauding elephants that claim the lives of 50 farmers each year. Many […]