Category: Other
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi acts up but no eruption yet
JAKARTA, Apr. 29 (AFP) – Volcanic rocks have tumbled down from the peak of Indonesia’s rumbling Mount Merapi volcano but its “standby” status remains unchanged, a vulcanologist said Saturday.The avalanche of rocks created a thin layer of dust that fell on two hamlets located on the western slope of the 2,914-meter (9,560-foot) volcano Friday, said […]
Indian regulator cracks down on alleged IPO manipulation
MUMBAI, Apr. 28 (AFP) – Indian shares staged a knee-jerk plunge Friday, then rallied after the stock market regulator cracked down on two dozen operators, alleging manipulation of initial public share offerings. Mumbai’s benchmark 30-share Sensex index plunged 490 points or 4.1 percent to 11,344.61 in the first minute of trading before recovering sharply. After […]
Disappearing tattoos offer help for lovelorn
PARIS, April 26, 2006 (AFP) – Embarrassed by that tattoo with the name of that former lover? Or those characters in Chinese that you believed meant “eternal love” but later found out to mean “penguin hairball”?Laser treatment is the solution for getting rid of these unwanted body markings, but it can take up to a […]
Forget tea leaves, Indian fortune teller sees life in a coffee cup
BANGALORE, India, Apr. 28 (AFP) – Tucked away in a nondescript building in india’s high-tech city, Nawal Gani sits in her drawing room drying coffee cups after yet another session of telling people’s fortunes.In Hindu-majority India, where most people consult astrologers for matters ranging from marriages, new business ventures and even what time to step […]
Arrest Quest
Apr. 27 (LBO) – Seven persons who were caught promoting the GoldQuest network marketing scheme have been arrested in southern Sri Lanka, police said. Central Bank has now established a special investigation unit to look into pyramid scams, referral frauds, as well as other violations of laws administered by the regulator. The seven who were […]
Chinese car lust drives battery boom, bust in Kenya
ATHI RIVER, Kenya, April 27, 2006 (AFP) – China’s rapid expansion into Africa in search of fuel to feed its booming development needs is leaving a profound mark on the continent’s economies, often in little noticed sectors. And as Kenya hosts Chinese President Hu Jintao on his last stop in a three-nation African tour, the […]
‘s secret service trawls for new talent
LONDON, April 27, 2006 (AFP) – Britain’s secret service, famed for lurking in the shadows, launched its first overt recruitment operation on Thursday, calling on men and women who are looking for a challenge.For the first time in its 97-year history, MI6, the country’s foreign spy agency, published an open advertisement in a newspaper. “From […]
Mission possible — Britain’s secret service trawls for new talent
LONDON, April 27, 2006 (AFP) – Britain’s secret service, famed for lurking in the shadows, launched its first overt recruitment operation on Thursday, calling on men and women who are looking for a challenge.For the first time in its 97-year history, MI6, the country’s foreign spy agency, published an open advertisement in a newspaper. “From […]
Sri Lanka Q1 2006 tea exports up 6% on 2005
Apr. 26 (LBO) – Sri Lanka shipped 75.0 million kilos of tea in March, over 70.3 million kilos in 2005, a commodity brokering house said Wednesday.Revenues from tea exports for March topped 19.2 million rupees, over 21.2 million rupees, reported in 2005, Asia Siyaka Commodity Brokers said. Majority of the export earnings came from bulk tea, […]
Air ticket prices rising on back of oil price spike
PARIS, April 27, 2006 (AFP) – Air France-KLM, Singapore Airlines and a string of other carriers are increasing the fuel surcharge element in their long-haul ticket prices, again passing on to passengers the rising cost of aviation fuel.The airlines justify the price hikes by the recent surge in crude prices, sparked by fears that the […]
Eagle Eyes
Apr.04 (AFP) – Counter terrorism and anti-money laundering experts from South Asian nations began training with US experts in Colombo on Tuesday, the US embassy said.Some 40 South Asian regulators and lawmen from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka were attending the study sessions organised by the US department of justice and the Federal Bureau […]
Kenyan tea sector recovering from searing drought
NAIROBI, Apr.25 (AFP) – Kenya’s tea sector is rebounding from a searing drought, with production of the country’s largest export shooting up 72 percent between February and March, officials said Tuesday. However, export earnings continue to suffer and the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) said the huge boost was unlikely to make up for a […]