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Sri Lanka agriculture hampered by skewed subsidies, land policies: World Bank
Oct 09, 2008 (LBO) – The World Bank has said Sri Lanka’s agriculture sector is being held back by wrong policies that place a heavy reliance on subsidies and restrictive land ownership rules. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The bank’s new country assistance strategy […]
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PARIS, October 8, 2008 (AFP) – European Central Bank Chief Jean-Claude Trichet urged financial markets to “collect” themselves Wednesday after Wall Street and European stock exchanges tumbled again despite coordinated central bank cut rates. “Collect yourselves,” Trichet said on France 3 television. “Excessive pessimism is ill advised.” “We all together call upon the market participants […]
Sri Lanka shares extend losses
Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan share prices ended 3.0 percent lower Wendesday a day after stock fell 2.0 percent amidst unprecedented unraveling of the global financial system, in a day where Asian and Middle Eastern markets plunged. The All Share Price Index fell 64 points to 2,042.13 while the more liquid Milanka plunged […]
Bunker Saga
Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s former Treasury Secretary P B Jayasundera was ordered to assure Supreme Court that he would not remain in public service following an apology for having remained in public office after a judgment, lawyers said. On Wednesday Jayasundera was told to submit an affidavit assuring Supreme Court that he […]
Reversed
Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court has rapped a former president for abuse of power and reversed a controversial transfer of state land to a private developer in a landmark case, a court official said. Justice Shirani Tilekewardene delivering the judgement has observed that a president exercises power in trust for the […]
IBM Push
Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Midware Technologies, a Sri Lanka IT firm has been appointed a distributor of IBM Software group to drum up business in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the company said. Midware Technologies will distribute Lotus, Tivoli, Information Management, Rational and WebSphere, brands from IBM. “The company will actively engage in brand […]
‘s no dictator
MALE, October 7, 2008 (AFP) – The president of the Maldives went into a multi-party election challenge to his 30 years in office Wednesday insisting he was no dictator and pledging to bow out gracefully should he lose. Veteran strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, currently Asia’s longest-serving leader, faces five challengers in the polls that mark […]
Icelandic central bank abandons krona peg to euro
REYKJAVIK, October 8, 2008 (AFP) – Iceland’s central bank said Wednesday it was abandoning efforts to shore up the krona, saying there was “insufficient support” for the exchange rate it had locked in at 131 kronur to the euro a day earlier. “For the past two days, the central bank of Iceland has carried out […]
Arab stock markets join global rout
KUWAIT CITY, October 8, 2008 (AFP) – Gulf stock markets tumbled for the fourth day running on Wednesday amid growing fears that policymakers may be powerless to stop the worst financial shock since the Great Depression. The plunge slashed many more billions from the combined value of regional markets to add to enormous losses chalked […]
McCain hits hard but debate lacks game-changer
NASHVILLE, October 8, 2008 (AFP) – John McCain hammered away at unruffled front-runner Barack Obama in Tuesday’s second presidential debate but failed to land the cutting blow likely to revive his sliding poll numbers. Gallup’s daily tracking poll Tuesday reflected the high stakes for McCain, giving Obama a nine point lead nationally, while the Democratic […]
US candidates eye Warren Buffett as possible Treasury chief
NASHVILLE, October 8, 2008 (AFP) – Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama and his Republican rival John McCain Tuesday agreed that one of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffett, would make a good treasury secretary. The two were asked at the beginning of their second presidential debate who would be a good replacement for current […]
Wall Street lose 500 points to slips to five-year low
NEW YORK, October 7, 2008 (AFP) – Stocks plunged for a second day running on Wall Street on Tuesday, while those in Europe were mixed, on persistent anxiety over the health of the banking sector — and despite central bank initiatives to shore up confidence. Wall Street opened with solid gains, bolstering both spirits and […]