Wall Street searches for bottom after worst weekly pounding

NEW YORK, October 11, 2008 (AFP) – Wall Street’s worst meltdown in recent memory ended the week with a whimper, leaving panicked investors wondering whether the vicious selloff will end soon or will keep ravaging the market. Ironically, some analysts say the meltdown on Wall Street and other global markets could mean a “bottom” has […]

World stock markets dive in crisis of confidence

LONDON, October 10, 2008 (AFP) – Global stocks went into a tailspin on Friday, with double-digit losses in Frankfurt, London and Tokyo, on widespread fears that the financial crisis was spiralling out of control, dealers said.World finance chiefs were preparing an emergency meeting in Washington as a wave of panic selling swept across markets. Interest […]

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 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 […]

Zimbabwe inflation soars to 231 million percent

HARARE, October 9, 2008 (AFP) – Zimbabwe’s annual inflation rate soared to 231 million percent in July, a state newspaper said Thursday, confirming the daily hardships of a nation driven into poverty and trapped in a political impasse.Staggering increases in the price of bread and cereals were the main reason for the jump from the […]

Major central banks cut rates to head off deflationary collapse

Oct 08, 2008 (LBO) – Major reserve currency central bank led by the Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Bank of England joined by Swiss and Swedish authorities cut rates by 50 basis points in a bid to head off a deflationary collapse of the global economic system. With interest rates already low the Bank of […]

UN chief rails against suicide attacks in Sri Lanka

UNITED NATIONS, October 7, 2008 (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday condemned the latest suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, including one which killed at least 27 people.The attack in the northern town of Anuradhapura came as the Sri Lankan military appeared on the verge of capturing the rebel Tigers’ key headquarters as part […]

Sri Lanka core inflation continues embarrassing climb

Oct 07, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s controversial ‘core’ inflation index, which is claimed to be more responsive to monetary action, continued its relentless upward climb even as headline inflation moderated amid tight policy. In an earlier era, in France, paper money ‘central bankers’ who pushed food commodity prices up, created high inflation and economic […]

‘s northern offensive

NEW DELHI, October 7, 2008 (AFP) – India criticised Sri Lanka in a rare intervention into the island’s internal affairs, saying civilian deaths during a military offensive against Tamil rebels were a cause of grave concern. The fall of Kilinochchi would be the biggest loss in 13 years for the Tigers. India’s National Security Advisor […]

Sri Lanka and India have talks on Thorium-based nuclear energy: report

Oct 06, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s science and technology ministry have sounded out India about using the island’s Thorium deposits in nuclear energy, and an Indian team is expected to visit the country to study the idea, a media report said. The Daily Mirror newspaper quoted science and technology minister Tissa Vitharana as saying […]

Sri Lanka to get $900mn in World Bank aid

Oct 06, 2008 (LBO) – The World Bank will give Sri Lanka 900 million dollars in aid under its new four-year country assistance strategy aimed at achieving more balanced and equitable growth. The World Bank wants to make sure its work is not undermined by corruption and will support efforts to strengthen core governance institutions […]

Sri Lanka journalists mourn colleague; condemn killing

Oct 06, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s media organizations condemned a blast by a suspected Tamil Tiger suicide bomber, which killed a TV journalist and more than 20 others including a former army general-turned politician.Rashmi Mohamed, a provincial correspondent with Sri Lanka’s Sirasa TV, died Monday while covering the opening of an opposition United National […]

Page 272 of 593