Category: Other
‘ broken aid promises
PARIS, April 4, 2008 (AFP) – British charity Oxfam released Friday figures on aid spending showing that rich countries had broken promises made to substantially increase assistance to developing countries.The figures showed that in many of the Group of Eight (G8) richest nations, aid spending as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) had dropped […]
” while ordinary Americans lose homes
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2008 (AFP) – The US Congress Thursday steps up scrutiny of the government role in the rescue of Bear Stearns, even as Fed chairman Ben Bernanke argued the central bank “did not bail out” the Wall Street investment giant. A Senate hearing will seek details of the deal engineered by the Federal […]
Zimbabwe opposition wins parliamentary control, presidential results awaited
HARARE, April 3, 2008 (AFP) – Zimbabweans waited anxiously on Thursday for an end to a deafening official silence over the outcome of their presidential election, after the opposition took control of parliament.The economy of Zimbabwe has been in meltdown since the start of the decade, with inflation now standing at over 100,000 percent and […]
World Bank calls for new solution to fight old problem
WASHINGTON, April 2, 2008 (AFP) – The World Bank on Wednesday called on the international community to mount a wide-ranging fight against hunger as skyrocketing food prices critically threaten the world’s poor.“We need a New Deal for Global Food Policy,” World Bank president Robert Zoellick said in a speech to a Washington think tank ahead […]
In a first, Boeing says it has flown a hydrogen-battery plane
OCANA, Spain, April 3, 2008 (AFP) – US aircraft maker Boeing flew a plane earlier this year that was powered by a hydrogen battery in a first for the aviation industry that could herald a greener future, senior company officials said in Spain on Thursday. But the company said that although hydrogen fuel cells could […]
Asia skills shortage could hit growth: ADB
MANILA, April 2, 2008 (AFP) – Asia is facing a serious skills shortage that could hamper the region’s economic growth and push for modernisation, the Asian Development Bank said in its annual outlook report released Wednesday. The Manila-based ADB said the shortage was widespread and had been partly driven by skilled workers leaving to take […]
Singapore sovereign fund stands by UBS
SINGAPORE, April 2, 2008 (AFP) – The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) on Wednesday stood by its decision to invest in troubled Swiss bank UBS and did not rule out a further capital injection.UBS on Tuesday revealed an additional 19 billion US dollars in writedowns, making it the bank worst-hit by a global crisis […]
” tea
April 02, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tea Board has turned down an appeal by export firms to ship tea below government stipulated standards, saying it no longer allowed such shipments. Tea board director-general H D Hemaratna said exports of sub-standard teas was a “serious matter” and the trade was concerned such shipments could tarnish […]
Deutsche Bank, UBS reveals new subprime-related losses
FRANKFURT, April 1, 2008 (AFP) – Deutsche Bank unveiled huge asset writedowns linked to the international banking crisis on Tuesday, but the amount still managed to pale in comparison to those announced by Swiss bank UBS.Deutsche Bank, the biggest German bank, said it estimated first-quarter writedowns would reach roughly 2.5 billion euros (3.9 billion dollars) […]
Carrot& Stick
April 01, 2008 (LBO) – Tight new immigration regulations that came into effect on April 01, will ban rule breakers from visiting Britain for ten years, but illegal immigrants would also be an amnesty leave, the UK High Commission (embassy) in Colombo said. “We will now prevent anyone who has previously broken our immigration laws […]
Sex brings red hot television ratings, says survey
PARIS, April 1, 2008 (AFP) – Sex, sex and more sex together with ever-popular game shows remain the big television draws in most countries, according to a new survey.. Sex and science, sex and spirituality and sex for the sake of sex — anything goes, according to International Medias Consultants Associes (IMCA) and Mediametrie, a […]
Oil wobbles below 102 dollars in Asian trade
SINGAPORE, April 1, 2008 (AFP) – World oil prices traded below 102 dollars in Asian trade on Tuesday after falling more than four dollars in New York on concerns about slowing energy demand in the US, and a decline in Iraqi militia violence, dealers said. In morning trade, New York’s main oil contract, light sweet […]