Category: Other
Card Scam
Jan 12, 2007 (LBO) – Credit cards purported to have been issued by two Sri Lankan banks were found with a British national arrested in India over a credit card scam, a media report said. Police examinations of his e-mail had revealed that he had received confidential information such as PIN of ATM cards and […]
Most Chinese unhappy at work, seek big pay rises: survey
BEIJING, Jan 12, 2008 (AFP) – Fewer than one in eight Chinese are happy at work, with most complaining about dead-end jobs and wages eroded by record inflation, according to a new survey.Only 12.6 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their jobs, while 50 percent said they were unhappy with working conditions, according […]
Sri Lankan betel farmers benefit from Pakistan buying: minister
Jan 12, 2008 (LBO) – Pakistan’s removal of a quota on Sri Lankan betel leaf exports has helped raise the quality of life among growers in three of the island’s districts, a government minister said. The government is keen to ensure that the benefits of the island’s burgeoning exports flow down to the villages in […]
Everest conqueror Hillary dies aged 88
WELLINGTON, Jan 11, 2008 (AFP) – Edmund Hillary, the unassuming New Zealander who won world fame as the first man to climb Mount Everest, died Friday at the age of 88. Hillary, who with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain on May 29, 1953, died of a heart attack in […]
Dollar tumbles as Bernanke says rate cuts may be needed
NEW YORK, Jan 10, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar fell sharply Thursday after Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the US central bank was ready to implement fresh interest rate cuts if necessary amid lingering economic uncertainty.Traders ratcheted up their expectations that the US central bank would unleash a fresh rate cut at a looming […]
Dollar weaker in Asia ahead of Bernanke speech
TOKYO, Jan 10, 2008 (AFP) – The dollar softened in Asian trade Thursday as market players waited for clues from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on the chances of further US interest rate cuts, dealers said.The dollar eased to 109.87 yen in Tokyo morning trade from 109.93 in New York late on Wednesday. The euro […]
Maldives budget deficit could undermine economy: World Bank
January 10, 2008 (LBO) — The World Bank warned Maldives, South Asia’s richest economy, that recent economic gains could unravel, if the atoll nation failed to tackle political instability and curb its budget deficit.“Constitutional changes, pressures for unsustainable fiscal deficits, and vulnerability to economic shocks could offset or potentially roll back some development gains,” Washington-based […]
Beijing Hamburgh rail link to cut transit time by half
BEIJING, Jan 10, 2008 (AFP) – China and five other countries have agreed to collaborate on a train service between Asia and Europe that is expected to transport cargo twice as quickly as by sea, Chinese state media said Thursday. Under an agreement signed on Wednesday by China, Mongolia, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany, the […]
”s cheapest car
NEW DELHI, Jan 10, 2008 (AFP) – India’s Tata Group unveiled Thursday the world’s cheapest car costing 2,500 dollars amid predictions the no-frills vehicle could revolutionise how millions in India and elsewhere travel.The launch of the Tata Nano was a landmark in the history of transportation, claimed 70-year-old tycoon Ratan Tata, the head of the […]
World to grow by 3.3-pct, Asia 9.6-pct in 2008: World Bank
WASHINGTON, Jan 8, 2008 (AFP) – The global economy is expected to slow to a modest 3.3 percent growth pace this year, but the pace could worsen if the United States slips into recession, the World Bank said Tuesday. Despite financial turmoil unleashed by a meltdown in the US mortgage market, global growth slowed in […]
Five held over attempt to kill Maldives president: police
COLOMBO, Jan 9, 2008 (AFP) – Police in the Maldives said Wednesday they arrested four more people in connection with an unsuccessful attempt to kill the Indian Ocean archipelago’s president. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who has ruled Maldives with an iron fist since 1978, escaped assassination while touring the atoll’s northern islands on Tuesday thanks to […]
Tech Crime
Jan 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs more trained investigators to probe computer crimes and common policies and laws to combat electronic crimes which can extend across borders, legal professionals have said. “We also can adopt common directives similar to the EU, otherwise countries in Asia and the Pacific will not be able to […]