Not too late for Sri Lanka peace talks: ex-peace broker

SINGAPORE, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) – There is still time for peace talks between Sri Lanka’s government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels despite the virtual collapse of a truce, a former Norwegian peace broker said Tuesday. “It’s not too late. They can and should and must reopen real peace negotiations,” Jan Egeland told AFP. But […]

‘s Hapugastenne estate profit soars on high tea prices, asset sales

August 27, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Hapugastenne Plantations said net profit for the June quarter shot up 472 percent to 170 million rupees with the bottom line being boosted by high low grown tea prices and profit from asset sales. Revenue for the quarter was up 39 percent to 705 million rupees, according to […]

Yahoo rolls out enhanced e-mail service

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 26, 2007 (AFP) – US Internet titan Yahoo on Monday is introducing an upgraded free e-mail service with enhancements that include letting people send text messages from computers to mobile telephones.The improved Yahoo! Mail being rolled out around the world in the coming weeks is the most extensive overhaul of the web-based […]

Japanese shares up 1.06 percent in morning

TOKYO, Aug 27, 2007 (AFP) – Japanese share prices rose 1.06 percent in morning trade Monday with sentiment boosted by solid gains on Wall Street last week as fears eased over a credit crunch, dealers said. The Tokyo Stock Exchange’s benchmark Nikkei-225 index of leading shares was up 172.92 points at 16,421.89 at the lunch […]

Auction of first A380 seats set to begin on Singapore

SINGAPORE, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) – An online auction for seats on the first commercial flight of the super jumbo Airbus A380, between Singapore and Sydney, was to begin Monday night, a Singapore Airlines spokesperson said.“The auction proper will start at 8:00 (pm),” or 1200 GMT, the spokesperson told AFP. Seats are being offered for […]

Victims tell how Hyderabad laser show crowd was struck by bombs

HYDERABAD, India, Aug 26, 2007 (AFP) – Romanna was bleeding and in shock after being wounded in a series of terror blasts that rocked this southern Indian city late Saturday, killing 36 people and injuring 60. A string of explosions went off in an auditorium packed with families watching a laser show, while other blasts […]

” as blasts kill 42

HYDERABAD, India, Aug 26, 2007 (AFP) – Indian security forces launched a manhunt Sunday for those behind twin bombings in the southern city of Hyderabad that killed 42 people, with officials pinning the blame on Islamic militants.More than 50 others were injured in the blasts late Saturday, which ripped through a packed street restaurant in […]

Blasts in south India kill 28 people in suspected terror attack

HYDERABAD, India, Aug 26, 2007 (AFP) – Two near-simultaneous blasts tore through the Indian city of Hyderabad late Saturday, killing at least 28 people in what a state official said was a suspected terror attack.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the blasts in Hyderabad and voiced his deep concern, the Press Trust of India reported. One […]

China pledges investment to tackle pollution

BEIJING, Aug 25, 2007 (AFP) – China will invest more than 1.33 billion yuan (176 million dollars) to clean up the environment after decades of frantic economic growth, state media said Saturday. The money will be earmarked mainly for monitoring and reducing pollutant emissions, and for a new system of emission trading, the China Daily […]

‘s Tata confirms interest in Land Rover, Jaguar

NEW DELHI, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) – The head of India’s Tata conglomerate confirmed Friday that his group was interested in bidding for luxury British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, in an interview with an Indian news channel.Last month, Indian news reports said that two Indian automakers — Tata Motors and the Mahindra group […]

Shell accuses Argentina of discrimination in fuel battle

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) – Anglo-Dutch oil company Royal Dutch/Shell, whose top executives are under threat of arrest, accused the Argentine government of “discrimination” in a page-wide advert published Friday in leading newspapers.“The discrimination Shell is being subjected to is inadmissible,” said company president Juan Aranguren in the statement, adding that the firm […]

Venezuela consolidates Zimbabwe path

CARACAS, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) – Lawmakers Friday launched a national campaign for constitutional reform to consolidate President Hugo Chavez’s power and socialist agenda that a weak and splintered opposition seems powerless to stop.With Chavez loyalists taking up all 167 seats of the single-chamber legislature, the constitutional reform is assured passage before it is put […]

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