Category: Other
Illegal Smoke
June 01 (LBO) – Ceylon Tobacco Company together with several hotel associations filed petitions in the Supreme Court on Thursday against proposed laws to clamp down on smoking. The petition challenges the constitutionality of the proposed National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) bill, which the company claims prohibits smoking in hotels and restaurants, CTC […]
driving into poverty
Though Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe are thousands of miles apart and are on two separate continents, but our economic policies have so much in common with that country, that it is uncanny. The readers of this column are no strangers to Zimbabwe as we have tried to keep a regular update on what is happening […]
WHO accuse tobacco industry of continuing misleading labels
MANILA, May 30, 2006 (AFP) – The World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday accused the global tobacco industry of continuing to use misleading labels to lure millions of people, including children, to take up smoking.On the eve of World No Tobacco Day, WHO said it would focus on the “tobacco industry’s lies” and the great variety […]
Rise of migrants is damaging planet: British think-tank
LONDON, May 30, 2006 (AFP) – The growing number of people who migrate from developing countries to over-populated Western states in search of a better life is damaging the planet and could be avoided, a think-tank said Tuesday.Governments and aid agencies should encourage families to stay put by tackling environmental degradation, such as the spread […]
Stressed-out Southeast Asians unhappy with their sex lives:survey
SINGAPORE, May 30, 2006 (AFP) – Southeast Asias have the unhappiest sex lives in the world, making love less often than people elsewhere and getting the least satisfaction from it, a global survey showed Tuesday.Mexicans scored the highest sex satisfaction levels with 74.5 percent declaring they were very satisfied, followed by Brazil at 64.5 percent […]
World press leaders debate how to join the Internet revolution
EDINBURGH, May 29, 2006 (AFP) – Global press chiefs gathered in the Scottish capital Edinburgh to thrash out how best to wrestle with the rise of the Internet, stay on top of technology, and beat countless bloggers and citizen journalists to the story. The three-day International Press Institute (IPI) World Congress opened Sunday with fervent […]
Impotent patient kills sex doctor
NEW DELHI, May 29, 2006 (AFP) – An Indian sexologist was shot dead by a patient depressed by worsening impotency, reports said Monday. Javed Ali, 22, on Sunday pumped seven bullets into the self-styled sexologist who had been treating him for two years, The Hindustan Times said. Thirty-three-year-old Rajesh Abbot fell under a hail of […]
Why geography curses Indonesia — and always will
HONG KONG, May 29, 2006 (AFP) – The powerful earthquake that hit Indonesia was just the latest display of violent seismic activity on the archipelago, which stretches across one of the most unstable parts of the Earth’s surface.The country’s position on the planet’s crust means it will continue to experience such catastrophes, just as it […]
World press chiefs tackle terrorism and Internet rise
EDINBURGH, May 27, 2006 (AFP) – Journalism in the modern, high-tech age and the perils of reporting on terrorism will be the key topics thrashed out at the International Press Institute’s annual world congress, which opens here Sunday. The three-day conference in the Scottish city brings together some 450 participants from 60-odd countries to tackle […]
Singapore’s Banyan Tree launches IPO
SINGAPORE, May 26, 2006 (AFP) – Singapore-based luxury resort and spa chain the Banyan Tree on Friday launched an initial public offering (IPO) worth up to 407 million Singapore dollars (259 million US). The resort and spa chain is issuing some 380 million shares at a maximum price of 1.07 dollars each and will make […]
Behave or you’re history, Nepal’s finance minister warns king
KATHMANDU, May 26, 2006 (AFP) – Humbled King Gyanendra must “behave” or he has no future even as a ceremonial monarch, Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat told AFP, revealing a royal spending spree before absolute rule was brought to an end.Gyanendra’s conduct had been “very good” in the month since he relinquished his 14-month […]
‘s Banyan Tree launches IPO
SINGAPORE, May 26, 2006 (AFP) – Singapore-based luxury resort and spa chain the Banyan Tree on Friday launched an initial public offering (IPO) worth up to 407 million Singapore dollars (259 million US). The resort and spa chain is issuing some 380 million shares at a maximum price of 1.07 dollars each and will make […]