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Sri Lanka to free military deserters: official
July 24, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka is to free some 1,800 jailed military deserters as part of a presidential amnesty, a justice ministry spokesman said on Friday. In 2003, the government moved to legally discharge 51,000 deserters from the security forces. Tens of thousands were killed in Sri Lanka’s decades-old Tamil separatist conflict.The pardon […]
Sri Lanka power output down in May, diesel sales up
July 24, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s electricity generation in May 2009 fell 3.6 percent to 834 million units (GigaWatt hours) from a year earlier, while diesel sales were up 22.2 percent, the latest government data showed.Thermal power generation at state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) tripled to 243 million units from 81GWh a year earlier […]
‘s Sangakkara ton frustrates Pakistan in drawn Test
July 24, 2009 (AFP) – Kumar Sangakkara hit an unbeaten century to steer Sri Lanka to a draw in the final Test against Pakistan here on Friday and win his first series as captain.The left-hander made 130 not out as Sri Lanka, faced with a world record target of 492, defied the Pakistani bowlers to […]
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GENEVA, July 23, 2009 (AFP) – Fifty-nine journalists have been killed around the world so far this year, in an alarming rise from 2008 that has become a “bloodbath” of the media, a watchdog said Thursday. Abdel Nabi said the UN Human Rights Council was “impotent” in protecting journalists. The PEC expressed concern about election […]
‘s aging population presents risks, opportunities
July 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rapidly aging population could be a big burden in future but also provides a window of opportunity – a time of massive productive labour force and low dependents, a report said.Sri Lanka is the fastest aging country in south Asia, with the elderly population posing many challenges, according […]
Sri Lanka shares slightly weaker, Lanka Cement up
July 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended slightly weaker Thursday with a cement firm in which foreign multinationals are interested being actively traded, along with a property company, brokers said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The All Share Price Index fell 0.19 […]
Skills Gap
July 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka faces a shortage of skilled people in the logistics industry with traditional preferences for other occupations deterring youth from making the sector a career choice, an official said. “There’s a serious shortage of skilled people in the logistics industry,” said Rohan Masakorala, director of the Academy of International […]
Sri Lanka June tea crop down 14 pct
July 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea production in June 2009 fell 14 percent to 23.6 million kilos compared with the same month in 2008 mainly because of sharp falls in teas grown in high and medium elevations, brokers said. In the six months to June 2009, the crop was down 23.8 percent to […]
India plans to welcome foreign universities: report
NEW DELHI, July 23, 2009 (AFP) – The world’s leading universities such as Harvard and Yale could soon be allowed to open colleges in India under new legislation proposed by the government, a report said Thursday.India has a severe shortage of higher education institutions and a booming population with more than 30 percent of its […]
‘s Bharti profits jump 24 pct, still in MTN merger talks
NEW DELHI, July 23, 2009 (AFP) – India’s top mobile company, Bharti Airtel, reported Thursday that first-quarter net profit jumped 24 percent and said it was still in merger talks with South Africa’s flagship MTN cellular group.Bharti said net profit for the three months to June 30 rose to 25.17 billion rupees (526 million dollars) […]