All Blogs
India-Pakistan tensions to overshadow South Asia Summit
August 2, 2008 (AFP) – A summit of South Asian leaders was set to open in Sri Lanka on Saturday, with tensions between India and Pakistan likely to eclipse regional talks on trade, terrorism and poverty. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan’s new premier Yousuf Raza Gilani were due to hold their first-ever talks […]
Sri Lanka heavy fighting kills 52 ahead of South Asian summit
August 2, 2008 (AFP) – Heavy fighting broke out in northern Sri Lanka on the eve of a South Asian summit in the capital, leaving at least 14 government soldiers and 38 rebels killed, a military official said Saturday. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) offered stiff resistance to a military advance in […]
Sri Lanka Tigers offer stiff resistance against army
August 2, 2008 (AFP) – Heavy fighting broke out in northern Sri Lanka on the eve of a South Asian summit in the capital, leaving at least 11 government soldiers and seven rebels killed, a military official said Saturday. The fighting is taking place 250 kilometres (160 miles) north of here, but there has recently […]
GM posts 15.5 bln dlr loss as US sales skid
WASHINGTON, August 1, 2008 (AFP) – General Motors posted Friday a whopping 15.5-billion-dollar net loss in the second quarter as the US auto giant took hefty restructuring charges and US sales skidded.The bleak earnings reported by the largest US automaker coincided with news of a seventh straight month of US nonfarm job losses that stoked […]
Sri Lanka bounce back in India Test with late strikes
GALLE, August 2, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka grabbed three big wickets in the closing session to throw the second Test against India wide open on the third day here on Saturday. India were strongly placed at 144-1 before slipping to 200-4 in their second innings at stumps, with Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Chaminda […]
Sri Lanka Test evenly poised
GALLE, August 2, 2008 (AFP) – Harbhajan Singh bagged six wickets to help India gain a 37-run lead on the third day of the evenly poised second Test against Sri Lanka here on Saturday.The off-spinner finished with 6-102 as the hosts were all out for 292 in their first innings on the stroke of lunch […]
Sri Lanka stocks extend gains, choppy trading seen ahead
Aug 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed higher Friday ending the week in positive territory with heavy trading seen in John Keells Holdings, Associated Motorways and Vallibel Power Erathna.Activity could pick up with listed firms reporting quarterly results but brokers said trading was likely to remain volatile and the market could dip on […]
Express Deal
Aug 01, 2008 (2008) – The Sri Lankan government plans to award a Chinese firm the contract to build a long-delayed expressway linking the capital Colombo with the island’s sole international airport north of the city. Government officials said Cabinet approval is to be sought this month to grant permission to the Chinese firm to […]
Sri Lanka tea export earnings up sharply in first half
Aug 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea export earnings hit a new high in the first half of this year compared with the same period in previous years, tea brokers said. Stock brokers said the high prices enjoyed by tea exporters were likely to boost the profits of listed plantations companies, which have drawn […]
Sri Lanka starts small with bio-fuels
Aug 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan renewable energy experts have started experimenting with bio-fuel production as an alternative to expensive fossil fuels but are constrained by lack of funds and land for commercial production.A pilot project on bio diesel initiated in Nikaweratiya in the north western province will soon be converted to a community […]