All Blogs
Videogames getting more social
LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2008 (AFP) – Videogame makers are riding the social-networking wave with a flood of soon-to-be-released titles that let friends play online as teams and even create their own characters.The world’s big three console makers — Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony — are providing frameworks for players to connect with hardware and software […]
Lure of gold leaves Olympics prone to doping cheats
LONDON, July 17, 2008 (AFP) – The Beijing Olympics will see the biggest anti-doping effort in history but the omens for a drug-free Games are not good.Alongside steroids and the blood-booster EPO, testers have promised developments in tracing substances such as human growth hormone, which are undetectable with standard testing methods. The chairman of the […]
Sri Lankan shares close down
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed one percent lower Wednesday on losses in telco stocks and the John Keells Holdings conglomerate as sentiment remained weak, brokers said.The All Share Price Index closed down 25.08 points at 2,415.07 while the Milanka lost 1.85 percent (54.43 points) to close at 2,881.86. Turnover was 200 […]
Harbour Moves
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Colombo port plans to order more quay-side gantry cranes, mobile cranes and tractors to boost productivity and cope with increasing cargo flows, a senior official said.Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) chairman Saliya Wickramasuriya said the new equipment acquisition was part of the ports efforts to improve efficiency and the port’s […]
Sri Lanka scrambles to stop Japan travel warning
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is scrambling to head off an imminent travel warning from Japan, in a bid to save the struggling tourism industry from a new blow, a top official said.Tourism secretary George Michael said Sri Lanka has learned of an imminent travel warning from Japan and tourism minister Milinda Moragoda […]
Aussie Arrest
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Australian police have arrested the director of a Melbourne business school over links with Tamil Tigers following a request from US authorities, a media report said.The Australian newspaper said Thulasitharan Santhirarajah, 34, is expected to be extradited to the United States. “The man is wanted to face prosecution for alleged […]
Peninsular 3G
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Dialog Telekom, a unit of Telekom Malaysia, said it had launched third generation (3G) mobile services allowing video calling in the island’s northern Jaffna peninsular. Dialog’s video calling comes with a conferencing facility that allows users in six different locations to talk. Dialog says is 3G network now […]
My Phone
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tigo, a unit of Millicom International Cellular is issuing plastic-card ownership certificate in response to anti-terror rules, which can be piggy-backed to give additional benefits to customers, an official said. The new regulations introduced by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka require mobile customers to give on […]
‘s elephant orphanage hopes for jumbo success
UDAWALAWE, July 16, 2008 (AFP) – After years of being bottle-fed formula milk, eight orphaned baby elephants appear reluctant to leave their temporary home, but mahouts heave-ho them onto trucks for a journey back to the wild.The elephants are enticed with milk and coconut palm to climb the ramps into the trucks — the time […]
Unmarked grave found in eastern Sri Lanka, troops overrun key Tiger base
July 16, 2008 (AFP) – Several human bones have been found in an unmarked grave in Sri Lanka’s eastern district of Batticaloa, police said Wednesday. The site was discovered by a group of people who were digging a well on Tuesday. “We are not sure if it is a mass grave. Several bones were unearthed. […]
