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China web-user dies after three-day online binge
BEIJING, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) – A man in southern China collapsed and died after a three-day marathon online session at a cybercafe, state media reported on Monday.The web-user, estimated to be 30 years old, suddenly collapsed in front of his computer terminal in Guangdong province, and emergency personnel were unable to revive him, the […]
Sri Lanka placed third in Twenty20 by online punters
Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) – Ricky “Punter” Ponting’s Australians are strong favourites in the online gambling world to win the ongoing Twenty20 World Championships in South Africa.Australian paceman Brett Lee, who claimed a hat-trick against Bangladesh on Sunday, remains favourite with the ball, with paddypower.com rating him at 11-1 and popular Sri Lankan paceman Lasith […]
” military action against Tigers
Sept 17, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s top business chamber wants to create a lobby group to push for peace but at the same times has acknowledged the necessity for a limited military campaign against Tamil Tigers. Mahen Dayananda, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce chairman, said its leaders had recognized it was almost impossible to separate […]
Sri Lanka needs to crush Tamil Tigers, top official says
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) – A top Sri Lankan official said Monday that Tamil Tiger rebels need to be defeated, an apparent shift in the government’s previously stated intention to negotiate.Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who is the brother of the island’s president, argued that unless this were achieved, any political solution to […]
” naval success
COLOMBO, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) – Navy chiefs in Sri Lanka organised a party Monday to welcome back teams involved in what they claim was the government’s biggest success to date against Tamil separatists. The six patrol craft and their supply ships were reported last week to have sunk three Tamil Tiger gun-running ships in […]
Sri Lanka busts US$250mn to prop up exchange rate
Sept 17, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has spent more than 200 million US dollars to prop up the rupee during the past four months in an intervention campaign analysts say helped worsen exchange and demand pressure. There are fears among some market analysts, that if the bond price is manipulated it will give opportunities […]
Medical Moves
Sept 16, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s newest hospital firm, a part of the Hemas group, is raising capital via a private placement, with their first hospital on track to be opened next year. Hemas Holdings Ltd is one of Sri Lanka’s top conglomerates with a focus on five key sectors – FMCG, Healthcare, Transportation, […]
Slow Band
Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) – Home to some 1.5 billion people, South Asia is paying a high price to access the Internet as service providers have been slow to deliver cheaper broadband connections, analysts say. The region has embraced telephones, mobile phones and computers and India has a flourishing software and outsourcing industry, noted industry […]
Bangladesh gets duty-free access to Indian garment market
DHAKA, Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) – Bangladesh and India on Sunday signed a deal that will allow Dhaka to export eight million garments duty-free across the border, an agreement billed by New Delhi as a “milestone” in trade relations.“India is growing rapidly and its middle class is booming.So in the near future India can very […]
New Zealand defeat India, Vettori bags 4 wickets
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 16, 2007 (AFP) – Captain Daniel Vettori led from the front as New Zealand brushed aside India by 10 runs in the Super Eights match of the Twenty20 world championships on Sunday.New Zealand next play England on Tuesday and India take on England on Wednesday, both matches taking place at the Kingsmead in […]