All Blogs
Sri Lanka Susanthika passes 200m heat
August 29, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka sprinter Susanthika Jayasinghe qualified for the 200 metres women’s event at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka overcoming an earlier disappointment at the 100 metre heats. “It was really important for me to finish strong to draw a good lane in the next round,” Jayasinghe said. “I was […]
Refining Plan
August 29, 2007 (LBO) – The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Sri Lanka’s state-owned oil refiner and distributor, is evaluating bids from two parties to conduct a feasibility study for its refinery expansion, a top official said. De Mel wants to acquire a hydro-cracker that can increase the yield of diesel in particular. Updated “We have […]
Better Defence
August 28, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lankan security authorities plan to re-open Colombo port’s northern entrance for navigation once underwater defence systems being tested are installed and activated. The planned re-opening will remove a key constraint that has caused lengthy delays for cargo ships and raised costs for both shipping lines and port terminals. The […]
Home Loans
August 28, 2007 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka has confirmed the AA (lka) rating on HDFC Bank Series A mortgage backed securities, the rating agency said. The rating relates to the timely payment of interest and the ultimate payment of principal on Series-A certificates issued by the Home Loan Securitisation Trust 2005 (HLST), a special […]
Kenya to emulate Sri Lanka for tea value addition
August 28, 2007 (LBO) – Kenya is hoping to learn from Sri Lanka to add value to tea and earn more revenue in the face of sharp falls in prices for her tea, reports from the East African nation said. Economic analysts have earlier said that Sri Lanka’s efficient shipping, as well as the flexibility […]
Not too late for Sri Lanka peace talks: ex-peace broker
SINGAPORE, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) – There is still time for peace talks between Sri Lanka’s government and separatist Tamil Tiger rebels despite the virtual collapse of a truce, a former Norwegian peace broker said Tuesday. “It’s not too late. They can and should and must reopen real peace negotiations,” Jan Egeland told AFP. But […]
Maldives strongman wants to rule on into fourth decade
MALE, August, 2007 (AFP) – Asia’s longest serving leader, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, says he wants to be the first directly elected president of the Maldives after winning a landslide victory for his political reform package.However, the country has yet to stage a multi-party election.Gayoom has previously been the sole presidential candidate nominated by a 50-member […]
”s bid for PC maker Packard Bell hit by Acer-Gateway deal
BEIJING, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) – A bid by China’s Lenovo to buy major European personal computer maker Packard Bell will probably fail due to an acquisition by rival Acer, state media said Tuesday.The Lenovo plan may be aborted after Taiwan’s Acer announced Monday it had signed a deal to buy Gateway for 710 million […]
Money printing Zimbabwe fertilizer firms close due to forex shortages
HARARE, Aug 27, 2007 (AFP) – Zimbabwe is facing another year of food shortages as three major fertiliser manufacturers have closed due to power cuts and a lack of raw materials, state media reported Monday.Eben Makonese, chief executive of Chemplex Coroporation which runs the three semi-governmental firms, said Dorowa minerals, Iron Duke and Zimphos have […]
‘s central bank sees credit squeeze easing
SYDNEY, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) – There are signs that the credit squeeze which rocked global markets recently is easing both in Australia and overseas, the deputy governor of Australia’s central bank said Tuesday. The Reserve Bank of Australia’s Ric Battellino said the steps taken by the central bank to ease upward pressure on interest […]