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At least 85 killed, over 400 wounded in major Sri Lanka battle
Oct 11, 2006 (AFP) – At least 85 people were killed and more than 400 wounded when a new military offensive Wednesday met with ferocious resistance from Tamil Tiger rebels in northern Sri Lanka, both sides said. Intense fighting halted the government’s onslaught into rebel territory, which was backed by Israeli-built Kfir jets and naval […]
Norway demands end to Sri Lanka hostilities ahead of talks
COLOMBO, Oct 11, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s peace broker Norway Wednesday asked the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to cease hostilities after the two parties agreed to end an eight-month deadlock in their negotiations. Norway’s top peace broker Erik Solheim welcomed the agreement between the Sri Lankan administration and the rebel Liberation Tigers of […]
‘s trade deficit expands 52.4%; worker remittances top US$1.5bn
October 11, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit expanded 52.4 percent to 2,400 million dollars for the eight months to August, compared with the same period 2005, the central bank said Wednesday, as the island spent more to import fuel. Sri Lanka’s 24 billion dollar economy is forecasted to expand by 7.0 percent by […]
Extended Credit
Oct 10, 2006 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank is fielding a mission to Sri Lanka this week to look at supplementary financing for the 300 million dollar Southern expressway. We expect the highway to be completed by 2010 or end 2009 at the earliest. We want to open the highway to the public once […]
Small Fee
October 10, 2006 (LBO) – Dialog Telekom, the island’s biggest cellular phone operator, has jumped into the lucrative business process outsourcing industry by extending its customer support channels to local and overseas clients. A unit of Telekom Malaysia, Dialog says their dedicated BPO unit employs over 500 skilled professionals offering customer support services in three […]
Time Capsule
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 9, 2006 (AFP) – Yahoo set out on Monday to capture life on Earth in digital formats for a “time capsule” to be buried in Silicon Valley as well as beamed from Mexico into the cosmos.The Internet giant invited people worldwide to contribute pictures, videos, songs, ideas, drawings or anything else they […]
Shangri La
Oct 10 2006 (LBO) – A lack of land could stand in the way of Sri Lanka clinching top Business Process Outsourcing contracts, the country’s ICT Agency says. The island is competing with neighboring India and other regional countries for a slice of the global 11.5 billion dollar BPO business, selling on its strengths of […]
Malaysia to issue four WiMAX licences: minister
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10, 2006 (AFP) – Malaysia will issue up to four licences to telecommunication operators to provide “fourth generation” wireless high speed Internet services, a senior minister said Tuesday.The government in July cancelled the original tender for the WiMAX 2.3 gigahertz spectrum, saying that the specifications were not in line with the ministry’s […]
” vineyards stealing a march on Europeans in fast-growing market
PARIS, Oct 10, 2006 (AFP) – Vineyards in the new world and even in China are stealing a march on traditionally dominant European producers in the race to slake the world’s fast-growing thirst for wine.From having a market share of just 1.6 percent 20 years ago, wines from countries like Chile, Australia and the United […]
Sri Lanka urges diplomatic end to NKorean crisis
Oct 10, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka, which is backing South Korea’s bid to secure the UN Secretary General’s post, Tuesday said it hoped that the “issue” of North Korea’s nuclear tests would be resolved diplomatically.“We express the hope that the issue will be resolved through diplomatic means,” the Sri Lankan foreign ministry said in […]