Author: lbostgadmin
Bolt electrifies with 100m world record of 9.72sec
NEW YORK, June 1, 2008 (AFP) – Jamaica’s Usain Bolt clocked a 100m world record of 9.72sec Saturday to electrify the Reebok Grand Prix athletics meeting.The 21-year-old broke the previous record of 9.74 set by compatriot Asafa Powell in Rieti, Italy, on September 9, 2007. With a favorable wind of 1.7m/sec, Bolt finished ahead of […]
Florida, Michigan restored in blow to Clinton
WASHINGTON, June 1, 2008 (AFP) – The Democratic Party dealt a severe blow to Hillary Clinton’s fading White House hopes, restoring renegade states Michigan and Florida to its presidential convention, but with halved voting power.Barack Obama, 46 was left two giant strides closer to making history as the first black presidential nominee, with only three […]
Sri Lanka hydro power capacity boosted by heavy rains
June 01, 2008 (LBO) – Heavy monsoon type rain from Saturday is bringing much needed water to Sri Lanka’s hydro power generation system though parts of the island are threatened by floods. Hydro complexes in the upper reaches of the Kelani River in particular had received more than 100 millimeters of rain yesterday, with some […]
Banking Numbers
June 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s National Development Bank said group net profit for the March quarter rose 16 percent to 349 million rupees from a year ago with loan growth slow but with a tight control on bad loans. Total group income went up 45 percent to three billion rupees in the quarter […]
Chartered Profits
June 01, 2008 (LBO) – Standard Chartered Bank of Sri Lanka posted 44 percent growth in profits for the 2008 March quarter following a 22 percent growth in interest income, the published interim results showed. Standard Chartered’s deposit base grew at a slower pace of six percent to 55.59 billion rupees. Total assets stood at […]
Sri Lanka politicians to meddle in fuel use
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ruling politicians are to come up with plans next week to reduce energy use, with the petroleum bill being identified as the biggest threat to the country, senior ministers said. Trade minister Bandula Gunewardene said the country last year spent 2.4 billion dollars on oil imports compared to […]
Sri Lanka needs better peace proposals: minister
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka needs peace proposals acceptable to the main political parties and the Tamil speaking community to put pressure on the Tamil Tigers to resume peace talks, a senior government minister has said. The proposals would also assure Tamils that their aspirations and grievances will be addressed by any future […]
Canada-based Sri Lanka Tiger suspect gets student award
OTTAWA, May 30, 2008 (AFP) – A Canadian suspected of using his studies as a cover for terrorist activities was awarded a 5,000 dollar prize for his entrepreneurial talent by a Canadian university, The Globe and Mail reported Friday.Suresh Sriskandarajah, 26, was arrested in August 2006 in Ontario at the request of US authorities who […]
” by soldiers
May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan media groups have expressed grave concern over what they said was an ‘unofficial’ visit to the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) by soldiers. The SLPI and media rights group Free Media Movement (FMM) said the visit appeared linked to recent threats and assault on journalists, coming soon after […]
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LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2008 (AFP) – Oscar-winning US actress Holly Hunter got star treatment Friday, as her name was embedded and her film career honored on Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame.” The 50-year-old actress, her two-year-old twin sons, director Steven Spielberg and actor Ed Harris were all on hand for the unveiling of the 2,363rd […]
Dubai bans sale of cigarettes to under 20s
DUBAI, May 31, 2008 (AFP) – The Gulf emirate of Dubai on Saturday banned the sale of tobacco to anyone under the age of 20 with immediate effect and barred young people from public areas in which smoking is allowed.The anouncement was made in public advertisements in Arabic-language newspapers as part of a “Youth Without […]
‘s southwest coast
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, May 31, 2008 (AFP) – The first rain from India’s annual monsoon, crucial to millions of farmers and the health of the overall economy, hit the southwest coast on Saturday. The southwest monsoon sweeps the subcontinent from June to September and is an economic lifeline for the 235 million farmers in India where just […]