Author: lbostgadmin
Space Crunch
Nov 26, 2007 (LBO) – Colombo port, Sri Lanka’s main harbour, plans to build a dedicated cargo village to cater to rapidly increasing volumes of containers, a senior port official said. “We’re running short of space,” declared Nihal Keppetipola, a master mariner who is now the additional managing director of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority […]
Sri Lanka bombs Tamil Tiger-held north: ministry
Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan war planes bombed the Tamil Tiger-held north Sunday, with the government claiming it destroyed a satellite communications centre but the rebels saying only civilians were killed.The air strike hit an area just outside the rebels’ political capital of Kilinochchi that was “also a clandestine meeting place for LTTE […]
Sri Lankan rebel Atapattu slams selectors
Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) – Marvan Atapattu made his final goodbye to Sri Lankan cricket on Sunday with another scathing attack on the selectors he had earlier described as “muppets headed by a joker.” The 37-year-old, who retired from international cricket earlier this month during the Australian tour, left Colombo to play in the rebel […]
‘s Tharanga gives England a headache
Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s young batsman Upul Tharanga staked a strong claim for the first Test against England with another powerful display against the tourists here on Sunday.The left-hander, who made 112 in the tour opener last week, smashed 86 as the Sri Lanka Cricket XI made 298-9 by stumps on the […]
Sacred Aztec drink losing out to beer in Mexico
MEXICO CITY, Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) – It was a sacred liquid to the Aztecs and consumed for centuries in Mexico, but the traditional pulque drink seems to be fading in popularity despite its historic roots.“At first, I didn’t like the texture,” said 21-year-old Saria Fuentes, “then I got used to the taste and now, […]
Germans getting jittery as euro continues to climb
FRANKFURT, Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) – Until recently, Germany has maintained an air of serenity as the euro spiked higher against other major currencies, even though exports are the motor of growth for the eurozone’s biggest economy. That has begun to change however, as seen in particular through comments by Chancellor Angela Merkel, who told […]
‘s new leader set to win over big business
SYDNEY, Nov 25, 2007 (AFP) – By revamping itself behind a fiscal conservative, Australia’s Labor Party has overcome big business fears that its election victory could set back the country’s economic boom, analysts say.Australian Industry Group chief executive Heather Ridout said Labor leader Kevin Rudd brought energy, a sense of social justice and an understanding […]
Sri Lanka a treasure trove of unexplored maritime history: archaeologists
Nov 25, 2007 (LBO) – Archaeologists working on a Dutch colonial era shipwreck in Sri Lanka’s southern Galle port say 12 more wrecks lie submerged, awaiting excavation and cataloging as historical treasure. In 1999, the team had also uncovered a human skull. “There are 27 sites which contain 12 shipwrecks in the Galle port,” Rasika […]
Sri Lankan researcher questions MDGs, notes backward trends
Nov 24, 2007 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan researcher has questioned the importance of Millennium Development Goals (MDG) saying they did not reveal reasons for poverty and that some showed an alarming trend in the wrong direction. Priyanthi Fernando, executive director, Centre for Poverty Analysis, said MDGs and other economic indicators were good for making […]
Commonwealth defends Pakistan suspension
KAMPALA, Nov 23, 2007 (AFP) – The Commonwealth defended its decision to suspend Pakistan on Friday as leaders from 53-nation grouping opened a summit in Uganda and shifted the focus to climate change and other issues.Islamabad reacted angrily to Thursday’s suspension, describing the decision as “unreasonable and unjustified” and threatened to pull out from the […]
‘s Tamil Tigers honour fallen cadres
Nov 24, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels have begun commemorating nearly 20,000 of their men and women killed fighting for an independent homeland, the guerrillas said Saturday.There was no immediate reaction from the military to the Tiger losses.The military has admitted losing over 15,000 security personnel in the conflict. The Liberation Tigers […]
England Test spots against Sri Lanka up for grabs
Nov 24, 2007 (AFP) – England start their lone first-class match on the Sri Lankan tour here on Sunday hoping to fill the blanks in the Test squad for the series starting in a week’s time. Sri Lanka Cricket XI: Tillekeratne Dilshan (capt), Upul Tharanga, Mahela Udawatte, Malinda Warnapura, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Kapugedara, Kaushal Silva […]