‘s botched execution

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2007 (AFP) – The mother of a US man whose 2006 execution took 86 minutes and involved sticking needles into him 19 times has sued the prison team which oversaw the execution for civil rights violations.On Monday Irma Clark filed suit in the Cincinnati, Ohio, district court, alleging her son Joseph Clark […]

Cell News

July 3, 2007 (LBO) – Dialog Telecom is offering free breaking news for its customers days after competitor Mobitel launched trials for a text news alert. “We are launching this service with a view to providing information and creating a sense of security for customers,” Nushad Perera, head of sales at Dialog Telekom said in […]

Skills Export

July 03, 2007 (LBO) – Aitken Spence, one of Sri Lanka’s conglomerates with interests in several areas of the shipping industry, wants to develop a new business in managing ports abroad. The company already has a deal with South Africa’s Durban Port under which is sent 125 skilled Sri Lankans to provide training and port […]

Big Bucks

July 03, 2007 (LBO) – HSBC Bank in Sri Lanka is looking to finance two large transport sector projects with private sector involvement which will spawn new opportunities for local and international banks, a top official said. Three of Sri Lanka’s largest conglomerates, John Keells, Hayleys and Aitken Spence have put in bids to build […]

Sri Lanka call rates edge up despite cash injections

July 3, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s call rates moved above 35 percent with liquidity disappearing from the banking system despite the monetary authority pumping billions of rupees of new money into the system. Ministers told the media that the government may lose up to ten billion rupees through cuts of value added tax on […]

Power Profits

July 2, 2007 (LBO) – Problems at Sri Lanka’s Kelanitissa thermal power station partly offset strong first quarter 2007 profit growth of AES Corporation of the US, the company has reported. AES Corporation revenues increased 11% to 3.1 billion dollars compared to 2.8 billion dollars for the first quarter of 2006, while net cash from […]

UK mission in Sri Lanka ups involvement in peace process

July 2, 2007 (LBO) – The UK mission in Colombo will become more involved in Sri Lanka’s peace process after being asked represent the European Union’s Presidency in the country, the British High Commission said Monday. The rotating EU presidency has shifted to Portugal took over the EU presidency, but the country does not have […]

Muralitharan eyes world record

COLOMBO, July 2, 2007 (AFP) – Muttiah Muralitharan said Monday he will tour Australia later this year amid the possibility of being crowned Test cricket’s most successful bowler on Shane Warne’s home soil. The Sri Lankan’s 683 wickets leave him just 25 short of equalling the retired Australian leg-spinner’s world record tally of 708. With […]

Tougher tobacco rules urged at global anti-smoking talks

BANGKOK, July 2, 2007 (AFP) – Health advocates called Monday for tougher regulations on tobacco, as officials from 145 countries met in Bangkok to discuss ways of boosting global efforts to stop smoking.The week-long meeting organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) aims to find ways of harmonising national laws to tighten tobacco controls, particularly […]

More Empathy

July 2, 2007 (LBO) – Manique Gunaratne, a visually impaired Sri Lankan professional, has a simple poem that she recites to highlight the hopes of people like her. “It takes the summer, sun and the rain, to make a garden grow It takes the moon and twinkling stars, to make the heavens grow It takes […]

Steady Steady

July 02, 2007 (LBO) – A new rule by Sri Lankan stock market regulators that limits brokering credit for investors should ensure more stability and provide long term security for the market. The rule, effective from July 1, will limit brokerage firms from lending more than 75 percent of the market value of an investor’s […]

India software exports head for 60-billion-dollar mark

BANGALORE, India, July 2, 2007 (AFP) – India’s exports of software and related services are expected to almost double in three years to 60 billion dollars, maintaining the country’s lead over rivals such as China, the industry said Monday.But the rupee’s strength and a shortage of talent are major concerns for an industry that posted […]

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