Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka revives tourist police to counter harassment
June 01, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lankan police have revived their tourist police branch to better protect tourists in the face of increasing complaints of harassment and a sharp downturn in arrivals. It will re-establish a network of tourist police stations in key resort areas, senior superintendent Maxi Proctor, director of the new unit, said […]
Hard Sell
June 01, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s insurance policy lapse rate is far too high and might mean the industry’s sales pitch is overenthusiastic, an international expert told a gathering of industry professionals in Colombo. Rudy Verrilli, consultant to the Life Insurance and Market Research Association (LIMRA) stressed the importance of “ethical selling” and of […]
Last Flight
June 01, 2007 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines is stopping its domestic floatplane operations, in the wake of orders to stop flying to key destinations and a fall in tourist arrivals, the airline said. A team from the Dubai-based carrier is due in Sri Lanka to start talks on the extension, a senior treasury official said […]
Sri Lanka minister wins over cricket board in selector row
May 31, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan Sports Minister Gamini Lokuge said Thursday his officials will appoint selectors for national sporting teams after a row over the chief cricket selector.Sri Lanka are due to host Bangladesh for three Test matches and three one-day internationals from mid-June.“What is happening now is that sports bodies on their […]
ESPN rescues Afro-Asia Cup despite absense of Sri Lankan and Indian stars
NEW DELHI, May 31, 2007 (AFP) – The Afro-Asia series in India will go ahead as scheduled next week after the ESPN-Star network stepped in to save the beleaguered event, the Asian Cricket Council said on Thursday.“The series cannot be held if there is no television coverage,” said Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah.The series, […]
Sri Lanka troops push on with offensives against rebels
May 31, 2007 (AFP) – Government forces kept up two offensives against Tamil Tiger rebels in the island’s northern and eastern regions Thursday with casualties reported on both sides, officials said. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Troops backed by artillery combed the jungles of Thoppigala in the district of Batticaloa, […]
Francophone Siberian tiger to be taught English
OTTAWA, May 30, 2007 (AFP) – Everyone likes the sound of French it seems, and a zoo in western Canada has asked visitors to speak French to its Siberian tiger. “We hope people will come to the zoo and speak French to him to keep him company,” said Jan Archbold, a spokeswoman for the Edmonton […]
Sri Lanka changes exchange rate index base
May 30, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has changed the base year of two indexes that track the performance of the rupee against the country’s trading partners to reflect the changing structure of trade in recent years, the Central Bank said. However since January 2007, the central bank has embarked on an aggressive stabilization effort […]
Red Cross returns to Sri Lanka front lines
May 30, 2007 (AFP) – The international Red Cross resumed work Wednesday on Sri Lanka’s battle-scarred front lines, offering safe passage for civilians between government and rebel territory, the Geneva-based charity said.The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it would initially man two entry and exit points three days a week in the […]
Sri Lanka inflation spikes in May, but moderating trend still seen
May 30, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation spiked in May by a massive 3 percentage points, reversing a three month trend of falling prices, but the 12-month un-adjusted inflation continued to move down. Sri Lanka’s interest rates have been moving up from the beginning of the year as the government borrows heavily from domestic […]
Change Please
May 30, 2007 (LBO) – India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) which is hoping to build a coal plant with Sri Lanka’s power utility has asked for Indian government help to change its proposed location, reports said. Eastern Sri Lanka has seen heavy fighting in the past year as government troops systematically took back areas […]
US to propose Zoellick to head World Bank
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2007 (AFP) – US President George W. Bush was on Wednesday to name administration pointman Robert Zoellick to head the World Bank, replacing Paul Wolfowitz, who quit over a favoritism scandal involving his bank employee girlfriend. The naming of the steady, stalwart Zoellick was meant to end weeks of upheaval in the […]