Category:
Set Free
VANCOUVER, September 18, 2010 (AFP) – Canada’s Federal Court ordered Friday the release of four women out of nearly 500 Tamils from Sri Lanka, who arrived via a cargo ship in Western Canada last month and claimed refugee status. As of Friday the government had appealed all but one release order — for a heavily-pregnant […]
‘s Super Kings face survival battle
PORT ELIZABETH, September 18, 2010 (AFP) – After an unsuccessful gamble by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings will have to wait until Wednesday to know whether they will qualify for the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament. Chennai were beaten in a Super Over by Australia’s Victoria Bushrangers at St George’s […]
Global brands face growing labour militancy in Asia
DHAKA, September 19, 2010 (AFP) – Global retailers fleeing China’s rising labour costs now find themselves facing growing pressure for higher wages in countries from Bangladesh to Cambodia, Vietnam, India and Indonesia. The latest sign that workers are becoming more militant in their demands for a larger share of the region’s economic success came in […]
Sri Lanka probes negligence after dynamite depot blast
KARADIYANARU, September 18, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan authorities on Saturday probed negligence as a possible cause of a powerful blast at a dynamite depot in the island’s east that killed 25 people. The military said that 16 policemen, two Chinese contractors and seven Sri Lankan civilians died in Friday’s explosion in Batticaloa district, while […]
Rebels strike as Afghanistan goes to the polls
KABUL, September 18, 2010 (AFP) – Afghanistan was voting for a new parliament on Saturday against a backdrop of rebel attacks and a full security alert following Taliban threats to derail the high-stakes election. Insurgents fired rockets in Kabul and other parts of the country and set off a bomb at a polling station, with […]
Sri Lanka begins clearing after major accidental blast
KARADIYANARU, September 18, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan authorities Saturday began clearing rubble and wreckage after 25 people were killed in the first major explosion since the end of a decades-long civil war. Heavy earth-moving equipment was being brought to the village of Karadiyanaru, in the east of the island, as families of victims prepared […]
Sri Lankan stocks close up 2.17-pct
Sept 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks continued to rally to break 6,400 point mark Friday, from strong gains across the board, while strong buying interest on selected midcap stocks pushed turnover up, brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed at 6,477. 09, up 2.10 percent (133.38 points), while the more liquid Milanka […]
Sailing Opportunity
Sept 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan seafarers will get an opportunity to serve on board Iranian vessels following an agreement signed between the two countries during the visit to the island of Iran’s trade minister, officials said. Iranian Trade Minister Mehedi Gassanfari was in Sri Lanka to attend the Joint Trade and Economic Cooperation […]
Soft Bounce
Sept 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sweden-based IFS, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software maker, said its main development centre in Sri Lanka is growing steadily and demand for its products from the Asia-Pacific region is strong. Its Sri Lanka unit has around 780 staff made up of software developers and business analysts. Jayantha de Silva, […]
Sri Lanka to revamp aviation law
Sept 17, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will revamp its outdated civil aviation law to cope with advances made over several decades and a new law will be brought to parliament quickly, information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. Analysts say Sri Lanka could also earn revenues by expanding air traffic and navigation services to the Indian […]
Sri Lanka blast death toll revised down to 27: military –
September 17, 2010 – Sri Lanka’s military more than halved the estimated death toll from an accidental blast at an explosives depot on Friday, saying 27 people had been killed instead of 60. The nearest hospital to the site of the accident, in the town of Batticaloa, said several people injured in the blast had […]
‘s economic rise: IMF
JAKARTA, September 17, 2010 (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund warned Friday Indonesia must make fighting corruption a priority if it wants to build on its progress as one of the world’s best-performing economies. Southeast Asia’s biggest economy expanded 4.5 percent in 2009, the third fastest in the Group of 20, and is poised for […]