Category: Industry
Lure of gold leaves Olympics prone to doping cheats
LONDON, July 17, 2008 (AFP) – The Beijing Olympics will see the biggest anti-doping effort in history but the omens for a drug-free Games are not good.Alongside steroids and the blood-booster EPO, testers have promised developments in tracing substances such as human growth hormone, which are undetectable with standard testing methods. The chairman of the […]
Sri Lankan industrialists, professionals oppose new trade pact with India
July 17, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan industrialists and professionals have appealed to the government not to sign a new trade pact with neighbouring India, due to fears that their market shares would be cut without reciprocal access being given to the larger country. “We have to be extremely cautious when signing an agreement of […]
Cheap Talk
July 16, 2008 (AFP) – South Asian leaders meeting in Sri Lanka next month should agree to slash telecom tariffs in their countries to promote inter-regional trade, a policy think-tank said Wednesday.Regional policy group LIRNEasia said reducing call costs between members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) would encourage trade and improve […]
‘s Ranatunga urges players not to ignore Tests
July 16, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s legendary former captain Arjuna Ranatunga on Wednesday urged players to preserve Test cricket in the face of the challenge posed by the lucrative Twenty20 format.Captains of India and Sri Lanka, who begin a three-Test series here next week, endorsed Ranatunga’s comments. “As cricketers, the ultimate challenge for most […]
My Phone
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tigo, a unit of Millicom International Cellular is issuing plastic-card ownership certificate in response to anti-terror rules, which can be piggy-backed to give additional benefits to customers, an official said. The new regulations introduced by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka require mobile customers to give on […]
Peninsular 3G
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Dialog Telekom, a unit of Telekom Malaysia, said it had launched third generation (3G) mobile services allowing video calling in the island’s northern Jaffna peninsular. Dialog’s video calling comes with a conferencing facility that allows users in six different locations to talk. Dialog says is 3G network now […]
Sri Lanka scrambles to stop Japan travel warning
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is scrambling to head off an imminent travel warning from Japan, in a bid to save the struggling tourism industry from a new blow, a top official said.Tourism secretary George Michael said Sri Lanka has learned of an imminent travel warning from Japan and tourism minister Milinda Moragoda […]
Harbour Moves
July 16, 2008 (LBO) – Colombo port plans to order more quay-side gantry cranes, mobile cranes and tractors to boost productivity and cope with increasing cargo flows, a senior official said.Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) chairman Saliya Wickramasuriya said the new equipment acquisition was part of the ports efforts to improve efficiency and the port’s […]
Team USA includes several athletes who previously failed doping tests
INDIANAPOLIS, July 14, 2008 (AFP) – Reigning Olympic 100 metre champion Justin Gatlin was noticeably absent when the USA’s track and field team for Beijing was officially named on Monday.Gatlin, who is serving a four-year ban for using steroids, tried unsuccessfully last month to get the US courts to permit him to compete in the […]
India have batsmen to counter Mendis, says Kumble
CHENNAI, July 14, 2008 (AFP) – India captain Anil Kumble said Monday he was confident his experienced batsmen will see off the threat posed by spinner Ajantha Mendis in the Test series in Sri Lanka. The Indian players found Mendis virtually unplayable in the recent Asia Cup final in Karachi, where the spinner grabbed 6-13 […]
Sri Lanka electricity utility gives Siemens deal to upgrade distribution
July 15, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state power utility, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), has given Siemens Energy a 5,309 million rupee (31 million Euro) contract to modernize and expand the medium-voltage distribution network of the capital Colombo.The contract includes expanding and modernizing a 33/11-kV transformer substation, the delivery, installation and commissioning of several medium-voltage […]
More Time
July 15, 2008 (LBO) – Directors of Sri Lankan banks would get three more years to meet term and age limits imposed by the Central Bank after a court ruling confirmed the rules with extended transitional provisions, the financial regulator said in a statement. Court has directed new rules with the amendments to be issued, […]