Category: Other
‘s Bharti reports dive in profit, hit by Africa costs
NEW DELHI, February 2, 2011 (AFP) – India’s top mobile phone firm Bharti said on Wednesday quarterly net profit slid 41 percent, hit by costs from its new Africa business and foreign exchange losses, but was upbeat on its future. But Bharti began last month rolling out its ultra-fast third-generation (3G) telecom services which analysts […]
Sri Lanka whale watching boats warned to be careful
Feb 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s growing whale watching boats will have to develop and follow good practices so that whales will not be disturbed and scared away and the safety of passengers is also assured, a biologist has said. Sometimes boats converged on whales and there was danger of whales being chased. Sri […]
South Asian scheme launched to fight poaching
NEW DELHI, January 31, 2011 (AFP) – Eight South Asian countries have launched a regional scheme to share information on poaching and wildlife trafficking in a bid to protect dwindling populations of tigers and other rare animals. After talks in Bhutan at the weekend, the countries launched the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), according […]
Sri Lanka Watawala December quarter profit up marginally
Jan 31, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Watawala Plantations December 2010 quarter profit rose three percent to 189 million rupees from a year ago with group sales stagnant at 1. 7 billion rupees, a stock exchange filing said. Earnings per share for the company, a unit of India’s Tata Tea group, were 0. 80 rupees […]
” during World Cup
DHAKA, January 30, 2011 (AFP) – The mayor of Chittagong city in southern Bangladesh said Sunday that he would pay hundreds of beggars a daily wage to keep them off the streets during the cricket World Cup. Manzur Alam said that about 300 disabled beggars would be given 150 taka (two dollars) a day after […]
Court Action
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2011 (AFP) – Members of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority on Friday filed a lawsuit in the United States against the island’s president, seeking million in damages over alleged extrajudicial killings. Activists from the Tamil diaspora spearheaded legal action after President Mahinda Rajapakse quietly traveled to the United States, in a test of […]
Truck People
Jan 28, 2011 (LBO) – Four Sri Lankans are among 219 migrants discovered by authorities squeezed into a truck in northern Mexico who were hoping to enter the United States, a media report said. The Washington Post newspaper said most of the migrants were from Central America but six were from Sri Lanka and four […]
Sri Lanka poultry firm net up five fold in Dec
Jan 27, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Bairaha Farms, a poultry breeder and processor said net profits for the December 2010 quarter rose 546 percent to 163 million rupees from a year earlier, with revenues growing 25 percent to 706 million rupees. The poultry industry is experiencing strong demand and high prices after a slump […]
Age Limit
Jan 26, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has raised the minimum age of those going abroad as domestic workers to 21 years from 18 to mainly to protect young female workers, the government said. “As per the data nearly 50 percent of Sri Lankans migrating for foreign employment are females of which large category goes […]
Prison Riot
January 24, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan prison guards opened fire Monday to halt a riot by prisoners protesting against poor conditions, killing at least one inmate and wounding another 20, an official said. Rounds of ammunition were fired as prisoners lit fires at the prison in the town of Anuradhapura, a prison official in […]
Sri Lanka Horana Plantation profits up 80-pct in Dec
Jan 25, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Horana Plantations, which grows tea and rubber said profits in the December 2010 quarter grew 80 percent to 135 million rupees, while revenues increased only 5.5 percent to 560 million rupees. The firms produces about 4.0 million kilos of tea a year and 1.6 million kilos of rubber. […]
Bangladesh orders probe into market slump
DHAKA, January 24, 2011 (AFP) – Bangladesh has ordered a probe into the slump on the Dhaka Stock Exchange and unveiled a series of reforms to restore confidence in the market. The move follows the index’s 30-percent fall since it hit a historic high of 8,918. 51 on December 5, with the crisis being blamed […]