Category: Other
”’ US says: WikiLeaks
KABUL, November 29, 2010 (AFP) – Leaked US documents on Monday painted President Hamid Karzai’s controversial younger brother as a corrupt drugs baron, exposing deep US concerns about graft undermining the war against the Afghan Taliban. Internet whistleblower WikiLeaks has started to release quarter of a million confidential US diplomatic cables, detailing embarrassing and inflammatory […]
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DHAKA, November 28, 2010 (AFP) – In the home of cheap clothing manufacturing, the record price of cotton is causing havoc for producers — and the pain will pass down the chain to buyers in developed countries, analysts say. Bangladesh, the third-biggest producer of clothes worldwide, is one of the cheapest locations for manufacturing in […]
Grave Probe
November 23, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Tuesday began investigating a claim that Tamil Tiger rebels executed 26 captured government soldiers at the height of fighting between the two sides last year, an official said. Military spokesman Udaya Madawala said forensic experts and police investigators had been sent to the northeastern district of Mullaittivu Monday […]
Sri Lanka to distribute unused estate land among small farmers
Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government intends to distribute among small farmers uncultivated land on tea estates operated by listed regional plantations corporations, President Mahinda Rajapaksa told parliament. The RPCs will be given six months’ notice to cultivate unused land, he said during a speech on the government budget for 2011. If […]
Sri Lanka to raise export taxes on bulk tea, rubber exports
Nov 22, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government plans to raise taxes on exports of bulk tea and raw rubber in penalizing producers and restricting their market access in a bid to support value added production, the budget for 2011 said. President Mahinda Rajapaksa told parliament during his budget speech that the island has […]
India approves new airport for Mumbai
NEW DELHI, November 22, 2010 (AFP) – India gave the green light on Monday for the construction of a second international airport in the commercial capital Mumbai, a two billion dollar project that was ten years in the making. “Today, formally the environmental clearance has been given to the Navi Mumbai Project,” Environment Minister Jairam […]
Land Hustle
Nov 18, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is planning to bring in a new law to fast-track state land allocations to investors which are held up due to procedural delays at local government level, deputy economic development minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said Abeywardene said such procedures required a new law to be passed. “We want […]
Sri Lanka seeks ad firm for tea campaign
Nov 15, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will call for expressions of interest internationally to hire advertising and media firms to handle a 10 million dollars a year Ceylon tea promotion campaign, a senior Tea Board official said. Other important but smaller markets are the Far East, Europe and North America. “That step (hiring an […]
New Allegation
November 14, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka is probing allegations that one of its nationals employed in Jordan was forced to swallow nails, in the third case involving alleged torture in three months, an official said Sunday. A housemaid identified as D. M. Chandima has told the Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in Amman that her […]
Doubly Victimized
Nov 14, 2010 (LBO) – Helpless women whose picture were posted on the internet by third parties have been further victimized and in at least one case forced to flee her home after police published their pictures in the media, a report said. Pornography falls in to a category of so-called ‘victimless crimes’ which many […]
‘s construction boom runs out of engineers
NEW DELHI, November 14, 2010 (AFP) – Evidence of India’s construction boom can be seen in the new high-rise apartments sprouting up across the country, but the industry is suffering from a serious shortage of engineers and designers. “Until things change, we might manage some big-ticket items like the Delhi Metro with the help of […]
Sri Lanka fishery sector needs new techniques, better resource data: think tank
Nov 14, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s fishery sector needs more data on resource stocks, especially in war-torn Northern areas, new techniques and improvements in post harvest handling, a think tank has said. In 2008 fish production in Sri Lanka’s eastern province had increased to 70,520 metric tonnes from 39,760 tonnes a year earlier. In […]