Category: Other
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 […]
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 […]
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 gets ADB help to cope with climate change
Nov 13, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has drafted a national strategy for climate change adaptation with the support of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), a statement said. The ADB, working with the Ministry of Environment, has given technical assistance for a new framework to enable Sri Lanka’s economy and people to cope with climate […]
Sri Lanka estate workers get Indian aid for homes
Nov 10, 2010 (LBO) – India will build 5,000 homes for workers on Sri Lanka’s plantations in the central hills which are a key sector of the island economy, a statement from the Indian High Commission said. Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kantha announced the stepping up of Indian assistance for people in the hill country […]
‘s seas
PENANG, November 10, 2010 (AFP) – Overfishing in Southeast Asian seas has left garoupas and sea bass in dire straits, searching for mates on denuded seabeds, according to experts alarmed by ever-declining catches. Marine scientists and fishermen say that popular fish species — especially the large and valuable ones — have been caught indiscriminately, causing […]
Scorned
November 9, 2010 (AFP) – Newspaper editors in Sri Lanka on Tuesday refused to publish pictures of men and women who are wanted by police for appearing on porn websites in the country. Under a crackdown on pornography on the Indian Ocean island, police are trying to trace local men and women pictured in compromising […]