Category: Other
‘s booming middle classes unmasked in new study
NEW DELHI, August 19, 2010 (AFP) – They are every marketeer’s dream and the future of the world economy — now Asia’s aspirational middle classes have been laid bare in a major new study focusing on their astonishing growth. The Asian Development Bank forecast in the research released Thursday that over the next two decades […]
India proposes formula to break BlackBerry logjam: report
NEW DELHI, August 19, 2010 (AFP) – India’s government has proposed a formula that could avert its threatened shutdown of the core features of the BlackBerry smartphone over security worries, a newspaper reported Thursday. The communications ministry has put forward a plan by which security agencies could gain access to heavily encyrpted corporate email sent […]
Sri Lankan seasonal tea prices rise
Aug 18, 2010 (LBO) – Prices of Sri Lanka’s seasonal ‘Uva’ teas rose sharply at the latest auction with tight global supply and anticipated higher demand for the winter seen keeping the market firm, brokers said. While the better made teas from different elevations fetched highr prices at last week’s Colombo sale, poorer teas weakened […]
Sri Lanka vets go on strike over elephants
August 17, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan wildlife veterinarians have gone on strike to protest at the alleged mishandling of elephant conservation which has resulted in an increase in deadly attacks, a union leader said Tuesday. “There is no proper management of wild elephants who are being pushed into narrow habitats as the government allows […]
Sri Lanka losing Arab market, tea exporter warns
Aug 16, 2010 (LBO) – A top Sri Lankan tea exporters has warned that Ceylon tea was losing market share to international brands in key Middle Eastern markets to which shipments from the island have fallen. Ceylon Tea Services chairman Merrill J. Fernando said the tea industry needs a stable policy, direction and expertise if […]
‘s BlackBerry offensive widens to Google, Skype: report
NEW DELHI, August 13, 2010 (AFP) – India’s showdown with BlackBerry could reportedly widen to encompass Google and Skype after the government threatened to cut off core features of the popular smartphone on security grounds. Research In Motion, the BlackBerry’s Canadian maker, gave no immediate indication that it would accede to the latest pressure from […]
Speed
August 12, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police arrested three Iranian men and seized a haul of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of tens of millions of dollars, a spokesman said Thursday. Two men travelling from Qatar were arrested Wednesday when customs officers at the island’s international airport found more than eight kilos (17. […]
India puts pressure on telcos over BlackBerry
NEW DELHI, August 10, 2010 (AFP) – India’s home ministry plans to meet mobile operators on Thursday to discuss allowing security agencies access to encrypted BlackBerry messages, a government official said. Indian law stipulates phone companies have the responsibility to ensure that intelligence agencies can lawfully monitor data handled by them. “The meeting will be […]
Global warming threatens Asian rice production: study
WASHINGTON, August 9, 2010 (AFP) – Even modest rises in global temperatures will drive down rice production in Asia, the world’s biggest grower of the cereal grain that millions of poor people depend on as a staple food, a study published Monday warned. Researchers from the United States, the Philippines and the Rome-based Food and […]
Sri Lanka Finlay unit tea exports slow down
Aug 10, 2010 (LBO) – Tea exports by Finlays Colombo have been slowed down by high prices in the first half of the financial year, a stock exchanging filing said. “In response, we shifted strategy towards including bulk storage of commodities requiring refrigeration, to off-set the drop in volumes in the storage of packaged products. […]
Creative Assets
Aug 08, 2010 (LBO) – Managements of Sri Lankan companies could be held liable for any violations of intellectual property in their organisations even if they were unaware of it, an official said. Dr D M Karunaratne, director general, of the National IP Office said anyone who violates IP rights is liable to be punished […]
India lends Bangladesh one billion dollars as ties warm
DHAKA, August 7, 2010 (AFP) – India gave Bangladesh a billion-dollar soft loan Saturday, the biggest credit package New Delhi has ever earmarked for any nation, highlighting warming ties between the neighbours, officials said. Ties were chilly between the South Asian neighbours from 2001 to 2006 when Bangladesh was ruled by an Islamist-allied government and […]