Category: Other
” recovery
NEW DELHI, August 23, 2010 (AFP) – India announced new stimulus measures Monday worth 225 million dollars to help garment, leather and handicraft exporters during the “fragile” global economic recovery. The country’s export growth slowed sharply in July on weakening demand from Western markets and the government has warned that the pace could slacken further […]
Maldivian festival of ideas brings together artists, scientists
Aug 22, 2010 (LBO) – The Maldives plans to hold a festival bringing together international and local artists and experts from the fields of literature, art, science, drama, music and poetry in October this year. The event, billed as a festival of “ideas, conversations and fun” will celebrate “one of the world’s most hopeful new […]
Indian film industry wants more awareness over film piracy
MUMBAI, August 22, 2010 (AFP) – Ashish is a senior executive in the financial sector in the home of Bollywood, Mumbai. He earns a good wage, lives in an upmarket neighbourhood and sees himself as a decent, law-abiding citizen. But like many Indians, the 49-year-old sees nothing wrong with buying the latest Hindi-language and Hollywood […]
‘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 […]
Sri Lanka gives more money to promote rice over wheat flour
Aug 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is to spend 2. 5 billion rupees over the next three years to extend a programme to encourage rice cultivation and consumption and reduce wheat flour consumption, a spokesman said. Rambukkwelle said the government wants to support the agriculture sector which it sees as a key factor […]
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 […]