Category: Other
Celebrations as Dalai Lama turns 75
DHARAMSHALA, July 6, 2010 (AFP) – The Dalai Lama marks his 75th birthday on Tuesday, with thousands set to celebrate the occasion in his hometown-in-exile and events planned across the globe from Europe to Australia. The Nobel laureate will address a crowd of 5,000 fans and followers at his temple in McLeod Ganj, a hill […]
” on immigration
SYDNEY, July 4, 2010 (AFP) – Australia’s new Prime Minister Julia Gillard Sunday vowed not to let “political correctness” get in the way of tackling immigration, signalling a tough line on the issue. Gillard, who ruthlessly deposed former leader Kevin Rudd and solved the mining tax row that weakened him a week later, said people […]
Sri Lanka tea bag exports fall
July 02, 2010 (LBO) – Shipments of tea bags from Sri Lanka to Russia, the main market for tea, the island™s biggest export commodity, have fallen as high import duties on value added teas deter exports, latest data showed. The share of value added tea exports to the Russian market has been falling in recent […]
Sri Lanka cocoa price hike may prompt imports
July 02, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan cocoa prices have shot up owing to cop failure and heavy demand for cocoa beans might prompt the confectionary industry to resort to imports, a trade body said. The Spices & Allied Products Producers™ and Traders™ Association (SAPPTA) said the price for a kilo of grade one cocoa […]
House arrest for Maldivian opposition MPs as crisis drags
July 1, 2010 (AFP) – A Maldivian court has ordered the house arrest of two key opposition lawmakers amid a power struggle between the country’s president and parliament, an official said Thursday. The Criminal Court of Male told police on Wednesday night to keep the two men under house arrest for three days, but the […]
Imposed Rule
June 28, 2010 (LBO) – In the past four decades, whenever a political party or alliance secured a substantial majority of seats in parliament, that group of politicians has claimed the right to foist a new constitution on the people of this country. Constitution-making is not the prerogative, or indeed a legitimate function, of a […]
Sri Lanka to encourage rubber production for tires
June 28, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to encourage small farmers to produce more of a rubber grade suitable for tire manufacture which is in demand, officials said. Plantations industries minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said a policy decision was taken recently aimed at increasing production of the RSS 3 type rubber grade. Although most people […]
Graft fears as massive cash sums fly out of Kabul: WSJ
KABUL, June 28, 2010 (AFP) – More than three billion dollars in cash has been flown out of Kabul in recent years amid fears that ill-gotten gains from corruption and narcotics are being stashed overseas, a report said Monday. The Wall Street Journal said the cash — more than the Afghan government collects in tax […]
Pakistan and India to fight terrorism together
ISLAMABAD, June 26, 2010 (AFP) – Pakistan and India announced Saturday they would fight terrorism together and cooperate on the 2008 Mumbai attacks as India urged Pakistan to put more suspects on trial for the atrocity. Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram and his Pakistani counterpart Rehman Malik have concluded two meetings in Islamabad with a […]
Bharti to invest 150 million dollars in Zain Zambia
LUSAKA, June 24, 2010 (AFP) – India’s mobile phone company Bharti Airtel plans to invest 150 million dollars in Zain Zambia, chief executive officer Manoj Kohli said on Thursday. It has also acquired the operations of Zain Zambia’s parent company, Zain Africa in 15 African countries, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville and Democratic Republic […]
India deregulates petrol prices
NEW DELHI, June 25, 2010 (AFP) – India’s government decided to deregulate petrol prices Friday in a bold economic reform that risks a popular backlash as the country struggles with double-digit inflation. The step, which will mean an increase in fuel prices, is part of efforts by the left-leaning Congress-led government to reduce a gaping […]
Sri Lanka tea output up in May
June 23, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka™s tea production in May 2010 rose 12.9 percent to almost 30.3 million kilos as production continued to recover from a downturn the year before, Tea Board data showed. The annual production in 2008 hit a record high of 318 million kilos. Corrected – annual production figure Tea production […]