Category: Other
Only tiny fraction of oil spilled will ever be recovered
VENICE, May 23, 2010 (AFP) – Despite a massive cleanup effort, experts warn that only a tiny fraction of the oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from the wreckage of a BP-leased rig will ever be recovered. “The oil is out there and it’s out there to stay,” said Lisa Suatoni, a marine biologist […]
US Abbott buys Indian pharma unit for 3.7 billion dollars
MUMBAI, May 22, 2010 (AFP) – US healthcare group Abbott Laboratories has announced a 3. 7 billion-dollar buyout of the generic drugs unit of India’s Piramal Healthcare, as it moves to boost its presence in emerging markets. Abbott, which announced the acquisition in a statement late Friday, said the deal would make it the leading […]
Egypt and Pakistan to boost trade
CAIRO, May 23, 2010 (AFP) – Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday that his country plans to boost trade with Egypt, during a visit to Cairo where he met with President Hosni Mubarak. Qureshi, who was accompanied on his trip by several ministers and a large delegation of businessmen, praised the “excellent” […]
Survivors tell of miracle escape from Indian air crash
BANGALORE, May 22, 2010 (AFP) – Some of the seven survivors who crawled or were carried from the burning remains of a plane that crashed in India on Saturday told of their escape amid scenes of horror and death. At least 159 people died after the plane overshot the runaway and plunged down a steep […]
Sri Lankan tea prices fall
May 21, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea prices fell sharply at this week’s Colombo auctions with a larger weight on sale, lower quality and reduced demand, brokers said. “Auction quantities were substantially higher this week and totalled 8.0 million kilos,” Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers said in a report. “There was less demand and […]
Sri Lanka palm oil firm sees demand growing
May 21, 2010 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan business group with palm oil plantations in east Asia has said demand for the edible oil is likely to grow, driven mainly by China and India, with prices having stabilized at more realistic levels. The Carson Cumberbatch group controls palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia through […]
Sri Lanka floods could get worse: minister
May 20, 2010 (LBO) – Floods in Sri Lanka are expected to get worse with the arrival of south-west monsoon rains over the weekend, and residents close to river banks in low lying areas are most at risk, a senior minister said Water levels in two rivers in the southern Ratnapura district are rising, A […]
Facebook may make prophet page inaccessible in Pakistan
WASHINGTON, May 20, 2010 (AFP) – Facebook is disappointed at being blocked in Pakistan over a contest that encourages users to post caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed and may make the offending page inaccessible to users there, the social network said late Wednesday. “We are very disappointed with the Pakistani courts’ decision to block Facebook […]
‘s war-torn east beckons business
May 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s eastern province is recovering rapidly from the effects of war and provides opportunities for business, especially in agriculture, a senior official said. The conflict ended last May, resulting in an economic revival in the region as well as the rest of the country. Wijewickrema said the revival of […]
Customs Info
May 18, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has signed a deal with the country’s customs office to share information to help counter money laundering and terrorist financing. The FIU says it is chasing more information sharing deal with other domestic agencies. “The Financial Intelligence Unit and other authorities such as Sri […]
India struggles to count its millions
NEW DELHI, May 18, 2010 (AFP) – In a labyrinthine district of New Delhi, Kalpana Singh is busy knocking on doors, straining to make out house numbers scratched on the walls and warmly greeting residents with a smile. She is on a mission to record and document the occupants of the teeming and decrepit area […]
Sri Lanka promotes specialty teas in Japan
May 18, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is promoting the manufacture of specialty teas by its industry, with a competition in Japan giving recognition to producers and earning top prices, officials said. Anil Cooke, chairman of the Colombo Tea Brokers’ Association, said Sri Lanka has seven distinct growing regions and 36 valleys and growing districts. […]