Category: Other
Sri Lanka tea export earnings hit new high
May 07, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea export earnings in the three months to March 2010 hit a new high in rupee terms although lower volumes were shipped compared with recent years, brokers said. Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers said Sri Lanka’s tea exports in March 2010 fell by about five million kilos to […]
Sri Lanka coastal lagoons threatened by mangrove planting: researcher
May 06, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s coastal lagoons could be threatened by rapid sedimentation as a side-effect of fresh mangroves planted by humans for protection against a possible future tsunami, a researcher has warned. “However this activity ranked highest among investments made both by government and non-governmental organizations,” Samarakoon told a forum organized by […]
” corruption undermines Indian media
NEW DELHI, May 5, 2010 (AFP) – The Indian media, a pillar of the country’s vibrant democracy, is riddled with corruption that sees journalists report stories for cash in a phenomenon known as “paid news,” a probe has revealed. The findings of an investigation for the Press Council of India, seen by AFP but yet […]
Sri Lanka tea output recovery slows in March
May 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s total tea production, including green tea, rose 7. 8 percent to 20 million kilos in March 2010 from a year ago when output was hit by drought and the effects of the global commodities crash. Tea Board data showed that most of the increase in output in March […]
‘s Huawei seeks India meeting over telcom ban: report
NEW DELHI, May 4, 2010 (AFP) – Chinese telecoms maker Huawei Technologies is planning to meet senior Indian officials to persuade them its equipment poses no security threat, a report said Tuesday. The move comes after New Delhi said last week it blocked sales between Indian mobile phone operators and Chinese equipment firms, which the […]
India weighs capital controls as high rates push rupee up
NEW DELHI, May 2, 2010 (AFP) – India’s government is weighing capital controls with the rupee on the rise amid fears of “hot money” flowing into the country as investors pile back into Indian assets. Unlike fellow emerging market giant China, India allows its currency to float freely and the central bank has warned of […]
India, Japan set to conclude trade pact in 2010: minister
NEW DELHI, April 30, 2010 (AFP) – India and Japan should be able to conclude a free trade pact to liberalise commerce this year, a minister said Friday. Once the free trade agreement comes into effect as many 9,000 products — ranging from steel and clothing to drugs and machinery — are expected to be […]
” of cooperation
THIMPHU, April 29, 2010 (AFP) – South Asian leaders wound up a summit in Bhutan Thursday with an accord to tackle climate change and promises to pursue a new era of development for their under-performing region. The two-day summit of the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was notable for the frank appraisal […]
Aishwarya Abhishek together in new film
MUMBAI, April 29, 2010 (AFP) – Bollywood’s leading couple, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, are teaming up for their first film together in two years, hoping to harness the power of the Internet to make it a box office hit. “Raavan,” with music by Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” composer A.R. Rahman, is a modern-day take on […]
Tobacco firms take aim at Bangladeshi, Asian women
DHAKA, April 29, 2010 (AFP) – Bangladeshi chest doctor Kazi Saifuddin Bennoor has seen many misleading cigarette advertisements, but the one that suggested smoking could make childbirth easier plumbed new depths. Advertisements telling smokers they are smarter, more energetic and better lovers than their non-smoking counterparts are a familiar sight across Bangladesh — something unimaginable […]
US approves first offshore wind farm
WASHINGTON, April 29, 2010 (AFP) – The first US offshore wind farm project won government approval Wednesday after nearly a decade of battles involving environmentalists, Indian tribes and others. The big Massachusetts project approved by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is seen as a giving a major boost to wind power in the United States even […]
‘s Bharti Airtel reports dip in profit
MUMBAI, April 28, 2010 (AFP) – India’s top mobile phone company Bharti Airtel Wednesday blamed an 8. 2-percent fall in its fourth-quarter net profit on “hyper-competition” in its domestic market. Net profit for the three months to March 31 fell on a 12-month basis to 20. 55 billion rupees (46 million dollars) while revenues for […]