Category: Other
British court jails Tamil leader for helping Tigers
LONDON, June 12, 2009 (AFP) – A British Tamil leader convicted of supplying bomb-making equipment to Tamil Tiger rebels was jailed for two years by a court in London Friday, but the judge described him as a “thoroughly decent man.” “He is not merely a man of good character, he has done a great deal […]
India orders no-fishing zones in security move
NEW DELHI, June 11, 2009 (AFP) – The Indian government is to ban fishing near sensitive facilities as part of an ongoing major security upgrade spurred by last year’s attacks on Mumbai by Islamic militants, an official said Thursday.No-fishing zones will be created along 7,500 kilometres (4,650 miles) of designated coastal zones to protect “important” […]
Geothermal energy industry could create 17,000 Australian jobs: report
BRISBANE, June 11 (Asia Pulse) – More than 17,000 jobs could be created in Australia’s geothermal energy industry by 2050, a new report says. The geothermal industry, which involves extracting heat stored in the earth to generate power, is growing in Australia with almost 400 tenements for projects and around $A1.5 billion (US$1.2 billion) in […]
Sri Lanka Finlay teas sell well in Iraq
June 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s James Finlay group said tea exports to Iraq did well in 2008 despite the strife and that it expanded its marketing and launched a new product with higher profit margins. Jayasuriya said the company took advantage of the oil price boom of 2007-08 which increased consumer spending in […]
Maldives declares whale shark sanctuaries
June 10, 2009 (LBO) – Maldives has established three protected areas for whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, the Indian Ocean atoll state which is famed for its corals and marine resources, said. The marine protected areas have been declared in and around Baa atoll Hanifaru, Baa atoll An’gafaru and South Ari atoll Maamigili, to […]
Chief Judge
June 08, 2009 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government has appointed Justice Asoka de Silva as the island’s new chief justice. Justice de Silva took oaths as Sri Lanka’s 32nd chief justice before President Mahinda Rajapaksa Monday morning, the government information department said in a statement. He is the senior-most Sri Lankan judge and has […]
‘s share market on a roll: analysts
MUMBAI, June 7, 2009 (AFP) – Indian shares trading near 10-month highs are on a roll and could see more gains as investors pour money back into the South Asian country, analysts say. Indian stocks are already among the top-performing emerging markets this year as financial institutions and overseas funds bet on robust growth in […]
Sri Lanka tea exports fall sharply in April
June 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s shipments of tea, its main commodity export, fell sharply in April compared with a year ago, as production was hit by severe drought earlier in the year, brokers said.Asia Siyaka said Sri Lanka earned 34.4 billion rupees from tea exports up to April 2009, down 19 percent from […]
India new govt says will focus on growth, help poor
NEW DELHI, June 4, 2009 (AFP) – India’s new Congress-led government promised Thursday to focus on spurring economic growth in its bid to meet a recent election pledge of turning voters’ hopes “into change”.Spelling out the government’s goals for a second term in office after being swept back to power on promises to help the […]
Sri Lanka probes foreigners in refugee camps
June 4, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has identified six foreign nationals among tens of thousands of war displaced civilians held in state-run camps in the island’s north, a minister said Thursday. Three Australians and one each from Britain, the Netherlands and Norway had crossed over to government-held areas after escaping from the war zone […]
Hostage Crisis
ZAMBOANGA, June 4, 2009 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan peace activist kidnapped by Islamic militants in the southern Philippines almost four months ago has been safely rescued, police said Thursday. Umar Jaleel was rescued late Wednesday from his Abu Sayyaf captors in the town of Tipo-Tipo on Basilan island, regional police spokesman Superintendent Danilo Bacas […]
No Deal
June 4, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court said a 2003 privatization of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) to listed Distilleries group was illegal and ordered the shares to be returned to the government and the purchase price refunded. Court also said Ernst & Young, the auditors of the firm should be removed. Court […]