Category: Other
Sri Lanka Kelani Valley profit down
Feb 21, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Kelani Valley Plantations said net profit fell 33.5 percent to 276 million rupees in the 2008 financial year mainly owing to the collapse of tea and rubber prices in the final quarter.Sales grew 10 percent to 3,109 million rupees in the year ending December 31, 2008, the company, […]
UN envoy in Sri Lanka expresses fears for civilians
February 19, 2009 (AFP) – The United Nations humanitarian chief John Holmes held talks with leaders in Sri Lanka on Thursday and said he was gravely concerned for thousands of civilians trapped in the island’s war zone. Holmes met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama after the Tamil Tiger rebels suffered a series of defeats that have […]
Sri Lanka to protect Ceylon Tea intellectual property
Feb 19, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is seeking protection for the Ceylon Tea brand and seven growing areas under international intellectual property laws that cover products under ‘geographical indicators’, a government minister said. Sri Lanka Tea Board, a state regulatory body, has been authorized to seek protection under the provisions of the agreement on […]
Sri Lankan gets tough with eco-labels
Feb 18, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan businesses that want to market their products and services as eco-friendly would have to get approval from the central environmental authority (CEA) in future.CEA chairman Udaya Gammanpila said new rules will be introduced to prevent misuse of the label which many firms were using as an advertising gimmick. […]
Pakistan to seek 4.5 billion dollars from IMF
KARACHI, February 17, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan is to ask for an additional loan of 4.5 billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund to patch up an economy wilting under a widening trade deficit, an official said Tuesday.Among other tight demands, the IMF wants a reduction in Pakistan’s deficit and huge borrowing from the central […]
Biofuels may speed up, not slow global warming: study
CHICAGO, February 14, 2009 (AFP) – The use of crop-based biofuels could speed up rather than slow down global warming by fueling the destruction of rainforests, scientists warned Saturday. Once heralded as the answer to oil, biofuels have become increasingly controversial because of their impact on food prices and the amount of energy it takes […]
Sri Lanka coconut plantation profit up
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-owned Chilaw Plantations, which grows coconut, has increased profit by 47 percent to 153.68 million rupees under state management in 2008, a year when commodity prices shot to record highs. The Strategic Enterprise Management Agency (SEMA), a government agency charged with ensuring state enterprises are run profitably, said […]
Sri Lanka tea prices tumble
Feb 12, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea prices fell at this week’s Colombo auction with lower buying from key markets like Russia contributing to the decline, brokers said.The better teas were selectively sought after by shippers to Japan, Pakistan and possibly the Continent. But there was noticeably less activity this week from shippers to […]
Sri Lanka business chamber in anti-pollution campaign
Feb 10, 2009 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan business chamber said it plans to start an awareness programme to minimise pollution from agriculture and industry in the island’s provinces using selected enterprises as models for others.“Industrial pollution is causing lot of damage to the environment in urban and rural areas,” the Federation of Chambers of […]
Sri Lanka tea exports rise in 2008
Feb 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka exported 319.7 million kilos of tea and earned an estimated 1.26 billion dollars in 2008, but industry officials said shippers may not have received full payment given the collapse of the market towards the end of the year. Brokers Asia Siyaka Commodities said in a market report that […]
‘s legendary cedars
BAROUK, February 7, 2009 (AFP) – Lebanon’s majestic cedar trees have withstood the test of time for centuries but climate change is threatening the country’s most treasured symbol. Used by various civilisations throughout history for their strong and durable wood, Lebanon’s cedars are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List” as […]
Black wolves got their hue from domestic dogs
WASHINGTON, February 5, 2009 (AFP) – Black wolves, found nearly exclusively in North America, likely inherited their coats from breeding with domestic dogs, according to a study published Thursday.The dogs of the earliest Native Americans or of European immigrants probably contributed to the genetic variability of their wild counterparts, researchers from Stanford University and the […]