Sri Lanka aims to be South Asian shopper paradise
Mar 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s biggest state bank has proposed a bold project to make the island a Dubai-style duty free shopping mecca for the …
South Asia
Imran Khan sees ‘foreign element’ in cricket attack
SLAMABAD, March 7, 2009 (AFP) – Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan believes a “foreign element” could be involved in this week’s attack …
Maldives bans reef shark hunting
Mar 05, 2009 (LBO) – The Indian Ocean atoll nation of Maldives said it had banned shark hunting close to shore and a complete ban on shark products …
Global warming could delay, weaken monsoons: study
CHICAGO, March 1, 2009 (AFP) – Global warming could delay the start of the summer monsoon by five to 15 days within the next century and significantly …
UN braces for Sri Lankans fleeing conflict
GENEVA, February 27, 2009 (AFP) – The UN refugee agency said Friday it was preparing for the arrival of tens of thousands of displaced people fleeing the …
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 …
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 …
UN urges safe passage for civilians caught in Sri Lanka fighting
UNITED NATIONS, January 30, 2009 (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday appealed to the Sri Lankan government and its Tamil foes to ensure safe passage …
UN evacuates wounded civilians from Sri Lanka war zone
January 29, 2009 (AFP) – The United Nations evacuated hundreds of severely wounded civilians from behind rebel lines in Sri Lanka Thursday as government …
Indian PM undergoes heart bypass surgery
NEW DELHI, January 24, 2009 (AFP) – India’s 76-year-old Prime Minister Manmohan Singh underwent heart bypass surgery Saturday, raising questions …
Lubanga trial will open eyes to child soldiers: ICC prosecutor – Interview
THE HAGUE, January 23, 2009 (AFP) – Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo hopes to alert the world to the plight of child soldiers when he finally faces …
Malaysian police on alert for Tamil Tiger leader: report
KUALA LUMPUR, January 22, 2009 (AFP) – Malaysia is on alert for Sri Lankan Tamil Tiger chief Velupillai Prabhakaran, saying he may have fled here after …
Cairn India gets nod for new Indian field
Jan 19, 2009 (LBO) – Cairn India, which has won a license to explore for oil off Sri Lanka’s west coast, said it got Indian government approval to …
Indian inflation falls for tenth straight week
NEW DELHI, January 15, 2009 (AFP) – India’s inflation fell for a tenth straight week, according to official data Thursday, creating more room to …
India Inc in damage-control mode after billion-dollar fraud scandal
MUMBAI, January 11, 2009 (AFP) – A billion-dollar accounting scandal at one of India’s top outsourcing firms has left the government and financial …
Sri Lanka investors wooed by Maldives
Jan 04, 2009 (LBO) – The new government in the Maldives, in move to privatize the economy, is looking at selling state-owned businesses and becoming more …
Ex-PM Sheikh Hasina wins Bangladesh poll: officia
DHAKA, December 30, 2008 (AFP) – Former Bangladeshi premier Sheikh Hasina Wajed has won a landslide victory in general elections, with her party picking …
Tensions mount as Pakistan shifts troops to Indian border
ISLAMABAD, December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Pakistan has redeployed thousands of troops to the border with India, officials said Friday, in a dramatic …
India denies violating Pakistani airspace
NEW DELHI, December 14, 2008 (AFP) – India on Sunday denied any of its aircraft had intruded into Pakistani air space, as tensions ran high between the …
India industrial growth crashes into negative terrain
NEW DELHI, December 12, 2008 (AFP) – India’s industrial growth unexpectedly shrank for the first time in 15 years, data showed Friday, hit by the …