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Americans warned to be alert during cricket World Cup
WASHINGTON, February 17, 2011 (AFP) – The United States on Thursday urged its citizens to be extra vigilant about terror risks if they are in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka during the cricket World Cup. “While the US government has no specific threat information regarding the Cricket World Cup, large, high-profile events of this nature […]
Sri Lanka India coal project hit by legal queries: report
Feb 18, 2011 (LBO) – A state joint venture coal power plant between India and Sri Lanka which has been negotiated for several years has been hit by further delays following legal queries from the island nation, a media report said. India’s National Thermal Power Corporation and Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Electricity Board has been talking […]
Malaysia, India sign free trade pact
KUALA LUMPUR, February 18, 2011 (AFP) – Malaysia and India signed a long-delayed free trade pact on Friday that they say will double two-way trade to billion by 2015 and help strengthen economic ties. “The signing of today’s agreement shows our commitment to much deeper economic integration between our two countries,” premier Najib Razak said […]
India ends onion export ban after price collapse: report
Feb 18, 2011 (LBO) – India has ended a two month ban on onion exports, which sent traditional buyers to alternative sources, after wholesale prices crashed and farmers protested in the streets. India banned onion exports in December after earlier putting a minimum export price floor of 1,200 US dollars a tonne. After the price […]
Police ban flag poles from World Cup
Feb 18, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s police has announced they will deal firmly with anyone sporting a flag pole at any of the world cup venues As far as the police is concerned, anyone with any musical instrument is a kill joy. They will be quickly banished from the games. Even pens, pencils, and […]
Tough to axe Sri Lanka team-mates, says de Silva
NEW DELHI, February 18, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s chief selector Aravinda de Silva has spoken of his tough decision in omitting fellow 1996 World Cup winners Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas from the squad. De Silva scored 107 not out and took 3-42 as Sri Lanka beat Australia by seven wickets in the 1996 […]
Sri Lanka to keep original budget gap despite floods: IMF mission
Feb 18, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan authorities want to keep the budget deficit target of 6. 75 percent of gross domestic product for 2011 despite the additional flood related expenditure, IMF mission chief Brian Aiken said. “Addressing the impact of the floods may require some re-allocation of budget resources, but the authorities felt that […]
Sri Lanka set to meet budget deficit target: IMF
Feb 18, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is likely to be able to meet the 2010 target for its budget deficit of eight percent of gross domestic product, a visiting International Monetary Fund official said. Brian Aitken, chief of the IMF review mission, said the island’s economic growth remained strong and there were no […]
US researchers hopeful for dengue vaccine
SAN JUAN, February 17, 2011 (AFP) – Promising advances have been made in the testing of possible vaccines to prevent the mosquito-borne dengue virus, which kills 25,000 people every year, researchers said Thursday. “There’s been tremendous progress,” he said. “There are a number of vaccines that are now in clinical trials and there’s now very […]
Rail Paradise
Feb 17, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s first high-speed locomotive not only covered its inaugural journey in record time, but also maintained a centuries-old tradition of being late. However, the locomotive on the inaugural run was not the one that was supposed to be there in the first place. Maintaining another tradition, the authorities used […]
Study claims link between human activity and higher rainfall
PARIS, February 16, 2011 (AFP) – Global warming driven by human activity boosted the intensity of rain, snow and consequent flooding in the northern hemisphere over the last half of the 20th century, research released Wednesday has shown. Members of the public interested in lending computing power can find information at climateprediction.net, which is currently […]
Family deaths hit Sri Lanka curtain raiser
February 17, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan batsman Chamara Silva is likely to miss his team’s opening World Cup match, due to a death in his family, an official said Thursday. Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions and 2007 runners-up, face Canada in their first match at the newly-built Mahinda Rajapakse Stadium in the southern town […]