Category:
Pacific Refuge
WELLINGTON, January 19, 2010 (AFP) – New Zealand has agreed to take 13 Sri Lankan refugees who spent weeks refusing to leave an Australian customs boat in Indonesia last year, the government said Tuesday. New Zealand originally did not want to take any of the Tamil refugees who refused to leave the Oceanic Viking, but […]
Giant, leaping Asian carp threaten US Great Lakes
CHICAGO, January 20, 2010 (AFP) – Huge Asian carp, which act like “aquatic vacuum cleaners” and leap into the air when spooked by motorboats, may have invaded the US Great Lakes despite a massive effort to block them, officials said Tuesday. Researchers analyzing water samples have discovered fragments of Asian carp DNA in Lake Michigan, […]
Sri Lanka to get solar power plant from Korea
Jan 20, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is getting a 500 kiloWatt solar power plant from Korea which will be built in Hambantota in the south of the island and used to gain more knowledge on operating the technology , officials said. The plant will be run by the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, which […]
Sri Lanka exports fall 5.0-pct in November
Jan 20, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports fell 5.0 percent in December from a year earlier, with industrial exports falling 12.2 percent, though agricultural exports were up 23.7 percent, the Central Bank said. During the 11 months to November exports were down 14.7 percent to 6,361.1 million US dollars, imports were down 31. 9 […]
‘s group writes to presidential front runners
Jan 20, 2010 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan citizen’s group has written to the two main candidates running for next weeks polls asking for more attention to the island’s minority groups and constitutional reforms to promote equality to all citizens. “We note with distress a major lacuna in both manifestos,” the group, Friday Forum said […]
Sri Lanka stocks extend losses in broad sell-off
Jan 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks fell 1. 2 percent Tuesday in a broad sell-off that as buyers awaited third quarter results and kept an eye on presidential polls due next week, brokers said. MTD Walkers, a Malaysian controlled construction firm, extended gains closing 43.00 rupees higher at 425.75 rupees. In brief stock […]
Tax Plan
Jan 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is looking to reduce taxes on banks over the next few years allowing banks to generate more funds to recapitalize, as the economy is poised for a growth phase after the end of a 30-year war, an official said. “Over the next five years banks have to devise […]
India, Sri Lanka, Maldives run scrapped by Greek cruise line: report
Jan 19, 2010 (LBO) – Louise Cruises, a Greece based line which started a service running out of India to Sri Lanka and Maldives was pulling out after suffering losses due to high cost of operating out of Indian ports, media report said. The company was laying of 200 or relocating 200 crew hired for […]
Sri Lanka farmers to learn to live with wild elephants
Jan 18, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka rural farmers living close to forested areas with wild elephants will be taught to manage human animal conflicts through a new model dairy pilot project, its promoters said. Exetel, an Australian IT firm that runs a call centre in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society […]
Deadly unrest flares in Sri Lanka ahead of vote
January 18, 2010 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan opposition supporter was killed on Monday as fresh unrest erupted ahead of next week’s presidential election despite a security crackdown, police said. The man was killed in a clash with ruling party activists in northwestern Sri Lanka, the third politically-related death in the run-up to the vote […]
” private sector salary hike
Jan 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s labour minister has “ordered” a 2,500 rupee salary hike to private sector workers, a ministry statement said, though an organization representing the major employers said they had no knowledge of the move. The statement said a 405 rupee a month wage deal negotiated between a group of large […]
Sri Lanka holds policy rates steady
Jan 19, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank said it was keeping its main reverse repurchase policy rate at which money is injected to markets steady at 9. 75 percent, though inflation has started to pick up. “Though some volatility has been observed in the short term money market rates in recent weeks, market […]