Indian navy rescues coastguard abducted on Sri Lanka trawler

NEW DELHI, December 11, 2009 (AFP) – The Indian navy on Friday rescued two coastguard personnel abducted earlier this week by Sri Lankan fishermen, a spokesman said.Navy spokesman P.V.S Satish said the two were among 14 coastguard officers who had boarded seven Sri Lankan trawlers found fishing in Indian waters on Tuesday. They had been […]

Oil Bids

Dec 11, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is ready to calls for bids for oil exploration in more blocks in the island’s north-west as well as the south, Petroleum Resources Minister A H M Fowzie said.Fowzie said oil and gas discoveries on the Indian side of the Mannar Basin meant there was a better chance […]

Sri Lanka business says worker training key in former war zone

Dec 11, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s former war zones in the north and east need vocational training to raise worker productivity, corporate leaders have told a visiting American diplomat.Better water supply and cold storage facilities to bring fresh produce to markets were also critical requirements, they told US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake […]

Sri Lankan stocks 0.24-pct up

Dec 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed up Thursday while high volume trading on Commercial Bank of Ceylon shares boosted turnover levels, brokers said.Sri Lanka’s largest celco Dialog Telekom, a unit of Telekom Malaysia closed flat at 7.00 rupee, and the largest fixed line operator Sri Lanka Telecom closed at 43.50 rupees, up […]

Retail Chain

Dec 10, 2009 (LBO) – Cargills (Ceylon) group, which runs Sri Lanka’s largest retail chain, said it plans to open 100 more supermarkets in all the island’s 25 districts in the next few years.The company said last month that net profits in the September 2009 quarter rose 35 percent to 139 million rupees from a […]

Progress Call

December 9, 2009 (AFP) – The United States said Wednesday it was willing to extend more aid to Sri Lanka provided there was progress in political reconciliation and human rights.He commended the government’s efforts to allow war-displaced civilians to leave state-run welfare camps in the north at their own free will and said Sri Lanka […]

Expansion

Dec 10, 2009 (LBO) – Mphasis, an Indian outsourcing firm, is opening a centre in Colombo which will offer legal, finance and accounting services starting with 600 people in the first stage, as a downturn is ending, officials said.“We have a fairly well established global footprint and with the Colombo office we are expanding it […]

‘s Supreme Court suggests legal prostitution: report

NEW DELHI, December 10, 2009 (AFP) – India’s Supreme Court suggested legalising prostitution as a solution to the rampant sex trade that has flourished despite a raft of laws, a report said Thursday.“When you say it is the world’s oldest profession and when you are not able to curb it by laws, why don’t you […]

Sri Lanka Distilleries in bid re-enter insurance

Dec 10, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Distilleries group said it had applied to the regulator for a license to start an insurance company, after it lost the country’s largest insurer by assets on a court reversal of a privatization deal. The group controlled Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation until last year, when Sri Lanka’s Supreme […]

Sri Lanka alcohol producer to enter insurance business

Dec 10, 2009 (LBO) – Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka said it is seeking regulator clearance to launch an insurance company with a startup capital of 500 million rupees after losing control of a former state-owned insurance company. Distilleries shares opened Thursday trading at 96.00 rupees, after closing the previous day down 75 cents. Distilleries […]

Sangakkara powers Sri Lanka to win

NAGPUR, December 9, 2009 (AFP) – Kumar Sangakkara smashed a career-best 78 off just 37 balls to set up Sri Lanka’s 29-run win in the first Twenty20 international against India here on Wednesday. India paid the price for some sloppy fielding with Yuvraj Singh dropping a sitter at point when Jayasuriya (26) was on two, […]

Lack of evidence based policy making can be disastrous: Sri Lanka policy forum

Dec 10, 2009 (LBO) – Ad hoc public policy formulation can be disastrous and both China and India are evolving evidence based processes to back effective government action, academics and researchers said at a policy forum in Colombo.“The strategic direction is set by the Party and State Council and the People’s Congress makes legislation,” Xue […]

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