Category:
South Korea props up won with dollar sales
EOUL, July 8, 2008 (AFP) – The South Korean won hit a two-week high Tuesday after foreign exchange authorities sold up to two billion dollars to prop it up, traders said.The currency was quoted at 1,031.60 per dollar as of 0500 GMT, compared to Monday’s close of 1,042.90. Earlier Tuesday it rallied as high as […]
‘s Gorkhas campaign for new state
DARJEELING, July 8, 2008 (AFP) – Leaders of the ethnic Nepali-speaking minority in India’s mountainous and tea-rich northeast have started month-long prayers to press for their own federal state.Ethnic Gorkhas — who number more than a million in the eastern state of West Bengal — have been demanding a separate state within India for decades, […]
Sri Lanka replace Zimbabwe with 2009 tour of England
LONDON, July 8, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka will play two Tests and three one-day internationals in England next April and May, stepping into the fixture gap created by England’s decision to break off cricket relations with Zimbabwe.Dates for the tour were announced on Tuesday by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). David Collier, […]
Mystic Mendis is latest Sri Lankan mould-breaker
NEW DELHI, July 8, 2008 (AFP) – As if Muttiah Muralitharan was not enough, Sri Lanka now have another formidable spinner in Ajantha Mendis, whose unique style is also breaking new ground.Muralitharan, with a record 735 Test wickets, has long flummoxed batsmen with his “doosra” delivery that spins away from right-handers instead of coming in […]
Tired Dhoni opts out of Sri Lanka Tests
MUMBAI, July 8, 2008 (AFP) – India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the rare step of pulling out of a Test tour because of fatigue on Tuesday, saying he wanted to miss the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The wicketkeeper-batsman told officials he was not available for the three Tests starting in Colombo on July 23, […]
Sri Lanka tea exports up to May at new high
July 07, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has earned half a billion dollars from tea exports in the first five months of the year, with volumes also hitting a new record of 129.4 million kilograms, brokers Asia Siyaka Commodities said. But tea bag exports fell from 8.5 million in the 2007 period to 7.6 million […]
Launch Date
July 7, 2008 (LBO) – The Sri Lanka unit of India’s Bharti Airtel hopes to launch its services in the island by the end of the year, a media report said. Margins and profits of mobile operators have been coming down in recent years, with intense competition among the island’s operators. In addition to Dialog, […]
Loose money US believes in strong dollar
TOYAKO, July 6, 2008 (AFP) – President George W.Bush on Sunday reaffirmed the United States’ “strong dollar” policy, saying the US economy’s fundamental strength would ultimately support the flagging currency.“The US believes in a strong dollar policy and believes that the strength of our economy will be reflected in the dollar,” he said ahead of […]
Toyota to equip Prius with solar panels: report
TOKYO, July 7, 2008 (AFP) – Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp.plans to add solar panels to its popular Prius hybrid early next year to power the vehicle’s air conditioning, a newspaper report said Monday. As part of a complete design makeover, the Prius will be fitted with rooftop solar panels on its high-end models, the Nikkei […]
Mendis, Jayasuriya shine as Sri Lanka retains Asia Cup
KARACHI, July 6, 2008 (AFP) – Sensational spinner Ajantha Mendis took six wickets for just nine runs to help Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs in the final here on Sunday to successfully defend the Asia Cup title. As expected the 23-year-old spinner mesmerised the Indian batsmen with career-best figures to cause a slump […]
Sri Lanka opposition backs new state salary hike
July 07, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) is backing calls for new salary hikes for the island’s already bloated state sector, continuing a tradition that has created a class of super citizens and high inflation in the country.The UNP and its trade union arm, the Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (JSS), […]
Tech Potential
July 06, 2008 (LBO) – A team that was placed second in Australia’s Melbourne Business School’s entrepreneurship competition, led by a Sri Lankan, chose Colombo as the research location since the island has untapped potential, an official said. The team led by Chandika Jayasundara, chief executive officer of Cinergix was placed second in Australia’s entrepreneurship […]