Digital Gap

April 20, 2007 (LBO) –Sri Lanka would need 12,000 information technology (IT) sector workers over the next two years, but the country’s educational system can supply only half that, the government’s IT promotional body said. “Future demand patterns indicate a requirement of nearly 12,000 more IT workers over the next couple of years,” Sri Lanka’s […]

Mobile Capital

April 20, 2007 (LBO) – Dialog Telekom, a unit of Malaysia Telekom, is raising 20.5 billion rupees from the capital market through an issue of ordinary and preference shares, the firm told the Colombo Stock Exchange Friday. (1 US dollar = Rs 110) The mobile operator, Sri Lanka’s largest is raising 15.54 billion rupees by […]

Sri Lanka look to 1996 for World Cup inspiration

April 20, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka are drawing inspiration from their 1996 World Cup victory ahead of their likely match-up with New Zealand in the next week’s semi-finals.Sri Lanka stunned India in a group game in 1996, beating them again in the semi-final before going on to lift the trophy. Romesh Kaluwitharana, the former […]

Retiring Lara reiceves stones and flowers

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 20, 2007 (AFP) – Former greats on Friday paid glowing tributes to retiring batting genius Brian Lara, saying he leaves behind a great legacy.But the praise was tinged with regret over his failures as captain of a declining team.The record-setting left-hander announced he would retire from international cricket after his team’s last […]

Sri Lanka crash lands spy plane

April 20, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s air force said Friday it had lost an unmanned spy plane flying over the country’s embattled northeast close to Tamil Tiger territory. The Israeli-built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) was lost somewhere over the northern edge of Trincomalee district, close to the Tamil rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu, Group Captain […]

Wired-up umpires is money well spent, says Tauel

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 19, 2007 (AFP) – Having umpires wired-up to new technology at the World Cup to improve decision-making is a money well spent, according to world cricket’s leading official Simon Taufel.At the Super Eight stages of the World Cup, umpires have been able to listen into the stump microphones for thin edges that […]

Malik to captain troubled Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan, April 19, 2007 (AFP) – Pakistan Thursday appointed Shoaib Malik to succeed Inzamam-ul-Haq as national cricket captain, saying the young all-rounder symbolised the team’s future after a dismal World Cup.The 25-year-old Malik, who has played 18 Tests and 137 one-day internationals, was unveiled at a press conference here as captain of the Test […]

Ireland squad assist Woolmer inquiry

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, April 19, 2007 (AFP) – Ireland’s World Cup squad have supplied statements to police investigating the murder of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer.These were carried out Thursday at the team’s hotel in Grenada following Ireland’s final World Cup Super Eights match against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Debutants Ireland caused one of the major […]

Lara seeks farewell win in England match

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, April 20, 2007 (AFP) – West Indies captain Brian Lara will be keen to cap his last international match with a win against England when the two under-performing teams clash in the World Cup here on Saturday.“I am bidding farewell to international cricket as a player after the game,” Lara said after his […]

Sri Lankan Tamil journalist shot dead

COLOMBO, April 20, 2007 (AFP) – Unidentified gunmen shot dead a Tamil journalist in northern Sri Lanka in the latest in a string of attacks against media personnel, a rights group said Friday.Subash Chandraboas, 32, editor of the Tamil monthly Nilam, was gunned down late Monday at his residence in Vavuniya, 260 kilometres (162 miles) […]

Sri Lankan authorities try to counter money printing culpability

April 20, 2007 (LBO) – Authorities in Sri Lanka are trying to counter growing public awareness that 38.5 billion rupees were printed to finance the budget deficit last year, which also drove inflation to 19.3 percent by December, despite the information being publicly available. Deputy Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was responding to a news story […]

Lube Deal

April 19, 2007 (LBO) – Laugfs Holdings said Thursday it had signed an agreement with the government of Sri Lanka that gave it permission to import and market lubricants in the island. Laugfs group holds 30 percent market share for domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas and around 55 percent for industrial bulk demand. The local market […]

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