Category:
In-Shoring
Sept 22 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan telecom firm shifted its call centre out of the capital to a lower-cost central region of the island, in a trendsetting move that other firms could follow to their advantage. Suntel, unit of Sweden’s Telia which runs a wireless fixed network in the island, shifted its customer service […]
Asia must boost infrastructure investment: ADB boss
JAKARTA, Sept 22, 2006 (AFP) – Asia must dramatically boost investment in infrastructure in the next decade or risk losing its global competitive edge, the president of the Asian Development Bank warned Friday. According to a copy of a draft speech, Haruhiko Kuroda told an emerging markets forum in Jakarta that Asia would need to […]
‘s wealth
BANGKOK, Sept 22 (AFP) – Thailand may seize the assets of ousted billionaire prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the new military junta said on Friday. “It’s under consideration on how we will proceed” with Thaksin’s vast assets, said Air Chief Marshall Chalit Pukbhasuk, the head of the air force and one of the military commanders who […]
China busts product based, e-commerce pyramid
BEIJING, Sept 21 (AFP) – Chinese police have busted a “cult-like” pyramid sales scam involving up to 500,000 people that amassed two billion yuan (250 million dollars), state press reported Thursday.The scheme, which began by selling women’s make-up, was masterminded by a 30-year-old post-doctoral student who ran operations largely through the Internet, the People’s Daily […]
British travellers warned after new Sri Lanka violence
LONDON, Sept 22, 2006 (AFP) – Britain’s foreign ministry tightened up its advice Friday to travellers in north and east Sri Lanka after at least six people were killed in the troubled area. In a review of its travel advice, the Foreign Office warned Britons not to travel to any part of the north or […]
Six civillian killed Northeast Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sept 22(AFP) – At least six civilians were killed in separate incidents across Sri lanka’s embattled northeast, the defence ministry here said Friday.Security forces found the bullet-riddled bodies of three men in the Jaffna peninsula where another man had been similarly shot dead by unidentified attackers on Thursday, the ministry said. It said a […]
Trade Fiasco
Sept 21 (LBO) – Another round of Indo-Lanka trade talks ended this week, with no firm agreement on resuming controversial duty free exports of vanaspati oil from Sri Lanka to India. The Vanaspati Association of Sri Lanka says however that they have been kept in the dark about talks. Vanaspati is a hydrogenated vegetable oil […]
‘ complaints
SHANGHAI, Sept 21, 2006 (AFP) – Financial regulators in China are mulling loosening regulations for foreign banks after criticism that proposed lending rules were far too strict, a state newspaper said Thursday. China, which is gearing up to open its financial services in line with commitments made to the World Trade Organization when Beijing joined […]
Singapore looks for defining new brand
SINGAPORE, Sept 21, (LBO) – The Singapore government is trying to come up with a single brand identity for the city state, but authorities may find the task a bit challenging to put a myriad of perceptions into one bag. Some of Singapore’s familiar icons now include Singapore Airlines, Changi Airport, Raffles Hotel and Minister […]
Four South Asian nations, including Sri Lanka, accused of doping offences
COLOMBO, Sept 21, 2006 (AFP) – Athletes from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal tested positive for banned substances at last month’s South Asian Games here, an official said on Thursday. “We have sent the preliminary investigation reports to the four countries and are awaiting their response”, Sri Lanka’s National Olympic Committee president Hemasiri Fernando […]
Sri Lanka troops deployed at Muslim town after rioting
COLOMBO, Sept 21, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops were deployed at a Muslim town in the island’s east to quell rioting following the massacre of 10 residents, military officials said Thursday. Soldiers were deployed in the town of Pottuvil after residents clashed with local police, although an overnight curfew was eased early Thursday. “Soldiers […]
Developing states aim to lift millions out poverty with new G11 forum
NEW YORK, Sept 20, 2006 (AFP) – Eleven developing economies clubbed together Wednesday to unveil a new forum aimed at easing their debt burden, narrowing the income gap with rich countries and lifting millions of people out of poverty. Jordan’s King Abdullah II unveiled the Group of 11 (G11) mostly lower-middle income countries on the […]