Category:
John Keells picks up new Maldivian resort for US$12.5 mn
August 04, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s largest hotel operator, John Keells Holdings Friday said they have picked up their fifth Maldivian resort for 12.5 million dollars. Some of the best diving sites in the Maldives are found in the vicinity of Ellaidhoo such as Fish Head, Maya Thila, Halaveli Wreck and Fesdhoo Wreck. Maldivian […]
Mutual Ties
August 4, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and India have agreed to recognise product certificates issued in both countries, cutting down red tape and transaction time when goods are traded. Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved the bilateral agreement between Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards, Cabinet spokesperson, Anura […]
Google Powered
Aug 04 (LBO) – Popular Internet search engine Google has given the Lanka Software Foundation 25,000 dollars to drive open source software projects locally. Much of the funds will go towards new research and development projects, including work with open source database MySQL, the foundation said in a statement on Friday. œTo date the Lanka […]
Lebanon bombings cut off umbilical cord for aid: UN
GENEVA, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Overnight bombings in Lebanon cut off an “umbilical cord” for relief supplies and halted evacuations from the country to Syria, international and UN agencies said Friday.Israeli warplanes wrecked four bridges along the coastal highway in the Christian heartland north of Beirut, cutting off practically the last landlink with neighbouring […]
Bank of Japan in hot water over excessive travel expenses
TOKYO, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – The Bank of Japan faced a fresh scandal Friday as it admitted giving 73 million yen (632,800 dollars) in excessive travel expenses to officials for business trips over the past seven years.The central bank, which is working to regain public trust after its governor’s private investment scandal, said it […]
‘s highest court wants Coke, Pepsi ingredients
NEW DELHI, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – India’s Supreme Court has told US beverage giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to supply it with details of the chemical composition and ingredients of their products, a report said Friday.The notice to the two companies was issued after a study released this week said their drinks contained unacceptable levels […]
Hong Kong ranks bottom in sex frequency survey
HONG KONG, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Hong Kong people have the least sex in the world, managing it less than once a week, a survey has found. “Pressures from life and the relationship of a couple will also affect sex ability,” he said, urging couples to communicate better about their love lives to enhance […]
Sri Lanka police find haul of land mines
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police Friday found a large haul of land mines and grenades and arrested two men who were transporting the cargo deep into a plantation in the island’s south, officials said.Police found 18 Claymore mines, 15 hand grenades, three automatic assault rifles and 100 detonators hidden inside a truck […]
Muslims flee as Sri Lanka warring parties shut out foreign aid
TRINCOMALEE, Sri Lanka, Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Thousands of civilians clambered onto bull-drawn carts, tractors and other rickety vehicles Friday to flee fighting between Sri Lankan troops and Tigers in a Muslim fishing town, witnesses said.Women and children were the first to escape the town of Muttur, just a few kilometres (miles) from the […]
ICRC says relief effort fails in Sri Lanka
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday it had failed to get relief to thousands of civilians trapped by fierce fighting between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil Tiger rebels.“We have not been able to achieve the humanitarian corridor we wanted to establish for us to move freely and […]
26 killed in battle for Sri Lanka town
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Five Muslim civilians were killed in shell attacks in the Sri Lankan town of Muttur Friday, raising the death toll from clashes between the army and Tamil rebels to 26, a Muslim legislator said.The attack on a school came despite appeals to both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to […]
Norway in talks to save Sri Lanka from full-scale war, Muslims flee
Aug 4, 2006 (AFP) – Norway launched high-level talks Friday in a bid to pull Sri Lanka back from all-out war as thousands of Muslims fled the bloodiest fighting in four years that has claimed nearly 170 lives.Peace broker Oslo sent special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer who immediately went in for talks with Prime Minister Ratnasiri […]