Category:
Bowling Wide
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – The controversial marketing firm GoldQuest has gone to the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka asking for an opportunity to explain its position to the country’s central bank. They also asked court to direct the Central Bank to determine if GoldQuest’s marketing plan is against Sri Lanka’s Banking Laws, following […]
Bottled water in meaty flavours? Dogs lap it up
SYDNEY, July 13, 2006 (AFP) – Cool bottled water in three delicious flavours — beef, chicken and bacon. Not tempted? Your dog will be. An Australian man has taken pooch-pampering to the next level with the launch of Aqua Dog. With one canine for every five Australians, the country has one of the world’s highest […]
Sri Lanka President orders cricket elections to be put off
July 13, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse has ordered that elections to the country’s cricket body be cancelled and asked former players to run the game, the sports minister said on Thursday. Rajapakse intervened to end bitter infighting in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after a meeting with 11 former cricketers, including World […]
Sri Lanka orders security for ailing Tiger spokesman
July 13, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president ordered protection for a Tiger rebel official undergoing medical treatment in Colombo despite severely strained relations between the two sides, a senior minister said Thursday.Media Minister Anura Yapa said President Mahinda Rajapakse had agreed to provide escorts to the Tamil Tiger media coordinator after he was brought […]
New Lease
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has temporarily shelved plans to get back into the gas business, extending a five year agreement with Laugfs Gas that ends in October this year. The two sides have been in talks, with the supply agreement to be extended by another two years from October, a top […]
Southern Tip
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Emirates based Star Petro Energy LLC, has secured Sri Lankan government consent to build the country’s second oil refinery in the south of the island, the government said Thursday. Built at a cost of around 1.5 billion dollars, the refinery’s entire output will be shipped to overseas markets, Media Minister […]
Sri Lanka fills monetary board vacancy
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Upali Group chairman Nimal Welgama, has been appointed to the Monetary Board, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said Thursday. Welgama has been appointed by the President with effect from July 3. His term of office will be for the remaining period of office of P D Rodrigo, appointed member […]
Tsunami displaced asked to build their own houses to beat costs
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – International donors who signed up to build homes for Sri Lankans displaced by the tsunami, are now altering plans to beat bureaucratic delays and rising construction costs, officials said Thursday. Over 98,000 houses needed to be built following the December 2004 tsunami that killed over 31,000 people and left nearly […]
‘s trade deficit widens despite strong export growth in May
July 13, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit expanded to 429 million dollars for the five months to May, amidst strong growth in export earnings. Exports from Sri Lanka rose 5.8 percent to 2,530 million dollars from Jan – May, as the island shipped more clothes, tea, rubber based products. During the month of […]
Indian servant’s tell-all book on a domestic’s hard life
NEW DELHI, July 12, 2006 (AFP) – For many affluent Indians, the ideal servant is one who is seen and not heard, rises early to get the kids off to school and uncomplainingly serves the family their last cup of tea at night. They don’t want to hear any heart-wrenching or even mundane details of […]
In Control
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12, 2006 (AFP) – Tony Fernandes, head of budget carrier AirAsia, will ensure the airline remains Malaysian owned and not sell shares to Singapore state investment arm Temasek Holdings, a report said Wednesday. Fernandes, who has a majority stake in Tune Air which in turn owns 40 percent in Asia’s pioneering low […]
Lost & Found
COLOMBO, July 12, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka announced Wednesday it would seize an estimated 30 million dollars in dormant bank accounts as part of a drive to clean up commercial bank books. Monetary authorities will use a provision under the Banking Act relating to “abandoned property” to access the dormant funds, Upali de Silva, […]