Category:
Mixed Results
May 02 (LBO) – Indo-Lanka trade talks hit a roadblock last week with dialogue on trade in goods shelved for later this month, though talks on services made headway. “We could not complete the talks on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as scheduled. We were able to hold discussions on financial services and other […]
Cut Down
May 02 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings revised the outlook on Sri Lanka Telecom’s foreign currency debt to negative from stable, but said the rating of BB- remains unchanged. The revision followed a similar change in the outlook of the Sri Lanka’s sovereign rating. Both Fitch and S & P changed the outlook on Sri Lanka’s […]
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PARIS, May 2 (AFP) – Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) is to mark international press freedom day Wednesday by naming five new “predators on the freedom of the press” to add to the 32 it has already identified.The names, made available Tuesday, are those of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, armed Tamil […]
AirAsia records surge in passenger traffic for first three months of 2006
KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 (AFP) – Low-cost carrier AirAsia Tuesday announced a big increase in passenger traffic in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2005.Figures released for AirAsia and its Asian associates showed 55.3 percent more passengers were carried from January to March 2006, the third quarter of […]
Asia Pacific Breweries expands into India
SINGAPORE, May 2 (AFP) – Singapore-listed Asia Pacific Breweries, which makes Tiger beer, said Tuesday it has acquired 76 percent of Indian brewer Aurangabad Breweries for 18 million US dollars. The company is a joint venture between the Fraser and Neave Group of companies and Heineken of Holland. The deal includes a provision for Asia […]
Japanese “device art” brings technology to life
LAVAL, France, May 2 (AFP) – From virtual water that you stir in a real bowl to little digital dwarves to play with, the latest trend from Japan is making technology both fun and thought-provoking.The works of art along the Japanese aisle at the International Conference on Virtual Reality in Laval, western France this weekend […]
Asian governments among the worst enemies of Internet freedom
BEIJING, May 2 (AFP) – Governments in Asia are considered among the world’s worst “enemies” of Internet freedom, as they increasingly censor websites and jail people who express views deemed dangerous online. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday, experts say countries including China, Vietnam and Nepal are feeling more threatened by cyberspace than […]
Truce monitors climb down on Sri Lanka killings charge
May 2 (AFP) – Scandinavian truce monitors on Tuesday climbed down from an allegation that Sri Lankan government forces may have been responsible for extrajudicial killings. “The Sri Lankan government has conveyed to us that they are not aware of any such activities within their ranks,” the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said in a […]
Sri Lanka seeks truce talks despite bloodiest month
May 2 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has stepped up moves to revive talks with Tamil Tiger rebels as eight more guerrillas were reported killed Tuesday after the bloodiest month since a truce took effect in 2002, officials said.A breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers attacked a base of the mainstream guerrillas in the northeastern port […]
Sri Lanka truce ‘alive’ despite violence
May 1 (AFP) – At least 200 people have been killed in the bloodiest month in Sri Lanka since peacebroker Norway arranged a truce four years ago, but the warring parties say their ceasefire is still holding.Sri Lanka’s government said it was committed to upholding the hugely strained ceasefire even as seven more people were […]
India retires its ageing spy planes
NEW DELHI, May 1 (AFP) – The Indian Air Force Monday retired its four ageing spy planes and said military satellites will take over the role of the Soviet-era aircraft, local media reported.“The nature of warfare is changing with satellites taking over the act of spying,” Air Chief Marshall S.P. Tyagi said at a ceremony […]
Bhutan gets first private newspaper
GUWAHATI, India, May 1 (AFP) – The first edition of Bhutan’s only privately-owned newspaper sold out within hours of hitting the stands amid ongoing constitutional moves towards democracy in the Himalayan kingdom. The weekly Bhutan Times went on sale Sunday and was snapped up rapidly, according to the website of the Kuensel newspaper, the official […]