Category:
Hard Times
May 10 (LBO) – Domestic airlines say soaring fuel costs may force a hike in ticket fares, but any increase may also scare away dwindling numbers of travellers to the North. “We are in discussions to raise fares, but we are worried about the situation in the market.We are concerned that by raising fares we […]
Flying Low
TOKYO, May 10, 2006 (AFP) – Japan Airlines Corp, Asia’s largest carrier, said Wednesday high fuel costs and a series of safety lapses pushed it deep into loss in the year to March but forecast a return to profit this year. JAL made a net loss of 47.2 billion yen (424.5 million dollars) for the […]
Modest Growth
May 10 (LBO) – Union Assurance Ltd. posted a strong first quarter with profit after tax of Rs34 million as at March this year, over Rs37 million for the same period the year before. Growth was driven by increases in general insurance premiums, up 38 percent to Rs754 million in March and life premiums up […]
Alien Raid
May 10 (LBO) – Sri Lanka authorities have initiated a major crackdown on illegal foreign labour in the country, starting with workers in foreign owned factories. Last weekend investigators from the Department of Immigration and Emigration raided a factory in the Kalutara district and arrested seven Indian nationals. The Controller of Immigration and Emigration P […]
Hispanics, Asians are fastest growing groups in US
WASHINGTON, May 10, 2006 (AFP) – Hispanics and Asians are the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, where one in three people now belong to a minority group, the US Census Bureau said Wednesday. In 2005, the minority population totalled 98 million, or 33 percent of the 296.4 million US population, the agency […]
Jayasuriya comes out of retirement for second England Test
May 11, 2006 (AFP) – Prolific batsman Sanath Jayasuriya is set to return to Sri Lanka’s squad for the second Test against England after reversing his decision to quit, a cricket website said Wednesday.“The (Sri Lankan) selectors met this afternoon after Jayasuriya indicated a willingness to make himself available for Tests again and decided to […]
Jayawardene backs batsmen to come good against England
LONDON, May 10, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene insisted on Wednesday that his batsmen would have no trouble picking themselves up for the first Test against England here at Lord’s. But later in the day reports from Sri Lanka suggested that veteran left-handed opener Sanath Jayasuriya had been recalled from his Test […]
‘s haul
LONDON, May 10, 2006 (AFP) – Muttiah Muralitharan wants to mark his first Test appearance at Lord’s by taking five wickets in an innings for Sri Lanka against England and getting his name on the dressing room honours board.“He will be the most important wicket for us as far as I’m concerned because when he […]
” claim
May 10, 2006 (AFP) – Investigators have yet to find any evidence that a woman suicide bomber who tried to assassinate Sri Lanka’s army chief was really pregnant as some local media reports had claimed, police said Wednesday.Logs at the army headquarters showed the bomber entered the military compound and staged the attack last month […]
Japanese envoy urges Sri Lanka to choose war or peace
COLOMBO, May 10, 2006 (AFP) – A top Japanese envoy Wednesday warned that the international community cannot restore Sri Lanka’s faltering ceasefire and urged the government and Tamil rebels to decide for themselves on war or peace.Peace emissary Yasushi Akashi ended his four-day visit calling on both Colombo and the Tiger rebels to scale down […]
Singapore’s Banyan Tree resort and spa chain plans public listing
SINGAPORE, May 9, 2006 (AFP) – Singapore-based luxury resort and spa chain Banyan Tree has outlined plans for a public listing to raise funds for further international expansion. The company intends to raise more than 100 million Singapore dollars (64 million US) from the proposed listing, it said in a preliminary prospectus late Monday. It […]
Sri Lanka rebels seek Japan’s help to prevent ‘doom’
COLOMBO, May 9, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels Tuesday sought foreign help to halt alleged military attacks against them and warned that the island could face “doom” if they decided to retaliate.The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) appealed to Japanese envoy Yasushi Akashi to persuade the Sri Lankan government to […]