COLOMBO, July 9, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has banned non-government organisations from holding press conferences under a new order from the defence ministry seen by AFP on Wednesday, raising new fears for freedom of speech.The order, sent widely to civil society groups earlier this month, said all NGOs should refrain from “unauthorised activities with […]

HSBC India chief at Sri Lanka business forum

July 10, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said HSBC India Chairperson Naina Lal Kidwai will deliver the keynote address at its annual business forum.Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairperson of HSBC India, will speak on the second day of “Sri Lanka Economic Summit” organized by the Chamber on August 05 and August 06.Naina […]

Sri Lanka shares close up 0.7-pct

July 09, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s shares closed 0.73 higher on Wednesday crossing the 6,600 mark despite net foreign selling, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 48.03 points higher at 6,613.84, up 0.73 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 29.95 points higher at 3,706.06, up 0.81 percent. Turnover was 2.89 billion […]

Regional Chief

July 10, 2014 (LBO) – Sharhan Muhseen a Sri Lanka born investment banker, has been appointed Head of Financial Institutions for Southeast Asia at Credit Suisse, a Zurich-based financial group. “We are delighted to have Sharhan joining us at Credit Suisse,” Michael Tan, Head of Financial Institutions Group (FIG) Coverage for Asia Pacific said in […]

Sri Lanka stocks close up 1.0-pct

July 08, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks closed up 1.03 percent pushing the index to a four-month high with the favorable economic outlook boosting foreign investor sentiment, brokers said. Lion Brewery Ceylon closed 31.50 rupees higher at 524.90 rupees and Ceylon Beverage Holdings closed 14.60 rupees lower at 550.00 rupees. The Colombo benchmark All […]

Australian Nationalism

SYDNEY, July 8, 2014 (AFP) – Australian government lawyers said Tuesday 153 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers were in custody on the high seas and agreed to give three days’ notice before handing any back to Colombo, as criticism mounted. A late-night interim injunction Monday temporarily halted the transfer of the would-be refugees from the boat, whose […]

Boat People

GALLE, July 8, 2014 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan court Tuesday granted bail to 27 of 41 migrants who were returned to the country by Australia after a controversial mid-sea transfer, with one of them slamming Canberra for its lack of human rights.As anxious relatives waited outside the colonial-era court building in the southern city […]

Babel

July 8, 2014 (LBO) – Google has added Sinhalese, spoken by a majority of residents in Sri Lanka to its Gmail webmail service along with 13 other languages. The display language can be changed by going to settings and choosing from a dropdown menu. Gmail is already available in 58 languages, and today we’re bringing […]

Football: History hangs heavy as Dutch, Argentina clash

SAO PAULO, July 8, 2014 (AFP) – Fuelled by decades of hurt, Lionel Messi’s Argentina and Arjen Robben’s Holland will carry competing motivations into Wednesday’s tantalising World Cup semi-final showdown at Sao Paulo’s Corinthians Arena. Argentina, who last reached the final in 1990, will be determined to pay appropriate homage to former great Alfredo Di […]

‘s asylum-seeker plans

SYDNEY, July 7, 2014 (AFP) – A High Court on Monday barred Australia from handing back a boat carrying 153 asylum-seekers to Sri Lanka, a day after Canberra returned another vessel to Colombo following a week of secrecy.The Tamil Refugee Council has claimed at least 11 of those on board have been tortured by Sri […]

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