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Sri Lanka refugees can stay for three months, Indonesia says
JAKARTA, November 15, 2009 (AFP) – A group of 22 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who left an Australian customs ship to come ashore in Indonesia will be allowed to stay for up to three months, an official said Sunday. The standoff has caused a political headache for Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who has been […]
‘s African families fade away
SIRAMBIADIYA, November 15, 2009 (AFP) – In a village deep in west Sri Lanka, one of the island’s few remaining communities of African descent breaks into song — a poignant elegy to a disappearing culture. The music starts with a slow, gentle rhythm played on a tambourine, spoons and coconut shells, before it builds to […]
Sri Lanka lures central Indian investors
Nov 15, 2009 (LBO) – Firms from the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh have showed interest in investing in Sri Lanka and called for direct flights between the state capital Bhopal and Colombo, officials said.Sri Lanka can benefit by having daily flights between Bhopal, Colombo and Bangkok to cater to Sri Lankan as well […]
Sri Lanka president asks military chief to leave immediately
November 13, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president has asked his military chief to step down immediately, rejecting his request to serve for another two weeks, an official said Friday.President Mahinda Rajapakse accepted General Sarath Fonseka’s resignation, tendered on Thursday, and wanted him to leave immediately, a government official said. “The president asked him to […]
Sri Lanka fetes Myanmar junta leader on rare foreign trip
KANDY, November 13, 2009 (AFP) – Dozens of dancers, drummers and three elephants greeted Myanmar’s reclusive junta leader as the elderly general began a pilgrimage in Sri Lanka Friday on a rare foreign outing. Schoolchildren cheered and waved paper flags of both countries and passers-by took pictures as the visiting leader’s motorcade slowly drove through […]
Large crowds greet Myanmar leader in Sri Lankan city
ANURADHAPURA, November 14, 2009 (AFP) – Large flag-waving crowds greeted Myanmar’s junta leader General Than Shwe on Saturday as he toured an ancient city in north-central Sri Lanka on a religious pilgrimage.The crowds, clutching flags of Myanmar and Sri Lanka, lined the streets of the sacred Buddhist city of Anuradhapura to welcome the reclusive general, […]
” for Sri Lanka foreign reserves: CB Governor
Nov 14, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank, which maintains a soft peg with the US dollar, said gold would be an ‘important anchor’ for its foreign reserves, which have zoomed in 2009 with large foreign inflows.Gold has hit new highs in recent weeks, with the US dollar again weakening under extended loose monetary […]
Sri Lanka stocks end up 1.77-pct
Nov 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended firmer Friday with investors encouraged by the latest crop of quarterly company earnings although trading volumes were low, brokers said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The All Share Price Index closed at 2,979.41, up 1.77 […]
Ship Building
Nov 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan ship builder Colombo Dockyard said net profit for the September 2009 quarter almost doubled from a year ago with earnings boosted by orders to build new vessels for overseas customers.The yard, which is majority owned by Japan’s Onomichi Dockyard, said in a stock exchange filing that September quarter […]
Bank Margins
Nov 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Nation’s Trust Bank, a unit of John Keells Holdings said net profits grew 28 percent to 173.9 million rupees in the September 2009 quarter from a year earlier, while revenues fell 3.0 percent to 3.5 billion rupees. Interest income fell 4.0 percent to 2.97 billion rupees, interest expenses […]