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EU condemns shooting of Sri Lankan editor
BRUSSELS, January 8, 2009 (AFP) – The European Union condemned Thursday the shooting death of a respected Sri Lankan newspaper editor and expressed concern about media freedoms in the South Asian nation.Wickrematunga, 52, was shot by gunmen on two motorcycles as he drove to work near Colombo. He was rushed to hospital but died after […]
Sri Lanka shares head down, Seylan Bank draws interest
Jan 08, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended marginally weaker Thursday in thin trade and sentiment remaining gloomy with active, albeit low volume, trading in Seylan Bank, the subject of takeover interest, brokers said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The All Share Price […]
Building Ships
Jan 08, 2009 (LBO) –Sri Lanka is trying to enhance its ship building capacity with the government inviting foreign investors to set up a ship yard at a new port being built in the south, a senior port official said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to […]
Sri Lanka expects record tea crop despite year-end drop
Jan 08, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea production and exports fell sharply in November 2008 but export earnings in the 11 months were ahead of the year before and a record annual crop is expected, brokers said.Tea production in November 2008 at 24.6 million kilos was the lowest since 1999 as producers cut output […]
Sri Lankan coconut growers seen giving up cultivation
Jan 08, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan coconut growers are giving up cultivation and selling estates for housing as prices of nuts have fallen too low to be remunerative, a left-wing parliamentarian representing cultivators said.“Coconut cultivators want a stable price that will cover their production costs,” said Namal Karunaratne, convenor of the Joint Organization of […]
Sri Lanka troops take more territory from Tigers in Jaffna: military
January 8, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops captured more territory from Tamil Tiger rebels in the northern Jaffna peninsula Thursday, a day after the government reimposed a formal ban on the guerrillas, officials said.Troops moved their front lines further south to Pallai, a key Tiger position on the peninsula after heavy fighting, military officials […]
Sri Lankan Airlines woos flyers with American Express deal
Jan 08, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Airlines said it is trying to attract passengers by offering value added services to cope with the downturn in travel despite lower fuel costs and capacity cuts. Even though airlines have had relief with the drop in oil prices this has been far outstripped with the drop in […]
Sri Lanka editor killing: Opposition calls for international probe, rights bodies say terrifying blow
Jan 08, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition called for an international probe into the killing of a newspaper editor, which rights bodies called a terrifying blow against the freedom of expression and an absolute scandal that should not go unpunished. Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the The Sunday Leader, a newspaper which is strongly […]
Sri Lankan newspaper editor shot dead
January 8, 2009 (AFP) – The editor of a Sri Lankan anti-government newspaper was shot dead on Thursday as he drove to work near the capital Colombo, police said, in the second attack on journalists this week. Gunmen on two motorcycles escaped after opening fire on Lasantha Wickrematunga, the editor of the Sunday Leader, police […]
Sri Lankan journalist wounded in shooting
January 8, 2009 (AFP) – The editor of an anti-government Sri Lankan newspaper was shot and badly wounded on Thursday as he drove to work near the capital Colombo, a colleague and a doctor said. Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse has said government troops are close to eliminating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) […]