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Oil Bets
Nov 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s supreme court has ordered the state-owned oil refiner, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), to suspend controversial hedge payments to banks until a central bank probe into the matter is over. CPC chairman Ashantha de Mel has maintained that the deals were done on cabinet instructions which had not allowed […]
Tricky Position
Nov 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s supreme court said petroleum minister A H M Fowzie should be removed, in a case where controversial oil hedges by a state-run petro firm were challenged in a public interest petition. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The […]
Sri Lanka November inflation falls to 16.3-pct
Nov 28, 2008 (LBO) – Consumer inflation in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo fell to 16.3 percent in November from 20.2 percent in October, while prices fell by an absolute 0.7 percent in the 28 days of the month, the government’s statistics office said. The moving average of the index, which is smoothed over two years […]
Floods drive 231,000 from their homes in Sri Lanka
November 27, 2008 (AFP) – At least two government soldiers drowned and more than 230,000 civilians were driven from their homes in Sri Lanka’s embattled north Thursday after monsoon floods and a mini-cyclone, officials said.The Disaster Management centre said the northern peninsula of Jaffna was the worst hit, with 2,032 homes completely destroyed and another […]
Sri Lanka should be prepared for a prolonged external slowdown: interview
Nov 27, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should be prepared for a prolonged external slowdown as the world recovers from excessive debt brought on by paper money central banks, especially the Federal Reserve, says a Netherlands-based economist. Howard Nicholas from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands spoke to LBO during a visit to […]
Sri Lanka shares rise, gains seen short-lived
Nov 27, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan share prices rose Thursday, breaking a long slide but brokers said the gains could be short-lived given the negative investor sentiment, poor company earnings outlook as well as rupee devaluation fears. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to 678 The […]
Indian commandos battle Islamist gunmen, over 100 dead
MUMBAI, November 27, 2008 (AFP) – Indian army commandos were Thursday battling Islamist gunmen who launched coordinated attacks against luxury hotels and other targets in Mumbai, taking foreign hostages and killing over 100 people.One of the gunmen holed up in the Oberoi/Trident told the India TV channel by phone that they wanted an end to […]
100 killed, foreigners taken hostage in Mumbai attacks
MUMBAI, November 27, 2008 (AFP) – Army commandos laid siege Thursday to two luxury hotels in Mumbai where gunmen held foreign guests hostage as part of coordinated attacks across India’s financial capital that left up to 100 dead. A group calling itself the “Deccan Mujahedeen” claimed responsibility for the attacks late Wednesday night on the […]
‘s stock markets shut due to attacks
MUMBAI, November 27, 2008 (AFP) – India’s stocks and commodity exchanges will be closed on Thursday due to the coordinated attacks by gunmen across India’s commercial capital Mumbai, a spokesman said. “Considering the prevailing abnormal situation and the government’s advice” for people to remain indoors, “it has been decided to keep the markets closed for […]
White House offers help to India after attacks
WASHINGTON, November 27, 2008 (AFP) – The White House on Wednesday held a meeting of top intelligence and counter-terrorism officials after the deadly attacks in Mumbai and said it stood ready to help the Indian government. “This afternoon, the White House National Security Council convened officials from counterterrorism and intelligence agencies as well as the […]