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Kenyans burnt alive in church as unrest toll tops 300
NAIROBI, Jan 1, 2008 (AFP) – At least 35 children and adults sheltering in a church were burnt alive by an angry mob in Kenya Tuesday, as an eruption of election violence threatened to tip over into a full-scale tribal conflict.The darling of foreign investors in east Africa, with an average annual growth over five […]
France bans smoking in restaurants to reduce tobacco deaths
PARIS, Jan 1, 2008 (AFP) – France began 2008 under a new smoking ban in cafes and restaurants that drove smokers out into the street to light up their cigarettes as bar owners put away ashtrays. The ban signals a sizeable cultural shift for one of Europe’s last smokers’ bastions, particularly in Paris where cafe […]
Ranatunga seeks to clean up Sri Lankan cricket
Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s new cricket chief Arjuna Ranatunga took up his post Wednesday, vowing to stamp out corruption in the running of the sport. The 1996 World Cup winning captain said an independent audit group would scrutinise the accounts of the cash-rich Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) body before he took responsibility […]
Sri Lanka to pull out of ceasefire: presidential spokesman
Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government Wednesday announced it was formally withdrawing from the Norwegian-arranged ceasefire agreement with Tamil Tiger rebels, presidential spokesman Chandrapala Liyanage told AFP.The move also followed a call by the United States to revive stalled peace talks between the government and the Tamil Tigers. “The cabinet of ministers […]
Sri Lanka cabinet decides to pull out of ceasefire
Jan 02, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to pull out of a ceasefire agreement with the Tamil Tigers, state television reported Wednesday. . The proposal was submitted by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wikremenayake and it was unanimously approved the state-owned Independent Television Network (ITN) said. Either party could pull […]
Sri Lanka opposition demands probe with foreign support into killings
Jan 02, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition party Wednesday called for impartial investigations with foreign support into the killings of Tamil parliamentarians and accused the government of operating goon squads. . The United National Party (UNP) demanded the government prosecute those responsible for the killings of Tamil parliamentarians and called for more security […]
Sri Lanka bomb attack kills five, wounds 28: police
Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels set off a powerful roadside bomb in the Sri Lankan capital Wednesday, killing at least five people and wounding another 28, police said.The powerful fragmentation mine targeted an army bus transporting wounded soldiers, although hospital officials said most of the victims were civilians. A police official […]
Sri Lanka central bank gives up on low inflation for 2008
Jan 02, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has given up achieving low inflation in 2008 with Governor Nivard Cabraal saying that the bank may allow consumer inflation to go as high as 14 percent this year.. However, Cabraal said his institution would try to keep consumer inflation at around 10 to 11 percent […]
Sri Lanka rupee depreciates 1-pct in 2007, reserves US$3bn: central bank
Jan 01, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank says the rupee closed at 107.71 against the dollar in 2007 indicating that the domestic currency only depreciated by one percent against the greenback last year. . “This depreciation was substantially below some of the adverse expectations that prevailed in the market, based on certain claims […]
Old Guard
Jan 01, 2008 (LBO) – New corporate governance rules for Sri Lankan banks would force long-standing directors to retire, prevent banks giving favoured treatment to related parties and ensure separation of power between the board and executive management. The new rules by the Central Bank, meant to promote the safety and soundness of the banking […]