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Sri Lanka suicide bomb attack in capital Colombo
Nov 28, 2007 (LBO) – A female Tamil Tiger suicide bomber blew herself up Wednesday morning in front of the office of a minority Tamil political party in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, the Defence Ministry said. It gave no other details. The blast came a day after a speech by Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran […]
Sri Lanka, rebels ready for war: analysts
Nov 28, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka appears set to slide back into full-scale war with both the Tamil Tigers and the government washing their hands of a tattered truce, analysts and diplomats say.In an annual policy speech broadcast Tuesday from the rebel-held north of the island, Tamil Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran said trying to […]
Sri Lanka says Iran to give 1.5 billion dollars aid
Nov 28, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president secured 1.5 billion dollars worth of financial aid from Iran for infrastructure projects while on a three-day visit to the country, his office said on Wednesday. President Mahinda Rajapakse concluded his trip to Iran on Tuesday by signing eight memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with his Iranian counterpart […]
Sri Lanka makes progress despite war, UN says
Nov 28, 2007 (LBO) – A new report by the United Nations says that Sri Lanka is doing well according to human development indicators despite the disruption and suffering caused by a long-running ethnic war. The United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report for 2007 indicates that Sri Lanka is making steady progress in human […]
UN calls for action to stop climate change catastrophe
Nov 28, 2007 (LBO) – The United Nations Development Program says climate change has become the central challenge of development. UNDP has just released its Human Development Report in which Sri Lanka is ranked 99 out of 177 countries. This is a message from UNDP administrator Kemal Dervis Climate Change and Development: The central challenge […]
Coastal Shipping
Nov 27, 2007 (LBO) – Ceylon Shipping Corporation plans to buy two cargo ships using an Iranian credit line to be negotiated during Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse’s current visit there. The ships are required to keep the northern Jaffna peninsula supplied with essential goods as the land route is controlled by the Tamil Tigers. […]
Sri Lanka tourist industry struggles to boost visitors amid war
Nov 27, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Tuesday that tourist arrivals had fallen sharply amid the tropical island’s intensifying ethnic conflict.Tourist arrivals had dropped 20 percent over the 10 months to October to 387,790 compared with the same period last year, Sri Lanka Tourism said. October’s arrivals were 4.6 percent lower at 37,011 compared […]
Sri Lanka backs tea producing nations grouping
Nov 27, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is supporting efforts by other major tea growing countries to form a forum exclusively for tea producing nations, Ranjith Abeykoon, director of Tea Promotions said. The idea, being discussed at the on-going India International Tea Convention in Guwahati, is to increase global demand for tea, which now still […]
No Discrimination
Nov 27, 2007 (LBO) – The World Bank and United Nations are asking for ideas to develop regional campaigns to end the stigma and discrimination faced by HIV and AIDS affected people in South Asia. “Stigma and discrimination seriously undermines efforts to fight HIV and AIDS,” said Praful Patel, World Bank Vice President for South […]
Sri Lankan airline deal with Emirates still in the air
NEW DELHI, Nov 27, 2007 (AFP) – SriLankan Airlines wants a new management contract to be signed soon with Dubai-owned Emirates, chief executive Peter Hill said Tuesday, forecasting a “tough” year for the island’s carrier.The Colombo government is holding another meeting on January 8 with Emirates to discuss the renewal of the 10-year management contract […]