Sri Lankan government wins crucial budget vote

Nov 19, 2007 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government won a crucial vote in parliament to pass its budget for 2008 on Monday afternoon after days of speculation. The decision came after much speculation about the fate of the government if it failed to muster enough votes to have the budget passed by parliament. If […]

Smoke Policy

Nov 18, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka would tighten environmental protection regulations next year with vehicle emissions being a key target of the authorities, officials said. Sri Lanka also started to heavily subsidize fuel from 2004 sending the wrong price signals to the economy. Earlier this week the government launched a vehicle emission testing program […]

Chavez threatens US$200 a barrel oil

RIYADH, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) – OPEC hardliners and moderates were deeply divided about whether oil should be used as a political weapon at a rare summit of the cartel on Sunday, with Venezuela and Saudi Arabia at loggerheads.The summit concludes later Sunday with a declaration expected to assure the world of sustainable oil supplies. […]

Bangladesh cyclone death toll hits 3,000, millions destitute

BARGUNA, Bangladesh, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) – The death toll from a massive cyclone that smashed through impoverished Bangladesh was 3,000 and continuing to rise Sunday with millions left homeless, hungry and without medical help.Three days after the disaster, rescue workers were still fighting their way to remote areas where entire villages on the coast […]

Bangladesh says cyclone death toll hits 2,000

DHAKA, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) – Bangladesh said Sunday the death toll from a massive cyclone hit 2,000, with that grim tally certain to rise as the impoverished country struggled to get aid to millions of people left homeless.The death toll has been jumping by hundreds at a time as rescue workers fight their way […]

‘s mixed feelings after Test hundred

HOBART, Australia, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) – Skipper Mahela Jayawardene produced one of his great fighting innings for his first century against Australia but has mixed feelings after another poor Sri Lankan batting display here Sunday.The gifted 30-year-old right-hander defied the Australian bowlers to post a resilient 104 as Sri Lanka crumbled to be all […]

Sri Lanka all out for 246 in second Test

HOBART, Australia, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka were all out for 246 in reply to Australia’s first innings 542 for five declared late on the third day of the second cricket Test at Bellerive Oval here Sunday. Even though Australia held a 296-run lead on the first innings, skipper Ricky Ponting decided to […]

‘s arrest embarrasses govt

Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) – A Tamil guerrilla leader accused of involvement in war crimes is becoming a major embarrassment to Sri Lanka’s government following his arrest in Britain.Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan, the leader of a breakaway faction of the Tamil Tigers rebel group, was detained in London earlier this month on a charge of entering the […]

Head Above

Nov 17, 2007 (LBO) – Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has upgraded Sri Lanka Telecom’s foreign currency rating to ‘BB-‘, the rating agency said, though the country sovereign ceiling is still at ‘B+’. “¦there is a relatively material probability that the issuer would still be able to service its foreign currency obligations, even if the sovereign […]

Bangladesh fears thousands killed by cyclone

DHAKA, Nov 17, 2007 (AFP) – Bangladesh said Saturday it feared thousands of corpses were littering its southern coast after the worst cyclone in years tore through the impoverished and low-lying area.Officials said the army and relief workers were still battling to reach the worst-hit districts, where village after village were flattened when cyclone Sidr […]

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