Sri Lanka shrugs off British aid freeze

May 7, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Monday shrugged off Britain’s suspension of debt relief to the island, saying the amount of money was “too insignificant” to worry about. Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama declined to discuss the move to stop nearly three million dollars in aid, but said it was “wrong” for London to hold […]

Sri Lanka Central Bank says coins a plenty

May 8, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank says there is no ‘shortage’ of coins in the country, and a campaign to bring back coins into circulation has been mis-understood by the public. Authorities started a campaign to persuade children to break their piggy banks and exchange coins for notes and a 20 percent […]

Friendly Fire

May 7, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has restricted domestic flights and banned amphibious aircraft from using irrigation reservoirs following Tamil Tiger air attacks, officials said Monday.The military banned Sri Lanka’s national carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines, from operating a lucrative domestic service of Single Otter aircraft using reservoirs for take-off and landing, a defence ministry […]

Jakarta Arrest

May 7, 2007 (LBO) – Indonesian police have arrested top operatives of the GoldQuest scheme, while its founder is also wanted by Interpol for his activities in the Philippines, reports said. Quest International (QI) group Chief Executive Vijayeswaran Vijayaratnam, director Joseph Bismark, and two other senior executives, Donna Marie Imson and Tagumpay Kintanar were arrested […]

Tougher Laws

May 07, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to include tough anti-terror financing laws into banking, insurance and securities market, in a bid to crack down on unscrupulous people using the financial system to launder money, officials said Monday. “We are looking at including elements of our anti-money laundering and financial transactions reporting laws into […]

Miscreants Beware

May 7, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s new Companies Act will force firms to better comply with listing rules and help clean up the ‘Default Board’ of the Colombo Stock Exchange, legal experts and officials said. The new law imposes tougher penalties for non-compliance with disclosure requirements and could have a deterrent effect on listed […]

India seek World Cup revenge in Bangladesh

DHAKA, May 7, 2007 (AFP) – New-look India flew into Bangladesh on Monday hoping to revive the team’s shattered cricketing fortunes and avenge the disastrous defeat that sent them tumbling out of the World Cup.No other result has caused such upheaval in Indian cricket as Bangladesh’s stunning five-wicket World Cup win that knocked Rahul Dravid’s […]

‘s ball-in-glove ploy

May 7, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka believes Adam Gilchrist’s use of a squash ball as a batting aid in the World Cup final was “unethical” and may take the matter up with world cricket chiefs, officials said Monday Gilchrist, whose record-breaking 149 led Australia to their fourth title, said later that he had a […]

Sri Lanka accuses UN of trying to shield Tamil Tigers

May 07, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Monday accused a United Nations agency of trying to shield what it called the ‘criminal acts’ of the Tamil Tigers by not reporting two of its staffers had been abducted by the guerrillas. Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama said in a statement the government was concerned by […]

Sri Lanka to re-look at truce with Tamil Tigers

May 7, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka was ready to negotiate a fresh ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels as the Norwegian-brokered truce had virtually collapsed, a government minister said Monday. Defence ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the ceasefire arranged and put in place by Norway from February 2002 had been violated more than 10,000 times […]

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