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Japan gives loudhailers to mark Sri Lanka tsunami anniversary
Dec 26, 2006 (AFP) – Japan Tuesday gifted loudhailers and life jackets to Sri Lanka’s police to mark the second anniversary of the tsunami which killed 31,000 people in the island.Japan’s ambassador here, Kiyoshi Araki, gifted the equipment to police chief Victor Perera in Colombo, the Japanese embassy said. It said Japan was also helping […]
‘s warring parties on tsunami anniversary
Dec 26, 2006 (AFP) – The United Nations slammed Sri Lanka’s warring parties for stalling tsunami reconstruction efforts Tuesday as the island marked the second anniversary of the disaster by unveiling a Buddha statue. The outgoing UN Secretary General Kofi Annan blamed both Colombo and the Tamil Tiger rebels for the violence that has slowed […]
German freezes aid pledges to Sri Lanka to push peace talks
BERLIN, Dec 24, 2006 (AFP) – Germany said Sunday it will not offer the Sri Lankan government new aid until the peace process in the country advances and called on other nations to increase the pressure on Colombo. Overseas Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul told Berlin’s daily Tagesspiegel that Germany had been frustrated that its aid […]
Crew seeks return home as Jordanian ship runs aground
Dec 24, 2006 (AFP) – The Iraqi skipper of a cargo vessel that ran aground near Tamil Tiger-held territory in Sri Lanka asked Red Cross officials on Sunday to arrange the crew’s return home, the guerrillas said. The Jordanian-registered Farha III ship ran aground in northeastern Sri Lanka late Saturday, sparking a war of words […]
‘s economy to boom more slowly in 2007: analysts
MUMBAI, Dec 23, 2006 (AFP) – India’s economy will continue to boom in 2007 but analysts say demand will slow as its central bank hikes interest rates to curtail consumer spending and higher prices. India’s one-billion-plus population are buying more cars, phones, homes and goods than ever before and its companies have expanded quickly to […]
” crew from Jordanian ship, govt alleges piracy
Dec 23, 2006 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels said Saturday they had rescued 25 sailors from a crippled Jordanian ship off Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast, dismissing government allegations they had staged a “pirate attack”.The vessel, identified as the Farha III, was believed to be crewed by Jordanian and Egyptian nationals and was carrying 14,000 tonnes […]
’07
December 23, 2006 (LBO) – The International Monetary Fund will close its office in Sri Lanka from mid next month, the global financial watchdog said Saturday. The office in Colombo is being wound up late January, when the term of its current resident representative, Luis Valdivieso ends. “The decision reflects the evolving nature of the […]
Cheap Run
December 22, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to float a state-run no frills airline, the government said Friday, to fly to the Middle East and neighbouring Asian countries. The budget carrier, Mihin Air, is expected to cost around 1.5 billion rupees with the government initial setting aside 500 million rupees as working capital, director […]
Report paints grim picture of Asian rights abuses
HONG KONG, Dec 22, 2006 (AFP) – Malfunctioning democracies and legal systems are the main causes of violations of human rights and the rule of law in many countries around Asia, a new rights report says. The study said respect for human rights had worsened in most countries in the region and that people had […]