All Blogs
Sri Lanka offers power-sharing in search for peace deal
Oct 12, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president offered cabinet posts to the main opposition on Thursday in a bid to strike a bipartisan deal to end the island’s ethnic bloodshed, his office said. The parting of the ways with the Marxists has pushed the government closer to the main opposition which has more clout […]
Sri Lanka army death toll hits 129 after fierce battle
Oct 12, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military said Thursday 129 soldiers were killed and over 500 wounded in fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels in the island’s north on Wednesday, while claiming 200 rebels also died.The defence ministry said 55 soldiers were killed in heavy clashes along the de facto front line in the Jaffna […]
Sri Lanka ministers take pay cut as defence budget balloons
Oct 12, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet announced Thursday they had stopped drawing their salaries with immediate effect as the government was set to raise its defence spending by 45 percent.Media Minister Anura Yapa told reporters that cabinet agreed to draw only allowances they were entitled to and not accept the salaries paid to […]
Sri Lanka peace talks in balance after fierce battle
Oct 12, 2006 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels inflicted heavy losses on Sri Lankan troops in fierce fighting that reportedly killed 244 combatants and wounded over 430, dashing peace hopes, officials said Thursday.Some 60,000 people have been killed overall in the three-decades-old conflict between minority Tamils seeking an independent homeland and government forces. Defence officials […]
” by latest Sri Lanka fighting
WASHINGTON, Oct 11, 2006 (AFP) – The United States said it was “deeply concerned” Wednesday by intense fighting in Sri Lanka that has jeopardized new efforts to revive a peace agreement between the government and minority Tamil rebels.McCormack said Washington was working closely with its fellow co-chairs “to find a way forward to an end […]
Sri Lanka’s treasury bill rates rise by 50 basis points; speculation of a rate hike
October 11, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s borrowing costs went up half a percentage during the weekly treasury bill auction Wednesday, sparking speculation that the central bank may hike its key policy rates for the fourth time this month. The bank offered 12.083 billion rupees worth of bills at this week’s auction but accepted only […]
Fitch retains SLTs BB- rating; estimates court ruling to cost Rs 3.0 bn
October 11, 2006 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings affirmed Sri Lanka Telecom’s foreign currency debt as ‘BB-‘ negative outlook, while the telco’s local currency debt remains at AAA (lka), with a stable outlook. The ratings also acknowledge the uncertainties that persist in the regulatory environment, which is still developing. The risk evaluator also retained the BB- […]
Free Skies
Oct 11, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has won additional flights to Indian metropolitan cities Mumbai and Bangalore, following a round of talks with India this week on liberalising air services. We have got seven additional frequencies a week to Mumbai in addition to the seven at present, as well as seven more frequencies to […]
Say Yes!
October 11, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Sampath Bank Ltd is seeking shareholder approval to raise it’s authorise share capital and lift the maximum shareholder limits to be on par with Central Bank guidelines. The bank’s authorised share capital stands at 1.5 billion rupees and the board is seeking shareholders’ consent through an extraordinary meeting […]
Media Gagged
Oct 11, 2006 (AFP) – Escalating violence in Sri Lanka has led to unofficial censorship enforced by intimidation and death threats against journalists, an international group said Wednesday. A “fact finding mission” by a dozen media organisations as well as a UN body reported that security forces were interfering in the editorial work of media […]