All Blogs
Choices: Essential or luxury?
October 23, 2006 (LBO) – Recently the government imposed tougher import conditions on non-essential items: Luxury goods according to the Government of Sri Lanka Palm Oil Chocolates Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares Beer Wine, vermouth and other fermented beverages Spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous beverages Perfumes and toilet waters Beauty or make […]
Sri Lanka rivals secure deal to push for peace
Oct 23, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party and the opposition agreed Monday to work together towards a political settlement to the island’s bloody ethnic fighting which has claimed more than 60,000 lives.The Tigers warned at the weekend they would unleash their bloody campaign island-wide if violence against Tamil areas continued, while the government […]
Holidaymakers sanguine but hoteliers worry after attack in Southern Sri Lanka
GALLE, Sri Lanka, Oct 22(AFP) – Holidaymakers on the beaches around Sri Lanka’s southern port of Galle seemed unconcerned about last week’s Tamil Tiger suicide attack here, but industry professionals are shaking their heads.The three decades of ethnic bloodshed in the island nation have claimed more than 60,000 lives. One day after five Tiger rebel […]
Happy Texting
SINGAPORE, Oct 22, 2006 (AFP) – Text messaging remains the most dominant mode of mobile data communication, as high costs and cumbersome procedures keep customers from fully embracing fancier applications, industry players say.As revenue from voice service narrows, mobile operators are hard pressed to find a key new application that will continue generating cash like […]
‘s Murali, Mahela in ICC award shortlist
MUMBAI, Oct 22 (AFP) – Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif has been shortlisted for an ICC award despite testing positive for a banned substance, it was announced here on Sunday. “Asif is eligible for the award as the period under consideration was before the doping offence,” said Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the International Cricket Council […]
Peace brokers face tough battle in clearing way for Sri Lanka peace talks
Oct 22 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s warring parties were bracing for talks aimed at saving a tattered truce, but arranging next weekend’s parley is becoming a logistical “minefield” that could blow up before the meeting begins. Peace broker Norway’s breakthrough last week, when it coaxed the rebel Tamil Tigers to talks, appears to have been […]
Sporadic fire in Sri Lanka on run up to peace talks
Oct 22(AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels set off a Claymore mine and fired on troops in northern Sri Lanka Sunday, wounding three people, the defence ministry said amid moves to arrange peace talks next weekend.Four previous peace attempts ended in failure.The powerful blast went off in the Jaffna peninsula while troops were on a cordon-and-search […]
‘s cinnamon exports, following new standard
Oct 19, 2006 (LBO) – The European Union has lifted year long restrictions on Sri Lanka’s cinnamon exports, following approval of a new standard for the spice.The disagreement stemmed from sulphur residue levels in Sri Lankan shipments, with the EU not having a fixed standard on allowable levels, until now. “Exports to Germany came to a […]
”’ from Fitch
October 20, 2006 (LBO) – Citibank N.A. a unit of the Citigroup Inc., retained its AAA (lka) from Fitch Ratings Lanka Ltd, the agency said Friday. The local unit’s rating draws strength from its parent, Citigroup Inc (rated ‘AA+’). Given that the domestic entity is a branch using the ‘Citibank’ brand name and is operationally […]
HSBC Sri Lanka secures a AAA (lka) rating from Fitch
October 20, 2006 (LBO) – HSBC Bank’s Sri Lankan unit has been rated AAA (lka) by Fitch Ratings Lanka for their long-term senior debt. ‘AAA’ (lka) is the highest rating assigned to in issuer or issues. The bank joins the local triple A club, which was earlier limited to Citibank N.A., Dialog Telekom, National Savings […]