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Fresh fighting erupts as Sri Lanka peace bid stalls
Oct 6, 2006 (AFP) – Heavy sea and land battles erupted Friday in Sri Lanka with the military reporting the recovery of 22 bodies of Tamil rebels after a Norwegian envoy failed to secure a deal to re-launch peace talks.Some 60,000 people have been killed in the separatist conflict since 1972. The military and the […]
Sri Lanka plans to spend more and borrow further next year
October 5, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to spend more and borrow further next year as expenses for defence hardware and fuel related subsidies escalate. Total state spending will climb 42 percent to 804.6 billion rupees from 568.3 billion rupees in 2006, the government said Thursday while tabling the 2007 budget appropriation bill before […]
Biting Bullets
Oct 5, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka plans to increase overall defence spending by 45 percent in calendar 2007 amid an upsurge in fighting between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels, officials figures showed Thursday.The government’s initial budget estimates placed before parliament forecast defence spending would rise to 139.55 billion rupees (1.39 billion dollars) from […]
‘s Tata Tea buys 33 pct stake in South African tea firm
NEW DELHI, Oct 5, 2006 (AFP) – Tata Tea, the world’s second-biggest branded teamaker, said Thursday it has bought a 33 percent stake in leading South African tea firm, Joekels Tea Packers, as part of its global expansion drive.Tata Tea, part of India’s hotels-to-steel Tata conglomerate, has signed an agreement with Joekels Tea Packers, South […]
‘s value added tea exports dip, despite record highs in Aug
Oct 05 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has shipped less value added teas for the eight months to August, as a key buyer Libya is yet to place any big orders, a commodity broker said Thursday.The island main export crop earned 56.48 billion rupees by shipping 218.13 million kilos from Jan-Aug, a growth of 12 percent […]
Zimbabwe crisis signals boom time for Zambian tourism
VICTORIA FALLS, Zambia, Oct 5, 2006 (AFP) – For years it was regarded as a backwater and the poor relation to its southern neighbour, but the spiralling crisis in Zimbabwe has led to a massive upsurge in Zambia’s tourism industry.A total of 650,000 foreign visitors travelled to Zambia last year, a rise of nearly half […]
Sri Lanka probing foreign aid groups
Oct 5, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Thursday it was probing the activities of several foreign aid groups operating in areas controlled by both the government and Tamil Tigers rebels.“The government has reviewed the work visas of certain members of the… non-governmental organisations in view of the continuing police investigations into allegations of inappropriate […]
Sri Lanka peace bid hits new snag
Oct 5, 2006 (AFP) – Norwegian peace brokers were Thursday struggling to get Sri Lanka’s warring parties to agree on a venue for talks, with Tiger rebels demanding Oslo and the government Geneva, diplomats said.“The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) is going on the basis they want talks in Oslo because that was the […]
Funny World
October 5, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Thursday cut retail fuel prices, but raised prices for alcohol and cigarettes, as the government disclosed plans to raise defence expenses and hike overall spending by over 40 percent next year. In addition, defence spending is to climb by 45 percent to 139.5 billion rupees, with military procurements […]