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Japan to fingerprint and photograph foreign visitors
TOKYO, May 17, 2006 (AFP) – Japan’s parliament narrowly approved Wednesday a bill to follow the United States in fingerprinting and photographing foreign visitors, despite concern the security measures violated privacy.The upper house voted 131 to 94 to support the bill, which would also allow the justice minister to expel terrorist suspects. The lower house, […]
Foreign bid to pull Sri Lanka from war amid killings
May 17, 2006 (AFP) – The United States is leading international efforts to halt Sri Lanka’s slide back to war, diplomats and officials said Wednesday as four more people died in fresh violence.A US State Department official left here Tuesday, urging the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to resume talks suspended in April 2003 and […]
Quantum Leap
May 17, 2006 (LBO) – Runaway global oil prices is expected to cost Sri Lanka 2,250 million dollars this year, the government said Wednesday, in a broad hint that a retail fuel price revision was around the corner. Sri Lanka is a net oil importer, with last year’s fuel bill climbing up to 1.64 billion […]
Sri Lanka joins ADB initiative to combat corruption
May 17, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Wednesday joined an Asian Development Bank- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development initiative to develop an action plan to combat corruption. “Knowledge – Commitment – Action against Corruption in Asia-Pacific”, a book that explores innovative reforms discussed at the ADB OECD 5th Regional Anti-Corruption Conference for Asia-Pacific in […]
US asks Europe to ban Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers
May 16, 2006 (AFP) – The United States has asked the European Union to follow its lead and ban Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group, a visiting US State Department official said Tuesday.“We have encouraged the EU to list the LTTE” as a terrorist group, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and […]
Central Bank rejects 3-year bond auction
May 16, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank Tuesday rejected all bids sent in for the three-year bond auction, but did not give any reason.The bank offered a billion rupees worth of paper and received offers worth 1,360 million rupees, which carried a coupon rate of 7.50 percent. Three-year paper currently trades at around […]
Delayed Flight
May 16 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government is to hold a fresh round of talks with Emirates Airlines next month, on extending the management contract with SriLankan Airlines. The two sides are yet to set a date and detailed agenda for talks. Preliminary discussions on the way forward were cordial, though the meeting was […]
John Keells pays US$ 21 mn for new Maldivian resort
May 16, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings said Tuesday that they have paid 21.8 million dollars to secure Maldivian based Dhonveli Beach & Spa on a 15-year lease. However, the absence of peace talks since April 2003, the two sides have been drifting apart and leading to more violence in a country […]
Sri Lankan troops and Tigers trade artillery fire across front line
May 16, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops and Tamil Tiger rebels exchanged artillery fire across a truce line in the northern peninsula of Jaffna Tuesday, military officials said.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fired across the army-held line at Nagarkovil and wounded at least two soldiers, the officials said. “The firefight lasted about […]
Exclusive Hong Kong club would have Bond shaken and stirred
HONG KONG, May 16, 2006 (AFP) – With the click of a switch, brightly polished restaurant tables lift almost magically into the ceiling and from sliding panels in the floor ice buckets emerge in time for the waiter who arrives with the champagne.As the drinks are served the main back wall lifts slowly to reveal […]