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War drums beat in Sri Lanka but truce talks still target: analysts
Apr. 26 (AFP) – Air strikes, mortar attacks, a suicide bombing in the heart of Colombo — while it may seem Tamil Tiger rebels and Sri Lanka’s government are beating war drums, they are in fact preparing to return to truce talks, some analysts said Wednesday. The fact that the government has recommitted itself to […]
”s deadliest militant groups
Apr. 26 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers, blamed for a suicide attack against a top military official that threatens to pitch the island back into civil war, is one of the world’s deadliest guerrilla groups.For Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Velupillai Prabhakaran the most lethal weapon in his armoury is the young […]
‘s deadly suicide squads
Apr.26 (AFP) – “Black Tiger” suicide squads, secular Hindus driven by loyalty to the Tamil cause rather than religion, have been sowing terror in Sri Lanka for over two decades.The audacious bombing Tuesday inside Sri Lanka’s main military base, in which a female member of the Tamil Tigers feigning pregnancy blew herself up, was just […]
Death toll mounts as Sri Lanka hits back by air, land and sea
Apr. 26 (AFP) – Escalating violence between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil rebels left at least 15 civilians dead and 15,000 Tamil villagers fleeing for their lives, reports from both sides said Wednesday.Three people died and 13 were wounded when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fired mortar bombs against a naval detachment in […]
Cruising Along
Apr.26 (LBO) – Lanka IOC, a unit of Fortune 500 Indian Oil Corportaion, is confident of maintaining uninterrupted supplies from their tank farm in Trincomalee, amidst rising military activity and closure of key roads in the North East area, a top official said. “We are maintaining our supply lines, in spite of security situation near […]
Sri Lanka forecasts 1Q06 GDP at 6.8%
Apr. 26 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to grow at an annual pace of 6.8 percent during the first quarter of 2006, despite setbacks in the peace process and worries that the country may slip back to war. Though the budget deficit was high at 8.7 percent of GDP, due to high nominal […]
Fitch changes rating scales for Sri Lanka
Apr.25 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings Lanka Tuesday announced changes to their national ratings scale for Sri Lanka to be line with the agency’s global definitions. National ratings are designed for use of investors in local markets, and also give an indication as to the creditworthiness for rated entities in the country. The best risk within […]
Ignorance Bliss
SINGAPORE, Apr. 25 (AFP) – The Philippines, Singapore and Japan escaped the 2004 tsunamis which devastated much of Asia but some potential travelers believe otherwise, a survey released Tuesday found. The poll of thousands of respondents across 10 global markets found that an average of 18 percent said several destinations untouched by the tragedy were […]
Scout Partner
DHAKA, Apr. 25 (AFP) – Cash-strapped national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines is looking for a strategic partner to revive its financial fortunes, a minister said Tuesday.“We are seriously looking for strategic partners so that we can share management and aircraft with a reputed airline to make Biman a profitable corporation,” junior civil aviation minister Mirza […]
Thailand seeks bigger share of booming business tourism market
SINGAPORE, Apr.25 (AFP) – Thai tourism officials on Tuesday launched a regional campaign to promote the kingdom as Southeast Asia’s premier convention and exhibition hub, setting up a rivalry with major players Singapore and Hong Kong. Business tourism is a growing sector in the travel industry and Thailand — already with a worldwide reputation among […]