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Adding Layers
Apr.06 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has sought a US$500 million loan from Saudi Arabia to double its oil refinery capacity, Energy Minister A H M Fowzie said Thursday. State-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had presented a concept paper to the Saudi government, when a ministerial delegation visited the oil kingdom recently. “We asked for a […]
Sri Lanka offers safe passage for Tigers after fresh Norway bid
Apr.06 (AFP) – Sri Lanka gave security guarantees to Tiger rebels travelling to Switzerland for talks on saving their faltering ceasefire, a Norwegian minister said here Thursday after talks with the president.Norway’s International Development Minister Erik Solheim said President Mahinda Rajapakse agreed to Tamil Tiger demands for safe passage to Switzerland amid doubts if talks […]
Norway peace envoys meet Sri Lanka president on truce
Apr.06 (AFP) – Norway’s top peace envoys met Sri Lanka’s president Thursday, diplomats said, amid doubts about whether the next round of talks on salvaging the island’s ceasefire will go ahead. Oslo’s International Development Minister Erik Solheim and new peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer had closed-door talks with President Mahinda Rajapakse to arrange the truce negotiations […]
‘s future hangs on peace, lower public debt, inflation: ADB
Apr.06 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to expand by 5.3 percent in 2006, but much of it hinges on peace, and cut backs on public debt, inflation and fiscal deficits, the Asian Development Bank said Thursday. The tsunami-hit island is still plagued with sharp escalation in rebuilding costs, while president Mahinda Rajapakse’s welfare […]
Norway’s new peace envoy opens talks with Sri Lankan rebels
Apr.05 (AFP) – Norway’s new peace envoy opened talks with Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday as the Sri Lankan government’s key electoral partner renewed calls for removing Oslo from the negotiations.Jon Hanssen-Bauer, Oslo’s newly appointed emissary, travelled to the rebel-held northern town of Kilinochchi on Wednesday for discussions with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), […]
Oily Row
Apr. 05 (LBO) – India has slapped a countervailing duty of between US$28-32 per metric tonne on vanaspati oil shipments from Sri Lanka, raising the stakes in a trade dispute that has been simmering for several months. -Mel Gunasekera: mel@ Imposed through the recent Indian budget, the levy comes at a crucial time, as both […]
Backward Integration
Apr.05 (LBO) — Cellular operator Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd hopes to double subscriber growth and plans to start test runs for third generation network next month, its chief executive said Wednesday. A fully owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom, the island’s largest fixed-line operator, Mobitel is on target to complete their US$ 140 to 150 million […]
Tigers pressure Norway to disarm Tamil rivals in Sri Lanka
Apr.05 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday asked Norway’s new peace envoy to make sure Sri Lanka’s government disarms para-military groups ahead of a new round of truce negotiations in Switzerland. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they told Jon Hanssen-Bauer to ensure Colombo delivers on a pledge made in a previous round […]
‘s new peace envoy opens talks with Sri Lankan rebels
Apr.05 (AFP) – Norway’s new peace envoy opened talks with Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday as the Sri Lankan government’s key electoral partner renewed calls for removing Oslo from the negotiations.Jon Hanssen-Bauer, Oslo’s newly appointed emissary, travelled to the rebel-held northern town of Kilinochchi on Wednesday for discussions with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), […]
Jayasuriya’s Test career ends in pain
KANDY, Apr.04 (AFP) – Former Sri Lankan captain Sanath Jayasuriya ended his Test career on a painful note on Tuesday when he suffered a thumb injury during the second Test against Pakistan here. Jayasuriya, 36, needed several stitches on his right thumb that was split while catching Pakistani opener Imran Farhat in the gully region […]