Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka slammed by rights group over Fonseka court martial
February 11, 2010 (AFP) – A regional human rights group sharply criticised Sri Lanka Thursday over plans to court martial the island’s former army chief on charges of conspiring against the government. “The case is being pursued in military courts, thus avoiding the country’s ordinary courts and depriving him of due process,” the Hong Kong-based […]
’s defeated presidential candidate urges calm
February 11, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has appealed for calm, his wife said Thursday, after violent clashes linked to his arrest on conspiracy charges. “He wanted me to convey to the people and especially the troops to remain calm and not to be provoked by […]
Sri Lanka police break up protest over Fonseka arrest
February 11, 2010 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police used batons and tear gas Thursday against protesters demanding the immediate release of defeated presidential candidate and former army chief Sarath Fonseka, witnesses said. Police charged into the crowds and beat them in Maharagama, a suburb of Colombo, a day after similar protests outside the Supreme Court […]
India urges fair trial for Sri Lankan ex-army chief
NEW DELHI, February 11, 2010 (AFP) – India urged Sri Lanka on Thursday to follow “due process” in its prosecution of Sri Lanka’s former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka. “As a friend and neighbour, we trust that due processes of law will be observed in democratic Sri Lanka in this matter,” the […]
Sri Lanka Kelani Valley reduces loss with Dec quarter gains
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka™s Kelani Valley Plantations said higher tea and rubber crops and prices in the December quarter had helped reduce losses although it still ended 2009 in the red. The company, part of the Hayleys group, said it made a profit of 179 million rupees in the December quarter compared […]
Sri Lanka tourist industry draws Russian interest
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Russian investors are keen to invest in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, which is recovering after the end of a 30-year war, a senior official said. Export Development and International Trade Minister Gamini Peiris said Sri Lanka gets a large number of Russian tourists and that Russian companies were keen to […]
Retail Network
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s LB Finance said December quarter net profit rose 47 percent to 123 million rupees from a year ago and that it was expanding its branch network. The company said in a stock exchange filing that total income rose three percent to 1.05 billion rupees in the quarter. Interest […]
Weak Spots
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings said it has downgraded Sri Lanka’s Abans’ (ABL) National Long-term rating to ‘A-(lka)’ from ‘A(lka)’ with a stable outlook. The downgrade reflects weaknesses in its management information system (MIS), coupled with concerns regarding the quality and timeliness of information provided by the company to Fitch, the rating agency […]
Box Trends
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Cargo volumes at a Colombo port private container terminal in which John Keells Holdings has a big stake rose sharply in January, albeit from a low base the year before as trade recovers from recession. South Asia Gateway Terminals handled 162,890 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent container Units) in January 2010, data […]
Sri Lanka stocks end down 1.31-pct
Feb 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares ended sharply lower Thursday, dragged down by profit taking and the fall in prices of stocks with a heavy weighting in the indices, brokers said. Environmental Resources Investments shares closed at 234 rupees, down 4. 50 with 760,500 shares traded. The company’s warrants were also heavily traded […]
‘s Fonseka
UNITED NATIONS, February 9, 2010 (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon is alarmed by the arrest of Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka and urged Colombo to guarantee his safety, his spokesman said Tuesday. UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Ban “is following developments in Sri Lanka with concern” and urged Colombo authorities “to follow […]
France worried by arrest of Sri Lankan presidential loser
PARIS, February 9, 2010 (AFP) – France said Tuesday it was “extremely worried” about the arrest of Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential hopeful and deplored the mounting official pressure faced by journalists there. France is “extremely worried about the announcement of the arrest of Sarath Fonseka and his aides a few days after the vote,” a […]