Sri Lanka will not collect back taxes from war torn areas: official

Nov 25, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s revenue office will not collect back-taxes from areas that have emerged from a 30-years war but will set up branches to start tax collection as economic activities pick up, an official said.“We are not trying to collect taxes due in previous years,” commissioner general of Sri Lanka’s Inland […]

Sri Lanka president calls snap election

November 23, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapakse Monday announced he was calling a snap election to seek a second term, six months after his security forces defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. President Rajapakse said in a statement that he was seeking a fresh mandate after completing four years in office out of […]

Sri Lanka ex-military chief to run against president: party

November 24, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former military chief, General Sarath Fonseka, will challenge his ex-boss President Mahinda Rajapakse in upcoming elections, a key leftist opposition party announced Tuesday.The JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, which had earlier backed Rajapakse, said they secured an agreement with Fonseka, 58, to stand against Rajapakse, who on Monday […]

Sri Lanka dominated by India in second Test

KANPUR, November 24, 2009 (AFP) – Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir hit sparkling centuries to give India a flying start in the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka here on Tuesday. Sehwag scored 131 off 122 balls and shared 233 runs for the opening wicket with Gambhir as India reached 307-1 at tea on […]

Emirates to launch direct flights to Tokyo

Nov 24, 2009 (LBO) – Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, said it plans to launch direct non-stop services to Tokyo from March 28 next year to lure travellers across the Middle East instead of the Pacific. The move closely follows the recent launch of operations to Durban and Luanda, the airline said in a statement. At […]

Sri Lanka navy seizes 142 migrants: spokesman

November 24, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s navy on Tuesday seized four fishing trawlers carrying 142 illegal migrants heading for Australia, a spokesman said.The boats were detected off the island’s southern coast while they were moving eastward in the direction of Australia, navy spokesman Athula Senarath said. “The passengers had paid large sums of money […]

Sri Lanka ex-military chief asks court to restore bodyguards

November 24, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s former top army general Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to restore his security contingent which has been drastically scaled down following a spat with the president, officials said.General Sarath Fonseka petitioned the country’s highest court seeking the restoration of his 600-member strong bodyguard unit which has been slashed […]

Legal Action

PARIS, November 23, 2009 (AFP) – A French court on Monday jailed 21 Tamil Tiger militants convicted of extorting millions of euros from the Tamil diaspora in France to fund their armed campaign in Sri Lanka. The toughest sentence of seven years in was given to Nadaraja Matinthiran, whom the court heard was the leader […]

Transport Trends

Nov 24, 2009 (LBO) – Vehicle imports to Sri Lanka in August 2009, measured by the total number of new registration of motor vehicles, fell 22.2 percent to 16,293 from a year ago, latest official data showed. The government lifted restrictions imposed towards the end of 2008 on import letters of credit for vehicles, amid […]

Ship Fuel

Nov 24, 2009 (LBO) – A price war among Sri Lankan bunker suppliers in Colombo port is intensifying with some firms saying prices have fallen below cost to loss-making levels.Sri Lankan bunker suppliers said prices have come down sharply since the market was opened up and more suppliers came in with the price difference between […]

Road Support

Nov 24, 2009 (LBO) – The European Union (EU) said repairs to a key road linking Sri Lanka’s south with the east that was damaged by a tsunami had been completed with EU and Asian Development Bank aid. The 158-kilometer stretch of the southern coastal road linking the southern Matara town with Wellawaya towards the […]

Sri Lankan shares fall 1.9-pct

Nov 24, 2009 (LBBO) – Sri Lankan stock prices fell across the board Tuesday on retail investor worries about the political and economic future after the government announced a snap presidential poll, brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed at 2,875.39, down 1.90 percent (55.68 points) while the Milanka Price Index of more liquid […]

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