Ship Link

VANCOUVER, November 3, 2009 (AFP) – Several of a group of 76 Sri Lankan asylum seekers picked up off the Canadian coast last month have ties to the Tamil Tiger rebels and could pose a security risk, officials said Tuesday.The Canadian government told an immigration hearing that the “Ocean Lady” freighter used to transport the […]

Protest

Nov 04, 2009 (LBO) – A group of graduates were water cannoned at tear gassed by police when they tried to march up to office of Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday as part of a protest demanding state jobs.Sri Lanka’s graduates educated at tax payer expense free in state universities have spread a successful […]

Sri Lanka wage hike sends listed estate into the red

Nov 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri lanka’s Kelani Valley Plantations (KVPL) said a wage hike wrested by estate labour unions has sent it into the red in the September 2009 quarter. The company, which has been recovering from a severe drought earlier in the year, said that it made a loss of 217 million rupees […]

Higher Margins

Nov 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank has reported group net profits up 73 percent to 823 million rupees for the September 2009 quarter, from a year earlier as higher incomes from government securities boosted margins.Total group revenues rose 9.5 percent to 3.6 billion rupees, interim accounts filed with the Colombo Stock Exchange […]

Sea Perils

SYDNEY, November 4, 2009 (AFP) – Australia called off an air and sea search for survivors on Wednesday after a boat carrying unidentified Sri Lankans sank in remote seas far off its northwest, killing 12.Home Minister Brendan O’Connor said there was no hope of finding anyone else alive after the boat carrying 39 went down […]

Sri Lanka stocks slump further

Nov 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan share prices slumped again almost across the board Wednesday as nervous investors sold apparently in anticipation of further falls, brokers and analysts said.The All Share Price Index closed at 2,902.70, down 2.07 percent, or 61.49 points while the Milanka Price Index of more liquid stocks closed at 3,242.06, […]

Sri Lanka Treasuries yields fall

Nov 04, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Treasury bill yields fell across the board with the 3-month yield falling 36 basis points to 8.14 percent, at Wednesday’s auction just above the 8.00 repo rate at which the monetary authority drains liquidity from markets. The Central Bank’s reverse repo rate at which cash in injected to […]

Sri Lanka tables interim budget

Nov 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has presented an interim plan to parliament ahead of polls expected in the first quarter of 2010 seeking permission from lawmakers to spend up to a third of last year’s budget.Government spending has been reined in somewhat under a deal agreed with the International Monetary Fund with strict […]

Sri Lanka should import proven leadership talent: business executive

Nov 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should consider importing people with proven track records to run government as native leaders have consistently failed to deliver and develop the country after independence from Britain, a senior private sector executive has said. “When a company fails and has continuous losses, what do you do? The management […]

‘s opposition unites to face snap polls

November 3, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition on Tuesday formed an alliance with minority Tamil and Muslim parties and a breakaway faction of the ruling coalition to contest possible snap elections.The next presidential poll, which was due by November 2011, will now be held before April 2010, according to the government. Opposition leader […]

US tightlipped on Sri Lanka army chief

WASHINGTON, November 2, 2009 (AFP) – The United States was tightlipped Monday about Sri Lanka’s visiting top military commander, after the island said US authorities planned to grill him over alleged war crimes.Sri Lanka summoned the US ambassador to demand the Department of Homeland Security drop with what the island’s government said were plans to […]

Singaporean faces US trial over Tamil Tigers arms case

SINGAPORE, November 3, 2009 (AFP) – A Singaporean opposition party member will be extradited to the United States and tried for allegedly trying to supply arms to Sri Lanka’s defeated Tamil Tiger rebels, officials here said Tuesday.Businessman Balldev Naidu, 47, is facing six charges including conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation […]

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