Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka govt may sign anti-landmine treaty
October 27, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka may consider joining the global treaty banning landmines following the government’s defeat of separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, the army chief said on Tuesday. Sri Lanka had previously refused to sign up to the 1997 Ottawa Convention against landmines, arguing that the military could not unilaterally abandon mines in […]
‘s central bank holds interest rates
MUMBAI, October 27, 2009 (AFP) – India’s central bank kept key short-term interest rates unchanged at their record lows on Tuesday, saying its priority was helping a recovery take root while keeping an eye on inflation.The repo, the rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks, remains at 4.75 percent, while the reverse […]
Boat People
TANJUNG PINANG, October 27, 2009 (AFP) – An Indonesian provincial governor refused Tuesday to allow an Australian customs vessel to unload 78 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers, saying Indonesia is not a “dumping ground” for refugees.Opposition to the arrival of the migrants came as Australia stressed it was not trying to push asylum-seekers back onto Indonesia, the […]
Buy Out
Oct 27, 2009 (LBO) – Ceylinco Land Exchange, a real estate firm in Sri Lanka’s troubled Ceylinco group, is striking out under a new name, while employees are negotiating to buy out the firm, officials said.The firm is now operating under the name of People’s Realty Limited. “The management is negotiating with relevant companies [to […]
Rate Order
Oct 27, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered a sweeping 700 basis point cut in state bank lending rates, lifting of penal rates and fast-tracking state worker loan applications, a government statement said.Officials had also discussed ways to relax security requirements of loans, the statement said. Banks were also ordered to […]
Busy Terminal
Oct 26, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), a private operator in the port of Colombo says September volumes have increased 3.8 percent from a year earlier to 161,450 containers. This is the second highest monthly throughput ever recorded by SAGT, behind August 2009 where it hit a record of 163,024 […]
Sri Lankan stocks close lower in broad sell-off
Oct 27, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed lower for a second day Tuesday, falling 0.9 percent in a broad sell-off that saw while buyers were awaiting earnings reports, brokers said.The All Share Index closed at 2,989.05 points down 34.9 points while the Milanka Index of more liquid stocks closed down 1.19 percent (21.7 […]
Sri Lanka to probe US war crimes allegations
October 26, 2009 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government on Monday said it would investigate war crimes allegations made against its troops in a US State Department report.Among the claims detailed in the report was the accusation that Tiger leaders reached a surrender agreement with government forces but were then executed.Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe […]
Sri Lanka June power generation, diesel sales up in June
Oct 26, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s power generation was up 0.2 percent in June, from a year earlier, changing a tend of falling output in previous months, the latest official data showed.In the 6-months to June diesel sales were up 4.4 percent from a year earlier 883,000 metric tonnes, petrol up 3.4 percent to […]
Sri Lanka Oman air dispute: SriLankan can overfly desert state
Oct 26, 2009 (LBO) – SriLankan Airlines will continue to overfly Oman, an official said, following reports that the island’s aircraft may be denied permission to use Omani airspace over a dispute in implementing an existing bilateral air services deal.A media report from Oman, quoted an official as saying that the airline was not able […]
Pakistan says offensive death toll rises to 227
ISLAMABAD, October 26, 2009 (AFP) – Pakistan’s military said Monday that the death toll in a major military assault on the Taliban rose to 227, reporting heavy losses in the battle to control a village en route to a Taliban bastion.Nineteen militants were killed during the last 24 hours, a military statement said, bringing the […]
Mystery
VANCOUVER, October 24, 2009 (AFP) – Canada is to release one of 76 Tamils arrested last week in a ship off its Pacific coast, local media reported Saturday.The decision came after a custody hearing, lawyer Narinder Kang told the Globe and Mail newspaper. The released man was ordered to report regularly to border authorities, Kang […]