Sri Lanka fears more bombings as bus toll hits 26

April 26, 2008 (AFP) – The death toll from a bus blast outside Colombo rose to 26 on Saturday as Sri Lanka warned of more indiscriminate attacks against civilians while security forces remained locked in combat against Tamil rebels.President Mahinda Rajapakse said Friday’s blast was the work of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam […]

Sri Lanka fears more civilian attacks, launches new offensive

April 26, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Saturday warned of more indiscriminate attacks against civilians as troops launched a new offensive against Tamil separatists a day after a bus bombing killed 26 people.President Mahinda Rajapakse said Friday’s bus bomb attack was the work of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas who […]

Sri Lanka rabies puppy in British quarantine bites three

LONDON, April 26, 2008 (AFP) – Three people were bitten by a rabies-infected puppy dog in British quarantine, a Health Protection Agency (HPA) spokeswoman said Saturday. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that a case of rabies had been confirmed in the puppy. The dog was in quarantine after being brought into […]

Lifeline

April 26, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan finance companies should improve governance practices voluntarily before external rules are imposed and whistle-blowers get active under new laws, a corporate lawyer says. Good corporate governance practices could yield direct financial benefits to finance companies while giving them a lifeline if wrongdoings are uncovered, says Arittha Wikramanayake, senior […]

Sri Lanka blast kills 12 and injures 30

April 25, 2008 (LBO) – A blast near a crowded bus station South of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo has left at least 12 dead and more than a 40 injured, police and eyewitnesses said. The explosion went off in the suburb of Piliyandala during the evening rush hour at around 6.45 pm authorities aid. An […]

US March new home sales fall to more than 16-year low

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2008 (AFP) – Sales of new US homes plunged to their lowest level in over 16 years in March despite hefty price declines in response to a glut of unsold homes, Commerce Department data showed Thursday. The grim monthly report follows a key industry survey this week showing sales of existing homes, […]

Travellers to be screened by facial technology at British airports

LONDON, April 25, 2008 (AFP) – European air travellers to Britain will be screened with automatic facial recognition technology from this summer in a bid to tighten security and ease congestion, the government said Friday. Citizens of Britain and all European Economic Area countries will pass through unmanned clearance gates which will scan passengers’ faces […]

Rate hike expected with inflation at 7.3-pct in India

NEW DELHI, April 25, 2008 (AFP) – India’s inflation jumped again to a more than three-year high, according to data on Friday, days ahead of a key meeting of central bankers who are expected to tighten monetary policy further.Annual inflation accelerated nearly two-tenths of a percentage point to 7.33 percent for the week ended April […]

Swiss central banker urges pay reform after subprime losses

GENEVA, April 25, 2008 (AFP) – Banks should reform their pay structure in the wake of the subprime crisis to avoid encouraging traders to take reckless risks, a top Swiss central banker said on Friday.Jean-Pierre Roth, chairman of the Swiss National Bank’s governing board, said a rethink of corporate governance and strengthening of rules was […]

Sri Lankan Airlines Indian flights grounded as pilots go sick

April 25, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan Airlines has canceled several flights to the Indian subcontinent as more than a dozen pilots reported sick, officials said. Sri Lankan airline spokespersons were not available for comment, but the airline had individually informed passengers of flights that had been canceled. The affected destinations are said to include […]

Sri Lanka army ousts Tamil Tigers from Catholic shrine area

April 25, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s army has taken control of the area around a church revered by Catholics in the northwest after a long drawn out campaign to drive out the Tamil Tigers, the military said Friday. Troops were now digging in to secure their positions in the Madhu church area, in the […]

Sri Lanka clamps down on war reports after battle losses

April 25, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan authorities have extended “unofficial” censorship to hospitals and funeral parlours as losses mount after a major battle against Tamil rebels, a media rights group said Friday.The Free Media Movement (FMM) said the authorities had prevented photographers taking pictures of military casualties brought to hospitals following heavy fighting in […]

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