Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka north scene of heavy fighting: rebels
April 23, 2008 (AFP) – Heavy fighting between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels broke out early Wednesday in several locations along the northern defence lines, the guerrillas said.Sri Lankan troops mounted simultaneous artillery attacks on rebel positions along the defacto frontline that separates government-held areas from swathes of land under Tiger control, the pro-rebel […]
Sri Lanka fighting kills dozens: ministry
April 23, 2008 (AFP) – Ferocious fighting erupted in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as government troops made a fresh bid to break into rebel territory, leaving at least 67 dead on both sides, the defence ministry said.A ministry spokesman said 74 soldiers and about 100 rebels were also seriously wounded. The battle started when soldiers […]
Sri Lanka says 90 dead in new offensive against rebels
April 23, 2008 (AFP) – At least 90 rebels and soldiers were killed and hundreds wounded when Sri Lankan security forces launched an offensive against Tiger guerrillas on Wednesday, the defence ministry said.A ministry spokesman said 38 soldiers were killed and 84 seriously wounded when they tried to advance into territory held by the Liberation […]
Step Up
April 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Fitch Ratings has upgraded Sanasa Development Bank’s speculative grade by one notch to BB(lka) with a stable outlook, the rating agency said. “The upgrade reflects the materialisation of SDB’s planned capital program, and is supported by the bank’s good profitability and asset quality, albeit constrained somewhat by the […]
Sri Lankan stocks edge up on AMW, East-West interest
April 23, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares closed higher Wednesday largely driven by trading in Associated Motorways, East-West Properties and Dialog Telekom, brokers said.All Share price Index went up 8.26 points (0.31 percent) to 2,681.27 while the more liquid Milanka rose 15.41 points (0.47 percent) to 3,322.63. Turnover was 303 million rupees. “AMW has […]
Sri Lanka trade deficit doubles, foreign reserves up
April 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit doubled in the first two months of the year to 937 million dollars but the overall balance of payments was in surplus by 448 million dollars, the central bank said. In February exports grew 9.7 percent to 642.6 million dollars with tea exports rising 42. 1 […]
Sri Lanka relaxes rice price controls
April 22, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has lifted price controls on the rice wholesale trade, a top official said, ending a short-lived socialist experiment not seen in the country since the heavy money printing and control era of the 1970’s. Trade ministry secretary R M K Ratnayake said a decision had been made to […]
Sri Lanka human rights record criticised by foreign experts
April 22, 2008 (AFP) – A team of international legal experts Tuesday stepped up their criticism of Sri Lanka, noting that repeated calls to improve its record on the issue had fallen on deaf ears. The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) said Colombo lacked the political will to investigate grave rights abuses. The […]
Sri Lanka must improve human rights, ensure free poll, says US official
April 22, 2008 (LBO) – The United States has called on Sri Lanka to improve its human rights record and ensure forthcoming elections in the east are free and fair, the embassy said in a statement Tuesday. It quoted Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Don Camp as characterizing his meetings […]
Bollywood piracy fighters take battle to US Congress
WASHINGTON, April 21, 2008 (AFP) – Campaigners against piracy in India’s money-spinning entertainment industry, which loses four billion dollars a year to counterfeiters, have taken their battle to the US Congress.“We are losing 90 percent of our home video market in the United States,” veteran Indian filmmaker Bobby Bedi told AFP at a Capitol Hill […]
Mugabe trying to steal Zimbabwe election: Australia
SYDNEY, April 22, 2008 (AFP) – Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is trying to steal last month’s election and the so-called recount of votes is a sham, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Tuesday.MDC secretary general Tendai Biti has charged that 10 MDC supporters have been killed and thousands forced to flee their homes following attacks […]
Era of cheap food over: ADB
SINGAPORE, April 22, 2008 (AFP) – The era of cheap food is over, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) official said Tuesday. Rajat Nag, the ADB’s managing director general, said a variety of factors have contributed to soaring food prices which, even if they ease, will not return to the lower levels which the world became […]