Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka plans draconian new laws to curb coconut farmers; new disease threatens crop
Feb 19, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is planning draconian new laws to limit the rights of coconut farmers to put land to alternative uses and cut import duty on coconut oil as prices soared and a new pest hit groves in the island. Disease and clearance of coconut land for development have helped reduce […]
Sri Lanka treasuries yields fall sharply
Feb 19, 2008 (LBO) — Sri Lanka’s 12-month Treasury bill yield fell 33 basis points to 19.10 percent while the popular three month bills fell 38 basis points to 18.59 percent at a an auction Tuesday, the government’s debt office said. The less liquid 6-month bills fell 27 basis points to 19.00 percent. The government […]
Sri Lanka says Kosovo independence a threat to world peace
COLOMBO, Feb 17, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Sunday that Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia could set an “unmanageable precedent” and threaten world peace. The Sri Lankan government, which is battling separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, reacted swiftly against Kosovo’s independence, which it said was a violation of the United Nations charter. “This action […]
Weekend battles kill 51 in Sri Lanka: defence ministry
Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) – Heavy fighting raged in northern Sri Lanka on Monday, the defence ministry said, reporting that 49 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers were killed in weekend battles. Fresh clashes erupted along the frontlines in the north of the country on Monday, the ministry said, after a surge of violence on […]
Sri Lanka tv newsman stalked by mystery gang, says watchdog
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan journalists who expose government corruption are being subject to harassment and intimidation, the Free Media Movement said. The latest incident was an attempt to intimidate Susil Kedelpitiya, the news director of the popular Sinhala TV channel Sirasa, it said in a statement. Kedelpitiya has complained to police that […]
EU divided over Kosovo independence, Russia opposes
MOSCOW, Feb 17, 2008 (AFP) – Russia angrily condemned Kosovo’s declaration of independence on Sunday and while many major powers are expected to recognise the fledgling state, even the European Union is divided. The foreign ministry said it “could set an unmanageable precedent in the conduct of international relations, the established global order of sovereign […]
”, Australia backs Kosovo split
PARIS, Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) – Australia on Monday became the lastest nation to welcome Kosovo’s declaration of independence, joining the United States and several European powers, despite fierce objections from Serbia and Russia.Ethnic Albanians account for around 25 percent of Macedonia’s two-million population.In 2001, the government and ethnic Albanian rebels waged a brief fight […]
Sri Lanka glove exporter enters Indian market: report
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rubber gloves exporter Dipped Products Ltd. (DPL) has announced plans to enter the Indian market in partnership with Delhi-based import firm Optimum Marketing Metrics (OMM), news reports said Monday. The company, a unit of the Hayleys conglomerate, hopes to sell industrial and household gloves through big retail chains. […]
Tele Outlook
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – Standard & Poor’s said it had cut the outlook on Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), the island’s largest fixed operator, to ‘negative’ from stable after the country’s sovereign outlook was lowered last week. “SLT continues to benefit from modest debt and positive free cash flow generation from its core businesses,” S&P […]
Low Tones
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Dialog Telekom group December quarter profits fell 35 percent despite revenue climbing 26 percent as losses from its pay TV business and thinner margins on mobile operations took their toll. Group net profits fell to 1.6 billion rupees from 2.5 billion in the December quarter on revenues of […]
Everyone™s Business
Feb 18, 2008 (LBO) – The United Nations office in Sri Lanka will hold a round table conference Tuesday to seek ways of encouraging more people to do volunteer work after a noticeable decline in interest. “The round table conference will talk about how we can make volunteering everyone’s business again,” United Nations Volunteers Programme […]
Slow Lane
Feb 18, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has further raised taxes on cars to discourage imports and save foreign exchange, officials said Monday, pushing first-time buyers out of the market as economic woes worsen on the island.The new tax, which adds 10-percent import duty on cars and vans, is to be rubber-stamped by parliament this […]