Bangladesh send India crashing in upset 5-wicket win

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, March 17, 2007 (AFP) – Teenager Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza turned giant-killers to script Bangladesh’s upset five-wicket victory over India in their opening World Cup match here on Saturday.Both the teams observed a minute’s silence before the match in memory of Bangladeshi cricketer Manjural Islam, who died in a road […]

Phone Cover

March 18, 2007 (LBO) – From fashion accessory to personal organizer to entertainment provider, mobile phones have become every persons must-have, turning mobile dependant Sri Lankans into a big business for insurers. Mobile phones have the looks for those who want it or increasingly better technology at cheaper prices to suit the most selective customer. […]

Sri Lanka seeks foreign help to bring Tigers back to peace talks

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Friday sought international help to prod Tamil Tiger rebels waging a battle for a separate homeland to return to the negotiating table. “The international community should once again seek to prevail upon the LTTE to return to the negotiations and to negotiate […]

Sri Lanka arrests estranged ruling party MP amid deepening rift

March 17, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police arrested on Saturday a government legislator who had accused his own ruling party of striking a secret deal with Tamil Tiger rebels, an official said. . Lawmaker Sripathi Sooriarachchi was arrested and taken before a magistrate who remanded him to judicial custody for two weeks, a police […]

Sri Lanka toll climbs amid heavy shelling

COLOMBO, March 17, 2007 (AFP) – Government troops and Tiger rebels traded artillery attacks in northern Sri Lanka Saturday as the overnight toll rose to at least six soldiers and a rebel killed, officials said.More than 4,000 people have been killed in a new wave of fighting since December 2005 despite a truce that has […]

Sino Access

March 17 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and China have agreed to expand air links following talks in Beijing this week, paving the way for 28 weekly flights, the foreign ministry said. Sri Lankan carriers would be able fly 21 weekly frequencies for passenger services and 7 weekly frequencies for cargo services to five Chinese destinations […]

Sri Lanka money rates hit 12-year high in record busting week

March 17 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s overnight money market rates came down from a 12-year high following a cash inflow from a dollar bond issue Friday, while the Central Bank took swift measures to keep markets on a tight path. Sri Lanka’s overnight call rates hit a high of 35 percent Thursday, the highest since […]

Sri Lanka switches to strong quantity targeting regime; policy rates unchanged in March

March 16 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank kept its now largely irrelevant discount rate unchanged Friday, while its monetary policy actions in recent weeks showed a firm reliance on quantity targeting. The release of the next regular statement on monetary policy is scheduled for 11 April 2007. Update 2 (graphics/reserve money targets) Though the […]

Sri Lankan troops kill suspected suicide bomber

COLOMBO, March 16, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops Friday shot dead a suspected Tamil Tiger rebel suicide bomber in the northern district of Jaffna, the defence ministry said.Army personnel had come across the suspected guerrilla wearing a jacket packed with explosives while manning a road block at Savalkattu junction around Friday afternoon. The suspect […]

Sri Lanka humiliate Bermuda in 243-run Cup mauling

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, March 15, 2007 (AFP) – Debutants Bermuda found life at the top extremely uncomfortable as they crashed to a massive 243-run defeat against Sri Lanka in their opening World Cup match here on Thursday. It was the second-biggest defeat by run-margin in the tournament history after Namibia’s 256-run loss to defending […]

Double delight for Sri Lanka after Cup opener

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, March 16, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka were just as pleased with skipper Mahela Jayawardene’s return to form ahead of two big World Cup games as they were with their crushing win over hapless Bermuda. “For us, it is always good to have these countries playing in big tournaments.That was how […]

An amazing experience, says Bermuda captain

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, March 16, 2007 (AFP) – Bermuda may have suffered a humiliating defeat on their World Cup debut against Sri Lanka here, but skipper Irving Romaine says the experience matters more for his team than the result. “We were all emotional and it showed in a couple of early overs.The experience is […]

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