Author: lbostgadmin
Australian warship intercepts boatload of Sri Lankans
SYDNEY, Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – An Australian warship has intercepted a boat carrying 85 Sri Lankans towards a Canberra-controlled island in the Indian Ocean, Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews said Thursday.Andrews said the unseaworthy vessel was intercepted about 50 nautical miles off Christmas Island on Tuesday, after being spotted a day earlier. He said the […]
Sri Lanka to revamp consumer price index as inflation soars
Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Thursday it plans to rejig its consumer price index basket to reflect changed food and lifestyle trends as inflation based on a decades-old range of items crossed 20 percent in January.The Colombo Consumer Price Index has attracted widespread criticism because it is based on a formula better […]
Rolling Stock
February 22 (LBO) – The government of Sri Lanka hopes to purchase 100 train carriages from China to develop the island’s dilapidated railway network, officials said Thursday. The carriages will be purchased from China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, Anura Yapa, Sri Lanka’s information minister said. Sri Lanka’s railway network was built by British […]
Killings continue in Sri Lanka ahead of failed truce anniversary
COLOMBO, Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – Three civilians were found shot dead in northern Sri Lanka and a soldier was killed in the country’s east Thursday, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of a failed truce agreement, police said. The bullet-riddled bodies of the civilians were found in three locations in the town of […]
Norway offers help to revive Sri Lanka peace bid
COLOMBO, Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – Norway’s top peace broker in Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, Thursday offered to go the extra mile to revive the stalled process on the eve of the fifth anniversary of a moribund truce.Solheim, who is also Norway’s international development minister, expressed the hope that Sri Lanka’s government and the Liberation […]
Nine killed in Sri Lanka boat attack: navy
Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s navy sank two suspected Tamil Tiger boats off the island’s north-western coast Thursday, killing at least nine people, a military official said. Navy craft attacked the suspected rebel boats off the coast of Puttalam district, a navy spokesman said. “There were six men in one boat and three […]
Sri Lanka at best ever for World Cup: de Silva
COLOMBO, Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – Former batting great Aravinda de Silva believes the current Sri Lankan side go into the World Cup with better chances of winning the title than their champion 1996 team. “I honestly feel this side have a better chance than we had in 1996.When you compare the eras, I feel […]
From holidays to yoga pants: luxury freebies for Oscars stars
LOS ANGELES, Feb 22, 2007 (AFP) – The US tax man has helped put a stop to the 100,000-dollar goodie bags, but celebrities will still be showered with an eye-popping array of lavish gifts at this year’s Oscars.“This is just a thanks for making great movies.These are the people who help put a smile on […]
Zenith
February, 22 (LBO) – After growing at breakneck speed for the past several years, Sri Lanka’s mobile phone market is losing pace and competitors are pecking away at dominant player Dialog’s market share, an equities research report has said. In 2006 Sri Lanka’s mobile penetration hit 27.1 percent according to official Telecommunications Regulatory Commission data. […]
Smart Buildings
February 21 (LBO) – Following the rapid spread of urbanization in Sri Lanka, local architects say more efficient and economical design methods must be adopted. In the field of architecture in Sri Lanka, there has not been any serious deliberation on sustainability, says Chandana Edirisuriya, Vice President Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA). In South […]
Mutual Benefits
February 22 (LBO) – A tax-efficient closed-end fixed income mutual fund launched by National Asset Management (NAMAL) is already attracting commitments from the corporate sector, officials said. But monetary policy has been tightened since December, sending market interest rates shooting up. The NAMAL Flexi Income Fund will invest mostly in better yielding corporate bonds and […]
Sri Lanka marks truce anniversary, conflict rages on
COLOMBO, Feb 21, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lankan government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels mark the fifth anniversary of their Norwegian-brokered truce this week but the fighting rages on, with nearly 4,000 people killed in the past year.The ceasefire, signed separately by the Tamil Tiger chieftain and Sri Lanka’s then premier, came into effect on […]