Author: lbostgadmin
Firm Hand
Oct 28 (LBO) – Rating agency Fitch Lanka affirmed DFCC Vardhana Bank’s AA-(lka) national long term rating on Friday, on the strength of parent company DFCC Bank. The principal factor supporting the rating of DFCC Vardhana Bank (DVB) is the strong implied support assumed to be available from its parent, DFCC Bank, Fitch Ratings Lanka […]
Attacks, disappearances continue ahead of Sri Lanka peace talks
Oct 26, 2006 (AFP) – At least 30 people were killed or disappeared last week in the embattled Sri Lankan flashpoint town of Jaffna, Tamil rebels said Thursday, despite pledges to hold peace talks to end a bitter ethnic conflict.“The rate of killing and disappearance in Jaffna showed no sign of letting up,” the Tamil […]
Death squads take bloody toll in Sri Lankan frontline town
VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka, Oct 26, 2006 (AFP) – Vaithilingam Mahenthiran and two of his friends were gunned down on a Saturday afternoon earlier this month.The day before, two other young men were shot to death and dumped in a ditch on the roadside, their hands bound and heads hooded. Before the weekend was over, three […]
Sri Lanka warring parties in Geneva to cool down war
GENEVA, Oct 26, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s warring parties arrived in Geneva Thursday for their first face-to-face meeting in eight months amid international pressure to halt ethnic bloodshed and save a crumbling ceasefire.The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) returned to the Swiss city after suicide bombings, conventional war and tit-for-tat killings that […]
Sri Lankan government, rebels must stop “rampant” abuse
GENEVA, Oct 26, 2006 (AFP) – The advocacy group Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels to use their talks in Geneva to end “escalating” and “rampant” abuse of civilians.Nearly 3,000 people have been killed and some 217,000 have fled their homes since bitter fighting escalated earlier this […]
Stellar Performance
July 27, 2006 (LBO) – Dialog Telekom, Sri Lanka’s largest cellular phone operator, Thursday posted a 47 percent rise in net profits for the nine months to September, as subscriber growth lifted revenues. A unit of Telekom Malaysia, Dialog Telekom, reported a 7.55 billion rupee group net profit, while revenues climbed 47 percent to 18.89 […]
Non-Negotiable
Oct 26, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka™s trade ministry has shot down efforts by local businessmen to get desiccated coconut off India™s protected list, to avoid a political battle with the island™s largest trading partner. Desiccated coconut is on a preferential trading list which gives Sri Lankan exports to India a preferential duty of 57 […]
Belgium businessmen hunt in Sri Lanka for investment opportunities
Oct 25, 2006 (LBO) – A group of Belgian investors began a three-day visit in Colombo, scouting for potential investment opportunities to grow trade between both nations, officials said. Belgium’s ‘Duvel’ beer will also be launched in Sri Lanka to coincide with the visit. The trade balance is currently tipped in Sri Lanka’s favour, with […]
Affordable Rides
October 25, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Wednesday cut retail fuel prices, to ease living costs and inflationary pressures, though the treasury still owes the state petroleum giant over 13 billion rupees. With effective midnight, petrol at the pump will be priced 5.00 rupees less at 92.00 rupees, and diesel goes down 2.00 rupees to […]
‘s frontline as talks near
TANDIKULAM CHECKPOINT, Sri Lanka, Oct 25, 2006 (AFP) – A long wooden pole laid across the road up ahead marks the start of Sri Lanka’s “Tigerland”.A colleague of his motioned to the field of vehicles and added: “After the peace talks, hopefully we won’t have to do this.” On this side of the pole lies […]
Sri Lanka and Tamil Tigers set different agendas for peace talks
Oct 25, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger negotiators have set different agendas for weekend peace talks in Switzerland following months of bloodshed. The Colombo government said Wednesday it wanted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to commit to a schedule and to discuss the “core” issues in the island’s separatist armed […]
Europe gives Sri Lanka additional aid for conflict displaced refugees
Oct 25 (LBO) – The European Commission will give Sri Lanka five million Euros or 667 million rupees in emergency aid to help over 200,000 internally displaced people in an increasingly violent local conflict. The additional funds will add to seven million euros approved for aid work in the country in July this year and […]