Author: lbostgadmin
War planes hit Tigers after Muslim massacre, reporters escape bombing
COLOMBO, Sept 19, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan jets bombed suspected Tamil Tiger targets in the island’s east Tuesday, officials said, while rebel mortars killed four soldiers escorting journalists in the embattled Jaffna peninsula. Israeli-made Kfir war planes bombed positions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the district of Batticaloa, the government’s […]
Tiger arms ship originated in Indonesia, more on the way: Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sept 19, 2006 (AFP) – A ship suspected of ferrying weapons to Tamil rebels that was sunk by the Sri Lankan military originated in Indonesia and more vessels may be on the way, a government minister said Tuesday. The ship was sunk Sunday off Sri Lanka’s east coast by naval ships and aircraft after […]
Sri Lanka civilian killings on the rise: rights group
NEW YORK, Sept 19, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government and Tamil Tiger rebels have stepped up killings of civilians in a surge of violence this year that has shattered gains made under a 2002 ceasefire, a leading rights group said Tuesday. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka’s Tamil separatist conflict […]
Commercial potential of cricket remains untapped
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19, 2006 (AFP) – Asia remains a vast area of untapped commercial possibility for cricketing authorities but all the elements are in place for this to change.That’s the way Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief executive Syed Ashraful Huq sees the future for a sport he believes is on the cusp of being […]
’s new thrust on linking aid and graft busting
SINGAPORE, September 18, 2006 (LBO) – World Bank’s policy body Monday asked the bank’s president not to lose sight of reducing poverty, as the global lender ups the tempo to curb corruption and promote good governance through lending programs. We strongly endorse the Bank’s role and mission is to eradicate poverty among middle income and […]
Sri Lanka among groups against IMF reforms
SINGAPORE, September 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka was one of the 23 countries that opposed a plan to overhaul the voting shares of the International Monetary Fund. Voting rights or access to funds are determined on member’s economic growth, openness to trade, the amount of reserves they hold and the volatility of each economy. […]
Eleven Muslims killed in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sept 18, 2006 (AFP) – The bodies of 11 Muslim men hacked to death were found in eastern Sri Lanka Monday, police said as Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces blamed each other for the massacre. The victims were labourers working on an irrigation project in the eastern Ampara district and had been killed […]
Small Talk
Sept 18 (LBO) –Telco operator Lanka Bell said Monday it was re-branding its short message service through fixed line phones, to appeal to a wider audience. The investment has paid off rich dividends, with Lanka Bell’s customer base soaring by more than 90,000. A company official said subscriber base had now topped 300,000 following new […]
Online Jazz
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 18, 2006 (AFP) – Internet search titan Yahoo announced plans on Monday to trumpet its revamped search page and enhanced features in a global ad campaign complete with trademark company yodel. “We are bringing back that Yahoo spirit uniquely in an updated, celebratory way,” Allen Olivo, company vice president of worldwide marketing, […]
Estate workers in Sri Lanka begin wage talks, amidst high commodity prices
Sept 18 (LBO) – High commodity prices could up the bargaining power of plantation worker unions, as talks with plantation companies to raise wages, begin next week.Trade unions representing 260,000 workers in plantation companies who are re-negotiating a 2-year collective agreement say they will factor in high prices companies enjoyed this year for tea and rubber. […]
Broader Role
SINGAPORE, September 18, 2006 (LBO) – The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s private sector lender, is scaling up operations in smaller countries, as it looks for ways to share expertise to give market access to rural communities. Sales of these carbon credits, helps the Netherlands comply with its commitments under the Clean Development Mechanism […]
Sri Lanka boat people caught off Spain
PUERTO DE LOS CRISTIANOS, Spain, Sept 17, 2006 (AFP) – A second boatload of some 200 clandestine immigrants from Asia has been spotted on its way to the Canary Islands, this time from Guinea Bissau, police said here Saturday. “It’s carrying around 200 Asians and probably left from Bissau,” Agustin Brito Machin, secretary general of […]