Madugalle to conduct Pakistan ball tampering hearing

MUMBAI, Sept 7, 2006 (AFP) – The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Thursday that Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s hearing in the ball-tampering controversy will be held on September 27 and 28.including Test captains Brian Lara of the West Indies and Rahul Dravid of India. The much-awaited hearing will be conducted by chief match-referee Ranjan Madugulle […]

State firms a drag on economy : minister

MOSCOW, Sept 6, 2006 (AFP) – Russia’s Economic Development Minister German Gref lashed out Wednesday against state-owned companies which in his view had a “significantly negative” impact on Russia’s industrial development.“A significantly negative role is played by the state-owned companies, which try to boost their presence on the market by trying to swallow the most […]

Clean Records

Sep 7, 2006 (LBO) – The credit information has started to clear the credit records of former defaulters who have repaid their loans, a top official said. General Manager of the Sri Lanka Credit Information Bureau N P H Amarasena says about 67,000 names have been taken off the list of defaulters. The credit information […]

Sea Rescue

Bangladeshi crew rescued from sinking ship COLOMBO, Sept 7, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 34 Bangladeshi nationals Thursday who were aboard a crippled merchant vessel that sank off the island’s southern coast, officials said. The cargo carrier, MV Amnet Sha, was being towed by a tugboat when it sank in rough weather off […]

Sri Lanka lags reforming nations in South Asia: Report

Sept 06 (LBO) – Once the leader in reform, Sri Lanka is now lagging other reforming economies in South Asia, and the country has become a more difficult place to do business, a World Bank report released today said. ‘Doing Business in 2007: How to Reform’ has found that only India and Pakistan had introduced […]

’s trade deficit ballooned in July as port strike hit exports

Sept 06 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit expanded by more than 50 percent in the seven months to July, spurred by rapid import growth and falling exports, the Central Bank said. In July exports fell by 7.9 percent to 516 million US dollars, after striking port workers interrupted exports, but oil imports which come […]

French charity scales down Sri Lanka operations after massacre

Sept 6, 2006 (AFP) – A French charity announced Wednesday it was drastically scaling down its operations following allegations that government troops were responsible for the massacre of 17 of its employees.Action Against Hunger (Action contre la Faim or ACF) said it was reducing its number of staff by 60 to 70 percent and stopping […]

Norway bids to save Sri Lanka peace process

COLOMBO, Sept 6, 2006 (AFP) – Norway’s top envoy sought to salvage Sri Lanka’s peace process in talks with Tamil Tigers on Wednesday as the rebels vowed retaliation for heavy bombing that led to the capture of a key town. “There is no particular agenda, but obviously today’s situation will be discussed,” Erik Ivo Nurnberg […]

Central Bank extends freeze on TRO bank accounts to investigate alleged tiger links

Sept 06 (LBO) – The Central Bank said Wednesday it would extend a freeze on all bank accounts of the charity, Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) by six months to investigate alleged terrorist links, following an order from Sri Lanka’s High Court. All banking transactions of the TRO were suspended over the weekend, freezing 75 million […]

More deaths in fresh fighting in Eastern Sri Lanka

Sept 6, 2006 (AFP) – At least two Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and 13 others wounded Wednesday in clashes with Tamil Tiger rebels in the country’s restive north-east, military officials said.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) shelled military positions at Maavilaru village in Trincomalee district where security forces on Monday regained control of […]

‘s economic growth forecast for 2006-07

MANILA, Sept 6, 2006 (AFP) – China and India are expected to push developing Asia’s economic growth to a better than expected 7.7 percent this year despite high oil prices, the Asian Development Bank said in a report here Wednesday. The bank said average inflation in the region should rise to 3.8 percent this year […]

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