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Sri Lanka needs UN monitors, says rights group
WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – Human Rights Watch called Thursday for a UN human rights monitoring mission in Sri Lanka in the wake of the breakdown of the 2002 ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tamil Tiger secessionists.The New York-based group said new monitors were needed to replace the Norwegian-led Sri Lanka Monitoring […]
” by end of truce in Sri Lanka
WASHINGTON, Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – The United States on Thursday said it was “troubled” by the Sri Lankan government’s decision on Wednesday to end its 2002 truce with Tamil Tiger rebels, and urged both sides to avoid further fighting. “The United States is troubled” by the Sri Lankan government’s decision, State Department spokesman Sean […]
Gassing Up
Jan 04, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s second cooking gas retailer raised prices by 17 percent Thursday on a formula approved by the consumer authority while the minister in charge said advance notice of price increases should not be given. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has not raised prices since July. After fuel prices were fixed, […]
Sri Lanka withdraws from truce with Tamil Tigers
Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday decided to formally end a moribund peace process with Tamil rebels and withdraw from a ceasefire arranged by peace broker Norway, top officials told AFP. “The cabinet of ministers today decided to pull out of the ceasefire,” presidential spokesman Chandrapala Liyanage said. “The legal process will […]
‘s funeral
Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – A prominent Sri Lankan Tamil opposition MP who was murdered earlier this week was cremated here Thursday amid tight security and allegations that the island’s government was behind the killing.The cremation took place amid heavy fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in northern Sri Lanka, hours after the […]
Sri Lanka govt still ready to talk to Tamil Tigers
Jan 03, 2007 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government is still willing to have peace talks with Tamil Tiger rebels despite its decision to withdraw from a moribund ceasefire agreement, media minister Anura Yapa said Thursday. . The government is not against peace talks to end the ethnic war but believes it is useless to […]
Sri Lanka truce ends on Jan 16: Foreign ministry
Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka announced Thursday it had given the mandatory two weeks’ notice to peace broker Norway to formally quit a ceasefire with Tamil rebels on January 16. The foreign ministry in a statement said the February 2002 ceasefire arranged by Oslo would end in two weeks, after the government on […]
Roadside bomb kills two Sri Lanka soldiers: police
Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – Two Sri Lankan government soldiers were killed and three others wounded Thursday when their truck was hit by a roadside bomb in a north-central part of the island, police said.“The truck was hit by a Claymore mine,” a police official in the district of Anuradhapura said by telephone. “We can […]
Sri Lanka opposition says truce was dead letter
Jan 03, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition, whose leader signed a truce with the Tamil Tigers in 2002, says a government decision to abrogate the deal is not a problem for the party. “The decision is not a problem for us,” United National Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake said. “It was drafted during […]
Century!
SINGAPORE, Jan 3, 2008 (AFP) – World oil prices eased in Asian trading on Thursday after briefly hitting 100 dollars a barrel for the first time, jolting oil-dependent economies.In morning trade, New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for February delivery, was 43 cents lower at 99.19 dollars a barrel. The contract closed 3.64 dollars […]
Record Highs
NEW YORK, Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) – Oil prices spiked to record closing highs within striking distance of 100 dollars a barrel Wednesday, triggering inflation jitters that weighed on the US stock market. “Crude prices are drawing some support from (expectations of) a further decline in crude stocks in a weekly US inventories report,” said […]
Sri Lanka needs better budgets for low inflation: central bank
Jan 03, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank governor Nivard Cabraal said better budgets were needed to lower inflation, as heavy government borrowings made it difficult to conduct effective monetary policy. “The conduct of a successful monetary policy, while facing a high budget deficit is a challenging task,” he said in a speech outlining […]