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Tamil Tigers kill Sri Lankan soldier in army camp
COLOMBO, Dec 20, 2006 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels attacked an army camp in northwestern Sri Lanka, killing a soldier, the defence ministry said Wednesday. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) raided an army camp in northwestern Mannar district on Tuesday night, the ministry said in a statement. The military retaliated, but it was […]
Earnings Squeeze
December 20, 2006 (LBO) – Caltex Lubricants Lanka said Wednesday that earnings in 2007 will take a hit, after the government upped taxes on base oil, used as a raw material in manufacturing lubricants. The government increased a three percent cess on base oil imposed in October to six percent from November 18, with the […]
’s government to acquire property in Fort to build a Presidential Square
December 20, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s president Mahinda Rajapakse has given notice to owners of prime property around his official residence, that their land would be acquired urgently to develop a Presidential Square. Rajapakse has issued the order, on the recommendations of the minister in charge of Urban Development. More than 4 acres of […]
‘s estate workers get wage hike; trade union strike ends
December 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s estate workers clinched a 260 rupee a day wage deal on Tuesday, ending weeks of strikes on tea and rubber estates that resulted in losses of over a billion rupees. Over 90 percent of workers are represented by trade unions the Ceylon Workers Congress, the Lanka Jathika Estate Workers […]
2006 worst year on record for journalist casualties: media watchdog
GENEVA, Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – More journalists were killed in 2006 than any other year, with the war in Iraq still the deadliest conflict for the third consecutive year, a media watchdog group said on Tuesday. The Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) said that 94 journalists lost their lives in the course of their […]
Asian stocks punished as Thai junta spooks investors with capital controls
HONG KONG, Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – Asian stocks were broadly lower Tuesday, with investors spooked by the worst ever losses in Bangkok where the military government imposed capital controls reminiscent of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. The controls, aimed at curbing a massive appreciation in the local currency, stunned the region, prompting heavy stock […]
Goa puts its money on casinos as tourists flood India
CALANGUTE, India, Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – India’s Arabian Sea tourist resort of Goa, beloved of hippies and backpackers, plans to launch an armada of floating casinos to pull in high-roller tourists. Goa’s state government proposed the casinos as India posted a 13 percent rise in tourist arrivals to 3.91 million in the fiscal year […]
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COLOMBO, Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels kidnapped 23 teenagers and two of their teachers in eastern Sri Lanka, but later freed them and suspended the militants involved, the guerrillas said Tuesday. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said members of their eastern units had taken the children away on Monday night […]
Tamil rebels kidnap 23 students in Sri Lanka: military
Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – Tamil guerrillas seized 23 students and two teachers and took them to a military training facility in eastern Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The teenagers, who were attending a night tuition class in Ampara district were taken on Monday to a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) training […]
Floods swamp Sri Lanka ahead of tsunami anniversary
COLOMBO, Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – Floods have displaced at least 40,000 people in Sri Lanka as the country prepares to commemorate the second anniversary of the Asian tsunami disaster, an official said Tuesday. The districts of Hambantota and Ampara, two of the worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami, were under water, sadi National […]
Tamil rebel factional fight leaves three dead
COLOMBO, Dec 19, 2006 (AFP) – At least three Tamil rebels were killed in a skirmish between rival factions in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday, police said. Members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the breakaway “Karuna” group clashed in Vavuniya district. “Three people have been killed and we are trying to […]
Green Business
December 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankan businesses are cashing in on a booming market for carbon finance, selling carbon credits at increasing prices to developed countries struggling to meet climate change commitments. Developed countries who are signatories to the Kyoto protocol have agreed to cut carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming, to […]