‘ Block

Aug 9, 2006 (LBO) – Reporters Without Borders has called on both sides in Sri Lanka’s civil war to see that journalists could continue reporting in areas of fighting, especially in the northeastern town of Muttur, and criticised them for refusing to allow the media into these zones.“We know some parts of the country have […]

Postal Finance

Aug 9, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s postal department is looking to provide agency financial services to boost revenue and reduce its operating deficit.It has a long association with the state-owned National Savings Bank and is used to dealing with savings accounts. “We feel that the post office is the ideal location in the rural […]

Mutual Ties

August 4, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and India have agreed to recognise product certificates issued in both countries, cutting down red tape and transaction time when goods are traded. Sri Lanka’s Cabinet of Ministers has approved the bilateral agreement between Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards, Cabinet spokesperson, Anura […]

Tie-breaker

August 03, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and India made a breakthrough in crisis talks held this week to resume duty free exports of vanaspati oil to India. The new terms will have to be approved by Sri Lanka™s Cabinet, but the commerce ministry is in agreement, Ratnayake says, adding that the terms are reasonable. […]

Winning Round

Aug 03 (LBO) – Sealed cable television company CBNSat said Thursday that they had won a court order for a two week test transmission and to service its broadcast equipment. At a court hearing held on August 3, the Chief Justice ordered the relevant authorities to take necessary measures to remove the seals from equipment […]

Common Understanding

August 01, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has agreed to extend ˜national treatment™ to Indian banks and allow them to employ up to six expatriate staff, when both sides met for bilateral trade talks recently, an official said. Sri Lanka currently caps expatriate staff to three and that only at management level of banks. Four […]

Tsunami Alert

JAKARTA, July 27, 2006 (AFP) – Indonesian officials said Thursday they plan to install sirens on mobile phone towers to alert coastal areas to potential tsunamis, following a second killer wave in the archipelago nation in as many years. Installation of the sirens will be completed by the end of 2006, said Paryatmoko, tsunami early […]

Trade Freeze

GENEVA, July 27, 2006 (AFP) – World Trade Organisation nations endorsed on Thursday suspension of free-trade negotiations after they collapsed on Monday, diplomats and trade officials said. Several countries attacked the so-called G6 of leading trading powers for refusing concessions to open the way for a treaty and said that progress made so far must […]

Just in Case

July 25 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is collecting all details of returnees from war torn Lebanon, to build up a stronger case in the event all affected people are given compensation. We cannot say from whom we are getting compensation, but from our side, we are getting ready for when the need and opportunity arises, […]

Trade Fiasco

July 25, 2006 (LBO) – India has said that few Sri Lankan vanaspati manufacturers have put in bids to resume exports of the vegetable oil, though both sides have still not agreed to conditions. India™s National Agricultural and Marketing Federation (NAFED) have received three offers for import of 20,000 metric tonnes of vanaspati from Sri […]

Square One

GENEVA, July 24, 2006 (AFP) – Key negotiators have made no progress as they try to bridge persistent differences and end a deadlock in the World Trade Organisation’s struggling Doha Round talks on reducing trade barriers, diplomats said Monday. Crunch talks between six major trading nations on Sunday failed to deliver the much-needed breakthrough to […]

Lace Curtain

July 22, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to form a national media policy to regulate content aired on local television channels, President Mahinda Rajapakse said Saturday, during a meeting with heads of local broadcasting stations. Rajapakse said a consultative committee will also be formed on Monday to iron out procedures and regulations that will […]

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