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British PM backs Taliban peace talks on Afghan visit
KABUL, June 29, 2013 (AFP) – British Prime Minister David Cameron made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Saturday, backing talks with the Taliban after his top general said the West missed a chance to strike a peace deal 10 years ago. “The attack that was organised near the presidential palace will not deter us […]
Sri Lanka man dies of heart attack after shocking electric bill
COLOMBO, June 29, 2013 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan man suffered a fatal heart attack after being presented with a shocking electricity bill, a media report said Saturday.The 61-year-old victim had protested at the Ceylon Electricity Board in Colombo Friday that his bill had suddenly spiked, the Ceylon Today newspaper said. It said the man […]
Cricket: Gayle steers West Indies to victory over Sri Lanka
KINGSTON, June 28, 2013 (AFP) – Chris Gayle notched his first one-day hundred against Sri Lanka as he led West Indies to a crushing six-wicket victory with more than 12 overs to spare in the opening match of the three-nation international series at Sabina Park on Friday.Replying to the visitors’ modest total of 208 all […]
‘s plans 10-year Rs3.0 deep discount debenture
June 28, 2013 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings has given an ‘AA-(lka)’ expected rating to a 3.0 billion rupee deep discount debenture to be sold by Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank. HNB expects to list the debentures subject to regulatory approvals.The final rating is contingent upon the receipt of final documentation conforming to information already received. […]
Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.1-pct, trading hit by technical glitch
June 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks closed up 0.16 percent on Friday, with diversified and consumer companies showing gains, brokers said in shortened trading day hit by technical glitches at the exchange. The benchmark Colombo All Share Index closed 09.65 points higher at 6,121.01 and the S&P SL 20 Index closed 05.26 points […]
Steady Rating
June 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s People’s Bank’s exposures to the state and state enterprises has gone up in 2012, and the lender plans to cut exposure to gold backed loans, Fitch Ratings said confirming its ‘AA+(lka)’ rating. The lender which accounts for 20 percent of banking assets, 23 percent of loans and 19 […]
Education Revamp
June 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will start a technology stream in its secondary school system and boost facilities and teachers to increase students studying science and commerce with a 200 million US dollar Asian Development Bank program. “The current system needs a major overhaul so that young people have the skills to enter […]
Fashionista
June 28, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military has released a woman leader of the Tamil Tiger militant group from four years of detention after she completed training in “bridal dressing”, the president’s office said Friday.The Tigers were known for their spectacular suicide bomb attacks and controlled a third of Sri Lanka’s territory at the […]
Peak Cellular
June 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s mobile subscriber base has started to shrink, falling by almost a million subscribers in the first quarter of 2013, the first time since the industry began its explosive growth in 1992, data from the regulator showed.Total mobile subscribers fell 988,337 to 19,335,733 in the March 2013 quarter from […]
”: Bangladesh
DHAKA, June 28, 2013 (AFP) – A furious Bangladesh on Friday criticised a “shocking” decision by the United States to cut trade privileges after a deadly garment factory collapse, insisting it had taken concrete action to improve safety.In his announcement that Bangladesh was losing its duty-free trade privileges, US President Barack Obama said the Dhaka […]
US suspends GSP benefits to Bangladesh over worker safety
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States withdrew key trade privileges from Bangladesh Thursday, citing dangerous conditions for workers in the wake of a factory building collapse that killed over 1,100 people. The collapse was by far the worst disaster ever in the global textiles industry, leaving 1,129 people dead and shocking many used to the […]
Sri Lanka inflation up 6.8-pct in June 2013
June 28, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka consumer prices rose 6.8 percent in the 12-months to June 2013, slowing from 7.3 percent in May, but prices rose 1.3 percent during the month, data from the state statistics office showed. The annual rate fall came from a so-called statistical base effect as last June’s inflation also […]