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Sri Lanka shelling kills four more civilians: official
February 14, 2009 (AFP) – Four civilians died when artillery shells fell on a home for the elderly inside a demarcated safe area within Sri Lanka’s war zone, a doctor said Saturday. Many elderly people were also injured in the shelling on Friday in the northeast Puttumattalan area, said T. Satyamurthy, a doctor working out […]
Sri Lanka Tigers attack bus carrying war refugees: military
February 14, 2009 (AFP) – Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels lobbed a grenade and opened fire at a bus transporting civilians out of Sri Lanka’s war zone on Saturday, killing one woman and wounding 13, the defence ministry said.Sri Lanka has resisted calls for a “no-fire period,” amid claims from relief agencies that a “humanitarian catastrophe” […]
Sri Lankan hostage sighted in Philippines
ZAMBOANGA, February 14, 2009 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan peace activist seized by an armed gang in the southern Philippines has been sighted with his kidnappers, a government official said Saturday.Red Cross staffers Andreas Notter of Switzerland, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipina Mary-Jean Lacaba were abducted on January 15 and are still being held by […]
Sri Lankan dies in self-immolation protest in Switzerland
GENEVA, February 13, 2009 (AFP) – A British resident of Sri Lankan origin burnt himself to death outside the UN’s European headquarters in Geneva in protest at the south Asian conflict, local police said Friday. Police were alerted by passers-by and UN security late Thursday after the man doused himself in petrol and set himself […]
”: Britain
LONDON, February 13, 2009 (AFP) – Former colonial power Britain fought off Friday angry objections from Sri Lanka over London’s appointment of a special envoy to address the humanitarian needs of the war-torn country. Britain’s Foreign Office said Thursday’s appointment of former defence secretary Des Browne was not made unilaterally and insisted discussions with the […]
Zimbabwe earns second place in hyperinflation history: economist
Feb 14, 2009 (LBO) – As Zimbabwe allowed full ‘dollarization’ of its economy and legalized foreign currencies, a top monetary economist has placed the now worthless Zimbabwe dollar at the second place in hyperinflation history. Having different currencies competing against each other is also a superior monetary regime to central banking, where a state mandated […]
Sri Lankan shares becalmed
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares barely budged Friday with the Lanka Indian Oil Corp., the local unit of Indian Oil, and forestry firm Touchwood among the most actively traded, brokers said. The All Share Price Index ended down 0.07 percent (1.25 points) at 1,748.14 while the more liquid Milanka gained 0.48 percent […]
Bangla Buy
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s NDB Bank said it has acquired a controlling interest of Capital Market Services Limited, a licensed merchant bank in Bangladesh. The acquisition was made after it fulfilled pre-investment conditions, National Development Bank said in a stock exchange filing. The announcement did not give the value of the investment […]
Sri Lanka coconut plantation profit up
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-owned Chilaw Plantations, which grows coconut, has increased profit by 47 percent to 153.68 million rupees under state management in 2008, a year when commodity prices shot to record highs. The Strategic Enterprise Management Agency (SEMA), a government agency charged with ensuring state enterprises are run profitably, said […]
Sri Lanka ratifies South Asian development fund
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has ratified a proposal to set up a South Asian development fund mooted at a summit of regional leaders last year, a senior government minister said. Sri Lanka will make a contribution of 3,563.6 million rupees for the fund of which 500 million would be paid this year, […]
Sri Lanka CEB pressured by poor rainfall
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run power utility is under pressure from poor rainfall, but it is hoping to weather the dry season in the first quarter with higher reliance on thermal energy, an official said. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which has hydro storage of 1,200 GigaWatt hours (1,200 million units) started […]
Sri Lanka conflict-trapped civilians only 65,000: minister
Feb 13, 2009 (LBO) – Contrary to claims that several hundred thousand civilians are trapped in a conflict area in the northeast of Sri Lanka, the latest official estimate is that only 65,000 people remain, a government minister said.Disaster relief services minister Rishad Badurdeen said 34,430 people have escaped from remaining Tamil Tiger controlled areas […]