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Civilians pour out of Sri Lanka war zone: govt
February 8, 2009 (AFP) – At least 10,000 civilians have escaped Sri Lanka’s war zone in the last four days, the government said Sunday, as the president warned Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender unconditionally or be killed. The Tigers are fighting for survival after being driven back into a small patch of jungle by a […]
Sri Lanka hunts Tiger chief with victory in sight
February 8, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops have smashed the Tamil Tigers’ mini-state and cornered the remaining rebels, but officials say they must catch their elusive leader to declare final victory. The air force carried out a series of raids on locations where Velupillai Prabhakaran, 54, was suspected to have sheltered over the weekend, […]
‘s winning streak
February 8, 2009 (AFP) – Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with a solid 97 as Sri Lanka prevented an Indian clean sweep with an emphatic 68-run win in the fifth and final one-day international here on Sunday.The hosts posted 320-8 following impressive knocks from opener Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara (84) and then dismissed the tourists for 252 […]
‘s legendary cedars
BAROUK, February 7, 2009 (AFP) – Lebanon’s majestic cedar trees have withstood the test of time for centuries but climate change is threatening the country’s most treasured symbol. Used by various civilisations throughout history for their strong and durable wood, Lebanon’s cedars are now on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List” as […]
Sri Lanka warns Tigers to surrender or risk rout
February 7, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse warned cornered Tamil Tiger rebels to surrender or face a complete rout as government forces claimed more successes in what is regarded as their fight to a finish.“I want to tell the Tigers ‘lay down arms and surrender to security forces’,” the president told a […]
Galle literary festival, Sri Lanka; seeking freedom in prose
Feb 07, 2009 (LBO) – “I happen to be in love with dictators,” says Moses Isegawa, a Ugandan author whose life had been shaped by the likes of former dictator Idi Amin, and who eventually left his home country to write from abroad.“Every word is a vote,” insists Anam. V V Ganeshanthan, whose debut novel […]
Britain deplores stoning of Sri Lanka aid offices
LONDON, February 6, 2009 (AFP) – The British government said it deplored Friday’s stoning of the Red Cross offices in Colombo, saying the ICRC was a neutral body carrying out vital work to protect Sri Lankan civilians. “The British government has recently allocated a further 2.5 million pounds (3.7 million dollars, 2.9 million euros) to […]
Sri Lanka headline inflation extends fall below core
Feb 07, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s headline inflation fell further below the country’s controversial core inflation number, mimicking the US experience in the early 1980s, amid a deflating commodity bubble and fresh attempts to tinker with the index. The latest twist comes at a time when, not only the concept of targeting ‘core’ inflation, […]
Sri Lanka stocks becalmed
Feb 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan shares were barely changed Friday with the most actively traded stock being Lanka Cement, which has a defunct plant in the north that could be revived if the ethnic war ends, brokers said. To receive instant alerts from LBO on your Dialog mobile type ‘lbo’ and send to […]
Clean Seas
Feb 06, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has called for fresh bids from private investors to set up a collection facility in Colombo port for waste oil from ships which will be charged a fee for the service.The deadline for bids is April 3 with the decision on the successful bidder being made by June […]
Sri Lanka tea factory firm makes loss after price collapse
Feb 06, 2009 (LBO) – The collapse in Sri Lankan tea prices towards the end of last year has caused a loss of 35 million rupees at Tea Smallholder Factories, a listed unit of John Keells Holdings, in the December quarter.Tea Smallholder Factories said net profit for the nine months ending December 31, 2008 was […]
Sri Lanka tea prices fall
Feb 06, 2009 (LBO) – Prices of Sri Lankan tea fell on lower demand at this week’s Colombo auctions, breaking an upward trend that began with the first sale of the year, brokers said.High-priced teas from the low grown regions, which produce the bulk of the national crop, suffered the worst falls. “The market for […]