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Sri Lanka steps up air attacks after heavy ground battles: military
December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lankan war planes carried out attacks against suspected Tamil Tiger strongholds in the island’s north on Saturday as ground forces consolidated newly captured areas, the military said. Fighter jets carried out several sorties over territory held by the Tigers and bombed a suspected rebel meeting place and a boat […]
Sri Lanka troops expand defence lines: military
December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Government forces consolidated their positions in northern Sri Lanka on Saturday, a day after heavy fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels, the military said. In January the Sri Lankan government pulled out of a 2002 Norwegian-brokered truce with the rebels, who have been fighting since 1972 for a state for ethnic […]
Tensions mount as Pakistan shifts troops to Indian border
ISLAMABAD, December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Pakistan has redeployed thousands of troops to the border with India, officials said Friday, in a dramatic escalation of tensions with New Delhi in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.Washington urged the two sides to avoid escalating tensions and said it was touch with both countries. Indian Prime Minister […]
‘s Murali puts Bangladesh in spin
DHAKA, December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan put Sri Lanka in a commanding position with a five-wicket haul in the opening Test against Bangladesh here on Saturday.The off-spinner grabbed 5-48 — his 66th haul of five or more wickets in a Test innings — as Bangladesh crashed to 177-9 in their first […]
‘s fightback led by Samaraweera
DHAKA, December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Thilan Samaraweera pulled Sri Lanka out of trouble with a gutsy 91 on the second day of the opening Test against Bangladesh here on Saturday.The second and final Test starts in Chittagong on January 3. The tourists, struggling at 172-6 on Friday, were bowled out for a respectable 293 […]
Petrol Saga
Dec 27, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP) plans to file a contempt-of-court case against the government for its refusal to obey a Supreme Court order to reduce petrol prices, a media report said. The Daily Mirror newspaper said UNP wants to file a contempt-of-court case against the Cabinet, the […]
Gloomy year-end picture for global economy
WASHINGTON, December 27, 2008 (AFP) – Christmas retail sales plunged in the United States, a poll showed Friday, as Japan reported record cuts in production and more signs emerged that Spain has entered a recession. A leading think tank in London also forecast the British economy would shrink by 2.9 percent next year in the […]
Sri Lanka takes key Tiger town after Christmas Day battles: military
December 26, 2008 (AFP) – Government forces on Friday wrested control of a strategic town after heavy fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels that left at least 40 people dead, the defence ministry said. There was no immediate comment from the Tigers. The Tigers said Monday they had killed more than 100 soldiers and had taken […]
Sri Lanka says 18 Tamil Tigers killed in fighting
December 25, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s military beat back a Tamil Tiger counter-offensive in the island’s north, killing at least 18 guerrillas, the defence ministry said on Thursday. The Tigers on Monday said that they killed more than 100 soldiers and had taken back territory lost to advancing government forces. Both sides are known […]
Sri Lankan rupee overvaluation hurting apparel orders, jobs
Dec 26, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s apparel exporters could win back 15 percent of orders now lost due to an overvalued rupee caused by high domestic inflation, if there was a realistic exchange rate, an industry official said. The Sri Lanka rupee has fallen against the US dollar in December after the Central Bank […]
Sri Lanka gives go-ahead for Pakistan cricket tour
December 26, 2008 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has given the green light for the national cricket team to tour Pakistan next month in place of India, who cancelled their five-week series over the Mumbai attacks. The Pakistan Cricket Board said it was set to lose at least 25 million dollars as a result of the […]
Christmas celebrations reflect on war, hardship
VATICAN CITY, December 25, 2008 (AFP) – War and economic hardship loomed over Christmas celebrations across the world Thursday, with Pope Benedict XVI denouncing greed and pleading for an end to violence in the Middle East. The pontiff lamented that “the horizon seems once again bleak for Israelis and Palestinians,” and he decried the conflicts […]