Security Cable

August 29, 2006 (LBO) – Cable operator CBNSat may need Defence Ministry clearance to re-start transmission, as the company steps up its public campaign appealing to authorities to expedite their government approvals. Over 100,000 viewers in Sri Lanka enjoy CBNSat which has a maximum of 28 international TV channels and packages ranging from 500 to […]

Asian workers missing out on stellar growth: ILO

BUSAN, South Korea, Aug 29, 2006 (AFP) – Asian workers are missing out on the region’s stellar growth, facing longer hours and lower pay than elsewhere and this imbalance has to be addressed, the UN Labor agency said Tuesday.International Labor Organization (ILO) Director General Juan Somavia told a regional meeting here that the gains of […]

‘s leg amid security crackdown

WELLINGTON, Aug 29, 2006 (AFP) – Champion New Zealand disabled athlete Kate Horan is back on track for next week’s world championships after her special running leg was found Tuesday, more than a week after an airline mislaid it.Horan, who until recently held the world record for the 400 metres in her class, used to […]

Sri Lanka president leaves on sudden trip to Britain

Aug 29, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse left here Tuesday on a sudden visit to London for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair, official sources said.Rajapakse and Blair were expected to discuss Sri Lanka’s collapsing ceasefire with Tamil Tiger rebels, officials here said. The trip comes amid international efforts to salvage the […]

Sri Lankan journalist kidnapped

Aug 29, 2006 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan radio journalist was kidnapped near the capital Colombo on Tuesday, police said, prompting appeals by colleagues for his safe return.Nadaraja Guruparan, a member of the minority Tamil community, was forced out of his car by at least two people and taken away as he drove to his […]

Sri Lanka death toll hits 119 as troops halt offensive

Aug 29, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops facing heavy resistance halted an advance Tuesday into territory held by the rebel Tamil Tigers, as the death toll from recent fighting hit 119, officials and guerrillas said.More than 60,000 people have been killed in the Sri Lankan conflict.Political talks on ending the violence stalled in April […]

Red Ink

August 29, 2006 (LBO) – Indian fuel retailer Lanka IOC Ltd reported a net loss of 584.0 million rupees for the three months to June on Tuesday, citing unpaid subsidy payments of 116.0 million rupees due from the Sri Lankan government. A unit of the Fortune 500 Indian Oil Corp. the Sri Lankan unit ran […]

Deutsche Bank and Central bank respond to story on central bank independence

The Central Bank’s Senior Deputy Governor and the Deutsche Bank Head of Communications to the Asia Pacific Region have responded to our story headlined ‘Prudential Norms’ on August 27 on central bank independence. We can but echo the words of Marriner Eccles, a governor on the Federal Reserve board, in his congressional testimony on January […]

Aitken Spence floats debenture to pay off loans

August 28, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Aitken Spence & Co Ltd secured a AA(lka) rating for its upcoming 500 million debenture, but Fitch Rating Lanka expressed concerns on the group’s exposure to the monopoly state power distributor and a worsening ethnic conflict. The bluechip conglomerate is tapping the corporate debt market with a 500 […]

Choices: Trade agreements or tired tirades?

August 28, 2006 (LBO) – In a discussion of two pieces of trade-related legislation now before Parliament, a JVP MP stated that they served the interests of the World Terrorist Organization as he described the WTO (World Trade Organization). It is not surprising that his venom was directed at the WTO and the concepts free […]

Heavy fighting in Sri Lanka as troops move to secure port

Aug 28, 2006 (AFP) – At least four Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and 41 wounded as security forces launched a ground offensive Monday to push back guerrilla artillery threatening a strategic naval port, officials said.More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka’s drawn out Tamil separatist conflict and political talks on ending […]

Sri Lanka hunts for fugitive executive facing US fraud charges

Aug 28, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police said Monday they were hunting alleged fugitive executive Jacob “Kobi” Alexander after reports he fled fraud charges in the US for a fishing village hideaway in the island nation.Detectives were investigating a claimed sighting of the 54-year-old after he failed to appear in court in the United […]

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