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Tiger arms ship originated in Indonesia, more on the way: Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sept 19, 2006 (AFP) – A ship suspected of ferrying weapons to Tamil rebels that was sunk by the Sri Lankan military originated in Indonesia and more vessels may be on the way, a government minister said Tuesday. The ship was sunk Sunday off Sri Lanka’s east coast by naval ships and aircraft after […]
War planes hit Tigers after Muslim massacre, reporters escape bombing
COLOMBO, Sept 19, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan jets bombed suspected Tamil Tiger targets in the island’s east Tuesday, officials said, while rebel mortars killed four soldiers escorting journalists in the embattled Jaffna peninsula. Israeli-made Kfir war planes bombed positions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the district of Batticaloa, the government’s […]
Muslims buried in Sri Lanka after being hacked to death
POTTUVIL, Sept 18 (AFP) – The bodies of 10 Muslim men found hacked to death were buried in the farming village of Pottuvil on Monday as the Tamil Tiger rebels and Sri Lankan forces blamed each other for the massacre.The victims, mostly between 20 and 27 years old, were brought to the Jumma Mosque in […]
Price Cushion
SINGAPORE, September 19, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka said Tuesday it was moving towards eliminating oil subsidies that are threatening to blow a hole in the nation’s budget and asked lenders for financial help to tide over oil shocks. Public Administration minister Sarath Amunugama said the government has responded appropriately to the sustained sharp rise […]
Sri Lanka GoldQuest controversy takes new turn with Central Bank denial
Sept 19 (LBO) – The controversy over the sudden recall of police investigators probing the GoldQuest scheme took a new turn, with the authorities denying that the move would affect an ongoing anti-pyramiding drive. The withdrawal of the police investigators from the bank’s unit investigating pyramid schemes will not affect ongoing investigations, the Central Bank […]
Broader Role
SINGAPORE, September 18, 2006 (LBO) – The International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s private sector lender, is scaling up operations in smaller countries, as it looks for ways to share expertise to give market access to rural communities. Sales of these carbon credits, helps the Netherlands comply with its commitments under the Clean Development Mechanism […]
Estate workers in Sri Lanka begin wage talks, amidst high commodity prices
Sept 18 (LBO) – High commodity prices could up the bargaining power of plantation worker unions, as talks with plantation companies to raise wages, begin next week.Trade unions representing 260,000 workers in plantation companies who are re-negotiating a 2-year collective agreement say they will factor in high prices companies enjoyed this year for tea and rubber. […]
Online Jazz
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 18, 2006 (AFP) – Internet search titan Yahoo announced plans on Monday to trumpet its revamped search page and enhanced features in a global ad campaign complete with trademark company yodel. “We are bringing back that Yahoo spirit uniquely in an updated, celebratory way,” Allen Olivo, company vice president of worldwide marketing, […]
Small Talk
Sept 18 (LBO) –Telco operator Lanka Bell said Monday it was re-branding its short message service through fixed line phones, to appeal to a wider audience. The investment has paid off rich dividends, with Lanka Bell’s customer base soaring by more than 90,000. A company official said subscriber base had now topped 300,000 following new […]
Eleven Muslims killed in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, Sept 18, 2006 (AFP) – The bodies of 11 Muslim men hacked to death were found in eastern Sri Lanka Monday, police said as Tamil Tiger rebels and government forces blamed each other for the massacre. The victims were labourers working on an irrigation project in the eastern Ampara district and had been killed […]
Sri Lanka among groups against IMF reforms
SINGAPORE, September 18, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka was one of the 23 countries that opposed a plan to overhaul the voting shares of the International Monetary Fund. Voting rights or access to funds are determined on member’s economic growth, openness to trade, the amount of reserves they hold and the volatility of each economy. […]
’s new thrust on linking aid and graft busting
SINGAPORE, September 18, 2006 (LBO) – World Bank’s policy body Monday asked the bank’s president not to lose sight of reducing poverty, as the global lender ups the tempo to curb corruption and promote good governance through lending programs. We strongly endorse the Bank’s role and mission is to eradicate poverty among middle income and […]