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‘s new envoy launches Sri Lanka peace mission
Apr.03 (AFP) – Norway’s new peace envoy to Sri Lanka began work Monday, discussing how to shore up a fragile ceasefire ahead of meetings with Tamil rebels and the government. -Amal Jayasinghe: win98win@ Jon Hanssen-Bauer, on his first visit to the island, went straight into meetings with experts from think-tanks and development organisations after his […]
Sri Lanka snap poll possible as ruling party sweeps local elections
April 2 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party may call snap elections after its success in local polls gave it a chance to break away from hardline allies opposed to a peace process with Tamil rebels, analysts say. President Mahinda Rajapakse could call parliamentary polls four years ahead of schedule if his two key nationalist […]
Sri Lanka look to winning farewell for Jayasuriya
KANDY, Apr. 01, 2006 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan team is hoping to give former skipper Sanath Jayasuriya a grand farewell by winning the second and final Test against Pakistan starting here on Monday.Left-handed Jayasuriya, 36, Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer in both Test cricket and one-day internationals, announced his retirement from Tests on Friday. “We […]
Low vote for monks, Marxists to help Sri Lanka peace: media
April 01 (AFP) – The crushing electoral defeat of Sri Lanka’s nationalist Buddhist monks and Marxists, who both oppose Norwegian-backed peace moves, could boost efforts to end ethnic bloodshed, media said Saturday.Official results of the Thursday poll showed that President Mahinda Rajapakse’s People’s Alliance won 225 of the 266 local councils. By contrast, the Marxist […]
Sri Lanka, Pakistan agree to intensify trade, defence, economic links
ISLAMABAD, Apr.0l (AFP) – Pakistan and Sri Lanka agreed Saturday to intensify cooperation in defence, science and technology and trade after talks between their leaders, officials said. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, who arrived here Friday on a three-day visit, held talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on a wide […]
Sri Lanka’s Jayasuriya announces retirement
Mar. 31 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s veteran opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya Friday said he would retire from Test cricket after next week’s match against Pakistan. -Amal Jayasinghe: win98win@ “I thought about it long and hard and decided that’s it. It’s a very emotional moment, but I guess every good thing has to come to an […]
Sri Lanka’s March inflation dips
Mar. 31 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s annualised inflation eased to 9.6 percent in the twelve months to March from 10.3 percent in February, despite price hikes in the sales of firewood, sugar, meat and milk tea, the Census & Statistics Dept said Friday. The twelve month moving average is usually taken as the official inflation […]
Sri Lanka’s economy expands by 5.9 % in 2005
Mar. 31 – Sri Lanka’s economy expanded by 5.9 percent in 2005, over 5.4 percent a year earlier, in the backdrop of high international oil prices and stiff competition for key exports like garments, the Central Bank said Friday. Economic growth during the fourth quarter of 2005 was 6.3 percent on higher inputs from agriculture, […]
Commercial Bank to raise Rs3 bn through 10-year debt paper
Mar. 31 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Commercial Bank of Ceylon is raising up to Rs3.0 billion in long term funds next month through a combination of private and public placement of debentures, an official said Friday. Fitch Ratings Lanka Friday gave the issue a rating of ‘AA (sri)’ and a stable outlook, for the unsecured […]
Fresh Date
Mar. 31 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Sampath Bank put off its extraordinary general meeting Friday to discuss a proposal to lift minimum shareholder limits at a later date. The bank, which also conducted its annual general meeting at the same time, had proposed to amend the articles of association on the 5-percent shareholder limit to […]
Guessing Game
Mar. 31 (Dow Jones)–When inflation in Sri Lanka surged last year, the central bank went on an aggressive monetary tightening that saw 125 basis points added over 2005.Inflation has begun to slide since then, and the central bank appears to be preparing to shift to a looser policy, but analysts said it’s unlikely that the […]
Short Hop
Mar. 31 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Telecom, the island’s dominant fixed-line operator, Friday said they will resume sales of Code Division Multiplex Access or CDMA phones from April 1st. The decision comes after SLT got a court injunction against the telecom regulator to, on their CDMA installation charges. SLT suspended sales of CDMA connections on […]