‘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, […]

‘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, […]

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 ruling party heads for local council win

Mar. 31 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party Friday was headed for a comfortable sweep of local council elections after the first test of public opinion since President Mahinda Rajapakse came to power.Official results declared by the Sri Lankan election department showed that Rajapakse’s people’s Alliance had won 39 out of the 49 councils declared […]

Mediator tells Sri Lankan parties to keep ceasefire promise

LONDON, Mar. 29 (AFP) – The main mediator in the long-standing conflict in Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim of Norway, on Wednesday called for the government and Tamil rebels to keep their commitment to a ceasefire even after the recent deadly attack on a naval vessel.Suspected rebels blew up a trawler together with six of their […]

Tigers seek security guarantees to attend Swiss talks

Mar. 30 (AFP) – Tamil Tiger rebels Thursday demanded guarantees of safe passage through Sri Lanka’s only international airport to attend Swiss talks next month on saving their troubled ceasefire.The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they will attend talks in Switzerland, tentatively set for April 19 to 21, only if peace broker Norway […]

Sri Lanka votes in local poll

Mar.30 (AFP) – Sri Lankans were voting Thursday to elect local government bodies, but there was no balloting in the island’s embattled northern and eastern regions, officials said. Some 10.1 million people are eligible to vote for municipal and urban councils as well as village councils responsible for the maintenance of utilities, but electoral officials […]

Sri Lanka rights body facing collapse, watchdog warns

Mar.30 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s independent human rights watchdog may collapse as the government has failed to replace the outgoing panel of commissioners, the Asian Human Rights Commission said Thursday. The Hong Kong-based AHRC said Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission will be without commissioners from April 3 because the island’s Constitutional Council, which is empowered […]

Sri Lanka peace bid side-lined in local vote

Mar.30 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Thursday voted at local elections after a lack-lustre campaign where even the usually divisive peace process was pushed to the background, officials and analysts said. Voting was slow across the country, elections officials said adding, however, that there was no balloting in the island’s restive northern and eastern regions where […]

Low turnout in Sri Lanka local polls

Mar. 30 (AFP) – A low turnout marred municipal elections in Sri Lanka Thursday after a campaign which unexpectedly focused on local issues instead of the usual electoral favourite, the island’s divisive peace process.Election officials estimated that only about half the 10.1 million eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots to elect municipal, urban […]

Sri Lanka vows talks despite sinking of navy craft

Mar. 29 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s government Wednesday pledged to continue talks with Tamil Tiger rebels despite the killing of eight sailors in a suicide blast and fears the island could slip back to full scale war.Colombo’s chief peace negotiator Nimal Siripala de Silva said Sri Lanka’s government will go ahead with talks next month […]

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