US envoy in Sri Lanka as UN rights meet starts

September 12, 2011 (AFP) – US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake arrived in Colombo Monday for talks that coincide with a UN meeting in Geneva that is set to discuss alleged war crimes during Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict. Blake, the top US diplomat for South and Central Asia, would raise the allegations with all […]

Sri Lanka against UN sending probe report to rights body

GENEVA, September 12, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka on Monday took issue with a planned UN move to forward a damning report on the country to the Human Rights Council, complaining that Colombo was not notified about the action. Sri Lanka Minister of Plantation Industries Mahinda Samarasinghe claimed that at a briefing on September 9 […]

September 10, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka said Saturday that Amnesty International comments on the island’s probe into its military victory over Tamil rebels, were an “interference” in the country’s sovereignty. Amnesty International on Wednesday said Sri Lanka’s inquiry panel was “flawed at every level” and no substitute for an international war crimes investigation. The […]

Sri Lanka to start diplomatic relations with El Salvadore

Sept 09, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will start diplomatic relations with El Salvadore, a small state in Central America, deputy economic development minsiter Lakshman Abeywardene, said. He said Sri Lanka’s envoy to Brazil will also be accredited to El Salvador. Abeywardene said over the past five years trade between the two countries has started […]

Rights group urges Sri Lanka to end detention laws

September 8, 2011 (AFP) – The Human Rights Watch lobby group on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka to scrap draconian detention laws and free thousands of people held under the regulations. The New York-based body said Sri Lanka’s ending of a decades-long state of emergency last week would have little effect as separate anti-terror laws still […]

” war probe

September 7, 2011 (AFP) – Amnesty International on Wednesday said Sri Lanka’s inquiry into its military victory over Tamil rebels was “flawed at every level” and no substitute for an international war crimes investigation. The human rights watchdog issued a 69-page report slamming the work of the government’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) ahead […]

Sri Lanka mayoral candidate promises jobs, decent housing

Sep 05, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party mayoral candidate for the capital intends to organize job fairs for unemployed youth and promised decent housing for squatters uprooted from prime land being cleared for commercial development. Milinda Moragoda said he œwill bring in a professional and capable administration, which will help ensure that Colombo […]

Sri Lanka exports up 40-pct to July

Sept 05, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports in the seven months to July rose 40 percent to 6,080 million US dollars from a year earlier, with apparel growing 44 percent, an export promotion official said. In July exports had topped a billion US dollars. Ratnayake had earlier said year-end target for exports was 10 […]

Sri Lanka graduates take aim for fresh tax grab

Sep 04, 2011 (LBO) – Graduates from Sri Lanka’s state universities are taking aim for a fresh tax grab by getting lifetime salaries as state workers, having already received a ‘free’ tertiary education from peoples’ tax money. The Island newspaper said a group calling itself the Combined Association of University Graduates (CAUG) charged rulers of […]

Sri Lanka businesses warn against economic sanctions

Sep 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s large trade have criticized a report by a UN panel alleging human rights abuses in a civil war that ended in 2009, and warned against international economic sanctions. The panel called for probes in to allegations of war crimes by both sides of the conflict in the latter […]

Sri Lanka accountants meet to mull new rules, post-war prospects

Aug 31, 2011 (LBO) – Post-war business opportunities and the transition to new global accounting rules will be among the topics to be discussed at a conference organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. Mudalige said demand for conference participation has grown so much that they had to hold it at the […]

Sri Lanka inflation eases to 7.0-pct

Aug 30, 2011 (LBO) – Inflation in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 7. 0 percent in August 2011, easing from 7.5 percent in July, the government’s statistics office said. The revised index fell 0.3 percent in the month. The food and non-alcoholic beverages fell 0. 7 percent in the month, and non-food categories fell 0.1 […]

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