Sri Lanka rupee strengthens below 110 to greenback

Apr 28, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s rupee strengthened to below 110 to green back as the dollar slid to record lows against currencies issued by other monetary authorities with higher interest rates, dealers said. The spot dollar was quoted around 109.90/95 in mid morning trade. The Australian dollar, rose to a 29-year high against […]

UN feared for staff in Sri Lanka conflict finale: Ban

UNITED NATIONS, April 27, 2011 (AFP) – The United Nations feared for its staff in Sri Lanka as government troops crushed a Tamil separatist uprising in 2009, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday defending the actions of UN agencies. As pressure grew for an international investigation into the killing of “tens of thousands” in the […]

Sri Lanka IPO pricing based on latest financials: advisors

Apr 26, 2011 (LBO) – Financial advisors for a forthcoming share issue by Sri Lanka’s Expolanka group have defended the pricing of the public offer at more than twice that of a private placement late last year. Expolanka Holdings is to raise 2.4 billion rupees by issuing 172 million ordinary voting shares at 14 rupees […]

” UN report

April 27, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka rejected Wednesday what it called a “divisive” and flawed report commissioned by UN chief Ban Ki-moon which holds the government responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in its civil war. “The public release of the report at this stage is divisive, and disrupts our efforts to reinforce peace, […]

Asians driven to extreme poverty by commodity bubble

Apr 27, 2011 (LBO) – Rising food prices from a global commodity bubble could push 64 million people in developing Asia into extreme poverty, the Asian Development Bank said adding to rising concerns about the effects loose US monetary policy. Many such central banks also create their own inflation, adding to inflation generated by the […]

UN releases report on Sri Lanka

UNITED NATIONS, April 25, 2011 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan army killed most of the tens of thousands of civilian victims of a final offensive against Tamil separatists in 2009 but both sides may be guilty of war crimes, a UN panel said Monday. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he could not order an […]

UN chief says no probe into Sri Lanka mass killings

UNITED NATIONS, April 26, 2011 (AFP) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said he cannot order an international probe into the killing of tens of thousands of civilians during Sri Lanka’s final assault on Tamil separatists in 2009. His remarks came after a UN panel said Monday that the Sri Lanka military killed most of […]

Sri Lanka state petroleum firm lose US$260mn

Apr 26, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state run petroleum distributor Ceylon Petroleum Corporation has lost 28.6 billion rupees in 2010 as due to rising cost and arbitrary political control of its retail prices, official data show. Sri Lanka has no cost-basis for fuel pricing and prices are controlled by arbitrary by the state while […]

Australia to crack down on refugees after riots

SYDNEY, April 26, 2011 (AFP) – Australia moved to toughen its refugee stance Tuesday, launching a stricter character test so those convicted of crimes, including rioting, while in immigration detention could be shipped home. Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said the new law, if passed by parliament, would mean any asylum seeker found guilty of an […]

Soaring food prices a threat across Asia

MANILA, April 26, 2011 (AFP) – Soaring global food prices threaten to push tens of millions of Asians into extreme poverty and cut the region’s economic growth this year, the Asian Development Bank warned in a report Tuesday. Cereal inventories globally will shrink further unless production rises at least 2.0 percent this year, the report […]

Sri Lanka raises taxes on imported vehicles

Apr, 25, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has raised import duties on several categories of petrol-engined cars and three wheelers with steeper increases seen in larger hybrid vehicles, which had exceptionally low taxes earlier, officials said. At the current rates even the large hybrids are taxed at a lower rate than smaller petrol cars. Update […]

UN rejects Sri Lanka call to hold back war crimes report

UNITED NATIONS, April 21, 2011 (AFP) – The United Nations insisted Thursday that a report on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka would be released in full, rejecting demands by the government to hold back the study. “It remains our intention to publish the report of the panel of experts on Sri Lanka in full […]

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