” by soldiers

May 31, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan media groups have expressed grave concern over what they said was an ‘unofficial’ visit to the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) by soldiers. The SLPI and media rights group Free Media Movement (FMM) said the visit appeared linked to recent threats and assault on journalists, coming soon after […]

Burst Bubble?

May 30, 2008 (LBO) – World oil prices held steady in Asian trade on Friday after sharp falls on concerns over falling demand in the United States and other developed countries, analysts said.New York’s main oil futures contract, light sweet crude for July delivery, was 17 cents lower at 126.45 dollars a barrel after losing […]

Latest Sri Lanka journalist killing outrageous: rights body

May 30, 2008 (LBO) – An international media rights body said it was outraged by the hacking to death of a Sri Lankan television journalist in the northern Jaffna peninsular along with a friend. “Caught in the crossfire between two armed forces, journalists in the Jaffna peninsula are constantly the targets of threats, kidnappings and […]

Sri Lankan media groups slam govt attempt to muzzle journalists

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lankan journalists’ unions and media rights groups Wednesday condemned government attempts to prevent those in the state media from criticising the government. Five media groups in a letter to defence ministry secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa deplored comments by him and another senior government official that journalists working in the state […]

Journalist hacked to death in Sri Lanka: rights group

May 29, 2008 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan journalist working in the war-torn northern region and his friend have been hacked to death, a media rights group said Thursday.P. Devakumar, 36, a correspondent for the privately-run Sirasa television, was murdered on Wednesday, the influential Free Media Movement (FMM) said. Devakumar is the ninth media worker […]

Wobbly Bubble

May 28, 2008 (AFP) – Oil prices slipped back under 127 dollars on Wednesday, falling further from record highs amid concern about the strength of US energy demand while traders digested Indonesia’s exit from OPEC.“The global economy is facing the third great oil shock of recent decades,” Brown wrote in the The Guardian newspaper. “It […]

Sri Lanka business chamber condemns assault on media

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main business chamber Wednesday condemned recent attacks on journalists and called on the government to bring the culprits to book instead of merely promising investigations. “The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce condemns these crude attempts at violating press freedom and implores that democratic principles relating to responsible coverage by […]

Unilateral

May 27, 2008 (LBO) – Lanka IOC, the Sri Lanka unit of the Indian Oil Corporation is raising diesel prices by 20 rupees a litre from midnight Tuesday, the company said. Wheat prices peaked in February, gold in March and rice in April. Oil however is still buoyant hitting a new high of 135 dollars […]

Targeting Exercise

May 26, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is developing a scheme to pay fuel subsidies to bus operators that may cost the exchequer 7.0 billion rupees a year, officials said, after a steep rise in diesel pushed up fares. Sri Lanka has a practice of under-pricing diesel because authorities believe that inflation is a petroleum […]

Sri Lanka train blast near capital

May 26, 2008 (LBO) – A blast ripped through a train in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo during the evening rush hour, police said. Updated For updates on this story go to www.lbo.lk front page or www. For updates in Sinhala go to www.vimasuma.com Police spokesman Ranjith Gunesekera said a number of passengers […]

Sri Lanka train blast kills seven, scores injured

May 26, 2008 (LBO) – A blast ripped through a train in a suburb of Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo during the evening rush hour, killing at least seven and injuring 62, the security media centre said. Military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the blast went off near the Dehiwela station south of the capital. An official […]

Sri Lanka told by US to practice what it preaches

May 25, 2008 (LBO) – The United States has said Sri Lanka’s government must do more to stop abductions and “disappearances” and that having laws alone is not enough without ensuring actual protection of human rights. “Sri Lanka has the necessary institutional framework in place, but it needs to empower its institutions to carry out […]

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