Tag: news
Sri Lanka parliament rejects UN war probe
COLOMBO, June 18, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s parliament Wednesday rejected a UN-mandated investigation into alleged war crimes while crushing separatist Tamil rebels five years ago.Ruling party lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to resist a probe by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in line with a US-initiated censure move in March. […]
Sri Lanka policy rates unchanged, banks urged to narrow spreads
June 18, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank held policy interest rates at 6.5 and 8.0 percent but urged banks to narrow spreads by cutting lending rates, as credit growth continued to be slow.Deputy Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said Tuesday such market developments would help bring down interest rates to levels in line with deposit […]
Sri Lanka police arrest 49 over religious riots
ALUTGAMA, June 18, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s police arrested 49 people overnight over deadly anti-Muslim riots in a tourist region where Buddhist hardliners have set shops and homes ablaze, a senior officer said Wednesday. Both Buddhists and Muslims were arrested during a police crackdown in the southern resort towns, where two nights of violence […]
Sri Lanka credit will grow faster if long-term rates fall: Deputy Central Bank Governor
June 17, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka credit growth will accelerate if longer term lending rates fall further, Deputy Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said.Sri Lanka’s inflation in the past 12-months have been in the lower single digits, though inflation spiked to near 10 percent in 2012, amid steep currency depreciation. Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal told […]
Fresh religious nationalist violence in Sri Lanka coastal town – Update
ALUTGAMA, June 17, 2014 (AFP) – More deadly violence flared in a Sri Lankan coastal resort where Buddhist hardliners set shops and homes alight for a second night running in defiance of a curfew, police and residents said Tuesday.Amid mounting international concern at the unrest, residents of a town which has borne the brunt said […]
US condemns Sri Lanka nationalist violence
June 16, 2014 (LBO) – The United States has condemned nationalist violence that has left at least three people dead and dozens injured with Muslim house and shops burnt. The statement is reproduced below: U S. Embassy Statement on Aluthgama & Beruwela Violence The U.S. Embassy condemns the violence that has spread over the weekend […]
Sri Lanka economic growth at 7.6-pct in 1Q 2014
June 16, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy grew 7.6 percent in the first quarter of 2014 from a year earlier despite the agriculture shrinking, estimates by the state statistics office showed. Agriculture, Livestock and forestry shrank 1.2 percent but helped by a 13.3 percent from fishing, the sector showed a 0.2 percent growth. Industry […]
Curfew in Sri Lanka resorts after 80 injured in nationalist riots – Update
ALUTGAMA, June 16, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police extended a curfew in a popular tourist region Monday after at least 80 people were injured and dozens of Muslim-owned shops and homes torched when a Buddhist mob went on the rampage. Authorities said the curfew would stay in place for a second night running in […]
Three killed in Sri Lanka religous riots
ALUTGAMA, June 16, 2014 (AFP) – Clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in southern Sri Lanka has left three people dead and at least 78 others seriously wounded, the justice minister said Monday. Police fired teargas and imposed a curfew but were unable to prevent several dozen shops and homes being attacked. Both areas are popular […]
‘s Central Bank responds to concerns over foreign debt measurements
June 14, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has responded to recent warnings over rising foreign debt by the government and other entities. The Central Bank said its analysis was based on central government debt. It points out that excluding inflows such as remittances also does not present a correct picture. Even more than […]
Sri Lanka to get US$1.4bn from ADB over four years
June 12, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will get 1.4 billion US dollars from the Asian Development Bank over the next four years to finance health, sanitation education and energy, officials said.In 2014 ADB is expected to disburse 406 million US dollars for ongoing projects. “ADB remains active in Sri Lanka and we want to […]
Sri Lanka journalists fear new government crackdown
COLOMBO, June 11, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan media rights activists Wednesday accused the government of a new crackdown against reporters as the country faced a UN-led international war crimes probe. Dozens of pro-government supporters threatened violence and broke up an investigative journalism training workshop at the weekend, said Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) which […]