Tag: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka military HQ to make way for hotels
January 26, 2011 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government said Wednesday it was relocating the defence ministry and main army headquarters in Colombo to make way for a billion-dollar hotel project. An information department statement said the cabinet had decided to shift the military facilities from their prime, seafront location in the capital to the […]
‘s ex-chief loses appeal over parliamentary seat
January 25, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s jailed former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who tried to unseat the president in elections, on Tuesday lost an appeal to retain his parliamentary seat. The Supreme Court ruled that a court martial verdict in September finding him guilty of arms procurement offences meant that he was no longer […]
Sri Lanka budget on track; land sales to boost revenues in 2011
Jan 24, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to raise up to 500 million US dollars from land sales in 2011, a top official has said as November data indicated that the 2010 budget has been contained within targets. Treasury secretary P B Jayasundera was quoted as saying in Bloomberg, a newswire that Sri Lanka […]
Sri Lanka denies rights behind Pamuk boycott
January 23, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka rejected Sunday suggestions that the novelist and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk had decided to boycott a literary festival on the island because of human rights concerns. Any attempt to link Pamuk’s non-participation at the Galle Literary Festival to “an alleged situation about freedom of expression in Sri Lanka […]
Sri Lanka literary festival lose stars, India denies visa block
Jan 22, 2011 (LBO) – Organizers of Sri Lanka’s Galle Literary Festival has defended its tradition of openness after two star writers pulled out of the event in the wake of protest from rights groups, while India denied that its visa rules hindered writers. “We are looking forward to welcoming writers and festival goers, to […]
Stars pull out of Sri Lanka book fair under pressure
JAIPUR, January 21, 2011 (AFP) – Nobel-winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk and fellow writer Kiran Desai have pulled out of Sri Lanka’s main literary festival, Pamuk’s publisher said on Friday, following pressure from press freedom groups. Reporters Without Borders and a Sri Lankan rights group had targeted foreign writers in a campaign that called on […]
Loss Adjustment
Jan 22, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Indian Oil Corporation unit says it is losing 9 rupees a liter on petrol and 21 rupees a liter on diesel by selling fuel at government controlled prices as world commodity prices continued to rise. In 2004 Sri Lanka jettisoned pricing formula and printed money heavily to fix […]
Sri Lanka Piramal Glass profits up five fold in Dec
Jan 21, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Piramal Glass Ceylon, a unit of India’s Piramal Glass said profits in the December 2010 quarter rose more than five fold to 190 million rupees from 28. 6 million a year earlier. The firm which makes glassware saw revenues grow 28. 2 percent to 1,166 million rupees according […]
”: watchdog
PARIS, January 20, 2011 (AFP) – Leading media freedom group Reporters Without Borders on Thursday accused Nobel-winning author Orhan Pamuk and other writers of legitimising repression in Sri Lanka by attending a literary festival there. Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was “disturbing” that Sri Lanka should celebrate literature while suppressing freedom of expression […]
Sri Lanka Jaffna hospital upgraded by Japan
Jan 20, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Jaffna hospital, the main state health facility in the former war torn northern peninsular is being upgraded with a 2. 9 billion rupee grant in a three year project which began Thursday, the Japan International Co-operation Agency said. A central facility to house surgeries, intensive care, diagnostic imaging, […]
UN seeks $51 million for Sri Lanka flood victims
January 19, 2011 (AFP) – The United Nations on Wednesday sought 51 million dollars to meet the urgent needs of more than one million people affected by recent monsoon floods in Sri Lanka. Bragg will end her visit on Friday after meeting with senior Sri Lankan government officials. The UN issued the appeal as its […]
Sri Lanka flood victims protest over food aid
January 18, 2011 (AFP) – Hundreds of flood victims in Sri Lanka besieged a district office in the eastern town of Kathankudi complaining about unfair distribution of emergency food aid, police said Tuesday. Local media reports said three civil servants were hospitalised after being attacked by the furious crowd, but police said they were unable […]