Tag: Sri Lanka
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 […]
Top Sri Lanka official says freezing prices an economic crime
May 29, 2008 (LBO) – A top official of a government body said freezing prices of government output was an ‘economic crime’ because the popular concept of ‘government bearing the burden’ had no factual basis. “Suppressing prices and freezing them is an economic crime,” head of Sri Lanka Railways Lalithasiri Gunaruwan told reporters. “It is […]
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 […]
ICRC warns rising food prices hurting the poorest in war zones
May 27, 2008 (AFP) – The head of the International Red Cross warned Tuesday that soaring food prices are exacerbating the misery of millions of poor people already suffering in war zones from Chad to Afghanistan.“The recent rise in food and fuel prices is making life even harder for poor people already struggling to cope […]
Sri Lanka meeting mulls trade-poverty nexus
May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Trade liberalisation may not necessarily lead to economic growth and lower poverty, with state intervention in recent financial crises showing the market may not have all the answers, a meeting of South Asian policy makers was told. This leads to growth which in turns results in poverty reduction. But it […]
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 […]
Sri Lanka to raise minimum wage
May 27, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka employers grouping, unions and the government are in discussions to raise minimum wages in the country, an official said Tuesday. Deputy director general of the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon Kanishka Weerasinghe said discussions have started with the department of labour and other stakeholders for around three dozen types […]
Sri Lanka state sector is heavy on poor: minister
May 27, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has the world’s biggest public sector which is too big a burden on the poor, and the public service must do more to drive economic growth, a senior minister has said.The recruitment to the public sector on an ad hoc basis and the availability of non-performance based benefits […]
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 […]