Tag: Sri Lanka
Talks underway to revive Sri Lanka peace bid
Oct 2, 2006 (AFP) – A Norwegian envoy held talks Monday with top Sri Lankan government officials aimed at reviving the island’s stalled peace process and ending an upsurge in ethnic bloodshed.Government officials said Colombo hoped the envoy’s visit could lead to a breakthrough in finalising dates for talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil […]
‘s end: state paper
Oct 1, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president has asked his party to prepare for general elections before year’s end if the main opposition fails to back his minority government, a state-run newspaper said Sunday.President Mahinda Rajapakse has summoned members of his Sri Lanka Freedom Party and asked them to get ready for elections, the […]
Norwegian envoy resumes Sri Lanka peace bid
Oct 1, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s peace broker Norway is set for a fresh attempt to end a seven-month deadlock in talks after the warring parties agreed to meet, diplomats said Sunday. Special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer will begin meetings with political leaders on Monday during a four-day visit aimed at jump-starting stalled negotiations between […]
Fresh violence claims 18 lives in Sri Lanka
Sept 30, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police commandos killed 15 Tamil Tiger rebels who attacked their camp in the east of the country on Saturday, while three constables died in other violence.The defence ministry said the guerrillas attacked the Pullumalai camp of the police’s Special Task Force (STF) early Saturday. “The STF had good […]
New Ball
September 30, 2006 (LBO) — Ceylon Petroleum Corp. (CPC) Chairman Jaliya Medagama resigned Saturday citing personal reasons. Medagama will be succeeded by ex-cricketer Asantha de Mel. De Mel, who is currently the chairman of CPCs oil storage and distribution facility, is also believed to have close links with President Mahinda Rajapakse. In July, petroleum trade […]
US charges six with shipping arms to Tamil Tigers, Indonesia
WASHINGTON, Sept 29, 2006 (AFP) – US authorities said Friday they had charged six Asian men with conspiracy to ship arms, including submachine guns and sniper rifles, to Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers and unnamed customers in Indonesia.The men, arrested in Guam, are accused of acting as brokers between weapons manufacturers and the Tigers, which is […]
‘s inflation hits 15.4% in September
September 29, 2006 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka rose to 15.4 percent in Sept from 15.3 percent in August, the Census & Statistics Dept said Friday, due to price gains in electricity, fuel and vegetables. On 12 month moving average inflation for September rose to 11.2 percent from 10.8 percent in August. The […]
Sri Lanka starts work on compiling single set of national accounts
September 29, 2006 (LBO) – Two key agencies that prepare Sri Lanka’s national accounts, are working towards compiling a single set of numbers, to ensure credibility in growth figures, officials said Friday. The Census & Statistics Dept and the Central Bank now issue two sets of growth numbers for Sri Lanka, and they differ by […]
UN says Sri Lanka violence hitting tsunami aid work
Sept 29, 2006 (AFP) – The United Nations said Friday ongoing fighting between government forces in Sri Lanka and Tamil Tiger rebels had badly hit tsunami reconstruction efforts.The UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Eric Schwartz, also said he was “deeply disturbed” to learn that more than 200 civilians had been killed and […]
’s Marxist nationalist JVP
Sept 29 (LBO) – A leading member of the Marxist-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna has resigned his position in the party. Nandana Gunathilake told a local radio station that he has finally resigned his positions in the JVP because the party failed to reform. He said has taken a backseat in the party since February but […]
”s split bursts into the open
Sept 29 (LBO) – The simmering power-struggle within the JVP, or People’s Liberation Front, came out into the open today with a stalwart disclosing his differences with the leadership of Somawansa Amarasinghe.Nandana Gunathilake, a politburo member of the Marxist-nationalist party said he sent in his resignations from the high party positions on February 7, but […]
Sri Lanka economy grew 7.2% 2Q06: Statistics Dept
September 28, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy expanded 7.2 percent for the second quarter of this year, on the back of good rainfall and higher export volumes, the Census and Statistics Dept said Thursday. Economic growth during the same period last year was 6.0 percent, the statement said. Good rainfall helped agriculture sector to […]