Tag: Sri Lanka
New controls on foreign aid workers in Sri Lanka after killings
COLOMBO, Sept 1, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has enforced new controls on foreign aid workers after 17 local employees of a French charity were murdered, allegedly by security forces, aid officials said Friday. Local and foreign non-government organisations were told to obtain work permits for expatriate staff by Friday, before the deadline was extended […]
Red Cross presses for supply line in war-torn Sri Lanka
GENEVA, Sept 1, 2006 (AFP) – The International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday pressed Sri Lanka’s warring parties to allow supplies to reach tens of thousands of increasingly desperate people in the isolated city of Jaffna. Reto Meister, head of the ICRC’s Asia-Pacific operations, said the northern city of around half a million […]
Sri Lanka blast kills soldier, wounds four
Sept 1, 2006 (AFP) – A powerful Claymore mine exploded Friday in Sri Lanka’s northern Jaffna peninsula, killing one soldier and wounding four more, the defence ministry said.The victims were on foot patrol when they were hit, the ministry said. “Five soldiers suffered injuries and were admitted to hospital,” the ministry said. It added that […]
Blair meets Sri Lanka leader amid Tamil turmoil
LONDON, Aug 31, 2006 (AFP) – British Prime Minister Tony Blair met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on Thursday for private talks on the political situation in Sri Lanka, a spokeswoman for Blair said.Rajapakse has said he was ready for unconditional talks with the Tigers and described the current military action against the rebels as […]
11,000 Tamils flee to India to escape Sri Lanka fighting
CHENNAI, India, Aug 31, 2006 (AFP) – More than 11,000 Tamil refugees have fled to India since January to escape renewed fighting between the Sri Lankan army and separatist rebels and more are likely to come, officials said Thursday. The figure includes a batch of about 500 refugees who travelled by boat to reach Mandapam […]
Sri Lanka demands proof of massacre charges
COLOMBO, Aug 31, 2006 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan government demanded proof Thursday of allegations by Nordic truce monitors that security forces were responsible for the massacre of 17 aid workers of a French charity. “It is premature to blame the government without any supporting evidence,” Sri Lankan government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said in Colombo. […]
‘s inflation hits 15.3% in July
August 31, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s consumer prices jumped to 15.3 percent in July, the Census & Statistics Department said Thursday, as prices of bread, fuel, cinema tickets rose to offset lower costs of vegetables. As a result the Colombo Consumer Price Index or CCPI ended at 4,650.0 in July. Prices of bread, wheat […]
Sri Lanka troops killed 17 French aid workers: monitors
Aug 30, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan troops killed 17 French charity workers and waged a bombing campaign against Tamil rebels, truce monitors said Wednesday, amid fears the nation was headed for full-scale war.As of Thursday, the SLMM will have to carry out its duties with just 30 members instead of 57.The Swedish-led Sri Lanka […]
Sri Lanka rejects charity worker massacre charge as “outrageous”
LONDON, Aug 30, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lanka rejected as “outrageous” Wednesday a ruling by independent ceasefire monitors that government forces were responsible for the massacre of 17 employees of a French charity. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who was visiting London, told the BBC that the Swedish-led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) had […]
Cable Cut
August 30, 2006 (LBO) – The Asian Development Bank has dropped the second loan installment due to Sri Lanka, as the government is reluctant to push ahead with Ceylon Electricity Board’s reforms. The Manila based bank had earlier pledged 30 million dollars under a power sector project, with loan installments linked CEB reforms. Loan conditions […]
Minor Slip
August 30, 2006 (LBO) – Dominant lubricant supplier Caltex Lanka Ltd is expecting a marginal drop in volumes this year as intensified fighting in the northeast dries up sales. Caltex says sales to the conflict zones accounts for around 10-12 percent of total volumes, and was growing steadily until hostilities erupted in July. Prior to […]
Finland, Denmark, Sweden to complete pull out of Sri Lanka observers on time
HELSINKI, Aug 30, 2006 (AFP) – Finland, Denmark and Sweden will pull out all their ceasefire monitors from Sri Lanka by the end of the month in response to a deadline set by rebels, officials said on Tuesday.In Helsinki the government said that the 10 monitors return home by Wednesday. Most of the Swedish observers […]