Category: Other
Australian Nationalism
SYDNEY, July 8, 2014 (AFP) – Australian government lawyers said Tuesday 153 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers were in custody on the high seas and agreed to give three days’ notice before handing any back to Colombo, as criticism mounted. A late-night interim injunction Monday temporarily halted the transfer of the would-be refugees from the boat, whose […]
Paradise Isle: Fast police bikes, faster legs
July 4, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s police acquired its largest fleet of high-speed patrol motorcycles this week, but even before they could be unleashed to tame errant motorists, traffic police demonstrated their skills in…err running. Hopefully, there will be very little wear and tear because there aren’t many roads where a Yamaha 600 cc […]
Arrested
KUALA LUMPUR, July 4, 2014 (AFP) – Malaysian police on Friday said they have arrested four more suspected Tamil Tiger separatists, including a man allegedly involved in the attempted assassination of a former Sri Lankan president. In May, the agency said it was “deeply concerned” that three men registered with the agency were deported to […]
Bombay Stock Exchange shut after network outage
MUMBAI, July 3, 2014 (AFP) – The Bombay Stock Exchange, India’s second-biggest financial market, shut down during morning trade Thursday owing to computer network problems, a spokesman said. “Due to a network outage being currently faced, BSE has decided to close all markets,” spokesman Yatin Padia said in a message to AFP, after trading stopped […]
France first in New Delhi as West courts Modi
NEW DELHI, June 30, 2014 (AFP) – France Monday became the first Western power to hold talks in India with the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius arrived to push defence deals and trade.The reform-minded Modi has been widely courted by Western governments since his election in May, with his […]
Nationalist Looters
COLOMBO, June 28, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s police arrested key suspects involved in fuelling religious riots and looting, an official said Saturday as minority Muslims expressed fears of more unrest ahead of Ramadan.Muslims as well as a majority of moderate Buddhists have pressed for action against the Buddhist Force, or BBS, which is seen […]
‘s power sector losses seen at $27bn by World Bank
NEW DELHI, June 24, 2014 (AFP) – Annual losses in India’s dysfunctional power sector are forecast to rise to billion in 2017 unless the government enacts sweeping reforms in the face of rising demand, a World Bank study said Tuesday.India has one of the world’s lowest per capita electricity consumption rates, with the average person […]
Nationalist Riots
COLOMBO, June 22, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police announced Sunday they were tightening security in the capital after local media, in a rare show of unity, condemned them for failing to control Buddhist extremists behind deadly anti-Muslim riots. The UNP has accused the country’s powerful defence secretary and president’s younger brother, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, of […]
Fire Probe
COLOMBO, June 21, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police were investigating a fire which Saturday destroyed a Muslim-owned clothing store in a district where religious tensions have been heightened after anti-Muslim riots killed four people and wounded 80.Authorities have not ruled out arson at the upmarket No-Limit store in Panadura, 25 kilometres (16 miles) south […]
Smishing Alert
June 18, 2014 (LBO) – HSBC Sri Lanka has warned that there is a text message scam seeking campaign and has asked customers or non-customers not to call back and reveal their identity, passwords or account details.“HSBC would like to remind that the Bank has not sent these text messages to customers and non-customers and […]
‘s inflation hits five-month high
NEW DELHI, June 16, 2014 (AFP) – India’s inflation accelerated to a five-month high in May, in a worrying sign for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s new government which has made fighting price rises a priority.The Wholesale Price Index, the most closely watched cost of living monitor, rose to 6.01 percent in May — the highest […]
” in defence technology: PM
NEW DELHI, June 14, 2014 (AFP) – India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Saturday the country must be “self sufficient” in its defence capabilities at a ceremony inducting a Russian-built aircraft carrier into the navy.Modi said India should place “immense importance” on developing the latest technology as the navy looks to recover from a string […]