China is expanding its economic, trade and military ties with Sri Lanka providing US$ 100 million (Rs. 13.2 billion) for army welfare projects initiated by the Ministry of Defence, official sources said. Plans are afoot to set up accommodation and infrastructure facilities in army camps in the north and east with Chinese assistance. The maintenance of military camps in strategic locations throughout the country is essential for national security, the Government has long argued despite pressure from some western nations and India to reduce the military presence in the north and east.
The controversy over Sri Lankan Army officers being trained by the Indian military establishment has yet again surfaced in Tamil Nadu, with the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa strongly condemning two more defence personnel from that country undergoing training here since May.
A national Assemblies of God pastor and his wife were viciously attacked by a mob in Sri Lanka after being accused of "spreading Christianity."
A mob of around 40 people led by members of the Buddhist clergy, severely attacked Regional Presbyter of Deniyaya Reverend Jayalath and his wife while they were returning home after visiting a member of their congregation, according to the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL). The incident took place in Deniyaya in Southern Sri Lanka on August 9 at 1pm.
The Batticaloa party office of the Eelam Revolutionary Organization of Students (EROS) located near the Batticaloa Municipal Council came under attack by a group in the early hours of Sunday, 19 August 2012. According to police, the attackers had caused severe damage to the party office and had also attempted to set fire to the van belonging to the EROS leader R Prabhakaran using petrol bombs. The fire was brought under control by the neighbours.
Wadamrachchie Jaffna, Disaster Management Center (DMS) announced that a fire which broke out at a Pine tree cultivation in the Manalkadu area in Jaffna has destroyed around 5 acres of land. Army, police personnel and residents in the area are currently attempting to quell the flames, which are rapidly spreading due to existing dry conditions and strong winds, Sri Lanka Army said.
A terrorist wanted for alleged involvement in the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team was killed in a shootout with police in Pakistan's Punjab province, officials said today.
Law enforcement agencies started checking vehicles near Ghazi Ghat bridge in Multan, 400km from Lahore, after getting a tip-off yesterday that some terrorists were bound for the city in public transport.
The cost of living is rising in Sri Lanka, data released by the Central Bank shows, with or without the consideration of price sensitive food and fuel in measuring inflation, which is the rate at which prices increase. The Central Bank yesterday said core inflation, which excludes price sensitive items such as fuel and food, had increased from 5.8 percent year-on-year in June to 6 percent in July.
Following participation of Sri Lankan exporter’s at the SAITEX 2012 International Trade fair held in Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand from 15-17 July, 2012; business delegations from Sri Lanka are looking to explore more investment opportunities in South Africa.
Indian Oil Corporation will set up its first refinery outside India with an investment of up to Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) in Sri Lanka. It will thus become the second Indian company to have a refinery abroad. The Ruias-promoted Essar Energy owns the Stanlow refinery in the UK and has 50 per cent interest in Kenya Petroleum Refinery. IOC operates 10 refineries in India and the capacity of its Sri Lankan refinery is expected to be 5-9 mtpa (million tonnes per annum).
Twenty three Tamil Nadu Fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan navy on 22 July when they were fishing near Katchatheevu in the Palk Straits were released on 27 July. The news of their release was announced in New Delhi at a joint news conference attended by Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and the visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.
The Ill- conceived policies of the government have resulted in the steady erosion of real wages of workers due to depreciation of the rupee and the consequent fall in its purchasing power. The trade union demand for a budgetary relief allowance of Rs. 5000/- to cushion the effects of the devaluation of rupee has been frowned upon by the government. Not even minimum wages of private sector employees have been raised and these employees continue to languish with a paltry sum of Rs. 7,500/- and struggle to make ends meet.
