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A Sri Lankan bus carrying local tourists visiting lush tea plantation hill towns plunged nearly 1,000 feet, with the crash killing 15 people, police said Friday. The accident took place on Thursday night in the mountainous Ella area, about 130kms east of the capital. Sixteen others on board were injured.The group was returning home after a holiday in the cooler hills when the bus hit another vehicle, crashed through guardrails and then shot over the side.

The total assets of commercial banks in Qatar scaled up 6.5% to QR2.12tn in July this year compared to the same period in 2024, according to latest data issued by the Qatar Central Bank (QCB).Total domestic deposits with local banks rose 2.3% to QR852.3bn in July compared to the same period last year. Total credit disbursed by the local banks totalled QR1.34tn in July, up 5.5% on the same period in 2024. Broad money supply (M2) increased by 1.7% to QR739.5bn in July, compared to the same period in 2024, the QCB noted. M2 is an estimate of liquid assets, including cash on hand, money deposited in checking accounts, savings accounts, and other short-term saving vehicles such as money market funds and certificates of deposit.An increase in the country's bank assets, deposits, and credit indicates a growing banking sector, which clearly suggests an expansion of the money supply and increased economic activity. A healthy banking sector with growing assets and credit improve access to capital for businesses and households, facilitating their growth and development.