All Blogs
Sri Lanka welcomes Indian Ocean naval drill
PORT BLAIR, India, Sept 4, 2007 (AFP) – A massive naval drill opens in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday with warships from the United States and four other nations flexing their muscle in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Twenty-seven ships and submarines from the United States, Australia, Japan and Singapore will join seven […]
Sri Lanka says reserve money on target, but domestic assets rise
Sep 04, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank said Tuesday reserve money growth is on target, but domestic assets in the monetary base continued to rise, indicating a further weakening of international reserve backing for the local currency. However analysts say Central Bank attempts to stabilize the economy has been undermined by a fiscal […]
Asset Backed
Sept 03, 2007 (LBO) – Fitch Sri Lanka has affirmed the ‘A (lka) national rating given to lease-backed securities of Senkadagala Finance Company, which has a ‘BBB+ (lka)’ rating with a stable outlook. The Lease Backed Trust Certificates (LBTCs) were issued by the special purpose vehicle Senkadagala Finance Trust Three (SFT3) with its credit enhanced […]
Sri Lanka to tender exploration blocks in October; estimated one billion barrel deposit
September 03, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is tendering three off-shore oil exploration blocks in October and exploration firms are expected to begin work in 2008, petroleum minister A H M Fowzie said. Sri Lanka has identified eight off-shore exploration blocks in the north eastern Mannar basin of which two had been reserved for China […]
Unilever suggests two-tier tea market instead of supply controls
Sept 03, 2007 (LBO) – Tea producing countries should aim to produce better quality, certified tea and not try artificial supply controls to raise prices, an official from the multinational Unilever said. Ian Neathercoat, Senior Resident Manager, Supply Chain Compliance Controller, Unilever Supply Chain Company, Europe, advocates the creation of a two-tier tea market producers […]
Not Yet
Sept 03, 2007 (LBO) – No decision has yet been made to close the UK visa office in Colombo, though a review is underway, the British High Commission in Colombo said Monday. Press reports had said the visa office may be closed and moved to India. “There is an ongoing review into British visa services […]
German subprime victim IKB warns of heavy losses
FRANKFURT, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) – German bank IKB, badly hit by its exposure to bad housing loans in the United States, said on Monday it expected losses of between 600 and 700 million euros (818 million dollars and 955 million dollars) in its fiscal year 2007-2008. IKB, whose financial year runs from April to […]
Chinese airline to launch inflight cell phone, Internet service
HONG KONG, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) – Shenzhen Airlines said Monday passengers will soon be able to use their mobile phones and connect to the Internet during flights. Airlines have previously provided onboard air-to-ground fixed telephones on some seats at a premium charge. But until now they have banned the use of mobiles.Swiss-based technology firm […]
Agriculture minister quits
TOKYO, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) – Japan’s farm minister resigned Monday over a money scandal, a week after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe re-shuffled his cabinet in a bid to clean up the government’s image.Endo is the fifth person to leave Abe’s cabinet, besides those removed in the reshuffle, since Abe took the premier’s seat nearly […]
‘s mobile customers: Goose or eggs?
Sept 03, 2007 (LBO) – Taxes are necessary. The consistent theme of the “Choices” columns has been that choices have to be made; that one cannot have the cake and eat it too. The present administration got elected by promising to fight a war, give government employment to all graduates, give subsidies to all and sundry, […]