All Blogs
World Bank unlikely to cut cheap aid to Sri Lanka despite rising incomes
May 03 (LBO) – The World Bank has not taken a decision to end concessionary lending to Sri Lanka despite the tsunami-hit island reporting more than 1,000 dollar per capita income for the third-straight year, a top official said Wednesday. Sri Lanka’s 24 billion dollar economy boasted a 1,250 dollar per capita income for 19.5 […]
Press freedom body names five new ‘predators’
PARIS, May 2 (AFP) – Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) is to mark international press freedom day Wednesday by naming five new “predators on the freedom of the press” to add to the 32 it has already identified.The names, made available Tuesday, are those of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, armed Tamil […]
Low Value
May 2 (LBO) — A lower than expected valuation of prime commercial property belonging to Sathosa may delay its sale to a state bank, a top official said.The chief government valuer has assessed the 225 perches property at Union Place at a much lower price than originally expected by the trade ministry, an official said. […]
Trade Glitch
May 02 (LBO) – A tariff cut of up to 70 percent on imports from India under the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement has been pushed back due to legislative delays. The tariff changes are currently in Parliament and there has been a delay in getting it approved but it is purely a procedural delay, Lal […]
Mixed Results
May 02 (LBO) – Indo-Lanka trade talks hit a roadblock last week with dialogue on trade in goods shelved for later this month, though talks on services made headway. “We could not complete the talks on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as scheduled. We were able to hold discussions on financial services and other […]
Cut Down
May 02 (LBO) – Fitch Ratings revised the outlook on Sri Lanka Telecom’s foreign currency debt to negative from stable, but said the rating of BB- remains unchanged. The revision followed a similar change in the outlook of the Sri Lanka’s sovereign rating. Both Fitch and S & P changed the outlook on Sri Lanka’s […]
”
PARIS, May 2 (AFP) – Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) is to mark international press freedom day Wednesday by naming five new “predators on the freedom of the press” to add to the 32 it has already identified.The names, made available Tuesday, are those of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, armed Tamil […]
AirAsia records surge in passenger traffic for first three months of 2006
KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 (AFP) – Low-cost carrier AirAsia Tuesday announced a big increase in passenger traffic in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2005.Figures released for AirAsia and its Asian associates showed 55.3 percent more passengers were carried from January to March 2006, the third quarter of […]
Asia Pacific Breweries expands into India
SINGAPORE, May 2 (AFP) – Singapore-listed Asia Pacific Breweries, which makes Tiger beer, said Tuesday it has acquired 76 percent of Indian brewer Aurangabad Breweries for 18 million US dollars. The company is a joint venture between the Fraser and Neave Group of companies and Heineken of Holland. The deal includes a provision for Asia […]
Japanese “device art” brings technology to life
LAVAL, France, May 2 (AFP) – From virtual water that you stir in a real bowl to little digital dwarves to play with, the latest trend from Japan is making technology both fun and thought-provoking.The works of art along the Japanese aisle at the International Conference on Virtual Reality in Laval, western France this weekend […]