Author: lbostgadmin
China seeks minerals, logistics services from Sri Lanka
Sept 28, 2013 (LBO) – Chinese firms are planning to buy activated carbon and rubber from Sri Lanka following the visit of a trade delegation and others are in talks over minerals and logistics services, the island’s trade ministry said.“We are looking for mineral sourcing from Sri Lanka as well as partnering in logistics and […]
Sri Lanka President meets US business networking group
Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa had met representatives of the Business Council of International Understanding, a US-based organization that promotes links between political leaders and business. President Rajapaksa visited New York to attend the general assembly of the United Nations. At a breakfast meeting with BCIU, which was represented by […]
Half of British pilots fall asleep on the job: survey
LONDON, September 27, 2013 (AFP) – More than half of Britain’s airline pilots have fallen asleep in the cockpit and a third have woken up to find their co-pilot asleep, according to a new survey.The BALPA survey comes ahead of a vote in the European parliament on Monday on proposals to set out maximum working […]
Oil Blocks
Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Oil majors Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, France’s Total are among the firms that may bid for offshore oil exploration blocks offered by Sri Lanka, a media report said.Italy’s ENI and India’s ONGC Videsh and Cairn India could also bid, Saliya Wickramasuriya, head of Sri Lanka’s petroleum exploration office […]
Confusion over Maldives election as officials clash
COLOMBO, September 27, 2013 (AFP) – The Maldives’ Election Commission sparked confusion on Friday over whether elections originally scheduled for this weekend but suspended by the Supreme Court would go ahead on the troubled Indian Ocean archipelago. Nasheed, 46, won the first round comfortably with 45.45 percent of the vote and faced a run-off contest […]
Underpant protests as Maldives crisis deepens
MALÉ, September 27, 2013 (AFP) – Police in the Maldives said Friday they had arrested 14 protesters involved in hanging white underpants outside a courthouse as a constitutional crisis over stalled elections on the honeymoon islands deepened. Supporters of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) been begun displaying white briefs in public to taunt Supreme […]
Rare Canadian desert shrinking as vegetation takes over
WINNIPEG, September 27, 2013 (AFP) – As desertification creeps into parts of the world, a rare stretch of sand in Canada’s vast western plains is oddly doing the reverse — slowly sprouting with vegetation. Tufts of prairie grasses are emerging throughout Spirit Sands, a stretch of dunes steeped in local lore in a popular nature […]
Teaching Proposals
By Nisha Arunatilake Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Despite impressive performance in access to education, issues of quality of education, access to higher levels of education and relevance of education has challenged the education sector in the recent past. School based recruitments will help to alleviate another pressing issue in the sector: the inefficient placement […]
Climate Funds
Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Pan Asia Bank said it had struck a deal to get 20 million US dollars to finance green energy, from in global climate fund. The bank is inviting clients to submit proposals for green projects. The Global Climate Partnership Fund (GCPF) is promoted by the German and Denmark […]
Sri Lanka stocks close 0.3-pct higher, rupee steady
Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed higher for the second consecutive day, up 0.39 percent and the rupee ended slightly weaker, brokers and dealer said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index closed 22.46 points higher at 5,808.62, up 0.39 percent and the S&P SL20 closed 9.98 points lower at 3,209.11, down […]
Sri Lanka Bank of Ceylon to sell Rs8.0bn in debt
Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run Bank of Ceylon is to raise 8.0 billion rupees through subordinated debt, Fitch Ratings said giving a rating of ‘AA(lka)’, one notch below its national rating. The bank will sell debentures up to 10 years with fixed and floating coupons. The full statement is reproduced below Fitch […]
Sri Lanka builds forex reserves by killing rupee liquidity
Sept 27, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s central bank has called bids to sell down 10 billion rupees of its portfolio of Treasuries Friday after selling down 8 billion rupees of Treasuries earlier in the week, which will help build up foreign reserves.This year the Central Bank has to repay about 500 million US dollars […]