SriLankan Airlines feted for services to Indian Ocean tourism

July 17, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run SriLankan airlines has been given an award for special services to tourism in the Indian Ocean at a regional hospitality event of a global tourism award scheme. The World Travel Awards held its Indian Ocean ceremony in Maldives earlier this week where SriLankan received the new award. […]

British arms exports under fire in parliament

LONDON, July 17, 2013 (AFP) – Britain has issued export licences worth £12 billion ( billion, 14 billion euros) for the sale of military equipment to states deemed possible rights violators including Syria, Iran and China, lawmakers said Wednesday.But the report also raised concerns about a further five countries for which licences were issued: Argentina, […]

India police release sketches of suspected temple bomber

PATNA, July 16, 2013 (AFP) – Indian police investigating bomb blasts at one of Buddhism’s holiest sites released sketches of a suspect on Tuesday and offered a reward for information about the attacks.Buddhists are rarely targeted in India but there have been tensions in the wider region recently following clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in […]

India eases foreign investment rules in new reform push

NEW DELHI, July 16, 2013 (AFP) – A group of Indian cabinet ministers late on Tuesday cleared plans to remove the foreign investment cap in telecoms and relax overseas ownership rules in a host of sectors in a new economic reforms push.Economists say India needs foreign investment to spur growth and also to close its […]

Sri Lanka tourist arrivals up 12.8-pct in June

July 17, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals rose 12.8 percent to 73,628 in June 2013 from a year earlier, with half year arrivals up 13.1 percent to 512,281, data from the state tourism promotion office showed. South Asian visitors were up 9.6 percent to 21,915 with Maldives up 29.4 percent to 5,454, Pakistan […]

Fleet Expansion

July 17, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tokyo Cement group said it planned to buy two more vessels in the next three years, as the firm expanded.“Therefore, sudden spikes in freight costs have significant and unavoidable negative impacts on the company’s balance sheet. “Our decision to invest in our own fleet of vessels therefore, has […]

Sri Lanka to keep rates on hold till September: report

July 17, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka expects to keep rates on hold till September, and policy rates will be kept unchanged this month, a media report said. “We had to ensure that the policy measures that we have put in place now are not reversed too quickly and there’s no need to reverse it […]

Sri Lanka Treasuries ease on longer tenures

July 17, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s 12- Treasuries yield fell 05 basis points to 10.59 percent at Wednesday’s auction, though the 3-month yield was flat, data from the state debt office showed. The 6-month yield fell 02 basis points to 9.66 percent and the 3-month yield was flat at 8.63 percent. The debt office […]

Sri Lankans arrested in UK for working

July 16, 2013 (LBO) – Two Sri Lankans were arrested by the immigration authorities for overstaying visas and working in Blackpool, England, the UK High Commission in Colombo said.The statement said the proposals are part of the UK’s action against unauthorized migrants to live and work in the UK and to take tough action against […]

Halted

COLOMBO, July 15, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lanka has halted a French cultural festival after it screened an internationally-acclaimed local film that the military considered insulting, authorities said Monday.The French Film Festival in Colombo was abruptly stopped by the management of the state-owned venue after the movie — set during Sri Lanka’s ethnic war — […]

Sri Lanka tea promoted at US food fair

July 16, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ‘Ceylon Tea’ has been showcased at a specialty food fair in the in the US city of New York, the island’s embassy said. Representatives of the US tea trade, officials from the US Tea Council and media had attended a networking dinner on July 01. On July 02, […]

Higher Gear

July 16, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s re-conditioned or imported used automobile registrations hit a 19 month high in June 2012 with Japanese made Toyota and Honda brands in pole position, an analysis by an equities research house shows.Imported used vehicles rose to 1,327 in June 2013, the highest since 1,205 hit in June 2011 […]

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