Author: lbostgadmin
Credit Flow
LONDON, August 1, 2010 (AFP) – British banks must use first-half profits to boost lending to businesses, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in an interview on Sunday, ahead of key results for the nation’s top lenders. “But the industry’s ability to support the economy needs to be considered as the increased capital and […]
Sri Lanka rupee appreciation a concern, exporters say
July 31, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan exporters have urged the government not to allow the rupee to appreciate as it would erode their competitiveness. Exporters’ Association chairperson Nirmalie Samarathunga said they were bracing for the loss of duty free market access to Europe after a trade deal with the European Union ends in August. […]
Sri Lanka gets more Emirates flights to Male
July 31, 2010 (LBO) – Emirates is to increase the frequency of flights between Sri Lanka and the Maldives to cater to increasing tourist traffic, a statement said. These flights will be served by Emirates’ Airbus A330-200 aircraft in a three-class configuration, with 12 seats in First Class, 42 seats in Business Class and 183 […]
Bangladesh police, garment workers clash for second day
DHAKA, July 31, 2010 (AFP) – Bangladeshi police fired rubber bullets Saturday in a bid to subdue garment workers who rioted for a second day in protest against low pay as unrest spread to areas outside Dhaka, police said. Workers fought pitched street battles with riot police in the manufacturing hub of Ashulia, north of […]
Sri Lanka travel warning removed by Britain
July 31, 2010 (LBO) – The British government has removed a travel warning on Sri Lanka advising against visits to the former northern war zone, following the withdrawal of previous travel warnings in the rest of the island. A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) statement said it no longer advised against all travel to […]
Sri Lanka to lean on banks to lend, cut taxes: official
July 30, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government intends to reduce taxes further and put pressure on commercial banks to lend more to the private sector, Sarath Amunugama, Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, said. With the island’s agriculture and services sectors expanding very fast, there is a need to pay much more attention […]
Sri Lanka inflation slows to 4.3-pct in July
July 30, 2010 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo rose 4. 3 percent in July 2010 from a year earlier, down from 4. 8 percent in June, the fifth straight monthly fall, the government statistics office said.But the 12-month moving average, which is a lagging indicator spread over two years and has […]
Sri Lanka private TV station torched
July 30, 2010 (AFP) – Unidentified attackers set fire to a private television station in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo Friday after smashing editing equipment, police said. Friday’s attack was the first targeting a private television station since an identical torching of another private TV network near the capital in January last year. No one […]
Sri Lanka-Japan free trade deal possible: statement
July 30, 2010 (LBO) – Japan is willing to consider a request by Sri Lanka for a free trade deal between the two countries, a foreign affairs ministry statement said. Japan has also been one of Sri Lanka’s biggest donors and lenders, helping to fund infrastructure like ports and highways. “The government of Japan will […]
Sri Lanka decides against more coal power
July 30, 2010 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government has decided to change its coal-based power generation plan and not go for more coal plants and instead shift towards renewable energy, power minister Patali Ranawaka said. The previous generation plan envisaged adding about 200 megawatts a year of coal based power plants, he said. A […]
India wants Kohinoor diamond back. Cameron says no
NEW DELHI, July 29, 2010 (AFP) – The real jewel in Britain’s actual crown will not be returning to India, Prime Minister David Cameron said Thursday, as he ruled out any repatriation of the famed Kohinoor diamond. The 105 carat gemstone set in the coronation crown of the British royals was mined in the southern […]
Bangladesh garment workers rampage in Dhaka: police
DHAKA, July 30, 2010 (AFP) – Thousands of Bangladeshi garment workers blocked highways, attacked factories and looted shops in Dhaka on Friday, police said, after rejecting the terms of a government wage hike. An estimated 5,000 workers, who stitch clothes for leading Western brands, blocked the city’s main Tejgaon link road and attacked dozens of […]