Sri Lanka gets daily Emirates flights to Singapore

July 05, 2010 (LBO) – The Dubai-based Emirates airline has started daily services between Colombo and Singapore from July 01 with the addition of two more frequencies to and from the city state, a statement said. Singapore remains one of the most popular destinations out of Colombo for shopping, leisure and business travel, said Devika […]

Data Host

July 05, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s PC House has got approval from the investment promotion agency to set up a subsidiary with an investment of three million dollars to do internet data centre operations, a statement said. The Board of Investment said IDC and information technology outsourcing were seen as businesses with growth potential. […]

Sri Lankan stocks close down 0.77-pct

July 05, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks closed lower Monday as retailers took profit on banking stocks and penny stocks continued to be heavily traded brokers said. The All Share Price Index closed at 4,558.48, down 35.17 points, while the more liquid Milanka index fell 1.35 percent (70.53 points) to close at 5,140.28. Turnover […]

July 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition poked fun at a budget for 2010 which had less ‘grasping government’ elements in it and was more affordable to the poor, by throwing the ruling coalition’s own slogans of yesteryear, back at it. In 2006, Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Chinthana platform justified a spending spree saying […]

Sri Lanka may lose US$500mn in exports with GSP+ end: report

July 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka may lose around 500 million US dollars in apparel exports a year, due to the end of trade concessions from the European Union from August, a media report quoting an industry official said. Sri Lanka’s apparel exports to the United States have been declining steadily over the last […]

” on immigration

SYDNEY, July 4, 2010 (AFP) – Australia’s new Prime Minister Julia Gillard Sunday vowed not to let “political correctness” get in the way of tackling immigration, signalling a tough line on the issue. Gillard, who ruthlessly deposed former leader Kevin Rudd and solved the mining tax row that weakened him a week later, said people […]

Sri Lanka sovereign rating may be raised: report

July 03, 2010 (LBO) – Standard & Poor’s may upgrade Sri Lanka’s credit when it next reviews the island’s sovereign rating with the resumption of an International Monetary Fund loan and strong foreign reserves, a media report said. “The new budget and continued IMF program are positives,” Benard said. “Still, to have effect on the […]

‘s Howard veto

LONDON, July 2, 2010 (AFP) – Australia great Steve Waugh on Friday blasted the International Cricket Council’s decision to block the bid of former Australia Prime Minister John Howard to become president of the global governing body. For a start, many officials were believed to be unhappy that Howard – who has no track record […]

Sri Lanka cracks down on illegal electricity connections

July 03, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run power utility the Ceylon Electricity Board has begun raids on homes and businesses illegally tapping power from its grid, the power and energy ministry said in a statement. The ministry statement said the CEB earned Rs14mn through fines and arrears from power pirates after the raids in […]

Sri Lanka state-run budget carrier gets more competition

July 03, 2010 (LBO) – Middle East budget carrier Flydubai has started four weekly flights to Colombo, providing fresh competition for state-run Mihin Lanka, which lost 900 million rupees last year. Mihin’s single aircraft doesn’t always fly direct. Mihin’s Dubai-Colombo run is via Kuwait. After losing billions of rupees since its start and after briefly […]

Sri Lanka expects record tourist arrivals this year: official

July 03, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka expects to get 600,000 tourists this year with the end of a 30-year war making the island an attractive destination once again, a senior tourism official said. Kalaiselvam said the country has accommodation to cater to only 750,000 tourists a year and that 3,000 more rooms would be […]

EU urges Sri Lanka to cooperate with UN war probe

BRUSSELS, July 1, 2010 (AFP) – The European Union urged Sri Lanka’s government on Thursday to cooperate with a UN panel probing alleged war crimes during the country’s civil war. “If the EU doesn’t want to give it, let them keep it. I don’t want it. We have gone and explained what we have done.” […]

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