Author: lbostgadmin
Sri Lanka inflation at 3.5-pct in April by citizen index
May 03, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s inflation in the 12-months to April was measured at 3.5 percent, lower than the 4.9 percent shown by the official index compiled by the state statistics office.The CAL UPI Index, compiled by CAL Research, an equities research firm has shown slightly lower than official inflation since December 2013. […]
Investors concerned over objections to casinos in Sri Lanka: minister
May 02, 2014 (LBO) – Investors have expressed concern over objections to large resorts which were given tax breaks under a strategic investment law to which casinos have been dragged in, Sri Lanka’s deputy investment promotions minister said. Minister Mustapha said the opposition had claimed that the three tax proposals passed in parliament were for […]
Global press freedom hits fresh lows: watchdog
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2014 (AFP) – World press freedom has hit its lowest level in a decade, amid regression in Egypt, Turkey and Ukraine, and US efforts to curb national security reporting, a survey showed Thursday.The report by Freedom House, which has been conducting annual surveys since 1980, found that the share of the world’s […]
Sri Lanka Muslims seek protection from nationalist hate
COLOMBO, May 2, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Muslim legislators on Friday asked President Mahinda Rajapakse to protect their minority community from “Buddhist extremist elements” blamed for a recent spate of hate attacks. The country is emerging from nearly four decades of ethnic war which according to UN estimates claimed at least 100,000 lives between […]
SriLankan to codeshare with Finnair, S-7
May 02, 2014 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines has inked code-share deals with Finland’s Finnair and Siberia based S-7, with more deals in the offing, chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe said. In a code share deal, airlines will operate aircraft on one or more routes with joint flight codes and sell tickets. Both airlines are members of […]
Export Data
May 02, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s foreign revenues from software and business process outsourcing are higher than officially estimated, but growth is constrained by talent shortfalls, an industry body which has done its own survey said. He said there was interest from investors including from abroad in the industry. “For us to meet the […]
Boat People
COLOMBO, May 2, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s navy Friday arrested 54 would-be illegal immigrants in the first major detection of boat people heading to Australia this year, an official said.A fishing trawler was detected with the passengers, including 11 women and 13 children, off the island’s north-eastern coast of Mullaittivu, navy spokesman Kosala Warnakulasuriya […]
Budget Boom
SEPANG, May 2, 2014 (AFP) – Malaysia on Friday officially opened a new airport built specifically for the fast-growing budget-travel sector, but with the country’s aviation industry under deep scrutiny over the loss of missing flight MH370.The still-unexplained March 8 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which took off from the main KLIA, has raised […]
Sri Lanka stocks close up 0.4-pct
May 02, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s stocks close 0.40 percent higher Friday with tobacco and diversified stocks gaining amid strong foreign selling, brokers said. The Colombo benchmark All Share Price Index closed 24.77 points higher at 6,248.44 up 0.40 percent. The S&P SL20 closed 17.62 points higher at 3,435.81, up 0.52 percent. Turnover was […]
RAM Ratings (Lanka) renamed Lanka Rating Agency
May 02, 2014 (LBO) – RAM Ratings (Lanka) Ltd, said its name has been changed to Lanka Rating Agency Ltd, following the exit of its Malaysian shareholder RAM Holdings LRA said it was also gaining technical assistance from a global rating agency. The agency there were no changes to the currently adopted standards and no […]
Shrugging off Q1 stall, Fed keeps tapering stimulus
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2014 (AFP) – The US economy nearly froze in the glacial first quarter but emerging signs of vigor kept the Federal Reserve on its stimulus taper track Wednesday. The GDP data came as the World Bank reported Wednesday that China’s rapidly expanding economy could leapfrog the United States this year to become […]
Sangakkara backs Farbrace to shine on England return
DURHAM, May 1, 2014 (AFP) – Kumar Sangakkara insists Sri Lanka’s loss will be England’s gain after the controversial defection by Paul Farbrace.The 46-year-old former Kent and Middlesex wicket-keeper shocked Sri Lankan cricket, quitting as the country’s head coach in April after just three-and-a-half months to link-up with Peter Moores’ new-look England set-up. Marvan Atapattu […]