Category: Industry
Web Net
SAN FRANCISCO, June 20, 2006 (AFP) – Fresh from a fight with US officials over the sanctity of online search information, Google on Tuesday joined an alliance of technology firms calling for federal legislation protecting consumer privacy.“Today we live in a digital economy where both beneficial and potentially harmful uses of personal information are multiplying,” […]
Quiet Walk
June 21, 2006 (LBO) – State Bank of India plans to expand its reach in Sri Lanka, making use of an upsurge in business climate since the February 2002 ceasefire, a top official said Wednesday. The Indian giant has been present in Sri Lanka since 1864, but has been sort of a late comer to […]
Ships Ahoy
June 21 (LBO) – The Shipping Corporation has clinched a deal with Iran to buy an oil tanker and two container ships to begin feeder operations to the Colombo Port a top official said. There are several private feeder services carrying cargo to Colombo. The Shipping Corporation charters out its only two vessels. We are […]
Calling Home
SINGAPORE, June 20, 2006 (AFP) – Future expansion in the mobile telephone business will come from developing economies whose less than affluent consumers cannot be overlooked while overall growth slows, experts said Tuesday.Income levels of consumers in the world’s poorer nations may not come anywhere near their wealthy counterparts but they offer far better growth […]
Zipping Through
June 20, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka Telecom, the island’s biggest fixed line operator, plans to rollout a 200 million rupee project next month to support high end data, voice, video and internet services, officials said Tuesday. Profits for the quarter were mainly driven by its CDMA (code division multiple access) operations, with SLT expecting […]
Tourists travel cautiously May arrivals show slow growth
June 20, 2006 (LBO) – Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka showed slow growth in May as local violence grows and travel from some European and South Asian markets slide. Arrivals were up about 7.2 percent in May to 43,824 travellers over the same month last year, with top generating markets India and the United Kingdom […]
Joint Force
FRANKFURT, June 19, 2006 (AFP) – Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia and German rival Siemens said Monday they would merge their telecoms equipment and network activities in an attempt to close the gap on market leader Ericsson. Nokia and Siemens said in a joint statement they planned to set up a 50-50 joint venture, to be […]
Outback PC
June 19 (LBO) – Intel Corp together with Sri Lanka’s ICT Agency will soon pilot a rugged alternative to the conventional PC for rural areas, running on a car battery if electricity goes out. The dust resistant, low power demand Intel model called a ˜Community PC’, developed and just rolled out in India, could find […]
’s tourist board chief prevented from leaving the country
June 19, 2006 (LBO) – The chairman of the Sri Lanka’s tourist board was prevented from leaving the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport early Monday morning, an official said. Immigration officials had stopped Udaya Nanayakkara from leaving Sri Lanka on a complaint from the Bribery Commission, Controller of Immigration P B Abeykoon said. Nanayakkara […]
Media blitz against child sex tourism in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO, June 19, 2006 (AFP) – The United Nations agency for children Monday announced the launch of a media campaign to discourage the sexual exploitation of Sri Lankan children by tourists.“A child who is a victim of sexual abuse may suffer serious, lifelong or even life-threatening consequences,” said UNICEF senior programme coordinator Yasmin Ali Haque.UNICEF […]
Fuel Buddies
June 19, 2006 (LBO) – Clubbing with big brother Emirates Airlines to get bulk fuel discounts and hedging oil prices on future markets has helped SriLankan Airlines to shave 11 million dollars of its energy bill, its Chief Executive said. Emirates, the largest Arab carrier that owns 43.6 percent of SriLankan, is also lending a […]
Sri Lanka’s tourist board chief prevented from leaving the country
June 19, 2006 (LBO) – The chairman of the Sri Lanka’s tourist board was prevented from leaving the country at the Bandaranaike International Airport early Monday morning, an official said. Immigration officials had stopped Udaya Nanayakkara from leaving Sri Lanka on a complaint from the Bribery Commission, Controller of Immigration P B Abeykoon said. Nanayakkara […]