Category: Industry
Mass Transit
Feb 21, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is likely to opt for a 1.3 billion US dollar monorail mass transit system with Japanese finance to cut traffic congestion and boost mobility in the capital Colombo, an official said. A link is also planned from Kollupitiya to National Hospital. A second stage will involve a line […]
Cricket: Sehwag and Murali to star for MCC in Abu Dhabi
LONDON, February 20, 2014 (AFP) – India’s Virender Sehwag is to captain Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in their four-day match against English champion county Durham in Abu Dhabi next month, officials announced Thursday.This year marks the 200th anniversary of MCC’s move to its present Lord’s ground, with Sehwag among a host of famous names including […]
Bridge Plan
Feb 20, 2014 (LBO) – Japan will fund a 35 billion yen (343mn US dollar) bridge connecting Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo with an expressway network, information minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said.Sri Lanka is also planning an elevated road network to cater to rising traffic. Japan is also expected to fund a the first phase of a […]
Island Branch
Feb 18, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state-run Bank of Ceylon, the island’s largest bank by assets said it had opened a branch in Seychelles.Bank of Cetlon Assistant General Manager Ranjith Haputhanthri is country head for Seychelles. The bank said it wants to expand into other emerging markets. The bank already has branches in Chennai, […]
White House counters nationalist attacks on trade freedom efforts
WASHINGTON, February 18, 2014 (AFP) – The White House moved Tuesday to fend off criticism of its efforts to seal two new giant free trade pacts, saying the deals would benefit US workers and protect the environment.“Some of the criticisms I hear of our agenda describe the state of the trade policy in 1994, not […]
Energy-starved Pakistan sets sights on coal
GADANI, February 19, 2014 (AFP) – After years of rolling blackouts that have wreaked havoc on industry and fuelled political unrest, energy-starved Pakistan has set its sights on a coal-fired future. Regarded as the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, recent discoveries of untapped coal fields in southern Pakistan have convinced the government they could be […]
Sri Lanka cabinet approves integrated resort investments
Feb 19, 2014 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers had approved investment concessions for three integrated resort projects which appear to limit income tax cuts to gaming, according to public notices published. The concession are then approved by the cabinet and tabled in parliament. The tax concession for gaming ran into controversy, with opposition […]
Tele Gains
Feb 18, 2014 (LBO) – Profits at Sri Lanka’s Dialog Axiata, which has interests mobile, fixed and pay television, rose 20 percent from a year earlier to 1.1 billion rupees in the December 2013 quarter, interim accounts showed. The group reported earnings of 14 cents per share for the quarter. In the year to December […]
Cricket: Rain theatens Bangladesh-Sri Lanka ODI
DHAKA, February 17, 2014 (AFP) – Bad weather has delayed the start of the first one-day international between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Dhaka on Monday.The outfield at the drenched Sher-e-Bangla stadium was wet and slippery at the scheduled toss time of 12.30 pm (0630 GMT), amid fears the match may be badly curtailed. The […]
Cricket: Perera rescues Sri Lanka against Bangladesh
DHAKA, February 17, 2014 (AFP) – Thisara Perera smashed an unbeaten 80 off 57 balls as Sri Lanka recovered from an embarrassing batting failure to post 180 all out in the rain-curtailed first one-day international against Bangladesh on Monday. Rubel Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan and Arafat Sunny claimed two wickets each to leave Sri Lanka […]
Smaller planes in demand as Asia travel boom deepens
SINGAPORE, February 16, 2014 (AFP) – Smaller passenger planes are increasingly in demand in Asia as budget carriers cash in on the region’s growing middle classes by expanding their reach to less prominent cities, industry executives say.So-called “regional” jets — short to medium-haul aircraft that generally seat under 100 passengers — were among the best-sellers […]
Cricket: Sri Lanka oust Bangladesh in another T20 thriller
CHITTAGONG, February 14, 2014 (AFP) – Sachithra Senanakaye hit a boundary off the last ball as Sri Lanka secured a dramatic three-wicket win over Bangladesh in the second Twenty20 match in Chittagong on Friday to win the series 2-0.Bangladesh’s batting never recovered after losing openers Tamim Iqbal and Shamsur Rahman in the first two overs. […]