Afghanistan qualify for Cricket World Cup

SHARJAH, October 4, 2013 (AFP) – Afghanistan booked their place in the World Cup for the first time on Friday when they swept past Kenya by seven wickets in their final qualifying match.Set a modest 94 to win, Afghanistan, who were playing in the fifth tier of international cricket just five years ago, reached their […]

Sri Lanka rescues Australia-bound boatpeople

COLOMBO, October 4, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s navy has rescued 70 would-be illegal immigrants drifting on the high seas in the country’s first detected case of people-smuggling since Australia tightened restrictions on asylum-seekers, officials said Friday.A naval craft picked up the Sri Lankans, including 17 women and 14 children, who had been drifting for […]

Sri Lanka future ready enterprise summit kicks off

Oct 04, 2013 (LBO) – A high level conference on building ‘future ready enterprises’ kicked off in Colombo where over 40 resource persons from Sri Lanka and the region are sharing their knowledge and debate issues.Readers of LBO can participate live by at this link. http://www. “The areas of discussion are not what one commonly […]

Sri Lanka urban price index up 9.7-pct in September

Oct 04, 2013 (LBO) – Consumer prices in Sri Lanka’s urban centres rose 9.7 percent in the 12-month to September slowing from 9.9 percent in August, an index compiled by private citizens showed. The CAL Urban Price Index, compiled by CAL Research, a Colombo based equity research house, fell 1.8 percent in the month with […]

Sri Lanka stocks up, rupee steady

Oct 03, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed 0.16 percent higher with speculative interest continuing in troubled Touchwood and the rupee strengthened in intra-day trading, brokers and dealers said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index closed 9.18 points higher at 5,814.80, up 0.16 percent, provisional data showed, after reaching an intraday high of […]

Labour Standard

Oct 03, 2013 (LBO) – The first of seven Sri Lankan flagged ships plying international waters recently received International Labour Organisation certification for meeting the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention of 2006.It is on charter to Safmarine, a company in the AP Moller-Maersk group and trades on the EURWAF service from Europe to West […]

Sri Lanka to set standards for LED lighting

Oct 03, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will set standards for energy saving light emitting diode (LED) bulbs, paving the way to end high taxes on the product, an official said. Wickramasinghe said buyers can look at the star rating and compare prices and brands. “A light with higher star rating may be a better […]

‘s Brandix gets trade credit line from IFC

Oct 03, 2013 (LBO) – Brandix, a Sri Lanka based apparel group will get a trade finance facility from International Finance Corporation, a world bank arm, which the lender says is the first in South Asia. Brandix will get funding against credit given to selected international buyers which can be used for working capital. IFC […]

Gold prices could fall further: Fitch Ratings

Oct 03, 2013 (LBO) – Gold prices could fall below 1,200 US dollars an ounce as the United States withdraws exceptional money printing operations and speculative investment demand weakens, Fitch Ratings said.The rating agency under its methodology 1,200 US dollars an ounce was a base case for a ceiling price for the next three years […]

Sri Lanka to grow 6.8-pct in 2013, inflation 7.0-pct: ADB

Oct 03, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s economy is forecasted to grow 6.8 percent in 2013 and inflation would be 7.0 percent, the Asian Development Bank said in revised projections released this week. “Foreign holdings of government securities dipped in late August, which further weakened the rupee by 5 percent against the US dollar from […]

Sri Lanka Treasuries yields flat

Oct 02, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s 12-month Treasuries yield fell 05 basis points to 10.52 percent, at Wednesday’s auction and no bids were accepted for other maturities, data from the state debt office said. The debt office offered 5.0 billion rupees of maturing debt at the auction and rejected 3 and 6 month bids. […]

Sri Lanka stocks up 0.4-pct, rupee gains

Oct 02, 2013 (LBO) – Sri Lanka stocks closed 0.43 percent higher with diversified John Keells Holdings extending gains, while speculative trading continued in Touchwood, a troubled forestry firm, brokers said. The benchmark Colombo All Share Price Index closed 24.79 points higher at 5,805.62, up 0.43 percent after peaking at an intraday high of 5,814.61 […]

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