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India car sales slide for ninth straight month
NEW DELHI, August 12, 2013 (AFP) – India’s car sales slid by over seven percent in July, marking a record ninth straight month of decline, industry data showed Monday, as an economic slump and high borrowing costs discouraged buyers. Carmakers sold 131,163 cars in India last month, down 7.4 percent from the same month in […]
Sri Lanka state airline on track for direct China flights
Aug 12, 2013 (LBO) – State-run SriLankan Airlines is on track to fly direct to China next year as traffic to Colombo picks up, a top official said.SriLankan is now flying to China via Bangkok, with tourists to Maldives being a key contributor to filling seats.But direct traffic to Sri Lanka has been picking up. […]
Muslims close Sri Lanka mosque after Buddhist unrest
COLOMBO, August 12, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s Muslim leaders closed down a new mosque in Colombo on Monday after attacks by a Buddhist mob revived simmering religious tensions and sparked US concern.The Sri Lanka Muslim Council said it had agreed to shut its Grandpass mosque and move to an older place of worship which […]
‘s HNB deep discount bond sale to open Aug 23
Aug 11, 2013 (LBO) – The sale of up to three billion rupees in deep discount bonds by Sri Lanka’s Hatton National Bank will open on Aug 23.Fitch Ratings had give the proposed bond an expected rating of ‘AA-‘ same as HNB’s long term rating. The bank is offering 20 million debentures at 100 rupees […]
Settlement Plan
SAN FRANCISCO, August 11, 2013 (AFP) – Online financial transactions titan PayPal says it is keen to collaborate with others as it strives for a cash-free future.“We are all about working with developers to let them take advantage of the heavy lifting we’ve done when it comes to moving money around the world,” Hill Ferguson, […]
Curfew in Colombo as tensions rise after mosque attack
August 11, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police clamped a fresh curfew on a Colombo neighbourhood Sunday, a day after a Buddhist-led mob vandalised a mosque in an incident that raised religious tensions and sparked US concern.All four people injured in the attack, including two police constables guarding the mosque, remained in hospital Sunday. Residents […]
Sri Lanka lifts curfew as Muslims fear more violence
COLOMBO, August 11, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police lifted a curfew on a Colombo neighbourhood Sunday after a Buddhist-led mob attack on a mosque raised religious tensions and left the Muslim minority fearing further violence.Hundreds of police, including anti-riot squads and elite Special Task Force commandos, remained on alert in the Grandpass district following […]
Probe Call
WASHINGTON, August 9, 2013 (AFP) – The United States on Friday urged Sri Lanka to investigate a deadly army crackdown on a village environmental protest and to prosecute those responsible.The military on August 1 opened fire on thousands of unarmed villagers at Weliweriya near Colombo as they protested contamination of their ground water, allegedly due […]
First Indian nuclear submarine set for open sea trials
NEW DELHI, August 10, 2013 (AFP) – India announced Saturday that its first indigenously-built nuclear submarine is ready for sea trials, a step before it becomes fully operational, and called it a “giant stride” for the nation.It will ply the seas alongside the former Russian aircraft carrier “Admiral Gorshkov”, now the “INS Vikramaditya”, due to […]
Brazil to privatize two airports in late October
BRASÃLIA, August 9, 2013 (AFP) – An auction to privatize airports in Rio and Belo Horizonte, two host cities for the 2014 World Cup, will be held on October 31, Brazilian authorities said Friday. Presidential chief of staff Gleisi Hoffmann announced the date for the auction to sell concessions to run Rio’s Galeao airport and […]
Assault on mosque revives Sri Lanka religious tensions
COLOMBO, August 10, 2013 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police deployed commandos and imposed a curfew on a Colombo neighbourhood Saturday after a Buddhist-led mob attacked a mosque, wounding four people and reviving simmering religious tensions, officials said. Police sources said elite Special Task Force commandos were deployed to help maintain law and order following mob […]
Rating Confirmed
Aug 09, 2013(LBO) – RAM Rating has confirmed Commercial bank’s rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. Media contact Nilusha Fonseka (9411) 2553089 The ratings are based on the Bank’s strong market position in the island as the largest privately-owned licensed commercial bank and third-largest overall,” the rating agency said in a statement. The ratings […]