UNP and Communist Party of China strengthen links

The UNP and Communist Part of China (CPC) have initiated plans to deepen relationships. UNP Chairman Minister Malik Samarawickrama and UNP...

Sickle in place of gun!

Members of Civil Security Department (CSD) of Sri Lanka were seen harvesting their rice crop in former war-torn Kilinochchi district recently. CSD Director General Chandrarathna Pallegama also participated in the event

Ringing the bell for gender equality

The Sri Lanka Institute of Directors together with the Colombo Stock Exchange and the International Finance

SEC “deliberating” minimum public float rules: Thilak K

Capital Market regulator Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is currently “deliberating” on the mandatory 

BOC sets new profit benchmark

State-owned banking giant Bank of Ceylon (BOC) recorded a pretax profit of Rs.25.3 billion for the year ended December

LOLC rings bell to open trading

Lanka Orix Leasing Company PLC opened trading at the bourse yesterday with the traditional bell ringing ceremony on the first day of trading each month for companies listed under S&P SL20 index.  The LOLC Group last week signed a foreign syndicated loan of US$ 247 million to fund its corporate debt and micro financing operations.  

Fitch downgrades Sri Lanka to ‘B+’; outlook negative

Fitch Ratings yesterday downgraded Sri Lanka’s sovereign credit rating to ‘B+’ from ‘BB-’ and assigned a negative outlook.

Aiming to fly high

The “Shang Flying Dreams Kite Festival” organized by Shangri-La Resort in Hambantota was held last Saturday with the participation of school children in the area. The 100-day countdown is also set for the opening of the resort. Shangri-La is a Hong-Kong based luxury hotel operator who is also developing a property at the Galle Face promenade.  

McLaren's 570GT luxury supercar

The new 570GT is the third model in McLaren's "Sports Series"

Central Bank says won’t rule out another rate hike

The Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran said yesterday that he would not rule out another rate hike this year if the foreign outflows continued. His comments came less than a week after a 50 basis point rate increase by the Central Bank.

Fonterra opens demo farm, training centre

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who is currently visiting Sri Lanka, is being given an explanation about the activities of the first-ever Fonterra Demonstration

ADB chief pledges more funding; wants better fiscal management

Impressed with the changes witnessed in the economy that is in the hands of a unity government, visiting Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Vera crowned Ms. Tourism Sri Lanka 2016

The Ms. Tourism Sri Lanka International 2016 beauty pageant concluded last Sunday on a high note with Vera Branda Dukstra from the Netherlands winning the crown.

Inspecting Mattala Air Port

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe on Saturday visited the Southern district of Hambantota on an inspection tour to observe the progress of some of the development projects. Picture shows the PM arriving at the Mattala Air Port, flanked by Housing and Construction Minister Sajith Premadasa and Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake. Pic by Pradeep Pathirana 

Singapore Air Show

Visitors look at a US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft on display at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore yesterday. Asia’s largest aerospace and defence event is taking place from February 16 to 21. AFP

CSE Chief says positivism is need of the hour

As the global and local economic outlooks continue to be grim for Sri Lanka, the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) Chief yesterday stressed positivism of any form is essential at the moment to help turnaround the dampened situation faced by bourse.

President in Berlin

German Chancellor Merkel and Sri Lanka’s President Sirisena review the guard of honour at the Chancellery in Berlin 

PM hints at taxing capital

The government yesterday hinted at moving towards taxing capital, reversing its current tax policy approach of serving all—both super rich, rich and poor—with more or less with the same spoon.  

Sri Lanka takes part in SATTE

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) participated in South Asia’s Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) 2016 held in New Delhi

The Ship for World Youth Leaders

The ceremony to welcome world youth leaders participating in “The Ship for World Youth Leaders” took place at the  

Farmers protest

Farmers throw objects near the Agriculture ministry in Athens during a demonstration against the pension reform yesterday. Fears that Greece will exit the eurozone, a “Grexit”, could revive if Greek authorities do not come up with “credible” reforms, notably on pensions, a senior IMF official had said. AFP

Marching against ETCA with India

A number of professional bodies in the country yesterday organized a protest march in Colombo against the proposed Economic...

Nepal billionaire’s Zinc Journey brand launched in Sri Lanka

Nepal’s only billionaire Binod Chaudhary’s CG Group launched the ambitious Zinc Journey brand in Sri Lanka yesterday in partnership with several local leading hospitality companies.

Rural folks embrace renewable energy

Sri Lanka expects to generate 100 percent renewable energy for local consumption by 2050. The picture shows a cadjan-thatched hut in Panama, Eastern Province, belonging to a fisherman, with a solar panel on the roof

Sri Lanka aims self-sufficiency in renewable energy by 2050

Sri Lanka will aim at generating 100 percent renewable energy for local consumption by 2050 while exporting non-renewable energy to the SAARC region, top government officials said.

Rotterdam cruise liner calls at H’tota port

Holland America’s 230-metre long passenger liner ‘Rotterdam’ with 1164 passengers and 598 crew on board docked at the Hambantota Port at about 7.00 a.m. yesterday. 

Iran-Japan biz talks

Iranian Economic and Finance Minister Ali Tayebnia (2nd L) speaks during talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida (R), following a signing ceremony of an investment agreement in front of Japanese and Iranian business persons at the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo yesterday. Tayebnia is on a five-day visit to Japan. AFP

Celebrating Independence

Sri Lankan military personnel march during the country’s 68th Independence Day celebrations in Colombo yesterday. 

All set to mark Independence Day

Special Task Force (STF) soldiers with gas masks sit on an armoured vehicle during a rehearsal yesterday for the country’s 68th Independence Day celebrations in Colombo

Laugfs breaks ground for US $ 30mn pharmaceutical manufacturing plant

??By Chandeepa Wettasinghe One of th e younges t conglomerates in Sri Lanka, Laugfs Holdings PLC, broke ground on one of South Asia’s largest pharmaceuticals manufacturing plants in Koggala recently, making a grand entrance to the country’s health sector.