The location of Sri Lanka has a strategic significance and this has been proven by the historical trading activities between Sri Lanka and ancient China, Egypt, and the Roman Empire. There is ample evidence to show that Sri Lanka was a main trading hub in Asia. The reasons for occupation of Sri Lanka by the ...

Reuters: Investors fed up with years of poor returns are deserting BRIC equity funds, pushing share valuations to record cheap levels and questioning the future of the high-profile investment theme. The term, coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs banker Jim O’Neill, provided a catchy acronym to unite the four biggest emerging economies, two of which ...

Reuters: Russia warned the West on Tuesday against unilateral action on Syria, a day after U.S. President Barack Obama threatened “enormous consequences” if his Syrian counterpart used chemical or biological arms or even moved them in a menacing way. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after meeting China’s top diplomat, said Moscow and Beijing were ...

Protecting the small depositor   One reason for poor communities the world over responding to the service facility provided by Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) to take in the small amounts of savings the poor generate on a daily or weekly basis is the security offered by the cash being securely looked after at a remote ...

Last week I had the opportunity of meeting Hermawan Kartajaya, one of the top 50 gurus who has shaped the world of marketing. His perspective to the changing landscape of marketing and what business must do sure opened my mind set to a new way of thinking business and Sri Lanka’s policy decision making. Hermawan ...

Disruption to food production, due to adverse weather conditions in USA, China, Russia and India could contribute to a spike in world food prices. Due to its direct exposure to global supply disruptions, Sri Lanka could be adversely affected, warns Sri Lankaandrsquo;s economic think tank andndash; Pathfinder andndash; in its latest andlsquo;economic flash.andrsquo;

PARIS/LONDON (Reuters): Leading members of the Group of 20 nations are prepared to trigger an emergency meeting to address soaring grain prices caused by the worst US drought in more than half a century and poor crops from the Black Sea bread basket. France, the United States and G20 president Mexico will hold a conference ...

Reuters: Usain Bolt and Jamaica’s speedsters smashed the 4×100 metres world record, Britain’s Mo Farah brought London to its feet with another golden distance win and Mexico broke Brazilian soccer hearts in a thrilling penultimate day of Olympic action. But Saturday’s sporting highs were tempered by news that a Syrian runner was expelled from the ...

Reuters: A visibly shaken Kofi Annan admitted defeat in his attempts to bring peace to Syria on Thursday, but – perhaps keen to protect his legacy from the taint of another genocide – laid the blame for the failure on the big powers that claim to back him. Syria was the best chance for Annan, ...

Reuters: Swimmer Michael Phelps won his 17th Olympic medal to take him closer to the all-time mark, but his U.S. freestyle relay team were upstaged by France as records fell in the pool on Sunday’s second day of competition at the London Games. South Africa’s Cameron Van der Burgh and American Dana Vollmer set world ...

Industry experts urge disillusioned local investors to ‘buy when it’s down and sell when it’s up’ In a highly volatile atmosphere and with low investor confidence in the Colombo Bourse, experts earlier this week went against the negative sentiments and instead stated that now is the time to buy. These views were aired at a ...

Four examples; two bad and two goodThe website of the London Economist newspaper has a reference to an official of a certain country referring to a journalist in words similar to what follows – I have substituted words which would be appropriate to an officer and a gentleman addressing a lady, for what was actually ...

The United States has moved new forces into the Gulf to keep strategic waterways open and strike deep within Iran in the event of a regional military escalation, the New York Times reported Tuesday. The Times cited senior officials as saying the quiet build-up was aimed at reassuring Israel that Washington is serious about addressing ...

Reuters: Rafael Nadal needed a few games to adjust his sights for grasscourt combat at Wimbledon but Serena Williams quickly found her range as the two former champions moved safely into the second round on Tuesday. Spaniard Nadal, looking to reclaim the title he won in 2008 and 2010, found himself 4-0 down against Brazil’s ...

FACETS 2012, Sri Lankaandrsquo;s only International Gem and Jewellery Show which is expected to be held from the 5 - 8 September this year, has all 154 booths sold out, with inquiries continuing to come in from countries like India, Russia and China to send buying delegations.

FACETS 2012, Sri Lankaandrsquo;s only International Gem and Jewellery Show which is expected to be held from the 5 to 8 September this year, has all 154 booths sold out, with inquiries continuing to come in from countries like Russia and China to send buying delegations.

Ballooning trade gap Even with the multitude of measures taken to curb imports, Sri Lanka's cumulative trade deficit widened to nearly US$ 1.7 billion in the first two months of the year with earnings from exports increasing marginally by 3.3 per cent to US$ 1.8 billion whilst import expenditure shooting by 24.7 per cent to ...

News reports point to an important decision that the minister concerned has been requested to make on the above subject. If this is correct it is important that we recognise that it is more than a million dollar decision that has been called for. It is so important a decision because it could determine the ...