TOKYO (Reuters): Asian shares rose on Wednesday as upbeat U.S. economic data plus signs of improving capital positions at big American banks stoked appetites for risk, while reduced expectations for more  monetary easing by the Federal Reserve underpinned the dollar.  The dollar eased from a seven-week high against a basket of major currencies of 80.320 ...

Having successfully defeated terrorism, ended years of civil war, ushered an era of peace and prosperity to the country, initiated resoundingly successful development initiatives in the north and the east, the Government of Sri Lanka needs to be applauded for consolidating a unified national identity; an identity that only occasionally reared its head at cricket ...

Singapore: Japan should achieve moderate real GDP growth of 2% in 2012, following a 0.9% contraction in 2011, when the Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis damaged the nation’s economy, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said in a report published today. “Together with slower global economic growth and a rise in the yen, ...

As the world decides vote on Sri Lanka on the methods used on the eradication of terrorism in the country, my mind goes back to the December 2008 when three of us were organising the staging of the first Industrial Exhibition in Jaffna so that the north gets connected to south on an economic front. ...

HANOI (Reuters): Vietnam’s central bank cut key rates on dong loans and deposits for the first time in nearly three years, helping ease the burden of high operating costs faced by businesses after inflation eased last month. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) as expected cut the refinance rate, or the rate at which it ...

Sri Lanka will be hoping it is a case of third time lucky when they face Australia in Friday’s final Commonwealth Bank Series group game in Melbourne. Tuesday’s shocking defeat to India means Sri Lanka have to beat Australia for the third time in the competition to guarantee themselves a place in the finals against ...

Reuters: A planned referendum in Ireland and a German court ruling cast new uncertainty on Tuesday over efforts to overcome the euro zone’s debt crisis, just when a flood of central bank money appeared to be calming financial markets.  Ireland’s prickly electorate, which has twice voted “No” to European Union treaties before reversing itself, will ...

Clouded prospects in developed markets cast a shadow over outlook for trade and economyBy Jonathan Story Two key forces that have driven Asia’s transformation for decades can be counted on to continue apace in the coming year: economic development and China’s rise. Nonetheless, individual Asian countries will struggle to balance domestic and international responsibilities in ...

BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand’s economy, which shrank a record 10.7 per cent in the fourth quarter due to devastating flooding, is expected to bounce back sharply this year as the government and major exporters step up reconstruction spending after the disaster. While some economists said the worst performance on record in the final quarter of 2011 ...

“Account management is the process of maximising the return on your investment in a customer by defining and actioning appropriate plans that will enable you to build on the present, to manage the future” An account manager is a person in a business who is responsible for the management of the sales and relationship with ...

Reuters: Italian Police said on Friday they had seized about $6 trillion worth of fake U.S. Treasury bonds and other securities in Switzerland, and arrested eight Italians accused of international fraud and other financial crimes. The operation, co-ordinated by prosecutors from the southern Italian city of Potenza, was carried out by Italian, Swiss and U.S. ...

Reuters: On a recent Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight, water flowed from the toilets through the aisles during the entire journey from London to Islamabad. "What if it reaches some electrical wires and puts us in danger?" said one concerned passenger to another after flight attendants brushed off repeated complaints. "This could be a catastrophe." ...

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Asia-Pacific region has made great strides in reducing poverty and is moving fast towards other development goals, but levels of hunger and child and maternal mortality are still high, according to a United Nations and Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released here yesterday. The Asia-Pacific region has already reached the Millennium ...

Reuters: Iran, facing sanctions that could cripple its oil exports, has told world powers it wants to resume long-stalled talks with “new initiatives”, and France said it might be open to addressing suspicions about its nuclear programme. Tehran made the offer in a letter to the EU’s foreign policy chief obtained by Reuters on Thursday, ...

(Bloomberg): Sri Lanka doesn’t need to further tighten monetary policy for now even though an increase in fuel and transportation costs and a weakening currency may stoke inflation, the head of the central bank said. The central bank’s rate increase earlier this month will have a “demand-driven impact” and help moderate inflation, its Governor Ajith ...

Sri Lanka’s benchmark stock index, the world’s worst performer this year, may extend its slump as the central bank raises interest rates to curb inflation, according to HSBC Holdings Plc’s private banking unit. HSBC Private Bank, which oversees about $499 billion, will wait for stock valuations to fall to “single digit” multiples before it considers ...

Stock market plunges further; Rs. 69 b in value wiped off One year loss of value is a staggering Rs. 766 b EPF and foreign buying saves Bourse after near 5% crash Rupee dips to all-time low of Rs. 120; likely to settle down though triggering panic in import trade Crisis could be an understatement ...

Reuters: If the World Bank is correct, 2012 will see the second slowest year of global economic growth in a decade, at a level consistent with a world recession that, like the 2008/2009 financial crisis, would not spare Asia. Its sister organisation, the International Monetary Fund, warns that economic expansion in China could be slashed ...

Reuters: Greek political leaders said they had clinched a deal on economic reforms and spending cuts needed to secure a second bailout, but euro zone finance ministers demanded more measures and a parliamentary seal of approval before providing the aid. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund have been exasperated by a string of ...

Reuters: A few months ago economists were all but certain the U.S. economy would slow sharply at the start of this year, with many warning that recession risks were growing. That pessimism has been shaken off by a string of surprisingly solid data that paint a picture of an economy with building momentum. The jobs ...

UNP MP, its spokesman for the economy and Consultant Economist Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday gave thumbs up to Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal for the latter’s dual move of hiking interest rates and depreciating the currency, though insisted risks and challenges remain. “The Central Bank Chief must be commended for finally realising that there ...

Reuters: Asian shares and the euro fell on Friday as debt restructuring talks between Greece and its creditors dragged on, undermining sentiment, and investors sat tight ahead of U.S. jobs data that will offer more clues on the health of the world’s top economy. Financial spreadbetters expected Britain’s FTSE 100, Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC-40 ...

Hon. D.E.W. Gunasekera Chairman, Committee on Public          Enterprises (COPE) Parliament of Sri Lanka Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Dear Chairman, Action on COPE and other reports? Reference the aforementioned, I attach the following: 1.Daily Mirror front page News Report of Saturday, 21.1.2012 headlined ‘Bribery, CID Officers to be summoned by COPE. D...

Are the Indian Army’s golf courses illegal?                 Sri Lanka’s fourth golf course opened by Air Force   India’s national auditor, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), has reported to Parliament that the country’s Army has turned large tracts of State military property into illegal privately-run ...

Reuters: Greece’s international lenders think the indebted country will need 145 billion euros of public money from the euro zone for its second bailout rather than the planned 130 billion euros, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Saturday. The magazine said the extra 15 billion euros were needed because of the deteriorating economic situation ...

Reuters: Asian shares and the euro firmed on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it would keep interest rates low for a longer-than-expected period, providing ample liquidity to help spur growth. Equities, commodities and U.S. Treasuries all rose on Wednesday after the Fed policy meeting, while the prospect for unfavourable interest rate differentials undermined ...

BANGKOK (Reuters): The Thai Government approved on Tuesday a 15 billion baht ($477 million) budget plan to prop up rubber prices, but the impact of the farmer-friendly intervention is likely to be shortlived because of weak demand. The Government agreed to buy unsmoked rubber sheet (USS3) from farmers at 120 baht ($3.82) per kg, up ...

Regulatory pressure mounted further over the course of 2011 – bad news for financial services firms, but good news for the consultancies to which they turned for help. Ernst and Young topped the Operational Risk and Regulation consultancy rankings again in 2011 (http://www.risk.net/operational-risk-and-regulation/feature/2135016/orr-consultancy-rankings-2011), and the New York-based head of ...

Brazil president wants 4 pct GDP growth, above forecasts Officials say they will pursue goal responsibly Concerns over inflation, budget targets BRASILIA (Reuters): Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has made 4 percent economic growth her government’s main mission this year and is willing to cut taxes, take stimulus measures and possibly sacrifice other targets if needed, ...

BUDAPEST (Reuters): More than 100,000 people rallied on Saturday in a show of support for the embattled Hungarian government, as it prepares to compromise in a bitter row with the European Union to secure a vital loan. Labelled a “March of Peace” the demonstration was by far the largest rally since the government took power ...