Business

Colombo, Dec 22 - Sri Lanka is looking to Australia to find ways to safely import raw coconuts, as a drought has sharply reduced the crop, EconomyNext reported Friday. Sri Lanka had already decided to import coconut kernels, and the cabinet of ministers had decided to transfer the responsibility to the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs to speed...

New Delhi , December 21 (NDTV):A court in New Delhi on Thursday acquitted former Indian Telecom Minister A Raja and M Kanimozhi of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and 15 others of charges in what was described as India's biggest telecom scandal, the "2G scam". The judge said investigators could not prove that Raja, along with officials from companies that...

New Delhi, December 21 (IANS): Star cricketer Virat Kohli has replaced Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as Indias top-ranking celebrity brand, according to a report by a valuation advisor. In the 2017 report titled ‘Rise of the Millennials: India’s Most Valuable Celebrity Brands’, Duff & Phelps said that Kohli topped the list with brand value of $144 million, followed by...

Male, December 20 (newsin.asia): The globally recognized entertainment and lifestyle brand, Hard Rock International has announced plans to expand its portfolio with Hard Rock Hotel Maldives and Hard Rock Cafe Maldives, which are slated to open on October 1, 2018. A part of the Emboodhoo Lagoon project, the first ever integrated resort destination in the Maldives, will work in collaboration...

Male, December 20 (newsin.asia): Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen and the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Wednesday expressed a shared belief in instituting “moderation” as an important ingredient in the world’s approach to combating violent extremism. In a joint communiqué issued at the end of the visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to the Indian Ocean archipelago, the two leaders...

Colombo, December 19 (The Star/The Malaysian Reserve): The delay in renewing Malaysian-owned telecom giant Dialog Axiata Group’s service license in Sri Lanka, which has held back up to US$300mil (RM1.22bil) of its additional investments here, is likely to be resolved soon. The visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has said that Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena suggested during their meeting...

Male, December 19: The Maldives has plans to become an international financial player, laying the groundwork to become an international center of Islamic finance amid efforts to diversify the country's income and investment streams, the Maldivian Finance Minister, Ahmed Munawar, has said. Munawar is quoted by the website Maldives Global FDI Reports as saying that one of the main strategies...

Dubai, December 19 (Gulf News): Apart from the serene beaches and blue lagoons, Maldives is sending a message to the world: It’s open for business. Through presenting its multi-million projects to further develop the infrastructure, mainly the international airport, the South Asian Island country is seeking more foreign investments, declaring it as the “most competitive investment destination” in South East...

Kenya, Dec 19 (Daily Nation) - Kenya wants to use the current tea trade spat — triggered by a single insect— between Russia and Sri-Lanka to boost its volumes to Moscow after years of low exports. Wire agencies reported on Friday that Russia would place temporary restrictions on imports of tea and all other agricultural products from Sri Lanka from...

Islamabad, December 18 (Express Tribune): The Long-Term Plan (LTP) of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) envisages Pakistan giving Chinese currency a status at par with the US dollar. Pakistan’s Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing on Monday launched the plan for 2017-30 that set out the building conditions of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The document...