Shareholder Director Rayynor Silva has resigned from the Board of Citrus Leisure Plc and its subsidiaries with effect from 16 April. No reasons were given for the resignation, but market talk was that ties between Rayynor and Citrus Director Dilith Jayaweera had strained owing to some news item regarding the latter in the former’s media ...

HNB Pathum Vimana, the biggest deposit draw in Sri Lanka, has rewarded countless Sri Lankans with amazing prizes over the last twenty years. The lucky winners of the Pathum Vimana 2011 draw received their prizes at a ceremony organized by Hatton National Bank. The prize presentation for the winners was held at HNB Towers on ...

Mindshare snared the sole Grand Prix at the Media Abby Awards 2012 in Best Use of Branded Content for Surf Excel ‘Little Big Film Maker’. The campaign also won a Gold. Additionally, the agency picked up two Silvers (Axe ‘Male Fantasy Theme Parks’ and Kissan Jam ‘Kissan Jammy Art’) and two Bronzes (Nike Cricket ‘Bleed ...

Reuters: Real Madrid have one hand on a first La Liga trophy in four years after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brilliant winner in a 2-1 victory at Barcelona on Saturday that stretched their lead over their bitter rivals to seven points with four games left. On a dramatic, rain-lashed night at the Nou Camp, the ...

Wins four coveted metalsLeo Burnett Solutions Inc., the Sri Lankan office of the globally recognised network dominated the Goa Fest advertising award festival by winning four coveted metals in a cross section of categories, for its clients Cargills Ceylon, Akzo Nobel – Dulux and the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society (SLEDS) last weekend in Goa. ...

Emirates customers travelling to the United States will soon enjoy seamless connections to a dozen U.S. cities, after the airline announced the start of a one-way codeshare with JetBlue. The codeshare will further strengthen the relationship between Emirates and JetBlue. The two airlines have been interline partners since 2010, enabling customers to enjoy the convenience ...

Washington : Researchers at UT Dallas have designed an imager chip that could turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls, wood, plastics, paper and other objects. The team's research linked two scientific advances. One involves tapping into an unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum. The other is a new microchip technology. The ...

By Jack and Suzy Welch Reuters: Remember that incompetent boss you used to have? He was a good guy and all, but he just couldn’t make decisions or prioritise. Perhaps worst of all, he tried to make everyone happy, resulting in almost everyone being angry or confused or both.  And remember how long it took ...

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it expects at least a ten per cent spike in number of Gulf visitors to the country this summer lured by its family-friendly attractions, refined shopping experience and a sleepless nightlife. Singapore has already received more than 14,000 visitors from the UAE during the first quarter of 2012, up 8 ...

HSBC Signature cardholders, an exclusive circle of customers, have been offered a 10 per cent discount on Emirates First and Business Class travel from Colombo to ten popular destinations. The exciting promotion valid from 1 April to 30 June is applicable for both return and one-way tickets purchased on-line via www.emirates.com/lk from 1 April to ...

Emmanuel Ray, winner of Fashions Finest’s Fashion Icon of the Year award (2011), has been asked to officially open Gibraltar Fashion Week commencing 19 April 2012. Emmanuel will meet with fashion designers, press and a selection of important members of the Gibraltarian government. Reene Weston, designer and organiser had the following to say about why she chose ...

Reuters: The Norwegian anti-Islamic gunman who killed 77 people said at his trial on Tuesday his shooting spree and bomb attack were “sophisticated and spectacular” and that he would do the same thing again. Anders Behring Breivik, 33, has pleaded not guilty and said he was defending his country by setting off a car bomb ...

Takes delivery of first aircraft with new premium economy product and long haul economy class seats Cathay Pacific Airways has taken delivery of a new Boeing 777-300ER that is the first aircraft to feature its Premium Economy Class product and new long-haul Economy Class seats. At the same time, the airline also received its fifth ...

Emirates, the leading international airline of the UAE, has launched its Facebook page, attracting more than 300,000 fans within the first three weeks. Millions of Emirates fans around the world can now connect and engage with the airline directly through Facebook. In its first two weeks Emirates was also established as the number one airline ...

Team Sponsor of IPL franchise stages coaching clinic for budding players With cricket fever gripping the India, Emirates – the Team Sponsor of Deccan Chargers – reiterated its commitment towards the sport and the country by providing lucky youngsters a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet their idols. The international airline, which serves India with 185 weekly flights, st...

Shooter gives clenched-fist salute Refuses to recognise court Court must rule on guilt and sanity OSLO (Reuters): The Norwegian anti-Islamic militant who massacred 77 people last summer arrived at an Oslo courthouse under armed guard on Monday, clenching his fist in a far-right salute and saying he did not recognise the authority of the judges. ...

Last Sunday when the unknown Ajinkya Rahane scored 103 runs off just 60 balls at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, which helped the Rajasthan Royals to score a massive 195 runs at IPL season five, my mind went to just one ethos the IPL is all about – highlighting performance. It is how IPL ...

Promises to fix immigration quickly in second term Says Republican rival’s approach “very troublesome” Secret Service scandal overshadows trade message CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters): US President Barack Obama, taking his re-election campaign south of the U.S. border, promised on Saturday to pursue long-promised immigration reform early in a second term and slammed his White House...

Reuters: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi took their remarkable scoring achievements to new heights when they jointly set a record for La Liga goals in a season of 41 on Saturday. Portuguese international Ronaldo, who set the previous best of 40 last term, nodded home an Angel Di Maria centre in the 74th minute at ...

PYONGYANG,(Reuters) : North Korea’s new leader delivered his first major public speech on Sunday as the impoverished state celebrated the centenary of its founder’s birth, calling for a push to “final victory” despite a failed rocket launch two days earlier. A jowly Kim Jong-un, clad in black and the third of his line to rule ...

OSLO (Reuters): Anti-Islam militant Anders Behring Breivik appears bent on turning a Norwegian court into a “circus” show for his views when he goes on trial on Monday for killing 77 people, reopening wounds in the traditionally tolerant and tranquil nation. The facts of the case will hardly be at issue; Breivik has proudly admitted ...

Reuters: Japan’s Sony Corp flagged a record $6.4 billion annual net loss, double an earlier forecast and a fourth straight year of red ink, as it writes off deferred tax credits, heaping more pressure on its new CEO to turn around the giant electronics company. Sony, which plans to cut 10,000 jobs – about 6 ...

DUBAI (Reuters): Iran has cut oil exports to Spain and may halt sales to Germany and Italy, Iran’s English-language state television reported on Tuesday, in an apparent move to strengthen its position ahead of crucial talks with world powers later this week. But, in an indication that Tehran’s “counter-sanctions” were of little impact, Spain’s biggest ...

Apple will become the world’s first trillion-dollar company when its shares top $1,000 each, Wall Street analysts have predicted. The technology giant’s shares were worth $633.38 last week as its stock price rose above Google’s for the first time, the Daily Mail reported Friday. Brian White, of Topeka Capital Markets, then claimed Apple’s sky-high share ...

TOKYO (Reuters) : Japan’s Sony Corp is to cut 10,000 jobs, about 6 percent of its workforce, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday, as new CEO Kazuo Hirai looks to steer the electronics and entertainment giant back to profit after four years in the red. The job cuts would be the latest downsizing in Japan ...

With ending of the Maha season paddy harvesting, newspapers and TV have been highlighting problems encountered by farmers in disposing of their harvest. Due excellent weather, free from drought, flood and disease, farmers have received a bumper crop but the problem is to convert the harvest into cash, in order to settle debts incurred in ...

THE Sri Lankan office of the global advertising agency Leo Burnett  has once again made history with its award winning short film, “Pass it on when you’re done with it“ making it into the prestigious Gunn “Showreel of the year” Report. The commercial has made an appearance in the “Top 100 Creative Ideas of 2011” ...

REUTERS: Valencia blew the title race wide open when they held Real Madrid to a 0-0 draw on Sunday that trimmed the leaders’ advantage over chasing Barcelona to four points with seven La Liga games left. Goalkeeper Vicente Guaita was the hero for the visitors in a tense encounter at the Bernabeu as he produced ...

Reuters: U.S. employers hired far fewer workers in March than in previous months, keeping the door open for the Federal Reserve to provide more monetary support for a still sluggish economy. The report was seized upon by Republicans hoping to make the weak economy the centerpiece of their campaign for November’s presidential and congressional elections. ...

In Sri Lanka, a joyous festive celebration is not complete without a loud blast of firecrackers. The auspicious times celebrated during Sinhala and Tamil New Year are traditionally marked by ear-splitting sounds that reverberate across the length and breadth of the country. How did firecrackers and fireworks become popular? How did it all start?   ...