Asia

Qatar Airways adds flights to Colombo and Dhaka

August 22, 2017

DOHA, Qatar, 21 August 2017: Qatar Airways continues to expand with new flights to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Saying it is responding to robust demand from passengers it is increasing its Colombo service from four to five flights weekly effective 11 September. The airline’s Dhaka service will also [...]

Australia helps Sri Lanka as dengue toll hits 250

July 19, 2017

COLOMBO (AFP) – Australia will join Sri Lanka in its war on dengue fever, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Wednesday, as the virus has claimed a record 250 lives and infected nearly 100,000 people in the South Asian country this year. Sri Lanka has deployed hundreds of troops to [...]

Sri Lanka President promises consultation with Buddhist leaders on new constitution

July 6, 2017

COLOMBO, July 6 (Reuters) – Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Thursday pledged to consult the country’s Buddhist leaders over his plans for constitutional reform, which he promised in his 2015 election campaign to bring about reconciliation among all ethnic groups. Sri Lanka [...]

Modi begins first ever Israel visit by an Indian PM

July 4, 2017

Tel Aviv (AFP) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel Tuesday for the first ever visit by an Indian premier, amid growing ties between the two countries including billions of dollars in defence deals. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials welcomed Modi with [...]

100+ people burn to death after oil tanker flips & explodes in Pakistan

June 25, 2017

100+ people burn to death after oil tanker flips & explodes in Pakistan (GRAPHIC)Over 100 people have burnt to death after an oil tanker overturned, spilling its payload on a highway in the Pakistani city of Bahawalpur, local media report. At least 123 people were killed according to sources [...]

Landslide buries mountain village in SW China, fears for 141 people

June 24, 2017

(Reuters) – Fears grew for 141 people missing in China after a landslide buried their mountain village in southwestern Sichuan province on Saturday, with reports that only three survivors had been pulled out of the mud and rock hours after the calamity struck. The landslide swept over 46 [...]

Qatar’s neighbors issue long list of demands to end crisis

June 23, 2017

Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have cut ties to Qatar issued a long list of demands Thursday to end the crisis, insisting that their Gulf neighbor shut down Al-Jazeera, scale back ties to Iran and close a Turkish military base in Qatar. In a 13-point list issued to Qatar, the Arab nations [...]

US destroyer, container vessel collide off Japan: Navy

June 16, 2017

Washington (AFP) – A US Navy destroyer and a Philippine-flagged container ship collided off the coast of Japan, causing an undetermined number of injuries, the US Navy reported Friday. The collision between the guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald and the ACX Crystal took place about 56 [...]

Airbus compensation hits Sri Lankan Airline as loss widens

June 16, 2017

(Reuters) – SriLankan Airlines on Friday said its losses more than doubled in the year ended March 2017, hit by high costs of cancelling leases on Airbus aircraft and partial closure of the country’s main airport. The state-owned national carrier, which is looking for an international [...]

Some Sri Lankan banks stop buying Qatar Riyal

June 6, 2017

Some Sri Lankan banks stopped buying Qatar Riyal QARLKR=R on Tuesday, saying their counterpart banks in Singapore advised them not to accept the currency a day after the Arab world’s biggest powers cut ties with Qatar. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on Monday [...]