Brother is proud to announce the launch of its latest series of Multi Function Centers (MFCs), which represents a major breakthrough in the multifunction segment in the market with its competitive pricing and wireless features. The launch, which took place at the Cinnamon Lakeside recently, was met with a great deal of enthusiasm, attended by the coporate clientale, and hoping to reach its targeted sales growth within the coming months. These entry level machines with wireless connectivity will definitely revive the office automation and communications market in Sri Lanka.
With its 100 year history, the Brother series was well received to its unique position in the market, having had great success and popularity in the Asian region and especially in Singapore. The Low-end to High-end range comprises of: Brother HL 1210W Mono Laser Printer/DCP 1610W Print/copy scan Laser 3 in 1/MFC1910W Print/Copy/Scan/Fax Laser 4 in 1/HL L2360DN Mono Laser Printer/HL L 2365DW Mono Laser printer/DCP2540DW Mono laser 3 in 1 print, copy, color scan/MFC L 2700D Mono laser Fax, Print, copy, scan 4 in 1/MFC L2700DW Mono laser Fax, Print, copy, scan 4 in 1/MFC L2740DW Mono laser Fax, Print, copy, scan 4 in 1/J100 Color ink jet 3 in 1/J200w Color Ink jet 4 in 1 and MFC J 3520 color inkjet 4 in 1.
Brother’s latest innovation addresses concerns of its users in terms of print speed and quality, toner output, user-friendliness and cost-efficiency. All these requirements are met with the incorporation of its unique Brother technology.
“In order to differentiate our product from the other MFCs and printers in the market, we had to invest in some practical as well as technological innovations,” Aaron Wan, Regional Product Executive for Brother International Ltd., Singapore, explained. To address cost concerns, as well as reliability, he also stated, “You can save more ink easily with the ‘Ink Save Mode’, which is ideal for printing draft documents without excessive ink wastage, plus an individual Ink Cartridge System which allows you to replace only the colors you need and still print in black, even if the colour cartridge runs out.”
The Chief Guest at the occasion was Shinji Tada, Managing Director, Brother International Ltd., Singapore. Also present at the occasion was Lalith Ambani – Chairman of Office Network Ltd and Dinesh Ambani – Group Chairman of the MetroCorp Group.
Office Network Ltd. is a leading Office Automation solutions providing company, having delivered business solutions for the past 18 years. They exclusively represent all office automation and information technology products manufactured by Brother International – Japan, through its principals Brother International Limited Singapore.
Office Network Limited is a fully owned subsidiary of the Metrocorp Group that has its interests in Plantations, Hydro-power, Water management, Real estate and Investments.
For further information, contact 011 4 741777 or 011 2 369647-50

Reuters: Virat Kohli says his team mates will determine the success or otherwise of his captaincy when he takes charge of India in place of Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the first test against Australia next month.
The 26-year-old batsman will make his test captaincy bow in Brisbane on Dec. 4 while Dhoni sits out the first of the four matches in the series to recuperate from a hand injury.
“I’m pretty confident of the ability the guys have,” he told reporters on Sunday in Adelaide, where India open their tour with a two-day match against a Prime Minister’s XI starting on Monday.
“It’s up to me how I handle them, how I handle different situations. As long as the team backs me and puts in the performances we want, I think I’m going to look good at the end of the day. I don’t see any issues on why I can’t be up to the challenge.”
Kohli was very much the test rookie alongside the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman on India’s last tour of Australia in 2011-12.
He ended up being one of the few bright lights for the tourists as they slumped to a humiliating 4-0 sweep, however, and scored his maiden century in the fourth test in Adelaide.
Unlike many of his team mates, Kohli has the experience of playing on the hard Australian decks and in front of the vocally hostile crowds.
In 2012, he was fined half of his match fee in the second test in Sydney for responding to barracking from the crowd by gesturing at them with his middle finger.
After his Adelaide century he said his innings was a fitting riposte to ‘drunken’ Australian fans who had heckled him from the stands throughout the series.
“I’m certainly expecting it again,” Kohli said. “I loved it. Once you perform in those conditions, the people love you here and they love a good fight. We’re here to play aggressive cricket, play the brand of cricket that Australia plays.”
After the Brisbane test, India play matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney before beginning preparations for their defence of the 50-over world title.

Reuters: All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick became the first tight forward since Ireland’s Keith Wood in 2001 to be named World Rugby’s Player of the Year on Saturday.

Brodie Retallick (L) of New Zealand’s All Blacks is tackled by Argentina’s Mariano Galarza (C) and Nicolas Sanchez in their Rugby Championship match in La Plata – REUTERS

 
The 23-year-old Retallick pipped team mate Julian Savea, South African duo Willie le Roux and Duane Vermeulen and Ireland’s Jonathan Sexton for the award, World Rugby said in a news release.
The award was announced after the lock helped the All Blacks to a 34-16 victory over Wales in Cardiff. New Zealand have also won the Team of the Year accolade for the fifth successive year, after winning 12 of their 14 tests, while All Blacks supremo Steve Hansen won his third successive award as Coach of the Year. Since Wood won the inaugural honour in 2001, only backs or loose forwards have been named Player of the Year. All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has won it three times while flyhalf Dan Carter has won it twice.

Reuters: Roger Federer produced a vintage performance to crush Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-2 6-2 and seal Switzerland’s maiden Davis Cup title with a 3-1 win over hosts France on Sunday.

Switzerland’s team members including Davis Cup tennis team captain Severin Luthi (L), Roger Federer (2ndL) and Stanislas Wawrinka (2ndR) pose with the Davis Cup trophy after winning the Davis Cup tennis tournament final match against France at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d’Ascq, near Lille, November 23, 2014. Roger Federer beat Richard Gasquet on Sunday to give Switzerland their first Davis Cup title with a 3-1 victory over hosts France in the final – Reuters

 
The 17-times grand slam champion shook off back problems during the weekend and recovered from Friday’s defeat by Gael Monfils to hand France a third defeat in their last three finals.
With Federer imperious on serve, there was a sense of inevitability in the air at the Pierre Mauroy stadium despite the support of a record 27,448 raucous crowd and Gasquet’s decent level of play.
He made more unforced errors than the gifted Frenchman – 24 to 21 – but hit an astonishing 62 winners, kneeling down before lying on his chest after wrapping up the match with a cunning drop shot.
“We fought hard for it. I’ve been playing this game for almost 15 years and clearly I had never come as close than this past weekend,” said world number two Federer, for whom the only major title missing from his collection is now an Olympic singles gold medal.
“I’m happy I stayed calm and played a good match when I had to. I’m really happy for all the guys in the team.”

Reuters: Barcelona forward Lionel Messi set a La Liga record of 253 goals when he grabbed a hat-trick in Saturday’s 5-1 win at home to Sevilla, the latest milestone for the four-times World Player of the Year.
The previous mark was held by former Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra since 1955, which marked the end of the Spaniard’s 15-year career with the Basque club.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates his second goal with teammates during their Spanish first division soccer match against Sevilla at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona 22 November

 
Zarra scored his 251 goals in 277 appearances while Argentina captain Messi, who was 17 when he netted for the first time in Spain’s top flight against Albacete in May 2005, needed 289 games.
“When I scored that goal (against Albacete) I couldn’t imagine I could break any record, let alone this one previously held by the great Telmo Zarra,” Messi wrote on his Facebook page.
“I was only able to achieve this because of the support I have had from so many people during my time here and I would like to dedicate this achievement to you all. Thanks for always being with me. I would also like to dedicate this to the people who are no longer with us anymore. I will never forget you. Thank you everyone for standing with me.”
Messi, 27, equalled Zarra’s record in the 21st minute with a typically breathtaking effort, curling a left-footed free kick around the wall and past Sevilla goalkeeper Beto.
He struck again from close range in the 72nd minute and scored a third goal six minutes later with a powerful low drive from the edge of the penalty area.
Messi’s team mates picked him up and threw him into the air several times while his adoring fans at the Nou Camp wildly cheered their talisman who joined the club’s academy at the age of 13. “We are all very happy and of course also for Leo,” Barca captain Xavi told reporters. “He has achieved an amazing and historic record,” added the decorated former Spain international.
Messi has scored 206 goals with his favoured left foot, 38 with his right, eight with his head and one, which should have been ruled out, with his hand.
He also matched former Real Madrid and Schalke 04 forward Raul’s Champions League record of 71 goals last month and could break it in Tuesday’s Group F game at APOEL Nicosia.

By Shamseer Jaleel
Kandy Sports Club under Sean Wijesinghe put a full stop to Navy Sports Club’s unbeaten run when they beat the Sailors after a lapse of four years at Welisara by 16/6. This win was one of the major turn-arounds in the on-going Inter Club league rugby tournament. At present four top teams such as Navy SC, Army SC, CR & FC and Kandy SC all are eyeing for the Cup with losing out on one game under their belt.
Kandy Sports Club’s losing streak at Welisara which runs in to four years came to an end this weekend due to some brilliant individual play by their South African Flanker Chrish Colette. He was outstanding in defence as well in attack play. He was omnipresent. The Up Country team coordinated really well with Scrum Half Roshan Weeraratne too coming in to the Kandy outfit after his injury which kept him out for two weeks for excellent in his defence.
Fazil Marija occupying the Fly Half berth controlled and red things very well when to work, and put an up and under for his winger’s to attack. Kenyan centre Oscar Oumba though did not get much room to run his defence was in top condition when he kept the Fijian sevens star Stefano under caged not giving any room to run.
Chrish Colette scored both tries for Kandy SC with Roshan Weeraratne putting over the two penalties. Navy SC full back Reza Mubarak put over the two penalties for the Sailors.
In the other games CR & FC under Ashan Costa showed their intention clear for the Cup when they had an easy field day when they outclassed Hambantota Sharks 44/10 at Longdon Place. Their overseas players such as Robbie Malneek and Joseph Fumui, both showing goo legs which will be good for other teams to watch out this season. Army SC had an easy outing when they went passed a helpless, sans any overseas players team (Sri Lanka Air Force) by 33/10 at Ratmalana.

– Pix by M. Shaffeek

Chrish Colette scores the first try for Kandy SC

Navy prop forward Eranga Suwarnatilake with the ball on ground with support coming from his team mates Dhanushka Perera and Suranga Puspakumara while Kandy SC Chrish Colette and Kishore Jahn look on 

Reuters: Defending champion Henrik Stenson retained the $8 million DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, carding a final-round 70 to finish two shots clear of the field and cement his status as Europe’s number two golfer.
Overnight leaders Stenson and Rafael Cabrera-Bello started the final round on 14-under, three strokes clear of England’s Justin Rose, with four players including world number one Rory McIlroy a stroke further back.

Henrik Stenson of Sweden poses with his trophy after winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai November 23, 2014. Defending champion Stenson retained the $8 million DP World Tour Championship on Sunday, carding a final-round 70 to finish two shots clear of the field and cement his status as Europe’s number two golfer – Reuters

 
As the turn approached on the final round, Swede Stenson and Spaniard Cabrera-Bello had pulled a further stroke ahead and it seemed it would be a straight shoot-put between the pair before nerves got the better of them both.
Stenson bogeyed the eighth and dropped two more shots at the 11th after shanking an iron out of bounds as Cabrera-Bello, ranked 104th in the world, led with three holes to play despite a bogey at the 12th.
The lanky right-hander, dressed in a red shirt like that of the Spanish soccer team, plays golf that veers between the brilliant and the lamentable.
His flaws became apparent as he found water at 16 and 17, dropping four shots to slip off the leaderboard on another sweltering desert day. McIlroy and Rose, almost unnoticed, had closed to 14-under to tie with Stenson, but the player his rivals refer to as ‘Ice Man’ landed his tee-shot on the par-three 17th to within a foot of the pin.
He converted that birdie for 15-under and birdied the 18th to end on 272 to clinch the $1.33 million first prize.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy (68), Rose (69) and France’s Victor Dubuisson (68) were joint second on 274.
Stenson’s win also put him second on Europe’s money list — McIlroy was crowned champion last week — and he will earn a further $800,000 from a $5 million bonus pool shared among the European Tour’s top 15 players.

ABU DHABI (Reuters): A tearful Lewis Hamilton joined the elite ranks of double Formula One world champions on Sunday after a nerve-racking drive to victory in the floodlit season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
In a race overshadowed by the ever-present spectre of mechanical failure after the Briton’s Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg suffered an early loss of power, Hamilton powered to his 11th win in 19 races.
The 29-year-old, who took his first title with McLaren in 2008, became Britain’s first multiple champion since Jackie Stewart in 1971 and only the country’s fourth.

Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates with his team after winning the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi November 23, 2014. REUTERS

 
“Lewis, thank you very much for not letting the British public down,” Britain’s Prince Harry told him over the radio from the pit wall as the chequered flag came down. “You are an absolute legend.”
Hamilton, crying on the podium as the anthem sounded and with his voice cracking in later interviews, performed a slowing down lap with the British flag fluttering from the cockpit and the words ‘Hammer Time’ written on it.
“World champion. Oh my God, I can’t believe it, thanks everyone,” he had shouted over the radio before parking up and embracing his father, pop star girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and family.
The victory was a record 16th of the season for Mercedes, who had already collected the constructors’ crown, and for the first time the winner took 50 points in an unprecedented and controversial double points finale.
“This has been just an incredible year. I can’t believe how amazing,” said Hamilton. “This is the greatest moment in my life. It feels very surreal.
“(Winning in) 2008 was special but the feeling I have now is above and beyond. It’s the greatest feeling I’ve ever had. Thanks so much everyone.”
Rosberg finished 14th after starting on pole position and 17 points adrift, the much-vaunted ‘duel in the desert’ becoming a nightmare after dark for the German son of Finland’s 1982 champion Keke.
He had suffered problems from the 25th of 55 laps, then complained about losing brakes as he fell down the order, still hoping against hope that a similar misfortune might befall Hamilton and revive his chances.
When the team asked him to pit and retire with only a handful of laps to go, Rosberg asked to stay out so he could at least end the season on track.
“Sorry it didn’t work out but you drove like a champion,” said Mercedes technical head Paddy Lowe. “We come back next year to have another go.”
Rosberg, who gallantly shook Hamilton’s hand afterwards, did not need to tell anyone that he was disappointed but he said it anyway.
“All in all, Lewis deserved to win the championship. What happened to me had no impact, it did not change anything so there is no point focusing on that,” he said.
“He did just a little bit better than me. The positive is I’ve been the better qualifier over the last two years and that gives me a good base. I came very close and it is a pity it did not work out.”
Brazilian Felipe Massa finished second for Williams in the race, after looking like he could win it, with Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas third.
“Not bad for an old man,” said a delighted Massa after his best result since 2012, when he was at Ferrari.

Reuters: The US Department of Energy said on Friday it is spending $425 million to research extreme-scale computing and build two super-computers, which would be the world’s fastest, for research into basic science as well as nuclear weapons.

The DOE is awarding $325 million to build “Summit” for Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee and “Sierra” at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
An additional $100 million will go to research into “extreme scale supercomputing” technology as part of a program called FastForward2, the DOE said in a news release.
The supercomputers, made with components from IBM, Nvidia and Mellanox, will run five to seven times faster than the United States’ current fastest computers.
Summit and Sierra will operate at 150 petaflops and 100 petaflops, respectively, compared to the world’s current top super-computer, the Tianhe-2 in China, which performs at 55 petaflops, Nvidia said in a separate news release.
IBM built the first supercomputer to reach 1 petaflop, a precise measure of how fast computers calculate, in 2008, also for the Department of Energy.
Researchers worldwide will be able to apply for time to use the Summit computer. The National Nuclear Security Administration will use Sierra “to ensure the safety, security and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent without testing,” Nvidia said.
Santa Clara, California-based Nvidia is best-known for its high-end personal-computer graphics chips favoured by gamers. In recent years it has developed more advanced versions of those chips suitable for parallel processing on supercomputers and in data centres.
It has also been working with IBM to develop future chip offerings for high-end enterprise customers.

LankaClear CEO SunimalWeerasooriya Chief Guest

LankaClear General Manager/CEO SunimalWeerasooriya will be the Chief Guest at the third session of Ethical Hackers Forum of Sri Lanka on 3 December at 6 p.m. at the National Olympic Committee Auditorium at Independence Avenue, Colombo 7.
The session will be held under the theme ‘New waves of cyber crime: 2015 security predictions’.

“Since there are numerous cyber-attacks targeting corporates on a daily basis around the world, it is vital for cyber security professionals in Sri Lanka to understand what could be future threats. That is why we opted for this current topic,” Kamal Liyanage, Convener of the Ethical Hackers Forums said.
The keynote speaker will be Krishnan Rajagopal, CEO, Akati Consulting, Malaysia. He is also the Head of Consultants and Master Trainer of Cicra Consultancies Ltd.
Rajagopal has made a number of security predictions during the past years and is a leading expert on cyber security in the world. He has extensive hands-on technical experience, possessing a vast range of industry and specific certifications that demonstrate high technical proficiency and in-depth knowledge.
To date he holds more than 50 various professional certifications and is recognised internationally as one of the best in the industry for IT/computer security.
Meanwhile, Vivek Srivastava, Security Lead India and SAARC for Cisco, will be the Guest Speaker.
Srivastava is an IT security professional and has over 15 years of experience in the IT security domain. He has worked with organisations like Internet Security Systems (ISS) and IBM to drive their IT security practice in the region.
Over a period of 15 years, Srivastava has been working closely with large organizations from various verticals like BFSI, IT and ITeS, defence, PSU, etc., on their IT security infrastructure. His domain knowledge spans across firewall, IPS, content security, social media controls, NAC solutions, malware protection and various other security technologies. He has been with Cisco for over five years on various security assignments.
Cisco, a global leader in the network security, has partnered with the Ethical Hackers Forum of Sri Lanka as a sponsor.
The forum is an initiative of Cicra, pioneering cyber security training and consultancy provider in Sri Lanka.
Objectives of the forum include bring-in cyber security professionals from different industries and sectors together into one common platform and provide them with an interactive space for knowledge sharing.
The forum also facilitates increased awareness on cyber security issues locally and globally and takes informed decisions to prevent such challenges; it also creates a hassle-free networking and socializing arena for cyber security professionals.
Registration details on the forum can be accessed at http://www.cicra.lk/CIE/php/EthicalHackersForum.php.

Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) appointed David De Candia, a distinguished personality in the tea industry, as the ambassador for Ceylon Tea, for USA and Canada. SLTB, committed to this decision to have an eminent personality to represent and promote Ceylon tea, in the northern US continent, due to the fact that it being a fast growing plausible market for black tea consumption.

Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairperson Janaki Kuruppu, commenting on the appointment of De Candia, stated that SLTB decided to appoint De Candia given his passion for Ceylon tea and the vast experience in the global tea industry. He is considered almost a ‘Tea Guru’ in the US market. Sri Lanka Tea Board is planning on workshops with De Candia, targeting tea buyers, retail stores and restaurant associations and to conduct tea promotion programs with Specialty Tea Institute in USA and Canada.
Expressing her vision on the strategic decision taken to concentrate on the northern American region, she further elaborated on factors favouring to pick USA and Canada due to the high consumption of black tea in these regions and given the fact that ‘ice tea’ is one of the fastest growing categories in the US beverage market. Hence the opportunities are high for Ceylon tea to succeed in increasing its market share with the correct approach.
Stressing on the point that Sri Lankan tea industries need to focus on new markets, the Chairperson commented, that Ceylon Tea stands the opportunity to further penetrate in to these countries, and already having a considerable growth of 23% in imports to USA, from year 2012 to 2013.
USA is the fourth largest tea importing country in the world, importing 126 million kilos in year 2012, following Russia, UK and Pakistan. Despite recent global economic crisis, USA remained as the largest economy in the world and still, the undisputed trend setter to the world on food and beverage sector, service sector, and most other sectors.
The US market for tea is recorded to have more than quadrupled in last two decades and is anticipating a rapid continuous growth over the next five years, as per the statistics of US Tea Association.  Similarly, Canadian tea consumption is forecasted to have a dramatic increase by 40% from the current consumption worth of $ 130 million, by the year 2020.

Black tea dominates in both these countries, as much preferred choice of the consumers, amounting 84% out of total tea consumption in USA, and 89% of the total consumption in Canada. Further value additions and specialties like tea bags and tea pods at higher price ranges are much fancied by the people in North America.
Majority of the tea supplied for these Countries at present are relatively of low quality, which opens up a niche for High quality pure Ceylon tea to exploit with an effective promotional campaign. Sri Lanka Tea Board is focusing on positioning Ceylon tea, proposing its uniqueness in terms of quality aspects, health benefits and standards of manufacture.
Out of the strategic marketing actions initiated by Sri Lanka Tea Board, selection of a tea ambassador is one initial step taken to increase the presence of Ceylon Tea and to educate and enhance the brand and product awareness, through a reputed personality in the tea industry like David De Candia.
De Candia is a highly acclaimed personality, with over 15 years of industry experience and currently working as the Director of Tea, at Tea Leaf and Coffee Bean. He has conducted numerous tea educational classes and shared many tea knowledge forums at World Tea Expo USA, Speciality Tea Institute USA, Hong Kong Tea fair, Culinary Institute and was a judge at the North American Hot and Iced Tea Championships. He was also the initiator in developing the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s Caring Cup program which promotes social responsibility in the Tea growing regions.
As Ceylon Tea focuses its promotional message to be strongly linked with the elements of ethical practices, such as non usage of Child labour, facilities provided for state workers, ozone friendly production, usage of skilled labour for hand plucking, etc. A reputed personality like De Candia will be ideal in contributing towards the PR activities, Sri Lanka Tea Board expect to carry out as a part of their promotional plan to position and promote Ceylon Tea in North America.
Further Sri Lanka Tea Board plans to implement a National advertising, Digital marketing, Social Media campaigns along with multi faced PR activities targeting to capture a higher share of the North American market for pure Ceylon Tea.
Sri Lanka Tea Board is proud to have a well respected personality like De Candia as the Tea Ambassador of Ceylon Tea in USA and Canada.

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau announced that the AESIEAP (Association of the Electricity Supply Industry of East Asia and the Western Pacific) has chosen Sri Lanka as the host destination for its activities in the years 2017/18.
The activities feature the AESIEAP CEO Conference and Conference of the Electric Power Supply Industry (CEPSI) which would draw around 200 and 2,000 foreign delegates respectively. They will come together to study problems at the regional level and to seek for solutions that can contribute to the development of the electricity supply industry in the region.
Sri Lanka will have an opportunity to encourage investments in the local electricity industry, promote co-operation and exchange of expertise and technology among members and start new projects through buyer consultations. Small and medium sized companies in the country will also get the opportunity to attend these global events as they are held in Sri Lanka. The two conferences will be held in Colombo, with day tours to various tourist hotspots in the country.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), which will be the local host of the activities, presented the winning bid to the Council Members of AESIEAP recently in South Korea. According to CEB Spokesperson Prathiba Fernando, Sri Lanka was chosen over India as the preferred destination owing to the reputation of the CEB in the electricity supply industry in the region and owing to Sri Lanka’s reputation as a country having a suitable environment and infrastructure to hold such conferences.
Once again the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, as the pioneer in the promotion of MICE (Meetings, Incentive travel, Conferences, Exhibitions) in the country, played a significant role in designing and execution of the marketing campaign in the lead up to the presentation.
Sri Lanka’s expertise in MICE event organisation, latest infrastructure developments and tourist attractions were demonstrated through e-flyers, complemented by printed and audio-visual promotional material.
“The events will attract a large number of media personnel and accompanying personnel providing a platform to further enhance the image of Sri Lanka as a favoured MICE and leisure destination for association meetings,” said Vipula Wanigasekera, CEO of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau.
International conferences is a key element of MICE tourism, generating a considerable volume of direct and indirect employment opportunities, a sector which comprises the high-spending, up-market travellers, and one which has become a segment which many countries focus on due to the spin-off economic benefits.

Pacific World, the integrated global DMC and Event Management organisation has announced that they are expanding into Sri Lanka, an emerging MICE destination.
Sri Lanka is being promoted as one of the major attractive travel destinations for foreign visitors and 15% of them visit Sri Lanka as a MICE destination.
The company has also planned to expand operations into Croatia and the Maldives, Incentive Travel & Corporate Meetings magazine reported.
In Sri Lanka, Pacific World has partnered with Aitken Spence Travel to open Pacific World Sri Lanka and also Pacific World Maldives.
Part of one of the longest-established conglomerates in Sri Lanka and with long established relationships with local suppliers, Aitken Spence Travel is the perfect partner to launch Pacific World in the region, the company said recently.
A dedicated and experienced MICE team will provide meetings and incentives ideas encapsulating the best that the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ has to offer.
Aitken Spence Travel subsidiary, ACE Travel Maldives will operate Pacific World Maldives, and guarantee Pacific World service levels in the Maldives.
Pacific World’s operating in these additional countries has been made possible through the extensive destination network provided by Pacific World’s parent company, TUI Travel PLC. In all 3 destinations, the leading global DMC for the meetings and events industry will be directed by existing TUI joint ventures, which are full-service DMC’s with extensive MICE experience.
According to Pacific World its strategic development plans will enhance the global footprint and value proposition of the company.
Harsha Krishnan, Strategic Development Director of Pacific World, said the company is excited to be opening in these three new destinations.
“Through the shared ownership structure provided by TUI Travel PLC, we can guarantee service standards and ensure that creativity and the customer experience is second to none,” he added.

By Waruni Paranagamage
‘Ayurva Traveller,’ which makes vacations outstanding while giving priority to relaxation and rejuvenation and inspiring travellers to lead happier and healthier lives, can now be experienced in Sri Lanka and Maldives and is ideal for those who seek relaxation beyond normal holidays.

Ayurva, which stands for Ayu – Life, R – Relaxation and Va – Vacation, is ideal for those who wish to detach from their busy lives and focus on themselves, to find inner-peace with meditation and grace and energy with yoga and be rejuvenated and revived with healing spa treatments, immersing themselves in endless luxuries.
Today the world wellness tourism is a $ 439 b market, which is expected to grow by around 50% to $ 678.5 b by 2017. The focus markets for Ayurva Traveller will be Japan, Turkey, China, Sri Lanka and Europe. It is estimated that an international wellness tourist spends approximately 65% more per trip than an average international tourist. Japanese and Chinese travellers are especially interested in domestic wellness tourism.
Ayurva Traveller provides an opportunity for travellers to embark on a journey where they focus on personal wellbeing, centring on the mind, body and spirit.
It is aimed at middle age individuals, female travellers, solo travellers and corporate travellers who seek luxury via mind and body cleansing and relaxed holidays.
Ayurva Traveller Managing Director Nilusha Kodithuwakku said: “We discuss with the management team and service team to offer better service. A different lifestyle is offered via yoga and meditation. We have a nice team with us.”
Kodithuwakku said that the demand for the world wellness market is growing due to the heat crisis, stress, ageing population, urbanisation, loneliness, etc. “As a result, we need to tap the market. We are looking to work with select luxury resorts in the Maldives and Sri Lanka, which are equipped to provide travellers with the necessary facilities for detoxifying and relaxation routines.”
According to Spafinder 360, research has shown that 85% of people return from vacations less rejuvenated than when they left.
Ayurva Traveller asserted the hallmark of an Ayurva Traveller experience will be customised, pre-booked packages which allow resorts to prepare better. This gives holiday-goers the liberty to completely immerse themselves in the holiday without a worry. Travellers can make their bookings online and upon arrival at the resort, will receive special value additions. Ayurva Traveller will also offer special wedding packages inclusive of resorts, photographers and photo shoot locations.
With special tailor-made packages to suit the needs of every individual, Ayurva Traveller has tied up with award-winning resorts in the Maldives and Sri Lanka to provide an authentic wellness holiday experience.
The travellers can experience personalised wellness programs, stress reduction programs, healing practices, programs for lifestyle changes and sleep enhancing programs in the resorts. The wellness package of the hotels includes detoxifying body massages, herbal drinking, yoga, nature walks and fitness sessions with fitness consultants on body balance.
Kodithuwakku added: “Our objective is to combine luxury travel and spiritual journeys in exotic locations with total convenience via a holistic holiday package which travellers can customise based on their preferences.”
As a social welfare initiative and a way of giving back to the community – which the traveller will also be aware and a part of – Ayurva Traveller will pledge $ 1 from every package sold to the charitable organisation Emerge Lanka Foundation, which supports underprivileged Sri Lankan girls.
Pix by Nirmala Dhananjaya

Continues expansion into new business areas

ABC Trade & Investments Ltd., a key player in the IT industry that has today diversified into new business areas, is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Having commenced operations in 2004 with a focus on a range of IT solutions, during the past few years ABC Trade & Investments has made strategic expansions into the areas of healthcare, green technology and personalised and corporate gifting solutions. The company has also set up their own Head Office Complex in Rajagiriya with a large, fully-equipped technical, warehouse and production centre.
Commenting on these new developments, ABC T&I CEO/Director A. Jayaseelan stated, “In 2010, we launched our Healthcare solutions operations by launching world-class water purification products to the local market, both for domestic and industrial use. We were nominated as the Sole Distributor for Mitsubishi Rayon Cleansui Co. Ltd. of Japan and introduced the Cleansui water purification product range. We also launched a range of top quality water purification products from global brands such as Propre, Paragon Water Systems and Pure Aqua, each catering to different needs of various customers.”

Elaborating further about water purification, Jayaseelan stated, “With Sri Lanka undergoing an outbreak of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in some regions, as a responsible organisation, we decided to step forward and help the authorities and other organisations to tackle the problem head on. Therefore, we have tied up with the University of Moratuwa for their R&D work in water purification and are also working towards educating the general public through various organisations on the importance of drinking filtered water in order to avoid CKD and other diseases.”
ABC T&I also expanded into LED lighting solutions as a part of their venture into Green Technology. “LED lighting is the future of lighting and we have introduced Verbatim brand of LED lighting products of Mitsubishi Holdings Japan. LED lighting is the most efficient, long-lasting and thereby cost-effective form of lighting for both industrial and domestic use. It uses very little power and generates minimum heat which means that there are significant cost savings due to the low electricity consumption,” Jayaseelan stated.
Speaking about their recipe for success, Jayaseelan stated, “We take pride in offering affordable, practical and high quality products and services in our specialised sectors and we are pleased to have grown over the years as a trustworthy brand. I would like to thank all our customers, principals, suppliers as well as the wonderful staff at ABC.
“We have built a large database of loyal customers who have continued to return to us for various products and services. Our principals have always guided and supported us every step of the way while our suppliers have given us great service at competitive prices. Of course, I cannot forget the ABC family, now numbering over 100, who have worked tirelessly over the years to bring success to the company.”
Looking back on the early days of the company, Jayaseelan stated, “In 2004, ABC Trade & Investments started with a staff of just five individuals. Back then we focused solely on ICT-related products for both the domestic and commercial markets. We were nominated as Distributors for Print-Rite printer consumables, Mitsubishi/Verbatim storage media, Fluke Network testers and certifications and Sony data storage, which were the first products that we launched into the market.”
He added that the company ventured into retailing with its own branded retail outlet known as Target Office Store, a one-stop-shop for office automation, office supplies and ICT products back in 2006 in Kandy. “It really took off and we subsequently expanded the showrooms to customer convenient locations in Liberty Plaza, Negombo, Kandy, Anuradhapura, Matara and Rajagiriya,” he added.
With the emphasis placed on protecting the environment, the company embarked on a recycling concept known as Re-new Station in 2004. In 2007, the company launched a unique store concept named Idea which provides digital imaging, instant printing of high quality photo gifts as well as personalised and corporate gifts. In 2011, the company setup ICE Technologies Ltd. as an associate company dealing in HP products, emphasising in ACE sectors (architects, construction and engineering) and other products and services.
The company also partners with Fluke Networks USA as their local distributor to bring state-of-the-art network test equipment and certification solutions to the ICT industry of Sri Lanka. Last year, the company was appointed as the Authorised Distributor in Sri Lanka for Maxell Consumer Batteries, one of the world’s leading battery brands for items such as watches and other electronic products. In addition to this, the company has also introduced Atrust brand Thin Client solutions as well as EnGenius brand Wi-Fi connectivity solutions.
ABC T&I markets several other leading global brands such as Coraljet printer consumables, Verbatim/Mitsubishi storage media, Kodak inkjet photo papers, EnGenius wireless network solutions and IBM data storage media. The company is a recognised member of the Sri Lanka Computer Vendors Association and The National Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka.

The game-changing design of Etihad Airways’ new Airbus A380 First Class product, called First Apartments, has been recognised at the annual Society of British and International Design (SBID) Awards 2014, held at the Dorchester Hotel in London last week.
London based Acumen Design Associates, which forms part of the airline-led ‘Etihad Design Consortium’ (EDC), a collection of leading brand and design agencies tasked with creating the airline’s new interiors, picked up the SBID’s top award for designing the industry-leading new cabin.

The patent-pending design for Etihad Airways’ new A380 First Class cabins was entered under the category of Best Entertainment Space but took home the most coveted award of the evening, Overall Design Award 2014.
The event is considered to be one of the most prestigious on the international design calendar and recognises design excellence across a broad range of 15 different categories. The SBID Awards are voted for by leading industry experts and business leaders and are judged for both technical content and aesthetic creativity using two tiers of judging.
Ian Dryburgh, CEO and Founder of Acumen Design Associates, said: “Etihad Airways’ First Apartment is the largest, most luxurious and highly customised First Class cabin in the sky, achieved via a revolutionary patent pending cabin layout designed exclusively for Etihad by Acumen Design Associates.
“We were briefed to design a First Class cabin based on Etihad’s successful ‘Inspired Service’ and the extensive qualitative consumer research undertaken by Etihad – to bring the individuality and exclusivity of a luxury boutique hotel experience which also embraces Arabian modernism.”
Peter Baumgartner, Chief Commercial Officer of Etihad Airways, commented: “I am thrilled that the work undertaken by Acumen for our stunning First Apartments has been recognised by the SBID. This accolade is testament to their world class service, from the initial concept designs based on our extensive international customer co-creation workshops, The Etihad Big Talks,to the final delivery of this elegant cabin.”
Etihad Airways is installing nine First Apartments on each of the 10 Airbus A380s it has ordered, the first of which will enter service between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow on 27 December.
For the first time on a wide-body aircraft cabin, a single aisle configuration has been used in the upper deck First Class section, allowing the airline to install ‘walk-in’ living areas which include a Poltrona Frau armchair and separate 80.5 inch long bed, storage, a full length wardrobe, chilled mini-bar and a vanity unit. At 39 sqft, the First Apartment is 74% larger in area than Etihad Airways’ current industry leading First Class suites.
Founded in 1981, Acumen is a multidisciplinary design consultancy providing fresh insight and commercial advantage through innovation and enjoys an enviable reputation for delivering ground-breaking, highly innovative products to a customer base spanning multiple industries such as aviation, marine, life sciences and domestic and commercial product design.
Other finalists for the awards included a selection of the world’s leading hotels, interior design projects, residential spaces, restaurants and bars, and public spaces among others.

Dubai’s Emirates Airline this week reduced the maximum size allowed for checked baggage by around 25%, a spokesperson confirmed to Gulf News.

An Emirates spokesperson said: “Individual items with total dimensions exceeding 300 cm (118 inches) cannot be transported as checked baggage, and must be sent as cargo or freight. There are no exceptions to this rule. The standard free baggage allowance for all Emirates destinations (excluding Canada, North or South America) as per the weight concept is 30 kg for economy class, 40 kg for business class and 50 kg for first class.” The new rule came into effect from 15 November and the old maximum allowed was up to 400 cm. Tickets holders who purchased seats before this date may be allowed to bring larger items but passengers must obtain approval from Emirates at least seven working days before travelling, the report added.

With an outstanding service as old as the airline itself, SriLankan Airlines Chief Marketing Officer G.T. Jeyaseelan, fondly known as “CMO” or “Mr. Seelan,” shares a leaf of his book of memories and reveals his source of inspiration. Having been one of the prominent figures in the airline’s history, who fathered the national carrier to what is today, Jeyaseelan concludes his tenure at SriLankan on a high note. Following are excerpts:

Q: What inspired you to be with SriLankan Airlines for so long?
A: In the airline business, every day is a new day and a new challenge. This makes the airline job that much interesting and satisfactory. It is the job satisfaction, the recognition we received and challenges we faced that made me stay.
When I started off as a trainee executive we had just two aircraft witnessing every step of the development of the airline, the camaraderie among the colleagues and the feeling of being part of the family kept us going. It also created a commitment and a passion to see the airliner through most difficult times.
Q: What’s the most vivid I favourite memory you have during your 35 years at SriLankan?
A: A company’s values go beyond what is published. They are built on actual experiences and actions of the staff. It creates a lasting impression in your mind and reminds you of the value of humanity every day. The incident reflected the care and concern the Chief Executive of the airline had for two junior executives.
It was in 1982 just about a few weeks after my marriage. We, two executives, Gamini Perera and I, were coming along with our Chairman/Managing Director Capt. Rakhita Wickramanayake and a Senior Government official after bilateral discussions in Japan. We joined the flight in Hong Kong that was going via Bangkok. We were in transit onboard the aircraft in Bangkok. It was evident that there was a problem. It later transpired that the Bangkok station had accepted one passenger more. Therefore to solve the problem and to satisfy a customer, one of the staff passengers to be offloaded.
Both of us were in the economy class and we received a message to meet the Chairman, who was travelling in First Class. He requested one of us to stay back in Bangkok on company account as we were on duty and to travel on the next flight after two days. Since we had family commitments, we politely expressed our inability to voluntarily get offloaded even though staying in Bangkok for two days would have been attractive. However, we told him that we would abide by his instructions should he decide who should get down. He requested us to return to our seats and he would decide and let us know. We returned to our seats and were anxiously waiting for the decision to come.
Minutes past and we were not told of the decision. We realised that the aircraft had pulled out of the stands and was taxing. We were surprised and could not comprehend what had happened. Then came the departure announcement from the captain in command. It was from none other than Capt. Wickramanayake, the Chairman/Managing Director. Considering our plight, he requested the operating captain to stand down and he himself operated the flight. We could never forget this incident where the Chief Executive himself took the decision to make two junior executives happy and relaxed.
Q: What is your all-time favourite aircraft?
A: The Lockheed L1011-500 aircraft was the most comfortable aircraft I have flown considering the time and technology available at that time; its long range and comfort made it a good aircraft.
Q: What is the best thing about serving an airline?
A: Travelling overseas, meeting different people and adapting to new cultural environment make the airline job very attractive. When you are on overseas long-term management assignments, you learn so much and have to manage different types of people with different beliefs and social values. It enriches your knowledge, provides exposure and makes you a better person. It makes you appreciate the quality of life back in your own country – Sri Lanka.
Q: What is your favourite meal served on-board?
A: I always enjoyed the typical Sri Lankan breakfast of kiribath, seeni sambol and chicken curry served on the long-haul flights from Europe to Colombo. It always felt like being at home away from home. (Courtesy: SriLankan Airlines Media Centre)

Reuters: U.S. imports of synthetic apparel this year have overtaken cotton garments for the first time in decades, according to the latest U.S. government data, confirming the cotton industry’s fears that cotton is losing the battle to manmade fibres.
Of 19.43 billion square-meter equivalents (sme) of apparel shipped to the United States through September, 9.87 billion was clothing made primarily of synthetic fibres like polyester and viscose, the latest U.S. government data show.
Some 9.16 billion square sme was made primarily of cotton, marking the first time since 1991 that cotton apparel imports in the world’s largest market were lower than those made of synthetic fibres. Volumes of cotton apparel imported during the first nine months of the year were down 2% from the same period in 2013, even as overall apparel import demand rose.
The data marks an inflection point: after years of demand erosion, cotton has lost its top spot to synthetic competitors. Yarn mills have switched spindles to polyester and its cohorts due to years of high cotton prices and improving synthetic technology.
An industry group this week called on members at a conference to renew their focus on boosting overall cotton demand, at a time when falling prices and demand worries have heightened competition among key cotton producers.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and cotton’s true enemy is synthetic fibers,” the International Cotton Advisory Committee said in a statement on Tuesday.
Total U.S. apparel imports year-to-date were up 3% from a year earlier, the U.S. government data showed. Synthetic imports were up nearly 9% from September 2013.
Falling prices provide little demand help
Global cotton stocks are ballooning as China overhauls its agricultural support program, moving to sharply curb imports and push its mills toward domestic supplies.
The industry is worried as world inventories are expected to reach a whopping 107.1 million 480-lb bales by the end of July 2015, enough to satisfy demand for nearly a full year.
Prices have plunged 30% year-to-date, stirring infighting. Last month, Turkey launched a dumping probe on U.S. cotton imports and a U.S. group has ratcheted up the pressure on U.S. regulators to investigate whether Beijing is complying with global trade rules.
Falling polyester prices have complicated the hope that the lower cotton prices will renew demand. Traders have noted polyester prices are also down, partially in sympathy with their cotton competitor and partially due to the freefalling price of oil, a key raw material.
The trend in apparel imports does not bode well for cotton, said INTL FC Stone analysts in a market note.
“The implication is that even as the largest garment importer in the world sources a record volume of clothing from overseas this year, cotton demand may see little if any growth again this year from American shoppers,” they said.

Reuters: Apparel retailer Gap Inc cut its full-year earnings forecast as sales at the Gap brand continued to fall and demand for the cheaper Old Navy clothing slowed.

Comparable-store sales fell 5% at Gap in the third quarter ended Nov. 1 while sales were flat at Banana Republic.
Comparable sales growth at Old Navy stores slowed to 1% from 4% in the preceding quarter.
Old Navy brand was Gap’s strong point in North America even when demand for its premium brands cooled.
The company cut its earnings forecast to $2.73-$2.78 per share from $2.95-$3.00 per share for the year ending February 2015.
Apparel sales in North America have been slowing as retailers slash prices to attract shoppers at a time when consumers cut back on discretionary spending.
Gap’s net income rose to $351 million, or 80 cents per share, in the third quarter from $337 million, or 72 cents per share, a year earlier.
The company said net sales fell slightly to $3.97 billion from $3.98 billion from a year earlier.
Analysts on average had expected a profit of 79 cents per share and revenue of $4.04 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.