BIZ

Cathay Pacific resumes HK – Colombo flights

Published

2 weeks ago

September 6, 2023

editor

Cathay Pacific, the award-winning Hong Kong-based airline, has announced the resumption of flights to and from Colombo beginning on 02 February, 2024.

After a hiatus of four years, Cathay Pacific is set to soar Sri Lankan skies once again, serving valued local customers and continuing its commitment to connect people across the globe, the airline said. Cathay Pacific is returning with its Airbus A330 aircraft offering three flights a week operating from Colombo, ensuring a comfortable and premium travel experience for all customers.

The aircraft is configured in a two-cabin-class layout with 293 seats, comprising 28 in Business class, and 265 in Economy.

The resumption marks the revival of a long-standing aviation partnership between Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. For both business and leisure travellers, the flights will serve as a gateway, offering exceptional connectivity via Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland, North America, Northeast Asia, and the Southwest Pacific.

As Sri Lanka continues to welcome a growing number of leisure and business travellers, while recognising the diversity of Colombo’s travellers, Cathay Pacific is gearing up to embark on a new chapter of connectivity, convenience, and customer satisfaction.

Anand Yedery, Regional Head of Customer Travel and Lifestyle, South Asia, Middle East and Africa said “This is an important occasion as we announce the relaunch of flights from Colombo. Cathay Pacific’s return not only signifies our commitment to our customers, but also showcases the vital role Sri Lanka plays in our network.

“In the past few years, we have invested in our product and inflight experience, including the dining menu, entertainment and more. We are excited to have our customers experience these service enhancements, convenient connections to key destinations worldwide such as Melbourne and Toronto, and our intermodal air-to-sea ferry options for travel into the Greater Bay Area. We look forward to welcoming Sri Lankan travellers aboard our flights and delivering a journey that exceeds their expectations.”

In addition to passenger services, Cathay continues to play a significant role in the economy by supporting local industries and connecting them to the world through its air cargo services. Cathay Cargo’s expertise ensures vital goods reach their destinations swiftly and securely, re-enforcing its brand ethos – “We Know How”.

Customers can book their tickets on the Cathay Pacific website or through the airline’s travel partners. Additionally, for travel before February, they can choose to fly with our interline partners via Bengaluru, India and onwards to their preferred destination.

BIZ

Price of chicken reduced from midnight today

Published

15 hours ago

September 21, 2023

editor

Local poultry producers have agreed to reduce the price of chicken by Rs. 100 per kilogram, with effect from midnight today (Sep. 21).

The agreement was reached following a discussion with the Minister of Trade, Commerce and Food Security, Nalin Fernando, this afternoon.

Accordingly, a kilogram of chicken will now be sold at Rs. 1,150.

BIZ

Lanka Sathosa slashes prices of 6 essential food items

Published

2 days ago

September 20, 2023

editor

Lanka Sathosa, on Wednesday (20 Sep.), reduced the prices of six essential food items.

The price reduction will be in effect from today.

Accordingly, the prices of the following goods have been reduced:
• Soya meat – Rs.580 per kilogram (reduced by Rs.45)
• Local Potatoes – Rs.290 per kilogram (reduced by Rs.40)
• Thai sprats – Rs.1,100 per kilogram (reduced by Rs.30)
• Garlic – Rs.620 per kilogram (reduced by Rs.30)
• Big onions – Rs.195 per kilogram (reduced by Rs.15)
• Red lentils – Rs. 299 per kilogram (reduced by Rs.06)

BIZ

X to go behind paywall?

Published

3 days ago

September 19, 2023

editor

Elon Musk has suggested that all users of X, formerly called Twitter, may have to pay for access to the platform.

In a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the billionaire said a payment system was the only way to counter bots.

“We’re moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the system,” the Tesla and SpaceX boss said.

The BBC approached X for further details but has not yet received a statement from the company.

It is unclear whether this was just an off-the-cuff comment, or a signal of firmer plans that have yet to be announced.

Mr Musk has long said that his solution for getting rid of bots and fake accounts on the social media platform is charging for verification.

Since taking over Twitter last year he has looked to incentivise users to pay for an enhanced service, which is now called X Premium.

This has been done by giving paid subscribers more features, like longer posts and increased visibility on the platform.

However, users can currently still use X for free.

Although there is a clear financial interest for the company to charge users, Mr Musk insisted that getting people to pay for the service is aimed at tackling bots.

“A bot costs a fraction of a penny” to make he said. “But if somebody even has to pay a few dollars or something, some minor amount, the effective cost to bots is very high”.

X Premium currently costs $8 (£6.50) a month in the US. The price differs depending on which country a subscriber is in.

The world’s richest person said that he was now looking at cheaper options for users.

“We’re actually going to come up with a lower tier pricing. So we just want it to be just a small amount of money,” he said.

“This is a longer discussion, but in my view, this is actually the only defence against vast armies of bots,” Mr Musk added.

However, a risk is that by putting X behind a paywall it may lose a large chunk of its users. That in turn, could drive down advertising revenue, which currently accounts for the vast majority of the company’s income.

Mr Musk’s conversation with the Israeli prime minister also touched on antisemitism on X.

The platform has been accused by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) campaign group of not doing enough to stop antisemitic content.

In a statement, the organisation said that Mr Musk was “engaging with and elevating” antisemites.

Earlier this month, he said that the company would sue the ADL to “clear our platform’s name”.

In the conversation with Mr Netanyahu, Mr Musk reiterated that he was “against antisemitism”.

Mr Netanyahu accepted the balance between free speech and content moderation was a challenge but urged Mr Musk to get the balance right.

“I hope you find within the confines of the First Amendment, the ability to stop not only antisemitism… but any collective hatred of people that antisemitism represents,” he said.

“I know you’re committed to that”, Mr Netanyahu added.

(BBC News)