The Silvas are at it again. A week dominated by news of political brats on the rampage once more, this time directing their rage at an Army Major, ended with the soldier recanting his story and the two main suspects in remand being transferred to prison hospital on “medical” advice. The whole incident smacked of ...

The first Prime Minister of independent India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote 75 years ago: “It would be absurd to say that the profit motive does not appeal to the average Indian, but it is nevertheless true that there is no such admiration for it in India as there is in the west. The possessor of ...

A goat’s best friend is Mervyn! The populace has been cruel to him. Ok, to the goat too, but I am talking about a man willing to be incarcerated just to liberate a hapless animal. Thankfully, the President interceded and saved the day for both. The Minister had promised to defy a Court order and ...

Sincere apologies, Hamlet! This distortion is to highlight the current impasse and to stress the need for thinking beyond short-term situational measures. The impasse is in getting the public university system going and in dealing with demands without forgetting that there is a nation in waiting and the vision for it involves that it should ...

What is sales management? Sales management is a business discipline which is focused on the practical application of sales techniques and the management of a firm’s sales operations. It is an important business function as net sales through the sale of products and services and resulting profit drive most commercial business. These are also typically ...

By Cassandra Mascarenhas The technical sessions of the Association of Professional Bankers’ 24th anniversary convention were held yesterday, bringing the APB’s flagship event to a close. Aptly themed ‘Sustainability in volatility: The bankers’ challenge,’ each technical session explored an area that could throw obstacles in the path of bankers and the line-up of speak...

Ever since the first aircraft was conceptualised by Leonardo Da Vinci, the dream of flight is still continuously evolving. The latest aircraft is known as the dream liner Boeing 787. There has been no end to the technological advances in aviation. The global aviation industry has since been enlarged into a multibillion dollar business and ...

By a Special Correspondent A year or back from today, Sri Lankan economy had been sailing strongly amidst global economic typhoons. Most of the macro variables were reflecting peace dividends and rejuvenated hope. However, by mid 2011, the country’s trade deficit, fuelled by credit expansion was signalling early signs of an economic turmoil. Perhaps being ...

‘Shakthi’ fundraiser by Emerge Lanka Foundation today   ‘Shakthi, a Celebration of Femininity,’ a fundraiser for Emerge Lanka Foundation to spread awareness about sexual assault/abuse through artistic avenues, will be held at Barefoot Café today, 21 July, from 6 to 10 p.m. Emerge Global is dedicated to empowering young women around the world who have ...

Poor rainfall throughout Sri Lanka during the past few months has caused a drought unheard of during recent history. Particularly affected Districts are Kurunegala, Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Ampara, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla. Farmers complain that their crops are being ruined or are on the verge of being ruined. Some villages complain of the shortage ...

The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines ‘reconcile’ as ‘finding an acceptable way of dealing with two or more ideas that seem to be opposed to each other’. ‘Reconciliation’ is defined as ‘an end to a disagreement and the start of a good relationship again,’ and as ‘the process makes it possible for two different ideas ...

Recent newspaper advertisements heralding the birth of a sports economy is indeed good news for sportsmen in general and sports entrepreneurs in particular. Tax exemptions that serve as attractive incentives are a much awaited step in the right direction for a small nation who has time and again made forays into the big leagues. The ...

Reuters: Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi announced in Britain on Tuesday that she was prepared to take the helm as the leader of her people, the strongest signal yet she saw herself as someone who could lead her country one day. Myanmar’s then-ruling junta freed the Oxford-educated Nobel Peace Prize laureate from house ...

All newspapers carried headlines a few days ago stating that May 2012 tourist arrivals have increased by 17.5% from last year. It is reported that the May arrivals of 57,506, was higher than even that of April, which showed only a 9% increase YOY. So far, total arrivals for 2012 up to end May is ...

With highest-ever top and bottom line performance premier blue chip JKH says knowing exactly who were are, what we stand for and where we are headed makes all the differenceI am pleased to present the Integrated Annual Report, and the Statement of Accounts, for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2012. The Report encapsulates the ...

Sri Lanka’s geographical setting attracts many networks of shipping companies which can service the other countries with the pendulum services. Generally, per day about 200 ships pass Sri Lankan waters while on average 10 ships call at Sri Lankan ports. However, the ‘circum equatorial route,’ which is the shortest path to circumnavigate the world, is ...

Expolanka Holdings Plc said yesterday it has sustained its consolidated net profit after tax for the FY 2011/12 at Rs. 1.23 billion with a consolidated net profit before tax at Rs. 1.68 billion. The Q4 recorded a year on year growth of 21% in top line, 33% growth in gross profit and 22% growth in ...

The Economist: Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former Army Chief, emerged through the brown gates of the Welikada prison on 21 May, blowing kisses to his ecstatic supporters and declaring a vow to fight unto death for democracy. The bright-green balloons his supporters had brought earlier that morning were already flat after hours in the sun. ...

 Released ex-General says wants Government overthrown Says has no ambitions to become President Reuters: He was pardoned by the President and released from jail, but former Army Chief Sarath Fonseka had nothing but scorn for the Government on his first day of freedom and vowed to fight for its downfall. The ex-General said it could ...

Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka walked free from jail yesterday with a pardon from President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who appears to have bowed to growing international demands that he release his highest-profile rival while erasing the image of him as a victim. Ex-General Sarath Fonseka kissed his hands and raised them to a group of 2,000 ...

News reports point to an important decision that the minister concerned has been requested to make on the above subject. If this is correct it is important that we recognise that it is more than a million dollar decision that has been called for. It is so important a decision because it could determine the ...

At long last a renewed National Sports Policy (NSP) was presented to Parliament last week and will no doubt shortly transform into the latest legislation for sport in our sunny isle. No doubt this is a well-meaning initiative of the Ministry of Sports (MOS) and its front running Minister who only a few weeks ago ...

Road accidents cause the most number of annual deaths in Sri Lanka. Each year over 40,887 road accidents occur in Sri Lanka, causing 6 fatalities every day. Several hundreds of people are left seriously injured; some with lifelong consequences. Addressing this tragedy, Caltex together with the Sri Lanka Traffic Police has embarked on an island-wide ...

Warns that countries need tough policy changes to stimulate waning growth By Cheranka Mendis Asia Pacific faces another year of tough policy changes to stimulate growth, with Sri Lanka in particular having to manage monetary policy, control inflation, provide jobs for youth and reduce high inequality, it was revealed in a report released yesterday. The ...

As a habit I unwind in the night by watching NDTV mainly due to the powerful ideas that it tells the world; especially the programmes like ‘The Buck Stops Here’ and ‘We The People’ are cutting edge, in my view. Last week there was a breaking news update that cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar was accepting ...