Celebrating ties between China and Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka-China Journalists Forum in collaboration with Embassy of China will present China Nanjing Little Red Flowers Children’s Art Troupe for the first time in Sri Lanka as ‘Red Flowers on Stage’ on 30 September and 1 October at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre. The exclusive ...

With the rejection of the Cabinet decision proposed to resolve the problem of university academics, the issue seems to be dragging without a settlement. The lecturers’ main demands are a salary increase, increase in Government funding of the education system to 6% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), end to political interference in education, and establishment ...

World-famous Amanresorts Chairman Adrian Zecha has expressed his bullishness in post-war rebound in Sri Lanka’s tourism, which has encouraged him to explore fresh opportunities for expansion. “The post-conflict economic development process is visible everywhere in Sri Lanka. Our resorts in Sri Lanka were not economically viable during the pre-conflict period. But thanks to the peace, ....

The WTO in its annual World Trade Report for 2012, in addition to analysing world trade, has dealt in detail on Non Tariff Measures (NTMs), which has gained an important place in international trade today. In a world of trade liberalisation and free trade agreements which deal mainly with tariff reductions, which are clearly spelt ...

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tokyo organised a high profile “Sri Lanka Promotional Seminar” consisting of over 150 officials and personnel engaged in the sphere of tourism and travel trade, leaders of corporates and industry of Japan, senior bureaucrats and technocrats of the Government of Japan and select invitees.  The said Seminar was held ...

A number of articles which appeared in print media in the recent past signify the volatility in the economy. High volatility leads to vulnerability. Volatility and vulnerability are reflections of the haphazard nature of the economic policies and poor economic governance in a country. What is volatility? Volatility is the severity and the frequency with ...

Reuters: A deeply divided and unproductive Congress wrapped up its final business before November’s elections early on Saturday as the US Senate passed a stopgap measure to fund federal programs and avoid an 1 government shutdown. The 62-30 vote on the funding bill, which now moves to President Barack Obama’s desk to be signed into ...

Previously observed proceedings of Sri Lanka’s Fonseka and Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim   Here to observe proceedings re Rishad Bathiudeen M.P. Acted as Counsel on world’s longest sea chase incident FV Viarsa 1 The Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) observer, Australian Queen’s Counsel Mark Trowell has arrived in Sri Lanka today morning. “I am here on behalf ...

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 ...

Commendable achievements Over the years Sri Lanka has gained a considerable reputation for its achievements in social development. It punches above its weight on the UNDP’s Human Development Index. It has also performed very well in meeting the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which focus on indicators related to poverty, health, education and gender ...

It is with great sacrifices that Sri Lanka brought about a victory against ruthless terrorism, which is certainly a feather in the cap of Rajapaksa family. No one can dispute the fact that President Rajapaksa provided the political leadership and ensured that the LTTE was decimated at any cost. The Tamil diaspora and the pro-separatist ...

NEW YORK (Reuters): Comparing the Federal Reserve to a rehab clinic offering addicted investors a synthetic high has been a favorite of Wall Street wags ever since the first round of Fed stimulus nearly four years ago. The punch line is that you always need more and more to get the same high and each ...

The new US Ambassador Michele J. Sison presented her credentials as Ambassador to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka yesterday to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.    Ambassador Sison is a career member of the United States Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor. Michele J. Sison, a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, was ...

The place isn’t a paradise for minorities but the economy is recovering By Sam Baker Asuasentinel.com: The Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka has probably botched its dealings with the United States, the European Union and the United Nations. Still, the disenchantment with Colombo may be overblown three years after the end of the ...

By Saman Gunadasa World Socialist Web Site: A scandal over the manipulation of shares on the Colombo Stock Exchange has erupted in recent weeks, after former Sri Lankan Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Thilak Karunaratne accused Government ministers of acting in league with speculators. Karunaratne was pressured by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to quit his position, ...

It was well past the graveyard shift, but I had to get to Minister Mervyn Silva. Evil-doers had cast a fiendish spell and he had just promulgated his impending suicide. His has been a monumental crusade for the oppressed, goats including. I raced towards Kelaniya. Just then the phone rang. His young son Malaka had, ...

The global escalation of commodity prices in the latter part of last decade impacted Sri Lanka’s rice market, with retail prices showing sharp increases for the consumer. The regulatory forces with a ceiling on consumer prices and guaranteed price for paddy did alleviate this problem to some extent. Today it has taken a different turn ...

On Friday (7) afternoon, the eve of provincial council elections in three provinces, a certain gathering took place at 101, Rosmead Place, which houses the corporate offices of Democratic National Alliance (DNA) National List Parliamentarian, Tiran Alles. Consultations that lasted for hours, took place between Alles and UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa and a few ...

It is unfortunate that today many impressions of Sri Lanka in foreign countries are based on unverified facts, and wrong or deliberately manipulated disinformation, carried out by those who once supported the forces of terror. These same elements continue to sow the seeds of division and separatism through various media, and also influence politicians in ...

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 ...

Around 1,000 delegates in town for Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and connected activities this week The entire Common-wealth is literally here as Sri Lanka plays host to the grouping’s annual gathering of Parliamentarians – this week, giving the country an excellent opportunity to be assessed firsthand as well as lift its profile globally. The 58th Annual ...

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 ...

By Devin Jayasundera Former Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Chief Tilak Karunaratne on Tuesday rebuked allegations of over regulation and ad hoc measures as having impacted the stock market during his tenure and noted that the SEC Act should be strengthened further to punish manipulators. “What some of the crony brokers and dishonest investors try to ...