Unity is strength: Let us unite as a nation and a group of likeminded nations in the world Sri Lanka is a senior member Sri Lanka is a senior member of the world family, maintaining high standards of human rights on international standards, which is not an alien system to us. Our culture is based ...

The Saudi Kingdom has offered financial aid worth SR 225 million (approximately Rs. 7.6 billion) for the upgrading of road networks in Sri Lanka. The draft agreement for the financial assistance was finalized in Riyadh on Monday during a meeting between the Vice Chairman of the Saudi Fund For Development (SFD) Yusuf Al-Bassam and Dr. ...

A spectacular laser show and water dance taking place Friday and Saturday this week will mark the launch of a major campaign to improve water management. Backed by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), headquartered in Pelawatte, the campaign, RipplesOnWater.org, will raise awareness about water issues, initially in Sri Lanka and will then spread globally ...

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) spokesman and parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayaka in an interview with the Daily FT critiques the on-going sessions of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the state of bad governance, deteriorating law and order and the economic crisis in the country.  Following are excerpts from the interview.   Q;  What are your ...

Capital Alliance, a full-service investment bank will be hosting one of Asia’s foremost Investor Relations experts, Jonathan Zax, in Colombo this week. Zax’s investor relations efforts have been frequently recognised by the international financial community through top rankings in polls by Asiamoney, Finance Asia, Lafferty Group and Investor Relations Magazine. Last year, he received a...

My column today is an attempt to focus our attention on a few less spoken or untold developments that may have a profound influence on how we carve our way through in creating a desirable social, economic and political future for mankind on this only planet of ours. While I will not specifically touch on ...

Having successfully defeated terrorism, ended years of civil war, ushered an era of peace and prosperity to the country, initiated resoundingly successful development initiatives in the north and the east, the Government of Sri Lanka needs to be applauded for consolidating a unified national identity; an identity that only occasionally reared its head at cricket ...

If the recently-concluded CB Series is anything to go by, then the second match of the Asia Cup between India and Sri Lanka should keep the supporters of both sides on their tenterhooks. However, the frame of mind that the two teams find themselves in could not be more contrasting. While the Indians have been ...

As the world decides vote on Sri Lanka on the methods used on the eradication of terrorism in the country, my mind goes back to the December 2008 when three of us were organising the staging of the first Industrial Exhibition in Jaffna so that the north gets connected to south on an economic front. ...

International Women’s Day is celebrated worldwide on 8 March. As the National Mobile Services Provider, Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel believes that women are a vital element in society and its development, from the upbringing of a family’s offspring to being a pillar in every family and organisation. Mobitel has over the years, supported this belief ...

Reuters: The Defence Ministry yesterday ordered news outlets to get prior approval before sending mobile phone alerts about the military or police, a move press freedom groups decried as another step towards greater censorship. In a letter hand-delivered to news outlets including Reuters, Media Center for National Security (MCNS) Director-General Lakshman Hulugalle said the new ...

By Cheranka Mendis With a membership of 107 top entrepreneurs of the country – among which close to 200 leading organisations is managed providing employment close to 250,000 people – the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE) is a unique and highly valuable organisation to the country. Taking the mantle of the Chamber from K.H. ...

By Lucien Rajakarunanayake “In the light of this commitment by Sri Lanka, there is no justification or urgency whatsoever in floating a resolution calling for the implementation of the LLRC’s recommendations and engagement with the High Commissioner, when this has already been effectively undertaken by the Government. What we now need from the international community ...

Beijing (PTI): Sri Lanka’s powerful Defence Secretary yesterday held talks with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie, amid mounting pressure on Colombo for a credibly probe into alleged war crimes during the final stages of the ethnic conflict. The visit of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is also brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, came ahead of Colombo facing ...

Clouded prospects in developed markets cast a shadow over outlook for trade and economyBy Jonathan Story Two key forces that have driven Asia’s transformation for decades can be counted on to continue apace in the coming year: economic development and China’s rise. Nonetheless, individual Asian countries will struggle to balance domestic and international responsibilities in ...

In a change of sentiment, the Government is asking people to step onto the streets and protest the possible US resolution Sri Lanka is facing at the United Nations Human Rights Council sessions, which kicked off yesterday. It was reported that over 150 protests were organised by different parties around the country and in an ...

The National Conference of the Architect 2012 was held on 23 February at the BMICH.   Building on the theme ‘Regenerating Sri Lanka, the Architect and the Built Environment’ the conference highlighted the Architect’s contribution and the importance of regenerating the built environment especially with the end of the war in Sri Lanka. Ministry of ...

“Account management is the process of maximising the return on your investment in a customer by defining and actioning appropriate plans that will enable you to build on the present, to manage the future” An account manager is a person in a business who is responsible for the management of the sales and relationship with ...

Safety and food hygiene of Colombo eating houses quite poor, says CMC’s Chief Medical Officer By Cheranka Mendis Even though Colombo has over 750 eating houses (from five-star hotels to roadside ‘bath kades’), only 290 obtained trade licenses last year, CMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said. Speaking at the Indexpo food and management ...

Reuters: Ricky Ponting was dropped from the Australia team because of poor form on Monday with selectors strongly indicating that his career in one-day internationals was all but over. The 37-year-old, the second most prolific batsmen of all time in one-day internationals with 13,704 runs since his debut in 1995, had made just 18 runs ...

Trinity College, Kandy, won the first place of the ‘IT Mastermind 2011’ Inter School Quiz tournament organised by the Computer Society of Sri Lanka (CSSL) and fully sponsored by ESOFT Computer Studies Pvt Ltd. Accordingly, the laptop computer worth Rs. 75,000 being the prize for the first place winner, and the set of computer peripherals ...

TOKYO: Asian shares and the euro fell on Thursday, sharply reversing the previous day’s rally as optimism was dashed by another delay in cementing a crucial bailout for stricken Greece, underscoring how far away Europe is from resolving its debt crisis.  After a three-hour teleconference between euro zone finance ministers, questions remain over the euro ...

(Bloomberg): Sri Lanka doesn’t need to further tighten monetary policy for now even though an increase in fuel and transportation costs and a weakening currency may stoke inflation, the head of the central bank said. The central bank’s rate increase earlier this month will have a “demand-driven impact” and help moderate inflation, its Governor Ajith ...

Sri Lanka’s benchmark stock index, the world’s worst performer this year, may extend its slump as the central bank raises interest rates to curb inflation, according to HSBC Holdings Plc’s private banking unit. HSBC Private Bank, which oversees about $499 billion, will wait for stock valuations to fall to “single digit” multiples before it considers ...

MALE (Reuters): The former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, demanded on Friday fresh elections and said he would organise street protests in the Indian Ocean archipelago best known as a luxury beach getaway if polls were not called. Nasheed was free despite an arrest warrant against him as diplomats including a UN Envoy worked ...

Reuters: Greek political leaders said they had clinched a deal on economic reforms and spending cuts needed to secure a second bailout, but euro zone finance ministers demanded more measures and a parliamentary seal of approval before providing the aid. The European Union and the International Monetary Fund have been exasperated by a string of ...

MALE (Reuters): The former President of the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives sat inside his house awaiting arrest on Thursday after being ousted from his post in what he said was a coup at gunpoint. About 200 supporters stood under umbrellas in the pouring rain outside as Mohamed Nasheed spoke to reporters at his ...

Indeed with some Spanish and Ptolemy’s nomenclature, it is our sincere wish ‘long live Sri Lanka’ on passing its 64th year of independence from the British. Our period of independence is not greater than the period we were under, but that is not something we should use as an excuse for slow progress since independence. ...

Ambassador updates foreign reporters on post-conflict development and reconciliation in Sri Lanka “Sri Lankans support a home grown solution for reconciliation” Ambassador invites international correspondents to visit Sri Lanka WASHINGTON: Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya hosted a group of foreign correspondents here in a January 25 reception held at his residence, prompting a discussi...

New York Times: It has been nearly three years since Sri Lankan government troops crushed the separatist Tamil Tigers in a gory, scorched-earth campaign that brought an end to three decades of civil war. The final battles — with some 300,000 civilians caught in the crossfire — were fought on the northern beaches and in ...