Feb 23 (CT) It was after World War I. All Germans were experiencing the bitter truth of defeat. Germany had lost millions of men and large volumes of material for the war it had started. If it was a factor which hurt the Germans most, there shouldn�t have been a World War II. But what hurt Germans most was the collapse of the concept that Germans are the �master race�, a race which is superior to all other races, in terms of both intelligence and physical strength. more..

Feb 23 (CT) I am very pleased as an Academic and a member of FUTA that we initiated the �6% for education� march with a hundred days of protest which had finally materialized. I consider this as one of the most significant social issues that we had undertaken over the recent past. But getting that alone is not enough, but the educational system would have to utilize it for those activities which were blocked by the limitation of funds in a systematic and a rational approach so that more..

Feb 23 (SO) State Minister of Health, General Secretary of SLMC and veteran MP M.T. Hasen Ali explained to the Sunday Observer in an interview the measures being initiated under the 100 day program of the Govt to sort out many of the long unresolved problems of the Muslim community, including their major land problems in the Eastern province, the re-operation of the Oluvil Port in Ampara as an economic hub of the more..

Feb 23 (SL) The last of the three much touted US$ 10,000 ITF Futures events concluded yesterday, and it�s not surprising that no local player was ever in contention for a title, as was the case in the first two tournaments as well. The early elimination of our players, though, is no cause for shedding tears of disappointment, expected they were anyway. But what was gnawing, especially after the first two weeks, was the straight-sets defeat of all of our young Davis Cup prospects in more..

Feb 23 (NS) President Maithripala Sirisena was in India this week mending diplomatic fences there but all eyes were focused on Nugegoda on Wednesday where a campaign to compel the UPFA to nominate Mahinda Rajapaksa as its prime ministerial candidate was launched. Rally was organized by four leaders of UPFA, Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunewardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Udaya Gammanpila who represented some of the smaller parties of the alliance but had a high profile more..

Feb 23 (SL) Recent decision taken by the UNHRC to defer a report based on investigations conducted on the war in Sri Lanka has drawn opposition from the Tamil Diaspora. Transnational Govt of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) is of the opinion that some countries erroneously believe that the recent election in Sri Lanka has ushered a change. TGTE leader V. Rudrakumaran said that there is genuine fear that once the report on Sri Lanka, more..

Feb 23 (ST) Talking with a Kashmiri lawyer in New Delhi on Saturday morning, I realized anew that the universal problem of justice for the disappeared cannot be met purely by law reform or by the prosecution of a few low-level offenders. Experiences throughout the world show that these are superficial measures, designed to placate and mollify in the short term. Inevitably moreover, such actions are influenced by political expediency rather than by genuine intent to reform. more..

Feb 23 (CT) While there is storm in the political centre stage with the Mahinda Rajapaksa loyalists successfully conducting a mass rally in Nugegoda attended by a mammoth crowd recalling Mahinda to take command of the prime ministerial portfolio of the next government, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera is in the air travelling from one destination to the other to calm down the pressure of the UNHRC which is armed with a war crimes report against Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 23 (ST) If it came as a surprise that the Northern Chief Minister Vishvalingam Wigneswaran had helped write the now infamous genocide resolution, had presented it and had it passed by the NPC unanimously, resolving that the Sinhalese are a demon tribe of barbaric genocidal racists bent on exterminating the Tamil people from the face of Lanka, then what astonished was the implication that this once sober judge who graced the Supreme Court bench and delivered more..

Feb 23 (CT)The Northern Provincial Council (NPC) passed a resolution on 10 Feb urging the UN to probe alleged genocide of Tamils committed by all successive govts of Sri Lanka in the post-independence history. It was presented by the Chief Minister (CM) Wigneswaran, himself. Two days later, the CM visited President Sirisena with the Governor of the Province. According to the media, the CM had explained the circumstances under which the resolution was passed and more..

Feb 23 (SL) SLFP MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stated that if an election is held the people will certainly back the SLFP. He said that the SLFP has never lied to the public and had won the trust of the people. He also charged that PM Ranil Wickremasinghe�s govt had misled, lied to the public and violated their rights and trust. Q: A lot of SLFP seniors were seen attending rally in Nugegoda. Does this mean there is a split more..

Feb 23 (Island) A retired public official has written to us, endorsing views expressed by former IGP Frank de Silva in a recent letter on bribery and corruption. The latter stressed, among other things, the fact that the onus was on the higher echelons of the public service to take action against corrupt officials under them. Both writers have put forth cogent arguments which deserve the attention of the government leaders, public officials and anti-corruption activists. Leaving country�s battle against corruption more..

Feb 23 (Island) The material advances and rise in living standards in recent years in China and in South Korea can be attributed to a large extent to their reliance on and encouragement of Science and their domestic scientific cadres. Were, one would like to enquire, independent local scientists consulted during the preparation and review of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) of the proposed CPCP? One has not noted much evidence for that in the reports in the local newspapers. more..

Feb 23 (CI) Q: What's the feeling in the team like after a slow start? A: We just have to realise that it's a long tournament. A World Cup is five to six weeks and you have to build your campaign. We have been telling the boys to be patient and pace themselves. We've been playing good cricket throughout the last year and this year as well. The preparation in NZ could have been better, but given the injuries and everything that we had, more..

Feb 23 (DN) Health Ministry's Epidemiology Unit officials have classified Weeragula in Gampaha district as a high-risk area for rat fever as two deaths have been reported from the area while 16 others who contracted the disease are receiving treatment at the National Hospital. The officials believe that the disease is spread from a paddy land named Seruvila, located in the area. Seruvila paddy land is currently inundated with flood-waters which flowed down stream after Attanagalu Oya breached more..

Feb 23 (Island) Asia Leisure, a fully owned subsidiary of Asia Capital PLC (ACAP), last week announced that Japan Capital would put US$1.5 million more into ACAP's latest hotel project in Galle. The hotel project was announced late last year with a total investment of US$14 million being made by Asia Capital and its Japanese partners. The property which is expected to be the largest hotel property in the Southern town of Galle will be built on 2-acres of fine beach front real estate and more..

Feb 23 (ST) More than three weeks after the Govt promised a higher interest on deposits of Sri Lanka�s senior citizens after last month�s interim budget, the offer remains an elusive promise. It has caused a lot of anxiety among elder citizens, some calling for news on any forward movement. Treasury officials are still to take a decision on directing the Central Bank on this new scheme on senior citizens� interest rate of 15% more..

Feb 23 (FT) SLFP said that changing the leadership of the youth wing of the party and renaming it was not done to attack the Nil Balakaya stalwart MP Namal Rajapaksa. Newly appointed SLFP Youth Front President MP Shantha Bandara said that MP Rajapaksa is also a committee member of the SLFP Youth Front and that the SLFP did not take the decision to rename the youth wing of the party to attack MP Rajapaksa who is the eldest son of former president Rajapaksa or to attack more..

Feb 23 (LT) JVP is to hold agitations throughout the country to protest against the failure of the govt to take legal action against politicians and officials who had committed large scale frauds and had been involved in corruption during the Rajapaksa regime. The series of agitations will be launched with an agitation opposite Fort Railway Station in Colombo on the 26th. The JVP, within the period of last month, has forwarded information regarding large scale frauds, corruption and misappropriation more..

Feb 23 (CT) In a new strategic move, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has incorporated a new division named as the Risk Management Division which would manage the risk of investments into the Employees' Provident Fund and Foreign Reserves which would be placed direct under Governor Arjuna Mahendran. Sources also said that there have been sweeping changes under the new hierarchy. more..

Feb 23 (CT) The govt would be bringing in Research Companies, Ad agencies and PR organizations to see how best the country and its image could, in the future be showcased to the world as a top end tourist destination. Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Rohantha Athukorale, addressing a news conference, said that Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which is at US$ 1.7 billion, should grow up to between US$ 8-10 billion and should be around 24% of GDP. more..

Feb 23 (Island) As Sri Lanka's top service exports -ICT- started moving towards crucial US dollar one billion mark this year, the country's apex exports body EDB announced a major initiative on 17 Feb to further diversify exports beyond merchandises and to move for service exports. "srilankaservicexport.com is the first, specialised web portal for all our service exporters and a one stop for them to link with international partners. This portal is absolutely free for exporters" more..

Feb 23 (CT) The concept of a Commodities Exchange would be launched in Sri Lanka soon which will also have concessionary funding from the World Bank worth US$ 6.5 million where warehouses for the storage of grains and cereals would be constructed. There is initially the construction of a massive warehouse in Galenbindunuwewa in the Anuradhapura District where cereals and grains could be stored, more..

Feb 23 (Island) Vice Chairman of the SLFP MP Dallas Alahapperuma commenting on the statements made by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe challenging former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to contest the next parliamentary election, said that Wickremesinghe had been making such statements for the last 20 years. MP Alahapperuma said that those were just empty rhetoric. "Had he been so confident, he could have contested the last Presidential polls," MP Alahapperuma said.

Feb 23 (Forbes) One year ago, Chinese Third World diplomacy was widely seen as being in crisis. Throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia, a growing number of emerging countries were expressing reluctance to be involved in relations with the Middle Kingdom based on its exploitation of their mineral resource riches. This sense of unease and even outright resistance to China was most evident in Asia, where Myanmar and North Korea began distancing themselves from their giant more..

Feb 23 (TOI) Though Sri Lanka ordered the release of 81 boats of TN fishermen on Feb 12, ahead of President Maithripala Sirisena visit to India, the inordinate delay in repatriating the boats has become a cause of concern for the fishers in the state. The fisheries officials who left the country with power of attorney from fishermen on Feb 12 are yet to return. The fishermen are clueless why there is delay in getting their boats back. more..

Feb 23 (DN) All remedial measures hitherto taken to rectify the unforeseen erosion of the Unawatuna beach has at present turned into a huge squandering of public funds, tourist entrepreneurs, the public, tourists and experts in the field assert. Unprecedented severe sea erosion was observed along the nearly 2km Unawatuna beach which was acclaimed as one of the world's best eight beaches due to the recently erected seawall (break water) on the west end of the world renowned bay. more..

Feb 23 (FT) President and SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena has urged party members to get proactively involved in the planned constitutional reforms process as well as make the 100-day program a greater success. The call to SLPFers came over the weekend when Sirisena addressed a two-day workshop for MPs from the party at Onreech Hotel in Katunayake. Former Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said that President Sirisena requested them to think in a manner which would more..

Feb 23 (DN) Minister Rauff Hakeem will visit Saudi Arabia today as a special envoy of President in a bid to save three Sri Lankans facing death penalty in the Kingdom. Minister will carry a letter bearing a special message from President Sirisena to the Saudi Royal Family. "The minister's visit has been arranged following a request by Minister Thalatha Athukorala to the President to send him to Saudi to make an appeal to more..

Feb 23 (PTI) Sri Lankan Navy today allegedly damaged 10 boats of fishermen from here after pelting bottles and stones on them at the highly sensitive area near their coast in Talaimannar. Rameswaram Fishermen Association President S Emirit said about 300 fishing boats were also chased away from near the Sri Lankan coast. Mannar District Fishermen Association President Albert Justin Goysa told PTI from Talaimannar that the fishermen were fishing in Sri Lankan coast. more..

Feb 23 (Sportal) Sri Lanka will benefit from being tested at the World Cup by an Afghanistan side deserving of more opportunities, says Mahela Jayawardene. He has reiterated his disagreement with the decision to reduce the number of teams competing at the next ICC World Cup, after Associate nation Afghanistan gave Sri Lanka a scare in Dunedin on Sunday. Jayawardene's 19th one-day international hundred ultimately proved crucial as Sri Lanka recovered from a dismal more..

Feb 23 (Island) The army has released 26,865 out of 34,561 acres of land held by five security forces commands in the Northern and Eastern Provinces since the conclusion of the war in May 2009 up to Dec 2013. Land has been released in stages with the people living in area covered by Security Forces headquarters, Jaffna being the main beneficiary. The releasing of land commenced in late Oct, 2010 in the Jaffna peninsula. more..

Feb 23 (Island) Mahela Jayawardene said his match winning century against Afghanistan under trying circumstances was as good as his hundred in the World Cup final against India in Bombay four years ago. Sri Lanka were facing humiliation chasing 233 to record their first win in the World Cup and Mahela�s superb knock redeemed the side from certain defeat. "I told myself not to get rattled and to keep going. I enjoyed the 100 as much as the World Cup final hundred four years ago. more..

Feb 23 (CT) A challenge was thrown out in Parliament to President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe to open up the five wells sealed up with concrete slabs in the island of Mandaitivu and find the bodies of the missing persons of the North. The challenge came from Deputy Minister of Women Affairs, Vijayakala Maheswaran when she took up the major problems faced by the people in the North. She said there was suspicion that those who went missing more..

Feb 23 (EN) India need not worry about a China City reclaimed out the sea in Sri Lanka if it is purely commercial and military activities are not allowed, Minister Champika Ranawaka said, as more details emerge of a broader Chinese strategy to project power from artificial islands elsewhere. "If the Colombo port and the port city is used as kind of military operation by the Chinese govt then it will create serious problems in India and in SL more..

Feb 23 (DM) The budget presented by the new govt last month drew a lot of praises. Media termed it a Robin Hood budget, implying that it was designed to tax the rich to feed the poor. The govt announced a lot concessions to people such as tax cuts on 13 food items, which the govt identified as essential items, though the essentiality of some of these items remained debatable. On the other hand, the govt proposed a series of one-off taxes on companies with deep pockets. more..

Feb 23 (DM) In the days when each electorate had its Member of Parliament, the notion was that each one of them had to think and act locally as well as nationally, not forgetful of international implications of their decisions and actions and therefore international relations. In practice, however, even the Ministers seemed to think and act locally, thinking more of their electorates and voter base than of the larger nation and the national interest, sometimes completely ignoring international more..

Feb 23 (SL) Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera visited the US and Britain as part of the push to have the March report postponed. He also wrote to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ZeidRa�ad Al Hussein acknowledging some incidents did take place during the war and expressed interest to obtain technical assistance for the domestic investigation �In addition, I have received clear commitments from new govt more..

Feb 23 (DM) Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka who undertook a visit to India with President Sirisena opined that India has a new reading on Sri Lanka. He stressed that Sri Lanka should not look at India through the prism of Tamil Nadu. Also, he said he would lay down a new energy policy with a scientific approach to solve the problems in the sector. Alongside, a new pricing formula is to be worked out. more..