Mar 7 (CT) First of all, we all need to acknowledge that there is an ethnic problem between minority Tamils and majority Singhalese for decades. Tamil political leaders, such as Sir Pon Ramanathan and Sir Pon Arunachalam, failed to secure the rights of minority Tamils. Succeeders such as Mr G.G Ponnambalam and Mr Celvanayakam et al staged peaceful protest to reclaim Tamil�s rights. But we all know how the Sinhalese majority handled them. In many ways, Tamils were discriminated more..

Mar 7 (DM) The UPFA which is one of the main coalition partners of the Unity Govt vowed not to allow the govt to sign the Hambantota Port agreement with China Merchant Ports Holdings because in its present form it was extremely harmful to our national interests. UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera said Minister Arjuna Ranatunga had already highlighted the controversial clauses in a letter to more..

Mar 7 (NR) Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera says Sri Lanka envisages the continued participation of Indian Ocean Rim Association Leaders to play a significant role by providing political leadership. He was attending the Ministerial Meeting of 20th Anniversary of the IORA taking place in Jakarta, Indonesia. The meeting is being held on the theme of Strengthening maritime cooperation for a peaceful, stable and a prosperous Indian ocean region. more..

Mar 7 (ENS) Strongly condemning the killing of K Bridjo (21) allegedly by SL Navy, Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisami said govt and the party would take up the matter directly with the PM, and also in the coming session of the Parliament. The CM announced Rs 5 lakhs solatium Bidjo's family, and Rs 1 lakh for the injured fisherman, Jeron. State govt would take up the matter with the Centre strongly, and the MPs from the State would raise it in the upcoming Parliament session, more..

Mar 7 (EN) The IMF gave a thumbs up to revenue collections but asked Sri Lanka to speed up delayed reforms, tighten monetary policy if inflation did not fall and collect more foreign reserves. "Substantial progress has been made in stepping up revenue collections and automating revenue administration, which has been the basis for meeting fiscal targets," IMF Mission chief Jaewoo Lee said in a statement. more..

Mar 7 (CT) All Ceylon Teachers Service Union (ACTSU) charged that certain principals have attempted to introduce Army training in schools by holding military style workshops. Secretary of ACTSU, Joseph Stalin charged that the Southern Province Education Department was planning to hold an Army training workshop lasting for three days commencing from 22 March. He charged that all principals of schools in Matara District have been summoned to Uva Kudaoya Commando more..

Mar 7 (DM) A 51-year old man, who had discovered two missed calls on his 47-year-old wife's mobile phone, had gone into a rage cut off a part of her hair in anger and then proceeded to strip her naked before striking her with an axe, thereby causing her severe injuries. The man was arrested and ordered to be remanded till tomorrow by Gampola Magistrate. The injured woman was admitted to the Gampola Hospital, police said. The suspect is a resident of Rathmalkaduwa in Gampola. more..

Mar 7 (EN) A Communist Party team from China�s business capital has inspected an airport and port built by Chinese in southern SL as part of a visit to scout for investment opportunities. Delegation of senior officials from Chinese People�s Political consultative Conference of Shanghai (CPPCC), an advisory body, had come on a fact finding mission to develop a greater co-operation between China & Sri Lanka, BoI said. more..

Mar 7 (DN) The GMOA has sent a letter to President Maithripala Sirisena urging to take action against the officials of the Attorney General's Department who represented the Department for SAITM case. GMOA Secretary Dr. Navin De Zoysa, addressing a press conference held at the GMOA Head Quarters in Colombo today said that the GMOA requested the President to take action against the Attorney General and his lawyers who represented the department for SAITM case. more..

Mar 7 (EN) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned the Central Bank to tighten monetary policy if inflation and credit growth does not slowdown, after a review mission ended short of reaching agreement on the next six month. �The mission encourages the Central Bank of Sri Lanka to remain vigilant in monitoring inflation pressures and stand ready to tighten monetary policy if inflation or credit growth does not abate," the IMF Mission Chief Jaewoo Lee said in a statement. more..

Mar 7 (CI) How sweet homecomings can be. Having failed to score 300 in any of their six Test innings in South Africa, SL rode Kusal Mendis's suave 166 not out to a score of 321 for 4 on the first day in Galle. Along the way, Mendis signed up Asela Gunaratne for a sidekick, forging with him a dominant 196-run fourth-wicket stand, of which Gunaratne's share was 85. This Galle pitch deserves a first-innings total of at least 400, more..

Mar 7 (NR) MP Athuraliye Rathana Thera says efforts are under way by a systematic group to hinder the country�s national security. Rathana Thera said President and PM direct their attention to the matter. Thera said the country�s Intelligence Unit is an agency which is the country�s security should should be kept secretive and inconspicuous. Thera added at present national security as a whole is being destroyed in an organized manner and the country will be left destitute. more..

Mar 7 (DM) Sri Lanka�s current economic situation is identical to that which led to the economic collapse in Greece, the joint opposition said today. SLPP Chairman G.L. Peiris said country�s economy was breaking up with investors beginning to withdraw their investments. �The well-known Templeton fund has withdrawn US$1,475 million during a period of 14 months with US$ 475 being withdrawn within the past two months. This is only one example of what�s happening as more..

Mar 7 (ANI) In the wake of the killing of an Indian fisherman by SL Navy, Indian govt has conveyed its deep concerns. High Commissioner to SL Taranjit Singh Sandhu has taken up matter with PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. Meanwhile, TN Govt has announced Rs. five lakh for the dead and Rs. one lakh for the fisherman injured in shooting by the Sri Lankan Navy. Condemning the killing of the fisherman, DMK working president more..

Mar 7 (DN) �We should be equipped with modern technology if we are to move forward as an economically developed country,� PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. He said the world has made immense strides in new technology during the last 15 years, and we too should reach that status if we are to march towards progress. He was speaking as chief guest at the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Kegalle St. Mary�s Maha Vidyalaya on its concluding day on March 5. more..

Mar 7 (CT) Jaffna High Court Judge M. Illanchelian sentenced two men to 10 years rigorous imprisonment on finding them guilty of gang rape. Three persons were accused of gang raping an 18-year-old girl, while she was with her boyfriend at a lonely place in Mulliveli in Nelliyadi on 7 March in 2014. One suspect is still at large. The two who were convicted were, apart from the ten-year-sentence, ordered to pay Rs 1 million each as compensation to the victim. more..

Mar 7 (LBO) International Trade Ministry has not yet received a request for setting up a new Coca-Cola plant in the island, Minister Malik Samarawickrama said. �We have not received any proposal with regard to establishing a Coca-Cola production factory in Sri Lanka,� he told Parliament. �Even if we do receive such a proposal, we will ensure that the environment impact assessment studies are undertaken before approval is given.� more..

Mar 8 (CT) The first Test match as at the end of day four had the chance of a result and that was a distinct chance of a Sri Lankan victory. However, one wonders whether with the evening showers that was experienced on day three and four, whether this would be possible. In any event looking back at the game one has to accept that the plans laid out by the Lankans were perfectly executed and to a larger extent the rub of the green going the Lankans way. more..

Mar 8 (CT) According to Wikipedia, SAITM was established in 2008 by Dr. Neville Fernando with the aim to provide tertiary qualifications in Medicine, Engineering and Information Technology, Management and Finance, and Information Communication Technology and Media. The institute was initially affiliated with Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy (Russia), Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand) and Buckinghamshire New University (England), awarding degrees more..

Mar 8 (SO) Right to Information (RTI) Act became law about three weeks ago, and, while the jury is of course still out on how effective the law will be in the long term, the early returns have been largely mixed. Citizens have reportedly made over 1,500 requests for information from public authorities, but govt�s readiness to process these queries is, as to be expected, highly variable. Some govt bodies appear well prepared for coming onslaught more..

Mar 8 (FT) President told the SLFP Executive Committee meeting that he has shown his backbone to the international community by rejecting the UNHRC Chief Zeid Al Hussein�s recommendation for a hybrid court to probe war crimes allegations in Sri Lanka.��Two weeks ago the UN Human Rights High Commissioner in his report on Sri Lanka called for a probe by foreign judges. Within 24 hours, I rejected it saying I am not prepared to bring foreign judges here,� he said. more..

Mar 8 (FT) Gamini is an inveterate day trader. He buys small quantities of shares at the stock market hoping that the price will move up during the day, enabling him to sell before the market closes in the afternoon, at a profit. For example, he may at 10 a.m. buy 5,000 shares of stock X at Rs. 20. By 2 p.m. stock X may reach Rs. 22. He will sell at that point, with a profit of Rs. 10,000 minus brokerage on the transaction. Of course, everybody knows that trading in securities is not as simple. more..

Mar 8 (CT) SLFP Urban Councillor, Jeevanee Kariyawasam says that although the majority of University lecturers and school teachers are women, 80% of school principals in Sri Lanka are males. She said a salient factor in the gender issue in the country is the impression that women are incompetent and normalize social concerns that surround them. Women tend to look upon this as commonplace while men believe more..

Mar 8 (CT) International Women�s Day (8) according to the IWD website is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. The story of the woman throughout history has been one of gross abuse of her status. She had been accused as a temptress, as responsible for the original sin, valued as a chattel and, even today, considered the weaker of the two sexes. more..

Mar 8 (CT) We have progressed far from the times when a woman was merely considered to be a housewife and mother. Now, we have women excelling in various fields including sports. We have seen brilliant women who surpass men in areas long considered male bastions. Here in SL too, the boundaries of sexism and the glass ceiling have been tested often although we're yet to see a celebratory breakthrough. Most recent incident being last Monday when two leading Girls' Schools more..

Mar 8 (Island) The Treasury bond scams, currently being probed by a presidential commission, have had a devastating impact on the entire country. The private sector workers are the worst affected. Their superannuation fund or the EPF had suffered a staggering loss of Rs. 15 bn, the JVP said on Monday. The Marxist outfit demanded that the loss be recovered forthwith from the bond racketeers. Economists and financial experts are also agreed on the amount the EPF has lost. more..

Mar 8 (Island) Various interested parties relentlessly push for further reduction of military presence in the Northern, as well as the Eastern Provinces, comprising eight administrative districts. The Northern Province comprises the administrative districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya. Eastern Province consists of Trinco, Batticaloa and Ampara. Following the nearly three-year combined security forces campaign, the military brought back the whole of more..

Mar 8 (FT) Refuting speculation that the country is experiencing an economic crisis at present, Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne however predicts a debt crisis from 2019 to 2022 due to the annual debt repayment of $ 4 billion.�Explaining the Govt�s efforts to stabilise the economy which has experienced a gradual increase in debt repayment, from only $ 500 million 10 years ago, he claimed that during the last 10 years the country�s more..

Mar 8 (Island) The SAITM saga is fascinating in terms of the heady mix of administrative ineptitude, political opportunism and profit-seeking businessmen attempting to creep through legislative hurdles that block their path. The minister of justice, a lawyer, added a humorous dimension to this already rich epic of SAITM, the other day, when he offered advice to the GMOA that they should take lessons in ethics from the BASL, amazingly with a straight face. more..

Mar 8 (CI) One of Bangladesh's major narratives ahead of this Test series was the absence of "senior cricketers" from the Sri Lanka line-up playing into their hands, and giving them the best chance to win a Test series against them for the first time. Kusal Mendis's unbeaten 166, and his 196-run fourth-wicket stand with Asela Gunaratne, provided haunting memories of one such senior cricketer who had tormented them for 13 years in this particular contest. more..

Mar 8 (EN) SL rice farmers who planted only two thirds of the usual area during the current main cultivation season face further losses of 545,000 metric tonnes of production due to the most severe drought in decades. Sri Lanka's rice famers only grew 535,192 hectares of rice in the current Maha season, out of a possible 808,579 or 66% of usual area, but 137,017 hectares of planted rice have been damaged by Feb 2015, more..

Mar 8 (DM) An innovative new transportation service is working to save lives and encourage Sri Lankans to take the responsible route home. First launched on Christmas Eve, 2016, DrinkDrive is a unique platform that provides professional chauffeurs who drive clients safely home in the client�s own vehicle at a reasonable rate. The chauffeurs arrive in pairs and as one drives the client home, the other follows on motorbike. The service was first conceptualized in response to rising incidents of accidents more..

Mar 8 (CT) Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC this week announced successful completion of its rights issue to raise up to Rs. 2.06 billion placing the bank on a much stronger footing to pursue a higher wave of growth in 2017 and beyond. A press release said: The Bank in December 2016 announced to issue 147.5 million shares at one new share for every two shares held at an issue price of Rs.14/- to fund its future growth while maintaining a strong capital base. more..

Mar 8 (CI) Kusal Mendis said the prospect of raising his average from the low 30s, and the goal of being among the world's best batsmen, provided motivation to hit a big score on the first day in Galle. Like many in the Sri Lanka top order, Mendis endured an awful tour of South Africa in which he struck only one Test fifty and averaged 23 across six innings. That series was preceded by a lean run in Zimbabwe, where he averaged 19.75. more..

Mar 8 (CT) Only Sri Lankan entity to be honoured at Global Sustainability and CSR Excellence and Leadership Awards Commercial Bank's strategic approach to sustainable business has been awarded a prestigious award at the Global Sustainability and CSR Excellence and Leadership Awards in Mumbai, India. Commercial bank received the award for Developing Sustainable Strategies and was the only SL corporate entity to be honoured at the event at Taj Lands End Hotel. more..

Mar 8 (CT) SLC had decided to scrap their much awaited inter club limited over cricket tournament and play an inter district one day tournament in place of it. SLC had decided this after the stay order against the tournament from the Court was extended till 20th following the hearing on Monday 6th. SLC is said to have spent five million rupees on the hastily arranged launch of SLC Major Tournament on 15 Feb 2016 which has now become a white elephant as the tournament never got underway. more..

Mar 8 (DM) MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera expressed his displeasure at the recent arrests of the military intelligence personnel. He said that these arrests had jeopardised national security. Navy Intelligence Officer Dhammika Anil Mapa, Lieutenant Commander Sumith Ranasinghe and solider Udaya Thushara were arrested recently. �When I questioned several Police officers, they said the arrests were made because of pressure more..

Mar 8 (DN) A 38-year-old man and a 7-year-old girl had been clubbed and stabbed to death, and a 40-year-old woman has been seriously injured and admitted to the Colombo National Hospital following a violent incident in a house at Maliboda, Deraniyagala around 7.45 pm on March 6. Investigations revealed that the incident occurred when the master of the house - Mahesh Bandara - found his wife having an intimacy with a man inside the house when he returned home at night. more..

Mar 8 (CT) "We are concerned about people's welfare and their wellbeing and not the Party's welfare. We do our politics not to gain votes, but to satisfy the common masses and fulfil their needs and aspirations. Therefore, one can always trust us and come behind us," said ACMC Chairman and Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. He was addressing the ACMC Party organizers, supporters and other well-wishers from the Ampara District, at a meeting held in Batticaloa recently. more..