Mar 16 (E24|7) Abu Dhabi Police managed to arrest a scheming salesman who was stealing customers’ credit card digits at the shop where he works, by memorising the numbers and using them to go on a shopping spree on the internet. The salesman, a Sri Lankan man who works at an prestigious retail company in Abu Dhabi, confessed to having stolen customers’ credit card information as they used them to pay their bill, using his photographic memory. Suspect used his stealthy ability more..

Mar 16 (Island) K.R. Ravindran will become the 105th President of Rotary International, when he assumes office for 2015/2016. His nomination to fill this position carries national honor because he will be the first Sri Lankan to be appointed to this top slot. Focus for Rotary, he said, will be the priority of increasing membership, not only among younger professionals and those in key positions, but additionally open membership to recently retired persons who could also contribute to more..

Mar 16 (Xinhua) The canceled fishermen level talks Thursday between the Sri Lankan and Indian fishermen are to be held in Colombo on March 25. TN State govt has approved March 25th proposed by Sri Lanka govt as the date of the second round of talks, which were scheduled to be held on March 13th, got postponed since Sri Lanka did not release all the Indian fishermen and their boats detained in SL before the talks as TN govt demanded. more..

Mar 16 (SM) The payment of the farmer’s pension has resumed after a lapse of two years. Ruling party leaders in the districts are now visiting the homes of farmers and handing them over cheques for their pension after briefing them about the scheme. However, certain retired farmers of Puttalam district suspect this is not going to be a permanent pension scheme. According to secretary of Siyambalagaswela farmers’ organization Thilak Mahendra, the farmers’ pension will suffer more..

Mar 16 (SO) Three workers who were clearing rubble at Jayanthi Mawatha Devamiththa in Sapugaskanda police area were killed on the spot on Friday evening when a concrete beam rolled down on them. The incident occurred at the 12th bridge on the newly constructed highway from Kaduwela to Kadawatha. The deceased were identified as K.D. Rathnasiri (48) of Galgamuwa Nawandagala, Krishantha Kumara (40) of Galgamuwa, Dummalasuriya and more..

Mar 16 (Island) Minister G.L. Peiris attended the Commonwealth Day ceremonies in London last week representing President Rajapaksa. He said the President was unable to attend as he had a heavy schedule addressing PC election rallies and this was not a convenient time for him to go out of the country. Observance Day was held at the Westminster Abbey for which Her Majesty the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, more..

Mar 16 (ST) A group of eight Indian nationals were yesterday arrested by Special Task Force (STF) personnel at a location in Jaffna, for violating visa conditions, police said. They said the group was involved in textile trade in the heart of the Jaffna town, after entering the country on tourist visas. They were rounded up from a safe-house, on a tip-off from the public, and later handed over to Immigration authorities. According to police and Immigration officials, hundreds, more..

Mar 16 (Island) Every indication is that Australia will not be supporting the proposed US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHCR sessions in Geneva, thanks to the indefatigable efforts of patriotic Sri Lankans based Down Under with the active back up of High Commissioner, Admiral (Retd.) Thisara Samarasinghe, a key member of a dedicated group said last week. "We have been assured at the highest levels that the Liberal Party govt of Prime Minister, Tony Abbot will desist more..

Mar 16 (ST) Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss its future course of action regarding the controversial gazette notification issued by the Education Ministry. Gazette notification amended university regulations act, making it optional for institutions awarding degrees in the fields in Medicine, Engineering and Architecture, to obtain compliance certification from relevant professional bodies. more..

Mar 16 (AD) UNP Central Provincial Council member Sanjeewa Kaviratne has passed away at the age of 44. The Provincial Councilor died after being admitted to the Kandy (Teaching) Hospital today due to a sudden illness, hospital sources confirmed. Kaviratne is the son of former UNP Deputy Minister P. B. Kaviratne. A Member of Parliament for a short period, Kaviratne was elected to the Central Provincial Council from the Matale district at the PC polls last year. more..

Mar 16 (Island) Over one hundred Sri Lankan Americans from the Houston region attended a protest rally to voice their strong opposition to the ongoing aggressive stand by the United States of America against Sri Lanka. The protest rally was organized Sri Lankan Americans for Unity and Prosperity and held a protest rally against unjust UN resolutions yesterday between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm in front of the State Department Building at 8701 South Gessner in Houston, Texas. more..

Mar 16 (NS) The most notable change in the second draft of the US resolution on Sri Lanka, which is now in circulation among member nations of the UNHRC, is the removal of the restriction on any investigation to the last phase of the war. Instead, the resolution, which is co-sponsored by the United Kingdom, Montenegro, Macedonia and Mauritius, calls for a ‘comprehensive investigation’ which technically covers the entire conflict. more..

Mar 16 (CG) Govt says the double standards of some countries can be seen through their actions in Geneva. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that LTTE leader V Prabakaran should be seen as a terrorist like Osama Bin Laden. He said that no one opposed a demonstration staged in Geneva recently against the Sri Lankan Govt by a group of people who were carrying pictures of the slain LTTE leader. Minister said that if a similar protest was staged in support of Osama Bin Laden then more..

Mar 16 (PTI) 21 bronze idols of Hindu Gods being carried by a Sri Lankan trader allegedly without proper documents were seized at a checkpost in the district by a special election squad today. The team of officials headed by Tahsildar Shanthi, on vehicle check duty at Kollidam Checkpost near Sirkazhi, stumbled upon the idols when they stopped the car in which Masong Jayendra was travelling to Chennai from Kumbakonam, a hub of bronze idols. Jayendra said he was doing the business for more..

Mar 16 (DM) The Police said the CID had taken over the investigations in to the incident of Hanwella unrest where an OIC was injured and died. “Seven police personnel and two civilians were also injured in the incident,” SSP Ajith Rohana said. “We are checking whether this was a premeditated act of violence because several of the trees were partially cut and pushed down when the police moved in,” more..

Mar 17 (SL) Development concepts and initiatives vary according to their different aspects and the needs of the people. Likewise, Deyata Kirula has developed into a national exhibition and programme that focuses on people development mainly of young skilled entrepreneurs. Without any argument every one will agree that infrastructure development of a country is a prerequisite necessity. Understanding this, the govt has already set in motion its accelerated infrastructure development more..

Mar 17 (SL) In a Cup Final, coaches of another era would tell captains: score first and you’ve taken a winning advantage – score again and you can ask the champagne to be put on ice. Old coaches based their wisdom on the belief that Cup Finals, given its atmosphere of near-paralytic tension, provide little or no recovery-room for teams trailing. Of course, the old theory is not infallible, but instances of its inaccuracy have been more the exception than the rule. more..

Mar 17 (SO) Former Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said Sri Lanka should not only plan a post Geneva strategy after March but also a post Indian parliamentary elections strategy if the country needs to project itself well into the future sans external interferences. He said, “President Rajapaksa as a leader commands the majority support of the people. Equally, he has to get the reflections of the Indian leadership in more..

Mar 17 (CT) Human curiosity at least is curious. It’s like a wildfire, continuously catches on. Since I started to hear about the disappearance of the Malaysian Airline, MH-370, going from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, a week ago, I was curious about its fate. There were 239 human souls in it after all. The curiosity increased given the host of theories and speculations thrown into circulation by the media, some improbable but not impossible. The latest in line is the ‘piracy theory.’ more..

Mar 17 (CT) Jeyakumari Balendran is often pictured carrying a picture. The enlarged and laminated photograph shows a group of adolescents doing physical-exercises. Ms. Jeyakumari’s youngest son, a former child-soldier, is reportedly in the photo; the photo is from a govt publication showcasing the regime’s rehabilitation programme. Ms. Jeyakumari’s story is the story of her community in microcosm. Her two older sons joined the LTTE voluntarily and were killed in the war. more..

Mar 17 (CT) Leader of TNA, R. Sampanthan says US resolution against SL is being brought not with the intention of punishing Sri Lanka, but because the island nation has not done what it was supposed to do. Claiming Sri Lanka had taken up several positions, he adds, "Some of the positions they are taking up may perhaps be to give the people of the country the impression that they are a bold and strong govt. more..

Mar 17 (ST) As we head towards the debating of yet another and progressively sterner draft resolution against the Government of this country at the United Nations this month, a besieged mentality appears to be reflecting in some quarters of public opinion. Predictably, this is used by govt politicians from President Rajapaksa downwards to drum up local support electorally. Hence the President’s bravado pronouncement this week at a PC election rally, that he will not ‘dance to anyone’s tune.’ more..

Mar 17 (CT) It is no secret that Colombo Mayor, A.J.M. Muzammil and UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake, are at loggerheads. Whenever either of them opens their mouths, they blame each other out loud. Recently, Ravi recruited one of the activists of Muzammil's women's organization to one of his organizations. Angry Muzammil promptly sent a letter to the woman saying that a boutique she is running is an unauthorized construction and ordered her to remove it immediately or face more..

Mar 17 (Island) Protests against a factory in Hanwella have taken a turn for the worse. The police fired tear gas and used water cannon yesterday morning to disperse a group of demonstrators. However essential such ad hoc measures may be in the short run to maintain order they prove to be ineffectual and even counterproductive in the long run unless a lasting solution to the core issue is evolved. Sinister political elements in need of conflicts for survival peddle hidden agendas more..

Mar 17 (Island) Accordingly, over the years, we have painfully witnessed the distortion of the Kannangara concepts, under the pretext of reforms quite oblivious to the main concepts of the free education system of which the GFSE was a key component. As stated by many national minded intellectuals, the relevant authorities should al least now, consider a comprehensive re evaluation of the present education system through a broad national dialog among the relevant stake holders including more..

Mar 17 (CI) Sri Lanka coach Paul Farbrace believes the experience of having played in Bangladesh over the past six weeks could work in favour of his team during the World T20. Sri Lanka have been in Bangladesh since the last week of January, winning across all three formats in a bilateral series with the hosts, before claiming the Asia Cup title there this month. That victory was the result of many players putting in good more..

Mar 17 (CI) For the first time in five years, an Associate nation has won a game at the World T20. Okay, so that was a given, as Hong Kong and Nepal contested the maiden encounter between two second-tier sides in the tournament's history, but Nepal's achievement, on their World T20 debut, was no less memorable for that. Paras Khadka, Nepal's statesmanlike captain and the man who has been so visible in their remarkable rise through the echelons of world cricket, struck a belligerent 41 more..

Mar 17 (Island) As national cricketers participated in religious observations at SLC headquarters yesterday prior to leaving for the World T-20, the Buddhist monk who conducted the pirith chanting urged fast bowler Lasith Malinga to return to Test cricket as his match winning performances were vital for the country in the longer version of the game as well. Malinga quit Test cricket to concentrate on shorter formats of the game due to recurring injuries. Sri Lankan team has struggled in more..

Mar 17 (Island) Sri Lankan Commercial Counsellors designated to a number of Business Councils in countries such as Russia, Sweden and France said although Sri Lankan trade missions established in around 60 countries are able to help local businessmen to engage in trade, investment and tourism sectors in overseas destinations, they don’t utilize the services offered by the Lankan trade missions. more..

Mar 17 (Island) The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), in its capacity as one of the country’s leading tertiary education providers will launch a revolutionary curriculum which aims to produce visionary Chartered Accountants in keeping with changing times and market requirements. The revised curriculum of the internationally recognized Chartered Accounting qualification, which will be launched shortly by CA Sri Lanka, more..

Mar 17 (ST) An aviation services agreement is being negotiated with Rotana Jet, an Abu Dhabi state-owned airline, to operate flights to Colombo and Mattala. Representatives from the airline were in the country recently to conduct discussions with the relevant local authorities in this regard. Etihad is the other state-owned commercial airliner from Abu Dhabi that operates regular flights to Colombo. During discussions it was agreed that the flight would operate to both the BIA and the MIRA more..

Mar 17 (ST) In anticipation of a further global gold price decline this year, Sri Lanka’s commercial banks have reduced interest rates on pawning loans on a directive of the Central Bank (CB). CB has imposed a 19% per annum interest ceiling on gold pawning loans and directed banks to curtail this business. However one bank appears to be violating the rules by charging 20%, arguing that the high interest was aimed at discouraging more..

Mar 17 (Island) Sri Lanka has a proud history of boat building. From ancient times SL was considered as a nation that had mastered the science of boatbuilding and the country was an a maritime hub of the ancient world. The island therefore does have a natural advantage to become the hub for boat manufacturing in the Asian Region thanks to its strategic location and other skills. According to Akihiko Nakauchi, Chairman Colombo Dockyard "SL work force is very diligent and dexterous. more..

Mar 17 (FT) Sri Lanka’s gem mining industry is set to turn a new chapter as Myanmar has invited the country for unprecedented cooperation efforts across many sectors. “I am pleased to say that the follow-up delegation as a result of President Rajapaksa’s visit to BIMSTEC in Myanmar has reaped great success. I am quite confident that, with this initiative, we could establish new industries both local and foreign, to enable us to generate huge employment opportunities more..

Mar 17 (CT) Sri Lanka is keen to know from South Africa about the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in bringing about post-conflict ethnic harmony, but it is treading warily in regard to this much-touted mechanism to bring about ethnic reconciliation after a long-drawn out violent conflict. Arun Tambimuttu, who was part of a high level Lankan delegation led by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, more..

Mar 17 (DN) The Japanese govt provided Rs. 14 million as grant aid for a project implemented by the Sarvodaya Suwasetha Sewa Society to upgrade a Girl's Home in the Kurunegala district. The assistance comes under Japan's Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP). The funds will be utilised to renovate the existing two storey building in the Wariyapola Girl's Home, Kurunegala and the construction of a new building for pre-school and vocational training center more..

Mar 17 (Hindu) It is never easy to relegate Sanath Jayasuriya to the shadows. Tillakaratne Dilshan precisely did that in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England. Dilshan, who emerged as the ‘Player of the Tournament’ and led the batting chart with 317 runs, drew the spotlight away from his celebrated opening partner. Much of Sri Lanka’s fortunes rode on Dilshan’s form and after he blitzed a 57-ball 96 against the West Indies in the semifinal, a lot more was expected from him in the final more..

Mar 17 (Hindu) During the week of March 24, the UNHRC countries will be asked to show where they stand on a resolution on Sri Lanka. That resolution seeks to support the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights’ call to establish an international mechanism to investigate alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law by both sides during Sri Lanka’s war. more..

Mar 17 (AP) Five things to know about the Sri Lanka team to play at the World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh: THIRD TIME A CHARM — Sri Lanka has twice reached the World T20 final but so far failed to win the title. First was against Pakistan at Lord's in 2009, then three years later the West Indies clinched a memorable victory to disappoint the home crowd at Colombo. The Sri Lankans now believe they're peaking at the right time and will be brimming with confidence after more..