Aug 1 (CT) Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by using humour, irony, exaggeration or ridicule. Political satire is ridicule dedicated to exposing the difference between appearance and reality in public life. The justification for this mockery, going back to Aristotle, is that by holding bad behavior up to ridicule we might, as it were, laugh folly out of existence. Although satire is usually meant to be more..

Aug 1 (CT) Names matter. So do personalities. Peruse history, peruse all those revolutions, rebellions, and political changes which have in some form or the other shifted regimes and created precedent, and you will come across both. Revolutions are birthed, sustained, and in some instances continued by rhetoric. Rhetoric is the preserve of the politicians. And politicians, ladies and gentlemen, are not statesmen. Not by a long shot. Mahinda Rajapaksa has a following. more..

Aug 1 (CT) A visit to the New Orleans carrying the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) that arrived in Colombo on 24 July for a port visit, gave a vivid impression of what a major man-o-war really was. It gave one a hint of what a warship's functions and operations were all about on a real combat or humanitarian mission. New Orleans moved powerfully away from our shores last Friday, headed for another port of call. more..

Aug 1 (SL) Muttiah Muralitharan, who brought unparalleled fame and glory in cricket to Sri Lanka not so long ago, was last week being accused by this country’s cricketing nincompoops, fanatical nationalists and bookie associates of treason! It was indeed ironic that while this baying at the moon was continuing, the supreme body for Cricket, the ICC announced that he would be inducted into its Hall of Fame along with three other Greats of the Game. When Murali turned out for Sri Lanka more..

Aug 1 (SL) Sri Lanka is a country of never-ending tragicomedies. President Maithripala Sirisena who was supposedly the Common Candidate at the 2015 January 8 Presidential Election, has yet again forgotten that he was supposed to be non-partisan and above petty party politics if he was to the ultimate – challenge and defeat the then undefeatable Maharajano – the Great Monarch Mahinda Rajapaksa, which the people of this country was fortunate enough to prove. more..

Aug 1 (SL) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will be the next presidential candidate if the executive presidency is not abolished, MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage says. Pointing out the serious damage the govt has done to the country within just one year, MP says the Joint Opposition will fight against corruptions of the govt despite govt’s oppressive attitude towards them. He further talked about the present harmful political situation of country more..

Aug 1 (ST) Even from a fairly prosaic standpoint, the Unity Govt’s proposed Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill has all the explosive potential of a double edged sword. This is the first prong of the Govt’s promised package of transitional justice reforms originating from the 2015 UNHRC resolution. Unlike Commissions of Inquiry established under Act No. 17 of 1948 (as amended), the OMP will be a permanent body tasked with searching for and tracing missing persons, more..

Aug 1 (ST) By the time the Joint Opposition make their five-day downhill crawl from Kandy to reach the capital tomorrow, they will find that instead of their declared aim to topple the Govt succeeding, they have lost their mojo somewhere on the road to Colombo. Their amulet lies bereft of its charm. Its power to cast a spell on the masses, gone with the wind. It has been used so often these last 18 months with hardly any success; and any little power it may have possessed has long since more..

Aug 1 (Island) Passengers purchasing items from SriLankan Airlines’ Serendib Treasures on-board duty free collection from 1 August will enjoy enhanced convenience and purchasing power through a new electronic credit and debit card system developed in partnership with Bank of Ceylon to provide real-time processing of transactions. SriLankan Airlines CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte said: “At SriLankan Airlines we take customer service very seriously indeed, more..

Aug 1 (Island) In recent times you have written Open Letters almost on a weekly basis to the President and PM, urging a credible investigation into the alleged CB Treasury Bond scams and stressing the need for accountability for any wrongdoing. Your focus has been on the role of then CB Governor, Arjuna Mahendran, despite other parties such as the Bank of Ceylon also said to be involved. The mere replacement of Mahendran with a new Governor by no means closes the chapter on this saga. more..

Aug 1 (SO) Handling coal is a dirty business, dirty enough for another load of claims in the latest corruption case to shake up the power and energy sector. SC ruling has found procedural flaws in a tender process for the procurement of coal for the Lakvijaya Power Plant which, politicians argue may have caused losses in millions to the Exchequer. Hong-Kong based raw materials company Nobel Resources Limited more..

Aug 1 (Island) So-called Eelam War IV, which lasted nearly 3 years, had both its beginning and end in water, so to speak. In 2006, a cocky Prabhakaran closed Mavil Aru anicut, depriving thousands of people of water and throwing down the gauntlet. Conflagration that ensued snuffed out many lives before ending in the shallows of Nandikadal lagoon, where LTTE leader met his Waterloo in 2009. Mavil Aru incident which plunged country into a bloodbath is now almost forgotten. more..

Aug 1 (Island) Despite a somewhat turbulent and challenging business environment Seylan Bank recorded a strong half yearly performance with Profits after Tax reaching Rs. 1,755 Million, for the 6 months ended 30th June 2016, against the Rs. 1,740 Million reported in the corresponding period of 2015. This performance was aided by healthy growth in core banking activities despite the impact of mark-to-market losses due to increase in interest rates. more..

Aug 1 (Island) Former Minister Prof. G.L Peiris and UPFA Colombo District MP Udaya Gammanpila yesterday called for Maha Sangha’s intervention to thwart the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe project meant to create a Federal Constitution. Maha Sangha’s backing was sought when Prof. Peiris and MP Gammanpila met Ven. Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala thera, chief incumbent of Getembe Rajapovaramaya & Maha Nayaka of Asgiriya more..

Aug 1 (ST) A round school life, there was always an array of food sold by the gates and most enjoyed, with ahcharu always on the menu. The spiced and mouthwatering assortment of fruit made us madder at wanting to eat some. Then, there was the achharu grandma made for the New Year, that went with our food. Laced with spice she mixed while dropping some sweat from her brow, as the kitchen was hot around the fireside. Reading the papers last week, I wondered, what if grandma was alive. more..

Aug 1 (Island) Compass Tech Asia recently launched the Homeland Security (HLS) division of their company by hosting a high-level seminar at the Cinnamon Grand. Ruwan Wijewardane, State Minister of Defence was the chief guest at the event. Others included Secretary of Defence, Karunasena Hettiarachchi, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal K A Gunatilleke, and Commander of Navy, Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne. Focus of the seminar was on real-time intelligence more..

Aug 1 (ST) In an unusual move the National Olympic Committee of SL has decided to do away with managers for the forthcoming Rio Olympics which will begin on August five. The authorities have decided that there would be no managers for any of the relevant sports – Athletics, Swimming, Rifle Shooting, Judo and Badminton. In similar vein breaking traditional protocol the NOC also has decided to do away with an accompanying more..

Aug 1 (CT) First Test was on a knife-edge going into the fifth and final day. In theory the game had the potential to go either way. There was a possibility of a draw, too, due to the weather. SL should be commended for the way they fought back. They will be really pleased in toppling the top Test Nation, as from day one the hosts had the greater advantage. I say this due to Mathews winning the toss on a dry pitch and playing 3 spinners and having the opportunity of bowling 4th in the game. more..

Aug 1 (Island) Yahapalana administration, which sought to restore independence of the judiciary and the public service, having castigated the previous regime seems to have evolved a formula to ensure that while ostensibly it seeks to display a hands-off stance in respect of these institutions, it has employed an ingenious method to undermine them through various committees, press briefings and platform antics. Time was that when an issue was sub judice, it was not discussed even more..

Aug 1 (DN) SL’s 10-member contingent for XXX1st summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro was scheduled to leave for Brazil in the early hours of today with veteran marathon runner Anuradha Indrajith Cooray as the overall captain. 38-year-old long distance specialist, who erased Asian Games gold medallist S.L.B. Rosa’s 40-year-old SL marathon record earlier this year, came to SL last week after a month-long stint in Kenya. more..

Aug 1 (DN) Economic Research Department of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka says that according to provisional data, the overall fiscal performance has improved during the first five months of 2016. The department says that Govt revenue as a percentage of estimated GDP has increased to 5.% during the first five months of 2016. Total expenditure and net lending during the first five months of 2016 remained unchanged at 7.2% of estimated GDP compared to the same period in 2015. more..

Aug 1 (DN) The 17th edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence 2015 will be held tomorrow at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel. The event is jointly organized by The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Press Institute is the most prestigious media awards event in the country. A total of 229 applications from 11 newspaper publishing groups were received by the distinguished 11-member independent Panel of Judges for the Journalism Awards for Excellence 2015, more..

Aug 1 (DN) With a proposed 90% tax in the offing for cigarettes by the govt and also the embargo on growing tobacco by 2020, Ceylon Tobacco Company is seriously looking stopping producing cigarettes in SL. Minister Rajitha Senaratne said he will draft a Cabinet paper to increase taxes on cigarettes from present 67-72% to 90% of purchase price. Taxes on cigarettes will be increased to the point where they accounted for 90% of their purchase price. more..

Aug 1 (ST) Thrift and Credit Co-operative Society Banks (financial institutions) are facing a risk to their credit profiles and deposit base due to rising exposure to micro finance, corruption, fraud, malpractices and mismanagement of the administration, financial analysts warned. The situation is grave for depositors of those financial institutions controlled by provincial councils as it is outside the purview of Central Bank. At least two of these institutions are on the verge of collapse more..

Aug 1 (FT) Rotary club of Colombo Fort, part of Rotary International District 3220, the world’s first service organisation appointed Rtn. PHF Nishantha Jayamanne, of Hemas Hospitals – part of Hemas Holdings PLC, as the new President of the club at a glittering installation function held at Hotel Ozo Colombo recently. Gracing the occasion were Senaka Amarasingha, District Governor of Rotary District 3220 for Sri Lanka and Maldives as the chief guest and Dr. Duminda Samarasinghe, more..

Aug 1 (FT) World Bank Group’s Board of Directors has endorsed a new 4-year strategy aimed at achieving greater prosperity for Sri Lanka and its people. The strategy emphasises greater macroeconomic stability, creating more and better jobs, improving Sri Lanka’s global competitiveness, investing in underserved people and areas, and promoting green growth. World Bank Group’s Country Partnership Framework more..

Aug 1 (Island) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith yesterday warned the govt that it should without hesitation punish any parliamentarian with links to drug barons. Addressing the residents of Ragama, at Basilica Vidyalaya, following the conclusion of a walk organised by the Catholic Church, in protest against the proliferation of drugs the prelate said the drug menace had spread to schools and the law enforcement officers had to eliminate it root and branch. more..

Aug 1 (DN) High Commissioner of Pakistan, Shakeel Hussain said that govt of Pakistan is committed to human capital development and promotion of entrepreneurship in Sri Lanka. He said this while speaking on the inauguration ceremony of a fully equipped IT Lab at the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka last week. Govt of Pakistan through its High Commission had donated a fully equipped IT lab comprising 15 desktops, 5 laptop computers, more..

Aug 1 (Forbes) Sri Lanka has a debt problem. After more than a decade of taking out huge loans to build large-scale infrastructure — most of which hasn’t yet produced adequate returns — the country is now struggling to make payments, and is looking for another way out. A potential exit strategy was to offer China debt for equity swaps, which PM Ranil Wickremesinghe recently proposed to China’s Ambassador Yi Xianliang. more..

Aug 1 (ST) Respondents in Colombo and Galle, while in agreement that FCID is not performing the role it set out to do, has also displayed wide disparities in a RCB poll. The poll was to ascertain the effectiveness of govt’s main financial crimes unit set up mainly to rope in members of the former regime including powerful public servants. For example, to the question as to whether the FCID was performing an exemplary role, 60%+ of respondents in Colombo and Galle said no. more..

Aug 1 (TP) SL Ambassador to Qatar, Dr. W M Karunadasa, has expressed his desire for the expansion of Stafford SL School Doha premises. “I appreciate Qatar govt’s kind concern and gesture towards SL children’s initial educational needs. “Qatar govt allotted 10,000sqm of land in 2014 under the sponsorship of SL Embassy. “I will suggest Board of Governors to look into expansion of facilities to accommodate at least 1,000 more students in this only community school,” more..

Aug 1 (Island) Pada Yathra from Kandy to Colombo against the govt entered its penultimate phase yesterday with the Joint Opposition protesters resuming the walk from Nitambuwa to Kiribathgoda around 9.30 a.m. The organisers of Pada Yatra said they anticipated govt sponsored moves to disrupt their protest march in Colombo. Nothing would deter them, they said. The walk was joined by thousands of people carrying more..

Aug 1 (Island) General Secretary SL Independent Govt Trade Union and Co-convener of Protecting Customs Trade Unions, R. Wijekoon vehemently condemned a statement by Minister Ravi Karunanayake that the latter would implement the New Customs Ordinance at any cost. Wijekoon said that Finance Minister who published newspaper advertisement requesting public views on the proposed customs law had wasted public money. For, the document had already been drafted more..

Aug 1 (DN) The 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) would begin tomorrow and end on August 4 at Jakarta Convention Centre with many globe political and corporate leaders are attending the event. For the first time, Sri Lanka has been invited to participate in the 12th WIEF in Jakarta, Indonesia and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, will deliver a special lecture at this Forum. The Forum will be held under the title of decentralizing, a catalyst for future entrepreneurs. more..

Aug 1 (DN) Revised bus fares will be implemented from today for the approved Inter Provincial (Normal, Semi Luxury, Luxury and Super Luxury) services run by SL Transport Board and Private Passenger Transport Services. Accordingly, bus fares of both private and SLTB buses will be increased by six percent approved by the Cabinet following a report on the annual bus fare increase submitted by Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva. more..

Aug 1 (DM) Kashmir is once again in the news -unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. The Kashmir Valley once famed for its picturesque beauty and the Dal Lake, which reflects the surrounding snow-capped mountain peaks has been turned into a violent battleground between militant young Kashmiris armed with stones fighting heavily armed Indian troops. The ongoing conflict, a by-product of the division of British India into the independent states of India and Pakistan more..

Aug 1 (DM) We talk a great deal about change in the modern world. We want change because we want to have better circumstances around us so that we can have a better quality of life in the changed environment. How do we bring about the desired change? We assume that we can bring about the desired change with the help of scientific knowledge. But this line of reasoning cannot be taken very far, before you confront serious epistemological and existential problems. more..

Aug 1 (DN) The government is giving step motherly treatment to the Research and Development sector and this should be corrected soon, said Minister of Plantation Industries, Navin Dissnayake. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Sri Lanka Rubber Traders Association as hotel Renuka last Friday he said that the salaries of the Rubber Research Institute is very low and is not at all encouraging for the staff. more..

Aug 1 (ST) A national alcohol control policy intended to cut direct or indirect ties between the alcohol industry and both govt and non-govts sectors is to be introduced soon. Abolishing of the duty free import and sale of alcohol products is also among the far reaching changes advocated by the national policy which seeks to cut down the high prevalence of alcoholism in the country and reduce social economic problems associated with it. more..