March 2016 ~ Mithuru Blog

Friendly sporting events for USS “Blue Ridge” crew

Sri Lanka Navy organized sporting events for the crew of USS Blue Ridge, which arrived in Sri Lanka on Saturday (26th March) to strengthen the relationship among navies of the two countries.

Basketball, baseball, and a soccer games were held on Sunday and Monday (27th and 28th March) at the Welisara Sports ground.

US: President Barack Obama on Monday challenged the US media stop chasing ratings and take on 2016 election candidates who are willing to "lie out loud" and whose campaigns are "untethered from reason."

Without calling out Donald Trump by name, Obama used a journalism award ceremony in Washington to deliver his toughest condemnation yet of the caustic tone of the presidential election campaign and the media coverage of it.

Government hopes to further strengthen its defence ties with China this year.

Secretary of Defence Karunasena Hettiarachchi told Xinhua that China supported Sri Lanka to end the war against Tamil Tiger rebels and the government is in discussions to further strengthen the defence relations between the two countries.

US: Long-distance runners are water-obsessed by necessity, but Mina Guli is on another level. She's trying to run more than 1,000 miles through seven deserts on seven continents in seven weeks to raise awareness of worldwide water shortages.

She has completed six of the runs, having jogged an average of 150 miles each through harsh conditions in Spain, Jordan, Antarctica, Australia, South Africa and Chile. Now, the Australian is in

Chasing a modest 154-run target, England batsmen fired in unison to beat New Zealand by seven wickets to enter the final of 2016 World Twenty20. England won with 17 balls remaining.

New Zealand 153/8 (20/20 ov)
England 159/3 (17.1/20 ov)

Annual scientific session 2016 of the National Aquatic Resource Research and Development Agency (NARA) was held on Tuesday (29th March) under the patronage of the Ambassador to the People's Republic of China in Sri Lanka Yi Xianliang.

Government will file a fresh application to the European Union before June 2016 seeking reinstatement of the General System of Preference Plus (GSP+).

"We are very confident the new application would be reinstate GSP+ by January 2017," State Minister for International Trade Sujeewa Senasinghe today (March 30) said.

Viber is a popular free Voice-over IP messaging service and Skype alternative, that can be used on your smartphone or PC. The Viber PC client takes the convenience of the mobile app and brings it to your PC so you can stay connected even when you don’t have your mobile phone. It also makes it easier to get on with work and multitask while communicating with your contacts.

Keep friends at your fingertips with the new Yahoo! Messenger:

Easier ways to stay up to date - See more updates from your friends in the detailed Messenger list
Show off your status - Easily add links and emoticons to your status messages
Watch videos together - Share videos from popular sites and watch them with friends right in your IM window

When John F. Kennedy, Jr., announced rather ambitiously that the US would put a man on the moon within only a matter of years, the reactions were part awed, part derisive. Some saw it as the limitless ability of the best minds coming together, others laughed at the ludicrous idea that a human could walk on the moon…and live to tell about it.

A newly published study has found that people with knowledge that their society or community is subject to mass surveillance, even where that surveillance is widely accepted, and widely condoned by the populace at large, is more likely to censor dissenting or even personal opinions in online environments.

Skype is the most popular free voice-over IP and instant messaging service globally. It allows users to text, video and voice call over the internet. Users can also call landlines and mobiles at competitive rates using Skype credit, premium accounts and subscriptions. Skype was publically released in 2003 and now accounts for roughly a third of all international calling minutes. Skype uses P2P technology

As the world of white hat hackers has proven, you don’t have to be a jerk just because you have mad skills with a computer. Hacktivists and white hats have already done life-changing work for companies, government agencies, and even law enforcement. Private corporations have often invited hackers to unveil flaws in their security networks, even with a cash reward for uncovering a new error, but ride-sharing app Uber is upping the stakes.

No, really, it did….Tay is an AI chat bot developed by Microsoft with the aim of interacting with the millennial 18-24 age group.
It’s developers quickly learned however that social media and open access to the internet might not have been the best learning environment for its creation.
Within hours or going live, Tay had appeared to have gone ‘rogue,’ on Twitter, routinely cursing, supporting Donald Trump’s run for US President, seemingly agreeing with Adolf Hitler’s views on

Digital photography buffs rejoice! There’s news from the world of photo editing software that has amateurs and pros alike celebrating.
To understand the cause for excitement, let’s back up. Google acquired what it dubbed the Nik Collection about four years ago in an effort to get one popular mobile app, Snapseed. This app basically let you apply Instagram-style filters to all of your photographs without having to do it in the upload process. This was a great tool for Google’s mobile tech.

Campaign manager for Donald Trump,Corey Lewandowski has been charged with assaulting a journalist
Mr. Lewandowski has been charged with simple battery over an incient where Police allege that on 8 March after a news conference in Florida, he grabbed her arm when she tried to ask Mr Trump a question, leaving a bruise.

Avicii, the prolific swedish prince of electronic dance music has announced his retirement from his career as a an international touring D.J.
The musician, born Tim Bergling in an open letter posted to his website has noted that his 2016 concerts will be his last (at least for the foreseeable future).

Sri Lankan Cricket Captain Angelo Mathews upon the team’s arrival to the country said that the team’s failure to put up a good performance led to the defeat at the T20 Cricket world Cup.
The Sri Lanka team arrived in the country via the Bandaranaike International Airport on Wednesday after their defeat at the T20 World cup match against South Africa.

The Department of Motor Traffic says that the numbers for vehicle registration have dropped by 50 percent, in comparison to the previous year.
Commissioner of Motor Traffic, Jagath Jagath Chandrasiri stated that 4138 vehicles were registered

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is too familiar with the fickleness of cricket’s shortest format to take his team’s red-hot form for granted, going into today’s World Twenty20 semi-final against England.
The Kiwis cruised into the last four as the only unbeaten team in the tournament to book a clash with England who seem to be peaking at the right time.

Myanmar’s new president has been sworn in, the first elected civilian leader in more than 50 years.
Htin Kyaw from the National League for Democracy (NLD) takes over from Thein Sein, who introduced wide-ranging reforms during his five years in power. Although NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency, she has said she will rule by proxy.

Lionel Messi brought up his half-century of international goals for Argentina as he inspired an easy 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Bolivia in Cordoba.
The 28-year-old’s 29th-minute penalty took him to just six behind leading scorer Gabriel Batistuta’s tally of 54 and on this evidence it will only be a matter of time before he breaks the record.

An Egyptian man accused of hijacking and forcing a plane to land in Cyprus on Tuesday (29th March) using a fake suicide belt has appeared in court in Cyprus.
The Larnaca court ordered an eight-day detention for Seif Eldin Mustafa ( The suspected hijacker).

Government will introduce a new change in the education system by May this year.

Speaking at the opening of Royal MAS Arena at Royal College Colombo, the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said a new “post school education” programme would be introduced under this new system of education to prepare students for higher education.

Government has decided to abandoned the power cuts during the forthcoming festival season according to Deputy Minister of Power and Renewable Energy Ajith P. Perera.

“Dry weather conditions experienced in the country in the past few months lead to decline in the

Eighth annual “World Autism Awareness Day” falls on 2nd April 2016.

“Autism” is a medical condition that occurs due to an abnormal brain development, and affects how a person communicates and relates to other people. People with Autism understand and reacts to the social environment around them in a different manner to others. Autism and related conditions are caused by a change in the way how the nerve cells in the brain develop and mature. In Sri Lanka 1 percent children out of the annual new born children (approx. 3,750) are vulnerable for “Autism Spectrum Disorders”.

Indian nationals will not be recruited to the proposed Emergency Rapid Response Ambulance Service (ERRAS) to be launched in the Western and Southern Province as a pilot project, Health Service Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala stated today (29th March).

Facebook has apologized after its Safety Check system wrongly asked people if they were caught in a bomb attack in Pakistan.
The suicide attack on Sunday(27) in a Lahore park killed more than 70 people, including children.
Facebook’s Safety Check system activates after a tragedy to help people let others know they are safe.

Most of the passengers on board a hijacked Egyptian airliner that was forced to divert to Cyprus have been freed, the airline says.
EgyptAir said negotiations had resulted in the release of all those on board Flight MS181 apart from the crew and four foreign passengers.

Samsung has officially launched Samsung Pay in China. The South Korean company has partnered with state-backed China UnionPay for the launch — the association that controls all card payments in the country, and that worked with Apple to launch Apple Pay there last month. As the world’s largest smartphone market, China presents a huge opportunity for these electronic wallet systems, with its mobile payment market estimated to be worth $2.5 trillion in 2015.

The final box office figures have come in for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and they are slightly below the estimates.
According to Warner Bros. Pictures the movie directed by Zack Snyder earned $166.1 million this weekend from 4,242 domestic theaters, which was a bit below the estimated $170.1 million whereas it’s still the best pre-summer opening, surpassing The Hunger Games‘ $152.5 million from March 2012.

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (March 28) visited the United States Navy Ship USS Blue Ridge, which arrived at the Colombo Port last week for a goodwill visit.

The President was warmly received with a U.S. Navy military guard honor when he arrived at the ship. U.S. Ambassador to Colombo Atul Keshap joined President Sirisena on the tour.

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (March 28) condemning Sunday's terror attack in Lahore, Pakistan as a "dreadful act of cowardice" expressed solidarity with government of Pakistan in their "hour of grief".

In a message of condolences to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif on the terrorist attack in Lahore yesterday (27), which killed more than 70 people including children, President Sirisena said he is saddened by the news and condemn all forms of terrorism targeting innocent civilians.

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced Monday (March 28) that it has signed an agreement with Sri Lanka to lend Rs. 56 billion (US$ 400 million) to expand the country's main international airport in Colombo, according to a statement released by JICA.

The agency said it will fund building a new passenger terminal at the Bandaranaike International Airport which suffers congestion from growing tourism.

The National Mosquito Control Week organised by the Ministry of Health and the Epidemiology Unit will be held countrywide from today (29) until April 4, Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala said.

According to Dr. Mahipala it will be held under the direction of Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and Deputy Minister Fizal Kasim. The National Mosquito Control Week intends to control

KOREA: South Korea and Japan offered muted reactions Monday to Donald Trump's suggestion that, as president, he would withdraw troops from both countries and allow them to develop their own nuclear arsenal.

There are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea and 47,000 in Japan, with little appetite for nuclear weapons in either nation.

BELGIUM: Faycal Cheffou, the sole person charged so far in Belgium's terror attacks, lived in a four-storey townhouse on a quiet residential street a stone's throw from the EU's headquarters.

Listed as an 'art nouveau' wonder by turn-of-the-19th-century Belgian architect Franz Tilley, the house is just a few hundred yards away from the huge European Commission buildings.

As in the Asia Cup when they beat only UAE, defending champs Sri Lanka ended the World T20 in a similar manner with just a solitary win over associate nation Afghanistan. They lost their final Group 1 game against South Africa by eight wickets at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds on Monday (March 28) in another feeble display of batting that saw them bundled out for a disappointing 120 in 19.3 overs.

Navy on last Saturday (March 26) arrested 33 local fishermen who were engaged in illegal fishing practices.

Naval personnel attached to SLNS Buwaneka in Nachchikuda in the North Central Naval Command arrested 33 persons along with approximately 1,500 sea cucumbers caught illegally in the general area of Anthonipuram on 26th March 2016.

At least 69 people have been killed and scores injured in an explosion at a public park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, officials say.
The park was crowded with families, some celebrating Easter. Many victims are said to be women and children.

Warner Bros. Pictures‘ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opened to $170.1 million domestically over Easter weekend in 4,242 theaters, an average of $40,100 per theater. That means the film has broken the record for best pre-summer opening, surpassing The Hunger Games‘ $152.5 million from March 2012.
It is also the largest domestic opening for Warner Bros. Pictures ever (previous record was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2‘s $169.2 million from 2011), the widest release pre-May, the largest Easter opening (previous record was Furious 7‘s $147.2 million from 2015), the largest opening for a DC film (previous record was The Dark Knight Rises‘ $160.9 million from 2012), and the biggest March opening ever (previous record was The Hunger Games‘ $152.5 million from March 2012).

For the past few years, Samsung has released Active versions of its flagship smartphones — variants with added features like waterproofing and rubber cases. It seems the company is doing the same for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, with SamMobile spotting a “Galaxy S7 Active” device listed in one of Samsung’s apps. The question is, how can the S7 Active be differentiated from the regular S7 and S7 Edge, when both of these handsets are already water- and dust-resistant?

Tharindu Udayanga and Sashini Navodya both from Lions Swimming Club, Ambalangoda won the men's and women's titles respectively of the 10 kilometer sea swim organized by the Kinross Swimming and Life Saving Club yesterday (27th March).

Colombo city, once overrun by stray dogs, which carried the dreaded rabies virus in them is now poised to be declared a Rabies Free City by the year 2018.

"We have almost achieved our target to be a rabies free city, due to our successful intervention programs," Chief Veterinary Surgeon, CMC, Dr. Dharmawardene said.

Government has made arrangements to open the country's first safari park today (March 28) at Ridiyagama in Hambantota in the Southern Province.

The construction work at the first Safari Park in the island started in 2008 under the direction of National Zoological Department. The park, being built under two phases, covers an expanse of about 500 acres and it contains a public entertainment zone extending to about 69 acres.

SCOTLAND: Tributes were paid Saturday to a British Muslim shopkeeper killed in what police described as a “religiously prejudiced” attack, as a Muslim suspect remained in custody.

Asad Shah, 40, died after being found with serious injuries outside his shop in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Thursday evening. He was believed to be a member of the minority Ahmadi Muslim community, and media reports said he was originally from Pakistan.

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and Zurich based Swiss- Asian Chamber of Commerce signed an MOU recently in a bid to promote trade and investments between Sri Lanka and Switzerland.

The signing took place in Colombo recently with the participation of CCC Chairman Samantha Ranatunga and. Mark Dangel, Chairman, Sri Lanka Committee of the Swiss-Asian Chamber of Commerce, who respectively signed the MOU on behalf of each party.

Mar 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka's budget carrier Mihin Lanka will begin operating daily flights on the Muscat-Colombo route from Monday providing enhanced connectivity to South Asia and the Far East.

Mihin Lanka launched service on the Muscat-Colombo sector from October 25 last year after its sister airline, SriLankan Airlines ceased operations on the route.

Several showers are expected in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern and Uva provinces and in the Hambantota District today (28th March).

According to the Department of Meteorology, showers or thundershowers could occur at several places elsewhere after 2.00 pm.

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