Apr 6 (FT) Spain’s World Cup-winning football star Carles Puyol, who was holidaying along Sri Lanka’s south coast, has garnered 1,051,138 views, 63,690 likes and 1177 shares on his Facebook page as of yesterday for a photo and video he posted of local wildlife. Sri Lanka Tourism said the Facebook popularity surrounding Puyol’s posts of a video of a whale in Mirissa and elephant at the Udawalawe National Park offered a boost for Sri Lankan tourism by conveying the country’s key attributes to more..

Apr 6 (TG) Talks were held in Singapore this weekend between Tamil and Sri Lankan groups on promoting reconciliation and strengthening democracy in Sri Lanka. The meeting was organised by the govt of Switzerland and the In Transformation Initiative (ITI) and held between April 3 and 5. "As part of an on-going dialogue process towards promoting reconciliation and strengthening of democracy in Sri Lanka, more..

Apr 6 (Island) Housing and Samurdhi Minister Sajith Premadasa declared on Saturday that people had given a mandate for both pruning down powers of the executive presidency and reforming the prevailing electoral system. Addressing people during a rally held at Sri Sunanda Vihara in Beliatte to distribute loans of Rs. 100,000 to 205 women each under the Samurdhi Kantha Diriya programme, the minister said that the Constitution should be amended to ensure the people’s right to life. more..

Apr 6 (CG) China says it is ready to work with South Asian countries, including India and Sri Lanka, to strengthen policy communication, identify the meeting point of their development strategies, explore effective ways of mutually beneficial cooperation and common benefit of the region, countries and the people. The PTI quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying as making the comment ahead of this week’s annual Defence Dialogue. more..

Apr 6 (DM) Office of the former President Rajapaksa rejected the allegation level against the Rajapaksa govt on the road constructions and said that even standard practices in the construction industry are portrayed as instances of abuse by the previous govt. At a press conference, Minister Kabir Hashim made certain allegations about several infrastructure projects initiated by President Rajapaksa’s govt. more..

Apr 6 (DM) A Sri Lankan who had served at the Canadian High Commission (CHC) in Colombo for more than eight years as a driver had been terminated from service unlawfully based on his ethnicity. Delivering a judgment in connection with a complaint made by a Sri Lankan who had served at the CHC in Colombo for more than eight years as a driver that he had been terminated from service unlawfully based on his ethnicity, the Labour Tribunal had ordered the CHC to reinstate more..

Apr 6 (CG) The JVP accused the govt of attempting to deviate from its promises to the people made ahead of the Presidential elections. The JVP also accused the JHU, particularly its General Secretary Champika Ranawaka of being a stumbling block to the attempts to ensure democracy and good Governance. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, speaking at the 44th anniversary of the 1971 JVP uprising, said that the govt, including President Sirisena, have been given a mandate by more..

Apr 6 (Island) Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa will hear representations from several politicians representing the Opposition as well as the govt today as regards their objections to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. Sources said that they would request Speaker Rajapaksa to reject the 19th Amendment in its present form. Asked whether a new alliance was in the making against ongoing efforts spearheaded by UNP more..

Apr 6 (DM) This subject came on stage when Mr. Mano Ganeshan sought approval from the National Executive Committee to sing the National Anthem in the Tamil language. Approval was granted and immediately thereafter those who objected to it were branded as Extremists, Communalists and Chauvinists. In addition to that, the learned and moderate Tamil opinion makers make evocative comments such as that by way of being a most affected minority community in this country, more..

Apr 6 (DM) Though student unrest is not new to this country, what is necessary to recognise at the outset is that it is undoubtedly a manifestation of a deep-rooted socio-economic malaise that needs to be understood and responded to in a rational and reasonable manner. It is unwise to dismiss it by simply saying that it is the work of a group of unruly students. In fact we have done this several times in the past over the last four decades. For instance, in the late 1980s, universities were more..

Apr 6 (SL) Sri Lanka Cricket has been driven to treading on thin ice with the International Cricket Council warning Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) that undue interference does not sit within the ICC regulations and that there is a possibility of Sri Lanka Cricket being dropped from ICC events. Trouble started when SLC wrote to Minister of Sports Naveen Dissanayake on 27 Jan 2015 asking for the postponement of the SLC AGM more..

Apr 6 (DM) The opposition representatives will urge Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to postpone the debate on the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on the principle that the entire process being adopted for its enactment is constitutionally flawed, a MP said today. The Bill has been listed for debate on April 8, 9 and 10. However, former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said people should be given a week to petition Supreme Court more..

Apr 6 (Island) A section of the four-party Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Northern Province Governor H.M.G.S. Palihakkara are on a collision course over the latter deferring a series of transfers ordered by the Northern Provincial Council (NPC). Well informed sources told The Island that one-time Foreign Secretary Palihakkara had intervened on behalf of the arbitrarily transferred Secretaries to ministries of the TNA-run NPC. more..

Apr 6 (Island) Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris warned of dire consequences if the UNP was allowed to go ahead with the project to undermine the process to amend the Constitution. "The enactment of a Constitution, the highest law of the land, is the most sacred task which the country’s legislature can undertake. It has the most far reaching consequences in all sectors of public life for generation to come. more..

Apr 6 (Island) India's National Investigative Agency (NIA) says it has successfully neutralised a massive terror plot hatched in Colombo by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to blow up nearly 20 sensitive installations and targets on its East Coast by timely intervention over two years ago. Targets include American Consulate in Chennai, Israeli consulate in Bengaluru, a new naval base for nuclear submarines more..

Apr 6 (ST) The Colombo Port City Development has been in the limelight during the past three months. A range of articles has been published by organisations, environmentalists, politicians, social media groups, the developer/investor and others associated with the developer on engineering and environmental studies. The involvement of wider segments of society in these discussions indicates the more..

Apr 6 (DM) Amid controversy over the opposition leader post in Parliament, the TNA staked its claim for the post saying that it was the single largest party outside the govt in the House. TNA leader R. Sampanthan said that the UNP, the UPFA, the TNA or ITAK, and the DNA were the only four parties having parliamentary representation at the moment. However, he said both the UNP and the UPFA had got together more..

Apr 6 (ENS) Fears about a devastating radioactive fallout from an accident in the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu persist in Sri Lanka, despite the good report that the nuclear safety regime in India had got from Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in March. Although the Sirisena govt has not raised the issue with India, unlike Rajapaksa regime, more..

Apr 6 (CNA) Singapore is set to partner Sri Lanka in the development and management of infrastructure in the South Asian nation. The Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), Temasek Foundation, the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) and Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage on Monday signed a collaboration document in Colombo, local agencies said. more..

Apr 6 (DM) Increasing in UV radiation, the sun coming directly over the country and the increase of humidity had contributed to the increase in the heat-wave experience in the country these days, the Department of Metrology said today. The temperature has topped 36 degrees in some areas the country. A Spokesman of the department told the Daily Mirror that usually excess radiation was blocked by cloud cover over the island. more..

Apr 6 (Reuters) Shares ended slightly weaker on Monday, snapping a three-day winning streak, in dull trade as many investors and brokers have still not returned from their holidays. The index ended 0.44%, or 30.63 points, weaker at 6,917.51 on Monday. The market was closed on Friday for a public holiday. It has gained 2.44% in the past three sessions through Thursday. "Nothing much is happening in the market. Many have either gone on leave or are on the wait and see approach," more..

Apr 6 (CT) Any electoral reform that intends to substantially alter the proportional representation (PR) in Sri Lanka will go against people’ sovereignty. Therefore, any attempt to do so should be opposed. This does not mean that the introduction of ‘first past the post (FPP) constituencies,’ within the existing or a new PR system is undemocratic. In fact those constituencies are necessary to enhance the elector-elector links for better democracy and representative accountability. more..

Apr 6 (CT) Drug Lords fund politicians in millions. In turn they are politically blessed to do anything what they want in this country. When we think of High Class Hookers, we visualize the image of a beautiful young girl or a woman in the arms of an old man. But in Sri Lanka that visual is quite different. The dignity of the once proud cinema has been dragged into prostitution. That is amply proved going by reports of the police investigations into drug kingpin Wele Suda's antics more..

Apr 6 (Island) Three army personnel including a captain were injured when a bomb they had attempted to diffuse at Vilasikulam, Tachchanamarathamadu in Mannar on Saturday exploded. The bombs that had been buried there by the LTTE were detected by employees of an NGO and they alerted the security forces. The soldiers arrived there recovered several bombs and one of them went off, according to an eyewitness. The wounded personnel attached to more..

Apr 6 (DM) Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Tilak Karunarathne asserts that he intends on creating investor confidence in the capital markets. He spoke of what led to his resignation during his previous stint and commitment to ensure that justice was meted out to those who were alleged to have committed illegal acts in the capital market. Q: The last time we interviewed you was when you resigned as more..

Apr 6 (CG) Attorney General (AG) made submissions to the Supreme Court today on the 19th Amendment to the constitution, Deputy Minister Ajith. P. Perera said. He also said that the 19th Amendment will be debated in Parliament on Thursday and Friday and a vote will be taken on the bill on Friday. If the SC gives a determination which goes against the 19th Amendment or some of its clauses, then the party leaders will meet before Friday and decide the next step. more..

Apr 6 (CT) Tension broke out at a UNP meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Ampara yesterday as some party supporters protested against Parliamentarian P. Dayaratne when he stood up to speak at the event. A group of party members had protested the presence of P. Dayaratne claiming that he left the party and joined former President Rajapaksa. When contacted Dayaratne said he was invited to the meeting by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and Daya Gamage. more..

Apr 6 (AD) Body of the woman that went missing from Kotakethana are in Kahawatta has been found from the Kotakethana canal, the police confirmed a short while ago. Body was recovered after a 36-hour search operation. Search was initiated to locate the 39-year old woman who went missing since wee hours of Sunday. Police investigations started subsequent to a complaint lodged with the Kahawatta Police more..

Apr 6 (AM) Political analyst and former Ambassador Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka slammed the foreign policy of the govt, pointing out that there is no uniformity in the policies followed by the President and the Foreign Minister. He said that the foreign policy of the Rajapaksa govt was in need of a change. Sri Lanka was in need of the foreign policy adapted by late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgarmar. His policy was balanced and did not compromise on national sovereignty at the same time, more..

Apr 6 (CT) Jaffna University Employees Union has written to the newly appointed UGC Chairman Professor Mohan de Silva, requesting a comprehensive inquiry into the unlawful conduct of the university administration. This is not the first instance of such complaints being made against the administration ; academics too have been repeatedly highlighting issues in the conduct of the university administration, urging both the former regime and the present govt to more..

Apr 6 (CG) Engaging in a six-day visit to Sri Lanka, the UN Development Chief for Asia and UN Assistant Secretary-General Haoliang Xu met with the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake, this morning and discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation with the UN system, moving forward, and exploring prospects of govt cost sharing. Xu also met and exchanged views with Minister D.M. Swaminathan, more..

Apr 6 (CG) Family members of people reported missing since the end of the war staged a protest in Fort today demanding that the new government launch a fresh investigation into those missing. The protestors also called on the UN and international human rights organisations to conduct an international probe soon if the govt fails to provide immediate results to locate those missing. “It has been years since we lost our children. We want answers soon. more..

Apr 6 (CT) Appalling details of a daylight robbery committed by a group of Customs Officers under the blessings of the Customs Chief Jagath Wijeweera, where two suspects were coerced into paying a ransom worth Rs. 120 million to prevent being detained in remand custody, has now come to light, Colombo Telegraph can exclusively reveal today. Colombo Chief Magistrate was informed that DGC Wijeweera has permitted the said group of officers to by-pass the Director of Customs more..

Apr 6 (EN) Sri Lanka will set up a national oil company and look for another partner to drill offshore natural gas deposits with the withdrawal of Cairn, Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka said. The new govt has take a policy decision to exploit the gas reserves found by Cairn in the Mannar Basin to pump it ashore at Kerawalapitiya on the north-west coast to initially feed govt and private power stations, he said. more..

Apr 6 (CT) Northern Province Governor's Secretariat has been drawn to a speculative and erroneous media report about the deferral of transfers of some senior officials in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC). Statement released by the Governor's office is as follows: "The said transfers were deferred by the Governor in order to give time for review and consultation on this matter as it was pointed out that these transfers were done without adequate consultation and consideration of all aspects. more..

Apr 6 (CT) Managing Director and the Chief Consultant of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Colombo, Loide Lilade conducted a workshop on Human Rights to the officers at the Security Force Headquarters in Wanni last week at the Security Force Headquarters Auditorium. The workshop was initiated following a request made to the ICRC in Colombo by the SF Commander Maj. Gen. Boniface Perera. The workshop sessions continued for three days more..

Apr 6 (CG) Chinese Govt evacuated 44 Sri Lankans and a foreigner married to a Sri Lankan from Yemen this evening, Chinese Embassy in Colombo said. Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka is accompanying the Sri Lankans who have been evacuated together with Chinese Nationals on a ship. Sri Lankans were taken to Sana’a from where they were boarded onto a Chinese ship which will take them to Djibouti. more..

Apr 6 (DM) Under the programme of providing free Wifi facility covering all 25 districts in the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Telecommunications and IT will introduce a new single network to access Wifi service without barriers, Information Communications Technology Agency (ICTA) Programme Manager Gavaskar Subramaniam said today. Accordingly, the users will not need to use their own network (e.g. Dialog or Mobitel) in accessing the free Wifi service. more..

Apr 6 (AD) A Sub-Inspector attached to the Bandaaragama Police was found murdered at his home in Panadura (South) today, Police Spokesman told Ada Derana. The body of the officer was found with his throat slit in Bethgama area in Panadura. “The police are yet to disclose the motive behind the murder. Investigations are underway to arrest the perpetrators,” ASP Ruwan Gunasekara added. The body has been sent to the Panadura Base hospital for the post-mortem. more..