Apr 16 (DM) JVP MP Vijitha Hearth said that JVP had no issues with Somawansa Amarasinghe and pointed out that it was Mr. Amarainsghe who wanted to leave the party since 2002 while the party objected to his quitting. Mr. Herath had sat down at the head table with Mr. Amarasinghe but was asked to leave. “Comrade, please leave without creating more issues,” he told Mr. Herath who obliged by moving away. He said the party was ready to resolve any issues with Mr. Amarainsghe. more..

Apr 16 (AD) Around 57 Members of Parliament today visited former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at his Carlton House in Tangalle. PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila stated that a large number of Provincial Councillors and local govt members also participated in the visit. Former Ministers Dullas Alahapperuma, Bandula Gunawardena, Kumara Welgama, Dinesh Gunawardena, Wimal Weerawansa, TB Ekanayake, Prof GL Peiris, Salinda Dissanayake, Mahindananda more..

Apr 16 (CI) The ICC has said that it will withhold its next financial distribution due to Sri Lanka Cricket pending an investigation into possible govt interference in Sri Lanka cricket. SLC's board had been dissolved by the government last month and, on March 31, Sri Lanka's sports minister Navin Dissanayake appointed a nine-member interim committee, headed by Sidath Wettimuny, to run Sri Lanka cricket. more..

Apr 16 (GDI) The offering of new rice took place under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the Somawathie Sacred Site. A large gathering was also present at the function known as the Kiri Aahara Pooja. The farmers offer the first part of the yield harvested from the Maha cultivation season, wishing a bountiful harvest at the next cultivation season. The President also joined the farmer community in offering the harvest and engaging in religious observances. more..

Apr 16 (CT) Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) has argued for a re-routing of Bus services within the Western Province with the objective of making commuter travel more convenient. LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne says, that out of nearly 20,000 private buses on the roads today, more than 6,300 operate within the Western Province but they were not being rationalized for maximum commuter convenience and this needs to be examined and rectified by Transport Regulatory Authorities. more..

Apr 16 (AD) Former Leader of the JVP Somawansa Amarasinghe today said that he will resign from the JVP and form a new party. Amarasinghe said he resigned to form a new party to give leadership to the masses who were not satisfied with the current JVP. Elaborating on the surprising decision, he said that with the prevailing political situation in the country the JVP is the only party which can win over the people. more..

Apr 17 (CT) Some people are vilified. They are in the majority. Others have their lives commemorated every year. They are rare. It is because of this perhaps that we remember them. No one is perfect, of course, which means that no one can really claim an icon status without adjusting for his/her frailties. Occasionally, however, they manage to transcend those frailties and become legends. With politicians and statesmen, it must be added here hence, this is more the rule than the exception. more..

Apr 17 (CT) Large-Scale corruption will continue to thrive so long as professionals – particularly auditors and lawyers (i) are not held accountable (ii) ‘named & shamed’ (iii) punished – for dereliction of duty and wrongdoing. Can any large-scale corruption occur without the complicity of professionals? Are not accountants and auditors the first line of defense against corruption in all entities dealing with financial resources? This is precisely what is avoided even by purported good governance activists and more..

Apr 17 (SO) The first centenary of the birth of the recording artist and composer Sunil Santha will be celebrated on April 14. Born in Ja-ela in 1915, Sunil’s ambition from a young age was to be an inventor, and throughout his life he retained a passion for anything mechanical from building radios to repairing car engines. Sunil did become an inventor, but not of rockets and engines, but an inventor of songs. more..

Apr 17 (SO) The Supreme Court has communicated its determination on the 19th Amendment to the Speaker, needing a referendum in respect of certain provisions, which the govt will jettison from the amendment as per its promise to bring in constitutional reform that does not need a referendum, within 100 days of the new presidency. The centerpiece of its election platform and of its governance reform program is the diminution of the powers of the executive presidency and more..

Apr 17 (NS) Anything can be art, says popular metal installation artiste, Pathmal Yahampath. Recalling his final installation of his university life, Pathmal says he demonstrated this belief by converting discarded furniture into a sculpture. Pathmal was inspired by a protest in the university asking for new desks and chairs. He decided to show the injustice of such a demand through his installation. “It is common knowledge that it is the students themselves, who break/deface chairs/desks” more..

Apr 17 (CT) Q: How should the people look at the developing crisis in the country at the moment. A: The UPFA already had the parliamentary majority at the time the new govt was appointed. The present crisis is the result of forming a minority govt. But it was due to a promise delivered by Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena to implement democratic political reforms within the first 100-days of his rule. more..

Apr 17 (ST) It’s that time of the year when – traditionally – yours truly meditates on all things national and traditional. It’s because the traditional avurudu time is approaching, and it seems as good a time as any to ruminate on national matters that are rarely reflected on at other times. This year, the public discussion (in the mainstream) of and heated debate (at least on social media) over the national anthem has been grist for the mill. The controversy has all but died down now. more..

Apr 17 (IE) Top insurer Amana Takaful PLC, Sri Lanka, announced their decision to go with GrayMatter’s Insurance Analytics (IA+) to execute their Business Analytics program across Life & Non Life Insurance in Colombo. This is in line with Amana Takaful’s strategy to develop a strong analytics culture to gain market share, enhance customer experience and improve operational efficiency. Increasingly Analytics has been a key driver of business growth as per global trends more..

Apr 17 (CT) One of the glorious athletes in the country's athletics history, Sugath Thilakaratne, will contest for the top post of the Athletics Association (AASL) this year, which is to be held on 14 May. He has been nominated by eight Associations for the AASL Presidency. Nominations for the post closed at 12 p.m. on 15 April. Meanwhile, in a surprising move, Gampaha District Athletics Association have more..

Apr 17 (NS) Annasi & Kadalagotu Literary Festival organized in partnership with the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency, will be held on April 25, from 10 am to 6 pm, at the Western Province Aesthetic Resort, 275/74, Prof Stanley Wijesundera Mawatha, Colombo 7. Looking for Sri Lankan literature? Think you don’t know enough about local authors? Need information on publishing a book? If you are looking for answers to these, look no further. A literature festival of a new type is waiting to open more..

Apr 17 (ST) Where would medicine be today without engineering? The answer to this leads to a very interesting discussion and this column is a small step towards highlighting the role of engineering in medicine and biology, and how Sri Lanka can contribute to this rapidly evolving field. What is Biomedical Engineering? Biomedical Engineering (BME) is, simply, offering engineering solutions to problems faced in medicine and biology. Biomedical Engineering serves to close more..

Apr 17 (Island) The National Savings Bank (NSB) will look to take its presence to the international community by establishing branch networks in Bangladesh and Maldives, the newly appointed chairman of NSB Aswin de Silva told The Island. De Silva believes that NSB has the potential to grow even further beyond the existing standards and pave the way to achieve revolutionary success in their future endeavours. more..

Apr 17 (OI) A Sri Lankan fibre glass boat was found abandoned off Thangachimadam near here today with locals claiming five unidentified persons disembarked from it. The boat belonged to Mannar District in northern Sri Lanka and its engine was found removed, police said. Locals informed police that five people got out of the boat at Kannupaadu near Tenkadal (South sea) near Thangachimadam carrying some goods, they said. Investigations are on to verify the claims of the local people and more..

Apr 17 (Island) Technology like fire is a good friend, if used properly. It has stood mankind in good stead for centuries. But, scientists now tell us that the wrong use thereof is bound to cost humans one of their most valuable organs––the brain. A research team from the Copenhagen University has found that the practice of constant flicking between various electronic gadgets like smart phones, computers and television is fraught with the danger of the human brain being more..

Apr 17 (Hindu) Fundamentalism knows no boundaries. In India, it was Perumal Murugan who announced the death of the writer in him. In Sri Lanka, writer Sharmila Seyyid was ‘raped’ and ‘murdered’ online on March 28, marking a new low in the history of intolerance. If casteist and Hindutva forces drove the writer in Mr. Murugan to death, it was fundamentalist Muslim groups who ‘killed’ Ms. Seyyid online. more..

Apr 17 (Island) Exclusive interview with Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, President’s Counsel and member of the Govt’s constitution drafting team. In your view, what are the main points of interest in the Supreme Court’s decision on the 19th Amendment Bill? For some time, various views have been expressed regarding the extent to which the executive power of the President can be restricted without having a referendum. Article 3 of the Constitution states that more..

Apr 17 (ST) In today’s fast moving world, health is wealth, and keeping healthy is all about ‘monitoring’ your ‘vital signs’ and reminding you about those essential things in life that you forget. This, for example, is that you have not walked enough today, that you need to take your medicine on time (if you are on medication for a chronic disorder), etc. Today, we live in a world where health and IT are interlinked, that is why we talk of e-Health and m-Health. more..

Apr 17 (DN) The e-Tourist Visa (eTV) scheme, earlier known as the Tourist Visa on Arrival enabled by Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) scheme, has been extended to Sri Lankan nationals visiting India from April 14, 2015. The new scheme will be in addition to the existing visa services. Sri Lankan nationals holding diplomatic / official passports cannot avail of the eTV scheme. Sri Lankan nationals of Pakistani origin cannot avail of more..

Apr 17 (Island) Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said prolonging the slanging match with his colleagues at the BCB would do a disservice to the players. Rather, much of his focus is on seeing the new opening pair get into the groove in the first two ODIs against Pakistan. Hathurusingha’s comments on the World Cup squad selection, before and after the tournament, drew a sharp riposte from Naimur Rahman, the chairman of BCB’s cricket operations committee. more..

Apr 17 (ICC) The ICC Board held its second quarterly meeting of 2015 at the ICC Headquarters in Dubai on 16 April. Among the decisions made and reports received were: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Hosts Australia and New Zealand were congratulated on their successful staging of an event described by the ICC Chairman, Mr. Narayanaswami Srinivasan as the ‘most popular in history’. The ICC CWC 2015 set a new attendance record of 1.1 million spectators with more..

Apr 17 (ST) While the majority of the respondents in the RCB street poll were of the view that parliamentary elections should be held according to promised dates, they were also disappointed at the progress of taking action against corrupt politicians and officials. Here are excerpts of their comments: How can you reveal corruption when the corrupt are in the system? The JVP possesses evidence of the corruption so why can’t Police make arrests more..

Apr 17 (DM) New York Festivals® has been honoring the World's Best Work™ in all media since 1957. The world-class judges review submissions in the most current and relevant categories to award creativity across all media. With entries and jury members from over 70 countries, it is the most diverse advertising awards competition in the world. We at TBWA\SL are thrilled that our very own CCO, Subhash Pinnapola has been selected as a judge at the prestigious New York Festival. more..

Apr 17 (CT) A quarrel between two inebriated groups of men on Monday night has resulted in two brothers being intentionally run over and killed at Kohelulla, Padiyathalawa. Another victim, J.P. Jayathileke (27), a relative of the deceased has been admitted to the Mahiyangana Base Hospital, said the Police. The lorry driver, who had run over the two , was arrested by the Padiyathalawa Police and produced before the Dehiyattakandiya Acting Magistrate Sumathipala. more..

Apr 17 (CT) Leader of the DLF, Vasudeva Nanayakkara confirmed that the No-Confidence Motion against Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake has been signed and will be submitted to the Speaker in Parliament. MP Nanayakkara, who was among those from the UPFA who gathered at Carlton House in Tangalle yesterday, said the No Confidence Motion to be brought against Finance Minister more..

Apr 17 (CT) Internally Displaced People who have been allowed to resettle in their original in the North and East areas of Valikamam have found that their houses were in dilapidated condition with the doors, windows and roofs removed by vandals in areas marked for resettlement by the Govt in the latter part of last month. Following complaints lodged by the IDPs who have returned to their original homes 25 suspects have been nabbed by the police for from the houses. more..

Apr 17 (DN) The number of dengue patients had decreased during the past few weeks while an increase in the number of dengue patients were reported in January and February, Epidemiology Unit sources said. The sources warned that there may be a rise in dengue cases with the onset of the inter-monsoonal rains. "The breeding of dengue mosquitoes can be prevented by keeping the surroundings clean. There are still many dengue breeding spots in our surroundings including more..

Apr 17 (Island) State Finance Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe asserted that India couldn’t compel the new Sri Lankan govt to fully implement the 13 Amendment to the Constitution forced on the then President J. R. Jayewardene’s administration in 1987. Recollecting the circumstances under which India had intervened in Sri Lanka, Minister Samarasinghe emphasised that the country had never asked for that amendment. more..

Apr 17 (Island) FSP alleged that on April 12 around 15 members of the JVP had stormed its Gannoruwa office, broken open its door and removed documents, equipment and Rs. 25,000 in cash after taking hostage some of those who were in the office at the time. The FSP members claimed that among those who forcibly entered their office were JVP members known as Ruwan and Tennekoon. They alleged that though a complaint had been lodged with the police no action had been taken more..

Apr 17 (BG) Fey’s already proved that she can make almost anything entertaining, including the Golden Globe awards. She has far more to work with in “Monkey Kingdom,” which supplies a cast of cute or at least weirdly captivating animals engaged in cute or at least weirdly captivating behaviors. There’s also an impressive amount of research, field work, and commitment involved in this latest effort from Disneynature, the studio that brought us “Oceans,” “African Cats,” “Bears,” etc. more..

Apr 17 (DNA) Chandrika Kumaratunga was the fifth President of Sri Lanka holding office between 1994 and 2005. Her party SLFP backed Maithripala Sirisena who won the presidential polls. Kumaratunga was in Dubai recently attending Global Education and Skill Forum. On the sidelines of the conference, she spoke to Kanchan Srivastava. Q: Do you think the recent pacts between Sri Lanka and India on visa, more..

Apr 17 (CG) UNP now says it will decide on a national unity Govt only after the Parliament elections. UNP spokesman Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that the UNP was the first to propose a national unity Govt and now others in the opposition are also talking about it. He said that the UNP will contest the Parliament elections separately and not as a coalition with other political parties, and will then decide if a national unity Govt is suitable for the country at that time. more..

Apr 17 (CG) The Govt has assured its serious commitment and meaningful contributions to achieve the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Foreign Ministry said. A Foreign Ministry statement said that Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P. Perera, visited the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and met with the Director-General, Ambassador Ahmet Üzümcü. Ambassador Üzümcü acknowledged Sri Lanka’s role in implementation of the CWC, more..

Apr 17 (Island) Presidential aide Shiral Lakthilake yesterday said that preliminary investigations into five major corruption cases had been concluded and the Attorney General could decide on a future course of action. Relevant files had been forwarded to the Attorney General, attorner-at-law Lakthilake said. He stressed that if the AG felt further investigations were necessary, he could instruct the IGP to do so. more..

Apr 17 (CT) TNA MP S. Sridharan has written to President Maithripala Sirisena asking to investigate incidents where journalists in the North had been threatened by those claiming to be security forces personnel. Sridharan said on 7 April, persons claiming to be security forces personnel had threatened three journalists in Jaffna and had prevented them from carrying out their work. Three independent journalists who had gone to cover the protest staged by residents of Nallur, more..