Apr 22 (DM) There is the very high probability that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution would face a favourable response in the immediate future, after having given due consideration to the verdict of the Supreme Court, the constructive views of all politicians and the concerned public, who express the expectations and the pulse of the adult citizens of Sri Lanka. Quite rightly the revision of the Electoral System is expected to be tabled along with the 19th Amendment. more..

Apr 22 (SL) There is a long standing need to introduce laws and regulations to school vans to ensure children’s safety and to prevent children being subjected to various harassments. Recently the topic was back on the table as there was a dialogue about issuing certain regulations where the van drivers are required to possess a police report and have a female attendant to be able to transport children. more..

Apr 22 (G&M) A young Sri Lankan man crammed into the cargo hold of a ship with nearly 500 others had only one thing on his mind – getting to the promised land called Canada. Nearly five years after the MV Sun Sea arrived on British Columbia's coast, the refugee claimant said he understands the plight of an estimated 1,700 migrants who have died in the Mediterranean Sea since April 13. more..

Apr 22 (GDI) Sri Lanka has been rated as a country where the Asian Development Bank (ADB) operations performed well in South Asia, a new annual review by Independent Evaluation of the ADB said. “The country assessments point to a relatively good performance of ADB operations in South Asia, particularly in Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka,” report said. “It rated 14 (64%) of these successful and 8 (36%) less than successful,” more..

Apr 22 (Island) Registered and Assistant Medical Officers will launch an all-out strike in the Western Province from today demanding the cancellation of transfer list which has allegedly violated the Establishment Code as well as recommendations of the transfer board. They would be on strike in Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara District hospitals seeking a favourable response from the Provincial Health Department. more..

Apr 22 (ST) At least 700 persons sought treatment at the Colombo National Hospital for accident-related injuries during the New Year season, a 10% increase from last year, hospital’s director, Dr. Anil Jasinghe said. More than 280 of them had to be hospitalised. Most injuries were due to traffic accidents, a toll that was 40% higher than last year. “Road infrastructure has developed, fuel prices are reduced and there are too many more..

Apr 22 (AD) Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Wednesday arrived at the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) to give a statement concerning the allegations of financial frauds against him. The statement is being recorded about alleged financial misappropriations in the Divi Neguma Department, the police said. Rajapaksa arrived in the Country on Thursday afternoon. He left the country for the US on 11 January, more..

Apr 22 (CT) "I am not one who can be bought for cash. Vindictive action cannot be taken because a political decision was taken. I am prepared to face any inquiry if they are lawfully conducted. Don't sling mud like this," said MP Tissa Attanayake responding to Minister Wijedasa Rajapakshe and Deputy Ministers Ajith P. Perera and Palitha Range Bandara. "The investigation against me is based on the allegation that more..

Apr 22 (Xinhua) Chinese contractor of the Lotus Tower in Sri Lanka on Tuesday denied allegations that the tower was to be used as an electronic surveillance facility against India and added that such baseless rumours only insulted the Sri Lankan govt. New Delhi based analyst, Bhaskar Roy reportedly said that the tower, if allowed to complete construction, will be a threat to the security of the Indian Ocean and the tower which more..

Apr 22 (CT) Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa told Parliament that the Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) too should follow the tradition of prior informing the Speaker when arresting an MP and before conducting any investigation against an MP. It would be better if the Commission could carry out investigation maintaining the secrecy until legal actions were meted out. more..

Apr 22 (EN) Sri Lanka has been warned on its weakening balance of payments and a budget revision that hurt business confidence by Fitch, a rating agency, which has confirmed a 'BB-' speculative grade rating. Fitch also confirmed the outlook on the rating at 'stable' expecting foreign reserves to recover towards the end of the year. Fitch said Sri Lanka's balance of payments were weak with debt repayments drawing down reserves to more..

Apr 22 (Island) Police investigating into the killing of a female minor employee of a leading school at Bambalapitiya on Sunday inside a storeroom within a classroom have failed to gather any clue except for three finger prints traced from the scene of crime. Police Media Unit (PMU) said that the body of the woman identified as Agalawattalage Chandrika Sumathipala (45) of Kirulapone was found by the police around 6.00 p.m. after the police were alerted about finding her body. more..

Apr 22 (AD) PHU will stage a demonstration in front of the Bribery Commission in protest over the decision to summon former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Commission, party’s General Secretary Provincial Councilor Udaya Gammanpila said. He made the observation at a press conference held this morning. The former Defence Secretary has been asked to appear before the Commission on April 23 and 27 over allegations of financial frauds against him. more..

Apr 22 (Reuters) Sri Lankan shares closed at their highest in more than a month on Wednesday, led by financials on hopes of better earnings, with positive sentiment continuing due to lower interest rates, dealers said. The main stock index ended 0.26% up 7,117.13, its highest close since March 10. It had gained 3.13 percent since the central bank cut key rates on April 15, while yields on govt securities have fallen 26-36 basis points since then. "There was some interest in some of the finance more..

Apr 22 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena had arrived and waited in the Parliamentary complex to commence the second reading debate on the 19th Amendment to the constitution bill yesterday but the debate was later postponed to next Monday and Tuesday. Parliament was summoned for the debate on the bill and it was included in the Order Paper as item No 01 and the vote had been scheduled to be taken at 6.30 pm today. However, owing to the protest launched by opposition MPs on more..

Apr 22 (Island) Federation of National Organisations (FNO) warned that the present govt by dismantling military bases in the Northern and Eastern Provinces was betraying the national security as the 2002 – 2004 Ranil Wickremesinghe govt did under the controversial Ceasefire Agreement hatched by the Norwegians. General Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement Dr Wasantha Bandara said that more..

Apr 22 (Island) The retail pricing formula for fuel products would come into effect by mid-June, a top Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) official said. CPC Chairman, Ranjith Wickremasinghe said that the formula had been submitted to Cabinet with all necessary adjustments and required fine tuning. He expressed confidence that it would come into effect within two months. Minister Champika Ranawaka immediately after assuming office stressed the importance of a price formula. more..

Apr 22 (DM) MP Duminda Silva today handed over a report declaring his assets and liabilities to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. Mr. Silva told media soon after declaring his assets that he would submit a report on his assets and liabilities to Parliament as well. Police had obtained a Court Order from the Colombo Magistrate’s Court to check all accounts held by UPFA MP Duminda Silva at several banks and financial institutions following more..

Apr 22 (GDI) President Maithripala Sirisena appointed new Chairpersons and Director Boards to the state-owned institutions Lanka Logistics & Technologies Ltd., Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited (RALL), Ranaviru Seva Authority and Telecommunications Regulatory Commission. The new officials received their appointment letters from the President. Asanka Dodawela was appointed as new Chairman more..

Apr 22 (CT) It is usual for mainstream Sri Lanka media and politicians to dub Tamil commentators on racial inequality as biased. Given violence against dissenting voices, most such comment originates abroad. Consequently, they are labelled diaspora proxies for a resurgent Tamil Tiger movement and dismissed offhand. Such would be remiss in the case of Charles Sarvan’s, Public Writings on Sri Lanka, Vol 11. It brings together a collection of seemingly disparate and wide-ranging essays more..

Apr 22 (Island) British opposition leader Ed Miliband has sent a letter to the acting High Commissioner Dr. Chanaka Talpahewa correcting his previous mistake of only wishing Tamil community for Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Acting High Commissioner Dr. Talpahewa immediately sent a letter to the Labour Leader pointing out his mistake. At the same time other Sinhala organisations in the UK and some other individuals too showed their displeasure. Writing to Dr. Talpahewa, Miliband said more..

Apr 22 (DM) It is pointless for ministers to hold on to their portfolios after April 28 if the 19th Amendment is not enacted by then, a deputy minister said today. Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith P. Perera said that the govt should call it quits and parliament must be dissolved if the 19th Amendment was not enacted but he sounded optimistic about getting the legislation passed next Tuesday with President Maithripala Sirisena assuring that more..

Apr 22 (CT) All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) Leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam is the grandson of G.G.Ponnambalam (Snr.), founder of the ACTC, originally, a Jaffna based political party. The former was featured in this newspaper yesterday in an article published under the heading Two nations one country. GG was responsible in helping the UNP to form the govt post-1947 election. That election was held on the eve of independence, in 1948. In the then 95-seat Parliament, more..

Apr 22 (AM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe will take part in the ITN Sathyagaraya live program, a face-to-face interview conducted by Upul Shantha Sannasgala, on Thursday, April 23. The program is to be telecasted at 10.00pm. This will be the first time Ranil Wickremesinghe will take part in the Sathyagaraya program. Significantly, the govt’s 100 Days Program is scheduled to end on that day. Former Ceylinco Chairman Lalith Kotelawala was the guest at the first Sathyagaraya more..

Apr 22 (DM) A group of artistes today urged the Police to reveal the details of any allegations if there were any made by Samantha Kumara alias Wele Suda against artistes instead of leaving room for speculation and an excuse for gossip mongers to defame them. Actress Semini Iddamalgoda said according to unofficial reports an artiste had been questioned by the police over alleged dealings with Wele Suda. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Three Provincial Council members of the Democratic Party, which is led by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, has filed a Writ Application in the Court of Appeal, challenging their expulsion from the party, by a decision made by the Executive Committee of the party. The petitioners are Padmasiri de Silva, PC Member of the Southern Province Asoka Dayaratne, PC Member of the Western Province and Melhami Ratnayake, PC Member of the North Central Province. more..

Apr 22 (PTI) Two teams of fishermen left here today for Sri Lanka to bring back 18 boats, released on the orders of a court in the island nation, after getting them repaired there. One group would go to Karaiyur to bring back 12 boats and the other to Talaimannar to get custody of six boats, Assistant Director of Fisheries M Gopinath said. The team, comprising 143 fishermen and boat mechanics, would stay there, repair the boats and bring them back. more..

Apr 22 (CG) President Maithripala Sirisena briefed western diplomats today on what the Govt has achieved during the 100 days it was in power. During the meeting, the Ambassadors of the US, UK and Germany extended their fullest support to President Sirisena’s policies to strengthen democracy and eliminate bribery and corruption. The Ambassadors had congratulated the President on his successful implementation of several more..

Apr 22 (GDI) The Sri Lanka Govt is planning to develop an effective and people-friendly public transport system which would provide economic benefit to the country. Ministry of Transport has drawn up a master plan for this purpose and the bottom line of this project is to promote a transport system which is environment-friendly, accessible and affordable to commuters. The master plan includes measures for electrification and widening railways, urban railway development, more..

Apr 22 (Island) UPFA MP Dullas Alahapperuma said that it was highly doubtful whether both the 19th and 20th amendments could be taken together for debate on April 27 and 28. He said that the debate on the 19th amendment was postponed after UPFA MPs pointed out at a meeting presided by President Sirisena and attended by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe that they needed time to study the 19 Amendment and a related document submitted by the Govt to be incorporated at the committee stage. more..

Apr 22 (AFP) Former Sri Lankan strongman Mahinda Rajapakse accused the new govt of pursuing a witch-hunt against his family as he and his brother prepared to be interrogated by anti-corruption investigators. 69-year-old, who lost a presidential election in January, accused his successor Maithripala Sirisena of trying to intimidate him by portraying his decade in power as riddled with corruption. more..

Apr 22 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate has issued an order banning protest in front of the Bribery Commission tomorrow, ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said. The PHU was scheduled to stage a demonstration in front of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in protest over the decision to summon former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the commission. Party’s General Secretary Udaya Gammanpila made this announcement at a press conference. more..

Apr 22 (AD) The murder of Sub-Inspector Ruwan Wijeyapala whose body was found with his slit throat in Panadura-South earlier this month took a new turn with the lengthy police investigations found that victim’s wife was allegedly behind the crime, a police source said. The investigators are on the view that the wife had allegedly hired a hitman to kill her husband by offering money for the contract killing bid. The police on the lookout for another two individuals from Panadura and more..

Apr 22 (CG) Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa was arrested by the police today after he was questioned by the police Financial Crimes Investigations Unit. Rajapaksa was questioned for several hours since this morning and he was later arrested this evening, his lawyers said. Two other officials who were accused of committing fraud under the ‘Divi neguma’ fund were also arrested. Basil Rajapaksa returned to SL yesterday more..

Apr 22 (CT) Chief Minister (CM) of the Western Province (WP) Prasanna Ranatunga has rejected the request to include the name of Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in the ceremonial plaque at the mahindodaya laboratories in schools in the Western Province. A senior official at the Education Ministry had requested the above from the Chief Minister. Ranatunga has stated that the request cannot be met as the project was that of the Former President Rajapaksa and more..

Apr 22 (Xinhua) Former President Mahinda Rajapakse on Wednesday lodged a counter complaint at the country's anti-graft commission over the bribery complaint already lodged against him, an official said. Rajapakse's spokesperson Rohan Weliwita said that the petitioner, in his complaint against the former president, had stated that if the Bribery and Corruption Commission fails to take action against Rajapakse, then he would take action against the anti graft body. more..

Apr 22 (AD) President Maithripala Sirisena will make a special statement via all media tomorrow at 9 pm. According to the govt 100-day pledge, the Parliament is scheduled to be dissolved by tomorrow. A National Govt of all parties represented in Parliament will also be established to govern for a period of at least two years. Under that govt a National Policy Framework will be formulated to deal with the principal challenges the more..

Apr 22 (Island) The continuing and chronic uneasiness characterizing Sri Lanka’s ties with India, testifies strikingly to Sri Lanka’s inability to forge a satisfactory and enduring policy towards her major neighbour over the decades. Except briefly, over a couple or so of bilateral questions in the sixties and seventies, Sri Lanka has never managed to iron out her differences with India in an exceptionally amicable manner. This is glaring proof of a regional policy failure on more..

Apr 23 (CT) There is the popular but mistaken belief among Sri Lankans and elsewhere that Mahavamsa, a chronicle composed and written by Mahanama Thera in the sixth century is a record of the history of Ceylon. Anyone who reads Mahavamsa will find, besides various historical data, stories of miracles and supernatural happenings on various auspicious occasions, like instant earthquakes, floods, storms etc. However, discarding these fables, one will notice the author devoting more..