May 29 (ABC) A man who fatally stabbed a fellow Sri Lankan refugee has been found guilty of murder by an Adelaide jury, which earlier heard the crime was committed after the victim called his killer a lady boy. Ketheshwaran Sivaperuman, 35, bled to death at his Elizabeth South home in January last year. Supreme Court previously heard he was stabbed with a large kitchen knife with such force the blade damaged his spine and more..

May 29 (CT) Confirming that laymen would be contesting at the general election from the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) and that monks would play a role as empowered advisers, the organization called on all Sinhalese families to give one vote each to them. General Secretary of the BBS Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera added that the BBS political front wished to be a force to be reckoned within the legislature and would not be forming alliances with main political parties. more..

May 29 (CG) Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake slammed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe saying he has no right to be Prime Minister anymore. Dissanayake said that since the Government was given only 100 days to be in power Wickremesinghe is no more the Prime Minister. He also noted that with a dispute over the opposition leader post there is instability in the country and so Parliament must be dissolved soon and Parliament elections held. more..

May 29 (DM) UNP strongly urged President Sirisena to dissolve Parliament immediately and go for a general election. UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim said that holding a general election is a must in line with the mandate given by the people at the Jan 8 presidential election. “We cannot hold office any longer as our time is up,” he said recalling that a mandate was given by the people to the present regime only to rule the more..

May 29 (AD) Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara says that the truth regarding the death of rugby player Wasim Thajudeen will be uncovered very soon. Responding to a question from media at a press briefing today, he said that certain information regarding the incident has surfaced and therefore they expect to uncover the truth in the near future. Sri Lankan ruggerite and former Havelock SC captain Wasim Thajudeen was found dead inside his car in Kirullapone on 17 May, 2012. more..

May 29 (EN) Sri Lanka is slapping penalty interest rates on exports from June 01, 2015 to force exporters to covert dollars reviving measures usually imposed by the Central Bank during a balance of payments crisis. Under a circular issued to banks, exporters with packing credit facilities who do not use export proceeds to settle the accommodations after 90 days will be charged a 5% penal interest and then 2% for every month for every month they delay. more..

May 29 (Island) Welcoming President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to set up a special court to hear the gruesome rape and murder of Pungudutivu schoolgirl, EPDP, General Secretary Douglas Devananda urged the govt to set up special courts in respect of the missing people and political prisoners as well. "There are more than 300 political prisoners though numbers vary according to various reports," he told a press briefing. more..

May 29 (CT) The govt has not yet done justice to the killers of Free trade Zone employee Roshane Chanaka who was shot dead four years ago whilst protesting against a pension scheme which the previous government introduced, said the Chairman of the Inter Company Employees Union and Western Province councillor of JVP Vasantha Samarasinghe. Roshane Chanaka was one of the casualties of the protest that turned violent when the police opened fire at them. more..

May 29 (CG) British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris made his first official visit to the Northern Province last week. During his visit, he called on the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V Wigneswaran, the Security Forces Commander in Jaffna, Major General Nandana Udawatta, the Acting Security Forces Commander in Mullaitivu, Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, TNA MPs Suresh Premachandra and Siddharthan as well as Gajen Ponnambalam, more..

May 29 (DM) Shaveen Bandaranayake, son of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake questioned MP Namal Rajapaksa’s moral stand, asking Rajapaksa if he understood how he (Shaveen) 'felt when my family was condemn(ed), vilified and harassed during the past two and a half years'. He said this in response to a message posted by Namal Rajapaksa on his official Facebook page, in which he pleads for his more..

May 29 (GDI) The Govt has taken steps to conduct a National program to provide more facilities to the disabled persons for voting, the Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said. He pointed out that it has been brought to his attention that the disabled people face many difficulties when visiting polling centers for voting as many of the polling centers in Sri Lanka are at public places like schools, temples and community centers where there are no access for the disabled. more..

May 29 (ENS) The Indian Coast Guard personnel on Thursday night detained as many as five Sri Lankan fishermen and have confiscated their fishing boat charged with the offence of poaching in Indian waters at about 36 nautical miles off Nagapattinam coast. The five Sri Lankan fishermen were subsequently handed over to the Tamil Nadu Coastal Security Group Personnel (CSG) and Marine police personnel at the Karaikal port on Thursday night. more..

May 29 (DM) Glyphosate controversy has taken another twist with Finance Minister contradicting the statement made by acting Customs Director General R. Semasingha that 15 containers of Glyphosate had been released legally. Minister said none of the containers had been released nor had it been banned in Sri Lanka but that 40 containers detained by Customs would be destroyed on a presidential decree. more..

May 30 (CT) Isaac Newton third law says for every action there is an equal and opposite re-action. What that means is that for every force there is a reaction force that is equal in size, but opposite in direction. Isaac Newton law of motion not only applies to the physical world, it equally applies to the spiritual world. In common parlance, the word karma describes the entire chain of moral cause and effect wherein the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, more..

May 30 (CT) I refer to the news item Wiggy asks for more referring to the request of the Northern Provincial Council for more funds. It is time to consider a rational basis f allocation of funds to the Provincial Councils of the country. There is danger otherwise that in funding Provincial Councils kissing will go by favor and there may be discrimination against the PCs which have members of the Opposition parties. In the case of the Northern and Eastern Province unless funds are allocated more..

May 30 (SO) Pedestrians, who repeatedly break road rules (jaywalkers) and think they can get away with it, should think again. Instead of going scot-free as they did all these years, despite a law that makes it a punishable offence harking back to Colonial times, they will now be compelled to attend compulsory educational classes at their nearest Police station. Thrown into the same basket of punishments is the added joy of more..

May 30 (GV) The recent gang rape and murder of a school girl in Jaffna has, within the few days, triggered many public reports in newspapers and elsewhere, raised many issues including the Code of Professional Practice for journalism; national reconciliation; the death penalty; public demonstrations in Jaffna and Colombo; judicial reforms in relation to such atrocities; brought together people of diverse ethnicity and social backgrounds; a visit by President to Jaffna more..

May 30 (DN) If the adoption of the 19th Amendment saw a vast combination of delaying tactics in Parliament before the final vote, preceded by important concessions to suit the demands of an Opposition more interested in party politics than good constitutional reform, the passage of the 20th Amendment is certainly facing many more problems. The hopes for electoral reform are facing challenges with limited interest in good people's representation to strengthen the democratic process. more..

May 30 (SL) Groups of fundamentalists of some Buddhist, Islamic or other religious segments in Sri Lanka and in certain other parts of the world have been restricting the freedom of individuals to choose and express by casting aspersions on them based on religions. While relying on religion as a source of identity, some group of extremists, based on their own definition of right and wrong, have set boundaries so as to determine who belongs more..

May 30 (Island) I am writing this second part of my article because the first clearly required clarifications and expansion at certain points. The most important matter requiring clarification concerns the question whether President JR was justified in caving in to the Indian demand that military operations be stopped at Vadamarachchi and not be extended into Jaffna. He declared that he had no option other than giving in to the Indian demand because the rest of the international community more..

May 30 (Island) People took to the streets in Kahawatte in their numbers on Thursday against the acquittal of all three accused in the Kotakethana double murder case. Colombo High Court held that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the accused. Protesters, in high dudgeon, blocked roads, demanding justice. Their consternation is understandable. They are troubled by a wave of unsolved crimes in their area. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse more..

May 30 (ST) They are shy, elusive and nocturnal. In a clear case of mistaken identity, the one and only species of their kind slinking around the wetlands of Sri Lanka are often thought to be mongooses and not taken much notice of. Coincidentally though, as the world prepares to celebrate International Otter Awareness Day on Wednesday, National Zoological Gardens personnel are making a valiant effort to keep alive more..

May 30 (ST) Showcasing the very best of the young thespians, the grand finale of Drama Comp 2015 took place at the Lionel Wendt Theatre Colombo last week. Having made it to the finals from the semi final round, the three participating teams from Visakha Vidyalaya Colombo, St. Peter’s College Colombo and St. Bridget’s Convent Colombo battled it out for the coveted Drama Comp Championship. The event was organised by the Interact Club of Royal College. more..

May 30 (MoD) Sri Lanka Navy's Offshore Patrol Vessel, SLNS Sayura, returned on 27th May 2015 having attended the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX Asia 2015), hailed as Asia Pacific's flagship maritime defence show, which was held in Singapore from 19th to 21st May 2015. The return ship was received by the Flag Officer Command Naval Fleet Commodore Asoka Liyanage and Deputy Commander Eastern Naval Area Commodore Ananda Guruge at more..

May 30 (CI) Several club cricket administrators have voiced opposition to the changes to domestic structure proposed by Sri Lanka Cricket. The Sidath Wettimuny-led interim committee has sought to revive provincial tournaments that would serve as Sri Lanka's top domestic competition, but some within the cricket establishment have said provincial tournaments are a drain on resources. more..

May 30 (CT) Dheepan, a film based on Sri Lanka's civil war won the prestigious Palme d' Or Award at the Festival De Cannes – 2015 in France last week. A large number of Lankan Tamils from the North and East of the island had sought asylum in France and in several other European countries. The award-winning film Dheepan is a true story of the agony of Lankan Tamils who had escaped the civil war and gone to other countries seeking asylum to build a new life. more..

May 30 (ST) Acclaimed actress Anoja Weerasinghe no longer yearns to be in front of the camera. Nearly four decades of being an integral part of the Sinhala film industry and many personal ups and downs later, she now takes pride in seeing actors trained by her make a mark in local cinema and television. And Anoja, who turned 60 this year, is on the threshold of fulfilling her ambition of opening the country’s first professional acting school through which she hopes to impart her knowledge and experiences to more..

May 30 (GDI) International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed annually on 29 May, is an occasion to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served and continue to serve in UN peacekeeping operations and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. A wreath-laying ceremony was held this afternoon, 29 May, at the Institute of Peace Support Operations Training (IPSOT- SL) more..

May 30 (Island) My good friend Vasudeva Nanayakkara has been unapologetic about his use of a P word in the recent heated argument with PM Ranil Wickremasinghe, in Parliament. Vasudeva seems to be still reeling with anger, with whatever happened about his Point of Order issue with the Prime Minister. In any event he is not one who needs to be taught the meaning of words in the Sinhala language. He is a fluent orator in Sinhala, a good writer in the language, and more..

May 30 (TO) Arriving in Sri Lanka's Bandaranaike International Airport on Indian turboprop titled Spice Jet was just the first taste of the irony that pervades this island nation. While waiting in the long line at immigration to enter Sri Lanka, I was getting ready for a mental cavity search as veteran traveler to many socialist republics of the bygone era. However, the country's check-in was smoother than expected, and besides being welcomed with obligatory smiles to the Wonder of Asia, more..

May 30 (LBO) Consumer prices rose 0.2% in May 2015 from a year earlier, against the 0.1% recorded in April. Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) accelerated 0.7% in the month, after recording a 0.2% acceleration in April. CCPI increase was mainly caused by the increase in food prices, central bank said. “Prices of many vegetable varieties, fresh fish and dried fish, big onion, lime and coconut increased during May 2015. more..

May 30 (PT) Two officials of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board will travel to Pakistan and watch their final ODI against Zimbabwe on Sunday. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited officials from the ICC and several cricket boards including Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh to oversee the security arrangements they have made for the visiting Zimbabwe team. No BCCI official has plan to visit Pakistan at this stage, however, Sidath Wettimuny, the chairman of the SLC has more..

May 30 (CT) Acting Magistrate of Warakapola, Nalin Hapugoda, ordered defendants including former Minister of Justice Athauda Seneviratne to be present in Court on 3 July when settlement of the case in which the Warakapola Police had filed five charges against these defendants, including causing damage assessed at Rs 1 million to a drinking water project in Kohombadeniya, Warakapola, will be taken up for hearing. The case had been filed on the instructions of the Attorney General. more..

May 30 (CT) A 12 member Sri Lankan team was finalised for the 2nd Asian Schools Athletics Championship, from the trials held at Diyagama yesterday. Selection trial was conducted by Sri Lanka School Athletics Association and the said Championship will be held from 27 June at Wuhan, China. Athletes had to take part in two events, one track event and a field event or two field events which then will be aggregated into more..

May 30 (FT) Softlogic Holdings announced a consolidated turnover growth of 35% to Rs. 40 billion in the financial year ended 31 March 2015 with a Rs. 11.7 billion contribution in the fourth quarter, up by 56.5% over the previous year. Profit Before Tax recorded an exceptional growth of over 87.7% YoY to record Rs. 2.4 billion while the quarter registered a significant YoY growth of over three-fold to reach Rs. 930.5 million. Profit After Tax for the period was Rs. 2.4 billion, up 88% YoY. more..

May 30 (Island) John Keells Holdings which has invested in three high end resorts in the Maldives was planning to strengthen its presence in the archipelago. Maldivian Tourism and Aviation Minister Adeeb Abdul Gafoor said that while Aitken Spence was expanding its presence in the Maldivian leisure sector, John Keels Holdings was looking for new Islands. Chaaya Island Dhonveli, located in the Male atoll and surrounded by indigo beaches Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa in Meemu more..

May 30 (LBO) Central Bank Governor, Arjuna Mahendran says the local bond auction carried on a transparency manner and it sends positive signals to the business community around the world to invest in the Indian Ocean Island. “We wanted to develop our local bond market. We wanted to see the Sri Lankan gets the full benefit,” Mahendran said on Friday. “That is why I opened up the bond auction on Feb this year and more..

May 30 (MoD) Ruwan Wijewardene, State Minister of Defence met with Admiral Sun Jianguo, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the People's Liberation Army and Leader of the Chinese delegation on the sidelines of the 14th IISS Asia Security Summit- Shangri La Dialogue 2015 in Singapore yesterday. Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Mr. B M U D Basnayake was also present. During the meeting Minister Wijewardene mentioned that, recent successful State Visit by President more..

May 30 (ST) Two lady teachers and a female student escaped with injuries after a lone wild elephant charged their vehicle at a location along the Dambulla – Kandy Road early last morning (23) police said. Police and hospital authorities confirmed that the incident occurred at around 5.45 am at Digampathana, when a group of 12 female students and two teachers from the Hinkuragoda Balika Maha Vidayala were on a field trip to the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. more..

May 30 (DM) Don’t expect any more arrests of those alleged to have committed acts of corruption or any more political reforms from this govt, JVP said on Thursday. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake who addressed a public seminar in Tangalle said no one else would be arrested because such arrests were being blocked by political interference. He blamed the present situation on both the UNP and the SLFP. more..