Apr 28 (DN) Colombo Additional Magistrate said the Court would decide whether Minister Champika Ranawaka can be named as a suspect or not over the Rajagiriya accident, after receiving an analytical report pertaining to the CCTV camera records from Moratuwa University. He made this remarks in response to a request made by the Counsel who appeared for the aggrieved party that Minister Ranawaka more..

Apr 28 (CG) Former MP Sajin Vass Gunawardena slammed NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa and has threatened to expose some details on him. Gunawardena said that Weerawansa had accused him of attempting to bring supporters to attend the SLFP May Day rally. Former MP said that it is his duty to support the SLFP and take part in the SLFP May Day rally. “I don’t need to get permission from Wimal Weerawansa for that,” he said. more..

Apr 28 (PMD) The SLFP and the UPFA have expressed their willingness to join the UPFA May Day Rally. Douglas Dewananda from EPDP, Arumugam Thondaman from CWC and Prabha Ganeshan from DPF had a discussion with President Maithripala Sirisena on this regard today (27) at the Presidential Secretariat. M. Vazeer, representing the Muslim National Congress which is under the leadership of A.L.M. Athaulla, more..

Apr 28 (DM) The Swedish Minister of Foreign Ms. Margot Wolstorm presently on a visit to Jaffna stressed on Tuesday, that as Sri Lanka had now assumed a position of a middle income country, her country was not in a position to assist the North and East separately. Swedish Foreign Minister made this declaration, when she met Chief Minister of the NPC C.V. Wigneswaran at the latter’s office in Jaffna and a request was more..

Apr 28 (Island) A meeting between SL’s former Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weerathunga being investigated for allegedly providing weapons to rebel groups in the Ukraine and ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Bangkok earlier this week, had come to light the govt said. Minister Rajitha Senaratne noted that Rajapaksa, who had not been abroad since his defeat at the last presidential election, had suddenly left for more..

Apr 28 (CT) Recently, JVP alleged that the govt is embezzling the EPF. It was claimed that the EPF is used to purchase Treasury Bonds through primary dealers which have caused a loss of Rs 80 million which could have been saved if EPF directly purchased Treasury Bonds from the Central Bank. The politicians playing with the EPF money is nothing new. The previous regime was accused of misusing EPF funds and incurring huge loses. The former Central Bank officials were accused more..

Apr 28 (CT) Rajan Hoole is now presenting his studies of Sri Lanka Tamil political ferment in the 20th century via the CT and local newspapers. This earnest endeavour is to be applauded. However, such surveys are not without their problems. Serious commentary on his arguments – as distinct from off-the-cuff blog comments – will have to dwell on the depth and reach of his documentation. The historical material, whether secondary literature or primary sources, on the politics of more..

Apr 28 (CNBC) Lahiru Pathmalal is full of interesting contradictions. The 34-year-old angered his father by abandoning his economic major to study politics and psychology in the U.S. Yet Pathmalal ended up being one of Sri Lanka's most successful entrepreneurs, having set up Takas.lk, Sri Lanka's biggest e-tailer. "I remember my father calling me and saying, 'You're probably never going to get a job'," he laughs. "I started Takas in 2012 because I felt that, with my educational background and more..

Apr 28 (GDI) Sri Lanka Tourism is participating in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the tourism industry's leading travel and tourism exhibition within the Middle Eastern and Pan Arab regions, in Dubai from 25 -28 April. The Arabian Travel Market opened its doors on Monday for four days of business networking opportunities, insightful seminar sessions, leadership forums, and recognition of twelve months of industry achievement. Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum, more..

Apr 28 (DM) The JVP alleged today certain politicians in the North and South were instigating racism in the country to cover up their inefficiencies, as a shield to the rising protest against them and to suppress the burning issues. JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said racism in the north and south should be defeated as it was detrimental to the people in the north and the south. “Northern CM Wigneswaran is trying to instigate racism more..

Apr 28 (Reuters) Sri Lankan shares rose for a third straight session on Thursday led by large-caps on positive sentiment after the central bank left rates steady earlier this week. However, analysts said investors were cautious and awaited the outcome of a loan deal with the IMF. The benchmark stock index ended up 0.13% at 6,442.53, its highest close since Jan. 14. "It looks like new phase of wind blowing through the market. The negativity is fading away and buying is coming in slowly," more..

Apr 28 (Island) Colombo High Court Judge, Manilal Waidyatillake yesterday directed the Registrar of the Court to take into custody of the Court, the passport of accused, Sicille Kotelawala, who is indicted for non-payment of money due to the depositors of the Golden Key Credit Card Company. The Court also permitted the repairs to the Golden Key computer system to be effected in consultation with the Defence Counsel. The e-mail data of the 52 depositors, contained in these computers, more..

Apr 28 (AM) Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the govt is benefiting from the lower commodity prices of many consumer goods in the world market despite increasing the burden of the people. In response to the increase of VAT from May 2, Rajapaksa said many imported goods including fuel, sugar and milk powder have shown significant reduction of prices in the world market after this govt came to power. more..

Apr 28 (DM) Kaduwela Acting Magistrate today ordered Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Nishantha Ranatunga and three others to provide statements to the FCID regarding the ongoing investigations into the financial irregularities of the Carlton Sports Network. Earlier, five suspects including Yoshitha Rajapaksa were arrested on alleged financial irregularities at the Carlton Sports Network on January 30 and remanded, after being presented before the Kaduwela Magistrate by the police. more..

Apr 28 (Island) The Labour and Trade Union Relations Minister W. D. J Seneviratne yesterday said the SLFP members who were against the split in the party were now planning to attend the Kirulapana May Day rally organised by the Joint Opposition (JO). Addressing the SLFP weekly media briefing at the party headquarters in Colombo, Seneviratne said that the true SLFPers should attend the rally in Galle and not he Kirulapana rally organised by the JO. more..

Apr 28 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe would be the next President of Sri Lanka in the forthcoming Presidential Election, Chairman of the State Services’ National Trade Union Federation (SSNTUF) MP Sujeewa Senasinghe said. Addressing the media at the duty assuming ceremony as the new chairman of SSNTUF, MP Senasinghe said the UNP would carry out the govt for next 20 years. “Dawn of UNP’s golden era is now about to start. more..

Apr 28 (Island) Ven Dr. Keppetiyagoda Siriwimala Nayake Thera, chief incumbent of Rajopawanaramaya, Getambe, Peradeniya, accused the NPC of violating SL’s Constitution. He said NP Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran should be arrested for calling for a federal unit in a re-merged North and East. Thera, in a media statement, said that chief minister Wigneswaran who has taken an Oath of allegiance to protect the integrity of the country has now demanded a separate state more..

Apr 28 (CT) Commissioner General of Prisons, H.M.N.C. Dhanasinghe has written to Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara asking him to reveal the names of Prisons officials reportedly included in a 168-page log book confiscated by Police from Dematagoda Chaminda's financial controller Tharindu, who was arrested by the Walana Anti Vice-Squad last week. The Walana Anti-Vice Squad discovered the log book in Tharindu's residence at the time of his arrest. more..

Apr 28 (EN) Wide ranging reforms in the state sector that will include loss-making utilities like power and water to be agreed in a deal with the IMF should boost Sri Lanka’s growth, a senior central bank official said. Sri Lanka urgently needs to reverse the declining tax revenues and worsening debt levels, Nandalal Weerasinghe, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank said. “We’re now working with the IMF on fiscal consolidation,” more..

Apr 28 (DM) Former President Rajapaksa and Professor G.L. Peiris should be questioned over the photograph, which was taken with former SL Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga during a recent Thailand visit, UNP MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha said. “Udayanga Weeratunga is to be arrested and questioned over the alleged involvement in the death of Noel Ranaweera, a diplomatic officer attached to Sri Lankan Embassy in Moscow, and the alleged weapon sales to more..

Apr 28 (AT) Sri Lankan govt is taking steps to prevent the entry of Islamic State (IS) militants to the island nation amid threat of their infiltration across Asia. The country, which was once home to the terrorist organization LTTE, has been on alert after 37-year-old Abu Shuraih Sailania, a local karate instructor who joined IS, was reportedly killed in an airstrike in Syria in July 2015. Since then, Colombo, with the help of political and religious leaders, has been persuading local Muslims against more..

Apr 28 (ENS) Former MP Murugesu Chandrakumar, who recently quit the EPDP, has said that social injustice is rampant among Lankan Tamils, and that it is time they stopped brushing this grave issue under the carpet on the specious plea that bringing it out will jeopardize Tamil unity. Chandrakumar, who was among the founders of the EPDP, told Express on Wednesday, that social injustice is evident in the discrimination more..

Apr 28 (ENS) President Maithripala Sirisena will be attending an international Buddhist event at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh in mid May at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources in the Presidential Secretariat told Express. During the two-day visit to India beginning on May 13, Sirisena will be holding talks with Modi, either at Ujjain or New Delhi. India is very keen that Lanka signs the proposed Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA). more..

Apr 28 (DM) The individual who was arrested upon arrival in the country, for allegedly issuing death threats to President Maithripala Sirisena on a social networking website, has been remanded till May 06 by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. Sugath Kumara Lakmana was arrested at the BIA yesterday after arriving from Malaysia and produced before court today by the CID. Presenting a report to the court, the CID requested that the suspect be remanded as further investigations were required. more..

Apr 28 (DM) Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Ministry Secretary Nimal Bopage in a media release today said that there were reports of some media organisations and journalists engaging in what he called illegal and unethical use of media to promote a section of the MPs belonging to one main Governing party, who call themselves the Joint Opposition. He warned the journalists that such misuse could make them legally liable. more..

Apr 28 (CT) Chief Magistrate of Colombo, Gihan Pilapitiya decided to take up for consecutive hearing with effect from 6 Sept 2016, hearings into five cases filed by the Bribery Commission against former Minister Johnston Fernando who had not submitted to the Presidential Secretariat statements of his assets and liabilities and given no justifiable explanation for his lapse. Former minister who has been released on bail was present in Court when the 5 connected Cases were called for hearings. more..

Apr 28 (Island) Propaganda Secretary of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Nishantha Warnasinghe said, the UPFA govt had taken huge loans at very high interest rates for development projects and the present administration was unable to pay them back. JHU spokesman said Rajapaksas had been only interested in lining their pockets with fat commissions thus burdening the tax payer and generations to come. "The UPFA govt had no clear idea how it was going to pay back the loans." more..

Apr 28 (DM) Police fired tear gas at a protest march on Thursday afternoon. The protest was organised by medical faculty students urging govt to abolish the Malabe Private Medical University. Tear gas and water cannons were fired at the protest march near Lipton Circus. Protest march began at the Medical Faculty in Colombo. Police said the students tried to walk towards Presidential Secretariat. more..

Apr 28 (Xinhua) The SL Navy assisted the Sri Lanka Coast Guard to arrest 21 Indian fishermen who were poaching illegally in the island country's northern seas on Thursday. Three Indian fishing Dhows were also take into custody and the arrested fishermen along with the dhows were handed over to the Mannar police for onward action. The fishermen were arrested southwest of Talaimannar, the navy said. Sri Lanka and India, have been trying to resolve the long standing fishermen issue more..

Apr 28 (APA) Govt of Sri Lanka has decided to establish diplomatic mission in Ethiopia. The decision came after cabinet of ministers granted approval to the govt to establish a diplomatic mission in Ethiopia. The mission will be established in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa where the Headquarters of the African Union is situated. Minister Mangala Samaraweera, proposed establishing the new embassy with the view of broadening trade and economic relations more..

Apr 28 (AD) President Sirisena today appointed 11 new district and electoral organisers for the SLFP. The letters of appointment were handed over to the new organisers by the President at the Presidential Secretariat. Mr Pradeep Jayewardene, grandson of former President J R Jayewardene has been appointed SLFP Gampaha district organizer. Earlier senior politician C B Ratnayake’s brother M S B Ratnayake more..

Apr 29 (NS) Thousands of Sri Lankans left the country and settled down in various parts of the world over the 30 years that the war lasted in the country. Many of them wouldn’t have visited Sri Lanka in decades, for obvious reasons. While many have settled in the Western countries, there are others who fled to the nearby TN to save their lives and have been living in camps for decades. One of the important aspects of post-war reconciliation programmes has been to call back refugees more..

Apr 29 (CT) The caption above is derived from, and relates to, a book by Daniel Oppenheimer titled Exit Right: the People Who Left the Left and Reshaped the American Century. Oppenheimer studies the character and career of six apostates, individuals who left the visionary politics of the Left and moved to the extreme right. Where did they start off from, and where did they end? Why did they change belief, values and commitment? What were the consequences? To cite one case, more..

Apr 29 (SL) Parliament has been converted into a Constitutional Assembly, and according to veteran journalist and social activist Sunanda Deshapriya, this is a positive development. He said that the country needs a comprehensive constitutional reform in order to establish a democratic system based on rights. These rights should include not only individual rights but collective rights as well. more..

Apr 29 (CT) Sri Lanka is no longer regarded a black spot for press freedom, but all killings and disappearances during the dark years remain unsolved. April 28 2005, the most influential Tamil journalist, Dharmeratnam Sivaram, was abducted and shot dead. His body was found in a high-security zone near the parliament building in Kotte. It had a discouraging effect on Tamils and colleagues and friends in the media. Several more journalists, and workers active in the chain of spreading more..

Apr 29 (DN) May Day is the day where the clarion call is for workers of the world to unite. In Sri Lanka though, this is the day when political parties divide themselves into every possible faction and stage rallies at various venues in an attempt to impress the masses with a show of strength. This year, those divisions will be even more marked as the ruling SLFP will be split right down the middle and staging two rallies: the mainstream party taking to stage at the Samanala grounds in Galle and more..

Apr 29 (SO) The May Day rallies and parades that political parties in this country traditionally use as a show of strength threaten to further divide an already deeply factionalised SLFP. The Joint Opposition allied to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will hold its May Day rally at Kirulapone - it is expected that a number of SLFP MPs will attend, despite the fact that SLFPs own May Day rally will be held in Galle. more..

Apr 29 (CT) The issue of Internally Displaced Persons in Jaffna is getting exacerbated because they have not been provided with land, either original or alternative, and they are suffering, living at welfare centres. When the war ended the previous regime built welfare centres for the IDPs in Jaffna. The current govt promised people in Jaffna that they will provide IDPs with their original lands. Currently many housing projects are in the process of being constructed in Jaffna. more..

Apr 29 (CT) In late 2015, presenting his economic strategy in Parliament, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said the indirect and direct tax revenue ratio in the country will be adjusted to 60-40 by 2020, currently the ratio is 80-20. This was to be done by bringing at least 60 per cent of the affluent class who were not paying taxes under the tax net. However, those who had been keeping tabs on Wickremesinghe's economic outlook and his policies felt that the UNP leader was just playing lip service more..