Jan 2 (CI) A 24-over match had begun after an initial three-hour-and-forty-minute rain delay, but the teams could only get through nine overs before bad weather returned to wash out play in Nelson. NZ had moved to 75 for 3 in that time, with Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor having provided rapid innings. Spectators arriving at the ground as play began were at least treated to a glimpse of the themes that have defined the series so far. more..

Jan 2 (DM) Sri Lanka Labour Party leader and millionaire entrepreneur A.S.P. Liyanage said he had received a letter from the Commission to investigate allegations on Bribery or Corruption (BC) to appear before the commission on Monday in connection with his offer to hand over Rs.730 million worth Peacock Mansion at Rajagiriya to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He had intended to offer the Peacock Mansion to more..

Jan 2 (Island) A man caught with four gold biscuits and five passports at the BIA last week continues to roam free. He has claimed he is the Coordinating Secretary toMinister Abdel Halim Hasheem. "We have not received any complaint regarding this matter," ASP Ruwan Gunasekara said. The Customs confiscated the gold, weighing 400 grammes and worth over two million rupees found hidden in his rectum. more..

Jan 2 (Island) The Sri Lanka Technological Campus (SLTC), a fully owned subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom PLC, has entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Lancaster University, UK. This exciting new initiative has been taken with the aim of helping to meet the national need for expanding the provision of higher education in Sri Lanka, by conducting quality undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes collaboratively, with globally reputed, high-ranked universities. more..

Dec 2 (ST) With the Indo-Sri Lanka poaching crisis still in stormy waters, two Sri Lankan fishermen had a narrow escape when Indian trawlers tried to sink their boat after the Navy gave chase to the poachers. The two fishermen, affiliated to the Ambal Fisheries Cooperative in Karainagar, had gone to sea as usual on Wednesday night. Around midnight at least 25 Indian trawlers surrounded their vessel when the navy was chasing the poachers. Kathiramalai Loganathan, one of the more..

Jan 2 (Island) Do you think the President has discovered what’s hidden behind Victoria’s Secret, I asked. Come on, he is not interested in old colonial stuff about the Victorian days, said Prof. Culture Vulture. Is he then worried about Agent Provocateur which gives special suspended surprises? You should not bring the politics of conspiracy into his thinking, CV said. Is he then concerned about Curvy Couture with the promise of animal attractions? He is the Minister for the Environment, more..

Jan 2 (Island) No, this comment is not about a Sri Lankan president expectantly waiting, at Buckingham Palace or any other royal abode, for a photo opportunity to boost his or her ego and gain some political mileage at home. Instead, it is about an inspiring story about a singing legend and a powerful leader with his finger on the button. Political leaders usually make others cry. That seems to be the favourite pastime of many of them. They prosecute wars, make bad decisions that more..

Jan 2 (ST) CMC is considering whether to levy a fee on vehicles entering Colombo city to minimise traffic congestion. A levy would push people into taking public transport instead of using private vehicles to travel to the city. The move comes as latest statistics reveal some 100,000 vehicles enter Colombo city daily while vehicle imports have risen dramatically with an average of 1,800 vehicles imported every day. more..

Jan 2 (SL) As expected, the American diplomatic traffic to Sri Lanka has increased since the Maithri-Ranil duo came to power in January. Introduction of personalities, personalities and more personalities apart, there is now a need to take bilateral relations forward, if either or both sides seek to make a productive use of the window of opportunity now available to them. Leave aside the India-centric, Cold War South Asian dynamics, this is not the first time the US is trying its diplomatic luck more..

Jan 2 (DN) When we discuss Tamil national problem many intellectuals clarify various connected matters, however leaving what I believe as the main matter of controversy. Of course all democratic minded people agree that a political arrangement for the North and the East is a necessity to avoid possible future flare-ups between the two major national communities. But certainly I do not agree with those who consider that protecting the economic and political sovereignty of this Lankan nation more..

Jan 2 (DM) Live Events Ltd, organizers of Enrique Iglesias Concert, which is in the centre of a controversy over allegations of non-payment of entertainment tax is expected to meet Colombo Mayor M.J.M. Muzammil to discuss the matter. Mr. Muzzamil said the meeting would take place in a day or two and the final decision on taking legal action against the company would depend on outcome of this meeting. more..

Jan 2 (Island) NSSP leader Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne says he cannot disagree with the people’s thinking that politicians behind the Ekneligoda, Raviraj, Lasantha and Thajudeen killings are not exposed and punished due to some deals which certain govt politicians were party to. Karunaratne demanded to know what had delayed the process of investigations. The NSSP would support any campaign to arrest politicians directly or indirectly involved in those killings. more..

Jan 2 (CT) National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection (NMCRP) urged govt to provide people with the relief in the form of a reduction of fuel prices owing to the drop in the price of crude oil in the world market. Writing to Minister Kabir Hashim, Chairman of the NMCRP, said Hashim should seek advice from Deputy Minister, Ajith P. Perera who had stated that a litre of petrol would be provided at Rs 75 while a litre of diesel would be provided at Rs 65 under a UNP govt. more..

Jan 2 (ST) The prisons chief wants the govt to enact policy that would encourage state and corporate bodies to provide job opportunities for rehabilitated prisoners in a bid to reduce the high rate of recidivism. The call comes in the wake of news that 48% of prisoners have served prior sentences. The newly-appointed Commissioner-General of Prisons, H.M.N.C. Dhanasinghe, stressed the escalating rate of recidivism more..

Dec 2 (AD) A teenage has committed suicide by jumping off a three-storey building near the Monaragala Magistrate’s Court. According to reports, the 18-year-old youth had been strongly warned admonished by his parents after he returned home at around 1.00am under the influence of alcohol. He had later jumped off the three-storey building in an attempt to commit suicide, however was rushed to the Monaragala base Hospital in critical condition. more..

Dec 2 (DN) A special Chinese envoy will arrive in Sri Lanka on January 6 to discuss many projects including the construction of the Colombo - Kandy Expressway and developing investment zones around the Hambantota Port etc. A special group of officials of the China-Sri Lanka Corporation Committee on Economic and Commercial Affairs led by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Adviser Yang Weiqun of the Asian Affairs Department of the Chinese Economic Affairs Ministry will meet more..

Jan 2 (TOI) With 84 fishermen from TN and 10 from Karaikal languishing in SL prisons, political parties are demanding their immediate release. PMK leader S Ramadoss alleged that SL navy personnel were forcefully taking the fishermen from Indian waters and charging them falsely for trespassing into SL's territorial waters. Ramadoss said 29 fishermen from Akkaraipettai in Nagapattinam district were fishing near more..

Jan 2 (ST) Eleven years after the boxing day tsunami in Telwatta, in Galle, the dream to build a museum in memory of those who died on that fateful day has not materialised yet, even after a pensioner donated his land for this purpose. Ariyaratne, a 79 years old pensioner donated a plot of land in 2005 for a museum to be erected. Cultural Ministry started the construction of a Cultural Centre and a research laboratory on this plot of land, in 2011, spending millions of rupees. more..

Jan 2 (NZH) Teams have heroes, then they have unsung heroes who, for whatever reason, don't get the kudos their more celebrated teammates do. A Ewen Chatfield to Richard Hadlee; a Conrad Smith to a Dan Carter if you will. In Tillakaratne Dilshan, SL have a player who has been an outstanding contributor for his country for 16 years. His achievements are substantial. And yet, in that time Sri Lanka also produced Aravinda, Sangakkara, Mahela, Jayasuriya among an array of more..

Dec 2 (PTI) With over 80 Indian fishermen languishing in Sri Lankan prisons, TN govt has once again sought Central intervention for their release. In a letter to PM Narendra Modi, CM J Jayalalithaa said, “It is very unfortunate that these innocent fishermen have continued to be incarcerated throughout the festive season which they were unable to spend with their families. I urge your personal intervention in this matter and more..

Dec 2 (AM) Minister Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa said that it was a tremendous joy to receive blessings from the Former President Rajapaksa on the first day of a new year. “We went to Katharagama at the dawn of the new year to participate in religious activities to commemorate Madam Sirima Bandaranaike. Former Rajapaksa came to Kirivehera while a group of SLFP ministers including Duminda Dissanayake and I were engaging in religious activities. more..

Dec 2 (DM) Special police teams investigating the shooting at Bulugaha Junction in Peliyagoda on New Year’s Eve targeting a murder suspect and wounding two traffic constables have identified the gunman responsible. A senior police detective said they had received successful leads to the shooting which could now be determined as an act of vengeance resulting from gang rivalry. Several special teams had been deployed to arrest the absconding suspect who had been identified more..

Dec 2 (AM) Former President Rajapaksa would not join with the new political front to be formed by the Join Opposition for the next local govt election. Accordingly, Rajapaksa is expected to remain neutral at the local govt elections. The purpose of forming a new party was to get pro-Rajapaksa votes and to bring forth pro-Mahinda representatives from rural areas. If pro-Mahinda voters refrain from voting, more..

Dec 2 (ST) Alarmed by the deaths of 22 people due to rabies this year, the Health Ministry has intensified the battle against the deadly disease — with dog owners being urged to get their pets vaccinated immediately. Last year 19 persons died of rabies, while annually around 3,600 people sought treatment for rabies in public hospitals countrywide, costing the state a staggering Rs. 350 million a year, Public Health Vet Services Director Dr. Lionel Harischandra said. more..

Jan 2 (CT) CM C.V. Wigneswaran is unique in chairing two different councils in the province. As CM Wigneswaran remains head of NPC which is an official body elected democratically with an overwhelming support of the people in the North in 2013. Tamil People's Council (TPC) which was formed a week ago by a group of TNA dissidents and some of the civil society members from the North and East was the second body to be chaired by Wigneswaran despite the negative and more..

Dec 2 (ST) Kottu, one of the most popular fast foods, also tops the list of unhygienic meals. A string of raids by CMC health officials has uncovered evidence that many food outlets prepare kottu with old rotis and curries. At least 50 restaurants were hauled into court last month alone and similar cases were reported n the outstations. “If we take into consideration 10 popular food items, kottu will top the list as the most unhygienic,” more..

Dec 2 (GDI) Sri Lanka Navy was able to minimize the environmental damage caused to the lagoon in Thaldiyawatte, Dikowita due to an oil spill that had occurred during the cleaning of a pipeline carrying oil to the Muthurajawela Oil Refinery Complex on 31st Dec 2015. The Navy was able to restore the pipeline with the assistance of the staff of the Petrolium Corporation and the SL Coastguard Department as a result of the timely notification made by a sailor attached to SLNS Kelani, more..

Dec 2 (DN) Crocodiles in the Menik Ganga in Kataragama will be caught and released in Yala Wildlife Assistant Director Sisira Kumara de Silva said. It was not possible to catch all crocodiles in the river at the moment. Some crocodiles found in the Menik Ganga have already been released to the Yala National Park. "However, it is difficult to prevent them coming again to the Menik Ganga," he said. After the water level of the Menik Ganga decreases, the crocodiles will be caught with more..

Dec 2 (CT) Secretary of PRECIFAC Lacille de Silva said that anyone found guilty of threatening or bringing pressure on those giving evidence before the Commission will be punished in keeping with the powers vested in it. He stated that already a few witnesses, who had provided evidence before PRECIFAC, had pointed out how they had been either threatened or pressured not to give evidence before the Commission and more..

Jan 3 (SO) Last presidential election was, at one level, a contest between two beliefs: a superstitious belief in an astrological prediction on the one hand and, on the other, a pragmatically calculated political response to a perceived national crisis. There could be no better example of the continuing perennial battle between avijjaa and vijjaa in this material, yet illusory, world. Thus, when Maithripala Sirisena triumphed - as predicted in all social-scientific surveys - on Jan 8, 2015, world immediately more..

Jan 3 (SL) In five days time Sri Lanka will be celebrating two anniversaries: One a historic event with solemnity and grace in keeping with the occasion; the other a tragedy where the nation awaits for justice to be done. The first is the January 8 Revolution where Maithripala Sirisena as a common candidate dethroned a president who held power for 10 years, considered invincible and was threatening to set up a dynasty till the sun and moon lasts. more..

Jan 3 (SL) TNA Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member M.K. Shivajilingam says that although they had much hope on the current good governance regime, they are unhappy about the manner it is addressing the issues faced by the Tamil people. He said the NPC has been unable to work effectively for the Northern people due to the Central govt’s lack of commitment for the Tamil national issue. more..

Jan 3 (CT) Looking back at 2015 gives one the feeling that the general public have a flawed understanding of those who have been vested with political authority. Almost everyone you discuss it with believes that it is only the govt that has been vested with political responsibility and accountability. Not so. When the voter sent representatives to Parliament, some made up the govt, others the Opposition. But have the govt and the Opposition responded to voter aspirations and more..

Jan 3 (SO) Sri Lanka’s political domain, which was a hive of activity these past 12 months, experienced a dull period last week with the year-end holidays. Many politicians, including PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had an eventful year, left the country last week for the December holidays. The Cabinet meeting, which was scheduled to take place on Wednesday, was postponed till Jan 6 due to the non-availability of ministers. However, there were certain important developments keeping the more..

Jan 3 (SL) JVP Uva Provincial Councilor Samantha Vidyarathna claims that although the new govt gained the votes of the people based on the promise of good governance, they are treading down the road of deception and corruption far worse than the previous regime. He pointed out that the govt promised the people to provide concessions and make life easier. But he added that after a year in power, they have failed the people more..

Jan 3 (ST) The Prime Minister of Pakistan arrives in Sri Lanka tomorrow and here is a visitor for whom rolling out the red carpet is richly justified. For Pakistan has been a sincere friend since its creation as a sovereign state in 1947 and Sri Lanka’s Independence a year later. Pakistan’s unwavering support, militarily and diplomatically, in Sri Lanka’s darkest hour when the island-nation’s territorial integrity was at stake must never be forgotten. Despite Sri Lanka’s closeness to India at more..

Jan 3 (NS) Former Test, ODI batsman and administrator Sanjeewa Ranatunga says that the cricket loving public will not see the desired change in the game’s administration irrespective of whoever wins the next Sri Lanka Cricket Board Elections. He said that those interested in administration don’t want cricket to be rosy because that provides them with the ideal situation to get votes. “One must always remember that administrators come to get benefits, not to work,” said Ranatunga. more..

Jan 3 (SO) It was to be the concert of the year. It was also meant to serve a different purpose. But Latino singing sensation Enrique Iglesias’ live performance in Colombo a fortnight ago has become a sticky point for some. It is discussed today, not for what it intended to achieve in post-war Sri Lanka – promote the island as a tourist location and a land of resilient people – or for Iglesias’ electrifying performance – but for a more..

Jan 3 (ST) My dear Maithri, I thought I must write to you not only to wish you all the very best for the New Year but also because I heard that you had been very annoyed by what happened at a musical show where that chap, Enrique what’s his-name had performed. I wanted to congratulate you on your brave stance on this crucial issue. I know you have your own way of doing things, Maithri. For example, your brand of good governance includes bringing defeated candidates back to Parliament more..