May 25 (Island) The opening scene of Asoka Handagama’s new film Age Asa Aga (Let her cry) is also its last scene. Only thing we get to see here is a windshield of a car on a rainy night. The two wipers move fast mopping off the water from the windshield. The lights reflected on the glass seem to blur the vision even further. The driver, whose face we cannot see, struggles to find his way. Four voices are heard from within the car. They seem (or heard) to be speaking of more..

May 25 (Island) Disaster victims have spent sleepless nights during the last several days. But, the guardians of the law have had no such problem; they have been slumbering blissfully in flood waters. Our photo journalists risked their life and limb, on Sunday, to expose a racket where a gang led by a woman, identified as a drug peddler, fraudulently secured large stocks of relief items distributed by donors near the Kelani Bridge and sold them subsequently. more..

May 25 (SO) Political daggers are drawn again over the tiny island of Kachchatheevu, this time over Sri Lanka Navy’s involvement in the construction of a new church for St. Anthony there, replacing the existing church. For decades, TN has been calling for the retrieval of the island, ceded to SL in 1974, but the new development, appears to have unsettled India with Delhi reacting swiftly and negatively. A place of worship for both more..

May 25 (CT) Although everyone knew about Maithripala's visit to India, the fact that he was going to meet Indian PM Modi was known not only to the media in this country, but to the Indian Media as well only at the very last moment. It was a question for the Indian Media why the Maithri-Modi meeting was kept as a secret. More than that, everyone was curious why Maithri and Modi went to Madhya Pradesh in India by air to participate in the Kumbh Mela festival accompanied only by more..

May 25 (TW) Eclipsing other tourism roadshows by generating more delegates than ever before in Brisbane, The Sri Lanka Roadshows attracted 74 Australian travel agents, media and tour operators. Australia’s largest outbound travel agency, Flight Centre showed exceptionally strong attendance, which bodes well for arrivals into Sri Lanka. Other companies represented included Wend Wu Tours and Infinity Holidays – two of Australia’s foremost tour operators – more..

May 25 (FT) “We have money; we will pay each and every person affected by floods and landslides,” assured Minister of Disaster Management Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, in an interview with the Daily FT. Yapa pointed out that people need not worry about compensation because all those who were affected are covered by insurance. Once they complete ascertaining the damages, the Govt will immediately start paying the victims, more..

May 25 (FT) Govt marked the seventh anniversary of the defeat of the LTTE on the battlefields of the Wanni by shifting the tone of the annual commemoration to one of solemn remembrance, shunning the traditional military parade for a sunset memorial for fallen soldiers in Battaramulla. President Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe presided over the somber ceremony at Parliament Grounds and paid tribute at the foot of the memorial as dusk fell over the monument. more..

May 25 (CI) Moises Henriques was a hotel room key away from being among the players suspended for Homework-gate on the 2013 India tour, but may now play a key role in Australia's effort to build subcontinental momentum by beating Sri Lanka at home in July and August. Henriques and the fit-again fast bowler Mitchell Starc have been named in the 15-man Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour. The recalls of Henriques alongside Starc were the key outcomes of the touring party more..

May 25 (DM) During the past few weeks, a highly-expensive and politically-driven media campaign had been conducted by the Ministry of National Policy and Economic Affairs, using public funds, to convey the impression that the debt trap that the country has now fallen into, has been due to the mismanagement of the previous regime. Through that campaign, they have also attempted to claim that the present govt more..

May 25 (Island) The heat wave in April 2016 followed with an incessant island wide rainfall over several days caused devastating floods and land-slides in many parts of the country. Kilinochchi received 385 mm of rain and in many other places the measured rainfall varied from 150 to 200 mm per day. In many locations including Aranayake, there were unprecedented land- slides where some people were buried alive. The death toll of the two disasters as reported on 22nd May, was 73 more..

May 25 (Island) Homagama Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake yesterday further remanded seven suspects taken into custody in connection with the alleged abduction and disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. The suspects were Lt. Col Shammi Karunaratne. Lt. Col. Proboda Siriwaredena. Lt. Chaminda Abeyratne Staff Sgt. Priyantha Rajapaksa, Sgt. Subramanium, Sgt. Kanishka Gunaratne and Sgt. Tharanga Gamage. Sergeant Major Neranjan Upasena, more..

May 25 (CI) There was no long apprenticeship at the fringes of the Test side for Kusal Mendis. There were no tours with the A team, or leadership positions in his club side. But such opportunities as have been thrown his way have been seized, and now, he has his first Test fifty. In five innings in England so far - including in the two warm-up matches - Mendis has hit three half-centuries. more..

May 25 (GT) A Doha Criminal Court has sentenced a Sri Lankan man to three years in jail and subsequent deportation for counterfeiting his university degree certificate. The defendant was spotted by the employee concerned when he submitted the certificate in Doha to attest the stamp of the Qatari embassy in Colombo. It turned out that the defendant agreed with an unidentified person to counterfeit for him a degree in accounting, and used on it a sticker of the embassy, retrieved from more..

May 25 (CT) A 40-year-old suspect who was posing as a fortune teller was apprehended by the Weragama Police for sexually abusing two underage girls under the guise of performing a ritual. According to the Police, the two girls aged ten and 16 were taken to this fortune teller to check their horoscope to help with their studies. However, the suspect had informed the father that the daughters were suffering from bad luck and an immediate ritual was necessary to rid them of it. more..

May 25 (DM) U.S. Ambassador Atul Keshap said that U.S. Govt assistance to SL totaled approximately $40 million last year and they had requested similar amounts in the coming years as a result of SL's commitment to good governance. He said the Millennium Challenge Corporation was working to design a threshold program that can potentially unlock millions of dollars in additional assistance to boost economic growth in SL. more..

May 25 (CT) Badminton enthusiasts are highly perturbed over the selection of an unqualified player to the National Pool and subsequently to the SL Squad which is currently preparing for the Asian Junior Badminton Championships to be held in Thailand from 9 to 17 July. At the first trials held on 17 April this player had lost all his matches but was given another opportunity to participate at the next trials held at the Sri Lanka Badminton Association (SLBA) Indoor Stadium from 16 to 19 May. more..

May 25 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya yesterday ordered the Director General of the Wildlife Department to release 15 elephants to their rightful owners immediately. The 15 elephants were taken into custody by the Wildlife Department after they had been illegally kept by their owners on forged licenses and other related documents, and having hence deemed to have effected fraudulent registrations of the animals. The Colombo Chief Magistrate issued an order on more..

May 25 (Island) Global Sri Lankan Forum (GSLF) has urged political parties represented in parliament to defeat ongoing moves to create a Federal State in a re-merged North-East Provinces at the expense of the current unitary status. Alleging that UNP-SLFP coalition had been pursuing a political project severely inimical to the Sri Lankan State, GSLF called for a coordinated campaign to thwart proposed Federal solution. more..

May 25 (Island) Homagama Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake yesterday put off the case in which the leader of Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodaatte Gnanasara had been charged with contempt of court, to 31 Oct. The monk is charged with abusing the lawyers appearing in the Pradeep Ekneligoda case and threatening the suspects in the case who intelligence officers of the army and obstructing court proceedings. The suspect has also allegedly threatened & abused the wife of Ekneligoda. more..

May 25 (MN) Tea aficionados can try some of the best that Sri Lanka has to offer at an event on Sunday at Benares Historic House in Mississauga. Ceylon Tea Room is being staged as part of South Asian Heritage Month and will feature Ceylon teas that are grown and harvested from SL’s famous tea regions. At the service, three teas will be served – black tea, jasmine green tea and chai tea. Each will be paired with a traditional SL dish, including coconut pancakes with palm sugar syrup. more..

May 25 (DN) Civil Society activists are up in arms against the appointment of former TRC Director General Anusha Palpita as an Additional Secretary of Home Affairs Ministry, when he is facing charges of allegedly misappropriating over Rs. 600 million for the distribution of Sil Redi on the eve of the last Presidential election. They questioned the rationality of the appointment in the public sector when Palpita is facing charges of criminal more..

May 25 (CT) Secretary to former President Lalith Weeratunga was summoned to the FCID yesterday to be interrogated about a sum of Rs 20 million released through the Presidential Secretariat to former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella for expenses for surgery in Australia in 2012. FCID sources said they had questioned former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's Secretary from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. yesterday for clarifications about this expenditure in August 2012. more..

May 25 (FT) President Maithripala Sirisena will leave to Japan today to participate at the influential G7 Summit in Nagoya. The 42nd G7 summit will be held 26-27 May in Kashiko Island, Shima, Mie Prefecture, Japan. Leaders of G7 member states – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA, and representatives of the European Union will attend the summit. This is the first time a Sri Lankan leader has been invited to attend the G7 Summit, chair of which this year is Japan. more..

May 25 (FT) Govt will unveil its four year development plan in two weeks, focused on rapid sustainable development to improve the country’s living standards and harness Sri Lanka’s strategic location and human resources, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said. PM, who participated in a Panel Discussion at #2030NOW, National Summit on Foresight and Innovation for Sustainable Human Development last evening, more..

May 25 (Island) SriLankan Aviation College has appointed Nawaloka Air Services as its franchise partner. The new partnership intends to expand Aviation training countywide, providing invaluable opportunities for young Sri Lankans in all four Provinces to embark upon rewarding careers in the global air transport and hospitality industries. The franchise agreement was signed on 5th May at the corporate headquarters of SriLankan Airlines in Colombo by SriLankan Airlines’ CEO more..

May 25 (DN) Minister Harin Fernando is to make an official apology in Parliament today for using unparliamentary language during a heated parliamentary debate last week. Minister under severe criticism for his behaviour, was summoned before Speaker for a disciplinary inquiry on the incident last Friday as well. “I could have denied the incident as there was no video evidence and there were a lot of MPs around me. But I owned up to my mistake, and I may have to face disciplinary more..

May 25 (Island) There had been no outbreaks of epidemics or deaths due to health issues arising from floods and landslide that hit various parts of the country, Acting Director General of Health Services Dr Jayasundara Bandara said. He said a few cases of diarrhoea had been reported from the Wattala area, but the situation was under control. Ministry had sent medical assistance to the disaster areas as early as on May 16 as more..

May 25 (DM) With the govt and the people of Sri Lanka still focusing attention on effective relief and rehabilitation measures for more than half a million victims of the ongoing deluge, we need to join the international community in giving emphasis to the long term battle against climate change and its catastrophic effects. Across the world and from this week in Sri Lanka, a powerful television message or warning is making people aware of the need for us, collectively and individually more..

May 25 (DM) The National Heroes’ Day was marked on May 18. Defeating the LTTE and their terrorists-in-arms is indeed a very significant victory for the Sri Lankan security forces. The Army, the Navy and the Air Force with all the assistance of the Police Force managed to put to rest an ethnic war that lasted more than twenty five years. The gallantry of our soldiers, sailors and airmen and policemen cannot be overstated. The leadership on the battleground was precise, decisive and final. more..

May 25 (SL) Crucial discussions are taking place in the SLMC in order to resolve a serious rift in the party. The rift involves a faction supporting SLMC General Secretary Hasen Ali and SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem. The rift, which first emerged in March, aggravated over the past two months, and a committee has now been formed in an attempt to settle the issue once and for all. Ali said he met Hakeem last week and had talks more..

May 25 (DM) The woeful plight of SriLankan Airlines is a major issue under close scrutiny. People also seem disappointed that action against those who are alleged to have been responsible for this situation is dragging too long. Seeking an insight into this burning issue, the Dailymirror interviewed Deputy Minister of Public Enterprise Development Eran Wickramaratne. Following are the excerpts of the interview. more..

May 25 (DN) The vehicle permit pertaining to the Toyota Land Cruiser valued at Rs 22 million leased by former SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe belonged to a Bhikkhu resident in Weeraketiya, investigations made by the PRECIFAC have revealed. During the Rajapaksa regime former President had summoned leading Bhikkhus to Temple Trees and gifted duty free vehicle permits to them and more..

May 25 (DN) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has reacted to the article carried in the sports page of the Daily News of May 23 and we publish below their right of reply. Article titled UNPROFESSIONAL administration leaves our cricketers in the cold. SLC is disappointed to note the deliberately misleading and malicious article of above caption published in the Daily News of 23 May, written by Sports Editor Sa’adi Thawfeeq. more..

May 25 (ST) From a formative stage, one of the strong ingredients that Kusal Janith Perera carried in his system was resolute. When he initially held the bat, he gripped the handle as a right-hander and that is the way he started his cricket in the initial years in the family back yard. Soon, he found out that it was an impediment. Playing softball cricket down his lane, he found it difficult to score because playing big shots more..

May 25 (Island) Search operations conducted by security forces to trace those still missing due to the recent landslide in Aranayake in the Kegalle District would have to be stopped within the next few days, Officer overseeing the operations at Aranayake, Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe said. He said that 28 bodies and some body parts had been recovered by the security forces. Eight bodies had not yet been identified, he said. more..

May 25 (Island) The Health Education Bureau is accused of abusing vehicles and resources of the Ministry to promote political image of Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne's son, Gampaha District MP Chatura by distributing relief items to disaster-stricken people. Bottled water and other relief items being distributed among the victims of floods in the Gampaha District had been dispatched in lorries belonging to the Medical Supplies more..

May 25 (Hindu) Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran on Tuesday kicked up a row by criticising Governor Reginald Cooray for holding a meeting on Jaffna city development scheme without consulting him. He said the Provincial Council had been discussing the scheme with the authorities concerned for the last one year. “Without ascertaining the status of the discussion, the Governor has convened a meeting,” more..

May 25 (Island) The Joint Opposition said faulted the govt for failure to distribute disaster relief in an efficient and equitable manner. It said some victims had been left out. Former Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said lack of public representatives' participation had hampered relief distribution. "The govt did not conduct the LG elections on time and a majority of local govt bodies function without public representatives," he said, more..

May 25 (DM) Eastern Province Chief Minister Nazeer Ahamed yesterday gave the background to the incident that occurred at the function held at the Sampur Maha Vidyalaya. He said he had lost his temper because of the actions of Governor Austin Fernando. He said the governor had shown a lack of the respect for him, frequently undermining his authority in the province and interfering in his work . more..

May 25 (CT) The day before yesterday, President declared all flood and landslide affected areas as high security zones subsequent to the severe loss of human and physical resources. Decision was taken by President after the first meeting of the Presidential Task Force established to combat the disaster situation. In addition to the decision of declaring disaster affected areas as high security zones, land reclamation in the Colombo District has also been prohibited with immediate effect. more..