May 4 (EN) Sri Lanka has decided to build a reservoir in Heda Oya in the Eastern district of Ampara, which will cost Rs11 billion ($75 million), a minister said. Information Minsiter Gayantha Karunathilaka said the reservoir would prevent flooding during the main Maha cultivation season and provide water during the leaner Yala season. The reservoir would provide water to the existing 6,500 acres of cultivated land and irrigate 5,300 hectares of additional land. more..

May 4 (CI) Though sometimes billed as a team in transition, 11 of the 17 Sri Lanka players on the flight to England featured in the 2014 tour there. The first-choice opening combination from that tour is expected to take guard again, even if there has been upheaval in the interim. Angelo Mathews is still captain and a linchpin in the top order. Rangana Herath remains the top spinner. Strangely, however, it is the pace battery more..

May 4 (LT) “The choice before us is whether to succumb to the oppression or struggle against it. We invite all people who are unwilling to be oppressed. This unjust and unfair state should not be left to another generation. We pledge that we would complete this struggle during our generation. This May Day stage that builds people’s power for a new economy and a new society is the first step towards it,” the leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka addressing the JVP Red May Day rally more..

May 4 (AM) President Maithripala Sirisena has decided not to remove Secretary to the Parliamentary Reforms an Mass Media Nimal Bopage from his post. Several Ministers had urged the President to take this step following the controversial directive Bopage sent to the media on the use of the term Joint Opposition. Bopage has assured that he will seek the Minister's approval in future when releasing any politically related statement when PM had met him on Monday. more..

May 4 (CT) Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who once snubbed the international community has turned to UN Security General Ban Ki-moon, seeking his intervention to restore the Army protection provided to him. In a petition addressed to the UN Chief and Human Rights Commissioner, Rajapaksa’s media division who initiated the campaign on change.org has claimed that following the govt’s decision to more..

May 4 (MD) Bank Muscat, the flagship financial services provider in the sultanate, and Commercial Bank of Ceylon (CBC) have joined hands to launch mobile banking remittance service to Sri Lanka. Abdullah Tamman al Mashani, deputy general manager – institutional sales & products development, signed the agreement on behalf of Bank Muscat and Palitha Perera, assistant general manager – operations, signed on behalf of CBC, in the presence of J H Liyanage from more..

May 4 (CG) The police DIG in charge of motor traffic Amarasiri Senaratne was today questioned by the CID over the murder of Wasim Thajudeen. Thajudeen died on May 17, 2012 in Kirulapone and his body was found in his car which had crashed into a wall. The Colombo Additional Magistrate in February ordered the CID to arrest the suspects linked to Thajudeen’s murder. According to police reports in 2012, the rugby player was driving home after attending a party when he lost control more..

May 4 (DM) The Govt should reveal the purpose of Australian billionaire James Packer’s visit to Sri Lanka, even after he had been told by the current govt that he was not welcome in Sri Lanka, the joint opposition claimed today. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have said last year that Mr. Packer was not welcome here after he abandoned plans for a luxury resort in the wake of a ban on new casinos. more..

May 4 (DM) The joint opposition today said it had written to President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe requesting that specially trained military personnel be provided for former president Rajapaksa’s security. The letters were signed by a group of joint opposition members including MP Dinesh Gunawardana, MP Wimal Weerawansa and MP Bandula Gunawardena, Tissa Vitharana and Raja Kollure. The letters state that it is unacceptable and improper to withdraw more..

May 4 (Hindu) The Sri Lankan Tamils issue is not at all a poll issue in the Assembly elections, said Congress leader K. V. Thangkabalu. This was not a poll issue even way back in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, when the problem was at its peak in the island nation. The Sri Lankan Tamils issue had taken a back seat then. The DMK-Congress alliance under the UPA registered comfortable win in a majority of Lok Sabha constituencies in the State in that election, he said. more..

May 4 (PTI) A new Tamil political alliance, being seen as an alternative to the main Tamil party TNA, will be formed with the participation of 10 parties representing the community. A preliminary discussion about what would be called the Tamil National Front was held here today. The leader of the oldest Tamil party, TULF, V Anandasangaree has taken the initiative and consists of politicians from the minority who had opposed LTTE's more..

May 4 (CT) Minister of Wildlife Conservation Gamini Jayawikrama Perera said that the govt has decided to implement laws and to appoint a committee in order to preserve the lives of wild animals in menageries, at a media briefing Monday. The minister said that the Act's implementation is to ensure cross benefit to both people and animals. Moreover he said that Cruelty to animals is defined by Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance No. 13 of 1907 as amended by more..

May 4 (AD) A large quantity of cocaine estimated to be worth over Rs 25 million has been seized by police in the Ragama area. Around 2 kilograms and 200 grams of cocaine were found in polythene bags during an operation carried out based on information received by Mount Lavinia Police. The Police Narcotics Bureau had arrested 8 Nigerian nationals and 2 locals for the possession of cocaine during separate raids carried out in Ragama, Mount Lavinia and Battaramulla on May 01. more..

May 4 (PO) Kusal Janith Perera, who has been suspended for the alleged doping offence has hired a team of UK lawyers, it is learnt here. According to the sources in England, the 26-year-old left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper has sought the services of a law firm called Morgan Sports Law. Perera’s urine sample, which was collected in an out of completion test on Oct 12, 2015, was found to be having a Prohibited Substance more..

May 4 (CT) Six Mihin Lanka Cadet Pilots whose flight training was abruptly terminated by the newly appointed CEO Capt. Suren Ratwatte of SriLankan Airlines, have officially written to PM seeking his intervention to restart their programme. CEO Capt. Ratwatte who secured his job through the means of a nepotistic appointment found fault with the recruitment and assessment criteria used by Mihin Lanka that selected the students of this First Officer programme. more..

May 4 (AD) Embilipitiya Magistrate’s Court directed the CID to conclude investigations in connection with the death of Sumith Jayawardena during a clash with police in Embilipitiya before May 18. The instructions were issued when the case was taken up for hearing before Additional Magistrate Prasanna Fernando today. Meanwhile, former ASP of Embilipitiya Police Station, Chamil Dharmaratne, who was arrested and remanded in connection with the incident, has been further remanded more..

May 4 (AM) The committee report compiled on the clash that was broke out in Parliament yesterday recommends the highest possible disciplinary action against MPs Palitha Thewarapperuma and Prasanna Ranaweera. The clash was broke out when certain opposition MPs raised objections clashed with govt MPs while Minister Sarath Fonseka was delivering a statement regarding the decision to replace former more..

May 5 (DN) May Day was a happy day for Sri Lankan political parties as all four May Day rallies drew significant crowds. It was quite obvious that the UNP rally at Campbell Park, Borella, outnumbered May Day rallies of other parties. However, the SLFP rally at Galle and the Joint Opposition rally at Kirulapone could also be described as success stories. The JVP rally at BRC grounds, Colombo, too, was a colourful May Day event with a significant crowd support. more..

May 5 (SO) Anarchists, socialists, communists and workers of Chicago who banded themselves into a labour organisation late in the 19th century and our own A. E. Gunasinghe, Victor Corea and Bala Tampoe must be spinning in their graves. Poor souls, no peace even after death though they did so much for the working classes. And why pray? Because the First of May which was set aside as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day to celebrate labourers and the working classes more..

May 5 (SO) Regulator of the country's energy sector, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has thwarted proposals of the CEB Board to purchase power from Independent Power Producers, as part of a short-term emergency measure to avert an islandwide power crisis. "The CEB was acting on the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management when it called for international bidders," spokesperson for more..

May 5 (GV) The case for serious reform necessary to return to a decent, civilised life for all in Sri Lanka has not been seriously argued in political forums all these years. There is a total disconnect between the economics of life and politics in this unrestricted open market economy. Discussing reform and reconciliation thus leaves out market economics. In a globally enforced free market, no reforms for greater citizen participation in the decision making process can be accommodated as more..

May 5 (CT) One of the major changes brought about by the 19th Amendment is the concept of good governance envisaged through the appointment of independent commissions to oversee appointments, transfers, and promotions and disciplinary control of the public service, the judiciary, and other arms of govt administration. The overt intention to uphold press freedom, observe the rule of law, and non-interference in judicial proceedings augurs well for the future and demonstrates that more..

May 5 (CT) Minister of National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan says some people want the Tiger Leader Prabakharan because the politics of those people are based on the Tiger mentality. Q: Some are saying that the tigers' stripes are reappearing. Is that story true? A: Those who are scare-mongering have a need for the tiger. They want separatism. They want terrorism. more..

May 5 (DM) Recent developments in the North and East have raised concerns on the one hand of a purported LTTE revival and on the other about the continued use of the PTA to arrest Tamil citizens and of the modalities of the arrests being reminiscent of the Rajapaksa era. Some 23 Tamil civilians have been arrested in connection with the discovery of explosives and the suicide jacket in Chavakachcheri. Three arrests by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID), more..

May 5 (Island) Parliament was plunged into turmoil on Tuesday. The government sought to justify the replacement of army personnel attached to former President Rajapaksa’s security contingent with policemen. Joint Opposition raised objections and a clash ensued while Minister Sarath Fonseka (SF) was on his feet, defending the govt’s position. Several MPs were injured in the brawl which put the national legislature to shame. One was amused to see the UNP taking cover behind SF, more..

May 5 (DM) Most men and women in Sri Lanka are reasonable individuals. Whether they come from remote parts of the country or cities, their foundation of values remains grounded on solid logic, argument and judgment. Whether one’s educational background is university or higher, elementary or secondary or no formal education whatsoever, a reasonable man or woman makes reasonable judgments on matters that concern them. Yet, when such matters become a combination more..

May 5 (Island) Comrade Bala Tampoe was having a nap in heaven, when he received a call from one of his old comrades, Jinadasa. He said "Comrade Bala, what are you doing these days? Do you know what is happening in Sri Lanka? We are sad and disgusted. We got nowhere to go now" Bala asked his fellow comrade " Why are you so worried? You don’t let me rest in peace even in heaven" His colleague said "They named the 22nd lane in Colpetty after you though it was too late. more..

May 5 (FT) After the success of his dissident May Day rally that drew huge crowds to Kirulapone at the beginning of the week, former President Rajapaksa was on the receiving end of a rude shock on Monday morning. Hundreds of buses had entered Colombo from remote districts across the island carrying thousands of supporters eager to see the back of the Sirisena administration and ensure Rajapaksa is re-anointed king and more..

May 5 (Island) "One of the medium term challenges is to transform Sri Lanka into a competitive export led economy. To achieve that Sri Lanka should sign bilateral and multilateral trade agreements with other countries in the future, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Deputy Governor Dr Nandalal Weerasinghe said at the launch of the Economic and Social Survey Report for Asia and the Pacific 2016, launched by UN-ESCAP last week. He said that the Asia Pacific Region, which includes more..

May 5 (LBO) Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce says Sri Lanka should avoid mistakes made by other South Asian cities, when developing the proposed Western Megapolis Project. “A center piece of the govt’s economic development agenda – Western Region Megapolis project is set to have a massive urban infrastructure build. But we need to get it right. We must have a strong sustainability focus in this. As a late comer to urbanization, Sri Lanka has a unique opportunity to more..

May 5 (DN) National Research and Development Proposals to illustrate the research and development activities and to provide guidelines for the process of Sri Lanka’s national development, was presented to President Maithripala Sirisena. National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC) took the lead in formulating these proposals and SL scientists, technologists, social scientists and scholars too gave their advices more..

May 5 (ITN) Former MP Duminda Silva has called on the High Court to release from charges made against him in the murder of Baratha Lakshman Premachandra. He was making this special statement from the defence dock. Four persons including Baratha Lakshman Premachandra who served as an Advisor to the Former President were murdered in the Mulleriyawa area in the year 2011. A case was filed against 13 suspects including Former MP Duminda Silva in the High Court. more..

May 5 (GDI) TRINCOMALEE METRO AREA: The proposal by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe in his capacity as National Policies and Economic Affairs Minister to obtain the assistance of a well experienced foreign company to conduct a planning review for the Trincomalee Metro Area was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. Trincomalee was identified as a major zone to be developed into agricultural and energy hubs with the potential to be made into manufacturing and tourist zones. more..

May 5 (NS) The recently passed resolution by the NPC headed by the TNA has evoked mixed to negative responses from the South. While some state that the resolution contains nothing new from their earlier demands, many have raised concerns that it would pave the way back to separatism. Nation spoke to several politicians representing various political parties and communities on their suggestions to a durable solution to more..

May 5 (CT) Gotabaya Rajapaksa left for America several weeks ago. It was to be known that Mahinda had told his close associates that he had gone to America to visit his mother-in-law and inquire into her state of health. It was reported that the Tamils For Obama organization had requested that he be taken into custody because of accusations of war crimes against him. However, there is no mention of Gotabaya's visit to America or that a request was made for him to be taken into custody on more..

May 5 (FT) Introducing structural changes to the media sector is more important than criticising the prevailing process, according to Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathne Paranawithana. He said the Govt has taken steps to make structural changes and uphold the free media tradition prevailing in the country, addressing the monthly lecture program of the Sri Lanka Press Council held at the Department of Govt Information auditorium. more..

May 5 (CT) Far more successful than expected: Mahinda Amaraweera. Q: Did the SLFP May Day Rally keep to your hopes and expectations? A: Better than we even expected! More than the expected crowd participated. More than the estimated number of buses arrived in Galle. Q: Will disciplinary action be taken against those MPs who went to Kirulapone? A: That decision is not to be made by either me or the President. more..

May 5 (SLN) Naval personnel attached to SLNS Buwaneka apprehended 5 fishermen engaged in illegal fishing activities in the seas of Vedithalathive and Maddalampiddi, Mannar along with 5 canoes (Wallam) yesterday. During the raid 160 GI pipes were also taken into custody. The arrested persons and the GI pipes were produced to the Assistant Director of Fisheries in Mannar for onward action. On the same day another 4 fishermen along with a Fiber Glass Dinghy, 1.5 kg of sea cucumbers, more..

May 5 (GDI) Monetary Board, at its meeting held on 5th April, has promoted Miss. K. Saravanamuttu and Mr. E A Hettiarachchi; Mr. R A A Jayalath, Mr. K M M Siriwardana and Mr. Asoka Handagama, five Staff Class Grade IV officers, to the post of Assistant Governor with effect from 5th April, 16th April, 12th June, and 18th June, respectively. These promotions have been made in line with the succession plan of the Bank and to address the new challenges of the Central Bank. more..