Apr 21 (DN) What seemed like a great idea the night before, whilst learning to mix Big J Cocktails at Jetwing J after an amazing day doing feasible experiences, looked up at the palm trees early morning looked distinctly unattractive at6am in the morning. I am on the palm fringed beach of Jetwing Beach Hotel, Negombo, looking at a terrifying prospect of climbing a 28 foot coconut tree and walking the line from one tree to another so I could really understand first hand the challenges of more..

Apr 21 (DN) Heaps of garbage lay piled up at every nook and corner of Colombo, letting stray dogs drag and feed on it and as the week wears on, garbage from Colombo has nowhere to go. CMC trucks in the meantime, were seen wandering the city looking for dumping grounds amidst strong protests by residents surrounding the landfill sites of Dompe/Karadiyana, calling for authorities not dump Colombo Garbage close to their homes. more..

Apr 21 (DN) Disasters are many and varied. However, there are principally two types that are prevalent nowadays. They are natural and man-made disasters. Hardly a day passes without disaster striking some part of the globe. Global warming had resulted in a series of natural disasters & destructive weather patterns, SL was considered to be located in an exceptionally favourable location out of danger. As a popular song says there are no earthquakes & volcanic actions in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 21 (CT) The medical students’ boycott of lectures has continued for the last three months. Neither the President nor the PM appears to have succeeded in putting an effective end to this tragedy, despite many announcements in the papers that continuous efforts were being made by the authorities to settle the matter. Perhaps they are resorting to the JR method of cure by disregard that was tried out in the eighties when a similar situation arose during his incumbency. more..

Apr 21 (CT) Leader of the JO and MEP, Dinesh Gunawardena, believes that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was confident of ousting the Unity Govt within a year. He was responding to a question posed to him by CT, on former President Rajapaksa's statement on ousting this govt within the next two Wesak Poya days. Gunawardena also asserted that this govt was cooking its own goose with rampant corruption, more..

Apr 21 (FT) It is now an openly-discussed incident that the former Central Bank Governor had misused his authority to allow a company that his son-in-law is a director/major shareholder of to make billions of rupees in undue profits at the expense of Government and other public funds. The subject has been discussed at many forums and media platforms and now a Presidential Commission of Inquiry has been appointed and the investigations are ongoing.  more..

Apr 21 (FT) The New Year that has dawned is an opportune time for the unity govt to come to a firm consensus on economic policies. The lack of a clear commitment to an agreed economic program and its effective execution has been a hallmark of the coalition govt. Therefore PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal of an Economic Development Agenda for the next few years of the unity govt is indispensable. Incoherent economic policies and ineffective implementation have more..

Apr 21 (Island) In the Gold division the finalist made the cut to battle it out for the coveted Rukmini Kodgoda trophy and the Sri Lanka Junior Match Play Champion title. In this division age group boys 18 yrs and below, Vinod Weerasinghe overcame stiff competition from Armand Flamer Caldera to win the game 3/1. Both showed much promise and being long off the tees they battled it out with good play and ultimately Vinod winning on the putts. In the final past champion Vinod Weerasinghe is more..

Apr 21 (Island) The probable death toll from the Meethotamulla garbage avalanche of April 14 stands at 40, with 32 persons confirmed dead and 8 still missing (as of 3 pm 20 April 2017). The type of disaster we experienced on the Sinhala and Tamil New Year day, deplorably, is an extremely rare occurrence in the civilized world. There had been only a handful of reported precedences of this nature. Although there had been garbage dump collapses in the Western world, more..

Apr 21 (CD) Anura Banda has been in China for over 20 years but he will never forget the fragrant aroma of his first sip of Chinese tea. "Chinese tea is very famous in Sri Lanka. The first Chinese tea I ever had was green tea. The aroma was very pleasant. Although it was tea, it tasted like something totally different." After learning more about Chinese tea, Anura founded Beijing Heavenly Trade Co Ltd to do tea business between more..

Apr 21 (IPCS) The first 100 days of US President Donald Trump's administration revealed the complexity of a head of state’s task. One of his predecessors, John F Kennedy during his first 100 days had learned a costly lesson with the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion. His reaction to the event was to splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the wind. Most presidents realise the gravity of decision-making during the initial 100 days; and this applies to SL as well.   more..

Apr 21 (Island) Political parties are making grand preparations to hijack the International Workers’ Day again. JO says it will hold the biggest May Day rally. (Other parties are equally confident.) All signs are that workers’ interests will be subjugated to those of politicians this year, too. What the working class desperately needs is certainly not political muscle flexing in their name but having emerging challenges and threats to their interests addressed on the day dedicated to their cause. more..

Apr 21 (ST) In movies of recent times, we’ve seen drones of all shapes and sizes over our skies. Be it dishing out medicines for contestants in Hunger Games or tracking children’s trail in Logan, drones are now real, not only in reel life. Unmanned aerial vehicles have dominated both the imagination and nightmares of people around the world in recent years. Also Sri Lanka is no stranger to building them either; just ask more..

Apr 21 (ST) Students at University of Colombo were recently provided with access to the extensive library of economic reports on emerging markets produced by the global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG). Under the agreement, which forms part of OBG’s worldwide Academic Programme, students based at Faculty of Graduate Studies, presided over by Dean Nayani Melegoda, and Faculty of Management and Finance, run by Dean R. Senathiraja, were given read-only more..

Apr 21 (FT) A sourly disappointed Minister Arjuna Ranatunga levelled scathing criticism against ministers of the current Govt, alleging that they were working with individuals who were engaged in business with the Rajapaksa regime. In a bitter tone, Minister went on to say that those who stole from the Ports Authority while in the previous Government had now joined Chinese companies lobbying with the current Govt. “I am greatly disillusioned,” the Minister said. more..

Apr 21 (CT) Nearly six days have elapsed since the tragedy in Meethotamulla. The death toll keeps rising. The people of Kolonnawa are in mourning, as they bury their loved ones and pray for the missing. Despite all the efforts from the govt to contain the situation, criticism for its inability to react immediately for a disaster situation has now come to the centre stage. The failure of the Yahapalanaya Govt is pending according to more..

Apr 21 (ST) A drama, not a mega serial, was premiered at the much talked about citadel and this, interestingly, is a single-episode series. The man in charge of tickets, after knowing that the pressmen has taken him to task for hiding underhand deals, has pretended that he is experiencing a cardio arrest while on duty at office. While holding his chest with the reports of the newspapers on his table, the official had claimed ‘I’m innocent, I don’t know anything of such happenings, more..

Apr 21 (CT) Four persons were killed on the spot, including a Sri Lankan and three others injured when a lorry rammed into roadside dhaba (restaurant) at RV Nagar in GK Veedhi of Visakhapatnam Agency on Wednesday evening. The deceased were identified as Krishna Kumari (50), headmistress of RV Nagar tribal welfare school, Karri Raju (30), G. Palasundari (40) and Subrahmanyam Ganesh (26), a migrant from Sri Lanka. The injured were P. Palav (65), Easwar Rao (35) and Mohan Rao (34). more..

Apr 21 (DM) The issue of garbage management should be considered as an essential service immediately and a separate authority should be set up to streamline garbage management, Minister Champika Ranawaka said. He said local govt (LG) bodies alone can’t solve the garbage issue and therefore, it was vital to have a Central Garbage Management Authority to find solution to the issue. He said people asked what role UDA played more..

Apr 21 (Island) SDB bank (SANASA Development Bank), pioneering financial institution founded on supporting the grassroots levels of SL, recently signed a MoU with National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA) to further extend its support to the micro, small and medium entrepreneurs in SL. MoU primarily aims to encourage and guide prospective entrepreneurs in the rural communities while further uplifting existing business players in the micro, small and medium enterprises. more..

Apr 21 (Island) TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree has asked President Maithripala Sirisena to return private lands occupied by the security forces to their owners in the North and East In a letter to President Sirisena, the Tamil United Liberation Front General Secretary says: The TULF, reiterates its demand for the release of lands belonging to various individuals, at different places in the Districts of Jaffna, Mannar, Killinochchi, Vanni, and at various places in the Eastern Province as well. more..

Apr 21 (DM) GMOA threatened to launch a major trade union action within the next fortnight over the SAITM issue. GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that they were forced to resort to such a step with the govt’s continuous inability to provide a justifiable solution to the SAITM issue. “The govt is always providing us with false solutions regarding this matter. Several trade unions including the Ports Authority, more..

Apr 21 (TN) A maid stole items worth Dh200,000 from her sponsor but was arrested only upon her return to the country seven years later, prosecutors told Dubai Criminal Court. The woman is accused of stealing three diamond rings, 10 gold rings, six gold earrings, seven expensive watches, women’s and children’s clothes, bags, shoes, two phones, make-up, food and Dh14,000 in cash in 2010. The Emirati sponsor said that in June that year she had been abroad with her mother more..

Apr 21 (Island) Tourism Minister John Amaratunga accused the Rajapaksa regime of not having paid money owed to leading international television channels Al Jazeera, Sky and Bloomberg among others to the tune of USD500 million for adverts carried by them to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination, thus leaving the future campaigns and the country’s credibility as a tourism destination in South Asia in jeopardy. Amaratunga addressing journalists at a news conference to announce more..

Apr 21 (Island) President Sirisena assured that the long delayed National Audit Bill would be presented to parliament as soon as possible. Assurance was given at a meeting with proprietors, editors and journalists representing public and private print and electronic media. Acknowledging that there had been a delay on the part of the govt in respect of the much touted piece of legislation, President said that he would direct relevant more..

Apr 21 (FT) Court of Appeal last issued notices on the Health Ministry Secretary and the Director General of Health Services and others returnable for 9 May in respect of a Writ application filed by a Consultant Cardiologist of the Specialist Medical Officer category lamenting of the failure to implement the decision of the Cabinet. Aggrieved petitioner Specialist Medical Officer Dr. Jayantha Jayawardena bemoans the Respondents’ delay and/or failure to give effect to more..

Apr 21 (LBO) Property developer Capitol Developers has deployed five piling machines to accelerate construction of Capitol Twin Peaks, the 470-apartment twin tower project on Staple Street. After breaking ground in November, the company aims to utilize new trends to complete construction by 2020. “One of these pilling machines, Bauer BG 30, is the largest piling machine of its kind in Sri Lanka. Deploying this piling machine and four others at one project site is a rare occurrence, more..

Apr 21 (Island) Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration claimed that steps were being taken to list SAITM in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in response to ongoing wave of protests spearheaded by the GMOA. The govt also said that SAITM proprietor Dr Neville Fernando had been told to place the administration under a board of directors. President Sirisena, Ministers Lakshman Kiriella and Rajitha Senaratne more..

Apr 21 (DN) The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit 2017 will be held in Sri Lanka from May 18 to 21, 2017. The event is to be hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in collaboration with Jetwing Blue Negombo. Representatives from 34 countries will be participating in this annual summit hosted by Sri Lanka. Minister John Amaratunge said the objective of having this summit is to promote Sri Lanka as a popular destination. more..

Apr 21 (DN) Colombo captain Dinesh Chandimal hits to leg during his knock of 76 against Kandy in the Super Provincial limited-over match played at the NCC grounds yesterday. In the other match played at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium, Dambulla squeezed out a last ball one-wicket win over Galle in a thrilling encounter. Galle seemed to have the game in their control when they picked up the first six Dambulla wickets for 174 runs by the 37th over. But a 53-run stand off 64 balls between more..

Apr 21 (Hindu) PM Ranil Wickremsinghe will visit India next week to set the agenda for PM Narendra Modi’s trip to Colombo in May. “The visit of PM of SL to India from April 25 is part of our continuing engagement with Govt of SL at the highest level,” an MEA spokesperson said. Officials said an MoU to develop Trinco port’s prospects through operating a major oil-storage facility, LNG plant and piped-gas projects more..

Apr 21 (CT) Western Province Chief Minister Isura Devapriya rubbished social media reports to the effect that his wife is not the kind of person who enters into shady deals with prospective investors.]Devapriya rubbished social media allegations that his wife had demanded a sum of Rs 10 million from a Korean firm ahead of getting a license to begin a garbage recycling programme in the country, suggesting that bogus stories were being created to exploit the tragedy at Meethotamulla. more..

Apr 21 (DN) Supreme Court convened a special court hearing during vacation to support three Special Determination petitions filed challenging the bill titled Foreign Exchange, 2017, today. These petitions are to be taken up for support on April 24 before a three-judge-bench comprising Justice Eva Wanasundara, Justice Buwaneka Aluvihare and Justice Anil Goonaratne. These petitions were filed by MP Bandula Gunawardena, Dharshana Weraduwage and Nagananda Kodituwakku more..

Apr 21 (Island) Acknowledging that various agreements under discussion with China and India had attracted severe criticism, President Sirisena asserted that final decisions were yet to be made and they were still in the process of working them out. President Sirisena, who is also Commander-in-Chief of armed forces emphasized that he wouldn’t under any circumstances enter into agreements inimical to Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 21 (DM) It is one week after the Meethotamulla garbage dump catastrophe which left 32 dead, scores injured, at least eight missing, hundreds of houses destroyed or damaged and more than thousand people displaced in despair and destitution. Various postmortem examinations are being held at different levels to identify who or which institution was responsible or accountable and what needs to be done now, not only to prevent a similar calamity but to turn it into a blessing. more..

Apr 21 (DM) Abolishing of the Executive Presidency, thus becomes irrelevant in a society that does not demand accountability in governance. Some promoters in the Wickremesinghe camp, think they caused Turkey’s recently held Referendum to frighten off Sri Lankans from continuing with the presently reshaped Executive Presidency. Turkey’s President Erdogan is being painted as a new JR for adopting Constitutional Reforms with sweeping powers to the Presidency more..

Apr 21 (DM) Before contrasting and competing views within the govt on the Hambantota Port deal are reconciled, the stage is being set for yet another debate. This is involving the move to develop the Trinco Oil Tank Farm with an Indian company under a joint venture. Hambantota Port, to be developed in partnership with a Chinese company, entails a great deal of engagement in Sino-Lanka relations. more..

Apr 21 (Roar) When we think of the Veddas, we often think of them as hunters, chasing after anything they can make a meal of. However, little do we realise that they had, and still have, something of a culinary tradition of their own, including some unique meaty delicacies only a forest dweller could come up with. This was especially so in the olden days, when they could freely hunt game, which is now no longer possible with our strict more..

Apr 21 (ST) Two Hong Kong importers who illegally brought in a load of waste printed circuit boards from Sri Lanka as well as Bangladesh were convicted this week and fined HK$15,000 (Rs 295,000) by a magistrate on Tuesday. The seized toxic electronic waste, classified as hazardous electronic waste in Hong Kong, has been returned to Colombo, authorities announced. more..