May 16 (CT) Rev. Father Prasad Harshan says that from the Prez downwards, PM, and Opposition Leader, including all of the other people’s representatives, should think more about the country and the people than their petty politics. Q: Just as we were trying to raise our heads as a country, following the end to the 30-year internecine war, we are now faced with fresh turmoil and a nation in agony. How could this have happened? more..

May 16 (CT) We are back to square one. The die is cast and Sri Lankans have once more shown that the inherent latent base tribal instincts are alive. None of the moderate, enlightened and a humane voice is heard, other than within the converted. When Robert Knox said the Cingalese are a cunning lot who mistake the low-level cunning they possess to be a high level of Intelligence, he was not wrong by far. Easter Sunday attacks by terrorists are three weeks away. more..

May 16 (CT) We are looking for terrorists, but do we know them? No, we don’t know them -“they are with tentacles and rotting skin, the kind a seven-year-old might be able to wrap his mind around – they were monsters with human faces, in crisp uniforms, marching in lockstep, so banal you don’t recognise them for what they are until it’s, too late.” This is the lesson given in other countries that have faced a similar problem. However, Govt in its pursuit of so-called monsters, may itself become a more..

May 16 (SO) The Govt last week moved to prohibit security forces from taking news media cameras on search operations around the country in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 258 people. For weeks, the news cycle has been dominated by SMS alerts and sustained nightly news bulletins that feature 10 minute segments on the day’s search operations by security forces and police. more..

May 16 (DN) More than three weeks after the Easter bomb blasts which killed over two hundred and fifty people, Sri Lanka faces a different challenge: the prospect of a backlash against the Muslim community with potentially serious consequences if this trend spreads countrywide. This week, clashes were reported mostly in the North Western Province and in Minuwangoda. Several shops, houses and religious places were damaged when mobs attacked them and set them on fire. more..

May 16 (DM) Fortune smiles on Sri Lanka again. While corruption abounds the political class - luck holds for the people, maybe for their goodness, overcomes the impurities associated with the lust of politicians? How long will good fortune rain on this thrice blessed land: Will it last long amidst the foulness felled by politicians. Most of the Moors including the extremists voted for SLMC or UNP as the alternate force. UNP is prepared to sit in the opposition and have sat for a while too long, more..

May 16 (Island) This is my final article on Auroville, and let me give you some facts and figures on the place. The population of Auroville is approximately 2,550 with 52 nationalities residing. Residents aged above 18 are 1,900 and below are 650, with 1,080 Indians among them. The area owned by Auroville is 4,942 acres and its settlements encompass about 2,100 acres. It has 10 schools with 550 students and Auroville outreach schools boast some 800 students. more..

May 16 (Island) SL has had to combat terrorism again as the tenth anniversary of its victory over the LTTE draws near. Current threats to national security emanate from some bloodthirsty barbarians within the Muslim and Sinhala communities. National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) destroyed nearly 250 lives in the name of their macabre cause, and the extremists in the majority community have unleashed mindless terror against Muslims in some areas during last few days. more..

May 16 (FT) Eyewitnesses and residents in the areas that were affected by violence in the North Western Province told Minister Rishad Bathiudeen that large groups of people carried out the attacks in a well-organised manner. During his observation tour to the Province, Minister was also informed by scores of victims that members of some mobs were dressed in identical colours & rode motorbikes or arrived in buses more..

May 16 (Island) Sampath Bank reported a net interest income of Rs. 10.2 Bn for Q1 2019 reflecting a noteworthy growth of 23.2% over the figure reported in Q1 2018, a significant achievement given the challenging economic conditions that prevailed throughout the period. The bank recorded a profit after tax of Rs. 2.2 Bn, a negative growth over the corresponding period in 2018, due to several factors including higher impairment provisions, volatile interest rates, currency uncertainty and more..

May 16 (LBO) Laying the foundation for a comprehensive digital payment ecosystem in Sri Lanka, the country’s most innovative bank, Hatton National Bank PLC, announced the launch of its own digital wallet and payment app, HNB Solo. Providing users with complete freedom in digital payments, Solo is designed to empower – enabling complete flexibility to handle any transaction anywhere whether it be purchasing from an established retail franchise or even a small stall or 3-wheeler. more..

May 16 (FT) Manufacturing activities contracted, recording the all-time low index value of 41.0 in April 2019 with a decline of 25.9 index points from March 2019, CB said. The decline of manufacturing PMI is mainly driven by the significant drop in New Orders and Production, especially in manufacturing of food, beverages and tobacco and manufacturing of textiles, wearing apparels, leather and related activities products. more..

May 16 (CT) Profits at Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC), a unit of British American Tobacco grew 8.7 per cent in the March 2018 quarter year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 4.06 billion, aided by a slight decline in Govt levies (-5.6%), operating expenses (-9.5%) and an increase in net interest income (+22.4%). Meanwhile, the company accepted the resignation of Michael Koest from its Board of Directors and CEO/MD with effect from 15 May 2019 and appointed Nedal Salem to replace him, both more..

May 16 (FT) Stafford International School, Colombo 7 categorically rejected accusations spawning from an image circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms claiming its teachers were posting Islamophobic comments on social media. The management asserted that the mentioned teachers on these images were not employees of Stafford International School in Sri Lanka nor were they affiliated with the school. The institution further stated that Stafford Int'l School located in more..

May 16 (LBO) Sri Lanka’s Central Bank has decided to extend the regulatory action currently in place on The Finance Company for another three months, in order to consider the business restructuring proposal submitted by the company. Monetary Board of the Central Bank initiated a number of regulatory actions, as temporary measures, on The Finance Company with effect from 15th Feb 2019, with a view to safeguard the interests of the depositors and other stakeholders of the company. more..

May 16 (DN) Sri Lankan ICT,BPM delegation at Japan IT Week expects to attract USD 1 mn worth of business by end of 2019. In addition, few companies are expecting to sign joint ventures with leading Japanese companies in the ICT/BPM sector in the near future. With Govt of Sri Lanka’s continuous efforts to drive economy through digital adaptation and innovation, SL Export Development Board organized Sri Lankan ICT/BPM delegation has successfully concluded the participation at more..

May 16 (FT) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said he remained dissatisfied with the steps taken by the Govt following the Easter Sunday attacks, but is ready to support meaningful decisions. A short statement released by the Opposition Leader’s office said the Opposition Leader could do little other than expressing his views to the public both within and outside Parliament. But it was up to the Govt to more..

May 16 (DN) Secretary General of the UNWTO called on the global community to offer its unwavering support to Sri Lanka through Tourism at this critical moment noting that hotels, beaches and other sites of interests are open as usual. In a video message published at SL Tourism Development Authority Official Facebook page, the Secretary-General of the UN’s World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili states the following, “I have had the privilege of seeing Sri Lanka emerge as more..

May 16 (FT) Hotels and airlines yesterday held another round of discussions to finalise special offers to woo tourists as part of industry revival efforts following the aftermath of the Easter Sunday terror attacks. A host of offers were shared and discussed, and a final decision on collective effort will be made next week with the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), SL Conventions Bureau (SLCB), and SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLPB) undertaking their responsibilities more..

May 16 (FT) JO MPs will today handover a No-Confidence Motion against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. MPs backing Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana, decided to bring a No-Confidence Motion against Minister Bathiudeen following the Easter Sunday attacks. Following a discussion with Rajapaksa, JO MPs had decided to present the No-Confidence Motion more..

May 16 (AD) The police have arrested a wanted suspect who had allegedly assisted the suicide bomber at the Kingsbury Hotel to purchase a white-coloured van, used by the bomber at St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade to arrive at the location. CID had carried out extensive investigations into this van in question and managed to find out links between Mohamed Assam Mubarak, the bomber at the Kingsbury Hotel, and another person to who had aided Mubarak to purchase the vehicle more..

May 16 (FT) Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has commenced a probe into the alleged video footage where a person in military uniform was supporting mob attackers in Thummodara on last Monday. The video footage, which shows a uniformed man with the mob attackers, has first published by the Colombo Telegraph and is now going viral on social media. Overall Operational Commander Maj. Gen. Sathyapriya Liyanage said that a team of officials has been appointed to investigate allegation. more..

May 16 (FT) Culprits of the anti-Muslim violence have been identified, and action will be taken against those responsible for organised attacks launched in several locations in the North Western Province, Minister Navin Dissanayaka said. The attacks, which Dissanayake claimed were organised and systematically carried out in several locations, were carried out by people brought from outside. more..

May 16 (AD) One group of persons is behind the unrest in Kuliyapitiya, Naththandiya and Minuwangoda, says Acting Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene. He said the nine suspects, who were arrested at the copper factory in Wellampitiya and released on bail afterwards, will be rearrested if the decision to grant them has made any error. He said 95-97% of the suspects in connection with Zahran’s group have already been arrested. more..

May 16 (CT) A satyagraha is to be held today (16) at 2 p.m. at the Vihara Maha Devi Park to show opposition to the State. The statement announcing the protest action read, “On Easter Sunday we were struck by a senseless, cruel terror attack, and we are still grieving and healing as a country. Adding to this tragedy, violent anti-Muslim mobs have taken to the streets and are wreaking havoc. It is very clear the State has failed us. We cannot afford to fail one another. more..

May 16 (AN) National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ), which was responsible for the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, had been running 17 safe houses and seven training centers for the suicide bombers, Ruwan Gunasekera, a police spokesman, said. He said NTJ, along with two other organizations, had been proscribed by an extraordinary govt gazette notification issued in Colombo on a directive from Prez Sirisena. more..

May 16 (CT) The Convener of the Nawa Sinhale National Movement, Dan Priyasad, who was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) on charges of verbally abusing and a threatening an individual, was granted bail by Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage yesterday. The suspect was released on two sureties in Rs 500,000 each. The Additional Magistrate told Court that the suspect had not been produced in Court based on provisions in the emergency regulations. more..

May 16 (CT) The Ministry of Law and Order has transferred the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) under the command of the Head of the CID, Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Ravi Seneviratna with immediate effect. The Secretary of the National Police Commission (NPC) Saman Dissanayaka told Ceylon Today, that they have approved the recommendation submitted to them by the Ministry of Law and Order to transfer the TID under the purview of the CID. more..

May 16 (AD) Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara says that 78 suspects in the North Western Province were arrested and remanded for inciting violence in the area. The suspects were arrested from several police divisions in the province including Kurunegala, Kuliyapitiya, Nikaweratiya and Chilaw, he added. Investigations are being carried out further to apprehend more suspects in connection with the recent unrest more..

May 16 (DM) A university student remanded till May 23 by Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court for publishing a false post on Facebook stating that the flight en route to China with President Maithripala Sirisena on board had crashed. When the case was taken up before Colombo Additional Magistrate Lochani Weerasinghe, the Police informed Court that the suspect is a resident of Piliyandala and an undergraduate at Sri J'pura University. Police requested Magistrate to remand the suspect. more..

May 16 (FT) Along with the proscription of 3 organisations linked to the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, President Maithripala Sirisena has promulgated tough new regulations under the Prevention of Terrorism (PTA) Act to deal with those having links to these groups, including those funding them and espousing their cause. The Regulations, cited as the Prevention of Terrorism (Proscription of Extremist Organisations) Regulations No 1 of 2019, were made by President, along with more..

May 16 (Island) In the absence of President Maithripala Sirisena, who holds the law and order portfolio, in addition to defence, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the police to move court against those suspected of being involved in the recent violence in terms of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Emergency Regulations. President Sirisena left for Beijing on Monday (13) for a meeting more..

May 16 (DM) Many an eyebrow has been raised as to why Prez Sirisena undertook an overseas visit at a time when the country is gripped by violence warranting his presence, both as the Head of State and the Defence Minister. Things have looked volatile in the country after the serial bombings on Apr 21, 2019. It looks that violence can be sparked off at the slightest instigation. President is not oblivious to volatility. Nevertheless, he left for China on the morning of May 13, on an official visit. more..

May 16 (DM) This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the historic defeat of the LTTE. It coincides with Vesak. It comes just four weeks after a deadly attack by the National Thawheed Jama’ath (NTJ), an attack for which the ISIS has also claimed responsibility. There are many things to talk about at this moment. We can talk about the utter incompetence of the Govt in terms of the subversion of national security. We can talk of the govt’s complicity, first on account of criminal more..

May 16 (DM) As these terrorists happened to be Muslim terrorists suspicion is on against Muslims. I would like to appeal to all Sri Lankans for the atrocities committed by a few individuals, who are only namesake Muslims. With regard to the Muslim political leadership of this country, the fact remains that they should have been more aware than the rest and should have looked at the impending threat in the perspective of more..

May 16 (MB) Take a lifelong love for conservation, pair it with the right support group, and what do you get? An urban butterfly garden. A naturalist and author of several books on wildlife, Rajika Gamage’s biggest passion is to contribute to species conservation, both fauna and flora. But butterflies always have set his heart aflutter. A decade ago, he attempted to set up an urban butterfly garden with the support of a global more..

May 16 (DM) Daylight in Wayamba gives its residents the opportunity to assess the situation of their neighbourhood, following a grim and fearful start to the holy Vesak week. The Police curfew enforced early Monday (13) evening in the North Western Province however, prevents them from setting about their daily work. Mob violence broke out in several parts of the country on Monday resulting in an islandwide curfew which was more..

May 16 (Island) The govt and civil society had to assist the security forces to ensure national security, but the public should also keep an eye on the progress made in corruption investigations, CAFFE Executive Director; Manas Ahmed said. The organisation will start a five-month anti-corruption awareness programme later this month and yesterday’s event was a planning session with stakeholders. more..