May 17 (CT) “Prabath Bulathwatte‘s reactivation in a prominent post will not only pose a serious threat to and have a chilling effect on those army officers and other witnesses who had the righteousness to speak up against Mr. Bulathwatte’s alleged wrongdoing, Lasantha Wickematunge’s daughter, Ahimsa Wickrematunge. Prabath Bulathwatte‘s reinstatement was announced on May 11 by Army Chief Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake in an interview with news broadcaster Ada Derana. more..

May 17 (Island) Singer Group reported revenue amounting to Rs 58.5 billion for the twelve-month period 2018/19, compared to Rs. 53.1 billion for same period in the prior year with a growth of 10% whilst compared to Rs 65.1 billion revenue during the fifteen month period of 2017/2018 as appears in the published Financial Statements. For the 2018/19 financial year, Group encountered multiple challenges including a prolonged drought and sluggish market conditions which lasted more..

May 17 (MFA) Upon the signing of the Agreement by H.E. Dr. Amrith Rohan Perera, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and Mr. Jaime Hermida Castillo, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Nicaragua to the United Nations on 15th May 2019 in New York, the Government of Sri Lanka and the Govt of Nicaragua decided to establish Diplomatic Relations more..

May 17 (Island) Transforming Sri Lanka into the hub of the Indian Ocean, with a knowledge-based, highly competitive and social-market economy is the objective of the Vision 2025 policy document of the govt. Making the transition to a export, FDI and tourism oriented country is the only option for Sri Lanka to create better jobs for the youth of our country and to graduate to a higher income economy. Expo Dubai 2020 will contribute to achieving the Sri Lanka’s Vision 2025 by more..

May 17 (SLN) Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) helped rescue a foreign yacht in distress off the shores of Rumassala, Galle yesterday (15). Upon receipt of a distress signal, the Navy promptly dispatched two naval craft to bring ashore a foreign yacht named Mango One that was in distress off the shores of Rumassala, following an engine failure. Accordingly, the SLN safely escorted the yacht and its passengers who are en route to Thailand, via Sri Lankan waters. more..

May 17 (DM) A group of MPs, from both the govt and the opposition, are planning to urge the govt to introduce a series of legislation to de-radicalize Muslims holding extremist views, regulation of Madrasas and the amendment of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to deal with the current situation. Minister Champika Ranawaka told a function in Suriyawewa, Hambantota yesterday that the PTA should be amended to broaden more..

May 17 (AD) Kebithigollewa Magistrate’s Court today granted permission for police to detain for 72 hours and question the two suspects arrested in Horowpathana over their alleged links to terrorist leader Zaharan Hashim.Noor Mohammadu Abdul Rasool and Kana Mohamed Mijam, identified as a Principal and an Acting Principal of two Muslim schools in the area, were arrested last night by the STF at Paththewa, Horowpathana. They are believed to have maintained close links with more..

May 17 (AD) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa has briefed German Ambassador to SL Jörn Rohde on the current situation of the country. The duo has held a discussion at the Office of the Opposition Leader last evening. The German Ambassador has emphasized that the situation in the country should be restored forthwith. The govt has been informed in this regard and the Opposition has offered to extend maximum support to ensure the security of the country, Opposition Leader told ambassador. more..

May 17 (EN) SL's state institutions are halting advertisements private television channels, Minister Mangala Samaraweera has said, alleging that they were contributing to communal disharmony. "Any media institutions trying to make a business out of racism and human blood will be strongly opposed," he said. Samaraweera was speaking to chairpersons of state banks at the finance ministry, video of which he uploaded more..

May 17 (Island) Police investigations have revealed that millionaire businessman and Mabole resident arrested for his alleged links to the proscribed Islamic extremist terrorist outfit National Thowheed Jamaath (NTJ) is the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) organiser for Wattala. It was also revealed that the suspect Mohamed Rizwan maintained close links with drug lord Makandure Madush now in custody while the latter was hiding in Dubai. The police believe that Rizwan was an accomplice of Madush. more..

May 17 (DM) Twenty-one bags of Ammonia Nitrate which had been hidden inside a cage at the Asgiriya Police kennel unit was seized yesterday by the Kandy police. During investigations, the police were informed that the ammonia nitrate was used as coconut fertilizer. However, a senior military official said it was one of the chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives. Police had seized the stock of chemicals on information received by two senior police officials of the Kandy police headquarters. more..

May 17 (EN) Central bank will be introducing a 25 percent ownership limit in licensed finance companies (LFCs) following stakeholder consultations on the plan. "The master plan is intended to bring down the ownership limits to 25% within a timeframe of 5 years," Dept of Non-Bank Financial Institutions Director W Ranaweera said. Under special circumstances, ownership limits can be increased to 30%. Planned sanctions for non-compliance will include suspension of more..

May 17 (DM) With reference to recent news reports, Virtusa Ltd. made a clarification and said its facility was not raided but a single employee was taken into custody while at an undisclosed location. “It was reported that our office was raided. This is not accurate. We invited the police to conduct a sweep of our facilities, just as other local businesses have recently done as part of routine activities. It was also reported that one of the suspects was an intern at our company dating back to 2013. more..

May 17 (DM) For the very first time in history, the number of dansals during Vesak will be limited to 92. Although some 6,000 dansals were registered last year, the number stands at 92 this year according to the Association of Public Health Inspectors. In the Colombo city alone, there were 150 dansals last year, but this time it is limited to four. Secretary to PHI Association Mahendra Balasuriya said there was also a notable decline in Vesak zones, pandals and religious rituals like observance of Sil. more..

May 17 (NR) The national Vesak festival is set to be marked at the Thotagamuwa Ranpath Rajamaha Viharaya, Thelwatte, Hikkaduwa today and tomorrow. The event organised under the auspices of the Mahanayaka Thera is scheduled to commence at two this afternoon. President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe are also due to attend the event. Measures were taken to restrict the National Vesak festival that was initially scheduled to be in place for an entire week, more..

May 17 (NOA) India has offered its full support to SL in dealing with the common threat of Jihadi terrorism saying any threat to SL is seen as a threat to India. This was stated by High Commissioner of India to SL Taranjit Singh Sandhu after meeting the top Buddhist clergy in Kandy today. Addressing the media after his meeting, the High Commissioner said India stands firmly and strongly with Sri Lanka in the aftermath of the attacks on April 21st in which many innocent lives were lost more..

May 17 (TD) Amid the continued international attention on the aftermath of the April Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, this month is also an important reminder of the legacy of Sri Lanka’s civil war, with May 18 marking the tenth anniversary of the end of the conflict on May 18, 2009. But though media accounts today tend to focus on this as an endpoint for the country’s civil war, it is critical to keep in mind that for many of SL’s Tamils, the search for elusive justice continues even today, more..

May 17 (DM) Army Commander Mahesh Senanayake said yesterday the soldier who was seen in a CCTV video as having made a hand gesture to a mob during a violent incident that occurred in Nattanidiya in Thummodara last Monday, and was found to be not at fault. He explained that the soldier had not invited the mob but had fixed the strap of the firearm. He said the Army had launched an investigation into this incident and that they confirmed this after watching the video several times more..

May 18 (CT) Nearly two weeks ago, the Police Spokesman announced that CID sleuths had uncovered a staggering LKR 7 billion in assets belonging to the National Thowheed Jama’ath (NTJ), the group responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks. It included LKR 140 million in cash. Since then, more and more assets and cash have been discovered. Therein lies the real story of the rise of the NTJ, its links to ISIL and other groups, the manner in which these dastardly attacks more..

May 18 (CT) If self-interest were an export commodity, it would do to Sri Lanka what petroleum has done to oil exporting Middle East countries would have made Sri Lanka exceedingly wealthy. Petroleum, also known as black gold, has done wonders to the economies and ruling classes (monarchs) of some aforementioned countries (not to forget its byproduct – funding Wahhabism the world over). However, unlike petroleum- which is a finite commodity, self-interest has to be more..

May 18 (Roar) Fifteen-year-old Ajmal stands with a dazed look, his eyes red from crying. He is surrounded by a group of men who are angry. Their raised voices are filled with grief as they cry out: “He was innocent and he was killed. Were we attacked because we called out the extremists among us? Is that the punishment we deserve?” Still a child among adults, Ajmal stands at a distance, not seeming to comprehend any of the clamour more..

May 18 (CT) The tourism industry received a sledgehammer blow after the Easter Sunday massacre by Islamist terrorists when a considerable number of innocent Catholics at morning mass perished, along with nearly 50 foreign tourists in two five-star hotels. Following this tragic incident, the tourism industry has become a burning issue for the Govt, as their fervent hope of expecting millions of tourists by 2020, were dashed. City Hoteliers Association confirmed about hotel more..

May 18 (CT) Perhaps, the saddest aspect of govt dysfunctionality, which became clear to me in the aftermath of the presentation of the Darusman Report, was the frivolous manner in which the team, the President had appointed, negotiated with the TNAA. In May 2009 Mahinda Rajapaksa had signed a joint communiqué with the UN Secretary General in which it was noted that “Govt expressed its commitment to ensure the economic and political empowerment of the people of the North more..

May 18 (SO) Shops and other businesses in the Eastern town Trincomalee and its suburbs Kantale, Thambalagamuwa and Serunuwara remained shuttered on Friday. The streets were nearly empty. The traders of the towns had expressed support to a hartal called by a group that called themselves the East Protection Organisation while SLPP Pradeshiya Sabha Member Wijayawickrama Lamahewa also continued with Satyagraha more..

May 18 (FT) To those of our generation it will appear that Sri Lanka is in a near permanent state of conflict; now hidden, now open, citizen against citizen, brother against brother. There are interruptions to the theme of violence, these breaks are mistaken for peace. In fact, this is the time for feverish preparations, indoctrination, and gathering of weapons for the next round of blood-letting. With the passing of years, the challengers change; they age, giving way to younger malcontents; more..

May 18 (FT) Faced with a tragedy of the scale we have just witnessed, I don’t believe it’s enough to ask how it happened, or what happens next. We must ask a much more fundamental question, which is, who are we? The easy answer is to say we are Sri Lankans, united as citizens of a country. But I think we must go beyond that. During my teenage years, I was fortunate enough to come into contact with Bala Tampoe, Secretary-General of the CMU, a leading trade union at the time, and more..

May 18 (ST) In Sri Lanka, Cricket is not just another sport. It has something beyond that, from the day SL got Test status in 1981, Cricket has been the most popular sport in SL. It plays a vital role in bringing people together as a nation. It gives great joy to 20 million people in the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. Cricket has given SL fans fond memories, which will be remembered for many years to come. SL is known to be a Cricket-crazy nation and we have heard many stories about our adoring more..

May 18 (DN) Commercialism, in the recent past, hijacked the commemoration of the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, initially through temples and Buddhist organizations and gradually in a direct approach, labelling a brand name to call it, Vesak kalapa. They exhibit in numerous varieties of Dhatu or relics from temples as a crowd puller. If all Buddha relics spread across the Earth were brought together, the height of enlightened one would measure a few more more..

May 18 (DN) Vesak brings in an engrossing historical tale mixed with spirit and elegance. Young ascetic Sumedha was steadfast in his attempt to achieve the highest spiritual realm - something only a few could reach. That day he heard Dipankara Buddha was visiting the town. What he wanted was a definite prophecy that he would be a Buddha in eons to come. The locale, however, was congested with people and more..

May 18 (DN) What is Buddhism? Is it a religion or a philosophy? A true Buddhist would accept the basic Buddhist analysis of life as one that accommodates the teachings of the Buddha. It involves no dogmatism, no form of worship. One could say it is a code of morality, a way of life as it were. The Buddha with his infinite wisdom discovered the fundamental disease affecting all men and women, the unsatisfactory nature of all phenomenal existence. It was he who raised the veil and more..

May 18 (Island) It was heart-warming to hear a group of prominent Muslims appeal for sanity and coexistence, on Thursday. Giving a joint media conference, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Ferial Ashraff, Kabir Hashim and Ali Sabry, minced no words when they condemned the Easter Sunday bombings; they said that by no stretch of the imagination could the perpetrators of such heinous crimes be considered followers of Islam. They recalled their community’s service to the nation since the times of more..

May 18 (FT) The tragic Easter bombings in SL will result in lower economic growth this year and could increase external financing pressures, Fitch Ratings said in their latest update, but indicated such pressures were mitigated by the Govt’s continued adherence to economic policies that have enabled Sri Lanka to get its IMF program back on track. Last month’s bombings, which targeted major hotels in Colombo as well as churches, more..

May 18 (CT) The Sri Lanka ‘A’ team will take wing to India on 21st May under the captaincy of Ashan Priyanjan to participate in a tour comprising two four-day matches and five one-dayers. Priyanjan, who has been a regular performer for Sri Lanka, has been named as the captain after his recent impressive batting performances. He will lead both the four-day and limited over teams. SL ‘A’ team Captain Ashan Priyanjan stated: “We cannot consider the Indian team easy, they have more..

May 18 (FT) Int'l Commission of Jurists (ICJ) condemned the series of acts of violence directed against the Muslim community, in the aftermath of the Easter attacks on 21 April in SL directed at churches and other places, in a statement. In the most recent attacks on 13 May, at least one person was killed in anti-Muslim mob violence in Nattandiya. In addition, various attacks have resulted in the looting and destruction of mosques, Muslim-owned businesses and houses in several parts of more..

May 18 (Island) Having spent ten days in the UK acclimatizing to the conditions, national cricket team will feature in their first game of the long tour when they take on Scotland in an ODI today in Edinburgh. The two match series is preparation ahead of the World Cup campaign that beings early next month. These two games will give an opportunity for the SL management to decide on their composition for the WC campaign. more..

May 18 (CI) The winner of the 2019 men's World Cup will walk away with a monetary reward of US $4 million, with the runner up getting half the amount ($2 million), as the ICC, on Friday, announced details of the total prize money on offer for the 10-team tournament. The total prize money of $10 million will be the same as it was in the 2015 World Cup, which was contested among 14 teams with Australia defeating New Zealand to take the trophy and the winner's cheque. more..

May 18 (DN) During the first quarter of 2019, the Sri Lanka Telecom Group reported a Net Profit of Rs.2.20 bn which is the highest ever during the first quarter of any year, with a remarkable 86.8% YoY growth compared to the same quarter in 2018. The outstanding results were largely driven by healthy revenue growth coupled with cost control initiatives. Profits were further backed by Rs.172 mn FOREX gain reported during the quarter, in contrast to the profits negated by Rs.294 mn FOREX losses more..

May 18 (EN) Sri Lanka's TRC lifted a temporary social media ban Friday evening. The state blocked access to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp and Viber on Monday, amid rising racial violence against Muslims in response to the Easter Sunday bombings. This was the third time social media was banned following the bombings. Some critics have blamed the govt for the social media ban, saying that it has not more..