May 26 (Island) ICC Cricket World Cups over the years have sprung quite a few surprises. There have been several instances of David overcoming Goliath at the sport’s showpiece event. Sri Lanka overcame a star studded Indian side comprising Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar in 1979 and two years later they were granted Test status. Zimbabwe argued their case well in the 1992 edition when chicken farmer Eddo Brandes ran through England’s strong batting unit. more..

May 26 (SO) Former SL Test and One Day International player Ferveez Maharoof was yet another promising star to emerge through the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer contest, sponsored by Mobitel. Following the unveiling new millennium stars of the Mega Show with Trinity’s Kaushalya Weeraratne in 2000 followed by Kaushal Lokuarachchi of St. Peter’s in 2001 and Sahan Wijeratne of Prince of Wales in 2002, Wesley College produced its first ever Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 2003. more..

May 26 (ST) Terror attacks happen everywhere in the world and almost nowhere is safe given the current situation. However it is the way we manage the crisis that will send the right signals to the world. This is what Sri Lanka hasn’t done. A foreign investor told the Business Times recently that the govt hasn’t shown how it can manage the crisis. “We have delayed setting up our operation in Sri Lanka because we don’t have confidence that the govt can come through this situation,” more..

May 26 (ST) Sri Lanka’s Licensed Finance Companies (LFCs) will face tougher regulations from the Central Bank (CB)’s Monetary Authority with ownership limits, ensuring higher capital adequacy, loan loss provisioning and improved reporting standards. Calling for stakeholder observations, the CB recently released a concept paper introducing ownership limits of the LFCs to 25 per cent within five years, a senior official of the bank said. more..

May 26 (Island) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) convened a seminar on the theme ‘Brexit and its implications to Sri Lanka’, last week. Keynote presenters and the panel discussion that followed reflected the view that the immediate results of the UK’s exit from the EU could mean there were other avenues for trade that could open up for Sri Lanka with other countries in Europe. EU member countries and other European locations with the Euro as their currency offer potential. more..

May 26 (CT) A few days ago spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan in an interview with the Mumbai Mirror stated that in order to become a good captain, Dimuth Karunaratne must first get runs. “If you’re nice, it doesn’t follow that you will enjoy the right results. He’s the captain, alright, but first, he must get runs. If he’s unable to make himself count as a batsman, he’ll be a weak leader,” commented Muralitharan. Meanwhile, batting legend Kumar Sangakkara speaking to the media at Lord’s said more..

May 26 (ST) Delays at the Cabinet to approve a publicity campaign to get the tourism industry back on track have irked an industry that has fewer tourists to welcome as they believe the authorities may have not got their priorities right for a resurgence of the economy. Stakeholders of the tourism industry representing the private sector had a joint meeting at the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce on Thursday where key issues were discussed highlighting the need to get more..

May 26 (PTI) China on Saturday became the first country to tone down its travel advisory imposed on Sri Lanka post the Easter Sunday blasts, in a move that would help in reviving the tourism industry of the island nation hit hard by the terror attack. The move came a day after PM Ranil Wickremesinghe appealed to the international community to lift the travel warnings, assuring that the security situation has improved in the country after the crackdown on Islamist groups and their networks. more..

May 26 (AD) It was revealed that there were funds amounting to Rs. one billion in the bank accounts belonging to the five suspects, who were arrested in Horowpathana yesterday on suspicion of having links with the National Thowheed Jama'at (NTJ) and its leader Zahran Hashim, a senior police official said. Among those arrested were a development officer attached to the Horowpathana Divisional Secretariat, a teacher of a govt school in Horowpathana, two teachers of an Arabic college in Kiwulekada more..

May 26 (AFP) The military launched a major hunt, on Saturday, for the remnants of the National Thowheed Jamaath, which carried out the Easter suicide bombings, killing 258 people. Several Colombo suburbs were targeted by troops using emergency powers on arrests and detentions adopted after the April 21 attacks. "Special cordon-and-search operations are under way in three areas just outside Colombo," a military official told reporters. more..

May 26 (AD) Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has arrived at the FCID to give a statement regarding alleged financial misappropriation in importing rice for Lanka Sathosa. The FCID is investigating a complaint alleging financial misappropriation when importing 257,000MT of rice for Lanka Sathosa during 2014/15. The minister had reportedly arrived at the FCID to give a statement regarding the allegations at around 10.00 a.m. this morning and is currently still at the premises. more..

May 26 (AD) The doctor attached to the Kurunegala Hospital, who was arrested over assets earned through suspicious means, has been handed over to the CID. SP Ruwan Gunasekara said that the doctor was handed over to the CID for further investigations. A 42-year-old doctor attached to the Kurunegala Hospital has been arrested over assets earned through suspicious means. Seigu Mohamed Shafi, 42, a resident of Weerasinghe Mawatha in Kurunegala, was arrested by police at his home last night more..

May 26 (ST) Billions of rupees were erroneously credited to the bank accounts of persons who were not farmers under Sri Lanka’s cash transfer scheme for fertiliser and paid out towards untilled paddy lands instead of cultivated ones, the AG’s Department has found. The national auditor also investigated the procurement fiasco that led to severe delays in fertiliser supply in 2017 and 2018. To avert a full-blown crisis, Cabinet authorised an emergency purchase of urea more..

May 26 (EN) Cinnamon Life, promoted by John Keells Holdings Plc, said cost were up 10 from the original US$ 805 million and the commercial, hotel and residential development would be completed by 2021. "The date for project completion now takes into account the staggered opening of some elements of the project and completion of all works including the detailed interior design work," Chairman Krishan Balendra told shareholders. "Accordingly, the completion dates of the residential and office more..

May 26 (EN) Korea's Eximbank will fund a feasibility study to digitalize Sri Lanka's land management systems, which will improve city planning, a statement from the Korean Embassy said. The feasibility study will seek to establish a Land Data Infrasctructure (LDI) and Land Information Service System (LISS) in Sri Lanka through a grant under a technical assistance program. "If implemented, the project will enable the Govt of SL to integrate the land parcel fabrics into LDI & LISS and more..

May 26 (CT) Senior officials of the CEB have expressed strong objections to the decision made by Cabinet on 21 May, to purchase 200MW of emergency power from the Turkish Barge-Mounted Power Plant, without any request being made by the CEB. No competitive tenders were called for the purchase of 200MW from the Barge-Mounted Power Plant. The CEB points out the Electricity Act has been violated. According to the SL Electricity Act, power purchase should be made after calling for tenders. more..

May 26 (CT) Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) and the CID have arrested 89 persons, who have had direct contacts with the suicide bombers involved in a multiple attack carried out by the Islamist extremists on Easter Sunday that killed over 250 people and injured over 500. One month since the blasts, there are 89 taken into custody, noted Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara. He said the other suspects who had been arrested in various parts of the country have been released; more..

May 26 (ST) United Left Front (ULF) has condemned the Presidential pardon granted to BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda-Aththe Gnanasara Thera, as an endorsement of racism and an act amounting to contempt of court. Issuing a statement, ULF General Secretary Lal Wijenayaka said the Ven. Gnanasara Thera had been sentenced to 19 years in prison to be served in six years for threatening the Homagama Magistrate and insulting the State’s Counsel inside the Homagama Magistrate’s Court. more..

May 26 (ST) President Maithripala Sirisena last week forbade the UNP-led UNF from signing any defence or security related agreements with the US. He has said that any such agreement would have to receive his approval since he was the Minister of Defence. These instructions were given to Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana soon after the President returned to Colombo from a visit to China last Thursday. Marapana was still in Washington DC discussing more..

May 27 (CT) When Maithripala Sirisena vacates office in January next year, the President of the Republic will revert to be the ceremonial Head of State, an office that was held with great dignity and distinction for 15 years by the late William Gopallawa. This is because under our Constitution, as amended in 2015, only a MP may hold office as a Minister or Deputy Minister. In a transitional provision, the 19th Amendment allowed Maithripala Sirisena, for as long as he holds the office of more..

May 27 (CT) In his short story Appointment in Samara, Somerset Maugham retells a 9th Century Arabic tale. It has a spectral resonance with our horrific experience of Easter Sunday. Once in Baghdad a servant sent to the market to buy provisions by his master, a merchant saw death jostling at him. He returns to the master in a hurry trembling. He asks for a horse to ride away from the city to Samara where death would not find him. As the servant rides away, more..

May 27 (Island) As the Attorney General’s Department of SL marks its 135 illustrious years, Dappula de Livera, PC takes over its reins as the 30th Attorney General of SL. In an exclusive interview, the legal bigwig who calls himself a ‘self-made man, priding himself on hard work’ explains how he plans to enable his institution to cater to the evolving legal needs of the time. Q: Today, you occupy the hot seat of the AG’s Department. more..

May 27 (ST) This was a week of many wrongs and virtually no rights. The optics of the image released to the public when the Bodu Bala Sena’s Galagoda atte Gnanasara and his mother met President Maithripala Sirisena following his pardoning while serving a prison sentence for contempt of court said it best, smiles and merry laughter all around as it were. This presidential pardon must be read for what it is, with no frills and furbelows to obscure the core point. more..

May 27 (ST) As Britain’s PM Theresa May fights for her political life, one is reminded of Shakespeare’s depiction of the assassination of Julius Caesar. She has been stabbed, in a manner of speaking, multiple times by friend and foe alike, but she has not said Et tu Brute though there are many who would wait for her last words. One did not need a soothsayer to predict what was in store for her. Those who have followed Britain’s Brexit saga closely could have seen it coming. more..

May 27 (CT) All Ceylon Islam Advisor Moulavi Alhaj Kaleel says when Zahran’s brother, Rilwan was making bombs, they informed the authorities. Q: Moulavi will you tell us about your background? A: I am an All Ceylon Islam Advisor. People in many areas know of me if you mention Kaleel Moulavi. The Muslim community across the country have come and met me to discuss any problem regarding the religion of Islam. more..

May 27 (Island) Last week was a long time in politics, to paraphrase a famous quip by one of the more popular British Prime Ministers of the twentieth century, Harold Wilson of the Labour Party. It took a long time until last week for one of the more unpopular British Prime Ministers, Theresa May, to call it quits over her bungled leadership of the Brexit misadventure. Her resignation is not going to solve Britain’s agonizing indecision over Brexit. It is tough to make any decision by more..

May 27 (Island) Editor of our sister paper, Sunday Divaina Anura Solomons and senior journalist Hemantha Randunu, were summoned to the CID, on Saturday, and grilled for nearly six hours over a report that a doctor with links to the NTJ had sterilised a large number of women without their knowledge after performing C-section on them. The CID swung into action following JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s call, in Parliament, for an investigation. more..

May 27 (Island) Apart from the question of propriety and conduct unbecoming of a national institution like the military, the criminal charges of a serious nature filed in the courts by the police against the infamous Tripoli Military Intelligence Platoon, is a tinderbox political issue. Rajapaksa Brothers and the SLPP are incensed by allegations that this unit and its commander Major Prabath Bulathwatte were instruments of the Mahinda Rajapaksa govt for abduction and assassination of more..

May 27 (Island) Attorney General (AG) has reportedly instructed the CID to commence a criminal investigation against Hemasiri Fernando, the former Defense Secretary (DefSec) and Pujitha Jayasundera, the former IGP. The primary objective is to ascertain reasons for ignoring advance intelligence warnings of the Easter Sunday bombings by ISIS backed Sri Lankan jihadist group National Thowheeth Jama'ath. Two interim reports by the three-member committee headed by more..

May 27 (SO) Selvaratna Subitha will never forget the day the Tigers took her 16 year old sister. It was all over in 15 minutes. Women combatants of the LTTE came disguised as civilians to their home and dragged Marisalin Sukhandha away. After that, Sukundha became just a memory. A bright student, with a special interest in mathematics, her sister remembers her as a dutiful teen, helping their mother to clean the house or fetch water. more..

May 27 (FT) Premier blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH) remains positive of its prospects despite the Easter Sunday terror attacks-triggered setback on its giant leisure segment and muted economic growth impacting performance in the just-concluded FY19. “It may be premature to assess the full impact arising from the Easter Sunday attacks, with the exception of the short-term impact on leisure, the outlook for the other businesses are positive,” JKH Chairman Krishan Balendra said. more..

May 27 (EN) Sri Lanka's low grown tea is expected to recover in 2018 despite sanctions on Iran, a top producer has said as a demand from countries that were hit by currency collapses in 2018 stabilizes, a producer has said. "Key exporting markets such as Russia, Turkey and Iran are expected to increase their demand for tea," Tea Smallholder Factories, which accounts for over 5 percent of SL's low grown tea production said. "China has also been increasing black tea imports more..

May 27 (CI) Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne was only eight years old, and Angelo Mathews was nine when Arjuna Ranatunga led Sri Lanka to the World Cup title in 1996. For Karunaratne, Sri Lanka's victory was an inspiration for him to play cricket. "I remember the game and watching with all our family and friends," Karunaratne told the ICC. "I recall we had a very, very small television, so I had a pocket radio with me so I could listen to more..

May 27 (AFP) Lasith Malinga will be one of the Cricket World Cup's oldest players, but the SL paceman shows no signs of slowing down as he bids to prove his critics wrong. Malinga was stripped of the Sri Lanka ODI captaincy in April after losing all eight matches in a troubled reign that lasted just four months. SL's selectors, led by former fast bowler Ashantha de Mel, said Malinga was unable to unite the team, while he was also accused of falling out with other senior players. more..

May 27 (ICC) After defeating the hosts, and World Cup favourites, England in the first warm-up, Aaron Finch's men will look to sustain their brilliance against a hurting Sri Lankan outfit on Monday, 27 May in Southampton. Beware, for Australia are on the prowl. With recent one-day international series wins against India and Pakistan, they gave a glimpse of what they can do at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019; with the win over England in their first warm-up game, more..

May 27 (AFP) SL's military has detained nearly 100 suspects during four days of search operations against remnants of an Islamist group blamed for the Easter attacks that killed 258, officials said Sunday. Some 3,000 military personnel were deployed in and around the capital as well as other key towns for cordon-and-search activities that began on Thursday, a military official said. In the first three days, security forces took 87 suspects more..

May 27 (CT) SL’s Under-19 cricket team beat their Pakistan counterparts by 26 runs in the first Youth ODI match at MRICS Hambantota on yesterday to take a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat, scoring 234 runs for 9 wickets in 50 overs. Left hand opener Kamil Mishara notched 65 runs in 95 balls with 4 boundaries while fellow left hand opener Navod Paranavitana made 54 in 93 balls with 3 boundaries, sharing a solid first wicket partnership of 122 runs. more..

May 27 (Island) Three centuries followed by a strong bowling performance tormented touring Sri Lanka ‘A’ as they face a steep task after being reduced to 83 for four, trailing by 539, at the conclusion of the second day, yesterday, of the 1st unofficial Test, in Belgaum, India. Sri Lanka ‘A’ starting their innings towards the gigantic score, suffered a woeful start losing their openers, and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Southpaw Sangeeth Cooray, entered and exited swiftly, with a duck. more..

May 27 (EN) Sri Lanka is bracing for the southwest monsoon rains, expected by Monday, May 27 with rescue teams and relief supplies ready and govt officials and residents in disaster-prone areas put through drills and awareness programs. Officials told a meeting of govt, private sector and relief agencies led by the Disaster Management Centre they aimed to achieve zero deaths from anticipated floods and landslides more..