Apr 30 (Island) The tax benefits given indirectly to Casinos through the Strategic Development Act would further bring down revenue which under the present administration was the lowest since independence, an Opposition legislator said. Eran Wickremenayake MP, said that state revenue had been on a downward trend ever since the Rajapaksa govt had assumed office. "While indirect taxes on the public have been increased VAT and NBT have been extended to most retail sales thereby more..

Apr 30 (CT) With all the posturing that goes on in this (and other countries as well), one begins to wonder whether the movements of resistance are hamstrung by two factors: their very middle-class composition and their abject cowardice at so much as the suggestion of physical violence of any kind. Sometime ago, I wrote a piece to the pre-Asanga Seneviratne Sunday Leader which spoke to the fact that the only journalists with intellectual and ethical �cojones� were women. more..

Apr 30 (CT) A symbol of religious significance for Buddhists the world over and a living botanical legend, the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi has survived for over 2,200 years weathering the rigours of time, environmentally as well as from foreign rulers who invaded ancient Sri Lanka throughout history. The Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura is the Southern branch of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, in Bodhgaya, India, under which the Buddha, more..

Apr 30 (LBO) Shares end 0.6% higher Wednesday with tobacco and beverages stocks gaining amid strong foreign participation, brokers said. All Share Price Index closed 37.42 points higher at 6,223.67 up 0.6%. The S&P SL20 closed 12.87 points higher at 3,418.19, up 0.38%. Turnover was 1.23 billion rupees, up from 570.90 million rupees a day earlier with 123 stocks close positive against 82 negative. John Keells Holdings closed flat at 238.00 rupees with two off market transactions more..

Apr 30 (Island) A dispute over the discovery of gem deposits in the soil excavated from a National Water Supply and Drainage Board construction site in Balangoda was resolved with all stakeholders allowed to mine. The mining had commenced at an auspicious time on Monday following religious observances. The mining of this 10x20 mt land using an excavator to dig out the soil in the village of Weliharanawa in Balangoda adjoining the Walawe Ganga commenced under watchful eyes of more..

Apr 30 (IL) A delegation from the Sri Lanka Youth Council visited Geneva, Switzerland from 24-27 April as a part of a promotional campaign titled "Round the World in 40 Days" of the World Conference on Youth (WCY 2014) which is scheduled to be held from 6th-10th May 2014 at the BMICH. The Delegation was headed by Mr. Saman Abeywardena, Assistant Director of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development, and more..

Apr 30 (Reuters) Sri Lankan rupee ended flat on Wednesday as exporter dollar sales in late trade outpaced early importer demand for the greenback. However, dealers said they expect the currency to remain stable in the near term as private sector credit remained sluggish. The spot rupee, which fell to as much as 130.64 per dollar during the day, ended flat at 130.61/63. "Rupee ended flat on exporter dollar sales," said a currency dealer. Lower credit demand from the private sector, more..

Apr 30 (Island) A police team attached to Vavuniya police station, in the early hours of yesterday, arrested prisoner who had given his guards the slip, while he was being treated at the Vavuniya hospital on April 20. police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said that suspect, Leslie Jeyabalan Ramesh aka Simbu of No. 03, Kudieruppu, Vavuniya was arrested around 12.50 a.m. at the Vavuniya Railway station. He had disguised himself as a woman wearing a fake wig and a salwar kameez. more..

Apr 30 (DN) Law enforcement authorities and Health Ministry officials expressed willingness to fully cooperate in the investigations conducted by Indian Police into the alleged kidney transplant racket running into billions of rupees involving Sri Lankans and Andra Pradesh residents and certain nephrologists in Sri Lanka. A special Police team from Andra Pradesh is due in Colombo to probe the alleged racket more..

Apr 30 (CT) Setting up a Special Unit to tackle the growing proclivity towards violent expression of religious disagreements is an appalling indictment on all religions. There isn't a single religion that preaches violence as a means to an end. Yet, if the so-called devotees resort to violence as a means to propagating their respective religion, then the fundamental message of that religion has failed. In all such cases, without exception, those who are responsible for preservation of the original more..

Apr 30 (CT) Sri Lankan Ambassador in Italy, Nawalage Bennett Cooray, has on a letter to the Minister of External Affairs, urged necessary steps be taken to ban a restaurant 'Buddha Bar' in Italy, as it is an insult to the Buddhist community living there. He made this request following a demonstration by the Sri Lankan community in Italy to protest against the restaurant chain using the image of the Buddha. The restaurant logo has an image of the Buddha in the meditating position. more..

Apr 30 (DM) Following a dispute between the Joint Trade Union Alliance (JTUA) and Ceylon Bank Employees� Union (CBEU) over the allocation of the Hyde Park grounds to organise May Day rallies, the Colombo Fort Magistrate today issued an order preventing the JTUA from entering or organising May Day related activities at the Hyde Park grounds and the streets in the vicinity from 6am - 10pm tomorrow. more..

Apr 30 (CG) Govt insists that Sri Lanka is one of the safest countries in the world following the end of the war with the defeat of the LTTE. Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama, speaking at an event to mark Srilankan airlines joining the �oneworld� alliance today, said that the country is now experiencing real peace. He said that the opening of new highways and the construction of the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International airport are part of the dividends of peace in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 30 (SM) Only a handful of members of the T-20 world cup winning Sri Lankan team were present at a felicitation party thrown last night at Hotel Taj Samudra by Sri Lanka Cricket in collaboration with the top Colombo hotel. The wives of the cricketers were also absent, while the only participating senior member was Mahela Jayawardena, who had skipped another appointment to be present there. Team manager Michael de Zoysa, who had been tasked with inviting the cricketers, more..

Apr 30 (BNA) Bahrain and Sri Lanka emphasized their resolve to boost their bilateral cooperation on counter-terrorism, bilaterally and multi-laterally within the frame of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) and the United Nations (UN). The two countries condemned terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations. The two sides issued a Joint Communiqu� upon conclusion of the official more..

Apr 30 (SM) Daily Mirror Sports Editor Channaka de Silva has sent an email to former cricket captain Mahela Jayawardena, apologising for any inconvenience or insult caused by articles in his publication. The email has been sent with reference to the cricketers abstaining from giving interviews for the newspapers attached to the particular publication claiming that it has been partial to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in the recent events. Following the allegations leveled against Channaka by more..

Apr 30 (LT) �Those who don�t pay ETF & EPF would be punished soon� is what �Dinamina� states in its main headlines in today�s issue. The news item states a proper process would be devised to find out those who do not pay ETF and EPF and whether a large number of employees have been recruited on contract basis instead of the stipulated number of permanent employees in an establishment. UPFA govt that has been in power for nearly 20 years has been forced to get such a news item more..

Apr 30 (Island) The three Muslim Councillors of the Western Provincial Council (WPC) comprising two who were elected recently from the SLMC and one from the ACMC have decided to strengthen the UPFA Administered WPC. Meanwhile the Governor of the Western Province Alavi Mowlana will to deliver his policy statement for the 6th WPC before the members at the Committee Room A of the BMICH at 11.15am today more..

Apr 30 (Island) General Secretary of the All Ceylon Govt Medical Officers� Association (ACGMOA) affiliated to the JVP Dr. Jayantha Bandara accused the Health Ministry of not responding to the notification issued by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) to appear before it on April 28. The ACGMOA filed a case before the SLHRC against the delay in implementing the doctors� service minute. The Public Service Commission (PSC) had done its part, but more..

Apr 30 (Island) Police are still to question the gun wielding Hambantota Mayor Eraj Fernando, nearly two weeks after he had led a UPFA mob which threatened five UNP MPs who were on a fact finding mission to the MMRP and the MRIA, the UNP says. Eran Wickremeratne, who was one of the five MPs abused, manhandled and threatened in Hambantora by a mob of over a 100 persons on April 17, 2014 said that Mayor Fernando not only �evaded� arrest but also had the audacity to more..

Apr 30 (LT) The JVP is organizing a spectacular May Day commemoration say reports. Its demonstration will leave from Dehiwela at 12.00 noon and reach BRC Grounds where the rally will be held. The JVP is erecting a massive stage for its rally and several attractive floats created by JVP members will be included in its demonstration. The demonstration will be based on people�s issues and would take the form of more..

Apr 30 (LBO) Sri Lanka's consumer prices rose 4.9% in the 12-months to April 2014, accelerating from 4.2 percent in March, data from the state statistics office showed. Prices rose 0.3% during April, with the increase coming from food. The widely watched Colombo Consumer Price Index rose 0.5 points to 178.4 points by end April 2014 from a month earlier. The statistic office said half the index gain came from rising rice prices. Sri Lanka's inflation was relatively low during more..

Apr 30 (DM) Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana�s Policy Statement presentation ceremony turned chaotic after the Governor�s speech today, as UNP members of the Western Provincial Council and members of the ruling UPFA clashed over several issues. UNP Council Member Kithsiri Kahatapitiya who got up just after Governor Moulana left Committee Room A at BMICH after presenting Policy Statement protested, stating that there was no Tamil copy of the Statement. more..

Apr 30 (CT) Hotels in Sri Lanka could surreptitiously introduce casinos and there is no guarantee that they would not do so, although there are no provisions in the Strategic Development Project Act gazettes that were passed, Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera, said. Although the request made by Leftist Ministers and Parties, for heavy penalties and taxation to be imposed on casinos, was ignored, he added that they had more..