May 20 (LBO) A credit guarantee scheme covering gold-backed loans or pawning advances will be set up so that banks will have more comfort to lend against the asset, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. "It will be self-funding operation, which will give a comfort to the banks, so that the appetite for gold backed lending will not diminish," he said. "It will work on a premium will pay which will create the fund." more..

May 20 (AD) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) today refuted media reports alleging that Iran has recommenced exporting crude oil to Sri Lanka. Iran has started exporting crude oil to South Africa and Sri Lanka following the easing of sanctions against Tehran as a result of the Geneva nuclear deal, qouting a senior Iranian oil official. However, the Managing Director of the CPC, Susantha de Silva, rejected the report as more..

May 20 (CT) Nursing unions who feign concern about Allied Health Science (AHS) students should provide jobs to AHS graduates in the positions of matron and sister, said GMOA Media spokesman Dr. Naveen de Zoysa. He said that although nurses pretend that they stand for rights of the AHS students, nurses genuinely do not support graduates. "According to the Service minute of nurses, a maximum of 25% graduates are more..

May 20 (CT) Sri Lankan universities are a hotbed of youthful radicalism; however, reflective of the intellectual decay in the local university system, the slogans of student protesters are largely out of place with the acquired wisdom of our time. Their slogans, such as their venomous opposition to private universities or foreign trained doctors and not so overt defence of the ragging of new students reveal an ideological leaning of a different era. Of course, SL universities have islands of excellences, more..

May 20 (CT) When I was walking near the Mulativu beach by around 5.30 this morning, I came across an abandoned Catholic Church. It was in a dilapidated condition. The Church seems to have been used during the war period, at least in the last stages of the war. A new Church, made in concrete, is under construction a few meters away. But the old statues still remain in the abandoned Church. While scrutinizing the various objects in this interesting Church, I saw some writing on its walls more..

May 20 (CT) As the battle between the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the residents of informal urban settlements continue, Narahenpita Nivasa Himikam Surakime Sangvidanaya (NNHSS) Convenor, Sunil Watagala, said that they plan to take the UDA to Court once again for conducting illegal and forced evictions of people from their homes. When those of the NNHSS and Watagala lodged a complaint against more..

May 20 (Island) A teenage British tourist suffered shot gun pellet injuries to her legs at a forest in the Wilgamuwa area yesterday when she accidentally stepped on the trip wire of a trap gun, the police said. The 19-year-old victim was admitted to the Mahiyangana Hospital. She had been hiking with two other British holiday makers, when the trap gun went off. The incident had occurred about 500 metres from the guest house they were staying in at the Pussellayaya village. more..

May 20 (LBO) Sri Lanka's shares closed 0.04% higher Tuesday with index heavy stocks gaining despite net foreign selling. All Share Price Index closed 2.37 points higher at 6,321.61 up 0.04%. The S&P SL20 closed 7.31 points higher at 3,480.10, up 0.21%. Turnover was 416.61 million rupees, down from 589.93 million rupees a day earlier with 61 stocks closed positive against 104 negative. Aitken Spence closed flat at 101.00 rupees with market transactions of 69.86 million rupees more..

May 20 (IL) President Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in China this morning commencing a three-day official visit. He was welcomed by Deputy Secretary-General of Shanghai Municipal Govt Mr. Huang Rong, Executive Vice President of Shanghai People�s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC) Mr. Wang Xiaoshu and Sri Lanka�s Ambassador in China Mr. Ranjith Uyangoda. more..

May 20 (Island) Policemen attached to the National Child Protection Authority have exposed a cartel smuggling underage boys and girls to Australia and nabbed three suspects. The operatives of the cartel had obtained Rs 600,000 to 700,000 per underage child to provide them passage in boats smuggling persons to Australia. The information about the cartel had been obtained from three underage boys taken into the NCPA custody after they had been deported from Australia. more..

May 20 (Island) Officers attached to the Negombo prison have recovered five mobile phones used by Chamira Priyadhashana who is serving a prison term for possession of drugs. He is alleged to be a key member of the criminal gang responsible for the abduction and killing of a police constable recently and injuring his collegue in Kurunegala. He is a resident of Wennappuwa. The prison sources said that Chamira operated his gang from inside the prison using mobile phones. more..

May 20 (DM) In what could be a massive loss to Sri Lanka�s cricket, several top names connected to coaching and training would shortly stage a mass exodus for greener pastures in Bangladesh, sources said. Some top members of Sri Lanka Cricket�s coaching team and part of Sri Lanka team�s support staff including former Sri Lankan cricketers-turned-coaches Romesh Kaluwitharana, Chaminda Vaas and Mario Villavarayan more..

May 20 (Reuters) Rupee traded steady on Tuesday after the central bank held its key policy rates at multi-year lows as expected, but dealers said upward pressure on the local currency was offset through dollar buying by state banks. Dealers expect the Sri Lankan currency to rise, if the central bank allowed, fed by steady inflows in the absence of strong demand for imports and credit. Rupee was trading at 130.34/40 per dollar at 0607 GMT, little changed from Monday's close of 130.35/40. more..

May 20 (SM) The Free Media Movement (FMM) has strongly condemned the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) imposing an access control on the Sri Lanka Mirror website within Sri Lanka. In a press release, the FMM says that this arbitrary measure taken without informing the reason, has created severe uneasiness among the journalistic community that upholds democracy and media freedom. The arbitrary access control imposed by the TRC over a website, more..

May 20 (FMT) A local human rights group has alleged that Malaysian police are hunting down refugees from Sri Lanka at the bidding of the Colombo govt. �Our police are acting under the orders of powerful Malaysian politicians who are trying to please the Sri Lanka govt,� R Thevarajan, a spokesman for Suaram, said. He was commenting on last Thursday�s arrest of three Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka. more..

May 20 (SM) A vote of no confidence brought by UNP against the Govt will be taken up today and tomorrow for debate in Parliament and the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has postponed announcing its decision regarding it to tomorrow. The govt affiliated JHU recently been quite critical of the drugs influx into the country. Speaking, JHU media spokesman Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said that though the party Central Committee met last afternoon on this regard, a consensus was not reached. more..

May 20 (IT) Centara Hotels & Resorts of Thailand is to stage the grand opening of Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka on 29 May 2014. The official opening ceremony will be presided over by President Mahinda Rajapksa. The resort is located on the Bentota Peninsula, at the southwest of the island, with the Bentota River on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. The resort�s arrival lounge is situated at Aluthgama, on the inland side of the river, with guests travelling across more..

May 20 (DM) UNP said it was considering fielding a separate candidate from the UNP at the forthcoming presidential elections. UNP national leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told a group meeting this morning that Ven. Maduluwawe Sobotha Thera would not contest as the common candidate despite moves to convince him to do so. Mr. Wickremesinghe suggested countrywide protest should be organised like the more..

May 20 (AD) Around 47,000 suspects have been arrested on drug related charges in the year 2012 while around 16,000 of them were arrested on heroin charges, Minister Rauf Hakeem revealed. Only 29,000 suspects were arrested on drug related offences in the year 2010 and that number increased to around 42,000 the following year. In 2012 around 47,000 suspects were arrested on drug related charges. Number of suspects arrested for heroin related charges has doubled more..

May 20 (CG) Canadian Govt has confirmed it boycotted the victory day parade held in Matara on Sunday to mark five years since the end of the war. Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said that as with previous years Canada did not take part in this year�s event and the reason for this had been explained to the local media by Canada�s High Commissioner to Colombo Shelley Whiting. Canada feels holding a victory day parade is not what Sri Lanka needs and instead there needs to be more..

May 20 (IL) Minister of Health and Vice President of the 67th World Health Assembly, Maithripala Sirisena, addressing the World Health Assembly said �World Health Assembly has a historic opportunity to once again appeal to the world community to demand those countries releasing large amount of carbon-dioxide and offensive gases to the atmosphere - to adopt carbon free energy sources to run their industries. more..

May 20 (CT) Catholic Church of Sri Lanka remained undecided on whether to approve of the reformist proposal presented by the NFF, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Colombo asserted. Minister Wimal Weerawansa met Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday to present his Party's proposal with 12 suggestions. According to NFF, out of the 12 urgent reforms and amendments that were suggested, the Archbishop is alleged to have responded favourably to many. more..

May 20 (CG) Govt today played down reports of attacks and threats on religious minorities in Sri Lanka and insisted that such incidents were only isolated. Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs M.K.A.D.S. Gunawardena, responding to a question raised by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake in Parliament today, said that there are no targeted attacks on Muslims in the country. he also said that no one has raised the issue of �religious intolerance� in Sri Lanka at any meeting with the Govt. more..

May 20 (IL) President Rajapaksa held bilateral discussions with his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain this afternoon in Shanghai, China, on the sidelines of the 4th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA). Pakistani President extended his country�s unwavering support to Sri Lanka when both leaders met for the discussion. During the talks, the two leaders also more..

May 20 (DM) The passengers who had been blocking the railway main line at Alawwa had called off their protest and let the trains move on the line, the Railway Control Room said. Measures had been taken to restore railway transportation. Altogether 15 trains were prevented from moving beyond the Alawwa Railway Station by several passengers over the delay in the Mahawa-Colombo office train this morning. Passengers attempted to assault the engine driver of the Mahawa-Colombo more..

May 20 (SM) Minister Wimal Weerawansa revealed the plight of the Benz cars brought into the country for the CHOGM last year. He was speaking at a war hero commemoration event organised by the NFF and held at the Sawsiripaya auditorium, Colombo on May 18. "Look at what happened to the Benz cars brought in for the CHOGM. The govt brought them in by using Letters of Credit (LCs). A local company is given the dealership of the Benz company to resell these cars. Though it was initially agreed to more..

May 20 (DM) The Colombo Fort Magistrate asked the Secretary of Sri Lanka Thowheed Jamath (SLTJ) Organisation to apologise to the Mahanayakes of the three Chapters for making derogatory remarks on the Buddha. �Court asked SLTJ Secretary to apologise to all the Mahanayakes and also ordered the media organisations to stop publishing a video of SLTJ Secretary making derogatory remarks on Buddha,� more..

May 20 (AN) Hundreds of people from the Archdiocese of Colombo (Western Province) made ​​a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu, in Mannar Diocese (Northeastern Province), followed by a retreat of four days. Youth groups, families, priests and nuns were able to "show respect and gratitude to the Virgin Mary, recite the rosary and pray together." Organised by the Archdiocese of Colombo, the gathering was held from 14 to 17 May as part of the celebrations planned for more..

May 20 (CG) TNA today questioned parliament as to why only soldiers killed during the war are commemorated on Victory Day (V-Day) on May 18 and not the Tamil civilians who were also killed. TNA General Secretary Mavai Senathirajah, speaking in parliament on the no-confidence motion against the Govt, said that there will be no meaning to the word reconciliation in Sri Lanka if even parliament cannot commemorate Tamil victims of the war. Senathirajah slammed the Govt for using the military more..

May 20 (LT) When the complaint by All Ceylon Trade Union Federation (ACTUF) to Human Rights Commission regarding the decision of the government to do away with the pension gratuity was taken up yesterday officials representing the Ministry of Finance have said there was no money to pay pension gratuity and that was the reason for the decision to adopt a new scheme. Two officials from the Ministry of Finance, two officials more..

May 21 (CT) The fact that you have invited me to write my thoughts on five years after the war, helps me to join at least the few progressive voices, who do not sing with the majority or swim with the stream, but genuinely concerned about promoting a peaceful coexistence of all the peoples and religions within the island. Though the Govt and their media doing their utmost to portray me and my engagement during the last two decades as pro-terrorist and pro-separatist, more..

May 21 (CT) An attempt made by me over two weeks ago to predict the outcome of Indian elections 2014 as seen from Colombo, went awry. My tinkering with past election results and Indian media polls, only allowed for a hung parliament, dependent on a substantial gain by AIADMK in TN and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Seemandhra. Mamata Banerjee was not ticked off as a likely ally of Modi on what was there on media. I was somewhat close to Jeyalalithaa�s expectations of AIADMK more..

May 20 (ST) Dropped from a chopper onto the bund of a wewa, the battle scene was not good. He knew his Malli�s unit had been fighting within the thick jungles just beyond. His younger brother�s buddy looked out of the tent but could not meet his eyes. He feared the worst but got down to his job, attending to the numerous casualties being carried out of the jungle. His brother was dead at the hands of the LTTE, more..

May 20 (SL) For long years we have not seen such grave concern, consternation and unanimity within the public and politicians over the 50 to 60% space granted by the Appeal Court on covers of cigarette packs instead of 80% space asked for warnings about the dangers of smoking. The injurious effects of tobacco to health has been pronounced by the medical profession and granted universally. But does the space granted to manufacturers by court to display their trademarks, etc. more..

May 20 (GV) The mind tends to disconnect well tread passages during travel. It�s a wonder the simple things that stay with you, things you only notice once you�ve left. To be fair, it was only interesting to me for a moment when I read of the anger of the monks in Colombo. A peculiar thing. Passive faces turned fierce and ugliness marred ground down certainties in my memory. Monks don�t shout, I thought. But it passed. I was only in Sri Lanka for a few weeks with a group of Finns more..

May 20 (NS) While arguments and counter-arguments continue on the recent Court of Appeal judgment on the percentage of pictorial warnings on cigarette packets, a group of medical officers, together with villagers have been silently conducting awareness programs to change the mindset of people with regard to tobacco. This probably is the first program of its kind in Sri Lanka where officials, villagers and more..

May 21 (Island) The police make no serious effort to prevent crime. They wake from their slumber only after criminals strike. The conviction rate remains as low as four percent. Gun-toting political parasites run amok in public with impunity. So much for the efficiency of the guardians of the law! But, the police swing into action when undergrads and workers take to the streets. Student protests have, no doubt, become a public nuisance. It is the ordinary public, especially those dependent on public more..

May 21 (Island) Now that the BJP-led NDA has secured a simple majority in the 543 member Lok Sabha, the LTTE rump, the Tamil Diaspora as well as western powers pushing for a regime change in Sri Lanka will have to re-examine their strategies. The success of their efforts will largely depend on the Indian position. The NDA�s victory will surely weaken their ongoing campaign, though they succeeded in having a resolution adopted at the 25th session of the UNCHRC to pave more..

May 20 (NS) Canadian High Commissioner Shelley Whiting is a conscientious woman, she would have us believe. She has decided to boycott this year�s �Victory Day� celebrations. She has offered her reasons. She is upset that Canada�s suggestion that Sri Lanka retires its Victory Day Parade has fallen on deaf ears. She believes that this Parade �perpetuates roles of victors and vanquished within the country�. The Govt of Sri Lanka is clear on who the �vanquished� were. more..