Apr 1 (DM) Missing Persons Commission Chairman Maxwell Paranagama had stated that four of those who had gone missing had been found while two or three of them were languishing in Maldivian prisons responding to a question raised by media personnel after the hearings ended in Vavuniya. He said that investigations were held based on evidence placed with the Commission. more..

Apr 1 (SL) Most cancers in children are curable and when a particular drug can save the life of a child (not prolong it), it would be cruel to calculate the cost, rather than doing whatever is possible to save the life of the child. This certainly is the ethical thing to do, but reality is that govt seems ready to spend up to Rs. 1.5 million per year to treat an adult with cancer, but is trying to cut costs when it comes to children suffering from cancer. more..

Apr 1 (DM) Joint opposition MPs Udaya Gammanpila and Bandula Gunawardane who flew to Geneva found their luggage missing upon arrival at the airport, it is learnt. The duo, along with MP Dalles Alahapperuma, took wing to Geneva on three different flights to meet authorities of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) headquarteres in Geneva. Mr. Gammanpila arrived first at the Geneva airport and found his baggage missing, more..

Apr 1 (Island) The govt had extended an open invitation to all Lankans living in exile to return to their homeland but many of them had not taken the message seriously, PLOTE leader Dharmalingam Siddarthan said. He said the expatriate Tamil community did not believe in announcements made by the President and top govt politicians locally and internationally because their decisions were not carried out by bureaucrats. more..

Apr 1 (ENS) A day after the diplomats of Indian and SL govts signed a MoU to provide 150 fishing boats and other fishing gears to Mullaitivu fishermen for promoting the livelihood fisher folks in northern province, the fishermen associations here have welcomed the diplomatic move and have opined that such amicable measures are need of the hour to address the decades old fishermen dispute. more..

Apr 1 (CG) Sri Lanka and the US 7th Fleet have enhance bilateral cooperation following talks between senior military leaders from the US 7th Fleet and SL Navy and Air Force, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. Both sides met to discuss operational topics aboard the fleet�s flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) during its visit to Sri Lanka. 16 officials from SL Navy & Air Force attended the bilateral meeting hosted by 7th Fleet, more..

Apr 1 (AD) A clash erupted between police personnel and FSP supporters who forcibly entered the Department of Immigration and Emigration (passport office) building in Colombo and damaged property. The FSP supporters had engaged in a protest outside the building demanding the release of the party�s politburo member Kumar Gunaratnam, who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for violating immigration laws. more..

Apr 1 (AM) The Colombo Crimes Division informed the Colombo Magistrate Courts that six out of eight Indians arrested for immigration law violations had sold one of their kidneys each, at a price of Indian Rs 500,000. This was confirmed by questioning the arrested individuals, the CCD said. They further said that the JMO reports confirmed the removal of kidneys. Most of the six individuals have also told the CCD more..

Apr 1 (CT) Media hype on the falling Rupee can run away with doomsday predictions, or at best, inane theories on how it can impact on our wallets at the end of the day. The fact is far from the assumption, unless one can foresee a depreciation large enough, that stays with us long enough, to impact heavily on essential imports, State or private sector, which translate into higher price tags on a wide range of consumer products that we need for daily living. Inflation has in fact been eating into our wallets more..

Apr 1 (CT) To have played into Mahinda Rajapaksa's hands and taken disciplinary action against SLFP members who attended the Hyde Park JO rally would have seriously jeopardized the indispensable need for sustaining the Yahapalanaya meme within SLFP ranks in Parliament. That needs some explanation because of the multifaceted backdrop against which the President and PM are compelled to contend with before either of them takes any decision that can have an impact more..

Apr 1 (EN) Sri Lanka�s private sector is considering ways to introduce safeguards in construction contracts to protect the island�s rich biodiversity, which is threatened as economic growth gathers pace amid a building boom. Companies which voluntarily include biodiversity safeguards at higher cost risk losing contracts to bidders without the same regard for the environment, a forum on Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Construction Sector was told. more..

Apr 1 (Island) Court of Appeal yesterday gave the Human Rights Commission of SL time till June 24, 2016 to file objections to the writ application filed by Superintendent of Police Palitha Panamaldeniya. Petitioner Panamaldeniya has requested the Court to quash the HRCSL decision that the police violated the fundamental rights of the students of the Institute of National Diploma in Higher Education on Accountancy, Colombo by allegedly assaulting them. more..

Apr 1 (AM) The CIABOC filed a case against former SLPA Chairman Priyath Bandu Wickrama and two other officers of the authority at the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court. The other officers are R.B. Sanjaya Kumara and Nihal Kappetipola. They are accused of using 319 employees of SLPA in Galle and Trincomalee harbours for tasks other than what is officially assigned to them and thereby causing a loss more..

Apr 1 (Island) Sri Lanka had a huge challenge to produce graduates to meet the requirements of the global market by making degree courses suitable to meet those challenges, first Vice Chancellor of the Uva Wellassa University Chandra Embuldeniya said. He said UGC in Sri Lanka, too, faced the same challenge and it had established the Uva Wellassa University in 2004, the first entrepreneurial university. Embuldeniya said the university curricula had to be multi-disciplinary and more..

Apr 1 (DM) While ruling a country it is important to consider the physical, social development of the country in addition to national security. Today we suspect that an issue relating to the national security of the country has surfaced With the discovery of explosives and a suicide kit in the north it is essential that the public be kept informed of the actual security situation,� said former President Mahinda Rajapaksa during a Bodhi Pooja held at Pinwatte Purana Raja Maha Viharaya more..

Apr 1 (DN) Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka said Prof. G.L. Peiris should be questioned on his statement over the finding of explosives and two suicide jackets from a house in Chavakachcheri recently. He said Prof. G.L. Peiris said that the explosives and suicide jackets were readied to be sent to Wellawatte. According to him, he is certain that there is sufficient evidence to prove his claim. more..

Apr 1 (DM) Two employees of the Central Mail Exchange (CME) have been arrested in connection with the recent discovery of a parcel of narcotics received from Pakistan, Post Master General Rohana Abeyratne said today. He said investigations had revealed that the parcel had been handed over to a person who had claimed for it. Mr Abeyratne said three CME employees including the two who were arrested, had been interdicted after an internal investigation. more..

Apr 1 (CT) Chief Incumbent of Nagadeepa Temple Navadagala Padumakiththi Thera claims that Govt Agent of Jaffna has sent a letter ordering construction of the planned 75-foot Buddha Statue at the Nagadeepa Temple in Jaffna to be halted immediately. The construction is estimated to cost Rs 120 million. Thera made this statement to devotees who participated in the Reconciliation Tour which connects thalpatha and panhinda at the Nagadeepa Vihara and met him more..

Apr 1 (DN) The much awaited and long overdue cable car project in Nuwara Eliya is once again on the move. Two new investors have come forward to build and operate this project which will be Sri Lanka�s first ever cable car venture fulfilling a much needed void for the travel industry. The new project would be a joint venture between Aitken Spence and Shandon International of China which has built over 200 such more..

Apr 1 (ITN) Minister Champika Ranawaka has said that the present govt has proved through deeds how the country could be developed sans corruption. He made this reference launching the Maharagama Town Development programme. The first stage of constructing the bus stand under the Maharagama Town Development Project was launched today. 200 million rupees will be spent on the construction of the bus stand. Construction will be handled by Land Reclamation & Development Corporation. more..

Apr 1 (EN) Sri Lanka's bond yields extended falls Friday falling as much as 150 to 200 basis points in three days, giving large book profits to primary dealers, with more money also being injected to keep short term rates low. On Friday key maturities auctioned at high yields hours before a monetary policy meeting froze rates, saw some of the sharpest falls seen in the history of the country's bond market. The fallls were expected, the steepness of the fall was a surprise to some market participants. more..

Apr 1 (EN) There is no increase in value added tax to 15% on April 1, Treasury official said. "Increase is not being implemented from April 1," he said. A businessmen who queried from revenue officials whether to charge VAT 15% tax from were also told to await a formal communication. In January businesses who charged taxes on the strenght of a a newspaper advertisement later had to charge the old rates prevailed before more..

Apr 2 (CT) Adapting to a meatless diet is more a lifestyle choice than a mere dietary change. The choice of changing the diet to a more plant based variety can occur for several reasons. Sri Lanka is a society with diverse cultures, religions and values. The concept of responsible living and kindness is not new to our country. Therefore, adapting to a meatless diet would come more naturally to SL, which is still centered around agriculture. In line with this view Meatless Monday movement, more..

Apr 2 (CT) More than a year since the original Right to Information draft bill was first presented in Parliament, the bill was resubmitted with significant improvements made. The Govt had held several public consultations in this regard where several intellectuals participated and the recommendations appear to have been largely heeded to. When the bill was originally presented in January last year, several criticisms were made and the bill was claimed to be badly done. more..

Apr 2 (SO) The elephant calf alleged to have been illegally kept by Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera is in good health at its new shelter in Uda Walawa. The centre set up by the Department of Wildlife Conservation adjacent to the Eth Athuru Sevana is home for traumatised, ill treated or illegally owned domesticated elephants. �The animal is in good health and the veterinarians of the Eth Athuru Sevana are taking care of the calf,� more..

Apr 2 (Island) Wednesday�s chance detection of an explosive cache in Chavakachcheri has predictably led to a political war of sorts between the Joint Opposition and the govt. Govt is trying to play down the seriousness of the highly sensitive security issue. It has got hold of the pages of an old newspaper which some of the lethal items were wrapped in to bolster its claim that the explosive cache is about 8 years old. It has also highlighted the fact that the newspaper concerned is more..

Apr 2 (NS) There was a time when Uduwe Dhammaloka thera was a respected household name. He was a much sought after preacher and thousands flocked to his sermons, enthralled not only by what he said but also by his style of preaching and his pleasing personality. However, as his popularity grew, there were whispers that certain pre requisites need to be met, in order for him to deliver sermons: Type of vehicle that needed to be sent to fetch him, type of robe that he wore more..

Apr 2 (DM) Sri Lanka has been known all over the world for its tea, rubber, coconut and as of late for its apparel and IT. But due to the grim global situation and increased competitor activity, the country�s export sector has moved towards a negative growth trajectory. While the dampened growth in Sri Lanka�s key export markets and competition are not the only causes for the lag, the challenges on the ground have more..

Apr 2 (CT) MPs Dullas Alahapperuma, Udaya Gammanpila and Bandula Gunawardena were in Geneva on Thursday and the three MPs have made a complaint to the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) stating that the present govt was intimidating and harassing them by using the law enforcement officials. Geneva remained a nightmare for the Rajapaksa regime with the resolutions backed by the US successfully brought against the regime with regard to its alleged war crimes and more..

Apr 2 (CT) Mahinda says that the country should be given back to him, so that he can solve all problems and bring prosperity to Lanka again. There is a similarity between Mahinda's campaign and Donald Trump's campaign in America. Donald Trump also says he is going to make America great again. That's part of his campaign. What is this greatness these people refer to? Is this greatness measured by money and armaments collected by the elite? If so, SL was great during the Mahinda regime. more..

Apr 2 (NS) Recent discovery of two hauls of explosives � one in a cesspit in Mannar and another in a house in Chavakachcheri in Jaffna has raised some security concerns. The joint opposition tried to make out a huge issue by bloating it out of proportion giving the impression that terrorism was raising its head again amidst inabilities of the current govt to keep it under control. Reacting to these allegations the Defence Secretary was seen trying to downplay issue saying that such discoveries more..

Apr 2 (DN) She hit her maiden ODI century at the age of 21, which is, till date, the highest individual score in the 50-over format for her country. At 23, in the 2013 Cricket World Cup, her quickfire fifty against England helped her team script one of the most remarkable upsets in the history of Sri Lankan women's cricket. She was 24 when the national selectors chose to name her as the captain of a side that consisted of senior stars like Shashikala Siriwardene and Eshani Lokusuriyage. more..

Apr 2 (CT) With arrangements being made to adopt constitutional reforms to repeal the Sri Lanka Constitution, representatives of each community in this country have been suggesting various proposals for inclusion in the Draft. Tamils in the Northern and Eastern Provinces have been articulating a demand for autonomy in a merged North and East on the basis of the right to self-determination. more..

Apr 2 (NS) There were many personalities resident in the man known as Prasad Gunewardene. There were times when he was at war with someone and it appeared as though he had declared war on the entire world. But there were times when he was one with the universe. He was a child, a little boy, a naughty young man and a wise old man. He was also a journalist, a cricketer, a political commentator, a lyricist and a friend. He was ambitious on the rare occasion and then he was insufferably more..

Apr 2 (Island) Minister Lakshman Kiriella � with his obsession with the higher living expenditure of MPs, is certainly looking more towards the grinding stones of the Seenigama Devale or Sugar Village demonic shrine, than the role and duties of MPs. His statement that an MP�s monthly allowance of Rs, 100,000 is insufficient for living, must have raised subdued and silent hurrahs among MPs, with the moves by govt to give a huge hike to their salaries and allowances being suddenly suspended. more..

Apr 2 (NS) The walking track bordering Kalu Ela at Mabole, Wattala has been a popular place among the health conscious public from the area from the time it was constructed a few years ago. It was developed under the guidance of former Minister Basil Rajapaksa by the previous Govt. However, due to some disputes involving local politicians the track was neither officially declared open nor formally handed over to UC for more..

Apr 2 (FT) Govt has accepted the challenge of rebuilding the economy despite inheriting it when it had been hollowed out with debt, said Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. Speaking at the opening of the new Treasury building in the presence of President Sirisena on Thursday he elaborated on the challenges before the Govt. �The responsibility laid with the Ministry of Finance is to take forward the country towards rapid economic growth, utilising the limited resources more..

Apr 2 (Island) Having transformed the way real estate is perceived in Sri Lanka with some landmark real estate development projects where luxury remains the underlying ethos, Trillium Group unveiled an ambitious expansion framework destined to change Colombo's skyscape. The planned projects are a super luxury apartment complex at Havelock Town Colombo 5, a 40-roomed executive service apartment complex at Torrington Avenue Col 7 & a modern office complex more..