May 25 (DM) Ratnapura District was the most affected by the torrential rains accompanied by strong winds, which lashed several parts of the country. Met Department said heavy rains were reported from Galle District, Sabaragamuwa and Central Provinces. Residents of Kalutara, Agalawatta, Kelaniya, Galle, Matale, Bibila, Mawanella and Vavuniya were also affected by heavy rains and winds during the past 24 hours. At least 316 people from 84 families in R'pura more..

May 25 (Forbes) Sri Lanka's trade deficit widened to US$743 million in Feb 2017 from a year ago with a decline in exports amid increased imports mainly of fuel and rice. Exports fell 2.7% in Feb to $867.8 million while imports rose 11.9% to $1.61 billion. Jan-Feb 2017 trade deficit widened to $1.68 billion from $1.24 billion the year before. Earnings from industrial exports, which represent about 76% of total exports, declined by 6.5%, more..

May 25 (DM) If the incumbent government continued to overlook the racist acts perpetrated on the Muslim community, it would lead to a situation to lodge the complaint with the international community, EPC Leader of the Opposition M.S Uthumalebbe said. Hence, the govt and the defence sector should take action to contain the racist acts inflicted upon the Muslim community, he said. EPC Leader of the Opposition made the above comments after presenting an emergency Bill on Tuesday more..

May 25 (DM) Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka has requested President Sirisena to assign three institutions, that earlier came under his purview as the Mass Media Minister, to the Land and Parliamentary Reforms Ministry. The three institutions the minister had asked for are the Govt Printing Department, State Printing Corporation and the National Film Corporation. However, President has told the minister to submit his request to PM and seek a solution from him. more..

May 25 (AFP) Jude Ratnam is worried how his film might go down with his fellow SL Tamils. And he has a point. Demons in Paradise, which is premiering at the Cannes film festival, tells of the bloodbath that drove some Tamils to take up arms in the three decade-long insurgency that tore the island apart. But the documentary also shatters a taboo by insisting that some of most horrific violence the minority endured was at more..

May 26 (CT) Disgusted with Rajapaksa regime�s senseless persecution, the island�s Muslims as a whole voted for Maithri-Ranil team in the hope they meant their election promises to end racist attacks and usher in an era of peace. People trusted and expected the two to fulfil their pledges and deal with BBS Ven. Galagoda atte Gnanasara Thero for his crimes against Muslims. However Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakhse said that Ven Gnanasara Thero will not be taken to custody. more..

May 26 (SO) Tax concessions and relief proposed by the govt to woo foreign direct investments which the country desperately needs to accelerate infrastructure development, create jobs and stimulate the economy is welcomed by the business community. However, tax experts and economists noted that tax concessions and relief alone would not suffice to entice investors. Rather Sri Lanka should be seen as an investment destination with right macroeconomic fundamentals, more..

May 26 (CT) Former MP and Leader of TULF, Veerasingham Anandasangaree, said the TNA is not the sole representative of the Tamil community and that it acts according to the whims and fancies of the govt, in an interview with Ceylon Today. He also questioned the wisdom of commemorating those who were killed in the final days of the battle, under a contentious title such as Mass Assassination Day, an event which was more..

May 26 (SL) GMOA in recent times has been dictating to the democratically elected govt to nationalize the SAITM on the premise that those graduating from it on completion of a 5-year Medical Degree course lack clinical and forensic experience. They also alleged that their final examination was below the standard of those passing out from the State Medical colleges. Govt agreed with this point of view and arranged with SAITM authorities to attach finalists to Avisawella Base Hospital more..

May 26 (SL) Astonishing revelations have now come to light how the final stage of civil constructions of the proposed operating theater complex at the Homagama Base Hospital had come to a complete standstill for the past several months due to the Health Ministry�s failure to waive off the govt levies for the costly equipments imported by a donor foundation. Although Minister of Health Rajitha Senaratne in April 2016 had instructed his officials to facilitate the donor foundation- more..

May 26 (Roar) The harassment of a Jesuit priest, organising a memorial service to mark the brutal end of the Civil War�where at least 40,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed�has raised concerns over the continuing surveillance of memorialisation efforts in the war-scarred North-East and its effect on reconciliation. Father Elil Rajendram had been organising an annual inter-faith prayer service at St. Paul�s Catholic Church, more..

May 26 (Island) Yahapalana regime apparently has no sense of shame. No sooner had Public Finance Committee (PFC) suspended a govt move to spend Rs. 329 million on super luxury vehicles for ministers another supplementary estimate was presented to Parliament seeking funds to buy vehicles for some more politicians. This time around the beneficiaries are the members of Constituent Assembly steering committee. (Are they going to steer new vehicles instead of constitution making process?) more..

May 26 (SO) The dengue epidemic has now reached full blown status. Over 44,000 confirmed cases of dengue during the first four and a half months of this year is evidence of this fact. As health officials battle to save lives amid the heavy odds such as, shortage of hospital staff, lack of beds with 2-3 patients sharing a single bed, new issues and problems they are forced to face along with the dengue epidemic, has simply added to their woes. With a red alert on dengue countrywide, more..

May 26 (CT) On April 26, Minister Rajitha Senaratne,�delivered the keynote address at the SJV Chelvanayakam�s 40th�death anniversary commemoration held at Kathiresan Hall, Bambalapitiya. The function was organized by the�ITAK the party founded by Chelvanayagam�on December 18, 1949�after he broke off from the All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC). TNA MP�M.A. Sumanthiran presided. R. Sampanthan, TNA leader also addressed the meeting. more..

May 26 (Island) CEB has created a plan to build 2700MW worth of coal power stations during the period 2018-2037 and submitted it to the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) for approval. This strategy goes against the very foundation of the govt�s development strategy for the country. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were introduced by the leaders of the world, back in 2015. Its 7th goal in clean energy for all and the need for this is because of the impact that dirty energy more..

May 26 (Roar) If you grew up in the �80s or �90s, one thing you could never forget in the bleak wasteland that was television, was the series of cartoons dubbed in Sinhala. You would sooner forget to eat than to forget when Dosthara Honda Hitha came on the telly. Or Pissu Poosa, Haa Haa Hari Haawa, or Gulliverge Suwisariya. Not to mention the wonderful dubbings of Robin of Sherwood, Kung Fu, and the classics like more..

May 26 (DM) Commercial High Court ordered that a notice be gazetted to the effect that a case had been filed to liquidate Lanka Sugar Ltd.�Commercial High Court this week ordered that publication be made in gazette and in daily papers, to liquidate Lanka Sugar (Pvt) Ltd., on an application filed by Gal- Oya Planation Ltd. Gal �Oya Plantation (Pvt) Ltd., had filed this action in Commercial High Court of Colombo, in terms of sec 271 of the Companies Act. Gal Oya Plantation, states in its petition more..

May 26 (DN) MMBL Leisure Holdings, a subsidiary of MMBL-Pathfinder Group and Welcom Hotels Lanka, a subsidiary of ITC Limited, India, have inked a MoU to develop a mid-market hotel chain in SL. MoU was signed between MMBL Leisure Holdings, Chairman, Bernard Goonetilleke and Welcom Hotels Lanka, Managing Director, Arun Pathak in the presence of Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner of India and Milinda Moragoda, Founder of MMBL-Pathfinder Group. more..

May 26 (Island) Both the Chairman of Selection Committee and the Manager of the Youth Athletics team to the just concluded Asian Youth Athletics Championship (AYAC) faulted the organisers of the AYAC in Thailand for the circumstances that denied SL�s gold medal hopeful Ashmika Herath a chance to compete in the 2,000 metres steeplechase. Kuliyapitiya Central runner who was entered for both 3,000 metres and more..

May 26 (Mihaaru) �There are talented players on your team. With the right training, they can reach far. I�m prepared to do this.� These are the words that Sri Lankan basketball coach, Supun Wimal, told Ahmed Ismail, the then manager of the Maldives National Basketball Team, during a tour to Sri Lanka in the year 1996. Three years later, Ahmed was appointed as the vice president of the Maldives Basketball Association (MBA). Shortly thereafter, the then sports minister more..

May 26 (CT) In this week's column my attempt is to touch on a very sour subject cricket in particular has come to endure and possibly live with. Thankfully it appears to have taken a backseat at the very moment though there is no guarantee that it wouldn't surface like a time bomb. It's dangerous and destructive and sadly destroyed a few cricketers lives and careers. Match fixing first and then spot fixing afterwards are terrible topics to discuss and understand though my question here is, more..

May 26 (PTI) Sri Lanka will embrace the underdog tag at the ICC Champions Trophy in England, according to skipper Angelo Mathews. A joint-winner in 2002, SL has only reached the semifinal stage once since, getting to the last four in the 2013 edition, also in England. In a pool also featuring India, Pakistan and SA, Mathews admits his team is being seen as an outsider to lift the trophy, but is confident SL has the firepower more..

May 26 (Island) Eshan Pieris, winning Round 3 of the Rotax Max Asian Championship in Malaysia on Sunday, created history. He is the first Sri Lankan to win a race in the most competitive Asian go karting championship and has succeeded in placing Sri Lanka on the international karting map. Eshan showed exceptional driving skills to win against highly experienced drivers and reigning champions from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. more..

May 26 (Island) Several stockbrokers are now in the process of closing their outstation branches due to a lack of local investor participation in the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). "Several leading stock brokering firms want to close their outstation branches because they feel that there is no point in maintaining outstation branches due to a lack of local investor participation in the CSE, president of the Colombo Stock Brokers Association Ravi Abeysuriya said. more..

May 26 (BBC) China is investing billions of dollars in infrastructure and developments in Sri Lanka, but many local citizens feel the country is being sold to the Chinese. Normally the roads leading to Asian ports are bustling. Trucks loaded with cargo. Small shops where lorry drivers and workers take a tea break. Hambantota port is starkly different. Despite being open for seven years, the access road looks barely touched. more..

May 26 (CT) Hypertension, also known as High Blood Pressure (HBP), often goes unnoticed but if left untreated can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney failures and many other serious health complications. High blood pressure can put extra strain on blood vessels, the heart and other organs such as the brain, kidneys and even eyes. It is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and is one of the most common lifestyle silent killer diseases today. more..

May 26 (CI) An umpire's call finding on a review may soon not cost teams a review. The ICC cricket committee, headed by India coach Anil Kumble, recommended on Thursday that teams do not lose reviews in those instances where an umpire's call comes into play. And if the ICC chief executives' committee approves it, the change could come into effect this October. Currently, sides are allowed two unsuccessful reviews in the first 80 overs of a Test innings, and one per innings in ODIs. more..

May 26 (PTI) New Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake lodged a complaint with the police to probe into a false Twitter account in his name which had posted about the death of former Indian PM Manmohan Singh. In a letter to the CID, Karunanyake's secretary Sisira Wijesinghe said a twitter account in the name of the minister was a fake account and it had falsely claimed the passing away of the former Indian PM. more..

May 26 (Island) Special Presidential Commission investigating serious financial crimes has requested President to remove four senior members of National Transport Commission with immediate effect. Commission said that its investigations had revealed that the said persons were alleged to have involved in over 70 incidents connected to bribery and corruption during the previous regime. A commission member said their continued presence in the NTC would hamper the investigations more..

May 26 (DN) FCID conducting investigations into an incident where former Deputy Minister V Muralidharan alias Karuna Amman had allegedly misused a Presidential Secretariat bullet proof armed vehicle worth Rs.90 million, informed Court yesterday that they have sought Attorney General�s advice regarding future legal action against the former Deputy Minister. When the case came up before Colombo Chief Magistrate, FCID said that they were waiting for the AG�s advice more..

May 26 (Island) MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena said that the govt had submitted a huge supplementary estimate to purchase vehicles for the members and officers of the steering committee of Constituent Assembly. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake and JO MP Bandula Gunawardena, too, opposed the supplementary estimate. "How can the govt do so when Public Finance Committee has halted purchasing vehicles for ministers?" more..

May 26 (DM) Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen rubbished rumours about a possible privatization of the state owned Lanka Sathosa chain to a diversified conglomerate in the country.��Though we usually do not bother about such social media propaganda, since a leading company is also mentioned, I am highlighting the truth here today� he said. The minister was addressing the award night of Lanka Sathosa-Hemas joint promotion campaign called more..

May 26 (DN) The bodies of a woman and a female infant were found yesterday closer to a private hydro power plant located near the Laxapana falls. Norten Bridge police said the relatives have identified the bodies were of Selvarajah Susila, 29 and Radhakrishnan Aneesha, a two and a half years old infant. The relatives of the deceased have earlier filed a complaint with the police that the father of the child, Weerappan Sadayan and the mother of the child, who left their house together with more..

May 26 (DM) Sinhala Ravaya General Secretary Magalkande Sudaththa Thera said stern action should be taken to arrest Muslim minsters who supported Muslim extremism before BBS General Secretary Gnanasara Thera was arrested. Sudaththa Thera said that Muslim political factions were trying to label Gnanasara Thera as another Prabhakaran who was igniting racism and causing harm to Muslim community. more..

May 26 (DM) If the Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka is entitled to a lifetime pension and other benefits then why are soldiers disabled in the line of duty not entitled to such benefits, National Movement for the Protection of War Heroes asked. The disabled soldiers staged a protest opposite the presidential secretariat to urge the govt to pay them a pension and said they had been neglected despite the sacrifices they made to safeguard SL's sovereignty and integrity during 3-decade armed conflict. more..

May 26 (Island) Govt was accused by the Opposition of deliberately delaying answering the Opposition�s question on political appointments to foreign diplomatic missions of SL. JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake said that he had raised the same question over qualifications of the political appointments made to the foreign service four times but the govt kept postponing the response. MP has asked for the names, educational qualifications, service experience, appointed countries and more..

May 26 (Island) The govt presented a bill to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure Act to ensure the rights of lawyers representing suspects in police custody. The bill seeks to mend the Clause 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Act No 2 of 2013. The following section will be incorporated into the Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Act No 2 of 2013 and will have effect as Section 6A of that Act. more..

May 26 (CT) A stock of narcotics, including ecstasy tablets worth Rs 12 million, was discovered in Galle by the Sri Lanka Customs, yesterday evening. Customs Media Spokesperson Additional Director General of Customs Dharmasena Kahandawa said that 3,500 tablets of ecstasy and 55 g of cocaine were discovered in a Galle Passenger Baggage Warehouse. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the drugs had been dispatched from the UK on 11 May, the source added. more..

May 26 (DM) GMOA said it would meet the trade unions that supported it to take a definitive decision on further action needed to be taken on the SAITM issue. GMOA Assistant Secretary Haritha Aluthge said they had warned the govt that further trade union action would be resorted to if this matter was not resolved. �We are continuing to urged the govt to solve this issue through discussion if it did not want to risk the lives of innocent patients and the quality of healthcare services,� he said. more..