Apr 21 (CB) United Arab Emirates had been a fortress of sorts for Pakistan who were unbeaten there since the gulf region became their adopted home in 2010. Pakistan had never lost a Test series there when an unfancied Sri Lankan side beat them in a two-match series. Nic Pothas, who quit his Sri Lankan job last week, was the Head Coach at that point and he pointed out the series win was the highest point during his tenure. more..

Apr 22 (SO) Made in Sri Lanka is a tag that must assure us of safe consumption along with our pride as a productive nation, of affordable prices and ultimately, a strong economy. It also must assure us that what we consume has not been produced at the cost of people�s lives. Last Thursday�s tragedy in Horana sharply raises that question of industrial safety in the country. Five people died last Thursday and many others are yet recovering from the effects of toxic waste after a horrific industrial more..

Apr 22 (CT) International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a statement on Friday urged the Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to adopt market based pricing for energy. Market based pricing of energy encompasses both fuel at the pump and electricity. Electricity is a force which is not only used to illumine places, but is also a power needed to manufacture goods processed in industries and factories generally for commercial purposes. GoSL has almost a monopoly in electricity supply. more..

Apr 22 (ST) It has been a long wait for five villages in Panama, Ampara. With over 1,220 acres of their land occupied by SL Navy and Air Force, the villagers have been fighting a long drawn battle since 2010 to reclaim the land they once lived and farmed on. The people of Panama were overjoyed when a Cabinet decision in Feb 2015 ordered the release of land occupied by the forces in Panama back to the original inhabitants of the area. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Sri Lanka is not the only country in the world that responds reactively rather that proactively or preemptively to major incidents. This is exemplified by the moving and shaking that we have seen after the recent incidents in Weligama following, first the sexual harassment and rowdyism at Mirissa where some Dutch tourists were the victims, and then at Midigama nearby when some Israelis were harassed. Given Sri Lanka�s recent massive investments in tourism & hospitality more..

Apr 22 (ST) Either road users do not bother to read news alerts or they just do not care � or both. Despite early warnings of the Avurudhu season being the most dangerous for road accidents, the past week saw a spike recorded with an astounding 59 deaths between April 12 and 16 � an all-time high for this period. There were 450 serious accidents reported to the Police and countless numbers went unreported. Most of these involved motorcyclists. Buses and tuk-tuks came not far behind. more..

Apr 22 (CT) Giving the general public a tremendous shock of a political coup that SL has ever witnessed in the recent past, Maithripala Sirisena, who was Minister of Health during the Rajapaksa regime, announced on 21 Nov 2014 that he had agreed to contest 2015 Prez Election as the common candidate. It was on that day SLFP began to crack from within. Now that crack has become wide open destabilizing the entire govt machinery. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Amidst the political confusion that engulfed the country after the recent LG elections and just before the New Year holidays, the former Director of Military Intelligence Major General Amal Karunasekera was arrested in relation to the abduction and torture of Keith Noyahr, the Defence Correspondent of the now defunct newspaper The Nation, back in 2008. After this arrest, state owned Sunday Observer explained how Maj. Gen. Karunasekera came to be implicated more..

Apr 22 (ST) My dear Gang of Sixteen, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you have all quit the govt and will sit with the opposition, after voting for the no confidence motion against the Green Man. I am not sure whether I should congratulate you or sympathise with you, because we don�t know what will happen next. Of course, I am quite certain it must have been very difficult for those among you who were holding ministerial jobs. After all, how could you say goodbye easily to all the perks, more..

Apr 22 (SO) The SLFP has been at a crucial turning point in its political career for some time. Its unending crisis has consequences for Sri Lankan democracy as well. As a political party, and with all its shortcomings and failures, the SLFP has contributed to institutionalizing SL�s parliamentary democracy and consolidating the country�s political party system. But, it is now facing an existential crisis. If the outcome of the recent No Confidence Motion (NCM) against PM more..

Apr 22 (ST) Any faithful reader of Kussi Amma Sera�s exploits in the kitchen � lunu miris, kochci miris and katta sambol included and her fiery explanation of economies � would be perturbed about this headline. �Enemy of the state? What! Who! Why! Hold your horses; it�s a definition that arose during a tele-conversation with my jolly-mood economist friend, Sammiya (short for Samson). Both our households are still reeling with the Avurudu absence of the domestic aides and more..

Apr 22 (CT) Much has been said about President Sirisena�s decision to prorogue Parliament through a Gazette Extraordinary before undertaking his London tour to attend the CHOGM. The next Parliament session would commence on 8 May as per the Gazette Notification. However, now it is said that Parliament cannot be summoned on the day unless a new Gazette Notification was issued, mentioning the time. more..

Apr 22 (SL) Tourism sector has taken a hit in SL following a combination of events, including the recent violence in Kandy and now attacks on foreign visitors. Urgent steps are being taken to mitigate the impact the recent incidents will have on the tourism sector. Hotels in Kandy and even in Nuwara Eliya are suffering from the after effects of the recent violence in Kandy. Manager at a leading hotel in Kandy said that usually during the April holiday season they record 80-90% of occupancy. more..

Apr 22 (ST) Far superior, and more competent in almost everything they attempted, Royal set the stage for another Bradby triumph by pocketing the first leg 39-7 at their complex last evening. Only a Trinity die-hard would have expected a different result going into this game. Royal had loads of confidence and their play showed it. They touched down on six occasions. But full back Dulan Gunawardena was off colour and only converted three. The penalty in the dying stages more..

Apr 22 (ST) Incumbent SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala threw down the gauntlet and announced his name for candidacy to be re-elected as SLC�s president for a further two years. AGM of the SLC is scheduled for May 19 and nominations close next Friday (27). Though on face value it shows a one-horse race for Sumathipala, speculation is rife that there would be challenges coming his way in various forms. more..

Apr 22 (EN) Visa Inc, an international payments company said Sri Lanka can boost economic growth by moving to cashless transactions. "For instance, Colombo, with a population of 694,000 and GDP of US$ 6.5 billion could alone gain 200 million US dollars annually in net benefits by transitioning into a digital economy," Visa said. "The estimated catalytic impacts for the city over the next 15 years includes a 20.4 basis point increase in GDP growth rate and 2.1% increase in employment. more..

Apr 22 (ST) Roshen Silva slammed his second ton of the Super Four Provincial cricket tournament following his career best knock of 231 against Team Colombo on day one against Team Kandy in their match played at Sooriyawewa Stadium. Roshen�s knock which came off 165 balls comprised nine boundaries and was involved in another valuable partnership with Dasun Shanaka who made a 90 with 12 boundaries and a six. The pair following their double ton partnership against Colombo more..

Apr 22 (CT) Junior Nationals that will be worked off from 23 to 26 April at the Sugathadasa Stadium will serve as trials for selection of junior athletes who will represent Sri Lanka at 3 int'l junior championships to be held this year. South Asian Junior Athletics Championship (SAJAC) (5-6 May), Asian Junior Athletics C'ship (June) and IAAF World Junior C'ship (July) will be the three int'l junior events to be worked out this year. more..

Apr 22 (EN) SL's worker remittances rose 3.2% to US$ 579.5 million in Jan 2018 from a year earlier, after climbing 8.8% in Jan. Remittances for the first two months were up 3.09% to US$ 1,308.9 million from US$ 1,268.4 million a year earlier. In 2017, SL ended the year with total remittances down 1.1% to US$ 7,164 million. South Asian nations including Pakistan experienced sharper downturns with lower oil prices reducing construction and other economic activities in the Middle East. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Nestle Lanka, one of the country�s biggest and most profitable conglomerates, has faced a challenging 2017 but by utilizing enhanced cost saving measures and focusing on driving efficiencies across the value chain to partly mitigate the impact of weather-related consumer demand decline for its products, unprecedented increase in raw material prices and increased VAT, its chairman, Mr. Suresh Narayanan, said in the company�s recently released annual report. more..

Apr 22 (ST) Television and Radio Network (TRN), a SL company, is ready to launch countrywide Digital TV using modern technology amidst the long delayed Digitalisation of Television Broadcasting project funded by Japan. Digital TV broadcasting offers many advantages over Analog systems (currently in use) for end-users, operators and regulators. Apart from increasing the number of programmes and quality of pictures, more..

Apr 22 (ST) Defending champions Ashan Silva and Ishan Dassanayake retained their respective Driver�s and Rider�s titles at the Fox Hill Supercross 2018, held at the Military Academy in Diyatalawa yesterday. Silva overcame obstacles to defend his Champion Driver title while Dissanayake had to battle amongst a bunch of experienced and young riders to retain his Champion Rider title for yet another year. The Best Racing Team in Cars was won by Margni Racing represented by more..

Apr 22 (ST) While investments (both local and foreign) on properties seem to increase drastically in SL, there�re weaknesses among property developers in terms of transparency and professionalism in disclosing certain information about the property, some real estate agents state. RE/MAX SL CEO, Sujan Shan stressed that SL does not have a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that could ease property sales where all details are transparent and visible for potential investors. more..

Apr 22 (SO) SL�s National Export Strategy (NES) has been finalised and is scheduled to be submitted for cabinet approval following a series of consultations between industry leaders from the public and private sectors. To facilitate the smooth implementation of the NES, the EDB has appointed Advisory Committees for a period of 3 years, to spearhead private-public collaboration that will identify priority issues more..

Apr 22 (Island) On a hot Saturday afternoon, I sat in the Father Mervyn Fernando Auditorium at the Subodhi Institute, Piliyandala to observe the concluding session of the SL Unites Leadership Development Program Let Them Lead. A portrait of the saintly Father Mervyn looked down on the audience benignly - and perhaps secretly chastising us all for not recognizing the depth of the thinking of the Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin for whom he held a life-long admiration in the midst of more..

Apr 22 (SG) Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) has successfully concluded a three-day promotional mission to the UAE as part of its on-going efforts to develop new markets and increase the number of visitors and spend from the region to Sri Lanka. Headed by Madubhani Perera, Director/Marketing, SLTPB, a delegation of thirty-three partners from Sri Lanka�s tourism and hospitality industries visited Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and held the roadshow at more..

Apr 22 (DM) May Day in Sri Lanka will be celebrated on three different days this year with trade unions and political parties planning to celebrate it on May 1, May 6 and May 7. UNP has already announced that it would hold its May Day rally on May 6 at Sugathadasa Stadium while the joint opposition is to have its rally in Galle on May 7. Some trade unions including Ceylon Mercantile Workers Union have said they would celebrate it on May 1. more..

Apr 22 (Hindu) Repatriates from Sri Lanka live in near-squalor conditions in The Nilgiris and frustrated by lack of opportunities, many decades after they were settled in their land of origin. Repatriates from SL live in near-squalor conditions in The Nilgiris with the younger members of the community frustrated by lack of opportunities, many decades after they were settled in the district. The road that leads to Amman Nagar in Coonoor, a small colony of repatriates from Sri Lanka with 81 houses, more..

Apr 22 (SL) Ministers Navin Dissanayake and Arjuna Ranatunga are pushing for an interim committee of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to be appointed. Dissanayake and Ranatunga have discussed the proposal with PM. Two Ministers have said that all measures must be taken to ensure current SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala does not hold power in the cricket board any longer. Sumathipala is among the SLFP members who had voted for the no-confidence motion more..

Apr 22 (NYT) Past the end of a remote mountain road, down a rutted dirt track, in a concrete house that lacked running water but bristled with smartphones, 13 members of an extended family were glued to Facebook. And they were furious. A family member, a truck driver, had died after a beating the month before. It was a traffic dispute that had turned violent, the authorities said. But on Facebook, rumors swirled that his assailants were more..

Apr 22 (ST) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been rudderless for the past three months. Officials say a new commission will be appointed before the end of this month but others dismiss this as just rhetoric. This is the first time the capital market regulator is without a Chairman and a commission in its entire history, according to SEC officials. �It�s expected that a new commission will be appointed after the cabinet reshuffle,� a SEC official said. more..

Apr 22 (DM) Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that 20 Tourist Police Posts will be established within this year at identified tourist hotspots across the country to prevent the harassment of tourists. A Dutchman and two women tourists were reported to have been brutally assaulted at Water Creatures Beach Guest Restaurant & Surf Bar� in Mirissa on April 8 when resisting attempts of sexual harassment. He said Rs.30 million has been allocated to strengthen more..

Apr 22 (ST) UAE has turned down SL�s request to repatriate to Colombo Udayanga Weeratunga, and advised the Govt to initiate extradition proceedings in UAE courts. An extradition treaty exists between SL and UAE. However, though it was signed on April 29, 2002 it has not been placed for ratification in SL�s Parliament. Officials had pinned their hopes on a deportation of Weeratunga after formal official requests were lodged with more..

Apr 22 (CT) The world�s richest 1% are on course to control as much as two-thirds of the world�s wealth by 2030, according to a shocking analysis that has lead to a cross-party call for action. World leaders are being warned that the continued accumulation of wealth at the top will fuel growing distrust and anger over the coming decade unless action is taken to restore the balance. An alarming projection produced by the House of Commons library suggests that if trends seen since more..

Apr 22 (Island) President Maithripala Sirisena has called for a return to serious work and an end to the bickering and infighting seen in recent times, senior SLFP sources said. They revealed that the President had told party seniors that the fast tracked two year development programme that the National Unity Govt would be implementing after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations concluded, should be given priority over any differences between the UNP and SLFP. more..

Apr 22 (ST) A lesser known fact among most politically literate Sri Lankans was a directive PM Ranil Wickremesinghe issued to all MPs of his United National Front (UNF) ahead of the National New Year. On April 9 he told them to refrain from criticising the 16 SLFP MPs who had voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against him. That comprised six Ministers, the Deputy Speaker, four State Ministers and five Dy Ministers. more..

Apr 22 (Island) Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been? I have been to London town to see more common MPs. Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you do? I frightened them all by talking about NCMs.- The new SLFP rhyme. One would have thought that the idea to prorogue parliament would have come as a positive idea from the PM and the UNP, to make a fresh start in parliament after the terrible four months the govt has gone through in 2018. Rather, it came from the President as a desperate measure more..

Apr 22 (Island) The global energy landscape is continuously changing. The global energy mix is shifting, driven by technological improvements and environmental concerns. More than ever, energy policies of all countries need to adapt. Govt of Sri Lanka now have the blessings from the key stakeholder CEB�s Union in the ongoing energy policy debate and is able to promote LNG to the energy mix. This is a key milestone that the govt has now reached in further keeping the public more..

Apr 22 (CT) SL�s most influential professional trade union, the CEB Engineers� Union (CEBEU), said this week that they will commence the work-to-rule campaign against their regulator, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), from 8 May. CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu said it would be unavoidable to prevent power blackouts during the work-to-rule campaign, which is why the Union expects more..