May 18 (Island) The UNP queried how the govt had budgeted to spend a whopping Rs. 133 billion on an expressway, stretching merely 30.9 kilometres, which was known as the ‘Outer Colombo Circular Highway’ linking Kottawa to Kerawalapitiya, via Kaduwela and Kadawatha. The proposed expressway is three-pronged project. The first is from Kottawa to Kaduwela, a stretch of 11 kms, while the second is from Kaduwela to Kadawatha over 8.9 kms. more..

May 18 (CT) Around 6,170 war widows have been registered as sole breadwinners of their families from among those seeking livelihood assistance in the Kilinochchi District. Govt Agent of Kilinochchi, Rupavathy Ketheeswaran, making a startling revelation, outlined the problems faced by the war widows and their families at a seminar titled 'Economic and Social Uplift: Rights of Women and Children' held in Kilinochchi on Thursday. She highlighted the plight of the war victims more..

May 18 (LBO) Lion Brewery, the largest brewer in the island said it will expand canning lines to meet growing demand after upping brewing capacity last year. In 2012 profits fell 17% to 1.0 billion rupees because canned Carlsberg beer had to be imported from India and Vietnam because canning capacity was not enough. "This was at a considerable cost to the Company and contributed significantly to the reduction in profitability along with other cost increases in both manufacturing more..

May 18 (Island) If the govt failed to speed up and add 500 MW from the proposed Sampur coal-fired power plant in Trincomalee by 2018, the country would have to pay Rs. 42 billion annually to generate power from other sources. CEB Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) President Nandika Pathirage said that the CEB would have to incur a loss of about six billion rupees due to teething problems. However, he stressed that it would become zero after three years. more..

May 18 (CT) The people affected by the floods and landslides as a result of the torrential rains that swept across Sri Lanka over the last two weeks, are now leaving the camps for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and are returning to their homes, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. DMC Deputy Director of Media, Sarath Lal Kumara, said the flood situation has been effectively dealt with, as the rains have somewhat lessened in the past couple of days. more..

May 18 (LBO) Sri Lanka's obsession with trade deficits is misplaced because it ignores the broader exchanges including services that take place between citizens of one county and another, economists and officials have said. Saman Kelegama, head of the Institute of Policy Studies, a think tank, said the obsession was particularly strong in relation to free trade agreements. "Always when a free trade agreement is signed with a large country there is the thinking that the more..

May 18 (CI) Chanaka Welegedara is in doubt for the Champions Trophy after sustaining a foot injury during Rest of Sri Lanka's List A match against Sri Lanka A on Friday. Welegedara bowled only 2.4 overs, before leaving the field with pain in his right foot and ankle. Sri Lanka leave for England on May 26, and are scheduled to play their first warm-up match on May 30 against Pakistan. "Welegedara came off immediately and more..

May 18 (Island) The Public Health Inspectors’ Union of Sri Lanka (PHIUSL) yesterday said they had inspected a total of 267,321 premises from the beginning of the year to date for mosquito breeding places. PHIUSL Secretary Senarath Bandara said that 7,514 notices had been issued to those with mosquito breeding places in their premises. He said that legal action had been instituted against 1,456 persons during the period and Rs. 48,520,000 recovered in fines from those who had more..

May 18 (CI) Two dashing middle-order tons for Sri Lanka A ended Rest of Sri Lanka's winning streak in the List A tournament in Pallekele, as the A team recorded a 139-run victory - their first in the tournament. Hundreds to Ashan Priyanjan and Angelo Perera propelled Sri Lanka A to 325 for 5 in their 50 overs, and Rest of Sri Lanka mustered only 186 all out in response, with none of their batsmen able to cross 50. Rest of Sri Lanka were missing their two best-performing bowlers more..

May 18 (CT) The Colombo High Court sentenced Gnanasunderam Jeyasunderam, a school friend of LTTE Leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, who later became one of his close friends, to one month in jail and one year of rehabilitation, thereafter, on charges of supplying arms and ammunition to the LTTE. When the suspect was produced before Courts on charges of conspiring to spread terrorism and supplying arms to the LTTE, under Section 3 of the PTA, more..

May 18 (Island) The Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council (PHD CMC) said that the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in underserved areas of the city were very high. Chief of the Public Health Department, Dr. Pradeep Kariyawasam said that a survey was long due, as the last one had been carried out in 2005. He said that the present situation would be more serious than before with the drastic increase of NCDs witnessed in the country itself. more..

May 18 (CT) Rajan Philips observed that the regime is fast becoming a victim of its own. This is more so in the management of economy. Minister DEW Gunesekera openly acknowledged that this was the case at present. “DEW has warned that “the SLFP-led alliance could become a victim of its own propaganda unless tough corrective measures were taken instead of boasting of unprecedented growth in the post-war era. The country is in peril due to economic mismanagement rather than international conspiracy.” more..

May 18 (Island) India today cautioned Sri Lanka against the Army acquiring private land in the Northern Province for the socalled High Security Zones. In a telephone conversation with his Sri Lankan counterpart Prof GL Peiris today, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid emphasised that this will not be in accordance with the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and such a move will not be helpful. more..

May 18 (CT) One would expect Wimal Weerawansa (WW), the minister, to be different from chracters such as Mangala Samaraweera, SB Dissanayaka, Vasudeva or Amunugama when it comes to Sinhala Buddhist affairs. If he is not acting as a reasonable person then one would wonder whether his brain is in his head or his rearend. He has done so many good things such as supporting MahindaR in 2005 and thereafter, but he has also done so many foolish things. Going to Egypt in August more..

May 18 (CT) Are Sri Lankans seeing a revolution in sport and will it lead to what is known the world over as hooliganism? Not that Sri Lankan sport was free from such scourges. For years and decades, there had been assaults on players and match officials, crowd violence and field invasion, except a murder. But, with the latest upsurge in sports after the bloody end of the war and the Defence Services now able to focus more on sport than they had ever been before, more..

May 18 (DM) While claiming that Sri Lanka will not allow a single inch of the land to be taken away, President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that in the four years since humanitarian victory there were many strategies tried out by some outside forces to rule Sri Lanka. “There will be no room for separation, President Rajapksa said addressing the Humanitarian Victory Parade at Galle Face green this morning. “The armed racist terrorism that more..

May 18 (Xinhua) President Mahinda Rajapaksa criticized a Norwegian brokered ceasefire agreement signed with the Tamil Tiger rebels in 2002, which he said was a betrayal to the nation. Speaking at a victory day parade held to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the defeat of the rebels, Rajapaksa said that past leaders attempted to settle for a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers as they had no confidence in defeating them. more..

May 18 (DM) The last time Sri Lanka built a breakwater to protect its fleet of ships, the teardrop-shaped island off the coast of India, was called Ceylon and was still under colonial rule. Today, this independent country of 21 million people is a regional rising star and the govt is capitalizing on the island’s strategic location to promote it as an economic hub in South Asia. The new breakwater at Colombo Port is part of a US $ 500 million more..

May 18 (DM) Impeached CJ Shirani Bandaranayke who appeared before the Bribery Commission issued a lengthy statement denying the charges levelled against her. Sources close to Dr. Bandaranayake said she gave a detailed explanation on how she obtained each and every asset she possessed. She spoke for some three and a half hours giving details of her bank accounts and how she came to own her other properties. more..

May 18 (Xinhua) A string of protests erupted in Sri Lanka's capital this week as opposition parties staged protests against a government decision to increase electricity prices by as much as 59 percent. Following massive losses by the state-owned CEB, which amounted to more than 47 million U.S dollars, the Sri Lankan govt decided to increase electricity prices by as much as 59% with effect from April 12. more..

May 18 (NIP) Ending a decade-long uncertainty, India has proposed to Sri Lanka that it is willing to operate an oil storage plant in Trincomalee harbour, a crucial strategic asset, jointly with a local partner. This key arrangement will provide India a major advantage, considering that the Trincomalee plant is the largest fuel storage facility between the Gulf countries and Singapore. The offer from New Delhi was made to Colombo more..

May 18 (ST) Sand piled up for the construction of the Colombo-Katunayake highway has washed away in pre-monsoonal rains, blocking canals in Peliyagoda and Kelaniya and causing rainwater to flow into houses, residents claim. The Nuge Road and Wanawasala road in Peliyagoda are on marshy land and floods usually affect the area’s residents as the south-west monsoon rains set in but this week floodwater more..

May 18 (SO) When the LTTE terrorist operations were at their height during the three decades of terror, none thought that the world’s most merciless terror outfit could ever be destroyed militarily. There were enough and more reasons for that belief as the LTTE took successive leaders of Sri Lanka for rides in the name of peace talks. They used the negotiating table and periods of peace talks to reinforce and strengthen their military more..

May 18 (SL) Astonishing revelations have now emerged as to how the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) incurred enormous losses over the past one-and-a-half years due to agreements signed by two of its former Chairmen. Meanwhile questions have been raised as to why the government has failed to probe a blatantly corrupt transaction the CPC entered into with PV Oil Singapore which is considered to be the more..

May 18 (DBS) The TNA regarded as the premier political formation of the Tamils of Sri Lanka has been very much in the news lately due to what could be termed as an internal crisis. The TNA that has in recent times been contesting elections under the house symbol of the ITAK is afflicted by internal dissension among its constituent members. Of the five organizations in the political configuration known as the TNA, four have been at loggerheads more..

May 18 (DM) He may be a maverick or a Machiavelli but the irrepressible Wimal Weerawansa is in the news again. The Minister and the NFF leader is at the forefront of opposing the northern provincial polls. Weerawansa, whatever his faults, is a great platform orator. These days he is in his element, making pronouncements at every available opportunity opposing the proposed elections which are scheduled for September. It is a strategy that has raised concerns about his political future. more..

May 18 (DM) Amid allegations of large-scale corruption, waste, mismanagement and price manipulation by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), we heard the blazing news that the European Union is probing alleged price fixing by the biggest oil companies in the world fuel market estimated at US dollars 3.4 trillion a year. Officials of the European Union said giant oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum were among those being investigated for more..

May 18 (DN) The Humanitarian Victory Parade – 2013, will be held today at Galle Face Green under the patronage of President Rajapaksa, to showcase the military strength of the Armed Forces and honour war heroes. Sri Lankans will salute the Armed Forces that liberated the country from the clutches of terrorism. Humanitarian Victory Day marks the fourth anniversary of the ending of terrorism, which plagued the country more..

May 18 (Island) Multi-role Kfir fighters will fly in formation at today’s fourth Victory Day parade after a long absence at such events. Israeli built Kfirs of the No 10 Squadron, based at Katunayake, skipped parades since the March 2011 mid air collision destroyed two fighters, while rehearsing for the SLAF’s 60th anniversary parade. It was Sri Lanka’s worst accident involving military aircraft since independence. Yesterday’s final rehearsal included three Kfirs, two Russian MiG 27s as well as more..

May 18 (HS) Downing Street has refused to rule out inviting Sri Lanka to a First World War commemoration service despite an outcry from human-rights organisations. No 10 said normal protocol should be followed for the event with Commonwealth heads of state in Glasgow. But campaigners including Amnesty International Scotland have called on the Coalition to prevent the Sri Lankan Government from attending amid allegations of appalling abuse. more..

May 18 (LT) The declared strike action on the 21st is not the final move but is only a symbol says the President of National Trade Union Center (NTUC) K.D. Lal Kanthe in a letter to the President. In his letter Mr. Lal Kanthe states the govt that has got scared of the strike action declared by the Coordinating Committee for Trade Union Alliance has already started responding to this fear. Among the fabrications the govt attempts to more..

May 18 (Island) Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena recently remarked that all medical staff wore white uniforms as a symbol of peace. But, only a few had realised the importance of the colour, white. As far as he was concerned white reflected determination, transparency, cleanliness, austerity and inner purity. He said politicians were also interested in wearing white clothes, but did not possess inner purity, empathy, humane attitudes and ability help others. Are they transparent in their activities? more..

May 18 (GDI) The opportunity which has dawned today to honour and and show the nation's gratitude to War Heroes who sacrificed their lives on behalf of the motherland offers us a great sense of pride, states President Rajapaksa in a message to mark the Victory Day celebrations today. "The opportunity which has dawned to pay the nation's honour and gratitude to the war heroes who sacrificed their lives on behalf of the territorial integrity of the motherland offers us a great sense of pride. more..

May 18 (CT) President of the National Trade Union Centre (NTUC), K.D. Lal Kantha, alleged the electricity bill of Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, was Rs 121,114 for the month of March. "This is the bill for his private home. These private bills are paid by his ministry to the CEB. Why can't the President and the Cabinet, as a start, enact a law, to prevent the use of the public money to pay the bills of the ministers?" he questioned. more..

May 18 (Island) A 31-year-old Piliyandala businessman was alleged to have been abducted from near his house at Rodrigo Place, Siddamulla on Thursday night. Police spokesman SP Budddhika Siriwardana said yesterday that the victim’s wife had made a complaint to the Pliyandala police, three hours later, that her husband had been abducted by a group of men who had arrived near their gate in a black car around 9.00 p.m. The victim’s wife had not seen the incident as she was not at home at more..

May 18 (TS) AMIDST all the glitz and glamour that accompanies the top seeded teams, Sri Lanka arrived in Kuala Lumpur for the Sudirman Cup quietly with their Malaysian coach Shankar Annamalai. Shankar hopes that not being in the spotlight will spur them to win Group A of Division Three, which would then considerably help their team’s ranking in the world. They are currently ranked 27th. Having previously coached the Perak and KL state teams, Shankar expressed more..