May 3 (Island) Another cave-in, on a major road in Colombo, occurred on Wednesday evening at Horton Place near the Military Hospital. The Deputy Director Engineering (Central Road Maintenance Unit) of the Colombo Municipal Council, Mrs. T. D. Abeysuriya, said that the cave-in was small in nature, near a manhole and did not affect the flow of traffic. She said that it was due to the collapse of a sewerage line and that CMC workers were attending to the repairs from last morning. more..

May 3 (DN) Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul who called on President Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday, invited Sri Lanka to become a partner in the joint port project between Thailand and Myanmar. Tovichakchaikul said President Rajapaksa's last visit to Thailand was a landmark visit that marked a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries. Thailand, he said, is interested in further cooperation including boosting investment opportunities. more..

May 3 (CT) Deputy Solicitor General, Viraj Dayaratne, informed the Supreme Court on Thursday (2) that the government is checking out samples of board to select what would be most appropriate to print National Identity Cards (NICs) in Sinhala and Tamil. He was addressing Court on behalf of the respondents cited in the Fundamental Rights application that seeks the issuance of NICs in Sinhala and Tamil languages. more..

May 3 (CT) Western Province Minister Udaya Gammanpila, dismissed claims of Sri Lanka being self-sufficient in rice and said it was a myth spread by various parties to fill paddy lands and use those for commercial purposes. Gammanpila was attending the Western Province Wap Magul ceremony held at Handawila paddy field at Kirigampamunuwa in Homagama, yesterday. He said from this year onward there will be two wap magul ceremonies for the year varying from more..

May 3 (Island) The National Delimitation Commission (NDC) expects to conclude its sittings by the end of May and submit recommendations on the demarcation of electoral boundaries and the creation of multi-member constituencies. Yesterday, Kalutara District Secretary U. D. C. Jayalal appeared before the Commission, chaired by senior SLAS officer Jayalath Ravi Dissanayake to brief them on the demarcation and creation of multi-member constituencies, Secretary to the Ministry of more..

May 3 (NP) Sri Lanka�s high commissioner to Canada is accusing the Canadian govt of strengthening �evil forces� through its threat to boycott an upcoming Commonwealth summit in Colombo. But Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird dismissed the criticism Thursday, saying Canada would continue to find ways to �increase pressure� on SL�s govt to protect human rights. In a statement, Chitranganee Wagiswara, more..

May 3 (Island) The Sabaragamuwa University would reopen for all undergraduates on May 07, Vice Chancellor Prof. Mahinda Rupasinghe said. "We reopened the university for new students two weeks ago," Prof. Rupasinghe said adding that they delayed the re-opening the university for senior students to prevent possible ragging. At the completion of the orientation course for freshers, the university administration had decided to reopen the university for all students, he said. more..

May 3 (VS) There is as yet no traction under the wheels of Canada�s efforts to have this year�s CHOGM moved from Sri Lanka because of the human rights abuses of President Rajapaksa and his administration. Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he will boycott the summit scheduled for November unless Colombo abides by UN demands that it properly investigate allegations of massacres of civilians and other abuses by its armed forces in the closing weeks of the war against more..

May 3 (LBO) Japan will continue to support Sri Lanka if peace is maintained and with the economy also on a growth path, visiting Japanese deputy prime minister and finance minister Taro Aso said. "Considering that the Sri Lankan economy keeps on the current growth trajectory and given that peace and security would be maintained in this country, then Japan is a position to support Sri Lanka," Aso told reporters in Colombo more..

May 3 (Island) Food manufacturers were yesterday asked by the Director General Health Services Dr. Palitha Maheepala to comply with the guidelines set by the Food Act No. 26, of 1980 or face the consequences. He said manufacturers were found to be producing commercial advertisements persuading people to consume their food products. Others were found to be frightening people into buying their products with warnings that they would otherwise have serious health problems. more..

May 3 (CT) A group of parents staged a demonstration in front of Urubokka Vidyalaya in the Deniyaya Education Zone, recently, protesting against the school authorities for their failure to admit 22 children to Grade 1. The parents complained that the 22 children who had been denied admission live in close proximity to the school, and they and their parents had been interviewed by the school authorities during the selection process. more..

May 3 (DM) While questions have been raised about the health condition of MP Duminda Silva, his family released a set of photographs to the media yesterday which they asserted had been taken after he was admitted to the Sri J'pura Hospital and later at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore and Nawalaoka Hospital. In a statement to the media, the family, explaining the events that followed Duminda Silva�s discharge more..

May 3 (LBO) Colombo International Container Terminal Plc, (CICT) a unit of China Merchant Holdings will begin discussions with potential customers shortly with the first berth due to open in July, an official said. "The port of Colombo can accommodate mega vessels," CICT chief executive Yunshu Liu said on the sidelines of ports and logistics conference organized by Seatrade a consultancy, and state-run Sri Lanka Ports Authority. "There is strong interest from shipping lines in more..

May 3 (SLN) Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Brendan O'Connor met Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage at the Naval Headquarters yesterday. He was accompanied by Secretary of Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), Mr. Martin Bowles and Ministerial Advisor, Mr. Stephen Wettenhall. Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Her Excellency Robyn Mudie were also present on the occasion. more..

May 3 (DM) This portfolio is no big deal for me and I am holding on to it very lightly as I am prepared to leave it and go home at any moment, Minister Wimal Weerawansa said. �We didn�t come here to hold on to these posts. We are against the holding of elections and giving constitutional power for something that was defeated militarily. The Eelam dream was defeated with many sacrifices by our soldiers. We are not willing more..

May 3 (ENS) President Rajapaksa�s first public announcement that conditions are now ripe to hold elections for a provincial council in the country�s Tamil-dominated northern region in September is heartening and deserves to be welcomed. Rajapaksa has indeed struck the right chord by recognising that the people in the north had suffered immensely from the 30-year war against the Tamil Tiger rebels which ended in May 2009. It is high time that a healing touch be provided by the govt more..

May 3 (Island) Unlike in the past this year�s May Day rallies around the country had ended without any violent incidents being reported, the police said. According to the police, they conducted special security programmes to prevent possible clashes among members of rival political parties. "We deployed around 5,000 police personnel in Colombo alone, where 22 May Day rallies were held," Police spokesman SP Buddhika Siriwardena said. He said that two persons had died in two accidents, more..

May 3 (Island) Following President Rajapaksa�s May Day instructions to give relief to lower rung consumers, the CEB had decided to forego some eight billion rupees in benefits to the larger segment of users, a senior official of the Energy Ministry said. Power and Energy Ministry will officially hand over the relevant documents, recommendations and methodology to the regulatory body, Public Utilities Commission today. more..

May 3 (DM) There are two things fundamentally wrong with the 13th Amendment. The first is its illegality, as has been cogently pointed out by the late Justice Raja Wanasundera. Notwithstanding its illegality and the highly objectionable circumstances in which it was birthed, �legality� was conferred on the document by a succession of elections which were contested by even those who initially objected on the grounds of illegality and suspect birth-circumstances. The second issue with more..

May 3 (DM) India foisted the Thirteenth Amendment and with it the Provincial Council system on this country to suit their own purposes - their intervention to stop the Vadamarachchi Operation - and sending their troops by force to our country was not to ensure peace and settle the Ethnic issue, but to my mind, it was to convert Sri Lanka into a protectorate of India � to transform this country into a Bhutan. As I have stated many times before in many articles, the devolution of power on the same basis as more..

May 3 (DM) The University Student movement against Indo-Lanka Accord, Janatha Mithuro, National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT), Sihala Urumaya and the JHU � in this unbroken 25 year history of the nationalist movement in modern Sri Lanka Champika Ranawaka remains the consistent common factor. At a time his govt is gearing for the Northern Provincial polls the Minister thrashed out a more..

May 3 (SL) Giving a terrible smack in the face of the ordinary poor and middle class people, the Rajapaksa regime, on the 17th of April, increased the electricity tariffs. This �New Year Gift� of the govt, which was under numerous discussions and debates, has now become an unbearable plight to the ordinary public in the country. This is evident from the array of protests and objections against this unfair hike throughout the country. more..

May 3 (ST) The recent circular issued by the IGP calling for information on tourists on a weekly basis from hotels and guest houses, have received more brickbats than bouquets from the hospitality industry. The circular issued under section 76 of the Police Ordinance, police stations in tourist zones are to distribute a database application called �monitoring of foreigners in police areas� to all hotels from star class, boutique, resorts to more..

May 3 (Island) Doctors at the Anuradhapura Teaching hospital launched a token strike yesterday demanding the immediate removal of a sister and a nurse who allegedly refused to provide an apron to a doctor serving in the operating theatre. A spokesman for the doctors at the hospital accused the Sister-in-Charge of the Theatre and a theatre nurse of flouting two directives issued by the Director of the Hospital and the Health more..

May 3 (LT) The electricity tariff hike is a decision by the govt and people need not be deceived by the magic of reducing the increased tariff says JVP MP Anura Dissanayake. He said, "Bizarre incidents take place regarding the electricity tariff hike. The govt's argument regarding the hike was that the CEB incurs a loss of Rs. 59 billion and the hike was essential to recover this loss. Really, the people need not be responsible for the loss more..

May 3 (CI) Sri Lanka's chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said that his selection panel opted for experience rather than young talent while picking the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy in England. Sri Lanka are clubbed with hosts England, Australia and New Zealand in Group A and begin their campaign on June 9 against New Zealand in Cardiff. "We picked a team with experience because we are playing three of the best ODI teams more..

May 3 (Island) Sri Lanka and Thailand yesterday pledged to further enhance bilateral relations at the third Sri Lanka-Thailand Joint Commission meeting held in Colombo. While warmly welcoming Surapong Tovichakchaikul, the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand to Sri Lanka, Minister G.L. Peiris declared: "Sri Lanka�s hosting of the current session signifies the renewed vigour with which we pursue our bilateral relations as more..

May 3 (GDI) Due to the rapid development of the information dissemination and the media and the technical development achieved as a result of it has embraced the whole humanity by the media. Therefore the contemporary media has been able to exert a pressure on the social individuality equal to the impact being exerted by the state administration and legal sectors. This has been stated in a more..

May 3 (CG) The US based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has listed Sri Lanka in its 2013 Impunity Index, which spotlights countries where journalists are slain and the killers go free. Apart from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India are on the index of 12 nations. CPJ�s analysis found that journalist murders have slowed in Iraq, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Colombia, and Afghanistan�five Impunity more..

May 3 (LBO) Massive losses at Sri Lanka's state enterprises have a negative impact on people's lives that are beyond accounting losses in the balance sheet, which hurts investment and jobs an IMF official said. Last year state-run CPC and CEB lost more than 150 billion rupees. "It is not because we have some kind of undue concern for financial results," IMF official Mathai said. "Those losses are a real drag on the economy." more..

May 3 (CT) I was there, I walked with the crowd of an estimated 400 � 500, I can be seen lurking in the background of several published photos. But because I was there, living the moment, apprehensive about �exposing� myself at such an event, fearful of the outcome, I did not see or appreciate the bigger picture till now. The sheer diversity of those who gathered was mind blowing. There was a grand assortment of professionals, social and political activists, students, more..

May 3 (CT) World Press Freedom Day is being observed in Sri Lanka at a time when the perilous nature of media freedom in the country has drawn both international censure and calls to reverse the course of action. The United States on Tuesday called on the Sri Lankan authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the rule of law and freedom of expression, by conducting thorough investigations into all attacks and killings of journalists and bring the perpetrators to justice. more..

May 3 (LBO) Sri Lanka has scope to ease policy, because credit growth is slowing and the Central Bank has been selling down its Treasuries stock, Governor Nivard Cabraal said. "Our view is that there is greater scope for easing than holding rates steady, particularly because the demand side is well under control," Cabraal said. If the inflation is easing that gives us the handle to ease monetary policy." more..

May 3 (CG) The Bishop of Galle has denied making comments about the Bodu Bala Sena or calling the organisation �Buddhist Taliban� operating in Sri Lanka. �As reference to a news item appearing in certain websites about a statement attributed to his Lordship, Most Rev. Dr. Raymond Kingsley Wickramasinghe, the Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Galle, about Bodhu Bala Sena, is not true and has no basis whatsoever. As such, his Lordship vehemently denies such a statement,� more..

May 3 (Scoop) For a law enforcement agency the elimination of thuggery is one of the simplest things to do. For thugs are cowards and they crawl and beg for mercy whenever they find that there is a strong enough will on the part of the law enforcement agencies and the courts to deal with crime. Anybody who has been to a High Court where serious crimes are tried will have plenty of stories to tell as to how so-called 'strong men' who have been involved in crimes begs for mercy. more..

May 3 (Island) Sri Lanka would commence exporting organic traditional rice to Europe and Australia by next April, Agriculture Ministry Secretary W.A. Sakalasuriya said. He said that the Ministry had taken steps to cultivate 25,000 hectares of traditional rice varieties this Maha season in the Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Ampara and Mannar districts, for export. "We have already received several orders/inquiries from more..

May 3 (CG) The JVP today slammed the media for hailing the electricity tariff concessions announced by President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the May Day rally. JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that President Rajapaksa was directly behind the electricity price increase and yet the media had not blamed him for it. However when the President announced concessions the media hailed him, Dissanayake said. �A lot of headlines today said Rajapaka gave concessions on May Day. more..

May 3 (CG) Former Deputy Mayor Azath Salley has launched a fast while in detention after he was arrested by the police today. His family said that he has so far refused to eat food given by his family or by the police. Salley was arrested this morning by officers of the police CID. Police spokesman SP Budhika Siriwardena said that the politician was arrested over some complaints lodged with the CID. Defence Ministry spokesman Lakshman Hulugalle said that Salley was arrested for more..

May 3 (CG) A leading human rights group, Amnesty International (AI) says Muslim politician and govt critic Azad Salley must be immediately released or charged with an internationally recognizable criminal offence. Sally, the leader of Sri Lanka�s newly formed Muslim Tamil National Alliance, was taken into custody yesterday by the police. Sally has been an outspoken critic of a Buddhist organization, Bodu Bala Sena, more..

May 3 (Hindu) Holding the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) liable for the death of a three-and-a-half-year-old boy at a Sri Lankan refugee camp in Tiruchi district, the Madras High Court Bench here has directed the TANGEDCO to pay a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh to the boy�s family. M. Antonydasan, a Sri Lankan refugee from the Valavanthankottai camp, filed a writ seeking Rs. 10 lakh as compensation for the death of his son, John Abisheik. more..