May 29 (Island) The Inter Company Employees Union (ICEU) yesterday criticised the use of the army by the Swiss owners of Holcim Company to control the protest initiated by its Sri Lankan workers demanding that 500 contract workers employed by it for the past 20 years be confirmed in service. Production had come to a standstill since May 19 when workers launched an agitation, the union said. ICEU claimed that the army�s intervention to scuttle the trade union action would tarnish more..

May 29 (AD) If the Krrish Group is unable to carry out its project on the four acre land at the Fort in Colombo, the group could hand over the project to any other investor or implement it together with another investor according to the laws in the country, said the Investments Promotion Minister. India�s Krrish Group has paid a sum of Rs. 4,355 million for this particular plot of land and still owes a sum of Rs. 639.5 million, said Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena. more..

May 29 (Xinhua) Sri Lankan govt dismissed fears that the new Indian govt under BJP leader and PM Narendra Modi could work against Sri Lankan interests. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said that the recent meeting between President Rajapaksa and Modi further strengthened ties between the two countries. "There were reports that we will face issues with a BJP govt. They said it will not be like things were under the Congress. more..

May 29 (Island) Power and Energy Ministry will restore the bridge in Kitulgala which was used in the famous film The Bridge on the River Kwai to its original state under the USD 85 million Broadlands Hydro-power Project (BHP). Around 85% of the project is financed by China and the remaining 15% by the govt. It is expected to be completed by the year 2017. BHP would generate 126 GW hours of power annually. Kithulgala area would be developed as a tourist hub. more..

May 29 (Island) Minister Champika Ranawaka said that though the govt had taken a bold decision to ban harmful agro-chemicals, some pro-agrochemical groups had blocked its implementation. About six harmful agro-chemicals were responsible for causing kidney failure, but no action had been taken so far to implement their ban, because the agro-chemical companies were so powerful that the govt was helpless, the Minister said at a function to distribute equipment to manufacture more..

May 29 (PTI) India has emerged as Sri Lanka's biggest importing source nation ahead of China and Singapore, a senior minister said today. India accounted for 18% of Sri Lanka's total imports while the corresponding figure for China was 16% and that for Singapore was 9%, Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene said. This was a direct result of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India. Pakistan is the only other nation with more..

May 29 (SM) Editor of theindependent.lk website, Subhash Jayawardhana, lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission today (that the website has been blocked from access from all local viewers by all local internet service providing companies. He says in the complaint that it is a violation of fundamental rights granted by 14(1)(a) of the constitution with regard to freedom of expression, and also the right to engage in a profession to one�s liking and the freedom more..

May 29 (CI) At least two new faces are expected to travel with South Africa's squad to Sri Lanka in July: a batsman for either a top or middle order role and a spinner. This time, contrary to popular perception, South Africa are spoilt for choice in the latter department and have the luxury of two stand-out contenders to choose from. Dane Piedt and Simon Harmer were the top two wicket-takers in last season's first-class competition and the only bowlers to claim 40 or more scalps each. more..

May 29 (WSJ) The time to have started preparing for the end of the Federal Reserve�s quantitative easing program was at the beginning of the Federal Reserve�s quantitative easing program. So says Ajith Nivard Cabraal, governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Cabraal said he would not expect the Fed to take account of the impact its actions will have on some developing economies when the time comes for it to end more..

May 29 (SLBC) A group of UNP MPs made an inspection visit to NOrochchole coal power plant today. A team of officials from the CEB welcomed the MPs and explained present situation of the power plant. They pointed out that Norochchole power plant brings long term benefits to Sri Lanka. During past three years it has generated over 4000 gigawatt/hours to the national grid. It has a capacity 85% power generation annually. The power plant has already saved about US$ 500 million more..

May 29 (OD) In recognition of the historical links that span over two millennia and to celebrate the common heritage between Kalinga (present day Odisha and beyond) and Lanka (present day Sri Lanka), a group of friends of Odisha and Sri Lanka have taken the initiative to establish the �Kalinga Lanka Foundation�. Foundation was launched at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi, in the presence of several dignitaries and well wishers of the Foundation. more..

May 29 (DM) The Air Force today said that the debris found in the seas off Aluthgama that was first believed to be a part of an aircraft pulley and it may actually have come from another type of vehicle or machine. �This part may or may not have come from an aircraft. It is a piece of hardware but it�s not part of a landing gear of an aircraft. Letters �AN� was engraved on the pulley. This part may have come from an army or Navy vehicle,� more..

May 30 (CT) The Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, the formidable J Jayalalithaa is on a roll. In my article, Jayalalithaa�s Incredible Tenacity part 1, I said Jayalalithaa �is sitting pretty�. That was before the elections. Now after her �historic and unparalleled win� at the Lok Sabha elections, capturing 37 seats out of 39, Jayalalithaa, �Tamilnadu�s Lady�, the name she gave herself, has reached a highpoint in her illustrious political career with a high popularity rating to match more..

May 30 (CT) Something happened. Things just changed. Unnoticed by the Sri Lanka�s cosmopolitan civil society intelligentsia which was engaged in �much wailing and gnashing of teeth� (as the Bible has it), and �how many angels can dance on a pinhead� type disputations (convoluted and obfuscatory, with much lost in translation), the tectonic plates just shifted. The five post-war years were largely wasted because the South and North, the Sinhalese and Tamil political elites more..

May 30 (SO) Every once in a while, something extraordinary happens and if fate is kind, one gets to be a part of it. One such event was �Kishani sings for Visakha�. I was on holiday in Sri Lanka and visiting a friend on Vajira Road when I saw an unusually large, glamorous poster draped on the wall near the main entrance of Visakha Vidyalaya. Curiosity sent me inside to find out more, and I found myself coming out with tickets for more..

May 30 (CT) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent statement the Party will contest the next presidential election by fielding a candidate under the elephant symbol has created fresh issues within the Party. The rank and file of the Party is now demanding Wickremesinghe to disclose the name of the candidate to prepare for the poll well ahead of the election. The UNP Leader, who told the media that the Party would contest the poll, did not elaborate on his plans. more..

May 30 (FT) The $ 2 trillion Indian economy with a 1.2+ billion population will be in the hands of the new Indian PM Narendra Modi. He and the BJP will be taking India forward for the next five years. The pro-business leader of the BJP has not only won an election but has done so by obtaining an absolute majority, giving him the comfort of pushing through policy and reforms at a faster pace as all Indians would want. Last five years saw the Indian economy struggling to keep pace with more..

May 30 (NS) Since 2010, six suspects have died while in police custody. They were either shot during fire exchange, shot because they tried to throw a grenade at the police or they were overcome with a sudden impulse to commit suicide by jumping into a river or some such. Despite the repeated circumstances it is surprising that the police have not taken necessary precautions to prevent this scenario from recurring. more..

May 30 (SL) India�s PM Narendra Modi, has set a healthy precedent for all of South Asia to follow by inviting all neighbourhood leaders for his inauguration, including Sri Lanka�s President Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka�s President should be more than willing to accept the invitation. In doing so, President Rajapaksa could be expected to wave away reservations, if any, from within, citing Modi�s outgoing Congress predecessor, Manmohan Singh, boycotting CHOGM last year, after more..

May 30 (NS) My name is Common. Yes, there�s a reason for the upper case �C�. That�s a proper noun and not an adjective. I write because my name has been prostituted so much that it is hard for me to figure out who I am when people refer to me or pin me to their favorite nouns such as law, place, people, sense wealth, thief, ground, factor and so on. It�s clear to me that I am being abused by a bunch of illiterate people. I mean, if they don�t know what �common� means, more..

May 30 (GV) In the words of Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen, freedom is the primary goal of development; freedom is also the principal means of development. Yet, the prevalent ethos of SL is one that denigrates human rights in the name of economic development. The race to prosperity is callous towards human costs of development while adopting a myopic apathy towards violence committed against the environment. more..

May 30 (Island) Some Opposition parties are making frantic efforts to find a common candidate to vie with President Rajapaksa at the next presidential election expected early next year. UNP is planning to launch street protests in a few months as part of its strategy to topple the govt. But, why should the Opposition big guns expend their time and energy and, above all, brave bullets, truncheons and water cannon to achieve that goal? They are in a position to try to dislodge govt without much hassle. more..

May 30 (Island) We know that we have short memories; a fact that most of us Sri Lankans, readily acknowledge. Perhaps, it became a part of the nation�s psyche during the war. Perhaps, it allowed us to move on, rather than keep dwelling on the past. However, as we prepare to usher in an era of sustained peace and economic prosperity we can�t afford to be forgetful. It is the time to thoroughly investigate the root causes of the problems we have had in the past and have now. more..

May 30 (CT) While commending the govt's efforts to contain the fiscal deficit and positive developments in the economy in recent years, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) raised concerns about law and order in the country, and the high level of public debt. The CCC met with officials of the IMF in the country for the periodical Article IV consultation and post-programme monitoring mission. more..

May 30 (CT) Despite the govt claiming that all stakeholders welcome the setting up of the National Pay Commission which was mandated originally in 1995, employee unions say that from previous experience they could say that no benefits would accrue to the workers by the setting up of such a commission. Ceylon Mercantile Industrial and General Workers Union as well as some other unions say they hardly have any expectations from the newly formed National Pay Commission more..

May 30 (CT) Proving once again that their brand of traditional Sri Lankan hospitality is their greatest strength, Jetwing Hotels has been awarded 9 Certificates of Excellence from the world�s largest travel site, TripAdvisor. Having been the regular recipient of these awards for the past few years running, the following Jetwing hotels were certified recently �Jetwing Beach, Jetwing Lagoon, Jetwing Sea, Era Beach by Jetwing, Jetwing Lighthouse, Jetwing Warwick Gardens, more..

May 30 (FT) The first-ever Sri Lanka Capital Markets Investor Forum kicks off today in London as the industry makes a concerted effort to woo fresh interests from the UK to the post-war resurgence in the country. A large contingent of around 50 business leaders from private sector and capital markets is attending the event at Savoy Hotel, London along with several Govt officials. Full-day event is organised by the SEC & CSE more..

May 30 (PI) MRL Corporation (ASX:MRF) shares are continuing to surge as investors clamber to be part of the upcoming graphite drilling campaign in Sri Lanka. Shares in the company jumped to $0.078 yesterday, from $0.047 on the 21st of this month, and look set to open higher again today. MRL established first mover status in southern Sri Lanka, with four development projects that are prospective for vein graphite. Current programs are focused along 650 metres of historic mine more..

May 30 (Island) A 16-year-old schoolgirl of a leading school in Kollupitiya committed suicide yesterday evening by jumping in front of a train that was slowing down to stop at the Kollupitiya station. Police media said that the schoolgirl from Panadura had been sitting at the Kollupitiya station for quite some time and she had suddenly jumped onto the railway track when the Maradana bound train from Kalutara was slowing down to stop at the station around 3.15 p.m. more..

May 30 (CT) TRC issued a one-month ultimatum till 30 June, by which time all unregistered 'sims' will have to be registered, or otherwise face disconnection. "Normally, registration process would be the responsibility of sim card service providers. However, we understand that these service providers have sub delegated the task of issuing sims to agents. There is a loophole in the system, and we are trying to rectify this more..

May 30 (CI) Alastair Cook became England's most successful ODI captain with the overwhelming victory over Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, but he was not taking much credit for the remarkable turnaround after the 99 all out at Chester-le-Street, instead praising his team-mates for "putting their necks on the line for me". Cook missed the Durham match due to a groin injury - he admitted watching on "was not pretty" - and his return could not have heralded a more emphatic upturn in England's fortunes more..

May 30 (Island) Union Assurance signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ministry of Health, Indigenous Medicine, Sports& Youth Affairs of North Western Province together with Department of Health Service (DoHS) � North Western Province, to assist the prevention of Thalassaemia in North Western Province. Secretary of the Ministry � T.B. Wickramasinghe, Provincial Director of Health Services- Dr. R. M.S.K. Rathnayake and AGM Marketing at UA more..

May 30 (LT) The Presidential vehicle collection that was worth Rs.30,900,000 when President Chandrika Kumaratunga relinquished her position has been increased to Rs. 3,400,600,000 by the end of last year. At a time when terrorism has been defeated and it is not necessary to buy bullet proof cars, Rs.315,354,000 has been spent to buy such vehicles during last year. Accordingly, the cost of vehicles bought more..

May 30 (FT) Softlogic Holdings together with Centara Hotels & Resorts of Thailand announced the grand opening of Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa. Official opening ceremony was presided over by President Rajapaksa. Resort is located on the Bentota Peninsula, situated between the Bentota River and the Indian Ocean. Resort�s arrival lounge is situated at Aluthgama, on the inland side of the river, with guests travelling across the water by barge, a journey that takes two minutes. more..

May 30 (CT) The Chairman of the Sabaragamuwa Provinicial Transport Authority (PTA) was remanded until 2 June, by the Kegalle Magistrate, on a charge of selling a Pajero jeep for Rs 3.8 million on a fake vehicle transfer book, to a woman in Mawanella. The chairman, Sanjaya Senaratne, was arrested by the CID when he surrendered to them. The victim of the fraud, who visited the IGP's relief counter of the Colombo Police Headquarters, on the 14 April, had lodged a complaint with the IGP. more..

May 30 (CT) India's Kriish Group may need to look for partners in order to benefit from tax concessions after the US$ 460 million mixed development project which includes a five-star hotel was beset with delays. Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena claiming that govt was earning interest from the received and due amount of the Krrish Group, said that the company now needed to look at other avenues such as partners to more..

May 30 (Hindu) Fishermen leaders have expressed disappointment with the BJP-led govt�s failure to establish a separate ministry for fisheries, as promised by party leaders during electioneering. �We had high hopes that that new govt would appoint a minister for fisheries to address the problems faced by fishermen in the country in general and Tamil Nadu in particular. But we are disappointed,� leaders said. Leaders of 11 fishermen associations, who met on Wednesday, more..

May 30 (Island) Sri Lanka will need at least six million tonnes of cement along with other construction materials in the next five years, and foreign investors have the secure opportunity to benefit from this demand by establishing manufacturing plants in Sri Lanka, Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane. "We�ll need iron, aluminum, timber, wire, tiles, glass etc. for construction work to be done with six million tonnes of cement. This will present foreign investors more..

May 30 (CT) The Presidential Election, which was to be held in January 2015, according to auspicious times, has now been advanced to November this year, a highly placed internal govt source said. Accordingly, the Elections Commissioner will fix a date for the election once the govt officially announce the date of the election in August. Constitution allows the President to go for an election after completing four years in office more..

May 30 (NYT) The shiny black table reflects blue sky, banana fronds and distant birds with eyelash wings. Outside, signs for mortgages and driving lessons loom over this tired stretch of Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. But inside Spicy Lanka, clouds drift, as does the mind. The murals on the walls and ceiling were painted by Pratheepan Selvachandran, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Marie De Silva Selvachandran; he also created a counter out of his 10-year collection of more..