May 25 (CT) The Women�s Singles Open semi-final fixtures of National Clay Court Tennis Championship 2019 will commence today at SLTA, with Anjelika Qurera facing Anika Seneviratne; while the latter�s younger sister Alana Seneviratne will lock horns with Janali Manamperi. The Women�s Singles Open category was a much awaited fixture for all Sri Lankan tennis fans. Tennis sensation Anjelika Qurera made her way to the semi-finals after easily defeating Tania Doloswala 6/2, 6/0 in more..

May 25 (CI) As warm-up matches go, South Africa couldn't have hoped for a better one. Nine of their batsmen, including their allrounders, had a hit and eight of them surpassed double figures. Hashim Amla found form with 65 off 61 balls, captain Faf du Plessis blazed to 88 off 69 balls, before cameos from Andile Phehlukwayo and Chris Morris hauled them to an imposing 338. Lungi Ngidi, South Africa's highest wicket taker more..

May 25 (Island) A loud and screeching headline, embellished in a red background in an English Newspaper (not of the Upali Group), on Thursday the 23rd of May 2019 screamed at all and sundry "VIPs beware on roads, President tells Cabinet". Apparently at the Cabinet Meeting on Tuesday the 21st, the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka had given �strict instructions not to close roads in any way causing obstruction to the public to facilitate VIP convoys�. more..

May 25 (CT) The World Cup Song for the ICC ODI World Cup 2019 was launched by SLC yesterday at the Sports Ministry at a grand musical extravaganza featuring Sanka Dineth. Warak Wati Dewarak Nagi Siti Sinhayan api (Once fallen, twice risen, we are Lions) is a heart-felt song centered on the theme of unity, and calls on Sri Lankans from all walks of life to come together as one to support the national team. With music and vocals by Sanka Dineth and lyrics by Wasantha Moragoda, more..

May 25 (DN) SL shuttlers finished group champions when they beat Ireland 3-2 in the classification round match of the Sudirman Cup Badminton tournament played at Guangxi Sports Centre Nanning, China. It was a fine come back for Sri Lanka after losing first two matches, mixed doubles and men�s singles. Ireland started with mixed double and men�s single matches wins but SL Kavidi Sirimannage was the player of the day more..

May 25 (ICC) The ICC Men�s Cricket World Cup 2019 is officially up and running and all ten skippers are anticipating the most competitive tournament in history. The ICC Men�s Cricket World Cup 2019 is officially up and running and all ten skippers are anticipating �the most competitive tournament in history�. The Film Shed in London�s trendy east end played host to the official captain�s media launch of the 2019 tournament on Thursday afternoon. And with hosts England kicking off the tournament more..

May 25 (DN) The Govt should request international donors to defer Sri Lankan foreign debt repayments for six months and offer this benefit to SL banks. As a result local banks could then be in a better position to defer payments due to them from local business community. These views were expressed by Secretary of the Colombo Business Association, Chaminda Vidanagamage. �Due to Easter Sunday blasts and downturn in tourism there is a negative economic climate which is reflecting badly more..

May 25 (FT) Tea exports for the month of April was recorded at 20.8 Mkg, which is identical when compared to the same period of the previous year, produce broker John Keells Ltd., said in their weekly report. Sri Lanka harvested a crop of 23.6 Mkg during the month of April � a negative variance of 15.6% when compared to the crop harvested in April 2018. The main contributor for the 23.6M kg was from the Low Grown planting more..

May 25 (FT) Sandya Eknaligoda, the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, had written to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe requesting for security for herself and her children after the release of BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara. The monk was jailed after he was found guilty of Contempt of Court following verbal abuse hurled at Eknaligoda during the court proceedings into her husband�s disappearance. She had earlier objected to the granting more..

May 25 (FT) Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) Executive Director Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja and LKI former Executive Director and Nonresident Fellow Dr. Dinusha Panditaratne recently delivered a joint presentation at The Royal Institute of International Affairs � also known as Chatham House. They were invited to provide a Sri Lankan perspective on �Challenges of a Rules-Based Order in the Indian Ocean� on 26 April in London, before more..

May 25 (FT) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa proposed the Govt launch a special economic package targeting those who lost their livelihoods due to the Easter Sunday attacks. According to Rajapaksa, the economy took a serious blow with almost all industries and trades coming to a stop, reducing the income levels of the employees, entrepreneurs and the farmers. Demanding the PM�s response, the Opposition Leader told more..

May 25 (Island) Old boys and well-wishers of the oldest school in Madiwela, Sri Rahula Maha Vidyalaya, whose name has been changed to Jaya Isura Vidyalaya, have urged President Maithripala Sirisena to retain the original name of the school because of its historical and cultural significance. The group of representatives submitted the petition addressed to the President to Western Province Governor Azath Salley at a meeting held at the Governor�s Office on Friday. more..

May 25 (Island) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday announced that a Special Media Unit would be set up in the Parliamentary Complex next month to open parliamentary proceedings and affairs to public. He said that he had instructed Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dassanayake to take measures to remove barriers enabling more proceedings to be opened to the media. The chairman of any Parliamentary Select Committee had been vested with powers to invite more..

May 25 (Island) The JO, yesterday, said that State Defence Minister Ruwan Wijewardene owed an explanation as regards ACMC and Minister Rishad Bathiudeen�s latest claim that he had intervened on behalf of a person taken into custody in connection with the Easter Sunday carnage on his (Wijewardene�s) instructions. Bathiudeen is on record as having said that State Minister Wijewardene instructed him to speak more..

May 25 (Island) TNA Leader R. Sampanthan has extended on behalf of the Tamil speaking people his warm congratulations and heartiest wishes to Indian Premier Narendra Modi on his convincingly winning the confidence of the People of India for the second term in office. The following is the text of the congratulatory message sent by Mr Sampanthan: Your Excellency, I extend to your excellency and to the Barathiya Janatha Party our warm congratulations on your convincingly winning more..

May 25 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Center (DMC), on Friday said that Sri Lanka's northern districts faced a severe dry weather condition, affecting over 300,000 people. The DMC said in Jaffna district alone, 46,000 people had been affected by the drought while in the Mannar district 56,000 people had been affected. In the Mullaitivu district 40,000 people had been affected while thousands of families residing in several other areas in the north also had been affected. more..

May 25 (Island) Ven. Elle Gunawansa has requested the Attorney General not to assist a possible attempt to put off the 2019 presidential election. The following is the text of a letter addressed to Attorney General Dappula de Livera PC: "I understand that a reference is likely to be made in terms of Article 129 of the Constitution invoking the consultative jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. "This is in connection with a provision more..

May 25 (Island) The Navy brought a fisherman who had suddenly fallen ill at sea, ashore for treatment yesterday. The patient was aboard the multi day fishing trawler �Surathlie 4� which had left the Negombo fishing harbour for fishing on 20th May. In response to information given by the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources about the patient, a Fast Attack Craft attached to the Western Naval Command was dispatched to retrieve the patient. The patient was transferred safely to more..

May 25 (DM) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said that the number of monthly inbound flights at the BIA has been reduced by 300. He said artistes including film directors who had made movies for Vesak and those who were planning to put up pandals and other decorations for Vesak have also been affected. Therefore, Mr. Rajapaksa said it was vital to have an overall economic management package to help those economically affected by the current crisis. more..

May 25 (TI) Myanmar President�s Office said the actual suspect of Easter bombings that killed at least 250 people in SL is no longer in Myanmar. This follows the arrest of a Sri Lankan man on Thursday believed to have connections with those involved in the attacks. On Wednesday, Myanmar Tourist Police sent a request to the country�s Hotel and Tourism Department to report Abdul Salam Irshad Mohmood, 39, more..

May 25 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena has given instructions to the relevant authorities to take forward all the programmes implemented to protect the environment in a strong and efficient manner while declaring an Environment Week in parallel to the World Environment Day which falls on June 05. Prez gave these instructions participating in a progress review meeting of the Central Environmental Authority held at the auditorium of the Central Environmental Authority, today (24). more..

May 25 (CT) The Organised Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayarathna that an investigation has commenced into MP Hesha Withanage�s statement, to the effect that if the Easter Sunday attacks was focused on a Buddhist religious place, huge destruction would take place with the killing of innocent Muslims. Withanage had made this statement on 25 April, while attending a live discussion on a private television channel. more..

May 25 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have informed the diplomatic community in Sri Lanka yesterday that the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act would be amended to increase the age of marriage to 18 for Muslim women in a move aimed at unifying the personal laws as far as possible. He briefed the heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo on the security situation in the country after serial bombings more..

May (SO) The nation�s shopkeepers and manufacturers overall, as well as the tourism industry and other especially affected sectors, are all holding their breath in suspense, waiting to see if and when social calm and stability returns and how soon the economy can recover. The whole nation�s livelihood depends on the quickest possible return to stability after the Easter Sunday bombing terror (our own 04/21). The greater the delay, the greater is the danger of national prosperity slipping away from us. more..

May (CT) Controversial Buddhist monk, Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera, received a pardon from President Maithripala Sirisena and walked out of Welikada Prison on 23 May. Thousands, on social media, reacted in jubilation. Yet, the implications of this pardon may have far reaching consequences. Gnanasara Thera, who is also the General Secretary of BBS, was not convicted for spreading communal disharmony, nor was he charged for hate speech, despite his involvement in a number of racially charged incidents, more..

May (SO) SL born author of several books on terrorism and Singaporean academic Dr Rohan Gunaratna made waves in Colombo this week when he made startling claims at a seminar organised by Gateway College, pointing to the complete collapse of the national security machinery in the country. Delivering the keynote speech at a forum titled Sri Lanka at Cross Roads held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for Strategic Studies last week, more..

May (Island) The people are living in fear of being blown to smithereens following the Easter terror attacks though it is being claimed in some quarters that the country is now safe. Nothing is of graver concern to the public, at this juncture, than national security, which is in peril. The situation is so bad that the government has had to extend Emergency. But the members of parliament don�t seem to give a tinker�s cuss about national security. We reported, yesterday, that more..

May (ST) Last weekend�s somewhat muted Vesak celebrations resulting from the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings and the prevailing uneasiness in the country prevented the 10th anniversary of the defeat of the three decade-long northern terrorism from being given the attention it deserved. Countries that still celebrate the battles of Somme and Gallipoli and Poppy Day in WW I, a war of more than a century ago, and the defeat of Fascism in WW II more than 70 years ago more..

May (CT) Following the deadly Easter Sunday terror attacks, the Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL) announced that the operation of pilotless aircraft; UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)/ UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) etc, of any description including drones is suspended until further notice. After few weeks of the CAASL�s suspension, Prez Sirisena as the Minister of Defence also issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification on 13 May suspending the flying of drones or more..

May (ST) Gnanasara Hamuduruwaney, I thought I must write to you when I heard that you had been pardoned by Aiyo Sirisena. I suppose you must be quite happy, now that you are no longer behind bars, and wearing the saffron robe once more, instead of the infamous prison jumper. Ah, what a change of fortunes this must be for you! We knew something was afoot when we heard that Aiyo Sirisena visited you in the prison hospital, and Bond Ravi and that Governor looking after the Western regions followed soon after; more..

May 26 (SO) Mercantile Hockey Association president Manjula Jayamanne slammed the election committee appointed by the Sports Ministry for allowing district clubs that did not functioned for several years to vote at their recent AGM. Jayamanna said that as a first step they will be seeking an enjoining order against the Committee for accommodating what he called were non-functional clubs. �We have protested that Matara and Ratnapura associations had been accommodated to vote and more..

May 26 (Island) Last week saw the JVP mounting a rescue operation to save the yahapalana govt, which had been divided down the middle by the no-confidence motion (NCM) presented in Parliament by the Joint Opposition. Christian Ministers within the govt were openly expressing views against Minister Baithiudeen. Indeed, divisions had emerged within the yahapalana coalition itself with a section of the TNA also taking a stand against Baithiudeen and publicly expressing their views. more..

May 26 (ST) After heated arguments and even a protest in the Well of the House, the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) on Minister Rishad Bathiudeen will be taken up for debate on June 18-19. Earlier this week, the UPFA mounted a vociferous campaign demanding that the NCM be debated during sittings in the 1st week of June. Leaders of the UPFA�s constituent parties had proposed that it be held on June 6-7, with all motions on the agenda on those dates shifted to June 4. Govt refused, leading to angry exchanges between the two sides. more..

May 26 (CT) The Attorney General has directed acting IGP C.D. Wickremaratne to immediately launch a comprehensive criminal investigation against IGP Pujith Jayasundara, former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and three other officials. This decision was based on two interim reports and recommendations of the board of inquiry, appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena, on the series of incidents connected to the Easter Sunday attacks. more..

May 26 (ST) Indian �A� openers Priyak Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran took the Sri Lanka �A� bowlers by the scruff of their neck and gave it a good shake as they amassed 376 for 1 on the first day of their 4-day Test at Belgaum. The visitors had their bowlers with Test match experience. That hardly mattered to the Indian pair to whom the pace of Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando, and the spin of Akila Dananjaya and Lakshan Sandakan came alike. The two spinners gave away 154 runs in the 30 overs more..

May 26 (ICC) Jeffrey Vandersay says Sri Lanka will 'go for it' and play without fear to overhaul the odds at the Cricket World Cup. Newly-appointed captain Dimuth Karunaratne embodies the spirit of a squad remodelled for a tilt at a third final appearance in four tournaments. Vandersay, returning to the squad for the showpiece having not featured since October 2017, says his side won't die wondering as they aim to upset the established order again. more..

May 26 (ST) Weeks after guiding Mumbai Indians to their fourth IPL title�his second in three seasons as head coach, Mahela Jayawardene�the legendary former SL skipper says he declined an offer to be a part of Sri Lanka�s World Cup campaign due to cricket politics. In an Interview he also shares his expert views on SL�s chances, the raw deal Lasith Malinga received and how cricket politics ruined the careers of two promising SL cricketers�Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal. more..

May 26 (ST) Isuru Dunukara of North Central Province and Gayani Prathapasinghe of Southern Province clinched the Men�s and Women�s title respectively in the 45th National Sports Festival race walking events worked off in Anuradhapura yesterday. 27-year-old Isuru from SL Army completed the course of 20km with a time of one hour, 38 minutes and 38 seconds. Meanwhile, 25-year-old Gayani also from SL Army, clocked one hour, 54 minutes and 28 seconds to complete the course of 20km. more..

May 26 (CT) SL�s 15-a-side Rugby head coach Matt Lee expects his team to go on and win the Asia Rugby Championship �A� Division Tournament which is to be played in Chinese Taipei from 29 May. Lee also thinks that the SL team�s strength is their forwards, who did well in recent times. �I think the strength should be the forwards, and they showed it in Malaysia that they are competitive in set pieces, be it line outs or scrums. So it is about managing how our backs and forwards could combine. more..