May 25 (CI) Sri Lanka's preparations for the first Test in Cardiff have taken a blow with the news that Nuwan Pradeep, their match-winning seamer against the England Lions on Sunday, is set to fly home after picking up a knee injury. Pradeep claimed figures of 4 for 29 in ten hostile overs as Sri Lanka overcame the follow-on to bowl the Lions out for 183 in Derby and win a thrilling contest by 38 runs. The bowler sustained damage to his anterior cruciate ligament more..

May 25 (DM) Selvarasa Pathmanathan alias KP, who succeeded Prabhakaran as the LTTE leader has said that the UN Secretary General's panel report on Sri Lanka wouldn't help any reconciliation and rather it would disturb reconciliation. In an interview with the Indian journalist KP had said that no one would get any benefit from this report. “If you go to Vanni and (discover) 1,000 families or 100,000 families benefiting from this UN report, then it's a different story. more..

May 25 (Island) The govt reacted cautiously as garment workers blocked the Colombo-Negombo main road at the 18th mile-post on Tuesday demanding President Mahinda Rajapaksa abandon his controversial plan to implement a pension scheme for the private sector. The government decided against using force to disperse the crowd, though a sizeable police contingent took up positions at the entrance to the road leading to Bandaranaike International Airport. more..

May 25 (DM) Sri Lankan opening batsman Upul Tharanga has been tested positive for a banned drug during the concluded World Cup last Month. Tharanga was a leading run-maker for Sri Lanka during the World Cup and was reportedly dope-tested for a banned substance called prednisolone, which is used to treat asthma, after a match against New Zealand. Sri Lanka National Anti Doping Organisation (NADO) chairman Dr. Geethanjana Mendis refused to comment on the matter. more..

May 25 (Island) The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), which is on the warpath demanding a pay hike, is awaiting President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s call for a discussion to solve the problem. FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri siad yesterday that their members who had resigned from their volunteer posts in universities were still engaged in trade union action. He said that they had requested a discussion from President Rajapaksa since more..

May 25 (CI) Sri Lanka have never won a series of at least two Tests in England, Australia or South Africa, but over the next four weeks they'll get an opportunity to start rectifying that statistic when they take on England over three Test matches. The hosts obviously start favourites after their fantastic Ashes campaign in 2010-11, but Sri Lanka have sounded a warning by winning both their warm-up games, including a superb come-from-behind victory against England Lions last week. more..

May 25 (AFP) It's a long way from England, the cradle of rugby, but steamy, jungle-clad Sri Lanka is a little-known haven for the sport in Asia, with even school matches attracting TV audiences of millions. In a country better known for its cricket, tea exports and bitter civil war, Sri Lanka has quietly nurtured a large playing population with an aspirational bent which makes rugby a daily feature on both the sport and society pages. more..

May 25 (Island) Former LTTE chief arms procurer Kumaran Padmanathan (KP) has revealed links between DMK led by M. Karunanidhi and the LTTE and the conspirators behind the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. In an exclusive video interview with an Indian television network, KP, who is now in Sri Lankan government custody, said that LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabakaran had personally ordered the assassination of Gandhi in May 1991. more..

May 25 (Island) If a military tribunal is a Court it should give reasons for conviction. There were no reasons given by the Court Martial II when convicting General (retd) Sarath Fonseka, Romesh de Silva PC, told the Court of Appeal yesterday. He was supporting the Writ application, filed by former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka, against the Court Martial II. He said the problems began after General Fonseka decided to contest the Presidency. more..

May 25 (Island) Arrangements are underway for the commencement of Padha Yathra by thousands of Hindu devotees from the Northern and Eastern provinces. Lord Murugan devotees would trek on foot through the Kumana and Yala jungles to reach Kataragama before the commencement of the Magul Perahera on July 1. Large numbers of locals and foreigners have already make inquiries about participating in the fire walking festivities where more..

May 25 (Island) An Inter Parliamentary Union delegation is to visit Sri Lanka, in June, to observe the legal proceedings against Retired General Sarath Fonseka in the White Flag Case. The UNP’s Assistant Secretary on Human Rights Jayalath Jayawarden, said that the IPU had informed the UNP in writing about its decision to send a team to witness the High Court Trial against Fonseka, who has been indicted for alleging in a media interview that more..

May 25 (Island) Yesterday's protest at Katunayake by FTZ workers against the Private Sector Pensions Bill would be followed with a country wide agitation if the government did not withdraw or amend the Bill, which in effect dilutes EPF and ETF benefits, the UNP said. UNP MP Tissa Attanayake said that the scenes witnessed on the Katunayake – Colombo road were an indication of what the Mahinda Rajpaksa regime could expect in the coming days and weeks. more..

May 25 (Xinhua) The Sri Lankan government will hand over a petition signed by one million people against the U.N. war crime report next week, a minister said Tuesday. Minister C.B. Ratnayake said the government had completed collecting signatures from people all over the country and met the target of one million signatures within ten days. He said the petition would be handed over to the U.N. representative in Colombo. more..

May 25 (DN) President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday called on university academics to perform their duty by the young people of the countrymen to the best of their ability, adding that the govt would not neglect to do its part for the benefit of university lecturers at any time. The President said so during a discussion with a group of university academics at Temple Trees on Monday. The academics discussed several current issues faced by them more..

May 25 (NN) A delegation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) is in Sri Lanka to record a statement from former Test cricketer Hashan Tilakaratne over match fixing allegations, Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told parliament this afternoon. Responding to a question posed by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake, the Sports Minister said that the ICC team arrived on Monday but so far they have not been able to reach Tilakaratne as he is not answering the calls more..

May 25 (Island) Former Army Chief General Sarath Fonseka said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had celebrated the liberation of Sampur in September 2006 by cutting a big cake. But the size of the cake became relatively smaller as the army scored a series of battlefield victories and the final victory at Nanthikadal was celebrated by cutting a small cake, he said. "Similarly, services and sacrifices made by me, as the Commander of the army and my troops were gradually forgotten, he said. more..

May 26 (NN) UNP members staged a protest in parliament a short while ago by holding up banners against the leadership training program for university entrants. UNP MP John Amaratunga speaking during the protest said that the leadership program should be conducted within the university system and not with the participation of the army. He urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to intervene and suspend the program. more..

May 26 (NN) Members of the ruling UPFA in the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress have been approved additional allowances. The allowance was approved following a proposal put forward by Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan. Under the proposal, which has been approved by the council, UPFA and SLMC members will be given Rs. 40,000 as an allowance in addition to Rs. 10,000 given as fuel allowance. more..

May 26 (DBS) Former LTTE political commissar Suppiah Paramu Thamilselvan’s family has been given a taste of freedom under a restricted release order. Thamilselvan’s widow & two children had been kept under protective custody for nearly two years at a chalet in the Panagoda army cantonment. The family had surrendered to the military in May 2009 after fleeing with other civilians from the Mullivaaikkaal area under LTTE control. more..

May 26 (CI) I've been in England for just over a week, and tomorrow I begin my fourth Test series in the country. It's been a busy few days of acclimatisation since I and Kumar Sangakkara arrived from the IPL. We turned up in Derby on the eve of the game against the Lions, which was about as far removed from Kerala as anyone could imagine, and though I made just 1 and 26, the way we turned the game on its head was outstanding, and stands us in great stead for the Test series. more..

May 26 (NN) Two mothers have been found abandoned in Trincomalee and both were admitted to the Trincomalee hospital, the Trincomalee police said today. One mother, Menike Sooriarachi (64), told the police that she was a resident of Battaramulla and that her son had brought her to Trincomalee and dropped her off near a bus stand. She said that her son is an engineer employed in Colombo but refused to divulge further details of her residential address or information of her son. more..

May 26 (TW) At the end of day nine of my 10-day tour of central and southern Sri Lanka, I realised I had just visited three World Heritage-listed sites in the previous few hours. Yet I also realised, by visiting Sigiriya - both the site of an ancient civilisation and the geologically interesting plug of an extinct volcano which dominates the surrounding landscape - I had only visited one "angle" of what is known as the cultural triangle. more..

May 26 (NN) The protestors who were arrested in Katunayake last evening were released on police bail today, the Katunayake police said. According to the police the protestors were detained after they disrupted the peace during the massive protest march yesterday. The protestors had attacked the police when they attempted to disperse them after they blocked the Colombo-Negombo road yesterday. more..

May 26 (NN) Prime Minister D.M Jayaratne has warned Sri Lankan diplomats to be cautious of attempts by some countries to create an environment to “infiltrate” Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister’s office quoted the Premier as saying that this has become clear when looking at the developments in Libya and Egypt. He said that Sri Lanka is a powerful but yet small country which defeated terrorism and brought an end to a more than 30 year old war. However he said that from the more..

May 26 (AFP) A Sri Lankan minister on Wednesday asked opposition politicians to persuade former national cricket captain Hashan Tillakaratne to assist a probe into his allegations of rampant match-fixing. Tillakaratne, who sits on a local council as a member of the main opposition UNP, claimed last month that Sri Lankan players had been fixing matches since 1992. He promised to reveal names to the International Cricket Council, but more..

May 26 (BBC) The main opposition accused the government of promoting state terrorism. UNP, say the compulsory leadership training for new undergraduates is a step in that direction. Speaking to media on Wednesday, MP Lashman Kiriella said, “This training is the initial step towards preparing candidates for state terrorism”. Criticising the residential training camps held inside security establishments, the MP say that it is also a burden on poor families. more..

May 26 (BBC) The prisoner protest is justified say the most prominent prisoner in the country. Speaking to the media after his court appearance, Former Commander of the Sri Lanka army, Sarath Fonseka blamed the government of incompetence and laziness. “I sympathise with the protesting prisoners. Their grievances are justified. The government is too lazy and incompetent to find solutions.” Former general told the journalists after the days hearing of ‘White flag case”. more..

May 26 (CI) This series is being billed as the starter before the main course of England's season. India are the major drawcard of the summer, but Sri Lanka's visit promises much interest and intrigue. It pits a home side wanting to build on one of their finest triumphs in Australia against a visiting side trying to rebuild under a new captain and coach amid more political rumblings in Sri Lankan cricket. more..

May 26 (AD) The present government has continuously worked against the Muslim community in the country, UNP MP Kabeer Hasheem stated today. Speaking further, MP Hasheem said that the government had made no effort to hold talks with the Muslim leaders of the country despite having several discussions with the Tamil Leaders adding that the Muslim leadership within the government were not representing the people and were only tending to their personal needs. more..

May 26 (LT) In a communiqué The JVP has invited employees of the private sector to rally steadfastly amidst various obstacles and repressions to defeat the ‘pensions’ fraud of the government. The JVP condemning the police attack on the employees of the Free Trade Zone at Katunayake points out when rulers attempt to suppress one struggle it paves the way for thousand more struggles. The communiqué issued by the Political Bureau of the JVP is published fully: more..

May 26 (LG) India is back in the news with people speculating on her role this time. It is quite clear that Indian foreign policy on Sri Lanka is determined by two factors. Firstly India’s hegemonic attitudes towards her neighbouring countries with her desire to consider Indian Ocean as the Ocean of India, reminding us of infamous Panikkar Doctrine. In that respect the central government in Delhi works with all the determination to become the regional power in the area. more..

May 26 (LG) Many opinions have been expressed with regard to the Report of the Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka. These opinions are mainly against the formation of the Panel, the authority of the UNSG to appoint such a Panel and the very contents of the Report, which have been termed flawed, vague, presumptuous, biased and unsubstantiated. Certain opinions have been based on the very mandate of the UN and the governing rules and regulations. more..

May 26 (LG) Troops of Security Forces Jaffna (SF-J) now committed to ensure security, prosperity and wellbeing of people in Jaffna in keeping with precepts of Lord Buddha, joined hands with the world to celebrate the 2600 Sri Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi organizing various religious activities at various places in the peninsula. In addition to Sil-observing campaigns, soldiers of all Divisions, Brigades and Units of SF-J decorated streets and more..

May 26 (LB) Some people have short-term plans, others have long-term plans. Some have both short and long term plans. Some try short cuts, others are wiser. There is a moron that comes to mind right now: Velupillai Prabhakaran. And then there’s a wise guy: S.J.V. Chelvanayagam. It all depends of course on how one measures time, the preferred unit based on which one opts for this or that plan of action. Confucius put it well, many centuries ago: ‘If your plan is more..

May 26 (LB) The apparently uncontrollable sexual urges of the chief executive of the IMF Dominic Strauss-Kahn notwithstanding, president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s little dalliance with the IMF soon after the war was ended in May of 2009 is of such great potency — almost as explosive as the misplaced sexual appetites of the embattled IMF boss. Probably unbeknownst to him, when Mahinda Rajapaksa got the document for a stand-by facility signed with the IMF, more..

May 26 (TC) Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict is one of the most polarizing and heated in a world full of ethnic conflicts. For a sample, check out this episode of The Agenda, aired in 2009 shortly after Sri Lankan forces defeated the LTTE, a rebel army that fought for a separate Tamil homeland in northern Sri Lanka for more than a quarter century: The two ethnic groups always mentioned when we think of Sri Lanka are the majority Buddhist Sinhalese more..

May 26 (LG) May be agitation to ban LTTE in Norway would never have crossed the minds of the Sri Lankan govts or any other world-wide anti-LTTE organizations as Norway has been the adopted home of LTTE. I may be wrong as I don’t remember seeing/reading any demand to ban LTTE in Norway though there were umpteen numbers of letters/articles written against Norway and Eric Solheim for their cordial relationship with the LTTE. But it was taken for granted with Eric Solheim as more..

May 26 (TC) The state of Sri Lanka: After two years, how are efforts progressing in the seemingly intractable conflict between the Sinhalese and Tamils? Guests: R. Cheran is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Windsor. From 1984 to 1992, Dr. Cheran was a working journalist in Sri Lanka. Romesh Hettiarachchi was one of the advisors to the Young Canadians’ Peace Dialogue on Sri Lanka hosted by the Mosaic Institute. more..