May 22 (PTI) Rescuers pulled out 15 more bodies from the muddy debris of disastrous landslide taking the toll to 84 while over 100 people remained missing today in floods triggered by the heaviest rains in Sri Lanka in over a quarter century even as relief aid poured in from across the world, including India, for lakhs of displaced people. The heavy rains have pounded Sri Lanka since last weekend, triggering huge landslides more..

May 23 (CT) Given the outpouring of public gratitude towards the military for its role in rescue and relief during the floods, I’d like to see the Govt proceeding with and taking the consequences of the full implementation of the Geneva resolution, with new hybrid judicial mechanisms, foreign judges etc. One cannot help but wonder how Foreign Minister Kadirgamar would have reacted to the recent, absurdly intrusive and occasionally hypocritical statements on Sri Lanka by more..

May 23 (Island) University students try hard to clash with the police. The primary idea is to get injured, arrested, and thereafter escalate issues on a different note. Is this a reflection of student immaturity that we should excuse all the time, or a sinister plot that needs careful attention of the law enforcement authorities and the govt? Police and university students are very important communities in a civilised country. Police form the basis of discipline necessary for development and more..

May 23 (SO) The Sunday Observer accompanied the military officers engaged in rescue and salvage mission in Elangipitiya, a sea of mud layers that buried over 150 villagers. Analysing the ground situation, officer in charge of the operations in the area said a block of rocks and soil on the mountain top had fallen on the villages just below it, and the entire area had slid down the slope, to Elangipitiya affecting over 70 acres. more..

May 23 (ST) My Dear Weather Gods, I thought of writing to you because you have caused havoc in Paradise leaving many dead, scores missing and the whole country plunged into despair with continuing rains and heavy floods which are yet to recede. People are trying hard to come to terms with what has happened over the past few days. The scale of this disaster has surprised many people and the event which comes nearest to this tragedy is the tsunami that engulfed us twelve years ago. more..

May 23 (ST) Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI), keen on attracting more Chinese Investments and promote trade after mending Sino –Lanka strain relations to improve the country’s economy, is rejuvenating its Chinese-sector promotion division. The Chinese sector (division) functioning under the Investment Promotion Department of the BOI would be strengthened to facilitate investors from China who are interested in investing in Sri Lanka, a spokesman of the BOI said. more..

May 23 (SL) The previous govt increased the manpower in the state sector as it had a plan to improve the efficiency of the state sector, leader of the DLF and former minister MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said. Pointing out that the partnership agreements made by the present govt with private entities regarding loss making govt institutions are going to be less effective, he emphasized the need for retaining management under govt control more..

May 23 (SL) The greenest of Sri Kotha greens, Eksath Kollopang (Kollops to his friends) was in tantrums at the Waterhole. Were Maithri and Ranil hit by the heat wave to give a free ticket to that defeated fellow, we threw out, to fly to Uganda for some mumbo-jumbo celebration? We fellows are fighting a desperate battle to keep our party flag flying. We worked day and night – noka, bebee – to make May Day a success dashing the hopes of the disjointed opposition. more..

May 23 (SL) As one who believes that climate change driven by man’s insistence on refusing to accept that his behaviour is responsible for global warming, I have little doubt that the catastrophic weather we have experienced and are continuing to experience as I write this could have been avoided, to a significant extent, if we lived up to our boast that we Sri Lankans are more intelligent than the lesser mammals! That said, let’s look at what factors other than willy nilly industrialization, more..

May 23 (CNA) Taiwan deported a man from Sri Lanka back to his home country on Sunday after finding he was trying to transit to New Zealand through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport using a counterfeit Singapore passport. According to the National Immigration Agency (NIA), officers of the agency's Special Duty Brigade stopped the man for questioning at the airport Saturday night after noticing him acting strangely. As the traveler was being questioned, more..

May 23 (DN) Whenever Sri Lanka loses a Test match especially playing abroad it is easy to point the finger at the players and condemn them on their poor performance. But little does the cricketing public know that there are times when the players and the team can be thrown into the deep end from where they have no chance of extracting themselves. The current tour of England by the Sri Lanka cricket team is a case in point. It is clear as day that England were hell bent on revenge more..

May 23 (Island) Google Street View’ Trusted expert photographer, Felix Steck arrived in SL to shoot several images of Sri Lankan businesses for Google See Inside. Steck is an award-winning street view trusted photographer and has been identified as a top performer by Google. A German photographer with over 25 years of industry experience, he specialises in hotel photography and corporate identity, enabling virtual tours of more..

May 23 (Island) It was a textbook example of a double whammy; no sooner had the public suffered a crippling blow at the hands of the govt which unconscionably jacked up indirect taxes, sending prices through the roof in the process than the heavens opened, wreaking havoc. Admirably, people have, in spite of their pecuniary woes, come forward to help their fellow citizens in distress. Shelves of all supermarkets and shops are half empty these days because people are buying more..

May 23 (CT) The floods in Sri Lanka have brought out the best in social media. Whatsapp and Facebook were used extensively to save lives and mobilize relief. An unprecedented initiative indeed, in this age when parents are concerned about the negative impact of social media on their children. Facebook in fact had initiated a post that confirmed the safety of Facebook members and or whether needed any support. Our own PICK ME service included boat rescue, a service provided more..

May 23 (FMT) Azman Ujang’s piece titled Peace pays off for Sri Lanka, seems to be an exercise that is echoing the propaganda efforts of the Sri Lanka govt rather than critically examining who really benefited from the end of the civil war that raged for more than 30 years. Yes, peace dividends might have brought benefits to political elites, foreign investors and tourists but what about the locals and Tamils in particular? more..

May 23 (ST) Sri Lankan MPs appear to have been moved to unseemly mirth regarding the floodwaters which devastated the country this week, causing more than 63 officially reported deaths and thousands more missing, with even greater numbers rendered homeless and destitute. As sorrowful scenes were recorded across the island, the gravity of the deluge had yet to be taken seriously on the floor of the House. Indeed, as much as Atlas shrugged in the disturbing portrayal by more..

May 23 (DN) Authorities are still struggling to complete evacuation in the landslide affected areas in Kegalle. Over 34 families live in Rahala Gala hill, in the same mountainous area as the Samasara Kanda and Kabaragala Kanda, which experienced three landslides and numerous mud slides. The families living on top of Rahala Gala have received no instructions to evacuate, residents claimed. According to the Grama Sewaka in the area, no officials have inspected the area. more..

May 23 (CI) Despite a year in which Sri Lanka have lost 10 of 13 completed T20s and have now been defeated inside three days in a Test, one or two wins could reverse fortunes, Dinesh Chandimal said. Captain Angelo Mathews has used the words embarrassing and humiliating numerous times to describe Sri Lanka performances in the past year. Yet, Chandimal insisted, there is belief within the group that losing streak can be arrested. more..

May 23 (ST) Minister John Amaratunga on his visit to China to participate in the World Conference on Tourism for Development last Tuesday said he has plans to woo the Chinese to hold their weddings in Sri Lanka. “I was approached by many Indian parties to host their weddings here and also a few Chinese parties. In China I will explore this matter further and aim to get some mass weddings here,” he said. Sri Lanka has always been an ideal destination for exotic wedding ceremonies and more..

May 23 (ST) Sri Lanka’s national carrier, following PM Ranil Wickremasinghe’s announcement that the govt was looking to partner Sri Lankan Airlines with a foreign airline, in an effort to convert the airline into a profit making venture, has submitted its financial statistics, restructuring and in general their view on the restructure, Chairman Ajith Dias said. “We submitted all details including the financial position and our ideas on the proposal restructure,” he said. Ministry of Public Enterprise Development is more..

May 23 (CI) Wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Perera has replaced injured seamer Dhammika Prasad in SL's Test squad and will travel to England as soon as visa formalities are taken care of, SLC announced. Perera had been the Test side's wicketkeeper and No. 7 batsman before he was provisionally suspended for failing a doping Test, in Dec. The charges against him have since been withdrawn by ICC, and he has been eligible more..

May 23 (DN) Thousands of people who are displaced by floods and landslides are in need of urgent relief by way of food, clothing, shelter and medicine. They cannot worry about the long term impact of the disaster. Nor can they worry about what is actually behind the unprecedented calamity. So, what is urgent is to get the necessary relief to people who are suffering. So, we should do everything to meet their basic needs, while planning next steps to resettle them in their habitats more..

May 23 (DN) Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi urged politicians and other groups to refrain from visiting affected areas since the President and the govt will look after the affected people and provide relief assistance to them. “I also informed the Inspector General of Police not to allow politicians to visit the affected areas. The officials engaged in disaster relief operations should be allowed to do their job without hindrance,” he told the media at Disaster Management Centre. more..

May 23 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena made an observation visit to Wellampitiya, Meethotamulla and Kolonnawa to look into the issues of the victims of the flood in the areas. First, he arrived in the Vidyawardana Vidyalaya in Wellampitiya and met the victims there. He paid his attention into the issues faced by those flood victims. The President by talking to everybody personally looked into their problems. He also inspected the subsidies more..

May 23 (DN) Film Island (FI), the newest Film Production and Distribution Company in Sri Lanka signed MOUs with two Indian Film Companies and one French Company at Festival de Cannes. This is Film Island’s first step in marketing Sri Lanka as a unique destination for film shoots, offering best in class line production services. Sri Lanka Tourist Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the Embassy in Paris, enabled the current service providers to market more..

May 23 (Island) Dr Hasneyn Mirza, a leading veterinarian from India has been in Sri Lanka for the last two days advising the Royal Turf Club on the construction of a Equine veterinary hospital on the Nurwara Eliya racecourse. Also present was Professor Neville de Silva from the Equine Faculty at the Kandy University who had officiated at all the race days conducted by the RTC, assisting and supervising the sampling of racehorses. Several sites were considered for the Equine Hospital more..

May 23 (Island) The Island yesterday captured images of a group exploiting the tragic situation to cheat unsuspecting donors and fleece marooned flood victims. A woman racketeer deployed her cronies, consisting mostly of drug addicts, near the Kelani Bridge to collect relief items being distributed by hundreds of kind hearted donors. Relief goods meant for the people living in temporary huts on the bridge were then more..

May 23 (DN) A new Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility was the main outcome of a quiet Group of Seven finance ministers summit in Sendai, Japan, with the hosts pledging an initial $50m over three years to fund the system. The PEF addresses a massive failure to provide timely aid during the Ebola outbreak of 2014, giving the disease time to spread across West Africa, at an eventual cost of $10bn and more than 11,300 lives. It will help reduce the risk that even more dangerous more..

May 23 (DN) Students affected by the adverse weather conditions experienced throughout the country will be allowed to attend schools in casual attire for a few days considering the difficulties faced by them. This decision was taken by Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam after discussions with Ministry officials, since the homes and belongings of many students have been damaged or destroyed by the landslides and floods. The relief will be granted to students only for a few days until more..

May 23 (Island) The insurance sector is likely to be hit as it will be compelled to pay very high claims for damages caused to various business entities due to current bad weather conditions. Many leading business organizations are badly affected as their premises had gone under water in the recent torrential rains. Several major companies like Lion Brewery, Tokyo Cement, Laugfs Gas and Coco Cola have seen their business premises being more..

May 23 (DN) On the instructions of President Maithripala Sirisena, alternate lands would be allotted to those living in flood and landslide prone areas to areas not affected by landslides and floods, State Minister of Lands T.B. Ekanayake said. Under this programme, flood victims living in Kegalle, Kandy, Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya, Kalutara, Gampaha and Colombo, would be given priority to provide alternate lands. As there are many lands belonging to the Land Ministry, more..

May 23 (CT) Arcelormittal which is one of the biggest steel organizations in the world based in France consented to give 70 houses to the people affected by the Aranayake landslide. They are the primary sponsors of the 65,000 housing project in Jaffna which was accepted by the Cabinet to commence construction. It was also said that they would be donating fully furnished houses to the people affected with the landslide and the house will consist of two single beds, one double bed, more..

May 23 (DN) Feelings of insecurity is creeping amongst victims of Aranayaka landslide with too many people crammed in shelters lacking much needed space for recovery from the trauma they faced. A shelter for the displaced is set up to provide a safe environment for all. There is an urgent need for protection and shelter which contribute to psychological recovery, and is environmentally sensitive to deal with more..

May 23 (CT) A Special Presidential Task Force was established under the instructions of the President to manage the current disaster situation in the country. This Task Force will cover all aspects of the disaster management and will be headed by the President's Secretary P.B. Abeykoon. The first meeting of the Task Force is to be conducted tomorrow at President's Office. To begin with the task force will cover the areas of reconstructing the damaged houses, resettle the disaster affected more..

May 23 (AM) Minister Harin Fernando apologised to the country's citizens for using indecent words in Parliament during the debate over SriLAnkan Airlines. There were allegations that Fernando used unparliamentary language to interrupt UPFA MP Mahindanda Aluthgamage while the latter was speaking during the debate. In a video footage released to social media, he accepted responsibility for the incident, saying he would accept any punishment for committing offence. more..

May 23 (Island) The death toll from last week's natural disasters has risen to 82; it is expected to increase within the next few days as rescue operations continue to look for another 118 missing people. Meanwhile, 30 people have been confirmed dead due to the landslide in Aranayake and 114 others are missing. Another part of the same mountain at Aranayake in Kegalle Dist. had crashed on Saturday, but there were no casualties more..

May 23 (DM) With heavy rains and gale force winds continuing for the eighth day yesterday while the south-west monsoon is likely to begin today, more than half-a-million people have been seriously affected in the worst-ever flood havoc in 25 years. The confirmed death toll yesterday afternoon was 82 with about 140 still missing or feared dead while more than 200,000 people have found temporary shelter in temples, churches, schools and other places. The international community, more..

May 23 (DM) The Constitution is the supreme law in our country. Constitution should enshrine principles, culture and values in a democratic state and people. Our Constitutional arrangements therefore should not be confined only to setting out the distribution of power, the means for the settlement of disputes etc. It must also reflect the basic values of democracy and the economic and social principles for ensuring a cultured, safer and far easier and dignified existence for all our people. more..

May 23 (DBS) Rajiv Ratna Gandhi – India’s PM from 31st Oct 1984 to Dec 2nd 1989 – was assassinated at Sriperumbudur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu exactly 25 years ago on May 21st 1991. Rajiv Gandhi as he was generally known was in Sriperumbudur to address a propaganda meeting in support of Congress party candidate Ms. Maragatham Chandrasekhar. The 47 year old Indian ex–premier was then more..