June 14 (FT) Commercial Bank, the largest and most profitable private sector player, has completed its biggest fund raiser, the Rs. 10.1 billion Rights Issue, this week. On the basis of one share per 10 held, the bank issued a total of 84.58 million voting shares at Rs. 113.60 each and 5.81 million non-voting shares at Rs. 90.80. Sources said the target of Rs. 10 billion has been achieved and exact values will be disclosed later this week. Largest shareholder DFCC Bank said more..

June 14 (DN) The final inquiry into the documents submitted by the aspirants for the presidency of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka Ranjith Rodrigo and Anura de Silva will be held today at 9.30 am at sports Ministry. Copies of Ranjith Rodrigo’s team card and identity cards that he played football and Anura de Silva’s passports and the reason for visiting Japan will have to be submitted to the committee headed by Assistant Sports Director R. B. Wickremasinghe. more..

June 14 (Sky) Kumar Sangakkara has become only the 37th player to score 100 hundreds in one-day and first-class cricket. Sri Lankan legend achieved the milestone by completing his 39th one-day hundred while batting for Surrey in their Royal London One-Day Cup quarter-final, against Yorkshire at Headingley. Speaking to Sky Sports after his 121 off as many balls helped Surrey post 313-7, Sangakkara - who will retire from more..

June 14 (CT) Board of Investment of SL (BoI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Strategic Development and International Trade, Kandy District Secretariat and the Export Development Board organized the third successive job fair at St. Sylvester College, Kandy recently. The previous Job fairs were held in Kurunegala and Avissawella respectively. The govt has declared 2017 as the year of poverty alleviation and many programmes have been implemented to achieve more..

June 14 (Island) You always thought that Sri Lanka and Pakistan were the two worst fielding teams in the world. But Sri Lanka after their comic fielding display on Monday in the virtual quarter-final of the Champions Trophy against Pakistan, have emerged as unarguably the worst fielding team in cricket. The warning signs have been there for some time now, but respective cricket administrations and officials of the national team have paid scant respect for this vital discipline. more..

June 14 (WWM) There have been over 20 violent incidents against Christians so far this year, according to National Christian Evangelical Alliance of SL. Following a parallel surge in violent attacks on Muslims, alliance calls on the govt to ensure the protection of minorities and their places of worship. “Since the current govt took office in 2015, over 190 incidents of religious violence against churches, clergy, Christians more..

June 14 (DN) China Zhongtian Construction Group China which is engaging in Sri Lankan real estate and leisure sector development projects with an investment to the tune of US$ 0.8 billion is looking for more opportunities. The company is also engaged in building the tallest building in the Maldives running in to 16 floors. General Manager of Zhongtian, Xu Xiaojiang said that they were also involved in building the high-end project in downtown Colombo, Krrish tower (The one). more..

June 14 (EN) Advantis Projects, SL project cargo handler that is part of the Hayleys group, says it sees good growth prospects in the power and energy logistics business, given the island’s shift towards renewable energy due to increasing demand for electricity. Company, formally known as Logiventures Pvt Ltd., said it has the necessary expertise to handle the movement of heavy and out-sized cargo like transportation of power generators, which previously needed foreign expertise. more..

June 14 (NR) Minister of Post and Postal Services Abdul Haleem says there is a driving force behind the strike launched by postal workers in order to inconvenience the public. Speaking to media in Kandy, Minister said the govt will ensure operations in a manner that does not hinder postal services. Minister said some form of influence may have incited this protest adding as always one could witness efforts to discredit and hinder govt. more..

June 14 (FT) According to the monthly Index of industrial Production (IIP), volume of industrial production has increased by 1.8% in April 2017 compared to the same month in 2016. Among the manufacturing industries, volume of products of Furniture (27.8%), Other non-metallic mineral products (10.4%) and Fabricated Metal Product (10.2%) has shown remarkable increases during April, 2017 compared to those of April 2016 while volume of food products increased by 0.1%. more..

June 14 (DN) The govt stands only to safeguard the greater interest and stability of the financial system, not each and individual depositor’s interest irrespective of their mysterious conduct or imprudent risk taking behavior, Secretary to the Treasury and Ministry of Finance R.H.S Samaratunga said. Samaratunga noted that Sri Lanka has been confronted with number of financial frauds and is still struggling to resolve or avert any possible crisis. “Such crisis and failures can more..

June 14 (Island) JO said that SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem’s recent allegation that the Sinhala extremists had set fire to a Muslim-owned tea factory on the Nawalapitiya-Hapugasthalawa road on the night of June 9 should be investigated in the wake of the owner publicly denouncing the minister’s claim. JO MP Aluthgamage said that they expected the police to verify Minister Hakeem’s accusation more..

June 14 (DN) For the first time in Sri Lanka, the Ministry of Defence has started producing drones in Sri Lanka Secretary Ministry of Defence, Karunasena Hettiarachchi revealed. Speaking at the Techno 2017 exhibition launch he said that these drones were designed and manufactured in Sri Lanka, and they are in par with any international drone “may people do not know that Ministry of Defence has a Research and Development Unit which is highly skilled in Pitipane. more..

June 14 (MoD) Following the initial disaster aid assistance provided by the Jaffna University students recently, another group of Jaffna Medical Faculty undergrads presented the students of Bulathsinhala Yatagampitiya Primary School in the Kalutara District with schooling needs including books, bags, water bottles and stationery worth more than three hundred thousand rupees on Friday (9). In addition they also presented Rs. 30,000.00 towards the school's repair work. more..

June 14 (Island) The govt has planned to dispose of over 60,000 acres of mid-country tea plantations managed by the Sri Lanka State Plantation Corporation, Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) and the Elkaduwa Plantation, Chief organiser of the Kandurata Jana Paura Organisation and Central Provincial Council Member Nimal Premawansa said. Tea plantations will be leased out to private sector more..

June 14 (DN) Parties in the TNA including EPRLF, TELO and PLOTE have demanded the dismissal of four Ministers in Northern Provincial Council (NPC) who were charged with mass scale corruption. A special committee appointed by CM C.V. Wigneswaran has recommended to remove Agriculture Minister  Ponnuthurai Ayngaranesan and Education Minister Thambyrajah Gurukularajah. EPRLF, PLOTE and TELO parties in the alliance have expressed in one voice the importance more..

June 14 (DM) A man has lodged a complaint with the Mahiyangana Police that their pet dog had brought home the body of a newly-born infant who had been allegedly buried by his wife in the Mahiyangana area. The dog had brought the body to their house on Sunday night around 7.30 p.m. after digging up the place where the infant had been buried. Police said the 23-yar-old suspect woman had admitted herself to the Mahiyangana Base hospital complaining of bleeding. more..

June 14 (CT) Former Army Captain Tissa Wimalasena, whose name was linked to several murders committed during the Rajapaksa regime, was arrested by the FCID yesterday. He was produced at the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court and remanded till 24 June. He was a driver and a prominent security officer attached to the security convoy of former President Rajapaksa. He has been charged with having sold a rock, more..

June 14 (DM) JO accused the govt of attempting sell a large block of land belonging to Sathosa at D.R. Wijewardene Mawatha in Colombo 10 to an Indian Company belonging to a TN politician. It said the previous govt and trade ministers had continued to expand Sathosa assets but this govt was keen to sell State properties. “Most of the Indian companies are famous for ill-planned projects. An Indian company which was to initiate a project in Pulmudai has mentioned in its project report more..

June 14 (FT) The private sector has joined the Health Ministry’s dengue control campaign in the wake of a large number of reported deaths as well as a rising number of cases.  The number of individuals affected by dengue fever in 2015 was 29,777. In 2016 it was 55,154. Statistics for the first five months of 2017 show the number of affected individuals to be around 70,000 and the total number of dengue-affected individuals is expected to rise. The number of deaths has topped 150. more..

June 14 (EN) Cabinet of ministers Tuesday lambasted the Sri Lankan airlines management for high handed action and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe reportedly promised to sack the entire board of directors of the national carrier. Govt source said minister after minister criticised Sri Lankan airlines chairman Ajith Dias, a Royal College mate of PM, and demanded that President Sirisena dissolve the airline board immediately. more..

June 14 (DN) Kalutara Bar’s senior attorney and acting magistrate Y.S De Silva was critically injured when his car was knocked down by the Samudra Devi express train on the level crossing near Tangerine Hotel in Kalutara North. He was transferred to the Colombo General Hospital for an urgent surgery soon after he was admitted to Kalutara General hospital with serious injuries. Preliminary investigations have revealed that he had driven the car while the red light was on more..

June 14 (CT) Former Indian cricketers Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar lashed out at a pathetic showing by Sri Lanka on the field while defending a total of 236 in their Champions Trophy match against Pakistan at Cardiff on Monday. Gavaskar said the Sri Lankans were overweight and that some of the players would have played their last match in Sri Lankan colours. Gavaskar did not name any overweight Sri Lankan but it seemed obvious that one of the players in his radar was Malinga. more..

June 14 (DN) Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe was told to testify with accuracy and clarity before the Presidential Commission inquiring into the Treasury bond issue yesterday. Wijesinghe was requested to think deeply before answering questions on subjects that he does not have expert knowledge on. AG Wijesinghe was informed so, following certain answers he provided to questions posed by legal representative more..

June 14 (DM) So we could not make it to the semi-finals of the ICC Champion Trophy 2017. However is that a big loss? After all aren’t we in the best company today? The ICC World number one nation, South Africa, and number two, Australia, are both out of the semi- finals along with number four, New Zealand. The sixth best team SL therefore does not have much to crib about.   Let’s be honest. In the run up to the tournament at no point were we supremely confident that SL would make it to semis. more..

June 14 (DM) A real or imagined cause for complaint, especially unfair treatment or a feeling of resentment over something believed to be wrong or unfair, that’s how grievance is defined in our English dictionaries. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s current spell of whining fits right into that definition. And his whining has not ceased. His family members are being called many times by various investigative agencies. Along with these family members some of his leading supporters, close to 19, more..

June 14 (ST) Accusations that the Govt lacked a proper disaster response mechanism to respond to the recent flood and landslide devastation, were leveled from many quarters of the Opposition, during last Friday’s Adjournment Debate (AD) on the recent devastation. The AD, requested by the JVP, saw speaker after speaker from the JVP and the Joint Opposition (JO) decrying the Govt’s response to the crisis. more..

June 14 (Island) Minister Champika Ranawaka has said the situation in Qatar will have an adverse impact on SL. He says what is happening in Qatar is the outcome of a major political conflict, which is sure to affect not only the SL migrant workers in Qatar but also the entire Sri Lanka. Saudi Arabia has come forward to build a city in the Maldives and that will affect the Chinese-funded Colombo Port City project. more..

June 14 (DM) There had been an increase in three-wheeler and bicycle accidents during the past two years, Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. He said that a total of 134 deaths and 142 accidents had been reported in 2016, while 147 deaths and 134 accidents were reported in 2017 to date. “Considering the two years, the number of accidents involving three-wheelers had increased. more..

June 14 (CT) A copper plate and other materials used in the performance of a black magic act, aimed at casting an evil spell on President Maithripala Sirisena, three brothers of SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake, two PC members and another individual, were found by two youths in the Pahala Usgalla cemetery near the main road at Padaviya, Kebithigollewa. These materials were detected two days ago. more..

June 14 (AD) SriLankan Airlines will further strengthen its position as the largest foreign carrier into India with the launch of services to three more cities – Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Coimbatore – in July 2017, increasing to 14 the number of cities in the vast Indian market. Accordingly services to Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad & Coimbatore commence on 8th, 12th & 16th July respectively. SriLankan currently operates 108 flights more..

June 14 (EN) Protecting Sri Lanka's citizens from torture and committing to universal human rights principles are not alien impositions by the European Union, but sacred human values, Minister Mangala Samaraweera says in reply to ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa.  "Protecting every citizen from torture is not an alien imposition," Minister Mangala Samaraweera, who negotiated the restoration of the GSP+ trade benefits with the EU, said. more..

June 14 (SL) Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), the pioneer Scientific Research and Development organisation in SL, will submit a report tomorrow (11) on the controversial plastic rice said to have been found in the local market. ITI the successor to the Ceylon Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (CISIR) and comes under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research and more..

June 14 (WB) Jan Walliser, the World Bank’s Vice President of Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, visited Sri Lanka in early May and met with senior govt officials, key private sector representatives, and members of the Right to Information (RTI) Commission. These meetings were an opportunity to discuss the status of comprehensive fiscal, economic, and governance reforms aimed at boosting the economy and more..

June 14 (DM) The Auditor General’s report submitted to parliament stated that relevant authorities at the Central Bank should be responsible for a loss totaling Rs.1.674 billion, the Auditor General Gamini Wijasinghe said yesterday. The losses which were deemed avoidable in the report, was in reference to the two Bond Auctions which took place on February 27, 2015 and March 29, 2016. more..

June 14 (MFA) Cabinet of Ministers directed the law enforcement authorities and the Attorney General to take immediate action against instigators and perpetrators of violence and hate speech against religious and ethnic groups. Issuing a statement, Cabinet of Ministers said the National Unity Govt, reaffirm commitment, in accordance with the mandates received from the people at the Presidential elections in January and more..

June 14 (SLN) Russian sail training frigate Nadezda arrived at the port of Colombo on a goodwill visit today. Making a visit onboard sail training frigate, the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka HE Alexander Karchava is scheduled to declare open photography exhibition organized by the ship’s crew. The Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy, Rear Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Niraja Attygalle and Military Air and Naval Attaché to embassy of the Russian more..

June 14 (FT) The idea behind StartupX Foundry germinated from what in fact was a problem faced by a Sri Lankan IT company. But first, what really is StartupX Foundry?  It is essentially a tech startup catalyst, an initiative to hone technological ventures with potential and take them from inspiration to exit, powered by a dynamic ecosystem of both local and international talent, investors and startup personalities to provide the tools necessary to take an idea, forge it into a viable product or service more..

June 14 (CT) Yesterday this newspaper reported that a group of parents representing the families of missing persons from the North and the East (NE) had submitted a petition to President Maithripala Sirisena at Jaffna, requesting information about their missing children. The occasion was where Sirisena had participated at a meeting with the families of missing persons at the peninsula on Sunday. Nonetheless, missing persons due to terrorism is not something new to Sri Lanka, more..