June 23 (Xinhua) Heavy rain is forecast in the southern part of SL, leading to concerns that the country might be hit again by floods, an official here said on Friday. Spokesman for the DMC said that heavy rain ranging from 75 mm to 100 mm could occur, and therefore people should remain vigilant. "We have issued an alert only. If the need arose, we will evacuate people due to threat of floods or landslides," he said. Showery weather was expected during next few days in the southwest more..

June 23 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the Ministry of Law and Order to report back to him just how university students were able to climb four storeys into Ministry of Health building without the police being able to stop them. This came about after he was informed by several ministers that the police did nothing to stop the students protesting against SAITM from getting into the Health Ministry building and causing so much damage to equipment and vehicles more..

June 23 (AD) The Convener of IUSF, Lahiru Weerasekara, has been arrested by police.  He was arrested while leaving a press conference held today at the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) at Deans Road, Maradana. IUSF Convener was reportedly arrested in connection with the incident at the Health Ministry on Wednesday. A large number of university students, during a protest against SAITM, had forcibly entered more..

June 23 (CT) Local film director Nandana Hewapanna has made yet another successful attempt breaking his own Guinness World Record for the fastest film produced (script to screen). His new movie Salakuna has taken only 59 hours and 20 minutes to be completed. Hewapanna has put pen to paper at 6:10 in the morning on 16 June and the completed movie has finished its first screening to a panel of judges at 5:50 in the evening of 18 June. more..

June 23 (CT) The Opposition called on the Chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Deputy Minister of Finance, Lasantha Alagiyawanna, to step down from one of his portfolios as one individual could not hold both positions of PAC chairman and a Finance Minister due to conflict of interest. Leader of the JVP, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, made this observation in Parliament while taking part in the debate on the notifications made under Excise Ordinance in the House. more..

June 23 (PTI) Union cabinet today approved signing of an agreement between India and Sri Lanka for cooperation in areas of traditional systems of medicine and homoeopathy. The proposed memorandum of understanding will be inked between the Ministry of AYUSH and SL's Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine. "The signing of the proposed MoU will enhance bilateral cooperation between more..

June 23 (DM) Building on its winning legacy, Gestetner of Ceylon once again won resounding recognition for its tremendous sales performance over the past year, rising above its peers in the Asia Pacific region to win the RICOH Asia Pacific Award for Outstanding Achievement in Units & Sales Revenue FY 2016 in multi-functional products (MFP). Notably, Gestetner of Ceylon is currently the only distributor to have won this award, adding to its impressive two time win over the last 3 years, more..

June 23 (DM) Though the CMC collected garbage on a regular basis, people did not dump garbage at allocated places making the process of garbage collecting cumbersome, CMC Commissioner V.K.A. Anura said. He said there were several piles of garbage remained in the city. CMC had asked the assistance of the Armed Forces to raid illegal places of dumping garbage. "Although we collect garbage on a regular basis, people do not dump garbage at appropriate places. more..

June 23 (EN) Top SL economist and the head of IPS, Saman Kelegama, has died in Thailand. Kelegama was due to travel back home Friday but Sri Lankans who were due to fly back with him raised the alarm when he did not show up at the airport. Later, the authorities found him dead in his hotel room.  The cause of death was not immediately known. “When they went to his room, there was a do not disturb sign. more..

June 23 (NR) Former Minister Piyasena Gamage has filed a motion at the Supreme Court requesting to be a mediator in the petition filed at the SC against the verdict of the Court of Appeal pertaining to the Parliamentary seat of MP Geetha Kumarasinghe. A 3-member bench headed by Chief Justice decided to hear the petition on 4th of July. The motion called for the suspension of the Appeals Court decision pertaining to MP Kumarasinghe and an annulment of the order decreed by SC. more..

June 23 (Island) A project to breed canines by Police Kennels had failed as the puppies produced here did not meet the international standards and Sri Lanka would have to import dogs for police and security forces, Minister Sagala Ratnayake told Parliament. Responding to a question raised by UNP MP Buddhika Pathirana, minister said that there were 177 dogs in the police kennel and the govt had spent Rs 92,751,156.63 in the year 2016 for the upkeep of those animals. more..

June 23 (DN) Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) informed the Supreme Court that they have taken a decision to refrain from dumping garbage at Meetotamulla area in Kolonnawa. CMC revealed these facts when a fundamental right petition filed against Meetotamulla garbage dump was taken up for inquiry. Meanwhile, counsel who appeared for the petitioners tendered in court 40 death certificates pertaining to the individuals more..

June 23 (Island) The Federation of Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (FFMTA) has warned that it would resort to stern trade union action if the govt fails to provide a solution for the SAITM issue and to maintain high standards of Sri Lankan medical degrees. FFMTA’s Convenor Dr M.C. Weerasinghe said: "We the FFMTA have been observing the series of incidents that took place within last seven years regarding the SAITM issue. The Deans, FFMTA in collaboration more..

June 23 (GDI) Lanka Sathosa is preparing to cross the 400 branch mark despite 9 outlets being hit by recent floods. Minister Rishad Bathiudeen addressing his Ministry’s progress review meeting on 21st June said that there are no plans to privatise Lanka Sathosa. “Recent floods have affected 9 Lanka Sathosa branches and they will be renovated immediately. Despite facing damage, Lanka Sathosa continued to serve consumers and helped the disaster victims as well. more..

June 23 (AD) National Transport Commission today issued a special notice with the new revised bus fares, which will come into effect from July 1.  Annual bus fare revision has been decided to be granted by Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation along with the National Transport Commission with effect from July 01 in terms of the National Bus Fares Policy. NTC says that stern action will be taken against any operator more..

June 23 (Island) GMOA said its members would not allow their continuous strike to disrupt the treatment of dengue patients. GMOA Secretary Dr Naveen Zoysa said the union had established a special programme even at the OPD level to identify patients with fever and take necessary action. Dengue would be considered a special emergency and patients would be cared for, he said. GMOA launched a continuous strike following a police crackdown on university undergraduates more..

June 23 (CT) RTI Commission announces the launch of its trilingual website on 19th June. Commission’s logo, as unveiled, consists of Sri Lanka centered in the black pupil of an eye commonly symbolizing information, held aloft by a hand. Website features Draft Guidances on Pro-active Disclosure applicable to all Ministries under the globally acclaimed RTI Act No 12 of 2016. Pro-active disclosure duties specified under the Act refer to information released by Ministers more..

June 23 (DN) Registration of Persons Department Assistant Commissioner Indika Herath told court that Shashi Weerawansa had applied for a National Identity Card (NIC) in 2010 as a person applying for a NIC for the first time. Herath giving evidence in court said Weerawansa had submitted her application for an NIC at the age of 39 as a person who never obtained one. Herath was giving evidence in connection with more..

June 23 (DN) The elephant donated to South Korea by the Sri Lankan govt in 2010 got quite a fright when her baby fell into a pool at the Grand Park Zoo in Seoul, South Korea. The footage recorded by the zoo shows the curious one-year-old elephant- christened ‘Korilanka’ to mark the ties between Sri Lanka and Korea – getting close to the water’s edge and accidentally tumbling in. Fortunately, the baby elephant was not actually drowning, says Joyce Poole, a National Geographic explorer more..

June 23 (DM) The number of people travelling in buses have dropped by about 1,500 because of the increase in bus fares, LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne said. He said if this trend continued the transport industry would collapse and proposed that the govt should introduce a formula to work out the bus fares especially when it became necessary to increase them. He said the drop in the value of the rupee against the US dollar has pushed up the cost of repairs, spare parts, tyres more..

June 23 (NR) JO MP Dinesh Gunawardena says the attack on university students who engaged in a peaceful protest is a cause for severe condemnation. Speaking in Parliament, he said the govt must maintain fairness in its response to issues. MP said the govt must be fair and engage in discussions, and arrive at a fair solution in this regard. He raised questions as to who brought in the police and STF and unleashed batons, more..

June 24 (CT) There has always been this uneasy feeling among the average Buddhist clergy and the Sinhala people in relation to racism and religious extremism. This embarrassment is not surprising because it reflects the teachings of the Buddha himself – metta (loving kindness). Therefore, the general assumption that anything to do with racism is confined only to an insignificant number of people is very correct. However, the havoc they can wreak can be devastating. more..

June 24 (CT) The first lessons taught to any student of the science of politics almost invariably includes a reference to the 16th century Florentine philosopher Machiavelli and his celebrated thesis, the Prince; where his principle line of argument revolves on the attainment of “power” as the means of securing all other political ends. In later years the French scientist Jean Bodin attributes a name to this, identifying it as sovereign power upon which all political authority vests, more..

June 24 (Roar) Global Innovation Index recently released their 2017 report—its tenth edition. The result of a collaboration between Cornell Uni, INSEAD, & WIPO, detailed report reviews 127 economies and their standings in various areas linked to innovation. Report measures economies through 7 categories—or pillars—of analysis. 5 Input Pillars: Institutions; Human Capital & Research; Infrastructure; Market Sophistication; more..

June 24 (CT) The turbulence which prevailed in the NPC has been brought to an end with Jaffna's two most venerable clergy men of two different faiths getting into action to see the main characters in the NPC crisis giving up their tug-of-war which had emerged following CM C.V. Wigneswaran's action against four NPC Ministers who were accused of corruption and malpractices. Catholic Bishop of Jaffna Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin Bernard Gnanapragasam and Chief Incumbent of Nallur Atheenam more..

June 24 (CT) At the present time, when Sri Lanka is engaged in formulating a new Constitution, the concept of self-determination of Tamil people has become the subject of much discussion in political circles, civil society organizations and generally among the people. Some people appear to prefer a federal system in a united Sri Lanka while the majority supports a unitary state of govt with the sovereignty enshrined in the people of Sri Lanka. The right of the people to self-determination more..

June 24 (CT) General Manager of Marine Environment Protection Authority, Dr. Terney Pradeep Kumara, says that Sri Lanka is ranked number five in the Global Pollution Rankings Index and is behind only China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Dr. Pradeep Kumara, a Doctorate Holder from Sweden's Kalmar University on Marine Ecology and Head of the Ruhuna University's Department/Faculty of Oceanography and more..

June 24 (NS) Sri Lanka is a country with great potential. This country has gone through many obstacles before everything fell into place eight years ago with the end of the brutal war. We lost thousands of youngsters on both sides. Youngsters whose lives would have changed the course of the country for the better if guided properly. They were lost for a reason, but the country is still trying to get back on its feet after their sacrifices. At one point SL faced a problem due to brain drain more..

June 24 (Island) Minister Mangala Samaraweera has the knack for setting the cat among the pigeons. He has apparently got it down to a fine art. He questioned the wisdom of banning liquor sales on Poya Days. Alcoholics, he said, either bought liquor in advance or settled for illicit brew on Poya Days and the ban, therefore, had not yielded the desired results. Govts have no qualms about raking in revenue by way of taxes on many trades which are antithetical to the core tenets of Buddhism. more..

June 24 (NS) Collapse of Meethotamulla garbage mount two months ago was not only a disaster by itself, but also a harbinger of many more misfortunes to come. Two months down the line as the clamour over it subsided, a new issue of garbage has begun sending shock waves across the political spectrum – this time it’s over the inability of the authorities to ensure efficient garbage collection in Colombo and some parts of its suburbs. While the govt is trying hard to resolve the issue, more..

June 24 (Island) I was shocked and outraged to see a video news clip in which you sought to deny the numerous incidents involving the harassment of Christians in this country in recent times while crudely condemning a reputable lawyer who had brought the relevant facts to light threatening to have him removed from the bar. Your arrogant and emotive reaction reflects a deplorable ignorance about the facts pertaining to Christian persecution in the country if not a deliberate attempt to more..

June 24 (EN) The writer’s first encounter with Dr Saman Kelegama was at an international conference held in Sri Lanka in early 1990s. He was one of the local resource persons who presented a paper at the conference. When the bearded young research officer from the fledgling Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), took the podium to talk on Sri Lanka’s trade liberalisation issues, audience consisting of both local & foreign researchers more..

June 24 (CT) The former president of Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) Ranjith Rodrigo is contesting for the post of president of FFSL for the last time and vowed he will not contest in the future FFSL elections. He made these remarks at a press conference on Wednesday. He further stressed that neither he nor any of his family members will not contest in the future. "I and my team have a proper plan which we established when I took over office in 2013 and if we are elected I won't more..

June 24 (DN) The Colombo Art Biennale (CAB) which was co-founded in 2009 by Annoushka Hempel, will have its most prominent showcasing yet this August at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and also very much in the planning stages for an ever strengthening and larger showing at its fifth edition set for 2018. This showing at Fringe will be CAB’s most prominent international showing to date, preceded by Serendipity Revealed at the Brunei Gallery SOAS in London in 2014, and more..

June 24 (CT) Pro-Am Serendib, official licensee of the World Triathlon Corporation and owner of the IRONMAN global triathlon brand, is gearing up to hold a prestigious international sporting event in Sri Lanka on 25 Feb 2018, which is the only IRONMAN event in the South Asian region. Company will hold The IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo, which is a qualifying event for triathletes to qualify to participate in IRONMAN 70.3 World C'ships more..

June 24 (EN) A govt doctor who was engaging in private practice charging fees during a strike organized by GMOA was caught on camera running away without shoes. GMOA is trying to close down SAITM, in a bid to deny education freedoms of parents and students. GMOA doctors have earned their degrees at tax payer expense. State-run Rupavahini television in its facebook page showed footage of a doctor in a private clinic running away barefoot from a cameraman. more..

June 24 (Island) History is against them. Sri Lanka has never won a medal in men’s sprint events of 100 metres and 200 metres at the Asian Athletics Championships but Chaminda Perera, the coach of country’s leading sprinters Himasha Eshan and Vinoj Suranjaya is optimistic that his charges would be among the medal winners when they compete in 22nd edition of the event in a fortnight’s time in India. Himasha and Vinoj are reigning South Asian Games champions in 100 & 200 metres more..