June 24 (PSL) President Maithripala Sirisena says a better society with Buddhist environment would be built while protecting the place of other religions. He was speaking at the religious ceremony to offer the new Sanghawasa (monks’ accommodation) built in the Veluvana Vivekarama Temple in Laksha Uyana, Polonnaruwa, to the monks today (22). President stated that the solutions for all problems in society today can be found in religious philosophies. more..

June 24 (Island) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe says that violence perpetrated under the cover of religion will not be tolerated. Addressing an Ifthar ceremony at Temple Trees on Thursday, he said that Islam like Buddhism taught one to be patient and act with restraint. Every religion was great for its adherents. But, none should think they could act as they wished under the cover of their faith, PM noted, adding that extremism, hate speech and crimes were being dealt severely according to the law.  more..

June 24 (CT) The manner in which the university students who were engaged in a protest march against SAITM on 21 June was the most brutal attack carried out by any Govt against the student movement in the entire history of this country, Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. He said in a statement that it was very tragic to see a Govt that came to power by giving so many promises to protect free education is now behaving in such a barbaric manner. more..

June 24 (DM) MP Udaya Gammanpila acted as a spy for Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was a member of the JHU, JHU National Organiser Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe said. He said MP Gammanpila had continued to leak details of JHU meetings and decisions to former president Rajapaksa, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa. “We knew Gammanpila was a mole when he was in the JHU. more..

June 24 (DN) Ven. Battaramulle Seelaratana Thera filed a writ petition in Court of Appeal seeking an order preventing authorities from taking further steps in the procurement process relating to the development of a 300 megawatts combined cycle power plant at Kerawalapitiya. Petitioner stated that CEB has invited interested local and foreign companies to submit proposals for the aforesaid project. "Therefore initially over 30 interested companies have obtained the Request For more..

June 24 (Island) Assistant Director of Information, Technology Department of Central Bank Wasantha Alwis, testifying, submitted several documents with details pertaining to the treasury bonds purchased and subsequently sold by Perpetual Treasures during between Feb. 1, 2015 and March 3, 2016. Alwis told the Commission that all information regarding Perpetual Treasuries dealings with the Employees Provident Fund on treasury bonds were included in those documents. more..

June 24 (ST) All Hulftsdorp courts, barring the Superior Courts complex, are to be shifted to a House of Justice to be constructed on six acres of land. It will be located at Meeraniya Street, a kilometre away from the existing courts, and was once the property of British Ceylon Corporation (BCC). The site is between the Panchikawatte Junction (Maradana) and Armour Street. For this purpose, Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has asked more..

June 24 (LBO) Sri Lanka has opened immediate talks with three countries on 22 June to procure a rice tranche to stabilize its domestic markets. “We are looking for par-boiled (Nadu) and Samba categories now” said the Minister Rishad Bathiudeen on 22 June in Colombo. Minister, joined by Secretary of Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti and Director General of Finance Ministry PMB Atapattu, was addressing Ambassador Designate of Thailand to SL more..

June 24 (DM) Provincial Councils and Local Govt Minister Faiszer Musthapha has assured to hold the LG elections by September this year, Joint Opposition Convener and MP Prasanna Ranatunga said. A group of JO MPs, LG members and provincial councilors led by MP Ranatunga met Minister Musthapha at his Ministry in Colombo yesterday. The JO group along with supporters staged a protest outside the Ministry prior to the meeting with the Minister. more..

June 24 (CT) Joint Trade Unions (JTU) affiliated to CEB has decided to hold a massive protest demonstration on 28 June with the possibility of the country suffering a total blackout. "We are only staging a peaceful demonstration. And nobody should try to poke their fingers into it. We also would like to warn the govt not to play with us anymore," said Ranjan Jayalal the Convener of the CEB JTU on Wednesday. more..

June 24 (ST) Govt has decided to alter its plans on the proposed Central Expressway project by changing the route due to the difficult terrain and issues over the tender, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said. The proposed expressway that was to be diverted from Pothuhera to Galagedara via Rambukkana will now pass through Kurunegala to Galagedara avoiding the Rambukkana area. One of the main reasons for the change was that the route through the Rambukkana area would have to more..

June 24 (Island) The CB has issued a directive to all commercial banks to the effect that the cap on credit card interest rates should be removed and instructed them to charge competitive interest rates with effect from June 26. The reason being to discourage the number of personal loans, CB Governor Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy said. "All commercial banks could  charge a competitive interest rate on credit cards  to discourage unproductive short term personal loans or lending, which have increased more..

June 24 (EN) Govt doctors called off their three-day work stoppage Saturday shortly after a consumer protection organization threatened to invoke the wrath of gods on them and socially ostracize the striking medical officers. GMOA said they decided to temporarily suspend the trade union action after continuing a strike across all state-sector hospitals for three straight days to protest private medical education. more..

June 24 (ST) Inland water sources have dried up, drinking water is scarce and crops have been destroyed in nine provinces where nearly 900,000 Sri Lankans are suffering due to the continuing drought. But disaster management officials say the drought in the nine provinces is not too serious. At least 844,669 people from 242,982 families in the North, East, North Central and North Western provinces have been badly affected by the lack of seasonal monsoon rains. more..

June 24 (PTI) Eight TN fishermen were arrested today by the SL Navy for allegedly fishing in the territorial waters of the island country, drawing angry reaction from the state govt which termed it as an abduction. The fishermen from Nagapattinam were fishing near Paruthithurai when they were held by Lankan naval personnel who took them to Kangesanthurai port there. Incident comes two days after four fishermen from Pudukottai district and 17 from Karaikal region in Puducherry were more..

June 24 (Island) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse said that some NGOs surviving on foreign dollars were obstructing the progress of communal and religious reconciliation. He made the observation fielding questions from journalists after calling on the Mahanayake Theras yesterday. Ethno-religious harmony was extremely important but certain NGOs and a section of the media were all out to prevent country from achieving it, more..

June 25 (SL) Talks commenced last week between the UNP and SLFP in the Joint National Council of the two parties to renew for another period their memorandum of understanding reached two-and-a-half years ago for the formation of the National Govt. There will be a time lapse of six months in drawing up the MOU for the next two-and-a-half years which will be of much relevance to the progress of the country and the people. During these discussions there will be analyses of what has been done more..

June 25 (SO) The govt sector doctors are, again, on strike. And, again, at short notice. This time, the GMOA says, the issue is both SAITM and last week’s clash between rioting student mobs and the police. Readers, especially, those needing medical attention, will want to know the reason for this wildcat strike by the country’s main cadre of medical professionals. As citizens, we need to understand the significance of such a strike action that has a national social impact, more..

June 25 (SO) The island’s tea industry should be transformed into an organic and sustainable industry from the present chemically-managed, orthodox industry, says, MP Ven. Athuraliye Ratana thera. Thera made these remarks following our lead story on June 18 on a possible relaxation of the ban on the herbicide glyphosate after a committee recommendation. He is of the view that the agriculture sector more..

June 25 (Island) A politician of Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s seniority and experience would certainly not have been unaware that he would be walking on eggs when he made a parliamentary speech last week saying among other things that Poya Day ban on the sale of liquor and meat was foolish, impracticable and in any event was useless because people stocked-up the previous day. He also said that excessive taxation on so-called soft liquor, beer and wine, more..

June 25 (CT) Govt, according to information leaking out to the media from supposedly reliable top level insiders in the Govt, is set to continue in harness for another two years, up to the end of 2019 presumably. It's nothing short of being phenomenal that the partnership has survived two tumultuous years already in the face of what has unarguably been the most violent of all Oppositions in Parliament that this country has ever had, dwarfing in comparison the violent left-led Opposition more..

June 25 (CT) Following the ruckus that took place in the NPC after 21 members brought in a No Faith Motion against NPC Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran after he sent two ministers on compulsory leave on allegations of corruption, matter was settled by TNA Leader R. Sampanthan with the help of a Hindu priest and Bishop of Jaffna. CM said that it's too late for him to regret taking up the Chief Ministerial post & that he still belongs to TNA. more..

June 25 (Island) The events that people saw unfolding last Wednesday proved beyond a shadow of doubt what this writer said in the last two columns – that the latest spate of anti-Muslim violence unleashed by the BBS has been orchestrated by elements within the yahapalana govt that are trying to win over a section of the Sinhala Buddhist vote which has been gravitating heavily to Joint Opposition. We pointed out that both Champika Ranawaka and President Sirisena more..

June 25 (ST) My dear Wiggie, I thought I should write to you when I heard that Sampanthan seeya and you were having a good old fashioned fight, bringing the North to a halt with a hartal. In a way, it was a surprise because it is not every day that we hear of protests in the North now, though there is plenty of that in the South. Things got so heated that Sampanthan seeya’s party – or at least, some in his party – submitted a motion of no-confidence against you, and you were faced with more..

June 25 (ST) From time to time, Govts in this country have embarked on aggressive land acquisition drives citing development requisites. But when it comes to compensating those who are forced to give up their homes and businesses, wheels grind very slowly indeed–or, for some, not at all. Under Land Acquisition Act, State can secure any private land, provided it is for public purpose. There has been a significant rise in Section 2 notices, informing landowners that their more..

June 25 (SO) Elephants, they say, have a long memory. Not so, apparently, retired Army Officers. Last week, while a gaggle of ministers were grilling the Directors of Sri Lankan Airlines at a meeting convened at President´s office, one staffer overheard Minister Sarath Fonseka, plaintively asking who is this Sunil Peiris, I think there was a major in the Army by that name. The reason for that question became clearer as the meeting developed into a fracas of allegations more..

June 25 (CT) Leader of ITAK Mavai Senathirajah says that Tamil People's Council (TPC) has a hidden agenda to weaken the Party. "Their attempts are not at all going to do any damage to ITAK. People in the North and East have placed their confidence on TNA leader R. Sampanthan." Q: From your position as the ITAK leader how do you see the crisis situation that flared up in the NPC? A: It is a very unfortunate thing that had thrown more..

June 25 (Island) A journalist attached to our sister paper the Divaina, Saman Gamage, has been noticed to appear in the Gampaha Magistrate’s court in relation to the case filed by the CID against Brigadier Devapriya Gunawardene and others over the Rathupaswela incident. The court had issued the notice on a request made by the CID. The latter has reported to courts that the issue of the Divaina of May 28, 2017, had carried an article by journalist Saman Gamage titled more..

June 25 (CT) A large slice of the Treasury's recent raising of a US$ 400 million syndicated loan was transferred to Central Bank (CB) on Friday, which saw a surge in excess liquidity to the tune of Rs 24,456.26 million (US$ 159.48 m) as a result, interpretation of CBSL's daily open market operations, press releases showed. As CB deals in spot, conversions are based on the middle rate of spot as at Wednesday which was Rs 153.35 to the US$, according to market sources. more..

June 25 (CT) Largest mammal on Earth is the Blue Whale which is measured over a hundred feet in length. To say that you have seen such an awe-inspiring creature, is satisfying enough, but to be the person who made it possible for all of us to see it as well, is an honour in itself. However, Ayesh Ranawake, who pioneered in introducing Commercial Whale Watching to SL, regrets his involvement in this very lucrative venture. more..

June 25 (ST) Much has been happening since the Lankans returned home after their incident-filled cricket excursion to Old Blighty. Now, those who are involved with the game of cricket are on their toes and, at the same time, are also looking over their shoulders to see if there are any disparaging tell-tale signs haunting them. So much so, they are even trying to change some age old adages or, even turn a blind eye to the obvious. In one instance, upon the return to Maitland Place, more..

June 25 (ST) A powerful video doing the rounds in SL these days is a statement by Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong denying accusations by his siblings over a house he inherited from their father, legendary Lee Kuan Yew. Praised by many Sri Lankans on the exemplary behaviour of a PM, video which has gone viral shows Lee announcing a parliamentary debate on the spat that has gone public. He says he sold the house and donated the money to charity only after first offering it to more..

June 25 (ST) SLC is reportedly in discussions with former national cricketer Chandika Hathurusingha to replace head coach Graham Ford. Fielding coach Nic Pothas has taken over during the interim. Ford left the team midway through his four-year contract after SL’s early exit from the ICC Champion’s Trophy. When he was handed a 45-months contract early last year, current SLC administrators had considered Ford to be more..

June 25 (CNN) One of the hottest destinations in Asia right now, Sri Lanka continues to make it onto an increasing number of international travelers' itineraries. But to make the most of it, you're going to have to let things go a little bit south. From untouched beaches to a UNESCO World Heritage site, leopard-spotting safaris to monkey-filled jungles, SL's southern coastline is home to tropical surrounds, colonial digs and a wealth of wildlife. Bear in mind weather varies dramatically more..

June 25 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is in a deep slump at the moment, where the National team has hit a new low ranking of 8th in the ICC men's ODI ranking, while they are looking for their 10th coach since 2011, with SLC confirming that Head Coach Graham Ford had resigned. A statement by SLC stated that, "This was a decision arrived at mutually after careful consideration and deliberation and we are both confident of its propriety." It is learnt that Ford had left about a week ago. more..

June 25 (Island) On Saturday, exactly at 1pm, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed what we all feared. They had parted ways with one of the best coaches in the world – Graham Ford. Given the national cricket team’s poor run in recent times, that has seen Sri Lanka slip down to number eight in ODI and T-20 cricket and number seven in Test cricket, SLC has faced intense criticism and the easiest thing in any sporting environment more..

June 25 (Island) A media release in Oct 2016 by Sri Lankan Airlines stated among other things, "The airline’s Group Loss stood at LKR 9.03 billion, which represents a 45% improvement for the 2015/16 financial year compared to the previous year" (2014/15). The annual report confirmed a Group Loss of LKR 9.5 billion, excluding a penalty charge of LKR 2.5 billion, paid for cancellation of one A350-800. The media release by the national carrier published by The Island last week more..

June 25 (CI) New Zealand had never lost to Sri Lanka in nine previous ODI meetings. They had bowled Sri Lanka out for under 150 in eight of those games. For a while on Saturday in Bristol, they may have wondered if the tide had turned. Chamari Atapattu and Chamari Polgampola put together 92 for the second wicket as Sri Lanka progressed serenely to 141 for 1. Then, a moment of brilliance on the field from Suzie Bates - a tumbling catch low to her left to see off half-centurion Atapattu more..