June 27 (SL) Renowned journalist Poddala Jayantha has expressed suspicion that the Mahinda Rajapaksa govt was behind his abduction and assault. Having left the country after the incident he has requested the CID to take on the investigations regarding his case. Accordingly, the CID has notified him that the investigations will be carried forward on the instructions of the IGP. more..

June 27 (Island) Prof. Milton Rajaratne of the University of Peradeniya has proposed that a new city be build to ease the existing traffic congestion and air pollution in Kandy. Speaking at a meeting organised by Kandy Citizens’ Front, he said that the ideal site to build the New City of Kandy was Gannoruwa. Establishing new cities was not a new concept and that method had been successfully tried out in several other countries and even in Sri Lanka, the Prof. said. more..

June 27 (CT) As Sri Lankans, we consider ourselves to be a proud race among the many of those that make up the humankind on this planet. We, as Sri Lankans, are proud to say that we are many things - the most literate in the Asian zone during the 1980s or something, proud to say that we have a successful fascination with Googling the word sex every year and several other things. However, there has been one thing that we have not been aware of doing since we goshdarn preferred to be more..

June 27 (DN)  Sri Lanka as a Buddhist nation gained international prestige by successfully conducting the UN Vesak Day festival recently. While engaging in such activities we should also try to protect and safeguard Buddhism without leaving room for any misgivings about Buddhism, said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. Irrespective of whether we belong to the Buddhist clergy or laity, we should not create the impression that Buddhism is an extremist religion by word or deed. more..

June 27 (Island)  A burglar who tried to escape with goods worth of millions of rupees from a shop in Warakapola was shot dead by police in the early hours yesterday. The suspect had been shot by policemen when he tried to throw a hand grenade at them, police said, adding that he had succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the Warakapola hospital. The identity of the suspect had not been established by police at the time this edition went to press. more..

June 27 (PSL)  A felicitation ceremony to celebrate 50th anniversary of artistic life of the veteran film director Dr. Dharmasena Pathiraja who rendered a significant service to the progress of SL cinema, was held yesterday at Tharangani Hall in National Film Corporation. President Sirisena attended the ceremony. Govt’s Information Department organized this felicitation ceremony under the theme more..

June 27 (PSL)  Religious ceremony to open the newly built Dharmashala Mandiraya of Sri Maha Bodhi Maha Viharaya in Dehiwala was held today (26) with participation of President Maithripala Sirisena. The President who engaged in religious activities, declared open the new building by unveiling the plaque. He performed the first offering of flowers to the Buddha statue in the shrine room of the Dharma Shala Mandiraya. Maha Nayaka of Amarapura Maha Nikaya, more..

June 27 (DN)  Attorney-at-Law Lakshan Dias who alleged that nearly 160 churches in the country had come under attack has been ordered by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) to elucidate on his statement by naming each and every church so attacked individually through an affidavit. The order has been communicated to Dias in Writing said Bar Association President U.R.de Silva. “This is in keeping with a decision taken by the Association at its monthly meeting,” he said. more..

June 27 (EN)  A pharmaceutical manufacturing plant that will make drugs to control diabetes, cholesterol and high blood pressure has been opened in Sri Lanka under a govt initiative to reduce dependence on imported medicine. Celogen Lanka (Pvt) Ltd will employ 150 workers including 80 uni graduates.  “The manufacturing facility is very significant because it is a joint venture between Sri Lankan & Indian entrepreneurs, more..

June 27 (PSL)  Ms Jayathma Wickramanayake, who has been appointed as the new UN Envoy on Youth by UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, today. The President appreciated Ms Wickramanayake for bringing honor to motherland at international fora and wished her strength and courage to render great service for the youth of the world including Sri Lankan youth. Having represented and motivated more..

June 27 (EN)  Revenues state-run Independent Television Network plunged 27% in 2016 to Rs. 1,885 million, and the state lost Rs. 162 million, while revenues at another state networks also dropped but losses narrowed. At SL Rupavahini Corporation, revenues dropped 1.4% to Rs. 2,115 million and it lost Rs. 160 million, lower than a 375 million rupees a year earlier, a Treasury. It is not clear whether revenues dropped due to competition from private networks for advertising. more..

June 27 (DM)  Cabinet has approved a proposal permitting govt to take over Neville Fernando Hospital attached to SAITM, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said. However, he said govt had decided to allow SAITM to function as a non-state medical college despite demands by student unions of state universities and GMOA to nationalize it. Dr. Neville Fernando was prepared to handover the hospital to be administered by govt and had not sought more..

June 27 (DN) At a meeting chaired by President Sirisena on waste management it was decided that the responsibility of waste collection within the city would be given over to Chief Minister of the Western Province, Isura Devapriya. Other issues including the reconstruction of garbage dumps, removal of garbage piling up in flood affected areas, introduction of machines to produce compost within a short period, obtaining the contribution of private sector to streamline waste management, more..

June 27 (AM)  Deputy Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Arundika Fernando was summoned before FCID today to make a statement relating to his meeting with former ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weerathunga in Japan. He had posted pictures of himself with the former Ambassador to Russia against whom there is a warrant out for arrest. Deputy Minister's visit to Japan coincided with former President Rajapaksa's visit to Japan. more..

June 27 (NR) Secretary to President, PB Abeykoon has denied statements alleging the circular released by the Presidential Secretariat pertaining to the govt’s stance on the SAITM would be amended. He said the circular was issued upon the directives of President Sirisena. PB Abeykoon said a report by the Secretary to GMOA was an attempt to circulate false information among the public. more..

June 27 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate has issued three restraining orders preventing protests by SL Nurses’ Association, Inter University Bikku Federation (IUBF) and Student Union of the University of Aesthetics Studies. Court issued the orders following a request made by Deputy Solicitor General DSG Janaka Bandara. SL Nurses’ Association was to launch a protest in front of Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medicine, showing its displeasure of student unions more..

June 27 (FT) It has been proven over time how sports strategies can be used by many other disciplines. An eagerly anticipated event on the cricketing calendar was the ICC Champions Trophy. An underdog in terms of its rank went on to win the championship, beating top cricketing nations to offer a lesson to the world. In fact some called it the new ethos that the world needed to pick up given the challenging conditions that the world is operating in. Let me identify strategies that SL can adopt. more..

June 27 (Island) France, a major donor of the Global Fund Board to fight against malaria,  tuberculosis and AIDS  is exploring the possibility of introducing an effective vaccine against dengue fever in SL, says French Ambassador Jean-Marin Schuh. He said that a French firm had marketed a vaccine against dengue fever in a number of South Asian and South American countries and it hoped to do the same  in Sri Lanka as well. more..

June 27 (Xinhua) Sri Lanka has sought assistance from the World Bank for the conservation of its wild elephant population. SL boasts 6,000 wild elephants. It is a major tourist attraction in the island nation. Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Department W.S.K. Pathiratne said that another countrywide census would be conducted at the end of the year to estimate the total number of jumbos in the wild. The last was conducted in 2011. "We found 5789 elephants in the wild. It is a high more..

June 27 (EN) Ambassadors of Japan in five South Asian countries met Minister Ravi Karunanayake Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo. Taking part were Japanese ambassadors in India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Bangladesh along with the Japanese envoy in SL Kenichi Suganuma. “Japanese ambassadors who hailed the ongoing development activities in SL pointed out the growth in the country is a matter of pride for other nations in the region,” more..

June 27 (NR) The GMOA today announced that Joint trade union action will be resorted to, if the govt fails to reach a flexible decision pertaining to SAITM. GMOA Secretary Haritha Aluthge said the association is left with no choice but to resort to such a decision. Haritha Aluthge said the govt has no choice but to resort to an indefinite strike, together with trade unions that joined it today and expressed their allegiance to its cause. more..

June 27 (DN) The Police in a three-day joint operation with the Army have arrested 454 errant individuals dumping garbage at various locations within the Western Province. “The Police will file legal action against the individuals arrested for illegal garbage dumping. The respective Police stations where the individuals were arrested will carry out this process,” a statement said. “The raids to nab errant garbage dumpers will continue,” the Police further said. more..

June 27 (SLA) President Sirisena, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has promoted the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Crisanthe De Silva, to the rank of General to be effective from today. He has been serving as the 21st Commander of SL Army to-date since 22 Feb 2015. Enlisted to the Army on 6th Feb 1980 and commissioned afterwards on 18th July 1981 as a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of SL Engineers, he counts an exemplary service career spanning more..

June 27 (Xinhua) Minister John Amaratunga vowed to look into the safety and health of tourists by advising restaurants and eating houses to maintain high quality standards. In a ceremony to award certificates to restaurants who have been identified as Tourist Friendly Eating Places in Colombo, he said govt was keen to ensure that SL was a safe destination especially for tourists who were looking to enjoy a diverse cuisine. more..

June 27 (DM) Postal services countywide came to a standstill today because of the work stoppage launched by the members of the United Postal Trade Union’s Front, Post Master General Rohana Abeyratne said. Trade union representatives were scheduled to meet officials at the Ministry of Postal Services to discuss their demands and resolve the crisis. PMG said union leaders had held discussions with Postal Department officials but both parties were unable to come to an agreement. more..

June 27 (DM) While promising to upgrade waste disposal services in the province, Western Province CM Isuru Devapriya said laws would be introduced to stop people from transporting and dumping garbage. He said that he had requested local govt authorities to submit a report on the labour and machinery requirements to provide a comprehensive service with regard to garbage disposal. “We will recruit more labour and purchase more machinery no sooner we receive relevant information,” more..

June 27 (DM) The joint opposition (JO) said today it would take legal action against the govt decision to place the Development Lotteries Board (DLB) and the National Lotteries Board (NLB) under the purview of the Foreign Affairs Ministry by violating the Financial Act. MP Bandula Gunawardena said that according to Finance Act No.11 of 1963, it was the Finance Minister who was the minister authorized to regulate the NLB. more..

June 28 (SL) Hundreds of prominent individuals covering various spectrums and more than 30 organisations had come hard on a recent statement by Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe threatening to remove an attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court. SL Chapter of South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA-SL) strongly condemns the recent statements by Minister threatening to deny the license of professional practice of Attorney-at-Law Lakshan Dias for raising issues of more..

June 28 (CT) I am sorry, We are sorry. These are the words I heard very frequently, while traveling in public transport during my short stay in London with my daughter’s family. These words came out from youngsters who were occupying seats reserved for disabled people or the people with special needs, traveling in buses. Those are called priority seats. These youngsters exclaimed these words through some sort of guilty conscience when I entered the bus with my walking stick in hand. more..

June 28 (SO) International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with UNICEF and Girl Guides’ Association organized an event to commemorate World Day Against Child Labour. It was held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, on June 22. The commemoration of World Day Against Child Labour which falls on June 12 every year was postponed to June 22 due to the the recent floods and landslides. more..

June 28 (CT) In the year 2015 the good governance Govt started a new term of office, promising a more democratic country with restored justice. The main promises of the Govt revolved around peace building, reconciliation, constitutional reforms, and eradication of corruption. It is incorrect to say that, these promises are entirely ignored; rather it clearly shows that promises were and are in the process of being fulfilled. The granting GSP+ to Sri Lanka has taken the country to another level more..

June 28 (SL) The govt is on an overdrive in an attempt to address a food security crisis which is expected to arise in the country during the next few months. A government source said that talks are underway with several countries to import rice in order to reduce the impact of the shortage of rice. According to a report published last week by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) a severe drought followed by heavy rainfall has hit large cropping areas, more..

June 28 (SL) Former Minister Douglas Devananda says the political situation in the country has become more democratic, tolerant and conducive for the Tamil people to express their frustrations and grievances openly without fear and intimidation. EPDP leader also insisted that his party never operated as a paramilitary organisation. Q: What is your opinion on the measures taken by govt to address the issues faced by Tamils? more..

June 28 (Island) The Northern Provincial Council (NPC), its activities and politics, attracts far more national and even international level political attention than its counterparts in the other eight provinces, due to several reasons. Firstly, devolution of power is a core aspect of Tamil politics. Secondly the NPC is and will continue to be Sri Lanka’s consistently opposition-controlled provincial council and thirdly the post war, international pressure that led to the holding of the NPC. more..

June 28 (Island) Some Arab nations may have thought US President Donald Trump had softened his stand on Islam when he said in Riyadh a few weeks ago that Islam was one of the world’s great faiths. But, while they are falling over themselves to curry favour with the US, Trump has demonstrated that he is no respecter of Islam; he has discontinued the 20 year-old tradition of hosting Ramadan dinner at the White House. There has been a howl of protest against his decision, more..

June 28 (DN) The state of Zimbabwe cricket today is a sad story. When they were granted Test status in 1992 Zimbabwe were looked as one of the top contenders in world cricket with a galaxy of cricketers of the calibre of Dave Houghton, Andy Pycroft, the Flower brothers Andy and Grant, Eddo Brandes, Heath Streak, Alastair Campbell, Neil Johnson and Murray Goodwin to name a few. But over the years Zimbabwe cricket has deteriorated to extent that they are no longer cricketing force more..

June 28 (Island) Mahaweli Authority was set up as the lead agency for the large and diverse development programme for the generation of hydropower and increasing agricultural productivity and other income generating activities in the country. The earlier mooted existing plans for the project were considerably accelerated from 30 years to 6 years by President J.R. Jayewardene, following the defeat of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike govt in 1977, as he assessed that the need of more..

June 28 (CI) Dinesh Chandimal has been left out of SL's squad for the first two ODIs against Zimbabwe. Uncapped 19-year-old spin allrounder Wanidu Hasaranga was named in 13-member team, with recalls for spinner Akila Dananjaya and seamer Lahiru Madushanka, along with fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who has not played international cricket since Dec 2016. Chandimal, SL's highest run-getter in ODIs in 2016, more..