Jul 20 (FT) The JVP in Parliament said that the country had no economic independence as a direct result of the unfeasible large-scale development projects undertaken by the previous Govt while alleging that former President Rajapaksa had received Rs. 198 million from one Chinese company alone in the run up to the 2015 Presidential election. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake made these claims while more..

Jul 20 (DM) Sri Lanka’s teacher trade unions through their strike actions have time and again negatively impacted the studies of children. Yesterday they were set to launch strike action against the questionable appointments of many teachers to the education sector. The appointment of unqualified individuals to the education sector must be checked and no parent nor Govt official would contest such efforts. But what is of great concern is overall decline in the commitment more..

Jul 20 (DM) Sri Lanka needed a revolution, we were told. This was way back in 2014, when Uva PC elections confirmed that the UNP, far from being the eternally defeated, could wield enough support among the grassroots for it to come back to power. That it did return as a majority owed more to Maithripala Sirisena’s candidature than anything else, but for now let’s forget that. Let’s concentrate instead on a key element and demographic which voted this present govt to power: the youth. more..

Jul 20 (ST) The new spot fine system effective from today (15), will help reduce the enormous road accident toll. The high number of fatal road accidents is driving reform of the current outdated fine system, National Council for Road Safety Chairman Sisira Kodagoda said. “There are many accidents that go unreported at hospitals, police stations and so on, as a result of which many accidents are not entirely recorded,” more..

Jul 20 (FT) For Sri Lanka’s exports to reach ultimate success they have to become the business of all stakeholders, Minister Malik Samarawickrama said yesterday, calling on all officials and the private sector to join the National Export Strategy (NES) implementation. He insisted on the importance of everyone’s commitment to driving it forward. “We need to collaborate to ensure things happen on the focused priority sectors more..

Jul 20 (FT) The Civil Society Collective (CSC) urged people bring a righteous leader as the President rather than former Secretary of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Joint Convener of the CSC, Saman Ratnapriya warned that the country’s political scene was threatened by the possibility of Rajapaksa being nominated as the next Prez Candidate from the SLPP. However, people should not act or think for a moment that more..

Jul 20 (Island) British Govt this week acknowledged that wartime dispatches from its diplomatic mission in Colombo hadn’t been considered in the preparation of its Annual Human Rights Report 2017. A British High Commission Spokesperson said that the Annual Human Rights Report published on 16 July covered incidents that took place between Jan and Dec 2017. Spokesperson called the annual report an important part of more..

Jul 20 (CT) The Govt will go ahead with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore as it will enhance the SL economy and the Agreement over Mattala Airport will be signed, within this year, with the Indian Govt, to reduce the economic damage resulting from the continued maintenance of the Airport, State Minister Eran Wickremaratne said. He said that the country would not be able to move forward and more..

Jul 20 (Island) Senior Manager Group Assurance and Advisory Services of Sri Lankan Mahesh Nanayakkara,, lamented the lack of support from various departments at SriLankan Airlines for its internal auditors. Giving evidence before the PCoI on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka, he said that most departments had adapted a catch me if you can attitude. more..

Jul 20 (Island) Minister Arjuna Ranatunga told Parliament, on Wednesday, that it was not his duty to explain the fuel price revising formula to the country. The onus was on the Ministry of Finance to reveal the formula, Minister Ranatunga said in answer to a question raised by NFF MP Jayantha Samaraweera. Ranatunga said that he, too, hoped that the formula would be disclosed to the public very soon. more..

Jul 20 (Island) The JVP yesterday charged in parliament that a British MP had been paid Rs. 45 million to promote SL’s image in the UK. It called for an investigation to find out who was responsible for the payment. "UK MP Ian Paisley was suspended for 30 days by the British Parliament for being a paid advocate for the SL Govt in 2013," JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake said. The MP made that call while taking part in more..

Jul 20 (EN) A witness who bared details of a 400 million rupee procurement scam in state-run SriLankan Airlines involving a party with links to the then administration, at a commission of inquiry said she feared for her life if there was a change in govt. The witness said there had been no reply from the Department of Attorney General for her inquiries regarding witness protection. The Commission is probing alleged frauds and more..

Jul 20 (CT) Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), requested Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne to consider releasing pre-Treasury Bonds issue assets, owned by the PTL, that have been frozen by the CB. President’s Counsel Anil Silva, submitting his application to Chief Magistrate Jayaratne, noted that there was approximately over Rs one billion in assets, earned and owned by the PTL, currently frozen more..

Jul 20 (CT) The importance of a small country like Sri Lanka conforming to global accounting and banking standards is that it opens the doors for global capital inflows led by the Sovereign raising debt capital, offshore. This was said by Brian McEnery, Director, National Asset Management Agency, Ireland (NAMA), which manages bad banking loans totalling Euro 74 billion, brought about by the 2007 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), at a seminar organized by the Int'l Chamber more..

Jul 20 (FT) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct to hell… Or – as the author had it – the other place. Of course, Charles Dickens was writing more..

Jul 20 (EN) Sri Lanka will investigate reports of tourists being harassed at immigration control, tourism minister John Amaratunga said. "We have many problems with the immigration at the int'l airport," he said. "The minister of aviation has decided to set up a committee with him myself and the minister for immigration to slowly look into this problem of harassment being meted out to some of the tourists and the delays that are caused at the international airport." more..

Jul 20 (SLN) Sri Lanka Navy, today brought a critically ill fisherman ashore for medical treatment, with the assistance of Indian Coast Guard. The person had set off for fishing practices onboard the multiday fishing trawler Neli Duwa from Trincomalee on 03rd of this month. Acting on information disseminated by the Department of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, the SL Navy promptly directed a Fast Attack Craft attached to the Eastern Naval Command to the location. more..

Jul 20 (EN) Investors at SL's main export industrial zone have hailed a new export strategy but said there were critical labour shortages, which may require foreign workers to fill as free trade deals opened new markets. Free Trade Zone Manufacturers’ Association (FTZMA), representing investors in Katunayake export processing zone said the country's National Export Strategy was launched on July 19, more..

Jul 20 (NR) Parliamentary Select Committee on High Posts has temporarily suspended Prez Sirisena's recommendation to appoint Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka as the SL Ambassador to Russia. The appointment was temporarily suspended due to several petitions filed by experts in various sectors against Dr. Jayatilleka. Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on High Posts MP Bimal Ratnayake said around 15 civil organizations had also filed petitions against the appointment of more..

Jul 20 (GDI) President Maithripala Sirisena returned to the Island today (20) after completing a successful six-day official visit to attend the 24th session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO) and the 6th World Forest Week organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy and the Open Government Partnership Global Summit 2018 in Tbillisi inn Georgia. The President’s tours to Rome and Georgia could be considered as yet another successful steps more..

Jul 20 (CI) Keshav Maharaj singlehandedly kept South Africa competing on a dry pitch in Colombo, where claiming the best figures by a visiting spinner on Sri Lankan soil. Maharaj was operating as the only specialist spinner in the XI, and his career-best 8 for 116 engineered mini-collapses in a SL innings that could not sustain its strong start. Danushka Gunathilaka and Dimuth Karunaratne, put on the first century stand more..

Jul 20 (NR) Notice has been issued to the Former Secretary of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa and six others to appear before Court over the case filed regarding the misappropriation of funds in the construction of the DA Rajapaksa Museum in Weeraketiya. Accordingly the Colombo Additional Magistrate ordered the defendants to appear before Court on the 7th of Sept. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the group are charged of misappropriating a sum of 91 million rupees for the construction of more..

Jul 20 (AD) The construction work on the National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, which is to be built as a gift from China, will commence tomorrow under the patronage of President Sirisena. This new hospital is being built as the largest kidney hospital in South Asia, at a cost of Rs. 1.2 billion, fulfilling a long term aspiration of the President to provide services for kidney patients. The hospital would be a great asset and a gift to the people of SL, not only for the people living in more..

Jul 20 (AD) The Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) today summoned the Associate Editor of Rivira newspaper Tissa Ravindra Perera for questioning regarding an article published in the newspaper regarding a possible resurgence of the LTTE. The article was published following the arrest of several suspects with LTTE uniforms and claymores on June 22. The journalist said that the expose was based on information provided more..

Jul 20 (NR) MP Dinesh Gunawardena has requested Speaker of House Karu Jayasuriya to convene the Steering Committee to probe an alleged issue within the Committee. Speaking in Parliament MP Gunawardena said all specialists of the Steering Committee should be summoned to determine the cause that has stirred this concern. MP Dayasiri Jayasekara yesterday speaking in Parliament said an article included in the draft bill of the proposed Constitution pertaining to more..

Jul 20 (AD) The Cabinet Minister of Project Management, Youth Affairs and Southern Development Sagala Ratnayaka stated that the Galle Int'l Stadium will not be removed from its current location and that, however the unauthorized pavilion in the stadium will be removed. Accordingly, national and international tournaments will continue to be played at the Galle International Stadium and a new world-class cricket stadium is planned to be constructed in the Galle district, he added. more..

Jul 20 (CI) SL legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay has been put on probation with a one-year suspension sentence from all forms of int'l cricket and also fined 20% of his annual contract fee. Vandersay was penalised by SLC for a misconduct reported over a night out in St Lucia during the recent West Indies tour. It means he can continue to play but will be suspended from all forms of cricket for a year if there is a breach of more..

Jul 20 (DM) On the 18th of July 2018 at a press conference held at the OZO in Colombo, the Sri Lanka Gem & Jewelry Association announced the launch of the 28th edition of the FACETS International Gem & Jewelry Exhibition. The exhibition is to be held from the 30thof August to the 2ndof September at the BMICH. The inauguration ceremony on the 30thof August will be graced by His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena as chief guest and Mr.Vladyslav Yavorskyy, more..

Jul 20 (Island) Attorney General’s Department officials on Wednesday requested the PCoI to investigate an agreement Kuma Stickers Ltd had presented to SriLankan Airlines as it was different from the one it had signed with the Airport and Aviation Services Ltd. The request was made after Somaratna de Silva, Manager of Commercial and Properties of Airport and Aviation Services Ltd told the commission that it had never signed a five-year agreement with Kuma Stickers as more..

Jul 20 (DM) The 16-member SLFP group said today they had decided to join the Ekabadda Podu Jana Peramuna, a grand alliance which is to be formed under the leadership of former President Rajapaksa. This was revealed by MP Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena. “The 16-member group is happy about the decision to quit the govt because it is all out to sell national assets. We will join the protest and rally that is being organised by more..

Jul 20 (DM) Mahela Jayawardena today asked what was the purpose behind constructing a second stadium in Galle if the current one would not be removed. “Why do you need another stadium in Galle if you are not removing the current one? Just change the pavilion structure if that is the issue,” the start cricketer tweeted in response to the Govt. Govt said only a pavilion at the Galle cricket stadium would be removed. However, it said another stadium would be constructed in the district. more..

Jul 20 (FT) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), in collaboration with the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT), South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT) and the Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT), has organised, for the first time, the Port of Colombo Awards Night 2018. The ceremony will be held on Monday (23) at 6.00p.m. at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. The Chief Guest of the event will be Minister of Ports and Shipping Mahinda Samarasinghe. more..

Jul 20 (AD) The Organized Crimes Prevention Division (OCPD) has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that further investigations will be carried out regarding the statement of former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaren regarding the LTTE. The case was taken up before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake. Police informed the court that they have obtained testimonies from nearly 40 individuals more..

Jul 20 (GDI) Measures have been taken to recruit 250 graduates to the CIABOC as investigative officers. Up to now police officers have been deployed as investigative officers and last year around 200 police officers have been attached to the Commission to conduct investigations. This is the first time that graduates will be recruited outside the police department to serve as investigative officers. A gazette notification advertising the vacancies has been issued on 8 June 2018. more..

Jul 20 (DM) Sri Lanka has made great strides in eradicating child labour by establishing Child Labour Free Zones (CLFZ) and monitoring children who fail to attend schools, Sri Lankan delegates told the High-Level meeting on ‘Target 8.7’ of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) held in New York on Wednesday. The fact sheet presented by Minister Ravindra Samaraweera to the High-Level meeting explained how a district-wide plan got children out of work and into school more..

Jul 20 (DM) Following an order from the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) during the hearing of the RTI appeal filed by the Airline Pilots’ Guild of SL, SriLankan Airlines disclosed its top management’s salaries and the cost of personal flying training, borne by the company for its former CEO Suren Ratwatte. RTIC Chaired by Mahinda Gammanpila on June 12 ruled that the SriLankan should divulge information more..

Jul 21 (CT) In modern era, it seems to think of that technology become essential need of every human being whereas drinking water has inevitably been positioned as below to that of basic or let say it became a lucrative commodity in modern context. It is very sad to state as well that despite Sri Lanka has been proudly alluded itself as a sea locked country having abundant of water resources inside as well as outside of the country, frequent water cut and consuming salty water have become more..

Jul 21 (DN) The City of Love. The City of Peace. City of Order. The City of Justice. We all need it. We can’t live without it. In other words, we need to create Women Friendly Cities. This is why the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) has invited a non-profit organisation – Stand by Me to join them in the initiative to promote the idea of Women Friendly Cities. A city where a woman can feel safe and secure and a city where she can contribute to the betterment of society without hindrance. more..

Jul 21 (SO) Astoria, Colombo, is a massive building under construction, in front of Mahanama College, in Kollupitiya.To the right of the building there is a pandal-shaped gate with the name, CHINA STATE CONSTRUCTION ENGRG. CORPORATION. LTD. We stepped out of the van and approached the construction site. It was around 5.30 in the evening. Chinese workers who had finished their work for the day were more..