Jun 6 (CI) In the eighth over of Sri Lanka's chase of 137, Pakistan appeared on course for their second straight loss of the tournament. But then came the first blow from offspinner Nida Dar, who removed the openers within three balls across two overs en route to claiming a record T20I haul of 5 for 21 in Pakistan's 23-run win. The victory, set up by captain Bismah Maroof's unbeaten 60, followed their shock loss to Bangladesh. Once the openers Yasoda Mendis and Nipuni Hansika departed more..

Jun 6 (Roar) Seeing a doctor is never fun, but a visit to a hospital can often be an insufferable hassle. More often than not, state hospitals are overcrowded, disorganized and noisy, and there is a good chance that you would have to dig up old medical records, lug them along with you in a bulky folder, and then cool your heels in a sweaty protracted queue for hours on end. Pieces of your medical history and information can get lost more..

Jun 6 (AD) The Joint Opposition is prepared to do anything to change the composition of the Parliament and remove the ‘cruel’ government if an election is not held, says MP C.B. Ratnayake. He said that they are even willing to make a deal with the devil in order to achieve this. The former minister charged that the JVP and the TNA abstained from voting during the secret ballot to elect a Deputy Speaker at Parliament yesterday based on the needs of the UNP. more..

Jun 6 (DM) South-West monsoon will result in winds over the island and the sea with rains in North-Western parts of the country from tomorrow, Meteorology Department said today. It said strong winds of up to 60 to 70 kmph could be expected in the Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Matale, Badulla, Monaragala, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts. Met Dept said there would be strong winds from time to time until June 11 warned more..

Jun 6 (CT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has said in the Parliament that steps are being taken to bring back Former Governor of CB Arjuna Mahendran to Sri Lanka according to the Extradition Law. He made this remark while answering a question by JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dissanayake queried as to what steps had been taken from the Govt’s side to produce Mahendran to relevant local Court thus far. more..

Jun 7 (CT) Any legitimate govt’s utmost responsibility will be to protect its own people from enemies, protect its territorial land, maintain law and order, improve its socioeconomic status, protect and safeguard its natural environment, historical and other nationally valued interests, and which is supportive of world peace. To have all these, no doubt, those govts need to have armies and police equipped with certain weapons. Such weapons need to produced or acquired from other countries more..

Jun 7 (DN) Almost unexpectedly, last week saw the emergence of a new political strategy from President Maithripala Sirisena who is attempting to consolidate his leadership of the SLFP, which is beset with internal divisions. The first hint of this came at the commemoration of the 76th birthday of Venerable Maduluwave Sobhitha Thera who provided inspirational leadership to the campaign against the Executive Presidency in late 2014, leading to the resignation of then Health Minister more..

Jun 7 (SO) Lal Wijenayake, former Chairman of the Public Representations Committee on a New Constitution and a close associate of the revered monk and spiritual leader of the Jan 8 movement, talks about Sobitha Thera who gave leadership to a fledgling opposition campaign and explains how the Yahapalanaya Govt’s 100 day program came to be. During a time of complete breakdown of democracy late Ven. Sobitha more..

Jun 7 (CT) 7:00 pm, 3 June 2018, Jaffna. I am at home quite flustered. About 45 minutes ago, there was a huge bang on our metallic fence and the sound of a disturbance. I went out to see what was going on. Pipes are being laid down our road, Chemmany Road. There are mixed feelings in the community as the pipes need to go through our compounds. Engineer Barathithasan of the Water Board spoke to me and I persuaded some doubtful neighbours that it was for the good of us all. more..

Jun 7 (DN) It is common knowledge that incredible technological changes are defining our current reality, impacting on our approach to society, to planning and to breaking new ground in terms of education. This phenomenon has immensely widened the gap between the teachers and their students. It is therefore imperative that educators must understand the overarching characteristics, perspectives and styles of the students belonging to the Z generation. more..

Jun 7 (CT) Chairman of the Land Reform Commission (LRC) Sampath Subasinghe Arachchi said that LRC was now mainly focussed in giving utmost priority to the families, who were affected by the 1972 Land Reform Act, in granting compensation or to give alternative lands. The role of the LRC, for a period over 45 years, has been performed on the provisions made by Land Reform Act amended from time to time, as well as, more..

Jun 7 (Island) Developing nations are considered more susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events as economic constrains make it difficult for them to deal with the damages caused by such events. They are also technologically less advanced and therefore lack access to adaptive technology. Being a natural resource dependent production process, agriculture is the most vulnerable to such events as floods and droughts. Consequently, agricultural activities of developing nations more..

Jun 7 (CT) Arjuna Ranatunge has only now, after three and a half years, registered that the President and PM have done nothing about the commitments made at the Prez election. But it is not surprising that he did not realize this way back in 2015, and suggest measures that could have been taken. For one realizes that he is a traditional politician, who makes noises about corruption and nepotism when it is convenient to do so, but engages in dubious practices when he is in power. more..

Jun 7 (CT) Prosperity is the ultimate goal of all economic activities and its applicability to national wellbeing will give it character, whether it is sensible or not. That in turn will depend on administrative policies which will have a direct bearing over the economic planning and implementation. If it is the sole objective of the political leadership, any difference would be in the paths taken. It shall depend on the priorities of the political leadership and it is obvious in our case that more..

Jun 7 (Island) Dutch are lucky. They have a PM they can be really proud of. PM Mark Rutte lives like an ordinary citizen without putting on airs and graces unlike his counterparts in the developing world. Educated and intelligent, he seems to have taken Kipling’s advice in If— to heart. He walks with kings without losing the common touch. Last year, he shunned security and protocol and cycled all the way to the Royal Palace to inform the King of the formation of the new govt. more..

Jun 7 (CT) For those who watch SL’s political scene Dayasiri Jayasekara has always been a character that has not held much gravitas, but provided us the lighter side of politics. Blessed with a mellifluous voice good enough to grant him a career as a singer like his brother if he wished so, as well as good looks and a pleasant manner, Jayasekara has been consistently a popular politician, winning votes in his native Kurunegala whatever more..

Jun 7 (CT) The Professional Sports Journalists Association of Sri Lanka (PSJASL) held its Members Night last Saturday at the MCA. The event was graced by incumbent Minister of Sports Faiszer Musthapha and former Minister of Sports Dayasiri Jayasekara, who jointly launched the official website of the Association. The event also saw a donations being received for the proposed insurance scheme for sports journalists, a raffle draw, a musical show and many more events. more..

Jun 7 (ST) You can retain the best architect and use the best mortar and brick; also have the choicest, gilded doors and windows but, at the end of all that effort, you end-up building a house. However, if you are desirous of making a home out of that house, it requires various ingredients and such ingredients are inexpensive and available, if only you are willing to seek. But, at the same time, it cannot be measured with gold and silver or rupees and cents. A home is generally based on values/ethics. more..

Jun 7 (CT) Vishaka Vidyalaya’s 14-year-old swimmer Ganga Senavirathne dazzled to shatter Olympian Kimiko Raheem swimming record as a total of eight records were set with that at the 45th Sri Lanka Schools Swimming Championship which commenced at the Sugathadasa swimming pool yesterday. As usual St. Joseph’s College Maradana and Mahamaya Girls College Kandy showed their supremacy more..

Jun 7 (CT) Nestlé has once been ranked Sri Lanka’s Most Valuable Food and Beverage Brand in 2018 by Brand Finance, in its annual report of Sri Lanka’s most valuable and strongest brands. This marks the sixth consecutive year in which the company has been ranked amongst Sri Lanka’s Top 10 Most Valuable Brands. Moving up from 2017, with an increase in its brand value, Nestlé secured an overall rank of Number 7 out of 100 corporate brands from varying industries. more..

Jun 7 (OBG) Following a series of climate-impacted yields, Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector is forecast to rebound in 2018, with stronger rice production and the reintroduction of tariffs expected to reduce the country’s import bill and strengthen national earnings. Rice production for the 2017/18 Maha season, which runs from Sept to March, is estimated to have reached 2.4m tonnes, according to Dept of Agriculture data, a 60% increase on the Maha 2016/17 harvest of 1.5m tonnes. more..

Jun 7 (CI) Suranga Lakmal moved the ball skillfully in the morning, and Lahiru Kumara bowled aggressively all day, but a 90-run sixth-wicket stand between Jason Holder and Shane Dowrich ensured the hosts emerged from day one with some credit. They are 246 for 6, at stumps, having progressed cautiously through the afternoon and evening sessions. That the most reticent batsmen finished as the day's top scorer is fitting more..

Jun 7 (DN) ZTDH Investments Co, LTD (HK) based in China, the main developer of South Asia’s tallest tower, The One will be investing over US$ 1.3 billion in Sri Lanka. General Manager, ZTDH Investments Co, Sam Hu, said that they have already invested over $ 400 million for The One project where the first stage would be ready by 2021 end. “We are building three towers and work on the two towers that are now in progress. “ We will break ground and start piling for the third tower by August. more..

Jun 7 (DN) A very productive meeting was held between Minister of Provincial Councils, Local Governments and Sports Faiszer Mustapha and chairman of ICC Shashank Manohar yesterday morning at the ICC head office in Dubai. Amidst robust discussions about the overall development of Sri Lanka Cricket, both internationally and locally, the minister also took the opportunity to bring the ICC chief up-todate on the current administrative status of Sri Lanka Cricket. more..

Jun 7 (DM) An application (App) for mobile devices has been launched for state university students to instantly inform the authorities of ragging incidents as a step to eradicate the ragging menace from universities, Higher Education Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. He said that all state university students in the country had access to this application and they could inform the UGC of ragging incidents via the App. more..

Jun 7 (Island) The CID, probing the abduction and assault on Keith Noyahr, Associate Editor, The Nation in May 2008 is expected to record a statement from former President Rajapaksa soon. A senior police officer said that investigators had decided to clarify some issues with the former President following a statement recorded from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. Jayasuriya is reported to have told the CID that he had saved Noyahr’s life by promptly getting in touch with the then Prez more..

Jun 7 (DM) Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne should obtain the approval of the SL College of Oncologists (SLCO) before importing foreign cancer treatment vaccines, GMOA said. GMOA Vice President and Consultant Gynaecologic Oncologist Dr. Sarada Kannangara said that oncology was a specialised area that required the approval of not only the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) but also the SLCO. Dr. Kannangara said it was not informed that the minister had more..

Jun 7 (DM) The govt has stepped up its efforts to bring former diplomats Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Udayanga Weeratunga to justice, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday. He said Jaliya Wickramasuriya had been charged with misusing US dollars 300,000 by claiming that the money was spent to purchase a new building to be used as the Sri Lankan Embassy in the US. more..

Jun 7 (FT) The LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) increased by eight basis points to 106 in May, according to the latest edition of business magazine LMD. LMD notes that this recovery follows two months of decline resulting from political uncertainty. However, it notes that the one-of-a-kind index fell short of its 12 month average of 116. In the June edition of the magazine, Nielsen’s Managing Director Sharang Pant points to perceptions that political instability has tapered and more..

Jun 7 (DM) Signs of a serious rift within the Gang of 16 have begun to appear, they say. When most of them insist that they should lose no time in teaming up with the former strongman, there is a trio adamant they should make this irrevocable move along with their present party leader pointing out that it is politically suicidal for them all to burn bridges behind without the latter in tow. The flamboyant one from Uva is the most articulate one among the three dissidents. more..

Jun 7 (EN) Sri Lanka's decision to privatize state-run plantations in the 1990s was correct, but not all of the new owners were running them well, Plantations Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake said. "The decision taken by President R Premadasa in 1992 to privatize (or peoplise) estates, was a bold decision," Dissanayake told forum of top executives of privatized plantations. more..

Jun 7 (CT) Former Permanent Representative of SL to the UN Office in Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam says that SL is fast losing its economic sovereignty. She made this observation during a speech at a discussion organized by the SL Association for Political Economy (SLAPE) held at the Uni of Colombo. Kunanayakam pointed out that SL’s situation is qualitatively worse than being caught in a debt trap. She said that the policies made by the current govt, and their implementations, more..

Jun 7 (FT) The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) Chairman Prof. Rohan Samarajiva yesterday tipped that the Government is all set to announce a digital economic strategy in the next couple of weeks. “The Government has come up with a digital economic strategy, a very well-considered, broadly consulted digital strategy.” It will be announced in the next few weeks, he said delivering the keynote address at the National Chamber of Exporters (NCE). more..

Jun 7 (AD) Co-cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne says that the govt’s 100-day programme was designed by a group including civil society members, lecturers and that even he contributed to formulating it. He said that there is no alternative apart from the UNP and the SLFP going ahead together. He stated that there programme can only be implemented if they are in power and that if not the only thing they will be able to do is decorate more..

Jun 7 (SL) Sri Lanka was elected today (6) to one of four seats available for the Asia-Pacific, in the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, for the period 2018-2022, at the election that took place in Paris during the 7th General Assembly of UNESCO. Eight countries contested from the Asia-Pacific Group, namely, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Malaysia, Palau and Sri Lanka. With Palau withdrawing its candidature earlier today, more..

Jun 7 (Island) The JO was attempting to sabotage the Singapore-SL Free Trade Agreement with unfounded criticisms, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament. PM said so, fielding a question posed by JO MP Bandula Gunawardena, who alleged that the govt had entered into the trade agreement without informing Parliament or initiating an open dialogue with professionals’ associations and the general public. Gunawardena called on the govt to suspend the implementation of the agreement and more..

Jun 7 (FT) Govt is to introduce a National Evaluation Policy in July to improve independent monitoring of policy implementation and set standards for project assessment at State level, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament. The new policy was introduced by the National Policies and Economic Affairs Ministry that is headed by Wickremesinghe and has been in the works for the past year. more..

Jun 7 (PMD) Prez Sirisena has given instructions to the Minister of Finance to inform the relevant institutions in written not to charge the 14% of withholding taxes for the sale of Tele Dramas, rectifying the present position of charging 14% of withholding taxes when selling Tele Dramas. This tax was levied due to the wrong interpretation of the new tax policy. President further said that, if there is any obstacles for the progress of the field of art, including the local cinema industry more..

Jun 7 (Island) Officials of the Attorney General’s Department requested the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka to request the Presidential Secretariat to provide it with adequate resources after yesterday’s session had to be adjourned as the PCoI secretariat failed to provide minutes of Monday’s proceedings. AG’s Department officials wanted to examine Monday’s proceedings to continue questioning more..