Jun 8 (CT) During the 30 years of terrorism, though we lived with the constant threat of bombs, we never fully grasped that we were a country at war. Therefore, even when we celebrated our victory against terrorism, it is difficult for us to understand the great dedication and the sacrifice of our forces to win that war. Without the silent work of our Military Intelligence, this war could never have been won. The fact that our Military personnel and Intelligence groups are being investigated, detained, more..

Jun 8 (CT) In terms of the Article 12(2), Chapter III on fundamental rights of the Constitution of SL 1978, the State is pledged to ensure that no citizen shall be discriminated against, on the grounds of disability, race, religion, language, caste, language, sex, political opinion, and occupation. As per the Article 27(6) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, the State shall ensure equality of opportunity to citizens, so that no citizen shall suffer any disability on the grounds of race, religion, caste, language, more..

Jun 8 (CT) SL in 2016 spent USD 19.5 mil in importing goods and services, where imports made up 29% of our GDP, for the same year. In the following years, we maintained it with slight fluctuations. However, recently, a question has arisen about the quality of these imported goods and its affect on the local market. While controversies surrounding poor quality and in some cases unsafe, goods coming into SL have made headlines more..

Jun 8 (DN) The adherents of religions presume the truthfulness and the validity of the content of what is believed and taught in the name of their religion. Living and activating oneself according to the norms of one’s religion follows. Meanwhile, the reliability and solidity of the basis for accepting the validity of any religion could also be investigated. Such inquiry could be on any aspect of its teaching, examining how compatible are they to truth and reality, how justified are its claims, more..

Jun 8 (DN) Influenza has a less significant place in the public imagination in our generation to consider it to be life threatening although in the history it has been pandemic in some instances. However the recent outbreak of influenza in Southern Province stirred the country causing devastation to several families. Top health experts say this recent health scare is dying down but it is wiser to be well-informed about these unpredictable viruses and take precautions. more..

Jun 8 (FT) Supreme Court re-fixed for 1 Oct the fundamental rights petition filed by the former President’s Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and two others - former SL Insurance Corporation Managing Director Piyadasa Kudabalage and former Samurdhi Commissioner Neil Bandara Hapuwinna. When the matter came up, President’s Counsel for the petitioner informed Court that the petitioners were granted bail and pleaded for time to ascertain the status of proceedings in Magistrate’s Court. more..

Jun 8 (CT) The country’s national airport, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), will shortly be calling for tenders to build a temporary terminal to deal with the increased traffic in the airport, its Management Head H S Hettiarachchi told this reporter yesterday. The BIA handled nine million passengers last year, though it has the capacity to handle only six million. “We were able to do it by rescheduling flights more towards the lull hours,” he said. more..

Jun 8 (SO) This is the only way we know how to make a living. The beach is all we have. Why would any of us dare to do anything that would harm our livelihood. The Beach Boys of Sri Lanka live in a universe of their own, governed by their own set of rules. Young men with beachy curls and scruffy mugs, barefoot and under dressed and peacocking in torn cotton camouflage -pants, crowd the island’s pristine beaches. more..

Jun 8 (Island) The talk of the week just ended (May 30 to June 5) was President Sirisena’s lashing out - mostly at the UNP and more particularly its leader. I was stunned when I heard the tirade, harangue, verbal onslaught, fulmination, whatever. There he was in pristine white, behind an arrangement of white flowers at the commemoration of one of SL’s most eminent Buddhist monks, who stepped out of his viharage seclusion to save the nation from tyranny and autocratic rule. more..

Jun 8 (Island) It never rains but it pours. There seems to be no end in sight to the people’s misfortunes. As if the weather gods’ wrath were not enough, CEB engineers, engaged in a long-drawn out battle with the Public Utilities Commission and environmental authorities, have opted for ca’canny; they are demanding that their low-cost generation plan be approved forthwith. They are also threatening to shut down some power plants unless they are issued with environmental protection more..

Jun 8 (CI) For 325 balls, Shane Dowrich resisted. It wasn't pretty work. Most of it was defence, seeing out the swinging new ball in the morning, then deadbatting the turning deliveries from the spinners in the afternooon. But for West Indies, Dowrich's fight, and the 70-plus partnerships he forged with Devendra Bishoo and Kemar Roach were invaluable. From 145 for 5, the hosts dragged themselves to 414 for 8 more..

Jun 8 (CT) Ceylinco General Insurance became the first insurance company in Sri Lanka to use drones to inspect locations still under water in order to settle claims speedily, enabling its customers to return to normalcy in the shortest possible time. Staff of Ceylinco General Insurance acted promptly to pay compensation to all of its policy holders with flood cover within 10 days, fulfilling its promise of swift settlement of claims. Accordingly, claims were paid to flood- damaged more..

Jun 8 (CI) A day after they were handed their first loss in the history of Asia Cup, India chased down 108 with ease to stage a seven-wicket win against Sri Lanka at the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur. While the bowlers managed to restrict Sri Lanka to 107, an unbeaten 40-run partnership between Veda Krishnamurthy and Anuja Patil sealed the chase for India with seven balls to spare. Electing to bat, Sri Lanka lost their first wicket in the fourth over, following which a 38-run stand more..

Jun 8 (CT) Sri Lanka finished the day unbeaten with the four competing athletes winning their heats easily, increasing hopes of winning Gold medals at the Asian Junior Athletic Championship which got underway at Nagaragwa Stadium at Gifu in Japan yesterday. Quarter miler Dilshi Kumarasinghe from Rathnayaka CC Walala, started the competition for Sri Lanka by winning her heat with ease. more..

Jun 8 (Island) Winning four Singles and a Doubles championships plus two Singles and two Doubles runner-up positions in Girls, Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Nugegoda, displayed excellent performance at the 17th Junior Carrom National Championships held at the Carrom Federation Headquarters, Kohuwala recently. The Girls’ Championships of Under-13, 15, 17 and 21 were won by Lakshika Akarshani, Yeshani Kaushalya, Tashmila Kavindi & Tharushi Himahansika more..

Jun 8 (DN) Export Board Development Board (EDB) Provincial Office was opened yesterday at NHDA Building Secretariat, Forest Office Lane, Chundikkuli, in Jaffna. This is mainly for the benefit of the Exporters and export-oriented entrepreneurs in the Northern Province. This was opened in keeping in line with the govt’s economic vision to transform Sri Lanka into a vibrant and prosperous nation through export led growth and also help promote products from Jaffna for export. more..

Jun 8 (DN) Sri Lanka’s economy is stable and many investor’s are keen on starting businesses in Sri Lanka, Doha Bank Group CEO, R. Seetharaman said. He said that they too saw this potential and decided to open a representative office in Sri Lanka. “Many Qatari and GCC businessmen are planning to enter the growing Sri Lankan market ever since peace was restored,” He said with the opening of this office they could promote more..

Jun 8 (Island) A total of five new meet-records were established on the second day of the 45th National Schools Swimming Championship at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool in Colombo on Thursday. Ramudi Samarakoon of Visakha Vidayala was under the spotlight as she accounted for two new meet records on the second day of the event. The first record came when she clocked 36.53 seconds in the U-17 50m breaststroke event to break the previous record, which was set in more..

Jun 8 (CT) Sri Lanka’s record books in the arenas of both investment promotion and industrial development will be rewritten on 12 July when Thai electrical appliances manufacturing giant, the Rojana Group inks its manufacturing and investment agreement with the Govt of Sri Lanka. This will be the first time an independent Industrial Zone spanning 400 acres will be apportioned to a single investor who will inject US$ 500M for manufacturing and exporting electrical appliances. more..

Jun 8 (FT) Govt has decided to absorb the interest of microfinance loans less than Rs. 150, 000 extended by errant microfinance companies, Minister Mangala Samaraweera told Parliament, and would publish new regulations to streamline the industry and improve accountability later this month. The measure is expected to bring relief to thousands of families who have obtained credit facilities less than Rs. 150,000 and more..

Jun 8 (CT) For the first time, the International Cooperative Day celebrations in Sri Lanka will be held in the Eastern Province. The 96th international day of celebrations will be followed by a seven-day series of special cooperative activities islandwide. “Many new developments are taking place in Sri Lankan cooperatives; it is time we meet regional cooperative members in their own locations,” said Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, more..

Jun 8 (FT) SriLankan Airlines CEO Capt. Suren Ratwatte will be taking an early retirement to facilitate restructuring of SriLankan Airlines. Some described it as what is called a garden leave, whilst others claimed it was a straightforward resignation. Ratwatte’s appointment was contentious, and the administration was criticised for paying a hefty salary, saddled with other perks, to him, a former employee of Emirates, the world’s biggest airline. This was whilst the national carrier’s more..

Jun 8 (EN) A committee appointed by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to solve a deadlock SL's power utility and the regulator has proposed a solution, raising hopes that threatened power cuts will be averted on June 12. A trade union of engineers had warned that they will shut down a coal plant next Tuesday for which an environmental license had been denied, because the under work-to-rule they have to work by the book. more..

Jun 8 (Island) UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra yesterday submitted a letter from the Secretary General of Parliament confirming that the House was having sittings yesterday morning from 9.30 a.m. and, therefore, she was unable to attend the High Court of Colombo, where she is an accused in a case pertaining to the abduction and assault of a youth from Dematagoda. Senior State Counsel Janaka Bandara appeared for the Attorney General. HC fixed the next date of the trial for Oct 8. more..

Jun 8 (Island) Department of Registrar of Companies had issued the certificate of incorporation to Mihin Lanka within four days of receiving the application though there was an error in one of the sections of the articles of association, PCoI on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka was informed. Overnight witness, Indika Gunawardena, representing the Dept of Register of Companies, said that they had received the application on more..

Jun 8 (CT) Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that no land, belonging to Knuckles Forest Reservation, which is controlled by Janatha Estate Development Board (JEDB), State Plantations Corporation (SPC) and Elkaduwa Plantation Company (EPC), had been given out for any project thus far. Furthermore, based on the State policy of giving seven perches of lands to estate workers, he appealed to private plantation companies to more..

Jun 8 (DM) UNP MP S.M. Marikkar urged President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint another committee to probe illegal activities pertaining to bond issues from 2008 to 2015. “We urge the President to appoint another commission to probe how loop holes in the law were used to play illegal games through bond issues,” MP Marikkar said in Parliament yesterday afternoon. “There is a wrong perception that the bond scam in 2015 was the only robbery that had taken place in this country. more..

Jun 8 (DM) Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake requested Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to give an opportunity to MPs to discuss with Presidential Secretary Austin Fernando the Bond Commission reports. “There were reports that Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. Owner Arjun Aloysius had given money to 118 MPs but that some 166 individuals had cashed cheques received from him. The debate on this matter is ongoing and we need to gather more information,” he said and more..

Jun 8 (EN) President Maithripala Sirisena may have crossed a red line in shutting down the TNL network owned by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe's brother in a worsening power struggle that undermines the govt. The TRC which is directly under Sirisena had obtained an order from the Polgahawela magistrate to seal a TNL transmitter alleging it was broadcasting illegally. Whatever the legal implications, political fallout of the TRC action more..

Jun 8 (DM) State Minister Palitha Range Bandara's son Yashoda who was admitted to the hospital following an accident, has been arrested by the Police for driving under the influence of liquor and misuse of public property. 25-year-old Yashoda and Puttalam Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Anjana Sandaruwan were injured when their vehicle, belonging to the Irrigation Ministry, driven by State Minister’s son veered off the road and crashed into a house at Kottapitiya in Chilaw few days ago. more..

Jun 8 (DM) EC Mahinda Deshapriya has violated the new election laws by allowing six SLPP members to replace the six who were elected to Maharagama UC under the Bicycle symbol, UNP councillor Dhanushka Ramanayake said. He said the swearing in of six SLPP members was a violation of new election laws. “Although Mr. Deshapriya said representatives can only be appointed from those in the ward, those who contested under the bicycle symbol were outsiders. more..

Jun 8 (Island) State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe had received Rs. 3 mn from W.M. Mendis Company, a subsidiary of Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), CID informed Fort Additional Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne, yesterday. The CID said that Rs. 3 mn had been received in three cheques between Aug 24, 2015 to March 31, 2016. W.M. Mendis has been named the third accused in the treasury bond case. more..

Jun 8 (DM) Social media users in the island are once again under pressure with the Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) warning that there could be a total ban on the use of social networking websites if they are used irresponsibly. The biggest warning came from none other than President Maithripala Sirisena a few days ago when he said that it was disturbing to see comments in social media harming the integrity of families and negatively impacting national security and ethnic harmony. more..

Jun 8 (DM) A friend of mine pointed out not too long ago that nearly every Sri Lankan parent wants his or her child to be a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer, an accountant, etc. This friend, who was clearly incensed by it, contended that if everyone wanted to become a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer, or an accountant, “No one would want to acquire the skills necessary to repair a leak in their homes, or on a wider scale, the skills necessary to get rid of garbage dump collapses and other issues more..

Jun 8 (DM) Prez Sirisena has been making startling revelations since lately. He expressed hopes in mid-May that the GDP would rise by about 2% or 3% if the rain continued, while the people living on the banks of several rivers in the country were anxious about a devastating flood. He said this despite his PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has attributed the country’s current economic recession, after their LG Elections defeat to the floods more..

Jun 8 (ST) As the floodwaters recede, some 157 families face a bleak future, with some homes lost to the waters and almost 7,000 other homes damaged across 21 districts. The DMC said initial compensation payments of Rs.10,000 had been distributed, and the remaining amount would be paid once estimates were received from each district. “Damage estimates are currently being carried out in each district, and we expect to more..

Jun 8 (EN) Sri Lanka's east coast is attracting bunkering volumes from the region, says listed Lanka IOC, a unit of Indian Oil Company, which saw sales volume double at its bunkering facility at Trincomalee that helped soften losses from domestic fuel sales. The company sold 200 thousand metric tonnes of bunkering fuel in the year to end March 2018, up 144% from 82 thousand metric tonnes the previous year. more..

Jun 8 (CT) Colombo’s Manning Market vendors yesterday demanded that the Govt ban the use of ripening agents for fruits and other crops in order that the people can have a healthier life. All Island Unified Economic Centres and Manning Market Traders Union Chairman H.M. Upasena said, “There have been many rumours that we are adding ripening agents to fruits in the Manning Market. more..

Jun 8 (CT) JO MP Ranjith de Zoysa said in the Parliament that there is a clear discrimination in the quality of education which Sinhala medium students and Tamil medium students receive in the Ratnapura District. Zoysa, asked Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam what steps have been taken to reduce the gap. He noted that Zoysa had said that since 1948, no Tamil medium student has been selected to the medical and more..