Jun 9 (Island) President Sirisena recently said MPs having an Honour prefix before their names should not be charged PAYE tax, because of the honourary nature of their duties. This is certainly confused thinking, not flowing from the 100-day programme he now knows nothing about today. Let’s get this straight. The Hon. Or Garu prefix is because they are considered Honourable MPs, a tradition coming from House of Commons. more..

Jun 9 (DN) Sportmen and women participating in international events should first get clearance from the Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) who will issue a certificate. All sports associations are expected to submit their athlete’s details one month prior to the international event. This directive was made by Minister of Sports Faiszer Mustapha and the SLADA officially announced it at a press conference held at the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media auditorium yesterday. more..

Jun 9 (Island) Mr. D.A.D. Sirimal in his defense of the ailing, coal fired Norochcholai power plant (Island 5-06 -18), states that the CEB had commissioned a study on the effect that coal fired power plants had on crops and trees and that the study concluded that there were no adverse effects on plants by coal fired power plants. This needs urgent clarification as the fate of our vegetation and the health of our people seem to be determined by the CEB consultants study. more..

Jun 9 (Hindu) The arch above the school gate sits like a crown over the pillars that support it on either side. It bears the name Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies’ College, painted in a turquoise blue that must have been vibrant once but looks faded now. Beyond the arch, a couple of two-storied pink buildings face each other. Their proximity amplifies the commotion that erupts when the bell rings. It is break time. more..

Jun 9 (Island) Although growing Kansa is illegal in Sri Lanka about 40 other countries are now growing Kansa as a multipurpose crop. Botanically, the Kansa plant belongs to genus Cannabis and family Cannabaceae. Within this family there are three main species: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis ruderalia. Kansa is an annual plant that matures and completes its life cycle within three months to form a woody stem. Its height varies from one to six meters. more..

Jun 9 (DN) St Josephs College and Mahamaya Kandy dominated the third day of the 45th Milo All Island School Swimming Championship at Sugadathasa Sports complex yesterday. They are heading the boys and girls points table respectively. In the boys segment Ananda College overcame Royal College to secure the second place while Royal slipped into third places while Visakha Vidyalaya continue to remain in second place and Ladies College are in third position. more..

Jun 9 (Island) Sri Lanka’s participants led by Weera Keppetipola MV, Akuramboda sprinter Aruna Dharshana did remarkably well to establish at least one meet record on their way to winning one gold and three silvers on a highly successful day two of the Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Gifu, Japan yesterday. Dharshana, the athlete trained by Asanka Rajakaruna, established a new meet record more..

Jun 9 (EN) KUK Electronic AG, a Swiss manufacturer of coils and electronics, is considering setting up a production plant in Sri Lanka. Manuel Inauen, Head of Business Development of KUK Electronics AG, has held talks with Malik Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade. “The Swiss company was interested in the possibility of setting up a manufacturing plant in Sri Lanka with the objective of exporting their products,” more..

Jun 9 (Island) The prevailing windy and showery conditions will continue across the country and in the adjoining sea areas in the next few days due to the active south-west monsoon, according to the Meteorology Department. A Duty Meteorologist of the department predicted that heavy rains, above 100 mm, could be expected at some places in the Sabaragamuwa, Western and Central provinces and in the Galle and Matara districts over the weekend. In addition, strong gusty winds up to 60 kmph more..

Jun 9 (CI) Sri Lanka's first innings crashed and burned in the face of sprightly bowling, before the West Indies top order turned a commanding lead into a near-unassailable position late on day three. Having dismissed Sri Lanka for 185, West Indies finished the day 360 runs ahead, and with six second-innings wickets in hand. The track had begun to take a little turn, but with SL so far back in the game, not even Rangana more..

Jun 9 (Island) The govt has decided to appoint former Minister Ravi Karunanayake and six UNP backbenchers as ministers. A senior UNP Minister said that Ravi Karunanayake, who lost his cabinet portfolio due to his alleged involvement in the bond scam, would be reappointed a cabinet minister. The minister said PM Ranil Wickremesinghe had asked Attorney General if there were charges against Karunanayake to file action against the latter within two months. more..

Jun 9 (FT) Minister Rauff Hakeem, is to lay the foundation stone recently for the proposed Anamaduwa Greater Water Supply Scheme. The foundation laying ceremony of the project will commence at 9.30 a.m. at the premises of the Mullegama Raja Maha Viharaya. State Minister Palitha Range Bandara and several others will attend this function. The project would enable to provide purified drinking water facilities to more than 80,000 people in 125 Grama Niladhari more..

Jun 9 (FT) The money for the latest tranche of lease payment for the Hambantota Port from the China Merchants Port Holdings Company (CMPort) reached the Sri Lankan banking system this week even though the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative is facing some fresh undercurrents. $ 585 million, the value of the pending payment due in early June, reached Standard Chartered Bank mid this week. more..

Jun 9 (Island) 'Although the private sector was labeled the Engine of Growth, some Regional Plantation Companies, (RPCs) had fallen short of expected growth. The free market economy which Sri Lanka was part of, meant the private sector had to innovate to remain competitive because both tea and rubber were international businesses. Sri Lanka should be within the top players to remain competitive, Minister of Plantations industries Navin Dissanayake said. more..

Jun 9 (CT) Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said that the current building allocated to the Ministry of Agriculture is unsuitable for the operation of the ministry. He is of the opinion that the Ministry should be relocated to an appropriate and easily accessible location for all cultivators. Speaking at a media briefing on 7 June, Amaraweera said that he has consulted legal advice to look into the building agreement towards seeing the possibility of relocating the Ministry. more..

Jun 9 (DM) Patients having symptoms similar to seasonal influenza spreading in the Southern Province have also been found in Embilipitiya, Director of Embilipitiya District General Hospital Dr. N.H. Dharmathilake said. Around 20 to 30 patients having symptoms similar to those of seasonal influenza were taking treatments daily at the hospital for the past few weeks. “No in-house patients are still reported with this disease. more..

Jun 9 (FT) The Supreme Court yesterday fixed to be mentioned on 19 July to ascertain the proceedings in the Magistrate’s Court in respect of the Fundamental Rights petition filed by Avant-Garde Maritime Service Ltd. Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. The Bench comprised Justices Buwaneka Aluvihara, Priyantha Jayawardane and Vijith K. Malalgoda. The Additional Solicitor General who appeared for the Attorney General undertook to maintain the status quo. more..

Jun 9 (DM) Australia is to provide renewed support for the humanitarian de-mining efforts in Sri Lanka committing $A700,000 in assistance over the next two years through a partnership with the Mine Action Group (MAG) and SL organisation, Devlon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH), the Australian High Commission said today. It said this new funding would provide vital additional mine clearance capacity in Mannar, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi Districts of the Northern Province more..

Jun 9 (Island) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa raised concern over former Vice Chancellor of the South Eastern University, who was under fire for allegedly misusing university funds, being sworn in as an MP. Seeni Mohamed Ismail was sworn in before Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as a parliamentarian of the UNF govt. He filled the seat which fell vacant following the resignation of M.H.M Navavi of the SLMC. more..

Jun 9 (Island) Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, MP, and Assistant UNP Leader has called for the immediate and complete restructuring of the Central Bank. Karunanayake said that the national economy could not be properly directed unless the CBSL was revamped. He said so at a public event in Crows Island on June 3. Alleging that the CBSL lacked vision to control inflation and was also blind to the vast majority of people struggling to make ends meet. more..

Jun 9 (CT) An astounding revelation has been made by a senior Minister that certain lecturers at a University in the East were demanding sexual favours from female undergraduates in exchange for better grades. Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, said complaints have been received that several lecturers at the South-Eastern University of Sri Lanka in Oluvil, have demanded sexual favours from female students. Dr. Rajapakshe brought it to the notice of Parliament during yesterday’s sittings more..

Jun 9 (Island) General Secretary of the Communist Party (CP) and former Chairman of COPE, Dew Gunasekera urged the parliament to take immediate remedial measures or face the consequences. Gunasekera said it would be the responsibility of the parliament to cleanse the institution. Political parties and groups represented in parliament should be held accountable for taking tangible measures in that regard, he said. more..

Jun 9 (CT) A Bill to set out a national policy to absorb medical students registered with the SAITM to the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) was presented to Parliament yesterday. The Bill titled the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (Special Provisions) Bill was presented for the first reading by Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. Students who have registered with the Medical Faculty of SAITM between 15 Sept 2009 and more..

Jun 9 (Island) The party leaders could change the MPs nominated to the COPE, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya told Parliament. He was responding to concerns raised by UPFA MP Shehan Semasinghe, who urged the Speaker to remove the COPE members alleged to have obtained money from Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. "If those members are not ready to step down, I ask the Speaker to remove them and ask the relevant parties to nominate other MPs to replace them. more..

Jun 9 (CT) Expressing regret over Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL)’s decision to seal the TNL transmission tower at Polgahawela, Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that it would be better if TRCSL came under the Ministry of Telecom and Digital Infrastructure. TRCSL came under fire for shutting down TNL TV centre in Polgahawela, both from the Govt and Opposition, more..

Jun 9 (DM) Listen to the Ocean, echoes of a million seashells. Forever it’s in motion, moving to a rhythmic, unwritten music that’s played eternally. Immortal songs such as this need to be remembered and replayed for World Ocean Day, which the int'l community marked, yesterday. Environmental scientists have told us the horrible truth about how wicked and selfish human nature is. They estimate that every year, we dump more than 8 million tonnes of plastic or polythene into the ocean. more..

Jun 9 (DM) In terms of the Article 12(2), Chapter III on fundamental rights in the 1978 Constitution of SL, the State pledges to ensure that no citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of disability, race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion and occupation. As per the Article 27(6) of the Constitution, State shall ensure equal opportunities to citizens, so that no citizen shall suffer any disability on the ground of race, religion, caste, language, sex, political opinion or occupation. more..

Jun 9 (DM) JO MPs complained that State TV station SLRC had violated their Parliamentary Privileges by opposing them at a programme, which was telecasted last morning. MP Ranjith Soysa said himself and MP Sisira Jayakody were attacked by the SLRC last morning. “We named few persons who had allegedly obtained cheques from Perpetual Treasuries Chief in the House on Thursday and more..

Jun 9 (DM) For the watchful consumer, reading labels on their food items is simply an act of habit. While the containers of most food items tell you exactly what you’re about to purchase, when it comes to fruits, we’re often left puzzled; all these fruits seem to have is a little sticker containing numbers. Fortunately these numerical stickers give consumers useful insight and can tell them if the fruit has been genetically modified. more..

Jun 9 (DM) Vice Chancellor of the Uni of Peradeniya Upul Dissanayake speaking at the opening of the anatomy museum at the Medical Faculty of the Peradeniya Uni invited the public and especially students to interact with the uni. In an effort to interact with the public, the head of the uni invited the public to use some of its facilities, via an invitation to students and the public to visit its newly opened Anatomy Musuem more..

Jun 9 (LT) A few individuals who want to live under a slave owner and serve under him are protesting against abolishing the executive presidency and they are weaklings who don’t have the strength to stand independently but make their existence by clinging on to a dominant character says JVP MP Vijitha Herath. This was said by Mr Vijitha Herath at a press conference held to correct the erroneous statements that more..

Jun 9 (ST) Four major environmental organizations have raised strong voices of protest against reported moves to relocate the last two elephants living in the Sinharaja Rainforest, a World Heritage Site. “We are appalled that a political decision has been made to capture and relocate the last two elephants remaining in the Sinharaja Rainforest, as indicated by media reports,” states Wildlife & Nature Protection Society more..

Jun 9 (CT) The CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU) has pointed out that if the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approved the Least Cost Long Term Generation Expansion Plan (LCLTGEP) drawn out by the CEB, they were willing to call off the work-to-rule campaign. The Five-member Committee appointed by PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to resolve the issue on 7 June had recommended that PUCSL should approve more..

Jun 9 (FT) MPs from both the Govt ranks and the Opposition condemned the sealing of the TNA transmission tower in Polgahawella in Parliament yesterday, charging that it was a curtailment of media freedom. JO Parliamentary group leader MP Dinesh Gunawardana, raising a question under Standing Order 27(2), inquired as to whether Govt would reverse its action against TNL. “TNL has been taken to courts this morning more..

Jun 9 (ST) The Finance Ministry, in order to increase Investor opportunities and promote exports has drawn up plans to conduct an exhibition every 3 to 4 months at selected locations islandwide. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera and State Finance Minister Eran Wickremaratne on Wednesday briefed investors on the proposed programme which coincides with the 2025 Vision programme launched by the Govt. more..

Jun 9 (CT) Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran on 7 June said that the Northern Province also wishes to contribute to achieving the national export target of USD 23 billion by 2020. At the opening ceremony of the Export Development Board (EDB) Northern Provincial office, he said the people wanted to contribute to the national export grid, adding however that any discriminatory acts or non-transparent activities or activities lacking more..

Jun 9 (AD) Deputy Chairman of the Karandeniya Pradeshiya Sabha Donald Sampath (SLPP) has been shot dead at Korakena in Uragasmanhandiya. The Deputy Chairman had been shot by 2 gunmen on a motorcycle while he was travelling in a cab, according to the Police. The body is placed at the Borakanda hospital mortuary, and the Uragasmanhandiya Police are conducting further investigations on the matter. more..

Jun 9 (CT) High cost of living (CoL) brings down Govts; while equally, the promise to bring down the CoL and/or subsidies/handouts sees new Govts being elected to power. This was seen eight years after Independence in 1956 which saw the UNP suffer a humiliating defeat at that year’s General Election at the hands of the SLFP-led Mahajana Eksath Peramuna coalition, in the backdrop when three years earlier, the then UNP Govt increased the price of a subsidized measure (kilo) of rice more..

Jun 9 (FT) The purpose of this article is to point out the great need for investment, especially foreign direct investment in SL, and to indicate how it could be attracted. We need investment to create jobs to alleviate poverty and produce goods and services, especially for export, to earn the foreign exchange required to pay our massive external debt ($51.8 million, or 59.5% of GDP, 2017). We need to save about 35 to 40% of GDP to invest, but our domestic savings were only about 29.3% of GDP, 2017. more..