Jun 7 (FT) The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Sri Lanka yesterday rang the opening bell for trading at the Colombo Stock Exchange, to mark its 100th anniversary. Speaking at the event, ICC Sri Lanka Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody outlined plans to conduct a special promotion among all listed companies to obtain ICC Sri Lanka membership. “We are trying to do a special promotion and introduce discounts targeting CSE-listed companies to get membership of ICC Sri Lanka.” more..

Jun 7 (DN) The luxury cruise ship MS EUROPA 2, owned by German operator Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten Hamburg, recently called on the Ports of Hambantota and Colombo with 309 passengers and 356 crew onboard. Aitken Spence Maritime is the agent in Sri Lanka for Hapag-Lloyd which is one of the largest container shipping lines in the world. MS Europa and MS Europa 2 are the only cruise ships in the world classified with 5-star rating by the legendary Berlitz Cruise Guide. more..

Jun 7 (Island) Minister Mano Ganesan has raised concerns with Jaffna Security Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Dharshana Hettiarachchi regarding stepped-up security measures in the North following the Easter Sunday carnage. Earlier, Vanni District MP Rishad Bathiudeen was accused of speaking to Army Commander Lt. Gen. Mahesh Senanayake regarding the arrest of a terrorist suspect in connection with the Easter attacks. more..

Jun 7 (TM) Nepali billionaire and business tycoon Dr Binod Chaudhary, who is a major investor in SL leisure sector, believes Sri Lanka is about to experience a new wave of growth in spite of the series of Easter Sunday attacks and its fallout. Chairman of CG Corp Global Chaudhary, who invested in the Taj Samudra Colombo during the height of the war in 1998 and has invested in Sri Lanka ever since, said that he wasn’t wrong with his debut investment into the hospitality sector more..

Jun 7 (DM) State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi today said that UNP is to announce its presidential candidate next Saturday (8) in Anuradhapura in the presence of Minister Sajith Premadasa. “The next president of Sri Lanka would be an UNPer and his name would be announced at the ‘Sasunata Aruna’ programme which is to be held in Srawasthipura in Anuradhapura next Saturday, where Minister Sajith Premadasa will take part,” State Minister Wedaarachchi said at Angunukolapalasse. more..

Jun 7 (Island) Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando, told the parliamentary select committee probing the Easter Sunday carnage that the President had specifically told him not to invite the PM, State Minister of Defence and the IGP to National Security Council meetings from Nov 13, 2018. Four meetings took place from that date to April 25, 2019, when Fernando resigned. Fernando said that information pertaining to a possible more..

Jun 7 (EN) State-run Srilankan Airlines had been named the world's most punctual airline with 90.75% of its flights arriving on time in May 2019, by the portal flightstats.com. "This is the second time in less than 12 months that SriLankan has achieved this milestone, having also achieved the world’s number one ranking in Sept 2018 with a punctuality rating of 91.37%, the airline said. "SriLankan’s consistently high level of on-time performance is the result of an exhaustive process more..

Jun 7 (FT) The use of Samurdhi funds for propaganda programs, under the instruction of Primary Industries and Social Empowerment Minister Daya Gamage, attracted heavy criticism in Parliament. The JVP severely criticised the Minister for spending Rs. 240 million to organise district level ceremonies to hand out membership to new recipients. The JVP said the Minister had charged new Samurdhi recipients Rs. 300/- each, and taken the rest out of the Samurdhi Trust Fund. more..

Jun 7 (EN) Sri Lanka's debt to gross domestic product ration is over 87% of gross domestic product and not 82.9% as claimed by the finance ministry, due to non-recognition of several liabilities, auditor general has said. SL's central govt debt increased to 11,977 billion rupees by end 2018, from 10,313 billion rupees, or 16.14%, despite having a much smaller budget deficit due to currency depreciation according finance ministry data. more..

Jun 7 (SLN) The vessel P 626 acquired by the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) from the US govt in a bid to increase the operational capability of the island’s sea arm, was commissioned as SLNS Gajabahu on a ceremonial note by the President Maithripala Sirisena at Colombo harbour today (06). Religious dignitaries of all faiths including the Venerable Maha Sangha, State Minister of Defence, Hon. Ruwan Wijewardene, Secretaries to the Ministries including Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, more..

Jun 7 (AD) Chief Judicial Medical Officer of Colombo is to head a committee of experts to examine women who have complained against Dr. Shafi for allegedly performing illegal sterilizations. SP Ruwan Gunasekara has said that the CID has recorded statements from 421 females, 26 doctors including 6 VOGs over the alleged illegal medical procedures carried out by Dr. Mohammed Shafi. Statements had been recorded from 69 nurses and 18 other hospital staff over the incident. more..

Jun 7 (FT) The Easter Sunday bombing could not be averted due to systemic failures within the security establishment, caused by lack of communication and coordination between different agencies tasked with national security, as well as a lackadaisical attitude towards security by the political leadership, two top officials told a Parliamentary Committee yesterday. The officials, IGP Pujith Jayasundera and former Defence Ministry more..

Jun 7 (DM) Minister Mangala Samaraweera knows how to embroil himself in controversy. His recent comments about Malcom Cardinal Ranjith have made him better the record that of former minister Mervyn Silva. The former deputy minister from Gampaha District crossed the line many times when dealing with people, but he knew his limits when engaging with the clergy. Samaraweera doesn’t seem to have that warmth among other things when dealing with the society; especially when more..

Jun 7 (DM) Sri Lanka’s nation-building process is being dealt blow after blow in the wake of the April 21 Easter Sunday attacks. The horrendous crime that took the lives of more than 250 people is an irrefutable statement that we had neither reached the highest level of nation building nor have we attained the moral progress required of us as humans. Nation-building is synonymous with national integration. It is a structural process in which development is seen not only as more..

Jun 7 (DM) “Today (June 3) is the most wretched day after PM Bandaranaike tore the B-C Pact on April 9, 1958 giving into pressure from a few extremist Buddhist monks,” Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera was reported as having said when all Muslim Ministers, Deputy and State Ministers in the present UNP Govt resigned en bloc from their posts. He is also reported as having said, “PM Bandaranaike did not have a spine. more..

Jun 7 (ST) While the shock of the suicide bomb attacks on Easter Sunday is beginning to fade and the people are resuming their day-to-day activities, the injured and the families of the dead are struggling to return to a normal life. Many are still unable to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones and are unable move on with their lives, while the dead are now a memory and the severely injured are in agony. more..

Jun 7 (ST) The cake came last for it was celebration time for an organisation considered one of the oldest in the conservation arena in Sri Lanka and the third oldest in the world. As Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) President Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne sang happy birthday and everyone else joined in lustily, it was Immediate Past President Rukshan Jayewardene who cut the yummy cake on Wednesday. more..

Jun 7 (USE) The U.S. Department of State’s Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper visited Sri Lanka from June 2 through 5 to discuss security cooperation and assess the progress of U.S.-funded demining programs. Assistant Secretary Cooper traveled to the Eastern Province to observe demining operations and meet with project beneficiaries. more..

Jun 7 (FT) Institute of Valuers of Sri Lanka (Amendment) Bill received House approval yesterday in Parliament, with State Minister for Finance Eran Wickramaratne stating plans to use part of the $ 480 million Millennium Challenge Corporation grant to create an inventory of State-owned land in seven districts. The Bill amended the Institute of Valuers of SL Law No. 33 of 1975, which was outdated, with provisions to establish more..

Jun 7 (Island) The media rights group, the Centre for Journalism and Education (CJE), while recognising the need for amending the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to provide for legal action against fake news, warns that negative import and impact of such legislation would be great if not crafted after diligent and careful consideration. "In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks of April 20 and more..

Jun 7 (Island) Sri Lanka has reduced electrocutions by over 50% to just 89 such incidents in 2018 compared to 2012, the Electrocution Report 2018 prepared by Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) says. There were 180 electrocutions in 2012. According to the international benchmark, the possibility of electrocution occurring is only one electrocution for one million people, per year. In 2012, Sri Lanka was at more..

Jun 7 (DN) The tourism industry in Sri Lanka will bounce back and there will be more visitors to Sri Lanka from China, Chinese Ambassador Cheng Xueyuan assured while briefing news media on the ongoing US-China trade tariff dispute. Ambassador Cheng yesterday told media at an embassy briefing that the economic and trade friction between the US and China was damaging world trade and global economy as a whole. more..

Jun 7 (EN) Suicide bombings by Islamist extremists which killed over 250 people in Sri Lanka in April were not just against Sri Lanka but pose a threat to regional security, India’s envoy in the island has said. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, said individual countries cannot remain peaceful, secure and prosperous, if the region and world at large were to be in turmoil. more..

Jun 7 (AD) The remains of four terrorists, who died in the explosion at a house in Sainthamaruthu, have been exhumed today (07) as the samples of the corpses that were submitted to the Govt Analyst had decayed. On 26th of April, fifteen persons including six men, three women and six children were killed in the explosion carried out by the terrorists inside a house at Sainthamaruthu in Kalmunai. more..

Jun 7 (CT) Yesterday this newspaper quoting Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said that three elections could be held in the next six months. He was referring to the Provincial Councils (PCs), Presidential and Parliamentary polls. Elections to eight of the nine PCs are overdue, except for the Uva PC which completes its current, mandated five-year term only on 9 Oct. The balance eight, Western, Southern, Wayamba, Sabaragamuwa, North Central, more..

Jun 7 (FT) As the President has abandoned his earlier decision to consult the Supreme Court opinion on the commencement of his official term, it is now clear that the Presidential Election will be held on 7 December. While nearing a Prez Election, the country is on the ebb of a volcanic eruption. Perhaps the eruption can occur before the Prez Election or both can take place simultaneously. The present situation of the country is not normal. It is on the verge of complete anarchy. more..

Jun 7 (CT) A letter written to the Pope alleging to be by Minister Mangala Samaraweera criticising and complaining about the Cardinal, bearing the Parliament letterhead, was circulating on social media platforms today. The letter includes five points and are various allegations made against Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, including his visit to Kandy this week to visit Rathana thera during the protest fast. Acting promptly against the misinformation campaign, Mangala debunked the document more..

Jun 7 (CT) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah has posted two videos on his Facebook page. The video shows that he is speaking at a mosque to the Muslim society in Tamil. In his video, Hizbullah urges all Muslims to unite and not let anyone suppress and oppress them. He says that they decided to resign from their portfolios as they cannot challenge these issues while holding their portfolios. Hizbullah goes on to say that though they are not the majority in Sri Lanka, they are the majority in the world, more..

Jun 7 (Island) New Western Province Governor A.J.M. Muzammil said that the deterioration of the security situation following the Easter Sunday bomb blasts carried out by a group of Muslim extremists had been brought under control within weeks by the security forces and the police. He said that it was the members of the Muslim community, who had provided the required information regarding the perpetrators to the security authorities. more..

Jun 7 (DM) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday morning that the letters of resignation of some of the Muslim Ministers, State and Deputy Ministers had already been submitted by then and all the others would follow during the course of the day. He made this observation in Parliament following the statement by MP and ex-minister Rauf Hakeem in connection with press reports claiming that the resignation letters had not been properly submitted. more..

Jun 7 (AD) President Maithripala Sirisena has called an emergency Cabinet meeting this evening, sources told Ada Derana. The emergency meeting is slated to be held at 7.30 p.m. today at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, the source said. All Cabinet Ministers in the govt have been summoned to the emergency meeting. The weekly Cabinet meeting was already held this Tuesday (June 04) while there is uncertainty over the exact reason for today’s unscheduled meeting. more..

Jun 7 (AD) Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa today requested to reconsider the decision taken to close down the carpentry sheds and sawmills in Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa stated that the decision to close down all carpentry sheds and sawmills in the country would lead to a large number of people losing their jobs. Opposition Leader said that forest plantation should be carried out for the purpose of timber and that logs of timber more..

Jun 7 (AD) Three suspects including a Chinese national have been arrested after STF personnel raided a house at Eththukala in Negombo and discovered various telecommunication equipment including 17,400 SIM cards, over 400 iPhones and 60 internet routers. SP Ruwan Gunasekara said that the raid was carried out this morning at Etthukala, Negombo based on information received by the STF that several suspicious individuals were engaged in illegal activities. more..

Jun 7 (EN) Mahaweli Coconut Plantations Limited has achieved yields on its estate in the dry zone that are almost double that of Sri Lanka’s national average for coconut plantations. Felix Fernandopulle, Managing Director of Mahaweli Coconut Plantations (MCPL), whose shares began trading on the Colombo stock exchange, said the firm’s crop in 2018 was 5.4 million nuts. It has planted 95,000 coconut palms on its plantation of 1,350 acres in the north-central province more..

Jun 7 (FT) The Presidential Secretariat failing to provide the details of the foreign visits of the past Presidents since 2013 came under fire yesterday at Parliament, with members of the JVP seeking the Speaker’s intervention to prevent delays in reply. JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake, highlighting the question submitted in June 2018 for oral answer, and seeking the details of the foreign tours of Presidents since 2013, held that reply was postponed twice. more..

Jun 7 (EN) Duxton Asset Management, which has operations in Singapore, Australia and Germany has exited a dairy farm it started with Sri Lanka's Watawala Plantations, which was still making losses. The dairy farm made a 234.6 million rupee loss in 2019, up from 90.8 million rupees in 2018 when it started operations. A Duxton official in Singapore declined to comment whether it was a decision to exit all agri-businesses or it was specific to Sri Lanka. more..

Jun 7 (DM) Presidential Secretariat (PS) has said necessary action will be taken against those held responsible for the failure to prevent the Easter Sunday attack based on the findings of the committee appointed by President Sirisena no sooner the Attorney General's opinion is received, Chief Government Whip Gayantha Karunathilake told Parliament today. He said this from a statement sent by the Presidential Secretariat in response to a question raised by JVP leader Anura Kumara more..

Jun 7 (AD) MP Rishad Bathiudeen says that the Muslim leaders who resigned from their Cabinet portfolios are now preparing to agitate across a wide array of local and int'l stakeholders. He said they will shortly be meeting the UN Resident Representative in Sri Lanka and also the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)– the world’s second largest inter-governmental organization after the UN. more..

Jun 7 (CT) The Assistant Secretariat of the University of Jaffna said that permission has been granted to start a separate faculty for Hindu studies in the university, according to a request made by its Administration. Even though Professor Ramanadan got the approval to establish a separate faculty for Hindu Studies in 2011, according to a request made by him in 1978, the University was not able to enact this decision. According to the Assistant Secretariat, the letter of permission for more..