Jun 13 (Island) The introduction of new procedures to issue resident visas for those foreigners employed at factories operated under BoI status has displeased investors. Sources alleged that instead of facilitating BoI operations in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks, those responsible for attracting foreign investment were causing further disturbances. Declaring the Health Protection Plan (HPP) is mandatory, more..

Jun 13 (Island) Top JO spokesman Susil Premjayanth, said that Batticaloa District TNA MP S. Viyalendran had launched high profile protest in Batticaloa on June 01 to highlight the failure on the part of the govt to take action against those involved with extremists responsible for Easter Sunday attacks. He described Viyalendran as one of theirs because the latter had switched his allegiance to JO during last year’s constitutional crisis. more..

Jun 13 (ST) As another week passed, the medical fraternity continued to urge the resolution of Kurunegala Hospital controversy by holding a prompt, impartial, transparent and evidence and science-based inquiry. The controversy surrounds a flood of allegations of unethical sterilizations of mothers, without their consent, during Caesarean-sections (C-sections) at Kurunegala Provincial General Hospital. more..

Jun 13 (Island) The SLPP/JO yesterday told a media briefing that political stability could be restored only by electing a strong leader at the forthcoming 2019 presidential election. Kandy District MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage emphasised that the presidential election would be the solution to the continuing crisis due to the battle between President Maithripala Sirisena and the UNP govt over the House probe on Easter attacks. more..

Jun 13 (CT) A total of 20,541 dengue patients were recorded in the country from January till the end of the first week of June by the National Dengue Control Programme (NDCP). The number of dengue deaths within the same period was 28. The unit had initiated a three-day mosquito control programme, yesterday in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Galle, Ratnapura, Batticaloa, and Kalmunai areas, which were some of the high risk areas more..

Jun 13 (CT) The Govt Medical Officers’ Forum (GMOF), stressed that it was prepared to whitewash the Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, in a bid to maintain cordial relations, and win the demands of doctors. Responding to questions at a Media briefing held in Colombo, GMOF President, Dr. Rukshan Bellana claimed that unlike the GMOA, his union had no political agenda. more..

Jun 13 (DN) A special police CID team had reportedly left for Saudi Arabia on June 11 to bring back Thowheed Jamaath’s armed wing leader who is currently in Saudi Police custody. The armed wing leader Mohamed Milhan alias Abu Seelan was also said to have been ready for a suicide attack. It is said that Milhan was responsible for the killing of two Police constables at a check point in Batticaloa on Nov 30, 2018. more..

Jun 13 (AD) The reports say that former IGP N.K. Illangakoon will not be testifying before the Parliament Select Committee (PSC), which was appointed to probe the Easter Sunday carnage, today. Ada Derana spoke to the Chairman of the Special PSC Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri in this regard. Former Governor of Eastern Province M.L.A.M. Hizbullah and Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration J.J. Rathnasiri will be more..

Jun 13 (CT) Bifurcation, in Sri Lankan politics, is not merely a sacred cow to the judiciary that can separate liability from damage proceedings in the queerest form of decisions and sentences, but is a finely honed art developed by politicians when faced with the tricky proposition of passing the buck like hot potatoes. This is called the art of Appointing Committees of Investigation. Committees are great tools when one needs breathing space to come up with a strategy to creep out of a tight spot. more..

Jun 13 (FT) Whilst many are looking at the downturn in Sri Lanka tourism, in my view, we have got a third chance to make Sri Lanka Tourism a world-beater in the future. We can use the next year to re-position the brand, just like Bhutan and Rwanda Tourism, did to attract a more exclusive segment of customers. It worked for both countries, and we can do the same with some smart thinking, given the low equity of the country among potential travellers in the global market place. more..

Jun 13 (Island) With the support of state institutions, especially the Central Environmental Authority and Megalopolis Ministry, a public interest environmental organisation is planning to set up 30 vigilant communities around wetlands in Colombo. Addressing the National Conference on Colombo Wetlands, Centre for Environmental Justice Executive Director. Hemantha Withanage said that rather than blaming each other everyone had to do something to protect the shrinking wetlands more..

Jun 13 (EN) A Spanish investor is to build a hotel with 43 luxury cabanas close to the Yala nature reserve on Sri Lanka’s southeast coast, the Board of Investment said. The BOI has signed an agreement with Putus Brother’s Sustainable Developments (Private) Limited to build, construct and operate a 15-cabana hotel in Palatupana, Yala initially. Total value of the project is US$ 1.6 million. Project will eventually consist of 43 luxury cabanas. Initially, 15 cabanas, considered at 4 star luxury level, more..

Jun 13 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena said that the development of the country is being hindered and irrigational, agricultural, educational and industrial revolutions suppressed due to ulterior motives of fulfilling one’s own political objectives by some political leaders. These personal political agendas must not let be allowed to suppress the development of the country and the needs of the people, emphasized the Prez participating more..

Jun 13 (AD) A haul of tea leaves suspected to be mixed with chemicals has been taken into the custody of the STF. The allegedly tainted tea leaves have been found from a factory in Ihala Welgama, Bulathsinhala, stated The Police Media Spokesperson. Accordingly, 178 kg 400 g of processed tea leaves have been taken into custody in this manner. The tea was found by the STF yesterday (12) based on a tip-off received by them. Seized stock of tea has been handed over more..

Jun 13 (EN) Family-owned SL consumer durables retailer Abans group said net profit rose sharply last year although sales fell as consumer spending slowed down with economic growth sluggish. Net profit shot up 549 percent to 894 million rupees for the year ended 31st March 2019 from 138 million rupees the year before, according to its annual report. Sales of the group, which in recent years has been transferring operational control to professional management with its business more..

Jun 13 (CT) A high level U.S. delegation will arrive in Sri Lanka next week to discuss the U.S. GSP scheme among other trade matters, a senior U.S. Govt official said. The delegation arrives at a time when serious concerns were raised by exporters and traders on the continuity of the U.S. GSP, as President Donald Trump announced the termination of the same concession to India earlier this month. more..

Jun 13 (AD) Inter Company Employees Union of Neville Fernando Hospital has led a protest today stating that their increments and promotions were completely halted for over three years. The protestors have said, the hospital administration was notified several times regarding the issues faced by the employees. The Union, on behalf of its employees, had previously requested for a discussion with the hospital administration, however, the request has not been heeded. more..

Jun 13 (Island) A refugee and torture survivor who has been incarcerated in hellish conditions by the Australian authorities since 2013 has appealed to be allowed to join his sister in the UK, said a report published by the Guardian yesterday. The Guardian story said: In the first case of its kind, Thiraviyarajah Subramaniyam, 37, a Tamil from Sri Lanka, appealed in the UK immigration tribunal on Tuesday against a Home Office refusal to allow him family resettlement in the UK. more..

Jun 13 (EN) Auditor General has bared an accounting fiddle where 186 billion rupees of loans taken by the RDA about 1.2% of gross domestic has been taken of the central govt and listed as contingent liabilities, understating national debt. The AG said there were 94 loan agreements with local commercial and specialized banks up to Dec 2018 and another US$ loan of 35.45 million dollars listed under contingent liabilities. more..

Jun 13 (DM) With the use of digital technology, the Education Ministry had decided to issue GCE O/L and A/L examination certificates through an online system, the Education Ministry said. “Earlier applicants had to arrive at the Examinations Department from various areas from the country,” the Ministry said in a media release. “Due to the arrival of more people to the Department, more time was consumed to issue certificates. Because of that, more issues are created,” it said. more..

Jun 13 (DN) K.J.Y.N. Jayasekara, aged 11, from Richmond College in Galle; has brought honour to Sri Lanka at the 11th International Statistics Olympiad (ISO) World Championship Statistics Competition conducted by CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science (AIMSCS) in India. G.A. Mahabaduge, aged 11, representing Ananda College, Colombo; and D.M.U.S. Wijerathna, aged 11, from Dharmaraja College in Kandy; tied for second place. more..

Jun 13 (AD) Attorney General today received the approval of the Chief Justice to hear the case against the accused in the Central Bank treasury bond scam, including former CBSL Governor Arjuna Mahendran, before the Permanent High Court-at-Bar in the Western Province. Last week, the AG had requested permission from the Chief Justice to file indictments against the 10 defendants over the Central Bank treasury bond scam, more..

Jun 13 (AD) Measures will be taken to create the necessary legal provision to suspend the formation of political parties based on race or religion, stated UPFA General Secretary MP Mahinda Amaraweera. Amaraweera stated that he has notified that there is no need for separate ministries for each religion. He says that one ministry as a religious affairs ministry is sufficient for the country and this ministry should be assigned under the Head of State. According to him, the proposal for more..

Jun 13 (ST) The govt has decided to increase the monthly allowance being paid to differently abled persons up to Rs. 5,000. Accordingly, the increase will be effective from July 1 and the monthly allowance which is currently being paid at a rate of Rs 3,000 per month will be increased by another Rs 2,000, bringing the rate up to Rs. 5,000 with this new amendment, a release from the Finance Ministry said. More than 30,000 persons registered under the Ministry of Primary Industries and more..

Jun 13 (AFP) The attorney-general ordered police to speed up investigations into several high-profile criminal cases, including the 2006 massacre of 17 French charity workers that remains unresolved. Dappula de Livera singled out four cases, saying that the delays had caused public distress, and ordered acting police chief Chandana Wickramaratne to report on progress. The Aug 2006 killing of 17 workers of Action Against Hunger more..

Jun 13 (AD) The next meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers is scheduled to be held next Tuesday (18), according to reliable sources. The weekly Cabinet meeting, which was not held this week, will be held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo at 9.30 a.m. and several Cabinet ministers have been informed of this, the source told Ada Derana. The Cabinet meeting is usually held every Tuesday headed by President Maithripala Sirisena, however it was not be held tis Tuesday (11). more..

Jun 13 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena left for Tajikistan to attend the 5th Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) scheduled to be held in Dushnabe. The CICA is an international forum to strengthen cooperation, established to ensure peace, security and stability in Asia. It was set up in 1992. Sri Lanka received its observer status in 2012 ans became a member in 2018. The Member States of the CICA include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, more..

Jun 13 (AD) Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration J.J. Rathnasiri says that he has not received any complaint or report stating that Muslim women were inconvenienced owing to the Circular issued on the dress code of public servants. The Circular in question had instructed the male public servants to wear the National dress or accepted office wear while female officers were instructed to wear more..

Jun 13 (AD) The fast-unto-death commenced by the carpenters in Moratuwa, along with the Mayor of the Moratuwa Municipal Council Saman Lal, urban councillors and religious leaders, has come to an end last night (12). The protest fast, which charged that the govt has decided to shut down carpentry sheds in the country, was concluded after the President called on the Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment to provide required solutions to the issue. more..

Jun 13 (AD) Major General Ruwan Kulatunga has been appointed as the new Chief of National Intelligence. This appointment has been made to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of DIG Sisira Mendis. The former National Intelligence Chief Mendis’ resignation came after testifying at parliamentary select committee that the April 21 attacks could have been averted. Major General Kulatunga was formerly the 9th Colonel of the Regiment of the SL Light Infantry (SLLI) more..

Jun 13 (AD) Former Governor of the Eastern Province M.L.A.M. Hizbullah is currently giving evidence before the Parliamentary Select Committee looking into the Easter Sunday terror attacks. The former Governor who was summoned to appear before the committee today took the witness stand, a short while ago, after the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Mr J.J. Ratnasiri concluded his testimony. more..

Jun 13 (EN) Auditor General has bared an accounting fiddle where 186 billion rupees of loans taken by the Road Development Authority about 1.2% of gross domestic has been taken of the central govt and listed as contingent liabilities, understating national debt. The AG said there were 94 loan agreements with local commercial and specialized banks up to Dec 2018 and another US dollar loan of 35.45 million dollars listed under contingent liabilities. more..

Jun 14 (CT) A group of Tamil militants attached to the LTTE had been following Mayor of Jaffna Municipal Council Alfred Duraiappah, who travelled to Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Ponnalai for his weekly worship. On 27 July 1975, Duraiappah was shot dead by masked LTTE cadres, as he arrived at the Temple with his daughter. The day before the assassination, the assassins had procured a firearm and filled the empty bullet shells with home-made explosives. more..

Jun 14 (Island) For a few interested in and used to confirmation hearings or congressional sessions into individual or institutional activities in the US, the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) hearings in Sri Lanka, at first broadcast live, is something of a novelty. Videos featuring Kamala Harris or Mazie Hirono questioning Brett Kavanaugh, Dianne Feinstein questioning Willian Barr or the now more frequent clips of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioning federal employees more..

Jun 14 (SO) Up until recently, not much was known about the Bar Reef in Kalpitiya. But by the time we learned of its value, we’d nearly lost it forever. The Bar Reef, located 2 km off the coast of Kalpitiya, is in fact the largest coral reef and the largest protected marine area in Sri Lanka. While it was declared a marine sanctuary in 1992, the reef remained relatively unexplored or otherwise affected by human activity due to ongoing civil war. more..

Jun 14 (CT) A microscopic group of a recent origin and supposed to be Muslims, indoctrinated, grown and nurtured in terrorism by, may be, extremists ISIS and by all standards apparent apostates of Islam, executed the massacre on Christians on 21st April 2019 in Sri Lanka where the different communities had been living with understanding and mutual respect whatever there had been in terms of war or violence which were based essentially in politics, racism, chauvinism, geopolitics etc. more..

Jun 14 (DN) One of the significant political events of this year will undoubtedly be the Fifth Summit of Heads of State of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which will commence tomorrow (15) in Tajikistan. Prez Sirisena is among the Heads of States scheduled to address the First Session at the Navruz Palace in the Tajik capital. The CICA is an international forum to strengthen cooperation, established to ensure peace, security & stability in Asia. more..

Jun 14 (CT) We need to have long-term strategic responses to deal with Islamic terrorism. Our leaders are lacking in such a vision. We have to create a National Security Act. Through such an Act we should criminalise hate speech, also hosting and posting extremist content, said Prof. Rohan Gunaratne, addressing the inaugural international symposium, titled The Global Expansion of ISIS: Impact on Sri Lanka; more..

Jun 14 (Island) Times are hard for Sri Lankans and this time round the beating on Easter morning has affected all of us in many different ways. The ripples of the terrible tragedy are sinking us all in multiple mires, each connected to the horrific events that took place on that fateful morning. The deepest and the longest sighs are from people who lost their loved ones or those who are taking care of the maimed, perhaps for a lifetime. What difference would it make whether they were Sunday more..