Jun 15 (CI) If SL's chances of progressing to the semi-finals of the World Cup are slightly better than the one in a million offered to Lloyd Christmas by Mary Swanson in Dumb and Dumber, it's not by much. But just as Lloyd replied with a goggle-eyed "So you're telling me there's a chance?", so too must Dimuth Karunaratne's men push on against an Australian side that, while not firing on anything like all their available cylinders, are comfortably ensconced in the race for the knockouts. more..

Jun 15 (FT) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has raised concerns over the discrimination of Muslims by local authorities in facilitating commercial activities. The HRCSL, writing to all Commissioners of local Govt Authorities, said it has come to the attention of the Commission that in certain areas, members of the Muslim community who are lawfully engaged in commercial activities have been banned from using public premises for such purposes after violent attacks of Apr21. more..

Jun 15 (CI) Dimuth Karunaratne has had an interesting year. He was merely SL's Test-match opener in January, but in the months since, he has been elevated to Test captaincy - leading that team to a historic win in South Africa - before being named ODI captain for the World Cup. This despite his not having played ODIs since 2015. Q: You have not played ODIs for four years, and suddenly you're captaining the team. more..

Jun 15 (Island) Shipping industry is witnessing a 10-15% drop in business due to the Easter Sunday blasts, General Manger, Ship Repairs, Colombo Dockyard Bennie Fernando said. He said that the shipping industry too is affected along with the tourism industry by the adverse travel advisories, especially from the European countries, as they are some of the main buyers. "This is, however, less than the impact seen in the tourism sector, he explained at an event for their agents more..

Jun 15 (DN) The woman who was arrested and detained for wearing a dress depicting a ship’s steering wheel which had been mistaken for a Dharma Chakra (Wheel of the Doctrine) yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking a declaration that police have violated her fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. The petitioner, Abdul Raheem Masaheena, 47, a resident of Kolongoda, filed this petition seeking an order directing the AG more..

Jun 15 (FT) World Day Against Child Labour was marked each year on 12 June. This year’s theme was Children should work on their dreams, not on fields. The International Labour Org (ILO) sets the yearly tone based on a priority focus, which helps to spotlight global attention and create awareness on the campaign. This aims to create public discussion and policy action around ending child labour in every country. more..

Jun 15 (DN) President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Yasantha Kodagoda, appointed a new bench comprising two judges of the Court of Appeal, to hear the contempt of court action filed against GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya. Accordingly, this application is to be taken up before Justice Shiran Gunaratne and Justice Mahinda Samayawardena on June 21. Previously, Justice Janak de Silva declined to sit on the bench to hear the contempt of court application filed against more..

Jun 15 (Island) Two factors led to the establishment of the Vidyalankara and Vidyodaya Universities. The first was the passage of the Sinhala Official language Act. The second reason is the problems involved in the implementation of the Official Language Act. Due to the above situation the govt took action to form two universities. Vidyalankara Pirivena had provided a great service to the nation for 83 years in the field of education and on 17th June 1959 it was transformed into a uni. more..

Jun 15 (AFP) SL’s Supreme Court fined an award-winning woman police officer for illegally detaining and intimidating a teenage girl to frame a local politician for rape, officials said Friday. Chief Inspector Waruni Bogahawatte was also ordered to pay 100,000 rupees ($570) as compensation to the victim while the state was also ordered to pay 50,000 rupees in the hearing earlier this week. The 15-year-old girl was forced by Bogahawatte more..

Jun 15 (AD) A navy officer arrested in remanded in connection with the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in 2008 has been released on bail under strict conditions by the Colombo High Court. Defence attorneys today (14) presented a bail appeal on behalf of the defendant, Sanjeewa Senaratne, who is named as the 11th suspect in the case. The bail application was considered by Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendi, who ordered that the suspect be released on more..

Jun 15 (EN) Asian Development Bank said it loan US$ 50 million to state-run Regional Development Bank in SL with a sovereign guarantee to be given to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). "MSMEs have high growth potential, create more jobs, and over time, potentially increase the tax base at a quicker pace than larger enterprises," ADB Country Director Sri Widowati was quoted as saying. "Because of their distribution over the whole country, they also help reduce regional inequalities." more..

Jun 15 (CT) Eastern Province Police are in a quandary over the burial of the remains of the suicide bomber of the Zion Church, Batticaloa, Mohamed Nazar Mohamed Azath, as the people in the East are vehemently opposed to burying the remains in any of the burial sites in the area. A senior CID official told Ceylon Today, that the remains were in the Batticaloa mortuary and people in Batticaloa, Kattankudy, Eravur, more..

Jun 15 (DN) Court of Appeal (CA) yesterday fixed for July 26 to deliver its order on a revision petition filed by former Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa over Avant-Garde corruption case. Meanwhile, the CA yesterday further extended its Interim Order staying the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court proceedings pertaining to the Avant-Garde corruption case filed against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. This order will be effective until July 27. more..

Jun 15 (CT) Denying allegations made against him by former WP Governor Azath Salley, before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), former Minister Abdul Haleem said registering mosques is legally carried out by the Wakf Board of SL. He added the allegations made by Salley were acts of political revenge, noting that his brother will testify before the PSC soon. Recently, Salley testifying before the PSC alleged that Haleem’s brother was involved in registering Thowheed Mosques. more..

Jun 15 (AFP) Five Sri Lankans wanted in connection with the Easter bombings that killed 258 people were arrested in Saudi Arabia and extradited on Friday, police and Interpol said. “One of the alleged ringleaders in the April 21 bomb attacks in SL has been arrested following the publication of an Interpol Red Notice,” the int'l police organisation, based in the French city of Lyons, said. A so-called red notice is a request to law enforcement more..

Jun 15 (DN) The TNA leaders who contested the 2004 general election as LTTE representatives has no right to represent Parliament now, TULF leader V. Anandasangaree said. He said the North and East issue could have been solved by 2004 but the TNA leaders did not let it happen. The TULF leader stated this when he visited the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera yesterday. During the discussions, Sangaree pointed out that more..

Jun 15 (LR) Golden State Warriors franchise owner billionaire Chamath Palihapitiya was excited to witness the first NBA finals to feature a Canadian franchise. “Warriors v Raptors?!?!?! A dream finals for a Canadian in the United States!,” Palihapitiya said ahead of the series. As the Toronto Raptors beat Palihapitiya’s Golden State Warriors this week to clinch the NBA Championship, he updated Twitter to include the flags of SL, Canada, and the United States to celebrate the tripartite of identities. more..

Jun 15 (DM) While appreciating the fact that permission had been given to file cases against the suspects of CB bond scam before a trial-at-bar, JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said it was not sufficient only to indict officials but the political authorities behind the scam should also be brought to book. “We appreciate the move by the SC to name at least 10 suspects that would be prosecuted for this crime. But we do not think that this is sufficient. more..

Jun 15 (AD) It is revealed that Zahran Hashim has attempted to bribe several lawyers for Rs 2 million, to solicit them to bail out the suspects arrested over vandalism of Buddhist statues in Mawanella and nearby areas. The National Thowheed Jama’ath leader has reportedly given the said amount of money to Maulvi Rashid Mohamed Ibrahim to bribe the lawyers to release the suspects on bail. The CID stated this when the case on Buddhist statue vandalism was taken up yesterday (13). more..

Jun 15 (AD) Minister of Public Administration and Disaster Management Ranjith Madduma Bandara says the Circular on the dress code for public servants was issued under his knowledge. He stated this addressing the media on the comments made at the PSC during Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration J.J. Rathnasiri’s testimony. The committee inquired Mr Rathnasiri on the Circular issued by the Ministry of Public Administration regarding the dress code for public servants. more..

Jun 15 (Island) Ananda Kumarasiri, MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday attacks, said that the PSC would decide on witnesses to be summoned depending on evidence received by the committee. He said so when asked him whether Prez and PM would be requested to come before the PSC following former Eastern Province Governor M.L.A.M. Hisbullah’s statement more..

Jun 16 (Island) The Easter carnage spoilt this year’s Vesak celebrations. The govt has made elaborate arrangements to celebrate Poson, which falls today, on a grand scale. What really matters is not the scale of celebrations as such but the significance as well as the spirit of the occasion; the advent of Buddhism changed the course of the country’s history. It was from an ethos fashioned by Buddhism that a great civilisation sprang on this land and flourished. more..

Jun 16 (CT) The classical didactic Sinhala poetry volume Lokopakaraya, written in the 18th century CE, offers timeless advice to the humankind. One such gem is Owa denu parahata, thama sammathaye pihita sita (Advise others only after abiding by the principles). When the European Union (EU), a collection of European nation states, including a number of former colonisers who still stand unapologetic about the havoc they wreaked in Asia and Africa for centuries, destroying our more..

Jun 16 (SO) For Dr. Imara Shafi, a nephrologist at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, May 23, 2019 started like any other day. She and her husband woke up early, discussed their day and their children. At 5am, her husband, Dr. Seigu Shihabdeen Mohamed Shafi left for prayers at the neighbourhood mosque as he always did. The couple, both doctors had first met as students at Uni of Sri J'pura. Little did Dr Imara they imagine more..

Jun 16 (SO) When the legendary King Devanampiyatissa accepted the Lord Buddha’s teaching as the official dharma of his royal clan, would he have known that over two thousand years later, a modern state on this same dveepaya would be upholding the Dhamma as a constitutional principle of political community? Would he have imagined that politicians and political parties and entire religious communities and castes would engage in tussles of religious exclusivism more..

Jun 16 (ST) If the sound of the koha heralds the coming of the National New Year, the resurrection of the Wasim Thajudeen and Lasatha Wickrematunge murders usually heralds the coming of an election. So sneers a meme now circulating on social media, on the heels of a report that the Attorney General (AG) has ordered police to speed up investigations into four criminal cases, all of which occurred during the former administration. These are the Thajudeen and Wickrematunge killings, more..

Jun 16 (CT) UPFA Ampara District MP, National Congress Leader, A.L.M. Athaullah says that barely two weeks after Ranil Wickremesinghe took over the Ministry of Law and Order in early 2018, several mosques in Ampara were vandalised. He also reminds the public that it was during Wickremesinghe’s time as the Minister in charge of Police that anti-Muslim violence took place in Digana, Kandy. more..

Jun 16 (ST) Aiyo Sirisena, It has been a while since I wrote to you last, but I thought I must write to you again, especially when we heard that you were quite annoyed about what was happening around you, with everyone trying to blame you for what happened on Easter Sunday – and apparently for what did not happen before that. This is all because a committee in Parliament is conducting its own inquiry into what happened on Easter Sunday. From what we have seen and heard at that more..

Jun 16 (Island) On Wednesday last week, the Embassy of the European Union issued the following statement to the media in concurrence with the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Norway, Switzerland and the UK High Commission. "We are deeply concerned by political and religious pressure being directed at Sri Lanka’s Muslim community which is undermining peace and reconciliation in the country. Prejudiced and unsubstantiated allegations more..

Jun 16 (Island) Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith may have been elaborating the obvious when he said, in the course of his sermon at the re-consecration of St. Anthony’s Church at Kochichikade, that the people were confused and that "they are doubtful whether the country will come out of the prevailing uncertain situation … (and) whether our political leadership is capable of taking this country out of the mess it is in." As a description of the country’s current state of mind, Cardinal’s words are unexceptionable. more..

Jun 16 (ST) In the past two to three years, various characters have sprung to life in this column, discussing the vagaries of the weather, gossip in the village, political happenings to – last but not least – the health of the economy and business developments. Through conversations with these individuals, the column has brought to the fore the issues confronting the nation, its economic health and the way forward. Many readers have called and commented with laughter over the phone on more..

Jun 16 (CT) The doors of Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Shrine where 54 persons were killed in the suicide bomb attack on the Easter Sunday were opened for the public after restoration work carried out by Sri Lanka Navy personnel. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith gracing the occasion said that the country needs strong political leaders who work courageously for the good of the country and its people and those who love the country more..

Jun 16 (SO) Spiritual pageant is the most eloquently befitting definition that can effectively capture the inner essence of the Poson presence of Arahant Mahinda at the Mango Grove that has now acquired a sacred aura. The whole island was in the midst of a royally-decreed National Festival. The King had set aside this day for a Deer Hunt in the Mango Grove. By this time Arahant Mahinda had already arrived at that site by air with a saintly retinue of six, & had alighted on the Rock at Mango Grove. more..

Jun 16 (CI) South Africa have finally won one. So far have the Proteas' stocks fallen in this tournament after three defeats and an unconvincing outing against West Indies, that an Afghan victory in this match was not unthinkable. But this was a make-or-break encounter for both teams, and it was Afghanistan who blinked - and broke - first, collapsing in a heap after they were unnerved by repeated rain breaks in the afternoon. Having been 39 for 0, Afghanistan's disintegration began more..

Jun 16 (CI) The wife of Sri Lanka's once-captain has accused - on Facebook - one of their players of being a political appointment made by the sports minister of the country. That captain - one of the seven ODI captains tried by Sri Lanka since the last World Cup - is not the captain anymore. He has been accused of picking and choosing games, and has been forced to switch between IPL and domestic cricket in SL, more..

Jun 16 (PTI) Sri Lanka has released 18 Indian fishermen arrested for illegally fishing in the SL waters, an official said. The fishermen, who were held off the coast of Point Pedro two months ago by the SL Navy, were freed by a court here on Friday. "They are now to be handed over to the immigration officials for repatriation to India," official said. Illegal fishing by Indians in the SL waters have been a recurring problem and has figured at high level talks between the two neighbours. more..

Jun 16 (ST) A totally unexpected, and uninhibited performance by a 15-man Trinity team saw them get cold comfort by winning the second leg of the Bradby Shield at the Royal Complex last evening. Yet, the Shield eluded them as Royal, by virtue of their lead in the first game, clung on to win the Bradby Shield by 47 points to 41. The potential in the Trinity team was always there, but earlier they seemed to be, in a sense, morally deflated. Not yesterday, as Trinity took the Royalists more..

Jun 16 (CI) Australia's best stuff, personified by Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc, looked world-beating against Sri Lanka at The Oval. Yet there were still signs that Finch's team have plenty of kinks to iron out, not least problems in an unbalanced batting order but also the continued reliance of the bowling attack on Starc and Pat Cummins, currently first and second on the tournament wickets table. more..

Jun 16 (SO) Prez Sirisena wishes that all Sri Lankans embody in their lives compassion and peaceful co-existence, the cornerstone of Arahant Mahinda’s Message of the Dhamma. Poson Poya signifies the advent of Buddhism in SL. The arrival of Arahant Mahinda laid the foundation for the Tripitaka followed by the dawn of disciplines such as architecture, writing, sculpting and constructing stupas. A new epoch in the annals of the country, an education system under the patronage of more..