Jun 19 (DM) JO MP Dinesh Gunawardane yesterday raised a point in parliament that Intelligence Chief had been summoned by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya before a meeting with foreign dignitaries last week and that it was not a practice adopted by any of the Speakers. MP said Intelligence Chief of the country, who knows all the secret and very important information of the investigations that were on was summoned before the foreign dignitaries and asked more..

Jun 19 (AD) Vehicle registrations across the board slowed except for 2 wheelers, mini and light trucks - turmoil in the country during that month has significantly contributed to the slowdown in May. Total motor car registrations recorded 1,816 units in May down from 2,120 units in April and significantly down from 7,226 units 12 months ago. Brand new motor car registrations recorded 291 units in May down from 309 units in April more..

Jun 19 (EN) Cabinet has decided to acquire unused lands that cannot be used for commercial crop cultivation under an initiative to expand the island’s forest cover. Govt aims to increase forest cover, now 29.7% of total land area, to 32% by 2030. Another 148,000 hectares of lands are needed for the re-forestry project. However, as state lands are not enough to meet the govt target, govt is considering acquiring state and private lands that cannot be used for commercial crop cultivation, more..

Jun 19 (DM) Govt’s decision to cut capital expenditure will affect the contractors who have already undertaken to implement various govt projects, UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardane said today. “We have heard that the govt had decided to cut capital expenditure by 15% and we would like to know what the impact it would bring in. We have been made to understand that that contractors who have undertaken projects could be affected by this move,” Dr Gunawardene said. more..

Jun 19 (ST) Nearly half-a-million Sri Lankans are suffering without water to drink and facing food shortages as a result of lingering drought. While the Southwest monsoon has brought rains, it has not been enough to replenish the rivers, tanks and agri wells. Statistics show that more than 120,000 families and in excess of 450,000 people have been suffering in the drought since January. Most of the affected people are in the Eastern, Southern, more..

Jun 20 (DN) The terrorists who exploded the series of suicide bombs recently in Colombo, Dematagoda, Dehiwala and Katuwapitiya killing over 350 people are supposed to have used TATP, chemically known as Triacetone Triperoxide, an explosive made from commonly available household ingredients including nail polish remover which is acetone and hydrogen peroxide. According to news reports, it is suspected they made the stuff at a copper factory in Wellampitiya, a suburb of Colombo. more..

Jun 20 (Island) Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam are different faiths followed by sections of the people domiciled in this country. Please do not try to gain superior status by claiming more weightage for any religion based on numerical strength or political power base. Numerical strength is given and accepted but only as a fact to be reckoned with but not as a superior feature for any classification. Political power is a nebulous feature, transitory, transient and impermanent. more..

Jun 20 (Roar) Women all around the world are fighting an issue of monstrous proportions, and this issue is the violence inflicted upon them. Even in Sri Lanka, violence and abuse against women can be an untethered adversary, only because certain actions—or lack thereof—enable these acts. Though policy implementation is essential, education on the subject and an evolved mindset regarding more..

Jun 20 (CT) The most convenient description of energy is the way all the living beings require to exist, that is simply to stay alive. It is the strength living beings get from food. A living being’s ability to be active is an indication that that it is living and not dead. If a living being starves, it will be very clear that it is no longer living. It sustains life and then generates more energy directly or indirectly, contributing towards an extremely complex system of relationships s that would end up more..

Jun 20 (CT) 1) Correct leadership and policies - To rescue the country from the effects of the wrong policies of the UNP, remove fear and uncertainty, and unite the SL Nation, so as to return to the path of developing a genuine national economy based on equality and social justice for all citizens. The country requires a committed and honest progressive leadership. It should have correct policies to make SL a rich, modern, developed country that serves needs of all the people, more..

Jun 20 (CT) Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara says after the bomb blasts people have a deep huge hatred of the Govt and politics. Q: As of now, several Ministries are without Ministers, do you have any expectation a Ministerial post? A: Actually, Ministers resigned at this moment due to a very special reason. I think what we should do at this time is not expect Ministerial posts based on that situation. more..

Jun 20 (DN) The complex world of SL politics took another dramatic turn last week with speculation that Prez Sirisena was considering conducting a non-binding referendum on the question of conducting a general election before the prez election. The presidential election is due to be held by Dec 7, 2019, the National Elections Commission has announced already. A general election can be held only after Parliament is dissolved and that cannot occur earlier than March 1, 2020 more..

Jun 20 (Island) Minister Rajitha Senaratne has reportedly threatened to resign if the govt approves, what he calls, a Finance Ministry plan to allow cigarettes to be imported from China. His consternation is understandable. He can rest assured that he is not alone in opposing the deplorable yahapalana move. Even the GMOA, which is demanding his resignation over some other issues, will assist him in scuttling the govt efforts to import Chinese coffin nails. more..

Jun 20 (CT) I left Sri Lanka on the 4th of March 1982 on a Monash University Postgraduate scholarship to do my Masters Degree and having met my husband to be at the University, I decided to make Australia my second home. It has been over 37 years since then. Sri Lanka, the country I was born, studied, worked and spent my younger years still remains the only country on earth that I could call home. Australia of course, will remain equal to my first home; the home of my choice. more..

Jun 20 (CT) In an earlier account published by the Financial Times we exposed the vested interests of Planters’ Association’s claim that tea estates are currently more or less loss making and therefore a wage increase of up to Rs. 1,000/= a day demanded by workers will ruin the industry. It was shown that Planters’ Association rests its argument against the workers’ demand on two main postulates. First postulate popularises the myth that plantations sector revenue depends on SL’s tea auctions’ more..

Jun 20 (Roar) Just last month, SL, Japan and India signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the development of the East Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo Port. However, trade unions were quick to express fears that the terms of the deal would be disadvantageous to the country. The unions even threatened to shut down port operations during the early stages of the negotiations, their primary grievance being more..

Jun 20 (CI) South Africa came well and truly a cropper against Kane Williamson's cool and Colin de Grandhomme's muscle, New Zealand all but knocking their opponents out of a World Cup for a third time with a four-wicket win at Edgbaston. Williamson and de Grandhomme shared in a 91-run stand that set up NZ's pursuit of SA's 241 for 6, Williamson pumping a last-over six off Andile Phehlukwayo that brought up a match-winning hundred before his umpteenth dab to more..

Jun 20 (FT) Govt confirmed to Parliament yesterday the local canned fish industry was meeting a part of the market demand at an affordable price while tapping export markets but acknowledged more support was necessary to make it globally competitive. Minister P. Harrison responding to a supplementary question held that there are several local companies engaged in the canned fish industry in SL including a venture started by actor Kamal Addaraarachchi that is performing well. more..

Jun 20 (DN) It’s crunch time for SL as they take on a domineering England side at Headingley here on Friday in a World Cup match which will decide their fate of qualifying for a place in the semi-finals. SL know that they have to win at least three of their remaining four matches to get into the last four and it is not an easy task as they are up against some of the best teams in the tournament – England, India, West Indies & South Africa. more..

Jun 20 (Island) You always wonder what Rumesh Ratnayake would have gone onto achieve had he played in an era where medicine was advanced and the players were well taken care of. Possessing a whippy action, Rumesh could generate serious pace but his was a stop start career due to a series of recurring knee injuries. Having made his international debut as an 18-year-old while still at school, Ratnayake was chosen for Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign in 1983 in England. more..

Jun 20 (CT) Lanka Hospitals introduced an extended Sunday OPD service with multiple benefits on Sundays. Programme which runs under the theme Your Sunday is our Monday, offers a range of benefits to patients and visitors for Sunday OPD consultations with prominent consultants in all specialties in addition to a range of benefits. These include free vehicle parking at the Lanka Hospitals premises, a free drop-off courtesy of UBER, free WIFI and a children’s play area among other more..

Jun 20 (AFP) Photos of a mosque being destroyed have been shared on Facebook and Twitter around two months after Easter Sunday bomb attacks in SL. Posts contain references to SL Muslims converting to Hinduism. Photos are being used in a misleading context; they have been taken from news reports about the mosque’s destruction that do not mention Hinduism; local police said that no religious conversions took place. more..

Jun 20 (Island) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) yesterday launched a Roadmap for Sustainable Finance in Sri Lanka following up the Sustainable Banking Network's Global Meeting of the Int'l Finance Corporation (IFC) held in Washington, D.C, USA on April 10, which was represented by CBSL Deputy Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe. CB Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy addressing the financial sector stakeholders said, "The Roadmap of the Central Bank 2019 indicated more..

Jun 20 (Island) State Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi has ordered an inquiry into the death of an 11-month-old infant due to malnutrition in the Grama Niladhari Division of Medigamwala, Tissamaharama. Wedaarachchi had told officials to ascertain under what circumstances the infant died when there was a Samurdhi Officer, Family Health Officer, Grama Niladhari, Economic Development Officer, and Agrarian Research and Development Officer working closely with the people in the village. more..

Jun 20 (FT) Minister Mangala Samaraweera hit back at controversial and racially charged comments made by one of the top Buddhist monks in the country against the Muslim community, calling on true Buddhists to unite against the Talibanisation of the philosophy. Minister Samaraweera, who has spoken out fearlessly against religious extremism targeting minority religious and ethnic groups, even after more..

Jun 20 (FT) Leader of ACMC slammed an opposition MP in Parliament on Tuesday for damaging and wild allegations made in the House, which falsely claimed that he was related through his family to a woman suicide bomber identified in the Easter Sunday bombings. ACMC Leader Rishad Bathiudeen called MP Wimal Weerawansa’s bluff on his allegations linking Bathiudeen’s family to Fathima Ilham, identified as the Dematagoda suicide bomber in the Easter Sunday attacks. more..

Jun 20 (Tass) SL terrorist attacks were organized by the militants of the Islamic State (IS, terrorist organization outlawed in Russia - TASS) formerly active in Syria and Iraq, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Yuri Kokov said at the Tenth Int'l Meeting of High-Level Representatives on Security Issues in the Russian city of Ufa. "Experts have estimated that these attacks (in SL) have been prepared by the local supporters of the global jihad ideology, based on IS foreign structures," more..

Jun 20 (AD) Authorities were notified of Zahran Hashim’s extremist teachings that called to kill every non-Muslim, says Moulavi Sahlan of Sufi Muslims’ organization in Kattankudy. Testifying before the Special PSC yesterday (18), Moulavi Sahlan said, however, no authority had taken any action on the matter. Pointing out that his faction hails from traditional Muslims who follow Sufism, Moulavi Sahlan said Zahran Hashim more..

Jun 20 (CT) Highways Ministry plans to complete road development projects, comprising a total length of 1,650 kms at a cost of Rs 16 billion, by the end of next month (July). These comprise the development of 1,000 kms of asphalt/concrete laying roads at a cost of Rs 10 billion, 400 kms of rural roads at a cost of Rs 3.6 billion and 250 kms of i>other roads at a cost of Rs 2.4 billion, Ministry said. Roads developed under the rural development programme and other or under the Marga Sathiya more..

Jun 20 (Island) Kollupitiya police has issued a notice on MP and owner of Sunhill Hotel, Wasantha Perera on Tuesday after he allegedly assaulted an individual who had complained to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) about the hotel’s septic tank and overflowing sewage pipes being connected to the Marine Drive’s drains. Officers attached to the police station had reported that they had visited Perera’s residence on Tuesday but he was not present. "We are looking for the MP," he said. more..

Jun 20 (FT) Sri Lankan labour in 14 different job categories will have access to employment in the Japanese market, with Foreign Employment Ministry to put in stringent controls to eliminate malpractices. Job opportunities opening up for Sri Lankans following the signing of a MoU yesterday between two countries will require skills levels specified by the Japanese authorities. “We will not allow just any job agency to recruit for more..

Jun 20 (FT) Parlimentary Select Committee (PSC) appointed to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks has decided to not allow media to be present while witnesses who are on active service are making their submissions. Deputy Speaker and the Chair of Committees Ananda Kumarasiri, talking to media in Parliament, held that this decision was based on the particular witness’ proximity to vital information on national security where some parts of the session will be held behind closed doors. more..

Jun 20 (FT) The newly-appointed teachers have found it difficult to teach the subjects assigned to them at schools, the Govt confirmed to the Parliament. According to a recent investigation, some of these graduates were granted appointments not relevant to the subjects studied at the university for their degree programs. According to Minister Gayantha Karunatileka, arbitrary decisions made by the Provincial Councils in recruiting graduates to fill teacher vacancies more..

Jun 20 (Island) The supplementary estimate fiasco continued for the second day, in Parliament, yesterday. Responding to objections raised by the Opposition to the resumbmission by Minister Lakshman Kiriella, on Tuesday, of a supplementary estimate, which he himself had withdrawn earlier in the day, Speaker agreed to the objections raised and admitted yesterday that there was an issue. more..

Jun 20 (DM) A few Muslim organizations, including Ceylon Thowheed Jamath and SL Thowheed Jamath will be summoned to testify before PSC over the Easter Sunday bomb attacks. A member of the Select committee who did not wish to be named said the decisions to summon the Muslim organizations by the committee members who met last afternoon. Members of the committee JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa, MP Asu Marasinghe, Jayamapathi Wickramaratne and Rajitha Senaratne more..

Jun 20 (DN) The Cabinet has decided to further expand the relief packages provided in support of the tourism industry recovery in the wake of the recent terror attacks. Given the severity of the downturn and the length of time needed for gradual recovery, the expanded financial relief schemes will cover the entirety of the industry, from the large hotel sector to the medium and small scale hotel and guesthouse sectors to the transport, entertainment, supply and travel sectors, more..

Jun 20 (DN) COPE Chairman Sunil Handunnetti (JVP) hung out the public sector’s dirty linen for all to see. Even as he blasted major state institutions like SriLankan Airlines, National Medicines Regulatory Authority, and State Pharmaceuticals Corporation for failing to report back on their compliance with COPE recommendations given months ago, he had at least Minister P. Harrison scurrying to reassure more..

Jun 20 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena promised that an honourable decision which will not cause injustice or embarrassment to the party or its supporters would be taken by the SLFP at the next presidential election. He said this at a meeting with female local govt politicians representing the SLFP Women’s Front at the party headquarters. The President said the future activities of the party will be streamlined using a strong political programme that would benefit all SLFPers. more..

Jun 20 (AD) The UNP has decided to offer electoral organizer positions to Minister Champika Ranawaka and MP Wijith Wijayamuni Zoysa. The decision has been taken during the UNP working committee meeting held yesterday. State Minister Ranjan Ramanayake stated this following the meeting. Meanwhile, State Minister Ajith Mannapperuma said that the UNP still has not decided on the presidential candidate. The UNP working committee meeting was convened last morning at Sirikotha. more..