May 30 (DN) The annual United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Medal Awarding Ceremony was held at the UN Headquarters in New York on May 24 to honour 119 military, police and civilian personnel who had sacrificed their lives whilst performing duties in several UN field Missions during the period Jan 1, 2018 to Feb 4, 2019. Platoon Commander Maj. H.W.D. Jayawickrama of the Light Infantry Battalion of the SL Army and Sgt. S.S. Wijekumara of SL Army, who lost their lives on Jan 25, more..

May 30 (FT) Colombo’s landmark, skyline-transforming development project Cinnamon Life marked a key milestone in its construction this week, with the topping-off of all its towers as well as the luxurious 800-room Cinnamon Hotel building. A remarkable 21 million-man hours across 10 acres of land has delivered the completion of structural work on one of the most iconic structures in Sri Lanka. The event was marked with a private in-house ceremony attended by John Keells Holdings more..

May 30 (FT) The revising of travel advisories by key tourist countries has bolstered expectations of Sri Lanka recovering faster than expected from the Easter Sunday attacks, an industry expert said, but acknowledged that Govt-led recovery plans were still essential. In a forum titled 4/21 Incident and its impact on HR in Tourism organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), more..

May 30 (EN) Sri Lanka's cabinet of ministers has approved a public relations and advertising campaign to help the country recover from the Easter Sunday bombings. A proposal was approved to procure an internationally reputed public relations firm to conduct a 45-day communications and sales campaign, the cabinet office said. Approval was also given to conduct a 6-month advertising campaign. Meanwhile the cabinet also approved to re-start the joint tourism development program. more..

May 30 (CT) TNA MP Charles Nirmalanathan said that four MPs of the Party have decided to support the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) by the JO against Minister Rishad Bathiudeen. He said he will personally submit a proposal, during the Parliamentary group meeting of the TNA slated to be convene on 6 and 7 June, to urge the Party to back the NCM. MP Nirmalanathan added that he was confident that the support of more TNA MPs towards the success of the NCM against Bathiudeen more..

May 30 (Island) JO yesterday said that a decision on the repealing of Emergency Regulations (ER) introduced in the wake of the Easter Sunday carnage on April 21 shouldn’t be made hastily to appease Western powers and other interested parties. JO spokesperson Mahindananda Aluthgamage, MP, emphasized that as the govt was yet to guarantee safety and security of people ER should remain in force. more..

May 30 (AD) Media Director of the Ministry of Finance Mohamed Ali Hassan, who was arrested today (29) over possession of 12-bore gun ammunition, has been released by the police following interrogations. 93 rounds of 12-bore gun ammunition were recovered this morning, from the outdoor space of his residence at Malwana area in Biyagama. The Army and the Police had carried out a joint cordon and search in the area. The security forces have managed to recover the haul more..

May 30 (EN) Govt has given the go-ahead to four private energy companies to build one megawatt solar power plants in the eastern Trincomalee and southern Moneragala districts. The state information office said the projects were approved under the govt’s Suryabala Sangramaya Program to set up solar power plants in several parts of the island. Suncor Solar City was awarded the contract to build three of seven 1MW solar power plants in Trinco with balance 4 going to Capital City Holdings, more..

May 30 (FT) The Finance Ministry yesterday launched the Electronic Govt Procurement (e-GP) system, which aims to improve transparency and competitiveness as well as save public funds when goods and services are purchased by the Govt. Electronic procurement systems have been adopted by most countries around the world, with some being in place for more than 30 years. In South Asia, Sri Lanka has lagged behind more..

May 30 (AD) The issuing of explosives for commercial purposes, which was temporarily suspended by the National Security Council due to the security situation which had prevailed in the country, has been recommenced on the instruction of the President. Ministry of Defence says that public and private sector institutions carrying out projects can obtain required quantities of explosives, based on the permits issued by respective District Secretaries, from the Commercial Explosive more..

May 30 (DN) A mosque used by Thawheed Jamaath members in Madatugama in Kekirawa was demolished by the Muslims in the area with the support of the members of Madatugama Jumma Mosque yesterday. A resident said the mosque was constructed using foreign funds on a plot of land reserved to build a library. “We do not need another mosque in this area. Therefore I decided to demolish it,” he said. The residents had also destroyed a plaque containing Arabic letters. more..

May 30 (AD) Complaints received by the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital over conceiving complications which emerged following caesarean surgeries performed by Dr. Mohamed Shafi have accumulated to 200. Accordingly, nearly 80 mothers had come forward with complaints against Dr Shafi over the course of yesterday. Most of these complaints state that the complications appeared following C-sections more..

May 30 (PW) Google has a habit of celebrating all special days with a unique doodle be it someone’s birthday, any special day, historical occasion, the company has never missed a single chance. When it comes to cricket, knowing the game is widely loved by everyone throughout the globe, Google always comes with an exciting doodle. This time in order to welcome Cricket world cup 2019, Google has launched a sporty doodle having ball and wickets in it. So, the 12th world cup 2019 has started more..

May 30 (Island) The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on irregularities at SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka had asked for two months to complete its work, but Prez Sirisena had only given a one-month extension, sources revealed. The PCoI had wanted a two-month extension to question some of the VIPs alleged to have been involved in corruption. It was informed that Secretary to the PCoI on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka, more..

May 30 (Island) Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) DIG Sisira Mendis told the Special Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), probing the Easter Sunday carnage, that though he briefed the then Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando on the impending terrorist attack, the National Security Council (NSC) had not met till the coordinated suicide bombings took place on April 21. Mendis said that he had received more..

May 30 (DM) Despite insidious efforts by mischief-makers, rumour-mongers and even some politicians playing Jekyll and Hyde to envelope this country in a fear psychosis, it is gladdening to see Sri Lanka gradually returning to normal with school attendance too improving by the day amid assurances by the commanders of the Tri-forces and the acting Police Chief that the ground situation in Sri Lanka is well under control. In the aftermath of the unprecedented suicide bomb attacks on April 21, more..

May 30 (DM) Muslims in Sri Lanka are a battered race given that people who don’t practice Islam look at them with suspicion and hatred now. The whole world collapsed on this minority community on April 21 following a series of bombings on churches and hotels; carried out allegedly by the ISIS. Tensions have been brewing since this dark day in history and the taking place of incidents involving Muslims is giving rise to a tide that’s building up against Sri Lankan Muslims. more..

May 30 (DM) Violence inflamed by racism and extremism make the individual and the society as a whole incur heavy costs. Despite Sri Lanka, having learned through unpleasant experiences relating to inter-community violence since at least the late 19th century, the country is still witnessing increasing ethno-religious tensions. Ethnic riots in Sri Lanka have resulted in tangible costs to the country with regard to medical and mental more..

May 30 (EN) The newly formed Association of Sports Federations Society (ASFSL) will tackle corruption and improve Sri Lanka's performance in global sporting events, a top official said. "Corruption has spread to every part of our society like a cancer, and it has also reached sports," President Rohan Fernando said at the association's inaugural event in Colombo. "We tried to reverse this trend in 2018," he said. more..

May 30 (FT) Cabinet approval has been given to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the $ 1 billion project to build a steel factory near the Trincomalee Port, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara said yesterday He said the steel factory would have state-of-the-art technology and would be the first of its kind in Sri Lanka. He also said the project would create 6,000 jobs for locals. more..

May 30 (ST) Civil rights groups have launched campaigns to encourage persons to register for voting with the registration process currently underway. Electoral advocacy groups point out that many people, including those who live in apartment complexes, disabled individuals and domestic migrant workers had not submitted their details for 2018 voter registration. Therefore, many had missed out on the right to exercise their franchise. more..

May 30 (FT) Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy yesterday expressed confidence in Sri Lanka’s economy making a full recovery following the slowdown in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks as the manufacturing sector remains untouched. “There is enough of the economy untouched for us to have a robust bounce back, once the security situation is normalised… and once business confidence is ready,” more..

May 30 (TG) A boat carrying 20 Sri Lankan asylum seekers has been intercepted on its way to Australia. The Department of Home Affairs and deputy prime minister Michael McCormack have confirmed authorities intercepted the boat last week and the asylum seekers had been returned to Sri Lanka. The vessel, which was carrying at least one baby, was spotted in the Indian Ocean heading for the north-west coast. more..

May 30 (CT) The Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine said that regulations to introduce colour coding for sugar, salt, and fat contained in solid and semi-solid food items will come into effect from 1 June. The regulations made by the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, under Section 32 of the Food Act, No. 26 of 1980, in consultation with the Food Advisory Committee, have been published in more..

May 30 (Island) The Joint Opposition (JO), yesterday, strongly opposed the inclusion of the JVP in a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday bombings as a key suspect in custody had been on the JVP’s National List at the last parliamentary election in August 2015. Colombo, MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara asked Speaker Karu Jayasuriya why the JVP had been accommodated in the PSC, more..

May 30 (DM) National Movement for a Just Society Convenor Sarath Wijesuriya said they deeply regretted being part of the blunder of helping to elect Maithripala Sirisena the Prez and Ranil Wickremesinghe the PM. He said this while participating at the 77th birth anniversary of Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera held at BMICH. “Former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga told us that Maithripala Sirisena should be selected more..

May 30 (AD) President Maithripala Sirisena has denied media reports claiming that he was informed of a possible terror plot during a meeting with senior police officers on April 08. Media reports have publish the statements made by the national intelligence chief, testifying before the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to look into and report on the Easter Sunday terror attacks which took place in the country on April 21. more..

May 31 (CT) This is a follow-up to my previous piece – Self-interest, an Ostrich, & a Sri Lankan. One recurring theme in the comments section throughout that article was the mention of leadership, or the lack thereof in Sri Lanka. I made it a point that leadership was hard and that it required a lifetime of work and commitment. Sri Lanka has a leadership vacuum (more like a black hole in space, to be honest). There is no simple prescribable solution to this Hobson’s choice of elected leaders. more..

May 31 (CT) A Catholic preacher who was in Sri Lanka during the colonial era said that if they could stop the chanting of pirith and the sound of hevisi, they could dismantle Buddhism and make Sri Lanka a Catholic Nation. In recent years, a number of groups have attempted to make SL an irreligious Nation. Attempts to make SL an irreligious State and to destroy Buddhism is not a recent endeavour. When the Portuguese came to Sri Lanka in 1505 and captured large swaths of coastal areas, more..

May 31 (CT) Rithithenna is a small township on the Colombo Batticaloa road, in the Vaalachenai Police division in the Eastern province and it is where one of the training camps is located which had a master plan by of Zaharan Hashim, the man behind the Easter Sunday bomb blasts that rocked the country. He and his radical followers had obtained a 25-acre land on lease in a hideout in Omania Madu, bordering the Omania forest more..

May 31 (CT) When Ven Galagoda Atte Gnanasara (GST) walked out of prison, probably no-one was surprised as it was the end-result of much political behind-the- curtain activities, but well known in the public domain, which led to the granting of Presidential pardon by the head crackpot Sirisena (MS). After the end of the war in 2009, this fiery monk has been used as a political pawn and tool by the Rajapaksas to stay in power exploiting the racist sentiments among Sinhala Buddhist people more..

May 31 (Island) Dental Doctor Rajitha has broken his vow of silence and we are being bombarded with his vocal barrage. Watching his press conference, my new-gained little faith in Yahapalanaya, as expressed in the article Yahapalanaya, the curse? May be changing! (The Island, 28 May), started evaporating, even before the ink was dry. His performance can only be described as a masterclass in absurdity, displaying the not-so-hidden agenda of Yahapalanaya. more..

May 31 (UNHRC) 13-year-old Bariea, a Pakistani asylum seeker in Sri Lanka, is taking shelter at a mosque in the city of Negombo, where an uneasy mix of high anxiety and extreme boredom hover over the room. “We just have a few small bags, mostly clothes,” said Bariea. “We thought we would only be here for a few days. But now it’s been weeks.” “We want to leave. We don’t feel safe. Pakistan wasn’t safe either.... more..

May 31 (DN) We have been talking about crises in SL for many years. So, talking about just another crisis is unlikely to excite many people or generate much public interest. But, what we are faced with today is not just another crisis. In fact, what we witness today is an extraordinary situation that we can ignore only at our own peril. It is the culmination of a series of long-neglected economic, political and societal issues. If we fail to identify the gravity of the emergent situation in the country today more..

May 31 (DN) PM Narendra Modi invited President Maithripala Sirisena and several other leaders in the region for the inaugural of his second five-year term highlighting the neighbourhood first policy of the govt. Indo-Lanka relations are at a high now, despite New Delhi’s reservations about SL’s close economic relationship with China on one hand and the increasing military ties with the US on the other. Modi govt’s policy viz-a-viz Sri Lanka today is quite contrasted to the June 1987 episodes of more..

May 31 (CT) The danger of terrorist tragedies like that of Easter Sunday being repeated remains so long as the real leader of the Jihad faction of National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) remains free. The confirmation of the death of Zahran means that he was not the leader. No leader of any movement will kill himself. Thus, the systematic follow up of all leads and investigations is essential. I am informed that while a Police Inspector was still investigating 2 remanded suspects in Dematagoda incident, more..

May 31 (Island) S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia capped a highly successful cricket season when they won the Inter School Under-19 Limited Overs tournament title. That was apart from being the runners up to St. Joseph’s in the two-day (innings format) tournament. At the 140th Battle of the Blues the team led by Sithara Hapuhinna beat their arch rivals Royal. That was after a lapse of 12 year. The team coached by Dinesh Kumarasinghe topped their Group with 140pts during league tournament. more..

May 31 (AFP) A video has been viewed tens of thousands of times in multiple posts on Facebook and Twitter alongside a claim it shows workers at a restaurant in Colombo washing crockery in dirty water. The claim is false; the video has circulated online since March 2018 in reports about an Indian restaurant in Malaysia. The video was shared in a Facebook post here on May 21, 2019. Below is a screenshot of the misleading more..

May 31 (Island) Head of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya has torn into the govt for having abandoned the ideals cherished by his illustrious predecessor Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, who made the victory of the yahapalana coalition possible in 2015. Delivering the keynote address at a recent ceremony to mark the 77th birth anniversary of Ven. Sobitha, Prof. Wijesuriya cursed himself for having helped form the present administration, more..