May 31 (EN) Sri Lanka's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which investigates terrorism funding and money laundering, was left out of National Security Council meetings in the lead up to the Easter Sunday bombings, which killed over 250 people, officials have revealed. "The FIU was in the National Security Council meetings in the past, but prior to the attack it was not," Central Bank Deputy Governor H. A. Karunaratne told reporters. more..

May 31 (Island) First launched in 2013, the Sampath Saviya programme stands as the bank’s flagship entrepreneurship development initiative that aims to support the Govt’s endeavor to develop the MSME sector as a key growth catalyst for the national economy. Since its inception, the programme has been responsible for supporting over 2,500 MSME entrepreneurs, thereby transforming the lives of many communities across SL. For 2019, the bank emphasized on the grooming of women more..

May 31 (DM) In two separate raids conducted yesterday at Kalpitiya, three individuals including the manager of a state bank and trustee of a mosque allegedly used by the Tawheed Jamaat, were taken into custody with 12-bore ammunition and posters on Buddha statues written in Arabic language. Police said the 55-year-old bank manager was arrested with 61 rounds of 12-bore ammunition. He was to be produced in the Puttalam Magistrate's Court. Meanwhile, the trustee and a teacher more..

May 31 (AD) Police have recovered the laptop computer suspected to have been used by Zahran Hashim, the alleged mastermind behind the Easter Sunday terror attacks in SL. The laptop was found in the Palamunai Lagoon in Akkaraipattu. Based on information received by the State Intelligence Service’s Ampara office and extensive investigations, officers had seized Rs 5 million in cash allegedly hidden by Zahran’s Ampara more..

May 31 (EN) Central bank has suspended the business of NatWealth Securities Limited, a primary dealer in govt securities. NatWealth has been ordered to halt business from 4.30pm on May 31, CB said, following its continuous failure to comply with directions applicable to primary dealers. CB Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy had warned earlier that there would be no regulatory forbearance for entities. Delays in taking action make capital shortages and other problems worse. more..

May 31 (Island) Minister Rajitha Senaratne has been reappointed Vice President of the World Health Organization at the executive committee session for 2019 – 2020. The minister earlier served as a Vice President on the committee since 2017. The minister is also a member of the Executive Committee of the organization. The WHO appoints five vice presidents for its five regions across the world. This year, the organization appointed Minister Senaratne as the First Vice President giving priority to more..

May 31 (FT) Thirty youth organisations came together yesterday to call for the Govt to conduct an impartial investigation into recent anti-communal violence, and appealed for more inclusion in policy making. Close to 30 youth organisations, representing all communities from around the country, spoke to media and expressed their opinions regarding the events that followed after the Easter Sunday attacks. more..

May 31 (DM) Veteran actress Chithra Wakishta, who became well-known by her stage name Somi Nona when acting in the Kopi Kade teledrama, passed away today at the age of 83 while undergoing treatment at the Colombo National Hospital, Singers Association (SLASA) President Keerthi Pasquel said. He told Daily Mirror that she was suffering from cancer for some time. Chithra was born on December 23, 1936 and started her acting career with the teledrama Dimuthumuthu. more..

May 31 (Island) The Presidential Commission, investigating frauds under the current administration, has given the Minister of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam an opportunity to defend himself against the allegations levelled against him at the PCoI. He can appear before the PCoI on 11 June, if he so desires, to counter the allegations against him. Noting that a lot of evidence had been building up against Kariyawasam, Chairman of the PCoI retired Supreme Court Justice Upali Abeyrathne said more..

May 31 (DM) Ministry of Public Administration has made it compulsory for all female employees who work in govt institutions, to wear a sari or an osari. Male employees should wear a shirt and trousers, or national dress. It said in its circular to ministry secretaries, provincial chief secretaries and department heads, to make sure that the provisions of circular 2121/1 issued on April 29, 2019 and 2123/4 issued on May 13, more..

May 31 (DN) Dept of Immigration and Emigration has taken measures to increase the fee charged in issuing passports with effect from tomorrow. It was implemented in line with the budget proposal 2019. The amount charged for the normal service which was at Rs. 3,000 has been increased by Rs.500. The revised service fee under the normal service will be Rs 3,500 and the one-day service charge fee for issuing passports, which was previously at Rs 10,000, has been increased to Rs 15,000. more..

May 31 (EN) Italian govt has updated its travel advisory on Sri Lankan which advised against visiting the island to say tourists should exercise the utmost caution on their visits, the Italian in Colombo Embassy said. The advisory against travel to Sri Lanka was issued after Easer Sunday suicide bombings of three churches and three hotels in April which killed over 250 people, including tourists. The embassy statement said the improved outlook of the update adds that more..

May 31 (DM) Attorney General today sought for a fuller Supreme Court Bench to hear the fundamental rights petition filed against the Police Chief and the former Defence Secretary with regard to the suicide bomb attacks on April 21. A SC Bench comprising Justices Sisira De Abrew, Murdu Fernando and Gamini Amarasekera fixed the matter for June 6. Gamini Perera with Ravindranath Dabare and Ishara Gunawardane appeared for more..

May 31 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage ordered another worker attached to the copper factory, owned by millionaire businessman Mohammad Insaf Ahmad, who blew himself up at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel on Easter Sunday, to be remanded till 14 June. Suspect identified as Mohammad Fariz, a resident of Hingula, Delgahagoda had worked at the copper factory owned by Ahmad and had since the Easter Sunday bombings fled the area, Police told more..

May 31 (EN) Sri Lanka will slap price controls on bank loans if rates do not come down fast enough CB Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said, after placing deposit rate ceilings in a controversial move and a rate cut. "In the coming weeks we expect the bank to bring down lending rates significantly," Governor Coomaraswamy said. "There is no reason for lending rates cannot come down and come down significantly. If they don't come down, then the Monetary Board would need to consider more..

May 31 (CT) The Western Province Civil Appellate High Court yesterday (30), affirmed the Judgment, delivered by the Colombo District Court, which had deemed, that following a news report published in the newspapers of the Lake House Group owned by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), the image of MP and President’s Counsel Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe had been tarnished and thus had ordered more..

May 31 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena said today that he had not decided on seeking another term in an election that is due by year-end, Reuters reported. "I am not in a hurry to decide whether to stand," Sirisena told a news conference in New Delhi, a day after attending Indian PM Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony. Sirisena has faced criticism over his leadership after a string of deadly suicide bombings killed more than 250 people in the island nation on April 21. more..

May 31 (DM) The number of complaints received by the Kurunegala and Dambulla hospitals against Dr. Siyabdeen Mohamed Safi, who is alleged to have engaged in sterilisation surgeries, has reached 377 as at yesterday, the spokespersons of both hospitals revealed. While the Kurunegala Hospital has received 99 complaints yesterday, the Dambulla Hospital has received 42. The mothers who lodged the complaints are residents in Narammala, Kuliyapitiya, Gokarella, Polgahawela, more..

May 31 (EN) The Sri Lankan govt has widened a credit scheme at subsidized interest rates to promote entrepreneurship to include tourism, which was badly hit by recent bombings, and doubled housing loans. The finance ministry said eight credit facilities under its Enterprise Sri Lanka loan scheme that aims to create one hundred thousand entrepreneurs within a year was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers this week. more..