May 27 (Island) JVP and SJB urged the govt to reveal the names of the Seychelles nationals who had recently visited the country for medical treatment. Former JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti said that Sri Lankans living in Seychelles were also expecting to come to the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the govt didn’t allow them to return to their own country so far while it allowed Seychelles nationals to arrive here. Handunnetti said that there were allegations that black money more..

May 27 (EN) Politician Arumugam Thondaman has passed away at the age of 55, one of his party colleagues confirmed. He was the leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) the oldest of the unions in the estate sector. P Rameshwaran, a former Provincial Councillor was quoted in media as saying that the CWC leader died in the Thalangama hospital this evening May 26. He is reported to have suffered a fall in his home more..

May 27 (FT) The term of the Parliament is five years. Mere expiry of the said period of five years shall operate as the dissolution of Parliament (Article 62(2)), in which instance there is no involvement of a president or a proclamation. The drafters of the Constitution were careful enough not to require the intervention of the office of the president in such event, by requiring the president to make a formal proclamation declaring that the Parliament is dissolved. more..

May 27 (FT) At the dawn of the year 2020, the world was celebrating achievements related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution; 3D printing, big data, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence were some of the buzz words associated with it. However, suddenly almost all the countries in the world have been compelled to divert their attention from those complex ideas to simple human habits. During the last two to four months we have all been learning and teaching how to wash our hands more..

May 27 (EN) Sri Lanka Treasuries yields were steady at Wednesday’s auction with 30 billion rupees in bills offered and the full volume sold, data from the debt office showed. The debt office, which is a unit of the central bank sold 8.0 billion rupees of 3-month bills at 6.69%, down 02 basis points from a week earlier after offering 8.0 billion rupees. 11.0 billion rupees of 6-month bills were sold to yield 6.82%, down 01 basis point from a week earlier, after offering 6.0 billion rupees. more..

May 27 (AD) A suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident of a rare black panther getting caught in a trap set up in Walamale of Lakshapana Tea Estate within the Nallathanniya PD. A rare black panther was found by wildlife officers, caught in a wire trap near a vegetable cultivation, yesterday. The wounded panther had been taken to the Udawawalawa elephant veterinary hospital last night for further treatment, said the wildlife guard at Nallathanniya Wildlife Sanctuary. more..

May 27 (FT) While the world struggles with the Wuhan-born COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese govt has taken a great leap towards Hong Kong. Beijing has unveiled a new national security law enabling the use of Chinese security apparatus against dissent in Hong Kong. The law is to be included in Hong Kong’s de facto constitution without the consent of either the city’s populace or its legislature. more..

May 27 (AD) The NBRO has issued a Landslide Early Warning for several areas in seven districts owing to the prevailing inclement weather conditions. The early warning has been issued for parts of Ratnapura, Kegalle, Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle, Kalutara and Matara districts. The NBRO says that since the rainfall within the past 24 hours has exceeded 100 mm, people living in these areas are requested to be on alert on the possibility of landslides, slope failures, rock falls, more..

May 27 (Island) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) losses has reached Rs. 45 billion, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday. He said that the CPC losses had stood at Rs. 10.9 billion in 2019. Ministry officials said that they would keep oil prices fixed at current rates and build a Rs. 200 billion fuel price stability fund, as directed by Minister Bandula Gunewardane. Taxes would be levied on fuel to build a fund, which would be used to repay debt of the CPC and CEB, he said. more..

May 27 (AD) The final rites of late Minister are set to be carried out on May 31 at the Norwood Grounds in Hatton. Leader of Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC), aged 55, passed away at the Thalangama Hospital last night after suffering a heart attack. Late Minister Thondanan was a father of three and served as the Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure Development since Nov 2019. more..

May 27 (Island) Chairman of UGC Prof. Sampath Amaratunge said that 98% of university students were following lessons, given online. UGC statistics showed that only 50% of students had computers, while others were logging in, using their smartphones. "There are things that we need to improve, on our part, but this shows that the students are keen on their education. They have shown that they are willing to overcome some challenges to ensure that they get a good more..

May 27 (NR) Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who was arrested over the white van media briefing case, has been further remanded. Senaratne was remanded till the 10 of June. The order was issued by Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage today. The Magistrate informed Court that a verdict on Senaratne’s bail application will also be issued on the 10 of next month. Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne decided to direct the consideration of the bail application filed by more..

May 27 (AD) Popular artist Iraj Weeraratne has issued a letter of demand to former MP Harin Fernando over a case of defamation of character. The letter refers to a media briefing held by former MP Fernando on May 21, 2020, where he had made several claims that allegedly defamed Weeraratne. Further, the letter alleges that Fernando had published and distributed false & defamatory content through Facebook more..

May 27 (EN) Sri Lanka has lifted a para-tariff on personal protective equipment supplied to the military and state hospitals by export firms and other medical items imported to fight a Coronavirus pandemic and supplied to state hospitals. Sri Lanka imposes a tariff called cess on number of items. Health protection equipment and similar products supplied or donated by BoI approved enterprises to the Health Ministry, SL Army, Navy, Force, Police or the National Operation Centre for more..

May 27 (Island) Road Development Authority (RDA) officials, in Kilinochchi, brought steel parts, worth around four million rupees, to repair the Kudamurutti Bridge on the B 357 route, connecting Paranthan and Pooneryn. The RDA officials, last week, issued a warning to drivers, using the Kudamurutti and Sangupiddi bridges, on the B 357 route, connecting Paranthan and Pooneryn, to be cautious as some parts of the bridges had been removed by drug addicts and sold as scrap iron. more..

May 27 (Reuters) SL’s finances were fragile long before the coronavirus delivered its blow, but unless the country can secure aid from allies like China, economists say it may have to make a fresh appeal to the IMF or default on its debt. All the tell-tale crisis signs are there: a tumbling currency, credit rating downgrades, bonds at half their face value, debt-to-GDP levels above 90% and almost 70% of govt revenues being spent on more..

May 27 (AD) UGC says that the accepting of online applications to state university admission for the academic year 2019/2020 will close on June 02, 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country, the UGC had extended the initially declared deadline for submission of online applications for university admission for the academic year 2019/2020 from 26th March 2020 until 9th April 2020. Later it was further extended until two weeks after the schools are re-opened. more..

May 27 (Island) Kankesanthurai police arrested 3 suspects for attacking and injuring a police sub inspector on Sunday (24) at Keeramalai in Jaffna. Police said that they had received a complaint of a clash between two rival groups and they had dispatched a team of policemen with SI Muthulingam Uthayashanthan, to the scene. One of the persons, involved in the clash, armed with a sword, ran after the SI and attacked him. SI saved his life by running into a nearby house. more..

May 27 (AD) A total of 357 persons have been arrested for violating quarantine regulations within yesterday, stated DIG Ajith Rohana. DIG stated the most number of arrests have been made in Colombo, Kalutara, and Negombo areas. He stated that video footage obtained on the relevant charges will be submitted to the court as evidence. The monitoring of quarantine and social distance violators will continue more..

May 27 (EN) The widely reported harassment faced by journalist Bimal Shyaman in Atalugama recently was a serious violation of media freedom that should not have occurred under any circumstance, the Free Media Movement (FMM) said. In a statement issued yesterday condemning the incident, the media rights watchdog urged authorities to ensure justice prevails and called on media institutions to empower regional journalists to “carry out their work in a broader professional setting”. more..

May 27 (Hindu) In a statement, TN Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami said Arumugan Thondaman had not only been a prominent leader among persons of Indian origin, but had also worked for the welfare of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu CM on Wednesday condoled the death of SL Minister and Ceylon Workers’ Congress leader Arumugan Thondaman. In a statement, Mr. Palaniswami said Mr. Thondaman had served as a Minister for many years. He not only was a prominent leader more..

May 27 (AD) 51 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 as at 7 pm today (27), increasing SL’s infections tally to 1,370. These fresh cases are Navy men who are undergoing the quarantine procedure at the facility in Vadichchipalai, Jaffna. The infections reported from the Navy thereby escalated to 689. In the meantime, the coronavirus recoveries reported in the country reached 732 earlier today as 20 patients more..

May 27 (AD) General Secretary of the UNP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam says letters have been directed to party members who signed nomination papers for the forthcoming General from other political parties, demanding reasons for their conduct. Kariyawasam mentioned this releasing a statement on suspending the membership of UNP members who have violated the party’s constitution. None of the UNP members who signed nomination papers for the impending election from other political parties has more..

May 27 (Island) Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that in spite of ongoing row with big rice millers, they shouldn’t be crippled. Such a course of action would be counterproductive, the SLPP strategist said, pointing out that the government would have to be cautious in its approach. The ex-lawmaker said that thanks to major rice millers the farmers today didn’t experience trouble in finding market for paddy over the past couple of years. Responding to three-member Hiru panel, more..

May 27 (EN) Carlton Sports Network Television channel (CSN), will resume operations soon, a senior executive of the company said. Rohan Welivita, a former Director of the company’ said work “has begun to restart the channel as soon as possible.” He said that “the wheels are in motion.” Welivita’s statement comes a day after the govt withdrew it’s objections to the functioning of the channel after the company filed more..

May 27 (AD) Supreme Court today postponed further consideration of the fundamental rights petitions filed challenging the election date, until 10 a.m. tomorrow (28). The SC had commenced the further consideration of the FR petitions filed challenging the date set by the Elections Commission to hold the General Election 2020, for the seventh day this morning (22). The petitions were taken up before a five-member judge bench of the Supreme Court consisting of CJ more..

May 27 (EN) The remains of Arumugam Thondaman, Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure Development will Lie-in-State in the Assembly Hall of Parliament from 10.45 am to 11.30 am tomorrow Thursday, May 28, the Parliamentary Secretariat said. The 54-year old politician died yesterday due to what was described as a fall at his home. Prez Rajapaksa, PM Rajapaksa, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Ministers are expected to pay their respects more..

May 27 (MFA) In an effort to provide new employment opportunities for the 36 Sri Lankan workers who were stranded at the Bucharest Airport in Romania on 24 May, the Romanian Minister of Labour Violeta Alexandru had intervened and arranged to safeguard and retain the job opportunities for the SL workers. SL workers had earlier refused to remain in their present employment having found that many others at work more..

May 28 (CT) We, the Tamils of Tamil Eelam, have been constantly betrayed by the traitors in our own community. We have no tolerance and cannot suffer from these disloyal actions any longer. We call the former MP, Mr M.A. Sumanthiran, the spokesperson of TNA, to respect the people’s mandate and resign from his post and leave the TNA forthwith. We call him to do so immediately if he has any dignity at all. Should he fail to do of his own accord, we hereby demand TNA leadership to honour more..

May 28 (CT) Condemned to poverty by birth and condemned to death by destiny. This is the long and short tale of the three women who fell victim to a human stampede. They were part of the sudden surge of people who rushed to receive the give-away by a charity minded person. Their quest was not for self-aggrandisement or extravagance but to seek temporary relief from damned poverty. Several others also had been injured in this incident which was reported to have taken place on more..

May 28 (TM) Embark is inviting all dog lovers to come and join them in making a difference in the life of a Sri Lankan street dog. On 27, 28, and 29 May, at the Embark headquarters at No. 73, Jawatte Road, Colombo 5 from 3 to 5 p.m., they will be hosting adoption days for anyone who would be interested in providing a loving home for an unfortunate street pooch. We spoke to Embark Operations Manager S. Praveen more..

May 28 (CT) Sri Lankans are in all probability beginning to look at the conception of a divergence from what has since the birth of independence been an openly honest effort at a truly multi-ethno and multireligious democratic principled Constitution. Health care, politics and what has been referred to as a truly distributive common justice forging all races and religions into a whole communal tenor of governance and communal life, have often over the past few centuries never been a forge used more..

May 28 (GV) May 19th 2020, marked the eleventh year of the end of the fighting in SL’s civil war. A protracted long drawn out conflict, which when it ended in 2009 was the world’s second longest running civil conflict after Lebanon’s. As a nation as we enter the second decade after the end of the war, there is a need to continue the process of reconciliation, which made slow progress during the first decade after the war. There is a continuing need to address both the effects and the causes more..

May 28 (DM) The simmering tensions between the Sinhalese and minority Muslims took a new turn with the surfacing of conflicting claims for land in areas around Muhudu Maha Viharaya in Pottuvil. Newspaper reports last week were a buzz with the news of priests of Muhudu Maha Viharaya complaining about land grabs and the govt taking steps to place a Navy contingent in the area to ease the situation. more..

May 28 (DM) The Sri Lanka Press Institute, in concurrence with the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka, introduced guidelines for ethical journalism covering a wide range of subjects. They included the issue of identification in terms of race, religion, caste, gender, sexual orientation etc. Put simply, the ascribed identity of an individual is extraneous to acts such as theft, murder, embezzlement or any other infringement, be it the perpetrator or the victim, unless of course there is sufficient evidence more..

May 28 (Island) No one can escape the icy cold hand of death, but the untimely demise of Ceylon Workers’ Congress leader and Minister Arumugam Thondaman, 56, has come as a shock and diminished many. Our hearts go out to the family of the late minister, his friends and party members. Thondaman’s death, which has occurred while all eyes are on the Covid-19 mortality and morbidity rates, both global and local, serves as a reminder that Grim Reaper comes in various guises, more..

May 28 (DM) The tragedy that occurred last Thursday at Maligawatte where three women died and nine others were injured should have never happened if those who distributed or attempted to distribute money to the poor people in the area had acted in a more responsible manner by obtaining the permission and help of the Police. A businessman residing at Dehiwela had used his warehouse on the Jumma Masjid Road in Maligawatte to perform an act of charity on 27th day of Ramadan fast, more..

May 28 (Island) Covid-19 has battered the world with its viral and deadly impact, with millions of people being affected and hundreds of thousands dying. At the same time, the virus and its aftermath have wrecked the economies of almost all countries and are now leaving a devastating trail of bankruptcies, livelihood losses, evaporation of savings, debt defaults, economic and corporate collapses, and hopelessness. Sri Lanka has so far fared well in responding to the virus outbreak more..