May 30 (DM) Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) leader and Cabinet Minister of Livestock and Rural Community Development, Saumiyamoorthy Arumugam Ramanathan Thondaman died of a cardiac arrest on May 26. The 55-year-old political leader known as Arumugam and Thonda would have celebrated his 56th birthday on May 29 but fate decreed otherwise. Arumugam Thondaman had a fall while walking inside more..

May 30 (TM) When Australia went into lockdown following the rapid spread of the pandemic, much like most businesses the world over, Australian business owners were faced with the unfortunate reality of having to shut down their operations and forego any projected profits for quite some time. However, the Australian Govt has since offered a JobKeeper safety net which provides employees access to a grant which allows them to keep their salaries during these difficult times, more..

May 30 (ST) Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) is perturbed to learn of a purported agreement between the Employers Federation of Ceylon (EFC) and a rump of four unions claiming to constitute the labour task force to deprive workers in the private sector of their due wages and impose a drastic wage-cut on them. The proposed wage cut amounts to a deep 50 per cent reduction in contrast to the 30-40 per cent demanded from executives employed by EFC companies. more..

May 30 (TM) Govt has given the go ahead for all hotels and restaurants registered under the SL Tourism Development Board (SLTDA) to commence operations starting 26 May. Hotels Association of SL (THASL) President Sanath Ukwatte, said that the industry will adhere to social distancing and all other necessary precautions as stipulated by the Health Ministry. Ukwatte said that as it has been just 2 days since the go ahead more..

May 30 (Island) US Prez Donald Trump had been using the social media megaphone, Twitter, to declare war on others until very recently. He used that platform to issue warnings and veiled threats to his rivals and the perceived enemies of his country. Now, he has turned on Twitter itself, having taken on several mainstream media outfits. On Friday, Twitter held that Trump’s tweet on the Minneapolis riots, violated its rules against the glorification of violence. It attached a warning to his tweet and more..

May 30 (ST) This time the capital market just cannot go wrong. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has got a gamut of proposals to relieve the market from its current brittle state and the new chief is determined to see them to fruition. A joint committee of the SEC and the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) on Wednesday submitted to the SEC a master plan to digitise the end-to-end functions of the exchange in a bid to avoid disastrous closures of the market as more..

May 30 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has called up contracted players for training on Monday (1). Accordingly 13 fast bowlers will resume training at CCC. SLC sources said that along with the 13 fast bowlers, batsmen Kusal Janith Perera and Danushka Gunathilaka, who are recovering from back injuries will also start training. The players will be based at Colombo's Shangri La Hotel during their training. more..

May 30 (Island) The absence of Angelo Mathews due to injury hurt SL’s chances in the final of the World Cup in 2011, former captain Kumar Sangakkara has said. Mathews played a key role for his side in the semi-final win against NZ, but was forced to miss the final due to a quadriceps muscle injury. Sangakkara, in a conversation on Instagram with India off-spinner R. Ashwin, revealed Mathews’ injury forced him to opt for a 6-5 team combination. It also forced him to choose to bat first after more..

May 30 (PHC) High Commissioner of Pakistan, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Muhammad Saad Khattak met with the Governor of Eastern Province, Mrs. Anuradha Yahampath, at her office in Trincomalee on May 28. During the meeting, the High Commissioner held detailed discussion on all areas of mutual interest between the two countries, including assistance which can be provided by Pakistan to the Eastern Province. Further discussion to explore opportunities to enhance economic, educational, cultural, more..

May 30 (Island) Colombo Stock Exchange resumed stock market operations on May 11, following an extended closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ray Abeywardena, chairman of CSE comprehensively discusses the efforts of the CSE amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and offers an outlook on the way forward for the Exchange and the market. more..

May 30 (DM) Microsoft and the Ministry of Education in Sri Lanka have signed a MOU on May 14 to advance remote pedagogy during a time when the health and safety of educators and students is paramount. The agreement will enable educators to embrace Microsoft Office 365 tools and build their IT competence, while efficiently engage students in virtual classrooms. Under the MOU, Microsoft will support the Ministry by providing Students, Teachers, Pirivena, Teacher Training Schools more..

May 30 (CT) Despite all international tournament schedules coming to a halt due to the coronavirus outbreak, Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has picked three national pools - XV-a-side, Sevens and Under-20 7s - to give an initial restart to the sport. Domestic rugby came to halt in mid-March after SLR decided to cancel the Super Round of the Dialog League Championship declaring Kandy SC as champions, and later cancelled the knock-out segment of the tournament. more..

May 30 (EN) Sri Lanka’s tea prices extended falls across the board except for secondary teas in the third auction for May coming down from highs seen in April, with some unsold low grow teas, brokers said while the rupee also strengthened. Ex-Estate met with good demand and Low Grown Orthodox teas saw lesser demand in the Colombo tea auction held on Tuesday and Wednesday. more..

May 30 (ST) Public and private sector economic activity is limping back to normalcy, now that coronavirus containment restrictions in Colombo and Gampaha districts are being eased. In the rest of the country where the curfew is lifted during day, the situation should further improve. At operations that are allowed to open, PHIs are checking on social distancing, face masks, and other virus preventive measures. “We are only permitted to do hair cutting, colouring and certain other services. more..

May 30 (Island) The Walana-based police Anti-Vice Strike Force recently raided an illicit distillery located in a jungle patch close to the Bolgoda lake, in Idipillewa, and arrested four persons, and took into custody a consignment of illicit spirits, valued at Rs.180,000, and barrels containing semi-brewed liquor. The suspects were in the ages of 24, 26, 46 and 47 and residents of Idipillewa. The raid was conducted on information elicited from two suspects, arrested by a team of policemen, while more..

May 30 (EN) SL’s 12-month inflation fell to 4% in May 2020 from 5.2% a month earlier but prices picked up 0.4% in the month. Colombo Consumer Price Index, country’s most widely watched index climbed to 134.2 points in May from 133.6 points in April as the rupee fell steeply amid a unprecedented liquidity injections by CB. Food price index picked up 1.3% to 144.1 in May from 142.2 in April, while the non-foods barely rose 0.1%. more..

May 30 (CT) A Spokesman for Dept of Govt Printing said, they have taken a decision not to allow any member of Election Commission (EC) to enter the three confidential rooms that they had set apart for the printing of the Ballot Papers for the next General Election, due to the risk of contracting COVID-19. Usually officers from the EC are allowed to enter the DGP premises to oversee the printing of Ballot Papers for an election, but this time they had decided not to do so due to the said reason. more..

May 30 (EN) A quarantine curfew has been declared from tonight until Sunday night in the Nuwara Eliya District as tens of thousands of supporters of the CWC thronged the streets to mourn the death of their leader Arumugam Thondaman. In a statement issued this evening by the Acting IGP Chandana Wickremaratne the police said public transport was also being banned during curfew hours in Nuwara Eliya. The 54-year old politician died on Tuesday after a fall at his home in Battaramulla. more..

May 30 (Island) Dissolving or prorogation of parliament did not mean a permanent end of the legislature, Supreme Court was told yesterday. President’s Counsel Chrishmal Warnasuriya, appearing for intervening petitioners Chinthaka Antony and Pradeep Panagoda, said that a country’s governance could not exist democratically without a functioning Parliament, which represented the legislature, and, more..

May 30 (DM) Claiming it is the real United National Party (UNP), the former UNP MPs who joined the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) said yesterday its Working Committee had decided to free the party from the clutches of those whom SJB alleged were involved in deals with the govt. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Kabir Hashim and Lakshman Kiriella, who held a joint news conference confirmed that its working committee had approved a resolution to this effect. more..

May 30 (Island) Farmers, who were duped by irregularities-ridden subsidised scheme to introduce high-yielding imported pregnant cows, from Australia, in 2017, expressed dismay at the govt’s decision to import another 2,500 cows, from the same country. Amal Suriyage, of Lammermoor Estate, in Maskeliya, who lodged a complaint with the PCoI that probed allegations of large scale corruption in the previous govt, said that the previous govt had imported 3,030 milch cows more..

May 30 (ST) Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 situation is under control so far, but serious consideration needs to be given before a decision is taken to open the main entry-points of the country, particularly the Bandaranaike Int'l Airport, Katunayake, many health experts said. The strong assurances that community transmission has not started in the country came as the number-affected by COVID-19 jumped the 1,000 mark, more..

May 30 (FT) People for Human Rights and Equality Inc (PHRE) in a statement has called for the protection of lawyer in custody Hejaaz Hizbullah’s rights and conduct investigations according to the law. It said lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested on 14 April. Media reports, Police announcements and the habeas corpus application filed by Hizbullah’s father Neina Hizbullah in the Supreme Court strongly suggest that there are serious concerns about the manner in which Hizbullah’s arrest more..

May 30 (FT) The SLPP said the rift between the UNP and SJB will be beneficial for them and will aid to secure a two-thirds majority at the forthcoming General Election. SLPP senior member S.B. Dissanayake said the division among the UNP would likely deteriorate their vote base and encourage disillusioned voters to either stay away from the polls or turn towards the SLPP. The split between UNP and SJB will reduce the chance of a strong campaign by those parties at the election, more..

May 30 (CT) Over 40 of the 65 UNP Working Committee members had on 29 Friday, decided to bring a No-Confidence Motion against the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, a senior Party member of the SJB said. He also said, together with Wickremesinghe, the Motion of No-Confidence is also against certain former Ministers who have opposed the decisions of the UNP Working Committee and were supporting the Govt. more..

May 30 (FT) In daily life, we all face tests. Facing life itself can be a test these days. Especially, if you have to wear a facemask walking, shopping, or driving. Or, if you belong to the political class, attending funerals! So everyone faces tests. Examinations for students, drug tests for athletes, temperature checks for just about everyone wishing to enter a mall or market. Oh yes, and election results for politicos. The acid tests for each of these is to pass… except in the last case. more..

May 30 (FT) The onset of islandwide curfew since mid-March delivered a blow to the economy of working people. Millions of working people lost their jobs, or had wage cuts. Small farmers could not sell their harvest or sell it at a decent price. Fishers could not sell their fish. Domestic workers, street vendors and those who made a living by making kadayappan could not go to work. Meanwhile, their debt continues to accumulate. With millions of livelihoods extinguished, a large proportion of more..

May 30 (AD) Former Governor and President’s Counsel Marshal Perera passed away today (30) at the age of 89. He was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo at the time of his demise, according to family sources. Marshal Perera was called to the bar on 15 June 1955. In 2006, he was appointed as a President’s Counsel. He served as the governor of Uva and Southern provinces between 2015 and 2018. Perera is survived by his son, former MP Dilan Perera. more..

May 30 (Island) Divisional Secretary of Alayadivembu, in the Ampara District, and the Assistant Director of Planning, working there, were arrested by the sleuths of the CIABOC, while they were allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 300,000 for the road renovation work there. They were produced before Akkaraipattu Magistrate, M.H.M.Hamza, yesterday, and remanded till 10 June. A road construction contractor was awarded the contract to repair 3 roads, within Alayadivembu DS. more..

May 30 (Island) Govt is going ahead with the Presidential Covid Task Force proposal to re-open the BIA, on Aug 1. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, on Thursday, said that a special facility would be soon established, at the BIA, to subject all those arriving, in SL, to undergo RT-PCR tests. The announcement was made soon after Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi, accompanied by Prez Covid Task Force chief, Lt. Gen Shavendra Silva, more..

May 30 (AD) Two batches of Sri Lankans, who were stranded in Australia and India owing to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, have been brought back to the island this morning. The national carrier, SriLankan Airlines facilitated the two repatriation flights – UL 1042 and UL 605. The first flight arrived at the BIA at around 4.45 am today, carrying 18 Sri Lankan tri-force members from Mumbai, India. Meanwhile, the second flight, with 286 Sri Lankans aboard, returned from Melbourne, Australia more..

May 30 (ST) The COVID-19 situation has affected normal activities all over the world. There are fewer motor vehicles on the roads and many factories remain shut, giving rise to significant decreases in airborne pollution. For example, Beijing has reported visible blue skies after many years. In some regions in Northern India, residents have been able to see the Himalayas from afar for the very first time. Residents in Colombo have been enjoying spectacular views of Adam’s Peak and more..

May 30 (DM) The allegations being made on social media that all stray dogs including all those in and around the Vihara Maha Devi Park are being rounded up by the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) and will be put down are false, CMC said. It clarifed the rumours in a statement, during the curfew time, due to the non availability of food, many stray dogs were congregating around Vihara Maha Devi Park & were being fed by CMC, more..

May 30 (EN) Crew change services from Mattala Airport for global shipping is gathering pace with a charter flight coming from Belgium coming with fresh seafarers for a cruise ship docked at the island, amid a Coronavirus crisis. Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited, the state airport agency and the island’s ports are working together to help ships change crew while many airports and closed around the world. On May 28, an Enter Air Boeing 737-800 had arrived with more..

May 30 (Island) Dambulla Magistrate Senarath Illangakoon, yesterday, remanded till June 3 two suspects, produced before him, by the Dambulla police, for stealing a two-month-old colt, from a tourist resort, in Kandalama. The owner of the colt had complained to the Dambulla police that a mare, at his resort, had delivered a colt, two months back, and it had gone missing. The police, questioning the complainant, found that he had sacked an employee who had looked after the mare. more..

May 30 (EN) Former MP Kabir Hashim says that the decision of the UNP working committee to suspend 99 UNP members who gave nominations under the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) has no validity. “This decision doesn’t even matter, it is not valid and there is no legality to it,” he said Speaking to reporters, Friday evening he said that this decision is not valid as the SJB was formed legally after taking the approval from more..

May 30 (AD) 27 more COVID-19-positive patients who had been undergoing treatment have been discharged from hospitals today (30) as they have recovered completely. This brings Sri Lanka’s recoveries count to 781. The new recoveries are reported from Colombo East Base Hospital (11), Navy Hospital (01), Minuwangoda Base Hospital (02) and Homagama Base Hospital (13). The coronavirus-positive cases confirmed in SL hiked to 1,558 on Friday (29) with 28 fresh cases. more..

May 30 (Island) The govt blundered by sending the army, that has been trained to fight wars, to strike deals with middlemen in the rice mafia, former Minister and JHU leader, Champika Ranawaka, said. Addressing the media he said: "This govt does not know when and where to deploy the Army. They sent the soldiers to places where those conversant with agriculture and marketing process should have been sent. Sending military personnel to deal with rice mill owners was one such example. more..

May 30 (ST) Rice, vegetable and fruit growers say delays in fertiliser distribution could be damaging and organic substitutes will not meet urgent needs. Farmers say the shortage has persisted for more than five months now and that govt fertiliser is substandard. All-Island Farmers Federation Secretary T.B. Sarath said the fertiliser shortage has badly affected coconut and banana plantations as well as rice growers. more..