Sep 4 (FT) People’s Bank recently announced the results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2020, reporting consolidated loan book growth of over Rs. 190 billion, accounting for close to 45% of total sector credit extended during the said period on a net basis. The bank’s consolidated assets reached Rs. 2,154.1 billion up 5.1% from Rs. 2,049.8 billion at end 2019 whilst its total deposits grew 5.8% to reach Rs. 1,680.6 billion from Rs. 1,588.9 billion at end 2019. more..

Sep 4 (ST) The National Institute of Education (NIE) is due to present a new Draft Policy for Secondary Education Reforms — with 50% of the curriculum dedicated to core subjects like math and languages and 10-15 percent to physical education, health and sports. The draft policy is to be presented to the NIE Council and its Academic Affairs Board on Thursday before it goes to the Cabinet. more..

Sep 4 (ST) Imagine one of our neighbours doing well in his business and becoming rich day by day. The way he continues to progress, surely in the years to come he is going to be one of the world’s richest persons. If we get to sit and discuss for half an hour with him over a cup of tea, I wonder what kind of things we would ask him. I am sure many would eye his money thinking that giving away some money to a friend is not a big deal from a rich person. more..

Sep 4 (Island) Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith’s recent comments regarding racial and religious politics were most timely. In a climate where religious leaders seek to become political leaders, to hear the Archbishop state so unequivocally that religion and language should not be the basis for a political party is at least mildly reassuring. It seems that the Archbishop was irked by recent comments made in Parliament by MP C.V. Wigneswaran regarding primary language more..

Sep 4 (CT) The authorities were, yesterday, bracing for a major marine environmental disaster, after crude oil began to spew from a burning foreign-owned vessel off the country’s Eastern Coast. The Panama-flagged, Greek-owned, New Diamond, with a cargo of 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and an additional 1,700 tonnes of diesel became crippled, after a major fire broke out inside the engine room of the vessel around more..

Sep 4 (ST) Global Park bonded warehouse run by Global Transportation and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd has been sealed by the Customs Dept amidst a CID probe into the collusion of Customs officers in leaking imported bottles of whiskey meant for re-export to the local market. Cases of Johnnie Walker Black Label were being taken from Global Park to Ace Container Yard in Wattala for re-export on Aug 14 when, midway, around 900 bottles were replaced with bottles containing coloured water, more..

Sep 4 (FT) India has offered SL a Line of Credit worth $ 100 million for three solar projects, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said. High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay handed over a copy of a letter conveying the offer to Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma, when he called on the Minister on Wednesday. HC congratulated the Minister on assuming office and reiterated India’s commitment towards a strong and multi-faceted partnership with SL including in power sector. more..

Sep 4 (PMD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa emphasized that cultivators of minor crops including turmeric and pepper should be protected by ensuring stable prices for them. The importation of turmeric and pepper was completely suspended in order to protect local producers of these crops. President highlighted the importance of creating an environment to earn the highest possible income by harnessing more int'l markets. more..

Sep 4 (DN) Colombo Port City (CPC) will mainly focus attention towards establishing worldwide Service-Oriented Brands after opening it for global investors, CHEC Port City Colombo, Public Relations Head Kassapa Senarath told the media session held to create awareness of SL Press Association on the current progress of the Port City Colombo development project. Port City Project is being implemented under a tripartite agreement between Ministry of Urban Dev. Authority more..

Sep 4 (ST) A first in the country – five baby-girls born in a rare quintuplet delivery to a 29-year-old mother from Gampaha around 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug 28, at the De Soysa Hospital for Women, down Kynsey Road in Colombo. “This is the first all-girl quintuplet birth but we believe it’s the fourth time five babies have been born to mothers in Sri Lanka,” said Gynaecologist Dr. Probhodana Ranaweera who with his colleague, Dr. Mohamed Rishard, both of the hospital’s Professorial Unit, more..

Sep 4 (CN) Over a year after a series of bombings in Sri Lanka killed more than 300 people, the country’s top Catholic prelate has accused govt leaders of failing to identify those behind the grizzly attacks and of using the incident to advance their political agendas. Speaking during his homily for the National Day of the Sick at SL’s basilica of Our Lady of Lanka in Tewatte earlier this week, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said the PCoI more..

Sep 4 (Island) A recent survey has revealed that 4,116 usable vehicles had been discarded by govt institutions. According to a proposal made by Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sept 2 to the Cabinet these vehicles could be used following repairs whereas 5,588 were in a depleted state due to the failure on the part of respective institutions to properly maintain them. Minister Ramesh Pathirana explained the circumstances leading to the govt exploring ways & means of using abandoned more..

Sep 4 (Island) There is a likelihood of members of the 9th Parliament receiving an opportunity to visit Norway, according to a statement issued by the Norwegian embassy following Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Trine Jøranli Eskedal meeting Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena at the Parliament yesterday morning. She congratulated Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on being elected the Speaker of the 9th parliament and they discussed the importance of parliamentary diplomacy. more..

Sep 4 (CT) The Cabinet has approved the appointment of a nine-member Expert Committee to prepare preliminary drafts for a new Constitution. The Committee is headed by Romesh De Silva PC. The Cabinet took this decision after taking into consideration the proposal made by Minister of Justice, Ali Sabry PC on 19 August at the Cabinet meeting, to appoint an Expert Committee to prepare preliminary drafts for the new Constitution. more..

Sep 4 (CT) Steps are being taken to isolate two leading hotels in Colombo to provide facilities to expatriates arriving in the country, to spend their mandatory quarantine period. Chief Medical Officer at the Colombo Municipal Council, Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni yesterday claimed that it can appreciate in future since the numbers of such persons coming in are increasing day by day. The Cinnamon Red Hotel and Best Western Elyon Hotel in Colombo will be isolated for quarantine centres. more..

Sep 4 (CT) The case filed by Sepala Ekanayake in the Civil Appellate High Court of the Western Province, appealing against the judgment delivered by Additional District judge of Colombo dated 15 June 2010 in favour of the Gateway International School (Pvt) Limited., was dismissed yesterday. Court determined that the plaintiff’s claim of wrongful termination of a student had no basis as the contract between Ekanayake and the School was not breached by the School but by Ekanayake. more..

Sep 4 (AD) One of the crew members is still missing as the fire continues to rage on the Panama-registered oil tanker carrying 270,000 tonnes of fuel off the southeastern coast of SL. SL Navy, SL Coast Guard, SLPA, MEPA and other stakeholders are taking steps to mitigate and manage the risk of possible oil spills in future due to this disaster. Navy said that responding immediately to a distress signal of an explosion of a boiler more..

Sep 4 (CT) Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs was a highly politicised institution due to certain officials' attitude that Muslims are a minority and that all their demands must be met, said Director Adam Bawa Mohamed Ashroff. He also said, as a result, most of the work that needed to be done by the Department had been done without following due procedure. Ashroff has been serving as the Director since January this year and testified before the PCoI yesterday (3). more..

Sep 4 (CT) GMOA urged the State Minister for the Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals, Professor Channa Jayasumana to introduce regulations on perfumes and cosmetics which were freely available in the market and were also used in salons. The Executive Committee of the GMOA paid a courtesy call on Jayasumana, lamented that cosmetics were used unrestricted. They also pointed out that there was a time lapse in registering pharmaceuticals which resulted in more..

Sep 4 (FT) The 20th Amendment (20A) will restore all Executive powers of the President which were scaled down by the 19th Amendment (19A), replacing the Constitutional Council with a weakened Parliamentary Council (PC), allowing dual citizens to sit in Parliament, and lifting restrictions on the number of Cabinet and junior ministers. Prez’s powers to dissolve Parliament after one year of its election, more..

Sep 4 (FT) Humankind cannot bear too much reality. Rest and relax far from the madding crowd is a mantra that has a special appeal to many if not most members of the human race. Maybe much of humanity is introverted at heart and we all need our moments of respite from the rat race at work or often mindless social rounds after it. However much we may desire this much-needed ‘me time’ though, there is no entry into the upper echelons of society, closed circles of influence or corridors of more..

Sep 4 (FT) Before and after the Parliamentary Elections, SL’s economy was in a precarious situation, mired in a terrible economic crisis. It can be considered as the biggest issue SL is facing at the moment. Surprisingly, however, this issue was not discussed by political leaders running for office at the Prez Election or the Parliamentary Election held thereafter. Usually in a throne speech, the Head of State is expected to explain to the people the major challenges the country is facing and more..

Sep 4 (DM) More than 15 incidents had been reported by the Computer Emergency Readiness Team/Co-ordination Centre (CERT|CC) regarding the receipt of malware-related applications as an e-mail attachment under the guise of Microsoft Office-related documents, CERT|CC Information Security Engineer Ravindu Meegasmulla said. He said that internet users caught out by email scams continue to increase. Mr. Meegasmulla said Microsoft Office files, especially Word documents more..

Sep 4 (DN) State Minister Nimal Lanza yesterday said that the Govt will abolish the 19th amendment, which led the country into chaos and bring a whole new Constitution to fulfill the wishes of the people who gave a two-third majority to the Govt at the previous General Election. He said that the 19th Amendment has many ambiguities and uncertainties, resulting in confusion. “As the people have given us the mandate, we wanted for a constitutional amendment, our first task will more..

Sep 4 (DM) A director of the Muslim Religious Affairs yesterday said the relevant authorities should consider amending certain facts and teaching standards in the current Islamic curriculum. Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Director Adam Bawa Mohammed Ashroff testifying before the PCoI, said the department had already appointed a committee to suggest amendments to the Islamic syllabus and the Dept will provide those suggestions more..

Sep 4 (AD) The High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay today called on the Minister of Trade of SL, Bandula Gunawardana and the Minister of Ports and Shipping, Rohitha Abeygunawardhana. High Commissioner congratulated them on assuming responsibility as the Cabinet ministers. During the discussion with Minister Gunawardana, both sides exchanged views on ways to further develop the strong and mutually beneficial trade and investment ties between India and SL. more..

Sep 4 (EN) The proposed 20th Amendment concentrates power in the President creating a super creature not accountable to Parliament or the Courts, says lawyer Suren Fernando. Fernando, who was a National List nominee for the SJB says the sweeping powers given to the Presidency takes away the checks and balances on the powers of the Prez brought in by the 19th Amendment (19A). Govt Gazetted proposed amendments which also allows dual citizens to hold political office. more..

Sep 4 (CT) There are about 72 extremist Muslim groups operating around the world working against traditional Muslims, of which, about 48 are active in Sri Lanka, a Sufi Moulavi informed the PCoI. He was testifying before the PCoI, on 2 Sep, and the Media were requested to not reveal his identity for security reasons. He received his higher education in India and Egypt, and is now working as a Moulavi, preaching more..

Sep 4 (EN) The US has warned countries to manage risk when dealing with a state enterprise and subsidiaries in China that has reclaimed the sea in South China Sea and in SL. The US slapped export controls on several subsidiaries of China Communication Construction Company (CCCC) over building artificial islands in the South China Sea. “.. [T]he United States further encourages countries to manage risk when dealing with CCCC and its subsidiaries,” US embassy said more..

Sep 4 (CT) Colombo HC Judge Champa Rajaratna, yesterday decided to temporarily defer the ongoing trial, filed against former Chairman of the Rakna Lanka Company, Retired Army Major Gen Palitha Fernando and Chairman of Avant Garde Security Services Private Limited, Nissanka Senadhipathi, who have been chatged with giving and receiving a bribe of Rs 35.5 million, following an interim injunction on the trial issued by the Court of Appeal. CIABOC has charged Senadhipathi with more..

Sep 4 (AD) One of the crew members of the oil tanker MT New Diamond is confirmed dead in an explosion in the main engine room. The deceased, a Filipino national, was reported missing following the fire that erupted in the Panama-registered oil tanker yesterday. SLN, SLAF, SLPA, Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard are currently engaged in a joint effort to control the fire raging in the oil tanker, caused by more..

Sep 4 (MFA) Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union in Colombo Denis Chaibi along with the EU Ambassadors of Italy, the Netherlands and Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassies of Romania, Germany and France paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on 2 Sept. Ambassadors offered congratulations to the Foreign Minister on his re-appointment and expressed the desire for continued closer cooperation. It was noted that Europe was the number one destination more..

Sep 4 (EN) Sri Lanka will expand the storage capacity for fuel in the country to boost buffer stocks when ships are delayed, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said. Sri Lanka will build three tanks with the capacity of 29,000 cubic meters at a petroleum storage complex in Kolonnawa in the capital Colombo. “This will increase the energy security of the country,” Minister Gammapila said. “It will also allow us to buy and store more fuel when prices are low.” more..

Sep 4 (AD) Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has left the PCoI probing the alleged incidents of political victimization after recording a statement for nearly 5 hours. He was summoned to the PCoI this morning to record a statement with regard to a complaint filed by the former Secretary to the Economic Affairs Ministry, Dr. Nihal Jayathilaka. Dr. Jayathilaka had filed a complaint alleging that he had been arrested and remanded due to more..

Sep 4 (DM) Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi said he was prepared to operate a floating hospital and surgery to facilitate the repatriation of SL migrant workers. Senadhipathi said that he is currently in discussion with SL authorities to initiate the proposed programme. "About a month earlier, a plan was in place to repatriate migrant workers in an emergency situation such as this one. Therefore communications and documentation were in place to prepare more..

Sep 4 (CT) Trilingual amity schools should be instituted while regulating admissions to State schools in urban areas to reflect not less than 20 per cent of students from other religions, whereby schools in cosmopolitan urban areas are not limited to a single religion or language. This was noted in the interim report of the Select Committee of the Eighth Parliament to study and report its recommendations to ensure communal and religious harmony. more..

Sep 4 (AD) SL’s Marine Environment Protection Authority warns that if crude oil starts to leak from the Panamanian-registered oil tanker, which is still on fire off the island, it could possibly lead to the largest environmental disaster in the world and not just in the region. “We have to imagine that this is possibly going to be the largest environmental disaster in the world and not only within this region,” authority’s chairperson Dharshani more..

Sep 4 (AD) Under the prevailing situation, there is no danger from oil spills to SL from the Panama-flagged tanker MT New Diamond which was engulfed in fire on Thursday, says SL Navy. Earlier this morning, the Indian Coast Guard had reported several cracks in the hull of the oil tanker, adding that this was caused by the intense heat caused by the fire. The cracks were observed right under the superstructure, he said, while noting that heat at one place for a long time can cause such cracks. more..

Sep 4 (Island) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) recently signed an agreement with Homelands Skyline, the premier real estate company in SL. Under the agreement, SLT will be a telecommunications and broadband infrastructure services provider for 10 different residential apartment complexes located in Colombo. The agreement was signed by SLT CEO, Mr. Kiththi Perera and Homelands Chairman, Mr. Nalin Herath at an official agreement signing ceremony held at SLT premises in Colombo. more..