Jun 29 (DS) Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina today told the parliament that Bangladesh is providing $250 million loan assistance to Sri Lanka through currency swap. "We are providing $250 million loan assistance to SL through currency swap. Sri Lanka sought this loan assistance from us," premier said in her concluding remarks on the budget for the next financial year. This (assistance) proves that Bangladesh is always sincere in regional cooperation, she said. more..

Jun 29 (CT) It is expected that the Jaffna Indian Cultural Centre that was completed a year ago, will be inaugurated by Indian PM Narendra Modi. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the inauguration of the gigantic centre may be by Indian PM Narendra Modi as it was discussed when the project was signed. In Sept 2020, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa also made a special mention of the iconic project built in Jaffna and more..

Jun 29 (DM) The govt today approved allowing relief to employees in the tourism sector, particularly those affected by the crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic. During today's weekly cabinet meeting, cabinet members stated that the relief provides an opportunity for every employee to be engaged in service in a proportionate manner. As a result, the govt has approved awarding more benefits of 50% of the total or a sum of Rs. 14,500/- from the monthly wages, if the employees are to more..

Jun 29 (TM) Twelve people have been killed in fatal road accidents across the island in the past 24 hours. Senior DIG Ajith Rohana stated that 8 of the deaths were due to road accidents yesterday. All eight deaths were caused by motorcycles or cyclists, three pedestrians and a woman traveling in a three-wheeler were also killed. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old schoolboy was killed in an accident in the Akurambada area on the Matale-Galewela road when a motorcyclist veered off the road more..

Jun 21 (DM) Over the past few years, this country has been wracked by one catastrophe after another, with almost monotonous regularity. On April 21, 2019, our country was left shell-shocked when Islamic suicide bombers exploded their deadly cache of explosives in three churches and three tourist hotels. In one fell blow, the terrorists managed to almost kill off the nascent international tourist trade in the country, which after 30 long years of LTTE-inspired terrorism, had scarce begun more..

Jun 21 (CT) Trials and tribulations in the Police Service are of a more challenging nature than in any other Public Service. This is so because police officers are empowered by law to curtail Rights and Liberties of persons. This is a sacred trust reposed on the Police. For the same reason it makes the police job far more grave, challenging and hazardous. Police officers have to be acquainted with this fact and be wary of, and prepared. Many a time, due to differences of opinion, more..

Jun 21 (DM) In Dec 2020, the Daily Mirror shed light on the Elevated Highway Project connecting the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya proposed to be built over the RAMSAR listed Thalangama Environmental Protection Area (TEPA). The article shed light on the importance of this area as it is one of the last remaining urban green patches in the Colombo District. Even though the project was in its preliminary stages more..

Jun 21 (CT) Placed precariously in the annals of contemporary times, Sri Lanka has had to confront many situations which are apparently conspiring to drag it down to a pit where only failed-states inhabit. Her current rulers have unqualifiedly subordinated the national interests to their own greedy and selfish profits. Relegating their own subjects, the voters of the country, to a second or third-hand tier, the President and his Cabinet of Ministers are being held in a choking grip. more..

Jun 21 (DM) It only took 29 seconds, that right 29 seconds to unravel what has been for years the shambles that is SL cricket. There were no pundits, there were no experts, paid coaches, hangers-on and armchair experts. All whose combined efforts had failed to revive the faltering fortunes of the national team. Instead, there were 29 seconds of two men. One seemingly somewhat in discomfort in the hip region and the other trying to have a smoke while trying to locate someone or something. more..

Jun 21 (DM) With a vision to educate males and females to be commissioned officers in the armed forces the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy was established in Oct 1980. In 1988 the educational establishment achieved university status thereby being able to confer degrees to its students. Renamed as the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence Uni in 2007, Uni has kept its doors opened for civil students more..

Jun 21 (CT) Sir Donald George Bradman (The Don)-1908-2001, an Australian and acknowledged as the greatest batsman of all time, having the world’s highest test batting average at 99.94 from 6,996 runs scored in 52 tests and the captain of the Australian Test side from 1936-1948, was, apart from his batting, also known for his discipline. It’s said that he insisted that his players be in bed by 9pm complemented by the fact that their room lights had to be off by that time. more..

Jun 30 (Island) The govt seems to think that the masses are poonac eaters. Minister Mahindananda Althugamage has gone on record as saying the fine for selling rice above the stipulated prices will be increased from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 100,000. So, this is how the govt is trying to make rice available at reasonable prices! Aluthgamage has also claimed that there is no fertiliser shortage in the country. He insists that the Opposition is spreading false rumours to discredit the govt! more..

Jun 21 (GV) When the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for economic sanctions against SL, everyone over here sits up and takes notice. For the first time in years, the Govt suddenly talks about those Thamil youth detained after the defeat of the LTTE. The Opposition seizes the chance to blame the Govt for putting the country under this cloud of sanctions. But those who must seriously worry about direct impact on their lives from a EU action are the lakhs of garment factory workers, more..

Jun 30 (Island) In the midst of all the challenges that Sri Lanka is currently facing, the prospect of having to prepare itself for a possible temporary withdrawal by the European Union (EU) of its tariff preference in favour of developing countries known as GSP+ at this particular juncture, when the whole world is desperately trying to cope with the effects of a pandemic, runs counter to the EU’s own mission of helping developing countries through GSP+. This preferential treatment is extended to more..

Jun 30 (TM) It is humans that snatch the status of wild animals as free beings, by confining them in cages in zoos to nurture our perceived sense of control over wild animals, and also for the purposes of education and entertainment, afforded through the study of wild animals in captivity. However, behind the confinement of wild animals is a crime against nature, and ironically, we are living in a time when nature has challenged the very existence of more..

Jun 30 (ST) At this year’s Independence Day celebrations in February, Prez Rajapaksa had a word of advice for the country’s public service. While reiterating that the public service is a powerful tool, he said he had observed weaknesses at every level of the decision-making process. “Even on very simple institutional matters, I have observed that officials avoid making decisions and refer them to the Cabinet of Ministers. They expect advice from circulars for every activity,” he said. more..

Jun 30 (TM) In the 1967 Robert Aldrich war classic Dirty Dozen, there were 12 prisoners who were sent in as commandos on a secret suicide mission. The story that rocked the entire cricket world yesterday (28) was not one of a dirty dozen but a dirty trio –Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, and Danushka Gunathilaka– and their mission had been somewhat different: Demolishing SL’s cricket image irreparably. The three were suspended from all cricket and recalled to SL immediately from England more..

Jun 30 (FT) On the same day the Central Bank urged for calm and the avoidance of undue speculation over the country’s financial capacity and debt servicing challenge, Govt on Monday decided on several far-reaching measures to shore up foreign exchange reserves and curb outflows. At their meeting on Monday, the Cabinet agreed on several innovative non-debt creating measures to woo more foreign investments & funds. more..

Jun 30 (FT) Pressure is mounting on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) to probe alleged manipulation, following the bizarre share price rise of small-scale LOLC Development Finance PLC (NIFL). Now ranked as the fourth most valuable listed stock on the CSE, the share price of NIFL rose further yesterday by 25%, or Rs. 123.75, to close at Rs. 618.75. In comparison to its end-May price of Rs. 73, yesterday’s closing saw a scarcely more..

Jun 30 (CI) As Jonny Bairstow peeled off a succession of boundaries to fire England's chase of a small target at Chester-le-Street, a buoyant crowd began to sense that this ODI was going almost exactly to plan. With Sri Lanka dismissed more than seven overs shy of batting out their 50, and England as keen as ever to secure a quick kill, hopes rose of knocking the match on the head in time for kick-off at Wembley. In the end, England's overeager attempts to get the job done were encapsulated by more..

Jun 30 (FT) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce yesterday elected business leader Vish Govindasamy as its new Chairman during the CCC’s 182nd Annual General Meeting. Govindasamy succeeds Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, who completed his two-year term as Chairman at the culmination of the AGM. Govindasamy is currently Managing Director of Sunshine Holdings PLC, a diversified conglomerate listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange – SL. Prior to this, he was the CEO of more..

Jun 30 (Island) Eight international law firms had expressed interest in assisting SL in the case against the owner of the MV X-Press Pearl, its Captain, and the board of directors of the local agency, and the Cabinet of Ministers had decided to appoint a committee of senior officers to select the most suitable institution, Minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said yesterday. He said that the Attorney General had filed a case at the High Court of Colombo against the owner of the vessel, more..

Jun 30 (CI) It's not as if this profoundly depleted SL side did not have their moments. During the 99-run fourth-wicket stand between Kusal Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga, a creditable total seemed possible. When the seamers, led by Dushmantha Chameera, claimed four England wickets for 26 runs, leaving the opposition 80 for 4 (it would have been 80 for 5 if Perera had held on to dismiss Moeen Ali first ball, off Chameera), more..

Jun 30 (TM) Former CID Director Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shani Abeysekara, who was released from prison last week, has written to IGP Chandana D. Wickramaratne, requesting that his security detail be restored in light of death threats levelled against him and his family. The letter has stated that persons who were determined to be culprits by various courts around the country as a result of his investigations while in active service in the CID would want revenge on him. more..

Jun 30 (NR) Wildlife officials will launch a token strike on 2nd of July. Chairman of All Ceylon Joint Wildlife Officers’ Association, Prabash Karunathilake said trade union action will be launched as adequate investigations have not been conducted into the incident where a group of Army officers obstructed duties of wildlife officers at the Minneriya National Park. Chairman said the Dept of Wildlife Conservation received reports of an elephant smuggling racket throughout the past week. more..

Jun 30 (Island) Lumbini College sprinter Medhani Jayamanne once got an earful from her famous aunt Susanthika Jayasinghe for mentioning her name during a media interview. From then on her coach Umanga Surendra has taken extra care. Whenever a journalist speaks to her, Umanga would request them to be careful in mentioning the Olympian’s name. Yesterday Jayamanne qualified for the World Junior more..

Jun 30 (FT) Access Engineering (AEL) started work on the flyover project in Slave Island – Colombo, after receiving official blessings from Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa via a virtual ceremony on 7 June. AEL, a pioneer in the flyover construction in SL, will build a flyover connecting Baladaksha Mawatha and the Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, going over the railway track and Beira Lake in Slave Island. Slave Island is a very busy commercial area with many Govt offices, more..

Jun 30 (FT) Govt has decided to obtain a $ 150 million loan from the Asian Development Bank to help finance its fight against the spread of and better management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding for the initiative titled, Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project, will be via several COVID-specific support schemes of the ADB. The Govt said $ 84 million will be from the Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility and the remaining $ 66 million from the Standard Local Allocation of more..

Jun 30 (FT) Sri Lanka yesterday recorded the lowest number of daily COVID-19 detections since 1 May, with 1,717 persons testing positive. On 1 May, 1,716 COVID-19 patients were detected and daily detections have risen as high as 3,600 since then. However, the low number of detections can be attributed at least in part to reduced testing. Only 16,934 PCR tests were performed yesterday. The patients detected yesterday include more..

Jun 30 (TM) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) stated that there has been no decrease in the number of child abuse cases reported islandwide during the past one and a half years of Covid-19 related travel restrictions and lockdowns, despite the assumption that children are more likely to be safer at home. NCPA’s Planning and Information Director, sociologist Shanika Malalgoda said that although it is expected that the number of reported child abuse cases would reduce when children are more..

Jun 30 (CT) A controversy has arisen after nearly 100 employees at a garment factory in Dehiattakandiya were hospitalised when they started showing severe reactions to the COVID-19 vaccine following a immunisation programme carried out by a third party. This controversial vaccination programme had been organised without the knowledge of the local MOH. Dehiattakandiya MOH Dr. Chanith Peduruarachchi, he confirmed that neither he nor his office were aware of more..

Jun 30 (DM) Central Bank yesterday (28) printed the highest amount of money recorded in a single day to bridge a budget hole, amid shrinking tax income, largely due to virus-related lockdowns and increased expenditure to contain the virus. Sri Lanka printed a whopping Rs.208.45 billion on Monday, after printing Rs.23 billion last week, taking the total treasury bill stock held by the Central Bank to over a trillion rupees. more..

Jun 30 (Island) The committee appointed to look into the incidents that took place in the Parliament chamber and its premises on April 21 would submit its report to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena next week, Parliament sources said yesterday. The decision to submit the report was made at the committee meeting held on Monday in the parliamentary complex with its chairman Deputy Speaker Ranjith Siyambalapitiya presiding. Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Keheliya Rambukwella, more..

Jun 30 (FT) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella claimed that Prez Rajapaksa followed the due process in pardoning convict Ex-MP Duminda Silva. During a poser at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing, Rambukwella said that the pardon was as per provisions of the Constitution. Last week, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) condemned the pardon, saying the move was unreasonable and arbitrary and will result in erosion to the rule of law and loss of public confidence in justice. more..

Jun 30 (Island) A Cabinet decision taken on Monday to grant 87 policemen alleged to have been politically victimized, promotions and salary increments has irked many senior and junior ranks in the police department. A senior police officer said that 87 policemen in officer and other ranks were attempting to obtain promotions and salary increments by claiming that they were politically victimised. The officer said: more..

Jun 30 (DM) Former JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa alleged that the Covid Task Force has been irresponsible and was acting on political needs rather than on health needs. He said that the Covid Task Force has even been unable to gather the correct information with regard to the pandemic. "Covid Task Force should be headed by the Health sector. Prez recently accused the head of the Epidemiology Unit of hiding statistics. If this Task Force has been unable to gather correct data more..

Jun 30 (TM) Ministry of Health has planned to commence the administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines as the second dose for those who were administered the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine as the first dose, as soon as the necessary vaccine doses are brought to SL. State Minister Channa Jayasumana announced that approval was granted for the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines as the second dose for individuals who received the AstraZeneca vaccine as their first dose. more..