Jun 26 (AD) There won�t a national problem in the country if the people had an understanding of other languages, says the Minister Mano Ganesan. The minister expressed these views at a press conference held in the Ministry, yesterday. He further stated that he does not accept the fact that there is a huge national issue in the country, regardless of the view of some. If there is a proper understanding between all races the conflicts among them would be resolved easily, he added. more..

Jun 26 (Island) Madras High Court on Tuesday permitted Nalini Sriharan, a life convict in the sensational Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case, to appear in person in the court to argue her plea seeking six months parole to make arrangements for her daughter's marriage. This is seen as a reprieve to Nalini, India's longest serving woman prisoner. An Indian national from Tamil Nadu, she was married to SL national Sriharan. Both were convicted for their involvement in the killing of Rajiv Gandhi more..

Jun 26 (AD) A Gazette notification will be issued declaring SL Railways as an Essential Service, according to State Minister Asoka Abeysinghe. Railway trade unions had launched a two-day strike action last week over wage discrepancies, crippling nearly all train services across the island. After ending the token strike, trade unions warned that they would resort to strike action on every Friday until a solution is provided for their issues. more..

Jun 26 (AD) There is no such institute as a Sharia University in Sri Lanka, there is only a Batticaloa Campus, says former Western Province Governor Azath Salley. The former Governor pointed out that Sharia is only a part of the Campus. Salley said that all documentation is prepared for the govt to take over the Batticaloa Campus. The reason behind extending the State of Emergency by another month was also to take over the Campus, he said. �Some may think so, but more..

Jun 26 (Medium) Sick people come to the city from far away. They get free healthcare, but their families struggle to find a place to sleep and a decent meal. There are shops near the hospitals, but they�re expensive and sometimes not super hygenic. Into that void stepped a charity � Janaposha � which many of us haven�t heard of. Since its inception, the Janaposha Foundation understood that visitors to the country�s main General Hospital were already burdened with a sense of helplessness; more..

Jun 26 (EN) Sri Lanka will experience extreme weather events in the future and lead to more floods and droughts. �We expect more and more heat waves and warm spells in the future and an increase in extreme rainfall events, storms, cyclones and changes in seasonal monsoon patterns,� Deputy Director of Meteorological Department, Shiromani Jayawardena said. She was speaking at the Green Conversations on more..

Jun 26 (EN) Construction of expressways in Sri Lanka has led to sharp increases in nearby property prices, indicating potential investment opportunities in future projects, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) SL unit said. �Property developers no doubt can take advantage of the various new expressways in the pipeline by planning ahead and investing in areas which are in close proximity to these expressways and exit points, which no doubt will see an increase to the price point in the coming years,� it said. more..

Jun 26 (WN) News of Luthfee hiding inside the embassy gained public attention following a tweet by former Home Minister Umar Naseer. Maldives Police Service confirming Luthfee surrendered himself to embassy officials on May 1. It is believed Luthfee surrendered himself to embassy officials amid sweeps by SL security forces in the aftermath of the Easter bombings on April 21. It is unclear why neither the embassy, the Foreign Ministry, the police, or any other State authority did not more..

Jun 26 (GDI) People injured by the Easter Sunday bombings who cannot be properly treated locally will be sent abroad for treatment at state expense, PM Ranil Wickremesinge promised. He gave this assurance when he officiated at a function of National Peace Council at BMICH yesterday. PM said that if doctors treating people injured in the Easter Sunday bomb explosions certified that the injuries could not be treated locally, more..

Jun 26 (EN) SL�s capital markets regulator has filed charges of market manipulation against two investors in eChannelling, an online medical appointment business that was the island�s first listed dotcom. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it had filed action in the Magistrate�s Court Colombo and the latter had issued summons on the two accused, Imtiaz Samsudeen and Bafiq Nizar, who had been among the top 10 shareholders in the firm. The case is to be taken up more..

Jun 26 (AD) AG has agreed to amend the indictments filed against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the D.A. Rajapaksa museum. AG had filed indictments with the Permanent High Court-At-Bar against Gotabaya Rajapaksa, accusing him of misusing state funds when constructing the D.A. Rajapakse museum in Hambantota. Rajapaksa�s attorneys had submitted an appeal to Permanent High Court-At-Bar seeking to amend indictments against their client, more..

Jun 26 (AD) The testimony of former minister Rishad Bathiudeen which was scheduled to be delivered today before the Parliamentary Select Committee inquiring into the Easter Sunday terror attacks, has been postponed. ACMC leader arrived at the committee room in the parliament complex where the committee�s sessions are being held and took a seat at the witness chair. however, the members of PSC more..

Jun 26 (AD) The notorious underworld figure Mohamed Najim Mohamed Imran alias Kanjipani Imran, who is currently being held under a detention order after being deported from Dubai, was produced before the Colombo Magistrate�s Court, today. The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) produced the suspect before Colombo Additional Magistrate Kanchana Silva. The Police informed the court that the CCD has obtained a detention order from the Defense Secretary to hold and more..

Jun 26 (AD) Nine suspects accused over the shooting and killing of 5 persons at Samitpura, Mattakkuliya in 2016 were ordered acquitted and released by the Colombo High Court today. Delivering his verdict, High Court Judge Adithya Patabendi stated that there were serious deficiencies and contradictions in the evidence given by witnesses on behalf of the prosecution and that even the prosecution has admitted this fact. The Judge stated that there are also serious more..

Jun 26 (LBO) Finance Minister says that the recent news report in the media quoting an opposition MP to the effect that the People�s Bank is to be privatized is completely false and misleading. Certain political parties and the Trade Union affiliated to those parties had alleged the govt is to privatize the people�s Bank citing financial difficulties to infuse capital. �But there is no truth in these allegations and govt categorically dismisses more..

Jun 26 (Island) Brain drain and migration of Lankans other countries owing to prevailing hapless situation in the country would soon be another serious national problem as the country soon becoming a land of incompetents, says Minister Champika Ranawaka. Highest city density of Sinhalese apart from Colombo was reported not from Galle or Kandy but from Melbourne in Australia, he said. The highest number of Lankan Tamils except Jaffna was now reported not from Nuwara Eliya but more..

Jun 26 (AD) Twenty-seven boats at the Kalametiya Fishery Harbour have been gutted in fire, according to Hungama Police. The incident has taken place between 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. last night (25). According to the reports, 22 boats anchored at the fishery harbour were completely destroyed in the fire along with several fishing nets. The fire brigade of the Tangalle Urban Council, police officers and the residents of the area had doused the fire in a joint effort. more..

Jun 26 (Island) Education Ministry had decided to revise its Islamic publications which advocates death penalty for those who gave up Islamic faith, Ministry said. Ministry said that its attention had been drawn to recent revelations at the Parliamentary Select Committee probing the Easter Sunday carnage that some Islamic schools textbooks advocating the death sentence for those offending Islam were published by more..

Jun 26 (EN) The history of paper money in SL will be the focus of a lecture by The National Trust this month ranging from the Dutch Rix dollars to modern depreciating rupees. Kavan Ratnatunga, an astrophysicist who has worked in the US, who has a deep interest in Numismatist, will deliver the lecture on June 27 at the HNB Auditorium, the National Trust said. Early Dutch Rix Dollars were redeemable in copper. Note issuing banks such as The Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China more..

Jun 26 (AFP) Sri Lanka will stick with the yellow shirts they wore in their victory against England as a World Cup lucky charm after getting approval from the ICC. Dimuth Karunaratne's side revived their flagging campaign by upsetting the hosts at Headingley to blow the race for the semi-finals wide open. Sri Lanka, whose first-choice shirts are predominantly dark blue, will wear their alternative yellow kit in the team's remaining three group games. more..

Jun 26 (DM) While rejecting claims made by a certain media outlets, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam today said that the State had not incurred any loss because of the printing of Education Ministers' message with the photo on school textbooks. �It had been in practice since 1980,� he said. Speaking to the media, after observing the media reports regarding the claims, Minister said he had realised the media reports had published based on false allegations to tarnish his image. more..

Jun 27 (CT) On Easter Sunday this year, Sri Lankan people came face to face with international terrorism for the first time. At several international security conferences held in the Russian Federation over the last three months, the theme of international terrorism forming a part of �hybrid threats� was discussed at length, with solutions yet to be found. Many countries attending were seriously concerned about several new forms of security threats which in combination were defined as Hybrid Threats; more..

Jun 27 (CT) Like a person suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (a common disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts), there are many who often derogatively question about the verse on killing in the Quran. The relevant reference is in Chapter 9 Verse 5 which states: And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. more..

Jun 27 (CT) UPFA MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena says there are Muslim politicians who accepted money to build mosques and universities, to spread Wahabism. Q: Is the Opposition satisfied with the investigations being carried out into Muslim politicians, who have allegations against them? A: We are not at all satisfied with those investigations. We know that the Police, the triforces and the CID are fulfilling more..

Jun 27 (DM) Any incident of political significance has a direct bearing to the time in which it takes place. The incidence, incitement as well as the response or repercussions of that particular event could be shaped by the dynamics of time or to be precise, the timing in the political and historical clock. For example the 1971 insurrection was badly timed as a new govt that had just come to power by popular demand had not exhausted all its popularity by the time the insurrection took place. more..

Jun 27 (DN) In what was a startling and eye-opening statement President Maithripala Sirisena this week criticised the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, saying that it created political instability and suggested that it should be repealed. President�s sentiments were expressed at the 40th-anniversary celebrations of the National Housing Development Authority in Colombo on Sunday, in the presence of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister Sajith Premadasa. more..

Jun 27 (CT) Speech is seen to be described as the expression of ideas and viewpoints. Freedom of speech is seen to be taken for granted due to the lack of understanding of something which has a broad term. With no absolute definition of what Hate Speech really is, both in International Law and common understanding, this leaves room, for an opportunity to both use and misuse the power of speech and ideas by more..

Jun 27 (GV) For the last 11 weeks Shakthika Sathkumara, an award winning creative writer, has been deprived of his liberty by the State, for what appears to be the crime of blasphemy. Apart from posing an existential threat to artistic expression, his imprisonment also gravely undermines the quintessential spirit of the Buddha�s doctrine. Blasphemy is a firmly established concept in Abrahamic religions, where the idea of causing offense to some inviolable, sacred object or more..

Jun 27 (Island) Speculation was rife in political circles, a few days ago, that the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Easter bombings would ask President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to testify before it. President told the media, yesterday, in no uncertain terms, that he would never appear before the PSC, which, he said, had no power to question him. Maybe he considers it infra dig to be questioned by a group of MPs. Prez Sirisena holds the Defence portfolio. more..

Jun 27 (GV) Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke was awarded the Gratiaen Prize 2018 for his play The One Who Loves You So (TOWLYS). The drama explores the relationship between Vidhura, a Colombo trust fund baby, and Nick, an expatriate, who meet through the dating app Grindr for what is initially meant to be a one-time hookup. Over two days, confined mostly to Vidhura�s one-room apartment, the two make love, drink, tell stories, and fight. They fight over sexuality, relationships, more..

Jun 27 (CT) Executive Director of the CPA, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu has misinterpreted Chief Prelate of the Asgiriya Chapter, Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera�s statement and has lodged a complaint with Acting IGP, C.D. Wickramaratne requesting him to arrest the monk, claimed MP Wimal Weerawansa. He claimed that, �the victims of alleged forced sterilisations by Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen cursed the doctor and have said that he should be stoned and killed. more..

Jun 27 (Island) A couple of months ago, South Africa�s quicks gave SL batsmen a torrid time during the bilateral series between the countries. SL were whitewashed 5-0. These teams will meet in a World Cup clash in Durham on Friday and SL�s Batting Coach Jon Lewis is confident that his batsmen will not be intimidated by the quicks. One thing is that the Durham track will not have the pace of SA while there�s no Dale Steyn or more..

Jun 27 (CI) It is incredible how Pakistan find ways of roaring back from hopeless situations. They were written off only a week earlier, languishing at ninth position with a solitary win in five games. They were yet to crack a chase - both above 330 - in two attempts this World Cup. Then when it seemed as if they would finally restrict an opponent to below 300 - New Zealand were 83 for 5 in the 27th over - Colin de Grandhomme (64) and James Neesham (97 not out) put together side's best 6th-wicket stand more..

Jun 27 (Island) The case where several officers and other rankers of the SL Navy have been implicated in the disappearance of 11 persons during the war in 2008-2009 has made waves both locally as well as internationally. At the international level, when the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) presented its report titled Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka to the Fortieth Session of the UNHRC in March this year, more..

Jun 27 (FT) A draft policy framework to promote artificial intelligence (AI) in Sri Lanka was unveiled yesterday by the SL Association of Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM). AI, a market which is expected to exceed more than $ 191 billion by 2024, will be introduced as a new pillar on top of the two predominantly-relied pillars which steered the IT/BPM sector�s growth over last few years more..

Jun 27 (DN) North Sails SL, one of the world�s largest Boat Sails manufacturers, would be further investing USD 7 million to set up two more factories in the Biyagama BOI Zone, to increase production to meet their global demand. The CEO of North Sails, Larry McDonald based in UK, who was on a brief visit to SL, said that the decision to further invest was made after the Easter bomb blasts. He said that this blast nor the current political situation in SL had any negative affects in their business plans. more..

Jun 27 (CT) The Sri Lanka emerging team left yesterday for South Africa to take part in a triangular one day series and two four day games. The Triangular One Day Series, which will commence on the 29 June, will feature the South Africa emerging team and the University Sports South Africa. Sri Lanka emerging will play six games in the first round of the triangular series, while the two teams with the highest points, will play the finals on the 14 July, 2019 at the Tuks Oval. more..

Jun 27 (FT) President Sirisena expressed stern views regarding the 19th Amendment, describing it as a curse on the country and insisting abolishing it should be done before the Presidential elections or that must be the first task undertaken by the new President. Prez Sirisena, addressing media heads, was repentant of his role in getting Parliamentary approval for both the 18th & 19th Amendments. more..

Jun 27 (DN) The World Bank approved a $310 million loan to reduce and mitigate flood risks in the lower Kelani basin in Colombo and improve weather forecasting and early warning systems across Sri Lanka, yesterday. The Climate Resilience Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach project is the first of a three-phase investment program totaling $774 million and to be implemented over eight years. Sri Lanka ranked second among countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2017 more..