Aug 14 (CT) The Prisons Department has initiated a probe into an alleged incident where death row inmate and drug kingpin Wele Suda, who is detained at the Boossa Prison, had supplied 100 bottles of whiskey for the wedding of a jailor of the Prison. Wele Suda who was previously held at the Welikada Prison had been transferred to the Boossa Prison a few months ago. According to sources, the alleged incident had taken place during the period of Wele Suda�s transfer from Welikda to Boossa. more..

Aug 14 (EN) The downgrading of women and children�s affairs from Cabinet to State level has resulted in disappointed citizens and activists writing to Prez Rajapaksa, requesting him to re-establish a separate ministry for women and children. In the letter addressed to the Prez and copied to PM, the group states that placing women and children under a State Ministry overseeing Pre-schools, primary education, more..

Aug 14 (AD) Attorney General Dappula De Livera today strongly denied media reports alleging that he has approved the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact agreement. Attorney General further informs that the matter is still under consideration, the AG�s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne said. The Experts� Committee appointed to review the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (MCC) had handed over its final report to the govt in June. more..

Aug 14 (MO) Metropolitan Police have opened an investigation into war crimes allegedly committed by British mercenaries in Sri Lanka during the 1980s. The force�s War Crime Team has begun a scoping exercise under Crown Prosecution Service guidelines, the Foreign Office has told the UN Working Group on Mercenaries (UNWGM). The probe follows the publication earlier this year of Keenie Meenie: the British Mercenaries Who Got Away with War Crimes, more..

Aug 14 (Island) A senior official of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former IGP Pujith Jayasundara had asked the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) not to investigate a Sri Lankan named Mohammad Nilabdeen Rimzan, who had returned after fighting for ISIS in 2018, former head of TID Deputy Inspector General of police Nalaka de Silva yesterday told the PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks. more..

Aug 14 (AD) Attorney General has advised the Election Commission in terms of the legal advice sought with regard to the nominee of Our Power of People Party (OPPP) for its National List seat. The Election Commission had sought the AG�s advice on the matter following a dispute within the said party with regard to its National List seat in Parliament. OPPP had received a total of 67,758 votes (0.58%) at the recently concluded General Election and despite failing to win any seats more..

Aug 14 (DM) Chinese nationals are no longer required to know English to apply for Sri Lankan tourist visas as a result of a newly signed agreement between the Sri Lankan Immigration Department and China travel specialist Travelzen International Travel Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. As per the MoU which was signed yesterday at the Department of Immigration and Emigration, the Chinese are allowed to apply for visas in their mother tongue which is Mandarin. more..

Aug 14 (FT) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, and the newly sworn-in Ministers paid homage to the Maha Nayakas of the three Nikayas this week. It is the first time in history that the State leader and the Cabinet had visited the Maha Nayaka Theros of the three Nikayas on the day of their appointment to Ministerial portfolios. Maha Nayaka of the Malwatte Chapter Most Ven. Thibbatuwawe more..

Aug 14 (DM) Assuming duties, newly appointed Minister of Labour Nimal Siripala de Silva yesterday called for an investigation into the expenses incurred at the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) within the period of 2015 to 2019. Minister de Silva told the media that an investigation is essential due to a number of reports, he had received, about irregularities in the manner in which the financial affairs were handled within the SLFEB during the previous govt. more..

Aug 14 (EN) SL is offering tax incentives for local investors who want to put their money into developing agricultural projects. Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said the govt expects a global food shortage due to the COVID 19 pandemic. �Therefore we need to develop our agricultural industry so that we can export our products,� he said. Aluthgamage pointed out that SL imports a large number of foodstuffs and these expenses could be reduced if the country more..

Aug 14 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa decides to re-commence, without delay, the programme to provide employment opportunities to 150,000 persons that was halted due to the General Election. The number of unemployed graduates to be recruited is 50,000. For the remaining 100,000 jobs, candidates will be selected from families of the lowest strata of income earners in the society. The programme to employ 50,000 graduates and more..

Aug 14 (DM) Nearly 182,681 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests have been carried out in Sri Lanka as of today with 2,732 tests carried out yesterday, Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) said. According to its statistics, the highest number of PCR tests amounting to 2,909 was carried out on Aug 11. Epidemiology Unit Chief Epidemiologist said earlier that the PCR capacity in SL would be scaled up further and the number of tests performed would be increased from Aug 1. more..

Aug 14 (EN) Sri Lanka�s exports in July 2020 grew 11 percent from a year earlier to US$ 1,090 million, with stable production helped by the country�s control of Coronavirus, the island�s export promotion office said. �Sri Lanka�s strategic location, its reliable manufacturing and export base and proactive and rapid action by the Sri Lankan Government to control Covid 19 have fulfilled our global customers needs,� Export Development Board chairman Prabash Subasinghe said. more..

Aug 14 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is scheduled to present the new Govt Policy Statement at the ceremonial sitting of the first session of the Ninth Parliament on the 20th of Aug 2020. President is scheduled to chair the inaugural meeting at 3 pm and the statement of the new Govt�s policy as provided by Article 33(2) of the Constitution will be read by the Prez. Upon the arrival of Prez Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, more..

Aug 15 (CT) Sometime this week, three guests arrived at the cafeteria of the Sri Lanka parliament on the banks of the Diyawanna. They were from the past. Of that past, 1976 was a special year that needs mention. That was the year when political Tamil nationalism reached its peak in the form of a declaration, at the town of Vaddukkoddai, for the formation of a separate state by the name of Tamil Eelam. Our three guests were not really the architects of that declaration, nor did more..

Aug 15 (CT) One major event is over now. People have elected a new govt having high hopes. The next major event is not the abolition or change of 19th constitutional amendment. The next big event is the submission of new govt�s first budget. Will it dash the people�s expectations? The writing is on the wall for those who want to read it. Leaders of the govt might be thinking to run a big budget deficit. Big budget deficit means big government. And big govt means lower productivity, lower sellable more..

Aug 15 (Roar) Colombo�s skyline has witnessed a rapid increase in skyscrapers over the recent years, with luxurious shopping complexes, high-end hotels and restaurants coming together to make the city an urban metropolis offering a multitude of experiences. The city is becoming a business hub, connecting both local and global entities on a larger scale than ever before. But with its landscape changing rapidly, new concern more..

Aug 15 (DM) My father was the first in his family and my mother�s, to foretell Mahinda Rajapaksa�s rise to power in the 1990s. At the time the man was in charge of Labour and Vocational Training, a threadbare though challenging ministry if ever there was one. Challenging, not because one could not do much in it, but because by then the SLFP�s approach to labour had begun to depart from its traditional vantage point. The populist-Left elements in the SLFP by that point had been relegated more..

Aug 15 (Island) Cassandra weeps. Also celebrates. Yes, she does. Claiming to be a foreteller of bad fortune, she has failed dismally with no cry of I see destruction! (Instead of I see blood). She, like most others, never thought the Green Elephant would be brought down on its knees or even flat out. We hope so earnestly that it won�t be for long. Too historic and justly proud an animal to be reduced to its present position. Saddest and most difficult to take is that it was struck down by its own mahouts, more..

Aug 15 (DM) The one-word answer to the question Did M. A. Sumanthiran of the TNA win in the Jaffna Electoral district by stealing the preference votes cast for another TNA candidate Ms. Sashikala Raviraj? is NO! Yet the 2020 Parliamentary poll in the Jaffna electoral district comprising the Kilinochchi and Jaffna administrative districts was marred by untoward incidents based upon unfounded allegations that Sumanthiran more..

Aug 15 (CT) The Cabinet and State Ministers of the newly-elected Govt were sworn in on Wednesday (12) at the historic Magul Maduwa in Kandy. Altogether, 25 Cabinet Ministers and 39 State Ministers took over subjects that will enable the Govt to usher in a progressive national economy, which was one of the foremost goals set in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s election manifesto. On the first glance, the subjects allocated to Cabinet Ministers appear to be straight forward: more..

Aug 15 (Island) Justice Minister Ali Sabry has reportedly said a bill will be presented to Parliament soon to change some sections of the 19th Amendment (19A). He has made no revelation. The SLPP is bent on amending or abolishing 19A, which has been a thorn in its side. However, it is not known whether the govt will seek to amend 19A or deep-six it. Some SLPP leaders including Basil Rajapaksa said before the recently concluded general election that they wanted to frame a new Constitution. more..

Aug 15 (CT) History is known to change constantly. And, history is written depending on the changes that tend to take place during certain periods. Even Karl Marx has written that history is made up of various struggles and fights that had taken place among various social classes. Hence, SL�s political history has also been written containing various setbacks and triumphs. The victory that was gained by the SLPP in 2020 has already created a significant mark in the local political sphere. more..

Aug 15 (DM) Essentially, a good human being is not selfish or self-centred but other-centred and ready to share and care for others, mainly the millions of people caught up in the poverty trap. While some look at or judge by outward actions or appearances, it is vital to know what is in our heart�our motives and attitudes. Good human beings are ready to love, forgive�show compassion and mercy towards others, instead of retaliating when someone does harm to us. We are called upon to love our more..

Aug 15 (TM) As The Morning Sports reported, it was none other than Namal Rajapaksa who was sworn in as the new Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports yesterday (12). He thus became the first Sports Minister of SL to have represented the country at the highest level. Rajapaksa, 34, a product of S. Thomas� College, Mount Lavinia, represented Sri Lanka in rugby from 2010-14 while captaining the national team in 2014. more..

Aug 15 (Island) Saliya Pieris, who needs no lengthy, eloquent introduction, comes from a political family. His mother�s relatives had been Left stalwarts; one of them had been Cholomondeley Goonewardene, MP for Kalutara from the LSSP. His father, on the other hand, had worked under Esmond Wickremesinghe at Lake House, a repository of rightwing politics. �We always had lively debates at home. It Doesn�t mean we stuck to one position, but each of us defended whatever we stood for more..

Aug 15 (DM) At the recently concluded General Election, Colombo District topped the list of rejected votes with 81,034 ballots going to waste of a total 1,263,810 registered votes. Several other districts including Gampaha, Kandy, Kalutara and Kurunegala recorded high numbers of rejected votes. As a result, a mammoth 744,373 votes, or 6.3% of total votes, were squandered. This figure is almost 300,000 more than the total votes won by the third-place party in terms of votes, the NPP. more..

Aug 15 (Island) SLC Premier League Tier A tournament 2019/20 resumed on the 10th of Aug after a hiatus of almost five months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The tournament which was postponed at the end of the group stage in March 2020, saw the top 8 teams progressing to the super 8s while the other six teams were left to battle it out in the Plate Championship. The current table toppers of the Super 8s (CCC) and Plate Championship more..

Aug 15 (Island) SriLankan Airlines wishes to clarify its position with regards to the temporary suspension of the Colombo-Shanghai operation by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for a period of four weeks. The airline operated a charter flight with 223 Chinese national onboard from Dubai to Shanghai via Colombo on the 7th of August 2020. Prior to this flight SriLankan operated two similar flights from Dubai to Shanghai with zero COVID positive cases. more..

Aug 15 (DN) Penetrating the Pakistani tea market with SL orthodox tea will be a daunting task at present unless the gap of pricing between the African and SL teas are minimized revealed a recent webinar held between the SL High Commission and some tea importers in Pakistan. During the webinar, it was revealed that SL can plan to market value-added packet tea to the niche market in Pakistan with their orthodox teas provided that the production cost is bought down to be more competitive more..

Aug 15 (DN) SL Football was in the news for many reasons in the last few years and now it has become the talk of the town for dropping in world ranking to the lowest level in history to be ranked 206 out of 210 football playing countries. It is also ranked 47th, which is the last ranked team in Asia. Football Federation of SL (FFSL) with a view of developing the game they have obtained the services of Amir Alagic, a Bosnian born coach more..

Aug 15 (CT) SLC felicitated two renowned cricket umpires � D.N. Pathirana and K.R.P. Doolwala � who retired from officiating duties after a service of over 20 years. Both Pathirana and female umpire Doolwala, were presented with mementos and a cash award at a simple ceremony held at SLC Headquarters. Pathirana served as a leading umpire from 1982 to 2006 in the domestic circuit, and has officiated in 30 ODIs in addition to appearing in eight Test matches as a reserve umpire. more..

Aug 15 (CT) ICC Anti-Corruption Unit Co-ordinator of Investigations Steve Richardson has praised the Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa�s vision for local sports Minister Rajapaksa today tweeted that he intends to uphold the vision set out in the Saubhagye Dakma manifesto and ensure the positive growth in all areas of sports, concentrate on an array of sports, and not just on the popular sports. His tweet was in response to a congratulatory message from former Minister more..

Aug 15 (FT) Scope Cinema Ltd. will introduce SL�s first-ever IMAX ultra-modern multiplex at the premier mixed-development project in Havelock City by Aug 2021. The Rs. 500 million investment is backed by Liberty Lands and Development Ltd., the parent company of Scope Cinemas Ltd. The firm has begun work in setting up a six-screen, IMAX multiplex with the most advanced digital formats, more..

Aug 15 (DM) India�s pepper farming community has voiced concern over the increase in imports of Sri Lankan spice into the country under SAFTA at 8% duty and 10% social welfare cess on duty. The Hindu Business Line said when the local pepper price is around Indian Rupee (₹) 325 per kg in the consuming markets, traders and growers are still confused on the need of imports at ₹500 minimum import price introduced by the government to curb such shipments under SAFTA. more..

Aug 15 (Island) CIPM Sri Lanka � the nation�s leader in human resource management was recently recognized and awarded the prestigious ISO 14001:2015 Certification for its Environmental Management System (EMS) by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) on July 17 at a ceremony at The Water�s Edge, Colombo. The certificate was handed over to Dhammika Fernando-Immediate Past President, CIPM SL by Dr. Siddhika Senaratne-Director General, SLSI. more..

Aug 15 (CT) Sri Lanka is in a deep foreign exchange crisis today. A sub component of this is the crisis involving the foreign debt problem of Sri Lanka. In public discussions, the reference is usually made to the foreign debt contracted by the Govt of SL. This is only a part of the story. That is because there are private companies, banks, etc., which also have borrowed from foreign sources. Hence, what matters for debt resolution more..

Aug 15 (FT) Hemas Holdings PLC reported a consolidated Group revenue of Rs. 13 billion, a decline of 1.6%, during the first quarter of the financial year 2020/21, compared with the same period last year, the company said in a statement. Group EBIT at Rs. 415 million for the period is Rs. 395 million higher than the previous financial year. Earnings of Rs. 269 million for the quarter were an improvement of Rs. 695 million. In understanding the financial performance relative to last year, more..

Aug 15 (FT) Lincoln-based diesel engine servicing and component specialist IMPS was assisted by UK Export Finance when it secured a GBP 750,000 order to supply parts for the refurbishment of Rolls Royce engines used by SL Railways. IMPS is an experienced exporter, selling 75% of its products overseas and having customers in more than 50 countries. However, the size of the SL Railways contract meant it would need to spend significant sums on hardware and supplies while more..