Aug 21 (CT) Information received by the State Intelligence Service (SIS) from a reliable informant that National Thowheed Jama�ath (NTJ) Leader Zaharan Hashim and his followers could launch a terrorist attack targeting eight locations including a church and a hotel on 21 Apr 2019, was conveyed to the then Defence Secretary, IGP, the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) and the SDIG of CID on 20 Apr 2019, said former Director of SIS, more..

Aug 21 (AD) Three parcels containing a variety of cannabis called �Kush� have been detected at the cargo terminal of BIA in Katunayake today (20). According to media spokesperson of SL Customs, the contraband is said to be worth nearly Rs. 2.2 million. The parcels, which had been dispatched from the US, were seized by the Narcotic Unit of the Customs attached to the BIA. The haul of drugs was concealed in a biscuit packet and several packaging of mobile phone disinfecting devices. more..

Aug 21 (CT) Due to the inability to decide on allocation of time, the maiden Party Leaders� meeting of the Ninth Parliament had become a heated affair, informed sources said. The Opposition MPs had requested they be granted more time to air their views during the Party Leaders� meeting. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and SJB MPs Lakshman Kiriella and Gayantha Karunathilake had requested to allocate 60% of the time for Parliament debates to them and the balance to Govt. more..

Aug 21 (Island) Minister of Power Dullas Alahapperuma asked for STF protection for the System Control Centre of the CEB. His request came following the recent countrywide power failure, which lasted for nearly seven hours. The CEB has not ruled out the possibility of sabotage though CEB Chief Eng. Vijitha Herath said initial investigations had revealed that the countrywide blackout on Monday was due to a human error. more..

Aug 21 (NR) Total number of COVID-19 infections recorded in the island has risen to 2,918, along with the identification of 16 new cases yesterday. All 16 positive cases were identified as individuals who returned to the country from Chennai, India. Accordingly a total of 142 persons, including one foreign national are undergoing medical treatment for the virus at present. A total of 630 positive cases have been recorded from the Kandakadu coronavirus cluster, while 991 persons more..

Aug 21 (CT) The UNP is planning to name its Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as its National List MP to the Ninth Parliament, sources from Sirikotha, revealed. A proposal mooted by a sizeable number of UNP Members attached to its WC that Wickremesinghe should be nominated as its National List MP to the Legislature is set to be further mulled by a group of Party seniors today. The Party General Secretary has already sought a 7-day period to name Party�s national list pick more..

Aug 21 (FT) Prez Rajapaksa yesterday spelled out the priorities for the Govt in his address to the inaugural session of the new Parliament, which include out-of-the-box thinking policies to revitalise the economy, a new Constitution based on the concept of one country, one law for all people and a crackdown on fraud and corruption. The Prez, who presided over the ceremonial sitting of the House held last afternoon, also said that more..

Aug 21 (FT) Despite keeping policy rates unchanged yesterday, the Central Bank slashed interest on credit cards to 18%, interest on overdrafts to 16%, and interest on pawning to 10%, to assist consumers recovering from the COVID-19 impact. Releasing the latest monetary policy statement, CB said these decisions were taken considering bank lending rates of certain financial products which continue to remain high. �Monetary Board decided to revise downward the caps on interest rates more..

Aug 21 (FT) The islandwide power outage for several hours on 17 August was a clear reminder of how much we rely on a steady supply of electricity in our homes, offices and factories. Now imagine the much greater disruption could happen if petroleum and coal imports � essential for operating thermal power plants that generate a large share of our electricity � were to stop arriving even for a few weeks. Gone are the days when most of our electricity came from hydro power, more..

Aug 21 (AD) A woman has been arrested with 49 kilograms and 700 grams of cannabis in the Paranthan area in Kilinochchi. The suspect was arrested during a raid carried out based on information received by the Kilinochchi Police Station on Thursday. The arrested female is a 29-year-old resident of Murusamotai in Paranthan. She has been produced before the Kilinochchi Magistrate�s Court and held for 7 days under detention orders. more..

Aug 21 (EN) SL�s Sanken group said it has secured offshore import financing facility suported by Hatton National Bank and Peoples� Bank to complete a construction project which was hit by import controls. Capitol Twin Peaks, a 50-storey twin tower development is now able to import building material with the help of a Usance letter of credit facility with a 720 day payment settlement, secured from an offshore partner. The facility is supported by Hatton National Bank and People�s Bank. more..

Aug 21 (Island) The police have taken two army personnel into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged transportation of a stock of weapons to Pitipana, Homagama during the height of the covid-19 epidemic. SSP Jaliya Senaratne said so in response to a query raised during hastily arranged media conference at the police headquarters yesterday. CID had detained two army personnel and more..

Aug 21 (FT) One wonders what the response of a Japanese oligarch would have been, had the organisation he leads failed to prevent a country-wide power failure that went on for nearly half a day, turning the lives of 22 million people into a sweltering misery, wiping out millions of rupees from an economy already reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 virus and making a country aspiring for a resurgent status, a laughing stock. Electricity today is as important as the air we breathe; more..

Aug 21 (NR) PM of Australia Scott Morrison called PM Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning to congratulate him on the victory at the recently-concluded General Election. The two leaders discussed several areas of mutual cooperation and expressed the desire to further enhance relations between Sri Lanka and Australia. Commenting that there is �a lot going on in our part of the world,� PM Morrison said he looks forward to working closely with PM Rajapaksa and the new govt. more..

Aug 21 (CTV) A Canadian man is facing human smuggling charges in the United States after serving a prison sentence in the Turks and Caicos Islands for what authorities there have said may be the most complex criminal case in that country's history. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RT&CIPF) said Tuesday that Srikajamukan Chelliah, a SL-born Canadian citizen, was flown to the U.S. on Monday following an extradition more..

Aug 21 (DN) Attorney General Dappula De Livera said the arrest of interdicted Negombo Prison Superintendent Anuruddha Sampayo who was evading arrest for 11 days was staged as a special intelligence operation by Sampayo and the Negombo HQI. Attorney General�s Coordinating Officer Nishara Jayaratne said the Attorney General made this statement after observing CCTV footage of the surrounding areas near the scene of Sampayo�s purported arrest. more..

Aug 21 (MFA) Referring to the Nepal � SL bilateral relations that go back many centuries, PM K.P. Sharma Oli described Sri Lanka as a very good friend of Nepal. PM made these comments when SL Ambassador to Nepal Himalee Arunatilaka called on him on 18 Aug in Kathmandu. PM Oli recalled his telephone conversation with the newly elected SL PM Mahinda Rajapaksa soon after his electoral victory which he described as unique, and having multifaceted significance. more..

Aug 21 (FT) With a total of 15 different political parties represented in the ninth Parliament of SL, there were early indications yesterday during the brief speeches made to congratulate the newly-appointed Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena of the delicate balancing act that would be needed to ensure the smooth functioning of the Legislature. PM Rajapaksa, who led the House in congratulating newly-elected more..

Aug 21 (EN) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa says there is a huge gap between the goals laid out in the Prez�s policy statement and the plans to achieve those targets. In Parliament today Premadasa said the opposition has nothing against the policies presented by Prez Rajapaksa but said that the govt has not presented their opinion and the policy about this mismatch. He said that the country today is faced with multiple economic crises and the shortage of funds in treasury is one of them. more..

Aug 21 (EN) The govt is not providing a direct answer as to whether the Constitutional changes it proposes includes the dissolution of the independent Commissions established by the 19th Amendment. In Parliament today the Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella asked the govt to say whether it was abolishing the independent commissions through the proposed 20A. Replying to the question the Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said that the actions of independent commissions more..

Aug 21 (DM) As reports of child sexual abuse feature in our newsfeeds from across the country with regular and horrifying frequency, it is evident that SL is facing a nationwide crisis of child abuse. According to the statistics, there is a drastic increase in the number of cases reported. One can imagine how many more go unreported. Laws are in place and departments and ministries are established to protect SL children. more..

Aug 21 (EN) A group of 87 SL nationals stranded in Thailand had been repatriated on a SriLankan Airlines charter flight, the island�s embassy in Bangkok said. Several Buddhist monks, students and some who were on short term visas had arrived in Colombo today and would be quarantined. It was the second such group that had been repatriated. The repatriation was supported by SL�s Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Thailand as well and regional office of the Int'l Office more..

Aug 21 (AD) Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has been issued notice to appear before the PCoI investigating allegations of political victimization on the 04th of Sept. Former ministers Rajitha Senaratne, Mangala Samaraweera, Malik Samarawickrama and TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran had arrived at the PCoI this morning. They had been summoned to appear before the commission today with regard to a complaint filed by the former Secretary to the Economic Affairs Ministry, more..

Aug 21 (EN) Central Bank will start discussions with the Dept of Census and Statistics after it reported a 1.6% contraction in the economy for the first quarter which was not expected by the Central Bank. �I do not think there is a need to open a debate here,� Governor Lakshman told reporters. �What is officially recognized is the Census and Statistics Department�s number. Internally we have discussed and debated. more..

Aug 21 (EN) The UNP has not yet decided on who they will nominate to the single National List seat it won in the last Parliamentary General Elections, a party spokesman said. The party was responding to Social Media speculation that Ranil Wickremesinghe would be the nominee. The UNP was decimated at the election losing all the seats it contested winning only the sole National Seat. The previous lowest was in the 1956 elections when the UNP went down to 8 seats in a 95 member Parliament. more..

Aug 21 (DM) A special SriLankan Airlines flight carrying 276 Sri Lankans stranded in Australia due to COVID- 19, arrived at the BIA, today. SriLankan Airlines flight UL-605 from Melbourne, arrived at BIA at 3.35 pm. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne city is currently in lockdown and therefore the flight carried many stranded students who were in Australia for higher studies. Upon their arrival, all passengers were taken to the PCR tests and were directed to quarantine centers. more..

Aug 21 (AD) Former minister Mangala Samaraweera says that the previous govt was given a mandate to punish the corrupt and that the failure to fulfill the task led to the people punishing them at the 2019 and 2020 elections. �The people of SL gave the former govt a mandate to punish the corrupt. However, due to the failure to properly carry out that task under then Prez Sirisena, the people of the punished us in 2019 and 2020. more..

Aug 21 (EN) SL has already controlled imports competing with businessmen, farmers were protected, re-export of exportable products banned and imports of fish should also be halted, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said. �After we came to power, competing imports were controlled to protect domestic industries and entrepreneurs,� Prez Rajapaksa said ceremonially addressing SL�s newly elected parliament at its first sitting. �We took steps to protect local farmers by halting more..

Aug 21 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Kanchana Silva yesterday granted her approval to Holcim Lanka Limited, to carry out a sample test today, to decipher whether garbage and other disposable items could be deposited in a safe manner at the Madampitiya purification plant. It was reported to the Court that on or before 7 July, a firm situated in the Awissawella area known as T.J. Lanka Company, had attempted to release harmful chemical material to the seas off more..

Aug 21 (AD) The nationwide blackout in SL on Monday was caused due to a mistake by an Electrical Superintendent during maintenance work at the Kerawalapitiya grid sub-station, a top CEB official said. The entire nation of Sri Lanka was left without power Monday (17) in an over seven-hour outage following a failure at the electricity facility. Additional General Manager of CEB Dr Susantha Perera said the reason more..

Aug 21 (CI) Here's a fun fact. On the night of MS Dhoni's best known innings, that night at the Wankhede, halfway across the world Manchester United were securing yet another comeback victory, rising from two goals down at half-time to beat West Ham, on the way to yet another Premier League title. While the two events at first glance have almost no connection to one another, there is an underlying inevitability attached to both outcomes that bears mentioning: United going a goal behind, more..

Aug 21 (DM) Keeping up with the ongoing digital trend, State-managed retail chain Lanka Sathosa, launched its online shopping platform yesterday. The platform, designed in partnership with Sri Lanka Telecom, is currently live for the Western Province and the Kandy district. Lanka Sathosa Chairman Nushad Perera shared that in the coming months the presence will be expanded depending on the available capacity. Listed on the website are over 300 products under a number of categories, more..

Aug 21 (AD) Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced that the Govt�s Policy Statement was passed without a vote. Parliament was subsequently adjourned until 9.30 a.m. on Aug 27. Parliament convened at 9.30 a.m. this morning and the Govt�s Policy Statement was taken up for debate. The policy statement, which was presented by Prez Rajapaksa in Parliament yesterday, was taken up for more..

Aug 21 (CT) Consumers in the Ampara District claim that even though fishermen in the District received a bumper harvest, severe shortages still prevail and they have to pay exorbitant prices. Consumers complained that they hardly receive fresh fish and most of the time the fish sold in the fish markets of the region can�t be eaten. Regional PHIs must pay attention towards this issue, they added. They noted, Govt and volunteer organisations had provided financial and other assistances more..

Aug 21 (CG) The Ministry of Health is to consider utilising the new developed vaccine for Covid-19 by Russia after obtaining the necessary approval from the World Health Organization (WHO). Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and the Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka Yury B. Materiy had talks today on the vaccine and other related matters. During the meeting, the Russian Ambassador had briefed the Sri Lankan Minister of Health on the vaccine for Covid-19 developed by Russia. more..

Aug 21 (VICE) A media activist said at least 70 journalists fled the country since 2009. The number is likely to grow. Lokeesan Appuththurai remembers his horror when military personnel called out his name at a refugee camp in Vanni region, in the northern province of Sri Lanka. It was 2009, right in the middle of the civil war between the Sri Lankan Govt and the LTTE, a Tamil insurgent group. more..

Aug 22 (CT) In January 2019, soon after his switching of Prime Ministers was deemed illegal by the Supreme Court, the former President made one of his regular trips to Singapore. His excuse was to attend a minor conference on the environment but he also made it a point to meet the PM of Singapore. Sri Lanka media carried a story soon thereafter stating that he had informed the Singapore PM that Sri Lanka would be adding (sic) amendments to the Sri Lanka Singapore Free Trade Agreement. more..

Aug 22 (CT) Our church has two dioceses: Colombo and Kurnunagala. Each is headed by a Bishop and both are under the Archbishop of Canterbury. Our bishop of Colombo � by far the most powerful with almost everything under him except Kurunagala and Kandy � the Rt. Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey had turned 65 recently and we had to call for a new election. Our bishops get a ten-year term unless thy reach their 65 years sooner. Thus it was that the clergy and lay representatives from more..

Aug 22 (CT) Chairperson of SL Tourism Kimarli Fernando, challenges those who�d undermine the task of promoting the destination. �I told my staff to stop the corruption that they have been engaging in the past,� she said. A firebrand, Fernando also warned tourism associations not to dictate terms to her and her organisation, as they have done with her predecessors. �Change your mindset, think globally and entertain more..