Sep 1 (Island) Police unit attached to PCoI investigating the Easter Sunday attacks yesterday questioned UNP General Secretary and former Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam for around 3 hours. Kariyawasam said that he had been questioned on the contents of certain school text books on Islam. �These books were prepared by the National Institute of Education and by experts in the field. Usually, the minister has no involvement in the preparation of the text books. more..

Sep 1 (AD) The govt has decided to grant special Presidential pardon to several inmates who were sentenced to jail over minor offences. Thereby, a total of 444 inmates including 18 females have received this special Prez pardon. Commissioner General of Prisons noted that the decision was taken with the intention of minimizing the congestion within prisons. According to reports, 83 inmates from the Welikada Prison, 54 from Pallekele Prison, 35 from Kuruwita Prison, more..

Sep 1 (AD) The program of providing 100,000 employment opportunities aimed at eradicating poverty is scheduled commence tomorrow (2). The objective of the program is to empower those who live in absolute poverty with no formal education and skills through the Multi-Purpose Development Task Force established by the govt, stated President�s Media Division. As per PMD, job recipients are selected on the basis of more..

Sep 1 (Island) The 113th Annual Feast of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Matara commenced yesterday evening with the raising of the flag staff. The Administrator of the Shrine Rev. Fr. Michael Colin Nixon said that the festivities would be held on a low key in keeping with health guidelines imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that there would be neither special transport arrangements nor accommodation facilities provided for pilgrims to stay over. more..

Sep 1 (DM) Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said it is illegal to recruit or take away from his place of residence, any individual under 18 years of age to work under the Int'l Law and SL operational law, and therefore requested fishermen to refrain from using such under-aged persons in fisheries activities. He said it is mandatory to direct them to proper education. �If you are a fisherman, taking a minor as a helper or employment of him as a boat watchdog raises a number of social issues, more..

Sep 1 (DM) The Prez's Office requested people not to invite Prez Rajapaksa for private functions such as weddings, saying his daily duties revolve around resolving the problems faced by the people. PMD said the Prez was keen to expedite development projects for the betterment of the people and to resolve issues faced by them on the grassroots level. �As such please refrain from inviting the Prez for functions such as more..

Sep 1 (DM) An accomplice of drug trafficker Ranjith Kumara alias Kondaya was arrested for allegedly involved in drug trafficking network. The suspect, Ruwan Kumala alias Batagama Kudu Ruwan was arrested with 1.5 grammes of heroin and 10 pounds of gold jewelry at Kandewatta in Ja-Ela. Investigation revealed that there had been over Rs 55 million transactions in the suspect�s bank account within seven months. It was reported that the suspect was engaged in drug trafficking more..

Sep 1 (AD) Eight more new cases of coronavirus infection have jumped the total number of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka to 3,081. Six among the latest cases are recent arrivals from the Maldives while one is a returned from India. An Indian national seaman is, too, among the latest cases. Accordingly, 32 new cases of COVID-19 infection have been reported within the day so far, with 22 returnees from Qatar and one each from India and the UAE testing positive earlier today. more..

Sep 1 (TM) Former Prez and SLFP Chairman Maithripala Sirisena issuing a message on the occasion of the party�s 69th year of operations vowed that the SLFP will always stand for the future of the nation and its children. Below is a translation of his message: Founded in 1951, the SLFP has formed a number of govts from time to time over the past few decades. Especially the party leaders who led those eras, of the likes of more..

Sep 1 (TM) Election Commission (EC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya yesterday (31) clarified that the MPs representing the SJB, the newly formed political party under the leadership of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, were no longer identified as UNP members. Deshapriya told The Morning that there were no UNP MPs in Parliament at present and all those who contested under SJB were now identified as SJB members even though they held the membership of the UNP earlier. more..

Sep 1 (AD) The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) has deployed another team of officials to probe the recent earth tremble which occurred in the Kandy District. On August 29, an unusual earth tremble was reported from several areas in the Kandy District at around 8.30 pm in the night. According to Sajjana de Silva, Director-General of GSMB, the incident was not an earthquake. However, the exact cause for the incident has not yet been determined, more..

Sep 1 (NR) The SL Police says Interpol Red Notices have been obtained for 14 suspects wanted over criminal activity who are presently overseas, absconding authorities. SSP Ruwan Gunasekara said the Red Notices were obtained through the intervention of the CID. SSP Gunasekara said the 14 individuals were accused of participating in organized crime, as well as manslaughter. He stressed the Police was unable to name more..

Sep 1 (DM) HIV infections among males between 19 and 25 years are on the rise, according to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP). NSACP Director Dr. Rasanjalee Hettiarachchi quoting statistics obtained from diagnostic tests received from islandwide Control Clinics said that the situation did not sound so healthy. She said though 3,600 HIV infected persons should have been registered with the NSACP by 2020 only 2,000 had registered themselves so far. more..

Sep 1 (Island) Sri Lanka paid a very heavy price to bring the war to a successful conclusion, in May 2009. The armed forces, the police and its elite paramilitary unit, the Special Task Force (STF), restored peace, through arms, after protracted negotiations failed to produce the desired results. Bringing the war to a successful end had been costly, in terms of men and material. The STF lost 464 officers and men, while 774 others suffered injuries, and some even disabled for life. more..

Sep 1 (CT) Acting IGP, C.D. Wickramaratne was issued notice to appear, on 3 Sept, before the PCoI probing political victimisation of public officials during the tenure of the UNF-led Govt. Chairman of the PCoI, retired SC Judge, Justice Upali Abeyratne instructed that notice be issued in consideration of a request made to the PCoI by suspended former SDIG Lalith Jayasinghe to issue an interim order to the NPC to more..

Sep 1 (EN) SL�s stock exchange has offered options for information technology firms with a track record to list, including via a second tier board with entry requirements which accommodates valuations of tech firms. Colombo Stock Exchange CEO Rajeeva Bandaranaike said listing requirements were changed to cater to the models seen in tech sector. �Companies that ideally could not look at a listing on the main board as a result of the 3 consecutive year profit requirement now have other options,� more..

Sep 1 (CT) The Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing Sirinimal Perera stated, the Manning Market at Peliyagoda will be vested in the public before 17 Nov, following instructions received from the President and the PM. He made this comment while undertaking an inspection tour of the Colombo Fort Manning Market premises yesterday. Perera remarked that during the past four and a half years, there had been undue delays experienced in the construction sphere. more..

Sep 1 (DM) National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim and his associates had been conducting a training camp for over four years at Al Zuharia Madrasa School in Pomparippu, Puttalam, a school registered under Dept of Muslim Religious & Cultural Affairs (DMRCA), it was informed at the PCoI. Testifying before the Commission, SI Srimal Sanjeewa of the CID said that the NTJ leaders provided more..

Sep 1 (DM) All functions of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) will be digitalized from Sept 17 to provide a smooth and more efficient service, SEC officials informed PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. SEC officials met the Premier on Monday to inform him about the completion of the digitalization process of the CSE. SEC Chairman Viraj Dayaratne and Director General Chinthaka Mendis said the digitalization of the CSE is a great achievement considering setback it suffered for 52 days more..

Sep 1 (CT) Public Health Department of the Colombo Municipal Council destroyed over 125 kilogrammes of oranges, apples and grapes in Pettah, following complaints received from the public. Chief Acting Food Inspector, M.B. Lal Kumara said, the Department had conducted raids on fruit sellers under the Pettah Bo Tree, near the Bastian and Olcott Mawatha private and SLTB bus stands. Lal Kumara said seven cases had been filed for the sale of rotten apples. more..

Sep 1 (DM) Over 2,000 organised criminals were rounded up from the Western Province alone last month under the Police Dept�s new drive of netting narcotic traffickers with underworld connections. Addressing a special press briefing, one of its top officials said they have identified many members of several organised gangs with links to the underworld handling the drug trafficking work of the country�s most urbanised province. more..

Sep 1 (DM) A total of 640 Sri Lankans, who were stranded in Kuwait, Qatar and UAE due to the Corona-19 pandemic, arrived in the country this morning at the BIA. 59 Sri Lankans arrived at the airport at 1.30 a.m. from Doha in Qatar. Another 293 Sri Lankans including three children arrived at 1.45 a.m. by SriLankan Air UL-230 from Kuwait while 288 Sri Lankans in UAE arrived at 8 a.m. Meanwhile, 168 Chinese nationals employed at Chinese investment projects in SL arrived on Monday more..

Sep 1 (DM) Minister of Highways and Chief Govt Whip Johnston Fernando said he had a difficult task in avoiding pandemonium in Parliament after Tamil National People's Alliance MP C. V. Vigneswaran aroused communalism in his maiden speech in Parliament. �I, as the Chief Govt Whip had to face a difficult task to prevent the govt MPs from protesting it. There would have been pandemonium in the House if I did not intervene to calm down the MPs,� Minister Fernando said. more..

Sep 1 (AD) The total outstanding central govt debt has increased to Rs.14,052 billion at the end of the first six months of 2020, the latest weekly report by the CB outlines. Total outstanding central govt debt stood at Rs. 13,031.5 billion by the end of 2019 and this has increased to Rs. 14,052.2 billion by the end of June 2020. Accordingly, the total outstanding central govt debt has increased by Rs 1,020.7 billion (one trillion) by end of June 2020. more..

Sep 2 (ST) I say, hell of a thing no, my neighbour during our college days used to say falling back on the colloquial when puzzled by political and bureaucrats actions cause him and others unnecessary confusion and the nation deprivation. Being badly governed and inured to lying (though I used to call them prevarications) are consequences for little people, he used to say with the wisdom of a seasoned plebian battered and bruised by those who steal his vote & then steal public purse. more..

Sep 2 (CT) SL is at a crucial juncture, where reconciliation should have to be one of the prime objectives in the administrative bucket list. After the lapse of more than a decade of ending the civil war, have we achieved that feat? Transitional justice and other rights concerns seem to be limited to mere words. To further endorse it SL expressed its desire to withdraw from the UNHCR resolution 30/1 earlier this year, which intends to promote reconciliation, accountability & human rights in post war SL. more..

Sep 2 (DM) SL�s 30-year war would be remembered, in part, for the crucial role played by Norway. The Norwegians managed to secure peace talks between the Govt of SL (GoSL) and the LTTE and the peace process continued for a number of years under successive Govts. Though Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim mediated between the GoSL and the LTTE under 3 SL leaders, in the end attempts made by him more..

Sep 2 (DM) A thing of beauty is a joy for ever, its loveliness increases; t�will, never pass into nothingness -John Keats A rain forest is not just wild beauty. Along with the beauty comes great diversity in plants and animals. Rain forests play a major role in keeping our planet healthy. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen that we depend on for our survival. The absorption of CO2 helps to stabilize the Earth�s climate. Rain forests also help to maintain the world�s water cycle by more..

Sep 2 (DM) 19th Amendment is without doubt, the most democratic and progressive piece of amendment that the 1978 Constitution ever saw being made to it. Not only was the changes incorporated into the Draconian 2nd Republican Constitution by 19A, the keeping of a promise given by Maithripala Sirisena, the former Prez, when he contested against the then incumbent two- times president Mahinda Rajapaksa, it was also the realisation of a struggle that has been more..

Sep 2 (FT) Kathiravel Nythiananda Devananda known generally as Douglas Devananda is the only Sri Lankan Tamil minister of Cabinet rank in the Govt of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Founder-Leader of the EPDP is the Minister of Fisheries in the Rajapaksa Govt. Prior to the 2020 Parliamentary Poll, Devananda was the Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. more..

Sep 2 (CT) In the past few months, Sri Lanka�s law enforcement agencies were able to detect and arrest a large number of infamous underworld figures as well as their accomplices who had abetted various forms of illegal activities that took place in and out of the country. These arrests also led to the discovery of a large amount of drugs and illegally amassed money. They also seized a large number of firearms, hidden in various parts of Sri Lanka and were used for crimes. more..

Sep 2 (Island) The govt and the Attorney General are at loggerheads over the eligibility of Ratnapura District SLPP MP Premalal Jayasekera, who has been sentenced to death for murder, to sit in Parliament. The govt insists that since Jayasekera has appealed, he can function as an MP. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena recently directed the Prisons Dept to bring Jaysekera to Parliament when the govt MPs questioned him why the MP in prison had not been brought to the House. more..

Sep 2 (CT) The past ten months during which time prez elections were held in November and general elections in August witnessed enemy images being manufactured by competing political parties and their candidates for election. MCC grant was depicted as dividing the country into two by means of an electrified fence, the Muslim community as taking over the country through a population surge, and the Tamil community as partnering Western countries in eroding national sovereignty. more..

Sep 2 (Island) Minister of Power, four days after assuming duties, had to face an island-wide power blackout which commenced around 12.30 pm on the 17th Aug and lasted up to 7-8 hours. The following day, he appointed a committee, comprising Ministry officials and power experts, to investigate the matter and submit a report within a week. The Committee comprised two administrative officers, including an Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Power, serving as the Chairman, more..

Sep 2 (Island) The majestic Oval scoreboard clock showed ten minutes to three on a Sunday afternoon when our final wicket fell. We had conceded first innings points by a small margin to Moors in a P. Sara Trophy encounter. The year was 1973 and it was my first game for the club. The many Moors supporters hugged each other and left the venue to return to Braybrook Place to celebrate. With just half an hour left to tea, more..

Sep 2 (DN) The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is planning to host a T-10 tournament in December, with the participation of national and overseas players, said a senior official of the SLC. After the conclusion of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), which is scheduled to be played from November 14 to December 7, SLC is planning to conduct this T-10 tournament. "LPL will be concluded by the first week of December, the foreign players who will participate in the League will be in Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 2 (DN) The Sports Ministry is ready to conduct three events of the 46th National Sports Festival (NSF) Marathon, Cycling and Race Walking (men and women) on two days, October 10, 11 at Kataragama.The three events will be open events this time but from the next year back to the previous system of provincial basis. Race walk men and women will commence at 5.30am on October 10 while the men's cycling race will commence at 8am followed by women's cycling race at 8.30am. more..

Sep 2 (FT) In a bid to assess the status and what measures are needed to develop capital markets, subject Minister Nivard Cabraal will engage with promoters and regulators tomorrow in what would be his first meeting since assuming office fortnight ago. Commissioners of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Board of Directors of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) have been invited for the crucial first meeting. more..

Sep 2 (CT) Neyara Weerawansa and Tuvini de Alwis got the better of Savini Jayasuriya and Janali Manamperi to walk out as women�s double champs after a thrilling three setter (6/3, 5/7 and 11/9) at the HNB -HUTCH Clay Court Nationals 2020 being held at SLTA courts. Later, Neyara teamed up with Sanka Atukorala to clinch the mixed doubles title when the duo overcame Dineshkanthan Thangaraja and Anika Seneviratne 6/7 (3), 6/1, 10/5. Meanwhile, Dhilvan Herath & Thehan Wijemanne of Royal more..