Sep 25 (TM) A report of the committee appointed to investigate financial frauds committed by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) during 2015-2019 has revealed that the Govt has incurred a loss of Rs. 138 million due to various mismanagements identified by the committee. The report of the interim committee was handed over to State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Market Diversification Piyankara Jayaratne at the Ministry on Wednesday (23). more..

Sep 25 (DM) Heated arguments erupted in the House over Speakers ruling to restrict the number of questions which could be raised by leaders of recognised political parties in Parliament under 27/2. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane informed Parliament that only one of the leaders of recognised political parties including the opposition leader would be allowed to raise any question relating to any matter of public interest. more..

Sep 25 (Island) Minister Ali Sabry said that only those who had passed the GCE O/L should be made Justices of the Peace. Responding to a question raised by SLPP MP Shantha Bandara, Minister said that there had been instances where those who had not passed the GCE O/L had been made JPs, but the incumbent govt had decided not to do do. Minister Sabry said that he felt that it was not suitable to appoint JPs based solely on their social service records without edu. qualifications. more..

Sep 25 (DM) A special team has been deployed to control rabies-infected jackal attacks in Millaniya, Kalutara, Minister C.B. Rathnayake said. He said that the special team is requesting people to bring the heads of dead Jackals to the MRI for easy diagnosis. The people in the area were requested to contact the Department via hotline 1992 and 1991 to bring the situation under control. He also requested the people not to walk alone on roads, not to send children to school alone & not to walk at night more..

Sep 25 (NIA) At least 10 cases are expected to the filed in the Supreme Court seeking a referendum on the proposed 20th Constitutional Amendment (20A). As soon as the govt placed the 20A bill on the table of the House on Tuesday (22), a lawyer filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging it and seeking a referendum on it on the grounds that the bill seeks to change the fundamental features of the SL Constitution. more..

Sep 25 (AD) The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the Easter Sunday carnage today (24) has sternly warned former President Maithripala Sirisena, his personal secretary and the three Auxiliary Bishops of Colombo against issuing media releases on the panel�s ongoing proceedings. The former President�s personal secretary, in a letter issued on Sunday (20), had alleged that the former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando has been maliciously lying before the Commission. more..

Sep 25 (DM) The ruling made by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene not to allow AITC MP Gajendrakumar Ponnampalam to raise a question relating to holding a remembrance of late LTTE member Rajasuriya Patheepan (Thileepan) caused an uproar in Parliament. The uproar began when Speaker said the MP cannot be allowed to raise the question as there was a case pending in courts on the matter. "It has been brought to my notice and it is also self explanatory in paragraph 3 more..

Sep 25 (CT) Panic hit the Deep South region of Matara yesterday, after a Russian national tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, forcing some 150 persons to be placed under quarantine, while officials conceded that there had been a serious lapse of responsibility on the part of the hotel management, where the patient was housed for the past 12 days. Among those placed under quarantine were the staff & family members of the hotel more..

Sep 25 (HM) On 22 Sept 2020, SL�s Justice Minister tabled the 20th Amendment in Parliament despite protests by members of the opposition. What does the proposed 20th Amendment to the SL constitution mean for constitutional governance in SL? What objectives does it seek to achieve? How should citizens understand the amendment in the context of SL�s history of constitutional governance? The 20th Amendment, I argue, is best understood in light of 17th (2001), 18th (2010) & 19th (2015) more..

Sep 25 (DN) Denying claims made by former Minister John Amaratunge that he will be UNP�s national list member, UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said no such decision has been made by the party as yet. Kariyawasam said that a nomination for the party National List slot has still not been made and this will be made by the UNP working committee. He said: �It is the UNP working committee that will decide who will be nominated from the UNP to fill the national list slot. more..

Sep 25 (FT) The debate on the proposed 20th Amendment is gathering momentum. The proposal, which has been published in the Govt Gazette, is indeed a constitutional bombshell, literally. Its provisions are very destructive in their objectives as well as consequences. Perhaps, the management gurus and media moguls who advise Prez Rajapaksa may have successfully converted him to the somewhat na�ve and politically dangerous doctrine of creative destruction. more..

Sep 25 (FT) Misappropriation of State property by ruling parties, which consists of representatives (Presidents, Ministers and Parliamentarians) elected by public vote to govern the country, can be considered as one of the main reasons of the dismal failure of Sri Lanka as a country. It is always the ruling party in democratic countries that acts as temporary custodian of public property owned by the State concerned. Public property is an important source of revenue for the Govt; and more..

Sep 25 (FT) Sri Lanka@100, a private sector-led initiative focused on the growth of mid-market enterprises � funded by the US Govt�s international development agency, USAID, and administered by Stax � was launched yesterday. Gracing the occasion were US Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz and State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya. Stax Managing Director and Co-Founder of SL@100 Dr. Kumudu Gunasekara said that more..

Sep 25 (MFA) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena led the SL delegation to the informal meeting of the Council of Ministers of the eight-member SAARC on 24 Sep. The annual event, which traditionally takes place on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, was convened in virtual mode this year amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. At the informal meeting, Minister Gunawadena underlined the need for coordinated and collaborative action to mitigate the adverse impact of Covid 19 more..

Sep 25 (SLA) The Army's Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineer (SLEME) troops-produced 9 modernized Unibuffels (improved version of Unicorns), one new recovery vehicle and 3 containers sent to Mali on United Nations (UN) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) are currently undergoing trials of acclimatization in the trouble-torn tough terrains in Mali after shipping agents unloaded them and took them to the MINUSMA HQ, a few days ago. more..

Sep 25 (AD) A special judge bench consisting of Supreme Court justices has been appointed to consider the petitions filed against the draft bill of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The judge bench, chaired by CJ Jayantha Jayasuriya, consists of four other SC Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Jayantha Jayawardhane, Vijith Malalgoda and Sisira de Abew. Petitions will be taken up for consideration on 29th of Sept. more..

Sep 25 (AD) Committee of High Posts of the Parliament has approved the appointment of 8 new diplomats including SL�s new Permanent Representative to the UN and envoys to US, China, India and Japan. The committee meeting was held today chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and with the participation of Secretary-General of Parliament, Dhammika Dasanayake. The nominations for the appointment of the new ambassadors and more..

Sep 25 (AD) Former State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene says there was an abdication of responsibility on the part of former Prez Sirisena. He made this remark speaking to the media after giving evidence before the PCoI on Thursday. He noted that the State Ministry of Defence functioned as a separate entity back then. He also commented that the State Ministry was assigned to oversee Ranaviru Seva Authority, Defence Services School & Defence Services Command & Staff College. more..

Sep 25 (Island) The election deposit that must be submitted by an independent candidate to contest an election had remained the same since 1981 while no deposits were required for recognised political parties, Parliament was told. Opening the adjournment debate on the performance report of the Election Commission, SLPP National List MP Sagara Kariyawasam told Parliament that independent candidates more..

Sep 25 (AD) Notorious underworld figure Janith Madushanka, who operates under the alias Podi Lassie, has been further remanded until the 9th of October. The order was delivered by the Galle Magistrate when the suspect was produced before courts this morning. He has been named as the second suspect in the case filed over the death threats made in public at the Boossa Prison against the President, the Defence Secretary and certain high-ranking officers of the Prisons Dept. more..

Sep 25 (DM) Underworld figure Sinhara Amal Silva alias Kudu Anju who is reportedly hiding in a foreign country had celebrated the death of rival underworld figure Devmuni de Silva alias Ratmalane Roha. Ratmalane Roha was killed in an retaliation with the police at Kochchikade in Negombo yesterday. Kudu Anju and Ratmalane Roha became rivals following the death of Kudu Anju's brother. Kudu Anju�s brother Suresh de Silva alias Lansiya was killed by Ratmalane Roha at Ratmalana in 2016. more..

Sep 25 (AD) Notorious underworld figure Janith Madushanka alias Podi Lassie, who is accused of threatening several VIPs, was further remanded until the 9th of October after he was produced before Galle Magistrate Harshana Kekunawala today. He was escorted to the court premises by the STF officers at around 9am this morning. Presenting submissions before the court, Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris from more..

Sep 25 (AD) JK Land (Private) Limited (JK Land) a fully owned subsidiary of JKH, has acquired a further 26.7% equity stake in Vauxhall Land Development (Private) Limited (VLDL), and existing subsidiary of JK Land, which owns a 9.38- acre plot of prime land on Vauxhall, street, Colombo, from Finlays Colombo Limited (FCL) for a consideration of Rs.5.98 billion on 25 Sept 2020. In a Stock Exchange filing, Gihan Cooray, Deputy Chairman of JKH PLC stated that this purchase is consequent more..

Sep 25 (AD) Deputy Indian High Commissioner Vinod K. Jacob said it was encouraging to note the clear declaration of India First Security policy by SL govt. He said it reflected a fair assessment of the current state of security cooperation between India and SL. In his address at the Annual General Meeting of the SL India Society in Colombo on Sept 24, he assessed the strong engagement between India and SL during the past year including in the context of mutual support in dealing with more..

Sep 25 (DM) Tragedy struck when a five-storey building caved in and collapsed, killing a young family of three in Kandy last week. The construction in the steep slopes of Sanghamitta Mawatha, Buwelikada collapsed during the early hours of Sunday. Residents had managed to evacuate the collapsing building. The debris which fell upon a hotel killed three. Following a dramatic search & operation mission led by military, more..

Sep 25 (CT) Officials of the Auditor General�s Department (AGD) charged that though it had been revealed through audit inquiries that losses to the tune of Rs 2 to 4 billion had been incurred by many State institutions, the respective Ministry Secretaries under whom those institutions come, failed to take punitive action against offenders. They alleged that a spate of reports that had been furnished to these Ministry Secretaries had not been acted upon and hence charged that acts of fraud more..

Sep 25 (EN) Sri Lanka�s tea production had fallen 14% from a year ago to 22.42 million kilograms in Aug 2020 from 26.2 million kg, with production down across elevations. In the eight months to Aug 2020 production was down 15% to 179 million kg from 211 million, industry data showed. Production was down across elevations in August. High grown production was down 4.1 million kg from 4.8 million, medium grown was down to 3.4 mn from 3.8mn and low growns were down to 14.8 mn from 17.1 mn. more..

Sep 25 (AFP) SL police on Friday arrested 3 people suspected of trapping and killing an endangered leopard and trying to sell its meat as a cure for asthma. The trio were detained after police raided their home following a tip-off that they had used a snare to catch the creature in the central highlands. "They cut the head off and killed the animal after it got caught in the snare on Thursday," chief inspector Dushantha Kangara said. more..

Sep 25 (CT) A motion presented to suspend Sectoral Oversight Committees (SOCs) until the appointment of Members was passed yesterday (24), in Parliament. Leader of the House, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena presented the motion to suspend the committees until the Parliamentary Consultative Committees under the 20th Amendment was set up. Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa and NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake objected the motion. more..

Sep 25 (AFP) Multiple Facebook posts shared thousands of times claim that Sri Lanka banned the slaughter of cattle on September 8, 2020. The claim is misleading; while Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa did propose such a ban in Parliament on September 8, no ruling was made. As of September 25, 2020, the Sri Lankan govt has not enacted such a law. The claim was published here on Facebook on September 8, 2020. The post was shared more than 11,000 times before it was deleted. more..

Sep 25 (FT) Following are the observations of the BASL Committee appointed to study and submit views on the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution, as well as further amendments required to the Constitution, to facilitate addressing laws, delays, and other related matters affecting the administration of justice. 1. Introduction 1.1 The Bar Association of SL (BASL) by letter dated 9 Sept 2020 under the hand of its President and more..

Sep 25 (CT) State Minister Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Dr. Sarath Weerasekara, said when C. V. Wigneswaran was appointed Chief Minister of the Northern Province in 2013 he was strategically trying to create an Ealam. �I can point out two resolutions where he unanimously put forward. Firstly, the fact that the Sinhala political leaders prudently planned and massacred Tamils from the Independence in 1948 to date and the second was that Sinhala politicians sterilised Tamil women from 1948 to the date. more..

Sep 25 (Island) SJB Gampaha District MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka says that he has enough strength to take on all govt members in the front row numbering 25 together single handedly in case they try to surround the Opposition MPs. Participating in a debate at the time of adjournment of the House on the progress report of the Election Commission on Wednesday, Field Marshal Fonseka said so referring to a statement made on Tuesday by Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage that more..

Sep 25 (CT) Sri Lanka did not experience the colossal impact of COVID-19, which has made us negligent in observing the basic health safety guidelines that were issued by the Health Ministry for holding exhibitions and other public gatherings, lamented Chief Epidemiologist, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera. He said, so far, the country only had experience with a few more than 3,320 cases and 13 deaths. more..

Sep 25 (CT) State Minister Indika Anuruddha said the long-term dream of youth for a permanent house will come true and has expressed confidence that it will be a reality soon and will be at a concessionary price soon. Several housing projects are to be launched on the instructions of Prez Rajapaksa to meet the housing needs of the country. Loan arrangements will be made in collaboration with local banks at a low interest rate of 6.25% and the beneficiaries will be given an opportunity to more..

Sep 25 (CT) A committee will be appointed to take action and coordinate relevant authorities and institutions to expedite investigations whenever environmental destructions occur. Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation, C.B. Rathnayake, said that due to the limited staff availability they were unable to fulfil the needs immediately. �We are currently working on a process to resolve this issue,� he said. Commenting on the destruction at Somawathiya National Park, he said more..

Sep 25 (CT) Commonwealth Lawyers Association (CLA) and Rechters voor Rechters (Judges for Judges) along with Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), Commonwealth Magistrates� and Judges� Association (CMJA) Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA), have expressed their deep concerns on the proposed 20th Amendment and called upon the Executive and Legislature of SL to ensure more..

Sep 26 (DM) When in Parliament the solitary TPNF MP C.V. Wigneswaran opened a can of worms by glorifying Tamils and the Tamil language over other communities and languages, Minister Wimal Weerawansa said the former Chief Minister of the Northern Province was attempting to outshine TNA leader R. Sampanthan, as a Tamil nationalist. Wigneswaran started off his maiden speech in Tamil during the inaugural session of the new Parliament on Aug 20 and said in English, more..

Sep 26 (CT) Ranil is a corpse refusing to attend his own funeral. Eventually UNP members will have to rent a hearse and drag the cortege to Kanatha. Next question: Is presumptive leader Ruwan Wijewardene (RW new style) the chap who can recoup lost ground? Apart from the question whether it can be done at all, the way he is setting about it seems deficient, and more seriously he does not seem to have the personality for the job. Let me make it clear that I am not a UNP or SJB person; more..