Apr 7 (ST) Budget 2019, the 1st Budget of the UNF Govt that came into being after the collapse of the Unity Govt with the SLFP last year, was passed by a comfortable majority of 45 votes in Parliament on Friday. The vote on the Third Reading held on Friday evening. after 25 days of debate, saw 119 MPs in favour of the Budget, while 74 opposed it. The UNF, together with the TNA and CWC voted in favour, while the JO, UPFA and JVP voted against. Many SLFP MPs affiliated to Prez more..

Apr 7 (ST) Sri Lanka�s power sector is in an infernal, politicised mess and there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the foreseeable future. The result of this chaos is the collective public discomfort caused by hours of curtailed electricity�something that experts had repeatedly warned would happen by this year. The fundamental issue appears to be the prevalence of various mafias pushing different power generation agendas for pecuniary benefit. Thus, there is the coal mafia, more..

Apr 7 (CT) The milk powder saga is reaching gigantic proportions, with not only imported milk powder released to the market not being tested for Melamine and other deposits, but with Dy Minister Buddhika Pathirana first telling the House that pig fat and various other oils were included in milk powder and then taking cover behind parliamentary privileges to refuse answering queries posed by this newspaper regarding the issue. more..

Apr 7 (ST) My dear Mahinda maama, I thought I must write to you because I heard that you had been entrusted with the job of choosing who the candidate of the pohottuwa party would be for the next big race, which is due before the end of the year. I don�t envy your task, but then, you are spoilt for choice, aren�t you? To begin with, I can�t really understand how a decision as important as who your party�s candidate would be � when he or she could even be the next leader of the country � more..

Apr 7 (Island) ABC a few days ago telecast an arresting documentary saying "Australian cattle exported to Sri Lanka dying and malnourished, local farmers left suicidal." Tens of thousands of viewers in Australia have seen the film which is now on Internet and is easily available here. This story, discussed in parliament during the committee stage of the budget debate which closed on Friday, has virtually gone viral with those who saw it forwarding it to their contacts. more..

Apr 7 (Island) April 5, 2019 marked the 48th anniversary of the JVP�s 1971 insurgency. If that insurgency or their campaign of terror in the late 1980s had succeeded, they would have been ruling the country today. We do not know how the country would have fared under their rule except for the certainty that their victory would have resulted in widespread massacres of real and imagined enemies. That would have happened in 1971 as well even though their first insurgency is widely more..

Apr 7 (ST) Ranjith Chandrasekara, the President of SL Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) has tendered his resignation according to reliable sources. Chandrasekara, who was elected to head the governing body of the most followed schools sport in the island, had earlier made indications that he will step down at this year�s Annual General Meeting (AGM), but the Executive Committee of SLSRFA has declined to entertain his decision. However, through a letter dated April 3, 2019, more..

Apr 7 (CT) The Appropriation Bill 2019 was passed, with a majority of 45 votes, at the Third Reading stage, with Amendments, on Friday. The Budget received 119 votes in favour and 74 votes against. A total of 31 MPs were absent. 13 of the 16 TNA MPs voted with the Govt in favour of the Bill while the UPFA MPs in the pro-Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa�s camp and the JVP voted against. The majority of the UPFA MPs, including Mahinda Amaraweera, Nimal Siripala de Silva, more..

Apr 7 (Island) Those of us who have followed SL cricket closely had little idea how deep rooted corruption in the sport was when the ICC intensified investigations following the national cricket team�s shock defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in 2017. We put down the defeats to the glorious uncertainties of the great game rather than any sinister move by those involved in the game. Extensive investigations by the ICC�s Anti Corruption Unit have unearthed some startling revelations. more..

Apr 7 (SO) Prez Sirisena, in the course of his speech to the nation on National Day, said that he is concerned about the interference of the members of the international community in the internal affairs of the country. There is no doubt that he had in his mind the resolutions against Sri Lanka adopted by the UNHRC based in Geneva requiring the Govt of SL to implement certain recommendations which were considered essential for achieving post war reconciliation by the sponsors of resolutions. more..

Apr 7 (CT) Neyara Weerawansa, who was unfairly excluded from the SL Junior National U-15 squad which is set to compete in the Junior Fed Cup Asia to be held in Thailand later this month, has been reinstated in the squad after Ceylon Today, reported the unfair decision that had been based on a na�ve complaint from another player�s parent. Neyara's representatives yesterday issued a letter informing that 15-yr-old has been included more..

Apr 7 (SO) Former SL cricketer Naweed Nawaz, who won the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year mega title in 1993, was the first and only cricketer from D.S. Senanayake College to achieve that honour. During his illustrious career at D.S. Senanayake College, Nawaz was a household name with some aggressive batting and a number of big scores. Even after his exemplary school career, Nawaz scored consistently for his club side, NCC for a number of yrs, with an attractive average. more..

Apr 7 (CT) Former SL cricketer Naweed Nawaz, who won the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year mega title in 1993, was the first and only cricketer from D.S. Senanayake College to achieve that honour. During his illustrious career at D.S. Senanayake College, Nawaz was a household name with some aggressive batting and a number of big scores. Even after his exemplary school career, Nawaz scored consistently for his club side, NCC for a number of yrs, with an attractive average. more..

Apr 7 (ST) One of the problems bugging SL�s limited over team is the absence of a pair of solid openers. Not all that long ago, hopes were high that Niroshan Dickwella will fill the bill. But his subsequent failures have put a big question mark against his name. Two failures in the first two games of the Super Provincial Tournament have only worsened the situation. The experienced Upul Tharanga, another World Cup probable, more..

Apr 7 (ST) A 212-run stand for the sixth wicket between skipper Sasith Manuranga and Tharindu Rajapaksha lifted Rahula College from a disastrous 67/5 to 279/6 and averted of being asked to follow on, thus forcing a draw against Dharmapala College in the 8th Battle of the Golden Lions at the P. Sara Oval yesterday. Manuranga scored 141 off 172 balls with 19 boundaries and a six to eclipse Chamindu Samarasinghe�s knock of 104 scored the previous day while Rajapaksha was unfortunate more..

Apr 7 (CT) Sri Lanka�s netball fraternity was shell shocked with the unexpected appointment of an Interim Committee to the Netball Federation of SL (NFSL) by the Sports Ministry with just three months to go for the World Championship. According to R.B. Wickramasinghe, the Assistant Director of Sports at the Department of Sports Development who is in charge of National Sports Associations (NSAs), the NFSL�s present officer bearers� term of office should have ended in 2018, more..

Apr 7 (EN) Sri Lanka will not be greatly affected by Brexit, and trade redirection to increase agricultural and industrial exports could offset hits to the economy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. "The economy-wide effects of Brexit through trade channels are small even for Sri Lanka, which has strong trade ties with the UK and risks losing a preferential trade arrangement if the UK leaves the EU," ADB said more..

Apr 7 (WB) Today on World Health Day, we can say with confidence that Sri Lanka�s healthcare system has delivered on many of its promises. This year�s focus on universal health care is a timely reminder that SL is still reaping the benefits of far-thinking health policies implemented as early as the 1800s. Many of these measures were designed to address what were then considered the key challenges of previous centuries, such as high maternal and child mortality rates and infectious diseases more..

Apr 7 (AD) The IGP has been instructed to take stern action against vehicles fitted with horns that are causing noise pollution in the country. These instructions were given at the meeting, convened on the direction of the Prez, and chaired by the Secretary Defence, Hemasiri Fernando, held at Ministry of Defence on Friday. A number of short term and long term decisions relating to creating a developed and disciplined country were taken up for discussion at the meeting, more..

Apr 7 (ST) Sri Lanka is to crackdown on money launderers engaged in cleaning drug money by passing it through layers of banks and businesses and mainly using it to buy luxury expensive cars, land and property. President Maithripala Sirisena has issued a directive to the Police Narcotic Bureau (PNB) to keep an eye on luxury car dealers especially individuals and car sale companies to find out whether they are aiding and abetting more..

Apr 7 (DM) JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti claimed that a six month's service extension had been given to People's Bank General Manager Wasantha Kumara despite the COPE's instruction to refrain from doing so and urged the govt to recover the salary paid to him. He told parliament that Mr. Kumara had been paid a monthly salary Rs.2.3 million, adding that he had also obtained Rs. 35 million as salary arrears. Mr. Handunnetti said Minister Lakshman Kiriella had also assured parliament that more..

Apr 7 (DM) The UNP is reported to have submitted the names of six MPs to President Maithripala Sirisena to be appointed as state ministers. According to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the President has to appoint ministers in consultation with the PM and as such, minister have to be appointed with the agreement of both parties. However, the President has not yet decided whether to accede to the request made by the UNP led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Apr 7 (ST) Plantation companies are facing a crisis as about 25% of stocks of Ceylon Tea particularly the western high growns during this peak season remain unsold at the auctions. About 20-25% of the western high growns on certain auctions and about 35% of particular grades of high growns on occasion are withdrawn from the auctions as they are not bought by foreign buyers, Forbes and Walkers CEO Anil Cooke told the Business Times. more..

Apr 7 (CT) Former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, Suren Ratwatte, has claimed that he was �short of cash� when he was questioned by COPE Chairman Sunil Handunnetti as to why he neglected to wear the customary white attire when he arrived in Parliament recently to answer a summons. Ratwatte has claimed on Wednesday (3), that he had recently returned from abroad and was wearing a non-white attire for the meeting, as he was short of cash. However, Handunnetti has promptly more..

Apr 7 (SO) There will be no end to the power crisis in the country unless two to three large scale power plants are commissioned to meet national demand, which is growing at a steady pace, said a top energy expert in the country. According to him, the current crisis could be short-lived, if policy makers are serious about getting the power plants that have stalled, into operation. Plans for the 300MW combined-cycle LNG power plant at Kerawalapitiya and Sampur coal power station, are on hold. more..

Apr 7 (CT) Despite the struggle by tea estate workers to get their daily wage increased to Rs 1,000 in a bid to come out of their appalling living conditions, a Right to Information request filed with the Labour Department has revealed that a major trade union in the estate sector accrues over Rs 77 million as membership fees each year. It has been tabulated that, CWC) led by Arumugam Thondaman, has collected a membership fee more..

Apr 7 (AD) The delegation of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has visited Human Rights Commission of SL. SPT Delegation met with Dr. Deepika Udagama, Chairperson of the Commission and Commissioners Ms. Ramani Muttetuwegama and Ms. Ambika Satkunanathan and discussed issues of mutual concern and interest on 04 April. The delegation is composed of Victor Zaharia, Head of Delegation (Moldova), Satyabhooshun Gupt Domah (Mauritius) more..

Apr 7 (AD) In a special event held at Indola Estate in Matara, Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu along with Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Hill country New Villages Minister Palani Digambaram, laid foundation stone for 50 new houses being constructed under the Indian Housing Project. MPs and Southern Provincial Council, senior Govt officials as well as officials from Plantation Human Development Trust (PHDT), Plantation and Estate Management and more..

Apr 7 (ST) A sum of US$ 146 million�part of the money China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd (CMPort) paid for the Hambantota port�is lying unused in an account and risks being repatriated by June this year, if the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) does not float a proposal to spend it, authoritative sources said. Meanwhile, the US$ 974 million which was deposited by CMPort in exchange for shares more..

Apr 7 (CT) The govt�s foreign debt payments cost the country�s foreign reserves US$ 813.26 million last month (March) alone. Additionally, this month (April), at least one foreign debt amounting to US$ 500 million, which also matures, has to be repaid. This is a US$ 500 million sovereign bond (SB) raised in April 2014 and of a five-year tenure borrowed during the last year of Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. Last month, Sri Lanka raised US$ 2.4 billion by selling sovereign bonds. more..

Apr 7 (ST) The head of SL�s National Economic Council (NEC), the apex body responsible for economic development, will receive a monthly salary and allowance of half a million rupees. Presidential Secretary Udaya R Seneviratne has written to NEC Secretary General Lalith Samarakoon that in addition, he will be provided with an official vehicle, a driver, and a monthly fuel quota of 200 litres. The Presidential Secretary has also informed Prof. Samarakoon that he will also be provided more..

Apr 7 (ST) The jet-black Russian Mi-17 VIP helicopter with a satellite phone and television among on board systems glistened in the hot sunlight as it touched down, raising a cloud of dust at the Asgiriya grounds in Kandy last Monday. President Maithripala Sirisena alighted. He was rather early. It was for the colourful ceremony where the UNP Deputy Leader and Minister Sajith Premadasa received a title of honour more..

Apr 8 (Island) A false front page in a leading English daily newspaper last week highlights two significant and inter-related problem sets. The false page advertised the campaign against illegal drugs by the President. On Twitter, I quipped that it was a collector�s edition. The English is so bad, it borders on the poetic and inadvertently sublime, featuring words that don�t exist and sentences that are utterly meaningless. For good effect, there is even mention of a spy service to save children. more..

Apr 8 (Island) The heat of the theatrics during the 40th session of UNHRC and praise for Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana for his spirited address has begun to decrease. NP Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan has backtracked and apologized for his injudicious remarks, rejected by Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera has made an unreserved apology on behalf of all Sri Lankans to Bachelet for Raghvan�s imprudence. more..

Apr 8 (ST) The Constitutional Council will decide on a new Chief Justice from three names submitted by President Maithripala Sirisena. The names to be recommended in that order are Justice Buveneka Aluvihare, Justice Sisira de Abrew and Jayantha Jayasuriya, the present Attorney General. The present Chief Justice, Nalin Perera, will retire on April 29. A ceremonial farewell was accorded to him on Friday. Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, more..

Apr 8 (ST) The casually irreverent manner in which state entities such as the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Board of Investment (BOI) treat issuance of mandatory environmental approvals received a sharp reprimand by the Supreme Court in this week�s ruling on the pollution of ground water in Chunnakam as a result of a private company operating a power plant without conforming to statutory procedures. The polluter, (Northern Power Company (Pvt.) Ltd), more..

Apr 8 (SO) This govt has had more than its fair share of embarrassing moments. Prez and his PM have been at odds with each other, there have been two PMs officiating at the same time and the highest court in the land has said that the country�s Constitution has been violated. To add to this long list, last week, the expenditure heads of two Ministries- the Ministry of Internal and Home Affairs and Provincial Councils and Local Govt and the Ministry of Megapolis and more..

Apr 8 (Roar) On March 31, the carcass of a baby dolphin washed ashore on the Kayankerni beach on the East coast, with a piece of polythene in its mouth. On social media, environmentalists and citizens expressed their outrage about the incident. But these occurrences are no longer few and far between. The sheer amount of garbage produced in the country�7, 500 MT daily�coupled with inadequate more..

Apr 8 (Island) The consumption of fruits and vegetables helps humans remain healthy, but in this country the Grim Reaper grins when people eat them; they are rich in agro chemicals due to the haphazard use of insecticides and weedkillers, as is common knowledge, so much so that the prevent govt has launched a campaign to encourage organic farming. It is now reported that imported fruits contain residues of banned agro chemicals. Close on the heels of Deputy Minister Buddhika more..