Aug 27 (AD) The non-cabinet ministers Sujeewa Senasinghe and Ajith P. Perera have never acted in violation of the rules and regulations of the UNP, says UNP Chairman Minister Kabir Hashim. He mentioned this today at a press conference held to inform the decision to take disciplinary action against Ministers Senasinghe and Perera. He also said that it is customary for the General Secretary to periodically submit more..

Aug 27 (Island) Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), which evaluated bids for five 13,200-litre oil bowsers, in 2016, for the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminal Ltd (CPSTL) had acted in a manner beneficial to Transmec International, highest bidder, PCoI told the head of the TEC, Piyasiri Atukorale. It was earlier revealed that the govt had incurred a loss of Rs. 11.3 million when CPSTL bought five 13,200-litre oil bowsers from a bidder who had quoted the highest price. more..

Aug 27 (AP) Islamic clerics in Sri Lanka asked Muslim women on Tuesday to continue to avoid wearing face veils until the govt clarifies whether they are once again allowed now that emergency rule has ended four months after a string of suicide bomb attacks. Clerics are wary of the Muslim community being targeted again for violence, as it was in the aftermath of April�s Easter Sunday attacks that killed more than 260 people, said Fazil Farook, spokesman for more..

Aug 27 (Island) Senior CEB engineers, yesterday, warned that there was the possibility that the CEB would go for another expensive emergency power purchase deal as some of its senior officials had deliberately delayed a shipment of coal and that might lead to a shortage of this vital raw material without which the Norochcholai coal power plant, the country�s single biggest electricity producer, could not run. more..

Aug 28 (CT) The main opposition party, the SLPP, was the quickest off the mark to propose its candidate. Their candidate, former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has the advantage of being both a known and unknown quantity. On the one hand, he is known as being one of the primary architects of the military defeat of the LTTE, once believed to be an undefeatable politico-military force and enjoying local and transnational support. On the other hand, as a former army officer and more..

Aug 28 (ST) India is now bigger than the UK. Well, we know that we are not looking at the geographic or demographic size of the country, but its economic size. According to the World Economic Outlook 2019, this year India with little less than US$ 3 trillion GDP is going to surpass the UK economy with US$ 2.8 trillion GDP. This is another turning point in the dramatic shift in world economic power. With this change, India will be identified among the top-5 biggest economies in the world which more..

Aug 28 (Roar) Dematagoda Canal passes under Baseline Road at the Orugodawatta Junction and stretches a further 3 kilometres south-east. A young man, in a pair of jeans and a grey cotton v-neck t-shirt, is punting downstream, a few dozen feet east of the overhead bridge. He stops, takes a three-feet long weir skimmer and fishes out a stinking, sludge-covered, plastic school bag. His next attempt unearths a toilet brush. more..

Aug 28 (CT) Kaaka Muttai (The Crow�s Egg) is an excellent Tamil-language film recently shown on SBS TV (Australia), as part of World Movies, with English subtitles that depicts some of the predicaments of the poor, particularly the growing up children, under globalization and neoliberalism in a satirical manner. Written, directed and filmed by N. Manikanadan as a debut in Chennai in 2015 it has gained several international accolades for its story, message, sensitivity and artistic qualities. more..

Aug 28 (TM) Sri Lanka found itself being pushed back into a situation it faced prior to 2015 as a result of its decision to disregard international concerns and appoint Shavendra Silva as the new Army Commander. Lt General Shavendra Silva assumed duties on Wednesday at SL Army Hq as the 23rd Commander of the Army. Some of SL�s strongest allies since 2015, including the US, EU, and UN, voiced serious concerns over Prez Sirisena�s decision to appoint Lt. Gen. Silva to the post. more..

Aug 28 (CT) SLPP's Prez candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during the SLPP Youth Convention, held at Nelum Pokuna on 24 August, answered questions of youth who participated in the convention. Excerpts: There have been several issues that have emerged within the education sphere of Sri Lanka for youth. After the GCE O/L and GCE A/L exams, scores of youths tend to face the issue of unemployment. more..

Aug 28 (SO) Seasoned politician Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been named as the prez candidate of the National People�s Power (NPP) coalition during a historical rally held at the Galle Face Green in Colombo which was attended by thousands of people from across the country. NPP is a coalition of 28 groups of parties from the left and oppressed communities such as the Samabhimani Collective representing the LGBTIQ community. Naming AKD as its presidential candidate for more..

Aug 28 (SO) As of yet, no date has been announced for the next presidential election. The SLPP has named their candidate. Last Sunday, the JVP too has said who they are putting forward. Meanwhile, as the democratic progressive movement of our country has yet to announce their candidate, the SLPP is seeking to dominate the public messaging about the election and to benefit politically. But the democratic forces that represent the vast majority of Sri Lankans of all ethnicities and religions, more..

Aug 28 (Island) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is in an unenviable position. He is never free from stress. Last year, he had to fight quite a battle to thwart an attempt to topple the UNF govt. What he faced in Parliament, in defending the beleaguered govt, was nothing but terrorism. He even ran the risk of being harmed by some rowdies in the garb of UPFA MPs, who went on the rampage. But for his valiant efforts, his political enemies would have consolidated their power in Parliament. more..

Aug 28 (Island) Executive Director of the National Peace Council (NPC), Dr. Jehan Perera, was quite adamant that Army Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva, in spite of being next in line for the top post, shouldn�t have been appointed the Commander of the Army. The govt should have been mindful of the grave consequences of such an appointment, Dr. Perera declared, asserting that the govt couldn�t afford to accommodate Shavendra Silva at the expense of the country. more..

Aug 28 (MB) In 2017, herpetologist Sameera Karunarathna and his team of researchers undertook a detailed study of lizards in more than 100 locations across Sri Lanka to record the distribution of different species and study their conservation status. What they didn�t bargain for was an ugly spat over the naming of six new species of geckos discovered as part of the study. The issue has become so politically contentious that more..

Aug 28 (Island) The artificially sensationalized controversy within the UNP ranks about the authenticity of the party deputy leader Sajith Premadasa�s educational qualifications, in the twilight of its barely legitimate rule, is a strangely anticlimactic, but justly retributive, reversal of its unbroken mudslinging campaign against the Rajapaksas, whose democratic return to power they have been determined to forestall by hook or by crook. The controversial 19th Amendment more..

Aug 28 (Island) The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) is reported to have warned that the next govt will have to follow the beaten track or there will be chaos. There would have been some substance in this warning at issue if the last four years, quoted by the CBSL, had seen any macroeconomic stability. Today, our international debt stands at $ 60 billion, most of which has piled up during the last four years because, at the end of 2014, the debt was 42.9 billion. more..

Aug 28 (FT) SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera said the party had not moved away from its stance that Prez Sirisena should contest for a second term. He said the party remained stoic in its belief that Prez Sirisena should be the SLFP candidate at the upcoming Prez Elections. However, he acknowledged that no final decision had been taken on the matter and a conclusion would only be arrived at after talks with the SLPP. more..

Aug 28 (Island) Scratching your head trying to come to terms with SL�s bizarre collapse in the second Test against NZ on Monday? Here�s an interesting trivia. In selecting the final eleven for the Test match from the squad of 15, the selectors opted for only one player who averaged over 40 � Angelo Mathews. All other batsmen in the top seven averaged below 40. But among the players who had made it to the squad but weren�t able to find a place in the playing eleven, there were two players more..

Aug 28 (Island) Mobitel has come to be synonymous with innovation, always being the first to introduce innovative products in the market. Forging ahead in making the lives of customers simpler and more connected, Mobitel, has launched yet another unique and innovative product to the market. An irresistible offer - Unlimited Roaming Data, SMS & Voice for US$10 and the first of its kind to be made available in SL, this product is a boon for executives who travel frequently for work more..

Aug 28 (Island) Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva�s appointment as the new Army Commander is a deeply troubling development, which, for the Tamil community, signals the end of the road for reconciliation efforts from the SL govt, Global Tamil Forum (GTF) alleged. For the int'l community and all those interested in human rights and accountability in Sri Lanka, the message is unambiguous - the country cares very little about their views or more..

Aug 28 (CT) Nipun Dananjaya has been appointed captain of the Sri Lanka Under-19 side at the upcoming Under-19 Asia Cup competition to be held in Sri Lanka. His appointment was confirmed by the Ministry of Sports on Tuesday (27). The tournament will start on 5 September and go on till 14 September. 8 teams will be competing for the coveted cup. Dananjaya, who has already made his first class debut with SSC, is a product of St. Joseph Vass College, Wennappuwa. more..

Aug 28 (SO) Ousted SL cricket coach Chandika Hathurusinha is entitled to a one-year�s salary to the tune of Rs. 86 million after his services with the team was terminated this month. Entitlement is in keeping with the clauses in his contract he signed with SLC which states that in the event of his services being terminated he will be paid his earnings of Rs.7.2 million a month for one year. If Hathurusinha is still an aggrieved party he could go up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland more..

Aug 28 (DN) The govt has disbursed loans to the value of Rs. 91 billion under its major development program Enterprise Sri Lanka over the last two years. A large portion of loans has been given under the Jaya Isura category- which is meant for entrepreneurs and small and medium sector enterprises. The total loans issued under this category in August amounted to Rs. 56 billion. Meanwhile, loans under Ran Aswenna which more..

Aug 28 (DN) Second seed Chathurya Nilaweera of Stafford International School created a major upset toppling top seed Thehan Wijemanne in a thrilling three setter final 7/5, 4/6, 6/0 in the under-16 boys� singles event of the 104th National Tennis Championship continued at SL Tennis Association courts yesterday. Chathurya has maintained an undefeated record in the event and beat Zaidh Zihar 7/5, 6/0 in semifinals and went on to defeat Wenuka Kithnula 6/2, 6/0 in quarters. more..

Aug 28 (FT) The recent entry of Indian giant Mahindra & Mahindra to SL�s financial services market is seen as a major breakthrough for the industry and customers alike, the promoters of the local joint venture entity declared last week. Heralding the first ever Indian investment to a Lankan finance company, Mahindra and Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. last week announced a Rs. 2 billion investment to take up 58.2% stake in Ideal Finance. Initially, Rs. 700 m will be invested, more..

Aug 28 (RN) Laying out his policy proposals, UNP�s unofficial prez hopeful Sajith Premadasa called for, among other things, a mixture of Keynesian and neoliberal economics, a national wealth fund, affirmative action for women and maximum possible devolution of power within a unitary SL. Speaking at an interactive session held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute, flanked by his ministerial colleagues Dr. Harsha de Silva, more..

Aug 28 (CT) Decathlete Ajith Karunathilaka, hurdler Ireshani Rajasinghe and Race Walker B.P. Gayani excelled with new meet records, while Himasha Eashan and Yupun Abeykoon gear up for another fascinating 100m finals at the Army Athletics C'ship 2019 continued at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Ajith, SL's Ironman in athletics, went over 7,000 points for the third time in his career to set a new meet record in the decathlon, and erased his own record of 6,837 points set in 2016. more..

Aug 28 (EN) Over 3,000 persons have benefited from the second phase of the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) line of credit project, Women Entrepreneurs Financial Initiative (We-Fi) which began in 2018, a report said. �323 women-owned or led SMEs employing 3,934 people have financially benefitted from the We-Fi grant,� an ADB report said. The We-Fi grant worth 12.6 million US dollars helps catalyse further financing. more..

Aug 28 (CT) MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera claimed that former Governor of the Eastern Province, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah will never be allowed to open the much talked about Batticaloa Campus, which is alleged to be a Sharia uni, in Jan 2020. He further said that Hizbullah must reveal to the country how the money for its construction was received, adding that the cases that had been filed in connection with more..

Aug 28 (Island) Echoing its commitment as a responsible corporate citizen, Mobitel has embarked on a national level CSR initiative that aims to collect and dispose electronic waste (E-Waste) responsibly. The National Mobile Service Provider envisions to collect E-Waste from all parts of the country through its yearlong flagship event, Mobitel Cash Bonanza, which has captivated millions across the island due to its exciting prizes and surprises including brand new Mercedes Benz cars. more..

Aug 28 (CT) Citra Social Innovation Lab announced that it conducted several design-thinking workshops on operationalising the National Innovation Agency (NIA) in Sri Lanka. The NIA, passed by Cabinet in May 2019, is set to be launched in the coming months. As SL's first social innovation lab, Citra provided its expertise to the process by facilitating workshops organised by the Presidential Secretariat on the functions, objectives and purview of the proposed apex body for innovation in SL. more..

Aug 28 (DN) Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith yesterday said that presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa does not hold any power and people in power should do justice instead in order to reveal the truth to comfort the hearts of the people who were affected by the Easter Sunday attacks. Though former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that he would appoint an independent commission to more..

Aug 28 (Island) Water levels in the reservoirs on the western lowlands of the Central hills had increased by 80%, CEB engineers said. They said Castlreigh and Mawussakale reservoirs were five feet and 15 feet respectively from overflowing, however, by yesterday evening the levels were receding. CEB generation assets consist of 17 large Hydro Power Plants totalling an installed capacity of 1,383.85 MW, seven large oil-fired Thermal Power Plants with an installed capacity of 604 MW, more..

Aug 28 (FT) Sparking innovation one sprint at a time, the US Nasdaq-listed Virtusa yesterday launched its new global brand, while setting out on its journey to reach $5 billion in revenue. Virtusa, a global provider of digital strategy, engineering and IT solutions services with roots in Sri Lanka, unveiling its new brand said it reflected its future-focused outlook, combining business expertise, agile engineering mastery and a unique approach to innovate digital transformation. more..

Aug 28 (FT) INTERPOL has provided SL law enforcement authorities access to dozens of databases, including one with records of over 50,000 foreign fighters and terrorists, in the aftermath of Easter Sunday bombings. Discussions were held between the Govt and INTEROPL yesterday with the aim of greater cooperation, training and transfer of expertise and technology to SL law enforcement in the future. more..

Aug 28 (AD) The police have used tear gas to disperse groups near Kalladi Bridge in Batticaloa, who had been protesting against the burial of Zion church suicide bomber�s head at Kalliyankadu Cemetery. A court order was recently delivered to bury the suicide bomber�s head at the Kalliyankadu Cemetery in Batticaloa. However, conflicting opinions concerning the burial were rife and a group of over 100 persons had mustered in front of the cemetery at around 5pm this evening (27). more..

Aug 28 (DM) Colombo�s Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said he had still not received a positive response from those in power for his call to have an independent probe on the Easter Sunday attack and to provide relief to those killed and injured in the attack. He said this during a visit to the Sri Dalada Maligawa accompanied by a group of Catholic priests led by visiting Italian Bishops Conference President, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti. �We have never been biased towards more..

Aug 28 (EN) Petroleum Resource Development Secretariat (PRDS) is currently evaluating bids for exploring and production of three offshore gas and oil blocks, and the tenders would be awarded before the end of the year. Three bids have been received for the licensing round for the M2 block in the Mannar Basin off Sri Lanka's West coast, where gas deposits had been discovered in the past. more..