Jun 21 (GV) June 20th is World Refugee Day. In the immediate aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks, Pakistani refugee families living in Negombo, faced intimidation and violence that forced them to leave their homes. The culprits, they say, were organised gangs, and not anyone from their immediate neighbourhoods. Three days later, nearly 700 individuals from 80 families were accommodated at a temporary shelter in Pasyala. Refugees are of the Ahmaddiya Muslim Community, more..

Jun 21 (CT) As an island nation in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lankans were once proud owners of glimmering golden beaches that would stretch as far as the eye could see. But alas, the beaches that we claim to have today are a far cry from their pristine condition. The copper hued sand that once gave the island its name is now littered with plastic which then go on to pollute the depths of the ocean. Fortunately, not all hope is lost for SL�s golden beaches as the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) more..

Jun 21 (Roar) At a recent meeting with the diplomatic community, PM made the long overdue pledge to raise the minimum age of marriage for Muslim women from 12 to 18. His promise was made in response to questions about the govt�s long and short-term plans for deradicalising communities in SL, at a time when distrust of the Muslim community is high. As a result, his timing and intentions have been criticised � especially more..

Jun 21 (CT) Since the mid 1990s, Sri Lanka�s citizens have been faced with the question who is responsible for the thousands of calamities which befell the Island Nation. Of all governments and leaders since independence, the Yahapalana Govt has been one of the main culprits responsible for shying away from taking responsibility, non-accountability, and manipulators and violators of tweaking, twisting, and introducing policies for gain via what is termed a Cabinet. more..

Jun 21 (GV) June 20 is World Refugee Day, coinciding with a time SL faces its most serious refugee crisis since 2014. Though not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, SL is bound by int'l customary law and human rights treaty obligations � such as the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, more..

Jun 21 (DM) Sri Lanka is at a crossroads whether to support the USA in a trade war against China or whether to stand firm and support the rising tide created by two Asian superpowers. Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa was a master at handing pressure from foreign nations. People had faith in this man from the south because his moves were predictable; given that his work carried the seal of patriotism. But what keeps this nation guessing is the thinking of President Sirisena more..

Jun 21 (CT) Yesterday this newspaper reported of the death, due to malnutrition of an 11-month-old infant belonging to an indigent family, at Tissamaharama, Hambantota recently. The article alleged that when Samurdhi welfare benefits were offered to the victim and his indigent family by a Samurdhi officer prior to the tragedy, the father of the victim, apparently suffering from depression, had refused such reliefs. The article further inferred that mother too was suffering from depression. more..

Jun 21 (FT) Ratings agency Moody�s yesterday revised Sri Lanka�s grow to 2.6% for 2019, down from 3.4% before the Easter Sunday attacks, and warned that the country faces numerous domestic and external obstacles that could pose challenges to refinance its large upcoming debt obligations. In a new report, Moody�s explores the implications of the country�s financing needs and options, recent terrorist attacks, more..

Jun 21 (CI) Crowds of people left Trent Bridge. They think it's all over, and it probably is now. Australia battered Bangladesh with the bat and then squeezed them slowly but surely with the ball to complete a victory that more or less settled the top four places for the World Cup semi-finals, with near enough to three more weeks of qualifying games remaining. Alongside England, India and NZ, Australia are firmly ensconced in the semi-final placings, seeing off a Bangladesh team who, more..

Jun 21 (CI) After the deluge of rain, the flood of sixes. This World Cup has had to battle the elements, as well as some lop-sided contests, but England fired things up in Manchester with their record-breaking performance. Eoin Morgan led the way by lashing 17 sixes against Afghanistan, despite the apparent danger of putting his back out again, and niggling injuries aside his team look in fine shape as the World Cup moves over the Pennines for its first match at Headingley. more..

Jun 21 (CI) So far in this World Cup, Sri Lanka have been following the English blueprint. Unfortunately, it is not the one that has made the host nation one of the favourites to lift the trophy; rather, they appear to have channelled the spirit of various England campaigns between 1996 and 2015, in which last-minute changes to captaincy and personnel paved the way for predictably underwhelming results. more..

Jun 21 (FT) The CMPort managed Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT), the only deep water terminal in the Port of Colombo, has been voted the Best Container Terminal in Asia in the Under 4 million TEUs category at the prestigious Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards hosted and presented by Asia Cargo News. This is the third consecutive year that CICT has won this award intended to honour organisations for demonstrating leadership as well as more..

Jun 21 (LAT) A few weeks ago I was drinking tea at a shop in Alhambra, and a man seated near me mentioned he was from Sri Lanka. I asked him if there were any Sri Lankan restaurants he particularly loved around Los Angeles. Only one, he said, plunking his cup down with emphasis. �Apey Kade in Tarzana. That is where the cooking tastes like home to me.� Three days later I�m at Apey Kade in front of a plate of string hoppers � thin rice flour noodles steamed into flat, pearly nests. more..

Jun 21 (FT) Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs Minister Abdul Haleem yesterday told Parliament that no organisation or mosque under the name of National Thowheed Jamath (NTJ) is registered at the Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs. Rejecting former Western Province Governor Azath Salley�s charges, Haleem held that the mosques are registered as per the provisions of the Waqf Board. �There is a system that is followed when registering a mosque. more..

Jun 21 (DN) With the chance of qualifying for a place in the World Cup semi-finals fast diminishing with every match they play, SL captain Dimuth Karunaratne who has been playing a lone hand in trying to uplift his team�s morale is hoping that the turnaround will come in the game against high-riding England whom they play at Headingley here on Friday. The only thing going for Sri Lanka against this confident England team is that they have not been beaten by them since 1999 WC. more..

Jun 21 (PMD) Attention of the Prez was drawn to issues arise due to delays in clearances by the Human Rights Council (HRC) when dispatching Police and security forces personnel to UN Peace Keeping Missions. Prez had a discussion with members of HRC in this regard today (20) and instructed the Council to take immediate measures to resolve this issue through common understanding and liaison between relevant parties. more..

Jun 21 (TM) Percy Abeysekera is the most iconic cheerleader in world cricket. It was the first-ever win by a non-Test-playing country against a Test nation in the ICC World Cup. The 1979 World Cup was staged in England alongside the inaugural ICC Trophy, which was then named the ICC World Cup Qualifier. Sri Lanka, led by Anura Tennekoon, had won that tournament out of 15 participating countries. It began on 22 May 1979 and all its matches finished, including the semi-finals, more..

Jun 21 (ST) Sampath Bank, taking yet another momentous step towards supporting youth pursuing tertiary education, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Faculty of Management Studies of the Rajarata University. Sampath Bank�s partnership with Rajarata University aims to promote the faculty�s research and development as well as training aspects pertaining to the subjects of banking and finance, according to a Sampath Bank media release. more..

Jun 21 (Hindu) Hearing a plea for Indian citizenship by 65 Tamils from SL � descendants of indentured labourers � Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has permitted them to submit fresh applications seeking citizenship, to the District Collectors concerned. Justice G.R. Swaminathan directed the District Collectors concerned to forward the same without any delay to the Central govt, which shall pass appropriate orders within more..

Jun 21 (DN) Anzyz Technologies together with SL Association for Software and Services Companies (SLASSCOM) presented an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based proof of concept, Anzyz AI to detect and tag hate speech content on social media at the SLASSCOM CEO Connect With Sri Lanka Unites on Wednesday. This self learning software is able to both understand the context and sensitivity of a post whether it is in English, Sinhala or Tamil and flag it for moderation. more..

Jun 21 (DN) The Director General to the CIABOC yesterday filed indictments against President�s former Chief of Staff Kusumdasa Mahanama and former State Timber Corporation (STC) Chairman P. Dissanayaka before the Permanent High Court trial at bar. This is for allegedly soliciting a bribe of Rs.540 million and accepting another Rs.20 million from an Indian investor who wants to acquire a section of the Kantale sugar factory. CJ Jayantha Jayasuriya PC had given his approval to more..

Jun 21 (Reuters) The head of the Catholic church in Sri Lanka on Thursday issued a scathing criticism of the govt over the Easter attacks that killed more than 250 people, decrying a total lack of interest in determining why intelligence reports were ignored. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith spoke of his frustrations just hours before he was due to meet Pope Francis and show the pontiff a video with graphic images of the April 21 attacks on more..

Jun 21 (Telegraph) Like a wealth management fund, the International Cricket Council have invested in Australia, England and India � more than half of the ICC�s financial distribution used to go to the three countries which, some might say, need it least � and their investment has been rewarded. The big three have qualified already for the World Cup semi-finals and only New Zealand of the poorer brethren have stayed with them. NZ have competed because they not only possess Kane Williamson, more..

Jun 21 (AD) Representatives of the SLPP claim that their party�s candidate for the upcoming presidential election is the former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This was mentioned at two press conferences of the SLPP held today (20). UPFA MP Pavithra Wanniarachchi stated that Sri Lanka should be handed over to leaders that can take the country forward. �Prez Sirisena delayed local govt elections for 02 years. When finally held the election, SLPP had a fantastic victory. more..

Jun 21 (EN) Sri Lanka has moved a law to repeal a 2011 expropriation law which had delivered a massive blow to the country's investment environment, but stopped short of returning assets to previous owners, despite their not being paid compensation. Sri Lanka did not get as much foreign investment as expected after the end of a 30 year war partly due to the 2011 expropriation law, which showed that the state & nationalist legislators more..

Jun 21 (CT) Nuwara Eliya Magistrate Pamodha Jayasekera, imposed a total fine of Rs 420,000 on three local tourists, who pleaded guilty to seven charges including illegally removing valuable plants from the Horton Plains National Park. Magistrate fined each of them Rs 140,000. An official from the Wildlife Department of Nuwara Eliya told Ceylon Today that officers from the Horton Plains National Park had preferred seven charges against the suspect trio, Some of the charges leveled more..

Jun 21 (FT) SL Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill received House approval in Parliament enabling the proposed name change of the institution to SL Land and Development Corporation to broaden its scope. Moving the motion, Minister Champika Ranawaka held based on the present day requirements it is no longer required to fill land. �This organisation is important for the environmental aspect, protecting wetlands and developing them, and also to more..

Jun 21 (DM) JVP sought a detailed explanation as to how Rs.100 million was allocated to renovate the official residence of Public Enterprises Minister Lakshman Kiriella and also whether funds were released to purchase a bullet-proof vehicle for Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. "Rs.76 million had earlier been allocated for the official residence of the Public Enterprises Minister. An additional Rs.19.9 million has been allocated more..

Jun 21 (FT) Govt will be compelled to revoke the agreement with Western Automobiles � the investor who was to assemble motorcars under the Volkswagen brand in Kuliyapitiya � unless Letters of Credit are opened within the next two months to import prefabricated buildings and other essentials for the project. Minister Malik Samarawickrama, responding to a question for oral answer in Parliament, held the project was delayed considerably and the Govt is not willing to more..

Jun 21 (DM) Rishwin Ismath, who identified himself as a 'Muslim Atheist' who testified before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) said yesterday that Islamic school text books published by the Education Ministry prescribe death sentence for those who give up Islamism. �Those books in Tamil and Sinhala languages have been published by the Educational Publications Department of the Ministry of Education prescribe death sentence for those who denounce Islamism,� Ismath said. more..

Jun 21 (DM) Ceylon Thawheed Jama'ath (CTJ) General Secretary Abdul Razick who testified before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) yesterday said he had informed Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) about National Thawheed Jama'ath (NTJ) Chief Zaharan about violent attacks in 2016. Razick said Zahran showed signs of going in for violence when he started preaching on Jihadism in 2016. more..

Jun 21 (Island) The recent death of a child due to malnutrition, in Tissamaharama, has dealt a hammer blow to our collective conscience. Public health officials and bureaucrats responsible for looking after the health and nutritional needs of children in the area concerned have denied any dereliction of duty on their part. Child�s death and circumstances that led thereto should be investigated thoroughly and what went wrong found out. But, the wood must not be missed for the trees. more..

Jun 21 (DM) Indian PM Narendra Modi is an expert in international relations and can also become the ideal statesman who must act aggressively when there is a need to return fire for fire. Last week the Indian premier was in SL and insiders say that Modi possibly baffled everyone with his energy while setting about his busy schedule. Modi was in SL on an invitation extended by Prez Sirisena; the invitation was handed when the Sri Lankan head of state attended Modi�s swearing in ceremony. more..

Jun 21 (ST) Despite SL being recognised as a pathfinder country to end violence against children and is in its final stages of developing a national child protection policy, it lacks a comprehensive national plan to address the issues, a UN report said. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has published its concluding observations on the report submitted by SL on the Optional Protocol II adopted on the convention of rights of more..

Jun 21 (FT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister Vajira Abeywardena will declare open a host of development projects in the Galle district today. Abeywardena stated that, to kick off the series of events, a new building worth Rs. 30 million for the Thawalama Vidyaraja National School in the Hiniduma electoral division will be declared open at 2 p.m. today, following which the Opatha Police Station, worth Rs. 30 million, more..

Jun 21 (Island) Former Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, B. Wijeratne had removed a senior ministry official who objected to paying a monthly rent of Rs. 24.6 million to D. P. Jayasinghe Company, for a building, which was without required facilities for the ministry officials to move in, the PCOI probing irregularities of the present administration was informed yesterday. Kamani Abeydeera, who currently serves as more..

Jun 21 (EN) Preserving wetlands in and around Sri Lanka�s capital Colombo would help prevent its flooding, which in recent years has caused much disruption and damage, a new World Bank report has said. Nature-based solutions are also used for flood protection, reducing the need for hard infrastructure like dikes, according to the report, an assessment of building infrastructure resilient to climate change and natural disasters. more..

Jun 21 (Island) NFF spokesperson and former lawmaker Mohamed Muzammil yesterday alleged that even two months after Easter Sunday carnage the influential All Ceylon Jamiathul Ullama (ACJU) was yet to take remedial measures. Muzammil said that the ACJU was continuing to ignore the growing threat posed by extremist elements not only to non-Muslims, but their own community as well. more..