Jun 28 (FT) President Sirisena�s options to avoid testifying before the Select Committee of Parliament (PSC) to look into the Easter Sunday attacks are bleak, the UNP lawmaker Hirunika Premachandra told Parliament. According to MP Premachandra, President Sirisena in his capacity as the Minister of Defence is duty-bound to stand before the PSC and has no option to circumvent it. �Personally he may not like it but he still has a duty to appear at the PSC for the sake of the families of more..

Jun 28 (FT) Tension between the President and PM has led the country to the verge of collapse, charged UPFA MP Dinesh Gunawardena in Parliament. Joining the debate on extending Emergency Regulations for another 30 days, he highlighting PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s recent example of two persons trying to drive the same car, said: �We heard the PM claiming difficulty in travelling in the same car driven by two drivers, in the absence of an agreement between them. more..

Jun 28 (DM) Campaigners against tobacco use alleged that measures to licence the import of foreign cigarettes were expedited, during the same week declared as the National Drug Prevention week. SL Medical Association's (SLMA) Expert Committee on Tobacco Control condemned moves by the Finance Ministry to licence the import of foreign cigarettes to SL, criticising the govt�s duplicity in controlling tobacco use. more..

Jun 28 (FT) Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara moving the Motion to extend the Emergency Regulations, deviating from Parliamentary traditions, attracted heavy criticism from the Opposition. Raising a point of order, UPFA lawmaker Mahinda Amaraweera proposed the Speaker�s intervention to uphold Parliamentary traditions. �It is the Parliamentary tradition that the Emergency Regulation Motion is moved by the Minister of Defence, the Deputy Minister or State Minister of Defence, more..

Jun 28 (Island) Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating corruption in the current administration issued notice on MP Udaya Gammanpila to appear before it on July 11 to provide information on alleged illegal land acquisition by former minister Rishad Bathiudeen and former governor M.L.A.M. Hizbullah. Appearing before the PCoI, Thiniyawala Palitha Thera said that the two politicians had acquired thousands of acres of land for private companies owned by them. more..

Jun 28 (FT) Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday severely criticised the Opposition for what he termed as anti-US fear mongering against signing agreements between the two countries, and warned it could have a significant impact on relations with the US, which is Sri Lanka�s largest single country export partner. Minister Samaraweera singled out Opposition MP Wimal Weerawansa for his comments more..

Jun 28 (Island) MP Amir Ali told Parliament yesterday that some political forces had launched an anti-Muslim campaign in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday carnage to further their political agendas. Participating in the debate on extending the state of emergency for one more month, the MP said that communal disharmony has been created to marginalise the Muslims so that they could play the race card for their benefit. Rishad Bathiudeen had been named a terrorist. more..

Jun 28 (DM) The UNP said it was not agreeable to President Sirisena's decision to implement death sentence. The party said in a statement that it had not moved away from the policy of late Prez J. R Jayewardene who abolished the implementation of death sentence. "The death sentence was abolished by late Prez JR Jayewardene and it was continued by late President R Premadasa and D B Wijetunge. Even President Chandrika Kumaratunga continued this policy," more..

Jun 28 (AD) Dr. Mohamed Shafi has performed 4372 Caesarian surgeries at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, the CID informed the Kurunegala Magistrate�s Court. The CID produced a 210 pages long report to the court on the finding of their investigations on the assets of Dr. Shafi and the complaints lodged by mothers who underwent Caesarian surgeries under him. The CID had recorded statements from over 500 persons more..

Jun 28 (DM) The clash between the Executive President and the PM is widening the gap between the country�s goals and achievements. Many know that Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe never got along from day one despite the Yahapalana regime being established in 2015 with much hope for a bright future. One of the very first things that the new govt did under Sirisena was to bring in the 19th Amendment which in fact clipped the wings of the Executive to a certain extent. more..

Jun 28 (DM) The uncertainty and frustration in President Sirisena over his political survival and the safety of his family have been clearly visible for the past one year. He who once in the wake of his assuming office in 2015 wanted to send the members of Rajapaksa family to jail attempted last year to patch up with them and later even expected to become their candidate at the forthcoming Presidential Election. Then he, without the knowledge or the consent of his party, SLFP, more..

Jun 28 (DM) Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a Theocratic State as a �govt of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided.� Oxford English Dictionary defines it as �a system of govt in which priests rule in the name of God or a god�. These definitions no doubt are Eurocentric. They would not define a Buddhist State run by a Buddhist cabal in a country like Sri Lanka as Theocratic with Buddhism more..

Jun 28 (MB) A crackdown on unregulated explosives in the aftermath of deadly terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka may help in the fight against illegal blast fishing in the country�s waters, according to marine researchers. Security forces plan to launch strict new measures to clamp down on the distribution of explosives following a series of attacks at churches and hotels in and around Colombo, on Easter Sunday, April 21. more..

Jun 28 (FT) The Court of Appeal (CA) has fixed 19 July for the preliminary hearing of an appeal against an order of the Right to Information (RTI) Commission to release the assets and liabilities declaration of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, filed by the President Office, an official of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said yesterday. TISL Senior Manager (Advocacy) Sankhitha Gunaratne said more..

Jun 28 (Island) Sri Lanka has no defence agreement with the US and it should be cautious as regards agreements that may put it on a collision course with countries like India, China and Iran, warns former Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Palitha Kohona. Speaking to the media yesterday on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and Acquisition and Cross-Servicing agreements (ACSA) between SL & US, more..

Jun 28 (ST) Further allegations that authorities failed to act despite receiving prior information regarding the violent extremism of Zahran Hashim were made this week before the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks. The PSC was also told that intelligence pertaining to preparations by Zahran and his associates to launch an attack was not shared by senior police officers with Kattankudy Police, more..

Jun 28 (FT) Demand for land in Thalahena, Gothatuwa and Kolonnawa are rising significantly, resulting in the highest percentage increases in land prices in Greater Colombo. LankaPropertyWeb.com analysed postings in its website to ascertain the change in asking prices for land in the Greater Colombo area. Thalahena topped the list, recording a year-on-year percentage increase of 64%. more..

Jun 28 (AD) The Marawila Magistrate today ordered the Wennappuwa Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman to allow traders of all ethnicities to do business at the Dankotuwa Market. Six officials including the Chairman of the Wennappuwa Pradeshiya Sabha were ordered to appear before the court today to give an explanation regarding a letter sent seeking to prohibit Muslims from trading at the Dankotuwa Weekly Mark. more..

Jun 28 (AD) The Department of Railways has lodged a complaint against the trade unions for resorting to a token strike despite SL Railways being declared an Essential Service, says the General Manager of Railways Dilantha Fernando. The complaint was filed with the Fort Police Station today. Mr Fernando said this complaint was filed, in accordance with the powers vested with him as the Railways General Manager, under 7 charges more..

Jun 28 (FT) Minister Daya Gamage�s alleged involvement in raising Rs. 300 million from Samurdhi recipients for propaganda activities attracted heavy criticism from the Opposition in Parliament. According to JVP MP Anura Dissanayake, Minister Gamage has wasted Rs. 500/- illegally collected from each Samurdhi recipient for useless activities and keeps avoiding the questions raised in the Parliament. more..

Jun 28 (ST) The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Sri Lanka had revealed that the post attributed to Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne as WHO Vice Chairman, was not based on individual performances but a post attributed to the country, GMOA said. GMOA Secretary Haritha Aluthge said Minister Rajitha Senaratne was misusing his vice chairmanship position for political gains. more..

Jun 28 (CT) The 19th Amendment (19A) to the Constitution that was passed by an overwhelming 215 members of the 225-member Parliament on 28 April 2015 was certified into law on 15 May 2015. Despite reservations about some clauses in that amendment in SLFP ranks, it is well known that President Sirisena persuaded the SLFP faction in the 2015 Govt to vote en masse for the 19th Amendment. But with the divide between Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prez Sirisena more..

Jun 28 (FT) Apart from the urgent need for having a major structural change in the State and the system of governance, Sri Lanka must seriously contemplate making a significant change in food habits of its people, what they eat and how they cook them. This is an issue pertaining to the kitchen which is generally not discussed as seriously as politics and the system of governance of the State. However, when I say that there should be a drastic change in both the State and the kitchen, more..

Jun 28 (EN) Sri Lanka does not expect major deviations from budget targets, a Treasury official said as imports fell following monetary instability in 2018 and a suicide bombers hit tourism in April. Finance Ministry consultant Deshal De Mel said there was a reduction on import based tax revenues but other sectors were bringing in money. "We do not see a major deviation off targets," de Mel said. Sri Lanka's imports after private credit fell after a soft-peg with the US dollar collapsed more..

Jun 28 (AD) The heat index, the temperature felt on the human body, is expected to increase up to Extreme Caution level (32�C - 41�C) at some places in Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Ampara and Monaragala districts tomorrow, says Department of Meteorology. Met Dept issued the relevant heat index advisory at 1.30 p.m. today. The advisory cautions of heat cramps and heat exhaustion. The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature more..

Jun 28 (AD) Former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen says that the Quran does not state that non-Muslims must be killed and that it is a false accusation being made by certain individuals. Testifying before the Parliamentary Select Committee today, he said nowhere in the Quran does it ask Muslims to carry out violent acts such as the cruel and inhumane Easter Sunday terrorist attacks. �It completely goes against the religion of Islam,� he said. more..

Jun 28 (CT) India�s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term has been unanimously endorsed by the Asia-Pacific Group. �A unanimous step. Asia-Pacific Group at the UN unanimously endorses India�s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the SC for a two-year term in 2021/22. Thanks to all 55 Members for their support,� tweeted India�s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted on 25 June, more..

Jun 28 (NR) MP Dayasiri Jayasekera says he was summoned before the Parliament Select Committee probing the Easter Sunday attacks today, but stated he will not attend the session. Speaking in Parliament today MP Jayasekera said he decided against attending the session as a policy decision, as he does not want to be a stakeholder in these proceedings. The govt in its presentations in Parliament today said the Select Committee has the powers to summon any individual. more..

Jun 28 (Island) About 2,389 suspects had been arrested in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara told Parliament. He said that 236 of the suspects were in remand custody while 189 were held on detention orders. Of the 189 in detention, three were being held under emergency regulations while the other 186 were being detained under the PTA, he said. more..

Jun 28 (EN) Foreign holdings in Sri Lankan rupee bonds grew by 2.3 billion rupees to 147.1 billion rupees for the week ended June 26, the central bank said. Foreign investors have been net sellers in rupee bonds so far in 2019, with holdings falling from 157 billion rupees on Jan 2 after interest rates fell, allowing them to take profits. There have been some weeks where foreigners bought rupee bonds, including the week ended June 19 when there was a marginal increase in the total. more..

Jun 28 (AD) The Writ petition has been filed with the Court of Appeal seeking an interim order preventing the implementation of the death sentence. The petition has been filed by Malinda Seneviratne citing Commissioner General of Prisons and the Superintendent of Welikada Prison as its respondents. In his petition, Mr. Seneviratne says the President had recently stated that he has already signed the relevant documents to impose the death penalty on 4 convicts. more..

Jun 28 (AD) Commissioner General of Prisons T.M.J.W. Thennakoon, has given an undertaking to the Appeals Court that the death penalty will not be carried out within the next 7 days. He gave this undertaking when he appeared before the court today after being served notice over a writ petition filed against the decision to implement the death penalty in SL. Meanwhile the court decided to take up the petition, seeking a court order more..

Jun 28 (AD) It is a well-known fact that the Yahapalanaya govt was in a crisis ever since its inception on the 8th January 2015, says MP S.B. Dissanayake. He says the general public and the govt officers had to suffer immensely because of the incumbent govt. The govt even foreknew when and where the terrorist attacks on the 21st of April were going to take place and it was even aware of 5 ways how the attacks were going to be struck, MP Dissanayake claims. more..

Jun 28 (DM) The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the application of the death penalty may impede international cooperation to fight drug trafficking. UNODC said since there are national laws that do not allow the exchange of information and extradition with countries which impose capital punishment for the offences concerned, international cooperation to fight drug trafficking could be hampered. Issuing a statement on Thursday in response to enquiries regarding reports from more..

Jun 28 (DM) President Maithripala Sirisena said today he had spoken to UN Secretary-General Ant�nio Guterres over the phone and explained his decision to implement the death penalty in Sri Lanka. President said on June 26 he signed the documents for the execution of four big-time drug offenders currently in death row. He said the death penalty should be implemented to protect the nation and future generations. more..

Jun 28 (EN) Sri Lanka�s insurance industry growth is likely to slow down and profits reduced owing to a weakened rupee and higher taxes, Fitch Ratings has said in a new report. �Fitch expects Sri Lanka�s weakened currency and the higher tax liabilities of life insurers to cut insurers� net profit in the near term,� the rating agency said. Fitch Ratings expects SL�s insurance industry expansion is likely to moderate in the near term given slower motor-insurance premium growth more..

Jun 28 (AD) Indian PM Narendra Modi, in a letter addressing PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, has expressed gratitude for the hospitality accorded to him and the delegation during the recent visit to Sri Lanka. The content of the letter is as follows: �Excellency, I thank you for the hospitality accorded to me and my delegation during the visit to Sri Lanka on 09 June 2019. I also thank you for the special gesture of receiving me at the airport. My visit was to convey India�s commitment to more..

Jun 28 (AD) Attorney General has filed indictment against former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran and 9 others before 3-member Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar. Coordinating Officer to the AG, State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne, stated that the Special High Court has summoned the accused to appear before the court on July 19 for service of indictment. AG has filed indictment against former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran more..

Jun 28 (AD) Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa says he is personally against the implementation of the death penalty. He made this comment addressing the media following a religious event held at Horapawita Sri Vijayasundara Pirivena in Kamburupitiya, Matara today (28). The event, joined by Mahanayake of Ramanna Maha Nikaya Venerable Napane Pemasiri Thero, was held under the patronage of Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. more..