Aug 13 (FT) Govt yesterday unveiled what could be described as the A and B teams picked by the dynamic duo Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to deliver on the Saubhagyaye Dekma (Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour) for the people amidst multiple challenges both internal and external. Prez appointed a 25-member Cabinet bringing the Defence Ministry under his purview and putting PM more..

Aug 13 (AD) More Sri Lankans who were stranded in foreign countries due to the COVID-19 outbreak have been repatriated this morning. Accordingly, a total of 299 Sri Lankans from the UAE and Qatar have returned to the country. A Qatar Airways flight landed at the BIA with 15 passengers at 1.45 am today. Among them, 10 had been Sri Lankans while the remaining 05 were diplomats assigned to Embassies of Italy and France in SL. Meanwhile, 289 Sri Lankans from UAE arrived at the MIA more..

Aug 13 (FT) We are perhaps one of the oldest nations to use sophisticated toilets. This is evident by the intricately designed toilet and urinal stones found in A'pura & Polonnaruwa. Some of them are in display in Colombo and A'pura museums. Those toilets are supposed to have used a very complex filtering system to ensure minimum impact to environment. In the Vinaya, the rules for Sangha, there are a series of instructions that should be observed by monks when using toilets. more..

Aug 13 (AD) The final rites of former Ambassador of SL to Japan, Professor Dammika Ganganath Dissanayake are scheduled to be performed at the Borella Cemetery this evening. A large number of people have thronged Prof. Dissanayake�s residence in Kottawa to pay final respects to his remains. Prof. Dissanayake, who was the Head of Mass Communications and Sinhalese Unit, Uni of Sri J'pura from 2010-2013, passed away on the 11th of Aug. He served as an Associate Professor more..

Aug 13 (TM) The SJB has submitted its finalized National List to the Election Commission. The below individuals have been nominated under the Party�s National List. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Harin Fernando, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Tissa Attanayake, Eran Wickramaratne, Mayantha Dissanayake, Diana Gamage. SJB, which became the main Opposition after obtaining more than 2.77 million votes in the recently concluded general election, clinched 54 seats in the parliament including 7 NL seats. more..

Aug 13 (AD) Every last individual who is responsible for the 2019 Easter attacks will be brought before the law, says newly appointed Minister of Justice President�s Counsel Ali Sabry. He stated that he took oaths as the Minister of Justice not to serve one community but to for the whole country. �We are committed to establish the constitution of this country. I have sworn twice, once as a lawyer and another time as a Prez�s Counsel, more..

Aug 13 (TM) Seven crew members of a Sri Lankan-flagged fishing vessel have been remanded for 14 days by the Seychelles� Supreme Court on suspicion of illegal fishing. The Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA) said the vessel was apprehended on July 16 by the Coast Guard patrol ship Topaz but the crew members had to remain in quarantine on board the vessel for 14 days in line with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines. The crew members appeared before the court on Aug. 5. more..

Aug 13 (Xinhua) China's civil aviation regulator has announced that an Etihad Airways' Abu Dhabi-Shanghai flight, a China Eastern Airlines' Manila-Shanghai flight, and a SriLankan Airlines' Colombo-Shanghai flight, would be suspended after several passengers tested positive for COVID-19 on recent flights. Twenty three passengers tested positive con SriLankan Airlines' UL866 flight on Aug. 7, Six passengers tested positive on an Etihad Airways' EY862 flight on Aug. 3, while more..

Aug 13 (AD) Several newly appointed Cabinet and State Ministers assumed duties in their new ministries today. New Minister of Education Prof. G. L. Peiris and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardena, following their appointment to the posts, received blessings from Ven. Alle Gunawansa Thero at the Dharmayathanaya in Colombo 07. Subsequently, Prof. Peiris took office at the Ministry of more..

Aug 13 (FT) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa repeatedly made two requests of voters during his electioneering walkabouts. One was that they had given him 69 lakhs (6.9 million) of votes at the Prez Election but now he wanted 79 lakhs (7.9 million) votes. The other was that he wants a two-thirds majority. He didn�t get his first wish, but has surely got his second and strategically more significant. He got 6.8 million votes which is a fraction less than that which he polled in November 2019. more..

Aug 13 (EN) SJB is not against the appointment of Mohamed Ali Sabry as Justice Minister because he is a Muslim, but because he has defended many cabinet Ministers in court on corruption charges, SJB MP Harin Fernando said. He said that the opposition has no issue with Ali Sabry�s religious beliefs as he said that they believe that every Sri Lankan in the country should be given equal opportunity. However, he said they have a problem about who Ali Sabry is, as Justice Minister more..

Aug 13 (DM) While claiming that the issues revolving around the National List slot of the Our Power of Peoples Party (OPPP) could be resolved only through a judicial process, former MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera said today the name for the OPPP national list nominee should be named only with his approval according to the MoU signed with the OPPP. Ven. Rathana Thera said that according to the MoU signed between more..

Aug 13 (EN) The govt has appointed a new Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Relations, as well as several other ministries the govt announced. The announcement said that the current Advisor on External Affairs to Prez Rajapaksa Admiral (Rtd) Jayanath Colambage has been appointed as the new Secretary. Before the elections, there were rumours in the Foreign Office that Colambage would be appointed to the role. At the time there were also discussions that the out-going Secretary more..

Aug 13 (CT) Commander Sumith Ranasinghe said a gunsite in the Trincomalee Naval Base used for Intelligence- related purposes was termed Gota Camp, after the change of the Govt in 2015 certain persons claimed that it was used to detain 700 LTTE members and was used as a torture camp. Testifying before the PCoI appointed to probe into political victimisation of public officials during the tenure of the UNF- led Govt yesterday, Ranasinghe noted that this term was initially made more..

Aug 13 (AD) New Secretaries have been appointed to 25 Cabinet Ministries today. The new Ministry Secretaries were handed their letters of appointment by Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat this evening. It is noteworthy that Dr. Anil Jasinghe has been appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment. Jasinghe has been serving as the Director-General of Health Services. Meanwhile, Maj Gen (Rtd) Kamal Gunaratne more..

Aug 13 (CT) Even if the COVID-19 pandemic made a great impact on almost every sector, it has not made a huge impact on the agricultural sector, said the Additional Secretary of Agriculture and Development, W.L.G. Samarasinghe. He noted that the import of crops and other agricultural products were stopped as per Govt decision and as a precautionary measure in order to overcome the shortfall the Govt advised the public to cultivate all needed essential crops domestically under more..

Aug 13 (Island) Lower-end businesses and micro businesses are at a clear disadvantage because only the licenced banks have been authorised by existing laws to provide the Saubagya Covid � 19 Refinance Facility, which is much in demand in the difficult economic situation, Krishan Thilakaratne, Director/CEO, Commercial Leasing and Finance PLC told The Island yesterday. �As a result, small-time business ope13rators have not been able to benefit from these funds,� he said. more..

Aug 13 (EN) All members of the UNP have agreed to reorganise and restructure the party under a new leader, UNP Deputy Secretary General Ruwan Wijewardena said. �It is clear that the UNP has reached a crucial junction. In the face of the setback we suffered in the last general election, we as a party, as well as myself personally, are of the view that we need to re-emerge stronger than before and that a comprehensive more..

Aug 13 (FT) Women�s Chamber for Digital SL, congratulated the newly-elected PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and the new Parliament, and noted it expects Govt support to improve female participation in the tech/digital sector of SL. Following is the WCDSL statement made by Chairperson Jayomi Lokuliyana: On behalf of the Board of Directors and Membership of WCDSL, we wish to extend our warm congratulations for your new term as the PM of SL. The people of SL have entrusted you more..

Aug 13 (CT) An Artificial Intelligence (AI) system provides opportunities for the justice sector to optimise processes and procedures through algorithms and as an assistive technology for judicial decision making but there are concerns about its ability to contextualise circumstances and accuracy of predictions, noted retired Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane. She however added that with proper regulation and the introduction of corrective measures, more..

Aug 13 (AD) Four individuals, believed to be the members of an organized criminal group have been arrested by the Nawagamuwa Police. They were found while in hiding at an abandoned house in the woods in Wanduramulla area. It is reported that these suspects were involved in extorting money from people in the Nawagamuwa area, by causing them injuries using sharp weapons. The police have seized 07 swords, more..

Aug 13 (Island) Soon to be completed luxury condominium 447 Luna Tower, offering impeccable value to those seeking to purchase real estate in Colombo, recommenced construction as of May 18 adhering to the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health & other govt institutions. Therefore, strict hygiene protocols have been implemented within the site that includes special provisions for safety equipment, body temperature checks, regular sanitizing procedures, dedicated lifts for more..

Aug 13 (AD) CaFFE organization says that the post-election period has been observed to be violence-free. Organization�s Executive Director Manas Makeen pointed out that the observations made over the past week following the election indicate that the post-election period to be peaceful. He further said that while CaFFE had received 39 complaints during the post-election period, they are not serious incidents. The majority of them were reports of incidents such as engaging in motorcades more..

Aug 13 (CT) The GMOA called for the removal of former Health Minister, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne�s personal staff from the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC). GMOA Secretary, Dr. Senal Fernando, accused Dr. Senaratne of having appointed his personal staff members to the SLMC during his tenure as the Minister of Health. The SLMC is a body established under the Medical Ordinance, tasked with ensuring the quality of the medical service. more..

Aug 13 (NIP) The Coimbatore Chief Judicial Magistrate on Wednesday granted three days of police custody to the three suspects in the Sri Lankan kingpin Angoda Lokka's alleged death case. CB-CID police, who are investigating the case, asked to produce the three suspects -- Lokka's girlfriend Amani Dhanji, Madurai-based advocate Sivakami Sundari, and her associate Thiyaneshwaran -- before the court on August 15 at 2 pm after completing custodial investigation. more..

Aug 13 (DM) Govt is mulling the creation of a new post for former Prez Maithripala Sirisena when new constitutional changes are enacted later. Prez Sirisena was elected to Parliament on SLPP ticket, representing Polonnaruwa district, where he topped the preferential votes list. He was present at the swearing-in ceremony of the Cabinet Ministers. Govt will prioritize constitutional changes this time. It is learnt that the former Prez is considered for a post higher than a Cabinet Minister. more..

Aug 13 (CT) Solving the issue of a shortage of medical officers at the District General Hospital of Mullaithivu would only create more issues for the 13 Consultant Units of the Teaching Hospital of Jaffna, Teaching Hospital. Although measures had been taken by Director of the Teaching Hospital of Jaffna to release four Residential House Officers (RHOs) as instructed by the Director General of Health Services, more..

Aug 13 (FT) The total offered amount of Rs. 36.5 billion was fully accepted for the first-time in three weeks at the weekly Treasury bill auction held yesterday with weighted averages on the 91 day and 364 day maturities decreasing by 02 and 01 basis points respectively to 4.65% and 4.93%. The weighted average rate on the 182 day bill remained steady at 4.76%. The bids to offer ratio increased to 1.79:1. The downward trend in secondary bond market yields continued yesterday as well, more..

Aug 13 (AD) Ministry of Education has decided to relax the restrictions imposed on schools with over 200 students previously issued in view of the COVID-19 epidemic. Ministry stated that the decision was taken considering the current status of the virus outbreak in the country. Academic activities at schools commenced on Aug 10, however, the Ministry imposed restriction on schools with over 200 students as to the grades which were allowed to attend school on certain days of the week. more..

Aug 13 (DM) Legal obstacles prevented TMVP Leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan from taking oaths as a minister in Kandy yesterday. A source close to Pillayan said that he could not secure legal clearance to attend the swearing-in ceremony. However, a spokesman for Pillayan said that he is still expected to receive the post once he is cleared to meet the President and accept the documents. more..

Aug 14 (FT) Sri Lanka relies on debt to finance much of its public spending. Until recent tax increases (in 2016) almost half of all govt expenditure to provide services, pay govt salaries and pensions was funded by debt. Since 2007 when the first international sovereign bond was issued, an increasing proportion of this debt was foreign commercial debt. Commercial debt is relatively hassle-free but short-term and expensive. Multilateral agencies (World Bank, ADB) more..

Aug 14 (CT) We are constantly reminded of the sorry state of our Economy. This is simply to say that we are broke. We are also told that the accepted criteria, requiring some sophisticated computations are necessary to really understand the position. One trouble is that the figures from two or more such sources, often do differ substantially (for example the Central Bank and the Census and Statistics Dept are often at variance). No amount of massaging can convert bad data into good conclusions. more..

Aug 14 (DM) Your vote is your business. Or is it? It is your right to keep your personal information to yourself and cast your vote independently. However, when elections grow closer, your personal information becomes a precious commodity for many looking to exploit it. Having faced two postponements, SL�s Parliamentary elections of August 5 became the biggest political activity to take place in the country, more..

Aug 14 (CT) �We were able to get 35-40 % of the Muslim votes since they realized that Mahinda Rajapaksa�s Government would give them a better deal�, was reported to have said by one of the Muslim representatives appointed under the National List by the victorious SLPP. How he arrived at this figure remains a mystery. Even then, according to him, 60-65% of Muslim voters, knowing very well that SLPP would sweep the polls, decided to reject that party. more..

Aug 14 (DM) Election results meet aspirations, exceed them and sometimes fall way short of the expected. The winners are naturally euphoric. The also-rans struggle to explain defeat, cling to consolation-straws and put on a brave front. Such behavior is timeless. Next up is naming the Cabinet. The run-up is made of airing CVs. It�s all about what �our man/woman� did or the need to be fair to constituencies. That�s a headache for those tasked to make the decisions. more..

Aug 14 (Island) The new Overarching Agriculture Policy (OAP) developed by the Dept of National Planning of SL (still to be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers) is considered a holistic approach to agriculture development covering eight major segments in the agricultural economy, namely, food crops, plantation crops, export agricultural crops, livestock and poultry, fisheries, agrarian services, irrigation, and Environment, more..

Aug 14 (CT) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa swore in his new Cabinet at Kandy on Wednesday. With the SLPP winning a record 145 seats in the 225 Seat Parliament, narrowly beating the previous record of 144 seats won by the UPFA at the 2010 Parliamentary Poll, the stability of the Govt is assured for the next five years. Additionally, the SLPP�s allies, namely the EPDP, TMVP, SLFP and the NC (National Congress, a Muslim party previously aligned to the SLFP led UPFA) more..

Aug 14 (DM) The engagement of youth in politics is important in reconciliation work and for the prosperity of the nation. In the present Cabinet sworn in on August 12 we saw two youthful faces that of Namal Rajapaksa (34) and Jeevan Thondaman (26) being presented with Cabinet and State Ministerial portfolios respectively. The day the duo were appointed coincided with World Youth Day. It�s good to see such people in parliament given that Sri Lankan politics is controlled by more..