Jun 10 (TN) Pakistan on Tuesday proposed swapping Asia Cup 2020 with SL and suggested staging the event next fall in Pakistan or in the UAE. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said that during the virtual meeting of the ACC members Tuesday, the idea of swapping the Asia Cup was floated. �The PCB has offered Sri Lankan Cricket to swap the Asia Cup and host the event this year, allowing Pakistan to stage the next event. As the Covid-19 situation and other conditions are much better in SL more..

Jun 10 (Island) NFF leader and Minister Wimal Weerawansa on Monday (8) said that the three-member Election Commission (EC) should take the responsibility for holding up the parliamentary polls as well as the conduct of its member Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole. The EC comprises Mahinda Deshapriya, Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole and Nalin Abeysekera PC. Alleging the EC pursued an agenda inimical to Sri Lanka, more..

Jun 10 (FT) In a special search operations conducted in Negombo, Colombo, Bogambara and Boossa prisons yesterday, 82 mobile phones, 55 SIM cards, batteries, and chargers, have been taken into custody. Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya said officers of the Negombo Prison Intelligence Unit found 61 mobile phones, 51 SIM cards, 71 batteries, 30 chargers, 16g of heroin, and 2g of cannabis from the cells of Negombo Prison. more..

Jun 10 (DN) Jetstar Asia will become the first overseas carrier to resume flights to Colombo from Aug 1, the date when SL reopens to regular tourists, the respected industry website CAPA said. It will become the only low-cost carrier to fly direct from Singapore to Colombo. Colombo becomes Jetstar Asia�s 25th destination from Singapore and the first airline in the Qantas Group to fly to Colombo. The return service will operate four times a week with flights timed to allow more travellers more..

Jun 10 (DM) US Embassy said that it did not request that the proposed demonstration near the embassy be blocked and that it has been denied by the police due to COVID-19 restrictions in Sri Lanka. In a tweet, US Ambassador Alaina Teplitz said, �Rights to peaceful assembly and free speech are cornerstones of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - rights the US supports even when difficult for us. more..

Jun 10 (DM) Four families who had come into contact with an Indian in Jaffna have been sent for self-quarantine today after the Indian was reportedly found positive for Covid-19 upon his return to India, Director of Jaffna Teaching Hospital Dr. T. Sathyamoorthy said. He said the Indian had arrived in Sri Lanka in last February for the sale of textile and gone back to India on a ship in March through the Indian High Commission. Dr. Sathyamoorthy said two families were found from more..

Jun 10 (TM) With the confusion arising at the Kantale Sugar Factory as two people claim chairmanship, State Minister Susantha Punchinilame said the Govt would accept the Chairman to whom the letter was issued by the Treasury. He said that the Treasury has 51% of shares of the Kantale Sugar Factory and therefore, the Ministry would accept the final decision of the Treasury. �There was an issue with the ownership of the factory�s 49% of shares, owned by a pvt more..

Jun 10 (FT) SJB expressed concerns about creeping militarisation by the Govt through the recently appointed Presidential Task Forces. SJB Deputy Secretary Sujeewa Senasinghe charged that although the Govt claims that they aim to �to build a secure country, disciplined, virtuous and lawful society�, the composition of the persons appointed to the Task Force sets a bad precedent and points to creeping militarisation. more..

Jun 10 (Island) SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris on Monday (8) asked whether the Election Commission (EC) approved of its member Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole�s conduct, what action the EC intended to take regarding his criticism of the SLPP, would it admit that grave injustice was caused to the party and how it expected to compensate the SLPP. Prof. Peiris, who heads the SLPP National List, demanded that the EC explained how it intended to tackle those issues, more..

Jun 10 (DM) Prez Rajapaksa has instructed Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi to provide an opportunity for the health workers who are at the frontline of the battle against Covid-19 to spend a vacation with their family members at a five star hotel. �I was informed by the President to award the health staff members to enjoy time with their family members leisurely at luxury hotels in SL,� minister said. This was announced during a meeting held between health directors of the hospitals, more..

Jun 10 (FT) Election Commissioner yesterday issued a 524-page Gazette Notification with the names of candidates, political parties and independent groups contesting the upcoming General Election as well as allocated symbols and preferential numbers. Gazette also contains the location of the polling stations for each of the polling districts. A total of 20 political parties and 34 independent groups are contesting the election. more..

Jun 10 (DM) Admiral Jayanath Colombage, Additional Secretary to the President for Foreign Relations, said that according to govt policy, the priority in the repatriation procedure for Sri Lankans stranded abroad was not for migrant workers but for students. He said SL migrant workers would be brought back to the country once the repatriation of students was completed and that there were close to 400 students living in the US, Belarus and the Philippines scheduled to be brought back more..

Jun 10 (AD) Court has granted leave to detain the medical doctor who attempted to rob Rs. 7.9 million from the General Hospital. Accordingly, the suspect will be detained for 48 hours and placed under interrogation as the police continue to probe the incident further. Cash worth over Rs 7.9 million was robbed at gunpoint from the cashier of the Colombo National Hospital on Tuesday afternoon (9). Reports said the money was brought in for the payment of overtime salaries of hospital employees. more..

Jun 10 (FT) Mr. Padmasena Dissanayake�s Letter to the Editor published in the Daily FT on 27 May prompted me to review the interviews given by Senior Professor Sujeewa Amarasena and Dr. Sudantha Liyanage. These two gentlemen hold coveted positions that shape the future of some of the cream of our country�s youth. I thank Mr. Dissanayake for opening the subject of ragging for a public discussion. The two interviews were like chalk and cheese. more..

Jun 10 (AD) Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne, remanded over the white van media conference incident, has been granted bail. Colombo Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage issued the bail grant when the case was taken up for hearing today. Magistrate ordered that the suspect Rajitha Senaratne be released on two personal bails worth Rs 500,000 each. Additional Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage pointed out that the plaintiff states that the defendant absconded an arrest order issued more..

Jun 10 (AD) SL�s parliamentary election, which was postponed twice due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is scheduled to be held on Aug 5, the Election Commission said. Chairman of the commission Mahinda Deshapriya said that the members of the Election Commission unanimously decided to hold the 2020 General Election on Aug 5. He stated that the relevant gazette notification has been signed and sent to the Govt Printer. more..

Jun 10 (FT) The outcry for burial of Muslims who succumbed to COVID-19 had until recently been an exclusive matter of the Muslims, before being quietly echoed by the political leaders of other major parties. This cautious emergence of these political lions from their dens was triggered by their timely appreciation of the shifting political climate: elections are drawing near. It is thus difficult to ignore the political motivations of their spontaneous concern and criticism of the practice of more..

Jun 10 (EN) SL based Farms� Pride (Pvt) Ltd, has exported 30 metric tonnes of frozen chicken to Oman breaking into the poultry market in the Middle Eastern nation, following trade links facilitated by the island�s embassy in Muscat. �A new market is being opened to a new SL export product first time in the GCC region,� SL Ambassador to Oman Ameer Ajwad said in a statement. �It is a big breakthrough.� Farm�s Pride Ltd had participated in a business meeting organized by the embassy and more..

Jun 10 (AD) Director General of Health Service Dr. Anil Jasinghe has issued an announcement on reopening places of religious worship to devotees and the recommencement of tuition classes in the country, under strict guidelines. Religious places of worship will be permitted to reopen for gathering of devotees and religious activities under the following restrictions, with effect from June 12: A maximum of 50 persons more..

Jun 10 (EN) Ride-share firm Uber has introduced a program to provide up to 8.5 million rupees of free rides with 26 cars to top key state hospitals battling Coronavirus and other health ministry agencies, an official said, while health and safety rules had been raised. The UberMedic branded pilot program provides transport to health workers at the IDH and the National Hospital. �The UberMedic service is live in two leading public hospitals in Colombo, namely the IDH and National Hospital of SL more..

Jun 10 (DM) All zoological gardens, forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and botanical gardens across the country would be reopened for both local and foreign tourists from June 15, Minister S.M. Chandrasena said. He said all national parks and zoological gardens had been closed since last March due to COVID-19 pandemic. �The Treasury had to incur a colossal loss following the closure of these national parks, which generate an annual income of Rs. 7,000 million,� he said. more..

Jun 10 (TM) No disciplinary action will be taken against the police officers who arrested the black lives matter protesters yesterday, Senior DIG in-charge of the Western Province, Deshabandu Tennakoon said. �There is not requirement to take disciplinary action against police officers who rightly exercised their duty to arrest and disperse the protesters,� Tennakoon said. Asked why some protesters were assaulted, more..

Jun 10 (TM) Cabinet has approved a proposal to provide Rs. 15.8 billion as loans to the tourism industry to pay salaries to employees. The proposal was submitted by Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. Accordingly, Hotels, Tour management companies and Tour Agencies registered under the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) will be granted loans to pay Rs.20,000 per staff member for a period of 6 months. The loans will be granted through govt banks at an interest rate of 4%. more..

Jun 10 (AD) Govt of SL signed an agreement with the Govt of Germany today (10) to obtain a technical assistance grant of Euro 11 million to implement three projects. Vocational Training in Sri Lanka (Euro 7 million) � This project aims at providing demand-oriented cooperative vocational training for young people. Small & Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Sector Development in Sri Lanka (Euro 3.5 million) � This program aims at removing major obstacles to the global competitiveness of SL SMEs. more..

Jun 10 (MoD) Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province has been tasked to conserve all archaeological heritage sites in the Eastern Province irrespective of religion, Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said. Addressing the members of the PTF at their inaugural meeting at the Defence Ministry today, the Defence Secretary, who is the Chairman of more..

Jun 10 (DM) Sri Lanka have rejected media reports concerning the Private Member Bill 104 presented in 2019 to the Ontario Legislative Assembly, High Commission of SL in Ottawa said. The authorities have also been urged to consider a balanced view and not to be swayed by prejudicial viewpoints propagated by certain anti-Sri Lanka activists in Canada. HC and Consulate General in Toronto continue engagement in this regard with both the Federal and Provincial Authorities. more..

Jun 10 (Island) The executive committee of the GMOA, had appointed a five-member committee to study the latest proposals for establishing a private medical college, Secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. The committee would coordinate with all GMOA branches and come up with a report on the best way to produce high quality doctors that will ensure a world class medical service, he said. "The preliminary report will be presented to the coming central committee meeting and more..

Jun 10 (CT) Former Prisons Dept Commissioner Emil Ranjan Lamahewa giving testimony before the PCoI probing acts of political victimisation under the previous UNF-led regime, alleged that while convalescing at the Prisons Hospital, he had been pressured by former Minister Mervin Silva to give false evidence in Court to incriminate former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, claiming that more..

Jun 10 (TM) The UNICEF supported the Ministry of Health in refurbishing COVID-19 isolation units at three specialist Hospitals in the country, as part of its on-going efforts in responding to the pandemic. The isolation units were set up at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, Castle Street Hospital for Women and the Base Hospital Minuwangoda. The hospitals were identified by the Ministry of Health as part of a rapid assessment for COVID-19 patient isolation and treatment purposes. more..

Jun 10 (EN) Mania-based Asian Development Bank said it is giving Sri Lanka a US$ 3 million grant from its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, re-financed by Japan to help continue a fight against Coronavirus. �ADB is strongly committed in supporting Sri Lanka at this crucial time,� ADB Country Director for SL Chen Chen said. �The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a serious public health issue and will significantly impact not only Sri Lanka�s overall social well-being but more..

Jun 10 (NH) Rights groups are warning of a crackdown on dissent and rising authoritarianism in Sri Lanka, raising fears for the future of long-stalled civil war reconciliation efforts. Since Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa took office after November elections, local rights activists have reported a rise in surveillance by state security forces, threats, and other measures more common during the country�s 26-year civil war, more..

Jun 10 (Island) The yellow spotted grasshopper, found in some parts of the country, had been present since the 1970s and could not be compared to desert locusts plaguing the sub-continent, Chinthaka Rajapakshe, Convener of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) said. However, decision of the Department of Agriculture to use a highly toxic insecticide to deal with the grasshopper would weaken the ability of the natural environment to deal with harmful pests in the future, more..

Jun 10 (MFA) Foreign Ministry has dispatched 10,000 kg (2000 packs) of essential items including dry rations, to be distributed through the Sri Lanka High Commission in the Maldives, amongst the SL community members in Male and outer Male. This Is an effort to mitigate the many difficulties faced by the most vulnerable, particularly in Greater Male where a red alert has been declared by the Maldivian Govt with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, and access to food items & medicines is limited. more..

Jun 10 (CT) Of the 192 vegetable samples that were tested, 23 had adverse quantities of pesticides, a survey conducted by the Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Food Safety Directorate of the Ministry of Health found. Deputy Director General of the Division, Dr. Lakshman Gamlath, addressing the Media at the Health Promotion Bureau, said on 8 June that commonly-used vegetables like tomatoes, more..

Jun 10 (AD) National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) says 3-day dengue prevention campaigns will be carried out from tomorrow in six districts that have been identified as high-risk areas for dengue. Director of the NDCU Dr. Aruna Jayasekara said the campaigns will kick off in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Ratnapura and Kegalle districts. A total of 20,355 dengue cases have been reported so far this year, with Colombo District in the lead with 2,912 cases. more..

Jun 10 (PMD) With corporate and individual donations and direct deposits, ITUKAMA COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund balance has now surpassed Rs. 1,374 million. The Department of Education Central Province has donated Rs. 14,133,164.86 to the Fund while Central Provincial Education service Thrift & credit Co-operative society (Ltd) has donated Rs. 200,000 to the Fund and the Chairman of the Norwood PS, K.K. Ravi has donated Rs. 50,000 to the Fund. more..

Jun 10 (EN) There is a chorus of condemnation of the way Police yesterday broke up and arrested activists protesting against racial discrimination in the US as two protestors were admitted to hospital due to injuries suffered in the melee. One of the injured is Rashmi Divyanjali the young woman news videos showed police officers flinging into a truck packed full of detained people. She has been admitted to the Karapitiya hospital more..

Jun 11 (CT) Gotabaya Rajapaksa has scored three wins and his march to dictatorship has gained ground. The biggest triumph was the first when he swept to the presidency in a rally of 72% of the Sinhala-Buddhist (SB) electorate. This is a defining event; its consequences will endure. Though liberals and pluralists bleat the merits of racial and religious equality, they inhabit not Lanka but cloud cuckoo land. In truth the consciousness of the majority in this land is a Sinhala-Buddhist ethos. more..

Jun 11 (DM) Former MP for the Matara district Mangala Samaraweera decided to quit parliamentary politics on Tuesday despite having tendered nominations to contest the general elections on the ticket of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). It sprang a surprise in politics because the decision to move out from the race for parliament came at a time when the parties were bracing for the general elections. The law does not provide for him to withdraw his candidacy from the elections. more..