Jun 17 (FT) The simplest answer to the above question would be No, the SLPP should not win the two-third parliamentary rule at the next election. However, it will look at the possibility of obtaining the two-third consensus in Parliament by way of a possible coalition with unlikely counterpart, UNP, or its leaders will look at drafting in some elected MPs from the Opposition in a similar manner as in 2010. The SLPP is the most likely party to clinch a majority at the Parliamentary Election given more..

Jun 17 (FT) It�s observed that state universities of SL have limited capacities to enroll students for bachelor degree programs. It�s just 20% of the students who qualified in the GCE A/L exam. Further, the int'l school students who qualified from London A/L, Edexcel A/L, and Cambridge A/L exam could not be admitted to the state universities in SL because of the restrictions. SL universities are still conducting the traditional way of education and in most cases the syllabus and more..

Jun 17 (FT) As a way of saying thank you to Sri Lanka�s courageous healthcare workers, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is offering 1,000 complimentary full board holiday packages for two nights at nine of its properties in SL. Packages will be distributed based on the nominations received from the Ministry of Health and will be valid for use from 1 July to 30 Sept 2020. Nominees will be able to select from nine hotels in SL which includes Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, more..

Jun 17 (Island) Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte recentlysaid, in Kandy, that the SLPP was confident of obtaining a two-thirds majority at the Aug 5 parliamentary polls. Ex-Kandy District MP said so after paying homage to Dalada Maligawa at the commencement of his polls campaign. Declaring that the SLPP was engaged in a strong polls campaign, the former lawmaker said that the main Opposition was in disarray with the UNP and its offshoot, SJB pulling in different directions. more..

Jun 17 (AD) CID has been ordered to enforce the arrest warrants against former Central bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and Ajahn Gardiya Punchihewa. The order was issued by Fort Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake when the complaint against former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and 10 other suspects for alleged misappropriation of over Rs 52 billion in govt bonds at two auctions by the CB in 2016 more..

Jun 17 (AD) Colombo High Court has ordered to issue notice on former MP Hirunika Premachandra to appear before the court on July 10 with regard to the case on the alleged abduction of a youth from Dematagoda area back in 2015. When the case was taken up before Judge Champa Janaki Rajaratne today, Premachandra and her defence lawyers had failed to make an appearance for the hearing. HC Judge has ordered to issue and serve the notice to Premachandra within the course of the day. more..

Jun 17 (AAS) Effective 20 June, Etihad Airways will operate twice-weekly scheduled services for outbound passengers from Colombo to key destinations on its global network via Abu Dhabi. From Abu Dhabi, the service connects to Barcelona and Zurich on a weekly basis, and to Dublin, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Madrid, Milan and Paris twice weekly. Etihad continues to follow UAE and int'l govt, regulatory and health authority directives, and is playing its part in helping to limit more..

Jun 17 (AD) Leader of SJB Sajith Premadasa says that a govt under him will give an allowance of Rs 20,000 to every family following the victory at the election. Addressing a public meeting held in Gampaha, he said that the relevant allowance will be provided until the fallen economy is rebuilt. Stating that he was able to hold 154 public meetings during the last presidential election, Premadasa said that he will hold 1000 more..

Jun 17 (AD) The politburo of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) has appointed Jeevan Thondaman as the General Secretary of the party. Jeevan Thondaman is the son of late CWC Leader and Minister Arumugam Thondaman. The unanimous decision was reached during a meeting of CWC politburo held at the party headquarters in Kotagala, Hatton today. It was also decided to bestow the vice chairmanship of CWC to Anusha Sivarajah, who hitherto served as party�s General Secretary. more..

Jun 17 (Island) SJB would be able to secure simple majority at the August parliamentary polls, Colombo District SJB candidate Dr. Harsha de Silva said. The former non-cabinet minister said so when The Island asked him how many seats the party expected against the backdrop of the UNP split. Economist de Silva said that SJB with the backing of its partners were really confident in obtaining 113 seats at the third parliamentary polls after the conclusion of the war in 2009. more..

Jun 17 (MB) With the COVID-19 pandemic contained following a strict two-month lockdown, Sri Lanka relaxed restrictions in late May 2020. But now, several farming communities are facing a second crisis in the form of hungry insects. As the lockdown lifted, farmers and home gardeners from Mawathagama, a hamlet in North Western province, wanted to resume cultivation, only to find a species of grasshopper destroying their crops. more..

Jun 17 (HT) Several players of SL will return to playing cricket after the Covid-19 pandemic when the PDC (Puttalam District Cricket Association) T10 league starts on June 25. The 12-day-long tournament will be played at the historic and world heritage site Anuradhapura, and will comprise former cricketers including the likes of Ajantha Mendis, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Kulasekara, Asela Gunarathna, Dhammika Prasad, Sachithra Senanayake, Chamara Kapugedra, more..

Jun 17 (AD) Former Minister Champika Ranawaka appeared before the PCoI investigating the incident of political victimization today. This was to give evidence on a complaint lodged by Chairman of Avant-Garde Nissanka Senadhipathi had lodged on the alleged loss incurred by his company due to arbitrary takeover. Seventeen parties had been issued summons to appear before the Prez Commission regarding the complaint. Accordingly, former MP Ranawaka gave evidence more..

Jun 17 (EN) Defence authorities are expressing confidence that they have the largest cluster of COVID 19 patients, which is in the country�s Navy, under control and the Welisara Naval Base where the cluster grew would be re-opened soon. Secretary to the Ministry of Defense, Major General (Rtd) Kamal Guneratne said yesterday that the huge Welisara base which normally houses more than 4,000 personnel has been emptied. more..

Jun 17 (EN) SL�s small businesses say they are finding it difficult to get credit to tide them over a cashflow crunch from a Coronavirus lockdown through subsidized schemes where credit risk is mostly taken by banks and depositors. On June 16 CB cut its reserve ratio by 200 basis points to 2% in the latest loosening of policy and injected liquidity allowing more money from deposits to be loan and also announced re-financing schemes with new money running up to rs 150 billion. more..

Jun 17 (AD) The case against IGP Pujith Jayasundara and former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando over the 2019 Easter attacks have been set to be taken up on October 23, as per an order of the Colombo Magistrate�s Court. The duo is accused of allegedly committing a criminal offense by failing to prevent the coordinated terror bombings on Easter Sunday this year, even after receiving forewarnings on the attacks. When the case was taken up today (17), more..

Jun 17 (WION) Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) launched a number of special sea operations around the country from the beginning of the novel Coronavirus pandemic to thwart asylum seekers fleeing from coronavirus-hit countries into SL, Navy Spokesman Lt. Com. Isuru Sooriyabandara said today. He said the SL Navy had taken several measures to prevent people illegally entering SL. "We have tightened our sea operations to more..

Jun 17 (Island) TULF leader V. Anandasangaree has invited former Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran to join his party�s election campaign. Addressing the media at his residence on Jaffna-Kankesanthurai road on Monday, Anandasangaree said that Wigneswaran should stop collecting money from the Tamil expatriates for political activities in Sri Lanka. Wigneswaran leads the Thamizhi Makkal Tesiya Kootani or the Tamil People�s National Alliance, which is contesting Aug 5 polls more..

Jun 17 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has inquired into any possible issue with the electricity bills issued for the past few months. Issuing statement, Minister of Power and Energy Mahinda Amaraweera stated that the President made the inquiries at the Cabinet meeting held today. Minister Amaraweera has instructed the CEB to make the public must be made aware of the matter. Accordingly, the correct electricity bill would be the last bill issued to the consumer, stated CEB. more..

Jun 17 (CT) Abdul Razik of the Ceylon Tawheed Jamaath (CTJ) organisation, who previously founded the Sri Lanka Tawheed Jamaath (SLTJ) along with mastermind of the 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday Bombings, Zahran Hashim, is still carrying out extremist activities, said BBS General Secretary, Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera. He said so while testifying before the PCoI on Easter Sunday. more..

Jun 17 (DM) Former MP S.B. Dissanayake said former cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara has asked for the Nuwara Eliya Golf Course for 20 years to bring in one million golfers across the world to Sri Lanka annually. MP said Nuwara Eliya Golf Course is the biggest golf course in the country with 300 acres. �Once I was given Nuwara Eliya as an electorate, Sangakkara met me and proposed a project. In the proposal, Sangakkara requests to give him the Golf Course for about 20 years more..

Jun 17 (CT) Vice President of AASL, Rajeev Sooriyaarachchi, said that once the arrival area is opened to passengers at the BIA with effect from 1 Aug, all arrivals will be subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and opined that only those who are 100% healthy will be allowed to enter the country. He said that as SL had largely controlled and effectively managed the spread of COVID-19, the AASL was looking to bring many tourists from European destinations after 1 Aug. more..

Jun 17 (DM) The JVP today challenged Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa to reveal the 106 pages of the PCoI on the bond scam, which were hidden by the previous regime, before reprimanding Central Bank officials for failing to carry out the govt�s policy. JVP Central Committee member Wasantha Samarasinghe told a news conference that the govt which promised to bring to book the culprits in the CB bond scam more..

Jun 17 (NR) 8 individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, today. Accordingly, the total number of coronavirus cases confirmed in SL has risen to 1,923. Five returnees from Chennai, India and a Navy personnel are among those who have contracted the virus today. 515 COVID-19 patients are currently receiving medical treatment at 11 hospitals. 900 Navy personnel and 664 Sri Lankans who returned from overseas recently have tested positive for COVID-19 thus far. more..

Jun 17 (CT) The SJB, yesterday, pledged that they would take immediate action to set price controls on essential items, to provide people with a better livelihood. Former MP Lakshman Kiriella, said that because the Govt has failed to set price controls on essential items such as sugar, dhal and chilli, most sellers tend to sell such items at random prices, sometimes even at an extremely high price. Meanwhile, he also opined that the guidelines issued by the relevant authorities for more..

Jun 17 (EN) Samagi Jana Balavegaya�s (SJB) recently formed youth wing, Samagi Tharuna Balavegaya (STB), will hold the SJB accountable in its election promises, including a pledge to ensure 25% youth participation at upcoming elections, a group of STB spokespersons said. Journalist-turned political activist Rasika Jayakody who is now formally affiliated with the STB told reporters today that the group will not more..

Jun 17 (DM) Commenting on the report of a dog collected by Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) for sterilisation being found to have been injured, Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake said she had instructed the Municipal Commissioner to conduct a full and impartial inquiry and recommend action to prevent any repetition. She said she was deeply concerned about the report where the dog was found with a damaged leg while other dogs have also been reported to have various injuries. more..

Jun 17 (CT) The CID has commenced a probe into the transaction of Rs 480 million which had been in the Bank account of an accomplice of a noted heroin dealer and gangster based in Dubai, UAE. CID sources said their investigation would look into how the sum had been deposited and the person involved in the transaction carried out by the accomplice of the well -known heroin dealer and gangster. According to the CID, the account of the gangster�s accomplice had been maintained more..

Jun 17 (AD) A 3-member committee has been appointed to inquire into illegal activities of finance leasing businesses and unauthorized finance bodies. Committee is chaired by the Director General of Legal Affairs of Prez Secretariat, Attorney-at-Law Harigupta Rohanadeera. Director of Legal and Compliance Dept of CBSL K.G. Sirikumara, Director of Dept of Supervision of non-Bank Financial Institutions of CB more..

Jun 18 (CT) A Presidential Task Force appointed for Archaeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province, and focussing on Pottuvil in Ampara District, has more to its innocuous title than strikes the eyes. The timing of this appointment, crucially on the eve of a General Election and in the thick of a deepening economic crisis, plus the questionable credentials of several of the appointees and their ethnic homogeneity and ultra-nationalistic stance, carry hallmark of a politically inspired mission more..

Jun 18 (CT) The daughter of slain journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge has today urged the National Police Commission to remove the Director of the Criminal Investigation Department. Writing to the Chairman and Members of the National Police Commission, Ahimsa Wickrematunga said: �I request that the NPC urgently take steps to remove SSP Alwis from any role at the CID and to ensure that the CID arrests Alwis and produces him before court.� We publish below the letter in full: more..

Jun 18 (CT) Year 2020, the beginning of the new decade, still feels it is taking the world on a rollercoaster ride. When COVID-19 struck with the force of a tsunami, economies were shaken, marginalised people became more marginalised, business models flipped upside-down, many lost their livelihoods, and everyone started to think about life differently. Although half the year has passed, everyone is still struggling to find more..

Jun 18 (DN) Sri Lanka�s next General Election, postponed twice due to the Covid-19 global pandemic and now being held on August 5, 2020 is likely to see the emergence of a new political trend for the first time in the country�s post-independence history. Until now, the two major parties in the Sri Lankan political arena have been UNP and SLFP. The former was founded by the country�s first PM D.S. Senanayake in 1946 as a vehicle for the country to gain independence from Britain. more..

Jun 18 (DM) Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa is a patient man. Fifty years of politics has taught him to learn that trait; something which he has showcased both in victory and defeat. His half century in politics came to be reviewed, mostly by the media. This man, nearing his 75th birthday, seemingly allowed this milestone to pass sans much pomp and pageantry. Of course there were blessings from well-wishers and attention from the media. But lawmakers like Mangala Samaraweera (30), more..

Jun 18 (DM) Today on Global Dialogue, we feature an exclusive interview with former Indian diplomat, columnist and foreign affairs expert, Rakesh Sood on India�s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and regional developments. This interview, conducted by the Executive Director of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of Int'l Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI), Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja will be the first in a series of more..

Jun 18 (CT) World Bank, just 3 days ago issued a major warning that all indicators in SL�s economy are such that it has unhesitatingly written off all possible hope of growth in our GDP in 2021. Indicating a mere 2 or hopefully 2.5% cent growth for the rest of this year, this has shaken the govt into lashing out at the Central Bank that has over the past few years struggled to maintain an equitable ratio in our economy. However, figures stare at the govt that 2021 will bring us no GDP whatsoever. more..

Jun 18 (CT) Coming as it did in the midst of the much-awaited Election Commission�s (EC) on a new date to conduct the Parliamentary Polls, former Minister Mangala Samaraweera�s announcement that he was retiring from the contest in native Matara District, should further demoralise the already divided Opposition. Considering that Samaraweera had come out with a statement, asking PM to come up with mandatory pre-election Budgetary Position Report under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, more..

Jun 18 (DM) Last week was eventful for several reasons, some positive and some negative, if not tragic. On Wednesday (10), EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya announced that the long-awaited general election would be held on August 5 by strictly adhering to the guidelines issued by health authorities. Initially, to have been held on Apr 25 as stated in the presidential proclamation of Mar 2, it was postponed to June 20 by the EC because of the pandemic situation then prevailing in SL. more..