Jun 4 (Island) Supreme Court (SC) having dismissed all fundamental rights petitions against the Election Commission (EC)�s decision to hold the next general election on 20 June, the EC can now go ahead with preparations for the much-delayed polls. Conducting the election on 20 June is not within the realm of possibility, and, obviously, the EC will have to decide on another date; it is meeting, next Monday, for that purpose. No EC decision will be legally valid unless there is unanimity more..

Jun 4 (DM) Something we could all use in today�s world torn apart with the deadly virus. Certainly an Act of God from which there seems to be no respite. God brought the world to its knees but the burning question is Have we humans learned anything as a result?? Looking around it seems like our Sri Lankan people have learned nothing - they don�t seem to realise or appreciate the value of anything - the need for restraint, the need to maintain correct social distancing, the need for personal hygiene, more..

Jun 4 (CT) Prez Rajapaksa�s decision to appoint a presidential task force to build a secure country, disciplined, virtuous and lawful society signals a major shift towards authoritarian leadership on June 2, 2020, the very day that a constitutionally mandated deadline lapses for the convening of Parliament, legal and political observers noted. With the SC decision on June 2, 2020 paving the way for unchecked executive rule, Prez Rajapaksa looks to be sidelining even the Cabinet of Ministers more..

Jun 4 (ST) The autopsy on the black leopard rescued from a snare in Nallathanniya earlier this week, and which died on Friday, was carried out at the Uni of Peradeniya. The results were not available at the time of going to press, but officials said it had deep injuries on its neck at the time it was freed from the trap. The fully grown male was found in the snare on Tuesday. A prominent marking on its tail made it highly likely that this was the more..

Jun 4 (SLA) Major Gen Jagath Gunawardena this morning (1) assumed office as the 55th Chief of Staff of the Army during a simple ceremony at his office in the Army Hq, amid religious observances, greetings and best wishes. Upon his arrival, he made religious offerings before members of the Maha Sangha commenced chanting to invoke blessings on the new office. While chanting was in progress, Maj Gen left his signature for an official document to signify the acceptance of his new office. more..

Jun 4 (FT) ACJU yesterday issued a statement informing all Sri Lankan Muslims that it is unnecessary to perform the eclipse prayer for the upcoming penumbral lunar eclipse, forecast for 5-6 June. The full text of the statement is given below. Astronomy reports have stated that the penumbral lunar eclipse shall occur on 5 and 6 June (Friday and Saturday). Furthermore, it is stated that the penumbral lunar eclipse might be visible in SL on Friday night, according to SL time 11:15 PM, more..

Jun 4 (TM) Vehicle importers, who have been effectively driven out of business due to the Govt�s vehicle import ban, are requesting for opportunities to join the export sector to ensure their survival. Vehicle Importers Association of SL (VIASL) has urged the Govt to implement a stable long-term policy that would convert their now virtually redundant businesses into export-oriented businesses in similar industries. more..

Jun 4 (CT) NDB recently donated Rs 7 million to the President's COVID - 19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund which was a combination of voluntary staff contributions and Bank's funds. Funds were also donated to the minor staff connected with the Bank's supply chain to purchase their essential provisions. The Bank also made a donation for the purchase of a fully automated nucleic acid extraction and PCR system; a machine that helps conduct medical tests faster whilst more..

Jun 4 (Island) Promoting cross border movement, establishing selectivity criteria to facilitate legitimate trade of cargo and limiting 24x7 processes to 8 hours are among the challenges currently faced by the Customs Dept, a SL Institute of Directors (SLID)-initiated Webinar was told recently. SLID � SL�s leading member institute for Directors organized a timely webinar titled Covid 19: Customs Procedures and Practices with senior officials of the Customs Dept to discuss the issues faced by more..

Jun 4 (CI) The feedback from SL's bowlers on the first day of post-lockdown nets sessions, is that sweat is not quite as effective for ball management as saliva. This is what the bowlers reported to coach Mickey Arthur, who is part of the ICC cricket committee that made recommendations last week to use only sweat while the Covid-19 pandemic ran its course. Recommendations were aimed to minimise infection. more..

Jun 4 (FT) Unable to return to SL, 280 SL nationals are stranded in the US, with long-distance flights cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. These Sri Lankans arrived in the US well before the shutdown of US services in February, on B1 and B2 visas obtained from the US embassy in Colombo, to visit their relatives and to take part in business meetings. With key US airports closing down and enforcing restrictions on international flight operations, these Sri Lankans are now unable to return home. more..

Jun 4 (FT) Standard Chartered announced yesterday that MAS Intimates Ltd., a division of MAS Holdings, became the first company in South Asia to complete a drawdown under the bank�s $ 1 billion COVID-19 financing commitment. The bank extended a $ 11 million loan to SL-based MAS Intimates to facilitate the purchase of raw materials for the production of surgical face masks for the US market. The bank announced in March 2020 its commitment to provide not-for-profit financing more..

Jun 4 (Island) UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that he knew the Supreme Court would dismiss fundamental rights violation petitions challenging the date of the election and that was the reason why the UNP had not resorted to legal action. He said that both the TNA and the JVP had been aware of the situation and, therefore, refrained from taking the matter to the Supreme Court. more..

Jun 4 (FT) The LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) registered 89 in May, nudging down by four basis points from the previous month. While this marks the fifth consecutive monthly fall, LMD notes that it represents only a marginal decline compared to April when the index plummeted by 52 basis points at the height of the curfew. Additionally, the leading business magazine points out that the BCI remains higher than in the immediate aftermath of last year�s Easter Sunday attacks when more..

Jun 4 (Island) Army Commander Lt Gen Shavendra Silva, the head of the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO), commended Hemas Holdings PLC�s Club Hotel Dolphin for its role in combating COVID-19 in Sri Lanka by functioning as a quarantine centre from April 1 to May 28 2020, at a meeting with company representatives at his office. The meeting was convened by the Army Commander to extend his heartfelt and deep sense of gratitude to more..

Jun 4 (FT) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena was optimistic of winning more seats at the upcoming Parliamentary Elections due to a non-existent Opposition but stopped short of saying a two-thirds majority may be in the bag for the coalition. Chances of winning more seats at the forthcoming General Election were better due to the rift between the UNP and SJB, Sirisena said. He said his party will fully commit to secure more..

Jun 4 (AD) Central Bank of SL should take the responsibility for the downfall of a financial entity under its purview, says PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. He made this remark during a meeting held at the Temple Trees to discuss the current status of The Finance Company PLC. The meeting was attended by CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman, Secretary to the Finance Ministry S.R. Attygalle and several other officials. PM has pointed out that the continuous collapse of financial entities under CB�s more..

Jun 4 (Island) The army, on Tuesday, recovered 14 skeletal remains and three fire arms, 36 rounds of ammunition and LTTE uniforms buried in a thicket in Muhamalai. The security forces obtained a court order and started excavating the area looking for more skeletal remains. Prior to this discovery, the army had recovered a number of firearms, mortars and military equipment from the same spot. The skeletal remains were handed over to the Kilinochchi Courts. more..

Jun 4 (FT) SJB yesterday said that the UNP can have no say on their nominations for the upcoming Parliamentary Election. Addressing the press at SJB head office, General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara downplayed concerns raised about how the recent UNP Working Committee�s decision to suspend 99 members could impact SJB nominations for the upcoming General Election. more..

Jun 4 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has conceded that they have no option but to postpone the limited overs series against India scheduled for later this month. Despite life returning to normal in the island, still the airport is closed for regular travel and even those individuals flown in from various countries after being left stranded overseas have to go through strict quarantine. A dozen contracted players started training yesterday in Colombo alongside captain Dimuth Karunaratne but more..

Jun 4 (AD) A 4-day dengue prevention program will be conducted from 4th to 7th of June within the limits of CMC. Under this program, all administrative district of the CMC will be inspected by a team consisting of one Public Health Inspector (PHI), one police officer and one officer of the Solid Waste Management Division, the local authority said in an announcement. Concurrent to this, the drainage system and manholes within the Council�s limits will be also be cleaned during 4-day period. more..

Jun 4 (Island) GMOA is on a collision course with Deputy Director General of Health Services (DDGHS) Dr. L.T. Gamlath over an alleged attempt by the latter to revise Covid-19 work place guidelines. GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge has taken up the issue with Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe. The alleged attempts have also been brought to the notice of Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi, Secretary to the Prez more..

Jun 4 (Island) The Supreme Court decision dismissing alll fundamental rights petitions that sought to block the general election was a victory for democracy, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. Asked to comment on the Supreme Court decision, the PM said that the decision meant that justice had been done and democracy was thriving under the new govt despite the clamour by the opposition to postpone elections. "We never postponed elections because we believe in the people�s franchise. more..

Jun 4 (DM) The COVID-19-induced island wide curfew saw a dramatic rise in cyber crime incidents in Sri Lanka with an alarming number of over 3,900 complaints, according to Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT). Compared to 2019 which recorded close to 3570 cases, CERT has received over 3900 cyber security related complaints during last nine weeks and it is a very serious situation, CERT Information Security Engineer, Ravindu Meegasmulla said. more..

Jun 4 (DM) The prime suspect of the CB bond scam case Arjuna Mahendran has changed his name and living in Singapore safely and happily, former Prez Maithripala Sirisena claimed. He added that when Interpol was on the verge of arresting Mahendran in Mar 2019 after issuing a red notice for the biggest financial fraud in history of SL involving the CB bond issue, a few people highly influential and powerful in Yahapalana govt more..

Jun 4 (AD) Total count of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Sri Lanka has leapt to 1,749 following the detection of 14 more virus-positive patients as of 11.55pm on Wednesday (03). These new cases are Sri Lankans who had returned from Bangladesh. Another 52 patients � including one returnee from Kuwait, 19 returnees from Qatar and 20 Navy men � were also reported on Wednesday (03). Accordingly, the total number of coronavirus positive infections confirmed on Wednesday stands at 66. more..

Jun 4 (DM) Colombo Mayoress Rosy Senanayake said that she will not be involved in national politics but will remain as the Mayoress for another term to see that all promises in her manifesto have been fulfilled. �My son is contesting and it�s time to give the chance to newcomers,� she said. �There were rumours that I was removed from my post, but nobody can remove me because I have been voted in as the Mayoress. I will remain in local politics and always be a voice for women,� she added. more..

Jun 4 (CT) All residents of the house at Mahawila Gardens in Dematagoda, where two bombings took place on 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday, are likely to have been aware of all incidents related to the Easter Sunday Attacks, said Police Sergeant Wasantha Sisira Kumara, who served at the CCD at the time of the attacks. The suicide bombers Mohamed Ibrahim Ilham Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim Insaf Ahmed, more..

Jun 4 (FT) Watching on TV Prime Minister MR�s empathy at the funeral of Arumugam Thondaman, I remembered the two of us walking back from the funeral of S. Thondaman in 1999, discussing politics (the upcoming Dec �99 Prez Election). It was fitting indeed that the 50th anniversary of the entry to Parliament of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa was celebrated so close to the 11th anniversary of SL�s victory over separatist terrorism. The latter anniversary marks the indelible historic more..

Jun 4 (DN) Vice Chancellor of Uni of Ruhuna Senior Prof Sujeewa Amarasena said that the COVID19 pandemic had changed the mode of University Education in SL permanently. VC shared his views with the media when asked about the impact COVID-19 had on future university education. He said that the cost of higher education would be greatly reduced as most lecture theatre based courses would be shifted online and only the practical sessions and field trips would be more..

Jun 4 (FT) If one is to listen to news on TV or read newspapers these days, one could almost certainly listen to more than one item on someone coming forward with a solution to multiple emerging issues from COVID-19, from the disease itself to education and even entertainment. The mindset demonstrated in these acts is one of engaging in doing something of help to the situation facing the nation. One quick measure is that there are inventors springing up from all walks of life moved on by a purpose. more..

Jun 4 (AD) Another suspect involved in the gunfire attack on a restaurant in Soysapura, Moratuwa which took place last month, has been taken into custody. The arrest was made by the officers of STF in Ratmalana area. In the meantime, on May 30, the Police arrested a suspect � Janith Wimalaweera alias Konda Janiya with links to an underworld gang � over the shooting incident. Probes uncovered that the suspect had also carried out an extortion racket and other shooting incidents more..

~Jun 4 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa instructed the officials to send returnees from foreign countries for quarantine only after results of PCR tests conducted at the airport itself are known. Prez also said to accommodate them at a separate location equipped with all the necessary facilities until the test results are released. Prez issued these directives during a discussion with the members of the Task Force entrusted with COVID�19 more..

Jun 4 (AD) A suspect has been arrested for allegedly forging the signature of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa on a document, police said today. The 37-year-old suspect from Kurunegala has been remanded until June 08 after being produced at court, Police Media Unit said. The suspect in question, identified as E.M.P.A. Kumara, a resident of Yanthampalawa in Kurunegala, is reportedly a suspended employee of a state bank, and he had forged a letter using the letterhead and signature of the President. more..

Jun 4 (DN) Due to the growing popularity of coco substrates in the horticultural industry and the quality of the Sri Lankan coco products, the industry has seen rapid growth. That means that the effects of the lockdown were also very big, both for the horticultural supply chain as for the 20,000 people working in the direct coco husk supply chain as well as another 100,000 indirect jobs. Now they explain how, thanks to collaboration with the authorities, they were able to get back on track rapidly. more..

Jun 4 (FT) JVP called on Election Commission (EC) to place the highest priority on the current COVID-19 outbreak situation and hold the elections only under a very virus-controlled situation. Former MP Vijitha Herath said they expected the EC will consider all aspects of the prevailing situation to fix dates for the forthcoming General Election. �Curfew will be imposed for Poson. Curfew is still in effect from 10 pm more..

Jun 4 (NR) Justice Anthony Francis Tissa Fernando, who holds both SL and Seychelles citizenship, was sworn in on 01 June 2020, as the President of the Court of Appeal of Seychelles by the President of Seychelles. The President of the Court of Appeal is the head of the Judiciary in the Seychelles. The Court of Appeal is the apex and final appellate court, hearing appeals from the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. Constitutional Court is a division of the Supreme Court. more..

Jun 4 (Island) Former Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Minister Dew Gunasekera said that he strongly opposed death penalty. He said that his stand regarding those found guilty of drug offenses, too, would be the same. The veteran politician said that Prez Rajapaksa, didn�t mince his words when he addressed senior prisons department officers recently. The former MP especially appreciated the President�s warning that he would himself rectify the system if the prisons officers failed to do it. more..