May 16 (Island) Islamic scholars and govt authorities have turned down a number of requests by mosque trustees countrywide to use the mosque loudspeaker system to recite Duas-sermons, Salawaath and Bayans by Imams. Director of Wakfs and Director, Department of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs A.B.M. Ashraff yesterday informed that the Wakfs Board had decided that no mosques should use e loudspeakers for any purpose other than Azan �calling for five time prayers- more..

May 16 (CT) While insisting that irrational laws should not obstruct the policies formulated to achieve the economic objectives of the people, Prez Rajapaksa told State officials to either fall in line with his policies or step down. During a meeting held on 14 May, with officials and Ministry Secretaries attached to the plantation industry sector, Prez said, when the Govt takes forward a policy, all State institutions and Departments more..

May 17 (SO) Banking is one of the most vital sectors in the economy, with its ripple effects felt across all other sectors of the economy and social life. Whenever the country faces a calamity, the banking sector plays a major role in restoring the economy. This was witnessed after the war and the tsunami. The present pandemic is the biggest crisis that Sri Lanka, and indeed the whole world, has faced in living memory. The last such pandemic, the Spanish Flu, occurred exactly 100 years ago. more..

May 17 (DN) We go round a mulberry bush, following one illusion after another, endlessly going, but reaching nowhere, prisoners of our own delusions. Every now and then, to the polling booth we go. The victors celebrate, the defeated are damned, old projects thrown out, new projects carrying catchy titles announced, some are launched with fanfare, religious blessings invoked, hope is renewed. Local touches notwithstanding, the scheme overall is a colonial inheritance, and, more..

May 17 (SO) UPFA General Secretary and Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said at present UNP is divided into several factions. Therefore, they somehow want to reconvene the old Parliament and create an uproar in the well of the House and pass legislation to cancel the nominations which have been given. They don�t think of the country nor do they have a genuine desire to face this national disaster irrespective of petty political differences. more..

May 17 (CT) There are allegations against the 19th amendment which was passed by 225-member Parliament with 212 votes in support of it, one vote against, one abstention and ten were absent during the vote, that it created two powerbases and hence caused instability in governance structure. Prez sometime back mentioned that he will abolish the 19th amendment and for that he will need 2/3 majority in parliament. In his election manifesto he promised to prepare a new constitution. more..

May 17 (Island) The landmark 1972 Republican Constitution was drafted by Dr. Colvin R.de Silva and it came into effect on the 22nd of May that year. In the 48 years since then much has changed. Sri Lanka�s independence and sovereignty as a nation has been consolidated and it has come to be accepted as an equal partner throughout the world, by all countries and at all international events. Our economy has been able to become a truly national economy independent of British control. more..

May 17 (CT) The European Commission (EC), the EU's executive body, declared on 7 May 2020 that Sri Lanka does not have strategic deficiencies under their Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime, considering the available information they have received. Commission considers that Sri Lanka no longer poses a significant threat to the EU's financial system. EC issued a revised list more..

May 17 (Island) Wisdom ex post facto or the wisdom of hindsight is a given for all time in this world of ours. That�s what we are seeing on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) now bouncing (or is it limping?) back to life after Monday�s disaster when it lost 84 billion rupees in a matter of seconds. That was when it re-opened after its March 20th closure on account of the Covid lockdown. Brokers and analysts feared that this prolonged closure, against the trend worldwide, on the directive of SEC, more..

May 17 (CT) All are busy trying to understand and describe corona or COVID-19 and now it is common knowledge that it is a virus that has not been understood up to now. This unseen enemy has already made its presence felt by all, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, wise and foolish, young and old, of all kinds of communities with such feelings of importance. When the virus hit, it hit so hard, numbing the feelings of all, after a very brief shock that proved how vulnerable all are more..

May 17 (DN) Next Monday (May 18) marks an important landmark in Sri Lankan history. Eleven years ago when the three-decade-old conflict was brought to end, the members of Armed Forces were widely respected and honoured for the valiant role they played in defeating the most ruthless terrorists of the LTTE. While that exalted position did not diminish over the years, there was a definite decline as the public attention was diverted to economic issues and other mundane affairs. more..

May 17 (SO) Nineteen. It�s the number that the other legal shyster Jayampathy Wickramaratne sees in his nightmares. The then govt used him to draft the hilariously botched 19th Amendment. Now, there is a babel of voices out there that are baying for what they call new Covid�19 laws. That�s rich, coming from the same people who foisted or otherwise supported the 19th Amendment that was palmed off on this country, which led to the memorably infamous so called constitutional crisis, and more..

May 17 (CT) The all-powerful Indian Administrative Service (IAS), over decades has been considered as the steel frame of govt and governance in India. A SL High Commissioner, who served in New Delhi somewhere in the last five years, in an attempt to familiarise Indian bureaucracy to a group of Lankans once said; "You may have met several joint secretaries during your stay here. Even though they are referred to as joint Secretaries, more..

May 17 (CT) The dubious circumstances surrounding the arbitrary arrest of Hejaaz Hizbullah, a former State Counsel and a prominent Sri Lankan lawyer, on 14 April 2020 by the CID for alleged involvement in the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks under SL�s notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has been a shocker; not just to the family and friends; rather to the legal fraternity as well. He is still being reportedly detained without charges or access to a lawyer for well over a month. more..

May 17 (Island) Present political developments warrant a closer look at the Fundamental Rights case filed by Waruna Karunatilleke and Sunanda Deshapriya against the then Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake in 1998. This 1998 FR case was based on Section 22(6) of the Provincial Councils Elections Act No. 2 of 1988 which is the PCs equivalent of Section 24(3) of the Parliament Elections Act No. 1 of 1981 which has been under much discussion in recent times. more..

May 17 (SO) Sports Ministry has given the green light to all sports bodies to conduct national pool training from June 1 and it is mandatory that all training and practice schedules be submitted to the director general of sports Amal Edirisuriya before May 20. �We have informed all sports bodies to conduct their pool training from the date we have set,� said KDS Ruwanchandra the secretary to the Sports Ministry. more..

May 17 (SO) Observer-Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Cricketers of the Year recommenced last week after the unexpected breakdown due to the Covid-19 epidemic. Slowly but surely, the 42nd Observer-Mobitel Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Cricketers of the Year contest is gathering momentum and it will reach its peak of the Most Popular contest when the schools are expected to reopen later next month. There three main winners during the past decade or so who have more..

May 17 (SO) Football is no doubt the most popular game in the world and not many people in Sri Lanka may know of its origins both here and abroad and how it was introduced by the British who spread it to all corners of the island. In recent years one of the men who played a part is Manilal Fernando who contributed much to the sport. It was due to his efforts that a Football House with all the facilities and the Baddegana project with a playground and hostel facilities came into existence. more..

May 17 (SO) Today, Athletics or Track and Field remains one of the most popular Olympic sports in the world sports arena. From the 100 Metres Dash to the Marathon, from High Jump to Triple Jump and from Shot Putt to Javelin Throw, it contains many of the Olympic Games blue-ribbon events and highest-profile competitors. Athletics is about running faster, jumping higher and throwing further than your more..

May 17 (SO) Tennis in SL could recommence as early as next week if not next month in a bid to complete the postponed matches, the sport�s head told the Sunday Observer. Suresh Subramanium, the president of the SL Tennis Association (SLTA) who is also the chief of the National Olympic Committee said that for a start the matches will be played devoid of spectators. �In tennis their is enough social distancing between players on both sides, so we will be able to easily follow more..

May 17 (Island) Former SL skipper Kumar Sangakkara has spoken about the disappointment of losing four World Cup finals in the space of 5 years and then the ultimate joy when the national cricket team eventually won a world title in 2014. SL had lost four World Cup finals in the space of 5 years and Sanga captained two of those events � 2009 World T-20 final to Pakistan at Lord�s and 2011 World Cup final to India in Bombay. SL had played exceptionally well in all four competitions more..

May 17 (AD) Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has decided to recommence services at all its offices from 20th May 2020 subject to certain limitations with a limited staff. Previously, the services of the DMT had been withheld owing to imposing curfew to mitigate the risk of spreading COVID-19 Virus in the country. Accordingly, the clients who expect to obtain the services provided by the DMT should contact the numbers set out more..

May 17 (Island) SL�s beautiful coast stretches to about 1340 km around the country. Although the commercial capital of Colombo is a waterfront city, the only coastal strip we could freely enjoy is located between Mt. Lavinia and Wellawatta which is limited to about a 5 km stretch. This small coastal strip cannot accommodate a lot of people while the adjoining canal that disposes waste emanates bad odours and pollutes the area. Even though volunteer organizations carry out cleanup programmes more..

May 17 (CT) Ceylon Tobacco Company has seen a 13 per cent reduction in sales during the quarter ended March this year due to the impact of the excise-led cigarette price increases during 2019. Since 20 March 2019, Sri Lanka was basically on lockdown, though it temporarily opened up a few areas for citizens to stock up on necessities. In April and May, legal cigarette sales are expected to decline considerably due to unavailability. However, illegal sales might have increased. more..

May 17 (Hindu) At a time when the world is feeling sorry for itself, amid a pandemic that is laying bare all that is wrong and unjust about it, an apology from Facebook made headlines in Sri Lanka. Over two years after an ugly episode of anti-Muslim violence in the island�s Central and Eastern provinces, Facebook has said it deplores the misuse of its platform then. The mob violence, unleashed by hardline Sinhala-Buddhist groups, led to more..

May 17 (SO) An all-round football player of Sri Lankan descent, Marvin Hamilton, who is currently playing for a leading English football club Whitehawk FC, is awaiting return to lift the plummeting image of the island�s team on the international stage. Once his paperwork is completed with Immigration, Hamilton will make his bid to stake a claim for a place in the SL team which has hit the dumps internationally in recent years. �Hamilton has a very good chance of joining the SL squad,� more..

May 17 (EN) The on-line edition of the Guardian newspaper has taken down a question it asked about islands around the world after the SL govt objected. Colombo�s envoy to London HC Saroja Sirisena wrote to the editors of the newspaper after seeing a question in a travel quiz which read Eelam is an indigenous name for which popular holiday island? When a reader selects the correct answer which was SL, a further description the full name of the island�s recent military insurgency more..

May 17 (Hindu) Five fundamental rights petitions have been filed; community leaders and activists urge the government to respect religious beliefs of Muslims. Former Cabinet Minister and ACMC leader Rishad Bathiudeen on Thursday petitioned the SL Supreme Court, challenging health authorities� decision to cremate all coronavirus (COVID-19) victims � and those suspected to have died from it � including Muslims. more..

May 17 (AN) Young people in different parts of SL were happy to spend the day of 14 May performing the three actions Pope Francis suggested, namely praying, fasting, and carrying out works of charity. For them, responding to the call of the Holy Father was a great joy and a duty. Two days ago, people around the world spent the day asking God for the end of the pandemic. The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity had proposed the event, which received the full support of Pope Francis. more..

May 17 (DM) The water levels in Maha Oya and Aththanagalu River are rising continuously due to heavy rains and this could result in minor floods, Spokesman for the DMC Pradeep Kodippili said. He said people living near Badalgama should be vigilant due to possible minor floods surrounding Maha Oya. People living in Munamale by the Aththnagalu Oya should also be vigilant over sudden flood situations, he said. Mr Kodippili requested the people to be on alert regarding messages issued by DMC. more..

May 17 (AD) NBRO has extended the landslide hazards warning to include a total of 10 districts. NBRO this morning (16) had issued an early landslide warning for 8 districts in the country. Updating the warning, the NBRO has warned several areas in Galle, Matale, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Matara, Kegalle, Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Kurunegala and Kandy districts of possible landslides. Level 2 (Amber) alert more..

May 17 (AD) 23 among the novel coronavirus detected yesterday (16) were identified among Sri Lanka personnel, stated Commander of the Army Lt Gen Shavendra Silva. In total, 25 new cases of COVID-19 infections were identified yesterday. 23 of the identified cases are naval personnel. The other two patients have been identified from quarantine centers. One of these patients was reported from the Miyankulama quarantine center while the other was from the Kandakadu quarantine center. more..

May 17 (CF) Sri Lanka Cricket will take a decision regarding their home series against Bangladesh in the next EXCO meeting, said sources on Saturday. Sri Lanka tackled coronavirus pandemic very well in the South Asian region and now is eyeing to resume cricket in their country. India is supposed to tour Sri Lanka in June and July and according to media reports SLC have already requested BCCI not to postpone the series comprised of three ODI�s and three T20. more..

May 17 (SO) The Cabinet has approved the 10-point plan proposed by the Employers� Federation of Ceylon (EFC) and they are already being implemented, Skills Development, Employment and Labour Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said on Friday. He said the govt is in full agreement with the plan to support the employer and employee at a time when everyone is facing severe financial constraints and particularly more..

May 17 (EN) State-run SriLankan Airlines is getting ready to resume scheduled flights by June if health authorities give the go head, Chairman Ashok Pathirage said as the carrier is battling a to survive a Coronavirus crisis. �We are working with Airport and Aviation Services to resume our scheduled commercial flights by the first of June,� he said. �We can be ready, but it is up to the govt and health authorities� they will have to evaluate and tell us when this could be possible.� more..

May 17 (NR) The number of coronavirus cases in the country has increased to 960. 25 new COVID-19 cases have been reported since yesterday. 23 persons of the 25 are Navy personnel. The number of Navy personnel who have been infected with the coronavirus increases to 522. Two other individuals who tested positive yesterday were identified while at quarantine centres. One individual was at the Miyankulama quarantine centre while the other, a returnee from India, was at Kandakadu more..

May 17 (AD) The deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighborhood has intensified into a Cyclonic storm AMPHAN (pronounced as UM-PUN) and lay centered at 2.30 a.m. of today, about 610 km North-east of Trincomalee, warns the Dept of Meteorology. It is very likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during the next 12 hours and a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by May 18 morning, more..

May 17 (AD) Defence Secretary Major General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said donating a day�s salary to the Govt to overcome the existing financial constraints due to coronavirus pandemic is not applicable to Tri-Forces, Police and Civil Defence Services personnel. He mentioned this responding to a request made to the public servants by President�s Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara to donate their entire, a part of a day�s salary of May to the Widows� and Orphans� Pension Fund more..

May 17 (EN) Sri Lanka should have non-ideological pragmatic post-Covid economic strategy, avoiding the mistakes of the past, Pathfinder a Colombo-based think tanks has said. �SL can draw lessons from its own past and international experience to formulate a new economic vision for a post-COVID-19 economy,� Pathfinder said. �The refined strategy should be pragmatic and non-ideological in nature.� �It should draw lessons from the low growth, muted investment, high unemployment and more..