Sep 18 (EN) The govt is vehemently denying that there has been a spate of serious incidents where protected forests have been razed and sanctuaries violated since it came to power on Aug 6. Wildlife and Forest Conservation Minister C B Ratnayake, who is in the firing line, blames the uproar on fake Social Media posts, while environmental activists said governing party politicians and their supporters are more..

Sep 18 (Island) CSE gathered more momentum yesterday with over Rs. 3 billion turnover yet again and both indices rose in what some brokers hail as Super September. The market was strong and steady and was driven by mainly retail investors. The banking sector appeared to be more attractive which was dull for a couple of weeks. It was witnessed that banking stocks appreciated by more than Rs. 4 or more and this gave a big boost to the S and P SL20 index which rose by 3%. more..

Sep 18 (BZ) Keepers and staff at Banham Zoo in Norfolk have been left devastated by the death of the female SL leopard Sariska on 16 September following a period of illness in recent weeks. It was very clear at post-mortem that Sariska had a serious heart condition that would have led to her death within a matter of weeks. Further investigation will be carried out to try to ascertain the cause. Sariska gave birth to two cubs in June which were fathered by the zoo�s male leopard, Mias. more..

Sep 18 (AD) The businessman and the backhoe driver arrested over the clearing of the Anawilundawa Wetland Sanctuary in Mundalama, Puttalam, have been released on bail. Chilaw District Judge Manjula Thilakaratne delivered the order today when the duo was produced before courts. The suspects have been imposed two personal bails valued at Rs. 10 million. The district judge has ordered Arachchikattuwa Police to submit more..

Sep 18 (AD) Underworld figure Janith Madushanka alias Podi Lassi was questioned by the CID for over 06 hours today at the Boossa Prison in connection with the threats issued to several VIPs, police said. He was yesterday named as the second suspect in the case filed over the death threats made in public at the Boossa Prison against the Prez, the Defence Secretary and certain high-ranking officers of the Prisons Dept. Galle Chief Magistrate had ordered to name him as a suspect in the case, more..

Sep 18 (DM) SJB invited UNP to become an ally of the new alliance which is in the making and to contest the PC election together. The invitation was extended by SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara who said that the message has been already passed on to the UNP. �We invite the UNP to join the SJB led alliance which is in the making. It will also be possible for the two parties to contest the PC election together if the two parties strike a deal to become partners to more..

Sep 18 (DM) Responding to a New Delhi court case against one of its former senior officials, SriLankan airline today said it was not a party to the legal action and that an internal committee was of the view that the former Sales Executive�s complaint of sexual harassment could not be justified and her transfer to Cochin would stand. In a statement, the airline said the case in the Metropolitan Magistrate- 05, Patiala House Court, New Delhi where more..

Sep 18 (EN) SL Automobile Service Association representing automobile repair workshops around the country say they could repair old state vehicles at a lower cost and keep them on the road for longer if given an opportunity rather than limiting repairs to agents. The prohibitive costs of repairs quoted by vehicle agents under the current procurement system lead to state vehicles being condemned early, the auto service association said. �As those companies never engage in repair, more..

Sep 18 (CT) Chairman of the UGC, Prof Sampath Amaratunga, said a prompt probe will be conducted into the recent expos� by Ceylon Today, into alleged acts of cyber ragging by a group of senior undergraduates of the Jaffna University. He said, those found guilty will be dealt with according to provisions in the Ragging Act. Prof. Amaratunga also commended Ceylon Today for the revelation of the sordid act by a group of senior undergraduates of the Management Faculty of the Uni, more..

Sep 18 (PMD) The 156th birth anniversary commemoration of Anagarika Dharmapala was held under the patronage of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The ceremony took place at Mahabodhi Agrashravaka Maha Vihara in Maligakanda today (17). Prez was received by the Chairman of Mahabodhi Society and Chief Sanghanayaka of Japan Ven. Banagala Upatissa Thero at the venue. more..

Sep 18 (EN) Central Bank has formulated most of its monetary policies with the well-being of banks and finance companies in mind rather than that of their customers, Minister Wimal Weerawansa said. Central Bank�s role is to protect the customers and not to swoop in and assume control of the institutions when they fall, Weerawansa said. When a finance company runs away with its depositors� money, said the minister, CB steps in to shoulder the burden, leaving the depositors out in the cold more..

Sep 18 (CT) Our country�s future is based on a Blue Green Economy, said Chairperson of Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), Attorney Dharshani Lahandapura. Addressing a Media briefing held in order to inform of the plans of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing on behalf of Int'l Coastal Cleanup Day and National Maritime Conservation Week from 19 � 25 Sept, she added that "�Citizens have an erroneous view that the environment is only trees, plants & forests more..

Sep 18 (AD) State Minister Arundika Fernando today spoke to reporters while climbing a coconut tree using a new kind of gear introduced by a local inventor from Warakapola. State Minister of Coconut, Kithul, Palmyrah and Rubber Cultivation Promotion and Related Industrial Product Manufacturing & Export Diversification used the invention to climb a coconut tree at his garden in Dankotuwa. Speaking to reporters while more..

Sep 18 (TOI) Indian crime branch-CID sleuths were on Thursday granted the custody of the SL policeman, who was arrested by the Ramanathapuram police for his illegal entry into the country, for four days for questioning to establish his links with the late underworld kingpin Angoda Lokka, who reportedly died in Coimbatore recently. Earlier, crime branch-CID deputy superintendent of police O H Raju, who is investigating Angoda Lokka�s suspicious death case in the district, more..

Sep 18 (AD) Wind speed can increase up to (60-70) kmph in the deep and shallow sea areas off the coasts extending from Batticaloa to Colombo via Trincomalee, Kankesanturai and Puttalam and in the sea area extending from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota. These sea areas can be rough or very rough at times, Dept of Meteorology said issuing an advisory this afternoon. Wind speed can increase up to (50-60) kmph in the deep and shallow sea areas off the coasts extending from Colombo to more..

Sep 18 (FT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed that the proposed 20th Amendment erodes the independence of the Auditor General and delists his scope from a number of key Govt Offices and institutions. Premadasa stated that 20A removes the clause that affirms that the Auditor General is not a Govt official and does away with the Audit Services Commission. He also pointed out that the Prez�s Secretariat, PM�s Secretariat, more..

Sep 18 (CT) A video displaying former State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran allegedly assisting Mahalingam Shashikumar alias Swiss Kumar who was one of the main suspects in the murder and gang rape of Sivaloganathan Vidya to escape, was played before the PCoI appointed to probe into the political victimisation of public officials during the tenure of the UNF led Govt yesterday. This was with regard to a complaint filed by the currently imprisoned PC Gnanalingam Mayuran who more..

Sep 18 (DM) 12 beggars have been arrested for obstructing vehicular movement by begging on roads during heavy traffic in the Moratuwa area today. Police said two women and ten men were among the arrested and that some of them were faking disabilities. Police said that even during heavy traffic, the beggars were seen knocking on vehicle shutters asking for money causing heavy traffic. Beggars are expected to be directed to the Rideegama Rehabilitation Centre after more..

Sep 18 (CT) Youth unemployment as a proportion of total unemployment was at 49 per cent last year (2019) which shows that half of the unemployed population is youth, CSD said. Further, Central, North Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa and North Western Provinces have a higher number than the national proportion at 55.9%, 55.4%, 54.8%, 54.1%, and 51.9% respectively, higher than 50%. Meanwhile, the youth unemployment rate more..

Sep 18 (Island) SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said that people had a right to know who had prepared the 20th Amendment and the govt should reveal the names of its architects. He said: �Those who framed all Constitutions since 1948 are known. In 1948, we got a constitution that had been prepared by Lord Soulbury. Preparation of the Soulbury Constitution. All parties including delegations from Jaffna, Up-country and Southern provinces were given the opportunity to submit their proposals. more..

Sep 18 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa has stated that the country�s common problem is the unwillingness of the people to work and highlighted the slow-moving pace of action on the part of both the govt and private sectors. He has cited the state of stagnation seen in the construction work in Colombo and suburbs as an example, PMD said. Prez has instructed each on-going construction to be completed without delay and requested all the parties to prepare themselves for more..

Sep 18 (Island) In addition to Rs. 340 million sought by the SL govt for operations undertaken by its Air Force and Navy to prevent a far greater marine catastrophe, the country will seek an estimated Rs. 4 billion for the damages caused to the marine environment. Insurance Company or the owners of the New Diamond Crude Oil Tanker have to pay some Rs. 4 billion as damages caused to the environment, senior official of MEPA said. more..

Sep 19 (CT) In late 2019, much before the Covid-19 pandemic started wreaking havoc on the global economy, the branches of two key Indian banks closed their business operations in Sri Lanka. ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are two of the larger privately owned banks in India. In terms of their stock market capitalisation they are among the biggest companies listed in India. Even from a pan-Asian perspective, ICICI Bank which has an asset base of close to USD 200 billion, is huge. more..

Sep 19 (CT) The President�s gear-shift on 20A, which showed flexibility, followed by his shift-back to the original hawkish position, was in the phrase of Lenin (1921) a flash of lightning which threw more of a glare upon reality than anything else. It made nonsense of some basic assumptions of the four streams of the Opposition, and pointed to the imperative of correcting these dangerously flawed notions. What are the lessons of the recent dramatic turnaround? more..

Sep 19 (CT) SriLankan Airlines in its defence issued a shocking statement to its staff claiming that the airline was no party to the conviction that was handed out to its former Regional Manager Lalith De Silva for sexually harassing and insulting the modesty of one of its Indian national female staff members, during the time he was stationed by the airline in New Delhi, India. However what the airline failed to mention in its statement is that more..

Sep 19 (DM) In both Sri Lanka and India, which share a culture, cow slaughter is generally considered unethical by the majority Sinhala-Buddhists and Hindus. In Hinduism, the cow is considered �holy� but in Buddhism it is not. However, cow slaughter and beef eating are discouraged in Sinhala-Buddhist Sri Lanka because the faith is against the killing of all sentient beings, and the cow is one of them. Folk-level Sinhala-Buddhism has many features of Hinduistic culture. more..

Sep 19 (BBC) My mother grew up in a house of eight people in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka, 100km north-east of Colombo. During the island�s severe droughts in the 1970s, most of her family�s humble, home-cooked meals consisted of boiled jackfruit served in a clay pot with a handful of freshly grated coconut. This simple, carb-rich meal fused with natural fats fuelled enough energy for the farmer-family to toil day & night in dry plains. more..

Sep 19 (DM) Amid a crisis where many independent analysts are warning that the proposed 20th Amendment could be a death certificate for parliamentary democracy in SL, the UN this week marked the International Day of Democracy with Secretary General Ant�nio Guterres saying that as the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, democracy is crucial in ensuring the free flow of information, participation in decision-making and accountability for the response to pandemic. more..

Sep 19 (DM) There is reliable information coming through that the Uda Walawe�s iconic elephant, Rambo may be captured and trans-located to a holding ground (which is effectively an elephant prison) by DWC. This will in effect be the signing of a death warrant for this famous elephant. Many wildlife enthusiasts and tourists who travel around the country, are familiar with Rambo at the Uda Walawe National Park due to his close interaction with people over the years. more..

Sep 19 (CT) It�s high time we made use of the power of intelligence, gifted by God and discard fake concepts of political deception and obfuscations of scriptural texts, rooted, consecutively, in communal violence and religious racism. The Tamil voters, in the void of destructive racist politics and power-greedy opportunism, must understand that their peace and prosperity is a possibility, in the main, with the unity of the Sinhala Buddhist absolute majority. more..

Sep 19 (Island) A disabled soldier who had lost vision in one eye on the battlefield and became totally blind due to injuries he suffered at the hands of the riot police, during a protest, near the Prez Secretariat, in Nov 2017, has moved the SC, seeking damages. He was one of the protesters who demanded that the disabled military and police personnel who had been compelled to retire before completing 12 years of service due to injuries they suffered, in the line of duty, be given more..

Sep 19 (CT) She was scheduled to return to her family in Moratuwa for Christmas when fate decided otherwise and so another SL female domestic aide was brutally killed at the hands of her Arab sponsors. The nightmare for 43-year-old Sudarshini Silva is believed to have started on 9 Sep inside the basement of a plush household in Amiri close to Kuwait City and had lasted for a full 3 days until her death on Friday (11) last week. more..

Sep 19 (ST) Two-time Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) Ladies champion Kayla Perera is a talented teenager who balances both education and sports almost to perfection to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming a golf professional. As a student of Ladies College, she prioritised the GCE (O/L) exam last year, even making a conscious decision to forego participating in the South Asian Games (SAG) in December but is now focusing more on her golf career after moving to UCL more..

Sep 19 (Hindu) The Ministers of Health and Finance from Asia Pacific countries, including from the World Health Organisation South-East Asia region, have vowed to create a finance-resilient health system with Universal Health Coverage (UHC) at the centre of it, as per the WHO�s official release. Health and Finance Ministers from the Asia Pacific Region met at a virtual meeting organised by WHO, the Government of Japan, and the Asian Development Bank. more..

Sep 19 (ST) Fertiliser shortages and extreme weather have once again triggered a sharp rise in vegetable prices at a time the govt is aiming for a waga sangramaya, or a cultivation revolution. The prices of nearly every vegetable, including carrots, beans, pumpkin, bitter gourd, snake gourd, cabbage, drumsticks, ridged gourd, (wetakolu), ash plantain, leeks, knol khol, and radish have increased from a few weeks ago and more..

Sep 19 (FT) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Wednesday briefed the Cabinet on the reply submitted by Sri Lanka clarifying the stance in relation to the allegations made against the country by the UNHRC as well as the UK, which heads the Core Group on SL at the 45th Session of the UNHRC underway in Geneva. Acting Permanent Representative of SL to the UN in Geneva Dayani Mendis told the UNHRC that Sri Lanka has made it clear even as it withdrew from more..

Sep 19 (DM) The Sithamu farmer associations, a concept of the new govt to resolve the issues faced by the farmers through modern technology and methods, is to be implemented in the North, Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage had announced. The minister who made this announcement during his recent visit to North said farmers in the North would be given concessions under this programme. It was for the first time in four decades that an agriculture minister competent in speaking Tamil more..

Sep 19 (TM) The report by the GSMB on the earth tremors felt in the Kandy District last month have found that the tremors were natural seismic events, which called for surveys of the Victoria Reservoir for possible cracks. On 29 August, an earth tremor was felt in parts of the Kandy District in Digana and Haragama, where some residents had claimed that picture frames and other items had fallen off walls and shelves as a result. more..

Sep 19 (CT) Mumbai Indians� captain Rohit Sharma conceded that incomparable SL pace legend Lasith Malinga, who has opted out of this year�s IPL, will be severely missed by his defending champion team given his unbelievable past performances. The 37-year-old Malinga, who is IPL�s highest wicket-taker with 170 scalps to his credit, has pulled out citing personal reasons in a major blow to the four-time champions. MI will take on the Chennai Super Kings in this season�s lung-opener on 19 Sept here. more..