Jun 5 (AD) A repeater transmission center belonging to the TNL media network in Polgahawela has reportedly been shut down and the broadcast equipment taken into police custody based on a court order. This has disrupted the channel’s broadcasting services in Sabaragamuwa, North Western and Western provinces, according to TNL. SP Ruwan Gunasekara said that the TRC had registered a complaint yesterday more..

Jun 5 (DN) President's former chief of staff and the former State Timber Corporation chairman, both of who were nabbed in a bribery scheme last week, have been further remanded in custody until June 19th. The accused in question, I.H.K. Mahanama and P. Dissanayake, respectively, were first arrested in May by officials from the Bribery Commission, who caught the men in the act of accepting a Rs. 20 million bribe from an Indian businessman in the parking lot of a high-end Colombo hotel. more..

Jun 5 (AD) Popular television presenter, compere and journalist Hema Nalin Karunaratne has passed away at the age of 55. He has passed away at his home in Malabe, according to sources. Karunaratne was reportedly found dead inside a room at his house at Millagahawatta Road, Thalahena, Malabe which was opened and searched due to it being closed since last night. Thalangama Police has launched an investigation into the death, the Police Spokesman Office said. more..

Jun 5 (Island) Minister Kabir Hashim, asserted yesterday that he was rich enough to lend money to Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL). Hashim told the media in Mawanella: "My parents have left me with plenty of money and I don’t need to ask PTL for donations for my election campaign. I can even lend some money to PTL." On Sunday Chairman of UNFF Maithri Gunaratne alleged that Hashim was also linked to controversial deals more..

Jun 5 (Island) About 164 MPs have received donations from Perpetual Treasuries Limited (PTL), Keerthi Tennakoon, Executive Director of CaFFE says. "The PTL has given donations to those who contested the 2015 general election. Now, MPs tell us they received money from PTL. They ask us whether their names are in the Bond Commission report. Most of them got Rs. 1 million each and a select group of politicians got another Rs. 1.5 million each afterwards." more..

Jun 5 (LSE) The rivalry existing between China and India is based on a long historical trajectory dating back to the epoch of the silk route. More recent conflict emerged at a time when both states strived to emerge as nation states after facing colonial encounters for centuries. Nevertheless, the present-day antagonism between the countries mainly arose as a result of the border dispute and later converted into the respective quest of each to be a super power. more..

Jun 5 (EN) Auditor General has issued a qualified opinion on the 2017 accounts of the finance ministry pointing out remaining problems with debt classification, after completely disclaiming the numbers last year. Accounts labelled financial statements of the republic give a true and fair view in 2017 except for the problems identified, the Auditor General who refused to give any opinion in 2016, said. more..

Jun 5 (DN) Higher Education Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe made a clear promise to the Executive Committee of the GMOA to issue the gazette notification on abolishing the SAITM parallel to absorbing SAITM students to the KDU, GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. He said the GMOA Central Committee was happy with solving the SAITM issue by absorbing qualified SAITM students to the KDU. But this should be done without violating guidelines of the SLMC. more..

Jun 5 (Island) With symptoms like breathlessness, cough and severe respiratory diseases like Asthma, COPD and Allergic Rhinitis in Kandy on the rise, Sri Lanka College of Pulmonologists along with Cipla will be commencing a movement #saveyourlungskandy on 5th June - World Environment Day - to help create awareness against the harmful effects of air pollutants on public health. A helpline number, first of its kind will be launched. People from Kandy and adjoining areas can more..

Jun 5 (DM) TNL Chairman Shan Wickremesinghe today said the move to shut down their Polgahawela transmission centre was not only unjust but also sudden and that he would take legal action against the TRCSL. He said he was not informed of the court order which had been obtained by the TRCSL to search the transmission centre. “TRC has obtained the warrant on false grounds. more..

Jun 5 (Island) TNA Northern Provincial Councilor M. K. Shivajilingam, who attempted to solve a long standing dispute between the fishermen of Vadamaradchi East and those from other parts of the North, was threatened with death on Sunday. Shivajilingam said that some persons had threatened to kill him with the help of the Aava Group in Jaffna. He added that he had not lodged a complaint with the police as solving the issues faced by the fishermen was his priority. more..

Jun 5 (NR) UPFA MP Kanchana Wijesekara has requested the govt to consider postponing the Grade 5 scholarship examination scheduled to be held in August. MP made this request while speaking in Parliament this afternoon claiming candidates in the Southern Province are facing difficulties in preparing for the examination due to the Influenza virus. He noted there is a large number of students who are unable to attend tuition classes and urged the govt if possible to take a decision more..

Jun 5 (PMD) The Agreement on Establishing the Information and Research Centre on Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown origin (CKDu), at the University of Kelaniya was signed before President Maithripala Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat, today. Presidential Task Force on Prevention of Kidney Diseases Project Director Asela Iddawela and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya Professor D. M. Semasinghe signed the agreement. The promotion of researches conducted by more..

Jun 5 (AD) Appeal Court has set 4th of Sept for the hearing of GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya’s Contempt of Court case. The petition was taken up before a panel of judges comprising of the President of the Court of Appeal Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Arjuna Obeysekera. Case was filed by civil society activists Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya and Gamini Viyangoda accusing the Dr. Padeniya of contempt of court for criticizing the verdict of Court of Appeal regarding SAITM more..

Jun 5 (DM) Minister Mangala Samaraweera had been appointed Vice Chairman of the UNP by PM. Letter of Appointment was dated on April 26, 2018. Appointment was effective April 26, 2018. Minister Tweeted that as his first appointment, he was appointed as the SLFP Organiser for Matara district 30 years ago. “I didn't even, in my wildest dreams thought that I would get such a position in the grand old party,” more..

Jun 6 (CT) Throughout Europe, racialist groups have used the war on terror to create new racist mono-cultural political platforms. With the collapse of the Soviet bloc in the nineties, uncertainty reigned for some time as free markets expanded and some aspects of bourgeois democratic institutions were established. A neo-liberal social development model started expanding horizontally sweeping through Central and Eastern Europe and was accompanied by structural reforms of economic more..

Jun 6 (DN) Reports indicate that 1.5 billion speak English and yet, only about 360 million people speak it as their first language. English is by far the most commonly studied foreign language in the world, followed by French at a distant second. EF English Proficiency Index, prepared an international education organisation, attempts to rank countries by the average level of English language skills amongst the adults. According to their most recent edition released in Nov 2017, more..

Jun 6 (SO) In Sri Lanka, cousin of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Colombo’s former Envoy to the US Jaliya Wickremasuriya is a fugitive running from the law. In the United States, a Grand Jury is ready to indict the former Lankan diplomat on charges of money-laundering, but only if the SL Supreme Court rules that a Govt decision to waive Wickremasuriya’s diplomatic immunity is legal. US authorities are awaiting a decision more..

Jun 6 (GV) Since Independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has witnessed three unsuccessful armed struggles. Two of these (1971 and 1987-89) have been confined mainly to the Sinhalese South. The last one in the North and East of Sri Lanka waged an armed campaign for almost 30 years until the Tami Tigers were defeated in 2009. The manner of the Sri Lanka’s state victory created acute political wounds and left unresolved the fundamental problems that gave rise to Tamil militancy. more..

Jun 6 (CT) The LG Elections held in Feb 2018 is by no means a happy experience for the country. After a delay of three years and amended legislation to replace the Proportionate Representation system of Elections with a mixed system, their does not seem to be a qualitative change in the personnel who have been returned to the Local bodies. Besides the Election Commission headed by Mahinda Deshapriya and having in its ranks officials from the previous Election Department more..

Jun 6 (CT) MP Sudarshini Fernandopulle says that Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to carry on Govt through short cuts by surreptitious tactics. Q: Haven’t the 16 SLFP MP, including you who left the Govt, lost their way and aren’t you all in a helpless state now? A: No. Not at all! All 16 of us are going strong. We of the SLFP joined the Govt only for two years. When that period was over we were asked to wait until the LG election was over. more..

Jun 6 (CT) Fishing is a well old and traditional form of livelihood for almost all human beings. There are mainly two types of fishing that have evolved over the many centuries, namely salt water fishing and sweet water fishing. Obviously, these two are respectively referred to fishing at sea and fishing in internal waters. Before we get into much detail in today’s discussion, let me first clarify those two fishing regimes separately. Although, many could give various definitions as to more..

Jun 6 (Island) In 1962 when Lee Kuan Yew visited Ceylon, he was coming from a war torn land. He immediately fell in love with the human scale and the large trees he saw as a landscaped back drop to two or three storied buildings located in deep gardens set far back from the street. The streets he saw were clean and the people friendly. He so wanted his new Singapore to be like Colombo. But he was in for a surprise, for when the debris was cleared he did not have as much space in his city. more..

Jun 6 (DN) At present, the authority of Police in instituting legal actions under the Excise Ordinance, is being debated and the majority Magistrate Courts entertain the plaints, filed by Officers in Charge of Police Stations, whereas the plaints are not accepted in some jurisdictions on the ground of non-empowerment of Police. Therefore, the article endeavours to analyze the legal provisions and the case laws related to the contemporary issue concerning excise offences with more..

Jun 6 (Island) There is much anxious pre-occupation across the globe over the education of the young and the problems entailed are particularly intractable in the poorer parts of the world. Knowing the pivotal importance of good education for the advancement of peoples and nations, vast sums have been spent and budgetary resources strained to provide good schools for those in their formative years. Sri Lanka is no exception – indeed that valiant effort of this poor country to provide more..

Jun 6 (CT) Fast growing cities have always drawn in large crowds of people; all seeking the next life changing opportunity. But the influx of this many migrants and the lack of affordable housing means that many of these people resort to settling down in overcrowded areas, in small derelict houses, otherwise known as slums. Colombo is also one such city that faces similar problems, as more than 50% of its population resides in slums more..

Jun 6 (Island) There seems to be a direct correlation between power and politicians’ libido. A few moons ago, a minister who cannot even stand upright and is apparently in need of geriatric care had to be rushed to hospital due to a Viagra overdose. Doctors’ timely intervention helped save a precious part of his anatomy, we are told. There are others who get sexually aggressive after savouring power. A LG politician has been remanded for allegedly abducting a woman together with her more..

Jun 6 (ST) What an opportunity- the chance to own Sri Lanka’s oldest Italian Fiat car in Jaffna – and that too, one that is only functional, old Italian car. Sixty-year old Kumarasamy Ravichandran, a resident of No. 906/12 Point Pedro Road, Jaffna, is the owner of this car. Mr. Ravichandran says the car has manual horn and lights and still in running condition. It has two engines, two gear boxes and two differentials. This car was made on 1926 and first purchased in 1932 by more..

Jun 6 (Island) West Indies and Sri Lanka commence one of the most infrequent of international cricket assignments when the first match of a three-Test series begins on Wednesday at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. More than 36 years since being granted Test status, this is just Sri Lanka’s fourth Test tour of the Caribbean and the first involving more than two matches. On their last campaign to the region ten years earlier, more..

Jun 6 (DN) The Milo 45th SL Schools All Island Swimming Championship organized by SL School Aquatic sports association in collaboration with the Ministry of Education will commence today at the Sugathadasa Indoor Swimming Complex. Nestle Lanka will be sponsoring the event for the 25th year. Swimmers will take part for five consecutive days while the divers will compete on June7 and 8. This years’ tournament will include 140 individual events and 24 relays totalling a grand 160 events. more..

Jun 6 (DN) SL’s fourth visit to the Caribbean in 36 years as a Test-playing nation gives them a golden opportunity to record a historic maiden Test series win provided they play their cards right. This current tour comes after a decade, the last tour having taken place in 2008 when SL recorded their maiden Test win on Caribbean soil. God knows when the next tour to the calypso islands will be. By that time SL will be without most of their stalwarts who would probably be retired by then. more..

Jun 6 (FT) Tourist arrivals during the first five months exceeded one million, reflecting a 14.7% growth, while May saw a 6.2% growth to 129,466 from the comparable period of last year. Tourist arrivals in May amounted to 129,466, up 6.2% from 121,891 in the corresponding month of 2017. The cumulative arrivals of tourists in the five months rose 14.7% to 1,017,819 compared to 887,093 in the same period last year, more..

Jun 6 (ST) Sri Lanka amendments to tea regulation and drafting of a foolproof mechanism to ward off the ills of the tea industry particularly sugar found in the beverage is currently in the pipeline. Authorities are commencing a new methodology to test sugar added in the manufacture of tea with samples collected from end June, Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Lucille Wijewardena said. “I would prefer to adopt a method that is foolproof and which is acceptable in a court of law,” he said. more..

Jun 6 (CT) Junior athletes will hardly have 24 hours rest once they reach Japan before they are called upon to compete in the Asian Junior Championship. Since last year the Athletics Association (AASL) have been preparing for this Championship. They even selected a junior pool and had weekly residential training camps in Colombo for them. After all this preparation, AASL failed to book a flight for the SL junior team to arrive in Japan at least two days prior to the championship so that more..

Jun 6 (EN) The second phase of central expressway from Colombo to Kandy is built by 16 local contractors is already 25% complete and is on track to be finished by Dec 2019, prompting authorities to adopt a similar strategy with the first phase. The 39 km stretch from Mirigama to Kurunegala is being built by 16 contractors starting from multiple locations allowing it to completed fast, RDA Chairman said. more..

Jun 6 (LBO) Perhaps SL’s most fierce global legal advocate passed away on June 2, 2018. Sir Desmond de Silva’s achievements were global, the most visible being his term as UN Chief Prosecutor. In this role Sir Desmond was elevated to the rank of Under Secretary General reporting directly to Secretary General Kofi Annan. As Chief Prosecutor he spent years pursuing Liberia’s former President Charles Taylor. This pursuit finally culminated in Taylor’s arrest and unprecedented transfer to more..

Jun 6 (LBO) Fitch Ratings expects the exposure of SL’s non-life insurers to extreme weather-related events to be manageable due to extensive use of reinsurance. However, reinsurers are seen to be reducing ceding commissions to reflect the increased risk of catastrophes, Fitch Ratings said. “Sri Lanka has seen a recurrence of extreme weather-related events – back-to-back floods in May 2018 and over the past two years, and a prolonged drought in several parts of the country, more..

Jun 6 (HCI) In a special ceremony held on June 4, at Madakumbura Estate in Punduloya, Nuwara Eliya District foundation stone was laid for construction of 250 new houses under the Indian Housing Project. Minister Palani Digambaram, State Minister V.S. Radhakrishnan and Acting HC of India Arindam Bagchi jointly laid the foundation stones. MP Thilakraj, Members of Central Provincial Council, senior govt officials more..