Aug 8 (ST) The GMOA and the IUSF are planning joint action against what they called a string of irregularities in the education sector affecting doctors and students. GMOA Secretary Haritha Aluthge said they met IUSF representative to discuss a common programme aimed at resolving the irregularities. Among the matters discussed were the possibility of seeking a review of the recent court decision on SATM graduates and more..

Aug 8 (ST) Sri Lanka signed the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, also known as the Singapore Convention yesterday at the Singapore Convention Signing Ceremony and Conference, High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore announced. Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms, Thalatha Atukorale on behalf of the Govt of Sri Lanka signed the convention. more..

Aug 8 (RN) After 130 days in remand custody, fiction writer Shakthika Sathkumara was released on bail by the Kurunegala High Court today. He was granted a cash bail for Rs. 1000,000 and two sureties of Rs. 100,000 on Monday, but continued to remain in custody until his release today. Wariyapola Police had demanded a letter from the chief incumbent of the Buddhist temple of Sathkumara’s hometown as well as more..

Aug 8 (RN) Tomorrow the Constitutional Council has to decide on a new appointment to the Court of Appeal and President Sirisena’s nominee for the vacancy has become controversial after the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) wrote to the Constitutional Council objecting to the name. In a letter dated August 2 and signed by President’s Secretary Udaya R Seneviratne, President has submitted a single name for consideration more..

Aug 8 (PMD) Cambodia stands firmly together with Sri Lanka in further cementing bilateral relations in economic, trade, social as well as the renaissance of Buddhism, His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boronmeath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia said. His Majesty made these comments when President Sirisena, who is currently on a four-day state visit to Cambodia held a meeting at the palace today. more..

Aug 8 (AD) Permanent High Court-at-Bar acquitted and released former President’s chief of staff Gamini Senarath and two other defendants from the case filed against them over the alleged misappropriation of Litro Gas funds. Permanent High Court-at-Bar today delivered the final verdict of the case filed against Gamini Senarath, Piyadasa Kudabalage and Lasantha Bandara for allegedly misappropriating more..

Aug 8 (NR) The planned token strike to be launched by nurses attached to govt hospitals from this morning has been temporarily suspended. The strike action was due to be launched over several demands. However Chairman of the Govt Nursing Officers’ Association Saman Rathnapriya said as per an agreement reached at a discussion with the Minister of Health, unions had decided to suspend the strike action. more..

Aug 8 (DM) The MPs of the UNP, who are loyal to Minister Sajith Premadasa, are planning to make representation to PM Ranil Wickremesinghe asking for a vote at the parliamentary group and the Working Committee to decide on the presidential candidate. The decision has been taken since the one-on-one meeting between Mr. Wickremesinghe and Mr. Premadasa ended without any solution in sight. more..

Aug 8 (CT) The total minimum monthly emoluments of a Colombo District MP, inclusive of free postage, which, however is given in kind and not by cash unlike other allowances and salary, nonetheless all add up to Rs 267,481.43. The breakdown of a Colombo District MP's monthly emoluments are, Salary: Rs 54, 285 + Office Allowance: Rs 100,000 + Entertainment Allowance: Rs 1,000 + Driver's Allowance: Rs 3,500 + Telephone Allowance: Rs 50,000 + Free Stamps: Rs 29,166.67 + more..

Aug 8 (FT) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one of the most influential thinkers during the Enlightenment in 18th century Europe, had already observed that elections alone were no guarantee of liberty. He said: “The people of England deceive themselves when they fancy they are free; they are so, in fact, only during the election of members of parliament: for, as soon as a new one is elected, they are again in chains, and are nothing.” Prez and Parliamentary Elections are both arcane instruments of more..

Aug 8 (DM) Two flights which were scheduled to land at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake were diverted to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) this morning due to the adverse weather condition, the MRIA duty manager said. He said the airbuses, 320 flights, Qatar Airways QR-662 and Air Arabia G9-503, had arrived from Doha and the Sharjah International Airport respectively. "The Qatar Airways QR-662 flight was scheduled to be landed at the BIA at 2.45a.m more..

Aug 8 (AD) Agriculture is the foundation of Sri Lanka—from the economy to the culture, it has influenced all the important facets of what makes a nation then, and continues to do so, to date. This sector, which consists of domestic and export sub-sectors, contributes to our economy in the forms of income, employment, foreign exchange, food and raw material along with the stimulation of the growth of the economy through its links to all the other sectors. more..

Aug 8 (AD) National Organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Basil Rajapaksa says that Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa will be officially selected as the leader of the party at its national convention this Sunday. Speaking at a press briefing today, the former minister said that the SLPP’s first ever national convention will commence at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium at 3.00 p.m. on Sunday (11). more..

Aug 8 (AD) US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs, Alice Wells, is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka this week to hold bilateral talks with senior govt officials in the country. According to the USDS the top diplomat will travel to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and India from August 6-16. “Acting Assistant Secretary Wells will hold bilateral consultations on issues of mutual interest with senior govt officials in Pakistan, SL, & India, in addition to meetings with business leaders and civil society.” more..

Aug 8 (EN) Sri Lanka will spend 2 billion rupees on a radar to evaluate cloud formation for the artificial rain project, a minister said. "We currently do not have a radar which can find out accurately how clouds are forming," Minister Daya Gamage said. "If we spend 2 billion rupees, we can get the radar," he said. "I hope to procure the equipment through my ministry, and then we can get rain," he said. Sri Lanka had begun an artificial rain project under the CEB in March 2019 but it was immediately halted more..

Aug 8 (RN) Two Civil Society activists are pushing the police towards investigating allegations of an allegedly irregular issue of a passport to Presidential hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa and other immigration issues around him that have been reported in the Media recently. Professor Chandragupta Thenuwara and Gamini Viyangoda lodged separate complaints at the office of the IGP calling for investigations into allegations of more..

Aug 8 (BDN) Dhaka Special Judge Court-9 Judge Sheikh Hafizur Rahman announced the verdict on Wednesday. The convicts are Mofiz Uddin Sarkar alias Mofiz and Abu Zaher alias Zaher Khan. A further six months were added to their respective sentences following the convicts' failure to pay a fine of Tk 30,000 each imposed by the court, said the state's special counsel Md Belayet Hossain Dhali. Another suspect in the case, Abul Hossain, was exonerated by the court. more..

Aug 8 (RN) Ministry of Health advised the general public to refrain from using Aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well as steroids for dengue fever, as the use of such drugs by dengue patients has reportedly worsened their condition. Director Gen. of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that with the advent of southwestern monsoon, number of dengue cases reported is on the rise in certain districts, although there is a reduction of cases overall in other districts. more..

Aug 8 (DM) It would be a cakewalk for the rival candidate to win the upcoming Presidential election unless the UNP fields its deputy leader Minister Sajith Premadasa, Minister Harin Fernando said. "It is not easy to ride the waves unless the UNP fields someone who is able to win," he said following a ceremony for the launching Ran Piyapath at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment today. more..

Aug 8 (AD) The Acting OIC of Wellambada Police has been interdicted for deciding to return 76 machete knives and 16 axes that were taken into custody from a mosque, the Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. It was reported that he was transferred to the Kandy police station. The Acting OIC of Welamboda Police yesterday (06) decided to return 76 machete knives and 16 axes taken into custody by the police from a mosque in Wellambada area. more..

Aug 8 (Island) Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne, on Tuesday, said that it would take only six months to get rid of all illicit liquor factories if the police and Excise Departments got their act together. He said that 13 persons died and around 30 became ill after consuming illicit liquor at Banduragoda in Mirigama, recently. "Some of those who received treatment from Mirigama, Wathupitiwala and Ragama hospitals have been discharged. Thirteen persons had so far died. more..

Aug 8 (AD) The Attorney General has filed an indictment before the Colombo High Court against former UPFA MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena on a money laundering charge. He has been indicted by the AG on the charge of money laundering amounting to over Rs 306.26 million, under Section 3 [1] [a] of Money Laundering Act No 05 of 2006 as amended by Act No 40 of 2011. more..

Aug 8 (Island) Children of the owners of the filling stations in the North, who had to leave the country due to the 1983 pogrom had returned home but the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation denied them ownership of those places, Parliament was told. The CPC drove those who had come home seeking their former business places from pillar to post, citing various reasons such as the loss of documents, JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said. "Some of the CPC officials have sold their licenses to other more..

Aug 8 (Island) Energy experts, senior environmentalists and naturalists, said that Prez Sirisena should have been cautious in making promises pertaining to environmental pollution and UN Climate Change Agreements. An environmentalist said that majority of the environmentalists had backed Sirisena at the last presidential election because of the promises he made. "He made a 10-point presentation on Dec 15, 2014 at the Mahaweli Centre as the common more..

Aug 8 (Island) A lot of issues surrounding the distribution of tab computers could have been avoided if the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC), which decided on the types of machines to be procured for GCE A/L students and their teachers, in 2017, had adhered to the procurement guidelines, Procurement Appeal Board (PAB) Chairman, K.A.S. Gunasekara told the PCoI investigating corruption in the current admin., more..

Aug 8 (DM) At least 271 houses were partially damaged by the gusty winds that blew across the areas like Ratnapura, Vavuniya, Kegalle, Puttalam, Hambantota and New Eliya today, DMC Deputy Director Pradeep Kodippili said. He said that steps would be taken to pay compensations after considering the estimated damage caused to each house. Issuing a Red Notice, Department of Meteorology warned today that there would be unexpected exceptionally strong winds more..

Aug 8 (AD) The house belonging to the mother in law of Sainthamarudu suicide bomber M. Rilwan, Zahran Hashim’s brother, has been robbed, stated Kattankudy Police. The robbed house is located at 06, Fareenaz Road in Kattankudy, stated the Police. The robbery has taken place when the mother in law and the father in law of Rilwan were detained at the Batticaloa under remand custody. According to the Police, Television sets, and mobiles phones in the house have been stolen by the robbers. more..

Aug 8 (CT) SL Medical Council held an emergency Council meeting yesterday following the Supreme Court decision with regard to the provisional registration of 82 medical graduates from the SAITM. Informed sources of the Council said however, that four of the Council members who were also members of the Doctors’ trade union had not participated in the meeting as a mark of protest. They said that instead they had written to more..

Aug 8 (AD) The proceedings of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and other Sectoral Oversight Committees are to be open for the media from tomorrow. Accordingly the Speaker had stated in parliament today that the COPE committee is scheduled to meet at 2.30 p.m. tomorrow and that its affairs will be open to all the media. Media would also be allowed to provide live coverage of the COPE affairs. Permission has also been granted to release the inquiries and findings more..

Aug 8 (AD) A group of mothers from Kurunegala lodged a complaint against Dr. Mohamed Shafi, the CID and the Ministry of Health at the Human Rights Commission, today. Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the aggrieved mothers in the case against Dr. Mohamed Shafi stated that the Muslim doctors are attempting to hinder the investigations against Dr. Shafi by transferring the DIG in charge of Kurunegala area. Attorney at Law Indrasiri Senaratne said it was recently revealed that more..

Aug 8 (NR) The Secretary of the Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development Nihal Rupasinghe says the garbage that has collected in Colombo, due to lack of suitable disposal methods, will be moved to the Aruwakkalu, Puttalam Sanitary Landfill by today or tomorrow. Rupasinghe said the garbage issue has arisen due to the lack of action by Colombo Municipal Council to enact an agreement that details the stringent disposal of waste. more..

Aug 9 (CT) Statement of Alex Wong, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs U.S. said recently that the Indo-Pacific region is of chief importance to the US because half of the world’s population and by the middle of the century will likely constitute half of the world’s gross domestic product. Put most of that stuff, imports and exports, chiefly through the Colombo Harbour and you begin to see what a massive load of goods by way of oils & other daily needs pass through more..

Aug 9 (CT) If the US accedes to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s application to revoke his American citizenship and he is eligible to be a presidential candidate and his brother former president Rajapaksa throws his FULL WEIGHT behind him, the most likely outcome will be that Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be the next President of Sri Lanka. Despite the misguided prognostications of some experts, the presidency continues to wield substantial executive power notwithstanding more..

Aug 9 (CT) Most veterans in the Sinhala film industry say the decline of the attractiveness of Sinhala films could one day lead to the collapse of the entire SL film industry. Proving that prediction recently, Minister Sajith Premadasa revealed that around 200 cinema halls across the country had closed down during the last 18 years. Veteran film director Professor Sunil Ariyaratne said that the film industry began to collapse more..

Aug 9 (CT) In the first part of this Article, I have tried to explain how reconciliation was conceptualized and approached in the Yahapalana Programme. In this section of the article, I briefly look at how the reconciliation agenda unfolded in the Yahapalana govt through the various processes and institutions set up for the purpose of achieving national reconciliation. In Part 1 of this article, I explained how an institutional framework proposed by UNHRC Resolution 30/1 and SL Govt’s commitment more..

Aug 9 (CT) I would suspect that many readers may be of the opinion that the Dehiwala Zoological Garden founded in 1936, is probably the oldest zoo in the country. Contrary to popular belief, Ceylon’s first public zoo was established in 1909 at the precincts of the Colombo National Museum, but when World War II broke out in September 1939, the Govt decided to close it down. There was also a zoological garden at Ixora down Green Path, Colpetty and it was owned by more..

Aug 9 (CT) The much-talked about Samurdhi Scheme has turned out to be a scam with beneficiaries losing out. It has been found that many Samurdhi Banks carry out transactions in an ad hoc manner with no proper supervision. Beneficiaries who are the poorest of the poor are being taken for a good old ride under the guise of Samurdhi. In this instance, Bank managers have overstepped their mandate. more..

Aug 9 (DN) In recent Sri Lankan political history, forging alliances between political parties have become a tool to fight elections but this same strategy appears to be threatening the unity of the major political parties before the upcoming presidential elections. Historically, the SLFP has won elections mostly as the major partner of an alliance. Even its founder S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike contested the 1956 general election as the MEP where it recorded a landslide victory. more..

Aug 9 (Island) President Sirisena has got under the skin of many an MP by making a public statement about their salaries. Claiming that he had shot down a Cabinet proposal for granting MPs a 200,000-rupee pay hike, he said, that MPs drew as much as Rs. 400,000 each per month. We thought Prez, being an ex-MP himself, was aware how much the MPs were paid. Some govt members went ballistic in the House, on Wednesday, faulting Prez Sirisena for having uttered what they called a lie. more..