Jun 13 (DM) Supposedly the language spoken by nearly 16 million Sri Lankans, Sinhala does not fall into the category of the world’s most endangered languages. Still, being geographically limited to the island nation of Sri Lanka, the Sinhala language, unlike its sibling Tamil, runs the risk of being disappeared faster than many smaller languages with greater geographical spread. With the gradual upgrading of English from the second language to main spoken language at urban homes of more..

Jun 12 (DM) Former Minister of Highways Lakshman Kiriella has created new job category and appointed 45 UNP members as public liaison officers and 102 consultants to the RDA in Oct 2015, it was revealed at the PCoI to investigate corruption of the current administration today. An official attached to the Ministry, under conditions of anonymity informed the Commission that in late 2015, Personal Secretary to the Minister more..

Jun 12 (DM) A senior U.S. govt official said today that his country expects any future govt of Sri Lanka to respect human rights and stick to its commitments to the UNHRC. The official told a select group of journalists that the cooperation between Sri Lanka and the US under a future govt would depend on that govt’s interest in working with the United States and on its respect for democratic norms. He was responding to a question about future bilateral ties in the event of a change of govt in Sri Lanka. more..

Jun 12 (NR) Sri Lanka and Japan have held high-level discussions concerning Counter Terrorism measures and regional security cooperation. A special discussion was held today between PM Ranil Wickremesinghe and State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Toshiko ABE at Temple Trees. Office of the PM said during talks Premier Wickremesinghe has welcomed Japan’s assistance in Counter Terrorism in both equipment and training. PM and the Japanese State Foreign Minister more..

Jun 12 (EN) Political and religious pressure being directed at Sri Lanka's Muslim community must be stopped, the Delegation of the European Union and embassies of eight European countries said in a joint statement. "We urge the President, PM, and all political leaders to reassert the state’s commitment to mutual respect, tolerance, and equal treatment under the law for all, irrespective of faith or ethnicity," more..

Jun 12 (CT) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) said it has received 9,000 complaints annually through the 1929 child-help hotline. The NCPA said around 1,500 of the complaints are related to the direct violation of education rights entitled to children. Chairman of NCPA, H.M. Abeyratna said child labour is illegal; he urged the public to lodge complaints in this regard via the hotline. He further stressed that all citizens have a right to ensure the right to education for all more..

Jun 12 (AD) Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) employees of the National Workers’ Society launched an island-wide strike last midnight. Chairman of SLTB Upali Marasinghe stated that operations at Galle, Maharagama and Kalawana SLTB Depots have been disrupted. However, all other districts are operating as per usual, he emphasized. Chairman further said that measures were taken to deploy extra buses to every district upon receipt of the information of a probable more..

Jun 12 (AD) Sri Lanka Police said that a total of 582 motorists have been charged for violation of traffic lane laws during a special operation carried out within Colombo last evening (11). The police operation lasted for two hours and that it was carried out by officers of the the Colombo City Traffic Division. Nearly 500 police officers participated in the operation and that the cases were filed based on CCTV footage more..

Jun 12 (EN) The Asian Development Bank will fund a study on the feasibility of setting up a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Sri Lanka to supply the island’s own power plants and also ship fuel to the Maldives. The project, approved in response to a request by Sri Lanka in March 2019, will include a feasibility study to identify the optimal LNG facility and site, and surveys and hydrodynamic studies and also assess CEB's technical and procurement capacity for LNG. more..

Jun 12 (CT) Number of road deaths, in first quarter (1Q) of the current year (2019) vis-ŕ-vis the corresponding Q of last year declined by 17.79% (151) to 698. Nonetheless, the latest statistics translates to the fact that one person dies once in three hours due to a road accident which also means that the country records eight road fatalities daily. Meanwhile, last year’s 849 road fatalities comprised 294 motorcyclists, 243 pedestrians, 113 passengers, 75 push cyclists, 68 drivers, more..

Jun 12 (DM) The CID is protecting former Minister, Rishad Bathiudeen by not revealing information with regard to Sathosa vehicles being used for activities of the extremists, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa alleged. He said the CID was deliberately hiding comprehensive facts in connection with the alleged events of Sathosa and added the CID had the adequate evidence to prove the culpability of former Minister Bathiudeen. more..

Jun 12 (AD) Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has arrested the main suspect of the murder of Minuwangoda Kalu Ajith, stated Police Media Spokesperson. The arrested suspect has been identified as the crime gang member known as Heenatiyana Sanka. The arrest has been made in the Negombo area today. On 5th June, Krishantha Ajith Kumara alias Minuwangoda Kalu Ajith was shot dead by unidentified gunmen who had arrived on a motor bicycle at Mahawatte area in Ja-Ela. more..

Jun 12 (AD) The Special Parliament Select Committee that was appointed to look into the coordinated terrorist attacks on the 21st of April is scheduled to convene tomorrow (13). The reports said former Governor of Eastern Province M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, former IGP N.K. Illangakoon and Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration J.J. Rathnasiri have been called to testify before the committee. However, former IGP N.K. Illangakoon, who is also a member of the tri-member more..

Jun 12 (Island) SLFP alleged that a staggering Rs 310 mn had been squandered on controversial ongoing propaganda project to provide Samurdhi benefits to additional 600,000 persons. SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera, MP, said that UNP had chosen five companies run by its loyalists to conduct the campaign. 25 events/meetings were being organised countrywide at Samurdhi more..

Jun 12 (AD) The branch of a Bo tree has fallen on a group of preschool children at Pahamune in Narammala injuring several of them. Five preschool children are reported to have been injured in the incident. The injured preschoolers are currently receiving treatment at the Kurunegala Hospital. One of the students is in critical condition and is receiving treatment at the ICU. The branch of a 150-year-old Bo tree near the preschool had fallen on the preschool kids when they had been more..

Jun 12 (GDI) This year’s Poson week will begin today and will continue till 18 this month. Many programmes have been organized in Anuradhapura, Atamasthanaya, Mihintale and Thanthirimale sacred places. Anuradhapura District Secretary said that, all the organizers are prepared to provide special facilities for the benefit of the pilgrims to Anuradhapra during this Poson season. He also said over 200 Dansals will be conducted by various organisations. more..

Jun 12 (DM) Arabization was started and fostered in Kattankudy during the tenure of former Eastern province Governor M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, member of the federation of Kattankudy mosques and institutions Aboosali Uvais told the Parliament Select Committee (PSC). Testifying before the PSC, he said the Arabization was not the cultural value of Muslims and that it was a concept started in Saudi Arabia more..

Jun 12 (CT) A Sri Lankan doctor has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a vulnerable patient at a West Australian regional hospital after arguing it was a case of mistaken identity. Priyantha Padmike Dayananda, 49, was charged with sexual penetration without consent after the woman claimed a doctor molested her during an abdominal examination at Bunbury Hospital's emergency department in December 2017. She said he closed the cubicle curtains behind him, pulled up more..

Jun 12 (AD) Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has left for Singapore for a three-day official visit. He left via UL-308 flight of SriLankan airlines from the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) at around 12.15 p.m. this afternoon (12). Two other state officials have also left for Singapore to accompany the prime minister during his visit, said Ada Derana reporter. The delegation is due to return to Sri Lanka on the 14th of June. more..

Jun 12 (DN) President Maithripala Sirisena instructed officials to complete construction of the Pandit Amaradeva Music Centre by August 31 and vest it with the public. President made these instructions during a recent inspection of the construction site. The construction of the centre began on Aug 28, 2017, following an appeal made at Pandit Amaradeva's funeral and a promise made by President Sirisena. more..

Jun 12 (DN) CIABOC has sought Chief Justice’s approval to file indictments against former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage before the Permanent High Court Trial at Bar. This is for allegedly committing a Rs.53.1 million fraud while importing sports equipment during last the Presidential Election. Bribery Commission had initially filed a corruption case before the Chief Magistrate’s Court regarding this incident and sought Chief Justice‘s approval to transfer this case to more..

Jun 12 (CT) Lawyer J C Weliamuna and ex-Air Force Commander Kapila Jayampathy have been nominated to head Sri lanka’s diplomatic missions in Australia and Malaysia. The names had been submitted alongside 11 other names to the High Posts Committee for approval and among the other Posts where Chiefs of Mission will change include Qatar, Korea, Maldives, Vietnam, Nigeria, Kuwait, Cuba, Ethiopia, Nepal, Lebanon and Jordan. Weliamuna was a prominent member of Transparency International SL and more..

Jun 12 (FT) If one phrase sticks out from the babel of voices that followed the chaos of 21 April, it surely is eyes only. Men only, tourists only, invitees only, we are familiar with the diktat explicit in the words, but eyes only? Could it be a reference to a bank? In this country of many types of banks - from the plain and simple bank to central banks, development banks, blood banks and eye banks – we boast the full range. Or is this a misspelt reference to ice, pithy colloquial description of a laidback, more..

Jun 12 (CT) The causes of human trafficking are economic and political. But with many countries tightening their borders and immigration and asylum laws, illicit immigration led by human trafficking is big business. Sri Lankans, too, are victims of human trafficking. Nonetheless, some have been able to successfully make it to even distant Canada and Australia, in search of their pot of gold, despite stringent border controls, within and without. The majority of the victims subject to more..

Jun 12 (DN) The National Digital Roadmap, a roadmap of digital journey towards Smart Sri Lanka was launched at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre under the patronage of Prez Sirisena yesterday. With the launch of the roadmap, under the theme Limitless You covers operational activities of 16 fields including Governance, Security, Transportation, Mobility, Health, Communication, Education and many more. more..

Jun 12 (MFA) Tangible measures to collaborate with UN mechanisms in keeping with international norms and practices took center stage at discussions during the recent visit to Sri Lanka by UN Assistant Secretary General (ASG) and Executive Director of the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) Michčle Coninsx from 7-8 June 2019. The subjects covered included terrorist financing and asset freezing, more..

Jun 12 (FT) State Minister Eran Wickramaratne said the biggest uncertainty for investors was not the economy but SL’s tenuous politics, but reassured that the Govt was focused on maintaining strong economic fundamentals in the run up to elections. Speaking at the CT CLSA Asia Frontier Forum, Wickramaratne acknowledged that the Easter Sunday attacks had been a hit for the economy, more..

Jun 12 (HCI) The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday conducted raids at seven locations in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore in connection with an Islamic State (ISIS) module case. The raids were conducted after the investigating agency filed a fresh case in connection with an ISIS module. During the probe, the agency found that the leader of ISIS module was friends with Zahran Hashim on Facebook. more..

Jun 12 (Island) Tension was simmering between school administrations and parents due to statements made by Minister of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam over parents’ role in school security, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) alleged. CTU General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said: "The Minister told the media that parents no longer needed to be called to provide security to schools. He said that the necessary security more..

Jun 12 (EN) Prez Sirisena, should behave like an adult instead of heading for another confrontation with the parliament generating a constitutional crisis, a minister said as cabinet meeting came to a halt. "The President has again started a constitutional, legal and political conflict with the parliament," Minister champika Ranawaka said, as the president carried out a threat made last week by not calling a cabinet meeting. more..

Jun 12 (EN) The Chinese-managed Hambantota port on Sri Lanka’s south coast is being positioned as a multi-purpose port with facilities and space to cater to a wide range of industries and services, an official said. “Hambantota is a well-known historic port, but to the world at large it is relatively new,” said executive, Tissa Wickramasinghe, Chief Operating Officer of Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG). more..

Jun 12 (DM) Undertaking the theme Minimising of air pollution through sustainable forest management on World Environment Day 2019, President Maithripala Sirisena made a quite a surprising statement at a ceremony held at BMICH. He said that his govt would soon ban carpentry sheds popularly known as wadu maduwas and thus instructed carpenters and sawmill owners to find new jobs within five years. more..

Jun 12 (ST) No fanfare has accompanied the opening of the state-of-the-art Suraksha Children’s Centre at Negombo District General Hospital. With the hospital playing a prominent role in treating a majority of the men, women and children caught in the Easter Sunday bomb blast at Katuwapitiya’s St. Sebastian’s Church on April 21, the transfer of patients from their temporary ward to the Children’s Centre had been low key. more..

Jun 12 (HCI) UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2014, piloted by India declaring June 21 each year as the International Day of Yoga. The resolution was supported by more than 170 countries, with Sri Lanka being one of the first co-sponsors of the Resolution. Yoga, like Ayurveda, forms a part of shared heritage of India and Sri Lanka. Since 2015 International Day of Yoga has been celebrated throughout the country more..

Jun 12 (DM) The conundrum of happenings, people who are guilty, not guilty, tried and discharged, sent on bail, conflicting opinions on what has taken place; what is taking place and even about what will take place; is, to say the least, startling and even unbelievable in some instances. The people, especially those who survived the murderous attack, are mostly still in limbo, some even unable to cope with the reality of life. What of those who are alive and desperately need to be rehabilitated? more..