June 18 (NS) Govt has plans of bringing new laws for vehicle owners who fail to renew revenue licence at the appropriate time by imposing additional fines. This was revealed during a recent discussion organized by the Ministry of Transport and Aviation to discuss the problems associated with using CCTV for road safety and how to solve them to minimize the issues related with road safety. Accordingly, compared to first five months more..

June 18 (DN) Chinese Chamber of Commerce in SL hosted a meeting that brought together 10 representatives of the Guangzhou Municipal Commission of Commerce. The objectives of the conference was to establish a bilateral co-operation mechanism and to promote investment and trade co-operation between SL and Guangzhou in a variety of sectors such as electronics, IT, Internet trading, warehouse logistics, leatherwear, food manufacturing, building materials, more..

June 18 (Island) Lanka Bell, Sri Lanka’s largest fixed wireless operator announced this week that it has achieved the milestone of providing 4th generation internet connectivity (marketed under the BELL4G brand) to 15,000 households and businesses since the Company launched its 4G LTE digital network. "Lanka Bell has been able to achieve this significant milestone purely due to its superior quality service, a better consumer experience and for being the operator with the lowest tariffs more..

June 18 (NS) Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons informed last week that it had reached a bottleneck as the Ministry of Defence had not complied with a request made by the Commission asking for the list of names of those who had surrendered to the security forces during the terminal phase of the war. Chairman of the Commission, retired HC Judge Maxwell more..

June 18 (Island) Sri Lanka established yet another milestone on the region’s Broadband Technology landscape with an exposition of South East Asia’s first 4.5G demonstration featuring download speeds in excess of 1Gbps. The ground breaking technology capability test was carried out on the Huawei Technologies’ LTE infrastructure of Dialog Axiata, the country’s leading 4G Network Provider. The demonstration established the capability of the network to deliver throughputs more..

June 18 (FT) The Govt is in the process of collecting data on the number of businesses that were affected by the Salawa Ammunition Depot blaze earlier this month, Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said yesterday. Wickramaratne said he was part of a cabinet committee that was coordinating long-term relief in the aftermath of the Salawa destruction and the devastation caused by the recent floods. “In the Colombo District alone 38,000 families have been affected by the floods. more..

June 18 (NS) National Poisons Information Centre (NPIC) revealed that it had received several cases of Glufosinate poisoning during the recent past. Head of NPIC, said that although the exact figure had yet to be analyzed most recently five cases had been reported concerning Glufosinate poisoning, where the patients had initially been admitted with mild neurological symptoms which had subsequently worsened. more..

June 18 (Island) President of the PHU and Colombo District MP, Udaya Gammanpila, Attorney-at-Law has complained to the Supreme Court about an imminent unreasonable arrest by the Special Investigation Unit of the Police. The petition has said that the SIU made a baseless allegation against him citing a monetary deal with an Australian national. Gammanpila has requested the court to restrain the SIU from taking further steps to subject him to an unlawful arrest. more..

June 18 (CG) IGP Pujith Jayasundara was in Jaffna where met police officers in the area and discussed law and order related issues. Police headquarters said that 324 male and female Police officers representing various police divisions and ranks from Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Kankasanthurai, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya took part in the discussion at the Jaffna District Secretariat. The officers had the opportunity to convey matters directly to the IGP and were able to find instant solutions, more..

June 18 (Island) Additional National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) teams would be deployed to expedite the on-going investigations to identify landslide prone areas in Aranayake in the Kegalle District, Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said. Addressing the District Disaster Management Committee Meeting at Aranayake District Hospital, Minister Yapa ordered that the people in landslide prone areas be evacuated. more..

June 18 (EAR) Katchatheevu was ceded to Sri Lanka by the Indian govt in 1974. As a result, India and Sri Lanka are only separated by 12 nautical miles. Until the Eelam war broke out in 1983, Palk Bay was peacefully maintained, with the fishermen in both countries enjoying mutual use of the strait for their livelihood. In the last three decades it has become a hot topic for Indian policy makers, especially as it reflects on TN state politics. SL navy arresting Indian fishermen for fishing near more..

June 18 (DN) Poson Poya Day, which falls tomorrow, recalls historical reminiscences that enrich the Sinhala culture and its moral values through the influence of Buddhist culture that was introduced with the establishment of the Buddha Sasana with the arrival of Arahath Mahinda, President Sirisena states in a message to mark Poson. "Intellectuals rank this historical instance, which occurred 2,323 years ago as the most significant milestone of the Sinhala culture. more..

June 18 (FT) Making a special statement on the European Union (EU) officially lifting its fisheries ban on Sri Lanka, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined a slew of measures to boost the economy including regaining GSP+ and signing the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India by end 2016. “The fisheries industry now has the opportunity to export fish to the European Union. more..

June 18 (DN) More than 3,000 police officers have been deployed in Anuradhapura during Poson, SSP Priyantha Jayakody said. He said the officers would be deployed to the Eight Sacred Places Atamasthana, in Anuradhapura, Mihinthalaya and in Thanthirimalaya to ensure the safety of devotees. They would also help implement the special traffic plan drawn to deal with the influx of traffic during the Poson season. Jayakody also said the Police Anti-Vice Squad would use trained canines more..

June 18 (Hindu) A SL national lodged in the special refugee camp in Tiruchi threatened to commit suicide along with his family on Friday, giving tense moments to State authorities. K. Dhayabararaj has been demanding his release from the camp claiming that he is innocent and has no criminal case pending against him in SL. Even as security agencies assured his family that the release of Mr. Dhayabararaj was pending with the govt, the refugee fell ill and was rushed to Hospital more..

June 18 (DN) President Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe have agreed to resolve the existing practical difficulties that hinder the smooth and fast progress of ongoing investigations into large scale corruption, fraud and bribery allegations, when they met a group of civil society representatives at a closed door meeting yesterday. A group of 17 civil society leaders called on the President and the PM to raise their concerns more..

June 18 (CT) While the bodies of a father, mother and their two children were found by a rescue team Thursday under mountains of landslide debris, earth and granite at the Aranayake landslide site, those living in safe areas, surrounding the landslide-prone high-risk zone in Aranayake have been warned against returning to their homes until the monsoonal rains have ended, especially if there is the danger of another landslide disaster, Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said. more..

June 18 (FT) The most sacred relics of Lord Buddha from Taxila Pakistan were exhibited for the general public in Bodirukkaramaya, Diyasenpure, Medirigiriya, for two days from 16 to 17 June. After the two days long exposition in Polonnaruwa the sacred relics of the Lord Buddha will be taken to Anuradhapura for exposition on 18 and 19 June. Thereafter, the holy relics will be taken to Kandy for exposition on 20 and 21 June before bringing them back to Colombo on 22 June. more..

June 18 (FT) The President’s decision on whether to reappoint the Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran for a further six year term will be based on a performance review of sorts, Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said, as the Govt comes under increasing pressure to remove the controversial official. He said that constitutionally President must make the decision on the appointment, on Finance Minister’s advice. more..

June 18 (DM) Absolving guilt and cleansing one’s sins have remained the most compelling notions of man from the day he was able to distinguish right from wrong. There is nothing more comforting to the undeveloped psyche than to be able to lay absolute faith in one’s chosen formula of redemption with the singular hope of escaping punishment and finding salvation. Varied therefore, were techniques adopted by him to achieve that end, the most primitive being worship of mountains & trees. more..

June 18 (DM) Every month on Poya day, Buddhists in Sri Lanka celebrate some event either in the life of Lord Buddha or an important event connected to Buddhism. Their most important and solemn day is the Wesak (full moon) Poya day. On this day we commemorate the three main events in the life of Lord Buddha. These comprise his birth, attainment of enlightenment and his passing away. Apart from these, certain events celebrated every year have great meaning in the lives of all Buddhists. more..

June 18 (SL) The illegal construction of a large fish pond has been identified as one of the contributing factors in the recent flood in Kolonnawa and Kohilawatte areas by residents who allege that Kuma Stickers Pvt Ltd, one of the most well-known advertising companiy’s which displays cut-outs of high-ranking politicians, is behind it. Even though the residents have informed relevant authorities about the illegal fish pond more..

June 18 (SL) It has now been revealed how the UDA, which came under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development during the previous regime, spent a staggering Rs. 4.1 billion on promotional events allegedly on the verbal instructions of the then Secretary of Defence and Urban Development, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Amongst the events this money was spent on were opening ceremonies, advertising campaigns, more..

June 18 (DBS) Kollanta Pavement, Kellanta Garment was a humorous saying frequently repeated during the days of former President R Premadasa. It was an allusion made in lighter vein about the proliferation of garment factories employing girls in most parts of the country during President Premadasas’s rule. The inference was that while young women were being gainfully employed at the garment factories, more..

June 18 (IANS) The India-renovated Duraiappah sports stadium in the embattled Sri Lankan city of Jaffna had once laid bare the hidden brutalities of the Tamil civil war when at least 23 human skeletons, including those of some disappeared children buried secretly in the playground, were discovered in 1999. The stadium, named after a former Jaffna mayor, the late Alfred Thambirajah Duraiappah, Tamil-dominated more..

June 18 (ST) A govt minister has intervened in the ragging controversy at the Institute of Indigenous Medicine (IIM) in Rajagiriya, ordering a fresh inquiry into a series of incidents, with students describing an ugly environment of humiliation and physical and sexual abuse. The State Minister of Higher Education, Mohan Lal Grero, said the decision had been taken following new complaints of ragging at the Institute. more..

June 18 (Island) The secret practice of senior jail guards ragging new recruits came to light yesterday when at least one hundred trainee jailers attached to the Welikada Prison, unable to bear cruel treatment, threatened to resign en masse unless they were transferred out. Commissioner General of Prisons Nishan Dhanasinghe said that he had commenced an investigation into the complaint by the newly recruited guards. more..

June 18 (SL) While a large number of Sri Lankans were battered by a double dose of natural disasters in the form of floods and landslides caused by torrential rains, another devastating man-made disaster wreaked havoc in a populated part of the country when one of the key armouries that belonged to the SL Army in Salawa, Awissawella, exploded. Before being converted into an arsenal of deadly weapons and explosives, more..

June 18 (AD) UPFA Colombo District MP and PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila says he has been arrested at his office in Pagoda Road, Nugegoda. The MP says that he is currently being taken to the Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Gammanpila has been accused of using an allegedly fraudulent Power of Attorney to sell shares of a company while he had been questioned on several occasions by the SUI over this. more..

June 18 (AD) Olympic Silver medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe has been admitted to the Gampaha Hospital following an assault incident. Her husband has been arrested by Weliweriya Police on suspicion over the incident, police said. Susanthika, Sri Lanka’s only female Olympic medallist, is currently receiving treatment in ward No. 8 of the Gampaha Hospital for injuries sustained in the attack. more..

June 18 (IE) Asserting the Duraiappah stadium a symbol of optimism and economic development, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday said India will walk side by side with Sri Lanka as it charts its own path to progress and prosperity for all citizens. “Duraiappah stadium is not just bricks and motors it is a symbol of optimism and economic development. An arena of phosphorous and healthy future for Jaffna’s youth. more..

June 18 (CT) In the olden days on the school cricket scene priority was given to only the senior game. The under 12, 14 and 16 games were only a runway to senior cricket. With the game being pushed onto the international stage cricket needed development at a much faster pace. As school cricket was the sole provider of cricketing talent there was the need to uplift the game in the schools to a more efficient level. Today school cricket in SL, compared to being based more prominently in Colombo then, more..

June 18 (CT) The world is clearly witnessing a transition to a new world order which can also be seen as having as its obverse side a new imperialism. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the US became the sole super power, with a global reach of hard power and soft power that could not be matched by any other. At the same time it showed that it did not want any other power to emerge with any power outside its territorial borders. That was shown most clearly by the US more..

June 18 (Island) Independent Govt Trade Union Organisation Sri Lanka Customs General Secretary R. Wijekoon along with other trade unions want President Maithripala Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickremesinghe to discard Draft Proposals For A New Customs Law (DPFANCL) to be presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake on June 21. Unionists allege that it has been drafted to facilitate fraudulent importers and ruling party politians’ companies. more..

June 18 (DN) Draft Local Council Elections Amendment Bill has been referred to Elections Commission to obtain technical guidelines and specifications, Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said. He was addressing an awareness seminar on electoral registration attended by govt officials and civil organisation representatives. Deshapriya said whatever said and done by certain individuals and critics Local Council elections could not be held until certain more..

June 18 (EN) Police Saturday made a rare apology to all media institutions and journalists after the head of Police Special Task Force (STF), DIG Ranjith Perera threatened violence to control the press. IGP Pujith Jayasundara ordered his media bosses to summon an urgent press conference to announce disciplinary action against DIG Perera' outburst at his headquarters captured by reporters on audio tapes. more..

June 18 (CT) With the advent of Poson week the influx of hordes of beggars into the sacred city of Anuradhapura has begun with their presence evident everywhere. The beggar invasions of places such as Anuradhapura, Mihintale and Thanthirimala have been commonplace seasonal exoduses by these beggar hordes who play on the religious/humane sentiments of pilgrims to make a rip-off during these holy seasons from hundreds of thousands of pilgrims especially during more..

June 18 (CT) Health Ministry will immediately launch yet another three-day dengue prevention campaign in a desperate bid to arrest the trend of rising dengue victims, with hospitals reporting at least 24 deaths as at the end of the previous weekend, for this year alone. The dengue scourge continues to be relentlessly on the rise and an immediate dengue prevention campaign will be carried out countrywide with the support of all health authority officials, members of the armed forces and the police. more..

June 18 (Island) In response to fears being expressed by people of Halbarawa over the planned siting of a nuclear lab in the area, the Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB) said there will no harmful effect on the environment due to activities of the proposed facility. Full text of the statement issued by SLAEB: The SLAEB, which is currently established at Orugodawatte, is to be relocated as a result of proposed project more..