June 5 (CT) Lives of innocent children were taken not by the rain, but by the inaction, negligence and failure of you and your ministry who are responsible and accountable for managing disasters in Sri Lanka. Are the lives of the common people so expendable to the insensitive rulers of this country? Where are those comrades who vowed to take action if the Yahapalana regime fail to deliver their promise? Where are you? Wake up! What are you waiting for? Your silence is deafening! more..

June 5 (CT) Thank you Beverly for the opportunity to address this August gathering. I also thank Australian Aid and USAID for being our sponsor through the International Federation of Electoral Systems, IFES. Many of our Election Commission’s activities are because of IFES’s largesse. So thank you indeed. I am an electrical engineer who took to writing regular op-eds from the 1980s in US, India and Sri Lanka. Arjuna Ranawana started me with a contract with the Daily News. more..

June 5 (SO) SL was once again battered with torrential rain and relentless flooding with many areas being completely submerged and isolated. As road access became almost impossible the nation’s armed forces and police activated their contingency plans. Their combined and coordinated efforts saved thousands of lives, at a time of great distress. Navy continued their role in moving people to safety using 112 boats. more..

June 5 (SO) This cat’s mind has been turbulent like the flood waters of the Gin Ganga. She stopped short and asked herself why the Gin Ganga and not any other river that has spewed its swollen way through villages and towns, across bridges and over highways. Yes, why Gin Ganga? It was a voluntary and totally unpremeditated choice of river. Perhaps, maybe it’s because of its relevance to this feline’s present thoughts set on fire within her – ginigena. And why pray is the feline’s cat-fur ruffled, more..

June 5 (NS) Appathurai Vinayagamoorthy was a stalwart in Tamil politics. He was a former Parliamentarian and a lawyer. Born on December 19, 1933 in Sarasalai, Jaffna, Vinayagamurthi is someone who was known to have worked tirelessly for the downtrodden and the helpless. Vinayagamoorthy received his primary education at the Sarasalai Vidyalayam and then moved on to Driberg College, Chavakachcheri for his secondary education. more..

June 5 (SL) As the Finance Minister, he committed himself for around two years and four months to rebuild the country’s economy that was on the verge of collapse. Before he took over as the Foreign Minister, Minister Ravi Karunanayake thanked his officers and staff of the Finance Ministry who had rendered their support to him to accomplish this task. He said now he has added responsibilities both nationally & int'lly. more..

June 5 (ST) The very idea that more law is needed to effectively operate relief to affected persons hit by natural disasters in Sri Lanka, as put forward by some bright ministerial sparks in recent days, is an asininity which needs to be peremptorily dismissed. Let us be very clear. The issue is not the law. It is the sheer woeful incompetence of the political leadership and more specifically the imbeciles in charge of disaster management even though many govt officials rendered yeoman service more..

June 5 (Island) The yahapalana govt has not only stooped so low as to sell the family silver, unable to keep the economy afloat otherwise, but also driven a world famous athlete to consider selling her Olympic Silver medal. Susanthika Jayasinghe has announced her decision to auction her treasured possession, which has done the country proud, because she, a mother of two, is in dire straits without any help from the state. Govt’s callous disregard for Susanthika’s plight is sickening, more..

June 5 (ST) The death toll said it all: 208 dead, 90 missing and six hundred and thirty thousand displaced after one day’s rain last Thursday which had the nation horror-struck at how such a brief outburst from the skies could wreak such a terrible tragedy and leave such a trail of destruction in its wake. Last month on April 14th just when the nation was heralding the Sinhala New Year having boiled its milk of prosperity to over spill level and eaten heartily the auspicious milk rice more..

June 5 (ST) Earlier this week, when a Sri Lankan alerted a fellow Bangladeshi that cyclonic storm Mora was moving in their direction, his response was: We have been preparing for this. Reports from there state that people have been evacuated to at least 400 cyclone shelters, schools and government offices in coastal areas. “… this time we are more prepared,” Bangladeshi disaster management authority spokesperson Abul Hashim was quoted as saying in one report. more..

June 5 (CT) Sri Lanka powerfully on 25th May making us recall the old proverb you reap what you sow. Ending the severe drought of about 10 months, the exceptionally heavy downpours wreaked immeasurable havoc within 24 hours. Experts cite global warming caused by human activity as the reason for extreme climatic conditions. They argue that climate change is normal going by the fact that the temperature more..

June 5 (Roar) On May 30, around 1,000 protesters from across the North-East, converged with families of the disappeared in Kilinochchi to mark 100 days of continuous protest. In the hands of each protester was a photograph of a missing loved one, held close to the chest like a flimsy shield. Beginning the day with a sombre inter-faith prayer service, and a moment of silence for those dead and missing from floods and landslides in the South, protesters blockaded the A9 highways for six hours. more..

June 5 (Island) Suspension of stand-in captain Upul Tharanga for Sri Lanka’s remaining two games of the Champions Trophy comes as a bitter blow. Tharanga was suspended for the games against India and Pakistan after SL’s horrendous slow over rate during their opening fixture of the tournament against South Africa at The Oval. According to ICC regulations, teams are required to bowl their allotted overs within three and half hours, but the Sri Lankans took four hours and seven minutes more..

June 5 (LM) More than 100,000 Sri Lankan refugees continue to live in Tamil Nadu 30 years after the outbreak of civil war caused them to flee across the Palk Strait. Today they live on in the knowledge that their sheltering camps can never be home, while returning means having to rebuild life from the scratch. And for an entire generation, these camps are the only homes they’ve ever known—yet they are called refugees. more..

June 5 (FT) Members of Colombo Stock Exchange are opposing a recommendation by ADB Consultants to offer 50% stake in the future demutualised Bourse. The proposal for a 50:50 split in shareholding was shared at a recently convened Securities and Exchange Commission industry stakeholder meeting.  Representatives of the 15 member firms of the CSE were aghast at the recommendation since the thinking within the industry is a preference for a 80:20 split with more..

June 5 (CI) For what can be significant part of a match against many other teams, India were not at their best in the first match of their title defence. Yet, confirming how far Pakistan have fallen behind modern limited-overs cricket, they won by a whopping 124 runs. Even if Pakistan had not grappled with the age-old problem of dropped catches - Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli plundered 45 off 24 and 38 off 12 after being reprieved - Pakistan might have still had to chase 280, more..

June 5 (ICC) It was an extremely disappointing start to the tournament for the Sri Lankans. Missing captain Angelo Mathews badly, they showed all the reasons why they have been so inconsistent in the past 18 months. The bowlers started strongly and then fought-back well in the final death overs after a wonderful partnership between Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis. There were also glimpses of promises with a lively start from Niroshan more..

June 5 (Island) Many reasons are given for the difficulties in resolving the Sri Lankan Ethnic issue. The Emeritus Professor of the Department of Sociology, Hunter College, New York offers a fresh point of view. He points to the want of proportionality as the cause for the delay in the resolution of the ethnic problem. The plea is made for intransigent attitudes to be abandoned so as to arrive at a compromise for peace and REST to all (emphasis is mine). more..

June 5 (PP) The inventor of the famous Dilscoop shot, Tillakaratne Dilshan along with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene was the backbone of the Sri Lanka Test and Limited-over squads until he played his last international match in September 2016. During an international career which lasted almost 17 years, Tillakaratne Dilshan played 497 matches scoring a mammoth 17671 runs which included 39 centuries and 83 fifties. Dilshan spoke of the loss to int'l cricket due to more..

June 5 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket posted a profit of Rs 63 million for the year ending Dec 31, 2016, but their liabilities have increased by a staggering 91% when compared with the previous year. Audited accounts of SLC, which were tabled and passed at its AGM on May 28, reveal board’s liabilities to be at Rs 1.39 billion. This is a massive increase when compared with the 2015 financial year when liabilities stood at Rs 728 million. more..

June 5 (CT) Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that no Sri Lankans were affected by yesterday's terror attack in London, UK. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mahishini Colonne, yesterday tweeted that there were no reports of Sri Lankans being affected in the London Bridge attack. "Sri Lanka condemns the terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom. Extends deepest condolences to families of victims of the terrorist attacks and wish the injured a quick recovery. more..

June 5 (CT) Appeal Court Judge Ms Cherine J. Madawala, who died in harness on Friday, was educated at CMS Ladies' College Colombo 7, now known as Ladies' College. At the time of her untimely death, she was on the Bench, hearing appeals. After having had passed out from Sri Lanka Law College, she enrolled as a lawyer on 25 August 1977 and apprenticed under lawyers H.E.P. Perera and Abeynayake. She also practiced in the chambers of the late lawyer Ambalawana and more..

June 5 (DM) The JVP had requested for an immediate Parliamentary debate on the current floods and landslide disaster, party sources said. The party leader had already written to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya requesting for a debate. Meanwhile, JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake said that the plantations along the central hills had been the cause of the recent disaster. “Development was carried out in this country by safeguarding more..

June 5 (DN) Zhong Tian Construction Company Ltd of China plans to invest over US$ one billion in real estate and leisure sectors in Sri Lanka. The company will shower over US$ 70 million in the Millennium Park to develop the center into a international entertainment hub. This will also comprise a 200 room four star hotel, apartments, shopping mall and a mini amusement park. This development is being planned with Browns Leisure which is already maintaining and operating more..

June 5 (DM) Strict action would be taken against any individual or group, who incited racism via social media, the Police said today. The Police said OICs of respective areas would be held responsible if there were such incidents or clashes. IGP Pujith Jayasundara had instructed OICs, ASPs, Divisional in-Charge Police officers and DIGs across the country to work accordingly in a committed manner to avoid such incidents, a spokesman for the Police said. more..

June 5 (Island) Sri Lanka’s only female Olympic medalist, Susanthika Jayasinghe, says that she will have to auction her silver medal as she is without funds to look after her two children. Jayasinghe said the incumbent govt had stopped paying her salary for working as an adviser to the Sports Ministry. She had been an advisor at the Sports Ministry for selecting and training competitors for more..

June 5 (Island) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) needs more listings from private and public entities to attract local and foreign investors to help establish a vibrant market in the region, CSE chairman Ray Abeywardena said. "Several govt entities, including Colombo Hilton, Lanka Hospitals, SriLankan Airlines and Grand Hyatt, that were due to be listed, have not been listed so far, Abeywardena said. He said that the CSE is urging the govt to go public with large state-owned enterprises (SOE)s, more..

June 5 (Xinhua) A Chinese cargo plane carrying emergency humanitarian relief arrived in SL on Saturday, which was hit by floods and landslides earlier this week. Relief items, including tents, bed sheets, life jackets, blankets and rain boots, were handed over to Ministers Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Ravi Karunanayake by Chinese Ambassador Yi Xianliang. Speaking at the BIA, minutes after arrival of the Air China flight, both ministers thanked China's prompt assistance to help Sri Lanka. more..

June 5 (DM) In the assignment of subjects to the Ministers in keeping with the recent Cabinet reshuffle, President Maitripala Sirisena had decided not to Gazette any institution under their purview if it was out of their scope, sources said yesterday. “The President has taken such a decision amidst reports that some Ministers are seeking the control of institutions, which are not directly relevant to their scopes,” the source said. more..

June 5 (DN) A female demonstrator attached to the Peradeniya University’s Science Facility died after being knocked down by the Colombo-Badulla Podimenike express train while she was walking across the Peradeniya Railway bridge (Kalu Palama) around 9 a.m on June 3. She was identified as Tharindi Wijesiriwardena of Kalagama, Pannipitiya. Police said investigations revealed that after graduating from Peradeniya university she had received a posting as a computer instructor. more..

June 5 (AP) Even though he is no longer SL's best player, Lasith Malinga brings a much needed superstar presence. Malinga failed to make a major impact during his first ODI since Nov 2015 on Saturday, in the defeat to South Africa in the Champions Trophy, but his return was still a welcome one. The only player to have three ODI hat tricks, and who has led SL to two Cricket World Cup finals, has limited his appearances because of injuries and a preference for Twenty20s. more..

June 5 (Island) Major civil society organisations that campaigned for Maithripala Sirisena and the UNP at presidential and parliamentary polls in 2015, have looked askance at govt’s first cabinet reshuffle. NMSJ and Purawesi Balaya said that the cabinet reshuffle was certainly meant to appease some members of the SLFP and the UNP. Prof. Sarath Wijeyasooriya said that those who had tirelessly worked for the Rajapaksas’ defeat more..

June 5 (DM) Ministry of Industry and Commerce said today that the recent consignment of Basmathi rice imported from Pakistan by Sathosa is suitable for consumption. The Ministry was compelled to issue a statement following a campaign launched by social media to defame the state retail super market chain. In a statement, the ministry said there is a ongoing campaign with vested interests on social media to damage public trust of Sathosa super markets. more..

June 5 (Island) SL Navy had completed 10,000 Onboard Security Team movements as at yesterday since it was tasked with providing security to foreign vessels––a task which had earlier been performed by the Avant Garde Maritime Security services, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne said. Navy had provided OBST services through the operation centres of Colombo, Galle, and Hambantota, since Nov. 13, 2015 and earned Rs. 3,510,517,197 for the state. more..

June 5 (FT) The track record of the country’s Ministry of Finance in terms of proper bookkeeping of Govt funds as well as compliance has worsened over the past four years, with successive annual reports given qualified opinion by the Auditor General’s Department. An assessment of Finance Ministry’s annual reports and accounts for the past decade by the Daily FT has revealed that those from 2013 (which includes the period when more..

June 5 (DM) US President Trump described his first oversees visit as successful of course he tweeted it.  However, whilst in the US leader’s mind he may consider his visit to Saudi Arabia successful, it is painfully obvious that the Saudi’s played the US leader by using their petro-wealth to purchase armaments from the US and in return won the US president’s endorsement of Saudi leadership in the Middle East and portray Iran as an exporter of international terrorism. more..

June 5 (DM) The recent cabinet reshuffle and the new composition of the Finance Ministry has evoked much anticipation. Will the new Finance Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, succeed in revitalising SL’s ailing economy?  Before getting into what the Ministry, under his leadership, may or may not be able to achieve, let us look at where the economy stands. Exactly a year ago, SL signed the IMF Extended Fund Facility agreement in June 2016 with stringent conditions for a US$ 1.5 billion loan. more..

June 5 (CT) Convenor of the Anti Corruption Front and President of the Inter-Company Employees' Union Wasantha Samarasinghe said the govt was totally impotent at a time of natural disasters and it was virtually the civil society which was running the country. He also said the families of the 300 plus people who died in the floods should take the govt to Court for not being able to save their lives. more..

June 5 (EN) Lanka IOC, a publicly traded unit of the Indian Oil Corporation, Sri Lanka's second-largest oil distributor, has called for formula-based pricing to end economic risks and help drive investment to the sector. "[The] Single most critical factor that affects your company’s performance is the absence of a pricing formulae for auto fuels," Chairman BS Canth said. "As the retail price of auto fuels in Sri Lanka is driven by the govt, more..