May 19 (CT) Writer acclaims the act of valor shown by one of the Commissioners of Election Commission (EC), Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole to pen down on, what indeed transpired between the EC and the AG in the process of retaining a Counsel for the Appearance in Case No. SC/FR/83/2020 (Charitha Gunarathne vs. Election Commission and et al.) and for other connected matters coming up before the SC, all of which have filed to prevent the General Election amidst this pandemic. more..

May 19 (CT) Back when the civil war was in its final throes, the UPFA Govt, led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, might have been unclear about whether they would be able to see an end to the Eelam War when the fourth and final phase began on 26 July 2006 at Mavil Aru. However, by 3 Jan 2008, Prez Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa were firm on one stance - no amount of internal or external pressure more..

May 19 (Island) More than 800 schools are without sanitary facilities, and about 1.2 million schoolchildren are malnourished, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin has said, quoting Education Minister Dullas Alahapperuma. He has said various projects launched by successive governments to develop schools have not yielded the desired results. He has also pointed out that the school midday meal programme has not helped tackle more..

May 19 (DN) A soldier never really dies. He lives on in our hearts. A soldier’s mission never ends, not even in death. A favourite war anecdote has a 10-year-old boy asking a World War II veteran “how does it feel to be a hero?”. His reply: “Oh, son, I am not a hero. We buried all the heroes, I am just a survivor”. No surviving soldier can ever forget his or her comrades in arms who perhaps died right next to them. Their devotion to friends and colleagues who made supreme sacrifice is simply more..

May 19 (DN) A 5o% reduction of Sri Lanka’s power generation is currently being carried out by the Ministry of Power and Energy after a careful study on the usage of electricity by the country’s small, medium and large scale goods and food manufacturing industries, economic zones, factories and other highly electricity consumption institutions. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said once the existing curfew is lifted and factories, industries and the other business enterprises commence more..

May 19 (DM) SL appears to have contained the Coronavirus more successfully than its peers. That the new patients have not been found from the community during the last 17 days ending Sunday, despite the implosion of cases in the barracks of Welisara Navy camp, which now account for more than half of the total confirmed cases, may suggest that the containment strategies have paid off. However, while fighting the pandemic, SL has given a new lease of life to an equally dangerous more..

May 19 (Island) Former cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga has urged SLC not to spend a colossal amount of money on vanity projects and instead utilize them on developing the game. Ranatunga’s comments come after SLC initiated a project to build an int'l stadium in Homagama at an approximate cost of US$ 40 million. "We have so many int'l cricket grounds in the country and some of them like Asgiriya and Moratuwa, more..

May 19 (DN) Former skipper Mahela Jayawardene has questioned the SL govt’s plan to build the country’s largest cricket stadium in Homagama, saying even the existing infrastructure is not used enough right now. The govt, in collaboration with SLC, on Sunday announced its plans of constructing the country’s largest cricket stadium, with a capacity of 60,000 and spread over 26 acre in Diyagama, Homagama. “We don’t even play enough int'l cricket or domestic first-class cricket in existing more..

May 19 (ST) Rugby players will have to change their lifestyles to minimise infections by wearing masks during training and adhering to the strict health guidelines such as hand washing and maintaining social distance during a post-pandemic era, according to the Chief Medical Officer of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) Dr. Namith Sankalpana. “Training with the mask will be difficult initially because people are not used to it. As a healthcare professional, most of the time we use masks in operation theatre. more..

May 19 (CT) Despite growing criticism on social media, as well as from veteran cricketers, SLC President Shammi Silva defended the decision to build Sri Lanka's biggest international cricket stadium in Diyagama, Homagama. He explained that despite there being a number of grounds available in Colombo, there hasn't been a cricket stadium built in the District since 1982, and there is only one stadium available with day/night cricket more..

May 19 (ST) Boxing is one of the hardest hit sports floored by the coronavirus pandemic even though individual training has been encouraged as boxers virtually keep fighting their own shadow to stay on their toes with a return to competition being several months away. “I think it is too early to say when local tournaments can resume. In two or three months we will know exactly where we stand. If there is no second wave of coronavirus in Sri Lanka and things die down to a certain extent, more..

May 19 (DN) As of last Friday, 106 listed companies out of a total of 289, disclosed to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) what impacts COVID 19 has had and would have on their performance which is of paramount importance to the investing public. The CSE on April 20, 2020, had requested all listed companies to disclose as a matter of priority the impact the pandemic has had on their respective businesses, the company’s response to the impact and the expected future impact of COVID-19 more..

May 19 (EN) Hearings into the Fundamental Rights applications challenging the date of the elections and Prez Rajapaksa’s refusal to reconvene Parliament will continue before the Supreme Court tomorrow. The hearings before a five-judge bench headed by CJ Jayantha Jayasuriya are aimed at deciding whether the court will grant leave to proceed for the eight FR petitions and a number of intervening petitions. more..

May 19 (CT) The three-decade separatist war between State Defence Forces and the LTTE came to an end 11 years ago, on 18 May 2009, giving Sri Lankans hope of a peaceful future. Members of Police Dept and Tri-Forces, LTTE militants, and also war-affected people on both sides saw the end of years of political and social instability, destruction, bloodshed and fear. The day the war ended is celebrated by Lankans annually, with the hope that such bloodshed never occurs again. more..

May 19 (FT) Hatton National Bank (HNB) has posted a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 2.6 bil for Q1 2020, representing an increase of Rs. 607 million over Q1 2019. HNB Chairman Dinesh Weerakkody said: “2019 was extremely challenging for the entire banking sector and we welcomed the year 2020 with great optimism. First two and half months of 2020 didn’t disappoint us. COVID-19 pandemic which has engulfed the globe, however, has been unprecedented in its impact across more..

May 19 (ST) Apparel workers’ jobs in over a 100 companies are still hanging in the balance even as private sector workers were being asked to receive Rs.14,500 or 50% of the basic salary during this COVID-19 crisis period. Govt together with trade unions & Employers’ Federation of Ceylon reached an agreement recently to pay workers Rs.14,500 or 50% of basic salary for those compelled to stay home. more..

May 19 (ST) SL banks will struggle with moratorium repayments towards the year end, but the real nightmares will be recovering other term loans, say worried bankers. Top bankers say that they’re still riding the honeymoon period on the moratorium and working capital loans which the govt declared in March. They fear the reserves will dry up because of the moratorium as the banks are denied monthly recovery of cash. The bigger banks will get the bigger challenges and they will be stressed more..

May 19 (Island) An unlimited number of issues confront the small and medium industrialists of this country currently. Most of them have run out of cash reserves completely and are not in a position to operate, since issues growing out of the COVID-19 pandemic have undermined their enterprises very badly. Since these businesses lack the required liquid cash, salaries of employees coming under these institutions, for example, cannot be paid in time, SL Chamber of Small and Medium more..

May 19 (MoD) Def. Min. has instructed Security Forces in the North to take necessary actions to prevent holding any gatherings or meetings in Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu under the Quarantine law to prevent the spread of coronavirus. With some information reaching the Ministry that some groups are planning to gather people to hold Mullivaikkal commemoration day ignoring health advices given by provincial health authorities, more..

May 19 (ST) On Sunday, a social media clip showed a poultry farmer drawing a curtain in a yard outside and as he did so, hundreds of chickens scrambled out, some flying in anxiety to get out of probably being cooped up for a long spell. A caption on the clip says….….“This is what will happen on Monday (meaning when Colombo is open for work and other economic activity)….” However, there wasn’t a rush to get to work on Monday, contrary to expectations while a near-normal situation had prevailed more..

May 19 (DN) Development projects at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), which were postponed for the past three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have resumed. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has advised contractors to expedite the construction work. He said so during a recent inspection tour at the said construction sites. The minister said the project was to commence in 2014, but was stalled by the previous govt. “After the govt changed, however, more..

May 19 (ST) The purchase of 300 air-purification systems by the Health Ministry under a controversial COVID-19 deal is to be cancelled after a top-level meeting this week, two weeks after the Sunday Times exposed alleged irregularities in the proposed transaction. The story as reported in the Sunday Times of May 3, The meeting’s minutes which were circulated later to several stakeholders had stated that more..

May 19 (PMD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa explores the possibility of finding employment for SL youths at prominent shipping companies in the world in the context of current situation where major shipping lines are facing labour shortages in the international market due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was discussed during a meeting with the representatives of leading local shipping companies at Prez Secretariat, today (18). The possibility for Lankans working in foreign ships more..

May 19 (DM) Canadian PM Justin Trudeau issuing a statement on the anniversary of the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka, has called for Sri Lanka to pursue a meaningful accountability process “As we mark the 11th anniversary of the end of armed conflict in Sri Lanka, my thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones. This is a time to reflect on the 26 years of conflict, including the last phase of the war in Mullivaikal, and the lives that were lost, and to remember those more..

May 19 (PMD) “I do not expect the state entities to engage in politics; what they need to do is to develop themselves; they should generate incomes; increase efficiency and productivity; minimize unnecessary expenditures and wastage. The State enterprises are run on the hard earned money of the toiling people of this country. Therefore, Public Sector organizations should not be a burden to the people” Prez Rajapaksa more..

May 19 (DM) In his first Ranaviru Day message after being elected to office, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said the greatest tribute to war heroes was to transform into a reality the aspirations of those who represented the ultimate aim of the civil war that culminated in victory on May 19, 2009. “I write this message with utmost contentment and pride to pay homage to the valiant war heroes who defeated separatist terrorism and brought peace and harmony to the country. more..

May 19 (AD) Daughter of DIG Ajith Rohana, a statement, refuted the rumors that she had allegedly absconded the quarantine process made mandatory by the govt for persons arriving in Sri Lanka from foreign countries. Certain media reports claimed that the daughter of DIG Ajith Rohana had returned to the island from Belarus - where she had been studying - and had been escorted home without being subjected to the mandatory quarantine process. more..

May 19 (EN) The centre of the tropical cyclone Amphan is now 900 kilometres away from Trincolmalee coast on May 19, but it has been upgraded to a Super Cyclonic Storm, the meteorological department said. “Due to the influence of the system, the prevailing showery condition over the island particularly in the south-western part is likely to continue further,” met department said in a forecast issued at 0530h. more..

May 19 (AD) Five more cases of COVID-19 infections have been reported a short while ago, confirmed the Ministry of Health. With the new cases, the count of COVID-19 cases identified today (18) rises to 10. Previously, 5 Navy personnel were reported to have contracted the disease. Thereby the total count of novel coronavirus cases reported in SL has moved to 991. The number of recoveries rose to 559 earlier today while a total of 418 active cases are currently under medical care. more..

May 19 (FT) Elaborate arrangements have been now finalised to pay the nation’s tribute to the memory of fallen patriotic War Heroes of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Security Department (CSD) on the 11th National War Heroes’ Day today at Battaramulla National War Heroes’ Monument (Jathika Ranaviru Smarakaya) during a dignified ceremony. Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief and Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, together with a galaxy of dignitaries, inclusive of the PM, more..

May 19 (FT) Colombo stock market showed its resilience within a week of early battering recouping lost ground and emerging stronger thanks to positive investor sentiments brokers and analysts said yesterday. Aided by strong buying interest the Colombo Stock Exchange’s (CSE) two indices set new records and turnover was healthy. The ASPI yesterday gained by 3.78% or 168 points, marking the highest rise since 16 Feb 2012. more..

May 19 (FT) The big-wigs are engaged in a legal battle on the constitutionality of many things. All their arguments appear sound, hard and plausible to the gullible. It is difficult for a layman to form a correct opinion when experts hold different views. Winning of the battle may not be enough to engage the admiration of all. General public are more concerned with the visible status than the long term consequences. But the Pooh-Bah continue unmindful about the gaze of the bystanders, more..

May 19 (DN) A Fundamental Rights petition filed on behalf of Attorney-at-law Hejaz Hisbullah, who has been arrested by the CID over an allegation that he had closely linked with the Easter Sunday suicide bombers was today fixed for support on June 1 by Supreme Court. Senior Deputy Solicitor General Nerin Pulle appearing for the Attorney General today sought further time to peruse the petition. SC bench comprised Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya, Justice Preethi Surasena & Justice Gamini Amarasekera. more..

May 19 (FT) If I remember correctly, the ceremonial adoption of the Constitution, on which our then legal luminaries had laboured for long months, took place not in the Parliament House but at a gathering hall of a Colombo school (there was no BMICH then). They argued that the new autochthonous constitution was a complete break with the order in council, Soulbury Constitution, hence even the venue ought not be the British-built Parliament. One of the consequences of the departure from the British-made more..

May 19 (EN) Sri Lanka’s stocks closed 2.18% up in a retail driven rally while high net worth individual were also bottom fishing selected stocks, while the rupees was steady in forex markets, dealers and broker said. In the spot market the rupee was quoted around 187.25/188.75 from Monday’s close of 187.50/188.50 levels, dealers said. The Colombo All Share Price Index closed at 4,707.43 up 100.58 points on May 19 after rising as much as 2.79 percent in intraday trade. more..

May 19 (DW) The island nation's high testing rate coupled with its established healthcare and surveillance system has kept COVID-19 mortality at bay. However, it seems the country's Muslims are not equally reaping benefits. SL reimposed a 24-hour curfew on Saturday in an apparent move to restrict people's movements during the weekend, even though the govt has begun easing a two-month lockdown. more..

May 19 (FT) Colombo’s iconic landmark and the single largest private mixed development investment in SL, Cinnamon Life by the John Keells Group, has resumed construction after a lockdown since March. An inspection of the Cinnamon Life construction site was made by Chief Public Health Inspector Dr. R.L. De S. Wijayamuni and other public health inspectors to assess the health and safety standards that have been introduced at the site. The 4.5 million sq. ft. integrated mixed-use development, more..

May 19 (AD) Ministry of Defence urged the public not to be misled by certain posts circulating on social media platforms regarding threats posed in Sri Lanka by extremist elements. “There is no truth in news being circulated in social media networks. The intelligence agencies have not received such information related to extremist threats in Sri Lanka,” Defence Secretary Major General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said. He reiterated that the national security of the country had not been more..