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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe categorically denied claims of allowing the Chinese to operate on the Hambantota port and reiterated that only the Sri Lanka Navy would control the security at the port.

Issuing a statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that " (they) would like to make following clarifications with regard to a news item that appeared in Print media regarding the Prime Minister’s speech made at the Dr. Saman Kelegama memorial conference held on 29.06.2018 in Colombo". 

At this conference the Prime Minister stated that he negotiated with Prime Minister Li and President Xi of China and came up with a proposal which was beneficial for both parties. Sri Lanka also informed the Chinese that Hambantota cannot be used for military purposes. 

"As far as the Hambantota port is concerned it will only be a commercial port which will trigger off much needed economic development of backward districts of Hambantota and Moneragala very soon", the statement further said.

Allaying any fears, the Prime Minister stated that the Sri Lanka Navy is moving its Southern Command to Hambantota. 

"There is no need to be frightened as security of the port will be under the control of Sri Lanka Navy", the Prime Minister said.

Price of a domestic gas cylinder has been reduced by 138 rupees with effect from midnight yesterday. 

The Consumer Affairs Authority has made the decision to reduce the price of an LP gas cylinder following a decision was taken by the Cost of Living Committee.
 
Accordingly, the price of a 12.5-kilogram domestic gas cylinder has been reduced to Rs 1538 from Rs. 1676.
 
The Consumer Affairs Authority said the gas companies have been notified of the reduction of gas prices with immediate effect. According to the CAA Chairman, anyone found selling over and above the specified price is set to be prosecuted.

The vehicle used in the Matara jewellery shop robbery and its owner has been taken into the police custody, early this morning, Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. 

According to the Police, the arrest was made at Meditation Center Road, Moragahahena-Thalagala, by the Kalutara Crime Division Officers while the owner has been identified as 43-year-old named Madapathage Kapila Kumara.

The Police had been attempting to trace the white Alto car holding the license plate no. CAE 4706, allegedly used at the robbery. Investigations also revealed that several of the robbery suspects had been living in this address four months before the incident.

The Court of Appeal issued an interim order preventing the removal of B. Denishwaram from the position of Northern Province Minister of transport, fisheries and rural development.

The order was issued when a petition filed by Denishwaram against the Chief minister C.V Wigneswaran on his decision to remove Denishwaram was taken up before the Court of Appeal.

The petition was taken up before a bench comprising Kumudini Wickremesinghe and Janaka De Silva. The case is due to be taken up once again on the July 9.

Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya has been appointed as the Chairman of the Government Medical Officers Association for an eighth term. He was elected unanimously and power of the Central Committee was also won by the team lead by him. 

The appointments took place at the GMOA general meeting yesterday (30).

The wife of former JVP leader Rohana Wijeweera filed a habeas corpus petition today before the Appeal Court requesting to order the government to produce her husband before an appropriate court or to release him. 

The petitioner, Srimathi Chithrangani Wijeweera, states that her husband, the founding leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), went missing after being arrested by the government during the insurgency in 1989. Twelve individuals including the Attorney General have been named as respondents in the habeas corpus petition.
 
She states that her husband was arrested by government security forces on November 12, 1989 in the Ulapane area and that he was not produced before any court ever since. She further says that it has been close to 29 years since her husband was arrested and that the government has not even legally informed her whether he is alive or not. Therefore they are unable to uncover what happened to him, she said.

Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has threatened to halt fuel supplies on credit to Sri Lankan Airlines if the outstanding due amount is not paid by Wednesday (04).

CPC is said to have demanded the airline pay around Rupees One billion before the deadline. 

The amount, from an outstanding Rs 14 billion, is said to be needed by the CPC which is currently locked in another payment controversy with the Inland Revenue Department. Last week, the IRD froze the bank accounts of the CPC after it failed to pay up the Value Added Tax (VAT) totalling Rs 1.5 billion for the purchase of petroleum derivatives. The action came with the concurrence of the Treasury and was temporarily settled with the CPC paying Rs. 500 million.

The CPC has also informed the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation and the Presidential Secretariat of its decision to cut off fuel supplies to SriLankan. SriLankan Airlines officials have warned that the airlines’ operations would grind to a halt as a result. 

CPC Chairman Dhammika Ranatunga has said that in future the CPC will maintain a strict policy regarding overdue payments. The CPC has to collect unpaid dues amounting to Rs 70 billion, including Rs 46 billion from the CEB and Rs 14 billion from SriLankan Airlines.

President Maithripala Sirisena made an inspection tour of the construction site of the National Nephrology Hospital in Polonnaruwa, which is a gift from China, yesterday (28), the President's Media Division said.

This new hospital will also be the largest kidney hospital in South Asia and is built at a cost of LKR 1.2 billion
The President said that the kidney hospital would be a great asset and a gift to the people of Sri Lanka, not only for the people living in the North Central Province but also in other areas.

The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities.

The project is expected to be completed within 24 months.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, responding to the New York Times article titled “How China Got Sri Lanka to Cough Up a Port” has called it a smear campaign. 

Releasing a communique the former President rejected the claims made by the article on him receiving money from the China Harbour
He has also stated that the China Harbour Co was investigated by the current government and has been cleared of any wrongdoings before being handed over the project back to them.

He also claimed that no contribution was made by China Harbour Co to his 2015 presidential election campaign claiming that every Sri Lankan knows that the main preoccupation of this government since it came into power has been to sling mud at the opposition.

A Sri Lankan Tamil man and his two sons have been found dead in Chennai, the New Indian Express reported. The smell reportedly alerted neighbours that something was amiss on Tuesday.

Concerned, they broke down the doors of the Maduravoyal residence and found Habib Rahman and his two sons, both younger than six dead. It is suspected that Rahman’s estrangement from his wife, Anusha, may have played a role in their death.

Police said that the 38-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil, who had lived in Chennai for some years,  worked for a catering unit. Two years ago his wife moved to Sri Lanka. Rahman had reportedly tried to reconcile with his wife but in vain.

“Rahman learnt that she had visited the city last week but did not meet him or the children. This upset him,” police sources said, adding that suicide was suspected. Investigations revealed that the neighbours had last seen Rahman and the boys on Sunday.

“On Tuesday, neighbours noticed a foul smell and broke the doors,” said a police source. They alerted police who sent the bodies to Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem. The police have registered a case. 

Source : Colombo Gazette

Chamara Lakshan Kumara, the current editor in chief of the Silumina and Resa newspapers. He passed away yesterday following a brief illness. Chamara was 39.

Educated at C.W.W. Kannangara Vidyalaya, Matugama, Chamara began his journalism career at the Lakbima newspaper. He also served as a journalist at the Rivira and Irudina newspapers. He was a Masters graduate in Political Science and a widely respected media personality.

Chamara was the founding editor of Resa, the newest Lake House publication and was recently appointed Editor in Chief of Silumina, the company’s flagship newspaper. He was its youngest-ever editor.
Chamara is survived by his wife, Nilupa Dilhani, his son Dinuga Vidunitha and his parents.

Source : Sunday Observer

A former Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has reportedly left the country, joining a foreign delegation, using forged documents impersonating the current Ministerial Secretary.

Informed sources say that Jagath P. Wijeweera, has joined a foreign delegation leaving the country, masquerading as the current secretary to the ministry, in order to travel abroad.

According to documented information, Ceylon Today has received, Wijeweera, who was removed from his position on 10 May, 2018, had entered the Bandaranaike International Airport together with his spouse and a delegation and had allegedly taken a flight from Colombo to the United States.

D. K. R. Ekanayake currently holds the office of the Secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries, after she took up duties officially in May.

It was also alleged that Wijeweera had enjoyed the facilities at the VIP lounge of the airport; payments which he has signed under the Ministry expenses.

Sources at the Ministry noted that Wijeweera is supposed to return to the country next...... month (July) however, suspicion has surfaced as to whether he will return or not.

Following this realization, the Aviation and Aviation Services (Pvt) Ltd., has made several inquiries with the Ministry.

Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Vijith Wijayamuni Zoysa, has said that he is aware of the accusation against Wijeweera. He further emphasized that the Ministry’s internal audit will conduct an inquiry into his spending and other related accusations.
 
Source : Ceylon Today