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Sri Lankan government is said to have decided to handover an extensive report regarding the crimes and corrupt activities committed during the Rajapaksa regime by a dual citizen of Sri Lanka and the US, Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.  

The report will include information on investigations carried out against him by the Criminal Investigation Division and the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) along with details on the steps taken by the Attorney General's Department and the Bribery Commission in this regard. 

The report will be filed under certain special provisions of the US Immigration & Nationality Act -IN sources said.

U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Atul Keshap, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Sri Lanka Mission Director Reed Aeschliman, and Dr. Michael Ernst from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) met with Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Management and Disaster Management Duminda Dissanayake to discuss Sri Lanka’s preparedness ahead of the monsoon season. 

Topics also included past and ongoing U.S. financial and technical assistance for disaster preparedness, management, and recovery. USAID has provided assistance during natural crises to Sri Lanka since 2001 through OFDA.  To date, USAID/OFDA has provided more than 13 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($85 million) in response to natural disasters in the country. 

During his visit, Dr. Ernst met with government agencies, such as the National Building Research Organization and the Meteorological Department, and United Nations humanitarian response experts to discuss improvements to disaster management systems and information sharing, including early detection and warning of deadly landslides.

Britain’s Foreign Office destroyed almost 200 files on Sri Lanka dating from the start of the Tamil Tiger uprising during which MI5 and the SAS secretly advised the country’s security forces, it has emerged.

The loss of the files means that there is almost no record of the British government’s work with the Sri Lankan authorities at the start of a famously brutal civil war.

The destruction of the files raises fresh concerns about the Foreign Office’s attitude towards handling historic files on sensitive subjects. An official review in 2012 found that the department had destroyed thousands of documents detailing British counter-insurgency operations in Kenya and other colonies as the empire came to an end.

Under the Public Records Act 1958 government departments are obliged to preserve historic records. But, in response to a Freedom of Information request from the Guardian asking for information about the destruction of the files, the Foreign Office stated that it was not required to preserve the documents. It said the files’ content “may be of a policy nature but might also be administrative or ephemeral”.
The Foreign Office has now confirmed that it destroyed 195 files on Sri Lanka, dating from 1978 to 1980, three decades after the country became independent from Britain. The department would not say exactly when, where, or how the destruction occurred.

“Files not selected for permanent preservation would have been destroyed offsite by the company contracted by the FCO for this purpose,” it said. “We understand the files would have been destroyed in line with the FCO’s paper and file destruction contract in force at the time.”

Rachel Seoighe, a criminologist and Sri Lanka expert, at Middlesex University, said: “This discovery is very concerning given the lack of public information available about British involvement in Sri Lankan security practices at the beginning of the civil war.” She has filed a complaint with Unesco, the international body that protects world heritage. 

She added: “We know from other contexts, such as Kenya, that official files have been deliberately destroyed to conceal and deny abuse. The public has a right to know the extent to which Britain assisted Sri Lankan preparations for a war that was defined by disappearances, torture and mass atrocity.”

The Foreign Office kept a list of file titles, showing that the destroyed papers would have covered a range of important subjects, from security co-operation and arms sales, to foreign aid and “requests for political asylum in the UK”.

The scale of destruction is such that only three files have survived from 1978, compared to 38 files from the previous year.

Source: The Guardian

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has opposed to the proposed appointment of Angajan Ramanathan, UPFA MP as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament. According to sources, the President has proposed Ramanathan to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya. 

The Speaker had accordingly informed the party leaders during the party leaders meeting yesterday (22). However, the TNA has opposed his possible appointment with the meeting being adjourned after deciding to discuss the matter further at the next party leaders meeting. 

Angajan Ramanathan is the current Jaffna organizer of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

For the third consecutive year, the Korea Program on International Agriculture (KOPIA) Sri Lanka Centre organized a training and exposure visit to South Korea for 10 selected farmers from the Galenbindunuwewa, Bulnewa and Hambantota model-villages, together with 02 officers from the Department of Agriculture (DOA).  The "International Farmer Group Leaders Training” hosted by the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of Korea took place from 13 to 19 May 2018, in the city of Jeonju-si. It provided a platform for members of the farming community from Sri Lanka and Paraguay to share and enhance their knowledge and experience in international agricultural practices adopted in onion farming. 

Since opening its resident office in Sri Lanka in 2011, KOPIA has worked together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Sri Lanka and the DOA to introduce modern Korean agriculture technology and know-how to Sri Lanka, to improve the quality and productivity of the local agro sector. KOPIA employs special survey methods and selection tools to identify key areas that require development in the local agriculture field and based on these findings, utilizes tailor-made methods to improve each sector. 

KOPIA continues to provide assistance to local farmers in multiple forms including but not limited to, the transfer of advanced technology, provision of materials and equipment, assigning Korean experts for selected agriculture sectors, organizing field trainings and workshops in Sri Lanka as well as hosting international training and exposure visits for the benefit of local farmers and DOA officers. Through these efforts, KOPIA aims to help Sri Lanka achieve self-sufficiency in the field of agriculture. 

Source : Korean Embassy Colombo

Sri Lanka’s Johann Peries has successfully summited Mount Everest this morning in his second attempt and becomes the second Sri Lankan to summit the highest mountain on Earth.

He successfully summited Mount Everest at 5.55 am Nepal time today (22 May 2018). This was his second attempt. 

Johann Peries now becomes the second Sri Lankan to summit Mt. Everest after Jayanthi Kuru Utumpala in 2016. Peries’ earlier attempt in 2016 was unsuccessful when his oxygen tank failed 400 metres before the summit. 

According to his local team in Colombo, he has now begun his descent, which is far more treacherous than the ascent and will take him two days to reach Base Camp, when he will be in communication with his team.

Johann Peries is part of a team of 13 members including 8 Sherpas, 2 Americans, a South African and a Canadian who reached the summit, according to the International Mountain Guides website.  

Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, stands 8,848 metres above sea level on the border of Nepal and China.

Source  : Ada Derana

A country cannot go forward without foreign investments and if there aren't enough workers locally it is a good move to bring them from abroad Parlementarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage has said. 

The Minister made these comments in parliament this week when the order under the Strategic Development Projects Act was debated in parliament this week. 

Speaking at the debate the MP said the country cannot move forward without foreign investment and therefore the Ministry should do the needful to provide the necessary services in order to attract foreign investors. 

When investors attempt to bring certain industries to the country we do not have the necessary workers with the needed skills. But it is not allowed to bring these workers from abroad either. However they continue to call for foreign investments as well. If workers can be brought for these industries the move must be thanked the MP said.

Increase in foreign investments. The investment aim for 2018 is Rs. 2.9 Billion - Malik Samarawickrama 

During the debate Minister Malik Samarawickrama said despite various opinions regarding direct foreign investments however said the government was able to bring Rs. 1.9 Billion direct investments to the country in 2017.  He also said the government intends to bring in Rs. 2.9 Billion direct investments to the country this year. 

Speaking further the Minister said agreements are now being signed to make Sri Lanka a economic hub. He also said the recent FTZ agreement with Singapore was signed to add value to the country’s manufacturing sector. We received cabinet approval and even spoke to professionals and those in the technical fields while getting necessary inputs from the IT, Construction and Shipping sectors.   

According to the Minister, Singapore citizens will not be able to work here and only industries without the necessary workers will be able to bring staff from abroad. 

Bandula keeps spreading misinformation. He is now only an irrelevant former tuition teacher - 
Market economic analysts

However recently JO MP, Bandula Gunawardena has been spewing lies claiming that the FTZ signed between both countries will allow for foreign workers to come to Sri Lanka. 

Despite Minister Samarawickrama clarifying the limitations, Bandula has been continuously working to spread wrong information about the agreement. 

According to Market research analysts say despite not being a economic expert or a tution teacher, Mahindananda has voiced the truth either knowingly or unknowingly. 

Therefore thy say Bandula is demeaning his position as a former tution teacher of economics by misleading the public in such a fashion which only goes on to prove his irrelevance in today's politics.

The Department of Government Information said that 18 suspected H1N1 patients have been admitted to hospitals from the Hambantota district. Health officials said that all patients were being treated under careful supervision.

Meanwhile, President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed relevant authorities to immediately provide relief to the affected people and informed instructed officials to obtain the assistance from armed forces for rescue of marooned people in flooded areas.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe chaired a discussion yesterday on the granting of immediate relief to the people impacted by the adverse weather conditions.

The Turkiye Diyanet Foundation (TDV) will distribute 5,000 food packages for iftar, a fast breaking meal, in Sri Lanka for three days, the foundation’s deputy chief said on Wednesday.

In the first day of the aid campaign, TDV, the charity body of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs, organized distribution events in Kinniya, Kiran, Vellenkulam, Naduoothu, Muttur and Topur regions of Kaluppu province.

Speaking at the event in Kinniya, Abdurrahman Cetin, the deputy secretary-general of the foundation, said TDV aims to give a helping hand to 5,000 Muslims in Sri Lanka.

“We are here to say Ramadan Moubarak. We, hopefully, will distribute the gifts of our donors,” Cetin said.
The foundation aims to become "a voice of welfare" in 84 countries and 326 regions, and deliver food packages to more than 90,000 families this Ramadan.

Arunesh Thangarajah, 28, was found suffering from stab wounds in Mitcham in the early hours of Sunday.Police and paramedics fought to save him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. 

Scotland Yard said a murder probe has been launched by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command. 

Police have informed the man's next of kin, and a post-mortem examination will be arranged. 

A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has been taken to a south London police station where he remained in custody on Sunday night.

If fielding President Maithripala Sirisena for the upcoming Presidential election, several of the 16 group is said to think that Former Defence Secretary should be the candidate for the SLFP and a program from within the party should be implemented to ensure he gets the necessary support. According to political reports discussions are currently being held in this regard with several SLFP Ministers.   
 
A special discussion in this regard is said to have been held in an officer of a Minister on May 21 and Former Minister Chandima Weerakkody representing the 16 group is said to have attended this meeting as well. 
 
The Minister had criticized the government at the meeting claiming the Muslim community has also lost faith in the current government.
 
During the discussion, it is said those attending had claimed that the party would face definite defeat if Maithripala contests in the 2020 election and stressing that the Muslim community for its protection should build a rapport with Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
 
Accordingly, the Minister has promised Weerakkody that he will organize a meeting for Rajapaksa with several religious leaders in the coming week. 
 
The Minister had also claimed he is maintaining a relationship with the Budhu Bala Sena (BBS) for his future protection.

The National Building Research Organization (NBRO) has issued red landslide warnings to 15 divisional secretariat areas in the Ratnapura, Kegalle, Galle, Kalutara and Kandy districts. They have also issued landslide warnings to 11 districts for the next 24 hours commencing from 4pm today. 
 
Traffic is said to have been disrupted in several roads due to earth slips including the Hatton - Colombo main road where a cutting failure has occurred in Diyagala, Ginigathhena. 
 
According to the Disaster Management Center (DMC) 13,314 people have been affected due to the adverse weather with 7 deaths also reported. 
 
The DMC has issued a flood warning for several river basins while the people living in those areas are requested to remain vigilant and take adequate safety precautions to mitigate the flood threat. 
The DMC says that although the rains have decreases to a certain extent, the water levels at the lower catchment areas of the major rivers continue to rise. 
 
The water levels of the Nilwala River, Ging River, Kalu River, Kelani River, Atthanagalu Oya, Mahaweli River and Ma Oya are rising, it said.
 
Therefore people living in the following river basins are advised to be alert and take safety measures on the possibility of floods:
 
Nilwala - (Matara, Kadawath Sathara, Thihagoda, Malimbada, Kamburupitiya, Athuruliya, Akuressa, Pitabaddara DS Divisions) 
 
Gin - (Baddegama, Bope, Poddala, Velivitiya, Divithura, Nagoda, Niyagama, Thavalama, Neluwa DS Divisions)
 
Kalu - (Kaluthara, Dodamgoda, Millaniya, Madurawala, Horana, Palindanuwara, Bulathsinhala, Ingiriya, Kiriella, Kuruvita, Elapatha, Rathnapura DS Divisions) 
 
Kelani - (Colombo, Kelaniya, Kolonnawa, Biyagama, Kaduwela, Hanwella, Dompe, Ruwanwella, Dehiovita, Deraniyagala DS Divisions) 
 
Aththanagalu Oya - (Negambo, Ja-Ela, Katana, Minuwangoda, Gampaha, Aththanagalla, DS Divisions) 
 
Ma Oya - (Pannala, Diulapitiya DS Divisions)