Jan 27 (MoD) Continuing its community development and welfare oriented programmes Sri Lanka Navy conducted a field health clinic at the Tamil Mixed Catholic School in Mullikulam, Mannar district on 25th January. Troops serving in the North Western Naval Command in collaboration with the State Pharmaceutical Corporation performed the field health clinic under the patronage of the Commander North Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral NKD Nanayakkara. more..

Jan 27 (ST) A case in which the Democratic Party led by former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka last week used a a mobile vehicle and loud speakers for election propaganda activities without permission in the Balapitiya area has been fixed for May 20. The vehicle and equipment was released by the Balapitiya Magistrate courts when the case was taken up on Tuesday. The meeting organised by Balapitiya DP co-organisers Mathalee Jayasekara and Kumara de Silva, was chaired by more..

Jan 27 (CT) The Ministry of Social Services is to train and develop counselling services across the country to deal with the large number of people who are mentally affected consequent to the after the war that raged in the North and East, which had also affected many others in different parts of the country. The ministry will focus mainly on elders, the differently-abled and single parent families, a ministry source said. more..

Jan 27 (CG) Former publisher and media specialist Krishantha Prasad Cooray was appointed to the UNP Working Committee (WC) today. He was presented with a letter of appointment by UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. During the UNP Working Committee meeting at Sirikotha, Wickremesinghe said Cooray would coordinate the Party’s publicity and media campaigns. Krishantha Cooray was the Founder CEO and Managing Director of the Rivira Media Corporation, more..

Jan 27 (LBO) Small and medium companies with a winning business model that have growth plan can fuel their expansion with private equity, industry officials said. Indika Hettiarachchi, managing director, Jupiter Capital Partners, a Colombo based private equity firm said a firm with a 10 to 15% a year growth plan was not a candidate for PE funds. "Unless we make a return of 25% IRR we cannot do the deal, because the investors demand high returns," he told a forum on more..

Jan 27 (CT) A decision, allegedly taken by the Wildlife Resources Conservation Ministry, to legalize the export of kothalahimbutu, wallapatta and white sandalwood, has caused serious concern among environmentalists who say this will result in endangering the plants. "Sandalwood, kothalahimbutu and wallapatta are illegally exported despite the existing laws. If the illegal export of these plants cannot be stopped within the existing more..

Jan 27 (DN) The Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project is more meaningful in terms of environment as well as social concerns, JICA Sri Lanka Chief Representative Harumi Ao said at a seminar on Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project. The Institution of Engineers focused their attention on the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project (UKHP) in a seminar attended by over 100 engineers recently at the Hotel Galadari, Colombo. They examined and discussed a number of key issues pertaining to more..

Jan 27 (AFP) Former cricket chiefs on Sunday attacked the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) proposal for greater decision-making powers for a three-strong group of the Board of Control for Cricket. The trio concerned are India, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board — who between them represent the game’s wealthiest nations. The ICC are due to discuss the controversial plan — which has been drafted because of an apparent threat by more..

Jan 27 (CG) 7 Buddhist monks, accused of leading a mob to attack and vandalize two churches in Hikkaduwa, were granted bail by Galle Magistrate today. Police had identified 24 suspects, including 8 monks, over the attack on the churches recently. Suspects surrendered to the police today and they were produced before the Galle Magistrate. Magistrate granted bail to the monks and fixed March 17 as the next date more..

Jan 27 (DM) A future UNP govt will comply with the new procedures which the World Bank had decided to implement where it had decided to demand the funds it had given to various organisations in the event they are misused. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told journalists that a future UNP govt will comply with this and will probe how the funds submitted by the World Bank had been utilised. He said the UNP would also take up the challenge thrown by JVP member more..

Jan 27 (GDI) The President Mahinda Rajapaksa vested iwith the public a number of development projects in Kegalle as a part of the mega development projects launched in the country. President Rajapaksa declared open sunday, the new outer circular road in Kegalle. This 4.5 kilo metre stretch would provide a permanent solution to the vehicle congestion that prevails in the Kegalle town. The Govt has spent 3.6 billion rupees for the construction of the road. more..

Jan 27 (AD) The former Director General of the now-defunct Media Center for National Security (MCNS), Lakshman Hulugalle was admitted to the Kandy hospital due to a sudden illness. Hulugalle was receiving treatment in ward no.28 at the Kandy hospital. Hulugalle was admitted to private hospital in Colombo a while back as well over a sudden illness. Recent media reports had alleged that Hulugalle was linked to the more..

Jan 27 (GDI) Kandy district which was one of the districts that was neglected during the recent past is undergoing a massive transformation with huge projects being implemented by the govt and by the private with the aim of bringing back the ancient glory to the district. Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa said that the Kandy district will have its domestic airport ready by mid next year linking the most sought after tourism city in the country with air links. more..

Jan 27 (SLE) Sri Lanka Embassy, Washington DC together with the US-Sri Lankan Hindu community celebrated Thai Pongal, the traditional Hindu harvest festival on Wednesday (15). Keeping with the tradition of celebrating important days of all four major religions observed by Sri Lankans, the Embassy commences its event calendar every year by hosting Thai Pongal. The word “Thai” refers to the first month of the Tamil Hindu calendar and “Pongal” refers to thanksgiving festival more..

Jan 27 (CG) A report on Sri Lanka will be submitted to the Australian Parliament by an Australian Parliament delegation currently in Sri Lanka. MPs from Australia’s State of Victoria met President Rajapaksa today at Temple Trees and had two clear messages – that the transformation Sri Lanka has undergone since the end of the war is “highly impressive” and that there will always be bipartisan support for SL in Australia, more..

Jan 28 (NS) Promoting venomous political ‘mythology’, by small sections of contemporary Rawanas, Hanumans, Balawega groups and a couple of irresponsible Catholic Bishops, who are blinded by racial hatred have been systematically working against the national interest at a time the country is facing unprecedented threats from powerful international Shylocks who persistently demand ‘a pound of flesh’. A section of the clergy have taken over the role of racial and more..

Jan 28 (NS) With the much hyped Norochcholai Coal Power Plant breaking down for the 26th time, the hapless public pray to rain gods on a regular basis. This has yielded very little results and with corruption being rife and mismanagement being the order of the day at the Ministry of Power and at CEB, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the two options of overcoming the power crisis that threatens our lifestyle and the development of the country. Firstly, power generation has to be more..

Jan 28 (SO) SriLankan Airlines will soon fly towards profits as the airline has identified its gray areas which are already being addressed. Though it has being criticised and its image tarnished as a loss-making entity, if one analyses its objective, one could clearly see that the national carrier of any country does not necessarily have to bringing roaring profits. The critics have forgotten and overlooked the service a national carrier more..

Jan 28 (ST) In the wake of the untimely demise of Justice S. Sriskandarajah, President of Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal this week, it may be opportune to look at the state of the Sri Lankan judiciary one year after the 2013 impeachment of 43rd CJ Shirani Bandaranayake. Late Justice Sriskandarajah had presided over the Bench which quashed the findings of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on the impeachment. And has been observed in the wake of his death by others, more..

Jan 28 (Island) The number of fatalities in road accidents averages six a day in this country. There occur as many as 60,000 road mishaps annually and about 2,500 of them are fatal. It costs the public an arm and a leg to treat the injured in state-run hospitals. The police have gone into overdrive to prevent road accidents and take stringent action against errant motorists. Jaywalkers also get fined from time to time. Drivers are nabbed for using mobile phones while driving and fined more..

Jan 28 (ST) She stands in the state-of-the-art ‘examination suite’ with a comfortable bed in a muted red close by and goes into the minutest detail about how they are attempting to achieve a two-pronged goal for “victims” or “survivors” of sexual assault. From the sign above the door to the curtained cubicle in the centre to the attached bathroom, it is obvious that what has been considered is best-interest of these victims, more..

Jan 28 (CT) British Tamils Forum (BTF) that is spearheading the work of the British Tamil Association (BTA) –the front of the LTTE in the UK until 2009 has opened up a debate on upholding democratic values by castigating its sister organisation Global Tamil Forum (GTF). The BTF’s outright effort is most welcome as much needed democratic debate is over due within the Tamil Diaspora to find a way forward to bring about unity, diversity, democracy, honesty and more..

Jan 28 (SL) Statistics are being used to make the point that life in Sri Lanka is on an upward curve. The statistics show economic growth, low inflation and high income. However, there is a Sinhala saying that a pot of curd is spoilt by a drop of cow dung. The govt affirms its success in resettling those displaced by war in a relatively short period of time as compared to other countries. It shows facts and figures that put the number of those resettled in the hundreds of thousands. more..

Jan 28 (CT) While the Colombo city beautification project continues, the govt has turned its attention towards Bauddhaloka Mawatha and the residents around the proposed new Russian Embassy complex are facing eviction. The Sri Lankan Govt has sold nine acres of prime land to the Russian Embassy, for its upcoming project, bordering Bauddhaloka Mawatha, in the most sought after location of the country. more..

Jan 28 (CT) Venezuela’s popular President, the late Hugo Chávez, was, and is still, a role-model in many respects for nationalistic minded groups in developing countries. This was specifically true for similar groups in SL. Their love and awe for Chávez were amply demonstrated by them when they made anti-American and anti-Western marches in the streets of Colombo waving placards featuring photos of smiling but defying Chávez to support their cause. They had all the reasons to worship him. more..

Jan 28 (Island) In preparation for the forthcoming meeting of UNHRC, govt has sent its top civil servant, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga to Geneva to put the govt’s achievements into perspective. Since 2012 when the govt lost the vote at the UNHRC and had to face a resolution calling on it to implement post-war recovery and accountability measures, govt has been seeking to get the best communicators working for it. Govt has even hired public relations companies more..

Jan 28 (FT) Under litigation for default, Touchwood Investments (TWOD) yesterday saved its skin from winding up after its CEO W.L. Kiwlegedara produced dated cheques in Court to investors who have filed action. The presentation of cheques was part of revised proposal to the earlier settlement entered into on 31 Oct 2013 when the case was taken up in Court. Kiwlegedara had issued cheques amounting to the value of 1st instalment that more..

Jan 28 (Island) The Chandrika/ Tissa Bandaranaike had wanted to seal the fate of the UNP. Therefore, they used this hoax, concocted under the Presidential hotchpotch Commission, to defame and denigrate anyone, whom Chandrika thought was a political opponent capable of ousting her from power. Before that, the Chandrika / Tissa Bandaranaike combination had been burning the midnight oil to concoct a story which could frame Premadasa and his supporters with the more..

Jan 28 (CI) Bangladesh have a top-order collapse roughly once every two innings. When Mominul Haque was dismissed, Bangladesh were 59 for 4 in the 18th over, and it became the 91st time out of 161 Test innings that Bangladesh's first four wickets fell before the score had reached hundred. The easy assumption after the latest collapse would be to call it complacency, particularly after having a decent 2013 batting-wise and an even better previous Test series against NZ three months ago. more..

Jan 28 (FT) Placing Ceylon cinnamon at its rightful place as the world’s finest, a giant national initiative titled ‘Cinnamon to the World’ was launched last evening by the National Development Bank (NDB) aiming to empower industry stakeholders and achieve recognition as an international brand synonymous with SL’s unique identity. A long term strategy which is likely to be a five-year commitment, more..

Jan 28 (Island) LOLC Technologies, the Information Technology Services arm of the LOLC Group, in strategic partnership with Oracle Corporation Singapore, held an awareness session under the theme "Information Security, Threats and Opportunities" among C-level corporate officers from banks and Licensed Finance Companies in Sri Lanka, at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel recently. This high-level gathering included Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor of Central Bank as the Chief Guest. more..

Jan 28 (FT) The opening ceremony of the Korea Corner took place at the Colombo Public Library yesterday. A number of Government officials, Korean language students, library staff and Korean residents joined the ceremony and showed their satisfaction with this new cultural space. During his opening remarks, Ambassador Jongmoon Choi of the Republic of Korea raised his hope that the Korea Corner would serve to meet the growing demand for information about Korea for the time-being more..

Jan 28 (PTI) Taking objection to Centre's submission that Indian fishermen have no right to fish around Katchatheevu, DMK president M Karunanidhi said such a counter was made by Centre with the intention of "hurting" Tamils. Centre had recently informed the Madras High Court that the sovereignty of Sri Lanka over the islet of Katchatheevu in the Palk Straits, ceded to it by India in 1974, is a settled matter and more..

Jan 28 (GN) The UAE-Sri Lanka joint committee concluded its activities in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The UAE delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah while the Sri Lankan delegation was led by Minister G.L. Peiris. In his opening address, Shaikh Abdullah cited the historic and strong relations between the UAE and SL, which helped rapidly enhance cooperation in all fields. He also emphasised that the UAE is keen on being a key player in SL’s development. more..

Jan 28 (FT) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) in a filing to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) released yesterday confirmed that its subsidiary SLT Mobitel is indeed in negotiation with Hutchinson Asia Telecom about a possible acquisition of Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka. SLT’s confirmation comes a day after it denied that it was negotiating with Hutch. News about talks to acquire Hutch was first reported by FT last Friday. FT story focused on SLT since Mobitel is a 100% subsidiary. more..

Jan 28 (CT) The Malwatte and Asgiriya Maha Nayakas have been taking PM, D.M. Jayaratne, to task for some time now, over the delay in the implementation of the six proposed Buddhist Acts of Parliament, deemed as being beneficial for Buddhists and Buddhism. Leading Buddhist organizations have also joined the fray in pressing Prime Minister Jayaratne for the implementation of these laws which have been long overdue, more..

Jan 28 (CT) Attorney General yesterday filed indictments in the Colombo High Court against the three suspects involved in the double murder at Kotaketana, Kahawatta that shocked the nation in 2012. The suspects, Namal Silva, Sisira Priyantha alias Thusara and Lokugamhewage Wimal, were charged for killing and setting ablaze a woman, Liyanaarachchige Premawathie (63) and her daughter, Hewagamage Pushpakumari (32), at Kotaketana, Kahawatta on 19 July 2012. more..

Jan 28 (Island) President Rajapaksa, at a meeting with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA) is reported to have said that the CA should train more Sri Lankan accountants but such training should also be concentrated in the hinterland of the country. The CA delegation that met President last week included, President, Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL, Arjuna Herath, President, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Warren Allen, more..

Jan 28 (Island) The Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya has informed the General Secretaries of all political parties that he will not issue candidate identity cards to those nominated to contest the upcoming PC polls unless they submit declarations of their assets when handing over their nominations. Without the candidate identity card those contestants will not get any facilities from the Election Secretariat. more..

Jan 28 (CT) Cosmetics, Devices & Drugs Regulatory Authority (CDDRA), is to introduce stern measures against any person or persons, or establishment that would sell drugs without a licence as well as against those who sell drugs that are of inferior quality. Director of the CDDRA, Dr. Hemantha Benaragama, said that, through the National Medicinal Drugs Bill which is to be presented to Parliament in March 2014, strict regulations will be introduced with regard to the sale of drugs. more..