Dec 3 (EN) Profits of CEB has been arrived at without accounting for the interest payments on a 1.3 billion dollar loan from China to build a coal power plant, Deputy Minister Ajith Perera said. He said the CEB had taken a US$ 1.346 billion loan from China to build a 900 MegaWatt coal plant but power users were not paying its cost. Loan's interest and capital was serviced from taxes taken from the people by the Treasury, and is not taken in to account when calculating the profit, more..

Dec 3 (CT) SL Chapter of the global anti-corruption body, Transparency International (TI) is accused of suppressing the inquiry report of its own corruption and malpractices. In August, Colombo Telegraph, reported serious allegations of corruption and malpractices at TISL. We reported that one of the whistleblower, Ananda Jayasekara, who had worked for TISL for ten years continuously although under several contracts renewed periodically, was victimised after whistleblowing. more..

Dec 3 (CT) To say many Sri Lankans who voted President Maithripala Sirisena-PM Ranil Wickremesinghe combine to power are disappointed with its performance to provide good governance would be repeating a cliché. But that would be ignoring the magnitude of the twin tasks of promoting ethnic reconciliation and restructuring governance. It requires dismantling empire of sleaze and corruption that had come into existence during President Rajapaksa’s rule for over 9 years more..

Dec 3 (CT) One reason vital for different institutions responsible for education to work together is the continuing shortage of teachers in vital subjects. All our students need to improve in subjects such as English and Math, but many rural schools have no teachers. There is also no proper training for teachers who take these subjects in primary school, and this means that, when students move on to secondary schools, they find it difficult to catch up, even when there are sufficient teachers. more..

Dec 3 (ST) Outdated fire safety regulations mean many multi-storey buildings in the country; offices, condominiums and apartments among them, may become potential death traps in the event of a major fire, a Sunday Times investigation has found. Prior to being approved for occupation, owners of any building have to obtain a <>Certificate of Conformity from local govt authority in the respective areas that it is situated. more..

Dec 3 (EN) Police fired teargas and water cannon to disperse thousands of opposition-backed protestors outside parliament Saturday as law makers debated the annual budget. Demonstrators led by loyalists of former president Rajapakse held up traffic and blocked the main access to the parliament complex for several hours in the capital. Opposition lawmaker Ranjith Soysa said protesters were demanding local elections which were due last year, but postponed to devise a new electoral system. more..

Dec 3 (ST) In an inspiring act of Buddhist-Chrisatian unity, the couch or kavichchiya on which St. Joseph Vaz is believed to have slept during his missionary presence in Gurubewilla in Avissawella, and now found in a Buddhist temple in Maniyangama, has been made available for exposition and veneration. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith the Archbishop of Colombo in a statement said, the Chief prelate at the temple had graciously consented to release the couch to Ratnapura Bishop Cletus Perera, more..

Dec 3 (CT) The Colombo Telegraph learns that the Presidential Secretariat is in the process of finalizing procedures for the appointment of the two remaining Commissioners to Right to Information (RTI) Commission. The appointments are expected to take place within the coming week/s. The Commission consists of five persons appointed by the President upon the recommendation of Constitutional Council. more..

Dec 3 (EN) Melstacorp Limited (MCRP), which becomes the parent firm of Distilleries Company of SL in a share swap, aims to focus on premium products in its alcoholic beverage business, which generates the bulk of sales, and get plantations to diversify into oil palm. According to the group’s future plans, revealed in a draft introductory document filed with the stock exchange, it is highly dependency on beverage segment which generates over 70% of MCRP group’s net revenue. more..

Dec 3 (NR) President has appointed a special board to look into conflicts that have arisen in the public transportation sector including the grievances of private bus owners. The committee was appointed following a discussion this morning between the President and bus owners who engaged in a strike yesterday. The Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Transportation, the DIG in charge of Traffic, representatives of the Commissioner of Motor Traffic and the Attorney General more..

Dec 3 (Island) Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) said that annually for every 400,000 live births there were 2400 to 3000 children born with congenital heart disease. Dr Nalin Kitulwatte said the LRH had a waiting list of 1,400 paediatric patients for surgical correction of cardiac ailments. The number of estimated deaths in the country each year from treatable heart diseases was 1,500. Estimated 5 deaths occurred daily. more..

Dec 3 (Island) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka together with the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment hosted a workshop on the introduction of the Third National Communication on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change last week. Sri Lanka ratified the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1993 followed by the Kyoto Protocol in 2002. The Protocol is based on the principle of common but more..

Dec 3 (ST) The Foreign Affairs Ministry has launched an inquiry into complaints by the Lankan expatriate community against Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Afghanistan A.L.T. Najeemudeen. “The inquiry is on but we cannot divulge any details,” Media spokesperson Mahishini Colonne said. Mr Najeemudeen has come under severe criticism by the Sri Lankan expatriate community in Kabul, and his failure to promote Sri Lanka in that country. SL Association of Afghanistan, in a petition more..

Dec 3 (DM) The govt will be introducing a nationwide toll system run by artificial intelligence by the 3rd quarter of 2017, state’s Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) said. The 2017 budget had included the proposal, which will be implemented  by ICTA. “We need to have greater traffic management using artificial intelligence, because the traffic build up is slowing down the economy. more..

Dec 3 (ENS) Despite hopes raised by the meeting of the Foreign and Fisheries Ministers of India and Sri Lanka in New Delhi on Nov 5, the issue of Tamil Nadu fi shermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters and getting arrested or beaten up, continues. Apparently, no steps have been taken by India to provide the fi shermen with an alternative to bottom trawling in the Palk Strait, or secure the release of 105 trawlers, now in Sri Lankan custody. With each costing `25 lakh, the detention is hitting huge numbers of more..

Dec 3 (AD) Former chairman of the Gampaha Pradeshiya Sabha, Ranjith Gunawardena, has been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital following the tear gas and water cannon attack on the protest at the Parliament Roundabout today.  He has reportedly been admitted to the hospital’s accident ward after sustaining an injury during the protest, which was organized by the Joint Opposition demanding that the Local Government elections be held immediately.  more..

Dec 3 (ENS) Sanjeev Gardiner, who heads the Gardiner Foundation in Sri Lanka, has tied up with Brussels-based International Society Nephrology (ISN), to tackle the scourge of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), not just in Sri Lanka, but world-wide. The 46 year old Gardiner, who owns the iconic Galle Face Hotel, was motivated to take up the cause of CKD patients seeing the havoc CKD is causing in SL's North Central Province. more..

Dec 3 (NR) 19 persons who behaved in an unruly manner during a protest in Negombo yesterday were remanded till the 9th of Dec. The order was issued by Negombo Magistrate’s Court. The court also issued an injunction against the demonstration yesterday which the protestors defied prompting police to use force. Suspects who were arrested yesterday were produced before court today. A bus and 6 three-wheelers used by protestors to block the Colombo-Chilaw road were also seized. more..

Dec 3 (NR) Secretary to Ministry of Defence Karunasena Hettiarachchi has assured that there is no shortfall in security in the Northern and Eastern provinces. He made this statement during an event in Galle. The Defence Secretary said there are several reports on the internet which claim that national security is under threat but those reports are completely untrue. Hettiarachichi said he visits the Northern Province every two weeks and communicates with officers stationed there. more..

Dec 3 (FT) IGP Pujith Jayasundera is under fire from the Opposition and corruption watchdogs after he was caught on camera attempting to interfere in an investigation by the FCID earlier this week. IGP told an unidentified caller in the presence of media personnel in a video that was aired, that he had instructed the FCID to seek his permission before arresting an individual in a case that appeared to be of concern to the caller. more..

Dec 4 (SO) For want of a nail… a kingdom was lost goes that old European adage (Shakespeare uses it in Richard III). Last Thursday and Friday, national productivity lapsed severely, even if it did not come to a grinding halt, entirely due to a dispute over motor traffic fines. People were unable to do many things, including their main livelihood, due to the lack of the principal means of transport as a result of the private bus operators’ work stoppage in protest against the sudden, more..

Dec 4 (CT) The seemingly waning popularity of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe Unity Govt is underscored by the indicators thrown up by the political barometer such as the rising cost of living (CoL), a proposal to hike MPs monthly emoluments by Rs 100,000; apparently in order to ensure that Budget 2017 currently being debated in Parliament is passed and alleged political partiality of FCID, seemingly sealed by a suspicious telephone call received by IGP Pujith Jayasundara. more..

Dec 4 (SO) Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said, there is a lot of exaggeration about the income of MPs. The question we should ask ourselves is, do we pay sufficiently to attract qualified, educated and experienced people to Parliament. The Deputy Minister said, the country will change not only by its policies, but, its future is dependent on the quality of the individuals representing the people in Parliament. more..

Dec 4 (SO) A constitution, good or bad, can be wrecked by its own makers. Most constitutions in countries around the world have been made with good intentions and their provisions are held as being democratic and for the good of the people but in many countries distorted and perverted to the gain of those responsible for their implementation. Sri Lanka’s first constitution, known as the Soulbury Constitution drafted by SL leaders with the outgoing British rulers, had the well intentioned more..

Dec 4 (ST) Come hell or high water, MPs have served themselves yet another allowance and Govt has found the money for it by raising the price of diesel sending food prices of common folk still higher. It is a widespread belief that MPs no longer live in a pecuniary state and that they don’t live by their salaries and allowances alone; not surprising when one sees their lifestyle – and those of their brood. To say that MPs need more cash in hand to pay for wedding gifts and funerals of more..

Dec 4 (SL) UNP MP Harshana Rajakaruna is of the view that the unity govt is on track and running the country smoothly despite efforts to destabilise it. He said that within the next two years all these efforts of the govt will materialise and the people will begin to feel it. He also said that the families of ex LTTE cadres should be allowed to commemorate their loved ones privately, but it should not be turned into a political event. more..

Dec 4 (Island) Watching the unfolding events last week, one could not help but be amazed. To the best of this writer’s knowledge, there has never been a road transport stoppage in this country over a matter like a traffic fine. That the President intervened at least on Friday night to talk to the strikers on Saturday morning and to get the transport stoppage lifted was providential because the O/L examinations were due to begin early next week.  more..

Dec 4 (SO) IGP Pujith Jayasundara found himself at the centre of a major controversy this week, after receiving a controversial phone call while addressing a Police event in Ratnapura. Instead of waiting until he was finished with his speech, IGP stopped midway to answer the phone and failed to move away from the microphones placed by local news correspondents, making the media, and by extension the public, thereby privy to what could only be a private telephone conversation, more..

Dec 4 (SO) Lady Jockey N Rupa will join the races for the first time in SL history at the Royal Turf Club’s races on 11th Dec. “This goes to prove that the RTC shows no discrimination and even the fairer sex can race alongside her more stalwart colleagues”, said Acting CEO and Stipendiary Steward / Jockey Coach, RTC, Mr. Sinclair Marshall. That’s not all up and coming racing commentator and voice of the Royal Calcutta Turf Club Mr. Anit Casyab would be making his first appearance more..

Dec 4 (DT) Bangladesh suffered a crushing seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in their final round-robin match of the 2016 Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup in Thailand on Saturday. The loss ended any hopes Bangladesh harboured of qualifying for the grand finale. The women in red and green previously lost to India and Pakistan and won against Nepal and Thailand. With four points, Bangladesh ended their campaign at fourth position in the six-team standings. more..

Dec 4 (CT) Back to back protests that rocked Colombo made last week tearful, with Police using tear gas and water cannons to disperse hundreds of protesters who blocked predominantly the Parliament Road, at the beginning of the week followed by university students and labour officers. That was before Police using tear gas on Joint Opposition members who blocked Parliament Road at Polduwa Junction yesterday demanding more..

Dec 4 (ST) During the Zimbabwe-SL-WI tri-nations ODI series, someone queried what Zimbabwe’s next international assignment was. Commentator rather reluctantly replied that their next assignment was once again against Sri Lanka and that too, in June 2017.  Isn’t Zimbabwe a fully fledged Test playing nation? Why this apathy against a fledgling cricketing nation that is trying to make its presence felt in the international calendar. Even the Sri Lanka calendar is chock-a-block during that time. more..

Dec 4 (ST) My dear Maithri, I thought I must write to you, not because I have taken you off my Christmas card list but because most of us are quite confused about what has been going on in this Paradise in recent times and we thought we should ask you why, especially since you have now been the boss for nearly two years. These days, Maithri, it seems as if everyone wants to go on strike. First there was a train strike, then there was a doctors’ strike and now we have strike by private bus operators. more..

Dec 4 (Island) Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was in town to conduct a workshop for Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers and coaches earlier this week. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have always had cordial relationships as nations and particularly in cricket. It was one of Wasim’s predecessors – Abdul Hafeez Kardar – Pakistan’s first Test captain, who promoted SL’s bid as a Full Member of the ICC during his time as the Chairman of PCB. more..

Dec 4 (Island) An island-wide campaign to get 1,000,000 signatures in support of Volleyball was launched recently under the patronage of Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera at the National Youth Services Council Complex. It was conducted in conjunction with the Munchee National Volleyball Championships. The sponsorship by Munchee, flagship brand of Ceylon Biscuits-of the National Volleyball Championship conducted by the Sri Lanka Volleyball Federation is now in its ninth year. more..

Dec 4 (ST) The pre-quarter final encounters which concluded saw four centuries being scored by Mithira Thenuwara of Tissa MMV Kalutara, Pawan Sandesh of Devapathiraja MMV Rathgama, Tharindu Amarasinghe of Prince of Wales and Sineth Jayawardena of Royal helped their respective sides to win their matches and to advance to the quarter-finals in Singer Trophy under thirteen all island cricket tournament. Mithira slammed his fourth ton when he made an unbeaten 118 more..

Dec 4 (ST) Former national cricket stars Hashan Tillekeratne and Upul Chandana are to given with coaching assignments of SLC soon. Tillekeratne is to be given the job of batting coach while Chandana would have the task of handling fielding. However the significance of these two appointments is that both former cricketers will not be handling the national teams. Like the appointment of Chaminda Vaas who more..