Jan 9 (CT) The Sri Lankan society in general is homophobic, and it notoriously prides itself on being so. During a recent public speech, monk Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara berated the current government for being impotent on grounds of homosexuality. “Today the country is governed by a group of homosexuals. This is a very serious concern…. I can recall the entire list, like The Dhammapada. There are about a hundred of them, and all of them are homosexual….” he yelled. more..

Jan 9 (CT) As a student of Marketing I have been pretty impressed at cost-effective Marketing solutions afforded by social media to burgeoning entrepreneurs, social reformers, political opportunists and those alike. For good or for worse online platforms have had the ability to trigger tremendous reach within short periods of time. Social media doubtless playing the role of a catalyst in revolutionizing the information age. How could a theme as esoteric as Sinha le more..

Jan 9 (SO) God Saman it is said likes to teach life lessons to mere mortals by playing on their expectations when they make trek to his abode atop Adam’s Peak. And as thousands climb 2,243-metre pinnacle this Sri Pada season, which got underway on Unduwap Poya, one day before Christmas, expectations are no doubt very high. And the question that begs to be asked is what lessons will they learn from God Saman? more..

Jan 9 (NS) As one year lapses since President Maithripala Sirisena assuming office, there is much media focus on new government’s achievements as well as what it failed to achieve. Of course, its achievements are many and would far exceed its failures both in numbers and magnitude. And among the most important is the introduction of the nineteenth amendment to the constitution which bridged the country’s democratic deficit and re-established the rule of law. more..

Jan 9 (NS) January 9 marks exactly a year since Maithripala Sirisena ascended to the country’s highest office. Sirisena, who had been the Opposition’s Common Candidate, campaigned on the back of the promise of establishing a Good Governance Regime under the theme Maithripalanayak, Sthawara Ratak (Compassionate Govt, A Stable Country). Much has changed in the year, following Sirisena’s stunning election victory over Rajapaksa. more..

Jan 9 (GV) On Jan 8, 2015, thousands flocked to Independence Square to watch Maithripala Sirisena take his Presidential vows. With his promise to promote yahapaalanaya or good governance the atmosphere was one of hope. Looking back on the past year, Groundviews spoke to several people from different sectors on what they felt about Sirisena’s inaugural year of Presidency. "There has been a vast improvement more..

Jan 9 (Island) Today, the branches of the organized State, such as the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary should be vested unambiguously with the sovereignty of the people and the institutions organically deriving from them should protect and safeguard the life, human dignity, equality of rights and security of property of each of its people. Law that sets order to society should be administered by an Independent Judiciary and the Law should take its course without the impediment of more..

Jan 9 (Island) It is incumbent on the government to not let us down, for, last January, we thought we had achieved a great victory, saved the country from becoming a totalitarian state and begun the journey to restore real democracy and the rule of Law, along with transparency, enthroning meritocracy along with the right to information, and last but not least, taking those who had indulged in corrupt practice to task, but we the people are not yet convinced that we are moving towards those goals, leave alone more..

Jan 9 (FM) Minister Ravi Karunanayake says that the Finance Ministry was able to hold a simple ceremony without spending any money to mark the first anniversary of the assumption of office of His Excellency the President Maithreepala Sirisena. He points out that this was in total contrast to previous ceremonies held to mark similar events where public funds were spent lavishly. He made this observation at a tree-planting ceremony held at the premises of the Ministry of Finance to mark more..

Jan 9 (GV) Saturday 9th Jan 2016, will mark the completion of one year of the Maithripala Sirisena presidency and it is an opportune time to reflect on the past one year of the Maithri Palanaya. The first aspect of course about the Maithri presidency is that it occurred at all. Mahinda Rajapakse was deeply entrenched in power and seemingly determined to govern for generations. However the inevitability or unsustainability of a purely mono ethno religious support base, more..

Jan 9 (CT) Police Sports Club has finally lost patience with three of their senior players as they have temporarily suspended prop forward Henry Terence, full back Rizah Mubarak and wing three quarter Chamara Dabare from taking part in their future matches of the Inter-Club 'A' Division League Rugby Tournament including the clash against Army Sports Club this evening. Former Navy trio has been underperforming in what has more..

Jan 9 (GV) If Sri Lanka is to consolidate the democratic gains of 2015, it is vital that President Sirisena’s SLFP and PM Wickremesinghe’s UNP overcome their differences, rivalries and ideological differences and jointly provide leadership to introduce a Third Republican Constitution. A new Constitution that learns from the mistakes of the 1972 and 1978 Constitutions, adapts features from international best practice and which is compatible with basic principles of constitutionalism, more..

Jan 9 (NS)Imposing the proposed emission testing levy by the govt has created an adverse effect, negatively impacting the industry which does a yeoman service in maintaining Sri Lanka’s high environment performance ranking in South Asia, emission control industry experts say. The emission levy introduced in the Budget 2016 comes in a backdrop where Sri Lanka has been ranked highest in South East Asia in 2014’s Environment Performance Index (EPI) of Yale University. more..

Jan 9 (DN) Roger Wijesuriya, SL under 19 coach believes that the upcoming ICC Under 19 World Cup is the best chance for the country to win a World Cup at this level. Sri Lanka has never won an Under 19 World Cup although they have taken part in the previous ten editions since its inception in 1988. Their best shot at the title was in 2000 when as the host nation they finished runner-up to India. Wijesuriya's belief comes from more..

Jan 9 (TN) Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s three-day visit to Sri Lanka has borne fruit. The key agreement between the countries is Sri Lanka’s decision to purchase eight JF-17 jet fighters from Pakistan. Despite pressure from India which still seeks to isolate Pakistan, especially in terms of military hardware sales, the agreement signals that Pakistan has been able to convert its strong relationship with Sri Lanka into a commercially beneficial one. There were reports that Sri Lanka more..

Jan 9 (DN) Most govt institutions, ministries, corporations and departments waste time holding unnecessary seminars, workshops and the like and thereby the time for engaging themselves in some useful public work is lost, said Minister Dr Sarath Amunugama. He said so inaugurating the work of his ministry in the New Year. Dr Amunugama further said, "Today a large number of people serve in the public service but many govt institutions are mostly engaged in doing various kinds of more..

Jan 9 (EN) Sri Lanka should move to enact laws to criminalise enforced disappearances now that the island has signed an international United Nations convention, UN envo said. New govt is taking steps towards fulfilling Sri Lanka's reporting obligations under several UN treaties, said Subinay Nandy, Resident Coordinator of UN in Sri Lanka. In 2015, Sri Lanka submitted a number of periodic reports, including the report due more..

Jan 9 (Island) Celebrating another pioneering venture, Lanka Hospitals Diagnostics (LHD), the nation's first Medical Reference Laboratory recently inaugurated its new Sample Collection Unit located within the Lanka Hospital premises. The sample collection unit, the only such unit in any hospital in SL, is specially designed to provide a hassle free, convenient and faster service for customers requiring laboratory testing. "We are very proud to launch our new Sample Collection Unit in more..

Jan 9 (DM) Harvard Kennedy Schools (HKS), Center for International Development kicked-off its engagement with the Sri Lanka government at Sri Lankan Economic Forum 2016. Pushpi Weerakoon, Edith. Stokey Scholar and Mason Fellow of Harvard Kennedy School (MPA’15), says “As Prof Ricardo Hausmann’s student / personal advisee at HKS, it was wonderful to see the assignments I did on Sri Lanka’s economy in 2014 literally translate into a presentation in front of the VVIP delegation. more..

Jan 9 (NS) President Maithripala in an interview to mark the completion of his first year in office as President said the present Govt of Unity between him and PM Wickremesinghe would continue the full term till 2020, and dismissed speculation that it would end after two years. President warned sections which may attempt to disrupt his Govt using undemocratic methods and stressed that he and PM considered more..

Jan 9 (Xinhua) Pakistan will host its Asia Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Sri Lanka after opponent China refused to visit the country over security fears, officials said. Pakistan Tennis Federation said it had hoped that the country’s strong economic links with China would help convince officials to bring the competition to Lahore. “It’s disappointing to note that the International Tennis Federation has rejected our appeal of playing the tie in Pakistan and we are now forced to host it in Sri Lanka,” more..

Jan 9 (GWL) A youngster from Feltham needs your generosity to embark on a charitable journey to help trauma sufferers in Sri Lanka in the summer. Emma Worley of Elizabeth Way in Feltham, former student at Feltham Community College who achieved two A*s and an A at A-level, is now a first year student studying Psychology at University of York. The 18-year-old has secured a placement with SLV, a charitable scheme which offers students and graduates work experience in Sri Lanka but more..

Jan 9 (DM) The Colombo Municipality has decided to take legal action against Live Events, the company which organized the Enrique Iglesias concert at the CR&FC Grounds in Colombo after both parties failed to reach a settlement even after several rounds of talks, officials said. An investigation carried out by Municipality's Treasury Department had exposed a tax fraud amounting to some Rs.30 million more..

Jan 9 (CT) Police yesterday arrested a 22-year-old man believed to be the killer responsible for the Kelaniya Supermarket murder and shooting Police officers at the Bulugaha junction, Dalugama, Kelaniya on 31 December. The arrest was made in Kadolkelle, Negombo last morning. He was arrested by the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Unit of the Kelaniya Police and interrogated prior to being produced before the Hulftsdorp Magistrate and remanded yesterday. more..

Jan 9 (DN) The govt will be compelled to resort to the printing of money this year to bridge the escalating Budget deficit despite claims to the contrary by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake, said MP Bandula Gunawardena. He said Commercial Banks and the Central Bank would have to bridge the Budget deficit which will further escalate with inflation caused by the appreciation of the dollar and this would eventually force the govt to resort to the artificial printing of money. more..

Jan 9 (NS) At least two Sri Lankans reportedly join the ISIS every month amidst recent security measures to control IS (aka ISIS) presence in Sri Lanka, experts on terrorism have said. The Govt last week announced that 36 Sri Lankans had joined the IS movement so far, following which the security agencies were on full alert. Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) more..

Jan 9 (DM) Minister of Plantation Industries Navin Dissanayake inspected the Tea Small Holding Development Authority yesterday, at Pellawatte Battaramulla which is under the purview of his Ministry. Attending the ceremony to mark the first anniversary of President Maithripala Sirisena in office, Minister Dissanayake laid the foundation stone for a Budhu Madura in the authority premises. The Minister also discussed with the employees about issues concerning them. more..

Jan 9 (DM) With the newly-elected committee assuming duties at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and given the challenges the game has encountered in recent years (both on and off the field), the time is now to revisit and restructure the entire ecosystem of the game. While recognizing that the industry (cricket in this case) appreciation and experience are essential, MTI is of the professional opinion that, given the multifaceted nature of this industry (with the game at the core), more..

Jan 9 (CT) Public criticism of a proposal by Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe by Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has raised the anger of several ministers and MPs who want immediate disciplinary action against Jayasekera. Ministers and MPs contend that Dayasiris' criticism of PM's decision to appoint a committee violated an agreement between the UNP and SLFP to desist from any form of public criticism of one by the other since more..

Jan 9 (NS) All babies delivered so far by mothers identified as being HIV-positive last year have tested negative to the virus, stressing the need for pregnant mothers to undergo the HIV test being conducted by the Ministry of Health. Director of National STD/AIDS Control Unit, Ministry of Health, Dr. Sisira Liyanage said 17 pregnant mothers with HIV proved positive in tests conducted last year. In 2014, the number of pregnant mothers identified as HIV-positive was 11, he pointed out. more..

Jan 9 (DN) The world economy is very hostile and Sri Lanka is faced with an uphill task to swim upstream, international economist and investor George Soros said. He said that in addition to several unsolved problems in Sri Lanka, the imbalances in the world economy too will create problems for the forward march of Sri Lanka. "A falling Chinese currency is de-stabilizing the world, and the country is trying to transfer its problems to the rest of the world," Soros said more..

Jan 9 (DM) Former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on yesterday that he was summoned by the FCID, PRECIFAC, Bribery and Corruption Commissions last year not to investigate fraud and corruption but to take political revenge. Mr Rajapaksa visited the PRECIFAC yesterday as well and recorded a statement for several hours. Mr. Rajapaksa said if they really wanted to find out any fraud and corruption, more..

Jan 9 (CT) CID is expected to shortly apprehend two more Army personnel allegedly linked to the abduction of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. A senior intelligence officer said that information leading to his arrest was gleaned in interrogations of the six Army personnel being held in custody pending completion of a probe into the abduction and disappearance of Ekneligoda. They have also divulged information identifying the names and whereabouts of two other Army men involved more..

Jan 9 (CT) 26 SLFP Ministers and MPs have started talks with the Joint Opposition over the current political situation and future of the island, Deputy Organizer of the Joint Opposition MP Ranjith Soyza said. The talks between the two groups revolve around issues such as the increase in the prices of goods, reforms and promises made through the Budget not being implemented, matters concerning national security and the island's economy as well as the proposal to draft a new Constitution. more..

Jan 9 (DN) Attorney General (AG) has directed the Police Colombo Crimes Division to arrest UNP MP Hirunika Premachandra in connection with the alleged abduction of a youth in Dematagoda. Authoritative sources from Attorney General's Department said that the AG instructed the Police to arrest the MP on Thursday night. "There was sufficient evidence to suggest the MP's involvement in the incident. more..

Jan 9 (Island) Govt is expected to initiate the process of framing a new Constitution shortly. A constituent assembly is to be appointed for that purpose. Project has already run into stiff resistance from some Opposition bigwigs on the grounds that the proper procedures are not being followed. Beginning of so serous a task as drafting a Constitution is of crucial import. It needs to be an inclusive process with participation of all stakeholders. Well begun, as they say, is more..

Jan 9 (Island) What is your anniversary resolution? What anniversary are you thinking of, New Year was a week ago. January 8 – what else – anniversary of the Silent Revolution. We may have had the silence of the ballot, but the events after are louder than what was defeated. You mean your resolution will be one of silence in the future? If I must have a resolution, I will resolve to somehow abolish or get rid of the Supreme Court. Now, why must you want such a change … more..

Jan 9 (Island) Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senratne said he would submit a Cabinet paper to extend the age of retirement for govt employees to 65 years, Dr. Senaratne said he was against the decision of retiring govt employees at the age of 60. It was only a solution to unemployment. There were professors at Cambridge who taught at the age of 85. Knowledge can be imparted as one grows older. more..

Jan 9 (Island) Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said though he had been invited over the telephone to the first anniversary celebrations of the govt he was unable to participate as he had to visit the Dalada Maligawa in Kandy. He said he had been invited by a govt official. Some of the govt politicians who accused the UPFA govt of abductions had been active members of the much dreaded vigilante group known as PRRA more..