May 21 (DN) Sri Lanka has set a target to export US$17.1 billion worth of goods and services in 2018, said Minister Malik Samarawickrama. Speaking to investors, trade unions and employees during a BOI organized interactive meeting at the Biyagama Export Processing Zone (BEPZ) he said that while FDI had reached US$ 1.9 billion, the target for 2018 was to attack US$2.1 billion FDI. more..

May 21 (Island) Each year more than 30% of the world’s food production, weighing about three billion tonnes, is wasted, while 13.1% of the world population (6.8 billion) go hungry. According to UN Food and Agricultural Organization estimates, the waste is enough to feed three billion people. An outfit called The Robin Hood Army is doing its bit to curb food waste in SL by literally taking from the rich and giving to the poor. "We accept food that cannot be sold due to minor quality issues from more..

May 21 (ST) Since the reshuffle of Cabinet Ministers, I have been receiving calls from past players and Football lovers alleging corruption and mismanagement within the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL) and its affiliated Leagues, and appealing to me to take these matters with the incumbent Minister of Sports (MoS) Faiszer Musthapha. As I felt their requests to be just and fair, I thought I must first write to the Sunday Times, and thereafter, if possible, meet with MoS, more..

May 21 (ST) The foreign partner in the joint venture that built the synthetic track at Sugathadasa Stadium has guaranteed durability and the overall performance characteristics of the track after local project supervisor, Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau (CECB), demanded answers over visible water seepage and unusual wearing of the track. To review the issue, CONICA will have one of its technical more..

May 21 (DN) Dharshana Prasad Fernando of the North Western Province and Punchali Sulochana of Western Province won the respective Men’s and Women’s Racing Cycling titles at the 44th National Sports Festival held at Puttalam on Saturday. Dharshana finished the 129kms distance in 3hrs 14mts and 07secs while Sulochana covered the 56kms in a time of 1hr 39mts and 42secs to win the gold. Men’s event covered the cities of Kurunegala, Nikaweratiya, Anamaduwa, Padeniya, more..

May 21 (Island) The shoe now seems to be on the other foot, and it is former President Rajapaksa, who is heard telling the nation that the successor-Govt of three-plus-years is on a borrowing-spree. According to him, Govt foreign commercial borrowings since January 2015, when the Sirisena-Ranil duo took over office, stood at $ 19.5 b, and Sri Lankan Rs 6 trillion. As if he was responding to Rajapaksa’s charge, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that the forex reserves were adequate and more..

May 21 (CT) The remaining SLFP Ministers, Dy Ministers and State Ministers will remain in the Govt until its term ends, UPFA General Secretary and Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. “We, the remaining Ministers will remain with the Govt till the full term ends in 2019 as we have no reason to leave now, he said yesterday. He was responding to a question on the Party’s reaction after Prez Sirisena told SLFP Central Comm more..

May 21 (FT) Sri Lanka has been ranked as the sixth best performing wealth market for 2016-2017 in the world by a specialist firm, the AfrAsia Bank, in its Global Wealth Migration Review. It said global wealth rose by 12% in 2017 (from $ 192 trillion at the end of 2016 to $ 215 trillion at the end of 2017). Sri Lanka’s growth was put at 20% a figure shared by Mauritius, Poland and Vietnam. India with 25% growth ranked first whilst China with 22% was at number three. more..

May 21 (Xinhua) Study in Guangxi Education Exhibition in Colombo is underway, drawing a steady stream of SL students wanting to study in China. In the first-ever exhibition of their facilities, 25 higher education institutions from Guangxi, China offered a wide variety of courses in the liberal arts, management, technology, science, medicine, Chinese language, tourism and teaching. The main reason for SL students flocking to the exhibition is the lack of facilities in the island, more..

May 21 (Island) More than 67,000 tonnes of coal find their way into the ocean annually and this is equal to one ship load, the Coalition Against Coal (CAC) says. "Of this amount, about 17,000 tonnes are lost due to spillage during unloading from ship to barge. It is common for coal pieces to reach beaches in areas such as Kalpitiya," CAC said in a report titled Norochcholai Coal Power Plant – A summary of Social & Environmental Issues. more..

May 21 (Island) Less than 10% of investors in SL’s luxury residential property developments are foreigners because purchase of residential property is not as yet linked to residency privileges, the internationally-acclaimed global leader in Business Intelligence Oxford Business Group (OBG) reported recently. Quoting Pradeep Moraes, Chairman of the Condominium Developers Association of Sri Lanka (CDASL) in an interview, OBG said 60 to 65% of buyers of luxury residential property are more..

May 21 (Island) Sri Lanka’s fourth Decent Work Country Programme was launched in Colombo recently. A MoU giving effect to this was signed by Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC), the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya (SLNSS), National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), Ceylon Federation of Trade Unions (CFTU), Free Trade Zone & General Services Employees Union (FTZGSEU) for more..

May 21 (CT) Several persons have died, mainly infants and hundreds of children have sought treatment, as a deadly viral flu continues to sweep several areas in the Deep South and elsewhere, Health authorities warned. They did not give the actual number of deaths but only stated that several infants, below the age of one, had already perished and hundreds of children had received treatment in major hospitals in the South. more..

May 21 (DM) Higher Education and Cultural Affairs Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said the govt was considering amending the existing laws in order to protect the Buddhist religious sites as well as the places with archaeological value. Attending the occasion to resume the conservation works of the Rangiri Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya which had been stalled for some time, Minister said that the new laws would provide for penalizing of those who vandalize such religious/archaeological sites. more..

May 21 (DM) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) warned the people living along the downstream of the Gin Ganga, Attanagalu Oya and Kalu Ganga to be cautious as the water levels of the rivers reached the spill level due to the heavy rainfall experienced in the catchment areas. Quoting the Irrigation Dept’s latest report issued at 3.30pm, DMC warned the public to pay special attention over the water levels of the mentioned rivers as the Met Dept expected more rains in the coming hours. more..

May 21 (DN) Five people were reported dead due to adverse weather conditions with the Met Dept predicting landslides and floods if the heavy rains persist in the country in the next few days. An advisory for heavy rains, strong winds, lightning and rough seas was issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Center yesterday, as heavy monsoon conditions set in over the island. According to warnings, heavy rain falls of about 150 mm more..

May 21 (DM) Southern Province Education Minister Chandima Rasaputhra today requested the parents to not to send their children to schools if they are suffering from cold, cough and fever. He said so far no decision has been taken to close the school temporary concerning of the prevailing fever, however, will do so if necessary after discussing with health authorities. However, Minister requested the parents to refrain from sending their children to school if have any of above symptoms more..

May 21 (FT) Central Bank said that depositors of troubled ETI Finance Ltd. (ETIFL) would be paid in a phased-out manner starting from 5 June. It said the Monetary Board, having considered the critical financial conditions of ETIFL and the possible implications to the financial system, decided to permit and facilitate ETIFL to sell its holding of shares in subsidiary and sub-subsidiary companies and investment properties, based on a proposal submitted by the Board of Directors of ETIFL, more..

May 21 (CT) Group of 16 SLFP PMs, who quit the Unity Govt, will meet former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Wednesday, former Minister Chandima Weerakkody said. He was one of the 16 SLFPers who had quit the Govt last month. When asked what the agenda would be on that day he said, “Former Prez Rajapaksa is a patron and the former leader of the Party. All 16 of us worked for him during the presidential elections. more..

May 21 (Island) Adjutant General of the Army Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva and Director General Infantry Maj. Gen. Chagi Gallege were among the officers who received Vishishta Seva Vibhushanaya (VSV) Medal that recognises their exceptional, distinguished and loyal dedication to the nation with a record of moral and military conduct. Gajaba Regiment veterans played significant role in eelam war IV with Maj. Gen. Silva’s celebrated 58 Division credited with a spate of battlefield victories. more..

May 21 (DM) Landslide warnings have been issued to Kalutara, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Kurunegala, Nuwara-Eliya, Badulla, Galle, Colombo and Gampaha Districts since the rainfall within the past 24 hours has exceeded 100mm, the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) said. The NBRO requested the public living in the warned areas to evacuate to a safer locations to avoid the risk of landslides, slope failures, rock falls, cutting failures and ground subsidence. more..

May 21 (DN) Minister Mangala Samaraweera took former President Rajapaksa to task for alleging that the foreign debt payments due in 2019 is a result of the doings of the present govt. He contradicting Rajapaksa’s claim, pointed out that 77% of the USD 4,285 mn foreign debts which is due in 2019 was debt obtained during the tenure of the Rajapaksa regime. He also observed that 48% of the total foreign debt obtained after 2015 more..

May 21 (DM) The coalition govt led by the UNP and a faction of the SLFP led by President Sirisena in the so-called National Unity govt came into power in January 2015 -a coming together of two political forces which have since their creation been diametrically opposed to each other. Unfortunately the coming together of two diametrically opposed political forces without either a common ideology or pragmatic programme of work was bound to flounder. And so it has come to pass. more..

May 21 (DM) The end of the war anniversary this month is once again polarizing the country. The losses are again being counted along ethnic lines, reinforcing notions of war heroes and martyrs. Remembering the war and the dead in this manner is providing few lessons and avenues towards seeking a peaceful and just future. With the changing political dispensation in the South this year, a new constitution to address the issues that underlie the conflict are no longer in sight. more..

May 21 (DM) Viyathmaga is an organization that claims to be dedicated to the goal of an intellectually inspired Sri Lanka. It is said to possess an elitist membership comprising top level professionals, academics and entrepreneurs of SL. The Viyathmaga website describes the organization in the following manner: Professionals for a better future (VIYATHMAGA) is a network of Academics, more..

May 21 (DM) The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) has restored certification to SriLankan Airlines to fly its Airbus neo fleet for more than an hour outside the range of airports suitable for emergency landings–but for reasons not immediately specified, the company is only applying the facility to one of its five neo planes. This means that the other four aircraft continue to spend extra time in the air to ensure that more..

May 21 (ST) The age old tradition of preparing salted fish cured in goraka (gamboge) in the coastal belt of Sri Lanka on a commercial scale has come under fire by the Industrial Technology Institute (ITI), which warns of dangerous pathogens that could harm human health. Research scientist Wasundera Divisekera said that the jaadi, a preparation made by fishing communities to preserve the excess fish harvest during more..

May 21 (CT) An electronic waste (e-waste) management factory, located in Homagama, is currently damaging the environment while causing severe health issues to the residents, environmentalists accuse. Environmentalist and the executive director of Centre for Environmental and Nature Studies, Dr. Ravindra Kariyawasam said that the activation of the plant in Godaparagahahena, Kiriwattuduwa, Homagama, is causing too many more..

May 21 (Island) Indirect costs of coal power plants far outweighed the profit made by the CEB, Dr. Trishan Perera of the Centre for Sustainability, Sri J'pura University told The Island, yesterday, highlighting the adverse effects of the Norochcholai Coal Power Plant. "The CEB claims it is making a significant profit by producing electricity from coal. But it has not factored in the human and environmental costs of coal power." more..

May 21 (Island) There have been more than 18,760 dengue cases so far this year, According to the Epidemiology Unit. Approximately 30.3% of the cases were reported from the Western Province. The highest number of cases, 2,665, have been reported from the Colombo District. The severity of the outbreak forced the health authorities to impose heavy fines on those who create an environment conducive to dengue mosquito breeding. more..

May 21 (SL) Sri Lanka is to host the 3rd Asia Conference on Regional Cooperation and Policy Development in Management of the Dead in Emergencies on 22 and 23 May 2018. To be organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the conference will bring close to 30 senior forensic specialists and policymakers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Timor Leste, Viet Nam and SL to Colombo. more..

May 21 (EN) Sri Lanka Railways, a heavily unionised state-run agency had lost 7.6 billion rupees in 2017, which is more than the total revenue earned during the year, which also fell due to strikes, official data showed. Operating loss of 7,604 million rupees exceeded total revenues of 6,477 million rupees, which fell 2.2%. Revenues had fallen amid two strikes, central bank said. Operating expenditure had risen 5.1% 14.1 billion rupees. more..

May 21 (DM) Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera was spreading false propaganda against him because the minister was aware of his ability. He recalled how Minister Samaraweera posted posters against PM Ranil Wickremesinghe during the time of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. “Recently, Minister Samaraweera said he knew more..

May 21 (AD) The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) states that the water levels of the main rivers have reached spill levels in certain areas due to the heavy rainfall. Nilwala River, Ging River, Kalu River, Kelani River, Attanagaluwa Oya and Ma-Oya have been overflowing from some places. As a result, the DMC has warned residents of lower catchment areas of these rivers to be on alert for flood conditions. more..

May 21 (CT) Govt has decided to get rid of the menace of narcotics from schools by setting up drug counselling units in all the schools in the country. A month ago in the Eastern Province a student was caught at a road checkpoint by Police carrying narcotic pills in a three-wheeler to be distributed at his school. The investigation into the arrest of the student and the seizure of narcotic pills from his possession had revealed how the innocence of the school-goers has been exploited by drug more..

May 21 (NR) Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera has urged the govt to ban the operation of private tuition centres on Sunday. Speaking during an event in Kandy, Thera said the conduct of private tuition classes on Sundays have prevented children from attending Dhamma schools. Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Thera said several previous govts have been urged to enact new laws pertaining to the matter. more..

May 21 (EN) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), SL’s state-run refiner, has begun recovering money owed by the state airline and power utility to which it supplied fuel, its chairman Dammika Ranatunga said. The CEB owes the CPC Rs 67.7 billion and SriLankan Airlines Rs12.75 billion, he said. The power utility and airline together with the govt ministries under which they operate had held talks on ways to pay the CPC for fuel already supplied but which had not been paid for, he said. more..

May 21 (DM) A fatal stabbing on the streets of London has brought the capital's 2018 murder toll to 65 people. The victim, named by police as 28-year-old Arunesh Thangarajah, was stabbed to death in a senseless and frenzied attack in the early hours of Sunday in Mitcham, south-west London. Police arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of murder at the scene and he remains in custody. Police launched a murder investigation after officers were called at 3.29am to Upper Green East area. more..

May 21 (AD) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has declared fertilizer as an essential item and the relevant Gazette notification will be released within the week, said Minister of Agriculture, Mahinda Amaraweera. He said that currently the fertilizer is issued to paddy farmers at a rate of Rs 500 per bag and Rs 1500 per bag to other farmers. This decision was taken due to the complaints received from the farmers stating that more..