Jan 16 (DM) UPFA MP Rohitha Abeygunawardana yesterday challenged UNP General Secretary Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to resign from parliament if the UPFA candidate wins the presidential election. He said he would also bet his parliament membership. “I will not ask you to bet your portfolio because when the UPFA candidate wins the presidential election, your ministerial post will be worthless,” he said. Minister Kariyawasam is reported to have told a politburo meeting in the Nikaweratiya more..

Jan 16 (DM) A group of SLFP organisers said that they would only support an alliance headed by the SLFP and its leadership. Southern Provincial Council Minister Dayawansa Ariyathilaka said that the SLFP had acted as the main force of all the alliances it got into so far and the other parties had to pay heed to the opinion of the main force. “SLFP has formed govts so far as an alliance, but played the role of the main force. more..

Jan 16 (NR) Leader of the NFF MP Wimal Weerawansa claims that the present govt has been taken hostage by the TNA. Terming the TNA separatists, MP Weerawansa said the proposed new Constitution will pave way to a divided Sri Lanka. He stressed Cabinet decisions are also being sanctioned to please the TNA. MP charged that the govt has commenced the process of enacting a federal Constitution stating that TNA MP MA Sumanthiran in Jaffna claimed that more..

Jan 16 (CT) Ocean Scientists and the Centre of Ocean Resources Analysis Sri Lanka (CENORA-SL) expressed their concern about overexploitation of commercial whale watching in Sri Lanka. According to a Scientist of the NARA, Upul Liyanage, regulations for the commercial whale- watching industry exist, however, the authorities fail to implement the said regulations properly. “Mirissa is an area where whales can be spotted throughout the year. more..

Jan 16 (NR) Minister Rajitha Senaratne claims Prez has assured him that a Presidential Commission will not be appointed to investigate activities of the health service and Ministry of Health. GMOA recently claimed that Prez had agreed to appoint a Commission to probe activities of the Ministry during the past four years. In response Minister categorically denied the claim and said the Prez acknowledged that more..

Jan 16 (GMA) President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he and his Sri Lankan counterpart Maithripala Sirisena recognize the threat posed by illegal drugs in their respective nations. Speaking at a media conference following his meeting with Sirisena in Malacañang, the President said the Philippines and Sri Lanka have common challenges, shared interests, and are "united by our desire to provide greater peace, progress and prosperity for our peoples." more..

Jan 16 (NR) Minister Thalatha Athukorala says the politicisation of the country’s education and health sectors has severely affected the public. Speaking during an event at the Nivitigala Yatagara school today, Minister noted that all persons who benefited from the free education system should serve the country. She also bemoaned the conduct of the doctors in the recent past. The Minister said having benefiting from the country’s free education system, several doctors engage in strike actions more..

Jan 16 (EN) Bookings at Sri Lankan hotels have started to recover in January 2019, industry officials said, after being hit from a political and economic crisis triggered by President Maithripala Sirisena in October, just as the peak tourism season was starting. Sanath Ukwatte, head of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, an industry lobby group, said bookings have bounced back in January after a weak December, especially more..

Jan 17 (DN) For long we have witnessed the recurring, unprofessional conduct and unproductive contributions from many of our undisciplined Mace-raiders masquerading as politicians, who make a mockery out of august assemblies such as the Provincial Councils and the Parliament. The shattered and disillusioned voting public now crave for the selection of a decent, honest, ethical and a principled set of Political professionals who will always place the country first in their agenda. more..

Jan 17 (CT) In the New Year, Sri Lanka remains at crossroads. As before, the Island Nation requires carefully calibrated statecraft from policymakers to choose the path towards prosperity. The political, constitutional, and parliamentary crises during the last months of 2018 were a waste of time. Possibly, the President never was fully in control of the crisis-ridden turbulent political alliance strategised by him. More Machiavellian than over his appointment, a lightning strike introduced a model more..

Jan 17 (Roar) Cricket holds a special place in the hearts of many Sri Lankans. Over the years, it has brought people from all walks of life together, no matter their differences. Our cricket team’s ability to stand toe-to-toe with giants on the field has been a source of national pride. But Sri Lankan cricket has not been without blemish. The recent pitch-fixing controversy, which came to light in 2018, is one such example. more..

Jan 17 (CT) The political history of Tamils who inhabited the island before the arrival of Vijaya in 543 BC, a legendary prince, still to be proved by real and documented evidence, has been tarnished with the record of betrayals, pogroms, genocide and massacres in the hands of successive SL Govts since 1948. Numerous articles and books have detailed these events locally and internationally. The International community including the United Nations watched these hearts wrenching more..

Jan 17 (CT) In spite of Mahinda group campaign against devolution and separation of powers, the fact is the UPFA historically, is not a party against federalism. This is the party in the past, between 1994 and 2001, ruled the country under the name of People’s Alliance (PA) under the leadership of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Present leaders in the Pohottuwa and SLFP, including President Maithripala Sirisena, all supported her suggestions for resolving Tamil national problem. more..

Jan 17 (SO) At a recent event to commemorate the ten-year anniversary of the murder of veteran journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, AFP Correspondent for SL, Amal Jayasinghe remarked that “The same lawyer who appeared for Lasantha in the MiG case was one of his pall bearers and that same lawyer is now appearing for Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in the MiG case.” While Jayasinghe declined to name the lawyer, more..

Jan 17 (DN) The major political parties have virtually commenced campaigning for the next presidential elections, as the first term of office of Prez Sirisena comes to an end on Jan 8, 2020 which means presidential polls must be held at the end of this year. With the new-found rapprochement between the SLFP led by President Sirisena and the SLPP of which the de-facto leader is former Prez Rajapaksa, the two parties are struggling to reach a compromise on the issue of a candidate for prez election. more..

Jan 17 (Island) A study, conducted by a paediatrician, has shed more light on the adverse psychological impact, which the Grade Five Scholarship Examination (GFSC) has on children, as we reported yesterday. Dr. P. M. Jayawardena has explained how heavy pressure takes its toll on children’s future academic activities among other things. One can argue that the aforesaid study has only scientifically confirmed what has been known to laymen, all these years. more..

Jan 17 (CT) Leaked CCTV camera footage from the Angunakolapelessa Prison revealed that on 22 Nov 2018, Prison Police personnel led by the Prison Superintendent chased unarmed and unresisting prisoners in remand custody, got them to crawl and walk on their knees, continuously attacked and assaulted them with batons and in one instance, even kicked a detainee. The video taken from the newly established Prison which the Govt has described as the super Prison, more..

Jan 17 (Island) Speaking at a Viyathmaga new year event at Waters Edge on 12th Jan, Gotabaya Rajapaksa argued that he advocates Jathikathwaya (inclusive Nationalism) over Jathiwadaya. He said in his short speech that there will be a Presidential election this year and concluded by saying; Quote; "I am of course, ready; if you are ready." Viyathmaga (Professionals for a Better Future) is a network of Academics, Business Leaders, Professionals, and other Entrepreneurs who love the country more..

Jan 17 (ST) The new Minister of Sports (MOS) is reported to have said that he would like to defer the SLC AGM in order to put the house in order. He even trekked to Dubai in order to have an Anti- Corruption Team located here, since it was disclosed that Sri Lanka topped the list of the most corrupt nations in the ICC rankings! Aspirants to high office in the run up to the SLC elections claim that the MOS should not be involved in more..

Jan 17 (DN) Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain, has called on his batsmen to dig deep and post first-innings totals over 300 to give the bowlers a chance of repeating the success India enjoyed in their historic series victory. India became the first Asian side to win a Test series in Australia, a contest Chandimal watched closely while in New Zealand. Sri Lanka’s Test record in Australia is very lop-sided with 11 defeats and two draws - and they have passed 300 in their first innings more..

Jan 17 (CT) Sports Minister Harin Fernando has appointed a twelve-member National Sports Council for the development, improvement and administration of all sports in Sri Lanka. The 12 members are scheduled to receive their credentials from the Sports Minister today. This committee has been appointed under the Sports Law of 1973 (Section 25 Clause 4) and will be effective for two years. The committee comprises former top officers who were attached to the defence services, more..

Jan 17 (Island) Ireland overcame a jolt, to pull-off a draw after a sensational SL fightback, courtesy of Pathum Nissanka and Chamika Karunaratne, on the fourth and final day, yesterday, at Sooriyawewa, and Sri Lanka winning the series 1-0. Ireland, off to chase down 264, were in tatters losing opener James Shannon (0). Stephen Doheny, giving that a cold shoulder tried to be explosive in his 18 off 12, more..

Jan 17 (ST) SL Schools Shooting Sports Association (SLSSSA) felicitated four of their former shooters, who reached the national level while still schooling, at their Colours Awarding Ceremony for the years of 2017 and 2018, held at the BMICH. The four shooters — Rohana Nanayakkara, a present Vice President of National Shooting Sports Federation, Zal Chitti, the Late Ravi Jayawardena and Late Col. Daya Rajasinghe — had been the pioneer school shooters to earn national level recognition, more..

Jan 17 (Island) MullenLowe, joined hands with Colombo based 360-degree full service digital agency, We Are Designers, to further strengthen its digital offering. This exclusive partnership comes at a time when digital platforms continue to rise as the most dominant engagement medium for brands to interact with consumers and inspire brand love. Bringing together MullenLowe’s insight driven creative excellence and We Are Designers’ collective digital experience of 14 years, more..

Jan 17 (CI) Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain, has called on his batsmen to dig deep and post first-innings totals over 300 to give the bowlers a chance of repeating the success India enjoyed in their historic series victory. India became the first Asian side to win a Test series in Australia, a contest Chandimal watched closely while in NZ. SL's Test record in Australia is very lop-sided with 11 defeats and two draws more..

Jan 17 (CT) United Southern Cricket Club (USCC) of Galle has written to Ashley de Silva, the Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), that the Southern Province Cricket Association (SPCA) has not conducted its Annual General Meeting on a regular basis. SPCA conducted their last AGM in 2006 and from then on they have failed to conduct the AGM to date, for reasons best known to them. They further state in their letter that SPCA has also failed to submit the AGM reports and more..

Jan 17 (DN) The Sri Lanka Embassy in Oslo, together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, organised and coordinated Sri Lanka’s participation in the premier Nordic Tourism Fair, Reiselivsmessen 2019, which was held between January 11 and 13. Rizwan Wadood from Silver Tree, Sugeeswara Dissanayake from Ceylon Trails and Arushan Lazarus from Explore the Wonders represented the Sri Lanka Travel Trade at the fair. The event was well-attended, and provided more..

Jan 17 (EN) Sri Lanka's CHEC Port City (Pvt) Ltd, which has reclaimed 369 hectares of sea to build a brand new city expanding the island's capital Colombo is awaiting tax incentives to begin marketing, officials said. The reclaimed area will have 178 hectares of buildable space and 91 hectares of public areas including a park. "We look forward to govt policy support to attract more investors to the port city," more..

Jan 17 (DN) Sri Lanka’s existing legal and regulatory framework needs to be made more favorable to foster a social entrepreneurship culture, giving social enterprises a greater degree of flexibility to pursue social business models that generate both social and financial returns. It is estimated that there are between 6,000-15,000 social enterprises in Sri Lanka, covering major sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, cultural, creative and environmental protection sectors. more..

Jan 17 (Island) Burgher Association (BA) will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting on Saturday at the Dutch Burgher Union Hall from 7.00 pm. BA President Carlyle de Zilva said the meeting had been convened to discuss the impending closure of the association. Although the issue had been discussed at recent committee meetings, it had now become necessary that the general membership was formally informed of the situation, he said. Burgher Association was formed in 2001 more..

Jan 17 (Island) Sri Lanka could be heading for a sort of authoritarian parliamentary rule which was likely to be far worse than the current presidential system, academic Dr. Lalithasiri Gunaruwan warned. The senior lecturer in economics of the Colombo Uni said that "Those trying to convince the public that the abolition of the executive presidency can be the panacea for our problems conveniently forgot more..

Jan 17 (MFA) The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Tel Aviv, organized and coordinated the participation of Sri Lanka in the 24th International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM 2018), which was held from 6 to 7 Feb 2018 at the Tel Aviv Convention Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. The IMTM is the largest annual professional official exhibition for the tourism market in Israel, which promotes and focuses both domestic and foreign tourism more..

Jan 17 (DN) Two LTTE members admitted to the were sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Anuradhapura Magistrate's Court. Two LTTE members have been sentenced to 10years in prison by the Anuradhapura magistrate court for providing information on an attacking Anuradhapura Air Force Base on 22.10.2007. Magistrate ordered the order to be passed in 5 years. Two suspects, Aravindan and Thavarupan, had been charged with providing information to the Air Force base. more..

Jan 17 (AD) Five MoU were signed between Sri Lankan and the Philippines on educations, tourism, agricultural and economic corporation. The two heads of state have focused on establishing an economic council to revive economic and trade relations between SL and the Philippines. President Maithripala Sirisena commenced a four-day state visit to the Philippines yesterday (15) and Prez Rodrigo Duterte & Prez Sirisena more..

Jan 17 (CT) International Air Travel Association (IATA) has renewed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry of SriLankan Airlines for a further two-year period up to 4 Dec 2020. IOSA is the global airline industry’s benchmark for an airline’s operational management and control systems. SriLankan Airlines has a firm tradition of adopting and adhering to the highest standards and benchmarks in all areas of airline operations, and had its IOSA registry renewed once again more..

Jan 17 (FT) The Court of Appeal yesterday directed the Respondents, including the Minister of Livestock & Animal Welfare, to expeditiously and forthwith facilitate the enactment of the Animal Welfare Bill and to submit a progress report to Court by 1 February. The Bench comprised Justices Deepali Wijesundera (Acting President/CA) and Achala Wengappuli. Court issued the above direction pertaining to raise animal welfare and to enforce the existing laws against all offenders when more..

Jan 17 (FT) The reclamation of the 269 hectares of the Port City was officially completed yesterday, setting the stage for the next phase of seeking investment with officials, saying they would redouble efforts to restart talks stalled during the recent political turmoil to achieve the target of $15 billion infresh ventures. Minister Champika Ranawaka, speaking at the ceremony to mark the end of the reclamation, spoke of master plan more..

Jan 17 (CT) IGP Pujith Jayasundara said, Police Department was currently seeking the support of the Interpol and SL diplomatic missions overseas, with the aim of capturing four criminals including noted underworld gangster Makandure Madush. He made this statement at a meeting held with Chief Police Officials over the weekend at Police Hq. IGP has noted that the four underworld gangsters operating from overseas had ordered a spate of contract killings in the country in the recent past. more..

Jan 17 (EN) SL's central bank said it had received 90 billion rupees of Treasury bills (about US$ 500 million) after filling a foreign currency financing gap of the govt. The central bank's Treasury bill stock went up from 68 billion rupees on Dec 10 to 100 billion rupees on Jan 11 and 160 billion on Jan 14, the day a billion dollar sovereign bond was repaid. The central bank said it bought the bills due to a delay in getting foreign currency to meet Treasury's cashflow for Jan 2019. more..