Jan 28 (DM) While reiterating that he was determined to hang at least a few convicted drug kingpins who continued to commit crimes even while on death row, Prez Sirisena said he would submit a Cabinet memo tomorrow to establish a rehabilitation authority to save people, especially the youth, from drug abuse. He lamented that no govt in the past two or three decades had taken any tangible action to control narcotics, more..

Jan 28 (DM) Minister of Sports Harin Fernando expressed his disappointment after Sri Lanka surrendered to Australia in the opening Test match well inside three days in Brisbane on Saturday. “I have no words to express my disappointment for an innings defeat,” the Minister said yesterday. “There are lot of issues in the team,” without specifying, he said. In fact, the Sports Minister is most likely to travel to Australia later this week. He will address the players and more..

Jan 28 (Island) In the wake of the govt struggling to contain rapid Fall Army Worm (Sena) proliferation, Dr. W.M.W. Weerakone has received a briefing on the possibility in employing a solution based on a yellow LED lamp which emits a yellow light capable of repelling nocturnal insects. The solution is based on extensive research done on this subject by Japanese scientists since 1997 and amplifier has been developed by Tos Lanka with the support of a globally recognised multinational in Japan, more..

Jan 28 (DM) Batteries found in the low-budget hybrid vehicles were not manufactured to suit the climatic conditions of Asian countries, but compatible with European and American countries, Auto Hybrid Electronics (Pvt) Ltd Managing Director Nuwan Madhanayake said. Madhanayake is a qualified engineer in the hybrid vehicles and the founder and Managing Director of Auto Hybrid Electronic (Pvt.) Ltd and more..

Jan 28 (DM) Certain media personnel have no proper information of the new Constitution, but are questioning politicians like parrots, Minister Lakshman Kiriella said. He said they should at least have read the series of proposals that have been presented on the new Constitution before questioning politicians. “Most parties who are trying to build an unnecessary fear in the people’s mind on the new Constitution have no proper understanding of it. They are trying to take political more..

Jan 28 (FT) Introduced in 2014, the lean luxury segment of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Cinnamon Red is set to expand to the hill capital Kandy. A ground-breaking ceremony was held to mark the start of the project’s construction which is scheduled for completion in two years. Cinnamon Red Kandy will be the first and only Leed Gold certified hotel in Kandy, developed at an investment of Rs. 6.5 billion. With a portfolio of over 2,400 rooms in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, more..

Jan 28 (CT) At a time when power is proposed to be devolved further as part of the Constitutional reforms process, elected Members of the Local Govt (LG) authorities in the Mullaitivu District want to quit politics over the lack of by-laws and income for development work, and staff cadre issues. There are four Pradeshiya Sabhas in the District, namely, Manthai East, Maritimepattu, Puthukkudiyiruppu and Thunukkai. more..

Jan 28 (DM) India has so far committed Lines of Credit worth around US$ 1.3 billion for development of railway sector in Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission said yesterday. The restoration of arterial railway lines, connecting the North and the South after decades of conflict, was undertaken under Indian concessional financing. The tsunami-affected Southern Railway line was also upgraded under Indian Line of Credit. India has also supplied rolling stock to Sri Lanka and more..

Jan 28 (DM) Five ambassadors including Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, Karunasena Kodituwakku, were conferred Silk Road Super Ambassador Award in Beijing on January 24, China Global Times reported on Sunday. Accordingly, the ambassadors of Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Malta and Bosnia and Herzegovina received the new award. Awards were also given to those who contributed to the Belt and Road initiative (BRI), including former Prime Minister of Italy Massimo D'Alema. more..

Jan 28 (CB) Chamika Karunaratne, a former captain at the Under-19 level, has been added to Sri Lanka's Test squad as injury concerns mount for the visitors in the pace-bowling department in Australia. Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera, both of whom picked up injuries during the pink-ball Test at The Gabba in Brisbane, will return home. Kumara had already been ruled out of 2nd Test in Canberra more..

Jan 28 (CT) Computer literacy rises with higher education and the knowledge of English. Latest official data showed that those with a knowledge of English had a computer literacy rate of 67.6%, Sinhala (34.4%) and Tamil (28.3%) as at the first half of last year. Similarly, those with the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) qualification and above had a literacy rate of 70.2%, GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) (39.1%), Grades six-10 (17.8%) and below Grade Six (9.4%) and no schooling (1.2%). more..

Jan 28 (DM) The prices of liquor products of Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka (DCSL) have been revised from today, DCSL sources said. A DCSL spokesman said price of a bottle of arrack has been increased by Rs.10, while price of half a bottle has been decreased by Rs.20. He also said the price of a quarter-bottle has been increased by Rs.20. However, he said prices of certain products will remain unchanged. He said the prices were revised due to the cost of production. more..

Jan 28 (Island) Deputy Minister of Petroleum Anoma Gamage held a special discussion with the officials of Lanka Indian Oil Company and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation recently to explore the possibility of both institutions selling diesel at the same price. LIOC representatives had informed the Dy Minister that due to the sale of its products at a higher price than Ceypetco, its sales have dropped by 75%. more..

Jan 28 (Island) On the day when it was reported that the Head of Human Resources at SriLankan Airlines, Pradeepa Kekulawala had been transferred by the new Board of Directors over a number of allegations, it was revealed, before Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) last Friday (25) that the Human Resource Division of SriLankan Airlines had not obtained approval from the Board of Directors for recruitments between January 2015 and January 2018. more..

Jan 28 (ST) The Cost of Living Sub-Committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss a solution to the milk powder crisis, Industries and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen told the Sunday Times. Due to the depreciation of the Rupee, traders have been forced to reduce the import of milk powder from Australia and New Zealand over the past few weeks. This situation may worsen by next month as some traders have decided to temporarily halt the import of milk powder. more..

Jan 28 (PMD) President Maithripala Sirisena says to save the nation from brutal drug smugglers a war must be conducted in a similar manner as the war against the ruthless terrorism that lasted 30 years. Prez Sirisena requested members of Tri-forces, police and Civil Defence Department to come forward with their talents, bravery and as the leading personality as shown earlier, to fulfill this humane task and more..

Jan 29 (ST) The country’s external financial vulnerability is serious due to the accumulated massive foreign debt, large debt repayment obligations and low foreign reserves. Furthermore, the difficulty of servicing the large foreign debt obligations of US$ 5.9 billion this year was made more onerous by the political anarchy of last October. The Govt is, however, confident of meeting the debt servicing obligations this year. Speaking at the 33rd annual sessions of more..

Jan 29 (CT) Since we proudly celebrated the eighty-fifth anniversary of Sri Lankan democracy in 2016, there has been a coup, first to replace a PM commanding a working majority in Parliament with another who could not muster a majority, followed by a move to dissolve parliament unconstitutionally. Even though Parliament and the Judiciary stood firm, these moves damaged Srilanka badly. The Economist’s Intelligence Unit downgraded Sri Lanka into the category of failing democracies more..

Jan 29 (Roar) As a nation, Sri Lanka boasts impressives rates for print literacy. As of 2018, the adult literacy rate is at 92%, making Sri Lanka the most literate country in South Asia. Considering this, it might be surprising to discover that Sri Lanka’s financial literacy rate is only 35%. Although this is still the highest out of South Asia, it stands to be the largest gap between print literacy and financial literacy in the region. more..

Jan 29 (CT) The issue of the Leader of the Opposition’s position once again came to the fore when it was brought up in parliament last week by TNA leader R Sampanthan. This issue seem to have been resolved when Speaker Karu Jayasuriya issued a ruling earlier this month that the UPFA’s Mahinda Rajapaksa would be the opposition leader. Parliament, the media and majority opinion seem to have taken this decision in their stride as the right and proper one. more..

Jan 29 (ST) That is a brave thing to do. Prez Sirisena has declared war on a worm. At least this time, he has interpreted the constitution correctly. Or maybe one of his legal maestros who told him he has the constitutional power to dissolve parliament anytime he pleased was able to read a simple constitutional provision without tripping over his own feet. Yes, the previous time was a real mess with the entire 7-member Supreme Court bench telling the president and his Socratic advisers more..

Jan 29 (ST) First detected in Ampara in November last year, amidst the political crisis, the fall armyworm, a native of the Americas, has already spread as far as the Southern and Central Provinces, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The caterpillar was interested in the soya bean plant at the beginning, now however, it has spread to other crops as well. Some caterpillars leave streaks of white on leaves of plants, while more..

Jan 29 (Island) This is widely considered an election year because the National Election Commission (NEC) has made some statements, raising the hopes of the people who have been waiting to exercise their franchise. But the NEC is so toothless that it cannot do anything other than making some feeble noises when the govt keeps postponing polls on some pretext or the other. Only an ardent supporter of the current dispensation will claim that the much-flaunted 19th Amendment has more..

Jan 29 (DN) Suffering is a problem that is real and universal. No one can escape it. All those who are born face and undergo suffering. Lord Buddha on his first outing from the king’s palace detected suffering in old age, sickness and death. Suffering is also caused by unfulfilled desires and other factors which may be quite natural and real. The Buddha certainly never wished anyone to inflict suffering on any sentient being. Buddhists accept that the Buddha taught a way out suffering. more..

Jan 29 (GV) On the wall of Sandya Eknaligoda’s home is a black and white cartoon of a snake devouring the egg it has hatched from. The cartoon is familiar – it is the work of Prageeth Eknaligoda, her husband, missing since Jan 24, 2010. “If there’s anyone who has gone to great lengths in searching for details of her husband, that’s me,” Sandya Eknaligoda says. Everyone knows that. Sandya spoke to Groundviews shortly after a detailed article on the progress of the investigation more..

Jan 29 (Island) In 1992, my father brought home an Aiwa VCR. We excitedly plugged it into a Sony Trinitron TV and then just sat around, commenting on the aesthetics of the device and its remote control (the first in our home), before settling down to an episode of Doo Daruwo. A few days later, we went to Nastars at Liberty Plaza to get a new membership and borrow two or three movies on VHS. With dire warnings from Amma to watch my fingers as I pushed in the tape before more..

Jan 29 (FT) The plantation industry stakeholders yesterday signed the new wage agreement that will see the basic daily wage increase to Rs. 700. The agreement signing was done with the participation of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, CWC leader Arumugam Thondaman, Joint Plantation Trade Union Centre (JPTUC) General Secretary S. Ramanathan, representatives of Ceylon Employers more..

Jan 29 (SI) The Swiss authorities have published a report aimed at shedding light on a long-running, partly illegal adoption programme involving hundreds of children from Sri Lanka. Martin Klöti, a member of the St Gallen cantonal govt, said on Monday that it was necessary to account for the past and help the children find their biological parents. He said a private adoption scheme by a social welfare worker Alice Honegger, and lawyer Rukmani Thavanesan, in place since 1948 had more..

Jan 29 (AN) The SL govt has banned bottom trawling, a fishing method that threatens local fisheries. For small fishermen's associations, the most affected by this destructive type of fishing, the decision was long overdue. "It is a victory for small scale fishers," said Herman Kumara, national convener of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO). Fisheries Minister Dilip Wedaarchchi banned the Lyla and Surukku nets on 1 Jan 2019, which was ratified on 21 Jan. more..

Jan 29 (DN) Norway is committed to bilateral cooperation on oceans and to helping Sri Lanka put in place data based management of ocean resources, which will enable Sri Lanka to better monitor its fish stocks, Ambassador of Norway to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther said in Colombo yesterday. He was speaking at an event to launch the main research findings of the survey carried out by Norwegian Research Vessel more..

Jan 29 (FT) Minister Ravi Karunanayake backed increasing renewable energy for SL but said cost remains a prohibitive factor and said losses of the State-owned CEB needs to be reduced. Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Green Energy Champion 2019 competition organised by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the SL Sustainable Authority, Minister stated that since hydropower has been largely tapped out by the country, more..

Jan 29 (DN) They say no gain without pain likewise I had to wend my way through the city traffic with my friendly tuk tuk driver to meet Chamara Silva at the Moors Sports Club at Braybrooke Place Colombo 2 sharp on time at 9 am. It was one heck of a ride which must have taken about 10 years of my life span. At the time the love for the profession took pride of place and financial benefits had to take a back seat which was a pain in the elbow at the best of times. more..

Jan 29 (Island) Sri Lanka could revamp their batting order for the second Test match against Australia in Canberra after the batsmen failed to click in the opening Test here at the Gabba where they suffered a humiliating innings and 40 run defeat inside three days. The absence of Angelo Mathews, the team’s in form batsman, due to injury has left a huge hole in the middle order with the other batsmen showing little resistance against Australia’s more..

Jan 29 (AD) The govt has the responsibility regarding the national security, stated Leader of the Opposition Mahinda Rajapaksa. He mentioned this in Colombo, responding to media personnel on an American aircraft landing at BIA. Rajapaksa says that if an aircraft of any country enters and leaves a country without proper permission, it a threat to the national security. When a journalist queried him on former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa contesting at the Prez election, more..

Jan 29 (FT) Popular corporate personality Kishu Gomes is tipped to take over as the new Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) whilst industry veteran Ranjit De Silva will lead the regulatory agency SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). Their appointments are to be formally announced today along with handing over of letters by Tourism Minister John Amaratunga. Airline industry veteran Kumar de Silva will continue to lead the SL Conventions Bureau (SLCB) more..

Jan 29 (FT) Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday raised concerns over national security and called on the Govt to provide strategies to increase the level of security in the country. “We have seen an increase in the number of shooting incidents in the country and drug-related crimes as well as the recent discoveries of high explosives. Such incidents have raised concerns over the state of national security,” more..

Jan 29 (DM) The TNA has not yet accepted the concept of a Unitary State, PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila said. “PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said recently that there was no draft Constitution and that the TNA had accepted the concept of a Unitary State. Unfortunately, the PM still attempts to deceive the nation. We pointed out that the phrase 'this Constitution' can be found in the first page of the document tabled by him in the Constitutional Assembly,” he told a news briefing. more..

Jan 29 (ST) While on one hand educational exhibitions have become platforms for core business models in Sri Lanka, students leaving overseas for higher studies and not returning back to the country has increased. Last week one of the recognised education exhibitions in Sri Lanka, EDEX Expo had a media briefing at the Royal College in Colombo. The Business Times questioned the panel of sponsors and organisers of the exhibition whether private and int'l educational institutions more..

Jan 29 (FT) The Fort Magistrate yesterday ordered Police to issue a warrant to arrest former Irrigation and Water Management Ministry Secretary Ivan Silva over the alleged misappropriation of Rs. 4 billion from the Chinese funded Gin-Nilwala project. The order was given by Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage. Police was also ordered to issue the warrant in English and a copy be sent to Interpol and for more..