Aug 26 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa has nominated Mahindananda Aluthgamage as his nominee to the Constitutional Council (CC), Prez Secretariat has announced. Aluthgamage, the current Agriculture Minister, is the fourth person to be appointed to the ten-member CC which plays a crucial role in governance. The other three are Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa who are appointed by virtue of office. more..

Aug 26 (AD) An accomplice of the underworld figure Angoda Lokka has been arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) today. A total of 42 kilograms of heroin have been found in the possession of the suspect. In addition, 3 T-56 firearms, 170 rounds of ammunition, and 9 mm pistol have also been found with the suspect. Angoda Lokka is presumed to have killed while in hiding in India. Security forces of India are currently more..

Aug 26 (Island) NATA Chairman Dr. Samadhi Rajapaksa says that amendments will be be introduced to the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act (No. 27 of 2006) soon to ban the sale of single cigarettes and 180 ml (quarter) bottles of liquor. Addressing a workshop on preparing an action plan to curtail the use of tobacco and alcohol for countrywide health education officials at Waters Edge Hotel last week, Dr Rajapaksa said that NATA hoped to introduce revolutionary measures more..

Aug 26 (EN) The three fetters that shackle Sri Lanka’s economic growth, peace and general happiness; monetary instability, regime uncertainty and dehumanizing nationalism have converged to slam into the country during the Coronavirus pandemic. The economy is not some mysterious amorphous mass that only economists understand. It is the actions that individuals and firms take in their journey to produce, earn profit or salaries and consume and invest. more..

Aug 26 (PMD) President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa revealed his intention to develop Kitul (Fishtail Palms) and Palmyra Palms plantation into main export crops of Sri Lanka in order to open a new avenue of foreign exchange earning. President Rajapaksa pointed out to the officials the requirement of an appropriate procedure to promote Kitul and Palmyra plantations and remove obstacles in the field in order to encourage production. more..

Aug 26 (CT) Telephone conversations had taken place between the former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Prez Sirisena's official at Paget Road on a number of occasions, after receiving foreign information on 4 April 2019, that National Thowheed Jama’ath Leader Zaharan Hashim and his followers could carry out a terrorist attack. This was revealed when Shanaka Ranasinghe PC, appearing for former Chief of National Intelligence (CNI) Sisira Mendis, more..

Aug 26 (PMD) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the Secretaries of State Ministries as mechanisms have been put in place in all sectors from bottom upwards what is now needed is to provide quick results fulfilling people’s expectations. State Ministries have been created giving priority to the betterment of the people and economic development of the country. Secretaries are vested with a huge responsibility as well as tasks in achieving the set goals. Prez instructed the new Secretaries more..

Aug 26 (EN) The SJB is saying that it will launch a countrywide people’s movement to safeguard the freedoms and rights granted to the average citizen by the 19th Amendment. The first step in this direction will take place at a meeting to be held in Parliament on Friday under the Chairmanship of the Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa. Civil society activists, political parties and citizens’ groups have indicated that they will attend, more..

Aug 26 (EN) The UNP will meet next week to decide on a new leader for the country’s Grand Old Party, party insiders said. The party’s Working Committee, the top decision-making body, met yesterday to discuss two issues, the party leadership and whom they will nominate to occupy the National List seat. The meeting failed to reach a consensus as to who will be their leader yesterday. The priority issue is to find a replacement for Ranil Wickremesinghe who has said he will step down after more..

Aug 26 (DM) The experts’ committee report on the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement will be referred to the new Cabinet, Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage said. He said that the committee had raised many issues regarding national interests and that answers needed to be found for these questions. “I think the report will be submitted to the new Cabinet. The new Cabinet will be expected to make observations from the view point of each ministry. more..

Aug 26 (CT) Minister Udaya Gammanpila reiterated his pledge that he will not be a part of the Govt if MP Rishad Bathiudeen joins it. He said this when questioned as to what his thoughts are on certain remarks made by SLPP MPs on getting some minority party Opposition MPs to join the Govt. “On 7 May 2019, I gave a pledge to the Nation that I will not be a part of a Govt or alliance that Bathiudeen is a part of or supports and more..

Aug 26 (AD) The officers of the Police Unit of PCoI probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks who visited the residence of former Prez Maithripala Sirisena to record a statement have left the residence. The officers have recorded statement nearly nine hours wrong from the former President. PCoI on Easter attacks, on Aug 21, had informed Sirisena to appear before the panel today (26) to provide a testimony. However, the former Prez, notifying them that he is unable to come to the PCoI, more..

Aug 26 (AD) Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka signed a 4-year MoU today to support SL’s aspirations for Digital Transformation. ICTA and UNDP will collaborate towards the design and implementation of a comprehensive National Digital Strategy under the Vistas of Prosperity national policy framework, with a specific focus on digital transformation of the public sector including more..

Aug 26 (AD) Officers of the Police Unit of the PCoI probing the Easter Sunday terror attacks have arrived at the residence of former Prez Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo a short while ago. They will be recording a statement from the former Prez with regard to the devastating bomb attacks which took place on the 21st of April last year. PCoI on Aug 21, had informed Sirisena to appear before the panel today to provide a testimony. more..

Aug 26 (AD) COVID-19 has created unexpected market opportunities for medical-related industries around the globe, providing openings for innovative entrepreneurs to exploit. While no doubt the crisis suppressed the exports of certain sectors, it also shed a light on emerging opportunities for domestic exporters to capitalize on; in particular PCR testing components and anti-microbial coatings. The SL Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC) and SL Export Development Board (EDB) more..

Aug 26 (CT) Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay pledged to provide assistance for educational development activities in SL, including the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sectors. He made these comments at a special meeting held at the Ministry of Education yesterday with the participation of a group of senior officials including the Minister of Education, Prof G.L. Peiris. Baglay further said, India could support such development initiatives in the future more..

Aug 26 (FT) Board of Investment (BOI) has started implementing a comprehensive roadmap to redefine Sri Lanka as a multi-billion dollar industry-conducive destination by 2025. The comprehensive strategy is focused on prioritised sectors, with a structured approach to attract target-oriented foreign direct investments (FDIs) and to spur economic growth. “Sri Lanka can leap forward to a knowledge and investment-driven economy. more..

Aug 27 (CT) It is a shame that CEB Chairman Vijitha Herath is happy to sell his professionals down river for cheap popularity with his political bosses as in his interview in Ceylon Today (23 Aug). The sub-heading is Corrupt Power Deals by last regime – CEB Chairman and the opening summary statement by the interviewer reads “The power and energy sector in Sri Lanka, mainly the Ceylon Electricity Board is alleged to be one of the most corrupt and most negligent entities in the country. more..

Aug 27 (CT) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa explained the govt’s priorities in his address to the inaugural session of the new Parliament. He encouraged 225 members to go out-of-the-box thinking policies to revitalise the economy and bring progress. He also emphasised the need to have a new Constitution and to illuminate fraud and corruption. This article aims to bring institutional and governance perspectives to go out of the box thinking and bring wellbeing for Lankans. more..

Aug 27 (ST) In the world of miniatures, Gotabaya and Sachindi Abeyagoonasekera stand tall with their meticulous recreations of miniature models and dioramas. What began as a pastime has grown into G&S Miniatures, a company founded by Gotabaya and his wife Sachindi, specializing in limited edition handcrafted cement composite model cars among other products and collectibles. more..

Aug 27 (DM) On Dec 26, 2004, just two days after Sri Lanka was hit by the tsunami, an infant was found among the debris on the Kalmunai beach. Abhilash was his name, but no one knew it. He was given a number, 81. There were various people claiming parenthood. The matter was eventually resolved by court and DNA tests. Now in the Ummagga Jathaka, the pundit Mahoushada, not having the benefit of DNA tests, resolved a dispute over maternity by asking each claimant to more..

Aug 27 (DM) The news that took center-stage or made media headlines during the past few days was that of 55-year-old senator Kamala Devi Harris being nominated by the Democratic Party as its Vice Presidential Candidate and rewrote history with her acceptance speech at the party convention last Wednesday where she promised to be a champion for the voiceless and forgotten Americans, who are struggling in the midst of a pandemic and an economic crisis. more..

Aug 27 (CT) Turmeric, or ‘Kaha’ as it is known in the vernacular, as a popular spice, is one of the most important ingredients used in a range of food, and a variety of medicinal preparations too. However, now it has become very scarce. Turmeric-rich foods have vanished from most shelves or become pricier. The wholesale price of turmeric has reached Rs 3000–3500 per kilo, when only just a few months back it went at tenth of that cost. more..

Aug 27 (GV) Jathika Chintanaya which emerged in the 1980s and matured in the 1990s continues to exert a considerable influence on mainstream politics and popular opinion here today. The movement’s contribution to historiography is just one of several, but I strongly believe it was the most significant. At its forefront was Gunadasa Amarasekara, the greatest writer to emerge from post-1956 Sri Lanka who is still with us, and Nalin de Silva, who as Amarasekara pointed out more..

Aug 27 (CT) Govt has paid attention to releasing children of female prison inmates who have been imprisoned in prisons located in various parts of the island. Even though it is a known fact that a considerable number of children live with their mothers in prisons, so far, no concrete actions were taken to release or ensure their well-being in prison. However, after Media institutions reported about the children who were born to and/or are living in the care of women who are currently in prison, more..

Aug 27 (Island) Indian Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has outfoxed a group of party rebels who reportedly strove to oust her. She has had herself appointed the Congress Interim Leader pending a party overhaul. She seems to have taken a leaf out of UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s book. Having thus battened down the hatches, both Sonia and Ranil are waiting for political storms to blow over. They are adept at political escapology. Many are those who aspire to the post of UNP leader. more..

Aug 27 (Island) When my husband Wimal said he had been offered the post of Govt Agent of Jaffna and asked me whether to accept it, I was unsure as to what decision we should take. That was way back in 1970. Our elder son was two and a half years old. Most of the previous Govt Agents lived there alone while their families lived in Colombo or elsewhere. I never believed in being separated from my family and had always enjoyed life in the outstations. I have never regretted my decision. more..

Aug 27 (CT) Dinesh Chandimal of Army CC stormed into Sri Lanka’s domestic record book with a mammoth 354* as SL Army posted 642-8 in their first inning against Saracens SC yesterday. His unbeaten 354 runs in 391 balls contained 33 boundaries and 9 sixes. He is the second batsman to pass the 1000-run milestone this season. He has scored 1027 runs in 8 matches with three centuries and four half centuries so far. more..

Aug 27 (DN) Arguably the worst casualty of the recently concluded General Election was the UNP which formed the previous Govt led by then Prez Sirisena but was reduced to one seat at the Aug 5 poll, signifying serious questions about the future of the party. The UNP is the second oldest political party in the country formed in 1946 by D.S. Senanayake. Only the LSSP, formed in 1935 is older but that too has declined in its strength significantly. Unlike the LSSP, UNP has been in Govt for more..

Aug 27 (ST) A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak on the employability of university graduates at a workshop for the junior university lecturers. Together with me, Manjula De Silva, General Secretary and CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce had also been invited to speak as a resource person representing the business sector. Since our universities have a long-standing fame for producing unemployable graduates and this puts myself in the dock too in my capacity as more..

Aug 27 (FT) Separate funding has been allocated to State Ministries under the Rs. 1700 billion Vote on Account (VoA) which will be taken up for debate in Parliament today. In the estimates of the VoA placed on the Order Paper of Parliament, separate allocations have been listed for the 40 State Ministries, amounting over Rs 100 billion in keeping with Prez’s pledge to give more financial responsibility to junior Ministers. more..

Aug 27 (TM) Sri Lankan tyre dealers, traders, and buyers are faced with a looming tyre scarcity in the country, owing to the prevailing restrictions on importation, the Asia Tyre Importers’ Association (ATIA) said, appealing to the Govt to safeguard the industry that powers economic activity across sectors and help avoid an impending calamity. Govt has classified 156 groups of products including tyres as non-essential imports and imposed restrictions on their importation in April 2020, more..

Aug 27 (TM) A distinguished panel of youth activists and thought leaders represented SL at the first-ever South Asia Youth Festival, a virtual festival organised exclusively for the youth of South Asian countries to develop their skills and capabilities and also to construct a platform to learn and showcase their skills. South Asia Youth Festival celebrities international youth, youth energy, creativity, and enthusiasm and features insightful panels, creative competitions, and skill-building workshops. more..

Aug 27 (FT) The SJB has invited political parties and civil society movements that want to protect the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, to meet them at Parliament this Friday (28). The invitation for the gathering has been issued by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, as an initial step aimed at creating a unified voice against the Govt’s plan to repeal the 19th Amendment, which was passed in 2015. more..

Aug 27 (FT) LOLC has set a new corporate benchmark by recording the highest ever Profit After Tax of Rs. 37.2 billion in the first quarter of FY21 as against Rs. 5.6 billion a year earlier. The sale of its Cambodian investment in PRASAC to South Korea’s largest commercial bank Kookmin Bank was concluded in April for a value of $ 603 million, a record deal not in Sri Lanka but Southeast Asia. The Group received the first tranche of $ 422 million, with the balance of $ 181 mil being due in 2022. more..

Aug 27 (CT) Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage, the number 2 in the FIDE Rating list for Sri Lanka, won the Sri Lanka National B Chess Championship 2020. Though he lost his last round, he was leading from the early rounds and won the Championship on the better tie breaker after tying with 8 points with six more players. He was awarded the Trophy, Gold Medal in addition to a cash award of Rupees 16,500. All seven players who tied received a cash award of Rs. 16,500 each. more..

Aug 27 (Island) State Minister for Provincial Councils and Local Govt Affairs, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera has called for a comprehensive examination of the Provincial Council system. Depending on the report, State Minister Weerasekera would recommend to the Cabinet whether to amend the PC system or do away with it, a spokesperson for the Ministry said. State Minister has called for a report on PC system from Ministry officials more..

Aug 27 (Island) Apart from Sports Schools (23) there are hundreds of other schools producing sportsmen and women to national level. For example there are 635 cricket playing (active) schools around the country. Of them 120 schools play cricket at Under-19 level where a vast majority of players are advanced level students. Cricket officials take an effort to get their players pass the O/L examination to retain them for the Under-19 team. But that interest is suddenly lost when more..

Aug 27 (FT) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has extended support for the development of a Sewerage Master Plan to National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) since 2015, and the Master Plan has now been completed. On 13 August, JICA Sri Lanka Senior Representative Takashima Kiyofumi handed over the final documents of the Master Plan to the NWSDB Chairman Nishantha Ranatunga at the NWSDB Head Office in Ratmalana. more..