Dec 12 (CT) The attention of the Ministry of Prison Reforms and Prisoner Rehabilitation has been drawn towards granting freedom to inmates for good behaviour over a period of time and to those aged above 75, before the Christmas festival. Sources said, Ministry’s attention has been drawn to reviving the four-year prisoner release programme, which had been defunct for the past two decades, ahead of granting release to deserving inmates. A paper for the facilitation of this process had been more..

Dec 12 (ST) The SL College of Psychiatrists has expressed concern about recent claims connecting the violent and aggressive behavior of prisoners and the abuse of the drugs used in psychiatric practice. “We would like to state that this publicity is most unfortunate and without any rational basis and our aim is to clear any doubts among millions of people who use these drugs with great benefit and the general public,” a statement from the SLCP said. “The drugs used in psychiatric practice more..

Dec 12 (AD) General Secretary of JHU MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has stepped down from his post and the party membership. The MP’s media unit announced this in a statement published today. In addition, several other representatives of the JHU have also left the party along with MP Ranawaka. Commenting on his move during JHU’s Special National Convention MP Ranawaka said they decided to leave more..

Dec 12 (NR) Dept of Agriculture says a virus will be introduced next week, to destroy the Fall armyworm or the species locally known as the Sena caterpillar which has been causing severe damages to various crops including maize cultivations. Deputy Director of Dept of Agriculture Anura Wijeythunga said the virus will not have any impact on humans or maize cultivations. He said the virus will only target the Sena caterpillar and also noted that it will be made available to the farmers by next week. more..

Dec 12 (CT) Members of the TNA have lodged a Police complaint that the Valaichchenai Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) run by TMVP had passed budget for 2021 on 11 Dec, using force. According to the complaint, TMVP Leader S Selvathurai alias Pillaiyan and his associates had barged into the PS and passed the budget within a few seconds and had left the place demanding no one should interfere in that matter. The TMVP, which has only 11 Members, compared to TNA’s 12 Members more..

Dec 12 (FT) Launching a broadside against multiple agencies warning of Sri Lanka’s debt sustainability, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal yesterday questioned their independence and expressed confidence investors would not be distracted by their ill-advised and subjective statements. Referring to rating agencies and banks that have issued warnings of SL’s high debt repayments next year, State Minister said more..

Dec 12 (DM) SL would have been better off economically despite the COVID-19 pandemic had the country adopted a policy of focusing on producing import alternatives rather than depending on other countries, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. Winding up the committee stage debate on the budget in Parliament on Thursday, the PM said it is only those countries which depend on other nations which are badly affected by the pandemic. “COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that more..

Dec 12 (ST) Controversy reigns over the GCE O/L exam, with unions insisting the exam should be held as scheduled next month but the govt deciding to postpone the exam until March. Many schools say syllabuses have not been completed due to schools being closed for long periods because of the pandemic. Education unions this week said the Ministry of Education should hold exams in January 2021 as scheduled, testing students only on the part of the syllabus that schools have been able to more..

Dec 12 (AD) Isolation status on six housing complexes in Colombo has been lifted with effect from 6 am today, says the Commander of Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva. Army Chief said the following housing complexes will no longer be isolated: Methsanda Sevana flats in Modara; Randiya Uyana flats in Mattakkuliya; Mihijaya Sewana flats in Modara; Modara Uyana flats in Grandpass; Samagipura flats more..

Dec 12 (CT) Unlike the staff of the Dept of Prisons, STF personnel, who are a commando unit of the Police which is trained in combat and counter-terrorism, are not equipped to rehabilitate and take care of unarmed prison inmates, the Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners claimed. Committee informed thus in a written appeal addressed to the Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and Extrajudicial, more..

Dec 12 (FT) Ministry of Health says that another 473 patients who were previously tested positive for Covid-19 have recovered and discharged from hospital within the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in the country 23,304. A total of 31,375 cases of coronavirus have been reported in Sri Lanka so far while 7,924 of them are currently under medical care. As per the Epidemiology Unit’s daily situation report, following hospitals and treatments had reported more..

Dec 12 (CT) Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners of the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT), numbering around 20, were to be transferred forthwith after being exposed for pilfering public monies running into Rs 5 billion. Some of these officials were taking bribes, and the Govt has decided to hand over the task of printing driving licences to the Army. The Dept is now made up of five Commissioners more..

Dec 12 (DM) Medical supplies worth of over Rs.16 million have been donated by the People's Govt of Beijing Municipality to the Colombo Municipal Council, including PPEs, ventilator and PCR test kits. The first batch of urgently needed donation arrived at BIA from Beijing via Qatar today and the remaining two batches will arrive on Dec 14 and 17. Responding to a request by Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake in November, Mayor of Beijing Chen Jining said that second wave of COVID-19 more..

Dec 12 (EN) 25 metres long. Some 150 tonnes in weight. Her heart the size of a Suzuki four-door, her arteries wide enough for children to crawl through. Her vocalizations louder than a screaming jet engine if you could hear them – but you can’t because they’re too long in frequency for human ears. That precise quality may enable her to communicate through hundreds of ocean miles. She can gulp down 9000 pounds a day and her surfacing spout could sprinkle the roof of a three-storey more..

Dec 12 (CT) Allegations have been levelled against some 50 politicians, of the previous UNF-led regime, on acts of politically victimising those in the then Joint Opposition (JO). This had been disclosed through the details coming out of the PCoI, appointed to look into acts of political victimisation during the tenure of the previous UNF-led Govt. Sources said that these allegations had been primarily levelled against those who more..

Dec 12 (MoD) Armed forces should always be geared to support the Govt mechanism in the nation building process to revive our country that was ruined for three decades owing to LTTE activities, Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said. Deriving instances of failures and success in fighting the three-decade-long battle against the ruthless terrorists, he said “Wisdom and knowledge intertwined with professionalism for an officer is considered foremost, and therefore, more..

Dec 12 (FT) We feature below the first segment of a detailed three-phase interview with renowned scholar/veteran theory and practical based knowledge specialist on Lankan heritage, Prof. Nimal de Silva. He has held many prestigious positions such as being the Director of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and supervised many PhD. programs on Archaeology and Traditional Heritage and was instrumental in initiating a postgraduate program on more..

Dec 12 (EN) SL’s forex reserves fell by US$ 306.4 million to US$ 5,549.3 million Nov 2020 from US$ 5,855.7 million a month earlier. SL has been printing unprecedented volumes of money, driving excess liquidity to record levels, with CB Governor W D Lakshman saying modern monetary theory allows printing money. SL however has a (soft) pegged exchange rate regime with forex reserves which change according to more..

Dec 12 (DM) Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL) has informed the Civil Aviation Authorities around the globe of the proposed resumption of commercial and charter flights operations to Sri Lanka beginning from Dec 26. CAASL Chairman Upul Dharmadasa said that the CAASL as an Aviation Regulator in Sri Lanka would be disseminating the appropriate directives to the travel industry in due course of the opening of SL airspace for upcoming commercial and charter frights operations. more..

Dec 12 (NR) Another 632 new COVID-19 cases have been detected today in the country, raising the number of confirmed infections to 32,007. Among the new cases 551 have been identified as contacts of the Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster. 81 cases have also been identified from prisons across the country. Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda COVID-19 has increased to 28,379. 8,556 persons including 4 foreign nationals are currently receiving treatment for coronavirus at 62 facilities more..

Dec 12 (CT) Former DIG in charge of Kurunegala, Kithsiri Jayalath, said the arrest of Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, who was suspected to have performed illegal sterilisation operations on women at the Kurunegala Hospital, was the main reason for his transfer. Jayalath was testifying before the PCoI into Easter Sunday bombings, on 10 Dec. He said information has come to light that Dr. Shihabdeen was associated with MP Rishad Bathiudeen more..

Dec 12 (AD) Former Police DIG Vaas Gunawardena who was incarcerated at the Welikada Prison has tested positive for Covid-19. Department of Prisons said he was transferred to the prison hospital for medical care. Gunawardena was arrested in connection with the alleged abduction and murder of a businessman named Mohamed Siyam in 2013. Colombo High Court subsequently convicted and sentenced him to death over the murder. Gunawardena was later found guilty of more..

Dec 12 (CT) Temasek Foundation donated 50 Fortitude test kits (10,000 tests), 10 units of ventilators and 25,000 face shields to the Ministry of Health. The consignment left Singapore on 11 Dec via three SriLankan Airlines cargo flights. The donation meets urgent medical requirements of the Sri Lanka health authorities. The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Singapore facilitated in obtaining and shipping the consignment to the Ministry of Health. SriLankan Airlines, also supported more..

Dec 12 (FT) Following is the address by National Movement for a Just Society Chairman Karu Jayasuriya at a press briefing held on 10 Dec. We consider it our duty to draw the attention of the Govt and the people to a number of pertinent issues that are of national importance. It should be noted that there have been several incidents in the last few days which have severely undermined democratic principles. more..

Dec 13 (CT) We, as a nation are fortunate that we have been gifted with the pristine doctrine of the greatest teacher of all times; the Gauthama Buddha. However in SL a person automatically becomes a Buddhist because he is born to Buddhist parents. This differs from Buddhists in the west, who have embraced Buddhism due to conviction by listening to or reading the Dhamma. For the majority of Sri Lankans, being a Buddhist is identified by various rites and rituals and not by following more..

Dec 13 (CT) On 09/12/2020, at the Committee Stage Debate in the Parliament on the Appropriation (2021) Bill, Honourable MP M.A. Sumanthiran made some terse remarks given the limited time allotted to him. He justified the need for an international inquiry and international judicial process to look into serious crimes committed in this country which has an impact on international law. In order to drive home his point, he alluded to several instances and, euphemistically made reference to more..

Dec 13 (SO) State Minister Dr. Seetha Arambepola said Budget 2021 has focused not only on the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, but, overall introduced a mechanism to increase Govt revenue, develop human resources, education and health sectors. State Minister said if we only mention the minor issues that are short term in the Budget, it would not help to develop the country. more..

Dec 13 (SO) Our health service has ramped up testing for Covid-19, in the backdrop of a large number of cases being detected. In fact, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa told Parliament on Thursday that the Govt has spent a staggering Rs.90 billion on the anti-Covid-19 drive, including the testing and treatment of patients. In addition to the PCR testing, the authorities have introduced Rapid Antigen Testing, which has a faster turnaround, though sometimes with slightly less accuracy. more..

Dec 13 (SO) Budget 2021 was passed in Parliament on Thursday, with a two-thirds majority again showing the political stability of the SLPP-led Govt. Budget received 151 votes in favour and 54 votes against. The SJB, JJB and ACTC voted against the Budget while ITAK MPs were not present in the Chamber at the time of voting. PM Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Finance Minister presented the Budget for 2021 in Parliament on Nov 17 and that was the 75th Budget of the country and more..

Dec 13 (CT) Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa exchanged words in Parliament on 4 Dec, when the Speaker told Premadasa that a phrase in the latter’s speech would be expunged from the Hansard. During Premadasa’s speech, made at the Parliamentary Sittings on 4 Dec, the Speaker claimed the speech mentioned the phrase a failed State. more..

Dec 13 (ST) The consequences of the 20th Amendment (20A) to the Constitution that Parliament recently approved with great fanfare and brouhaha from Govt members, have, as expected, come to bite the very ones who voluntarily surrendered the powers of Parliament to the Executive Presidency. Last week, with nary a warning, the Prez Secretariat wrote to the Secretary to the Treasury asking him to wind up the Public Utilities Commission (PUCSL) post haste. more..

Dec 13 (ST) My dear Mahinda maama, I am writing to you not only because I couldn’t write to you to wish you on your 75th birthday – because that was eclipsed by Gota maama’s first anniversary – but also because I couldn’t decide who I should write to about this issue of the corona peniya that is generating so much interest now. Besides, I didn’t want to burden Gota maama with this because he has so many matters to deal with such as prison riots, appointing judges by the dozen to more..

Dec 13 (CI) So, four teams out of the five playing the LPL have made it into the semi-finals. Doesn't that make the league stage seem a bit meaningless? The Galle Gladiators have won only two league games, while Colombo Kings have won six. Is that even fair? Look, don't ask difficult questions. This is a fledgling tournament in a pandemic year. We've decided to give them a free pass. So here, swallow this preview. Galle Gladiators lost a bunch of captains even before the tournament began, more..

Dec 13 (Island) Writing his chairman’s review in the latest annual report of the Distilleries Company of SL (DCSL), the country’s biggest liquor manufacturer, Mr. Harry Jayawardena warned that pure coconut arrack may soon be history. This prediction was based on the price of this super-taxed product, which has made it totally unaffordable to the consumer. Obviously Jayawardena is talking from the perspective of the manufacturer, but nobody would or could dispute his logic. more..

Dec 13 (ST) The next of kin of inmates who were at the Mahara Prison during the Nov 29 catastrophe are on the lookout for their loved ones. Most of them have not been able to trace their whereabouts. The result has been a collective effort by the Committee to Protect the Rights of Prisoners headed by Senaka Perera, Attorney-at-law. This Committee has now obtained sworn affidavits from close relatives of inmates who were visiting more..

Dec 13 (Island) Australia’s support to develop and nurture the game of cricket in SL is unparalleled. From voting in favour of granting SL Test status in 1981 to donating US$ 100,000 so that the board could afford a qualified foreign coach in 1994, Australian Cricket Board has been a pillar of strength to us. But Arjuna Ranatunga’s side’s tour of Australia in 1995 was a bitter pill to swallow. 25 years later, many admit that this tour was the one that transformed Sri Lankan cricket more..

Dec 13 (CI) Danushka Gunathilaka's LPL form has been astounding. In eight innings, his lowest score was 30 not out off 15 balls, in a rain-shortened match. In the remaining seven innings, he has passed fifty four times, and eclipsed 80 twice. He averages 77 and is the tournament's highest run-scorer by a mammoth 173 runs, which means his tally of 462 is a 60% improvement on that of the next-best batsman. Captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa was full of praise, ahead of Gladiators' more..

Dec 13 (CT) The Appropriation Bill 2021 was passed in Parliament by a majority of 97 votes on Thursday (10). The Bill received 151 votes in favour, while 54 voted against. The SJB, JJB and ACTC voted against the Bill. ITAC MPs were not present in the Chamber when the voting took place. The vote was taken row by row due to an error in the electronic voting system. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa presented the Appropriation Bill on 17 Nov. more..

Dec 13 (TM) The state-owned Colombo Int'l Arbitration Centre (CIAC), which is located at the World Trade Centre (WTC) has a large sum of outstanding rent payments to be made to the WTC, The Sunday Morning reliably learns. The CIAC, which was established by the former Govt to assist foreign investors in solving disputes they might have with their local counterpart, has been occupying an office space at the WTC since May 2015, recording very little business over the years, more..