Jan 24 (AD) Constitutional Council (CC) on Friday approved the recommendation to appoint President’s Counsel (PC) Yasantha Kodagoda as a Supreme Court justice. Prez Rajapaksa had made the recommendation to the Constitutional Council last week. PC Yasantha Kodagoda was appointed the President of Appeals Court on the 28th of March last year. The Prez recommended Mr. Kodagoda to the Supreme Court to fill more..

Jan 24 (AD) SriLankan Airlines has implemented a series of precautionary measures to mitigate the risks from the current coronavirus epidemic in the Far East, with the safety and well-being of its valued passengers and staff being of paramount importance. The cabin crew and other relevant staff of SriLankan Airlines have been briefed on the actions to be taken on board and at airports, especially in the Far East. Airline is also in contact with relevant aviation and health authorities more..

Jan 24 (GV) Activists in Sri Lanka are concerned after the government announced plans to issue firearms to a newly formed civil defence force tasked with protecting farmers from elephants. There are an estimated 7,500 wild elephants in SL and human-elephant conflict is a burning issue for local farmers. Elephant habitats are shrinking as humans are slowly encroaching on their roaming spaces. Having no place to go, these animals end up destroying crops in farmlands in their search for food. more..

Jan 24 (DM) Foreign Relations Ministry has urgently informed the SL Embassy in Beijing to immediately contact the 40 SL students studying in the Wuhan Province as well as some SL nationals employed there, and make arrangements to evacuate them to safer areas as Chinese officials locked down the city following the rapid spread of the Wuhan Pneumonia. An urgent discussion between Higher Education Minister more..

Jan 24 (EN) The UNP today blamed the Govt for failing to control the rice mafia in the country. Addressing the media, UNP MP Mujibur Rahman pointed out that the rice being sold at Rs. 98 is not suitable for human consumption. “No matter what the Government says, the rice sold at Rs 98 is not in a condition for the people to consume. Whilst consuming the rice sold at Rs 160 and Rs 165 the Ministers ask the people to consume rice priced at Rs. 98 which is only good for horses” he said. more..

Jan 24 (TM) A silent protest was organised by a group of lawyers in front of the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court against Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera’s order to arrest Embilipitiya High Court Judge Gihan Pilapitiya. The protesters claimed that it is not in the AG’s scope or jurisdiction to deliver such an order against Pilapitiya. The AG yesterday ordered the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) to obtain a warrant for the arrest of the interdicted Embilipitiya High Court Judge. more..

Jan 24 (AD) Colombo High Court today remanded Major (Retired) Ajith Prasanna until the 7th of February over contempt of court charges. The order was delivered by High Court Judge Dhammika Ganepala when Ajith Prasanna appeared before the court complying with a notice issued on him yesterday. The judge has ordered the prison superintendent to direct the defendant to the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) more..

Jan 24 (Island) Govt says it has the highest regard for MP R. Sampanthan and will not withdraw facilties made available to him. During the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, maximum security had been provided to Sampanthan and all the MPs from Northern Province, said Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. In response to a matter raised by former Opposition Leader and Leader of the TNA R. Sampanthan regarding his official residence, he said, "It shows that we have not been more..

Jan 24 (AD) Major General (Reitred) Nanda Mallawaarachchi has been appointed as the Director General of the govt’s Multipurpose Development Task Force, says PMD. This appointment comes weeks after the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to establish a Multipurpose Development Task Force as a Govt Department enabling to provide 100,000 employment opportunities for qualified low income youth. more..

Jan 24 (DM) UNP MP Palitha Range Bandara called for the arrest of former president Maithripala Sirisena and said as the then commander-in-chief he held the prime responsibility for the Easter Sunday carnage. He said that Mr. Sirisena could be arrested because he did not hold legal immunity anymore. “It is Mr Sirisena who had given instructions not to summon former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, former state minister of more..

Jan 24 (PHC) Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi NI (M) is scheduled to visit SL on the invitation of SL Navy commander, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva from Jan 25-29, 2020. During his stay in SL, Naval Chief will meet Commanders of the Navy, Army, Air force and Defence Secretary. He will also call on PM of SL. Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi joined Pakistan Navy on 13 January 1979 and undertook initial training at Britannia Royal Naval College more..

Jan 24 (Island) Dairy farmers who testified before the PCoI probing allegations of large scale corruption in the previous govt, on irregularities in a subsidized scheme to introduce high-yielding imported pregnant cows from Australia in 2017, yesterday, complained that their attempts to secure a copy of the PCoI report through an RTI application had failed. The last govt distributed 3,030 substandard milch cows imported from Australia and distributed among 46 investors. more..

Jan 24 (NR) EU Election Observation Mission today tabled its final report on the 2019 Prez Election, that stated an electoral process well managed by the Election Commission and a peaceful campaign on the ground contrasted with divisive rhetoric, hate speech and disinformation in traditional and social media. Mission also raised concerns over the lack of laws pertaining to expenditure during more..

Jan 24 (DM) Minister Wimal Weerawansa today blamed the AG for wrongly requesting that Judge Gihan Pilapitiya be arrested. Mr Weerawansa questioned why the AG has wanted Mr Pilapitiya arrested when he had refused to do what MP Ranjan Ramanayake had wanted him to do. “Mr Pilapitiya has complained against MP Ramanayke to the Judicial Service Commission and the police. How is it that the person who lodged a complaint was arrested," he asked. more..

Jan 24 (Island) It was highly unlikely that Sri Lanka was the actual country of origin of the container of plastic waste which is to be sent here by Malaysia, Executive Director of Centre for Environmental Justice, Hemantha Withanage said. He said the Customs Department should coordinate with the Malaysian authorities, identify the consignee and question the company on the issue. "It is possible that someone imported plastic waste from another country and re-exported it to Malaysia. more..

Jan 24 (CT) The PCoI appointed to investigate into the Easter Sunday attacks, yesterday, issued an order to the Govt Analyst to submit a report within 14 days about the authenticity and clearness of a phone recording presented by former Governor Azath Salley to the Commission. The Commission further ordered Salley to appear before the Govt Analyst, ifrequired, and assist this process. This order was issued after Salley presented and more..

Jan 25 (CT) Is this a revelation or a nightmare? Let us talk not about heavenly things but things that are earthly and real, a paradise lost, Ketumati, an evil Babylon where gods of the nation are Janus-faced Siamese beasts, two-tongued snakes, and dope-dragons; where murder, rape, sodomy, and embezzlement are committed flagrantly with gusto and impunity. Abominable! Are there any righteous people, at least fifty? I think, if you can find, at least, ten, it will not be destroyed. more..

Jan 25 (CT) This book deals with the higher bureaucracy in Sri Lanka, and its focus is bureaucratic behavior. It is about local bureaucrats, not those of British origin who historically inhabited the bureaucratic terrain with decreasing density as colonial rule waned. It considers loyalty to a set of rules, rather than to a person, the marker of ideal bureaucratic behavior, one that the vocabulary of sociology calls rational-legal. The change from loyalty to a person to loyalty to a set of rules more..

Jan 25 (CT) In Sri Lanka, coconut oil has played a major role in fulfilling the requirement of edible oil stock for centuries. However, with the increasing population and decrease of coconut lands due to various reasons, the production of coconut oil has come to a low. In Sri Lankan culture, coconut is used for daily food preparation and various other purposes. There are times when the country's coconut harvest is insufficient to more..

Jan 25 (DN) I was making my way out of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel lobby when I heard someone calling out my name. It was a heavy European accent and for an uncomfortable moment I could not recognize the caller seated in the lounge chair. Then, it connected, Robert, my old friend from about two decades back, was sitting right in front of me! Twenty years is a long time. I would have had difficulties in recognizing Robert, now much heavier and grey, in a crowd. more..

Jan 25 (CT) A bid to set a world record for the largest gathering of twins in Sri Lanka seems to have failed due to an unexpected large turnout that overwhelmed organisers. Sri Lanka Twin Group had called on multiples across the island to a sports stadium in Colombo to break Taiwan's Guinness World Record set in 1999 with 3,961 pairs of twins, 37 sets of triplets and four sets of quadruplets. As a result, Sri Lanka may have to redouble its efforts to set a world record in the future. more..

Jan 25 (SO) Sensing danger, the dog started whimpering and running in the massive cage. But there was no room for escape. The cold-hearted gunman started shooting at the poor animal, while it tried to cry out loud saying, help me. Amid back to back bullets, it tried to stop the gunman by jumping onto him and the man stopped the dog by hitting it with his gun. Then another shot was fired and the dog just laid on the floor in pain. more..

Jan 25 (DN) The intriguing episode of alleged abduction of a local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo has taken a new turn with the investigations into the telephone calls made by her. Some startling revelations cropped up leading to a strong suspicion of a very sinister motive to slander the govt as it took office in Nov 2019. The alleged abduction of Garnia Barrister Francis hogged the media spotlight, not only in Sri Lanka but in foreign capitals too barely a week from more..

Jan 25 (CT) Mathangi Arulpragasam who is popularly known in British pop music circles as M.I.A. received the Royal honour of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) to mark Queen Elizabeth's annual Birthday honour. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William presented the MBE medal for Mathangi's contribution to music at a glittering event held at Buckingham Palace amidst a distinguished gathering last week. The recipient M.I.A Mathangi Arulpragasam was introduced more..

Jan 25 (Island) Sri Lankans – irrespective of language, ethnicity, religion, social status or caste – are exceptionally good at speaking proudly of the beauty and diversity of their motherland. We speak at length of the wide range of flora and fauna found in our country. We are proud of the cool tea-growing central highlands, the warm paddy-growing lowland plains, the sandy beaches, the rivers, the mountains, the lakes, and the rain forests, to name a few. Then, quite rightly, more..

Jan 25 (Island) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reported to have told the acting police chief that arrests must be made only where absolutely necessary and in strict compliance with the law. Asking the police to carry out their duties and functions without fear or favour, the President has also said arrest is not part of the punishment and results in a serious deprivation of liberty of citizens and other significant implications, such as loss of reputation and standing in the society. more..

Jan 25 (Island) A good amount of my life as a journalist had to do with covering Parliament. I’ve seen and heard great debates, listened to members skilled in debate, who were rich with humour, satire, ridicule and sarcasm. There were members who spoke for hours on rich content, and some who brought fun to the House within minutes of speech. That was the tradition we had in the early years of independence, coming down from more..

Jan 25 (ST) On Thai Pongal day the Jaffna sky was adorned with many colourful kites as the annual kite festival held at Valvettiturai, in Jaffna took place. The festival is held to coincide with Thai Pongal celebrations and this was its tenth consecutive year. Forty eight kites of various designs were showcased, and the winner was a group of traditional musicians. One of the kites depicted Suwa Seriya, the country’s free ambulance service that can be reached by dialing 1990. more..

Jan 25 (ST) Former Sri Lanka fly half Asanga Seneviratne is set to play a pivotal role in Asia rugby’s governing body by proposing structural changes to regional competitions in a bid to whip up spectator interest and attract sponsors. Shunned by Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) when he was nominated as a vice-president of Asia Rugby (AR), Seneviratne is back in the driving seat of the regional body as chairman of High Performance and the Competitions Committee once again. more..

Jan 25 (FT) Govt sought Governors’ fresh inputs to boost tourism in the provinces and thereby enhance socio-economic development. The first-ever national initiative for cooperation between Sri Lanka Tourism and Provincial Councils was chaired by Minister Prasanna Ranatunga along with State Tourism Minister Arundhika Fernando and four Governors yesterday. Speaking at the event Minister Ranatunga said Govt intended to develop more..

Jan 25 (Island) "Sri Lanka's actions to meet the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are commendable. The UN has noted the strong alignment between the SDGs and the SL govt's Vision 2025 plan for meeting economic, social and demographic challenges, Dr In-Ki Joo, president, Int'l Federation of Accountants said at the ceremonial induction of Manil Jayesinghe as the 25th president of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka. more..

Jan 25 (ST) La Serena, Sri Lanka’s first ever retirement resort for independent senior citizens, has announced it is now offering an assisted living option to further accommodate the unique needs of its clientele. La Serena is a purpose-built 44-unit beach-front facility styled on a resort hotel and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ceylinco Life. Retirees over the age of 55 who consider La Serena, especially for the ideal amalgamation of privacy and companionship it offers, more..

Jan 25 (FT) Govt has declared areas in Chundi-kulam, Delft Island, Adam’s Bridge, Kotuaththawala, Kayankerni, and Madu Road as national parks. Minister S.M. Chandrasena held some of these new national parks have already been longstanding sanctuaries with high levels of biodiversity and historical importance. “Chundikulam which was considered as a national sanctuary since 1938 was alleviated as a national park that contains over 27,500 acres of land. more..

Jan 25 (FT) Hindus across Sri Lanka celebrated Thai Pongal, a Hindu harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God. The festival is a public holiday in Sri Lanka. The Hindus among them are celebrating the Pongal harvest festival, popularly known as Thai Pongal, celebrated in the first four days of the month of Thai in the Tamil-Hindu calendar. Tamil culture has been forgotten for various reasons by many years, but now citizens have a responsibility to restore them and give back to society. more..

Jan 25 (FT) Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne urged Police to be committed to controlling drug menace and organised crimes by implementing effective strategies. He said the Police needed to be more active to control drug menace through collective efforts and careful planning. Highlighting the importance of launching special strategies to curb organised crimes, Gunaratne directed senior Police officers, more..

Jan 25 (FT) Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) launched three publications titled Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and SL, Why SL Should Ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and Why SL Should Accede to the Nuclear Ban Treaty (NBT) on 21 Jan. The foreword for the three publications was provided by Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs and FDD Patron. more..

Jan 25 (FT) Supreme Court yesterday re-fixed for 24 June for granting of Leave to Proceed in respect of the Fundamental Rights petition filed on behalf of Doctor Mohamed Shafi Shihabdeen (42) of Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. The Bench comprised Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya and Padman Surasena. Counsel Faisz Musthapha PC informed Court that some of the Respondents ceased to hold office and sought time to amend the caption. more..

Jan 25 (Island) A group of lawyers, yesterday, protested at Hultsdorp against what a spokesman for them, Sunil Watagala, called the Attorney General resorting to arbitrary actions in the wake of leaked audio clips containing conversations between judges and UNP lawmaker Ranjan Ramanayake. Attorney-at-law Watagala alleged that the Attorney General hadn’t followed the proper procedure in issuing instructions to the police to take more..