Jan 27 (FT) Minister C.B. Rathnayake yesterday said measures will be taken to limit safari jeeps entering national wild parks. Noting that he had ordered an investigation into the incident at the Yala National Park this week involving a tusker and safari jeeps, Minister said the delay to take action might result in limiting safari jeeps. “Animal cruelty is not tolerated at any cost. If safari jeep operators do not understand that these wild animals are the very reason of their livelihood, more..

Jan 27 (FT) Hela Apparel Holdings made history this month with the successful oversubscription of the largest initial public offering (IPO) in the past decade. The IPO, which sought to raise Rs. 4 billion through the issue of new shares, was oversubscribed by 5.4 times and received applications amounting to Rs. 21.8 billion. It received 23,205 applications from investors, a record number for any IPO in the past 10 years. The offering was well received by a range of investors, more..

Jan 27 (TM) Trade Union Collective of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is of the view that the transfer of the IRD’s tax-collecting responsibilities to a unit within the Treasury under the Special Goods and Services Tax (GST) draft bill, is an experiment by the Govt which will fail and result in the country making a further loss of tax revenue. IRD Trade Union Collective Executive Assistant H.A.L. Udayasiri stated that this transfer of more..

Jan 27 (Island) Hard-hitting top order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa has been axed from the side for the upcoming five match T-20 series in Australia starting next month. Rajapaksa had reversed his decision to retire a fortnight ago after an appeal by Minister Namal Rajapaksa. The 30-year-old left-hander had failed to meet the necessary fitness standards. It is believed that it took Rajapaksa more than nine minutes to complete the two kilometer run while his skinfolds were as high as 110. more..

Jan 27 (DM) The Environment Minister has said that the Ministry will take steps to promote the use of bicycles as one of the steps to reduce air pollution. The decision was announced following discussions on the Bicycle for a Healthy Life program implemented by Ride for Life to promote the use of bicycles in transportation. He said a cabinet memorandum has been prepared to take steps to promote the use of bicycles as one of the steps to reduce air pollution. more..

Jan 27 (FT) Govt announced plans to develop and promote heritage city Galle’s Port into a fully-fledged tourist port and leisure hub of South Asia with an investment of $ 175-200 million. The 4-year project is headed by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) and will be developed as a Public Private Partnership (PPP). The project includes two offshore breakwaters to maintain the sufficient calmness in the Galle bay and harbour. more..

Jan 27 (Island) Indian High Commission celebrated India’s 73rd Republic Day in Colombo yesterday. The following is the text of the IHC statement: “It was on 26 January 1950 that the world’s largest written constitution came into force. This momentous occasion will be observed through a series of ceremonies and events organised by the High Commission, throughout the day, in strict compliance with COVID-19 protocol. After paying tributes to the fallen heroes of Indian Peace Keeping Force more..

Jan 27 (CT) Kusal Mendis led from the front to guide Colombo to a comfortable 7 wicket win over Dambulla in the 4th match of the Dialog SLC National Super League 2022 played at P. Sara Oval yesterday. After winning the toss and electing to bat, Dambulla were eventually bowled out for just 143 runs, and Colombo reached the target in just 20.4 overs. Dambulla batting line up were seen struggling very early in the innings, and were ultimately restricted to a low score. more..

Jan 27 (Island) When SL Under 19s met Afghanistan in an Under 19 Asia Cup semi-final in 2018, Dunith Wellalage played second fiddle in the spin department taking a solitary wicket in a crucial victory. Now more than three and half years later, the St. Joseph’s College spinner will be leading SL Under 19s against the same opposition as the leading wicket-taker of the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup. SL Under 19s can rely on the leading wicket-taker of the ongoing U-19 World Cup more..

Jan 27 (CT) Oil tanker Sunny Bay carrying 15,000 metric tons of Marine Gas Oil (MGO), called at the Hambantota International Port (HIP) on 23 January. The vessel was the first to discharge MGO for storage at the port’s tank farm, the port officials said. HIP, with its global partner Sinopec, launched bunkering operations for Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oils (VLSFO) last year. Now, with the tank farm along with its oil jetties fully refurbished and Fire Safety Systems (FSS) certified for safety by more..

Jan 27 (FT) SJB MP Kabir Hashim charged that the Special Goods and Services Tax (SGST) bill presented in Parliament by the Finance Minister violates Article 149 of the Constitution, as the fund collected would be pooled into a special account under the Ministry instead of the central Govt fund. The bill empowers the Finance Minister to determine the rate of the tax, the basis of computing the tax, and exceptions to the tax by an order published in the gazette. more..

Jan 27 (Island) Amidst further deterioration of the power crisis, Chairman of CEB M.M.C. Ferdinando has tendered his resignation to Prez Rajapaksa. In a letter to the Prez, Attorney-at-Law said that he is quitting due to personal reasons. Ferdinando will resign as Chairman/Member of the CEB with effect from Feb. 1. Sources close to Ferdinando said that the incumbent CEB Chairman did not want to be in that position following the appointment of Eng. Dr. D.C.R. Abeysekera as CEB Gen. Manager. more..

Jan 27 (DM) A drastic rise in the spread of COVID-19 has been noticed in the Gampaha and Colombo districts in recent time, State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said. Dr. Fernandopulle said if the Omicron variant has led to the rapid spread,a larger proportion of infected cases are asymptomatic. "Increase of asymptomatic cases could be detrimental to the health of the elderly and those suffering from other long-term and non-communicable diseases," she emphasised. more..

Jan 27 (TM) All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation (ACFF) has said that the farmers would not accept the compensation promised by the Govt for crops damaged due to the fertiliser crisis and the guaranteed price of Rs. 75 to be paid for a kilogramme of paddy under the Govt’s paddy purchasing programme. ACFF Convener Namal Karunaratne charged that both the compensation and guaranteed price announced by the Govt more..

Jan 27 (Island) The JVP has said the govt should be ashamed of asking the pandemic-hit people to tighten their belts instead of granting them relief. Party’s Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said: “The govt is asking people to drink less water, eat less food, use electricity sparingly, limit the use of fuel, curtail the consumption of gas, control taking of medicine and help reduce the outflow of dollars. Do we need a govt to ask people to tighten their belts while they are still struggling to more..

Jan 27 (TM) Despite several Govt and Opposition MPs having tested positive for Covid-19 during the past few days, there will not be a closure of the Parliament due to the matter. A total of eight MPs including a Cabinet Minister and two State Ministers have tested positive for Covid-19. Accordingly, when contacted by The Morning to query whether there will be any closure of the Parliament due to the matter, Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday (26) that more..

Jan 27 (TM) Although the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery was due to start operations today (27), it has been postponed till about 30 January, the Energy Ministry stated yesterday (26). “The Singaporean ship carrying the crude oil stock for the Refinery has been delayed by about three days and was only due to travel close to the Colombo Port yesterday. Letters of credit (LCs) and other necessities are successfully completed more..

Jan 27 (FT) On 2 Sept 1945, hours after the Japanese signed their unconditional surrender in World War II, communist leader Ho Chi Minh announced the self-governing Democratic Republic of Vietnam. He intended to prevent the French from reclaiming their former colonial possession. However, in 1946 he unwillingly accepted a French proposal that allowed Vietnam to exist as a self-governing state within the French Union. Subsequently, French tried to re-establish more..

Jan 27 (FT) Sri Lanka was able to borrow money from the IMF/World Bank and multilateral agencies at low interest rates for a very long time. So, we learnt to live on borrowed money without properly embarking on much needed economic reforms. Money was freely available, so we borrowed heavily at concessionary rates. We did not feel the need for financial discipline since money was freely available. However, after attaining middle income country status, we were no longer eligible to borrow more..

Jan 27 (DN) The residents in Karathivu, Wanathavilluwa demand physicians and the required staff for the newly constructed hospital in Karathivu. The residents said that the hospital is already constructed, while the construction of doctors' and staff quarters too is completed. The residents said that the buildings have been constructed at a cost of Rs 30 million yet the buildings are deteriorating due to the delay in opening, because of the lack of staff. Karathivu Hospital is visited by a physician more..

Jan 27 (Island) Sri Lanka as we know it today would disappear to become part of the new Indian subcontinent in 200 million years from now, says a new study. A research paper was published in the American Journal of Science by Utrecht University geologist Professor Douwe van Hinsbergen says that in about 200 million years from now, India will smash into Somalia and Madagascar as all continents are continuously moving, driven by tectonic plates beneath us that are slowly but more..

Jan 27 (AD) There will be no scheduled interruptions to the electricity supply until Monday (31), Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has assured. The decision was taken during a meeting convened this afternoon to reconsider the proposal made by the CEB on power cuts. Accordingly, the PUCSL has not granted permission for the proposal made by the CEB for scheduled power interruption. more..

Jan 27 (ANI) The 2022 Asian Games will take place from Sept 10 to Sept 25, 2022, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China and there will be five co-host cities. The multi-sporting event will feature 40 sports with a total of 61 disciplines, including Olympic sports like swimming, archery, athletics, badminton, equestrian, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi, and much more. E-sports and breakdancing will debut in the 2022 Asian Games as full medal sports after being approved by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) more..

Jan 27 (CT) SL will not lift the ban on oil palm cultivation and oil palm product imports, said the Chairman of the CEA, Siripala Amarasinghe. Recently, Solidaridad Network Asia launched a book titled Myths and Truths of Oil Palm and requested the Govt to review its decision on oil palm ban cultivation in SL. Amarasinghe said the decision to ban oil palm cultivation and consumption will not be reversed, as it has not met the standards of the CEA and it harms environment & humans severely. more..

Jan 27 (DM) The Health Ministry today issued a set of new health guidelines applicable for tourists travelling to Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the guidelines, pre-departure negative PCR tests and COVID-19 vaccination cards have been made mandatory to enter the country. Accordingly, travellers who have received the recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine should carry the original more..

Jan 27 (EN) Indian historian Romila Thapar is talking on the history and evolution of museums in India which started during the Colonial period as private collections and became state institution at a lecture in SL. Thapar is a Professor of Ancient History, Emerita, at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. She has received honorary doctorates from the University of Chicago, the Uni of Oxford, Institute National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales, Paris, the University of Edinburgh, more..

Jan 27 (Island) Having recently perused Necessary Yet Insufficient: Women’s Quota for Wider Political Representation in SL and Women, Quota and the Press: Media Coverage of 2018 Local Govt Elections released jointly by Women and Media Collective (WMC) and Norwegian Embassy in Colombo, The Island felt the need to seek clarification as regards the Norwegian involvement in the ongoing project to enhance women’s representation not only at LG level but more..

Jan 27 (EN) Fitch Ratings has cut the outlook on an ‘A+(lka)’ rating of SL’s Resus Energy, an independent power producer selling to state-run CEB, over payments delays due to forex shortages faced by the utility. The outlook has been lowered to ‘Negative’ from ‘Stable’. Fitch confirmed the IPPs National Long-Term Rating at ‘A+(lka)’, and an ‘A+(lka)’ rating on proposed senior unsecured debentures. Liquidity may weaken if the CEB, Resus’s sole buyer of power, more..

Jan 27 (AD) The chairman of the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board, Attorney-at-Law Premachandra Epa has stepped down from his position. Speaking on the matter, Mr. Epa cited his dissatisfaction with the situation at the institution for his decision to resign. Mr. Epa said the situation was so dire that he was unable to put a stop to the corruption and misconduct of the officials. He has tendered his letter of resignation to the Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage. more..

Jan 27 (AD) Railway Trade Union Alliance has highlighted a 2018 purchase of 160 Indian railway carriages at a cost of over USD 80 million that now lie in various states of corrosion and disuse. They also claimed that the carriages cannot be run on the upcountry line due to their 65-foot length, prompting a response from Bus Transport Services and Train Compartments Dilum Amunugama to the contrary. more..

Jan 27 (TM) Maskeliya Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) said yesterday that with the revival of the Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) pilgrimage season following two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, about 500 kilos of plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and other non-degradable waste are collected from around Sri Pada every day. The Sri Pada pilgrimage season began on 18 Dec 2021, and is due to end on 22 May 2022. “About one tonne of degradable and 500 kg of non-degradable waste, more..

Jan 27 (EN) Sri Lanka exporters are facing difficulties in getting raw materials, suppliers are losing confidence due to delayed payments and exporters may face dwindling orders as delivery deadlines are not met, an industry body has warned. Sri Lanka is operating a soft-pegged exchange rate regime with fixed policy rate (flexible regime), which creates monetary instability. SL Shippers’ Council an body representing importers and exporters said delays in releasing foreign exchange more..

Jan 27 (MFA) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris addressed the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign Ministry Auditorium on 26 Jan, during the first diplomatic briefing for the New Year. Foreign Minister Peiris appreciated the opportunity to meet with the entire diplomatic corps as a continuation of the regular briefings organized by the Ministry to share current developments. The objective of this briefing was to share information on progress more..

Jan 27 (CT) The public will be forced to face major power issues in the future due to the forex, crude and furnace oil crises along with the expected water shortage in the country, JVP Propaganda Secretary, Vijitha Herath said. He said that in the past few days, hydropower plants had to work continuously, and as a result water levels in the reservoirs were drastically reducing. Normally water levels in reservoirs begin to drop in March but this year, it has begun to drop in January itself due to more..

Jan 27 (AD) A decision has been taken at the Committee on Parliamentary Business to convene parliamentary sessions from Feb 8th to 11th. According to the Communications Department of the Parliament, the time has been allotted from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. from February 08-10 for Questions for Oral Answers. Second Reading of Two Regulations under the National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act No. 5 of 2015 and the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund more..

Jan 27 (EN) SL is looking to keep public places out of bounds for people who haven’t received the COVID-19 vaccine booster, according to health minister Keheliya Rambukwella. He said that a person must have received three doses of the vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated. “We are working on a definition for a public place. A hospital is public, but of course, people will have to go there. more..