Dec 30 (DM) Eleven Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) have been promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) by the National Police Commission (NPC). They were promoted based on the marks following an interview. The promotions of 8 DIGs came to effect from Nov 30 while other three promotions are with effect from Jan 5, 2020. SSP D.M.M. Pussalla of the Mount-Lavinia Division has obtained highest marks and promoted as the DIG with effect from Nov 5. more..

Dec 30 (ST) The Govt will be enhancing benefits to the country�s more than 2 million employees in the formal private sector and migrant workers with the implementation of its national policy. National Policy Framework approved by the cabinet recently has spelt out measures necessary to protect private sector employees as well as migrant workers. An enabling working environment will be created for private sector more..

Dec 30 (SLN) Sri Lanka Navy apprehended 14 Indian fishermen along with 03 fishing trawlers for poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters on 28th December 2019. During Naval patrol conducted to prevent the trespassing of Indian poachers and smuggling activities in the Sri Lankan territorial waters this apprehension was made in the seas north of the Delft island. The group of Indian fishermen were poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters when the apprehension was made. more..

Dec 30 (TM) Sri Lanka�s bonds and stocks continued to bleed for the second year in a row, although the recorded net foreign outflows in 2019 have been far less than that of 2018, despite the economic impact of the Easter Sunday attacks in April. The total net foreign outflow from stocks and government securities from 1 January to 20 December 2019 was Rs. 72 billion. This compares favourably to the over Rs. 187 billion net foreign outflows that were recorded in 2018. more..

Dec 30 (Island) UNP MP Mujibur Rahuman, yesterday, said former health minister Rajitha Senaratne, MP had conducted the controversial white van press briefing in November, with the blessing of the UNP leaders. MP Rahuman said the govt had, instead of probing the allegations of white van abductions, arrested those who made them. "They raised serious issues while exposing white van abductions. more..

Dec 30 (DM) Steps would be taken to integrate more new projects into Maga Neguma to make Maga Neguma a profitable venture, Minister of Roads & Highways Johnston Fernando said. �That will make Maga Neguma stand on its own,� he said. He said that monthly operational cost of Maga Neguma institution was around Rs. 70 million and it was compulsory to be a profitable company. He made these remarks during a meeting held at RDA. Minister said that it was not possible to for more..

Dec 30 (CT) Former SL Test skipper Dinesh Chandimal's gutsy 91 was in vain as SL Army SC went down fighting to NCC by 22 runs in the first semi-final at SSC yesterday. Winning the toss NCC skipper Anjelo Perera elected to bat. They were off to a horrible start as their opening batsman Lahiru Udara got out for a duck off the very first ball. They lost the wicket of in form Charith Asalanka also very cheaply for just 9 runs. While NCC kept losing wickets, Captain Anjelo Perera more..

Dec 30 (FT) Sri Lanka will have to repay $ 4.8 billion in debt in 2020 with the Central Bank awaiting the Govt�s instructions on how the funds should be raised, a top official said, assuring there is a sufficient buffer of reserves to meet repayments for the first few months. CB Senior Deputy Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe told reporters that they were awaiting directions from the Finance Ministry and said future plans will likely be clearer after more..

Dec 30 (FT) Finance Company may call for a fresh round of Expressions of Interest (EOI) as early as this week, a Central Bank official said. CB Deputy Governor H. A. Karunaratne said The Finance Company (TFC) has requested a fresh round of EOIs as in their view, the investment climate has improved recently. In October, the Central Bank cancelled the licence of TFC but said that does not prohibit the company from submitting fresh investor proposals from credible candidates. more..

Dec 30 (CT) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa said "The 19th Amendment to the Constitution is a great obstacle to governance and a strong Parliament is needed to get rid of it. It's the most important factor in achieving the aspirations of the people. It is the responsibility of the people's representatives to fulfil the aspirations of the people." He was addressing a meeting held at the Prez's House on 28 December with the Heads of Municipal Councils, Urban Councils and Pradeshiya Sabhas. more..

Dec 30 (ST) The Immigration and Emigration Department is to recommend to the Govt that it stops the gratis visa granted to tourists since July this year, because of a loss of more than Rs 4 billion to State coffers without any obvious increase in visitors. The department will present a report to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in this regard in the hope of working out a suitable system, an authoritative official source said. more..

Dec 30 (SLN) A beach cleaning and water sports event, organized in line with the 69th anniversary of the SL Navy, was successfully held at the Galle Face Colombo today (29). Galle Face of Colombo is a centuries old iconic site of the commercial capital of the island visited by countless local and foreign visitors for recreation to relaxation and to view the sun setting into the Indian Ocean. Although, keeping the water front beach is not in the care of the Navy, SLN often engages to keep beach cleaned more..

Dec 30 (RW) SL Twins Organisation is preparing for world�s largest twin gathering ever in Jan 2020 to set a Guinness World Record. World Largest Twins� Gathering and Twins Cultural Evening will be held from Jan 20-26 and the record will be set during the Sri Lanka Twins Convention at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium in Colombo. The organisation represents 28,000 twin brothers and sisters from across the country and the cultural event will be held to celebrate uniqueness of twins & multiples. more..

Dec 30 (AD) MP Rajitha Senaratne, who was set to be transferred to the Prison Hospital on a recommendation by a prison medical officer, was admitted to the ICU of the Lanka Hospital this afternoon (29). Accordingly, prison ambulance which had arrived to escort MP Senaratne who is currently under remand custody left without the MP. A prison medical officer examined the former Minister more..

Dec 30 (AD) All MPs of the UNP have been summoned to Colombo for a meeting, today. According to MP Wijeyapala Hettiarachchi, the UNP MPs have been notified to attend a meeting held at Sirikotha, at 11 am today. The meeting will discuss the future parliamentary activities of the party that will be carried out as the Opposition, he said. Meanwhile, a meeting between UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and MP Sajith Premadasa is also scheduled to be held today. more..

Dec 30 (Island) Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, S. Hettiarachchi said yesterday that the govt had so far not taken any decision to sing the national anthem only in Sinhala during the coming independence day celebrations. The decision on the anthem would be taken soon after a discussion with PM, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Hettiarachchi denied reports that the govt had made a decision to sing the anthem only in Sinhala. more..

Dec 30 (TM) Forensic Audit (FA) reports related to the issuance of Treasury Bonds and transactions of the EPF have uncovered a loss of at least Rs. 19 billion to the Treasury. These losses are detailed in three out of five reports relating to the issuance of Treasury Bonds between Jan 2002 to Feb 2015, primary and secondary market transactions of EPF between Jan 2002 and Feb 2015, and EPF transactions in more..

Dec 30 (DM) In a day�s time we will be ringing out the year 2019, and dawning the year 2020. It�s a good time to look back in 2019. A year which dawned with great expectancy that in the aftermath of the 2018 October drama, created by ex-president Sirisena when, having sacked the PM and dissolved the cabinet, he then again re-appointed the same PM and Cabinet. The dawn of 2019 seemed like a new beginning, peaceful, with democratic procedures and traditions intact and more..

Dec 30 (DM) Yesterday, more than 250,000 people in 14 countries including Sri Lanka, who perished in the 2004 tsunami catastrophe which is considered as the deadliest of its kind in recorded history, were commemorated by their family members and others alike. In SL alone, a staggering 41,000 people were killed according to unofficial reports albeit the official death toll stood at 31,000 while another 5,000 were said to have gone missing. Roughly 900,000 people were displaced, more..

Dec 30 (DM) As it was during the 2015 prez election campaigns when Colombo Port City was flogged with no end, the 480-million dollar MCC compact also flogged this prez election as an American imperialist deal the Wickremesinghe Govt had agreed to. Ven. Rathana Thera, Gammanpila and Weerawansa met with President Sirisena to oppose the signing of the agreement. Addressing a media briefing on Nov 5, Gammanpila said more..

Dec 30 (TM) The Central Bank Bill, which was set to replace the 70-year-old Monetary Law Act, is yet to be considered by the new Govt, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Addressing the press briefing of the eighth and final Monetary Policy Review of 2019, CBSL Senior Deputy Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said that the Govt has not had the time to review and discuss it. �That has not been discussed yet. more..

Dec 30 (ST) Sri Lanka�s hazardous clinical waste management practices are exposing the people to danger with incinerators running below optimum temperatures, haphazard disposal of ash and sludge, inadequate storage facilities, untimely disposal and sanitary workers handling refuse without protective gear, the National Audit Office has found. The NAO examined 17 hospitals in ten districts across seven provinces. more..

Dec 30 (RN) The National Peace Council is expressing concern about several matters that �could potentially impact upon inter-community relations with the state� in a press release. The first, they say, is President Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s statement that �development would be prioritized in resolving the ethnic conflict and that strengthening the system of devolution of power is not going to be the answer.� The second, the statement said more..

Dec 30 (CT) The Ceylon Electricity Board was earning a revenue of Rs 3 billion a day, since they were now operating on hydropower, after halting the use of diesel power since 22 December, Secretary of the Electricity Users' Association (EUA) Sanjeeva Dammika said. He urged the authorities to slash the current electricity bill tariff by up to 20% as the CEB is generating a thumping revenue by halting diesel power supply. more..

Dec 30 (RN) Bishop Asiri Perera, head of the Methodist Church in SL is appealing for calm after videos of a Buddhist Monk attacking Christians in Batticaloa went viral in the past few days. Perera, in a statement released to public, exhorted Christians and all peace-loving people not to react �to these videos that are going viral which can cause religious tension and disharmony in our motherland, which is the last thing we want to see happening.� more..

Dec 30 (Island) The Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) is planning to amend the GSMB Act, to make its functions transparent, following the receipt of a letter of demand. Some officers of the GSMB and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) have been selling permits to some sand dealers illegally. An official said that Environment and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena would attempt to amend the Act. more..

Dec 30 (AD) A hotline has been introduced to receive public complaints of private buses which play excessively loud music in a manner that inconvenience the passengers. The govt decided to put a stop to the playing of loud music inside private passenger buses, starting from Jan 1, 2020. The public is encouraged to use the hotline of the NTC 1955 to lodge complaints against loud music played in private buses. more..

Dec 30 (AD) Garnia Bannister Francis, the local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo who was allegedly involved in an abduction case, has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate�s Court. Francis was produced before the court by prison offers this morning. The embassy staffer was arrested on Dec 16 by the CID and produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court on the directions of AG. more..

Dec 30 (AD) MP Rajitha Senaratne has been granted bail by the Colombo Magistrate�s Court. This was when an anticipatory bail application filed by the MP was taken up for consideration today. The court ordered that Rajitha Senaratne be granted bail on two personal bail bonds of Rs 500,000 each. Banning foreign travel for the MP, the court ordered the surrender of his passport to the court. more..

Dec 31 (CT) Anti-Muslim campaigns have been on the rise in the recent past across Sri Lanka � raising the spectre of Muslims being an existential threat to Buddhism and the Sinhala race due to their increase in numbers and growing economic domination. The perceived demographic threat that Muslims will overtake the Sinhala race in size of the population is a fallacy that has gained ground and coupled with the claim that the wealth of the nation is under the control of Muslims, has contributed to more..

Dec 31 (GV) This is how we felt after the tsunami, stunned, bewildered. So many friends in Sri Lanka said this to me in days following the Easter Sunday suicide bombings this year. I could see what they meant. Not only were the bombings utterly horrific, but they were also outlandish and unforeseen. They struck on a holiday and were aimed at families gathered in celebration, relaxation, and prayer. Fifteen years ago, on the 26th Dec 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami, too, hit with no warning. more..

Dec 31 (SO) Technology being the driving force in the 21st century, the progress of the world has been fast-tracked in multiple ways. This very nature is seen in our day-to-day life as well. For instance, a person who uses technology does not have to visit restaurants nowadays to select his/her favourite food, does not need to go to the bank, and does not have to stay in queues to pay the water bill. Literally, whole world is now at our fingertips more..

Dec 31 (Island) Nathan Sivasambu is an old-school Trotskyite and a Sri Lankan to the core. After his undergraduate degree from the University of Ceylon in the 1950s he migrated to England. He has sustained his interest in island politics as well as the literary world associated with the Bloomsbury Group and Leonard Woolf. His batchelor-flat near Russell Square placed him close to the Bloomsbury arena in London� and the British Museum as well as SOAS and its Sri Lankan stock of books. more..

Dec 31 (FT) It was 1972 and I was an assistant lecturer at the then Vidyodaya University. The permanent lecturer taking the second-year monetary economics class had fallen ill and was not to come to the university for about one month. I was asked by the Head of Department to fill in. My problem was that there were no good textbooks in Sinhala in national income analysis which students and I could refer to. The university library also had not stocked books in Sinhala. more..

Dec 31 (ST) Another little replica of his father, he is a great poser, showing much fascination with the camera and directing his gaze straight at it with a big smile and bigger beautiful eyes. As the little one, who has just celebrated his first birthday, leans down from his mother�s arms and naughtily tugs the hair of his older brother, their father gently catches hold of the tiny hands and places a tender kiss on them. We are having a chat with more..

Dec 31 (DM) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya justifies his move in visiting Patali Champika Ranawaka MP, in remand prison. Speaker�s media unit issued a statement in this regard. Friday�s Daily Mirror reported that Speaker would not dispute the arrest of MP on a legal basis. The report says, ��he said the proper parliamentary tradition should be followed in doing so. He was responding to criticism that he never issued any statement when the MPs were arrested under the former govt. more..

Dec 31 (GV) The last year of this decade, 2019 is possibly a turning point in Sri Lankan history. When looking back on the year that passed, what looms above all else is Easter Sunday. A series of explosions that killed over 200 people was the start of a longer series of discriminatory acts, fear-mongering and oppression. On the tail of the terrorist attacks were terror-inducing attacks of a different kind, against Muslims, against minorities, and against refugees. more..

Dec 31 (CT) Inexplicably the journalist that first exposed the 2006 MiG-27 deal, Iqbal Athas has turned propagandist for Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa even after he recalled the horrific threats to his life and being forced to flee Sri Lanka as a result of exposing the shady aircraft purchase as recently as January this year. In 2006 Iqbal Athas exposed the irregular procurement in the Sunday Times causing ripples in the defence establishment then headed by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. more..

Dec 31 (Island) Russia is cock-a-hoop at the latest addition to its nuclear arsenal�a hypersonic missile which has now been put on duty, according to Kremlin. It has been named Kinzhal or dagger. Russian Prez Vladimir Putin has bragged that other countries are without any defence against his dagger, which, he says, will strike like a fireball. This may be considered an instance of one-upmanship on the part of Moscow. It is being argued in some quarters that the hypersonic missile is more..