Dec 20 (SO) This is an exclusive interview conducted with Prof. Rohan Gunaratna on strengthening ethnic and religious harmony in SL. He is a Honorary Professor at the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Uni and Senior Advisor to its Dept of Defence and Strategic Studies, SL. Q: How can SL be protected from extremism and fundamentalism? A: SL is not an exception to the global and regional rise of ethnic exclusivism more..

Dec 20 (CT) On face value this Kegalle Peni Kolama appears benignly similar to the historical Wadakaha Sudiya. There was a total solar eclipse in the 1950s. This must have been the one of 1955 and I was just about 7 years old then but I do remember not least the eclipse we watched in a basin of water but also the famous stories of women drinking a decoction made of Wadakaha to become pretty. It was around this eclipse that the newspapers decided cheekily to lead young women folk up the garden path. more..

Dec 20 (TM) The modern city is a catalyst for development due to the level of human activity within its bounds. The city is interconnected with every other factor, including demography, technology, economy, environment, political changes, etc., and as such, is also affected by any fluctuation. This is a challenge to creating sustainable, safe, and liveable cities at present. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), agreed upon by all member nations of UN in 2015, more..

Dec 20 (SO) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said while giving maximum attention to Covid-19 pandemic and finding ways of controlling it in a more effective manner, we also need to look at how we can take the economy forward. He said Covid-19 pandemic lingers and is still alarming and we are trying to control it as much as possible. However, any sensible Govt will also have to look into strategies of developing the economy. more..

Dec 20 (Island) The govt has not done itself or the people it is expected to serve any credit by its recent sacking of five respected professionals from the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and the hasty and ill-thought decision to abolish the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL). SLMC Chairman, Prof. Harendra de Silva, went public with his intention of challenging the legal validity of his sacking and we report today that he has already filed action in the Court of Appeal. more..

Dec 20 (ST) It�s the irony of ironies that while on the one hand, the Indian Govt is at least ostensibly calling upon their counterparts in Colombo to re-energise Provincial Councils, they have themselves adopted Sri Lanka�s doomed pre-1987 District Development Councils (DDCs) at home. This is what India has done to ward off separatist tendencies in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, its longstanding headache ever since Independence and the creation of Pakistan next door. more..

Dec 20 (SO) As a pioneer and precursor in the field of media in Sri Lankan culture, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation has been in the public service for nearly a century. Sri Lanka is the first country in South Asia to launch a radio service. The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation was officially established on December 16, 1975. The service rendered to the Sri Lankan nation through education, knowledge, nourishment and entertainment for over 95 years is immense. more..

Dec 20 (ST) My dear Patali Champika, I thought of writing to you when I heard the news that you had resigned from the urumaya of the jathika type. The announcement came as something of a surprise although we always knew that you were not one to be content with being just a partner in a coalition for the rest of your political life. The news of your resignation was also lost in the headlines that are generally dominated by the coronavirus these days, what with all the good work done by more..

Dec 20 (CT) Nine fire engines, along with SL Air Force and Army personnel, managed to extinguish a fire that broke out at the Supreme Court (SC) Complex on Tuesday (15). Many thought that the fire had broken out in the Record Room of the building that stored more than 30,000 case files, including the one concerning the contempt of Court case related to SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake and several other high profile cases, more..

Dec 20 (SO) One of the promising cricketers of yesteryear who had been unfortunate not to go beyond the pinnacle of school cricket was Rohan Buultjens, who was adjudged Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year in 1981. The brilliant cricketer from St. Peter�s College, Colombo, was only the third cricketer to win the Observer Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year title after Ranjan Madugalle (1979 in the inaugural year) and Arjuna Ranatunga (second winner in 1980), both went on to more..

Dec 20 (ST) The Govt has started talks with the World Bank to secure a Rs. 10 billion loan for the purchase of a vaccine against COVID-19, a senior official said. The official said the Govt was seeking a soft loan while also looking at the possibility of obtaining funding from the ADB and EU for the purchase of the vaccine required for a large part of the population. Sri Lanka has been so far assured of being provided a vaccine for 20% of its population under an international initiative in which more..

Dec 20 (ST) The United States (US) has already commenced laying groundwork to bring a new UN Resolution against Sri Lanka during the 46th Council meeting of the UNHRC in Geneva, next March. Leading the front, the US and UK are working together to introduce a fresh UN resolution after the govt declared that it withdrew from the UN Resolution 30/1 which was co-sponsored by the previous Good Governance govt in 2015 more..

Dec 20 (MFA) Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage and State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Romania Cornel Feruţă held virtual bilateral Foreign Office consultations on 16 Dec 2020. A new roadmap for enhanced cooperation in prioritized sectors between SL and Romania was identified at the third session of the SL-Romania bilateral consultations. The head of delegation of SL and Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, announced the opening of more..

Dec 20 (ST) Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) will conduct the 98th Senior National Championship from Dec 26 to 29 at the Sugathadasa Stadium following strict health regulations because of the COVID-19 pandemic with limited participation of athletes and without spectators. �We have taken into consideration the need to adhere to guidelines set by health authorities and Institute of Sports Medicine (ISM). The attendance at the event is restricted to invited athletes, technical & other officials more..

Dec 20 (ST) When England return for their rescheduled Test series in January, there will be no partying and songs from the Barmy Army, their world-famous support group. Nor will hear our own papare music because the series will be played behind closed doors in a bio-secure environment owing to the current global pandemic. While the fun, frolic and music of hundreds of fans will be sorely missed, resuming international cricket after more..

Dec 20 (SO) The CB will play a pivotal role in guiding the revival of the economy and placing it on a sound footing to facilitate sustained growth and these are the responsibilities of the entire policy establishment, led by fiscal & monetary authorities, said CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman on the role of the Central Bank in rebuilding the economy. He said the CB�s role in this is, as the Monetary Law Act (MLA) dictates, to maintain economic and price stability and financial system stability more..

Dec 20 (ST) Franchise owners shelled out sums ranging from $1m to $1.5m to own and manage teams at the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). But what is their return on investment after dumping such astronomical sums on a completely new venture? Many agree that the franchises will not make profits this year � or even for the next couple of years -just as it had been for the franchise owners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) who took several years to see returns. more..

Dec 20 (TM) Hoteliers have expressed their concerns over the enormous loss in revenue following the restrictions placed on public gatherings due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, particularly with regard to the 31st night parties this month. Speaking to us on the matter, Hotels Association of SL (THASL) President Sanath Ukwatte stated that their members will be at a huge disadvantage this year, more..

Dec 20 (ST) Former Wesley, CR and FC and SL rugby full back Zubair Doray passed away after a brief illness yesterday. One of the finest attacking full backs Sri Lanka has seen, he represented the country in both XVs and 7s. The rugby community is SL is shocked by the sudden demise of Doray who was an outstanding product of Wesley, representing the school in rugby, cricket and hockey. Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) President Rizly Illyas and Council Members expressed their sincere more..

Dec 20 (CT) Govt�s attention has been drawn to re-imposing taxes, if the desired benefit is not gained by the public through the lifting of import taxes on certain items. Sources said, though import taxes had been reduced on certain goods and items with the aim of bringing down the steep rise in the prices of essential items, complaints had been received that the desired benefits had not been accrued by the masses. Hence, a group of Ministers & officials had deliberated on the issue at length recently. more..

Dec 20 (AD) Six more COVID-19 deaths pushed the coronavirus fatality count in Sri Lanka to 171. A 39-year-old woman from Colombo 14 has passed away today (19) at the IDH in Angoda after being transferred from the Colombo National Hospital upon diagnosis as a COVID-19 patient. The cause of her death has been determined as blood poisoning, multi-organ dysfunction, and COVID-19 related pneumonia. more..

Dec 20 (AD) Two areas in Induruwa have been placed under isolation with immediate effect, Commander of Army Lt Gen Shavendra Silva stated. Accordingly, Thunduwa East and Thunduwa West Grama Niladhari Divisions will be under isolation under further notice. This is over an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases detected from the area. Thunduwa Public Health Inspector (PHI) Y.P.R.S. Lakmal said that 41 new cases of the virus infection have been reported from the area. more..

Dec 20 (TM) The losses incurred by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) have been reduced by nearly 50% this year due to adequate rainfall, lower demand, and proper management by the new Board, CEB Chairman Eng. Vijitha Herath told The Sunday Morning on Friday (18). Accordingly, the CEB�s loss in 2020 is calculated to be around Rs. 45 billion despite the initial forecast at the beginning of this year being around Rs. 100 billion, based on the Rs. 80 billion loss it suffered in 2019. more..

Dec 20 (SO) The right to live in our ancestral land has been denied by greedy businessmen backed by politicians who have left a trail of destruction to vast swaths of forests in Pollebedda, said leader of indigenous community, Wanaspathi Uruwarige Wannila aththo during a recent visit to the location by environmentalists and journalists. He said that destruction of forests has been taking place for a long time with no notice being taken more..

Dec 20 (TM) SL has become good at one thing in recent times. That is, disputing SL�s sovereign downgrades by int'l rating agencies, back to back. In the long list of disputes, the recent one was done for the Fitch Ratings� downgrade of SL�s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to CCC from B-. Fitch downgrade was done on 27 Nov and the rating reflects SL�s increasingly challenging external debt repayment position over the medium term and a sharp rise in sovereign debt more..

Dec 20 (SO) Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said the Govt will resume international charter flights from Dec 26, nearly eight months after they were closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Initially, we will permit tourists to visit Sri Lanka via charter flights, and hope to resume commercial flights next month, the Minister said. He said they have called upon the health authorities to advise them on how they should handle the movements of tourists who will arrive on charter flights. more..

Dec 20 (TM) Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLTs) last week claimed that there is a PCR reagent monopoly in the country that causes huge delays in issuing test results, and pointed the finger at the health authorities. They also alleged that the number of tests being conducted at the Mulleriyawa Hospital has now been reduced to around 200 per day due to the lack of the exact reagent that matches with the PCR machine more..

Dec 20 (ST) SriLankan Airlines will shortly seek Cabinet approval to acquire two freight aircraft on an operating dry lease�that is, airplane with crew, Chairman Ashoka Pathirage said. Since Covid-19 pandemic drastically cut down number of passenger flights (where cargo was transported in the belly of the aircraft), there has been considerable demand for freight services, industry experts said. SriLankan reconfigured an A330-200 aircraft earlier this year for cargo but has no dedicated freighters. more..

Dec 20 (SO) The PCoI on the Easter Sunday attacks will conclude proceedings on Dec 22. Commission will hear evidence from former Kurunegala Teaching Hospital Doctor Mohamed Shafi Shihabdeen on its final day. PCoI was appointed on April 21, 2019 by former Prez Sirisena to probe the Easter Sunday terror attacks in SL which killed nearly 300 and maimed and injured over 500. The final report of the Commission's findings will most likely be ready to be presented to Prez Rajapaksa in Jan 2021, more..

Dec 20 (ST) The 2021 budget has been defeated in several SLPP-controlled local councils, underscoring a growing political crisis at grassroots level. The Ampara Urban Council�s Budget vote ended up in a tie with six members voting for it and six against on December 4 during the first reading. But during the second reading, the council�s chairman, Jaminda Sugath who represents the SLPP, made some amendments and declared that more..

Dec 20 (TM) A day before the release of the significantly delayed GDP growth rates of the country for the second and third quarter of this year, Dept of Census and Statistics (DCS) Director General left the department on pre-retirement leave. Director General Dr. Indu Bandara confirmed to us that she is on pre-retirement leave since last Monday (15) and stated that Additional Director General P.M.P. Anura Kumara will be serving as Acting Director General of the DCS until more..

Dec 20 (TM) Govt will oversee the process of treating Covid-19 patients at selected hotels under the care provided by private hospitals. The hotel expenses would however be borne by the private hospitals and thereby be passed on to the patients. State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the Govt will not incur any expenses in the initiative. �Expenses will be borne by the private hospitals. Govt�s responsibility would be to observe whether the patients are being treated in line more..

Dec 20 (ST) A move to bury in neighbouring Maldives SL Muslims, who die of coronavirus infection, has misfired. Both Colombo & Male have mysteriously dropped the move without adducing any reason. Perhaps they realised that the exercise is fraught with many political and international implications for the two countries. This is besides the opposition mounting in the archipelago, a tourist paradise with more..

Dec 21 (ST) While Germany has gone to lockdown mode for a whole month with no grace granted for frohe Weihnachten, Lankans seem to have been immensely blessed with the freedom of the wild ass to spend the seasonal cheer wistfully dreaming of a White Christmas with every rising case of COVID blight they sight. Though the COVID blitzkrieg have sent the Jerrys scurrying into their virus proof shelters at the first sound of alarm of another tsunami wave of coronavirus attacks, more..

Dec 21 (DM) Medical dictionaries define Satyriasis as a most acute, disgusting and indecent disease characterized by an irrepressible state of continuous painful erection and a persistent drive for sex. Psychologists consider satyriasis as a neurotic condition in men in which the symptoms are a compulsion to have sexual intercourse with as many women as possible and an inability to have lasting relationships with them, which compares with nymphomania in females. more..

Dec 21 (DM) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) conducted the first national study on the treatment and conditions of prisoners from Feb 2018 to Jan 2020. The findings of the report are very relevant now in light of the prisoner unrest and violence that took place at the Anuradhapura Remand Prison in April 2020 and at the Mahara closed prison most recently, in the context of spread of COVID-19 in prisons. more..

Dec 21 (ST) As the annus horribilis that was 2020 winds its way to a close, waves of racism, chauvinism and fear mongering unleashed on the people by this Govt�s tom-tom beaters, including electronic media moghuls fattened by ill gotten gains, continue unabated. That these ugly forces will inevitably go beyond the point of control with catastrophic effects is now a near-certainty. Already the signs of impending catastrophe are manifest. How is it that a witch doctor from Kegalle more..

Dec 21 (DM) The on-again, off again Lanka Premier League cricket tournament -the 23-day-long cricket fiesta-which commenced in November reached its climax last week at the Mahinda Rajapaksa stadium in Hambantota. The Jaffna Stallions did the northern capital proud when they beat the lads representing the Ruhuna in an exhilarating final which kept one and all at the edge of their seats, albeit in front of TVs. Neither of the teams was among the fancied favourites to winning the championship, more..

Dec 21 (GV) In early Nov 2019, a 45 year old man in Northwest SL sought divine assistance to find a wife. The intermediary was a former labourer who became a godman after his body was invaded by the spirit of a dead monk. Claiming that planetary influences were impeding the supplicant�s path to marriage, he undertook negate these via a magical ritual. On the appointed night, a large hole was dug at the end of more..