Jan 9 (Island) Chair force-stopped Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, during his speech due to a digression, in Parliament yesterday. Opposition Leader Premadasa availing himself of the provisions under the Standing Orders 27/2 was making a special statement when Minister Wimal Weerawansa raised a point of order to bring the attention of the House that the former was exceeding his limits. Minister Weerawansa noted that the Opposition Leader Premadasa had no provisions more..

Jan 9 (AD) Garnia Bannister Francis, local employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo who was allegedly involved in an abduction case, has been ordered to report to the CID on last Sunday of every month. This order was delivered when Francis was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court today. Magistrate Lanka Jayaratne has announced that the decision on granting permission to direct more..

Jan 9 (AD) Mayor of Matale Municipal Council Daljith Aluvihare has been arrested by the police. Reportedly, the Mayor has been arrested over a case of assaulting a Municipal Councilor yesterday. Aluwihare was arrested in connection with an incident of assaulting a fellow UNP municipal councillor. The councillor in question has lodged a complaint with Matale Police alleging that the Mayor and his driver had assaulted him near the Nugagahamula bus stop in Matale town. more..

Jan 9 (TM) Finance Ministry today announced the list of new Heads appointed to the Treasury Dept. 1. Mr. P. Algama, Class 1 Officer of Lanka Accountants Service, presently serving as Acting Director General of Dept of Public Finance, to a post of Deputy Secretary to the Treasury. 2. Mr. R.M.P. Rathnayake, Special Grade Officer of the SL Planning Service, presently serving as the Director General of the Dept of External Resources, to a Post of Deputy Secretary to the Treasury. more..

Jan 9 (EN) A majority of SL students believe they do not receive sufficient education on reproductive health at the school level, according to a recent study conducted by Uni of Kelaniya. Speaking at a meeting of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Women and Gender held in Parliament, Kelaniya Uni Senior Prof. K Karunathilake said only 59% of male students and 68% of female students say they receive more..

Jan 9 (AD) An Inspector of Police (IP) and a Constable have been sentenced to 28 years rigorous imprisonment by the Colombo High Court, after they were found guilty of soliciting a bribe of Rs 10,000. Colombo High Court Judge Shashi Mahendran delivered the sentence today and also ordered the defendants to pay a fine of Rs 20,000 each in addition to the prison sentence. Two police officers demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 to refrain from taking legal action against a suspect more..

Jan 9 (Island) Minister Wimal Weerawansa told Parliament that the sound clips, going viral on social media, allegedly involving MP Ranjan Ramanayake and others were being uploaded by some people who had their own copies. Participating in the debate on the Prez�s policy statement to parliament on Jan 3, Minister said that the phone recordings, released to the social media, had made a social commotion. "They are not the ones seized by the Police from the possession of Ramanayake. more..

Jan 9 (RN) In view of rising tensions in the Middle East, the JVP formally requested Prez Rajapaksa today to abolish the SOFA and ACSA pacts entered into with the US govt. JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake writing to the President said the party will fully support a govt-backed motion in Parliament to have the controversial agreements abolished. Under provisions in the Acquisition & Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), more..

Jan 9 (AD) A fire has broken out in an office building located at Hyde Park in Colombo while firefighters are currently attempting to douse the flames, according to the Colombo Fire Brigade. Reportedly, a stock of carpets in the privately-owned building had caught fire resulting in the emission of a lot of smoke which is visible in the area. Four fire trucks have been sent to the location in order to extinguish the flames, the Fire Brigade said. more..

Jan 9 (DM) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena, who commented on controversial telephone conversations leaked out to the social media, said that UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake had done an illegal and utterly disgraceful thing by maintaining such audio clips in his possession. In an interview, he was responding to a question about the leaking of such conversations between Mr. Ramanayake and others including the judges who handled serious cases during the time of the former rule. more..

Jan 9 (DM) Referring to the fake news items about influenza, circulating on social media, Health Services Director General Dr. Anil Jasinghe said the relevant statements had not been issued by the Ministry of Health. �There is an increase in influenza patients every year with the North East monsoon season. There was an increase of influenza patients during November and December last year as well,� he said. more..

Jan 9 (AD) Cabinet has granted its approval to prepare and implement a programme to provide chemical and organic fertilizers free of charge for paddy farmers. This decision was taken during the Cabinet meeting held yesterday. The Cabinet memorandum has been submitted by the Minister of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development. Accordingly, sufficient recommended portions of the three fertilizer categories namely Urea, Triple Super Phosphate more..

Jan 9 (EN) Sri Lanka has hired Rohde Nielsen A/S of Denmark to nourish two beach stretches subject to severe erosion which is important for the tourist industry. The cabinet of ministers has approved the award of a 4.4 million Euro contract for beach nourishment, on a proposal submitted by the Minister of Environment and Wildlife Resources. �The beach nourishment program will benefit the tourism industry,� Pathirana said. Sand will be dredged from the deep sea to nourish more..

Jan 9 (RN) Chief Justice as the chair of the Judicial Service Commission should conduct an independent investigation on politically influenced verdicts, Co-Govt Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said. He that this should be done in order to restore the people�s faith in the judiciary since public perception of the judicial system has taken a hit from recent developments. State Minister was referring to leaked audio recordings purportedly featuring more..

Jan 9 (AD) Nugegoda Magistrate�s Court has ordered the Govt Analyst to obtain copies of the CDs containing audio clips of MP Ranjan Ramanayake�s phone conversations and data reports of the laptop and hard disk found in his house. Several recorded phone conversations between UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake and some prominent figures in the country, including former Director of CID, have become public. Several MPs and ministers of the govt cited these voice tapes to the media more..

Jan 9 (AD) Minister of Transport, Power & Energy Mahinda Amaraweera has directed the Department of Registration Motor Vehicle (RMV) to commence an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) project in the country. The RFID project, which would allow identification of vehicles in the country through a unique RFID tag, had been delayed over two years due to several practical issues of implementation despite completion of the project�s preliminary investigations. more..

Jan 9 (PMD) Prez says that what the people wanted at the Prez election was a leadership to guide the country on the right path, but not a person called Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Addressing the Youth Congress of the SLPP held at Temple Trees, today Prez Rajapaksa said that he was fully committed to fulfill his promises while understanding the needs of the people. Prez expressed his gratitude to the youth who contributed more..

Jan 9 (RN) Cabinet has approved a proposed mechanism for a Multi-Purpose Development Task Force aimed at providing 100,000 jobs to under-qualified youth from low-income families. Co-Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawardena said selection criteria, training schedules and wages for the proposed task force have all been approved by the Cabinet. According to a Cabinet paper presented by Minister Chamal Rajapaksa on the task force, 100,000 youths from low-income families who more..

Jan 9 (AD) Police Headquarters states that it categorically denies the allegations that it was the SL Police that released MP Ranjan Ramanayake�s phone recordings � currently circulating through media and social media � to the public. Issuing a statement, Police said the responsibility of these audio recordings being released to the public lies with those who owned them. Meanwhile, a three-wheeler driver in Battaramulla had handed over another hard drive containing phone more..

Jan 9 (EN) SL�s distressed small and medium enterprises with get interest write-offs and new working capital guaranteed by the central bank to re-start their businesses, officials said, while those with performing loans will get extended periods to repay. �From today onwards with the permission of the Monetary Board (of the CB) we have started this project under two categories,� State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said. more..

Jan 10 (CT) Rajeeva Jayaweera is a Sinhalese-Buddhist supremacist who contributes regularly to The Island newspaper spewing communal venom against the minorities. His latest outburst is against R. Sampanthan, MP over his occupation of the house allocated to him when he was the Leader of the Opposition. Prior to that, he lived in a one-room flat allocated to MPs. In fact, in accordance with tradition, Sampanthan should have been allowed to continue as Leader of the Opposition more..

Jan 10 (CT) The period during Mahinda Rajapaksa�s regime was a massive violation of human rights with his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Defence Secretary, and a threat to the peace and happiness of the public. Life was not easy for any one as it was a struggle made of lessons which continue to be a mixture of Good and Evil. However, countries in Asia are fortunate to have great religious teachers at intermittent periods who had preached that Life is a Gift of God for peaceful living. more..

Jan 10 (CT) Mr. Deputy Chairman of Committees, we are debating the Policy Statement enunciated by the Prez to Parliament on the 03rd of this month. He outlined the programme that his Govt will follow; he has identified issues of importance. It must be accepted that they are action-oriented and result-oriented. Depending on its implementation, things could get substantially done. One must concede that people and youth more..

Jan 10 (CT) Deputy Governor of the CB has informed us that by Oct 2020, Sri Lanka has to pay US$ 4.8 billion as the loan instalment, plus interest payment. The total debt obligation of the SL Govt is Rs 2.1 trillion, out of which Rs 1.1 trillion are foreign debt obligations. According to the IMF, the country's total external financing needs stand at US$ 5.7 million. Deputy Governor told the Media the country is in possession of some foreign exchange reserve, but has to look elsewhere for the balance. more..

Jan 10 (CT) I have never understood the demand for writers of fiction, for I have usually found that fact can often be more incredible and unbelievable, than the most imaginative of fiction. The tale that I am about to narrate here is one such. The year was 2017, the month was possibly October, I cannot remember for certain. I was seated comfortably in my chair, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when my Secretary gingerly opened the door to say Doris wanted to speak to me. more..

Jan 10 (CT) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, says the investigations surrounding the Bonds Scam and Easter Sunday Attacks will be stepped up in the future. "The culprits will be punished through the legal system of the country," he said. Q: What do you think about the maiden Ministerial portfolio you were given? A: I was given this responsibility, after being in the Opposition for some time. It is a new experience. more..

Jan 10 (DN) Underlying SL�s neutrality stance, Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa pointed out to the Western World that the best way to overcome regional hegemony would be to assist small countries such as SL to develop and move forward at the same pace as the developed countries. Addressing the envoys of EU earlier this week, Prez invited all countries to look positively at SL as an investment hub. EU ambassadors expressed interest in the govt�s views about development & devolution. more..

Jan 10 (CT) If one is to run a guess on what possible direction in which the US-Iranian crisis threatens to be heading in, it is if Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif who has been invited to visit the EU head offices in Brussels for a top level discussion with EU Foreign Ministers, will be there, or not, for the meeting. Zarif was invited for the extraordinary meeting last Sunday. His confirmation is yet to reach the EU. Meanwhile, hundreds of Commander Soleimani supporters were more..

Jan 10 (Island) The UNP is reported to have said it would take a decision on its MP Ranjan Ramanayake, popularly known as One Shot, over the phone scandal. It is trying to make a scapegoat of its political hit man, who has got into trouble. True, he has become a huge embarrassment to the UNP, but his leaders cannot absolve themselves of the responsibility for what he has done. It was not for his own sake that he interfered with the police and the judiciary; he did so for his party. more..

Jan 10 (CI) The only match of the T20I series so far has taught us a few things. The first is that India have their seam-bowling back-ups for the T20 World Cup fairly sorted. With Jasprit Bumrah not picking up a wicket until his penultimate over in Indore, it was Navdeep Saini at the top and Shardul Thakur at the death who provided the breakthroughs that stopped Sri Lanka from changing gears at crucial points. There was also the birth of the idea that Virat Kohli, perhaps, could take the No. 4 spot more..

Jan 10 (Island) Three days of competitive Golf Sponsored by Prima Sunrise Bread unearthed quite a few rising future stars as the 12th consecutive SL Junior Open Golf Championship concluded at the Royal Colombo Golf Club, amidst an enthusiastic gathering and an elegant Prize Giving Ceremony preceded by a sumptuous lunch hosted by Prima Sunrise Bread the proud Sponsor of the Sri Lanka Junior Open. more..

Jan 10 (DN) Mahiyangana Chetiya is given much significance not only because it is the first stupa built in Sri Lanka, but also it is the first one built by a divine being on the spot where the Buddha made his first visit to the island. Deepawansa, Samanthapasadika and Mahavamsa the three great ancient chronicles written after the Mahaparinibbana of the Buddha, Sakyamuni Gautama, give a detailed account of his sacred visits to this Dhammadweepa. It is very interesting to note that more..

Jan 10 (DN) The 15-member SL U19 team left the country yesterday to participate in the U19 ICC World Cup 2020 which will commence on 17 Jan in South Africa. Left-handed batsman Nipun Dhananjaya, who had also featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2018 in New Zealand, will lead SL in the tournament's 13th edition. Sri Lanka finished ninth after defeating West Indies in the Plate final. The squad features 11 of the 15 members from U19 Asia Cup held in SL in Sept last year, more..

Jan 10 (FT) UNP criticised the Govt�s decision to suspend the Rs. 15,000 special monthly allowance for executive grade public officers that was to come into effect from 1 Jan and warned there could be more instances of broken promises. Govt decided to suspend the payment of the special allowance following a Cabinet decision taken on 2 Jan. Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Govt Ministry has issued more..

Jan 10 (DN) The heightened tensions in the Middle East spurred by the latest attacks by Iran on US military bases in Iraq will have immediate and long term ramifications on the global economy and in particular smaller economies such as Sri Lanka which depends on foreign exchange through exports of tea and a sizeable expenditure on crude oil imports, an economist said. Professor of Economics and Chairman IPS Sirimal Abeyratne said the escalation of tensions between Washington more..

Jan 10 (ST) Lyceumers from four branch schools � Nugegoda, Wattala, Panadura and Gampaha � travelled to Newport Coast in California, USA to take part in the SL vs USA Karate Championship organised by Itosuryu Karatedo USA Branch during the December holiday season. Lyceum International School secured a total of nine first places, nine second places and 11 third places after competing in Kata, Kumite and Basic Skills Performance against students from California Itosukai branches. more..

Jan 10 (FT) Sri Lanka is likely to experience modest growth in 2020 provided no major external shocks take place, ICRA Lanka said yesterday, but stressed that the Government must adopt prudent policies, maintain fiscal discipline and implement structural reforms to turn around the economy, which is believed to have closed last year with the slowest growth since 2001. ICRA Lanka, which is part of Moody�s Investor Service, more..

Jan 10 (AN) Sri Lanka�s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Azmi Thassim called on a number of senior Saudi officials and have set up meetings with several others as his tour of duty comes to an end. Thassim said: �As my four-year term as ambassador is nearing its end, I am meeting senior Saudi officials to thank them. It was great working with them to further enhance Saudi-Sri Lanka ties.� Thassim�s tenure ends in around two weeks, but he said it �may take a month to bid farewell.� more..

Jan 10 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) declared open a new facility on 9 January at the High Performance Centre of the RPICS, to provide accommodation for cricketers. The Player Accommodation Facility was declared open by Kumar Sangakkara, President of the MCC at the invitation of President of SLC Shammi Silva. SLC will use this much needed facility to provide accommodation for cricketers representing the National, Emerging, 'A' and National Age Group (Men's) teams more..