Dec 14 (Island) The Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided that Parliament will meet again on 05 Jan 2023. This decision was taken at the Committee on Parliamentary Business that met in Parliament, with Deputy Speaker presiding. Accordingly, the Parliament is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 05 January, 2023, at 9.30 am, and time, from 9.30 am to 10.30 am, has been allotted for Questions for Oral Answers. Subsequently, from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm, the second reading debate of the Bureau of Rehabilitation Bill more..

Dec 14 (PTI) An all-party meeting was held here to discuss the 13th Amendment to SL's Constitution as mooted by India to resolve the long-standing demand for political autonomy for the minority Tamils in the island nation, political leaders said on Wednesday. Tamil parties which participated in the meeting on Tuesday urged the govt to hold the northern provincial council election. The 13A is already a part of the Constitution and more..

Dec 14 (CT) SL has proposed setting up a group of Eminent Persons with a view to helping galvanise greater political will and to create further international awareness among States on the importance of combating terrorist financing. The proposal was made at the recently concluded third No Money For Terror (NMFT) Ministerial Conference in New Delhi. SL�s High Commissioner to India, Milinda Moragoda, who led the SL delegation to the Ministerial Conference, made this proposal more..

Dec 14 (CT) Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amerasinghe yesterday, released on bail seven suspects, including interdicted Third Secretary of the SL Embassy in Oman E. Kushan and Asha Dissanayake, who had been in charge of the safe house, affiliated to the Embassy, who had been in remand on charges of being involved in a human smuggling racket. The Court also impounded the passports of the suspects and instructed them to report to the CID, on the last Sunday more..

Dec 14 (AD) The 24-year-old woman who assaulted the woman passenger in the car that crashed on to a three-wheeler, killing the driver at Kollupitiya on December 10, was arrested in Panadura this evening (Dec. 14), the police said. Sri Lanka Police was seeking the assistance of the general public yesterday (Dec 14) to trace the woman in question. A three-wheeler driver was killed on the spot after a speeding car crashed into the three-wheeler in the early hours of Saturday (Dec 10). more..

Dec 14 (CT) By 2023 the Govt should initiate a comprehensive programme to control and prevent the use of Ice, marijuana and other dangerous drugs in all schools in the island, National Anti-Drug Front (NADF) said. Convener of the NADF, Chathura Liyanarachchi, said the Govt and Ministry of Education should take immediate measures to formulate a programme, taking into consideration the media reports and most essentially revelations made in Parliament- essentially those by more..

Dec 14 (DM) Court of Appeal today issued an interim order suspending the inclusion of Doctors and consultant specialist doctors from a gazette notification issued reducing compulsory retirement of govt sector employees to 60 years. This interim order will be effective until Jan 25. Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola made this order consequent to a writ petition more..

Dec 14 (DM) Leading renewable energy producer Windforce PLC is gearing to venture into the electric vehicle (EV) market. According to the November monthly newsletter of Tundra Sustainable Frontier Fund which is a shareholder of Windforce, the company is looking to initially sell EV conversion kits to make existing three-wheelers electric ones. �They are also planning to start the assembly of electric motorbikes and 3-wheelers to help reduce petrol consumption (a drain on FX reserves) more..

Dec 14 (CT) With accusations being levelled against the Director of Colombo East Base Hospital (CEBH), Mulleriyawa of attempting to scupper an agreement between the Govt of SL and Republic of Singapore which offered job opportunities to local nurses, SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has urged the Health Ministry Secretary, to probe and resolve the issue pertaining to one nurse who allegedly submitted a forged document. CEBH Director on 6 Dec wrote to the National Uni Health System, more..

Dec 14 (AD) CPC has announced that the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery will recommence operations on Dec 16, as a shipment of 90,000 MT of crude oil arrived at the Colombo harbour and its unloading process has begun. Furthermore, the procurement process required to import another shipment of 90,000 MT of crude oil has already been completed, in order to maintain stable production at the refinery in the future, more..

Dec 14 (DM) The govt is said to be considering the possibility of upgrading all Pradeshiya Sabhas to Urban Councils while granting more powers to address grassroot level issues. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe during the Cabinet meeting has instructed the PM and Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Govt, Dinesh Gunawardena to consider the possibility of establishing an urban council system replacing PSs, according to Minister Bandula more..

Dec 14 (AD) The Special Task Force (STF) today arrested two persons for the possession of large quantities of heroin and more than Rs. 330 million in cash. The suspects, identified as Saleem Tuan and Roshan Ravindu Dilshan, were arrested while in possession of nearly 12 kilograms of heroin and Rs. 335 million. Initial investigations have revealed that the stock of heroin belonged to a criminal by the name of Jeele, a known associate of late underworld crime lord Angoda Lokka. more..

Dec 15 (ST) SL is currently facing a significant sales drop in Ceylon Tea to two of its key markets, Iran and Syria that are reeling from economic crises in their own countries. Imperial Tea exports Managing Director and former Tea Exporters Association Chairman said that in some months there have been sales drops ranging between 30-50%. In fact, he explained that although they may have orders, shipments are delayed since these countries are finding it hard to make payments. more..

Dec 15 (DM) The early versions of Udayasiri Wickramaratne�s celebrated theatrical piece 'Suddek Oba Amathai (A white man addresses you) contained a short soliloquy, Baya Vunu Minisek Oba Amathai (A scared man addresses you).' The man was essentially scared of two things: a) that he would speak the truth even when he wanted to deceive, and b) that he would do the right thing by mistake. This delightful piece came to mind when reading an exchange between Lord Naseby more..

Dec 15 (TM) �Everyone wants to preach to professionals as to how their leaving SL would adversely impact the country, but only a handful talk about how remaining here amidst the prevailing economic and political situation threatens their professional and personal lives and future. It seems like we want to save the country at the expense of its professionals� lives.� This was what 40-year-old A.R. Fernando* more..

Dec 15 (DM) Most of us, most of the time tend to have a negative picture of disabled people. This is not correct but it is common tendency. In the recent decades, with the evolution of information and communication technology and incredibly creative areas such as artificial intelligence, many countries have found ways of turning disabled or differently abled people into doing marvelous things in various fields. The richer and more powerful people need to take the initiative to draw out the best from more..

Dec 15 (ST) It was one of those days when the trio didn�t meet under the margosa tree for their weekly conversation which often inspires many a column piece. Serapina had gone back to the village to inquire into one of her relatives who was stranded in West Asia, one among several domestic workers who had gone on visit visas to secure jobs and fallen into trouble. Mabel Rasthiyadu was occupied with cooking at the residence she works in while Kussi Amma Sera was preparing breakfast. more..

Dec 15 (SO) The first living-related kidney transplant that revolutionised the medical sciences took place in 1954 by a team including Dr Joseph Murray at Brigham Hospital in Boston. Almost three decades later, in 1985 the first such transplant took place in SL giving hope to SL kidney patients. The surgery was performed by Professor Rezvi Sheriff and Professor A. H. Sheriffdeen at the Colombo Rutnam Hospital on 35-year-old more..

Dec 15 (CT) Families in the estate sector are already in the brink with relatively less attention paid to assist them in improving their standards of living. The only hope of many of these families is proper education for their children followed by employment in order to secure a future for them. With the economic crisis affecting many, those in the estate sector were one of the most affected categories with several having to cut down on their meal intake with their income barely assisting them in meeting more..

Dec 15 (TM) Taking into account widespread incidents of sexual harassment in public transportation alongside instances of sexual bribery, Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has proposed to introduce a new provision to the Penal Code that criminalises sexual assault and all forms of sexual harassment and a new section to impose severe punishment for the same, and also to recognise sexual bribery as an offence. Following its approval by the Cabinet, relevant Bill is now scheduled more..

Dec 15 (DM) Air pollution is a major cause of death and disease. Globally, about 4.2 million premature deaths are caused by ambient air pollution. Worldwide, air pollution accounts for 29% of deaths from lung cancer, 25% of deaths from ischemic heart disease and 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In recent days, there has been a lot of concern over the deterioration of air quality in Sri Lanka due to the increase in the level of fine particles (PM2.5) in the atmosphere. more..

Dec 15 (ST) The finals of 20th DSI Supersport School Volleyball Championship took place last weekend at the Sugathadasa National Sports Indoor Stadium, Complex. St. Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa and Tissapura Vidyalaya, Uhana claimed the U-19 Boy�s and Girls� titles respectively, while Loyala College, Negombo and Hungama Viyajaba National School, Hambantota were winners of the U-17 Boy�s and Girls� championships. St. Joseph Vaz, Wennappuwa overcame more..

Dec 15 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stressed that all political parties should unite to provide a solution to the ethnic problem by Independence Day celebrations 2023. He emphasised that all political parties should come to a common agreement to provide a solution to the ethnic problem by the upcoming 75th Independence celebration. Prez revealed this while attending the All-Party Conference held at Prez Secretariat more..

Dec 15 (Island) Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime is jacking up taxes and tariffs and adopting other such draconian measures as if it thought that the ordinary people bankrupted the country and therefore should be made to undergo untold suffering by way of punishment. Govt leaders are apparently labouring under the delusion that they are doing the public a favour by trying to straighten up the economy. The perpetrators of economic crimes against the nation are masquerading more..

Dec 15 (Island) This must indeed sound like an extremely condemnatory, acerbic and miserable indictment on the inhabitants of our beautiful island. However, facts have to be faced. A nation should be judged by the qualities of the people who encompass its population. Many countries in the world today are so proud of their populace. Can we say the same thing about SL? Our lovely Motherland, which should rank among the planet�s la cr�me de la cr�me, is now in its worst more..

Dec 15 (CT) An all-round performance from Kandy Falcons helped them to register a comfortable 10 runs win over defending Champions Jaffna Kings in the 13th match of the Lanka Premier League worked off at Pallekele International stadium yesterday. The win also saw Kandy retaining their top spot on the points table with 10 from 6 matches, while two-time champions Jaffna Kings are in second spot with 8. Electing to bat, Kandy posted 160 runs in their allotted 20 overs on the back of a brilliant more..

Dec 15 (DN) All roads would lead to the BMICH in Colombo today when it hosts the 44th Observer SLT-Mobitel School Cricketers of the Year ceremony commencing at 5.15 p.m. Adding the colourful evening show as the chief guest will be the man who made a spectacular century when SL won the 1996 World Cup final against Australia, Aravinda de Silva. Sri Lanka�s newest find to the national team - Dunith Wellalage of St. Joseph�s College, Colombo will be crowned as the Observer SLT-Mobitel Most more..

Dec 15 (ST) Fish prices have decreased this month due to an increase in supplies combined with low demand. Despite the decrease in prices fisherfolk said they were finding it difficult to continue their fishing activities, due to a shortage of kerosene. A fisherman needs 20 to 30 litres of kerosene for fishing activities, which is now Rs. 365 for a litre. It was Rs.70 for a litre before the prevailing economic crisis. more..

Dec 15 (DN) Dinesh Chandimal is known for batting and his wicket-keeping while occasionally doing the job as a fielder at any position. The 33-year-old stylish batsman has vast experience in all three formats of the game, playing 70 Tests, 157 ODIs, and 68 T20s in his career. "I am ready to bat at any position. When my captain or coach wants my service at any position in the batting order, I am always willing to give my best. Especially in T20, we can't assure our permanent batting slot," more..

Dec 15 (DN) Kasun Rajitha, the right-arm medium paceman led the way with excellent figures of 5 for 22 with Charith Asalanka (58) and Dinesh Chandimal (31) adding a remarkable 90-run second wicket stand which guided Colombo Stars to record an easy 9-wicket win over Dambulla Aura in their LPL cricket fixture played at the Pallekele Stadium yesterday. Dambulla Aura led by Dasun Shanaka struggled to find their rhythm on 57 for 7 wickets after the Power Play (first six overs) more..

Dec 15 (TM) President of the Federation of University Teachers� Associations (FUTA) Prof. B.M.H.S.K. Banneheka said that the FUTA is against political intervention in university affairs in the context of the assault of former Uni VC Prof. Athula Senaratne, regarding which many MPs raised concerns in Parliament on Tuesday, particularly when the Govt has failed to attend to other demands made by universities. more..

Dec 15 (Island) People�s Bank�s Enterprise Banking Dept, which has launched multiple programs with the aim of supporting and development of small and medium enterprises, has initiated People�s Spark, a special entrepreneurship development program targeted at graduates. This program offers the opportunity for young graduates to start their own enterprises under guidance from People�s Bank. Bank also provides a special loan scheme and a feedback mechanism for these budding more..

Dec 15 (DN) High Commissioner of India to SL, Gopal Baglay, visited TVS Lanka vehicle assembly facility in Horana recently coinciding with its 1-year anniversary. During the visit, Baglay interacted with managers & technicians who were given special training in India. Gopal Baglay appreciated TVS�s noteworthy contribution to the SL economy at this critical time. He expressed hope that other Indian enterprises follow TVS� lead and join hands with the SL businesses and Govt in dealing with more..

Dec 15 (TM) Chairperson of the Women Parliamentarians� Caucus, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the preliminary draft of the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Bill will most likely be available for viewing around mid-Jan 2023, and that policies addressing gender based violence (GBV) and domestic violence will be included in the Bill. �It is hard to say as to when the draft will be completed exactly because it depends on the drafting consultant, but more..

Dec 15 (FT) Senior Prof of Faculty of Agriculture, Uni of Peradeniya, Buddhi Marambe was last week awarded the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award by the Int'l Weed Science Society (IWSS). He was the only weed scientist from South and Southeast Asian region to have been presented with the Lifetime Achievement award this year at a ceremony at the Marriot in Bangkok. The high academic point of all weed scientists in the world, IWSS, recognises weed scientists every 4 years more..