Jan 25 (Island) Mahanayake of Malwatte Chapter, the Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sumangala Thera has instructed Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera to pay close attention to the problems the people are facing and provide proper solutions. There were many issues that affected the people of the country at present, but the govt did not appear to be implementing a proper programme to address them, more..

Jan 25 (Island) Lack of enthusiasm among the public to receive the booster dose was disconcerting, given that SL had a long-established and highly functional immunisation programme, GMOA said. By 20 Jan 2022, 64.56% of Lankans had been fully vaccinated, but only 22.47% had received the booster dose, GMOA said. �At the early stages of vaccination against Covid-19 the public response was favourable. However, the current waning of interest might be driven by myths more..

Jan 25 (Island) No matter how much fuel we get, in another two or three months, the water level in the reservoirs continue to drop drastically. Therefore, we will have to go for a power cuts, CEB Engineers' Union said. CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu said that hydro power plants currently generate 20% of the total power. "A few months ago, hydro power generation was at 70%. Later dropped to 60%, then 50%, and now stands at 37%, a few days ago. "The power generation will drop by up to 5% more..

Jan 25 (TM) While claiming that all attempts made by the Catholic Church to get justice for the Easter Sunday terror attacks within the country have failed, Colombo Archbishop His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith said that they are currently exploring the possibilities to reach out to the int'l community, including the UN, to seek justice for the said terror attacks. He said: �We have tried our best to get justice from our people more..

Jan 25 (DM) With the number of COVID cases continuing to soar due to spread of the Omicron variant, hospitalisations have increased by 10% while the number of patients depending on Oxygen has increased by eight per cent. According to COVID-19 Coordinator Dr. Anwar Hamdani, 5,300-5,400 are currently receiving treatment for COVID-19 at hospitals. �This covers 40% of the total bed capacity. Although there is no congestion at hospitals at present, active patients could more..

Jan 25 (FT) Persons will be considered as fully vaccinated against COVID-19 only if they have received the booster dose as well, Health Minister Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday. He added that regulations would be introduced making it mandatory for persons to be fully vaccinated when entering public places as soon as the relevant mobile application and QR code are developed. Meanwhile, State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said they hoped to more..

Jan 25 (TM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) said that it would decide today on whether it would give permission to the CEB to go ahead with power outages, if necessary, within the next 11 days, with Power Minister Gamini Lokuge also claiming that the authorities do not expect power outages in the recent future. �Following a discussion with Prez Rajapaksa, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila, and more..

Jan 25 (FT) In the public mind, the image most representative of Sri Lanka�s victorious campaign against the LTTE is Sarath Fonseka, the then army commander and the country�s first Field Marshal. Strident, hard-driving, Fonseka is commonly credited with having motivated the army, which for three decades� prior (prior to 2009) had struggled unsuccessfully to eradicate the threat of terrorism. The LTTE fought the last war (2006-2009) more or less like a conventional army, more..

Jan 25 (FT) SL�s attempt to go fully organic overnight has left the farming communities in rural SL in visible distress and despair only months after its imposition, while the rest of us previously clueless consumers, suddenly well-versed in Yala and Maha seasons, dread the results of the coming harvest. While many had nothing but praise for the intention to transition to organic farming, transition was in fact what was missing in this exercise. How is it possible that a decision so momentous, more..

Jan 25 (Island) Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, the UN and the Commonwealth at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK, planted a Kumbuk (Terminalia arjuna) sapling at the Bellanwila � Attidiya Bird Sanctuary last week. The Department of Wildlife said Lord Ahmad had been joined by the British HC in Colombo Sarah Hulton, Hasanthi Dissanayake, Acting Additional Secretary of Ocean Affairs, Environment and Climate Change more..

Jan 25 (EN) SL�s balance of payments deficit increased to US$ 3.6 billion in Nov 2021 from US$ 3.26 billion in October data from the central bank showed, amid low rates and liquidity injections. SL�s began to lose its ability to make all external payments and collect reserves (run BOP surpluses) from around Nov 2019 when inflationary policy in the form of bond purchases began. Liquidity injections worsened sharply from around Feb 2020 as rates were cut and budget deficit was widened more..

Jan 25 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) says that power cuts will not be imposed in the country until Jan 27, as there are sufficient fuel supplies. Thereafter the situation will be reconsidered depending on the availability of fuel supply, PUCSL chairman Janaka Ratnayake said. PUCSL, electricity sector regulator, has decided to reconsider the proposal made by CEB on 27th Jan 2022 on power interruption more..

Jan 25 (Island) CEB Engineers Union (CEBEU), despite their pledge to stick to the 70% renewable energy target laid down by the govt, are now hinting that coal power generation has to be stepped up to avert a power crisis. CEBEU Secretary Dhammika Wimalaratne said that however they were planning to achieve as much renewable energy as possible. �The current target is 70% renewables by 2030. We need upfront investments for battery storage of 1.5 billion USD and 1.3 billion USD for more..

Jan 25 (DM) Minister C.B. Rathnayake has ordered an investigation into the harassment of a tusker at the Yala National park. Rathnayake said that he had ordered the Wildlife Department to conduct the investigation and submit a report. A tusker was harassed by safari jeep operators in Yala yesterday when the animal came face-to-face with some vehicles along its path. The jeeps had been travelling with a number of local and foreign tourists when the elephant was seen along the route. more..

Jan 25 (SLN) A special operation conducted by the Navy in international waters south of SL, led to intercept a local fishing trawler carrying over 330kg of heroin (including packages), with a gross street value of over Rs. 3300 million. The operation also made way to the apprehension of 11 local suspects and another local fishing vessel in connection to this illegal act. The two arrests were made on 17th and 22nd January 2022, more..

Jan 25 (MFA) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris highlighted that Sri Lanka and Indonesia shared many common interests and goals, founded on long standing historical and cultural ties that predated the formal establishment of relations between the two countries in 1952. The Minister made these remarks at a meeting when, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Sri Lanka Dewi Gustina Tobing called on the Foreign Minister at the Foreign Ministry, on Monday 24 Jan 2022. more..

Jan 25 (APP) Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday underlined the need for capitalising on immense goodwill that exists between Pakistan and SL by expanding cooperation across diverse areas, including trade and investment, tourism, culture, education, defence, and agriculture. In a meeting with SL Minister of Trade Dr Bandula Gunawardhana and State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya, who called on him with a delegation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more..

Jan 25 (FT) The project to launch a Central Counter Party (CCP) system for equities was formally launched at a Joint Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC) � Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) meeting held at the SEC recently. SEC Chairman Viraj Dayaratne PC, who chaired the meeting, said that he was happy that steady progress was being made on the continuous development of the market infrastructure. He emphasised that this project should also more..

Jan 25 (Island) SL gemstones were showcased at a glamorous event hosted by the SL Embassy in Beijing last week (17). Sponsored by the LARWINER � Gem Art Jewellery, a range of stunning SL blue sapphires and other coloured stones were displayed. Around 100 invited guests, including many elite dealers attended the event. LARWINER � Gem Art Jewelry sought to promote SL�s superb sapphires and also the gem industry. SL embassy in Beijing said had been more..

Jan 25 (EN) Omicron has replaced Delta as the dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in SL, with over 95% of gene sequenced samples testing positive for the new strain, officials said. Health Promotion Bureau Director Dr Ranjith Batuwanthudawa said that over 95 percent of the samples sequenced at both the Medical Research Institute and the Allergy and Cell Biology unit at the Uni of Sri J'pura (USJ) more..

Jan 25 (AD) The latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) compiled by Transparency International was released today. The CPI scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption. The scores reflect the views of experts and surveys from businesspeople. CPI is calculated using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others. more..

Jan 25 (CT) While disclosing that he had refused numerous invitations to obtain citizenship and work in developed countries, Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila said he declined all such offers as SL is one of the most unique countries in the world. He also said, despite the fact that there are many good things our country has to offer, many are making a mockery of it by finding reasons to weep. He said people should be well aware that SL is a unique country that provides free education and more..

Jan 25 (AD) Cabinet has decided to allocate Rs. 40 billion to compensate paddy farmers for drop damages sustained during the 2020 Maha Season, says Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage. He said that nearly 1.1 million paddy farmers who cultivated approximately 800,000 hectares during the 2020 Maha Season will accordingly receive compensation. Meanwhile, Paddy Marketing Board has decided to purchase paddy from more..

Jan 25 (AD) SL Police is seeking the assistance of the general public to apprehend two major drug traffickers. Information about the duo was brought to light upon interrogating two other suspects who had been taken into custody by the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) over the alleged possession of drug money and smuggling nearly 290 kilograms of heroin into the country via a multi-day trawler in 2021. The aforementioned two drug peddlers are absconding the law enforcement authorities, more..

Jan 25 (ENS) The SL govt has planned to auction at least 105 boats seized from Tamil Nadu fishermen over the years, sparking outrage and concern among the State�s fishing community. As the island nation�s department of fisheries and aquatic resources has issued advertisements in SL newspapers for public auctioning of seized boats in February, fishermen and representatives of fishermen�s associations of TN have urged State & Union govts to take steps to stop the auction. more..

Jan 25 (DM) Central Environmental Authority (CEA) will conduct an e-waste collection programme at 40 locations in the Western Province (WP) on Friday (28) and Saturday (29). �In total 17 locations in the Colombo District, 13 locations in Gampaha and 10 in Kalutara will be maintained under the programme,� Environment Ministry said. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the decision was taken due to the significant environmental more..

Jan 25 (DM) The final report over the investigation launched by the CIABOC into the Pandora Papers will be finalised after a statement which is due by imprisoned former MP Ranjan Ramanayake is given, the Bribery Commission said. Secretary to the Commission Apsara Caldera said that investigations are still ongoing and the lawyers of Ranjan Ramanayake had been informed to provide the statement through an affidavit. Last October, former MP's lawyer informed the Chairperson of more..

Jan 25 (NR) Sri Lanka�s Chamari Athapaththu gained six positions to break into the top 10 in the ICC Women�s T20I rankings for batters after a superb performance in the Commonwealth Games Qualifiers, where she amassed 221 runs at an outstanding average and strike-rate of 55.25 and 185.71 respectively. Athapathu is now sitting in eighth place in the rankings. She led Sri Lanka from the front with her batting performances and helped them in winning the tournament as well. more..

Jan 25 (CT) Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera ordered the protected area of Mahaweli River in Kandy to be immediately designated, in order to halt the massive environmental destruction caused under the pretext of development projects. He said so after hearing about a major expansion project on a hotel that had been operational for eight years on a land belonging to the reserve. He also ordered more..

Jan 25 (CT) The All Island Canteen Owners� Association pledged to reveal all officials responsible for the power cuts. Speaking to Ceylon Today, Chairman of the Association Asela Sampath noted that if the trade unions of the CEB knew that they haven�t produced even a single volt of electricity since 2015 they should have resorted to trade union actions and drawn the attention of higher authorities without waiting till the last minute when the situation has gotten worse. more..

Jan 25 (DH) Tamil Nadu on Tuesday condemned the outrageous attack against three fishermen from the state by SL nationals and asked the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the matter with the neighbouring country. ETB Sivapriyan, DHNS, Chennai, JAN 25 2022, 18:27 ISTUPDATED: JAN 25 2022, 18:43 IST Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin. Credit: Twitter/@mkstalin Tamil Nadu on Tuesday condemned the outrageous attack against three fishermen from the state by more..

Jan 25 (TM) The Agriculture Ministry is once again preparing to import a stock of fertilisers containing bacteria and fungi from China that are not fit for use in cultivation, alleged SJB MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna Kavirathna. She claimed: �The Agriculture Ministry, which previously paid $ 6.5 million (including the $ 5 million security deposit) for a similar fertiliser ship from China, is once again preparing to import a stock of fertiliser more..

Jan 25 (DM) Whilst stating that people in this country need a change as SL has been included among the top 15 nations with the highest food inflation rate, the UNP seniors today told the people to get ready for a change. UNP seniors led by Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene came up with this remark at a mass protest which was organised by the party's District Leader and Chairman Vajira Abeywardene in Galle last afternoon. "People are striving for a change today and UNP is more..

Jan 25 (AD) Paddy Marketing Board has decided to purchase paddy from farmers at Rs. 75 per kilogram starting from today, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage says. He assured that the prices of rice will not be increased under any circumstances. He said the govt�s paddy purchasing program is implemented during the 2021/2022 Maha Season with the objective of providing a fair price for the harvest and maintaining a secure paddy reserve by the govt. more..

Jan 26 (DM) For over a week, events in Ukraine have come to dominate news headlines the world over. US President Biden claims thousands of Russian troops are massed on Ukraine�s borders poised to invade that country. Biden has warned, he thinks Russia will invade Ukraine in weeks. He has warned President Vladimir Putin that his country would pay a dear price in lives lost and a possible cut-off from the global banking system if he does invade. more..

Jan 26 (DM) My last column, where I wrote about my personal struggle of reporting on the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder generated quite a bit of reactions. Some were praising me, most were ambivalent and few were rudely critical. Most commented about how I had tried to be honest. Not to hero worship Lasantha as many of his fans have been prone to do. The same trait however did not go down well with others, who felt that I was engaged in nothing but vandalising. more..

Jan 26 (TM) There is no buyback guarantee between the Ministry of Health and the local drug manufacturers and it was merely an understanding which the Ministry continues to honour, Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella claimed. However, this statement made by the Ministry of Health to The Morning Business was dismissed by a source within the local drug manufacturing industry, who claimed: more..