Jan 30 (SO) Sri Lanka�s girls bagged a silver and bronze medal at the first ever ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan yesterday. Uthpala Sewwandi Bothalage featured in the gold medal clash in the light fly (50kg) weight class against Uzbekistan�s Sabina Bobokulova. Bothalage entered the final after receiving a walkover from Hikaru Shinohara in the semifinals and found the 18-year-old Uzbek talent Bobokulova too strong in the title clash. more..

Jan 30 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says it is the fundamental duty of young military officers to develop their skills and move forward in their careers. President made these remarks addressing the Commissioning Parade of the Sri Lanka Air Force held at the SL Air force Base � Katunayake, today (29). �You must work hard to continuously improve your knowledge, further develop your skills, and learn from more..

Jan 30 (AD) Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification removing the maximum retail prices imposed on locally bottled drinking water. The gazette dated Jan 28, 2022 has been issued by the CAA Chairman Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Shantha Dissanayake, under the powers vested by Section 20(5) of the Consumer Affairs Authority Act, No. 09 of 2003. The Consumer Affairs Authority thereby rescinds Order No. 51 published in Gazette Extraordinary more..

Jan 30 (AD) Four bodies have been recovered so far after five persons were reported missing while bathing at Gerandi Ella in Ettampitiya. Search operations are continuing to recover the other body, police said. Police earlier said that one body has been recovered so far after five persons were reported missing while bathing at Gerandi Ella in Ettampitiya. A group of around 11 persons wee bathing in the location when five of them were suddenly swept away by strong currents more..

Jan 30 (ST) Country�s former Test captain, Suranga Lakmal, denying rumours that he is retiring from the game citing an offer from English County cricket, confirmed that he has made no decision to call it quits and only contemplating as to which direction to progress. Sunday Times learns the all-format senior seamer has been reportedly offered by Derbyshire, being coached by SL�s last coach, Mickey Arthur, to turn out for two-years but is still in process of deciding in which direction to move. more..

Jan 30 (ST) The govt is now reconsidering lifting the ban on herbicides while it is yet to take a policy decision on fertiliser subsidy payments to the tea sector. Glyphosate continues to be banned in SL which is a herbicide available at a lower cost compared to others available in the market. Minister Ramesh Pathirana said that while Europe is also looking at banning glyphosate they were looking positively at lifting the ban on herbicides but would go in search of other options. more..

Jan 30 (ST) At CEB�s major hydropower reservoirs, water levels are dropping with total storage capacity down on Friday to 56.8% from 95.8% on Nov 15, 2021. Of the six reservoirs�Castlereigh, Maussekelle, Kotmale, Victoria, Randenigala and Samanala Wewa�three (Victoria, Kotmale and Randenigala) cater to the irrigation needs of the Mahaweli zone farmers and, therefore, must minimise the use of water for more..

Jan 30 (TM) The national tripartite agreement on the prorated wage model, which was exclusively extended for the stakeholders of the tourism sector from 30 June till 31 December 2021, is most likely to be terminated in 2022 as the tourism industry is back on track for its industry revival. Commissioner General of Labour Prabath Chandrakeerthi stated that the final decision on the wage model had not been taken yet, as discussions amongst the relevant Government officials were still ongoing. more..

Jan 30 (TM) Sri Lanka has imported massive quantities of iron, steel, and cement worth $ 840 million in 2021, indicating higher demand than other years, according to CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal � a claim contradicted by importers and official data. Responding to a query by The Sunday Morning Business, CB Governor said that iron and steel imports for last year were almost at the highest value in history at nearly $ 700 million, while cement imports were close to a massive $ 140 mil. more..

Jan 30 (TM) Demand for candles has risen over the past few weeks in SL amidst electricity outages, with people purchasing more quantities than usual. However, the very limited supply of raw materials for candle manufacturing is further compounding the problem. According to a local manufacturer, while the Maximum Retail Price for a packet of 40 bucket candles is set at Rs 240, a packet is now being sold at Rs280 to Rs400 more..

Jan 30 (EN) SL�s rupee, which is under downward pressure for two years due to liquidity injections made to enforce a fixed low interest will not depreciate, CB Governor Nivard Cabraal has said. The rupee has fallen from around 185 to 200 to the US dollar since money printing was ratcheted up from Feb 2021 though reserves have fallen rapidly in the process of exchanging for the newly printed rupees. In the kerb and Undiyal markets the rupee is around 240/260 rupees. �It won�t depreciate,� more..

Jan 30 (TM) The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) started the week off with the new index calculation method while the All Share Price Index (ASPI) gained slightly by 12.5 points to 13,384 last Monday (24). �Colombo Bourse witnessed a surge in turnover following the off-board deal on John Keells executed by foreign investors. Worries over the increasing Covid situation and power crisis, amidst the declining trend in global markets and the introduction of new index calculation more..

Jan 30 (ST) Selendiva Investments Ltd�the Treasury-owned property development firm tasked with turning around under-used State assets�is looking for investment brokers to help find backers for its projects. The company aims to start the restructuring process for selected assets in the hospitality sector under a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called Selendiva Leisure Investments Ltd �by attracting investors & operational experts� more..

Jan 30 (ST) Sri Lanka is negotiating a USD 200 million credit line from Pakistan to import rice, cement and medicinal drugs, Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. The proposals on the credit line was discussed during Minister Gunawardana�s recent official visit to Pakistan. Importation of goods under the credit line will be carried out by the State Trading (General) Corporation. The Trade Ministry is to submit the draft agreement soon to the Finance Ministry. more..

Jan 30 (ST) The CEB has called on all its bulk supply consumers in Colombo to put into use their standby generators to avert a power crisis. The CEB has offered to pay Rs 36 a unit for power generated between 5.30 a.m. and 10.30 p.m. The rate is higher than a unit bought from independent power suppliers currently. The power generated will be bought by the CEB and resold at the applicable rates to the consumers. The CEB will install meters to determine the units generated. more..

Jan 30 (ST) When a country reels from a severe crisis, its people rely on their Govt to come together, present a unified front and lay out clear strategies on how it intends to overcome it. Most of all, the people expect their Govt to be honest with them regarding the seriousness of the crisis. In SL, where the country has been beset by a multitude of crises, none of these things is happening. Govt has been plagued by disunity and more..

Jan 31 (ST) All the efforts of SL�s Foreign Affairs Minister in declaring amendments to the country�s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA, 1979) with a grand flourish a few days ago, akin to the desperate magician pulling a bedraggled rabbit out of his hat to amuse a lacklustre crowd, are to little avail. First, theoretical amendments to any law are limited in impact. So let us hold on the congratulatory hand clapping however much the Govt appears to anxiously hunger for that. more..

Jan 31 (ST) Once more the red flag is being raised to alert the masses a major COVID wave is set to break. Named Omicron, the advance guard has already rolled in and made enough splash of its presence for the health chiefs to warn: This is only for starters. The full scale landing will follow soon. Already the COVID toll for the year has begun to rise dramatically and is currently hitting an average high of nearly 900 a day. And, as the health bosses say: �You ain�t seen nothing yet. The worst is more..

Jan 31 (TM) There is a ray of hope for all animal welfare activists and NGOs, since the proposed Animal Welfare Bill has finally received approval from the Cabinet of Ministers and is now ready to be presented to the Parliament. If everything goes well (even though it is still too early to predict), the 115-year-old Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance No. 13 of 1907 as amended will be replaced by the Animal Welfare Bill. more..

Jan 31 (CT) The 2018, sci-fi action film Ready Player One introduced moviegoers to a dystopian future world where people spend most of their time in a virtual world named OASIS to escape the harsh realities of the world outside including crushing poverty and a devastated environment. There are many pieces of fiction that deal with futuristic virtual technology, many of them depict it as a placebo lulling an ignorant mankind from the truth. In Oct 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg more..

Jan 31 (TM) Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris recently ordered the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill which seeks to amend the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No. 48 of 1979 (PTA) to be gazetted (Part II of the Gazette on 21 Jan 2022 with the Supplement issued on 21 Jan 2022). A comparative analysis of its content reveals strides towards addressing that which is baleful, draconian, pernicious, and repressive in the provisions of the PTA, more..

Jan 31 (CT) The merits and demerits of the Grade 5 Scholarship Exam have been called into question for some years now. Although many children from the rural backwoods of SL greatly benefit from this milestone exam, as it paves the way for them to enter schools located in townships, with better education and extra-curricular activities, the nature of the exam itself has been critiqued, as it puts 10-year-old children more..

Jan 31 (Island) By all accounts the JVP�s star is rising; everybody says so. We have had similar scenarios before where it seemed the JVP was at peak but the outcome in the subsequent election was disappointing. Will it be the same again? No one can say till the results of LG or PC polls, due early and later this year, respectively, are known. The regime like a headless chicken is scampering to foil elections; it fears JVP or SJB, or both will do well while pro-govt entities will flop. more..

Jan 31 (Island) A principal has been arrested in Panadura for taking a bribe to admit a student to his school. It will be interesting to know from the education sector trade unions that launched a protracted strike coupled with street protests and won a massive pay hike for teachers what action they will take to rid school admissions of bribery and corruption. The CIABOC deserves praise for making the aforesaid arrest. But, worryingly, it lacks such high-octane performance where complaints more..

Jan 31 (CT) The mass and the social media have been buzzing with the news that a close aide of Mahinda Rajapaksa has been accused of stealing from his bank account. According to reports, the close aide, named by the media as Udith Lokubandara, had allegedly used an ATM card linked to the bank account and stole millions, perhaps to the tune of 35 million as per media reports. The crime was said to have been committed over the past several years when more..

Jan 31 (SO) Recognising the importance of sports, Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon said that, �Sport has become a world language, a common denominator that breaks down all the walls, all the barriers. It is a worldwide industry whose practices can have a widespread impact. Most of all, it is a powerful tool for progress and development.� Sports play a vital role in socio-economic development in a country. Sports economy enables the economic development, while enhancing the standards more..

Jan 31 (FT) Sri Lanka is revising down the tourist arrivals forecast for 2022 to 1.1 million from an earlier ambitious goal of luring 2.3 million, a move influenced by the surge in Omicron variant in major source markets. �We expect over 1.1 million tourists to visit the country this year, whilst the short, medium and long-term strategies rolled out by Sri Lanka Tourism will assist to reach the year-end goal,� Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. more..

Jan 31 (CT) An all-round performance from skipper Dhananjaya de Silva guided Jaffna to a 88 run win over Galle in the 8th Match of the National Super League Limited Over Tournament at P. Sara Oval, Colombo yesterday. Batting first, Jaffna posted 263 runs on the back of half centuries from skipper Dhananjaya de Silva and Santhush Gunathilake to help their team post a competitive total. In reply, Galle were bowled out for just 175 runs handing a comfortable victory to the Jaffna lads. more..

Jan 31 (SLA) The Passing out Parade of the 13th Force Protection Company (FPC), bound for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), together with women soldiers of the SL Army Women's Corps (SLAWC) presented the customary salute to the head of the organization, General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army on Sunday during a formal arrangement, held at the SL Light Infantry Regimental Headquarters (RHQ -SLLI) at Panagoda. more..

Jan 31 (FT) Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe says SL must enter the record books as the only country to antagonise the US, Europe, India, Japan, and China at the same time, and before the end of the year, segments of the population will have to skip a meal, possibly two, during the day due to the current economic crisis. Wickremesinghe was the Guest Speaker at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Colombo West, where he averred that more..

Jan 31 (ST) SL�s unplanned shift to organic farming from chemical based agriculture practices has triggered a man-made crop disaster and incurred a massive loss of around US$1.04 billion, official provisional estimates and data of trading economic indicator models showed. Total cost (fertiliser and rice imports) from the govt�s attempts to transform the country�s chemical fertiliser farming to organic farming was $1.84 billion whereas all this cost could have been saved if the authorities more..

Jan 31 (ST) Colombo stocks recorded marginal losses for four days straight this week with declining turnover which stockbrokers attributed to deceptive social media endorsements by certain high networth investors leading the Twitter, WhatsApp �game�. �There was misleading information on fundamentally string stocks,� a stock broking company CEO said. They were informing retailers to sell out and make profits on certain shares, another stockbroker said alleging that these moneyed traders created more..

Jan 31 (TM) In a significant move aimed at expanding cross-border trade and investment, the Foreign Ministers of Sri Lanka and Turkey signed an Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation (DTAA) during the latter�s visit to SL. Double taxation is the levying of tax by two or more jurisdictions on the same income in the case of income taxes, asset in the case of capital taxes, or financial transaction in the case of sales taxes. SL has entered into Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements more..

Jan 31 (CT) SLPP activists who cannot bear the popularity of the JVP and the JJB are using their henchmen to carryout heinous egg attacks which should be condemned outright, Mahinda Jayasinghe, former JVP Provincial Council member said. He was referring to the incident where stones and eggs were hurled at JJB Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at Gampaha District Convention yesterday. He further said two suspects were arrested and according to their confessions more..

Jan 31 (ST) A private bus conductor recently issuing tickets on the 120 Kesbewa-Pettah route was questioned by a passenger on the ticket price to Colombo Fort as he had given the wrong balance. Midway through the journey, the pair had a roaring argument. The reason for the error, it transpired, was that the bus conductor was temporarily hired for the day as the regular one had taken up manual labour. more..

Jan 31 (TM) A cabinet proposal for the CEB to purchase power, in the short term, from private power plants will be discussed at the Cabinet�s meeting today (31), while the CEB has already begun considering and evaluating private power purchasing plans. Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that he has submitted the cabinet proposal for private power purchases considering the looming electricity crisis in the country. Meanwhile, well-placed sources at CEB told us yesterday more..

Jan 31 (FT) Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardane urged the Govt to use the Export Development Fund (EDF) to better support the private sector, insisting that the industry is capable of supporting the country to overcome the foreign exchange crisis. �The EDF was specially established to support the export community with the proceeds of the CESS to be credited to the fund. However, the Treasury is taking the full amount at present and we get nothing to support the exporters,� he claimed. more..