Aug 17 (TM) The news that a Grade 10 student had allegedly poisoned five of her classmates, who were vying for a school head prefect position with her, purportedly to be selected for the said position, has gone viral. Despite the fact that investigations are yet to reveal and corroborate a lot of information pertaining to the incident, the alleged motive behind it, has sparked a conversation on social media platforms as to whether children are capable of going to such extremes by themselves. more..

Aug 17 (CT) Long term survival of an entity depends on developing a culture of innovation. This needs to be an organizational priority. Fostering such a culture consultatively and inclusively needs a free flow of information, employee empowerment, collaborative problem-solving and aligning values, policies, and procedures to achieve business objectives. An outward looking worldview, merit-based employment opportunities, recognising employee skills and knowledge, more..

Aug 17 (DM) It has been five months since SL entered the board-level agreement with the IMF on its 17th programme. Month-to-month progress has been tracked in the public domain by the IMF Tracker, a platform maintained by Verit� Research. IMF Tracker identifies programme commitments that have been met and unmet on verifiable criteria. Those achievements for which no data has been made available to make more..

Aug 17 (CT) The recent revelation of a substantial loss of Rs 78 million incurred by the State due to a failed radar system project in Gonagala is a stark reminder of the need for meticulous planning, transparent execution, and responsible oversight of govt initiatives. Auditor General�s report, discussed during a session of the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), highlights not only the financial impact but also the underlying issues that led to this unfortunate outcome. more..

Aug 17 (DM) In recent times, the skies above SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, have become clouded with concerns expressed by pilots and their union. As the aviation industry continues to deal with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, pilots of SriLankan have raised alarm bells about a series of issues that are not only impacting job satisfaction, but also potentially compromises on the safety of flights. According to the Airline Pilots� Guild of SL (ALPGSL) more..

Aug 17 (ST) The mystery, the history and the human stories of centuries gone by keep luring him on solos to the eerie deep, where many dare not venture. Amidst many a danger, deep are the dives Dharshana Jayawardena undertakes in his quest for forgotten shipwrecks around SL. It is a very spiritual experience like being in space, is the simple explanation for this fascinating but dangerous hobby from Dharshana, a technical deep diver with more..

Aug 17 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLPP Govt�while giving priority to debt reduction and the stabilization of the economy�also need to take practical and effective steps for poverty alleviation. Most rich countries of the world and to some extent in SL also, about 10-20 percent of the people have control over or manipulate about 80 percent of country�s wealth and resources. Farmers especially, once the heart of our culture and that is why we refer to agri-culture, are today embroiled in mud more..

Aug 17 (GV) In the latest SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS), net favourability rating of NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake fell 15 points to -44 points in July while SJB leader Sajith Premadasa�s favourability rating increased 4 points to -44 points. Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe�s favourability rating remained the same (-52). Favourability estimates for each month are based on 100 to 400 interviews conducted during that month and during a few weeks before and afterwards to ensure a minimum set more..

Aug 17 (Island) There has been an unnervingly rapid deterioration of the public health sector during recent years. Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is bellowing hollow rhetoric and stretching the truth, and the govt is all at sea. As if the crushing shortages of medicines and equipment affecting the state medical institutions were not enough, government doctors are migrating in large numbers. Some of them are sending their resignation letters after leaving the country. more..

Aug 17 (Island) There is considerable haggling in some local quarters on whether the concept of Non-alignment is of any relevance to Sri Lanka in particular and to the developing world in general. Going by some pronouncements in these sections the ideology of Non-alignment has seemingly ceased to be of importance to Sri Lanka as a basis of foreign policy formulation and implementation. The time could not be more appropriate to probe whether this is really so. more..

Aug 17 (AD) State Minister of Irrigation Shashendra Rajapaksa has announced the recent completion and opening of the Diaraba Reservoir as part of the Uma Oya Multi-Purpose Development Project. This achievement brings an additional 120 megawatts of electricity to the national power grid and facilitates the cultivation of 15,000 acres of paddy fields in the Yala basin. Highlighting Ministry of Irrigation�s pivotal more..

Aug 17 (ST) A neighbourhood radio was blaring the song Pol�.pol..�pol�.pol� pol�..pol�pol�pol lankawe wathuwala wavena pol, a perennial favourite by baila king, the late M.S. Fernando. Inspired by this song, the trio under the margosa tree was deep in conversation about coconuts. This is how the conversation progressed: �Have coconut prices come down (Pol gedi wala mila adu welada),� asked Serapina. �Not really, it is also rising like the cost of living more..

Aug 17 (ST) As the elections of the Football Federation of SL (FFSL) is set to take place on or before Sept 16, a new face has emerged with Dacshitha Sumathipala showing his intention to run for the top position. The current President of Anuradhapura Football League, Sumathipala, a former Royal College and SL Youth goalkeeper, revealed that he is all set to take football to a new path at an event held in Colombo last week. Sumathipala is heavily backed by more..

Aug 17 (ST) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) revealed this week that some products for which it granted waivers of registration (WoRs) had, after import and use, failed quality tests. These are bupivacaine hydrochloride in dextrose injection USP 5mg/ml and �propofol injection 500 mg/50 ml�both of which the Sunday Times previously reported on. The others are prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension USP 1% w.v. liquid (registration valid till 2027); co-amoxiclav for injection BP 1.2g more..

Aug 17 (TM) If SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa wants to take the Premiership under Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe after a future Presidential Election, he (Premadasa) should support the Prez first to get elected as the President again with his team, said the UNP. UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara claimed that all the doors of the UNP are open for anyone who is willing to support the unstoppable victory of Wickremesinghe but not for political opportunists. more..

Aug 17 (TM) A total of 37,101 acres of paddy cultivation belonging to 32,967 farmers across the country have been destroyed due to the drought in several areas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. While several parts of the country have been affected by the drought, Ministry had recently instructed the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) to assess the damages caused by the drought to paddy cultivations. more..

Aug 17 (FT) Dialog Axiata PLC has reported better results in the first half (1H) of the year driven by cost rescaling initiatives and favourable forex regime. Dialog said the Group concluded the 1H 2023 with positive revenue performance being recorded across all business segments, namely, Mobile, Fixed Line, Digital Pay Television, International and Tele-infrastructure to record a consolidated Revenue of Rs. 97.7 billion, demonstrating a growth of 20% Year-to-Date (YTD). more..

Aug 17 (Island) About 2,000 doctors had left the country during the past two years, All Ceylon Medical Officers� Association (ACMOA) General Secretary Dr. Jayantha Bandara said. Now about 5,000 more doctors were planning to leave the country, Dr. Bandara said. �There are many reasons why professionals are leaving the country. Instead of addressing the concerns of doctors, the govt is threatening to blacklist them and arrest them at the airport,� he said. more..

Aug 17 (ST) A Health-Ministry-appointed expert committee that inquired into recent adverse medical reactions to certain drugs administered in Govt hospitals concluded that only two out of the 15 cases referred to it were deaths caused by severe allergies. 7-member group did not comment publicly on the remaining 13 cases. The nature of these incidents, including whether they were caused by substandard drugs, more..

Aug 17 (FT) Institute for Health Policy (IHP) July 2023 update of its Consumer Confidence Indices, which are generated from its SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) reveal significant improvement though remaining pessimistic. The Index of Consumer Sentiment (ICS), the broadest measure of the public�s view of their personal economic status and the national economy increased by 6 points to 30 points in July 2023. This is the highest recorded value seen since Oct 2021. more..

Aug 17 (DN) With a vision to expand operations and foster international partnerships, Bravo Korea Co. Ltd in the Republic of Korea is looking at establishing a state-of-the-art wire harness manufacturing company in SL. This venture would involve a substantial investment of approximately $200 million, made in collaboration with the esteemed Kyungshin Cables. Kyungshin Cables which holds a distinguished reputation for producing wire cables primarily for automobile sector. more..

Aug 17 (FT) Medical Help International (MHI) is registered as an INGO in the USA with registered charity status. This humanitarian aid organisation is headed by Founder Ayusha Amarakone along with Director of Operations Paddy Dassanayake, commenced services around the globe especially extending medical services to SL since covid-19. MHI USA continuously provides emergency medicines and other medical supplies and equipment as donations from USA, UK, more..

Aug 17 (FT) Sri Lanka has caught the attention of renowned film industry veteran, also known as the �location guru of Indian cinema� Natarajan Ramji who has embarked on a quest to tap into the country�s potential for movie settings. In an exclusive interview, the industry expert expressed a strong desire to explore the country�s diverse locations for potential film projects. �The possibilities are endless and that is the reason I am here in Sri Lanka,� he added. more..

Aug 17 (TM) Ministry of Education and the UNICEF have embarked on a national initiative to help 1.6 million primary-schoolchildren impacted by prolonged school closures and sporadic disruptions to their education over the past 3 years, catch up on their learning. To mark this initiative, an event was held in Colombo yesterday, where it was noted that according to a Ministry-led national assessment, 85% of Grade 3 children are not achieving more..

Aug 17 (DN) CAL Head of Research Trisha Peries predicted that the All Share Price Index (ASPI) would hit 13,000 levels by the end of the year. (ASPI closed on 11 August at 11,596.16.) She said, �I think we can easily see the market hitting even 13,000 levels by the end of the year. Even at those levels, we�d still only be trading at eight to nine times earnings.� This positive sentiment is expected due to strong performance in the banking sector and broader finance cost reductions. more..

Aug 17 (FT) Tourist arrivals are averaging an improved 5,170 per day this month as against 4,614 in July, driven by Indian travellers. Sri Lanka has welcomed 77,552 tourists during the first 15 days of the month, comprising 35,775 during the first week and 41,777 in the balance eight days, pushing the cumulative figure to date to 845,465 paving a good start for the winter season which continues till the end of April 2024. �High occupancy is reported across the island, more..

Aug 17 (DM) Two pillows and a mattress have been found in a committee room at the Parliamentary complex and investigations are to be conducted to determine as to why they were brought. These two pillows and the mattress were found when an officer of Parliament inspected the committee rooms. A group of officers have been accused of sexually harassing some young female employees of the Housekeeping Dept of Parliament & committee rooms were searched recently as a result. more..

Aug 17 (DM) Wheeze and diarrhea are on the rise among children these days due to the dry weather and dust, Consultant Paediatrician at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital Dr. Deepal Perera said. He said that children with wheezing could develop cough which is prevalent at daytime, night and early hours of the day and also breathing difficulties. Dr. Perera requested parents to bring their children to hospital without any fear if they develop such symptoms as treatment is available more..

Aug 17 (TM) SJB said that they are to discuss the issues related to the recently introduced Aswesuma welfare scheme and its existing shortcomings with the representatives from the World Bank (WB). SJB MP Niroshan Perera said that they will take steps to inform the representatives of the World Bank today about the injustices that have happened to the public due to the failure of the Aswesuma welfare scheme and the failure of the govt more..

Aug 17 (DN) A fire broke out on the second floor of the Finance Ministry located in the Old Parliament building yesterday. Chief Fire Officer P.D.K.A. Wilson said that the fire broke out due to an electrical failure in a passage of the second floor. He said the fire brigade responded quickly and dispatched three firefighting vehicles to the building to douse the fire from spreading. The situation was brought under control and no serious property damages were reported. more..

Aug 17 (DN) Kandy Esala Perahera festival starts today with the planting of Kapa at the auspicious time in the Sathara Maha Devalayas. After the planting of Kapa, five internal peraheras will be held in the Sathara Maha Devalas of Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini, and Kumbal Perahera street tour will begin after that. Pradeep Nilanga Dela the Diyawadana Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa said that the ritual of planting Kapa in the Sathara Maha Devalas will be done today more..

Aug 17 (CT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said he has no plans to align with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, as such a move would be a betrayal of ordinary citizens. Premadasa�s statement came in response to remarks made by SJB MP Rohini Kumari Wijeratne, suggesting a unity between Premadasa and Wickremesinghe. Addressing the executive council of opposition party, Premadasa firmly voiced more..

Aug 18 (DM) The youth of Sri Lanka are immensely talented and there are so many television programmes designed especially for them these days. Just consider the talent shows that are conducted for children these days. There are shows which test their general knowledge, dancing and singing skills. Recently a show to test their science skills was introduced on a local television channel. But what is the future for these talented kids in this island? more..

Aug 18 (DM) Adding to the people�s despair in a bankrupt country are regular reports of gun violence. Last Saturday, TV channels and news websites posted CCTV footage of a shooting incident in the Negombo wholesale fish market. A young man was gunned down by a suspected contract killer at point-blank range. On Tuesday, two more people were shot dead at Kudawella in Tangalle and Bodarakanda in Dikwella. 3 gun violence deaths in 4 days are shockingly too many and disturbing. more..

Aug 18 (TM) To gauge the magnitude of the destruction faced by the country�s agriculture sector in the recent past and to decide on what sort of approaches needs to be taken to revive the agriculture sector, proper surveys based on accurate data and grassroots level experiences need to be conducted. The lack of such surveys has affected the country�s agriculture sector, which has already been hit by a number of challenges more..

Aug 18 (CT) When the Speaker of the Parliament made this decision, the Republic had already deprived the Judiciary of the post-legislative judicial review power and it has now been brought to a situation where even pre-legislative review has been removed. What is the nature of the Judiciary that exists in Sri Lanka? These are questions of jurisprudence. These are not just a question of some political opinion. The present situation is logically and legally idiotic. more..