Sri Lanka News : InfoLanka News Room

Aug 29 (CT) Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya temporarily lifted the overseas travel ban clamped on three Directors of the Western Hospital, Borella, till 9 January next year. Their passports had earlier been impounded by Court, in connection with an alleged kidney racket. Court had previously impounded the passports of six Directors of the said Hospital, in connection with the case, while the passports of three of the Directors namely Mohammad Rezvi Sheriff, more..

පක්ෂ විපක්ෂ උන් ඔක්කොම නටන්නේ ඇමරිකානු...

SJB, NPP talks of presidency but Dullas says it is irrelevant

Aug 29 (DM) Whilst SJB stressed that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa should be the common Opposition candidate in the event that a joint opposition force is formed, and NPP naming Anura Kumara Dissanayake as its candidate, is irrelevant at the moment, said MP Dullas Alahapperuma while referring to a presidential or any other election. �Our effort to form a common opposition force is done with the theme stand for democracy. Therefore, we believe that all opposition parties more..

Dutch Govt�s initiative an example to others: Vidura

Aug 29 (CT) Minister Vidura Wickramanayake said the initiative taken by the Government of Netherlands, for restitution of artefacts taken from Sri Lanka and Indonesia, was an eye opener for other nations all over the world. Addressing the gathering yesterday at the signing of two agreements for the Transference Acknowledgement and Loan Agreement with the Govt of Netherlands, prior to the return of six Kandyan artefacts, Wickramanayake said that there had been more..

Future for Ceylon Tea has never been brighter than today: Dilmah�s Dilhan

Aug 29 (FT) The Daily FT-SC Securities joint multi-media initiative Market Pulse today features Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company�s Director Dilhan Fernando. He was subsequently made the Chairman and CEO of the Company following the demise of industry icon and father Merrill J Fernando. In this interview Dilhan deals with the challenges faced by the industry and the future of the SL tea industry. Following are excerpts. more..

Pirivena Edu. Act to be amended

Aug 29 (TM) Pirivena Education Act, No. 64 of 1979, as amended, is to be amended soon under the directives of the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General (AG)�s Dept in order to resolve longstanding salary and pension disparities that exist in the Pirivena education system, said the State Ministry of Dhamma Schools, Bhikkhu Education, Piriven and Buddhist Universities. State Minister of Dhamma Schools, Pirivenas and Bhikkhu Education Vijitha Berugoda said that issues related to more..

Asia Cup: SL search for their lost spark

Aug 29 (HT) Unjust it may be but SL have been mostly consigned to being a third wheel behind India and Pakistan in the context of cricket in the subcontinent. There was a slight deviation from the norm in the 2000s when they managed to build on their 1996 ODI World Cup triumph to morph into as formidable a force as their more high-profile neighbours. Winning the 2014 T20 World Cup aside, they finished runners-up in the 2007 and 2011 50-over World Cups as well as the 2009 and more..

Payments initiated in Phases for 1.5 Million Aswesuma Beneficiary Families

Aug 29 (PMD) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, said that among the 2 million Aswesuma beneficiary families, phased payments have commenced for 1.5 million families. In the first phase, a total of Rs. 4.395 billion have been successfully transferred to the bank accounts of 689,803 beneficiaries. Semasinghe stated that the second category�s monetary provision will be enacted starting next week. more..

Sri Lanka to send 154-strong contingent for Asian Games

Aug 29 (DM) National Olympic Committee (NOCSL) and the Sports Ministry guaranteed that a team will represent the country in Rugby Sevens at the Asian Games next month, as part of its 150-plus contingent to take part in the regional multi-sport event. Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) suspension, by World Rugby (WR) and Asia Rugby (AR), meant that the country�s rugby sevens team could potentially have missed the games. But later it was agreed that the team would participate through the NOCSL, more..

Shares edge down on lowered investor sentiments

Aug 29 (EN) Shares closed down on Tuesday, on high rates pushing investor sentiment down on index heavy and driving counters. Favorable performance indications combined with anticipations on lowered rates and better economic outlooks on investment was moving the market towards profit taking and selling interest, an analyst said. ASPI was down 0.12% or 13.48 points to 11,156.25, this is the lowest the market has been since July 26, while S&P SL20 was down 0.11% or 3.32 points to 3,149.52. more..

මේ පාර බිලි පූජාව මස් කඩේ - මම කාලි

The battle against violent crime

Aug 30 (DM) A total of 23 persons have been killed in shooting incidents reported in the country since the 30th of May this year. Of the 34 shooting incidents in the first six months of the year, 20 died of their injuries and 13 were seriously injured. Members of organised crime gangs linked to drug trafficking were involved in the shootings. Last year a total of 60 shooting incidents were reported. Of the 559 murders reported Police were able to resolve 493 incidents; apprehend suspects involved. more..

The cynical logic of brain drain

Aug 30 (DM) Brain drain has now become a political football, though none of the players in the blame game seems to offer solutions. Instead, the whole discourse has become a freakshow where the top ten percentile of pay earners flaunt a feudal-like entitlement -- and complain about having to pay a modest PAYE Tax as driving them out of the country. (Never mind, poverty has doubled over the last two years, and 85% of Grade 3 students have not achieved the minimum standard of literacy more..

US cyberspace and digital interests: SL holds vast strategic importance in information age

Aug 30 (TM) SL holds the right ingredients to build a vibrant, thriving technology economy that can generate revenue and help keep the island�s young talent here, the US� first Ambassador-at-large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel C. Fick said. During his 3-day visit to Colombo, Ambassador Fick held bilateral consultations with a range of counterparts in govt, private sector and think tanks on cyber security, information more..

Politically strategic or principled decisionmaking in the national interest?

Aug 30 (CT) It is disappointing that the hopes that were generated a year ago by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding the solution to the ethnic conflict appear to be receding at the present time. Shortly after he was elected president, the president gave indications that he would prioritise national reconciliation. He asserted that the 13th Amendment that established provincial councils was a part of the constitution that needed to be implemented. He also pledged to solve the ethnic conflict by more..

The step-motherly treatment and insignificance of State Ministers

Aug 30 (TM) A group of State Ministers are getting ready to seek Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s intervention because they want to perform their duties. Despite the fact that State Ministers have been vested with considerable powers, as per the reports, they are facing challenges when it comes to using their powers to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. This situation has arisen because the officials of the institutions that come under the purview of specific Ministries heed only more..

Parading elephants and keeping up with the times

Aug 30 (TM) SL holds elephants and tuskers in high veneration, especially when it comes to using the gentle giants in religious processions. Among several of the key processions that take place annually, Esala Perahera in Kandy seems to bring in the most number of elephants from around the country. However, despite this being the year 2023, the ongoing outcry by animal rights organisations as well as concerned citizens to more..

Let�s take a break from pseudo activism

Aug 30 (CT) Oozing love for animals, especially for the tamed elephants belonging to temples and individuals, taking centre stage on social media platforms, has been an unmistakable parallel event of the Kandy Esala Perahera for the past few years. This time, the debate on how elephants should not be used in religious processions became heated, with elephants running riot on the day of Kumbal Perahera. A woman was injured in this unfortunate incident when two elephants belonging to more..

Editorial: Guns in closets

Aug 30 (Island) SL is awash with illegal firearms, which have found their way into the underworld during the past several decades. Protracted armed conflicts led to an exponential increase in the number of lethal weapons in the wrong hands. There are many trigger-happy former military personnel working as sicarios for various crime syndicates. It is against this backdrop that State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon�s recent statement in Parliament about a huge stock of firearms more..

'අහිංසක මිනිස්සුන්ව සත්තු වගේ විකිණෙනවා'

Navigating Sri Lanka�s foreign relations in a turbulent world

Aug 30 (DM) How a stormy SL can navigate a turbulent world was the focus of a speech by former Foreign Secretary H.M.G.S. Palihakkara at the Foreign Policy Forum held by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for Int'l Relations and Strategic Studies recently. We publish excerpts of the speech for their current relevance. �If the world is deemed turbulent it is also very much a tempestuous SL that has to negotiate and deal with this world fraught with uncertainties, imponderables & even danger. more..

Tackling the water crisis

Aug 30 (ST) Somewhere in the Anuradhapura district, women carrying clay pots are trudging in search of water. This is the worst-affected district in terms of the current water shortage. The other areas affected by the dry spell are reportedly Ratnapura, Trincomalee, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Badulla and Moneragala. Often women bear the brunt of any drought, walking for several kilometres in search of water for the family�s daily needs. more..

July exports decline by 12% YoY to $ 1 b

Aug 30 (FT) Sri Lanka's export sector in July managed to sustain over $ 1 billion performance compared to June 2023, though on a YoY basis, it fell by 12% due to sluggish demand in major markets. Earnings from merchandise exports increased by 2.18% month-on-month to $ 1.02 billion in July 2023, but down by 11.79% YoY. The drop in merchandise exports is due to the lower demand shown in export products, more..

Presidential cinema awards night: A preface

Aug 30 (SO) A unique creation born out of a power of thought that can transcend reality; film is a work of art capable of displaying a cultural identity of a country to the world. This was confirmed by the fact that the world knew about our cinema before a decade passed since the first Sinhala film was made. It was with veteran cinematographer Dr. Lester James Peiris� film Rekawa being presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 1956. In the 76-years of Sinhala cinema, which has undergone more..

Concerns over LPL 4 franchise ownerships

Aug 30 (ST) Making closing remarks during the Parliamentary adjournment debate on SLC's expenditure during last year�s T20 World Cup, Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe highlighted the need to regulate franchise owners as well as sponsors of the Lanka Premier League (LPL). There have been concerns about sponsors backing the tournament as well as questions over the credibility of franchise owners. 3-week-long tournament saw all teams advertise logos of gambling or more..

වත්මන් දේශපාලන තත්ත්වය | සටන

The scapegoating of humanities and social sciences: A convenient cover-up?

Aug 30 (Island) Chairman of the UGC, Prof. Sampath Amaratunge, is widely being quoted on social media these days as having said at a COPE meeting that there are no employment opportunities for as many as 70% of the Arts graduates (graduates produced in the fields of the humanities and social sciences) in the country. He is also quoted as having said that the under-employment of the Arts graduates is the sole reason behind the criticism that is out there against the entire uni system more..

NPC publishes new rules for public complaints against police

Aug 30 (ST) National Police Commission (NPC) has gazetted new rules of procedure under which public complaints against police officers or the police service will be recorded and investigated. The last time such rules were promulgated was in Nov 2017. Complaints can now be lodged with the NPC�s Public Complaints Investigation Division (PCID) or with any of its provincial offices, along with such details as the police station against which the complaint is made and the identity of more..

Emergency power purchasing: Demand for higher prices delay agreement

Aug 30 (TM) The negotiations between CEB and Ace Power Embilipitiya have failed to reach a conclusion as of last week, despite the urgent need to acquire emergency power in order to provide an uninterrupted electricity supply to the drought-hit southern region, The Sunday Morning reliably learns. The chosen supplier, Ace Power Embilipitiya, is reportedly requesting a higher price for the electricity it provides. more..

Economic climate under cloud: Survey

Aug 30 (FT) Business magazine LMD reported, in its August edition, that: �businesspeople are grappling with uncertainty as the economic outlook remains unpredictable.� NielsenIQ Consumer Insights Director Therica Miyanadeniya, emphasised that there�s been no improvement for businesses or the public with inflation at the forefront of their woes yet again. She explained: �High taxes imposed on businesses continue to be a concern; and even though inflation has come down, more..

SL to import 92 m more eggs from India

Aug 30 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers approved the import of 92.1 million eggs from India again in the next three months in a bid to stabilise the prices and address the shortage in the local market. A resolution in this regard, furnished by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on Monday. �The eggs will be imported through the State Trading (Miscellaneous) Corporation, considering the recommendation made by more..

Church to boycott Govt until Easter PCoI recommendations implemented

Aug 30 (TM) Catholic Church stated that it is not ready to discuss the related investigations with any party representing the Govt until the recommendations made by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), which investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019, are implemented. Minister Tiran Alles on Monday raised concerns about the extent of the desire of the Catholic community, more..

Ill-timed National Sports Festival was a waste of time and money

Aug 30 (Island) Despite the pomp and pageantry associated with the top national competition and the state patronage it receives the National Sports Festival continues to mirror the lack of forward thinking by the organizers, the Sports Ministry. Athletics Championship which takes the pride of place of the Multi-Sports event is generally conducted as the final event and this time too there was no exception. But the scheduling of the event was so ill-timed that it produced lackluster more..

National Youth Games from Sept 3

Aug 30 (DN) 34th National Youth Sports Festival organised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, National Youth Service Council and SL Youth Club Federation will be held from Sept 3 to Oct 22 in Maharagama, National Youth Centre Sports Grounds and playgrounds of several districts. On Sept 3, The men�s marathon, which is 42 km long, will begin at the Youth Centre Maharagama, proceed to Meegoda on the high level road and turn back on the same road to finish in front of more..

කාදිනල් හිමියන්ගෙන් ලුණු ඇඹුල් ඇතිව පිළිතුරු

Sri Lanka seeks foreign investors for 200-electric bus service

Aug 30 (EN) Sri Lanka is seeking investors for an electric public transport system with 200 buses in the Western province around Colombo, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. The ministry of transport had earlier called for expressions of interest for 50 electric buses, but the investment cost of charging points made the project unviable, he said. Feedback indicated that 200 to 500 buses are needed to make such a project viable. The cabinet had now approved a 200-bus project, more..

Govt to streamline visa procedures to boost visitors

Aug 30 (FT) Govt opted to simplify visa procedures conducted by the Department of Immigration and Emigration to improve existing visa processes and align with processes that proved beneficial to boosting foreign interest. The move comes following the recent decision by authorities to ease security protocols at the BIA and to introduce new e-gate counters to enhance passenger convenience. Under the provisions of Immigration & Emigration Act No 20 of 1948 & its corresponding regulations more..

Nearly 147k Sri Lankans left for employment in H1 2023

Aug 30 (TM) Nearly 147,000 Sri Lankans have left the country in the first half (H1) of 2023 for foreign employment, with over 24,000 leaving the country each month, as the average monthly remittances reached US$ 470 million, from $315 million in 2022. 146,885 Sri Lankans have left the country for foreign employment between January and June, with a monthly average of 24,481, more..

Showery condition in southwestern areas likely to continue: Met. Dept

Aug 30 (AD) Prevailing showery condition is expected to continue in southwestern part of the island over the next few days, the Department of Meteorology said in its weather forecast today (30). Showers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central & Northwestern provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Meanwhile, fairly heavy showers of about 75mm can be expected at some places in Western & Sabaragamuwa provinces & in Galle & Matara districts. more..

FSL Elections: Sumathipala-backed candidates rejected

Aug 30 (DM) The nominations of five individuals, including Dacshitha Sumathipala (President, Anuradhapura Football League), who was vying for the President position in the Football Sri Lanka (FSL) 2023-2027 election, faced rejection by a three-member election committee. 3-member nomination committee is composed of Justice Dr. UL Abdul Majeed (Chairman), Justice Bandula Atapattu, and Upali Gunasekara. Notably, all the declined nominations were of Sumathipala faction. more..