Jan 29 (DM) Prez Sirisena said that delays at the PM's office and the Ministry of Finance had caused the holdup in appointing Chairmen and Boards of Directors to state Corporations and Boards. Prez stressed that there was no delay on the part of his office and said that the names of the appointees to Corporations and Boards would be approved once the relevant Ministers send the names to the President�s Office. He said, it has been reported that due to the non-appointment of Chairmen and more..

Jan 29 (EN) SL may relax import quotas for maize, after assessing crop damage by an infestation of Fall Armyworm in the ongoing Maha cultivation season. Department of Agriculture in December forecasted about 240,000 metric tonnes of maize would be produced, down 12.2% from a year earlier with about 2,300 hectares being damaged by an infestation of Fall Armyworm. But Minister P Harison said last week up to 40% more..

Jan 29 (NR) A Queensland postman has been forced to tearfully sign an agreement he will leave the country after stealing thousands of dollars� worth of mail. Pradeepan Logandan, who came to Australia from his war-torn home in Sri Lanka via boat in 2012, had worked at a post-sorting facility in Toowoomba as an employee of Australia Post for four years, police prosecutor Rowan Brewster-Webb told the court on Tuesday. Missing mail prompted Australia Post to contact police ahead of more..

Jan 29 (AD) The circular issued regarding schools collecting funds for development has been canceled, according to the Ministry of Education. Ministry stated that this decision has been taken as per the orders of the Minister of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, due to the possibility of corrupt practices. Accordingly, the Circular on Planning and Procurement for School-Based Quality, Quantitative and Structural Development (26/2018), issued on 22nd June 2018 with the signature of more..

Jan 29 (CT) Polls monitor, PAFFREL, in a letter to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, stated that they had seen the names of 59 MPs, who have been identified, as being responsible for the fracas that took place in Parliament last November, by the committee formed by the Speaker to probe the melee in the House. They stated that the 59 MPs from various political parties, who have been identified as being responsible for more..

Jan 30 (CT) Prior to becoming the General Secretary and afterwards until I left the party, it was mainly I, who dealt with the Police and the govt regarding the state�s repressive actions against the party. Of the Politburo members, comrades Rohana, Gamanayaka and S D conducted party activities in the open. As comrade Rohana was the main target of threats from the state and outside, he often did not spend much time at the party head-office. Nevertheless, I cannot offer any further more..

Jan 30 (CT) A Constitution has to be the natural outcome of an evolutionary process that became prominently significant as the most ideal features for a socio-political framework that would be the most people-friendly guideline for governance of a nation. After all, so far the most honest Constitution designed and introduced as the Soulbury Constitution, what our Nation experienced can be identified as great achievements of legal craftsmanship. more..

Jan 30 (Roar) It is 6:30 a.m. A woman sits on the side of the pavement, resting her back against the rusted brown cart that she uses to collect fallen leaves, plastic sheets and other refuse. As the city around her springs to life with the rising sun, Lakshmi* savours a few more moments of rest before standing up and returning to sweeping the streets. She begins work on this pavement, long before the break of day, burrowing her broom more..

Jan 30 (CT) This author had exposed research fraud allegedly committed by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) on a research study jointly funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada), Department for International Development (DfID, UK), and the Hewlett Foundation (USA) in early 2016 in the Colombo Telegraph. The titles and the corresponding web links of these exposes as follows: 1. Mario Gomez, ICES, and more..

Jan 30 (MS) SL's recent political turbulence has forced it to borrow more from China as it scrambles to raise enough foreign currency to meet its first-quarter debt payments. South Asian nation has more debt due this year than in any previous one, and close to half of it has to be paid in the first quarter, even as its economy has slowed and its borrowing costs have jumped thanks to political uncertainty. The strategically located country, whose relationship with China has come under more..

Jan 30 (CT) UPFA MP Shehan Semasinghe says that this Parliament does not have any legitimacy. �Therefore, what should be done is to soon have a General Election in order to establish a stable govt�. Q: PM Ranil Wickremesinghe made a serious allegation in Parliament saying that during the 51-day govt where Mahinda Rajapaksa was the PM the country was destroyed? A: That serious allegation is totally false. more..

Jan 30 (DN) Constitutional Assembly Secretariat has published a report on the submissions made by Chief Ministers of Provincial Councils (PCs) to its Steering Committee on the working of the Councils. Though heavily censored it gives an idea of the problems within the PC system, especially as regards centre-periphery relations. To the readers who are constantly bombarded by rhetoric of politicos the report provides an opportunity for a sober reflection and rational discourse. more..

Jan 30 (DN) Every year, World Leprosy Day is observed internationally last Sunday in January. The day aims to raise awareness of a disease that many people believe to be extinct. Though Sri Lanka eliminated leprosy as a public health problem (defined as less than one registered case per 10,000 population) in 1995, the number of new cases being detected since then undermine Sri Lanka�s progress against the disease. World Leprosy Day is a time to remember people in SL & around the world more..

Jan 30 (Island) SL�s pathetic failure to exploit Lord Naseby�s disclosure in the House of Commons must be examined against the backdrop of an assurance given by the got of SL to the US in late June 2016. Lord made his revelation in mid�Oct. 2017 whereas the US received an assurance from SL as regards its readiness to accept a hybrid war crimes investigation mechanism in June 2016. TNA Jaffna District lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran revealed the existence of a tripartite agreement on more..

Jan 30 (Island) Talking in riddles seems to be National Election Commission (NEC) Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya�s shtick. He has got giving evasive answers to direct questions and ducking curveballs down to a fine art. He amply demonstrated these skills, on Monday, at a media briefing and in a subsequent television interview. On listening to the NEC chief, one gets the impression that there will be no PC polls this year because Parliament is not likely to make necessary more..

Jan 30 (FT) Govt incentives given for Port City investors will be announced in the coming weeks, while regulations for the Colombo Int'l Financial City (CIFC) are also to be presented to Cabinet after presentation to the PM, Minister Harsha de Silva said. De Silva, who chaired the Cabinet-appointed CIFC Steering Committee on Soft Infrastructure for the Port City project, said that the incentives given for investors SL�s first manmade city more..

Jan 30 (Island) 1990. When Jeannne Moreau as Katherine jumps into the Seine after a quarrel with her lover Jules and would-be lover Jim, in a defining moment of Jules et Jim, one of those celebrated films that introduced the French Film wave, the narrator�s voice intervenes: Her jump strikes Jim like lightning. It was lightning that struck me as I watched Jules et Jim at the Elphinstone that evening. It was perhaps one of the first films I was to watch alongside Pathi, sharing with him more..

Jan 30 (CT) The introduction of the Fall Army Worm (FAW), known locally as Sena, to Sri Lanka about four months ago is a disaster to all affected farmers, who need immediate effective relief, and it is our hope that Govt�s promises will be kept. Commencing in the Ampara and Anuradhapura areas it has spread to other parts and it is estimated that 50% of the 80,000 hectares of maize in Sri Lanka is affected. It is claimed that FAW was discovered in the last century in the USA, more..

Jan 30 (FT) Undeterred by declining migrant worker numbers, Minister Harin Fernando said that the country was now in the process of training workers to fulfil 10,000 vacancies in Japan and a number of European countries. �The opportunities are mostly in caregiving and the construction sector,� he said. Fernando, defending the decision to impose a minimum wage for foreign employment, said that the focus had now shifted from more..

Jan 30 (Island) With question marks over their adaptability to play Test cricket in overseas conditions, the national cricket team reached Australia�s capital Canberra yesterday ahead of the second Test match that gets underway at the Manuka Oval on Friday. Sri Lankans are scheduled to train this afternoon and the conditions here will be to their liking compared to the Gabba in Brisbane where they were undone by pace and bounce. Unlike the first game, the second Test will be more..

Jan 30 (DN) Swiss watchmaker Omega is a long-standing partner of golfing events such as the PGA Championship, Omega Dubai Desert Classic and the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana. On 26 Jan the Omega Trophy was brought to SL through a partnership between the Royal Colombo Golf Club and Omega�s representative in SL, Chatham Luxury Watches. At Saturday�s tournament, professional golfing took center stage at the Royal Colombo Golf Club, more..

Jan 30 (SLA) Ms. Hanaa Singer, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in SL, the designated representative of the UN Secretary General called on Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army today (28) at the Army Headquarters to extend her deepest sympathies and condolences on the tragic deaths of two SL Peacekeepers in the Mali contingent (MINUSMA) a few days ago. more..

Jan 30 (DN) Pathetic is how if one was to summarise in one word, the performance of our cricket team in the first Test against Australia at Brisbane. Losing is part and parcel of the game but to lose in the manner the way our cricketers did with a spineless display of batting in both innings calls for a complete overhaul of the team and its management. The downward trend of the side has to be seriously viewed and steps taken to halt its decline, the rapidity at which it is sinking is more..

Jan 30 (Island) The silent protest against Unethical Media Practice held on the 11th Jan 2019 by several civil society activists and artists opened up space for a larger discussion on the role of the media. This earned wider attention by the general public especially after the refusal of certain media channels to accept a letter handed over by a protester demanding truthful reporting, independence from political agendas and financial benefits, upholding of do no harm principles, more..

Jan 30 (Island) SriLankan lost USD 14.04 million between 2013 and 2015 as it was compelled to fly to and handle flights at the Mattala Mahinda Rajapaksa International Airport, the PCoI was informed, yesterday. Head of Revenue Management & Planning at SriLankan, Sumudu Upatissa added that the airline had incurred a loss of USD 10.1 million during that period as it had to fly through Mattala. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Prez Sirisena submitted a Cabinet memorandum seeking approval to conduct elections to the nine provincial councils on a single day before May 31 this year. However, the Cabinet deferred the memorandum till next week and it would be taken up for consideration by Minister Vajira Abeywardane. In the memorandum, Prez proposed that elections be held under proportional representation system and allocate 25 per cent of slots in the nomination lists to women candidates. more..

Jan 30 (FT) Commercial High Court issued an Enjoining Order restraining telecasting, exhibiting, displaying or showing the film Sujatha, which was the first Sinhala film produced in Sri Lanka. High Court Judge Ashan Marikar issued this order pursuant to an Intellectual Property litigation initiated by G.R. Pathmaraj, son of K. Gunaratnam. Court issued notices returnable for 7 Feb. Plaintiff cited Tissa Nagodawithana and Movie Producers and Importers Ltd. as Defendants. more..

Jan 30 (Island) Unskilled migrant workers remain particularly vulnerable to employment-related abuse and exploitation, so I'm not too worried about the labour migration numbers which have declined somewhat in the past, and let me remind you that the current regulatory framework governing national labour migration is either solely or partly responsible for the downward trend, Minister Harin Fernando said on Monday more..

Jan 30 (EN) Sri Lanka has appointed a committee to review a hike in port charges proposed in late 2018, and no change will be made until March 15, a shipping ministry statement said. Ports Minister Sagala Ratnayaka has been given approval by the cabinet of ministers to delay any hikes in charges after concerns were raised by the shippers. Cabinet will review port charges after a committee made up of industry stakeholders and port officials presents a report, the statement said. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Based on a memorandum submitted by Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga, the Cabinet today decided to import 20 sniffer dogs at a cost of Rs.46 million to be used to combat the smuggling of narcotics into the country. The sniffer dogs, especially trained in detecting narcotics, will be deployed at the airport. A Cabinet source said the dogs would be handled by Air Force personnel and the first time that such dogs would be imported to this country. more..

Jan 30 (DN) Parliament is to take up full-day adjournment debates next week on the PRECIFAC and COPE reports. TNA is to move an adjournment motion on Feb 5 on the PRECIFAC report, while the JVP is to move an adjournment motion on Feb 8 on the COPE report which was tabled in Parliament last Thursday. Party Leaders, who met last Friday, decided to facilitate full-day debates on the above adjournment motions. more..

Jan 30 (FT) Addressing a long-felt vacuum, Sri Lanka will launch the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) at a ceremony today at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo. Iqbal Athas, Consultant Editor � Defence Correspondent and Political Editor, The Sunday Times of Sri Lanka will deliver the keynote speech, followed by a panel discussion on Re-imagining Investigative Reporting in Sri Lanka. The panellists are Hana Ibrahim, Editor, Daily/Weekend Express; more..

Jan 30 (CT) Opening pair Upul Tharanga and Avishka Fernando both smashed centuries as Sri Lanka �A� marched to a 101 run win over Ireland �A� to seal the series 5-0 at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday. Fernando, who registered his third century in the series, made 112 runs in 94 balls hitting 13 boundaries 2 sixes, while putting up a partnership of 206 runs for the first wicket with Upul Tharanga. Tharanga went on to be the top scorer for the team scoring 120 runs in 108 balls more..

Jan 30 (Island) Having badly let down the electorate, National Election Commission (NEC) was now engaged in a face-saving effort regarding its failure to ensure scheduled Provincial Council polls, SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris alleged. He said that NEC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya�s declaration that he would quit his position and continue as a member of the Commission in case much delayed Provincial Council polls weren�t held before more..

Jan 30 (DM) A Cabinet proposal had been submitted seeking approval to direct all travel agents to sell airline tickets in US Dollars instead of Sri Lankan rupees, the Opposition said. Opposition MP Sisira Jayakody said this move would only benefit foreign travel agents who plan tours to Sri Lanka. �This will be the death of local travel agents if they have to sell airline tickets in dollars. They will no longer be able to set a price on a ticket and organise a tour properly beforehand. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Finance Ministry has amended the Finance Act to introduce seven new taxes including the controversial Carbon Tax from Jan 1, 2019, UPFA MP Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said. He said according to the gazette notice the seven new taxes are the Luxury Tax on motor vehicles, Vehicle Entitlement Levy, Carbon Tax, Annual Company Registration Levy, Debt Repayment Levy, Cellular Tower levy and Mobile SMS Levy. �The new taxes have been brought in a hush-hush manner. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Referring to recent media reports on the delay to appoint heads of semi-govt institutions, Prez Sirisena told yesterday's Cabinet meeting that there was no delay on his part and that those nominated by the PM�s office were screened and approved, a minister said. �I am not responsible for any delays in appointing heads to semi govt institutions. The media reports are incorrect,� Prez is reported to have said. more..

Jan 30 (DM) Body of one individual who had jumped into the Mahaweli river to escape from the Navy personnel who had come to raid an illegal sand mining place at Kandakadu in Kinniya this morning, Police said. They said seven racketeers were arrested during the raid while two others had escaped by jumping into the river. A tense situation prevailed when the naval officers confronted illegal sand miners at Kandakadu. The Navy had to fire into the air to quell the situation. more..

Jan 30 (CT) Drug lord Mohammed Siddique, who was charged with violating the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, by illegally acquiring over Rs 510 million through heroin trading, was released on bail by Colombo High Court Judge Manjula Thilakaratna on 28 January. Judge ordered the release of the defendant on bail in one million rupees cash and two sureties in five million. The defendant was also ordered to report to the CID on the first and third Sundays of each month. more..