Jan 7 (DM) The illicit cigarette trade in Sri Lanka has incurred a staggering loss of Rs. 18 billion to the govt as tax revenue every year, the latest results of an academic research was revealed today. A baseline study on the illicit cigarette market in Sri Lanka, a comprehensive research and the first of its kind in the country carried out by three senior academics of the Open University of SL and University of Kelaniya was unveiled by more..

Jan 7 (DM) A SL man has been trampled to death by an elephant after he tried to hypnotise it. Video footage shows the unnamed man walking up a wild male elephant grazing in a forest clearing. He then gestures to get the huge animal's attention, after which it begins charging at him. In what is said to have been an attempt to hypnotise the elephant and stop it in its tracks, the man does not run away. The elephant knocks the man to the ground and tramples him to death on the spot. more..

Jan 7 (DM) The Industry and Commerce Ministry said today that it had not taken a final decision on the increase of prices of gas and milk powder. Secretary to the Ministry Ranjit Ashoka said the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) was currently analysing the prices of gas and milk powder in the world market. �Gas suppliers always request to increase prices owing to the depreciation of the Rupee value against the US Dollar, but we cannot meet their demands on every occasion,� more..

Jan 7 (AFP) Ten years after top newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge was killed by a suspected govt death squad the failure to secure a prosecution has come to highlight SL's struggle with a dark past. Just days before he was due to give evidence against the brother of the country's then strongman leader Mahinda Rajapakse, two assailants on motorcycles blocked the car of the 50-year-old editor of more..

Jan 8 (CT) The failure of public opinion to function in a manner that considers all sections of society equitably can be seen in the matter of journalists who have been victims of human rights violations. There was a time when SL was known to be one of the most dangerous places for journalists to work. Today the situation has changed significantly so that Sri Lanka is described as the best destination for international tourists to visit. That change occurred four years ago with the change of govt. more..

Jan 8 (ST) Recovering from the economic disruption of six weeks of political chaos, restoring international confidence and reviving the economy in 2019 are challenging tasks. A stable and credible administration is vital to resolve the economic crisis facing the country this year. However, the current political developments do not demonstrate a serious concern about the daunting economic issues facing the country. Global developments and political conditions in the country more..

Jan 8 (Roar) These are the words for ship, rain, to be born, and pencil in the language of the Veddas, the indigenous people of Sri Lanka. With a modern vocabulary heavily influenced by Sinhala, their tongue was previously thought to be just a dialect. But upon closer examination, we find a strange mix of elements that defy simple classification, such as these poetic paraphrases, which use Sinhalese words but combined more..

Jan 8 (CT) From a broad sweep of post-colonial history one can discern a number of parallels between Sri Lanka and Malaysia. For example, in demographic size, growth and its pluralist makeup, in the type of govt and struggle for independence, and in promotion of ethno-nationalism and religion to gain political mileage, there a number of similarities than differences between the two nations. Pundits may disagree in details, but the broad picture cannot be disputed. more..

Jan 8 (ST) With all the recent chaos in our politics and the unprecedented bedlam and caterwauling in parliament, we seem to forget that Sri Lanka is still a lucky nation. No sarcasm intended. We are truly fortunate. We celebrate two new years. How many countries on this planet have the opportunity of doing so? I do not know. Maybe somebody does. We might be told that Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her birthday twice a year- one an official birthday in June with the centuries-old tradition more..

Jan 8 (CT) Lasantha Wickrematunge, founder and editor-in chief of the The Sunday Leader was assassinated in broad daylight by two men on motorcycles in the midst of heavy traffic on 8 Jan 2009, while he was driving to office. But, as the 10th death anniversary of the slain editor-in-chief draws near, there�s been little progress in the ongoing case against his assassins and the killers still roam free. While family, friends and former colleagues more..

Jan 8 (DN) Independent Sri Lanka has had three Constitutions since 1948. All three have been ignored, flouted, practically abrogated opportunistically and gone against in letter and in spirit by the very people who had sworn to uphold, protect and be guided by them. Narrow old roads are replaced today by broader, well made roads and yet because rules continue to be broken by incapable, undisciplined motorists who have been given licenses to drive by corrupt examiners more..

Jan 8 (Island) New Year. Old problems. Those who have taken a medium or long haul flight in recent years know the feeling. You are promised hundreds of channels of the best entertainment, more than enough to last the length of the flight. In reality, the films and shows are those you have seen before, the music isn�t to your taste and the quality of either isn�t very good. It is the illusion of choice, forcing you to watch reruns because there�s no other option, or switch off and sleep. more..

Jan 8 (Island) Some cartoonists convey ideas with dialogue, some with metaphors and others with symbolism. His trick of the trade is motion. His cartoons are moving in that they are characterised by animated gestures and vibrant facial expressions, that he painstakingly perfects. Deshaya cartoonist, Hasantha Wijenayake's skills as a cartoonist manifested early on in life. Even a simple art assignment as a harvesting scene was an opportunity to use his cartooning talents. more..

Jan 8 (Island) Court of Appeal has dismissed a petition which sought to have Prez Sirisena undergo a mental health test. He, in our book, looks perfectly normal as a politician; he does what he promises not to do, and does not do what he promises to do, like all other people�s representatives. One does not see anything eccentric about him. Did the petitioner try to embarrass Prez Sirisena by calling the latter�s sanity into question, or was there an attempt to prepare the ground for an impeachment motion? more..

Jan 8 (ST) Hettigoda Industries, manufacturers of the world renowned Siddhalepa products, will be focusing on expanding its operations in India by establishing a factory. Currently the company has a distributor network operation for sale of its range of products in India and will be increasing its presence by establishing a factory as well, Hettigoda Industries Managing Director Asoka Hettigoda said. more..

Jan 8 (FT) A consortium of investors is to infuse Rs. 700 million in to MBSL Insurance Ltd., as part of an overall initiative to recommence the business. The Merchant Bank of Sri Lanka and Finance Plc (MBSL) insurance subsidiary is currently suspended due to failure to comply with minimum capital requirements stipulated by the insurance regulator IRCSL. Daily FT learns the investor is United Capital Holdings Ltd., which includes a consortium comprising institutions and individuals. more..

Jan 8 (Grizzle) Australian cannabis producer Creso Pharma (ASX: CPH) has expanded into the Sri Lankan market by signing a binding letter of intent with distributor Ceyoka Health. The first step will be obtaining the necessary regulatory approval for its flagship product, cannAFFORD 50, to be sold as a therapeutic medicine. Then it will work on rolling out hemp-based products across the country via the network of pharmacies that Ceyoka Health serves. SL has a population of 22 million more..

Jan 8 (ST) A tennis MoU with the 2018 Davis Cup winners Croatia, futuristic MoUs with the Chinese Olympic Movement where Lankan athletes would stand to gain foreign exposure in training methods and an Ice ring to be built in Sri Lanka to train some local competitors for the 2022 winter Olympics are some of the innovations that the Lankan Olympic Committee have up its sleeve for 2019. The local Olympic chief Suresh Subramaniam says more..

Jan 8 (Island) The Commercial Bank of Ceylon recently conducted a Financial Literacy Programme for a group of micro entrepreneurs consisting of green leaf suppliers in the Matugama area, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The 164 green leaf suppliers that participated in the programme supply their produce to the Aruna Tea Factory. This was the tenth such event conducted by the Bank for micro and agriculture related entrepreneurs in 2018. more..

Jan 8 (ICC) New Zealand captain Kane Williamson heaped praise on SL's Thisara Perera after his stunning 74-ball 140 almost single-handedly dragged the tourists towards an unlikely victory. In response to the Black Caps' 319/7, which included excellent knocks from Colin Munro (87), Ross Taylor (90) and James Neesham (64), the tourists were bowled out for 298, and were it not for Perera's magnificent display of power-hitting, then the scorecard could have once again been more..

Jan 8 (DM) There will be no discrimination when students want to sit for examinations to pursue education under the free education system provided by the Ministry of Education and the candidates have to fulfill basic criteria to face the any competitive public examination, Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said. While condemning the statement made by MP Bandula Gunawardena over a student of an Int'l school who came first more..

Jan 8 (AD) A person has been killed in a shooting incident at the Angoda Junction this evening (07), stated the Police Media Spokesperson. Reportedly, two unidentified gunmen who had arrived on a motorcycle had fired the shots at around 7.35 pm today. A 22 year old youth from Kelanimulla, Angoda had succumbed to his injuries upon admittance to the Colombo National Hospital, stated the police. Mulleriyawa police is conducting further investigation on the matter. more..

Jan 8 (CT) Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam confirmed yesterday the Cabinet Paper to recruit 3,850 sports trainers for Govt Schools has been approved. The interview process for recruitment was already completed in 2017, and selected trainers were kept in limbo for more than one and a half years, as Provincial Councils refused to accept the appointments by Education Ministry. Funding will be allocated from the interim budget due in March. more..

Jan 8 (Island) Certain SriLankan employees, attached to the baggage ramp section, have high value assets which they could not have acquired with their salaries, according to information collected by the BIA Police, OIC of the BIA Police, CI Jayanath Wanasinghe told the PCoI yesterday. "There have been a number of complaints about lost baggage at the airport and we conducted an investigation on the matter. more..

Jan 8 (Island) We, at Cargills (Ceylon), acknowledge the fact that we need to put the country first or else we may have to pay a terrible price for not putting the whole socio-economic picture into perspective, Ranjith Page, CEO of Cargills said. "Despite changing economic and business challenges, we must always listen to our pragmatist corporate ideal that Cargills is a people's business which not only takes care of shareholder interests but never loses its focus on its responsibility for public good. more..

Jan 8 (DN) Reiterating the commitment towards the nation, Bank of Ceylon, now contributes 1MWT Solar Photovoltaic energy to the national grid. This is probably the first time a state institution has gone beyond its core business to generate value of this scale for the country as an act of social responsibility. It was generated with the view of reducing the energy consumption of the Bank along with its branch network and to support the National energy crisis as a gesture of commitment more..

Jan 8 (ST) In a damage control move of correcting an injustice caused to several ministry secretaries by the sudden action to sack the Yahapalana Govt creating public administration paralysis, Prez Sirisena has ordered to rectify and regularise the anomaly of such senior officials affected by the political turmoil. In the aftermath of dissolution of the Cabinet after UPFA Ministers vacated their ministerial portfolios, more..

Jan 8 (Island) Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has completed a project to establish a residential village for 800 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sri Lanka. At a total cost of $486,619 (nearly QR 1.8), donated by a Qatari benevolent person who requested anonymity, the new village is located in Riditenna, Valaichchenai Province. It comprises 56 2-BHK housing units, each with a 250-liter water tank. Also, there is a mosque, a public school, a health unit, and two shops. more..

Jan 8 (Dawn) Sri Lanka has sought removal of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and other issues to improve trade with Pakistan. Addressing the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, High Commissioner of SL to Pakistan Noordeen Shaheid said that though the two countries signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), certain issues including NTBs need to be resolved to improve trade between the two countries. The envoy said Pakistan and Sri Lanka had signed the FTA in June 2005 more..

Jan 8 (CT) Colombo Municipal Councillor Kulathissa Geeganage, who was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) regarding the incident at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) premises during the recent unrest, was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Lanka Jayaratna, and ordered to be remanded till 11 January. The Chief Magistrate also ordered the CCD to apprehend the other suspects involved in more..

Jan 8 (Island) Sri Lanka Under-19s registered a 64 run victory over their Australian counterparts as spinners led by Richmond�s Dilum Sudeera restricted the visitors to 192 runs to record their first win in the third Youth ODI played at P. Sara Oval on Monday. The home team posted 256 runs thanks largely to half-centuries scored by skipper Nipun Dananjaya and Sonal Dinusha who combined for a decisive fourth wicket stand worth 106 runs after a top order collapse (45/3). more..

Jan 8 (DN) A total of 50,163 dengue cases and 56 dengue deaths were reported countrywide upto Dec 31 last year, Epidemiology Unit sources said. The highest number of dengue cases, 10,051 had been reported from the Colombo district while the second highest number, 5604 was from the Gampaha district. The third highest number of dengue cases, 4,817 had been reported from the Baticaloa district. CMC reported a total of 2,430 dengue cases during the same period. more..

Jan 8 (FT) Govt is looking for ways to expel Opposition leader Mahinda Rajapaksa and 47 MPs who support him from Parliament to pave the way for a new Constitution, charged SLPP Chairman GL Peiris. �Govt hopes to appoint their own loyalists to these parliament seats and get their support to pass the new constitution. We will try our best to prevent the Govt from passing the draft Constitution, which is harmful to the county,� more..

Jan 8 (EM) Of the many infrastructure projects included in the broad sweep of China�s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), surely none is as controversial as SL�s Hambantota Port. For critics of the BRI, here, surely, was incontrovertible proof of a premeditated programme of trapping smaller, fragile states in debt to make them financially dependent on China. On the surface, these voices had a point. When Sri Lanka started rebuilding the country in 2009, after 26 years of bloody civil war, more..

Jan 8 (CT) Executive Presidency is not only a barrier to good governance, but also to democracy and Media freedom, and therefore bringing an amendment to abolish the Executive powers is not a crime or a plot to divide the country, National Bhikkhu Front (NBF) claimed. Secretary of NBF, Ven. Wakamulle Uditha Thera said all Presidential candidates have given bogus promises to people, that they will curtail the powers of the President, yet once they win, they only feel the comfort of more..

Jan 8 (CT) Transparency International SL (TISL) is disappointed with the decision made by the Presidential Secretariat to appeal against the order issued by the Right to Information Commission (RTIC), directing the disclosure of PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s assets and liabilities declaration for 2015/2016. TISL�s Executive Director Asoka Obeyesekere said, �Given the President�s New Year pledge to fight more..

Jan 8 (AD) A gazette has been published naming parliamentarian Shantha Bandara as a MP of the SLFP. He is the SLFP Youth Wing President. This was to fill in the vacancy left behind by the resignation of former MP M. L. A. M. Hizbullah. M. L. A. M Hizbullah was recently appointed as the new governor of the Eastern Provinc and accordingly, he handed over his resignation his post as a MP. The announcement was made in an extraordinary gazette notification this evening (7). more..

Jan 8 (CT) State Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, Ashok Abeysinghe said that the Govt had decided to import about 2,000 buses to be used countrywide, adding that the buses would be handed over to the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) this year. �The buses will be imported under the proper tender procedure,� he said. One thousand buses will be hybrid and air conditioned. �There will be delays in the importation process, but we will import at least 1,000 buses.� he elaborated. more..

Jan 8 (FT) Cabinet approved the Appropriation Bill for 2019 that was presented by Minister Mangala Samaraweera that allocates Rs.2.2 trillion for debt payments, which is the highest the SL govt has ever had to pay. Accordingly, this year�s annual State Expenditure will be Rs.4.5 trillion and State revenue Rs.2.4 trillion. State revenue which was 11.5% of GDP in 2014 has gradually increased after the Coalition Govt came into power more..