Dec 9 (DN) 23 young riders who rode high powered racing motorcycles with engines beyond the legal capacity with altered chassis numbers were arrested by the Mirihana Police on Sunday. The suspects had been recklessly riding on roads surrounding Parliament and Madiwela causing inconvenience to the public. Motorcycles had been causing disturbance in the area. The group was conducting races after 10 pm by inviting youth residing in various parts of the country using Facebook. more..

Dec 9 (FT) Over 700 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total number of patients identified from the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda and Prisons COVID-19 clusters to 25,822. 798 patients were detected yesterday. This includes 567 persons from the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster and 230 persons from the Prisons COVID-19 cluster. Total number of COVID-19 patients identified now stands at 29,378. more..

Dec 9 (FT) The Cabinet green-lighted several power sector projects this week, including kicking off a 100MW solar power plant in Siyambalanduwa, purchasing two transformers from an Indonesian company and adding 60MW of wind power to the national grid. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters during an online Cabinet briefing that three Cabinet papers submitted by Power Minister Dallas Allahaperuma and Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila had been approved. more..

Dec 9 (EN) China delayed a loan for an expressway to Kandy for 4.5 years though the building contract was awarded to a Chinese contractor was re-confirmed during his time, former Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said. Central expressway which runs from Colombo to Kandy and is then expected to run to Jaffna is being built in three segments. �We started the expressway from Kadawatha. The project had three stages. Kadawatha to Meerigama, Meerigama�K'gala & Pothuhera�Galagedara� more..

Dec 9 (Island) Many an eyebrow has been raised over the inordinate delay in carrying out the recommendations made by the PCoI that probed the Treasury bond scams perpetrated in 2015 and 2016. Of the six forensic audits called by the PCoI, the sixth one hasn�t been commissioned yet. PCoI handed over its report to the then Prez Sirisena in Dec 2017. The Island recently sought an explanation from the CBSL as regards the forensic audit more..

Dec 9 (FT) Tamil Nadu, Indian State closest to SL, is gripped by a great deal of political excitement these days. TN Legislative Assembly elections are due in May 2021. All political parties active in the State � from the ruling All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK/ADMK) to the chief opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (DMK) � are gearing up in election mode to face polls next year. Polls will be held on the first past the post winner system to 234 Constituencies. more..

Dec 9 (FT) I am very concerned about the national narrative on COVID. Again, Asia and Lanka are �winning� by any global metric you may wish to name. The real metric is mortality, and of the 7k+ that are ascribed COVID one day mortality numbers globally on 6 December, about half come from Europe, just under 2k from North America, and from all of Asia, about 1.3k, mostly from India, Iran, Indonesia and Turkey (but even from those four, still less than 1k cumulatively). more..

Dec 9 (SLN) The Sri Lanka Navy which boasts unmatched achievements and held in high esteem as the country�s First Line of Defence, is proudly celebrating its 70th anniversary today (9). As part of the anniversary celebrations, a wide range of events are being held in every naval command , giving prominence to time-honoured naval traditions and religious events, under the directives and guidance of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne. more..

Dec 9 (EN) The total amount of tax arrears due to the Excise Department for more than 05 years is Rs. 479.9 million, by 31 Dec 2019 and its delay charges alone was Rs. 1896.3 million. COPA Chair Prof Tissa Vitharana ordered immediate action to recover the dues and officials said legal measures are being taken to recover the funds. The Committee found that the Excise Dept had conducted 224,737 raids on illegal activities during the last 5 years, out of which 53,848 raids were carried out in 2017, more..

Dec 9 (FT) It was a day in July 2020. The Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya, presented former cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya with a bat made of Swiss chocolate. With it, he shattered an ostentatious chocolate dessert fashioned in the form of a cricket ball. Such outbursts of bling, silly and vulgarian in general, become abhorrent in times of national distress. In July 2020, SL had just emerged from a nearly 3-month lockdown, more..

Dec 9 (AD) Committee on Parliamentary Business has decided to hold the first sitting of Parliament for the year 2021 on Jan 5, Secretary-General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake said. However, the Committee has decided to meet again later to discuss the matters to be debated in the first sitting of Parliament next year. Committee on Parliamentary Business convened today (8) chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena. It was also decided at the meeting to increase more..

Dec 9 (GDI) Minister Johnston Fernando expressing his dissatisfaction in concern of the deceleration of the expressway from Kadawatha to Mirigama and the fiasco of meeting its targets, directed the Ministry of Highways to submit a report with immediate effect on this regard. The following directive was given by the Minister when MP Upul Rajapaksha together with other members of govt stated that the commissioning of the expressway was not carried out to a point of satisfaction. more..

Dec 9 (DN) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa criticized the govt alleging that it is holding off public transportation development projects initiated by the previous govt. Raising a question under Standing Order 27 (2), the Opposition Leader requested the govt to explain how it is planning to fund the said projects if it is to terminate the initial agreements signed by the previous govt. The Opposition Leader observed, more..

Dec 9 (AD) A total of 655 Sri Lankans who were stranded in foreign countries due to the outbreak of Covid-19 have returned to the island early this morning (09). Accordingly, 293 expatriates in Saudi Arabia, 111 in Qatar, 191 in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and 60 from the Maldives are among the returnees. They have been referred to PCR tests upon their arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake and subsequently directed to the quarantine procedure. more..

Dec 9 (AD) Another 359 individuals have tested positive for novel coronavirus in the country. Reportedly, 316 of the new cases are identified from the Peliyagoda cluster. The remaining 43 patients have been detected within the prison cluster. As per Epidemiology Unit data, the total number of Covid-19 infections confirmed in the country to date now stands at 29,737. Recoveries from the virus meanwhile climbed to 21,800 earlier today, as 542 more patients regained health. more..

Dec 9 (DM) A potion promoted by ayurvedic practitioner Dhammika Bandara from Hettimulla, Kegalle has not been approved by the Health Ministry. Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said the Drug Authority and the Food Authority of the Health Ministry has not recognised the product. Commissioner of Ayurveda Chathura Kumarathunge said that Bandara is not registered as an Ayurvedic practitioner. more..

Dec 9 (Island) The SJB demanded in Parliament on Saturday that the govt shift its focus from those who had been under the command of Zahran Hashim the ringleader of those who carried out the Easter Sunday terror attacks to those who masterminded the attack. SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara accused the govt of not doing enough to grant relief to those who had lost their loved ones. Participating in the third reading stage debate on budget 2021, MP said: Some 350 persons were killed and more..

Dec 9 (AD) Chairman of Presidential Task Force for Economic Revival and Poverty Alleviation, Basil Rajapaksa has directed the officials to take immediate measures to open the new Manning Market in Peliyagoda by next Monday (December 14), in compliance with the health guidelines. His directives came during a discussion held at the Temple Trees on Monday. The officials meanwhile told Mr Rajapaksa that assigning stalls at the new market complex has been completed. more..

Dec 9 (Island) One-time Rehabilitation and Prisons Reforms Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara said that tangible remedial measures should be taken to address the explosive situation in prisons. Referring to the recent bloody riots in the Mahara Prison complex, the former General Secretary of the CP emphasised that the problems pertaining to the prison system couldn�t be resolved by releasing convicts and remand suspects. more..

Dec 9 (EN) The parents of the 20-day-old baby who reportedly died of COVID-19 yesterday have tested negative for the virus and the source of the child�s infection remains a mystery. Lady Ridgeway Children�s Hospital Director Dr G Wijesuriya said that a delay in admitting the baby to hospital had contributed to her death. The baby, born on Nov 19, was the youngest COVID-19 death in SL. She was admitted to Lady Ridgeway Children�s Hospital on the night of Dec 7 with a high fever. more..

Dec 9 (AD) Justice Minister Ali Sabry says that the Attorney General of Singapore has sought certain clarifications from the Attorney General�s Department of SL with regard to the extradition request against former CB governor Arjuna Mahendra. He stated this in parliament today in response to a question pertaining to the present progress of the inquiry and the judicial proceedings pertaining to the CB bond issue and the current status of the extradition request against more..

Dec 9 (AD) State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara says investigations must be carried out into possible link between the Easter Sunday terror attacks and the group of people that wanted to oust Maithripala Sirisena in order to appoint a new President. Testifying before the PCoI probing the carnage, he noted that regime changes and appointment of Presidents in the country were directed by foreign influences since 2015. more..

Dec 9 (DE) There were many naysayers who scoffed at SLC for even dreaming of organizing a franchise-based T20 league with foreign stars, especially when the world was reeling because of the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless the Lanka Premier League (LPL) conceived during a raging viral outbreak has lifted the spirits of a nation starved of entertainment and kick-started a dormant sports economy thanks to commitment of the govt and Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa. more..

Dec 9 (FT) While the COVID-19 pandemic is viewed as a wake-up call to address challenges faced by various actors in food supply chain, the UN in Sri Lanka acknowledged Govt initiatives outlined in the National Policy Framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour were helpful. The UN and the Govt last week conducted a virtual dialogue titled Building Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems in the Age of the Pandemics, where key insights were shared by several experts. more..

Dec 9 (AD) A country can combat corruption the best when the citizens have the feel and the inclination to resist this heinous practice, says Prez Rajapaksa. In his statement to mark the Int'l Anti-Corruption Day today, Prez said intolerance for corruption by the citizenry is one of the best antidotes for it. �This is the reason for placing a high emphasis on empowering the citizens to fight corruption in the policy statement of the govt, more..

Dec 9 (FT) Palm Garden Ayurveda Resort in Ahangama, down south, will be the newest addition to SL�s wellness tourism proposition, slated for opening in the third week of December. It also marks the first resort in the south to open amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The resort with an investment of $ 4.5 million has 40 luxurious rooms and suites including 8 serviced De Luxe master rooms, decorated by local artisans with an artistic and medical splash. more..

Dec 9 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa urged the education authorities not to let the COVID � 19 to hinder implementation of plans for the advancement of education from pre-school to university level. Prime objective of the Govt is the development of the human resource. Future generation of the country must be equipped with knowledge, skills and competencies to make them productive citizens. Prez emphasized that the initiatives launched by the Govt in this regard should not be hindered more..

Dec 9 (CI) England's cricketers will play two Tests behind closed doors in Galle in January, following a period of quarantine in Hambantota, after the schedule for their rearranged tour of SL was confirmed by the ECB. The tour, which is England's penultimate series in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, had to be postponed in March following the escalation of Covid-19 outbreak, which caused the abandonment more..

Dec 9 (CT) Minister Prof G.L. Peiris claimed that one of the main obstacles to eradicating ragging from universities is the tacit approval provided to the practice by University Dons. In order to run the university system systematically, Peiris said ragging should be completely eradicated and assured that further steps will be taken to end the menace soon. He said that several students had to pay with their lives because of this menace, adding that even certain professors are of a state of mind more..

Dec 9 (Island) Giving state lands and projects to family members and relations was better than giving them to the Chinese, the SJB says. SJB MP Kabir Hashim, opening the debate under the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Highways during the third reading debate on Budget 2021, said that the govt was giving away state lands to Chinese investors. �Isn�t handing over the lands to the Chinese on lease the first step towards privatisation? The decisions of the Highways Ministry are not taken by more..

Dec 9 (EN) The govt�s lead Information Technology Agency came under the microscope at the COPE, and the members held that the e-Pension Project initiated by the agency is a complete failure. In a press release issued by Parliament today, COPE said the LKR232mn project given to the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) could not be implemented & was abandoned in Nov 2013. more..

Dec 9 (MFA) Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Woonjin Jeong at a ceremony held in the Foreign Ministry on 8 Dec, handed over a donation of USD 300,000 worth Real-Time PCR Test Kits to Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena in commemoration of the 43rd anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between SL and Korea. Addressing the handing over ceremony, Foreign Minister Gunawardena thanked the Republic of Korea for the generous contribution towards more..

Dec 9 (NR) State Minister Susil Premajayantha says the govt will not approve any medication for COVID-19 until it has been successfully proven effective in trials. Speaking at a media briefing in response to a question raised pertaining to local medicines to cure COVID-19, he said many doctors practice medicine in Sri Lanka including generational practitioners and Ayruvedic and Western medical doctors. While noting COVID-19 is a virus which can be overcome through vaccinations, more..

Dec 9 (EN) Chief Epidemiologist Dr Sudath Samaraweera said that the health authorities cannot accept responsibility for a large number of people taking medicine not approved by them in Kegalle yesterday. He was responding to the tens of thousands of people who queued up to get free samples of a concoction produced by a Shaman named Dhammika Bandara which claims to be able to both cure & provide immunity to Covid 19. more..

Dec 10 (DM) Considering the rapidly increasing number of people testing positive for COVID-19 and the rising death toll makes us wonder whether the govt is losing its grip on the virus. No doubt the National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID -19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) headed by Lieut. Gen. Shavendra Silva is doing a good job�but should not the government enlist the assistance of the health authorities in the public and private sectors to spearhead the fight against this deadly virus? more..

Dec 10 (CT) Mothers, wives and perhaps sisters and daughters, desperate for news and equally fearful of what they might hear, unable to control their grief but courageously confronting the authorities, standing in the way of a police car and banging on it with their fists, brave but in despair, wanted only one thing. Information. In the past few days, the media has reported the deaths of 11 and injuries to over 50 inmates due to the recent clashes between protesting prisoners at the Mahara Prison more..

Dec 10 (CT) It has been more than 18 months since the Easter Sunday suicide bomb attacks, that claimed nearly 260 innocent lives within a couple of hours, took place. This highlighted the fact that the Govt and other authorities had not taken necessary action to ensure national security. No matter what the then Prez Sirisena and other officials concerned state now, if they had taken necessary steps to ensure national security, more..

Dec 10 (CT) Having been a long standing member of the Judiciary of this Country and as a representative of the Tamils in this august Assembly I am indeed happy to participate in this Budget Debate* discussing the votes of the Ministry of Justice. Mr. Speaker, Justice is the one clear expectation of all denizens of this Country today. It is Justice which is intrinsically interwoven with the day to day lives of the Tamils and their future. They are expecting Justice for the innocents more..

Dec 10 (DM) The other day, Sunanda Deshapriya (who used to convene the Free Media Movement, no less!) tweeted, �It looks like #SriLanka Railway Department has been sold to China! No other language, only English and #Chinese!� This came with a photograph of a train schedule. Deshapriya acknowledges, Photo from FB. That�s the all of his media ethics The said photograph is not, as claimed by many, a timetable put up by the Mt Lavinia Railway Station. more..