Jan 3 (Island) JVP MP, Bimal Rathnayake criticised the proposed 22 Amendment to the Constitution that had been gazetted, stating that those would take the country back to the dark era of the J. R. Jayewardene govt. Rathnayake said the bill to be presented by MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakse would lead to the appointment of superior judges, Auditor General, IGP, AG and others by the Prez. "This will destroy the relatively independent systems in existence at present." more..

Jan 3 (RN) Muslim women�s rights activists are welcoming a Private Member�s Bill which seeks to introduce a minimum age of marriage for all Sri Lankans as a positive sign for the victims of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). The Bill has been drafted by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Women and Gender, MP Thusitha Wijemanna. Bill, issued on 16 Dec 2019, more..

Jan 3 (AD) Party Leaders and the Political Party representative of the Parliament have decided to conduct two day adjournment debate on the govt policy statement presented by the Prez Rajapaksa. They decided to schedule it for 7th and 8th Jan at Party Leaders and Political Party representative meeting held in Parliament today. Accordingly, the debate will be held from 1 p.m to 6.30 p.m on the 7th and 8th. There will be no vote in this regard as it will be held as an adjournment debate. more..

Jan 3 (EN) Sri Lanka�s MAGA Engineering (Pvt) Ltd has won a 4.2 billion rupee international tender to develop the roads from Kirulapone to Godagama and Pamankada to Pokunuwita in the Western Province, the cabinet office said in a statement. The tender was called under the Asian Development Bank�s Southern Road Connectivity Project and the standing cabinet appointed committee on procurement had chosen MAGA Engineering�s bid as the most competitive. more..

Jan 3 (DM) Colombo District MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has worked a private member�s bill which, if enacted into law, will make it mandatory for political parties to get at least 12.5% of votes from a particular electoral district at general elections to secure parliamentary seats. Currently, a political party becomes eligible to get parliamentary seats if it polls more than five percent of votes at a respective district. more..

Jan 3 (Island) Ministry of Highways has to pay Rs. 25 billion to various contractors as the previous govt had not settled its dues, Minister Johnston Fernando said. A large number of contractors who carried out road construction work were among those who had not received payments, he said. The ministry had to pay Rs. 9.5 billion to those whose properties had been acquired under various road projects during previous govt. Due to the delays in payments, govt was compelled to pay them interest as well, more..

Jan 3 (RN) A full-grown male leopard was shot and killed near the Udawalawe National park last Tuesday (31). The leopard was reportedly killed with the intention of removing parts of its body, as evidenced by missing pieces in the carcass. Asked about the incident, Department of Wildlife Conservation Director General M G C Sooriyabandara said that, contrary to certain media reports, the animal had been shot and killed outside the Udawalawe park premises and not within. more..

Jan 3 (DM) Sri Lanka�s seafood exporters are targeting US$ 200 million in sales from newly farmed king prawns within three years, an industry official said. �We are hoping to get US$ 200 million from vannamei (king prawn) exports by 2022,� said Dilan Fernando, President of Seafood Exporters� Association of SL (SEASL). Sri Lanka�s estimated shrimp exports for 2019 were US$ 20 million, a small fraction of the US$ 250 m more..

Jan 3 (DM) State Minister Defense, Chamal Rajapaksa said today an in-depth investigation would be carried out into the crash of the Sri Lanka Air Force Y-12 aircraft at Haputale and that he would present a report in Parliament soon. He said the aircraft had left Weerawila airport for ground surveillance in the Eastern part of the country and that the preliminary investigations had revealed that the aircraft which was flying low had crashed into a hill. The state minister said two pilots and more..

Jan 3 (FT) State Minister of Thilanga Sumathipala said that a science symposium will be held in the near future to accumulate knowledge and to pass on the findings to the Govt. He made these remarks on the occasion of resuming duties in the New Year 2020, amid pirith chanting performed by the Maha Sangha. �It is the responsibility of the Ministry of Technology and Innovation to ensure a developed country for the future generations. Technologies are based on scientific experiences, more..

Jan 3 (AD) The govt has approved the proposal to abolish the Counter-Terrorism Act completely. Minister Bandula Gunawardana mentioned this today addressing the media briefing to announce the decisions taken by the Cabinet of Ministers. The proposal has been tabled by Minister Dinesh Gunawardena during the Cabinet meeting held yesterday. Speaking further, Minister said this draft Bill suppresses freedom of media, more..

Jan 3 (CT) PHU said that they advocate the law to take its course to punish wrongdoers regardless of party affiliations or religious sentiments. Leader of PHU, PM Udaya Gammanpila said, after giving evidence before the PCoI, appointed to investigate the Easter Sunday carnage, that he bore no personal grudges with former Minister MP Rishad Bathiudeen, but that he had enough evidence to prove that Bathiudeen indirectly nurtured extremists of the likes of Easter Sunday mastermind, more..

Jan 3 (DN) The death occurred of Deshamanya Dr. Roland Silva, the creator of the Central Cultural Fund. Dr Silva, described as a true son of mother Lanka and a giant of our time was an architect and archaeologist who served as the Commissioner of Archaeology and founder Director General of the Central Cultural Fund. He was instrumental in the declaration of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, Kandy and Galle as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. more..

Jan 3 (DM) Sri Lanka will have a lesser number of working days and more long weekends this year with fourteen out of 23 public holidays falling on Fridays and Saturdays and many public holidays falling on either Fridays and on Mondays. The Duruthu Full Moon Poya will fall on Friday, January 10 while Maha Siva Rathri will fall on Feb 21. Madin Full Moon Poya will fall on Monday, March 9. Good Friday will fall on April 10 while more..

Jan 3 (EN) Sri Lanka will give incentives to draw in high technology industries and promote education to help make use of knowledge based economy, Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa said in his inaugural address to parliament. There is increasing use around the world of artificial intelligence, bio-technology and robotics, he said. �We have to decide what type of investments we need for the country,� Prez said. �We will give special incentives and facilities for investor who bring high technology.� more..

Jan 3 (RN) The decision to have the national anthem sung in Sinhala only at the upcoming Independence Day celebrations was made with the consent of 6.9 million voters, the Govt said. Defending the decision, Minister Bandula Gunawardena told reporters that the Govt has formulated national policies in order to fulfil the aspirations of a majority of the people. The 6.9 million Sri Lankans who voted for Prez Rajapaksa in November last year, he said, constituted a majority of voters. more..

Jan 3 (AD) Speaker Karu Jayasuriya informed the Parliament today that he has accepted UNP MP Sajith Premadasa as the Leader of the Opposition. Meanwhile the Speaker also said that he accepted nomination of UNP MP Gayantha Karunathilaka for the position of Chief Opposition Whip. Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was nominated as Leader of the House while Johnston Fernando is the Chief Govt Whip. more..

Jan 3 (DM) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa said today he stood for the philosophy symbolised by the Kurahan Satakaya (maroon shawl) though he did not wear it as his other family members did. �Even though I do not wear this shawl, I stand for the same profound philosophy of constant dedication to the poor that is symbolized by the maroon shawl,� he said in his policy statement in Parliament today. �From the first day the honourable D.M. Rajapaksa, known as the Lion of Ruhuna, appeared in State Council, more..

Jan 3 (AD) Marketing professional Nushad Perera has been appointed as the Chairman of Lanka Sathosa, SL�s largest state owned retail chain. Perera is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM), holds an MBA from the Uni of Leicester and is a much-decorated marketer, having been named CIM Marketer of the Year in 2001 and awarded the coveted Global Brand Leadership Award at the Asia Brand Congress in 2007. Perera, a longstanding member of Dialog�s more..

Jan 3 (DM) Opposition today urged Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to table the reports of the forensic audit on the Central Bank bond scam without delay. Opposition MP Harsha De Silva said reports of the forensic audit on the Central Bank bond scam have been submitted to the COPE and requested the Speaker to table the reports as COPE had not been re-constituted yet. MP Ravi Karunanayake said five reports of the forensic audit more..

Jan 4 (TM) Misguided nationalism is posing a serious threat to national unity as a result of various comments made in public in recent times and some unruly incidents. The latest comment made by state officials, which has stirred Tamil sentiments, is a purported decision not to sing the National Anthem on Independence Day in Tamil. The comment was seen as being made in an attempt to promote what minorities feel is misguided nationalism. The Public Administration Ministry had been quoted more..

Jan 4 (CT) In a tragic display of greed and ignorance, the handmaidens of fossil led economic development have begun to perform their dances before the new Govt. In a backdrop of a nation like Australia literally burning, as a result their contribution to the fossil carbon load in the Global Commons, we seek to contribute our share. The massive fossil carbon load in cement use, generating sixteen times more than fossil fuel, goes unreported in the Nationally Determined more..

Jan 4 (CT) State Minister S.B. Dissanayake, says gaining two-thirds majority in the Parliamentary Election will not be easy. "We must ally with UNP factions, Tamil and Muslim parties that allied with us at the Presidential Election for that purpose. That does not mean we must ally even with corrupt politicians," he said. Q: What do you think about getting the portfolio of Minister of Land and Land Development, and more..

Jan 4 (CT) There was a prominent news item recently stating that the Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to introduce a new school-based scientific methodology to determine admission to state universities instead of the current district-based Z-Score system. This news item further states that this proposal was presented to the cabinet by the new Minister of Education. If this news item is true I have two serious issues arising from this action. 1. National policy for University admission more..

Jan 4 (TM) Heading into a new decade, Sri Lanka doesn�t have to look very far for an inspiring growth story � one where the parallels of resilient people and resurgent national pride are wonderfully evident. During the last decade, our neighbour Bangladesh has made huge economic strides, addressing critical issues like poverty, dramatically improving infrastructure, and harnessing the power of its young, digital-ready workforce to register annual gross profit growth rates of 8%; more..

Jan 4 (DM) 2020 has dawned! Greetings for the new year to all readers. My article in this column last week about moves being contemplated to forbid the singing of Sri Lanka�s national anthem in Tamil at the 70th Independence Day event seems to have been received well, judging by the positive responses I have been getting from readers this week. What makes me most happy is the fact that an overwhelming more..

Jan 4 (ST) Transporting you both underwater and to Mannar of centuries past, Manthiram, Shenuka Corea�s graphic novel tells the story of the pearl fishers, divers and the shark charmers who protected the divers in the Mannar pearl banks. Manthiram is a Tamil word meaning spell or enchantment. Shenuka also known on Instagram as baka.moona, created the book as part of her final thesis project for her Bachelor�s in Art and Art History at New York University, Abu Dhabi. more..

Jan 4 (CT) Media reported that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said that he will abolish the 19th Amendment to the Constitution enacted by the Unity Govt in 2015, if the necessary majority in Parliament is obtained at the General Election. President said: "For a country to be governed successfully, you need stability. This was not the case during the Sirisena-Wickremsinghe Govt, where they were fighting all the time and there was no development. Without stability, investors won't come." more..

Jan 4 (Island) By definition a Muslim is a believer in Islam. Is it correct then, to say that while the majority of Arabs were Muslims, that all Muslims in the present day, are not Arab? Non Arabs need not wear traditional Arab dresses. Arabs were great travellers over land and sea. Undoubtedly, they gathered astronomical, mathematical & technological knowledge from other parts of the known world including the near east, improved & recorded them. In return they gave those nations their religion. more..

Jan 4 (Island) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday indulged in a bit of what is popularly known, in this country, as vanse kabalgema (boasting of one�s clan) while making his govt�s policy statement, at the inauguration of the new parliamentary session. He spoke of his family and its achievements in national politics. Reading between the lines, one may not have failed to see the message in the President�s introductory remarks: the Rajapaksas should not be trifled with. more..

Jan 4 (Island) We are bang into the New Year. The new session of Parliament has been opened by the Prez. Parliamentary politics could move to a new swing, with a govt not having a formal majority in the House. There is also another political tune at play - that of the National Anthem. Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa acknowledged his victory with the votes of the Sinhala Buddhist majority in the country as he was sworn in at Anuradhapura, more..

Jan 4 (ST) The annual motorsport calendar for the year 2020 of Sri Lanka Automobile Sports (SLAS) and its affiliates, was released at their AGM held recently. SLAS, the parent body for motorsports in Sri Lanka, has retained the organising right of the Fox Hill Supercross in the upcoming season, according to the 2020 racing calendar. There are 21 events lined up in the coming year. This includes 8 Supercross events, 5 Road Races, 4 Rallies and 3 Rally Cross and Hill Climbs each. more..

Jan 4 (ST) Gamer.LK, the driving force for Esports in Sri Lanka and South Asia, joined hands with the National Olympic Committee of SL (NOC SL) to position the country as the hub for Esports in the region. Gamer.LK is a brand of parent company InGame Entertainment and has been promoting Esports since 2007. With this partnership, Gamer.LK�s expertise in Esports will be combined with NOC SL�s traditional sports background to hold large-scale int'l Esports events hosted in SL. more..

Jan 4 (DN) Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by Education Minister Dullus Alahapperuma to implement the National Policy on Pre-Schools, Plantations and Export Agriculture Minister and Co-Cabinet Spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said. He said the National Policy had been drafted on the opinions of experts, officials and all interested parties in the field. more..

Jan 4 (ST) SL�s new driving licence information system has come under the strict scrutiny following the revelation of malpractices and financial fraud in awarding the contract to a private firm. An independent commission will be set up to investigate into the selection and implementation of a new private entity to upgrade and maintain Driving Licence Information System and Printing and Personalisation section of the Motor Traffic Dept, Energy Ministry sources divulged. more..

Jan 4 (CT) LAUGFS Corporation (Rubber) Ltd (LAUGFS Rubber) recently unveiled the latest addition to its product portfolio with its Super Solid Loader Grip Tyre, the largest tyre to be manufactured in Sri Lanka. LAUGFS Super Solid Tyres are designed with extra deep treads and robust lugs to provide traction and durability for tough off the road applications on construction equipment like telehandlers, wheel loaders, excavators, under severe service conditions. more..

Jan 4 (FT) Contrary to preliminary projections, tourist arrivals have reached the 1.9 mil revised target for 2019, despite it being a crisis year following the Easter Sunday tragedy. �SL ended 2019 with 1.91 mil tourists. Tourist arrivals during Dec reached a record 241,663, highest received post Easter Sunday tragedy,� an official said. 2019 performance, however, was still 18% lower in comparison to record achievement more..

Jan 4 (SLN) Six persons who were on an illegal attempt of selling gems, were apprehended during a raid carried out by Navy in coordination with SL Police, at Saindamaradu area in Kalmunai, on 2nd Jan. SL Navy is conducting a leading role in preventing the illegal activities and Navy has launched operations to nab the persons engage in illegal attempts. During such an operation carried out at Saindamaradu area in Kalmunai in coordination with Police, a suspicious van more..

Jan 4 (FT) The proposed national policy on STEM education predicts 1% contribution to GDP during the next decade from every student intake for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education and Human Resources Development told Parliament. Moving the report, Committee Chairman Prof. Ashu Marasinghe held a team of 138 experts representing all industries and trades in the country took 2 years to prepare the research report, more..