Dec 18 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, promoted Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne to the rank of Admiral effective from today. He was appointed as the 24th Commander of the SL Navy on 15th July 2020, promoting to the 3-star rank of Admiral. Upon being promoted to the 4-star rank, Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne arrived at the Navy HQ, where he was received according a Guard of Honour more..

Dec 18 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that SL should adopt a non-aligned foreign policy in dealing with the int'l community, as an island nation. Prez also pointed out that SL can be elevated to a higher level in the int'l sphere by adopting a non-aligned foreign policy rather than supporting or being dependent on any powerful country or group of countries. Prez made these observations this morning (17) while taking part in the 97th Passing out Parade of the cadet officers of Diyatalawa more..

Dec 18 (TM) Disruptions to SL�s coal shipping schedule may result in a 4-day power generation gap at the Norochcholai Power Plant, with moves to shut down one coal-fired unit at the plant. This, as CEB, scrambles to implement stopgap measures. It is learnt that the next scheduled shipment carrying 60,000 MT of coal from South Africa may be delayed by up to a week or more due to an interruption in coal loading more..

Dec 18 (AD) Chinese officials have agreed to participate in a global sovereign debt roundtable that would include a wide variety of stakeholders, including private sector creditors, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Thursday. Georgieva told an event hosted by the IMF that she was feeling a bit more optimistic about the prospects for dealing with major debt issues facing low- and middle-income countries after high-level meetings with Chinese authorities last week. more..

Dec 18 (SO) Three SL companies have shown interest in launching a ferry service between South India (Puducherry) and Kankesanthurai (KKS), which is expected to commence in Jan/Feb 2023. Two more ferry services from Puducherry to Trincomalee and Puducherry-Colombo too are to be launched next year increasing the maritime connectivity between the two countries. The local companies have also tied up with business their counterparts in South India to begin more..

Dec 18 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to open a new university to train fresh teachers and educators after an outflow of teachers following the retirement age is reduced to 60-years and many teaching youth leaving the country. SL reduced the retirement age to 60 to reduce the number of state sector workers to minimize govt expenditure. Ministry saw an outflow of 800 administrative and management staff and has seen vacancies of over 5,800 principal positions for the year ended 2022. more..

Dec 18 (EN) SL�s prisoners will be trained for modern agricultural practices with int'l support amid the govt�s efforts to bring in new food security laws. Dept of Prisons is planning on enhancing the skills of inmates in modern cultivation practices, with assistance from the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of UN and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The move comes as Pez this week said new laws are expected to be introduced in the future to ensure food security. more..

Dec 18 (ST) Workers are facing their worst nightmares this year especially in the apparel industry which is facing huge setbacks as employees are forced to quit with no allowances and limited workdays. The industry is likely to face a further 25% drop in orders, in addition to earlier reported drops. SME sector responsible for providing garments to the larger apparel corporates is on the brink of closure, FTZ Manufacturers Association more..

Dec 18 (ST) Dasun Shanaka remains SL skipper for the white-ball series against India, which starts in January next year, but has two vice captains in Kusal Mendis and Wanindu Hasaranga, as selectors look to groom leaders. While he has done a decent job, Shanaka is on the verge of being fired�at least from the T20 version�as there are questions over his presence without the performance standards to justify it. Selectors are looking for a captain who is able to carry the weight and lead the team more..

Dec 18 (MK) With many former and foreign players lauding Lanka Premier League (LPL) for giving an opportunity to young domestic players to showcase their talent on a global stage, they are also of the view that it is giving young dynamic players like Wanindu Hasaranga and others a chance to show their captaincy skills as well. Hasaranga - who is the Number 1-ranked bowler in the ICC T20I bowlers' rankings with a rating of 704 - scripted history in the ongoing edition of domestic T20 competition more..

Dec 18 (ST) The Ministry of Power and Energy�s Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) having evaluated four supplier proposals, is likely to award the 720,000 metric tonnes (MT) controversial coal tender to Indonesian firm, Concept Global / PT Mitra Jaya, Ministry officials said. This tender is for powering Lakvijaya Power Plant, Puttalam, from Jan 2023 to the end of April 2023. The TEC has decided to seek further clarifications from Concept Global / PT Mitra Jaya who had submitted more..

Dec 18 (DM) The grade five scholarship examination for the year 2022 will be held today, the Examinations Department said. The examination will be held in 2,894 examination centers around the country. Examinations Dept Commissioner General L.M.D Dharmasena said the exam will be held in two sessions. "The department had made a little change when giving the questionnaires this time. The second question paper will be given first, and the first paper will be given as the second," more..

Dec 18 (ST) Investigations into the killing of well-known businessman and Janashakthi Group Director Dinesh Schaffter were widened yesterday with three police teams probing the death and statements of 23 people recorded so far. One of the key questions the investigators were trying to resolve was the person or persons responsible for the killing and the motive. Though the Borella cemetery, where Mr Schaffter was found more..

Dec 18 (ST) Jaffna fishermen yesterday intercepted a vessel carrying more than 100 foreigners about 18 nautical miles off Point Pedro. The fishermen immediately alerted the Northern Naval Command about the vessel and the Navy dispatched three vessels to the location. The Navy vessels were due to reach the location last evening to establish the identity of those aboard the vessel and ascertain why it entered Sri Lanka�s waters. By last night, the vessel was anchored closer to KKS harbour. more..

Dec 18 (ST) The Govt is to submit the new electricity tariff rates to the Cabinet by January, bypassing Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL). The Cabinet paper is being prepared, setting the average selling price at Rs 42 a unit with the aim of relieving the burden on low-income families. The move to bypass the PUCSL comes amidst continued objections to revising tariffs on the grounds that the second revision of electricity charges is being introduced too soon with last being in August. more..

Dec 18 (ST) An element of uncertainty still shrouds the prospects of local council elections next year, though paradoxical enough, legal requirements strongly weigh in favour of its conduct. Election Commission would have hoped that a final ruling on the matter would come from the Supreme Court. This was based on two petitions filed by opposition political groups seeking an order on Election Commission to issue more..

Dec 19 (DM) In six days, we will be celebrating Christmas - the birth of the Christ-child in a stable at Bethlehem in Palestine. Sadly today, Palestine has now been turned into battlefield, where Palestinians have been brought under the jackboot of Israeli occupying forces. In our own country, UNICEF has revealed more than 5.7 million people, including 2.3 million children, require humanitarian assistance. As Christmas dawns this year, our country - Sri Lanka - is listed among the top ten countries more..

Dec 19 (CT) Article 15 of the Indian Constitution states that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth and so on. The text-box in this piece is an abbreviation of this Article and had the SL Constitution contained such a provision the Sinhala Only Act, the chapter on Buddhism, the Indian & Pakistani Citizenship Acts, caste-based prohibition on entering temples and such abhorrent provisions would, in theory, have been ultra vires. more..

Dec 19 (SO) Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, said that holding an election is not going to be a solution to the current crisis. The solution depends on the structural reforms that we are going to do. He said: �What are the solutions that we are going to offer to this long-standing economic problem? I don�t think anyone is more knowledgeable and capable of undertaking that reform other than Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at this critical juncture. more..

Dec 19 (CT) Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, recently revealed that the Religious Dept of the Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the religious leaders of all faiths, will conduct a special pilot programme, called Mindfulness, from 4 Jan onwards, in schools. Accordingly, the 10-minute programme, which will be conducted weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, will help students to focus on one goal, be target-oriented, and reduce stress which ultimately will lead to more..

Dec 19 (TM) The alleged increased use of crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as ice, among schoolchildren is gradually becoming a pressing concern in the legal, education, and social spheres. The general discourse on this matter is twofold � while some express fears that this situation would grow into an unmanageable menace among children and young adults, many claim that the authorities are not taking adequate action to stop the inflow of such drugs into the country and therefore more..

Dec 19 (DM) �Imagine a world that deserves our best where we get up each day knowing that we can make a difference,� says the first female president-elect of Rotary International, Jennifer Jones. Jones, the first female president in the Rotary�s 117-year history, made a tour of Sri Lanka from Dec 11-15 because she selected SL as one of the countries to visit on her global Imagine Tour of Jennifer Jones. more..

Dec 19 (Island) The mere mention of �ice� sends a chill down one�s spine, for it has become the street name for the dangerous drug, crystal methamphetamine, which comes as clear crystals like frozen water; many young Sri Lankans and even schoolchildren are already addicted to it, we are told. The youngest �ice� addict here is only eight years old, according to Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Pushpa Ranasinghe of the National Institute of Mental health. This is an alarming trend. more..

Dec 19 (ST) My dear Sajith and the telephone chaps, I thought I must write to you after seeing the show you put up last Sunday at Campbell Park, holding your annual convention and trying to convey the impression that you are indeed the major opposition party and the govt-in-waiting, although it is unlikely that any elections will be held soon. You had to do so to regain the confidence of the people after many blamed you for not intervening when Gota maama had his back to the wall and more..

Dec 19 (ST) When Rajan Hoole requested a review for the book, Democracy Still Born; Lanka's rejection of Equal Rights at Independence (Rajan Hoole and Kirupaimalar Hoole, Perera-Hussein Publishing, 2022) in characteristically succinct style a few months ago, I demurred on seeing the weighty tome (730pp). How can justice be done to such an exercise? This was the first & foremost question put to him with force. But an unspoken and perchance more complex dilemma lurked therein. more..

Dec 19 (GV) SL plunged into a dystopian economic reality in 2022. Even in the present global downturn few countries match it in the stunning speed and severity of its collapse. The economy has contracted by nearly 10% this year and Sri Lankans know what this macroeconomic number feels like in human terms � a devastating loss of incomes, hunger and under nourishment, scarcity and ill health. New data on poverty underscores this gloom. The proportion of Sri Lankans living in extreme poverty more..

Dec 19 (Island) Regular revelations, pertaining to high profile scams that had undermined revenue collection, underline the pathetic failure on the part of Parliament to ensure financial discipline. The CB, 5-member Monetary Board, Cabinet and Parliament as an institution should accept the responsibility for the current crisis. The likes of Bandula Gunawardena continue to pursue an agenda, beneficial to them, or they are more..

Dec 19 (ST) Uncapped Nuwanidu Fernando has earned his first ODI call-up, while batters Avishka Fernando and Sadeera Samarawickrema have been included in both ODI and T20 sides for the 6-match white-ball series against India, starting early Jan 2023. Also back in the side are all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne (T20, ODI), Pramod Madushan (T20, ODI), Dilshan Madushanka (T20, ODI), Nuwan Thushara (T20) and Jeffrey Vandersay (ODI). Bhanuka Rajapaksa will only feature in T20 more..

Dec 19 (CT) Nippon Rugby League 2022�23 hoped for a significant change, following a pandemic-affected previous season. But unfortunately, from a crisis to an opportunity seemed to be an opportunity for another concern. Take for instance, the Rugby and State conflict as reported. The State, represented by the Minister of Sports, had issued a directive suspending the Prez of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) from holding office. The suspended President Rizly Illyas has, in the meanwhile, more..

Dec 19 (FT) In Sri Lanka, 50% of young people are unaware about basic sexual health issues and one in five women have experienced intimate partner violence. To address this issue, UNFPA and the Govt of Japan joined hands in 2019 to deliver PROMISES, a project to improve access to information and services on sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence, especially for women and young people. The three-year project supported the Ministry of Health, more..

Dec 19 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has promoted Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed him as the 25th commander of the SL Navy effective from 18 Dec 2022. Navy Former Commander Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, in a symbolic gesture, presented the Commander's Sword and officially handed over the duties of the Command to the incoming Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera at the Navy Headquarters last morning, 18 Dec. more..

Dec 19 (AD) A special operation conducted by the Navy in coordination with the State Intelligence Service and Police Narcotic Bureau in the seas about 229 nautical miles (424km) off Dondra had led to the interception of a local fishing trawler and apprehension of a large consignment of narcotic drugs with 08 suspects on Dec 14. Haul of illegal drugs included over 128kg & 327g of crystal methamphetamine (Ice) more..

Dec 19 (FT) Few years ago, when the Govt sponsored violence against Muslims unleashed by saffron and civil mercenaries were at its peak I got into a three wheel drive at Wellawatta to go to Kollupitiya. The young and knowledgeable three wheel driver who initiated discussion on violence -touched politics which ruined the country said: �Sir, all what we need is good Sinhala speaking Muslim politicians like Imthiaz Bakeer Markar who is loved by Sinhalese and Muslims alike.� more..

Dec 19 (EN) SL has seen over 300,000 migrant workers leaving in the island so far in 2022, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has said as the country suffers the worst currency crisis in the history of the island�s soft-pegged central bank. �By today the 300,000 mark has been exceeded,� Minister said on the World Migrant�s day on Dec 18. �There is about 7 to 8 days (left in 2022) for the number to go up. I thank our officials and job agencies that helped send workers abroad through legal channels.� more..

Dec 19 (Island) SJB & JJB condemned a govt move to appoint a 7-member Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to inquire into the conduct of Siyatha television. TNA didn�t respond to the query pertaining to the issue at hand. Former Director (Admin) Parliament, Lacille de Silva, has alleged that Parliament was making an attempt to suppress the media as part of the overall measures to counter growing opposition to its agenda. more..

Dec 19 (SLN) SL Navy rendered assistance to rescue 104 distressed Myanmar nationals aboard a passenger craft in SL�s waters about 3.5 nautical miles north of Veththalakerni this morning (18). The distressed craft is reported to have trespassed into island�s territorial waters last night (17), following a mechanical failure while it was carrying these people from Myanmar to Indonesia. Upon receipt of the distress call by the Operations Room of the Northern Naval Command, the Navy on 17th Dec more..