Feb 5 (CT) The High Commission of SL in London celebrated Sri Lanka�s 74th Independence Day on Friday. Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner of SL in the UK, Saroja Sirisena urged all expatriate Sri Lankans living in the UK to visit their motherland to contribute to the resurgence of the island�s tourism industry, in the face of its on-going economic crisis. �We are doing our best to meet these challenges. We are a nation that has overcome challenges successfully and resiliently. more..

Feb 5 (Island) The newly appointed High Commissioner-designate of Sri Lanka to Malaysia Air Chief Marshal Sumangala Dias (retired) assumed duties at the Sri Lanka High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on 27 January, 2022. The govt sent him to Malaysia after Canada and Italy refused to accept his appointment based on unsubstantiated war crimes allegations directed at the Sri Lankan security forces for defeating the world�s most ruthless terrorist outfit against the wishes of the West. more..

Feb 5 (AD) Four people have drowned while bathing at Ellewala waterfall in Wellawaya this morning (5). According to the police, one of them was rescued, while two others died. The bodies of the two victims have been recovered. A search and rescue operation is currently underway to locate the other person who went missing after drowning. In another development, a small girl who was bathing at Rakkanawa waterfall in Deraniyagala with a group of people has drowned last morning (4). more..

Feb 5 (HT) In the backdrop of writing to the union government over repeated attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the SL navy, chief minister MK Stalin on Friday raised another issue about the state�s fishermen not being allowed to participate in an annual church festival in Katchatheevu by SL authorities. Stalin on Friday wrote to external affairs minister Jaishankar to bring to his notice about a festival in St Antony�s Church in Katchatheevu which is celebrated every year more..

Feb 5 (AD) Election Commission has urged the members of the public whose names are not listed in the electoral register for the year 2021 or those who wish to change their address to inform the Grama Niladhari, state official at the village level. The election body noted that enumeration forms (BC forms) are not distributed to households due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation. Thereby, registration of electors or revision of addresses can be done by contacting the Grama Niladhari in charge of more..

Feb 5 (CT) Prez Rajapaksa should immediately initiate steps to procure the required fertiliser for the Yala Season, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He added that farmers have been paying for Rajapaksa�s ego trip and as the Yala season is commencing next month, farmers will not have fertiliser for the Yala season too, unless the procurement process begins immediately. Dissanayake said farmers were inconvenienced during the Maha season, due to the Govt�s unsuccessful fertiliser switch, and more..

Feb 5 (CT) A number of diplomatic missions and international organisations have raised concerns regarding the recent comments made by Minister Basil Rajapaksa, to the effect that black market dollars were used to purchase weapons from certain foreign nations during the last phase of the war against the LTTE, reliable sources said. It is learnt that these concerns were raised in terms of whether such an act would breach international conventions on internal conflicts and more..

Feb 5 (CT) The driver of the ambulance, who was shot at in Panadura, was arrested by the Kalutara Police Crimes Division over his alleged involvement in the drug trade. Panadura Acting Magistrate ordered that he be detained for seven days for interrogation. Four unidentified gunmen, on two motorbikes, shot at the ambulance driver in front of the Panadura Base Hospital�s main entrance on 27 January and fled. Following the incident, several Police teams were deployed to conduct an investigation, more..

Feb 5 (CT) Fifty Electric Tricycles were presented to a group of differently able War Heroes, of the Tri Forces, to mark the country�s 74th Independence Day. Defence Secretary General Kamal Gunaratne symbolically presented Electric Tricycles to 12 disabled War Heroes on the invitation of Ranaviru Seva Authority Chairman Major General Nandana Senadeera, during a simple ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence in Defence Headquarters Complex, Sri Jayawardenepura, Kotte on Thursday (3). more..

Feb 5 (ST) Retail prices of local rice varieties are continuing to jump from one week to another, despite the availability of Indian produce. The Govt claims that imports are being allowed to stabilise prices. More than 30,000 metric tonnes of Indian rice varieties, not known to be organic, have been imported in the past few weeks, and more stocks are expected in the next few weeks. Imports were permitted to make up for the local production shortfall due to the fertiliser crisis more..

Feb 5 (CT) The Govt was celebrating the Independence Day while the country is going down the precipice, civil society activist Attorney-at-Law Senaka Perera alleged. Perera accused the Govt and ruling party members of wasting money on gala celebrations of independence when the true freedom is actually missing in the country. �What we have today as independence is merely getting free from the colonisers. But true freedom is when people can live without having to fear about life in any way. more..

Feb 5 (ST) In view of the prevailing dry weather, the Irrigation Ministry has urged people to use water sparingly as the Govt is striving to preserve water until the inter-monsoon as expected comes in April. Irrigation Director D. Abeysiriwardena said the water management committee had decided to prioritise the preservation of water for drinking and cultivation. He said they decided on this move to preserve water until the inter-monsoonal period. �Now there is enough water remaining within more..

Feb 5 (ST) Three Russians convicted of attempting to smuggle hundreds of endangered plants in 2020 from a number of national parks and 529 species of animals from the National Wildlife Sanctuary in Horton Plains, have been fined a record Rs 8.5 million by a court in Nuwara Eliya in a large-scale biopiracy case. Russians Ignatenko Alexander, Artem Ryabov, and Nikolai Kilafyan were fined by the Nuwara Eliya Magistrate�s Court after a two-year trial. more..

Feb 6 (SO) In a stirring address to the Nation on Independence Day, Prez Rajapaksa set the course for the next three years of his tenure. It can be described as an even more comprehensive speech than his January 18 Policy Statement to Parliament. The speech no doubt gave hope to a nation battered by the pandemic and beset with myriad other problems that flow from the former. One of the highlights of his speech was that the current difficulties faced by the country and its people more..

Feb 6 (CT) Congratulations is what I am obliged to say to you today upon reaching another milestone in your life history, but it sounds hollow as I must admit that you are no longer your old, vibrant self. I cannot help but lament that once you were called a pearl and now the sheen and lustre are all but lost. Paradise was your other name which you partly retain as you are now a paradise to a chosen few. In spite of your unenviable condition, we remember your illustrious sons of the past with more..

Feb 6 (SO) Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera said that Sri Lanka is the only country which has comprehensively defeated the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said other countries must understand �my terrorist today may be your terrorist tomorrow.� Therefore, terrorism is not a norm of local or regional, and it is transnational and global. more..

Feb 6 (CT) The world has been spared a Third World War thanks to deterrence, that is the threat of mutual destruction. If only one nation possessed nuclear weapons all others would be enslaved. Likewise, should the threat of a military regime surface anywhere in the world only the presence of countervailing opposition to ensure that the venture will be beaten back can repel it. Morality and promises are poppycock; only power counts. Soft power is as pathetic and as toothless as more..

Feb 6 (GV) In a divided and polarised society like SL, constitution-making presents unique challenges and opportunities of its own. These opportunities are more likely to be realised if the constitution-making processes are inclusive, transparent, representative and democratically led. However, political will and careful planning are required to overcome the challenges, minimize the risks and seize the opportunities. The ultimate objective is to create a democratic system of governance that more..

Feb 6 (SO) Govt recently paid Rs. 100 million as reparation to those affected by the terrorist battle under the Access to Justice program of the Ministry of Justice. Minister Ali Sabry, highlighted the success of this program as well as the Govt�s reconciliation including the stance to be taken at the upcoming Geneva session in March. On his recent statement about introducing new laws to control trade union action, more..

Feb 6 (TM) These are stressful days for under-fire British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has been caught red-handed partying, not once but on multiple occasions, at 10 Downing Street, when the rest of his fellow citizens were in lockdown on his orders. He has been ridiculed for living up to the name of his street by downing pint after pint at events he has termed work-related. Johnson is not alone in indulging while enforcing inhibitions on the rest of the citizenry. more..

Feb 6 (Island) The Sunday papers last week gave a lot of play to Water Supply Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara�s gripe that as many as 48 ministers and MPs (ex-MPs included) have not paid their water bills. Nanayakkara, a veteran leftist politician, today is no longer the firebrand he was in the glory days of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. He�s been compelled to compromise once-held values both as a cabinet minister and to make electoral alliances to help get himself elected to Parliament. more..

Feb 6 (SO) SL�s Lakshitha Madushan became the King of the Wave among the men while Nikita Rob was the comfortable winner of the Queen of the Wave title at the Red Bull Ride My Wave surfing contest held at the Hikkaduwa main surf point on Jan 29 and 30. Madushan obtained a score of 13.8 points while Nikita Rob won it for the third consecutive year by collecting a whopping 11.5 points to make history. Sachin Tharaka scoring 12.4 points became first runner-up while more..

Feb 6 (Island) Sri Lanka concluded their ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup campaign ranked sixth in the 16-team competition as they conceded a 238 run defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the 5th place deciding match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday. Put to bat, Pakistan made Dunith Wellalage�s team toil for wickets for more than 20 overs and when finally Raveen de Silva, the eigth bowler used, separated the openers they had added 134 runs. more..

Feb 6 (ST) An attempt by Coconut Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Keerthi Weerasinghe to defend the son of his boss, State Minister Arundika Fernando, during a news conference ended in total embarrassment as his story fell apart in the face of questions by a journalist. State Minister Fernando�s son is accused of leading a group of men who attacked some undergrads occupying a hostel of more..

Feb 6 (Island) It�s not really Basil Rajapaksa�s fault. When the country�s Finance Minister announced that the govt had requested IMF for advice and expected a team to arrive in the country a week or so down the line, Colombo�s free market advocates thought debt restructuring was in the air. Some praised Rajapaksa, others praised the govt, while everyone noted the necessity of going to and seeking (debt) forgiveness from the IMF. A few, though not very few, listed down what regime ought to be doing: more..

Feb 6 (Island) The first few Interim Committees that were appointed two decades ago were timely and catered to needs of those times. But subsequently, the Interim Committees became a tool for politicians to achieve their purposes. Former leg-spinner D.S. de Silva became the Chairman of the Cricket Interim Committee in the year 2009 in such a context. The press gave DS a hard time. It didn�t help and a few months into his term, newly appointed Sports Minister C.B. Ratnayake called Cricket Board more..

Feb 6 (DM) The Mrs. World Organization has debunked a string of allegations made by Mrs. Sri Lanka Pushpika De Silva with regards to the finals of the Mrs. World pageant and is considering taking legal action against her. The Vice President of Mrs. World Inc. Tana Johnson told Daily Mirror that Mrs. America Shaylyn Ford was the legitimate winner of the finals held recently and that the results were not influenced by any third party. more..

Feb 6 (ST) My dear Mother Lanka, I thought of writing to you because you were celebrating what we called independence just the other day. There was a long ceremony at Independence Square, and watching that, it suddenly made me realise that we are now just one year short of being independent for three-quarters of a century. This year, Mother Lanka, watching fuel-guzzling jets fly past at the ceremony, people ask are we really independent?. We are, after all, living a hand-to-mouth existence, more..

Feb 6 (CT) Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), the apex body of the SL apparel industry, announced the appointment of respected industry veteran, Yohan Lawrence, as its new Secretary General. Lawrence, who counts over 20 years of experience in senior management positions in the apparel sector as well as in leadership positions in prominent industry associations, succeeds Tuli Cooray, the association�s founder Secretary General, who stepped down after a long and distinguished more..

Feb 6 (ST) Vijaya Malalasekera, a sportsman, sports administrator, lawyer and top corporate executive, passed away yesterday after a brief illness. His remains lies at Respect Parlour and the funeral will be held on Monday at the Borella cemetery. Mr. Malalasekera had the distinction of hitting a century in the 1963 Royal-Thomian, sharing an unfinished fifth-wicket stand with Cedric Fernando when the chips were down on 42 for 4 in reply to Thomians 254 for 8. He was unbeaten on 112 with more..

Feb 6 (ST) What ought to have been a day of celebration was marked on a sombre note, with little to celebrate other than a military parade and a cultural pageant at the spot where the formal papers were presented handing back sovereignty after 443 years of colonial domination � from a crumbling British Empire to an old nation with a recorded history of over two thousand years. The country was not in a mood to celebrate. Given the crippling austerity measures in force with shortages more..

Feb 6 (ST) Following allegations that some player managers had a field day during the Lanka Premier League (LPL) player draft, the Sports Ministry is finally drafting a regulatory framework to register agents. This means National Sports Associations (NSAs) listed with the Ministry of Sports, including Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), must introduce an accreditation and registration system for all player managers, more..

Feb 6 (ST) Kandy SC clinched their third successive win in the season, sinking Navy SC by 35-30 in a Sri Lanka Rugby League match played at Navy ground yesterday. They collected their points through two goals, three tries and two penalties while the Navy scored three goals and three penalties. Sailor Chathura Seneviratne converted two penalties in the first eight minutes of play to take an early lead, but Kandy came back strongly to end the first half in a strong position of 20-6. more..

Feb 6 (Island) SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne says that his party has decided to allow the use of chemical fertilizer in order to promote export- oriented value -added commercial agriculture. He said that the crisis that started with the food shortages under this govt which has no economic policy or plan has now spread to all sectors of the economy, leading to a collapse in exports and a large number of unemployment due to import restrictions on intermediary goods used for more..

Feb 6 (ST) A seemingly balanced-looking Sri Lankans would be taking on World Champions Australia in a five-match T20 series come Friday (11) with the tour-opener set for SCG under floodlights starting at 1.30 p.m. SLT. For this tour too, visitors would be under the watchful eyes of interim coach Rumesh Ratnayake, coaching his second duty, though a permanent coach was supposed to be appointed. more..

Feb 6 (Island) Colombo Mayor Rosy Senanayake has demanded 500 million rupees in damages from Pushpika de Silva, who won the Mrs. Sri Lanka title last year in a backlash of the rumpus that marred the event. Senanayake, in a letter of demand sent through her lawyers to Pushpika de Silva, states that the remarks expressed by the local pageant winner are false accusations and implies that she was instrumental in changing the final results at the contest. more..

Feb 6 (SO) Contrary to an over-the-moon feeling after SL�s mixed doubles pair of Sachin Dias and Thilina Hendahewa won a gold medal at the Odisha Super Open 100 Badminton Tournament in Cuttak, India this week, the irony is that a previous pair of Sachin Dias and Bhuwenaka Gunatilleke had won a medal in an Asian country some years ago. As such winning at an Asian event is even harder considering the rankings of the opposing players and the win by the duo of Dias and Gunatilleke more..