Jan 17 (Island) Prez Rajapaksa is being attacked by outsiders as well as members of the govt, Minister Johnston Fernando said. Speaking at a ceremony to mark the commissioning of the Second Phase of the Central Expressway on Saturday, Minister said that the dissenters were upset and angry with the Prez because he would not leave any room for corruption. �Prez has taken a vow that he will rid this country of corruption. This has antagonised many, including some in the govt ranks. more..

Jan 17 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa, who visited the Kuragala Sacred Site on Sunday, instructed the relevant officials to expedite construction work at the site. Kuragala Sacred Site is located in the Kaltota Valley, 30 km from Balangoda in the Sabaragamuwa Province. The sacred site with 13 caves where the great Arhats lived has a long history. President Rajapaksa visited the Sacred Site this afternoon (16) and inspected the restoration work of the Dagaba, Buddha Statue and Dharma Hall. more..

JJan 17 (ST) The state�managed private sector superannuation endowment, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has lost billions of rupees through investments in unlisted and loss-making companies under several regimes, a new govt audit has estimated. Some of these companies were poultry farms without chickens, a hotel chain with no building under its name, and property development companies without land and property, more..

Jan 17 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa presented the Yathivara Suraksha Scholarships to student monks in the Ratnapura District at the Sabaragamuwa Maha Saman Devala premises, today (16). According to the National Policy Framework Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour, the Buddhist Affairs Division of the Presidential Secretariat implements the programme with the aim of giving foremost priority to Buddhism while protecting and nurturing it, Under this programme, priority will be given more..

Jan 17 (CT) Honorary Professor, Edinburgh Law School, Lee C. Buchheit said rating downgrades don�t matter for SL at this point in time, as the country is not in a position to access international markets. With depleting foreign reserves, Sri Lanka has been continuously downgraded by various rating agencies for over a year. On 12 January, S&P Global Ratings lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on Sri Lanka to �CCC�, from �CCC+�. Speaking at a forum organised by more..

JJan 17 (ST) World coal prices are skyrocketing, aggravating an unprecedented crisis in the power sector which is already fighting to avoid electricity outages caused by insufficient foreign currency to secure fuel for various thermal plants. The coal unloading season for the Lakvijaya coal power plant�when the seas are calm enough�is from October to April. Lanka Coal (Pvt) Ltd typically secured stocks annually through 4 spot more..

Jan 17 (ST) A pledge to launch an ethnic reconciliation programme is likely to be a highlight of the policy statement Prez Rajapaksa is to make to Parliament on Tuesday. The statement follows the prorogation of Parliament on Dec 12 last year and the requirement for a ceremonial opening with a policy statement from the Prez in terms of the Constitution. The contours of the reconciliation programme are now on the drawing boards and are to delve with issues over which more..

Jan 17 (ST) Health Ministry has given permission to a private company to import without registration a drug required for cancer on the grounds that no supplier had come forward to import it. Accordingly, a Waiver of Registration has been granted by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority to George Steuart Health (Pvt) Ltd for the import of the drug known as Trastuzumab from South Korea. NMRA Chairman Dr Rasitha Wijewantha said that since Health Ministry had given the approval more..

Jan 17 (DM) Chairman of the Mawanella Pradeshiya Sabha Chandana Kumara Jayawandala has been removed from his post by the Sabaragamuwa Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa due to the Pradeshiya Sabha budget had failed to get through. A special gazette notification has been issued yesterday by the Sabaragamuwa Governor removing the Mawanella PS Chairman with effect from Dec 31, 2021. The gazette notification has been issued in accordance with the powers vested on him more..

Jan 17 (DM) Customs officers attached to the Central Mail Exchange recovered a consignment of 1.6 kgs of ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine which was sent from the Netherlands to a resident in Jaffna. Customs said the ecstasy pills have been found secretly hidden inside cardboard walls of the parcel. The consignment of pills containing 4,000 pills has a street value of approximately Rs. 26 million. A resident of the Wellawatte area who had more..

Jan 17 (Island) One thousand plantation sector families over the weekend received keys to newly built houses provided by India. Indian HC Gopal Baglay conveyed Pongal greetings in Tamil. Baglay stressed that India would stand with SL and continue to work for the development of the Indian origin Tamil community. He noted that the community was an organic link between India and SL and underlined that the Festival of Pongal more..

Jan 17 (CT) Tuition sessions and seminars in relation to the Grade 5 scholarship examination will be prohibited beginning midnight tomorrow. Tuition lessons, lectures, and seminars connected to the GCE A/L examination will be prohibited beginning midnight 1 February. The Department also prohibits printing or distribution of model question papers for these examinations, as well as pasting posters and banners, promoting the issuance of question papers or similar papers as well as more..

Jan 17 (TM) Department of Examinations has made arrangements to hold the Grade Five Scholarship examination for 2021 on 22 Jan 2022 and the GCE A/L examination from 7 Feb to 5 March. A total of 340,508 candidates are scheduled to sit for the Grade Five Scholarship exam, while 345,242 candidates will be sitting for the A/L examination. The Scholarship examination will be held at 2,943 examination centres islandwide. The A/L exam will be held at 2,438 exam centres islandwide more..

Jan 17 (Island) Having declared in Hambantota over the weekend that SLFP wouldn�t give up its ongoing political campaign under any circumstances, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera said the revamping of the party was on track amidst ongoing disputes with the SLPP. Lawmaker Jayasekera emphasized their drive wouldn�t be reversed regardless of the consequences. more..

Jan 17 (CT) Approximately Rs 44 billion has been accumulated in unpaid electricity bills and the Ministry of Power is now laying the framework to collect payments. This was revealed by Gamini Lokuge, Minister of Power, while speaking to the media yesterday. He said this was the result of concessions granted to the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, he also said a final decision on the delivery of fuel for an uninterrupted power supply will be taken in the coming days. more..

Jan 17 (Island) SJB says a thorough investigation is needed to establish the truth about the hand grenade recovered from All Saints Church, Borella. Top SJB spokesperson Mujibur Rahuman said the govt couldn�t ignore serious accusations made by the Archbishop of Colombo, Rt. Rev. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. Pointing out that in addition to Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa, both Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (retd) Sarath Weerasekera and Defence Secretary more..

Jan 17 (TM) Statements made by Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith could undermine public confidence in the Police and the public must maintain confidence in the Police as it has never acted in a way that violates such confidence, Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera has stated. �This type of statements could undermine the public�s confidence in the Police, but more..

Jan 18 (DM) Despite the relationship between politicians and the media being something interdependent, it is always not friendly. With media always going after politicians in search of stories while politicians too always seeking media publicity even for their absurdities, this relationship thrives, while at the same time it sometimes sours as both parties, but in most cases politicians, attempt to take undue advantages from this relationship. While attempting to use the media as a ladder more..

Jan 18 (DM) The Central Bank is expected to pay an international sovereign bond of USD 500 million at its maturity today, and would probably flaunt it with a celebratory tweet as if it were an epic feat. Celebrate! Indeed yes, if the primary function of the Central Bank were to prove its naysayers wrong even at the expense of everything else. Its choices have created an outcome that was the polar opposite of the Central Bank�s key role as ensuring fiscal stability. more..

Jan 18 (DM) Under the National Policy Framework, Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ministry of Technology, along with the ICTA will set up five technology parks in Sri Lanka. It was decided to set up technology parks in five different locations and currently, only four locations have been confirmed. Galle, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Kurunegala are the locations. more..

Jan 18 (CT) While this newspaper has been reporting a frequent number of imported malaria cases in the country, including in yesterday�s issue, a new imported malarial strain to SL called Anopheles stephensi was reported in Mannar Island in 2016, of which no mention however, has been made by SL�s Anti Malaria Campaign (AMC), which is a serious issue. Though no human cases of Anopheles stephensi have been reported in SL thus far, that doesn�t mean that the authorities more..

Jan 18 (GV) Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) has been under discussion by various groups, commissions and govts for the last six decades. Although recommendations have been made for amendments to the Act, consensus has not been reached, resulting in Muslim women and girls facing continuous hardship. Women and children are deliberately ignored in any discussions and are subjected to derision and threats by male-headed organizations, politicians and conservatives more..

Jan 18 (Roar) Many SL Tamils have English or otherwise European names, and are often confused with Burghers or Eurasians. How this came to be constitutes a vital part of the evolution of modern SL. The story begins with the British invasion of the island in the late 18th century and conquest of the lowlands, hitherto occupied by the Dutch. Unlike previous European invaders, the British were more concerned with Ceylon�s more..

Jan 18 (ST) Over the years our politicians have taken a severe bashing mainly from the media and now, increasingly from the public. Not without cause. Just the other day, I read that a three-road junction I had known from my early school days as Jubilee Kanuwa/Post Handiya has been renamed. Not, mind you, by the local authority of the Mirihana area or by some local politician wanting his name permanently etched there for posterity to remember him. Nor by any one person who could be named as more..

Jan 18 (Island) Tennis star Novak Djokovic is in a league of his own with his fans spread across the globe. He has all what any sportsperson could dream of�talent, fame and wealth. But he seems to lack one thing�common sense. He found himself up the creek without a paddle in Australia, and faced deportation because he did not play the game there, so to speak. He failed to realise that he was taking a huge risk when he travelled to Australia to take part in the Australian Open because he was more..

Jan 18 (GV) While SL grapples with an inevitable economic meltdown, int'l community has not forgotten the country�s obligations to move towards a reconciled society through the process of transitional justice. One of the requirements for sustainable peace is accountability. Almost 13 after the end of the war, successive govts have proved themselves incapable of delivering all except token measures to bring about truth, justice, reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence. more..

Jan 18 (CI) Zimbabwe will reflect on what could have been. They didn't close their innings as well as they could have in the first ODI, but on SL tracks, 296 for 9 is usually a winning total. And beyond a couple of missed chances, they were generally not terribly indisciplined in the second innings, either. Zimbabwe were simply outplayed by SL's young batting talents - Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka - & Chandimal. There is perhaps a case for Zimbabwe beefing up their spin attack, more..

Jan 18 (TM) At long last, the national exams for Grade 5, GCE O/L, and GCE A/L are to be held as scheduled, which will bring much relief to students facing the exams. Like anyone preparing to sit for an exam, students may be riddled with doubts on whether they will be able to successfully face the exam. However, it is evident that the majority of the students are eager to face their milestone exams and move to the next more..

Jan 18 (Island) The pandemic is bad enough, but the past few months have also brought us further shocks. In September, last year the death of Sunil Perera, of the Gypsies, shocked the nation, and music lovers, the world over. And, then, last week, it was the demise of another veteran singer-entertainer, Desmond de Silva. Desmond�s death was equally shocking as he had arrived, from Sydney, in high spirits, for his 31st night gig in Melbourne. His death was due to a stroke. more..

Jan 18 (Island) NCC has many good things and rarely do you find players leaving the less popular Maitland Place club once they get themselves established. One of the club�s biggest strengths is Mr. Ranjit Fernando, the former SL wicket-keeper batsman. Uncle Ranjit as players call him, is not the President or Secretary of the Club but he�s a live wire and he�s been that for the last 40 years mentoring dozens of Test cricketers and half a dozen SL captains from Ranjan Madugalle to more..

Jan 18 (CT) SL�s largest foreign -exchange earner, Worker Remittances, declined 22.7% during 2021, as migrant workers more than halved their sendings home for the fourth consecutive month, in December, due to the current situation. During 2021 migrant workers sent home US$ 5.49 billion, down 22.7% compared to US$ 7.1 billion sent home during 2020. Worker Remittances, which showed promise until May last year, more..

Jan 18 (CT) The passed Pawn Chess Club comprising WIM Sachini Ranasinghe (Captain), WIM Nelunika Metmani, WIM from India B. Shri Savitha, WFM Dasuni Hansika Mendis and WCM Sanudula Dahamdi convincingly won the 2nd CFSL Online Women�s Team Chess Championships 2022. They crushed their opponents, the Mayor�s Chess Club effortlessly 3 � to � in both rounds. CM Sanudula Dhamdi repeatedly beat the Indian WIM Mishella Catherine in both rounds while more..

Jan 18 (Island) ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 commences at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday as Bangladesh, Kenya, Malaysia, Scotland, and SL vie for the lone remaining slot at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. The round-robin T20 tournament to decide who joins the seven teams already qualified for Birmingham � Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa � commences with a match between more..

Jan 18 (FT) Health officials state that 688 COVID-19 patients were detected yesterday, raising the country�s COVID-19 case count to 597,035. The COVID-19 patients detected yesterday include 681 persons from the New Year cluster and seven overseas arrivals. On Sunday, 684 persons from the New Year cluster, three persons from the Prisons cluster and three SL overseas returnees tested positive for COVID-19. 6,997 PCR tests and 3,335 RATs were conducted on Sunday. more..

Jan 18 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 42,949 persons on Sunday and 75% of the country�s population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. SL�s first dose coverage is 75.36% of the total population and second dose coverage is 64.53% of the population. Among those over the age of 20 years, 94.8% have received the first two doses and 32.5% have received the booster dose. 16,206,725 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, more..

Jan 18 (FT) Colombo Port City Economic Commission (CPCEC) has, within the first six months of operation, made considerable progress both in terms of commercialising Southeast Asia�s most ambitious mixed development as well as finalising world-class best practices to fast-track approvals and investor facilitation. Appointed by Prez Rajapaksa in June last year, the CPCEC has received 31 out of the 74 land plots more..