Dec 26 (DN) Two athletes are expected to take part in the 19th Asian Championship Marathon in Hong Kong on Jan 21 while six member Lankan team is expected to take part at the Dhaka Marathon which is scheduled to be held on Jan 26 at Dhaka, Bangladesh. Madumali Perera and R.M.S Pushpakumara will take part at the Asian Marathon in Hong Kong while Sajith Jayalal will accompanied the team as a coach. Coach Sajith Jayalal said most of the key Asian marathon players are more..

Dec 26 (AD) Bodies of two people, identified to be that of notorious criminal gang member Don Roshan Indika alias Manna Roshan and one of his accomplices, were discovered with gunshot wounds at a vacant land in the Tunnana area of Padukka this morning (25). The duo are suspected to have arrived at the location with the intention to purchase drugs from the large-scale drug trafficker known as Lalith Kannangara, who is currently hiding in Dubai, when a group of individuals had shot at them. more..

Dec 26 (DM) Two teenage girls who had gone missing since Oct 1 from Mawathagama and Galagedara police divisions have been found at Uyanwatte, Matara this morning, Police said. They said Mawathagama and Galagedara police stations had initiated investigations after a complaint was received that two girls aged 18 and 19 had not returned home after attending tuition classes on Oct 1, 2023. The two girls were taken into custody by the Matara police this morning while more..

Dec 26 (Island) The change that the country is looking for lies in the future. The change that the govt has brought may have been sufficient unto the day, especially for the upper classes and the international community they fraternise with, but insufficient for the future progress and wellbeing of the masses of people. This past year and a half ha been sufficient to stop the breakneck fall down the economic precipice and into social chaos. The reversal of the bizarre fertiliser ban, more..

Dec 26 (AD) Ministry of Health says that according to data presently available, the pandemic spread of the new Covid-19 sub-strain JN-1 is minimal in SL. Ministry of Health stated that based on the tests carried out for the past couple of months, there has been a very low number of Covid-19 cases reported. Meanwhile the country�s health officials have taken measures to obtain samples from the main hospitals across the island with special attention to more..

Dec 26 (DM) Road Development Authority (RDA) has recorded more than a 40 percent revenue increase from the users of the expressways since last Friday (22), RDA Director General L.V.S. Weerakoon said. Rs. 46,457,600 was collected from 140,791 total exits between last Friday (22) and Saturday (23) including Rs. 27,719,450 from E-01 and E-02 interchanges, Rs. 14,655,950 from E-03 and 4,082,200 from E-04. Rs. 50,174,550 was collected as revenue between Saturday (23) more..

Dec 26 (Island) The 72-year-old Akila Thirunayagi Sriseyananthapavan, who won medals including the gold in her age category 1500 metres at the 22nd Asia Masters Athletic Championship in Philippines was felicitated by Saivar Mangaiyar Kalagam (SMK) � a premier women�s organization recently. The Prisons Department officer running barefoot, won the gold in the 1500 meters with a time of eight minutes and 38 seconds and the silver in the 5,000 metres returning a time of 31 min and 41 sec. more..

Dec 26 (DN) The Sports Minister already took action to dissolve five National sports bodies immediately with a Gazette notification and make necessary action to held the respective Sports Bodies� elections as soon as possible, said Sports Director General Shemal Fernando. Sports Director General is handling the elections and dissolved five sports bodies. They are Archery, Bridge, Kabbadi, Roller Sketing & Wrestling, added Sports DG. more..

Dec 26 (DM) Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said even some religious leaders who maintain links with organized criminal gangs act with hypocrisy making remarks critical of the police crackdown on criminals. Addressing a function, he said politicians also indulge in such acts to demoralize the police. �This is to distract the police operations . These elements have undertaken a contract . We encounter various challenges in the process including threats on personal safety. more..

Dec 26 (ST) Editor in Chief of the daily Lankadeepa newspaper Siri Ranasinghe who has held the post for 33 consecutive years was felicitated at an event this week, attended by senior journalists, academics and politicians. The event Sri Asiri was held at the SL Foundation Institute during on Wednesday (20). The event was attended by two former Presidents, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena, former speaker Karu Jayasuriya and cabinet ministers among others. more..

Dec 26 (DM) Sri Pada pilgrim season 2023/2024 will commence today, on Unduwap full moon Poya day. The caskets of sacred relics and the statues of the God and regalia would be taken in three processions from Galpottawala Sri Pada Rajamaha Vihara in Pelmadulla in the early hours of tomorrow. The processions are scheduled to proceed through Ratnapura, Palabathgala and Erathna route, Ratnapura, Awissawella and Hatton route, and Balangoda, Bogawanthalwa route. more..

Dec 26 (EN) Sri Lanka�s minor paddy (rough rice crop) was up 25% from a year ago at 1.83 million metric tonnes, based on the last estimate, though around the same area was cultivated. Sri Lanka had wide availability of fertilizer this year. In 2022, though a fertilizer ban promoted by GMOA and a Athureliye Rathana, a monk in parliament among others was lifted, suppliers were hit due to forex shorages. Last year�s Yala crop was estimated at 1.1461 million metric tonnes, more..

Dec 26 (TM) In the wake of the Police Dept together with the STF having arrested over 13,000 suspects over drug and organised crime-related activities since the launch of Operation Yukthiya (Justice), Dept of Prisons said that it is taking necessary steps to avoid the possible overcrowding of inmates following the recent spate of arrests. A total of 13,666 suspects were arrested as of 24 Dec since 17 Dec, for drug and more..

Dec 26 (TM) Amidst demands by estate sector trade unions and pressure from the Govt for a daily wage hike for estate sector workers, the plantation companies stand firm on their stance that given the plantation industry�s current state, a wage hike is out of the question. The only way that a wage hike could not only materialise but also be beneficial to both the estate sector workers and regional plantation companies (RPCs), they said, is through the implementation of the long-proposed more..

Dec 26 (AD) Human Trafficking, Human Smuggling, and Maritime Crimes Division of CID has initiated two special investigations into the incident of cyber slavery involving a group of Sri Lankans in Myanmar. Investigations are underway regarding 04 suspects including three Sri Lankans and a Chinese national based on four complaints received by the police. Ada Derana recently revealed an incident of 56 Sri Lankans being forcibly detained in a Burmese terrorist camp & put to work as cyber slaves. more..

Dec 26 (SLN) Authorities of the R�union Island of France repatriated 14 SL nationals to SL by air on 22nd Dec. Reportedly, the group of Sri Lankans was apprehended as they were attempting to migrate to the R�union Island illegally by sea. Amongst the group repatriated on UU 0050 aircraft, were 07 persons who migrated aboard the multi-day fishing trawler IMUL-A- 0813- KLT on 07th Dec, 02 individuals who migrated aboard the multi-day fishing trawler IMUL-A- 0469 NBO on more..

Dec 26 (AD) A new programme to raise awareness about tsunami dangers will commence from tomorrow in view of the National Safety Day, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced. The relevant awareness programme will be carried out by using a caller tune ringtone of mobile phones. Today marks the 19th anniversary of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, one of the world�s deadliest and most destructive natural disasters, which impacted over 10 countries in Indian Ocean. more..

Dec 26 (CT) Nearly thirty-eight drugs, allegedly imported through the Waiver of Registration (WOR) under the Indian Credit Line, have been stored at the BIA, for almost a year, claimed the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA). MCPA President Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa stated that these drugs were brought to the country with the assertion that they would arrive simultaneously with questionable more..

Dec 26 (DN) According to the DMC, 57 of the 77 tsunami warning towers built in the coastal areas are currently inoperative and are unable to give an early signal to the people of an impending tsunami. After the 2004 tsunami, 2 towers were built in Colombo district, 5 towers in Gampaha, 6 towers in Kalutara, 8 towers in Galle, 7 towers in Matara, 9 towers in Hambantota, 4 towers in Puttalam, 8 towers in Ampara, 7 towers in Batticaloa, 7 towers in Trincomalee, 3 towers in Mannar more..

Dec 26 (DN) According to CIABOC there are around 5,000 vehicles that have been fraudulently registered while denying the Govt millions of rupees by way of tax. Commission further stated that this large-scale fraud, which is depriving the Govt of billions of rupees in tax revenue, is carried out in an organized manner and that the Intelligence Division of the CIABOC has started investigations into this incident. Five officials of the Motor Traffic Department have been banned from more..

Dec 26 (TM) President Ranil Wickremesinghe is attempting to create a conflict between the Constitutional Council (CC) and the Judiciary by blocking the necessary background for the CC to elevate the President of the Court of Appeal (CA), Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunarathna as a Supreme Court (SC) Judge, claimed a member of the CC. The recommendation made by Wickremesinghe to appoint more..

Dec 27 (ST) Israel�s dirty and devastating attack on Gaza in an attempt to wipe out much of its enemy Hamas and, in the process, killing thousands of Palestinian civilian men, women and children, is surely one of the dirtiest of the Israeli-Arab conflicts since they began at the butt end of 1940s. While regional and international efforts continued to end this humanitarian disaster Sri Lanka�s emerging new War Lords launched their own ground offensive exactly one week ago against more..

Dec 27 (TM) The revelation that Sri Lankans are among those forcibly detained at a place known as the Cyber Slave Camp near the Thailand-Myanmar border in Myanmar, is concerning. It matters not how one looks at it. It is a matter of the lives of around 50 Sri Lankans as per uncorroborated reports, an alarming development relating to human trafficking to which Sri Lankans have been subjected to systematically. And, it is a diplomatic issue as Thai nationals, Chinese nationals and more..

Dec 27 (TM) Although Sri Lanka has produced locally and internationally-recognised instrumentalists who have contributed to the advancement of the field, in Sri Lanka, being a professional, full-time instrumentalist is an arduous task. On the one hand, the nature of the field in the SL context is more difficult than usual for newcomers to enter and excel in. On the other hand, even if one entered and excelled in the field, more..

Dec 27 (DM) No wonder the new acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon thought a fresh crime-busting initiative was the way to promote himself for permanency in the post. That would still be a tall order considering a Supreme Court ruling on Dec 14 that found him and three others violating the fundamental rights of a citizen detained at the Mirihana Police Station. Supreme Court ordered Mr Tennakoon and three other officers to pay the petitioner Rs. 2 million in compensation, more..

Dec 27 (DM) Lanka is the second most vulnerable nation to confront climatic change. Roughly, 50% of our population lives in low-lying coastal areas in the west, south and south-west of the island. They are at risk of future sea level rise. Climate change also threatens the island�s biodiversity. Sea-level rise due to climate change has the potential to affect the overall abundance of endemic species. Our coastal regions, such as Northern Province and North Western Province, more..

Dec 27 (CT) Having waded through the Covid-19 pandemic which was brought under control, the free health service was severely impacted by the economic debacle the country has been experiencing for the last year and a half. Affected by the shortage of medical supplies, fuel and gas it has somehow found its way to this point; with a new Health Minister and a new Secretary of Health. But on what damage and at what cost! more..

Dec 27 (GV) It was one of the rare cases of justice being served � Sergeant Sunil Rathnayake was tried and convicted for the murder of eight civilians in Mirusuvil in Jaffna in 2000. Witnesses identified Sergeant Rathnayake as one of the killers; he was given a fair trial and found guilty. The sentence was death. He appealed and both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court upheld the guilty verdict. Although Sri Lanka has not carried out a death sentence for decades, more..

Dec 27 (CT) Nearly two decades ago, 19 years to be precise, SL�s coastal region was ambushed by the catastrophic waves of the Indian Ocean which claimed approximately 35,000 lives across the island, while another 5,000 more people went missing. Today (26), as we commemorate the victims of the 2004 tsunami disaster that engulfed our island, a special programme has been initiated, on what is now called the National Safety Day, to enhance the efficiency of the existing disaster more..

Dec 27 (ST) Tea: Once SL�s biggest foreign exchange earner until a few decades back when it was overtaken by migrant worker remittances, apparel exports and tourism. However, it still is a valuable sector in SL�s economy given the value of the supply chain, employment and caring for estate worker communities. This year is a significant year as it marks 200 years since the arrival of Indian workers to the plantations. There are 20 more years remaining of the leases extending for 53 yrs more..

Dec 27 (ST) SL�s hotel industry is currently coming out of the financial struggles as at least 70% of them are learnt to be out of the woods and paying off their loans and only about 30% are still struggling. A senior hotelier told the Business Times that only about 30% of the hoteliers are still struggling with the repayment of their loans that were granted a moratorium. Out of this 10% have not utilised it properly and the balance 20% are struggling genuinely, it was pointed out. more..

Dec 27 (TM) Election Commission (EC) stated that while they had requested the Govt to allocate Rs. 20 billion (Bn) for the elections to be held next year (2024), and only Rs. 10 billion had been allocated through the 2024 Budget, they could however, if necessary, request more money from the Consolidated Fund. President Ranil Wickremesinghe recently said that the Govt would hold both the Prez and Parliamentary Elections in 2024. more..

Dec 27 (ST) Govt�s e-procurement portal, which was launched to improve transparency and efficiency, is still being upgraded to accommodate costly large-scale international and national competitive bidding (ICB and NCB) projects. It continues to attract only shopping tenders for books, trolley wheels, envelopes, and other such items. Finance Ministry has instructed all ministries, provincial councils, depts, district secretariats, state corporations, statutory boards, more..

Dec 27 (FT) The dominant SLPP has listed 10 conditions or goals for aspirants of Presidency under its mandate. Sources said the conditions have been listed by the SLPP hierarchy. So far only business leader-turned national list Parliamentarian Dhammika Perera has been speculated as the SLPP�s candidate for the next Presidential election. However, SLPP General Secretary went public last week saying the party is considering a few other potential candidates. more..

Dec 27 (EN) SL is paying higher rates to renewable power developers than India due to several reasons including a risk premium after a sovereign default, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. Questions had been raised including in the parliament why SL�s solar and wind power purchase prices appeared to be higher than India. �When investors are looking at the country they also account for the risk in the country,� Minister said. �We call it the risk premium. There can be a risk insurance. more..