Jan 9 (DN) The Royal Colombo Golf Club (RCGC) announced yesterday that the First Round matches of the Srixon RCGC Junior Open Golf Championship, sponsored by Srixon, will kick off today. The tournament will feature four divisions across various age categories, namely Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Copper, for both boys and girls. In the Gold Division, players aged Under-15 to Under-19 will engage in 18 holes of play in two teams � Boys (Black Markers) and Girls (Red Markers). more..

Jan 9 (FT) Aitken Spence Travels recently welcomed the inaugural special charter flight from Uzbekistan for the Winter 2023/24 season to the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA). Operated by Uzbekistan Airways, the national career of Uzbekistan, the flight brought nearly 200 Uzbek holidaymakers to Sri Lanka. Throughout their stay, the visitors could enjoy the golden sandy beaches of the southern belt and explore the country via different excursions. more..

Jan 9 (TM) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) said that legal actions will be taken against private health institutions, despite their status, where medicines and other medical items are being sold at a very high price, thereby violating the Govt�s regulations regarding the Maximum Retail Prices (MRPs). NMRA Chairman Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said that the Private Health Services Regulatory Council (PHSRC) more..

Jan 9 (FT) Japan-SL Economic Cooperation Policy Dialogue was held on 5 January at the Finance Ministry, deepening mutual commitment to strengthen economic ties and expand collaboration between the two countries. Japan�s Foreign Affairs Ministry Int'l Cooperation Bureau Director General Endo Kazuya led the Japanese delegation. Co-chaired by Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana and Japan�s Foreign Affairs Ministry Int'l Cooperation Bureau Director General more..

Jan 9 (TM) Ceylon Teachers� Union (CTU) has warned the Government that they will take rigorous measures with the support of parents against the Govt�s recent policy decision to impose the VAT on stationary and other school materials. Govt recently raised VAT from 15% to 18% and reduced VAT exempted items from 138 to 97 from the VAT exempted goods list. Accordingly, many parties raised concerns over the substantial impact it creates on both consumers and businesses. more..

Jan 9 (ST) Shipping lines are now re-routing their vessels avoiding the Red Sea contributing to sharp increases in freight rates and that is expected to cause further congestion and delays in European ports in future. Increased attacks on commercial vessels plying the Red Sea saw a number of major shipping lines opting to divert traffic from the Red Sea to around the Cape of Good Hope. For those opting to continue their passage across the Suez Canal where military assistance is provided, more..

Jan 9 (EN) Electricity De France, the French power utility, had made a proposal on nuclear energy to SL, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said following a meeting with the French envoy to discuss potential energy sector investments. �We also discussed regarding a proposal by EDF (Electricity De France) on nuclear energy and possible partnerships in the future,� Wijesekera said on X (twitter), after meeting the French ambassador to Colombo Jean-Francois Pactet. more..

Jan 9 (TM) A group going by the name The People Aggrieved by the Yukthiya (Justice) Operation comprising people who have been affected by the ongoing islandwide anti-drug and -organised crime operation Yukthiya, yesterday (8) sought the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) intervention in the form of a set of guidelines for the Police in order to prevent the illegal and unethical acts said to be more..

Jan 9 (Island) Prestigious National Chess Academy was formally unveiled on Saturday, at the BOI Auditorium, marking a significant moment in SL�s chess landscape. Inauguration ceremony, graced by the esteemed presence of FM/ FT Sunil Weeramantry from the USA, brought together the nation�s top chess players. Event witnessed the active participation of all national chess players who competed in the last National Chess Championship, along with the top ten performers from more..

Jan 9 (Island) A group of civil society groups has asked the govt to consult all stakeholders, both in and outside Parliament, before the enactment of the ONUR (Office for National Unity and Reconciliation) law. The following is the text of a statement issued by the grouping: �This week the government will be taking up the ONUR (Office for National Unity and Reconciliation) Bill for debate after which it will be enacted as law. Bill proposes to establish an Office for National Unity and more..

Jan 9 (CT) In a move aimed at recognising and supporting the crucial roles played by doctors & uni teachers, Cabinet approved Prez�s proposals to enhance certain allowances. Accordingly, doctors serving on the front lines, will see a doubling of their Disturbance, Availability & Transport (DAT) allowance. The increase sees the DAT allowance raised from Rs 35,000 to Rs 70,000. Furthermore, uni teachers will experience a boost in their study allowance, with a substantial 25% increase. more..

Jan 9 (Island) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court requesting an order that the current power tariffs be reduced. A group, including the PUCSL, CEB, Minister of Power & Energy, Secretary of Ministry of Power and Energy and Attorney General, have been named as respondents to the petition. Petitioner has said it is undeniable that the several respondents, including the 2nd Respondent (CEB), has made 52 b rupees more..

Jan 9 (Island) Urban Development and Housing Ministry announced plans to raise Rs 21 bn by leasing state lands, over a period of three years, commencing 2024. A statement issued by the Ministry quoted Minister Prasanna Ranatunga as having said that lands currently held by the UDA would be leased for long term projects, undertaken jointly by the public and private sectors. Among a range of projects identified were more..

Jan 9 (FT) PHU Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila tipped that the Presidential election will be held any day between 18 Sept and 18 Oct. �A lot of opinions have been expressed about the timing of the Presidential election. Unfortunately, these opinions are based on political predictions, not based on the law. Constitutionally, the Presidential election shall be held between 18 September and 18 October. Where does it say so?� Article 31(3) of the Constitution says. more..

Jan 9 (AD) An appeal filed challenging the decision of the Court of Appeal to dismiss the petition, filed seeking the disqualification of State Minister Diana Gamage�s parliamentary seat, has been fixed for consideration on Jan 19, 2024. The appeal which was put forward by social activist Oshala Herath was taken up before a SC judge bench led by Justice Yasantha Kodagoda today (8). Social activist Oshala Herath had filed the relevant appeal two weeks after the petition he had filed over more..

Jan 9 (FT) State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya outlined the urgency of incorporating the remaining 500,000 tax evaders into the tax system, noting that the Govt is gearing up for significant tax reforms. �Out of one million individuals with the financial capacity to pay income tax, only 500,000 are currently meeting this obligation,� he said at a media briefing under the theme Collective Path to a Stable Country. more..

Jan 9 (EN) The economic crisis significantly affected employment across multiple sectors within the country, a Household Survey on Impact of Economic Crisis � 2023 by the Department of Census and Statistics showed. �60.5% of households have experienced a decrease in their total income as a result of the economic crisis.� During the income decline, households employed various coping strategies to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis. The most commonly reported more..

Jan 9 (FT) Let me say arrogance is a reflection of ignorance and haste has nothing in common with efficiency. This became evident when the draft Electricity Bill was pushed through with hardly any reasonable space or time allowed for serious social discussion on the restructure of the power and energy sector and the Minister accepting there are 42 errors in the gazetted Electricity Bill. He had said, it is being referred to the Attorney General for perhaps cleaning up. more..

Jan 9 (FT) Only four days into the new year, 2024, one which most Sri Lankans approached with trepidation due to the well-publicised belt-tightening that is due, the last thing they expected was to discover that their President had decided to involve them at great cost ($ 250 million a fortnight) in a possible international conflict, oceans away, which has little to do with them. The Daily Mirror of 4 Jan 2024 reports that �Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said a decision has been taken to deploy a ship more..

Jan 9 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval for the establishment of new investment zones with the necessary technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Since the need to develop a joint mechanism between the public and private sectors to build an export-oriented economy has been emphasized in the 2022 budget, the govt says it has identified the appropriateness of developing new investment zones. Accordingly, a proposal was submitted to the Cabinet more..

Jan 9 (EN) Cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to establish a University of Science & Technology through a public private partnership with a United States university. A statement from the Govt Information Department said that one of several US universities will be selected for the project as a partner university, including UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, UC Davis and Uni of Michigan. more..

Jan 9 (DM) An emergency disaster situation has been declared at the Yala National Park following the inundation of entrance points due to the spilling of minor tanks, an official said. In light of the situation, access to Yala National Park has been restricted, with the main entrance at Palatupana completely blocked by floods. Consequently, entry from the main gate has been temporarily suspended till further notice. Compounding the severity of the situation, local residents and tourists more..

Jan 9 (AD) The appeals filed by the defendants who were given the death penalty over the 2015 abduction, gang rape and murder of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya, seeking their acquittal has been ordered to be recalled on Jan 22, 2024. This order was issued when the case was taken up before the three-member Supreme Court judge bench comprising Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Achala Vengapulli and Shiran Gunaratne today. There, the SC also ordered more..

Jan 9 (AD) The govt has decided to reopen three SL Missions that were temporarily closed between 2021 and 2022 after identifying the need to resume operations of these missions. As such, SL Consulate General�s Office in Nicosia, Cyprus; SL Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq; and the SL Consulate General�s Office in Frankfurt, Germany are to be reopened. Cabinet of Ministers, on Monday green-lighted a proposal presented by more..

Jan 9 (CT) The Academy of Health Professionals (AHP) urged the Health Ministry Secretary and the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) not to limit dengue control to mere media shows but to implement measures to evaluate the effectiveness through an external agent. AHP President Ravi Kumudesh said that it was apparent that the mosquito borne disease recurred due to weather conditions prevailing in the country. But no one assess the programmes to see if more..

Jan 9 (EN) Container terminals at Colombo has seen daily volumes have surge as much as 80%, a top official said, as the port stepped in as the transshipment hub for Middle Eastern by-passed by vessels over Houthi attacks. SLPA container terminals which usually handle about 5,000 to 6,000 twenty-foot equivalent units a day has seen daily volumes rise to 8,000 to 9,000 units, Chairman Keith Bernard said. Other terminals in the port have seen similar trends, he said. more..

Jan 9 (PTI) Six months after it was announced by the prime ministers of both countries, India has discussed the early launch of the UPI payment system with Sri Lanka and reiterated its support in the cash-strapped island nation�s debt restructuring process. In July 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe signed an agreement on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance in Sri Lanka during Wickremesinghe�s two-day visit to India. more..

Jan 9 (DM) Serendib Flour Mills Ltd and Prima Ceylon Ltd - the two main companies supplying wheat flour requirements to the country - say they secure wheat grain sufficient for six months in their silos and therefore will ensure price stability without any upward price revisions in the immediate future. The two key suppliers who import wheat grain to be milled locally made this announcement in the wake of the wheat flour importers saying that they have to pay extra for shipping charges more..

Jan 9 (EN) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa�s move to petition the Supreme Court on SL�s power tariffs despite an anticipated tariff reduction was a mere media stunt, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara claimed. Responding to a question in parliament, Wijesekara suggested that the objective of Premadasa�s petition was to decide a race between the latter and NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake for leadership of more..

Jan 9 (DM) Finance Ministry has instructed relevant officials to open separate counters at all Divisional Secretariats to issue the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to all individuals above 18 years of age. In addition, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya directed that arrangements be made to open related counters in locations such as State Banks, the Department for the Registration of Persons, the Department of Motor Traffic etc. These instructions were given more..

Jan 9 (TM) Sri Lanka will experience a significant decline in its population in the future, according to University of Colombo Emeritus Professor of Demography W. Indralal De Silva. Prof. De Silva expressed that one of the major reasons for this situation is the drop in the birth rate in the country by 25%. He also pointed out that the number of births that took place in Sri Lanka in the year 2022 in comparison to 2013 has decreased by a figure of nearly 90,000. more..

Jan 9 (NW) SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri has announced his decision to resign as a Member of Parliament. Addressing the Parliament today, Badulla District MP said he has submitted his letter of resignation to the Speaker of the House. MP further said that the Parliament needs a new mandate, adding that the public was cursing all 225 MPs, including their children, and that his children do not deserve such ill will. more..

Jan 9 (CT) This year�s goal is to increase the membership of the Scout Movement to 150,000. The Chief Commissioner of Sri Lanka Scout Association, Janaprith Fernando AAL said that the goal of this year is to increase the membership of the Scout Movement to 150,000. Janaprith Fernando mentioned this on 3 January, at the occasion of the official beginning of activities for the new year, with the theme of With Transparency, in Unity and Diversity. more..

Jan 9 (NW) China is still keen on receiving monkeys from Sri Lanka, Minister for Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera said. Speaking in Parliament today, Minister Amaraweera said during his recent visit to China, private zoo companies had expressed their hopes of acquiring the Sri Lankan toque macaque monkeys. �The private Chinese zoo companies are still looking forward to acquiring SL monkeys for exhibition purposes. There are around 20,000 private zoos in China. more..

Jan 9 (AD) SJB�s member Nayana Wasalathilake is tipped to fill the parliamentary seat which fell vacant following the resignation of Badulla District MP Chaminda Wijesiri. Wasalathilake, who secured 31,307 votes in the 2020 General Election from the Badulla District, is next in line on SJB�s preferential vote list. Shortly after the first parliamentary session of 2024 kicked off this morning, Wijesiri told the House that he would step down as a MP. Later, the Communications Department of more..