News

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has made two new Provincial Chief Secretariat appointments.

Accordingly, Ajith Premasinghe has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Central Province, while Danayanthi Paranagama was appointed as the Chief Secretary of the Uva Province.

Both individuals are Special Grade Officers of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS), the President’s Media Division (PMD) noted, adding that the relevant appointments will be effective with the retirement of the incumbent officers.

The Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera is to submit a Cabinet paper for the appointment of a committee to look into the request made by China for toque monkeys from Sri Lanka for their zoos.

Amaraweera noted that although a request has been made from China for toque monkeys from Sri Lanka, no final decision has been made in this regard.

He said a Chinese company that handles several private zoological gardens made a request to provide monkeys from Sri Lanka for their zoos, adding however that a committee comprising representatives from the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Department of Zoological Gardens, Attorney General’s Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture will be appointed to inspect into the relevant request. “Toque monkeys will only be exported to China based on the recommendation of the sub committee appointed by the Cabinet. If the committee decides otherwise, then this matter will be put to an end,” he said.

The Examination Department says that the preliminary marking of the A/L Tamil medium answer scripts has commenced today (21).

Accordingly, the process of confirming the control answer script marking procedure regarding several subjects is currently underway.

Commissioner General of Examinations H.J.M.C. Amith Jayasundara mentioned that the

paper marking activities have been started in relation to the subjects of Hinduism, Christianity, Hindu Civilization, Bharatha Dancing, Oriental Music, Carnatic Music, Western Music, Art, Drama and Theater and Hindi.

The work will be done at the answer script marking centers in the cities of Jaffna, Colombo,Batticaloa, Gampaha, Kalutara and Kuranegala, the Commissioner General of Examinations said.

He further stated that sufficient applications have been received to commence the work of marking the answer scripts in relation to other subjects including Sinhala and English medium and they are currently discussing with the relevant parties about the implementation of the work. (PMD)

The Galle Face Green will only be allowed to be utilised for religious activities from Thursday (20) onwards.

This has been decided by the Cabinet of Ministers who met last evening (17).

Accordingly, musical shows, political meetings and mass gatherings except for religious events at the Galle Face Green will not be allowed.

A shortage of a cash bundle worth Rs 5 million was discovered in a vault of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) on 11 April, during the currency operations.

Issuing a statement in this regard, CBSL noted that an internal probe into the matter was commenced immediately, while a complaint was also lodged at the Fort Police Station.

While the police investigation is in currently ongoing, CBSL said it is taking all necessary measures to thoroughly investigate the incident and strengthen the internal controls and processes.

Accordingly, CBSL noted that they will continue assisting the Police to carry out its investigations.

Former Sri Lankan Attorney General Dappula De Livera has been summoned to the Terrorist Investigations Division on Wednesday (19) morning to record a statement.

Earlier on Tuesday (18), Sri Lanka's Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said that the Attorney General was informed to record a statement from Former Attorney General Dappula De Livera over a statement he made over the Easter Sunday Terror Attacks days ahead of his retirement.

He said there was a certain degree of scepticism surrounding the investigations following a statement made by Former AG Dappula De Livera, where the latter said “There is a Grand Conspiracy with regard to the 2019 April Attacks.”

The Justice Minister said the Former Attorney General made the comment days ahead of his retirement, and noted that Dappula De Livera as the Attorney General at the time should have summoned the Police and ordered them to conduct further investigations if the level of inquiry was insufficient.

He also said that the Former Attorney General was empowered to go to the Magistrate's Court and make submissions claiming that certain personnel are connected to it, and secure the necessary orders from the Magistrate's Court.

The Justice Minister said the present Attorney General was informed to record a statement from the Former Attorney General to determine on what information did the latter make the comments, why he made such a statement.

In early May 2021, Former Attorney General Dappula De Livera said “There is a Grand Conspiracy with regard to the 2019 April Attacks.”

He noted that evidence and Intelligence material and relevant pieces of information must be carefully evaluated in order to reach a conclusion on the leadership with regard to the 2019 April 21st Attacks.

The Former Attorney General added that the information by the State Intelligence Service with times, targets, places, method of attacks and other information is clear evidence there was a Grand Conspiracy in place.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe today refused to allow the education of children to be taken hostage and said education would be made an essential service under emergency law if teachers refuse to return to paper-marking by next week.

“No one is going to hold the education of children as hostage. That I am not allowing. That can’t be allowed,” he emphasized, addressing the progress review meeting of the Education Ministry at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (19).

The President said he is thinking of making education, especially examinations, a compulsory service or to also establish an examinations committee for the General Certificate of Education (GCE).

The President’s discussion with education officials focused on the prevailing issue concerning the delay in paper-marking of the 2022 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination due to teachers and university lecturers deciding to withdraw from those services.

The President instructed the officials present to inquire from the Education Minister as to whether the university lecturers are willing to correct the papers or not. “Why can’t you mark it with all the teachers available? Look if they don’t come they don’t come. That’s not an answer I can give in parliament. I am asking you give me an answer that I can tell the country and parliament,” he told the officials.

He further said: “Now if it’s marked by the teachers and not marked by the dons, what happens? Anyway the minister has now said there is a political force behind it. So now you have to go from there. If the FUTA says they are not a political force then it’ll get dragged on some more.”

“One is, I am thinking of making education, especially examinations, a compulsory service. Other can shout, in the country it will be the most popular thing. And then secondly, an exams committee. A G.C.E. exams committee. Both those I will put it by emergency and then you can bring the legislation.”

“So one of the two, tell me.”

“All those who marked the papers last time must be available for service now. If not I will prosecute them and take their property off. So it’s not a question of moratorium, you’ll be bankrupt. That’s all.”

“You can’t stop the education of children, no? What nonsense is this?”

“So anyway work out one of the two and tell me. That’s all. By next week I must tell the AG to be ready with the emergency regulations. Let’s see which MP is going to vote against it. I’ll ask for a vote by name.”

“So, tell them these are the two options. If you don’t come back and want to have a confrontation, we are willing to come for a confrontation.”

“But no one is going to hold the education of children as hostage. That I am not allowing. That can’t be allowed.”

“Forget the labour law. Don’t worry of those. I want to start the exams and the schools, so don’t talk to me about the labour law. That’ll come later. Y’all must come up with a solution end of this week. If you don’t have one, I will take it up in Cabinet and then we will decide what to do.”

“Speak to the Minister. Then we will have a meeting this week and decide. Now the minister has also made a statement, we can’t go back on it. And we can only go forward.”

Carmi Karunanayake, the beloved mother of former finance minister Ravi Karunanayake, passed away today (17), aged 82.

Her remains will lie at the A.F. Raymond funeral parlour, 115, D.S.Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 08 from 1 pm to 10 pm on April 18, and from 10 am on April 19.

She is the wife of Tissa Karunanayake (deceased), mother of Ravi and Saliya, mother-in-law of Mela and Muddi, sister of T.D.S. Dissanayake, Rani and Indrani and grandmother of Onella, Shenella, Minella and Thiyaan.

Mrs. Karunanayake also served as a coordinator for parliamentary affairs to former president J.R. Jayawardena.

Cortege will leave the funeral parlour at 4 pm on Wednesday (19) for cremation at 4.30 pm at the Borella Kanatte (New Gas Crematorium).

Chinese Zoo Company, Zhejiang Wuyu Animal Breeding Co. Limited has made a written request from Sri Lanka’s Agriculture Ministry to export crop-damaging monkeys to be placed in their zoos for exhibition purposes.

In a letter addressed to the Agriculture Ministry, seen by NewsWire, the Chinese firm said it has made the offer based on reports that Sri Lanka was looking to get rid of certain crop-destroying species.

Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the government has not held any discussion on exporting Toque monkeys to China.

Minister Gunawardena told the media yesterday (18) that the proposal had been made along with several other proposals provided by various parties pertaining to the imports and exports of Sri Lanka.

He further said that thereby, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera made a proposal to export crop-destroying monkeys to 1000 Zoos operated by a private firm in China.

Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has informed the Cabinet that a committee has been appointed together with the Chinese firm and research is underway on the possibility of exporting monkeys to China, the Cabinet Spokesman said.

The Cabinet Spokesman further pointed out that live animals cannot be exchanged freely between countries, adding that the existing laws prevent such exchanges.

Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the committee appointed in this regard will give the final decision following the conclusion of its research.

The Ministry of Power and Energy says that it will arrive at a decision today (April 17), on whether to maintain the increased fuel quota in view of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year festive season or not.

The government had taken measures to increase the existed fuel quota under the QR code system with effect from midnight on April 04.

Earlier, it had reportedly been decided to revise the fuel quotas back to the previous quantities from tomorrow (April 18).

The government had taken steps to increase three-wheel quotas from 5 litres to 8 litres, motorcycles from 4 litres to 7 litres, buses from 40 litres to 60 litres, cars from 20 litres to 30 litres, land vehicles from 15 litres to 25 litres, lorries from 50 litres to 75 litres, quadric cycle from 4 litres to 6 litres, special purpose vehicles from 20 litres to 30 litres and vans from 20 litres to 30 litres.

However, the Ministry of Power and Energy stated that a decision had not been arrived so far on whether the fuel quotas are to be revised back or not.

India has surpassed China to become the world’s most populous country with 142.86 crore people, said the United Nation.

China’s population dipped in the last year for the first time since 1960, when millions starved to death under the disastrous agricultural policies of former leader Mao Zedong.

According to the United Nations Population Funds’ (UNPF) report, India’s population is at 1,428.6 million or 1.4286 billion against 1.4257 billion for China.

The United States is a distant third, with an estimated population of 340 million, the data showed.

China is witnessing a decline in the birthrate and its workforce is also ageing. Several regions in China have announced plans to boost birth rates — but official efforts have so far failed to reverse the decline.

On the other hand, India has no recent data on its population as the last census was conducted in 2011. In India, the census is done every 10 years. It was due to be held in 2021 but had to be postponed due to the pandemic.

India Becomes World’s Most Populous Country: Top Points

Nearly 1/4th of India’s population is under the age of 14.

68 per cent of the population is in the 15 to 64 age group.

While 7 per cent is above the age of 65.

India’s population is expected to keep rising for nearly three decades before it peaks at 165 crore and then would start declining.

The new UN report also estimated that the global population will have hit 8.045 billion by mid-2023.

Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganesan has admitted having initiated an effort to bring the UNP and the SJB under one umbrella.

Together with SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem, he has spoken to both president Ranil Wickremesinghe and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.

“We suspended the initiative when SJB failed to respond,” Ganesan tweeted.

“But the subject of ‘premiership’ never popped-up in our discussion,” the TPA leader added.

Meanwhile, in a statement on the same subject, he dismissed claims by certain media that the president had offered, through him, the premiership to Premadasa.

Ganesan added that he was not a messenger, but will play the role of a mediator in talks with honest intentions.