Results of the recent G.C.E. Advanced Level examination could be released in two days, if a method to issue z-scores is decided at the meeting which is scheduled to be held with the officials of the Higher Education Ministry tomorrow(14), Commissioner General of Examination Anura Edirisinghe said.
(JNW)
December 13, 2011 at 1:05 pm
His highness Emir of Qatar Sheikha Moza bint Nasser is to arrive in the island next month, Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L. Peiris said. He will be visiting the country to supervise how the initiatives of trade and investment agreements reached during Qatari Premier’s 2 day visit to Sri Lanka which concluded today, are implemented, the Minister stated.
(JNW)
December 13, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Five islands off Kalpitiya amounting to 500 acres are to be allocated to Qatar for tourism promotion activities, Senior Minister Sarath Amunugama said. Addressing a media briefing held in Colombo today(13), he said the islands will be allocated under the initiative of developing Kalpitiya as a tourist zone. Parallel to this, the Expressway from Katunayaka to Colombo, which is to be completed by the end of year 2012, will be extended upto Kalpitiya.
(JNW)
December 13, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Parliament select committee which has been appointed to form a national education act will present its report to the parliament in January, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. He disclosed more than 700 evidences were received by the committee in this regard. “The committee will present its recommendations after considering them as well”, the Minister added.
(JNW)
December 13, 2011 at 11:05 am
Sri Lanka and India is to hold talks in diplomatic level to prevent Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters, Deputy Minister of Fisheries Susantha Punchinilame said. They will be held on January 13 & 14, he told the parliament today(12). Ministries of External Affairs and Fisheries of both countries will coordinate the talks.
(JNW)
December 12, 2011 at 6:15 pm
Import duties for potatoes have been reduced to Rs.15/- with immediate effect, the Ministry of Finance said. Earlier Rs.35/- were charged as import duties for potatoes, it said.
(JNW)
December 12, 2011 at 5:12 pm
40 lorries have been arrested by the officials of the Consumer Affairs Authority at Hanwella and Peliyagoda areas for not transporting vegetables in plastic containers, Minister of Trade Jhonston Fernando said.
Transporting vegetables in plastic containers was made mandatory by the Ministry of Internal Trade with effect from midnight of December 11. Minister Jhonston Fernando had stated that raids would be carried out to take legal action against those who violate the law.
(JNW)
December 12, 2011 at 8:46 am
Kumar Sangakkara is a doubt for the opening Test against South Africa after splitting the webbing on his right hand during the warm-up match against an Invitational XI in Benoni. His concerns added to Sri Lanka’s problems as they ended the rain-hit three-day match in a more wounded state than when they began having also watched Nuwan Pradeep tear his right hamstring.
Pradeep suffered his injury after bowling ten deliveries on the second day and, while he was not immediately ruled out of the tour, it seems likely he’ll soon fly home . Sri Lanka were already without four injured quicks who didn’t make the original squad. Sangakkara, meanwhile, faces a tight timeframe to be ready for the first Test at Centurion on Thursday after tearing webbing between the first and second fingers on his right hand while fielding at point and did not bat on the final day.
He has had three stitches in the wound and hopes “it will settle over the next three to four days.” However, although the injury was played down by team manager Anura Tenekoon, Sangakkara himself was cautious about his prospects. “We just have to keep an eye on it and see how we go,” he said. “That’s the annoying thing about these little injuries. We can’t say for certain.”
(ESPN)
December 12, 2011 at 12:01 am
Sri Lanka’s top three were able to spend much-needed time in the middle on the third day of their tour match against the South African Invitational XI. Tharanga Paranavitana was dropped twice on his way to a century before retiring, Tillakaratne Dilshan scored an aggressive, almost run-a-ball 74 while Mahela Jayawardene battled for his 26.
Kumar Sangakkara was moved down the order after he split the webbing between fingers on his right hand while fielding on Saturday. He did not bat but is expected to recover in the next day or two and team manager Anura Tenekoon said the injury was “not serious.”
Sri Lankans 207 for 3 (Paranavitana 100, Dilshan 74) drew with South African Invitation XI 357 (Elgar 78, Fernando 4-76)
(ESPN)
December 11, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Heroin worth more than Rs.100 million and a suspect has been arrested by the Navy at Thalpadu area in Mannar, its spokesman Commander Kosala Warnasuriya said. It has been revealed that the suspect who is 30-years of age is involved in drug trafficking, he disclosed.
Indian currency worth Rs.2370/-, a mobile phone, a Sri Lankan credit card and 9 SIM Cards have also been found in his possesion. The suspect and the heroine has been handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau for further investigations, the Navy spokesman said.
(JNW)
December 11, 2011 at 5:22 pm
Department of Examination expresses belief the G.C.E. Advanced Level results could be released by next week. Issuing a common z-score level for the results of the students who face the examination under old and new syllabuses have delayed issuing of results, a spokesman of the department told JNW.
Discussions with regard to the matter have already being held between the Department of Examination and the Ministry of Higher Education. Thus a five member committee has been appointed to determine on how to issue z-scores without causing injustice to any student, secretary to the Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne said.
(JNW)
December 11, 2011 at 11:20 am
The Sri Lankan bowlers struggled through their first opportunity to play on South African pitches and conceded heavily on the second day of their warm-up match. No play was possible on the first day due to persistent rain and a wet outfield. On the second, South Africa’s Invitation XI opted to bat first, denying the Sri Lankan batsmen time to adjust to local conditions. They capitalised on a pedestrian Sri Lankan attack and each of the top four scored half-centuries.
The Sri Lankans lost Nuwan Pradeep to a hamstring injury after he had bowled just 10 deliveries. Dilhara Fernando got better as the day went on while Angelo Matthews’ first overs in a first-class match for more than a year went fairly well. In the spin department, Ajantha Mendis bowled the bulk of the overs and was worryingly inconsistent; Thilan Samaraweera and captain Tillakaratne Dilshan were acceptable as part-timers; and Rangana Herath was, by some distance, the team’s best bowler.
For the Invitation XI, Dean Elgar showed both class and temperament and was the likeliest candidate to go on to record a century. Reeza Hendricks partnered him with aplomb, in an opening stand of 148, before Stiaan van Zyl and Rilee Rossouw built a 95-run partnership. When wickets fell, they did in clusters but the Invitation XI’s batting was dominant for most of the day.
South African Invitation XI 323 for 6 (Elgar 78, Herath 2-44) v Sri Lankans
(ESPN)
December 10, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Sri Lanka Army has emerged victorious at the “Tour De Sri Lanka Youth”, inaugural National Cycling Competition, by grabbing the top three spots of the event. The tournament, which was organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Skills Development together with National Youth Services Council reached to an end at the Matara, Sanath Jayasuriya grounds today(10).
Lakshman Wijeratne, Dileepa Prabath and Sameera Chathuranga of Sri Lanka Army won the first, second and third places respectively, while Sudeera Nilanga of Sri Lanka Police was fourth to end the competition. Fifth place of the tournament was won by Kumara Abeysinghe of Sri Lanka Air Force.
The event which began from Batticaloa on December 08 covered a distance of 366 km. Minister Dallas Alahapperuma and Chairman of National Youth Services Council Attorney-at-law Lalith Piyum Perera were present at the Matara, Sanath Jayasuriya grounds today(10) to witness the finish of the competition.
The prize giving ceremony of the tournament will be held at the Sports Ministry grounds in Colombo tomorrow(11) under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapakse. Winner of the tournament will receive a luxury car and a cash prize worth Rs.4 million.
(JNW)
December 10, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Final total lunar eclipse of this year will occur today(10), the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies said. It will begin at 5.03 p.m. and will end at 11.00 p.m. Sri Lankan public will also be able to witness the eclipse in total, partial and penumbral forms. The total eclipse will occur at 8.02 pm. It can be viewed by the naked eye and using the telescopes as well.
(JNW)
December 10, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Two teenage girls from same family and a 28 year old male have committed suicide by hanging themselves at Kadigama in Eppawala, Police Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana said. Police has launched investigations in to the incident, he added.
(JNW)
December 10, 2011 at 10:05 am
Third and final term of all the government schools and government approved private schools will end today(09), the Ministry of Education has announced. All schools, except the 88 schools that will be used as evaluation centers for the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination, for the year 2012 will commence on January 02. They will reopen on January 09, the Ministry said.
(JNW)
December 9, 2011 at 7:09 am
Iranian TV has shown the first video footage of an advanced US drone aircraft that Tehran says it downed 140 miles (225km) from the Afghan border.
Images show Iranian military officials inspecting the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth aircraft which appears to be undamaged.
US officials have acknowledged the loss of the unmanned plane, saying it had malfunctioned.
However, Iranian officials say its forces electronically hijacked the drone and steered it to the ground.
Iran’s Press TV said that the Iranian army’s “electronic warfare unit” brought down the drone on 4 December as it was flying over the city of Kashmar.
Brig General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace unit, told Iranian media that the drone “fell into the trap” of the unit “who then managed to land it with minimum damage”.
He said Iran was “well aware of what priceless technological information” could be gleaned from the aircraft.
Nato said at the weekend that an unarmed reconnaissance aircraft had been flying a mission over western Afghanistan late last week when its operators lost control of it.
Pentagon officials have said they are concerned about Iran possibly acquiring information about the technology.
Iranian media said on Thursday that the foreign ministry had summoned the Swiss envoy to express its “strongest protest over the invasion of a US spy drone deep into its airspace”.
Washington has no diplomatic relations with Iran and US affairs in the country are dealt with via the Swiss embassy in Tehran.
(BBC)
December 9, 2011 at 5:42 am
