Lanka Sites

An expedited project to renovate 200 tanks in sanctuaries and parks has been initiated aiming habitat enrichment, Wildlife Conservation Department Director General Dr Chandra Wansa Pathiraja told the Daily News yesterday. He said that 50 tanks which need renovation have already been identified and estimates are being made to start the work.

The Central Environment Authority (CEA) would organize an island wide green award ceremony to celebrate this year's World Environment Day, said CEA Chairman Charitha Herath. The Awards Ceremony will take place on June 5 at the BMICH under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. All stakeholders who contribute to environment protection activities can apply for the awards.

Sri Lanka ranked among top 30 emerging countries for globally sourced activities in 2010-2011 by Gartner, Inc of USA. Gartner’s Top 30 locations for offshore services in 2010 in Asia are Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. “This year the Top 30 countries are exclusively emerging nations,” Research Vice President at Gartner Ian Marriott said.” As the pace of change is slower in developed countries we have chosen to focus on those locations that are still maturing and developing, domestically and internationally.”

Sri Lanka has moved towards incorporating nuclear power to the country's energy mix. The Atomic Energy Authority of Sri Lanka has moved to enhance human resource development in the field of nuclear energy, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said. He was addressing the 54th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) being held in Vienna.

Programs are being conducted to develop inland aquaculture with the corporation of the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency, Inland Aquatic Resources and Aquaculture Division says the Head of the Division Dr Palitha Kithsiri. He also said that there is a huge demand for our endemic fish diversity in the global market and so they are now conducting endemic fish breeding programs.

Sri Lanka has been ranked eighth among countries who are more prone to charity, a global study has revealed. The World Giving Index, the largest study ever carried out into charitable behaviour across the globe, which ranked Sri Lanka the eighth most charitable nation, has found that happier people are more likely to give money to charity than those who are wealthy. The World Giving Index used a Gallup survey on the charitable behaviour of people in 153 countries representing 95 percent of the world’s population.

Public Management Reforms Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka welcomed the initiative taken by the Yunnan Province Governor in China, Qin Guangron to launch a direct air link between the capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming and Colombo as it would further boost relations between Sri Lanka and China. The Governor is visiting Sri Lanka with a delegation of over 200 persons from Yunnan Province on the inaugural flight by China Eastern Airlines to Colombo. He called on Minister Wickramanayaka who hosted a lunch in honour of the official delegation led by the Governor. Wickramanyaka recalled his two visits to Yunnan Province in 2008 and 2009, when he was able to have very productive discussions with the Governor on further promoting relations between Sri Lanka and Yunnan Province, which has close links with countries in South East Asia and South Asia.

Interacting with foreign universities and their academics will move Sri Lankan universities into a international status, said Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr Jayantha Navarathne. Sri Lankan universities are conducting less research compared to foreign universities. Private and the State sector should link with international universities to conduct research which can solve domestic problems. The Third International Symposium of the Sabaragamuwa University which will start today, is a platform to reach that target, he said addressing media at the University Grants Commission yesterday. "Sri Lanka is moving towards a knowledge economy consisting with education, R&D and ICT. There was an outdated education system which is being changed. Our universities are still focusing on learning.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) which commenced operations on 28 August 1950, will be celebrating its 60th year of establishment in 2010. The Diamond Jubilee year marks a momentous milestone in the history of the Central Bank in terms of achieving its focused objectives while contributing to the prosperity of the country. In recognition of these achievements, a series of events has been organized.

During the state visit of his Excellency the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to India, the two leaders had agreed on establishing the Consulates General of India in Jaffna and in Hambanthota to reinforce consular cooperation and friendly links between the two countries. The Prime Minister of India had also welcomed Sri Lanka’s interest in establishing a further Post in India, in addition to those in Chennai and in Mumbai functioning under the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi. In order to implement and formalize this understanding, an Exchange of Notes took place this morning at the Sri Lankan Ministry of External Affairs between Foreign Secretary C.R. Jayasinghe and High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha.

Peradeniya University Zoology Department a team of scientists have identified a tiny gall forming invasive wasp Leptocybe invasa in Eucalyptus plantations in the Naula area in the Matale district. The galls formed by this wasp were found on fresh coppiced shoots, they said. "Seedlings in nurseries, saplings and coppiced shoots in plantations are known to be susceptible to the gall wasp. The gall formation by the wasp damages growing shoot tips and leaves of Eucalyptus, resulting in quicker abscission of leaves and drying up of shoots," the scientists said.

2011 looks set to live up to its name as "Visit Sri Lanka Year" from early on, as tourism to the country continues to grow in the second half of 2010. A change in FCO advice, lifting all travel restrictions and UNESCO's decision to add an eighth Sri Lankan property to its list of World Heritage Sites means that more people are making Sri Lanka their holiday destination of choice. Latest figures from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau show that visitors from the UK are up 51% in July 2010 compared with July 2009, with more UK citizens choosing the country as their summer holiday destination.

The Central Province is taking the forefront in Government efforts to formulate a National Education Policy, CentralProvince Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake said when he addressed a meeting after opening a new building and a Budu Medura costing Rs 1.2 million at the Nugawela (Boys) Maha Vidyalaya, Harispattuwa recently. He said a major feature of the new education policy envisaged by the Government was to provide a sound computer education to every child.

Around 98 percent of child births take place in hospitals in Sri Lanka and 79 percent of the infants receive breast milk within the first hour of birth. Around 75 percent of infants receive only breast milk during their first six months, Dr. Deepika Attygalle said. She was addressing a media seminar at the Health Education Bureau on National Breastfeeding Week. Dr. Attygalle said that Sri Lanka is well ahead of other countries when it comes to breast feeding and health indicators.

Hayleys Agro Products Limited has introduced two insecticides which are aimed at wiping out Dengue Mosquito’s breeding cycle. The Dengue menace has become a huge community problem and needs quick preventive steps. The environment should be kept clean in order to control the breeding of mosquitos, who are the carriers of the deadly dengue virus.

The primary market Treasury bill auction, conducted by the Public Debt Department of the Central Bank, last morning saw yields drop further from last week. The three month bill attracted bids amounting to Rs. 2.8 billion of which Rs. 1 billion was accepted while the interest rate fell to 7.92 percent from 7.98 percent a week ago.