Feb 27 (TM) As the Govt and economists have reiterated, Sri Lankais going through an era of crises and sacrifices, and genuine efforts by all segments of the citizenry are necessary to pull through this crisis. However, there are serious doubts and allegations as to whether those in influential places, such as politicians, the public sector and businessmen, contribute to the economic recovery as much as ordinary citizens. Amidst various allegations of special treatment, more..

Feb 27 (Island) Our honourable MPs found themselves in floods of tears on Friday, lamenting as they did, in Parliament, what they called the degeneration of the Buddhist monastic order due to the misconduct of some radicalised monks. It was a sad sight to behold! The cause of their lamentation was an unruly protest some student monks of the Buddhist and Pali Uni had held at the Ministry of Education the previous day. Claiming that they were ardent Buddhists & expressing their dismay more..

Feb 27 (ST) The controversy over alleged attempts to prevent the upcoming local council elections from going ahead overshadowed all other Parliamentary business this week, as angry Opposition MPs staged protests inside the chamber. Opposition MPs from SJB and recently formed Freedom People’s Alliance (FPA) which consists of breakaway factions of the ruling SLPP, protested inside the chamber on Tuesday and Thursday, denouncing the alleged Govt attempts to obstruct the EC from more..

Feb 27 (Island) A very interesting article, Ceylon’s first university in memory and imagination, by Ernest Macintyre in The Sunday Island of 12 Feb 2023 describing the life at Uni of Ceylon, Peradeniya Campus in fifties prompted me to write about the life at Peradeniya Campus in the next decade, the nineteen sixties. Macintyre has elegantly described the life at Peradeniya Campus in the early years after its establishment in 1952. At the time only the Faculty of Arts and Oriental Studies was more..

Feb 27 (CI) The uncapped pair of Nishan Madushka and Milan Rathnayake will be part of the 17-man SL Test squad that is set to tour New Zealand for two Tests in March. Also returning to the squad are Lahiru Kumara and Chamika Karunaratne, the latter having played his only Test back in 2019. Madushka, 23, has seemingly forced his way into the selectors' minds following a string of impressive performances more..

Feb 27 (FT) Sunquick Lanka Ltd. last week opened its Sunquick RTD manufacturing facility in Horana reassuring its strong presence in the SL market. Gracing the special occasion were CO-RO A/S Denmark President Søren Holm Jensen and Sunquick Lanka Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya. CO-RO A/S President Søren Holm Jensen stated: “Sunquick Lanka enters a new phase of growth with the launch of this RTD manufacturing facility. With uncompromised taste and quality, more..

Feb 27 (DN) Dinesh Deshappriya the Asian silver medal para Table Tennis player once again came up with fine performance when he won the ITTF Egypt Para Open Table Tennis Championship in Egypt (Class 09) to grab the gold medal yesterday. The 31-year-old Deshappriya the youngest brother of former National champion Indika Prasad and Nuwan Sampath both are now renown TT coaches is targeting to take part next Paralympic Games in France 2024 is highly satisfied with this Gold more..

Feb 27 (Island) Dept of Census & Statistics (DCS) rebased NCPI with a new base year (2021=100) and discontinued compilation of the NCPI (2013=100) series effective from Jan 2023. Accordingly, on year-on-year basis, NCPI (2021=100) based headline inflation recorded at 53.2% in Jan 2023. The food inflation recorded at 53.6% while the non-food inflation recorded at 52.9% in Jan 2023. Monthly change of the NCPI recorded at 0.69% in Jan 2023 mainly due to price increases observed more..

Feb 27 (TM) In a bid to further facilitate investors through speedy approvals for investment projects, thereby easing the ease of doing business, BOI is to be granted more powers in future, State Minister Dilum Amunugama stated. “It is evident that the modus operandi in obtaining necessary approvals for investment projects causes significant hindrances to investors, which has a considerable bearing on the willingness and confidence of the investors to continue their business. more..

Feb 27 (TM) SJB General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara stated that their party MP Mayantha Dissanayake who is the current Chairman of the COPF would resign today from his post, even though there had not been any official statement by the latter over the weekend stating he would tender his resignation. When queried if Dissanayake had officially informed his party hierarchy on the resignation, Madduma Bandara said, “Yes. more..

Feb 27 (FT) Sri Lanka continues to bask in the global spotlight for its unique tourism offerings in 2023 and this time it is for the top next wildlife safari experiences outside of Africa. The country has been recognised as a Top Wildlife Safaris Outside of Africa this year by the renowned Forbes magazine. SL was ranked among India, US, Galápagos Islands, and Australia, as a top next safari option in other parts of the world, with some tips on the best ways to enjoy them. more..

Feb 27 (Island) Ideal Motors, a leading vehicle manufacturer and an assembling company in SL, recently delivered a range of Combat All Terrain Vehicles, which are specially designed for use on rough terrains and manufactured using local technology, to the SL Navy’s Marine Corps. Ideal Motors has taken the initiative to locally manufacture these ATVs, with the technical support from Mahindra and Mahindra – India. Components such as the engine, gear system and the chassis more..

Feb 27 (FT) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday charged that the Govt is engaged in political games putting democracy at risk due to its selfish actions. Dr. de Silva rebuked Govt claims the country does not have money to hold local Govt elections, and stated the SJB could show Govt forecasts are grossly incorrect. He added Parliament has control over state expenditure, and the House should take charge of funds and more..

Feb 27 (FT) Nations Trust Bank PLC (NTB) said it continued the steady performance to close the financial year ending December 2022 with an Operating Income of Rs. 38.8 billion, reflecting a solid growth of 67% year-on-year (YoY). Carefully navigating the challenging socio-economic environment, the bank posted a Profit Before Tax of Rs. 13.4 billion, a notable growth of 29% and Profit After Tax of Rs. 7.2 billion, an increase of 8%, YoY, thereby reporting a record year for the bank. more..

Feb 27 (ST) District Court of Colombo on Thursday vacated the ex-parte enjoining order it issued against Capri Club situated in Colombo. Additional District Judge Chandani Dias also refused to issue an interim injunction against the Trustees of the Club. Accordingly, the enjoining order issued against Messrs Eddie Wijesuriya, Razik Zarook PC and Hiran Soyza, said to be the Trustees of the Capri Club, and which prevented the Club from conducting business, was dissolved in a 12-page order more..

Feb 27 (FT) As proposed in the Information and Cyber Security Strategy of SL (2019: 2023), the Cyber Security Bill will be submitted to the Parliament this year, stated the State Minister for Technology Kanaka Herath. He further pointed out that this Act leads to the establishment of the Cyber Security Regulatory Authority, Protect Critical National Information Infrastructure, and helps to mitigate the risk of maliciously misusing the digital systems from various cyber threats. more..

Feb 27 (PMD) Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Royal College Lawyers’ Association held at the Blue Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel Colombo yesterday (25) where Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe attended as the Chief Guest, he suggested the development of the new Port City as a financial centre with an offshore economy law. Hence, he proposed the forming of a committee of lawyers, especially young ones who want to specialize in this area, to learn and get more..

Feb 27 (ST) The conduct of Acting Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and then Army Commander Shavendra Silva during the events of March 31 and May 9 last year should be further investigated by a specialised investigating unit such as the CID, a Board of Inquiry (BOI) appointed to look into lapses by the armed forces and state intelligence services during this period has recommended. The 3-member BOI comprising Admiral of the Fleet more..

Feb 27 (AD) Nearly 20 persons who were injured during today’s protest staged by the National People’s Power (NPP) were brought to the National Hospital in Colombo for treatment. Accordingly, hospital sources confirmed that those injured during the protest were brought for treatment after tear gas and water cannons were fired in attempts to disperse the protesters. Police had fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the group of protesters at Ibbanwala Junction more..

Feb 27 (CI) Let no one influence you into believing this was a choke. Truth be told, this was a game of high-intensity cricket, fitting of a grand finale. The pressure was immense, and Australia, more skilled and adept at handling big-match temperament - this was their seventh straight final - came up triumphs to clinch their 6th T20 WC title and their 3rd in a row. If anyone needed more validation that this is the best women's cricket team in the planet, it couldn't have been delivered at a bigger stage. more..

Feb 27 (DM) Four policemen including the OIC of the Katunayake Police were arrested for letting out a suspect who was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) while attempting to fly overseas in spite of a travel ban imposed on him. Police said the suspect, a navy deserter wanted over several crimes including murders and also was slapped with a travel ban, entered the Katunayake airport to fly to Dubai under a false name, was arrested by the Katunayake Airport Police. more..

Feb 27 (DM) It is the height of absurdity of the Prez to claim that the LG election has not been officially declared after all legal steps have been taken and nominations filed for the March 9 elections, TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said. He told a news conference in Jaffna that Treasury has released upto Rs. 100 million for the initial expenses with the view to conduct the election. He also said that the UNP has filed nominations for various Local authorities and engaged in widespread campaign. more..

Feb 27 (TM) Emphasising that it is not difficult for the JVP-led NPP, having waited patiently for 75 years, to wait patiently for another week or a month, NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that their goal is to transfer political power, which has been limited to only a few elite families, to the masses, and that all attempts would be made, until the last moment, to achieve this goal democratically and peacefully. more..

Feb 27 (EN) PM Dinesh Gunewardena is not resigning, his media secretary said responding to media reports. “There is no truth whatsoever in the media reports that PM would resign,” statement said. “Furthermore there has not been any request or pressure from any quarters for the PM to resign.” There had been speculation that ex-Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa would be made PM, sometime in 2023. LG elections due on March 09 had been postponed after funding to the agency was squeezed. more..

Feb 27 (DM) Monetary Board of the Central Bank has decided to reduce mandatory sale of export proceeds/receipts and inward workers’ remittances of commercial banks with effect from Feb 27, 2023. Accordingly, commercial banks will now have to sell only 15% of such proceeds/receipts weekly to the Central Bank, down from 25%, which was in effect from Dec, 2021. CB said the move was aimed at encouraging market-driven foreign exchange activities in the domestic forex market. more..

Feb 27 (TM) NPP led by the JVP held a massive protest in the Town Hall area in Colombo against the postponement of the LG elections by current President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Govt led by him, which many parties claimed to be one of the largest protests after the massive public protests which demanded the resignation of then-Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa last year. Thousands of NPP and JVP supporters gathered at more..

Feb 27 (FT) The term Independence refers to the state of being able to make your own decisions, without influence from others. Similar meaning could be attributed to Central Bank Independence (CBI). It is the state that a central bank operates without undue influence from the govt. The need for CBI is often explained through central banks’ unique power of printing money. Govts are elected by the people to serve them for short periods of time. It is not surprising that govts act to please the public more..

Feb 27 (FT) SL is at a critical moment in its history. Years of economic mismanagement, weak governance, poor policy choices, and the impacts of external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, plunged the country into its worst-ever crisis in 2022. Economic collapse and political instability have devastated lives and livelihoods across the board, dealing the heaviest blow to the poorest and most vulnerable. Regular climate-induced disasters add to more..

Feb 27 (PTI) Top defence officials of India and Sri Lanka have held the seventh edition of their annual dialogue during which the two sides reviewed the bilateral defence and security cooperation and identified new avenues for engagement. The two-day meeting of the 7th edition of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) between India and Sri Lanka, which began in New Delhi on Thursday was chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Armane and his SL counterpart General Kamal Gunaratne. more..

Feb 27 (AD) A member and local govt candidate of the NPP, who had suffered an injury during yesterday’s protest in Colombo, has reportedly succumbed to injuries today. The deceased has been identified as 61-year-old Nimal Amarasiri, an NPP candidate for the Nivithigala PS at the upcoming 2023 LG Election. He was admitted to the ICU of the Colombo National Hospital due to an eye injury sustained during the protest yesterday and that he had passed away at around 11 am more..

Feb 27 (FT) By any indicator, Sri Lanka is going through the worst of the economic crises in its post-independent history. Noting that Sri Lanka Govt has defaulted its foreign debt repayments since April 2022, some have branded that the country is financially bankrupt today. If an entity is unable to meet its liabilities to outsiders, that entity is classified as insolvent or bankrupt. By this criterion, SL Govt is financially bankrupt. more..

Feb 27 (CT) Representing its latest effort in assisting the nation to overcome the ongoing power crisis and high cost of living, Seylan Cards, the essential card for heartfelt essentials, has partnered with several reputed Solar Merchants to provide cardholders with a simplified financial solution of 0% Easy Payment Plans for purchases of solar units. Together with partnering merchants such as Ceylon Super Power, Easy Link, Green Engineering, Hayleys Fentons, Sun Solar Lanka and United Solar Electrical, more..

Feb 27 (DM) "New cultivation methods have been introduced to cultivate 13,000 acres of paddy fields under the parachute system to increase the yield of paddy in our country," Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. He said the parachute cultivation method is a very successful rice cultivation method being used in China. The farmers of our country still do not have a proper understanding of this method. Therefore, minister instructed the Agriculture Dept to take all measures to introduce more..

Feb 27 (TM) Following Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha using an expletive against SJB MP, Rohini Kumari Wijeratne Kavirathna during the Parliamentary session held on Friday, Kavirathna has called on Premajayantha to step down as the Education Minister, or for Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to decide if it is appropriate for him (Premajayantha) to be allowed to continue to hold the said post. more..

Feb 27 (DM) A Fundamental Rights petition filed by SJB General Secretary seeking an order preventing Secretary to the Treasury and any other state official from withholding any funds allocated for the purpose of conducting LG Polls-2023 was today fixed for support on March 3 by Supreme Court. Ranjith Madduma Bandara filed this petition naming Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardana, Attorney General, EC Chairman and its members and several others as respondents. more..