Feb 3 (NR) Former Archbishop of Colombo, Most Reverend Dr. Oswald Gomis passed away at the age of 90. The Former Archbishop of Colombo passed away while receiving treatment at a private hospital this morning. Archbishop Oswald Gomis, the Archbishop Emeritus of Colombo, was born on the 12th of Dec 1932. He was ordained a Priest of the Archdiocese of Colombo, on the 3rd of Feb 1958. On the 9th of April 1968, he was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo and more..

Feb 3 (DN) Opener Nishan Madushka’s marathon innings of 207 helped SL ‘A’ pile on a massive second innings total of 580 for 3 wickets at close of the third day’s play in the first four-day unofficial Test match against England Lions played at Galle Int'l Cricket Stadium yesterday. The 23-year-old right-hander Madushka played an anchor role to build up the innings with more confidence. A former Moratu MV cricketer and present Ragama SC wicketkeeper-batsman once again gave a good display and more..

Feb 3 (CT) There are 47 vessels that have sunk and capsized in Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Instructions have been issued to take maximum benefit from these vessels for the local economy and to preserve them in view of archaeological importance if necessary. This was revealed at a special discussion, to maximise revenue generation from sunken and derelict vessels. At the discussion, it was revealed that a large number of tourists are interested in exploring the sites of vessels more..

Feb 3 (TM) The contempt of court case filed by the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) before the Supreme Court (SC) against several authorities tasked with the supply of electricity, namely, Ministry of Power and Energy, CEB & CPC, has been fixed for support today. The HRCSL filed the petition for the collective failure of the Ministry, CEB, and CPC to abide by the settlement reached before HRCSL last week more..

Feb 3 (PMD) Around 108.893 acres of land in North Valikamam in Jaffna, which was under the custody of security forces during the civil war, will be released and handed over to 197 families on Feb 3, 2023. Prior to the 75th Independence Anniversary celebrations on Feb 4th the relevant land owners were identified through a transparent process for this land release program, which is being implemented under the full supervision of the Security Forces in fulfilment of Prez Wickremesinghe’s promise more..

Feb 3 (SM) Slave-Island will be know as Kompanna Vidiya in English, Sinhala and Tamil from today (02) onwards. Secretary to the PM Anura Dissanayake instructed the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Adm, Home Affairs, PCs and LG to make appropriate amendments regarding the use of Kompanna Vidiya instead of Slave-Island. Under the directives of PM Dinesh Gunawardena, Postmaster General & Colombo Municipal Commissioner have been informed of decision in conjunction more..

Feb 3 (TM) The Right to Information (RTI) Commission yesterday (2) ordered the Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs, and Constitutional Reforms to release the report of the one-member committee (retired High Court [HC] Judge Kusala Sarojani Weerawardene) appointed to investigate the alleged incidents pertaining to State Minister Lohan Ratwatte having forcibly entered the Anuradhapura and Welikada prisons and more..

Feb 3 (FT) By 4 Feb 2023 it will be 75 years since SL has gained independence. It is relatively a short period of time, not a very long period compared to the lifespan of a country. But, SL is currently in a state of great collapse, failure and bankruptcy so far as its socio-political system and economy is concerned. At the time when Sri Lanka gained independence, in terms of development, it remained second only to Japan among the Asian countries. However, it failed to sustain the progress more..

Feb 3 (DM) Former Presidential advisor Ashu Marasinghe who resigned from his post recently has been re-appointed to the position by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. When contacted by Daily Mirror, Marasinghe confirmed that he was re-appointed as the Presidential Advisor on Parliamentary affairs. Marasinghe resigned from his post last month after a controversial video was leaked to the media by SJB Member Hirunika Premachandra, involving him allegedly sexually abusing a pet dog. more..

Feb 3 (NR) A number of prison inmates will be pardoned tomorrow in line with 75th Independence Day under provisions vested through Article 34 of the Constitution. Accordingly, 588 inmates will be pardoned and will leave prisons tomorrow. Meanwhile, Prez has also pardoned several inmates who are undergoing rehabilitation after being imprisoned on drug related charges. In addition, 31 inmates who have been on good behaviour during their prison sentence have been directed more..

Feb 3 (AD) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has decided to boycott SL’s 75th Independence anniversary celebrations, due to be held tomorrow. Accordingly, SJB party, as a whole, has decided to boycott tomorrow’s celebration upon a unanimous decision that they will refrain from engaging in such activities in which money is wasted at a time when SL is facing one of its worst economic crises. This decision was reached at a recent party meeting, SJB MP Tissa Attanayake stated. more..

Feb 3 (TM) While a special Police unit was established at the Children and Women Bureau in order to monitor pornographic video footage and photographs related to children in 2021, according to the latest reports, it has been found that a total of 152,811 child sexual abuse related materials have been uploaded from SL internet protocol (IP) addresses in the same year. According to a report by the PEaCE org, more..

Feb 3 (FT) Kandy Hotels Company (1983) (KHC) is to acquire the balance 83.89% stake in United Hotels Company (UHC) via a private placement worth Rs. 3.8 billion and make the latter, a fully-owned subsidiary, a move primed to bring multiple benefits. KHC at present owns 16.11% in UHC and KHC’s parent Ceylon Hotels Corporation owns 67.51% in UHC. 83.89% stake amounts to 176.8 million shares and the transaction will be in the form of a share swap resulting in a private more..

Feb 3 (FT) Almost everyone in Sri Lanka seems to be aware of the several crises the country is suffering. Sri Lanka’s capital city Colombo is hardly an indicator of the harsh times. Restaurants are full, the roads seem to be full of well-maintained cars and there are no queues for fuel or gas. This is probably because the bulk of the working population with regular salaried jobs are based in and around Colombo. Venture further afield and the crisis is easy to spot. Farmers are very badly hit, more..

Feb 3 (EN) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa strongly expressed his discontent at those who criticize him and his policies in social media and accused such critics of defeating him in the 2019 prez polls against ousted prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Premadasa is facing increased social media criticism over his speeches and policies since his party has started campaigning for March 9 LG polls. He was criticized by social media users more..

Feb 3 (EN) SL is expecting a rice harvest of 2.69 million metric tonnes in ongoing main Maha cultivation season as the country recovers from the worst currency crisis in the history of the island’s soft-pegged central bank. Up to Dec 756,538 hectares of paddy had been sown or 89% of the targeted 852,894 hectares for the season, the island’s agricultural office said. SL’s agriculture sector is recovering from a fertilizer ban and well as forex shortages from money printed to more..

Feb 3 (EN) Shares closed at four-month high on Friday after news of the Paris Club member’ willingness to give financial assurances which could help to access a $2.9 billion IMF loan, analysts said. The positive sentiment helped to boost both market turnover and net foreign buying to their highest in six week. ASPI gained by 1.73% or 156.23 points to 9,178.61, the highest since Oct 6. “Investors are willing to invest as macroeconomic conditions are coming to place,” an analyst said. more..

Feb 3 (AD) The Adjournment Debate on the Govt Policy Statement is due to be held on 09 and 10 February. Accordingly, it was decided this afternoon at a meeting with the leaders of political parties that the relevant debate will be held on the aforementioned dates, Parliament announced. Prez Ranil Wickremesighe is scheduled to deliver the govt’s policy statement in Parliament on 8 Feb, at the ceremonial inauguration of the fourth session of the ninth Parliament. more..

Feb 3 (FT) Supreme Court yesterday granted an interim order preventing property developer Elish Development from demanding price enhancements from customers. The interim order was made after the developer threatened to unilaterally terminate two Sales and Purchase Agreements relating The Flemington – 20 Vajira, if the purchasers under those agreements do not pay the price enhancement demanded by the developer. The demands were made citing increase in costs. more..

Feb 3 (TM) Emphasising that the country needs to adopt an education system that would ensure Sri Lankans are equipped with the relevant knowledge to be on par with the rest of the world by the year 2030, JVP-led NPP Leader and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said that a future govt led by the NPP would introduce education reforms that will prevent students entering Grade 1 from dropping out midway while obtaining more..

Feb 3 (DM) The IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige alleged that the police had a plan to kill him while he was in police custody. He told a news conference that he was taken to a secluded place, blindfolded with a cloth, by the river close to the Nawagamuwa Devalaya. He revealed that one of the officers said over the phone that "Sir, we came to the place. What should we do now?" He said, having seen a police officer stationed for the security of the Devala, he was taken back in a vehicle. more..

Feb 3 (AD) Mahaweli Authority says the volumes of excess water in reservoirs are insufficient to be released for hydropower generation. This was communicated in a letter directed to the Ministry of Power & Energy today. According to the letter, only 1,442mcm of water (50%) can be used to generate hydropower, although 2,168mcm of water (73%) are in hydroelectric reservoirs connected to the Mahaweli River. Meanwhile, the reservoirs and water tanks belonging to Mahaweli Authority more..

Feb 3 (PMD) Former Speaker and renowned politician, Mr. Karu Jayasuriya received the Sri Lankabhimanya Honorary Award, at a ceremony held at the President’s House in Colombo under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, this morning. This honour was bestowed on Mr. Karu Jayasuriya in recognition of the services rendered to the country by him. Mr. Karu Jayasuriya was presented more..

Feb 3 (CNA) A group of overseas private creditors is ready to hold debt restructuring talks with SL consistent with the IMF's programme, their legal adviser said on Friday. The group "stands ready to engage quickly and effectively with the SL authorities to design and implement restructuring terms that would help SL restore debt sustainability and allow the country to re-gain access to the int'l capital markets," the creditor's legal adviser said in a letter to the Washington-based lender. more..

Feb 3 (NR) Belarus and Sri Lanka have identified ways to intensify contacts in business and education. The matter was discussed during the working visit of Belarusian Ambassador to India with concurrent accreditation to Bangladesh, SL, and Nepal Andrei Rzheussky to SL. The Belarusian Embassy in India said on 1 February, the Belarusian diplomat held meetings in Parliament, the Ministry of Justice, institutions of the penitentiary system of SL, and the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. more..

Feb 3 (AD) The vehicle of the businessman whose body was recovered in the swimming pool of a house under construction in Pelawatte yesterday has been found at a residence in Negombo. The couple believed to have brought the vehicle to Negombo has reportedly left the country. The businessman, who was reported missing since Jan 30, was found dead at a house under construction in Pelawatte last evening. The body of the 50-year-old, identified as a popular clothing store owner more..

Feb 3 (FT) Korean Envoy Santhush Woonjin Jeong on Monday attended the inauguration ceremony of a Korean company in SL, Hyosung Organic and Bio’s (Hyosung ONB) New Expansion Fertiliser Plant in Pannala. To mark this remarkable occasion, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera, State Minister of Agriculture Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva, Ministry of Agriculture Secretary Gunadasa Samarasinghe and Hyosung ONB Representative Moon Hyun Park, were present more..

Feb 3 (TM) RTI Commission on Wednesday instructed the Dept of Immigration and Emigration to hand over a written submission within two weeks, mentioning the reasons why the dept cannot divulge information relating to MPs who possess dual citizenship, in connection with the relevant RTI appeal made by the polls monitor, PAFFREL. PAFFREL’s Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said that the RTI Commission more..

Feb 3 (AN) As part of the govt policy on focusing and reconnecting with the countries in the African Continent, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe met with the envoys from the region. The meeting was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3rd Feb at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry, making the introductory remarks, stated that given the importance SL attaches to the countries in the African region the meeting was organized to coincide with more..

Feb 3 (PMD) US Prez Joseph R. Biden, in a warmly worded letter of felicitation, conveyed his best wishes to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of SL Independence. US Prez stated that he looks forward to strengthening and deepening the bilateral friendship even further and, together, continuing to advance the shared values and vision for a peaceful, prosperous and secure future for the people of the two countries. more..

Feb 3 (AD) China has hit back at the remarks made by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland that the terms extended by China to Sri Lanka to unlock IMF debt relief remain insufficient. In response to a question raised at a regular press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said the US Under Secretary’s comments do not reflect the truth. more..

Feb 3 (DM) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has informed in writing to the CEB today, not to impose any power cuts until Feb 16, PUCSL Chairman Janaka Rathnayake said. He said the decision was made to facilitate students sitting for A/L examinations. "When the matter came up yesterday at the President’s Counsel the CEB and CPC wanted time to obtain instructions from their clients. As Court was keen to take up the matter due to its National importance, more..

Feb 3 (DM) Right to Information Commission has filed a case before Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court against two Information Officers attached to the Health Ministry for their failure to disclose the ingredients of imported milk powder. On Feb 27, 2019, Dr. Nilan Fernando representing the People’s Movement for Free Health Service had filed an application requesting a report pertaining to the ingredients of imported milk powder. Subsequently, on Sept 24, 2021, RTI more..

Feb 4 (DM) Sri Lanka, being a sovereign state since 1948, is celebrating its 75th year of being such a state today with much pomp and pageantry, lavishly spending millions of rupees from public coffers which could have been otherwise used on essential kinds of medicine and medical equipment to save those who are crying in hospital beds for nothing, but life, due to sheer want of proper medication. However, some serious questions are worthy of being raised as to how truly independent Sri Lanka is and more..

Feb 4 (DM) Today Sri Lankans celebrate the 75th year of Independence, after almost 375 years of subjugation to Portuguese, Dutch and British Imperialists. While many among us celebrate the exit of the European invaders, some citizens question the value of political Independence in light of the country’s ongoing crises. They point to the economic and financial crisis and growing malnutrition among children. They compare the healthy bank reserves at Independence to more..