Feb 6 (DM) SJB is expected to boycott the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Wednesday. Deputy Chief Opposition Whip Nalin Bandara said that MPs of his party will boycott the opening and the presentation of the policy statement by Prez on Wednesday. “We have also decided to boycott the two-day debate on the Prez’s policy statement which is to be held on Thursday and Friday. SJB decided to boycott these events as we are merely spectators in these exercises,” more..

Feb 6 (Island) A case had been filed against the construction of the 3.15 km Orugudawatta-Athurugiriya highway, running through Thalangama-Avarihena wetland, Centre for Environmental Justice legal team said. Construction of roads through a wetland was to be carried out under the National Environment Act 1487/10 Gazette. However, an environmental impact assessment report has not been submitted more..

Feb 6 (FT) The latest BOI-approved expansion project worth $ 12.5 million of Diamond Cutters Ltd, recently launched its factory at the Modarawila Industrial Zone, Panadura. Indian HC Gopal Baglay, BOI Director General Renuka Weerakone and other distinguished dignitaries attended the launch. Diamond Cutters Ltd is SL’s highest export earner in the gem and jewellery segment and a subsidiary of Niru Group of Companies. The expansion project is a new factory, dedicated to cutting and more..

Feb 6 (CT) SLPP dissident MP Chandima Weerakkody appeared on the SJB election platform in Galle recently. When inquired from Weerakkody about his showing up on the SJB platform on Saturday, he said he had no intention of getting SJB membership but would work towards forming ‘a grand opposition alliance’. “I got on to the SJB stage as a part of the process to build a grand opposition alliance. Our intention is to get all opposition forces together, to build SL from the beginning. more..

Feb 6 (TM) Instead of taking action against relevant District Secretaries (DS) and rice millers regarding the disappearance of 5,684 metric tonnes (MT) of rice produced by using Govt-purchased paddy, and such rice having been sold to the private sector at high prices during the period of 2019-21, Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies has sought the approval of Cabinet to recover the value of relevant quantities more..

Feb 6 (AD) YouTuber and political vlogger Dharshana Handungoda, who was arrested by the CID last night, has been released by the Colombo Fort Magistrate under two surety bails. He was ordered released on two surety bails of Rs. 200,000 each by Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, after being produced before court today. The case was ordered to be taken up once again on May 17, 2023. He was arrested by the CID at the BIA around midnight on Sunday upon arriving in SL from Dubai. more..

Feb 6 (RTE) A dramatic final over saw SL edge to a two-run victory over Ireland in their T20 World Cup warm-up game. Harshitha Samarawickrama's half-century helped set a target of 150, yet despite Arlene Kelly’s impressive cameo in the final five overs, SL took two wickets in the last set of six to bowl Ireland out. SL made a strong start before captain Chamari Athapaththu was lbw for 27 in the seventh over, but Ireland were unable to break the 87-run partnership of Samarawickrama and more..

Feb 6 (AD) Foreign Minister Ali Sabry says that on the instructions of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, he contacted the Foreign Ministry of Turkey and offered assistance for search and rescue. “When Tsunami struck our country in 2004, Türkiye provided immediate humanitarian assistance and built a housing complex for those lost their houses,” the foreign minister tweeted. Earlier today, Minister Sabry had expressed his shock over the devastating earthquake that struck Kahramanmaras, more..

Feb 6 (PMD) A National Youth Film Festival has been organized in conjunction with the 75th National Independence Day celebrations to create a national platform for young filmmakers. This program is planned under the National Youth Platform which is implemented according to a concept of Prez Wickremesinghe. This National Youth Film Festival is scheduled to be held in the month of August under the theme Ape Aluth Katha (Our new stories). The aim of this project is to encourage students more..

Feb 6 (EN) Doctors representing Govt Medical Officers Association (GMOA) distributed leaflets outside the Colombo Fort railway station against a progressive tax hike, threatening to address the govt in a language it speaks. GMOA Secretary Haritha Aluthge told reporters outside the busy Fort railway station Monday (6) that all professional associations have collectively agreed to oppose the personal income tax hike. more..

Feb 6 (CT) Panadura North Police arrested 41 persons, on 4 February, during a raid on a party, organised through Facebook. Police said the party was held at a hotel located in Horetuduwa. Eight men and two women were arrested with cannabis and 29 others, who were present, were also taken into custody. Additionally, two others were arrested over a complaint lodged by a party goer claiming that she was sexually assaulted. The suspects were aged between 20 and 40 years and more..

Feb 6 (TM) Air Traffic Controllers’ Association of SL (SLATCA) has raised concerns over a potential standstill of air traffic movements, owing to the increasing number of controllers resigning from their posts. Issuing a statement, SLATCA noted that 19 air traffic controllers have resigned from their posts within a span of a year. “If four or five more controllers leave, air traffic movements will come to a standstill even without a strike,” SLATCA President Thisara Amarananda said in this regard, more..

Feb 6 (TM) College of Medical Laboratory Scientists (CMLS) claimed that despite having received credit facilities and other forms of financial assistance for the purchase of pharmaceutical drugs and medical supplies from a number of institutions, such as Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and World Bank (WB), Ministry of Health continues to default on the payments to more..

Feb 6 (DM) Prominent Businessman and Managing Director of Chint Energy and Synergy Ventures Kamil Hussain passed away in Kenya yesterday. Hussain was reported to have been infected with dengue and had also developed viral pneumonia. Expressing his condolences over the demise of Hussain, Minister Ali Sabry said Kamil Hussain was a friend, patriot, and social activist who despite repeated disappointments and setbacks believed in unity in diversity for all Sri Lankans. more..

Feb 6 (TM) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva noted that the outdated Customs Ordinance should be amended to carry out an efficient clearance process according to the needs of the time, as the law does not allow the Ports Authority to recover the money earned by Customs as warehousing fees. During a discussion held at the Ministry of Ports and Aviation on Fridayit was revealed that about 89 containers imported into SL, and detained by the customs have been stored in the Port’s terminals and more..

Feb 7 (DM) Colombo High Court Judge Adithya Patabendige rejecting a request by former police officer ASP Kulasiri Udugampola that he be acquitted and released from the famous Millennium City safe-house case without calling defence evidence, had decided on Jan 24 to proceed with the case. What is important here is not the decision of the judge, but the long gap between the time the offence allegedly committed and this decision. The decision did not conclude the case, but more..

Feb 7 (DM) A Direct appeal was made to the Prez by the Mahanayakes of all four Buddhist chapters against the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. They point out that the implementation of the 13th A in full is deplorable and reprehensible. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s experienced political vision, mission and India’s moral responsibility are the safeguards for Tamils. This statement was made by Dr. N. Kumaraguruparan, Vice Prez of Tamil Professionals Forum, addressing the media. more..

Feb 7 (DM) Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen who was in Sri Lanka in view of the 75th Independence Day celebrations speaks to Daily Mirror on the current status of bilateral ties, way forward and secret behind success of Bangladesh which transformed itself from being a country of food deficit to one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Q: In what ways have bilateral ties evolved during last few years? more..

Feb 7 (CT) Sri Lanka is yet again at cross roads when marking 75 years of independence. A spiralling economic crisis has resulted in over 9 million fellow citizens slipping into poverty, with over 30% of families food insecure and 56,000 children facing acute malnutrition. These startling figures are in the context of shortages of essential items, rising prices and continuing power cuts impacting the most vulnerable communities and exposing Sri Lanka’s deepening inequalities. more..

Feb 7 (DM) Last week, much of the UK came to a standstill as the country saw its single largest day of industrial action in over a decade; some estimates put the number at around 500,000 protesters. Seen in the thick of this industrial action were nurses, teachers, university staff, civil servants and train drivers; forming a broad coalition from across the gamut of the British working class. The protests are a response to what the BBC, Guardian and many others have referred to as soaring inflation more..

Feb 7 (TM) The spate of anti-Govt protests that took place last year, are interpreted by many as a crucial turning point in Sri Lanka’s people-led movements aimed at positive social, economic, and political reforms. That notion is agreeable to a great extent, as the people showed unity, resilience, resolution, and vigour like never before in recent memory. However, that was also an era of serious human rights violations where more..

Feb 7 (GV) The media have been replete with the pronouncements that the president of Sri Lanka was going to resolve the ethnic issue by taking some rapid action measures. However, scepticism was inevitable when the proposals were shorn of their rhetoric. Firstly, the current president has wielded political power for 40 years. He appeared to have periodically attempted to work toward reconciliation but the outcome of all those attempts has been nothing but a big nought. more..

Feb 7 (CT) Even while microloans are intended to empower women from low-income households, they are currently causing debt-strapped SL women to end their lives, sometimes together with their children. The National Movement of Microfinance Loan Victims was quoted as saying that 225 women had opted to end their lives because they were unable to pay back their microloans. Movement’s convener Nirosha Guruge said although this was the official statistic, several people reportedly more..

Feb 7 (Island) Sri Lanka has celebrated its 75th independence anniversary. Its Prez Wickremesinghe has taken matters into his hands with unprecedented assertiveness. Perhaps, he senses his last chance, and wishes to solve as many problems as he can, before he leaves. A bankrupt economy, shortages of food, energy, and medical supplies, compounded by distrust among ethnic groups are on his plate. But Wickremasinghe has ignored economic problems and more..

Feb 7 (FT) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce Deputy Secretary General & Chief Operating Officer (COO) Alikie Perera has been appointed to the prestigious General Council of World Chambers Federation (WCF) of the Int'l Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Counting over 30 years of service at the Ceylon Chamber Secretariat, Perera is a veteran of the national and int'l Chamber community. She is a member of the senior management team deciding on policy & strategic direction of Chamber. more..

Feb 7 (ST) The CEB's piecemeal solution to add 100 MW of capacity to the national grid by installing mini diesel generators spending billions of rupees to provide uninterrupted electricity supply has become a worthless endeavour, an internal investigation committee report revealed. The emergency power of these generators is connected to the national grid when a power shortage or breakdown is encountered, a top official of more..

Feb 7 (TM) As was reported by The Daily Morning yesterday, instead of taking action against the relevant District Secretaries (DS) and rice millers regarding the alleged disappearance of 5,684 metric tonnes (MT) of rice produced through the use of Govt purchased paddy, and the sale of such rice to the private sector at high prices during the 2019-2021 period, the Government is planning to recover the value of the relevant quantities of rice from millers at a rate of around Rs. 96 per kg. more..

Feb 7 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to implement the controversial 13A fully could not have come at a worse time for pseudo-patriots such as the SLPP leaders, who enabled him to realise his presidential dream, and are therefore responsible for his acts or omissions. They have refused to grant the Provincial Councils land and police powers, claiming that such measures are fraught with the danger of leading to secession. Now, they find themselves in a dilemma. more..

Feb 7 (FT) Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL (CA SL) has written to Prez Wickremesinghe seeking an interactive session on Zoom to resolve pressing issues. The move follows CA SL receiving complaints from stakeholders, including members, regarding the recent implementation of the tax policy as well as the need for reduction in Govt expenditure and improving transparency on tax spending. CA SL President Sanjaya Bandara has informed Wickremesinghe in writing that more..

Feb 7 (ST) A tumultuous welcome was afforded by her alma mater to the captain of the Asian Netball Championship winning team, Gayanjali Amarawanse at Girls’ High School, Kandy. She was welcomed by the Principal Malkanthi Abeygunawrdene, Deputy Principal Champika Karunadasa, the staff members and the entire school, where she was welcomed by the school band. Gayanjali speaking at the event said that she was in the school from her primary days and she did what was adviced by more..

Feb 7 (FT) The Air Traffic Controllers Association of SL (ATCASL) has warned that if the Government does not pay attention to retaining air traffic officers, operations will halt without a strike. With the subject Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva refusing to implement Airport & Aviation Services (SL) Ltd., Board-approved proposal to address the staffing issues, ATCASL called on Prez’s intervention to resolve the matter immediately. more..

Feb 7 (CI) Chandika Hathurusingha's return as Bangladesh men's head coach, on a new two-year deal from February 20, has been the talk of the country's cricketing circles. He held the position from June 2014 to October 2017, a ground-breaking period for the team. But then he left in a huff, taking on the SL job soon after and going on lead his new team to victory over Bangladesh. Hathurusingha, however, is a BCB favourite and now makes his return, taking charge across formats, more..

Feb 7 (AD) SL has the potential to establish the green economy, specially by way of renewable energy, said Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing a High-Level event on Strategies and Actions to Accelerate SL’s Transition to a Green Growth Pathway. He said further that SL Govt prepared a Natural Adaption Plan and National Environment Action Plan to ensure a green economy and a better world by 2050. The event, held at the Hilton Colombo this morning (6), was organized by more..

Feb 7 (DM) The suspect arrested over the death of a businessman whose body was found in a swimming pool in Thalangama recently reportedly confessed to the police that he had killed the businessman following a dispute over their relationship. The body of the businessman Roshan Wanninayaka was found in his 3 storied building which is being constructed at Pelawatta, Thalangama. more..

Feb 7 (FT) Enhancing its capabilities as a third-party logistics provider, Advantis 3PL Plus, a subsidiary of the Hayleys Advantis Group, unveiled a state-of-the-art Central Logistics Hub in Thulhiriya, Kegalle. Hayleys Chairman Mohan Pandithage ceremonially opened the premises in the presence of Hayleys Advantis Managing Director Ruwan Waidyaratne, Hayleys Advantis Group Management Committee members, BOI Investor Services Executive Director Mahinda Ramanayake, BOI Zones more..

Feb 7 (Island) The official Fun Run announcing the 19th Asian Games will be held under the patronage of the Olympic Council of Asia Director General -Dr. Husain Al-Musallam and a host of dignitaries at the Colombo Int'l Financial City (Port City) today. The quadrennial Asian Games which was originally scheduled for Sept 2022 was postponed in May due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in and around the host city of Hangzhou in China. The Game will now be held in Hangzhou, China from more..