Jan 11 (Island) There seems to be no end in sight to the incumbent regime’s wrong moves. Perhaps, it does not care two hoots about them; it is impervious to public opinion, for power and greed blind rulers to reality. In what could be considered yet another ill-conceived move, the govt is allegedly trying to appoint Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena the next IGP. He has already been appointed the SDIG. The Prez Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), which probed the Easter Sunday terror attacks, more..

Jan 11 (CI) A scintillating 143-run opening stand between Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma put India into overdrive. Then Virat Kohli smoked a 45th ODI century to take the total into high altitude. SL replied gamely, Pathum Nissanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dasun Shanaka producing half-decent innings. But India had set a monster target of 374. And when SL slipped to 23 for 2 then 64 for 3 against some excellent India seam bowling, more..

Jan 11 (Island) The University of Moratuwa won both the men’s and women’s titles of the Inter-University Chess Championships as they scored full ten points to record convincing victories in the tournament that concluded on Sunday. In the men’s category, Moratuwa University beat South Eastern, Ruhuna, Sri Jayawardenapura, Peradeniya and Jaffna Universities, while in the women’s events, they beat Universities of Jaffna, Sabaragamuwa, Rajarata, Colombo and Peradeniya. more..

Jan 11 (FT) A new Tamil political alliance is set to emerge in SL ahead of the LG elections after coalition partners of TNA met yesterday and decided to contest the upcoming LG polls separately. Following a meeting at the residence of TNA Leader R. Sampanthan on the upcoming polls, TELO Leader Selvam Adaikalanathan said the party will form an alliance with C.V. Vigneswaran’s TPNA. Northern Province former Chief Minister and current MP Vigneswaran, is expected to be named more..

Jan 11 (ST) Govt has, for the first-time, promulgated laws to compel the public and private sector to secure any radioactive sources they hold–such as radiotherapy machines and irradiators–against theft, sabotage and other dangerous malpractices. Regulations for the Security of Radioactive Sources during Manufacture, Use or Storage came into effect last month. They were gazetted by the Power and Energy Minister. The measures required to be taken include installing a physical security system more..

Jan 11 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on Monday approved to opening up of the lubricant oil market and the selection of entrants to offer competitive prices. The proposal to market high-quality, innovative products and allow consumers to have the opportunity to buy lubricants at a more competitive price submitted by Minister Kanchana Wijesekera was approved by the Cabinet. At present, 26 licensed companies including CPC are engaged in the lubricant industry in SL. more..

Jan 11 (EN) The SLPP and UNP, will join forces to contest the local govt elections that may or may not take place in March this year. UNP general secretary Palitha Range Bandara told reporters following a discussion between the president and SLPP representatives Monday that the two parties will contest the election together under the SLPP’s Pohottuwa (lotus bud) symbol for some of the local bodies, UNP’s elephant symbol for some and a common symbol for the others. more..

Jan 11 (EN) Despite fresh spikes of COVID-19 infections in China, Sri Lanka is yet to prepare for possible influx of tourists from Beijing, which relaxed COVID-19 travel measures last month, officials said. China opened its borders for outbound travel last month almost after three-years of its zero-COVID policy and the infections in the 1.4 billion nation have hit staggering levels filling up crematoriums. Many Asian countries have imposed mandatory tests for Chinese tourists while more..

Jan 11 (WP) In the aftermath of Sunday’s attack on Brazil’s three branches of govt, SL Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe condemned the riot — and drew parallels to the upheaval in SL over the summer, appearing to say the events should be understood in the same light, although govt critics were quick to say they bore little in common. “I am deeply concerned about the recent violence that erupted in #Brasilia,” he tweeted. “#Sri Lanka, not so long ago, also experienced similar attempts by groups more..

Jan 11 (DM) Canada has imposed targeted sanctions on four Sri Lankans including former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Other two Sri Lankans sanctioned are staff sergeant Sunil Ratnayake and Lt Commander Chandana Hettiarachchi. A statement from the Canadian govt said Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced Canada imposed targeted sanctions under more..

Jan 11 (EN) The newly announced alliance between the ruling SLPP and UNP is no threat to the main opposition SJB, according to an SJB spokesman. SJB national list MP Tissa Attanayake told reporters that the SLPP and the UNP have joined forces because neither party enjoys enough support to contest alone. “The UNP-SLPP alliance is in no way a challenge to the SJB,” said Attanayake. MP said the SJB expects to contest the polls together with all parties, organisations affiliated with the party. more..

Jan 11 (HT) Indian pacer Mohammed Shami tried to outsmart the SL skipper Dasun Shanaka at the non-striker’s end with a clever run-out in the 1st ODI on Tuesday. Virat Kohli-inspired Team India defeated SL by 67 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Just when India's meeting with SL was heading towards an anticlimactic ending for the visitors, Indian pacer Mohammed Shami tried to outsmart SL skipper Dasun Shanaka at the non-striker’s end with a clever run-out on Tue. more..

Jan 11 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court further remanded YouTuber Sepal Amarasinghe until 17 January. Amarasinghe was remanded until today on 6 Jan, on orders of Colombo Additional Magistrate Tharanga Mahawatta, over the recent controversial statements he made about the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, commonly known as the Sri Dalada Maligawa. He was arrested in Bellanwila by the CID on 5 Jan after the public complaints division of CID commenced probes into the matter. more..

Jan 11 (DM) According to the electricity board act and the Public Utilities Commission act, either the CEB, Power and Energy Ministry, or the Cabinet do not have the authority to increase the electricity tariff, Former Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka said. He said that the aforementioned parties lacked the authority to change the tariff in a way that affected the past. The full authority for announcing the electricity tariff is with the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL). more..

Jan 11 (DM) As State coffers have run dry owing to the steep contraction of the economy last year, Prez Wickremesinghe has instructed all ministries to cut five percent of their allocated budgets for 2023 to manage limited funds by prioritising salary and pension payments to public sector employees. “Prez informed the Cabinet that the public sector is facing much severe crisis than initially expected. more..

Jan 11 (AD) Colombo Magistrate’s Court rejected the petition filed by Adarsha Karadana requesting the court to release her on anticipatory bail. On 3 January, Karadana, who was recently in the spotlight after releasing an alleged video of her estranged partner, former Presidential Advisor Ashu Marasinghe sexually abusing her pet dog, filed a petition with the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, requesting that she be released on anticipatory bail on account that CID is preparing to arrest her. more..

Jan 11 (Island) Finance Ministry couldn’t have been unaware of the national carrier’s decision to pay bonuses to its employees, as a senior ministry official was on the airline Board of Directors, a high-ranking state official said on condition of anonymity. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe serves as the Finance Minister. PMD said that there hadn’t been any other media releases in this regard since the Prez had called for explanation from SriLankan Airlines and CPC a week ago about the bonus issue. more..

Jan 11 (TM) Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya proceeded to conduct the death inquest of Janashakthi PLC Director Dinesh Schaffter in the Magistrate’s chamber instead of in open court, as per a request made by the deceased’s family members, for the second consecutive day. The death inquest was taken up yesterday, and the Additional Magistrate ordered that it be conducted in the Magistrate’s chamber at the request of Schaffter’s family. more..

Jan 11 (DM) It was a direct violation of the Constitution by the Prez to take a Cabinet decision to halt accepting deposits for the LG elections, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He said that the Cabinet has exceeded its powers making directions to halt accepting deposits. Cabinet decision has been taken to the effect that there was a rift within the elections commission and that opinion of the AG should be sought and accepting deposits should be halted until then. more..

Jan 11 (TM) With the Cabinet having approved the proposal submitted by the CEB for a revision of electricity tariffs according to a cost-reflective pricing formula, the PUCSL is to write to the CEB requesting for the latter to produce all absolute costs of power generating energy sources without profits and costs of administration, evaporation, and other such costs, following which an evaluation and public consultation will take place for the revision of more..

Jan 11 (TM) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe has emphasised that the public should refrain from unnecessarily worrying about the recent revelations made pertaining to the payment of Govt employees funds, pensions, and the Samurdhi allowances. Semasinghe assured that priority is being given to the payment of the salaries of public servants, pensions, and other welfare benefit schemes, such as the Samurdhi allowances. “There shouldn’t be any undue fear about this,” he said, more..

Jan 11 (AD) The govt has directed district secretaries to suspend the acceptance of deposits for the local govt election in an attempt to defer the polls, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa revealed, citing a letter purportedly signed by the Secretary to Ministry of Public Adm, Home Affairs & LG. According to the said letter, ministerial secretary Neil Bandara Hapuhinna has instructed all district secretaries not to accept election deposits from the contestants until further notice, more..

Jan 11 (FT) Election Commission of SL last night fired off a letter to all returning officers reminding them of their duties after a directive was issued by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs Neil Bandara Hapuhinna earlier in the day instructing District Secretaries to stop accepting deposits from parties expecting to contest at the upcoming Local Govt election. Hapuhinna in the letter to more..

Jan 12 (DM) With Sri Lanka still struggling to come out of its worst ever socio-economic crisis since independence, some non-party political experts have suggested some practical solutions which the govt of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLPP need to consider and implement. Once such expert is the widely-respected and patient-friendly Dr. L.A.W. Sirisena who has deep care and compassion for the millions of poverty-trapped people in Sri Lanka. His fees are nominal and more..

Jan 12 (CT) There are no unbreathing, dead bodies in graves under six feet to be rolling over. From DS Senanayake to Dudley to Sir John to JRJ to Premadasa, well respected leaders of the Grand Old Party, UNP, were Buddhists and consequently, when they passed away, were all cremated. Only the ashes remained and we don’t know what and how the respective families chose to do with the ashes. The leadership of the UNP is now in the hands of Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prez of SL today. more..

Jan 12 (DM) MP Champika Ranawaka who heads the 43rd Brigade shares his views on the present political situation, local govt elections and economics in response to questions directed at him. Q: The elections to the local authorities have been declared. The govt appears to be trying to figure out a way to postpone it. The opposition parties agitate for early elections. What is your view? A: The right to exercise franchise more..

Jan 12 (DM) When the then US Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives, Teresita Currie Schaffer, insisted in the early 1990s that SL’s food security lies in the wheat fields of North America, it was obviously a part of a general anti-rice rant with a view to propping the American wheat farmer. This is not surprising for Schaffer had served in the State Department as Director of the Office of the Office of International Trade in the early 1980s. It made sense as per certain dubious economic theories: more..

Jan 12 (CT) This paper on Wednesday reported that Minister Manusha Nanayakkara expects to commence English medium day care centres for estate workers’ children, to mark 200 years of bringing workers from India to work on estates. Accordingly, Nanayakkara has given instructions to pay special attention to the welfare of workers. “A pilot project of this nature is expected to be implemented by the end of this month and it would be expanded further after that,” he noted. more..

Jan 12 (TM) The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has denied allegations (6 January) made by several medical trade unions regarding its participation in a recent controversial tour to India with Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, where a team of officials had inspected several pharmaceutical manufacturing plants. Responding to a question by The Sunday Morning, the NMRA claimed that more..

Jan 12 (TM) Proving the dynamic nature of politics, in that there are no permanent friends or enemies in politics but only permanent interests, the UNP and SLPP are preparing to form an alliance that many Sri Lankans never expected to witness. This week, the UNP announced that an agreement has been reached between the two parties to form the said alliance to contest the upcoming Local Govt (LG) election. While the UNP will contest under its traditional elephant symbol in certain areas, more..

Jan 12 (GV) Among the reprisals faced by prominent leaders of the people’s uprising last year were arrests, detentions, travel bans and continuing court cases. Many leaders have multiple court cases pending against them despite being released on bail. The Inter Uni Student Federation (IUSF) was one of the groups that mobilized large numbers to the streets and its convener, Wasantha Mudalige, was among the most prominent protest leaders last year. His detention for nearly 5 months more..

Jan 12 (ST) On Thursday this week, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya was celebrating their 50th anniversary. It was not only a consequential day for squash’s latest women’s champion, Chanithma Sinaly’s alma mater Sirimavo BV, but so was it for her. Nearly a week since winning the 42nd Squash Senior Nationals, as a champion for the first time, she is sitting pretty in fame and name. “After the Commonwealth Games (CWG), the school had a felicitation for me. more..

Jan 12 (Island) Predictably, sections of SL opinion are seeing some similarities between the recent acts of lawlessness in Brazil, coming close on the heels of the re-election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to that country’s presidency, and the anti-govt protests that swept SL some months ago, or the Aragalaya, which resulted in former Prez Gotabhaya Rajapaksa stepping down from power, among other things. The tendency is strong to brand the unrest in SL too as evidence of fascism but more..

Jan 12 (CI) Sri Lanka head coach Chris Silverwood rued the lack of discipline from his bowlers after his side's 67-run loss to India in the first ODI in Guwahati. Sri Lanka had put India in after winning the toss but Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill seized the momentum for the hosts with a 143-run stand in just 19.4 overs. Virat Kohli then scored his 45th ODI hundred to help India post a daunting 373/7. "Obviously, we didn't get off to the best start," more..

Jan 12 (DM) SL’s economy is expected to contract by 4.2% in 2023, after an estimated contraction of 9.2% in 2022, the World Bank (WB) shared in its latest projections. According to the latest Global Economic Prospects report that was released this week, the development lender said Sri Lanka is set to witness positive growth only in 2024, where the economy is projected to grow by mere one percent. For the year 2022, the WB estimates that the output in Sri Lanka has fallen by 9.2%, more..

Jan 12 (Island) A failed regime that fears elections and tries to sabotage them is a danger to a democratic society. There is hardly anything that such a dispensation does not do to cling on to power. The incumbent SLPP-UNP administration is all out to delay the local govt (LG) polls in a bid to avoid a crushing defeat. On Tuesday, the govt played what it considered its trump card in a desperate bid to postpone the LG polls. Cabinet of ministers made Secy to ministry of more..