Jan 19 (Island) Governor of CB, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said that SL had been hiding its bankruptcy which had actually occurred months before it was officially announced. He said so during a multi-TV channel programme where several key political and public officials responsible for SL's economy were quizzed by journalists. “At present, we are taking necessary measures to resurrect such an economy plagued by bankruptcy,” more..

Jan 19 (TM) With the appointment of the three non-Parliamentary civil society members to the 10-member Constitutional Council (CC), reconstituted recently under the 21st Amendment to the Constitution after its abolition by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, and replacement with a Parliamentary Council, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana noted that the reconstituting of the independent Commissions by the CC would be discussed in the upcoming weeks. more..

Jan 19 (AD) A woman, who was a candidate of the upcoming Local Govt elections, has been brutally murdered inside her house in the Minuwangoda area. Police suspect that the unidentified perpetrators, who committed the murder, have hacked her to death with sharp weapons. However, they had later torched her house and fled the scene. The suspects have also taken away the decoder of the CCTV cameras installed in the victim’s house. 65-year-old victim, named Shanthi Padmini, more..

Jan 19 (FT) Fitch Ratings said yesterday it downgraded the National Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) Ratings of seven SL insurers following the recent sovereign downgrade and recalibration of the agency’s SL National Rating scale. The 7 insurers’ ratings have been maintained on Rating Watch Negative (RWN). The recalibration is to reflect changes in the relative creditworthiness among SL issuers following Fitch’s downgrade of SL’s Long-Term Local Currency Issuer Default Rating more..

Jan 19 (Island) The police headquarters has failed to fill the vacancies in the Investigation Unit assigned to the Permanent CIABOC, despite a directive given by the Cabinet-of-Ministers, The Island learns that the CIABOC has repeatedly made representations to the govt in this regard. Of the required strength of 275 officers and men, the unit is short of 80 personnel. Sources said that the CIABOC was struggling to cope up with the workload, for want of sufficient strength. more..

Jan 19 (TM) A heated argument erupted yesterday between former Prez and Defence Minister and incumbent Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena and SJB MP and former Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, based on the recent judgement delivered by Supreme Court (SC) against Sirisena and several others regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 2019, during which critical comments were made more..

Jan 19 (EN) Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict on SL’s 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has urged the govt to provide full reparations to the victims, establish the truth and ensure justice. “Whilst no amount of compensation can ever erase the suffering and pain of the victims and families, this judgment marks a step in the victims’ struggle for recognition of the harm suffered and their rights to truth, justice & reparation. more..

Jan 19 (FT) A top official warned yesterday that the failure of the CEB to settle its colossal dues running up to over Rs. 100 billion to the CPC could jeopardise all economic activities. “CPC has provided fuel for the CEB to generate power and the payments due to date amount to Rs. 108 billion. The inability to settle this colossal amount is causing financial constraints to the Corporation and inaction to the repeated requests made could lead to the collapse of both State-run enterprises, more..

Jan 19 (TM) With the Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, popularly known as the Campaign Finance Regulation Bill, to be taken up in Parliament for voting today, concerns and doubts have been expressed by the Opposition and poll monitors as to whether the passage of this Bill, which is virtually certain to be passed with support from both sides of the aisle owing to its nature and importance, would however lead more..

Jan 19 (FT) To be or not to be, every passing day our existential angst only deepens. In our youth we were told that SL is a developing country, a description suggestive of an existing state of under-development. To us youngsters, this idea of national backwardness was abstract, we had no experience of any other economy or a lifestyle other than what prevailed in this island, and to be young is a joy. Our access to the larger world came from books and movies; Enid Blyton, Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, more..

Jan 19 (FT) SL’s soft power, international space and profile began shrinking well before the economic crisis. Had that not been the case, we could have mounted a global campaign for debt relief, strengthening our hand in negotiations. One hopes that a newly elected govt and an elected president will do so. It is sign of SL’s external affairs crisis that it has not opened up a combination of Track 2 and global public diplomacy, promoting the call for a debt moratorium signed by almost 182 scholars more..

Jan 19 (SLN) A coordinated search operation carried out by the Navy and the Office of Excise Dept in Galle led to the apprehension of 02 suspects with 120 packets of foreign cigarettes, over 05kg of tobacco powder and 2400 cigarette filters in Ahangama today (18). SL Navy, together with the law enforcement agencies of the country, conducts regular search operations to curb illegal activities. Based on information received by the Navy, this combined search operation was conducted more..

Jan 19 (EN) India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has arrived in Colombo for a two-day official visit close on the heels of a written assurance provided to the IMF of India’s strong support for Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring plans. Jaishankar’s entourage includes senior officials from India’s ministry of external affairs and he is scheduled to meet Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, PM Dinesh Gunawardena, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and other officials. more..

Jan 19 (AD) MPs Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Jeevan Thondaman have been sworn in as cabinet ministers. General Secretary of CWC Thondaman took oaths as the Minister of Water supply and Estate Infrastructure. Meanwhile, SLPP MP Wanniarachchi has been appointed as the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation. The ministerial portfolio of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation was left vacant following the resignation of Minister Mahinda Amaraweera this morning. more..

Jan 19 (AD) PAFFREL has raised concerns about the use of public property for upcoming LG election purposes. In a letter directed to the chairman of the election body, Nimal G. Punchihewa, PAFFREL’s executive director Rohana Hettiarachchi noted that since the announcement of the LG election, there have been complaints regarding the use of public property – office vehicles, development projects, welfare projects, and project openings – by the heads of local govt bodies ostensibly for the promotion of interests more..

Jan 19 (AD) Sumitra Peries, the first Sri Lankan female filmmaker and also the beloved wife of veteran film director Lester James Peries, has passed away this morning, at the age of 88. She had reportedly passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Born in 1934, she was aged 88 years at the time of her demise. Her contribution to the development of Sinhala Cinema includes Gehenu Lamai, Ganga Addara, Yahaluvo, Maya, Sakman Maluwa and Vaishnavee. more..

Jan 19 (ST) The magnitude of the bribes solicited from an Indian businessman by two senior SL public officials–including former Prez Maithripala Sirisena’s one-time Chief of Staff–to unblock a legitimate project were unimaginable, Supreme Court (SC) observed this week. The Court stressed that “it would be difficult for this country to revive itself as long as high officers like the accused-appellants would hold such high offices in the Govt”. more..

Jan 19 (Island) Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane has highlighted the significance of SL’s economic partnership with UK, under the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which provides duty free access to the UK market, as well as in other sectors, such as enhancing UK’s contribution to SL’s tourism and skilled labour migration. Wijewardane addressed this issue when she received Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK, more..

Jan 19 (AD) PM Dinesh Gunawardena informed the Parliament a short while ago, that the CID has commenced probes into the recent threats against two members of the Election Commission. Speaking at today’s Parliamentary session, PM assured that an immediate investigation is underway into the recent death threats received by two members of the SL Election Commission pertaining to the upcoming Local Govt (LG) elections. Accordingly, Gunawardena stated that the CID initiated the probe last night (18). more..

Jan 19 (EN) United States welcomes India’s decision to support Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring plans and stands ready to assist the island nation unlock the IMF’s extended fund facility (EFF) once all creditors come on board, US Ambassador Julie Chung said. The diplomat tweeted that the US was pleased to see India confirm its strong support to Sri Lanka’s prospective EFF programme and commit to providing financing/debt relief transparently and in coordination with the Paris Club. more..

Jan 19 (AD) Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has stated that measures are currently underway to remove all other benefits which are given to low-income families along with the Samurdhi allowance. Speaking at an event organized by the National Productivity Secretariat, Nanayakkara noted thtat although the Samurdhi allowance will continue to be paid, steps will be taken to strip away the other privileges that are given along with it. Accordingly, he has spoken to the Prez in this regard, more..

Jan 19 (TM) TPA noted that unless there is written assurance from Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on their basic demand that he should nominate a special committee to look into the issues of hill-country Tamils, TPA would not show keen interest in attending the upcoming all-‽party conference. TPA Leader and SJB MP Mano Ganesan said that the TPA had continuously reminded Prez of the need to separately address the socio-political issues of the hill-country Tamils. more..

Jan 19 (DM) Claiming that the main purpose of the Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill is not to cut down on election expenditure, but to postpone the LG election, MP G.L Peiris said it was not an easy task to postpone the LG polls. He told Parliament that the series of events that were unfolded during the past week aiming to postpone the election including the letter sent by Public Administration Ministry Secretary halting the acceptance of deposits were against Constitutional values. more..

Jan 19 (CT) Chairperson of the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) Dharshani Lahandapura will be removed from the post with immediate effect, as per the request by State Minister Arundika Fernando and the approval of Prez. In a letter dated 9 Jan 2023, Secretary to the Prez Saman Ekanayake informed the Secretary of the Ministry of Ubran Development and Housing that the Prez has approved Fernando’s request to remove Lahandapura and appoint Asela Rekawa to the post with immediate effect. more..

Jan 19 (TM) The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) once established, should hold responsible those directly involved in acts of terrorism, and also those who indirectly supported terrorist activities by aiding and abetting, Minister of Fisheries and Leader of the EPDP Douglas Devananda said. Accordingly, the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers’ was granted to implement the concept of a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism on Monday. more..

Jan 19 (Island) Former CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal has sent the following response to the caption of our front-page picture yesterday. “I refer to the caption that appeared with my picture in your esteemed newspaper on Wednesday. It was accurately stated that the overseas travel ban against me had been extended by the Honourable Magistrate in relation to private complaint filed by an ex-Provincial Governor. “In this connection, I wish to state that I have always asked the Learned President’s Counsel more..

Jan 19 (AD) The bodies of two teenagers have been found inside an abandoned house in the Galewala area. The bodies of a 14-year-old female and a 17-year-old male were found by the Galewala Police this morning inside an abandoned house in the area. The two are believed to have been involved romantically, and had previously attempted to elope. They were subsequently found after an investigation was launched based on complaints received, following which the girl was placed in the custody of her mother. more..

Jan 19 (EN) shares edge up in mid day trade on Thursday, market saw positive sentiments after Prex Wickremesinghe announced that discussions with lenders are successful giving long awaited green light to investors, an analyst said. Debt re-structuring talks with India and China are successful, Prez Wickremesinghe told parliament as the country is trying get an IMF bailout of US$ 2.9 billion. “I can tell this assembly that the talks are successful,” Prez Wickremesinghe told parliament. more..

Jan 19 (CT) Over 200 million coconuts have been destroyed by toque macaque, monkeys and giant squirrels in 2022, a study conducted by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute revealed. According to the study, in January to June of 2022, coconut plantations have suffered the most crop damage by wildlife. While in the first six months in 2022, 93 million coconuts have been destroyed by toque monkeys, monkeys and Giant Squirrels, by the end of 2022, more..

Jan 19 (DM) The suspect who has been arrested in connection with the daylight murder of a female Uni Student on Tuesday has revealed the chilling details of the incident while giving his statement to the Police. The statement was given by suspect Pasidu Chathuranga, who studies at the same faculty. Following is extracted from the statement that the Police said he had given. “I slit her neck after blindfolding her in the name of a surprise at the Racecourse ground,” more..

Jan 19 (Island) Rebel SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe should seek a fresh mandate if he intended to fully implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. UNP leader Wickremesinghe couldn’t under any circumstances go ahead with his plans at the moment, the rebel SLPP National List lawmaker said. “The President shouldn’t forget that his responsibility is to complete the remainder of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term,” the MP said. more..

Jan 19 (EN) Central Bank has been aggressively injecting liquidity on a longer term in the past weeks reducing liquidity shortages in the banking system, which if overdone could lead to forex shortages and instability again. The central bank has injected 340 billion rupees through term injections – largely replacing lending window operations from Jan 9 and overnight injections began on Jan 17. While liquidity shortages beyond a certain point has no value, care should be taken to ensure that more..

Jan 19 (AD) Several election monitoring organisations have raised concerns pertaining to the recent Regulation of Election Expenditure Bill, which is being debated in Parliament today. Accordingly, a collective of election monitoring organisations comprising of TISL, PAFFREL, CMEV and Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES) have raised concerns regarding several loopholes in the Bill, emphasizing that it remains inadequate. more..

Jan 19 (SLN) USS ‘Anchorage’ (LPD-23) of the US Navy arrived at the Port of Colombo today to take part in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training Exercise -2023 (CARAT–2023). Upon her arrival, the visiting ship was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in compliance with naval traditions. USS ‘Anchorage’ is a 208m long San Antonio – Class amphibious transport dock manned by 477 crew members and she is commanded by Captain KEELER, D.J. Meanwhile, the Commanding Officer of USS ‘Anchorage’ is scheduled to more..

Jan 19 (TM) Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) stated that the Supreme Court's (SC) recent ruling that former President and Defence Minister and incumbent SLFP Chairman and Opposition MP Maithripala Sirisena has violated fundamental human rights, by not preventing the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019, has no effect on the latter’s leadership of the party. SLFP Senior Vice President Prof. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa said: “This judgment has been given only in relation to accountability. more..