Jan 31 (Island) Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP, said that the prorogation of Parliament was primarily meant to disrupt three finance watchdog committees. He explained how the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt exploited Constitutional provisions to its advantage. Declaring that nothing could be achieved by prorogating Parliament – a second time in seven months – Prof. Peiris alleged that the govt was planning to replace SJB MPs, Harsha de Silva and Kabir Hashim, Chairpersons, COPF & COPA, more..

Jan 11 (DM) SL is still in the midst of its worst-ever economic crisis and just a few months ago defaulted on its debt payments for the first time in history. However, despite the soaring debts and high cost of living which has resulted in citizens having to compromise on the quality of life as well as now having to pay soaring taxes to give some relief to the much dry Treasury, budget allocated for the Prez's Office, PM's Office and Office of the Cabinet more..

Jan 31 (FT) According to Reuters, the World Economic Forum annual meeting was dominated by discussion and discourse of the risk of headwinds ahead, including inflationary pressures from China’s reopening and rising debt distress in the developing world, particularly emerging markets. Significantly the hardest bit according to Reuters, for Western nations – getting inflation down to 2%. According to Daniel Pinto, JP Morgan’s President and Chief Operating Officer, more..

Jan 31 (GV) The petition from 182 economists and development experts calling for the cancellation of SL’s sovereign debt has provoked rather interesting discussions in SL and elsewhere. W. A. Wijewardena calls these petitioners academics in a recent article, but the latter constitute a diverse crowd: they include, as Dayan Jayatilleka points out, “prize-winning celebrity economists and a public intellectual rock star former finance minister.” That ex-minister, Yanis Varoufakis, more..

Jan 31 (AD) A 26-year-old, who is believed to have fallen from the top of a three-storied building in a hotel, has died today. The incident has taken place this morning in the Kasbewa area, and the deceased has been identified as a cashier, who was employed at the said hotel, the police said. Kasbewa Police stated that the 26-year-old, who is named Ridma Tharanga, is a resident of the Peiris Watta area in Warakapitiya, Denipitiya, and that he had been working at the hotel for two and a half years. more..

Jan 31 (AD) Multi Award Winning Veteran Indian Actor Ashish Vidyarthi, known for his roles as a villain and many other roles in Bollywood, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, has arrived in Sri Lanka on special mission to support SL Tourism Industry by creating positive impressions within int'l tourists including fellow Indians. He was invited by the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau to Promote the Tourism Industry in SL and encourage more international tourists to visit SL in 2023. more..

Jan 31 (AD) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena says he expects to contest the next presidential election with the support of the SLFP. SLFP leader expressed confidence about winning the election race. “I am not the type of person to move backward. I am not scared of the conspiracies [against me]... Despite being harassed, I will contest the next presidential election with the support of my party. No matter how many votes I receive, more..

Jan 31 (EN) Shares edged down on Tuesday as worries over delay in financial assurances from China which is mandatory for a $2.9 billion dollar IMF loan and rise in protests against tax hike kept investors in check, analysts said. ASPI edged down by 0.28 percent or 24.62 points to 8,865.05. It fell for the second session after hitting more than three-month high. “The market is looking for more macro cues because of faster Chinese debt assurance was expected. more..

Jan 31 (AD) Police said that another person who had acted as an intermediary in the kidney transplant racket at a private hospital in Rajagiriya, has been arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) at Wellampitiya. Police said that the suspect was arrested along with 02 mobile phones during an investigation conducted by the officers of the CCD. Five persons including a woman had lodged a complaint with the Borella Police regarding an incident of a private hospital more..

Jan 31 (AD) Wasantha Mudalige, convenor of the IUSF who was in remand custody under the PTA, has been released. Student leader was released on the orders of Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis. Delivering the order, the chief magistrate mentioned that the accused was not found to have committed any offices under the PTA. IUSF convener’s legal counsel had previously requested his release on the grounds that more..

Jan 31 (AD) Measures are currently underway to reduce the number of employees in all govt institutions, Cabinet Spokesman Bandula Gunawradena stated. Minister stated that a system of self-retirement, too, is currently in effect for all those employees deemed ineffective. He noted that the decision was being taken in accordance with the instructions given by the Treasury to all Ministries to curtail their expenses in all departments, adding that the ministerial secretaries are bound by more..

Jan 31 (DM) Supreme Court today granted leave to proceed against Western Province Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennekoon and eleven other police officers over the arrest of Social media activist and the admin of GoHomeGota2022 Facebook page Thisara Anurudhdha Bandara. SC two-judge-bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda and Arjuna Obeysekera granted leave to proceed against the respondents for the alleged violation of Bandara's freedom from arbitrary arrest, freedom of more..

Jan 31 (TM) A group of IUSF members and civil activists yesterday. handed over nearly 12,000 affidavits signed by people across the country requesting the release of IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige, who is currently in remand custody under the PTA, to the Attorney General's (AG) Dept. Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage said: “We are not in a position to influence the Court, but, with these nearly 12,000 affidavits, we are giving a message to the AG's Dept. more..

Jan 31 (AD) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has publicly apologized to the entire Catholic community of SL for the Easter Sunday Attacks of 2019. Sirisena stated this while speaking at a press conference, further assuring that he is currently taking all means necessary to pay the fine imposed by the courts on him in this regard. He further noted, however, that it has not been stated in the relevant judgment issued by the court that he, during his tenure as the Head of State, made a mistake more..

Jan 31 (TM) Following Prez Wickremesinghe’s assertion on Thursday (27) that he is opposed to federalism in SL, TNA stated that there can be no meaningful power sharing under a unitary model and that if Prez Wickremesinghe has taken the stance that there is no federal solution, then his effort for reconciliation has failed. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that there had been instances in the past since 2005, more..

Jan 31 (DM) Catholic Church in SL will not accept the apology tendered by former Prez Maithripala Sirisena on the shortcomings in preventing the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, National Director Communications Archdiocese of Colombo Fr. Jude Chryshantha Fernando said. Fr. Fernando said the Former Prez will have to go to jail for failing to prevent the attack. “Former Prez Sirisena has said there were bomb explosions all over the nation during the war and no probe has been more..

Jan 31 (DM) Railway's Dept had decided to cancel 123 train services early this month due to various reasons and due to a staff shortage, SL Railway Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU) said. They said other than the cancellation of 30 train services within the past 3 days, a large number of train services were cancelled due to the absence of train driver assistants. Train commuters and passengers traveling by train have been inconvenienced as a result of the non-operation of trains, more..

Jan 31 (DM) The remaining parts of the vessel MV X-Press Pearl that caught fire in SL waters and sank in 2021 will be removed by the end of this week, MEPA Chairman, Mrs. Dharshani Lahandapura said. She said that the MEPA had handed over the project of removing debris from the Singapore-registered vessel to American Resolve Marine and Chinese Shanghai Salvage companies to clear the area covering one km radius more..

Jan 31 (TM) Select Committee of Parliament to study the practical problems and difficulties that have arisen in relation to enhancing the rank in the Ease of Doing Business Index in SL, and prepare its proposals and recommendations, took into discussion, the future of the Board of Investment of SL, its plans, actions, identified difficulties, and its sectors expected to invest. A presentation was done in this regard. The discussion took place when the said Select Committee met in Parliament more..

Jan 31 (DN) State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyabalapitiya yesterday said that 225 Members in Parliament are also subject to taxes and they have not been exempted from taxes. He stressed that there is no other alternative for Sri Lanka than acting on the directives of the IMF to get out of the present economic crisis. “The Debt Restructuring Process is going to happen as part of the economic recovery programme and Sri Lanka will have to make some sacrifices. more..

Jan 31 (ET) Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) said it has entered into a strategic partnership with SL headquartered Maliban Biscuit Manufactories to launch their brand in India. Latest move will pitch Reliance directly with Britannia, Parle and ITC that together control over 80% of India's biscuit segment. RCPL, the fast moving consumer goods arm of Reliance Industries, said the alliance is part of its aim to bring a bouquet of domestic and globally recognised consumer brands. more..

Jan 31 (DN) A total of 11,219 premises including educational, religious and Govt buildings will be equipped with roof top solar panels under the Credit Line of USD 100 million from the Indian Govt for Renewable Energy, Minister Kanchana Wijesekara said. These premises include 374 National Schools, 25 State Universities, 20 National Colleges of Education, eight Teacher Training Colleges, 20 Technical Colleges (VTA/NAITA), 25 District Secretariats, 331 Divisional Secretariats, more..

Jan 31 (NYT) On the surface, calm has returned to SL since the South Asian nation plunged into political chaos and virtual bankruptcy last summer. Gone are the fuel lines that snaked for blocks; a seaside expanse that had been the site of a monthslong protest encampment was resplendent over the holidays with Christmas lights and carnival rides. But underneath, the island nation’s economy remains on a ventilator, with the govt yet to more..

Jan 31 (FT) Tourism Minister Harin Fernando has met with several Indian film industry personalities in a bid to explore possibilities of promoting Sri Lanka as a film production destination. The Minister met popular Bollywood actors Chunky Pandey and Sanjay Kapoor, while they were in Colombo recently. During the meeting, Minister Fernando discussed the possibility of using Sri Lanka as a location for Bollywood movies. “Looking forward to working with them,” he said via Twitter. more..

Jan 31 (DM) Prez’s Media Division (PMD) brings to your kind attention the news article published on the front page of the Daily Mirror on 31-01-2023 under the title “Despite economic crisis, Treasury allocates billions for Offices of Prez, PM, Ministers” which is incorrect. Therefore, while refuting the allegations made by your newspaper claiming that the budget allocated for Prez's Office, PM's Office and the Office of Cabinet of Ministers still remain in billions with no major cost cuts in sight, more..

Jan 31 (TM) Polls monitors yesterday pointed out that among the cases relating to election law violations reported during the LG election campaigning period so far, the majority are in relation to the misuse of State property by the ruling party, SLPP. CMEV Head of Operations Attorney D.M. Dissanayake said that information with regard to the misuse of State property had been recorded during the election campaigning more..

Jan 31 (AD) Notorious underworld figure Kalutara Sudda, who was wanted for nine crimes, has been arrested by Sri Lanka Police, together with two other females who are believed to have aided the suspect. The arrest was made during a raid carried out in Panadura based on information receive by the Western Province Intelligence Unit. The 30-year-old suspect revealed that the female suspects who had aided him were the mother and sister of an acquaintance he had made while in prison. more..

Jan 31 (AD) US Ambassador to SL, Julie Chung, has assured that assistance due from the IMF to SL is likely to speed up with the cooperation of all countries. The US diplomat made this assurance while in a meeting with State Minister of Finance, Shehan Semasinghe earlier today. Accordingly, Chung had stated that foreign countries are now in the process of further confirming their credibility regarding the SL Govt’s debt restructuring programme, a statement issued by more..