Jan 6 (TM) With nominations being called by the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday for the 2023 Local Govt (LG) poll, polls monitor, People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) stated that they have already discussed with Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), of which PAFFREL is a part, to bring down international observers to monitor the pre-poll, poll day, and post-poll periods and situations. more..

Jan 6 (FT) Business magazine LMD said that as 2022 ends: “the exclusive business barometer falls and withdraws its promise of hope.” LMD continued: “As nitty-gritties with regard to the IMF bailout are still to be resolved – especially with regard to debt restructuring with Sri Lanka’s creditors and the implications of budget 2023 sink in – it would seem that corporates have retracted their optimism.” The LMD-NielsenIQ Business Confidence Index (BCI) fell by as many as 12 basis points more..

Jan 6 (FT) IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige who is currently in remand custody after being detained under the PTA has called on the SL people to continue the fight to ensure their right to life. Writing an open letter from prison for the New Year, Mudalige noted that the expectations of the people’s struggle have not been fulfilled yet. Noting that the Aragalaya or struggle expected a society with economic equity, democratic reforms that are directly related to people’s governance more..

Jan 6 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stressed the need of a good foreign service which will be able to forge broader relations with many countries while safeguarding the sovereignty of SL. The Prez also said that the Foreign Ministry is currently formulating a draft of SL’s Foreign Policy and Foreign Service for 2030 which is expected to get the approval from the Cabinet and the Parliament. “The prime objective is to draft a new foreign policy and secondly make friends. more..

Jan 6 (CT) Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has announced that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held in September and the tournament will be played in 50-over format. The itinerary and the host country have not been announced yet. Defending Champions Sri Lanka has been slotted in the same group along with Bangladesh and Afghanistan, while arch rivals India and Pakistan will battle it out in the other group along with Qualifier 1. Pakistan is the original host of the Asia Cup this year but BCCI is not keen more..

Jan 6 (TM) During a discussion in Parliament regarding Private Members’ Bill presented by SLPP MP Premnath C. Dolawatte on increasing the representation of youth in politics, Minister Susil Premajayantha asserted that the prescribed procedure – which includes the submission of the said Bill, along with the subject Minister's report to the Cabinet, the re-submission of it to Parliament through the Cabinet, and the granting of more..

Jan 6 (TM) The CID arrested popular YouTube political commentator Sepal Amarasinghe at Bellanwila last evening for making disrespectful comments about the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Dalada Maligawa) in Kandy. The public complaints division of the CID commenced an investigation into the matter after IGP C.D. Wickramaratne received written complaints in this regard. A senior police officer stated that facts were presented to the court in this regard. more..

Jan 6 (TM) Colombo Magistrate’s Court (MC) ordered the CID to obtain the relevant report from the British HC regarding the citizenship of State Minister Diana Gamage as soon as possible and to conduct the relevant investigations. The case pertaining to a complaint – which has been filed by social activist Oshala Herath with the CID alleging that Gamage’s passport, national identity card (NIC), and birth certificate are fake – was taken up before Colombo MC Court yesterday. more..

Jan 6 (EN) Florida, USA based Karma Services LLC, a health care recruitment agency in association with the SL Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) has offered 550 jobs to SL nurses, laboratory technicians and nursing assistants, Foreign Ministry said. Karma Services LLC has offices in India, UAE and USA and it recruits healthcare professionals globally. Karma Services has offered jobs for 250 registered nurses, 100 laboratory technicians and 200 nursing assistants. more..

Jan 6 (EN) Litro Gas Lanka Ltd reduced cooking gas prices from Thursday midnight as the global supply have improved, the company said. Commonly used 12.5 kg gas cylinder will be reduced by 201 rupees or 4.4% to 4,409 rupees while the price of a 5 kg gas cylinder is reduced by 4.3% or 70 rupees to 1,770 rupees. Price of a 2.3 kg gas cylinder is deduced by 4.4% or 38 rupees to 822 rupees. The current gas price reduction was based on the global gas pricing as well as the new introduced price formula, more..

Jan 6 (TM) At a meeting held yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat between the TNA and Govt representatives, including President Ranil Wickremesinghe and PM Dinesh Gunawardena, the TNA expressed dissatisfaction regarding the lack of progress pertaining to the release of PTA prisoners and the lands originally owned by Tamils that are occupied by security forces. more..

Jan 6 (Island) The prelates of Malwatta and Asgiriya complained to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday that a duplicate Dalada Maligawa was being built at Wadakada, Pothuhera, Kurunegala. The most venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sidhhartha Sumangala and Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanyake Theras of Malwatte and Asgiriya have in a letter informed Prez that the builder of the duplicate Dalada Maligawa has already collected contributions from more..

Jan 6 (FT) In an effort to prevent smuggling, Govt has issued an Extraordinary Gazette notification restricting over 22 carats of gold as jewellery brought into the country. “Several cases of gold smuggling into the country were reported during the recent period under the guise of wearing the gold jewellery upon entering the country,” Finance Ministry in a statement noted. As per the Gazette notification issued by Prez, a special permit will now be required to bring in gold jewellery of over more..

Jan 6 (FT) Public Utilities Commission of SL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake reiterated that it is not considering any tariff hike at present and suggested the Govt look into actual financial data of the CEB to improve the cash-flow management before restructuring. He said the proposed tariff hike will have no favourable impact on the economy; rather it would further burden the battered public and enterprises. more..

Jan 7 (DM) Phase II of the Russo-Ukraine war has now entered is 12th month, (the first stage beginning with the annexation of Kiev in Feb of 2014), when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. The immediate cause of the conflict was Ukraine’s attempt to join US-led NATO military alliance which Russia sees as an attempt to encircle it (Russia) and bring US missiles and military to Russia’s doorstep. Quite early on Russia warned that this was a red line which should not be more..

Jan 7 (GV) President Ranil Wickremesinghe has often been accused of neo-liberal tendencies. The term is used as a pejorative; this statement and many before it justify the label and reveals his ideological compass. It is why he remains so popular in some circles and yet so reviled in others. The president’s proposition is to sell even the profit making State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to settle debt, noting the experiences of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. more..

Jan 7 (TM) Establishing a centralised data recording mechanism to collate the necessary data – found with the Police, judicial medical units, and courts – with the necessary legal provisions and data protection mechanisms, as well as further research, are required, as a considerable number of cases drop out of the legal system at different levels and are pending in courts for very lengthy periods, with this attrition being attributed to various factors. more..

Jan 7 (DM) Friends, Family members, colleagues, schoolmates and admirers of Lasantha Wickrematunge are scheduled to meet on Sunday (8) at the Kanatte cemetery in Borella. They will gather at 9 am by the graveside of the slain The Sunday Leader editor to commemorate his 14th death anniversary. There will be prayers, singing of hymns, speeches and of course candles and flowers. Those near and dear to Lasantha keep his memory alive by engaging in this annual act more..

Jan 7 (CT) Thank you Hon. Presiding member, the minister for Justice, Constitutional affairs and prisons reforms has moved 2nd reading on the bill titled Recovery of possession of premises given on lease. More than the bill that he has moved, it is the bill that he did not moved that is of concerned. Nevertheless I just want to say something on the bill that has been moved. In our experience, it is state institutions in the past that have entered into lease agreements with persons who are friendly with more..

Jan 7 (CT) No one can shirk their responsibilities by the country in the Year 2023, which is a crucial year for the SL economy, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said while inviting all public servants to dedicate themselves towards making SL a prosperous nation in the New Year. He extended this invitation to Prez Secretariat staff during the oath taking ceremony for the New Year 2023, before they commenced their duties on Monday (2). more..

Jan 7 (CT) Local Govt (LG) Election, which is due to be held in March 2023, has stirred up a number of controversies, with a faction calling for elections to be held while another wants it postponed. Whilst differing opinions are common, the controversies are now based on an internal conflict in the Election Commission (EC) over the holding of the LG Election. As reported in this paper on Friday (6), Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the EC to resolve its internal conflicts over holding more..

Jan 7 (ST) Phew! What a year, probably the worst in decades. I was pondering over the events in 2022 when the silence of the household was shattered by Aldoris’s food tuk-tuk coming down the lane with its blaring tune. Waiting for him at the gate was the trio. “Oya hithanawada aluth avurudda (2023) giya avuruddata (2022) wediya honda wei kiyala [Do you think the New Year (2023) will be a better year than last year (2022)],” asked Kussi Amma Sera. “Mama danne nae. Mata mila wedi wenakota, more..

Jan 7 (ST) Make sure your New Year resolution is a pledge to include low-cost, nutrient-filled local produce in meals, actively get involved in home gardening, and reduce food wastage, nutrition experts recommend. Their food security advice came as the World Bank placed SL among the top 10 countries with the highest food inflation. The country now stands in seventh place in the top ten food inflation countries along with Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Argentina, Venezuela, Turkiye, more..

Jan 7 (ST) For residents of Torrington Avenue in Col 7, festive season was a month of nuisance, fear, and exhaustion in complaining to authorities who have failed to provide a solution for their years-long agony. A CMC’s neglected community hall and children’s playground bordering the prime residential area turns into a living hell for residents, especially at night. Crowds from the nearby neighbourhood of hatte watte gather to consume alcohol, play loud music, dump and burn garbage. more..

Jan 7 (ST) Prices of coconut and king coconut are expected to rise further in the wake of the white fly infestation which is spreading fast, and which has reduced the harvest. Explaining the prevailing high prices, the growers say production is leaner in November, December, January, and February. Coconut Development Authority (CDA) Chair Keerthi Weerasinghe said, “White fly pest is spreading at a higher rate than we thought". more..

Jan 7 (ST) “What has brought most Third World countries down, and what has led to their failure in development, has been corruption! So, Lee Kuan Yew after he became PM of Singapore, made it a point to punish not the junior people but the very senior people. A Deputy Minister went on holiday with his friend, a businessman. When he came back, he was arrested. He asked why he was being arrested and he was told, ‘you went on holiday with a businessman and the latter paid all your more..

Jan 7 (Island) The govt is all out to make a case for postponing the Local Govt (LG) elections on the pretext of rationalising its expenditure. State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitya said that SL will set a world record if it holds the LG polls, at this juncture, because no other country beset with a similar crisis will ever spend public funds on an election. As much as Rs. 80 billion has been spent on the public sector salaries, pensions, Samurdhi and fertiliser so far this year while more..

Jan 7 (CI) Nineteenth over of SL's innings in the second T20I. Dasun Shanaka has hit a full toss straight to Suryakumar Yadav at long-on, but instead of celebrating, India captain Hardik Pandya has his face buried in his hands. The reason: Arshdeep Singh has overstepped, again. That was Arshdeep's fourth no-ball of the match. To rub it in, Shanaka hit the resulting free hit for six. Two balls later, Arshdeep overstepped again. Shanaka was on 30 off 14 when he got the reprieve; he went on to score more..

Jan 7 (CI) The last time India lost a bilateral T20I series at home was in 2019 when Australia beat them 2-0. Since then they have been on an 11-series unbeaten streak. But that could change on Saturday. After running India close in the first T20I, Sri Lanka beat them by 16 runs in the second to make it 1-1. A win for SL in Rajkot will not only snap India's streak but also give the visitors their first T20I series win in India in six attempts. SL's batters may not put fear in the opposition's mind, more..

Jan 7 (EN) In a rare display of unity, PMs across the aisle spoke as one demanding legal action against an ordinary citizen for expressing an opinion deemed insulting to Buddhism, the country’s most widely practised faith. Sepal Amarasinghe, a popular YouTuber known for being a freethinker and non-believer, was on the receiving end of a torrent of venom from legislators representing almost all political parties on Thursday (5) over more..

Jan 7 (DM) Lanka IOC along with the SL-India Society (SLIS) and Indian CEO forum (ICF) has started an initiative titled Assistance to Elders Homes. The first of this was started by donating essentials to Home of Compassion, and the essentials were handed over to Rev. Sister Nilanthi and Sister Anne Mari under the patronage of Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner of India to SL. Also present on the occasion were Managing Director of Lanka IOC Manoj Gupta, President of SLIS more..

Jan 7 (EN) Sri Lanka ended 2022 with gross forex reserves of US$ 1,896 million, up from US$ 1,804 million in November, amid high interest rates which has allowed the central bank to halt money printing. Gross reserves are largely unchanged after rates were hiked in April and India stopped deferring import payments through the Asian Clearing Union shortly. Sri Lanka began 2022 with gross reserves of US$ 3.1 billion but continue to print money to maintain an artificially low policy rate, more..

Jan 7 (PTI) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was ousted from power last year over his govt's mishandling of the cash-strapped country's economy, has returned from Dubai, his first foreign trip since returning to Sri Lanka four months ago. Rajapaksa and his wife Ayoma arrived at BIA here from Dubai on Thursday, the Daily Mirror reported, quoting the airport duty manager and spokesperson of the airport immigration dept. more..

Jan 7 (CSM) It’s just past noon, and on the sweltering rooftop of the Bethany Church in Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka, Pastor Moses Akash de Silva and a team of volunteers are grating piles of carrots while K.D. Iranie hovers over a large pan, stirring a spicy fish curry atop a makeshift firewood cooker. Ms. Iranie, who’s in her 60s, has served as the main cook for the church’s community kitchen since Pastor Moses started the project in June. “I come all five days a week,” she says. more..

Jan 7 (CT) Police are seeking public assistance to find a 15-year-old girl who is missing from Theldeniya. Girl is a resident of Kengalla, Ambakotte and has been reported missing since 13 Oct 2022. Investigations have been commenced following a complaint filed with the Police by her relatives after the child did not return from school on 13 Oct 2022. During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that the girl had not gone to school, though she had informed her parents that she was. more..