Mar 23 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he would not allow school children to be taken hostage by various groups and he would declare schools as an essential service if the teacher issues are not solved soon. Addressing a national ceremony of the distribution of free textbooks and uniforms to schoolchildren held at the Colombo Sanghamitta Girls’ College today, Wickremesinghe said education had the same importance as the economy of the country and he would not more..

Mar 23 (TM) IUSF held a discussion with the Prisons Dept regarding the provision of necessary health facilities to IUSF activists and other university students who are currently in remand custody for various reasons and the resolution of issues they face in continuing academic activities. Speaking to the media following the discussion, IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige claimed that several IUSF activists, including more..

Mar 23 (DM) Some political parties today informed the Election Commission that conducting the LG polls on April 25, considering the present situation was not possible. Election Commission said following a discussion with the secretaries of the political parties, some of the parties proposed the LG Polls be held at a later date. However, during the discussions, some opposition political parties present said the Polls should not be postponed further in any way due to the SC ruling. more..

Mar 23 (TM) The employees of the National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWSDB) are engaging in an 8-hour strike today. Thereby, all employees of NWSDB offices and workstations will join the trade union action from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. As a result, all office duties and customer services will be suspended during the 8-hour strike while cashier sections also remain inoperative. Upali Rathnayake, the convenor of the Water Supply Professionals’ Trade Union said they have not received more..

Mar 23 (DM) The third term of the school holiday for the year 2022 will begin tomorrow (24), Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said. He said this while addressing a national ceremony of distribution of free textbooks and uniforms to schoolchildren held at the Colombo Sanghamitta Girls’ College this morning. "This year we did not give more days for the school vacation as the children were unable to come to school more than 60 percent of the time in both 2020 and 2021," he said. more..

Mar 23 (AD) Minister Nalin Fernando says it will take three more days to begin the distribution of the first batch of imported eggs for the bakery industry. In response to a question raised by MP Rohana Bandara in the parliament this morning, Minister mentioned that the consignment of eggs would only be released following the completion of required inspections carried out by the Ministry of Health. “A unanimous decision was taken through a cabinet sub-committee that eggs should be imported. more..

Mar 23 (EN) SJB defended a meeting held with a group of diplomats on delayed local govt elections after a minister accused the party of attempting to influence the IMF. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga claimed that a media organisation informed him of the development. Ranatunga claimed he was told that, at a meeting held with an undisclosed number of ambassadors or high commissioners the previous evening, more..

Mar 23 (PTI) TN Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday expressed concern over the alarming frequency with which Indian fishermen from the state were being harassed allegedly by SL Navy, and urged that the Centre intervene to ensure the release of 28 such fisherfolk from Lankan custody. Bringing the latest instance of the arrest of TN fishermen to the attention of PM Narendra Modi, Stalin said 12 of them were arrested on Thursday and 2 mechanised fishing boats were seized more..

Mar 23 (DM) Some 25,000 military and 1,000 police personnel have vacated their posts within the past two years, Sarath Fonseka said today. He told Parliament that about 1,000 police personnel have vacated the posts within the last year while some 200 policemen have left the posts during the first two months of this year. He said they left because of the orders given to them to carry out wrong acts. "We never experienced so many soldiers vacating posts even during the time of the war. more..

Mar 23 (PMD) The inauguration of the Crafting Ceylon export oriented design development program organized by the National Craft Council with the aim of providing foreign market opportunities for the products of SL handicraftsmen, was held today at the BMICH premises under the patronage of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. National Craft Council has initiated this program under the guidance of Ministry of Industry and more..

Mar 23 (PMD) President’s Secretary, Mr. Saman Ekanayake, announced that this year’s Vesak festival is set to be celebrated on a grand scale both nationally and locally, as per the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. During the preliminary discussion on the Buddha Rashmi National Vesak Festival held yesterday (21) afternoon at the Presidential Secretariat, the President’s Secretary mentioned the plans to celebrate the festival in a grand manner. more..

Mar 23 (TM) SL is expected to gain int'l market access by 2027 and raise $ 1.5 billion through the issuance of Int'l Sovereign Bonds (ISB) and grow broadly thereafter in line with the country’s GDP, the IMF said. Accordingly, the report released by the IMF on the Extended Fund Facility (EFF), SL’s external financing will only be limited to financing from official sources until 2026, in line with programme assumptions. During the EFF programme years (2023-27), the official programme financing more..

Mar 23 (DM) Parliamentary, Presidential and LG Elections should be held together on the same day, former Minister Navin Dissanayake said today. He said that all three elections should be held together to save money. During his remarks, he emphasized that local govt reforms would be enacted soon. The country cannot afford to look after 8,000 Local Govt members at the moment and these reforms will be introduced soon, he said. The policy of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is to take on political and more..

Mar 23 (DM) The joint opposition including the SJB met the diplomatic corps including the Ambassadors over the delay in holding the LG election, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said today. Responding to an allegation made by Chief Govt Whip Prasanna Ranatunga that he learnt that the opposition political parties met the deplomatic corps and requested them to delay the IMF funds to SL and enforce strict conditions, oposition leader said they only discussed the delay in LG polls more..

Mar 23 (CNA) Holders of SL's int'l sovereign bonds face a 20% principal haircut in the country's debt restructuring as well as maturity extensions and a reduction in coupons, according to a Barclays report. Investors' focus has shifted to the restructuring of SL's $13.4 billion sovereign dollar bonds after Colombo got final sign off on a $3 billion programme from the IMF earlier this week, a financial lifeline in its bid to recover more..

Mar 23 (CT) Epidemiology Acting Chief Dr. Samitha Ginige, reassured the public that there was no danger of a listeriosis spread in the island. He urged the public to refrain from creating undue fear regarding the bacterial infection. “Only one death has been reported in the country due to listeria infection,” he reassured noting that it had taken place at the end of February. The infection could cause a slight stomach ache in a healthy person. He or she may not show other symptoms like more..

Mar 23 (FT) SJB MP Eran Wickramartne has slammed the transparency policy of the IMF set out in its report on SL. MP noted that the IMF’s transparency policy allows for the deletion of market-sensitive information and premature disclosure of authority’s policy intentions in published staff reports and other documents. “I understand that no one should be giving out market-sensitive information having been a banker myself. But I do not agree with this clause that says they must not disclose more..

Mar 23 (ST) IMF bailout will help bring SL’s depleted foreign exchange reserve to pre-crisis levels in four years, said the country’s central bank chief. On Tuesday, the IMF extended a long-awaited US$3 billion loan to the island nation, which has been reeling since 2021 from its worst economic crisis since independence. The bailout comes with a structured 4-year programme that requires SL to achieve debt sustainability, shore up more more..

Mar 23 (FT) IAS Holdings Ltd, Group Managing Director Tania Polonnowita Wettimuny is among 15 selected for the EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific class of 2023, whose combined revenue was over $ 200 million last year and employed over 1,5000. Commenting on her selection Tania said: “I am delighted and very humbled to get this recognition more so for being chosen from the entire Asia Pacific region.” “This is a recognition for the entire industry, more..

Mar 23 (DM) Milk Powder Importers Association has decided to reduce the price of imported milk powder with effect from April 1, association's spokesperson Ashoka Bandara said. He said that the decision was taken due to the decrease in prices on the world market. Accordingly, the price of a 1 kg packet of imported milk powder would be reduced by Rs. 200, and the price of a 400g packet would be reduced by Rs. 80. Accordingly, the price of a 1 kg packet of imported milk powder would be Rs. 2,895. more..

Mar 24 (DM) The teaching profession is slowly becoming a volatile ground. Teacher protests have continued for years; thus giving all signs that this is a profession where some individuals cannot find satisfaction that easily. When compared to other professions teaching has remained relatively unchanged in terms of the lifestyle teachers lead. Their salaries have remained unimpressive and it’s a matter of concern when one knows that there is no real method to appreciate teachers and more..

Mar 24 (DM) A group of 84 individuals, civil rights activists, and intellectuals has issued a statement on the political development in the country recently. In particular, they had mentioned the delay in holding the Local Govt Elections, which they allege is interfering with the democratic process. They also charge that the President and certain members of the Legislature are trying to intimidate and interfere with the Independence of the Judiciary. The statement is as follows: more..

Mar 24 (TM) Although there is a fear in the society that the disease known as listeriosis could be spreading fast, verified information suggests that there is no risk of a listeriosis outbreak occurring in the country. Thus far, SL has reported only one or two cases. Various tests and probes conducted following those incidents have not revealed any other cases of listeriosis. Noting this, several medical experts of Health Ministry’s more..

Mar 24 (CT) The increasing popularity of NPP with an uncompromising stand on system change, a demand originated from the aragalaya youth, seems to have sent jitters within the ruling coalition and their parliamentary opponents who are now united to destroy this colossus. One member from SJB had even called for a merger between his party and UNP-SLPP coalition just to defeat NPP at the polls. It is the threat of NPP sweeping the polls that also made Prez RW look for excuses to postpone more..

Mar 24 (GV) We know this and we know that despite all of their expressed concerns and intentions that the policymakers have little thought of doing much to reverse this trend. Rather than bemoan this inactivity and do nothing more, conservation groups have been attempting to do what they can to reverse some of these trends and bring trees and natural habitat back to where they once were. This has only been possible with the financial generosity of corporate entities and individuals and more..

Mar 24 (TM) We note with dismay the attempts being made by the Prez and Minister of Finance, Ranil Wickremesinghe and some Govt Parliamentarians to intimidate the Judiciary on the false pretext that the Supreme Court (SC) has violated the privileges of MPs. This allegation has been made after the SC granted leave to proceed with a fundamental rights application filed against the withholding of funds for the purpose more..

Mar 24 (TM) At a time when the Police force has remained a major topic of discussion for months in a row, although often in controversial contexts, the country is to get a new IGP or a service extension for incumbent IGP Chandana Wickramaratne. Even though uncorroborated sources have claimed that several famous senior Police officers, including SDIGs Deshabandu Tennakoon and Ajith Rohana, are in line for the position, there is no clarity as to who would be in the IGP position once more..

Mar 24 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said anti-corruption laws, the best and strongest in the South Asia, to be precise, will be presented in Parliament in the near future. Prez, while tabling the agreement reached with the IMF for the EFF in Parliament on Wednesday, said the int'l community accepted that he crossed a Vine Bridge to save the country, not MP Namal Rajapaksa as claimed by many. He said with the grant of the EFF from the IMF, SL regains recognition in the int'l arena. more..

Mar 24 (Island) CSE trading kicked off on a positive note yesterday but the momentum could not be sustained for long owing to investor worries that the govt is planning domestic debt restructuring involving the imposition of a wealth and heritage tax on citizens, market sources said. Amid those developments both indices moved downwards. The All -Share Price Index went down by 131 points and S and P SL-20 declined by 46.8 points. Turnover stood at Rs 3.4 billion with four crossings. more..

Mar 24 (FT) Abans Auto Ltd., this week announced the introduction of Yadea electric bikes to the Sri Lankan market. Yadea, the ultimate electric bike with high-quality components, combines advanced technology, stylish design, and affordability to offer a smooth and comfortable riding experience with zero emissions and fuel consumption while saving the environment. The Yadea T9 and E8S boast of a 2000W high-power motor and a range of 100-plus kilometres on a single charge. more..

Mar 24 (DN) Rumeshika Ratnayake, South Asian medal sprinter once again came to the fore when she won the women’s 100m event clocking 12.04 seconds while Chamod Yodasinghe finished first at the men’s 100m at the first selection trial of the Asian Games and senior and junior Asian athletic championship which was held at Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium Diyagama. Two day trial was more successful while one junior more..

Mar 24 (FT) The longest running marine exhibition in the Maldives Maldives Marine Expo 2023 was held 15 to 18 March at Hulhumalé in greater Male’ Area with 100 stalls reinforcing its status as the South Asia’s largest marine industry gathering. Leading SL boat building companies Solar Impulse under Sea Leisure Yachting Group and Chalana Boatyard participated in the Expo.During the event, an MOU was signed between the) President National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) more..

Mar 24 (CI) Despite the eventual 2-0 scoreline in favour of the hosts, it's safe to say SL might have surprised a fair few folks that tuned into the Tests in Christchurch and Wellington - okay, maybe not so much the latter, but certainly over the course of that epic first Test. In that game, the visitors, in pursuit of an unlikely World Test Championship berth, ran the defending WTC champions as close as pretty much anyone could have imagined. And in the process garnered some well-deserved respect more..

Mar 24 (FT) Dipped Products PLC (DPL), a member of the Hayleys Group, recently commissioned an automated central warehouse facility at the Biyagama Export Processing Zone, to enhance its service delivery excellence to meet the critical global export demand. The state-of-the-art new warehouse facility will enable DPL to consolidate storage facilities across its Hanwella, Kottawa and Biyagama factories, by streamlining operations, reducing transportation and logistics costs, more..

Mar 24 (FT) A SL Gem & Jewellery Exhibition was held at The St. Regis Hotel in Shanghai between 22 and 23 March with the participation of Zam Gems, SL under the patronage of SL Consul General in Shanghai Anura Fernando. At the exhibition, SL gems including Blue Sapphires, Rubies, Alexandrite, and Cat’s-eye Chrysoberyl were displayed. In addition, a variety of jewellery including necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets which were crafted using above mentioned SL gems and stones more..