Feb 29 (FT) The country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) hailed the Govt’s decision to temporarily halt the draconian parate law action until 15 Dec 2024. The MSME Chamber of SL and formerly the Anti-Parate Business Forum yesterday expressed gratitude to all stakeholders for their collective efforts in securing a temporary suspension of parate executions, providing much-needed relief to MSMEs more..

Feb 29 (FT) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) SL announced the opening ceremony of the One Stop Centre (OSC) at the District General Hospital in Kilinochchi. The One Stop Centre is a ground-breaking initiative introducing a new service delivery model in Sri Lanka, offering comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, support for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Family Planning Services (FP) all under one roof. more..

Feb 29 (FT) The Open University of SL’s (OUSL) Faculty of Management Studies recently held a workshop on procurement planning. It was held to promote the newly launched postgraduate degree program, MSc in Public Procurement and Supply Chain Management. This program is for individuals seeking a postgraduate qualification in public procurement and supply chain management. A distinctive feature of this program is its status as the first postgraduate qualification offered in more..

Feb 29 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the on-going efforts to nurture female entrepreneurs capable of adapting to the country’s economic transformation. Speaking at the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce organised Prathibhabhisheka Women Entrepreneur Awards 2023 Prez highlighted the significant role women entrepreneurs can play in fostering the digital and green economy, affirming the Govt’s commitment to supporting the empowerment of more..

Feb 29 (DN) Nalanda College one of the leading Buddhist school once again battle against arch rival Ananda College on March 2-3 at SSC grounds. This is the 94th Battle of the Maroons which organised by Joint organising committee of Ananda and Nalanda. Nalanda recorded their last big match win in 2022 under the leadership of Dineth Samaraweera while they made it easy to get 9 wickets win and this year too Nalandians are confident to win the game. But two schools wanted to build up more..

Feb 29 (Island) Four months after basking in the Asian Games glory a majority of athletes who won medals at the quadrennial event in China will return to action when SL Athletics commences its first track event of the 2024 calendar on Friday. While almost all male athletes who won medals in China will compete for supremacy in the men’s 400 metres, the gold winning 800 metres specialist Tharushi Karunaratne will be the notable more..

Feb 29 (DN) SL cricket team will take wings to Bangladesh today to play a full series. The tour consist of three T- 20 matches, three ODIs and two Test matches which will commence from March 4, with T -20 series. This Bangladesh series is more important as tour will commence with T- 20 series at Sylhet with more focus on forthcoming T- 20 World Cup scheduled to be held in next June at USA and West Indies. SL team has a big issue about their T-20 skipper Wanindu Hasaranga who couldn’t more..

Feb 29 (DN) SL’s chess team has brought home a bunch of medals from the Commonwealth Chess Championship held in Malaysia. They grabbed one gold medal, five silver medals, and five bronze medals in the tournament organized by the Malaysian Chess Federation and Persatuan Catur Melaka from February 20 to 27. The young players from SL stood out in various categories. In the Under-8 girls category, SL swept the top three positions. Dihansa Perera took the gold more..

Feb 29 (TM) While it does not currently have any authority to initiate action against those who engage in the medical practice without qualifications or in medical systems for which they possess no relevant qualifications, the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) stated that it is making an effort to amend the related legal provisions. It was recently reported that more than 40,000 individuals are engaging in more..

Feb 29 (DM) One of SL’s most popular lines of beverages will soon be on the shelves of India, with Reliance Consumer Products Ltd (RCPL) partnering with Elephant House to manufacture, market, distribute and sell beverages. The partnership between the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) arm and wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd and Elephant House was announced. Partnership is not only expected to help RCPL bolster its growing beverage portfolio more..

Feb 29 (TM) National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) urged school principals and the Excise Department not to allow any liquor companies to promote their products among students under the guise of sponsorships. Following several parties, including anti-drug non-govt organisations claiming that certain leading alcohol and tobacco companies have commenced a campaign to promote their products among students during upcoming school cricket encounters more..

Feb 29 (Island) The US Ambassador to SL, Julie Chung confirmed during a conference organised by the Pathfinder Foundation that SL had dispatched a navy ship to support anti-Houthi operations in the Red Sea, led by the US. Chung mentioned that one of the cutters, previously donated by the US, had been deployed by SL to assist in anti-Houthi operations. SL Navy was now part of a multinational coalition dedicated to safeguarding commercial ship traffic routes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, more..

Feb 29 (Island) All Ceylon Bakery Owners’ Association (ACBOA), reported a 50% decline in the sales of cakes, bread, and buns in the local market, attributing it to soaring manufacturing costs. The association highlighted the significant increase in the prices of margarine and butter. Furthermore, they expressed concern over the delayed arrival of imported eggs from India, forcing them to purchase locally produced eggs at Rs. 60 each, posing a substantial challenge to the bakery industry. more..

Feb 29 (Island) CEB has significantly overestimated the cost of electricity production and transmission for 2024 and this is reflected in their estimated cost of production, says MP Gamini Waleboda, head of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis. The overestimation is around Rs 140 billion, Waleboda has said, adding that the CEB has recently presented estimated costs for 2024 more..

Feb 29 (DN) A project to rehabilitate 1,500 kilometers of roads across the country will begin at Divisional Secretariat level at a cost of Rs.20 billion today. The aim of this project is to restore the road system that has been seriously damaged due to non repair as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic and the economic crisis that prevailed in the last two or three years in the country. “We have also given priority to rehabilitate the road network that has been destroyed due to more..

Feb 29 (CT) India’s Adani Group has formally requested space in the Colombo Port to set up a logistics centre, SLPA Chairman Keith D. Bernard said. “The proposal underlines the Indian conglomerate’s desire to deepen its presence in the strategic port and leverage Colombo’s central location in international shipping and logistics,” he said. “Principally, the Adani Group has approached, in a formal way, with a proposal to ask for a piece of land within the Colombo Port more..

Feb 29 (TM) Former State Minister and MP Prof. Channa Jayasumana claimed that there have been major delays in the clearance of pharmaceutical drugs and other medical equipment from the Customs and Ports due to the failure of the relevant institutions including the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) to provide the necessary instructions on time. He said that the range of issues that prevailed in the country's health sector had become aggravated at present. more..

Feb 29 (Island) SL will target at least 322 new products at export level in 2024. “That would be our target in the One Village One Product project, said State Minister of Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama. Speaking at a United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)- organized conference titled, Spice Horizons: Tracing the Legacy of Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) on Ceylon Cinnamon and the Future of Other PGI Products for Agricultural Export more..

Feb 29 (DM) Police have launched an investigation into Police Inspector Duminda Jayathilaka, the Officer In-Charge of the Organized Crime Division at the Colombo Crimes Division, who has left the country due to death threats from members of underworld gangs, targeting him and his family. Inspector Duminda Jayathilaka reportedly left for France on Feb 14 from BIA, accompanied by personal security guards, as a precaution more..

Feb 29 (FT) SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne claimed the Govt’s decision to partially suspend the operation of parate executions until December this year is nothing but an election ploy. MP asserted that the Govt’s decision was solely motivated by the upcoming election year and emphasised that its suspension until December would offer little benefit to businesses. “We urge the business community not to be deceived by these tactics. It is nothing but a political manoeuvre,” he emphasised. more..

Feb 29 (CT) NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka is set to visit Canada next week. His agenda includes addressing the SL Diaspora and participating in discussions with various Canadian political figures. He will be attending two meetings organised by the SL Diaspora, one in Toronto and another in Montreal. Dissanayaka is expected to return to the country within the same week. Prior to this trip, the NPP Leader toured Australia, US and India. During his recent visit to India, more..

Feb 29 (TM) Expressing worry about him having to face unfair criticism from both the Govt and the Opposition, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana said that if the no confidence motion (NCM) against him is passed in the Parliament, he would leave the post without waiting for even two minutes. On Monday (26), SJB commenced obtaining Parliamentarians' signatures for a NCM against the Speaker, more..

Feb 29 (FT) An October Revolution, peaceful, electoral, is in the air. It is a mood and movement of the masses powered by layered generations of the state university educated modern middle-class, led by its organised vanguard intelligentsia (JVP leadership comprising former uni student leaders) and affiliated or networked intelligentsia (NPP leadership). JVP is leftist, of a Marxist-Leninist formation; the NPP, left-inclined. It is a revolution with a vision of modernisation and inclusive, more..

Feb 29 (FT) Hebrew tradition regarding the creation of the first woman, Eve, offers a fascinating perspective. According to this narrative, God fashioned Eve by extracting a rib from Adam’s body. This act symbolised that women and men share equal status. However, societal expectations often impose rigid gender roles, perpetuating stereotypes. In practice, these stereotypes often assign power to men, expecting them to exert control over women. Unfortunately, women frequently encounter more..

Feb 29 (EN) Sri Lanka is hosting Sancharaka Udawa, a tourism industry exhibition which will bring together businesses ranging from hotels to travel agents and airlines, and will allow the small and medium sector build links with the rest of the industry, officials said. There will be over 250 exhibitors, with the annual event held for the 11th time expected to draw around 10,000 visitors, the organizers said. “SMEs play a big role, from homestays to under three-star categories,” more..

Feb 29 (AD) Deshabandu Tennakoon officially assumed duties as the 36th Inspector General of Police (IGP) of SL, a short while ago. Senior DIG and Acting IGP Tennakoon was appointed as the new IGP on Monday (26). This appointment, in compliance with the stipulations outlined in Articles 41C.(1) and 61E.(b) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka, has been made pursuant to the authority vested on President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the PMD reported. Secretary to the President more..

Feb 29 (EN) SL’s inflation measured by the Colombo Consumer Price Index rose 5.9% in the 12-months to Feb 2024, down from 6.4% in January, with food prices down 2.1%, data from the state statistics office show. Food prices were down 1.6-pct over 17-months despite a hike in value added tax. The CCPI Index was unchanged in February 2024 at 200.6 points in February 2024, down from 200.7 point in January. more..

Feb 29 (FT) DIMO, a long-standing trailblazer in SL’s mobility industry, launched CARPITAL Advisory Services by DIMO CERTIFIED, a complimentary advisory service tailored for pre-owned luxury vehicle buyers and sellers. CARPITAL facilitates buyers and sellers with the right direction to capitalise the financial gain hidden in their appreciated vehicle asset or to make correct investment decision on pre-owned luxury vehicles. Navigating the volatile pre-owned luxury more..

Feb 29 (EN) Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has trained 37 officers of the SL Coast Guard (SLCG) on how to handle oil spills, with help from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). “The establishment of a sustainable human resource development system to address oil spill incident in SLCG is an important initiative for SL and Indo-Pacific region,” JICA said. Five experts of the JCG comprising two officials from their Mobile Cooperation Team specialized in more..

Feb 29 (DM) In the wake of disquieting findings on the health risks associated with certain COVID-19 vaccines, the SL health authorities seem to be turning a blind eye as they go unresponsive to the queries. Despite Daily Mirror's efforts to prompt the authorities to articulate their position on the recent findings, responsible officials have failed to respond, leaving the masses in dilemma. Since the breakout of Covid-19, more..

Feb 29 (DM) The time has come to decide whether we should remain in an assembly where its head repeatedly violates the Constitution, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said today. Premadasa came up with this remark during a meeting held at the Saranakara Maha Vidyalaya, Bingiriya today. "Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena is openly violating the Constitution. He violated the Constitution by casting his vote to approve the appointment of a new IGP. more..

Feb 29 (AD) The Election Commission has informed that S.C. Muthukumarana of the SLPP was appointed to fill the MP seat left vacant due to the resignation of Uddika Premarathne. Secretary General of the Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera had informed the Chairman of the Election Commission in writing that the MP representing the A'pura Constituency Uddika Premarathne has tendered his letter of resignation as a MP and thus a vacancy has been more..

Feb 29 (TM) The ruling SLPP stated that the opinions expressed by some of its members regarding the upcoming Prez Election are only their personal opinions, and that a decision will be reached regarding the same as a Party, after conducting a comprehensive evaluation and survey of the political situation at the ground level. With the Prez Election scheduled to be held this year (2024), certain SLPP members have expressed their intention to support the incumbent Prez more..

Feb 29 (AD) Sri Lanka has been lauded with the prestigious World Restoration Flagship Award by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for its remarkable efforts in rejuvenating mangrove ecosystems. The announcement was made during the Sixth Session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), emphasizing Sri Lanka’s pivotal role in pioneering effective solutions for ecosystem revitalization crucial to sustaining both lives and livelihoods nationwide. more..

Feb 29 (AD) Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the Cabinet decision allowing former Prez Maithripala Sirisena to occupy his official residence at Paget Road in Colombo 7 even after he left office. Accordingly, the court stated that an order will be issued invalidating the Cabinet decision taken on 15 Oct 2019 in this regard. The relevant court order was issued by SC Justice Priyantha Jayawardena, more..