Feb 3 (EN) Sri Lanka has launched a National Operations Secretariat named Urumaya at the president’s office to oversee plans to grant freehold land titles to two million families. The secretariat is located at the president’s office in the old Standard Chartered Building, Colombo. “Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vision of empowering farmers through land ownership takes shape as the government announces plans to grant freehold titles to two million families. more..

Feb 3 (FT) In a bid to maintain a reasonable price for farmers, a pledge loan scheme under a concessional interest rate for small and medium-scale (SME) paddy millers, paddy storage owners and paddy collectors has been implemented for purchasing paddy in Maha Season 2023/2024. The move comes following a Cabinet decision taken on Monday and the concessionary loan scheme is implemented from 1 Feb to 30 April. Total value of the loans to be disbursed by Banks is Rs.9b. more..

Feb 3 (PMD) In a momentous ceremony, President Ranil Wickremesinghe officially inaugurated the Matara Festival of the Arts (MFA) today (02), a ground-breaking event spotlighting contemporary art and music both in Sri Lanka and on the global stage. Commencing from today till February 4th, at the historic Matara Fort, this festival aims to foster economic and social revitalization through collaborative efforts between art organizations and the cultural community. more..

Feb 3 (DM) Fraud and corruption activities persisted at the State Pharmaceuticals Corporation of SL (SPC) during the tenure of former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, claims the Govt Medical Officers' Forum (GMOF). They further claim that these issues are ongoing, even following the appointment of a new Minister to the Health Ministry. According to GMOF president Dr. Rukshan Bellana, tenders initiated during the former chairmanship of Sarath Liyanage at the SPC were cancelled. more..

Feb 3 (FT) The country’s book industry yesterday called upon Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to immediately cancel the prohibitive 18% VAT to avert long-term consequences of making books more expensive for the masses. Given the seriousness of the situation, local book publishers, printers, book importers, authors as well as academics and stakeholders yesterday came together to voice their opposition to more..

Feb 3 (EN) Some half a million school children in SL are expected to benefit from a fortified rice lunch distribution programme over an eight month period, the govt said. Ministry of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Ministry of Education, World Food Programme, National Food Promotion Board and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have collaborated on the project, a statement from the president’s office said. The launch of the programme was held in Colombo on Thursday (1). more..

Feb 3 (Island) Former UNP MP Mujibur Rahuman alleged that the police had deliberately targeted SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, MP, and party seniors during last Tuesday’s protest in Colombo. Rahuman, who collapsed during a water cannon and tear gas attacks, said that he had received treatment at the National Hospital, Colombo. The Parliament should inquire into the conduct of the police as the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt was sure to depend on police to suppress forthcoming more..

Feb 3 (DN) Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said that the Wildlife Dept has planned to declare three new wetlands in SL as wetlands under the Ramsar Convention. She mentioned this while speaking to the media on the occasion of World Wetlands Day that fell on Feb 2. Wildlife Department has planned to designate the Viduthalaithivu Nature Reserve in Mannar district, Adam’s Bridge National Park and more..

Feb 4 (SO) SL has gone through four difficult phases, beginning with the Easter attacks in 2019, the Covid pandemic in 2020 and the subsequent economic/political crisis in 2022 that resulted in the departure of the sitting Prez. Since taking office in 2022, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his team have managed to bring a measure of stability to the once-moribund economy. Political stability too has been ensured and elections are due to be held this year, in the true tradition of democracy. more..

Feb 4 (TM) As Sri Lanka celebrates its 76th anniversary of independence with a tamasha it can barely afford, the country stands at a decisive juncture where, prior to the 77th anniversary, the people will be entrusted with the onerous task of sealing its fate, for better or worse. While there is no discounting the critical importance of 22 million Sri Lankans making the right decisions for their own sake, this Independence Day will hopefully turn out to be the turning point for this nation, more..

Feb 4 (CT) The world has set the stage for legal discipline which could be taken against politicians accused of corruption and fraud. Hence, there have been many politicians who have been accused and proven guilty of corruption and action has been taken against them. On March 2024 Muhyiddin Yassin, a veteran politician in Malaysia, was arrested after questioning over funds which were allegedly channelled from building contractors to more..

Feb 4 (ST) Today marks the 76th anniversary of SL regaining its Independence as a free and sovereign nation from 450 years of foreign rule, an occasion viewed no doubt with mixed emotions among its citizens. By now the country as a whole ought to have identified where the independent nation took the wrong turns. Nationalism was a natural outcome of four and half centuries of colonial rule, but the much acclaimed universal adult franchise that required winning votes unfortunately more..

Feb 4 (CT) The sudden death of State Minister Sanath Nishantha managed to grab headlines, not necessarily for the shock factor or the unfillable void his death had left in the SL political arena, but largely for the not-so-remorseful responses the death received from the public. However, even before the dust could settle on this tragedy, another bombshell was reported in Arachchikattuwa, as Chamari Perera, the widow of the late State Minister, announced her willingness to contest more..

Feb 4 (TM) As SL celebrates its 76th Independence Day today, the country continues to be at a crossroads economically, politically, and socially, while the masses live in eternal hope. The challenges faced by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Govt continue to show no signs of abating any time soon. The complexity in the local political scene is evident by the divisions witnessed in political parties in the south and the north. more..

Feb 4 (ST) My dear Mother Lanka, I am writing to you today as you mark 76 years of independence from Britain. I don’t think we can call it a celebration because, we were dependent only on that country then whereas now, we are dependent on India, China and the IMF, so I don’t know what this independence really is. There was a lot of fuss at this time last year because it was the 75th anniversary. It was also the first Independence Day since aragalaya that ousted an elected Prez. more..

Feb 4 (Island) When we saw an incoming email from a regular correspondent to the newspapers titled Why not sing the National Anthem in the Thai language in our inbox a couple of days ago, we naturally thought the writer had his tongue in his cheek. He was reacting to a news story in this paper last Sunday that the prez had directed his Media Division to prepare the Independence Commemoration Souvenir in the Thai language in addition to Sinhala, Tamil & English to honour more..

Feb 4 (CT) Sunday this week marks SL’s 76th independence anniversary. By Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s reckoning another 24 years will have to go by before SL’s economy could fully recover from the manmade crisis it contracted two years ago. And what is immediately ahead is a grueling recovery path. That is the grim warning of Dushni Weerakoon, the respected Economist. Another Economist from abroad, Prof. Mick Moore, who coined the phrase manmade crisis to more..

Feb 4 (EN) Dubai based QX Lab AI has lauched an artificial intelligence platform which can be used Sinhalese and Tamil, among 100+ languages, oficials said. “Ask QX boasts unparalleled language proficiency and accuracy across multiple languages. Our vision for Ask QX is to bridge the existing gap, ensuring that the transformative potential of AI is accessible to all, not limited to a privileged few,” Tilakraj Parmar, Co-Founder and CEO, QX Lab AI said at a lauch event in Dubai Friday (2). more..

Feb 4 (ST) Finance Ministry recently granted permission to release USD 527,000 and 100 Sterling Pounds that SJB MP Sarath Fonseka had received as campaign donations when he contested for the presidency in 2010. The money had been held in a private bank account, and the funds were later frozen. Field Marshal Fonseka had noted that the funds had been given to the mother of his daughter’s then-husband to hold onto them temporarily. more..

Feb 4 (SO) Nine SL divers will leave for India to contest a championship called the Youth Aquatic Sports Meet in New Delhi starting on February 7. Two of the tour party members are siblings, Matheesha Marambe from Royal College and his sister Kithmi Marambe from Bishop’s College who are two of the most promising young aquatic exponents in the country. The SL boys’ youth diving team comprises Matheesha Marambe (captain), Mikhail Jayaweera, Yusuf Shihar, more..

Feb 4 (ST) The successful bidder for the country’s telecommunications firm, Sri Lanka Telecom PLC, will stand to gain a massive land bank in the country, analysts say. SLT has more than 500 lands (lots) extending to hundreds of acres around the island and worth billions of rupees. India’s Jio Platforms and China’s Gotune International Investment Holdings are now the pre-qualified bidders for 50.23 per cent of shares owned by the govt in Sri Lanka Telecom to a private company. more..

Feb 4 (CI) Angelo Mathews amassed 141, Dinesh Chandimal struck a 15th Test century, and together the pair put on 232 for the fourth wicket, as SL surged to a 212-run lead on a flat SSC surface. A thoroughly inexperienced Afghanistan attack were doughty through parts of the day, picking up six wickets, but were up against batters intent on driving home SL's advantage. Debutant Naveed Zadran and legspinner Qais Ahmad picked up 2 wickets more..

Feb 4 (ST) In a world dominated by the artificial and the synthetic, a humble hero emerged from the depths of SL. The king coconut husks, once discarded as mere waste, seized the moment to redefine its role in the fight against synthetic substitutes. Zeroing in on the king coconut husks cast aside without a second thought, it was SL Institute of Nanotechnology (SLINTEC), first Public Private Partnership focusing on research and nanotechnology that breathed life into more..

Feb 4 (AD) Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) says that the cumulative deficit in Sri Lanka's trade account narrowed to USD 4.9 billion from USD 5.2 billion within last year, the lowest recorded since 2010. However, the CBSL also stated that the country’s trade deficit widened in Dec 2023 compared to the trade deficit recorded a year earlier. The Central Bank made those disclosures while presenting its latest reports on the performance of the external sector of the country’s economy. more..

Feb 4 (TM) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) is awaiting the green light from telecom providers to commence 5G spectrum allocation, according to State Minister Kanaka Herath. He stated that TRCSL had already permitted all telecom companies to carry out 5G trials, with trials having been carried out in several districts. He stated that 5G spectrum allocation would commence after telecom companies indicated their readiness to introduce 5G to SL. more..

Feb 4 (DM) Former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunge urged the govt to withdraw the Online Safety Act and the Anti-Terrorism Bill, claiming that they were dangerous acts which could be used by the govt at any time to violate people's fundamental rights. She said the youth and the people must act democratically against these laws. "Online Safety Act and the Anti-Terrorism Bill are very dangerous. If the govt wants, these Acts have provisions to easily violate fundamental rights of the people more..

Feb 4 (CI) That Dimuth Karunaratne is a stats nerd, particularly about his career, has been known for some time. But now, 89 Tests in, the captaincy behind him (to his great relief), he has got some serious numbers in his sights. We'll get to those soon, but for now, the man he is chasing is Usman Khawaja - another left-handed opener. Karunaratne had once spoken about how the player whose record he wanted to better was Dean Elgar, more..

Feb 4 (AD) In a significant development, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe addressed the Thailand-SL Business Forum at the Kingsbury Hotel, highlighting the auspicious timing of the event. Prez announced the signing of a ground-breaking free trade agreement (FTA) between SL and Thailand, marking the second FTA with an ASEAN country. Prez Wickremesinghe emphasized the historic trade relationship between the two nations, which predates even the Sukhothai Kingdom. more..

Feb 4 (TM) A team from the IMF is scheduled to arrive in SL on Wednesday to undertake a study in order to determine the modalities for introducing a State property tax. Ministry of Finance Dept of Fiscal Policy Director General M.K.C. Senanayake stated that an IMF team would be visiting SL for a two-week stay on Wednesday (7) to conduct a study and engage with stakeholders in order to determine the suitability and the specific modalities for introducing property taxes in Sri Lanka. more..

Feb 4 (PTI) INS Karanj, an Indian Navy submarine, arrived in the port of Colombo on Thursday, ahead of SL’s 76th Independence Day celebrations on Sunday. On a two-day visit, the submarine was welcomed by the SL Navy. INS Karanj is 67.5 metres long with a crew of 53 under the commandeering of Commander Arunabh, SL Navy said. INS ‘Karanj’ will depart the island nation on Feb 5, symbolising the strengthened maritime relations between India and SL, LankaNewsWeb.net, a news portal said, more..

Feb 4 (ST) SL is eying floating solar projects to meet its renewable energy (RE) generation targets due to scarcity of land and hurdles related to land acquisition for land-based power plants. The national renewable energy plan aims to develop an additional capacity of 3,867MW of renewable energy targets by 2030. Ministry of Power & Energy, Ministry of Irrigation, Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) and electricity sector service providers have taken measures to achieve these targets. more..

Feb 4 (TM) CEB is under scrutiny for its staggering expenditure on legal fees, reaching an astonishing Rs. 130 million in the years 2022 and 2023 alone, as per CEB statistics on total legal fees incurred by its legal branch. Sunday Morning, upon reviewing confidential internal statistics, discovered that the substantial sum spent by the CEB on legal fees in 2022 and 2023 exceeded the cumulative total legal expenditure for the preceding 7 years, more..

Feb 4 (ST) The LiNing SL Challenge International Badminton Tournament is set to commence tomorrow at the Dadella Sports Complex in Galle. This prestigious tournament which promises to be a showcase of badminton excellence, highlighting both international and local talents, marks the first international badminton tournament in SL in nine years. Elite shuttlers from 20 nations will be in action. In the Men’s Singles category, SL’s rising star Viren Nettasinghe is seeded fourth, more..

Feb 4 (ST) Finance Ministry is to introduce a string of amendments to the recently introduced system for all citizens above the age of 18 to obtain a Tax Identification Number (TIN) for the payment of tax. The move comes following complaints from Inland Revenue Department (IRD) officials over the practical difficulties in implementing the system. Until the changes in the system were introduced, the system would not be strictly enforced, State Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. more..

Feb 4 (TM) Dairy farmers are planning to seek legal intervention against the divestiture of State-owned Milco Ltd, following the legal case filed at the Court of Appeal by unionists attached to the company, who claim that proper guidelines are not being followed for the divestiture. “We are not saying that the company shouldn’t be privatised. However, the proper procurement process and certified guidelines must be followed so that these assets can be valued better,” Milco Executive Officers’ Union more..