Feb 17 (CT) Driving in the streets of Colombo and other cities in Sri Lanka during any time of the day has become a great hassle over time with the increased number of vehicles; making it extremely time consuming and hectic. With the increase comes about it�s natural consequences of increased air pollution, decline in air quality, impact on the environment, climate change, and most importantly the negative impact on health and on personal finances. more..

Feb 17 (DM) Right. It�s time for the Geneva Circus. It is time to turn cough and cold into full-blown Covid-19. It is time to make mountains out of a molehill. It is time for politicians and activists whose preferred outcomes haven�t materialised to play plaint colonial slave and beg for some political inches in the hope that fortunes will turn. It's time for master & mistress to conjure concern and issue denunciation and declaration. We�ve seen and heard it all before. So let�s get seasonal conclusions out of the way. more..

Feb 17 (TM) Govt is sincere in its attempts to amend the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), asserts State Minister Tharaka Balasuriya, emphasising that it is important to get something done and then make improvements rather than being critical. Admitting that there is room for improvement in the proposed Bill to amend the PTA, he highlights the importance of balancing security concerns and individual freedoms when more..

Feb 17 (TM) Sri Lanka is in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis which only seems to be worsening with each passing week. In this context, despite the autonomy and sovereignty that the Govt boasts about, and promises to make Sri Lanka a self-sufficient nation, the international community�s prescription of Sri Lanka matters in many ways. The Govt is also concerned about the international community�s opinion about the country, according to Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris. more..

Feb 17 (DM) It is no secret that the Rajapaksa govt is struggling to come to terms with its worst ever economic crisis in decades. With SL�s foreign reserves hitting rock-bottom, the govt is looking for loans, swaps and credit lines from India, China or any other country to fill its depleted coffers. It had prompted former prime minister and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to request the govt to reveal the factual situation with regard to the country�s foreign reserves and table the monthly more..

Feb 17 (TM) SL is exploring the possibility of exporting renewable energy to Singapore by using offshore wind farms, State Minister Duminda Dissanayake said. However, he acknowledged that the power sector in the country was in need of reforms and said the Govt was trying to streamline the process used to respond to significant interest by the local and int'l industry to meet the national goal of securing 70% of SL�s power needs more..

Feb 17 (ST) It was on Sept 2, 2018 that I wrote this column titled beauty and the beast. This week I could not resist myself to talk about it again. I was searching for some world economic data on the Internet. And, unexpectedly, I was stunned seeing the country with the highest inflation rate of 686% for Dec 2021 � that is, Venezuela! However, it was the lowest rate of monthly inflation for the year, as it had escalated to 2,000 � 3,000 percentages in the previous months of 2021. more..

Feb 17 (CT) India is well aware that Tamil Nadu fishermen are guilty of using proscribed bottom-trawling nets to catch fish in the Palk Strait, destroying rich fish breeding areas and cross the maritime boundary to illegally fish in SL waters. Reluctantly they officially admitted it: during bilateral talks to solve the issue. Indian officials asked SL to take a humanitarian approach towards the TN fishermen fishing illegally in SL waters. As there was no final settlement on the issue of confiscated more..

Feb 17 (Island) Today, 17th Feb, is the 40th anniversary of Sri Lanka�s inaugural Test match and marked a special milestone in the history of Sri Lankan cricket. That game against England began at the Colombo Oval on 17th Feb 1982. On the day of the inaugural Test, the country came to a virtual standstill, with everyone being at the game, including the then-President J.R. Jayewardene, Minister and Cricket Board President Gamini Dissanayake and almost the entire Cabinet more..

Feb 17 (Island) SL needs a strong Left, and it never needed it more than it does today. It is only the Left that can prevent even partially, the burden of the economic crisis and the solutions presented to solve it will not fall preponderantly on the people. It is only the Left that can prevent even partially the savaging of cultivated and uncultivated spaces, of urban and rural areas, by foreign and local corporates. It is only the Left that can prevent even partially, the selloff of national assets to foreign countries. more..

Feb 17 (TM) Tile importers called on the Govt to allow tile imports through alternative funding mechanisms which will not aggravate the existing forex crisis of the country in order tackle the exorbitant price increase observed in the market due to the actions of certain black marketeers who are exploiting the current under-supply of tiles in the market to the detriment of the consumers. Technology & Services Industry Association more..

Feb 17 (Island) India has thrown a lifeline to the CPC, which is struggling to maintain an uninterrupted supply of diesel. It has made available 40,000 MT of diesel, according to a news item in this newspaper yesterday. Besides, India has provided as many as 100,000 RAT kits to the Ministry of Health. How come India�s economy remains resilient amidst the current pandemic while SL is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy with its patriotic leaders begging for funds from other countries? more..

Feb 17 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 42,917 persons on Tuesday and first dose coverage in the country has risen to 76.7% among the total population. 64.04% of the population has received the second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 27.94% of the population has received the booster dose. The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to a total of 16,821,707 persons and the second dose has been administered to 14,044,375 persons. more..

Feb 17 (FT) Sri Lanka should uproot the poor and petty mindset often referred to the agriculture sector and people engaged in the industry, to embed the entrepreneurial streak, Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal said. Speaking at the Knock Knock 2022: The Doorway to Success forum on Tuesday, he said Sri Lanka needs to have a structural change in the mindset of the agriculture industry. more..

Feb 17 (DN) Kandy openers Niroshan Dickwella scored 135 in 104 balls with 17 fours and 2 sixes while Lahiru Udara hit 106 in 116 balls with 10 fours and 2 sixes adding a 233-run stand which guided them to beat Galle by 66 runs in their National Super League fixture played at Pallekele Stadium, yesterday. Kandy scored the tournament's highest team total of 343 for 6 wickets while Galle managed to get 277 all out in 47.1 overs with Ashian Daniel was most successful off-spinner with 4/46. more..

Feb 17 (Island) SL girls� team consisting of Arushi Thomas, Dinara de Silva and Oneli Samarawickrama beat their Singaporean counterparts to qualify for the final qualifying round to be held in Thailand next month as they emerged group �B� champions in the fourteen and under ITF World Junior Competition Asia/ Oceania Pre-Qualifying round continued at the SL Tennis Association courts on Wednesday. Alongside the hosts, Nepal and Iran teams qualified for more..

Feb 17 (DN) SL long jump champion Sarangi Silva believes she can get an Asian medal with her performance and also looking to get a medal at Commonwealth Games in Bermingham next August. Sarangi the 26-year-old athlete from SL Army said " I am very happy to renew my long jump record with 6.65m at the recently concluded first selection trial for the Asian Games and Asian Junior Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium. Last year I was able to set up a national record more..

Feb 17 (FT) Given the sharp rebound in tourist arrivals this month, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga yesterday renewed monthly expectations to 200,000 travellers. �Earlier, only got individual or family travellers, but we observe that group travelling has begun. As over 100,000 tourists visit Sri Lanka on a regular basis, we hope the number of tourists could soon top 200,000,� he told journalists yesterday during an inspection visit to the BIA in Katunayake. more..

Feb 17 (TM) Oshala Herath, son of Shirley Herath � the retired doctor who is currently in remand custody in connection with the incident of a hand grenade being found in the All Saints� Church in Colombo � and the Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) have claimed that despite a court order to provide medical treatment to Shirley Herath due to his health conditions, the prison authorities are ignoring the matter. more..

Feb 17 (FT) A team of Level three undergraduates from the Dept of Chemical and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Uni of Moratuwa represented SL at the ChemE-Sports competition organised by Petroskills Inc. in collaboration with American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the largest chemical engineering body in the world, at its Annual Student Conference, Boston, USA. The competition task was to optimally operate a simulator utilised in the industry that simulates an amine gas more..

Feb 17 (DN) Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd is investing Rs. 15 billion to build a new Sugar crushing and ethanol producing factory in Weli Oya. Chairman Lanka Sugar, Janaka Nimalachandra said the investment of Rs. 15 billion includes building a new factory complex, purchasing of new machinery and an agricultural vehicle fleet and other infrastructure investments. The proposal has received Cabinet approval since the ROI in this regard is quick and would help towards more..

Feb 17 (FT) World Bank Country Manager Chiyo Kanda this week called for multiple efforts and partnerships to create greater transformation in key economic sectors. Speaking at the Knock Knock 2022: The Doorway to Success forum, she noted fast-evolving agribusiness, dairy and fisheries sector are essential for Sri Lanka�s green, resilient, and inclusive recovery from the COVID pandemic. more..

Feb 17 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 case count rose to 631,816 with 1,217 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. The patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. The previous day, 1,249 persons from the New Year cluster and three SL overseas returnees tested positive for COVID-19. 8,242 PCR tests and 3,296 rapid antigen tests were conducted on Tuesday. In total, 526,148 persons from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, more..

Feb 17 (FT) Ambassador to Russia Prof. Janitha A. Liyanage, concurrently accredited to the Republic of Belarus, held a number of meeting with the Belarussian authorities during her official visit on 02-05 February. In the framework of her stay in Minsk, the Ambassador presented her Letters of Credence to the Republic of Belarus Prez Aleksander Lukashenko, had a conversation with the Foreign Affairs Minister Vladimir Makey, and gave an interview to the Belta News Agency more..

Feb 17 (DM) While denouncing the use of Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the section 120 of the penal code to restrict the right to freedom of expression, National Peoples' Power (NPP) urged the govt to uphold democratic values, ensure fundamental rights of the people and to follow rule of law by ensuring national security in the country. NPP said that they have observed a tendency of using the PTA, section 120 of the penal code and provisions of ICCPR Act as tools to restrict more..

Feb 17 (CT) UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe warned the US dollar would reach Rs 300 before the end of the year. In a statement, he said the economy is deteriorating, while both the dollar deficit and the rupee deficit have not been resolved yet. �Today, the real value of the rupee is actually Rs 250 to the dollar. Even more so, this way it can go up to Rs 275. If we do not stop there, it will reach Rs 300 before the end of the year,� he said. The middle class is facing hardship, many are being more..

Feb 17 (CT) The near-term external debt servicing capacity of SL has reached a really challenging position. Usable foreign reserves of the country have fallen to a miniscule and hence critical level of a mere US$ 100 million, sources at the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) said. �There is yet no clear road map for managing the near-term external financing gap of the country. Currently, the Govt for the most part is dependent on more..

Feb 17 (RW) The Chennai Super Kings will be entering the IPL 2022 season without some of the players from last year's title-winning campaign after losing them during the IPL Auction 2022. The four-time IPL Champions lost Faf du Plessis, Shardul Thakur and Lungi Ngidi but had to break the bank to retain Deepak Chahar. The team also bought Sri Lanka cricketer Maheesh Theekshana in the IPL Auction 2022 but the signing has created quite a storm on social media. more..

Feb 17 (DM) The Wildlife Protection Ministry has ordered Shermila Rajapaksa, Director General (DG) of the National Zoological Gardens, not to report for duties until the investigations being carried out into an illegal organic fertiliser project at the Zoological Department are over. State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake said the investigation into the illegal organic fertiliser project was advised to be completed within 14 days by a committee appointed by the Public Administration Ministry. more..

Feb 17 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) says measures would be taken to levy a surcharge or interrupt the power supply for the consumers who are yet to settle their electricity bills. PUCSL chairman Janaka Ratnayake said a directive in this regard would be issued tomorrow. The unsettled bills of the consumers of CEB and LECO amount to the tune of Rs. 50 billion. PUCSL chairman also spoke of the plans to more..

Feb 17 (DM) One of the world's endangered species, the Arabian oryx gave birth to a calf at the Dehiwala National Zoo two weeks ago, National Zoological Gardens Director General Sharmila Rajapaksa said. She said the baby Arabian oryx calf is in good health and has been on public display with its mother in a free zone, as the calf feeds on its mother's milk. Arabian oryx was one of the world's most endangered species in the 1970s, when it was restricted to 1,000 in Arabian desert alone. more..

Feb 17 (AD) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has called for the abolition of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). This was conveyed through a statement issued on the briefing of the diplomats from 8th -10th of Feb on HRCSL�s Road Map for 2022 held at its headquarters. �Notwithstanding the amendments already suggested by the govt, the HRCSL advocates the complete abolition of the PTA,� it read. HRCSL says it believes that the offence of terrorism more..

Feb 17 (DM) All major political parties in SL are presently struggling to remain intact and are likely to start splitting, with one alliance already to be named in early March signalling a split in the present govt. The alliance which will be announced early March will be of 12 political parties who are presently with the govt coming together as one alliance, while continuing to function with the SLPP. This includes some SLFP members and the parties led by more..

Feb 17 (FT) The political rhetoric intrigues me � from the elated announcement that Sri Lanka has honoured the $ 500 million debt bill in January to the promise next 3 years we will rebuild the country and today the theme being the president protected the country with the vaccination drive. All are interesting strategies from a marketing perspective to keep a brand alive when the product life is declining daily. In the world of business, we call these survival behaviour strategies more..

Feb 17 (CT) State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara accused CEB engineers of failing to fulfil the Prez�s vision of implementing the Renewable Energy Policy. He said that the national grid has already lost 40MW of renewable energy generated by solar panels due to electrical engineers failing to provide connectivity. He said renewable energy was important at a time when the country�s energy demand is high and that numerous requests have been made to raise fuel prices, but more..

Feb 17 (DM) The writ petition filed by Dr. Shafi Shihabdeen, who was at the centre of the controversy surrounding the alleged sterilisation of female patients was today fixed for support by Court of Appeal. Dr. Shafi is seeking an order directing authorities to pay the salary due and payable to him including back-wages. Court of Appeal Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna fixed the petition for support on March 4. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal declined to issue an order directing Director of more..