Feb 25 (FT) Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.) and Ideal Motors yesterday began deliveries of the new Bolero City Pik-Up in Sri Lanka first single cab pick up to be assembled in the country. The vehicle has been in production at Mahindra Ideal Lankas Automotive assembly plant at Welipenna. The first batch of vehicles were delivered to the customers at an event held in the city today. SL is one of M&M�s most important overseas markets. M&M has been present in the country for more than 25 years more..

Feb 25 (ST) A temporary ban on bottom trawling in the Puttalam and Kalpitiya lagoons from Dec 31 has resulted in a good catch of prawns, fish and shrimp after years for local fishermen who use traditional fishing methods. At least 3,000 fisher families from 23 fishermen federations in the district depend on fishing as their sole livlihood in and around the lagoons. Earlier, some 22 local vessels engaged in bottom-trawling in the lagoon more..

Feb 25 (Island) Several leading weightlifters including int'l medallists Sudesh Peiris, Indika Dissanayake and Hansani Gomez will have to compete against their own countrymen to punch their tickets for the upcoming Birmingham Commonwealth Games when they take part in the Singapore Weightlifting Int'l 2022 at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall in Singapore. A team of ten weightlifters and four coaches left the country in two batches during the last couple of days to take part more..

Feb 25 (Island) Venture Engine is once again taking up the mantle of kickstarting Sri Lanka�s startup sector. As Sri Lanka�s foremost startup funding platform, and a pioneer in the local startup sector since 2012, Venture Engine has spotlighted the resurgence of the startup sector with its successfully concluded Finale, which was held on the 23rd of February 2022. This event not only showcased the resilience of Sri Lanka�s startups, but also that the sector is rebounding. more..

Feb 25 (DM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) sent two additional players to India for the T20Is and the Test matches to follow thereafter, it is learnt. According to sources, the selectors have picked 28-year-old wicketkeeper batter Niroshan Dickwella and the 30-year-old all rounder Dhananjaya de Silva as cover in the depleted SL squad in India. "Both players have reached Lucknow on Thursday morning. They are quarantined for two days in the hotel (same hotel where both the teams are staying,� more..

Feb 25 (FT) The COPE directs the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) to pay dues it owes to the Treasury, which it has failed to do so for years. The GSMB Technical Services Ltd, affiliated to the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, was summoned before COPE which met yesterday with its Chairman MP Charitha Herath presiding. The Committee found that although the Bureau had duly collected dividends during the period from 2016 to 2021, the amount due to the Treasury had more..

Feb 25 (CT) With the ongoing power cuts being extended to over five hours from today (25), and with no end in sight to the fuel crisis, the health sector is tipped to be crippled soon, worried health officials warned. Dr. Hemantha Herath said, the health sector is currently relying heavily on generators and backup generators the hospitals possess, in case of an emergency, adding however, that the persisting fuel shortage could hinder this. more..

Feb 25 (AD) Foreign Ministry has instructed the Embassy of SL in Ankara, Turkey which is concurrently accredited to Kyiv, to take appropriate measures to coordinate the safe passage of the remaining SL nationals in Ukraine. The directives came after Russia launched its military operations in Ukraine on Thursday (24) and massive explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odes. Ukraine referred to the move as a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a war of aggression. more..

Feb 25 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism will host the biggest post-pandemic summit by hosting the Travel Agents Association of India�s (TAAI) 66th Annual Convention in mid-April drawing over 500 delegates thereby wooing more holidaymakers from the neighbouring giant market. A tripartite agreement between SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and TAAI was signed to host the key event with hopes of reviving Covid-hit tourism between the two countries. more..

Feb 25 (TM) Mirihana has been exempted from the ongoing power interruptions experienced around the island and the rent charged by landlords in the Mirihana area has also increased due to the 24-hour availability of electricity. Sources living in the area said on condition of anonymity that they have experienced no power cuts and also confirmed the increasing of the monthly rentals charged by landlords and landladies. more..

Feb 25 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 case count rose to 641,786 following the detection of 1,208 COVID-19 patients yesterday. All patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. The previous day, 1,281 patients from the New Year cluster were detected. 7,468 PCR tests and 3,584 rapid antigen tests were conducted on Wednesday. A total of 536,113 patients from the New Year cluster, 82,785 patients from the Peliyagoda cluster, 9,154 patients from the Prisons cluster more..

Feb 25 (Island) The country would come to a standstill if a sudden technical issue occurs at any of the three power plants in the Norochcholai Power Plant Complex, a senior CEB official said, adding that almost all diesel powered plants were not functioning and the 163MW Kelantissa Power Plant Complex too would have to cease operations soon for want of fuel. In addition most of the Independent Power Plants, managed by private owners were also running short of fuel. more..

Feb 25 (TM) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) yesterday provided clarification on the reports circulated by foreign media agencies that Govt of SL had commenced talks with debt restructuring advisors from Rothschild & Co. and Lazard Ltd. and stated that the GoSL did not seek assistance from any bankers or financial advisors in the restructuring of its debt and that any discussions carried out were only limited to offers of new financing. more..

Feb 25 (FT) In a 19th Century book written by little-known European author Pedro Carolino, the Queen�s English is murdered as it probably never had been before. For example, the Portuguese-English phrase-book blunders by rendering idiomatic phrases using rigid or direct translation. In its ludicrousness, he�s crawling is given as he go to four feet; what is he doing? becomes what do him?; and I feel nauseous gets the vapid treatment to suggest I have a mind to do the vomit. more..

Feb 25 (FT) Higher education, skills development and technical training providers are central to create productive employment opportunities for our young people. They prepare mostly young people for work in the formal and informal sector and therefore play an important role in helping to build a quality talent pool for the country. The better the training and the skill levels are, higher the income and economic returns and also the better the quality of livelihoods. Education and skills attainment in SL, more..

Feb 25 (DM) Minister Mahinda Amaraweera instructed the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) to immediately suspend the sand mining permit issued by the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau for the removal of sand from the Kuda Oya Amuna in the Vijayabahupura Division of the Mahaweli B Zone of the SL Mahaweli Authority. Environment Ministry advised the GSMB to suspend the sand mining permit for the Kuda Oya Amuna project with immediate effect. more..

Feb 25 (AD) The govt of Sri Lanka says it is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Ukraine. In a statement, Sri Lanka called upon all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and work towards the immediate cessation of hostilities, in order to maintain peace, security and stability in the region. Sri Lanka has also emphasized the need for concerted efforts by all parties concerned to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and sincere dialogue. more..

Feb 25 (Reuters) In late Nov 2019, after winning SL's prez election and months ahead of a parliamentary ballot that would again test his popularity, Gotabaya Rajapaksa gathered his cabinet and made good on a campaign promise to slash taxes. The move, which included a near-halving of value added tax, blindsided some top central bank executives. "The tax cuts just after the elections came as a surprise," more..

Feb 25 (CI) Spinner Maheesh Theekshana and Kusal Mendis have been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against India with hamstring issues, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed on Friday. Seam bowler Shiran Fernando, who is in the squad and is yet to make his international debut, has been ruled out of the T20Is too, with a glute injury. To bolster the squad, Niroshan Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva - members of the Test squad - have been added to the T20 set up for the remaining matches. more..

Feb 25 (EN) Seventeen Sri Lankans out of 67 who had been living in Ukraine have already left the country before Russia started bombing it on Thursday and nine Sri Lankans are expected to be evacuated through the Poland border, a foreign ministry source who is aware of the developments told EconomyNext. �Eight of them are students and another nine are Sri Lankans who have been living in Ukraine for a long time,� the source said referring to those who have already got out of Ukraine. more..

Feb 25 (EN) Sri Lanka is confident that the European Union will not withdraw the lucrative GSP+ trade concession immediately as it has already addressed some concerns raised by the block on human rights, Foreign Ministry Secretary Jayanath Colombage said. The GSP+ � an annual trade concession worth over US$ 500 million � has boosted Sri Lanka�s exports to EU member states. SL lost access to GSP+ in 2010 more..

Feb 25 (DM) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella responded today that he has cleared a bill amounting to Rs. 7 million but there is a disparity with figures released by the CEB and he had on several occasions asked for clarification. Responding to reports that he had to pay a mega electricity bill amounting to Rs. 12 million as claimed by CEB, he said this bill was not under his name and he had on several instances informed the CEB on this matter & told them to change the name. more..

Feb 25 (EN) SL will not experience load shedding in the night over the weekend, and day time power cuts will be reduced to 3 hours on Saturday, Feb 26 and 2.5 hours on Sunday (27), PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said. On Sunday the daytime power will be cut only for areas A, B and C. There will be no power cuts for other areas on Sunday. SL is experiencing severe forex shortages as money is printed to enforce low interest rates and fuel imports have been disrupted. more..

Feb 25 (Island) Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera ordered the suspension of the excavation permit at Waduwaketugala in Dambadeniya. The Minister did so when a number of environmental organisations expressed concern about the controversial permit. Amaraweera�s attention was drawn to the blasting of parts of the Waduwaketugale rock, an ancient heritage site in Dambadeniya. Accordingly, he instructed the GSMB Regional Engineer to suspend the licence more..

Feb 25 (TM) Prez Rajapaksa paid a visit to the MILCO factory this morning where the president observed the production, packing and other procedures at the local milk factory. National Milk factory that began in 1956, was established as the MILCO Private Ltd in 1986 producing pasteurized milk alone, whereas is now a leading local producer of ice cream, yoghurt and other dairy products. MILCO company has a workforce of 1500+ employees across four farms in Ambewella, more..

Feb 25 (EN) Russia�s invasion of Ukraine has affected the tourism industry in SL over the 24 hours since Prez Vladimir Putin�s deceleration of war. A majority of new arrivals to SL from different countries have been cancelled or postponed. Meanwhile, stays have been extended as air spaces go through disruptions. Kamal Karunaratne from Ceylon My Dream, a tourist agency said some tourists have extended their stay. more..

Feb 25 (PMD) World Scout Day celebrations and the awarding of Prez�s Scout Certificates were held under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, today (23). Scout Movement is the largest voluntary organization for children in the world, with 52 million children in 172 countries. The highest award a Scout can receive is the President�s Scout Medal. Chief Commissioner of the SL Scout Association Janaprith Fernando welcomed the Chief Scout Prez Rajapaksa, more..

Feb 25 (EN) Sri Lanka is not cutting power to Board of Investment (BOI) industrial zones, State Minister for Renewable Power Duminda Dissanayake said as the country was gripped by five hour power cuts amid forex shortages and a drought. �The Ceylon Electricity Board has taken steps not to disconnect export zones under the BOI during power cuts,� State Minister told parliament. �Private industries that have generators will be paid 36 rupees a unit during the time of the power cuts.� more..

Feb 25 (EN) Sri Lanka needs 1,285 million US dollar for oil imports in the next three months, of which 500 million will come from an Indian credit line, Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila said, as the country grappled with forex shortages and global prices went up. �For the next three months we have forecasted US$ 1,285.5 million for oil imports,� he said. �We hope to get US$ 500 million from the credit line from India. more..

Feb 25 (TM) Ambassador Julie J. Chung officially began her tenure as the U.S. Ambassador to SL today after presenting her credentials to Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The ceremony took place at the official residence of Prez Rajapaksa today. �I am honored to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to SL and I look forward to working with the govt and the people of this country to strengthen democracy, increase prosperity, and ensure a healthy, connected, and secure future for all,� more..

Feb 25 (CT) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris briefed members of the France-SL Friendship Group in the French Senate on the Govt�s development and reconciliation initiatives, as well as proposed amendments to the 42-year-old PTA, which has already been presented in Parliament and is set to be debated in the first week of March. Foreign Minister is currently attending the Ministerial Forum for Indo-Pacific Cooperation, which is being held at French Republic�s Foreign Ministry in Paris, more..

Feb 25 (DM) Court of Appeal today issued notices on the Attorney General, returnable for March 2 in connection with a writ petition filed by former PM Ranil Wickremasinghe. Former PM is seeking an order staying the operation of finding and recommendations of the PCoI appointed to probe incidents of political victimization. Court of Appeal three-judge-bench comprising Justice Nissanka Karunaratne, Justice Devika Abeyratne and Justice D.M. Samarakoon fixed the petition more..

Feb 25 (Island) Politics should be limited to election times and all political leaders must come together to save the country from the present crisis, Chairman of the NMSJ, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said addressing the Moneragala District Conference of the Coalition for National and Religious Reconciliation. Jayasuriya said, �The world is facing huge challenges today and that the Covid pandemic and the economic downturn have left all of us in a desperate situation. more..

Feb 25 (DM) Ukrainian community in SL launched a protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Colombo today against Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has plunged Europe into a turmoil. Ukrainian nationals stood outside the Embassy holding placards saying Stop Russian Aggression, Stop the war and Russia Go Home, and said the full scale war launched by Russia had caused the first casualties among military & civilians. more..

Feb 25 (CT) JJB MP Vijitha Herath queried as to why the CEB did not terminate the electricity supply to the residence of a powerful Cabinet Minister, when he had amassed an electricity bill of over Rs 12 million. Speaking in Parliament, Herath said the CEB has recently informed the Minister to settle the Bill as soon as possible. �The CEB�s letter to Minister Keheliya Rambukwella came only after the media reported it. It is reported that he has not settled his electricity bill for a few years. more..

Feb 25 (EN) All Share Price Index recovered strongly on Friday (24) from its lowest close in 3-1/2 month helped by bargain hunting in select shares but concerns remained as fuel shortage and economic crisis have hot eased, brokers said. The main All Share Price Index (ASPI) jumped 4.23% or 450.85 points to 11,107.90, recovering from its lowest close since November 10. On Thursday, it plunged 5% or 560.71 points, its worst percentage loss since March 20, 2020, data showed. more..