Feb 6 (EN) SJB stands for reform of the central bank to ensure accountability and transparency as well as ensuring independence, its leader Sajith Premadasa said as the country is hit by one of the worst currency crises it is history after a bout of money printing. Since its creation in 1950 in the style of a Latin America central bank by a US money doctor, the agency has pushed up the cost of living, triggered currency depreciation and more..

Feb 6 (SO) Three months ago Sri Lanka lost a rugby legend Chandrishan Perera to a debilitating illness three years after it was first diagnosed. A family lost a pillar of strength while his mates at his club CH & FC kept his spirits alive as he battled on gamely till the final whistle. Chandrishan was the epitome of a supremely physically strong specimen of a sportsman long after he had hung up his rugby boots with an unparalleled zest for life becoming a coach, entrepreneur and commentator. more..

Feb 6 (TM) The main coalition partner of the governing alliance, SLFP, called on the Govt to hold LG Polls without further delay and to formulate an All Party Committee (APC) to discuss and address the multiple challenges facing the country. Decisions were adopted by the SLFP All Island Working Committee that convened yesterday under the patronage of Party Leader former Prez Sirisena. SLFP adopted a 15-point document that was prepared by party�s Working Committee more..

Feb 6 (TM) The Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) Chairman expressed concern that the unscheduled and unapproved power outage by the CEB on Independence Day may have been an act of sabotage. Responding to a query about the unplanned outage, PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said that the power shedding that occurred in certain Colombo suburbs last Friday was not approved by PUCSL more..

Feb 6 (ST) Cabinet has approved the procurement of 450,000 barrels of Omani light crude oil for the Sapugaskanda oil refinery from a Cypriot commodity trading firm on an unsolicited tender because the company had offered the dollar-strapped CPC six-months of credit. The uninvited proposal came from the Terra Navis group in Cyprus, said Minister Udaya Gammanpila. Tender was awarded on a trial basis. Consignment, for which an arrival date has not yet been set, will cost US$ 76 per barrel. more..

Feb 6 (SO) Around 20% of the mainly small and medium sector enterprises which are members of the Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) have shut down operations since the last quarter of 2021 and this number is expected to rise if the power and forex crisis which is causing port clearance delays and high demurrage costs persists, a top official of the industrial chamber said. He said it has come to a stage that even large scale companies cannot go on with power outages, more..

Feb 6 (ST) Power Ministry has been strongly criticised by the Finance Ministry over delays in implementing renewable energy projects and dire financial management in the CEB. In a stinging letter sent yesterday by Finance Ministry Secretary S. R. Attygalle to Power Ministry Secretary Wasantha Perera, he says, despite Govt policy to achieve the target of at least 70% of electricity generated using renewable energy by 2030, more..

Feb 6 (ST) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is quoting in US dollars for information from it, contrary to the Right to Information law, prompting those seeking the information to convert and pay in rupees.. Currently, Authority provides certified copies of documents up to four pages free of charge and thereafter, USD 2 is charged for every additional page with separate Value Added Tax. The rules of Right to Information Commission (RTIC) make no reference to quoting in USD for information. more..

Feb 6 (ST) As the number of COVID-19 infected MPs and Parliament staff continues to rise, the Committee on Parliamentary Business will meet at 3 pm tomorrow to decide on the sittings scheduled for next week. Parliament is currently scheduled to sit for four days next week from Feb 8 to 11. Given the significant increase in the number of MPs and Parliament staff who have contracted COVID since the last sitting week in January, however, there is likelihood that sittings could be curtailed, more..

Feb 6 (ST) When a country reels from a severe crisis, its people rely on their Govt to come together, present a unified front and lay out clear strategies on how it intends to overcome it. Most of all, the people expect their Govt to be honest with them regarding the seriousness of the crisis. In SL, where the country has been beset by a multitude of crises, none of these things is happening. Govt has been plagued by disunity and more..

Feb 7 (DM) Future generations will judge this period in Sri Lanka�s history as one defined by extreme turmoil and upheaval; as a country, we have been here before: the 1953 Hartal, the �58 Anti-Tamil Pogrom, the JVP �71insurrection, the list is long. The present day may not seem quite as violent or oppressive, yet the data suggests that the current period might match or even exceed the destruction seen during those definitive times. What sets the present apart is the longevity of this chaos; more..

Feb 7 (DM) Politicians and mistakes are synonymous, from years gone by to more recent days, the the blunders politicians have sometimes changed the course of history. Some cast a dark shadow over the future. Last week in an Interview with a media outlet, sibling to two presidents and country�s present Finance Minister -Basil Rajapaksa- really put his foot in his mouth. He claimed the country purchased arms from North Korea using US$ purchased from the black market. more..

Feb 7 (DM) Former Executive Director Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Thushan Gunawardena speaking to the Daily Mirror questions as to why the person who exposed the fraud has been named as a suspect while those who were involved in the fraud have been reinstated. Former Executive Director CAA Thushan Gunawardena who unearthed the garlic scam that took place at Welisara Sathosa Warehouse more..

Feb 7 (ST) It is a paradox without parallel that Prez Rajapaksa saw fit to invoke the names of SL�s great kings and their liberation struggles against foreign invaders on this 74th Independence Day while his Govt has, through foolhardy economic and political choices, accelerated this nation�s gravest existential crisis since independence This is a celebration of independence that has lost all meaning in a backdrop where such events are generally not regarded by public with much enthusiasm. more..

Feb 7 (ST) The people were given a saccharine coated, jasmine scented fast-relief puff of a breather from the suffocating traumas of daily strife when the govt went into celebratory mode on Friday, to relive Freedom hour in splendorous style with all the pomp and pageantry it could muster at its command. Under the prayer like theme of wishful hope � the long winded An affluent tomorrow and prosperous motherland with challenges overcome slogan � gala national event had, behind its charm more..

Feb 7 (TM) Dr. Nishan de Mel is an economist and the Executive Director of Verit� Research. He has extensive academic, policy, and private sector experience and has taught and researched economics at the University of Oxford and Harvard University. The Morning spoke to Dr. de Mel on the Govt and Central Bank�s economic management, the debt and foreign exchange situation, and his recommended path out of more..

Feb 7 (CT) Employees of all sectors have been in a persistent battle between surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing cost of living and added to this, certain employees have also had to face pay cuts. This is reason enough for all employees, irrespective of whether they belong to the private or the State sector, to be entitled to any relief that the Govt provides. While the recent decision of the Govt to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 for employees of the State sector more..

Feb 7 (TM) SL�s cynical and jaded political culture experienced yet another first, or what feels like a first as far back as the mind can conceivably reach into the dismal annals of political yore. Politicians making good on promises is rare. Even rarer is politicians making good on promises to resign when accused of what they are generally accustomed to being accused of. Rarer still is politicians resigning without any such public, societal pressure to do so, when they have not been directly implicated, more..

Feb 7 (Island) Anyone can check how much of electricity production capacity SL has, by studying authentic information on the web. SL�s electricity generating capacity and customer demand, to the closest 100 megawatt is as follows: The peak demand this year is forecast to reach 2900 mw. In year 2020, peak demand reported was 2717 mw. It happens in the night, around 7pm. On Monday 31 Jan 2022, SL reported a peak demand of 2710 mw at 7pm, without load shedding. more..

Feb 7 (Island) The recent arrest of State Minister Arundika Fernando�s son over an attack on a group of Kelaniya Uni medical students may have coincided with the drafting of Prez Rajapaksa�s Independence Day speech. Fernando resigned from his ministerial post immediately afterwards. On 4 Feb, the Prez, in his address to the nation, declared that his govt protected everyone�s human rights; every SL citizen, irrespective of his or her ethnicity or religion, could exercise his or her right to live more..

Feb 7 (TM) As Omicron sweeps across the island, it has become the main variant prevailing. At the time of writing, the daily positive cases have surpassed 1,000 which was just little over 800 two weeks ago. The number of deaths reported on 1 Feb was 32 and it was around a dozen two weeks ago. Hospitalised and home-based positive cases increased to 16,895 on 1 Feb, from 13,839 two weeks earlier. more..

Feb 7 (Island) It was the Royal � Thomian of 1963. Royal batting second were facing a formidable Thomian total of 254 for 8 declared. Before long they were heading for trouble at 34 for 3. That�s when a fresh-faced youngster still only 17, made his way to the middle. Before his arrival, he was subjected to a copious dousing of well-meant advice from Saliya Atapattu � former Royal sporting personality, seated next to him in the pavilion. It was all about what must be done to avert a possible calamity, more..

Feb 7 (ST) Visakha Vidyalaya and St. Joseph�s College topped their gender categories at last week�s National Age Group Relay Championship scoring 162 and 181 points, respectively. In the first such meet held since the pandemic, worked off in the Sugathadasa Swimming Complex, the Visakians were head and shoulders above their counterparts with a substantial lead of 66 points, ahead of Lyceum, Wattala who finished second with four points shy of 100. more..

Feb 7 (ST) The Hindus festival of Thai Pongal, carries an adage reading � Thai Piranthal Vazhi Pirakkum or when the month of January (Thai in Tamil) dawns, so will avenues. That was exactly the blessing and the winning that happened to Inthugadevi Ganesh, winning and blessed with a gold medal, at the French Savate Kickboxing Championship in Pakistan, last month, unaware of the fame and name that was to follow. more..

Feb 7 (FT) COVID-19 detections during the weekend rose to 2,618 with 1,331 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. Daily COVID-19 detections have been gradually rising, with daily detections exceeding 1,000 on 30 Jan and 1,100 just two days later. Daily detections exceeded 1,200 on 4 Feb. On Saturday, 1,270 persons from the New Year cluster and 17 persons from the Prisons cluster tested positive for COVID-19. 8,233 PCR tests and 5,999 RATs were conducted on Saturday. more..

Feb 7 (FT) District Court of Colombo last week pursuant to an inter-parte inquiry, overruled the objections and affirmed an Order to issue summons on the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), its Chairperson Kimarli Fernando, its Director-General Dhammika Wijayasingha and its Additional Director-General Anoma Nandani for allegedly violating an Interim Injunction issued by District Court The initial action was instituted by the Plaintiff-Petitioner Lanka Realty Leisure (LRL) more..

Feb 7 (FT) Several shareholders of ACME Printing and Packaging PLC have been unpaid yet despite the conclusion of the Mandatory Offer by Lankem Ceylon PLC over two months ago. In September Lankem Group triggered the SEC Takeovers and Mergers Code when it acquired 19.43% stake or 8 million shares in ACME at Rs. 12 each via EB Creasy. Lankem Group originally held 53.5% stake and during the mandatory offer acquired a 33.43% and a further 1.34% on the trading floor more..

Feb 7 (Island) Dunith Wellalage is the only Sri Lankan player named in the ICC Most Valuable team of the Under 19 World Cup after the Sri Lankan skipper finished as the tournament�s highest wicket-taker. Despite taking only a single wicket in the in his last two matches, Wellalage finished as the Under 19 World Cup�s highest wicket taker. His closest rival in that list was England�s Joshua Boyden who finished with just 15 wickets after taking a couple of wickets in the final against India. more..

Feb 7 (Hindu) Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris will meet Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday, in his first visit to India since being appointed last August. Both sides are expected to discuss India�s economic support to SL, plans for new infrastructure projects and pending issues over fishermen�s rights. Announcing Mr. Peiris� arrival in Delhi on Sunday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla would more..

Feb 7 (EN) Sri Lanka is seeking a US$ 200 million credit line from Australia for lentils and other foods a media report said, soon after reports of 200 million dollars being sought from Pakistan amid forex shortages. The Sunday Times newspaper quoted Trade Minister Bandula Gunewardene as saying that 200 million dollar credit line sought from Australia as well a billion US dollar credit line from India in the works could be used to bring goods for the upcoming New Year season. more..

Feb 7 (FT) �Biz sentiment holds firm amid the rubble of multiple crises and a state of paralysis,� notes LMD, in its February edition. It added: �Despite the bleak outlook, the outcome of the latest LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) survey paints an ever so slightly more positive picture � so much so that the index is now at a nine-month high.� LMD reports that the BCI nudged up by three basis points from December, to register 122 in Jan. The index now stands at where it stood a yr ago more..

Feb 7 (TM) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Pieris landed in India yesterday (6) on a two-day official visit, with hopes of meeting PM Narendra Modi tomorrow (8), although a meeting had not been confirmed by the Indian PM even as at last night, according to well-placed sources. The death of Bollywood playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died in Mumbai early yesterday, has also complicated matters, more..

Feb 7 (AD) Lata Mangeshkar�s songs transcended borders and gave life to the phrase music is a universal language, PM Rajapaksa said as he mourned the demise of the singing legend. Mangeshkar, 92, died on Sunday in Mumbai due to multi-organ failure after over 28 days of COVID-19 diagnosis. 'Rest In Peace Nightingale of #India, #LataMangeshkar. Thank you for the decades of entertainment that transcended borders & gave life to the phrase music is a universal language, more..

Feb 7 (ST) The Central Bank (CB) still hasn�t responded to the private commercial banks� committing specified amounts to help the Treasury foot the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation�s (CPC) oil bills, officials said. The CB on Jan 20 opted to spread the financing of fuel purchases among licensed banks in ratio to their foreign exchange inflows and requested all private banks to produce US$ 250 million to help state banks to pay the CPC fuel costs. more..

Feb 7 (DM) The Dummalasuriya Police has launched an investigation into a clash at a mosque at Yagamwela in Dummalasuriya in which two persons were injured. Police said the clash took place on Friday during a prayer at the mosque. They said the clash erupted between two groups in the mosque following a dispute over the collection of money from the worshipers to pay the Moulavi who had come to perform the prayer. Police said a matter regarding a Muslim school located near more..

Feb 7 (DM) One of the two bodies discovered on the Wellawatte beach yesterday has been identified as that of the missing Maldivian national. The Police recovered two unidentified male dead bodies on the beach at Wellawatte in Colombo on Saturday. 22-year-old Afham Naseer (23) from Dh. Kudahuvadhoo was reported missing on Saturday. A member of his family stated that the SL authorities have confirmed his body was found near a railway track in Dehiwala beach area. more..

Feb 7 (Island) Sri Lanka has pointed out flaws in the process adopted by the Geneva-based UNHRC to pursue unsubstantiated war crimes accusations, which paved the way for the 2015 accountability resolution. In spite of serious concerns expressed by the then Opposition and the armed forces, the yahapalana govt co-sponsored the controversial resolution against SL. SL�s High Commissioner in Ottawa more..