Mar 12 (Island) Former Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila says Lanka-India Oil Company (LIOC) has effectively taken itself out from the local petroleum market and is pricing its products in line with economic realities. The LIOC has achieved that objective by keeping its diesel and petrol prices (per litre) Rs 77 and 92 , respectively, higher than those of Petroleum Corporation (CPC), leader of the PHU says. Having increased diesel & petrol more..

Mar 12 (DN) Diverse views were expressed by Colombo business circles on imposing a ban on several imported items on Tuesday. President Electrical and Electronic Section Advisory Committee to the Ministry of Industries Dhammika Samarawickrama welcomed the import ban on some commodities and said it was very timely. �It was very sad to note that Sri Lanka spent about USD 1 million in January alone to import perfumes, colognes and other similar substances which are already more..

Mar 12 (AD) Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal has denied media reports which stated that the meetings between Sri Lankan authorities and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) officials over the next few weeks are for the purpose of debt restructuring. Taking to his official Twitter account, Cabraal said �Meetings of SL authorities with @IMFNews officials over the next few weeks are NOT for the purpose of #debt restructuring as stated by some news agencies. more..

Mar 12 (Island) Ratnayake Central, Walala athlete Tharushi Karunaratne delivered yet another outstanding performance as she reached qualifying standard for another World Junior Athletics Championships event on the final day of the second selection trial at Diyagama on Friday. She beat her senior training partner and national record holder Dilshi Kumarasinghe in a tape finish in the 800 metres as she returned a time of 2 min & 6.99 sec. more..

Mar 12 (AD) Chairman of COPE Prof. Charitha Herath has stated that decisions taken by Board of Directors of Public Institutions occasionally, cause chaos when it comes to public money. He made this remark at the COPE meeting held on Thursday to review the Auditor General�s Reports of 2017 and 2018 and the current performance of the Development Lotteries Board. The Committee observed that the studio built at a cost of Rs. 38.75 million for the purpose of recording more..

Mar 12 (FT) Colombo stock market proved Thursday�s heroics were temporary as it closed yesterday on a negative note reaffirming investor sentiment remains besieged owing to worsening macro-economic conditions though some have welcomed recent measures. The active S&P SL20 dipped by over 2% and the benchmark ASPI declined by 1.65%. This was a sharp contrast to all-time high-day gain enjoyed on Thursday when S&P SL20 shot up by 8.5% and ASPI by 7%. more..

Mar 12 (Island) As an initiative to attract more tourists from the Bangladesh market, SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) with the assistance of SL High Commission in Dhaka and Sri Lankan Airlines organized a Familiarization (FAM) tour for two groups of the Bangladesh Travel Writers Association (BDTWA) and Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) for an 8-day tour of the island period of 25th Feb to 4th March 2022. The visit coincides with the commemoration more..

Mar 12 (Island) The British govt says sanctions in respect of SL Army Commander General Shavendra Silva, who is also the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), are among a variety of tools available to them. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Minister Vicky Ford said on March 09: �We are grateful for the submission by the International Truth and Justice Project on General Shavendra Silva. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. more..

Mar 12 (DM) Amidst rising reports that a national govt was being discussed between the Rajapaksa brothers and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe which would see Prez Rajapaksa as head of state and Wickremesinghe as the new Prime Minister, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday firmly denied these reports saying such a matter was not discussed with the UNP. In a meeting with some senior journalists at Temple Trees, more..

Mar 12 (Island) Uproar in Parliament continued for the second day, yesterday, as Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa had not made a statement on the current economic crisis. The SJB and JVP called on Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to summon Finance Minister Rajapaksa to make a statement. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said MPs didn�t want to just see the Finance Minister in Parliament but wanted him to make a statement on the economic crisis. more..

Mar 12 (Island) The only solution to the power crisis was to restructure the CEB, State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said in Parliament on Thursday. �Successive govts have realised the need to build low cost electricity generating power plants. Ministers have presented Cabinet papers for such projects, but everything stops at the CEB,� he said. During the Yahapalana govt there had been a plan to generate one gigawatt of electrcitiy from solar energy and agreements had been reached more..

Mar 12 (AD) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) says it has approved the request of the CEB for emergency power purchase subject to the conditions given by the PUCSL. Considering the existing fuel shortage of the country and electrical energy capacity shortage of the CEB, coupled up with the long term forced outage of all thermal power plants at Kelanithissa, Sapugaskanda and Kerawalapitiya due to no fuel with more..

Mar 12 (DM) CPC has decided to increase fuel prices with effect from midnight today. A litre of 92 octane petrol has been increased by Rs 77 while a litre of 95 octane petrol by Rs. 75, a litre of auto diesel by Rs. 55 and a litre of super diesel has been increased by Rs. 95. Accordingly, new price of a litre of 92 octane petrol is Rs. 254 while a litre of 95 octane petrol will be sold at Rs. 283. The price of a litre of auto diesel is Rs. 176 while price of a litre of super diesel is Rs. 254. more..

Mar 12 (CT) Convener of the CEB Joint Trade Union Alliance, Ranjan Jayalal, said SJB MP Harin Fernando had also failed to pay his monthly electricity bill amounting to nearly Rs 1.8 million. He said the unpaid electricity bill had been sent to the MP�s residence situated in Colombo 5. Jayalal charged that Fernando had not paid his monthly electricity bill up to 22 Feb and observed that neither the Govt nor the CEB had taken any action to disconnect electricity supply to his residence. more..

Mar 12 (FT) The sharpest depreciation of the rupee following the free float of the currency ignited across the board prices hike with cost likely to soar further if CPC revises upwards its pricing whilst the Central Bank said spikes are temporary and its recent moves will usher longer-term benefits and stability. Of the announced hikes, most centred around food on the basis that producers will incur higher prices on more..

Mar 12 (FT) The participation of women in the labour force is growing, and the retirement age too is increasing. Women are participating more in the workplace. Historically, a fact that has been overlooked is the different requirements of women and men. This has put women at a disadvantage, due to social expectations and family responsibilities burdened on women. Women (as with men) are hardworking and focused on their work duties during the early days of their working life. more..

Mar 12 (FT) Let�s take a global whirl this week. The Ukrainian conflagration was further muddied by the Germans opposing a ban on �essential� Russian oil. Hence, the war may actually add to Russian coffers on some fronts. Putin demands the Ukrainians accept Crimea as Russia, accept the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states. According to a Kremlin spokesman, �If these conditions are met, then Russian military action will stop in a moment.� more..

Mar 12 (AD) A man from Makulugaswewa area in Galewela has taken his own life after brutally beating his three kids using a rod. He had committed suicide after assuming that his two sons and daughters were killed after the assault. The 36-year-old was identified as Mihira Nuwan Chamikara, was reportedly upset over a dispute he has had with his wife. The mother of the children had been living apart from her husband for over a month now. He had also posted a photo of a white flag more..

Mar 12 (DM) A proposal will be forwarded to the Transport Ministry requesting a bus fare hike on par with the sudden fuel hike, NTC Director Nilan Miranda said. He said that bus operators were unable to continue with their services with this type of fuel hike. Therefore, the NTC is contemplating to calculate the bus fare and propose it to the ministry, as it takes longer time to revise the bus fares as per the national transport policy, he said. The national transport policy is usually revised in July. more..

Mar 12 (EN) In a historic first for SL, a private member�s bill was tabled in parliament on Friday by a member of the main opposition to ban the unscientific practice of conversion therapy by unregistered clinics to cure LGBTQI people. Tabling the bill, SJB MP Rohini Kaviratne said parliament must intervene on behalf the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & intersex (LGBTQI) people to put an end to this practice which causes more..

Mar 12 (DM) Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that they are trying to provide relief to people as much as possible, despite the challenges posed by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Commenting on the current economic debacle, he said that the pandemic, increase in fuel prices and Russia-Ukraine war were external factors that impacted the crisis. �However, we will try our level best to resolve the current crisis situation locally,� he stressed. �People should continue to place their trust on this govt. more..

Mar 12 (ST) As a SL student, it is now possible to obtain a recognised degree from universities such as Massey University in New Zealand that have continuously obtained high rankings for teaching methodologies and research work at an affordable cost through GISM.Also our students transfer to NZ can study in world�s safest city, Auckland. GISM is the only Massey Uni affiliated Education and Research partner in SL that has been given the opportunity to send students to NZ more..

Mar 12 (ST) Vaccine hesitancy is the hot topic of the day in SL when so many millions of doses are freely available in the country. There are several reasons for people not taking their vaccines, said Consultant Respiratory Physician Dr. Neranjan Dissanayake who chats to all patients who seek treatment at his clinics and his ward at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital. He reiterates that any strategy to overcome vaccine hesitancy more..

Mar 12 (ST) A move by the State Ministry of Wildlife Protection to contract private companies to dig trenches as a means to prevent human-elephant conflict (HEC) has raised more questions than it has answered, even among long-suffering villagers in the worst-hit areas. Both its legality and environmental impact are at issue. But former State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake last week insisted there�s no impediment to continuing the project as it�s under Dept of Wildlife supervision. more..

Mar 12 (TM) SL Ambassador-designate Veluppillai Kananathan presented the Letter of Credence appointing him as the Ambassador of SL to Guinea with residence in Kenya, to Mamady Doumbouya, President of Guinea at the Presidential Palace in Conakry on 11th March. Following the official ceremony, the President engaged in a conversation with the Ambassador of SL. Ambassador briefed the Prez on the internal situation including post-covid economic recovery in SL. more..

Mar 12 (NR) The UNP says 60,000 individuals registered with the party in Colombo today. The first day of the 2022 membership drive commenced in the Colombo District this morning. UNP said the membership program will continue tomorrow as well. Meanwhile, the UNP has announced that it will continue to carry out the membership programs in all the districts in the country in the next several weeks. Meanwhile, UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardana says former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe more..

Mar 12 (CT) A group of doctors has decided to form another trade union having shunned the GMOA. It is said, the new trade union is set to be formed on Saturday (12). The doctors in question are of the view that many doctors have highlighted the need to create a Union that respects democracy, devoid of party or political affiliations. They added, that it is with this aim the new Union would come into being. They explained that their Union would ensure to maintain due respect/dignity of its profession more..

Mar 12 (Island) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday instructed the officials of SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to find employment opportunities for skilled workers in the foreign employment market. Prez said that improving migrant workers� skills would lead to higher salaries and job security. Prez made these remarks during an inspection visit to the head office of SLBFE at Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, more..

Mar 12 (CT) A total of 303 sea turtle hatchlings, from Mirissa and Wellawatte turtle hatcheries, managed by SL Coastguard Turtle Conservation Project (CGTCP), were released to the sea during the first week of March. In addition, more than 7,000 sea turtle eggs have already been conserved in hatcheries close to SLCG Life Saving Posts/Establishment for the purpose of releasing more turtle hatchlings into the ocean, away from the threats of predators and to survive during more..

Mar 12 (ST) Nearly 11,000 people have been infected with the potentially-fatal dengue island-wide since January, causing widespread concern among health officials. Last month 2,962 people were infected. And up to March 3, there have been 187 infections, in addition to the 7,702 people infected in January. Most have been detected within the Western Province. Compared with 4,477 infected in January and February of 2021, dengue has become a widespread concern for health officials. more..

Mar 12 (AD) The CEB of SL and the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) of India on Friday signed an agreement for a joint venture to develop a 100 MW solar power plant in Sampur. The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Finance in Colombo, in the presence of Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Power Minister Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi, Aviation and Development of Export Zones State Minister more..

Mar 12 (CT) Sinhalese community, who had voted for the incumbent President, giving him a two-thirds majority in Parliament, should now question the Prez about the current situation in the country, said TNA MP S. Sritharan. While commenting on the recent price hike of essential commodities, he said that cost of living had not been increased to such an extent by any of the previous govts. However, at present, even without considering the day-to-day lives of the people, Govt has turned a blind eye to more..

Mar 12 (Island) Shiranthi Rajapaksa, on Wednesday (09), delivered the keynote address at a webinar, under the theme Empowered Women Dare to Speak Up, organised by the Indonesian Ministry of Women�s Empowerment and Child Protection (MoWECP). The Minister of MoWECP, Bintang Puspayoga, and the Indonesian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Dewi Gustina Tobing, and Heru Prayitno, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Indonesia in Colombo, also took part in the webinar. more..

Mar 12 (ST) The area around the Idalgashinna railway station on the upcountry line is fast becoming an attraction among local and foreign tourists due to its scenic beauty. In spite of windy conditions and other climatic conditions it is turning into a popular camping site. On a clear day one can get a panoramic view of the Hambantota sea, Kataragama, Tissamaharama areas, the lighthouse in Dondra, Samanalawewa in Ratnapura district, Udawalawe tank and Haggala gardens. more..

Mar 12 (EN) Parliament passed a Land Development (Amendment) Bill on Friday (11) which, according to Lands Minister S M Chandrasena, will ensure gender equality in land inheritance and reduce future disputes. The bill, introduced by Chandrasena, sought to amend the Land Development Ordinance that dates back to 1935. �Since the 1935 Land Development Ordinance, it was always the oldest male child of the family that inherited land. more..

Mar 12 (ST) The number of child abuse complaints filed with the agency tasked with protecting children from abuse has skyrocketed to 11,187 in 2021, from an average of 8,500 complaints over the past 10 years. This is a jump of around 3,022 complaints from 2020 when there were 8,165. The figures indicate an increased number of sexual harassment cases reported to the NCPA�s child friendly hotline 1929. more..