Feb 8 (FT) By now, you would know that the Prez recently publicly expressed a personal wish that SL would rank among the world�s most developed nations by 2048 � the country�s 100th year since independence. In his televised speech on our island nation�s 75th anniversary of shaking off the shackles of colonialism, our Head of State said: �We can become a developed country by 2048, if we work and move forward in a united and planned manner, envisioning peace and reconciliation.� more..

Feb 8 (SLN) A combined operation mounted by the Navy and the Police Special Task Force led to the apprehension of a suspect (01) with about 10kg of Kerala cannabis and a motorcycle in Wattakachchi, Kilinochchi on the night of 06th February 2023. The coordinated search operation was mounted by the Naval Deployment Vettalakeni in the Northern Naval Command with the STF in the Wattakachchi area on 06th February. The recovery of Kerala cannabis was made after interrogating a person more..

Feb 8 (FT) Public Utilities Commission of SL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake yesterdays said that members of the Commission had taken a U-turn on the unanimous decision to seek legal action against the CEB to prevent power interruptions during GCE A/L examinations. Speaking at a special media briefing, he pointed out that these members are being politically intimidated and were against the PUCSL Act to protect the rights of the public to provide electricity ─ a basic human right. more..

Feb 8 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, delivering the govt�s policy statement in parliament today, said he is ready to make politically unpopular decisions, such as introducing new tax policies, to put the country back on track. �I am not here to be popular. I am ready to make unpopular decisions for the sake of the country. People will realize the importance of these decisions in two to three years.� more..

Feb 8 (AD) A 19-year-old suspect has been apprehended in Galle after he had attempting to evade arrest by jumping into the sea. The arrestee was accused of illegally collecting money from passengers on buses, and had later attempted to swim out to the sea to evade the Police�s attempts to arrest him yesterday. An officer of the Galle Traffic Police, however, had managed to foil the suspect�s attempt to flee after he followed the suspect into the sea and apprehended him, later bringing him more..

Feb 8 (DM) CID has recorded a statement from former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa over the recovery of Rs.17.85 million from the Prez�s House on 9th July 2022. SSP Nihal Thalduwa said the CID has recorded a nearly three-hour statement from the former President following a court order. Earlier, the Fort Magistrate�s Court ordered the Police to record a statement from Gotabaya Rajapaksa pertaining to the millions of rupees in cash found at Prez�s House during mass protests last year. more..

Feb 8 (EN) Prez Wickremesinghe has a clear vision for the country which must be supported and the Buddhist clergy must stay out of the reconciliation process, Jaffna district MP and former NPC Chief Minister C V Vigenswaran said. Responding to questions by reporters on his way out of parliament, Vigneswaran said the president�s throne speech delivered that morning was good. �I welcome it,� he said. more..

Feb 8 (Island) Upali Group of Companies, its employees, and sales agents countrywide, have made arrangements to invoke blessings on its founder, Upali Wijewardene, who disappeared in his Learjet, 40 years ago. Bodhi Pooja, Pahan Pooja and an alms-giving will be held, in his memory, on Feb 13 (Monday). A special Bodhi Pooja will be held at the Kelani Raja Maha Viharaya, at 6 p.m. on Feb 13 with the blessings of Prof. Ven. Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangarakkhitha Thera, more..

Feb 8 (TM) Sri Lanka has to expand its market access to Middle Eastern countries beyond its diaspora community, given that it has the potential in exports when the country is facing a foreign currency crisis, stated Hemas Holdings CEO and three times award winner at Top 50 Global Professional and Career Women Awards Kasturi Chellaraja Wilson. She made this statement last morning (7) at the media launch of the Top 50 Women Global Economic Forum and more..

Feb 8 (DM) Former Minister and SLPP National Organizer Basil Rajapaksa said that he is ready to give up his US citizenship if the dual citizenship was an obstacle to his future political activities. He said that not only the dual citizenship, but he is also ready to remove any other legal obstacle to work for the people. He said the people of the country should decide whether he succeeded or failed. He said he has a great responsibility at this time, in the backdrop of a Prez who obtained more..

Feb 8 (CT) Cabinet approval was granted to amend Employees� Trust Fund Act to provide health insurance, similar to the Agrahara health insurance, to private sector employees. Accordingly, the Legal Draftsman would be instructed to prepare a draft Bill to amend the Employees� Trust Fund Act No. 46 of 1980. Cabinet proposal, was presented by the President, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies. �The Prez, in his Budget 2023 speech, more..

Feb 8 (Island) Yuthukama leader Gevindu Cumaratunga, MP, said that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution should be abolished. SLPP National List MP emphasized that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s declaration to fully implement the controversial amendment, forced on SL by India, was not acceptable to the vast majority of people here. The civil society activist said so in response to media queries, more..

Feb 8 (DM) An investigation has been launched by the Police after a three-wheel driver of an app-based taxi service had been threatened by a group of thugs in a locality in Galle for transporting tourists. The Tourist Police said the incident was reported following a video of the incident going viral on Social Media. "However, we did not receive any formal Police complaint regarding the incident. But the Tourist Police have decided to launch an investigation as foreigners are involved," more..

Feb 8 (AD) Court of Appeal has reserved the order on whether to take up for hearing the writ application filed by the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) seeking to prevent the imposing of power cuts during the 2022 GCE A/L examination to 10 Feb. The order was issued by Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola. Accordingly, the decision on whether notices will be issued pertaining to the hearing of the relevant writ application, and whether an interim order more..

Feb 8 (EN) SL will lose 63 billion rupees if a personal income tax threshold was doubled from the current 100,000 rupees a month to Prez Wickremesinghe said. IMF had proposed that personal income tax start at 45,000 rupees a month under bailout program following the worst currency crisis in the history of the island�s central bank. There is now progressive tax protests particularly from state enterprise employees whose taxes more..

Feb 8 (DM) Attorney-at-Law Asela B. Rekawa has been appointed as the Chairman of Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) with effect from yesterday, by Minister Prasanna Ranatunga. The appointment has been approved by Prez. Hailing from a family of lawyers in Kurunegala, Rekawa, is the son of Ariya B. Rekawa PC and Elsie Rekawa AAL, both prominent and well-respected practitioners in the legal profession counting 50 years of practice. more..

Feb 8 (DM) The 24-hour token strike has been successfully launched across hospitals island-wide, Secretary of the GMOA Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. Except for those medical professionals who are attending to emergency services, doctors have withdrawn from duties across hospitals marking a day of protest called by a collective of professionals and trade unions in SL. "All trade unions representing the medical field are taking part in today's strike for the first time in history," more..

Feb 8 (AD) Two individuals including Ven. Balangoda Kassapa Thero were arrested today during a Satyagraha campaign that was blocking the entry road to parliament. The Satyagraha was staged blocking the parliamentary entry road used by the lawmakers to reach the parliament complex to attend the inauguration of the Fourth Session of the Ninth Parliament this morning. Accordingly, Ven. Kassapa Thero and another individual named Kamantha have been placed under arrest. more..

Feb 8 (RW) The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in SL today acknowledged a recent contribution of CHF 800,000 (approximately US$802,000) from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) at a special event held at the Embassy of Switzerland to SL and Maldives. The funding is being used to provide much-needed cash and other assistance to improve food security among rural farming communities affected by the country�s economic crisis. more..

Feb 8 (EN) Amid strong discontent and growing protests against Prez Wickremesinghe�s upward tax revision from this year, the govt took a step back to exempt some allowances partially including for fuel, driver, and vehicle, a govt document showed. The non-cash benefits were added to Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax earlier and the move has resulted in most SL govt employees getting into tax nets for the first time. more..

Feb 8 (TM) Colombo Magistrate�s Court on Monday lifted the bail condition imposed on 20 suspects, including IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige and former IUBF Convenor Ven. Rathkarawwe Jinarathana Thera, that they should appear before the Cinnamon Gardens Police Station once a month in relation to a case pertaining to a protest in 2020. The relevant case, which has been filed by the Cinnamon Gardens Police Station naming 20, including Mudalige and Jinarathana Thera more..

Feb 8 (AFP) Prez said that the island nation will remain bankrupt for at least three more years as he works to repair battered government finances following an unprecedented economic crisis. Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe took office in 2022 at the peak of national unrest sparked by months of food, fuel and medicine shortages. He has since pushed through tax hikes and negotiated with international creditors after a default on SL�s foreign debt to clear the way for a sorely needed IMF bailout. more..

Feb 8 (TM) While the Police are yet to deny the recent allegations levelled by IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige that certain Police officers including an ASP have threatened him with death during his detention under the PTA, the Ministry of Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms and the National Police Commission (NPC) have made critical comments regarding Mudalige's revelations. more..

Feb 8 (CB) India and Australia are set to face off in a marquee clash that could well turn out to be a precursor to the final of the second edition of the World Test Championship at the Oval this June. India and Australia head the points table and are well positioned to finish as the top two. South Africa play West Indies at home next month and will be closely following the proceedings of this series as their fate is closely intertwined with the scoreline of this series. more..

Feb 8 (AD) A heated situation arose earlier today, when the Police intervened in a protest staged by a group of Buddhist monks against the full implementation of the 13th Amendment. The situation ensued when the group of monks attempted to walk towards the Parliament from Polduwa Junction. Despite the efforts of the Police, however, the group continued to protest. The protest against the full implementation of the 13th Amendment was launched this morning, more..

Feb 9 (TM) In what appears to be a response to the people�s demands that the Govt must be mindful of and limit its own expenses before imposing austerity measures on the people, Cabinet has granted approval for an initiative that will look into the expenses of 10 Ministries for which a large amount of financial resources have been allotted through the Budget. Under this initiative proposed by Prez Wickremesinghe in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and more..

Feb 9 (DM) There are some uncomfortable truths about the 13th Amendment, devolution of power and of course provincial councils. Let�s begin with the here-and-now. Provincial Council elections haven�t been held for years. It is more than 10 years since the Eastern Provincial Council elections were held and more than nine since they were held for the Northern Provincial Council. Did the people in the Northern and Eastern provinces complain? Did their representatives complain? more..

Feb 9 (DM) The ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka had hampered his marketing job and thus, when he heard he could earn US$1,000 a month at an IT job in Thailand, he jumped at the chance. Little did he know that his job would be to flirt with well-to-do Americans online in an organised crypto-currency scamming network handled by East Asian syndicates in Laos. �By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late to flee,� said Jay* more..

Feb 9 (GV) This month the SL state celebrates 75 years of independence from British colonialism. This is a good to opportunity to remind ourselves about the link between SL state formation and the global context. This is because SL gained independence not only because of what happened within the country but also because the British empire became weaker from the time of the First World War. It was in this larger int'l context that negotiations between British & colonial elite in SL led to more..

Feb 9 (CT) Ranil Wickremesinghe did not call for this; nor did he expect it. Political crises are more or less stations a stream of evolution halts for a little while where new comers embark and the old ones alight. There is no exception to this rule. Ranil is not stupid not to comprehend this natural phenomenon. However, in this instance, he seems to have been blinded by the rush of years, years being added to his age. He realizes that chances visiting him with such charity from his traditional political more..

Feb 9 (TM) With more people than ever being driven below the poverty line amidst a volatile economic situation, predatory microfinance loans have become a rising concern for the more vulnerable segments of the population. According to a World Bank projection, Sri Lanka�s economy is estimated to contract 4.2% this year, primarily owing to ongoing foreign currency shortages, the effects of higher inflation, and policy measures more..

Feb 9 (CT) This paper, quoting Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, reported on Wednesday (8) that after 2028, teaching appointments will be given only to those who hold Bachelor of Education degrees. Premajayantha said a National University of Education will be set up combining all 19 National Colleges of Education in the coming years. Students will be enrolled to this university based on the number of vacancies available for each subject from G.C.E. Advanced Level Z-Scores. more..

Feb 9 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who presented his govt�s policy statement in Parliament, yesterday, sounded like a seasoned insurance sales agent with glib phrases rolling off his experienced tongue; he sought to scare the public and infuse them with hope, at the same time, to sell his policies. The knee-jerk reaction of the Opposition was to denounce the Prez�s address as snake oil, but it, in our book, is not devoid of substance and deserves critical appraisal and not cynical dismissal. more..

Feb 9 (DM) With the continuing turmoil in Sri Lanka with the country being bankrupt and the cost of living soaring higher than ever before, the gender issue does not get much prominence these days though it is widely accepted that women and girls could play a key role in science, technology and other important areas. Women and girls form a majority in our country and a law was passed to give them a 25% representation in Parliament and other local councils, but it had not happened. more..

Feb 9 (DM) *Velayuthan and his family live next to the Kinthusity Cemetery in Kalaimathy, off Puttur in Jaffna. Every day when they wake up, they worry about the possibility of smoke drifting over from the open-air cemetery and the risk to their health of inhaling it. He and his family have joined the rest of the villagers in nudging the authorities to close down the cemetery land in question. Kalaimathy is home to 1500 families of the Pallar caste. It�s an agricultural community which more..