Feb 7 (CT) In the 50 days since its launch, Operation Yukthiya has successfully apprehended 56,541 suspects in relation to drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the country. As a result of various raids conducted as part of Operation Yukthiya, which began on 17 Dec 2023, Police have apprehended 49,558 individuals for trafficking, possessing and using of illicit drugs, while another 6,983 individuals, who have been more..

Feb 7 (CT) The All Ceylon Nurses� Union warned they would surround the Govt institution, which opposes giving into their demand for much needed economic justice by increasing allowances and paying them the Sleepless, Transport and Risk Allowance (STR) and the proper title for Nursing Sisters who have completed a Post Graduate Course. ACNU Education Secretary, Prabath Palipana yesterday warned his outfit was prepared to surround either the Ministries of Health, more..

Feb 7 (FT) Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, the pioneering insurance giant with a rich history spanning over 60 years, has officially entered a new chapter with the legal segregation of its Life and General insurance businesses. This monumental decision, in compliance with the regulatory framework set by the Insurance Regulatory Commission of SL (IRCSL), takes effect from 1 Feb 2024. Founded as the State-owned insurer, Sri Lanka Insurance played a pivotal role more..

Feb 7 (AD) The wife of late State Minister Sanath Nishantha has filed a complaint with the CID, raising suspicions surrounding the lawmaker�s death. Accordingly, Attorney-at-Law Chamari Priyanka had claimed that certain factors pertaining to the State Minister�s death remain suspicious, and had thereby requested for an investigation into the incident. On 25 January, Sanath Nishantha�s vehicle had crashed against the roadside barrier on the Katunayake Expressway, after rear-ending more..

Feb 7 (CT) A committee was appointed, comprising officials from the Finance Ministry and Health Ministry along with non-medical health service professionals, to urgently discuss proposal presented by the Alliance of Health Trade Unions (AHTUs) to provide economic justice to non-medical State health service employees. Convenor of the AHTUs, Chanaka Dharmawickrema, yesterday said that it had been decided at the time to do the necessary work to provide a feasible more..

Feb 7 (DM) SJB will not support the govt despite the Prez's appeals, as the govt has acted arbitrarily during the recent past, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said. He said that Prez keeps appealing to the Opposition to join hands with the govt whereas the govt has shown no concerns for the opposition. MP Kiriella said the govt attacked the peaceful protest organised by the SJB and that it was attempting to obtain SJB more..

Feb 7 (CT) The Cabinet announced that the expenditure of the upcoming Presidential Election and General Election should be managed utilising the Rs 10 billion allocated in the 2024 Budget. It was stated yesterday (6) that �the Cabinet of Ministers considered that an allocation of Rs 10 billion has been made by the 2024 Budget, within the financial stamina of the Govt and the expenses related to the Prez Election and General Election must be covered with this allocation.� more..

Feb 7 (DM) A motion has been filed at the Supreme Court challenging the registration of the NPP as a political party by the National Election Commission. The motion, submitted by activist and Secretary of the Vinivida Foundation, Attorney-at-Law Nagananda Kodituwakku, targets the recent registration of the NPP, led by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Kodituwakku's motion comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding the registration process and NPP's status as an independent political more..

Feb 7 (FT) Following is an interview with Dept of Inland Revenue former Deputy Commissioner General N.M.M. Mifly. Q: Digital company taxation local versus foreign has become a subject of concern in the COPF, where it has been pointed out that an unfair playing field is prevalent with the advantage going to foreign digital players operating in SL. How do you think this has happened? A: The digital economy allows room for tax evasion, more..

Feb 7 (TM) Govt of SL, through the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies, has commenced the process of divesting its shares in Canwill Holdings (Pvt) Ltd. Expressions of Interest (EOIs) were invited from potential investors, with a submission deadline set for 2:00 pm on 12 Dece, 2023. After the deadline, the received EOIs underwent a thorough evaluation process in line with the terms and conditions specified in the Request for Expressions of Interest. more..

Feb 7 (EN) China has shown some flexibility in its stance over the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with SL after the island nation briefly halted the negotiations following seven rounds of talks due to disagreement on tariff list, level of liberalization, and a review process, Colombo�s Chief Negotiator K G Weerasinghe said. SL is proceeding with multiple free trade agreements including with China, five years after talks with Beijing on the FTA were suspended following concerns over more..

Feb 8 (DM) Opening a new session of Parliament on Wednesday, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined a policy statement, amid indications that the country is recovering from one of its worst economic and debt crises, but whole lot of other issues need to be tackled, including the disruptive factor of racial discrimination which has plagued Sri Lanka since independence in 1948. In this area, there were and still are several issues � Tamil Congress leader, G.G. Ponnambalam�s 50-50 issue, more..

Feb 8 (DM) There was a time when people in this island nation feared the JVP. That was a time known as the insurgency. We saw the worst of this insurgency in the late 1980s, and this was a time when there was an IPKF in this island; sent here to help the SL security forces in the fight against terrorism. Fast forward the clock to 2024, and now the JVP has grown to form an alliance (NPP) with several other groups, and is even recognized as a force in political scene by neighbouring India. more..

Feb 8 (DM) Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake in an interview said that he is still actively involved in politics and hopes to make his contributions to put the debt-ridden country back on the right path. He also spoke of reinventing the party using the experienced hands and also by bringing in new faces. He added that moves are underway to restore people�s confidence in the UNP. Q: Are you engaged in active politics now? more..

Feb 8 (GV) During four months in 2022, from March to July, SL witnessed events unprecedented in its history. Driven to despair at the state of their nation, hundreds of thousands of citizens converged on Colombo to insist that their prez, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, resigns. They streamed into Galle Face at all times of the day and night. Tents were pitched, food kitchens were set up; soon the makeshift village, named GotaGoGama (GGG) included a first aid area, a recycling centre, solar power, more..

Feb 8 (Island) The day before Independence Day, a book launch took place at the Mangaiyar Mandapam Hindu Women�s Society in Wellawatte. The two books launched were biographies of a father and son who contributed to public life in SL over the past century. The father was Sir Waitialingam Duraiswamy a former speaker of parliament (known as the State Council during the British colonial period). The son was Yogendra Duraiswamy who became an ambassador representing more..

Feb 8 (TM) The Department of Railways recently stated that it is not possible to completely prevent train derailments, but that several measures have been taken to minimise them as much as possible. Many parties say that the steps taken by the Department are commendable, considering the difficulties faced by railway passengers and several other parties due to cancellations and delays of trains which more..

Feb 8 (TM) Delivering the Throne Speech at the ceremonial inauguration of the fifth session of the ninth Parliament yesterday, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed the need for a long-term, robust nation building programme in place of short-term quick fix policies. He plans to introduce an Economic Transformation Act to enable the economic transition SL requires. Wickremesinghe opined that the road to becoming a developed nation, a dream that SL has been chasing more..

Feb 8 (CT) SL is one of the very few welfare states, which directly and immensely benefits its citizens. Almost all essential services including health and education are given free of charge to the public. There is no doubt that these steps have been crucial in uplifting people�s living standards-especially for those who are economically disadvantaged or receiving a low income. In fact, SL has a long history of safety nets or welfare schemes that were run during various periods. more..

Feb 8 (Island) There could hardly be anything more shameful for a person than to be accused of carrying out pharmaceutical rackets and amassing wealth at the expense of poor patients who are fighting for their lives. Equally reprehensible is the act of defending such racketeers. One sees no difference between the crooks who endanger the lives of the sick to enrich themselves and the savages who snatched necklaces of the tsunami victims in their death throes, in Dec, 2004. more..

Feb 8 (ST) Well, that was not a bad idea after all. Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, whichever part of the political hotch-potch he occupies right now one cannot be sure, told a state-run newspaper the other day, that this country�s political landscape surely needs some weeding and pesticiding, to coin a word. At the tail-end of an interview published last week veteran politician Yapa was asked what can be expected in politics this election year, given the evident conflicts and challenges. more..

Feb 8 (ST) Implementing a minimum speed limit, setting up more rest areas, and providing a special rapid-response ambulance service were among the measures being studied to improve expressway safety. The measures were discussed on Monday at the Transport Ministry during a special meeting convened to minimise accidents on expressways. The meeting was called following the Katunayake-Colombo Highway fatal crash more..

Feb 8 (CT) Constitution of SL empowers every citizen with the right of access to any information as provided for by law, being information required for the exercise or protection of the citizen�s right held by the State, a Ministry or any Govt Dept or any statutory body established or created by or under any law. No restrictions can be placed, other than such restrictions prescribed by law as necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, more..

Feb 8 (DN) Afghanistan Cricket Head Coach Jonathan Trott, the former England cricketer said, �The team lost the match on the first day of the Test when they were bowled out for 198. The turning point of the match was the first day�s struggle and credit should go to SL fast bowlers. SL team showed us how to bat in a Test match and it was good learning for our inexperienced team. �It was disappointing. We lost eight wickets for 88 runs and that�s where we lost the game. more..

Feb 8 (DN) SL shuttlers Buwaneka Goonatilleka and Viren Nettasinghe progressed to the pre-quarter finals of the men�s singles in the Li Nang SL Challenge Int'l Badminton Tournament played at Dadalla Sports Stadium in Galle yesterday. Buwaneka defeated Indian shuttler R. Ravi in two tough sets 21-16, 21-18. Despite a close game, Buwaneka managed to edge past Ravi during the second set, where both were tied at 15 each. However Buwaneka�s skillful shots allowed more..

Feb 8 (CT) Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya has climbed up to the sixth position in the ICC�s Men�s Test Bowling Rankings after his impressive performance in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. With his eight-wicket match haul, Jayasuriya has moved up 3 places in the Test bowling ranks. Another player, Asitha Fernando, has also shown improvement, rising seven spots to 34th after taking six wickets in the same match. On the other hand, Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has claimed the top spot more..

Feb 8 (TM) The process of making laws and procedures to implement a house-arrest system, which was recently revealed by the Justice authorities, is still in its initial phase. However, the Prisons authorities opine that once introduced, this new system would help address the overcrowding issue in prisons, which has become a pressing concern in recent memory. Noting that this system will be applicable for those convicted of more..

Feb 8 (DM) Colombo Fort Magistrate questioned the CID on how they had filed action before the Mount Lavinia Magistrate�s Court against Pastor Jerome Fernando under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, contrary to the accepted court jurisdiction. Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage observed that the CID has no authority to arbitrarily determine the judicial jurisdictions when filing a case, as these jurisdictions have been established through a gazette notification. more..

Feb 8 (TM) The JVP-led NPP of the Parliamentary Opposition claimed that all the allegations made by certain parties regarding its registration were baseless and that therefore, necessary actions will be taken in this regard accordingly. A motion was filed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the registration of the JVP-led NPP by the Election Commission (EC). Vinivida Foundation�s Secretary and attorney Nagananda Kodituwakku has put forward the motion pertaining to a petition more..

Feb 8 (FT) State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage confirmed that the Cabinet had already approved to export of cannabis last year. Her response comes following Minister Bandula Gunawardena on Tuesday dismissing claims that a proposal had been presented to the Cabinet of Ministers on cultivating cannabis for export purposes. Gamage swiftly showed the Cabinet Paper No: 23/2321/631/031, more..

Feb 8 (FT) Socomec India, part of France based leading global specialist in Low Voltage (LV) power management, yesterday unveiled its ambitious expansion plan. The Chennai headquartered French powerhouse is set to venture into the markets of Sri Lanka, effective immediately. Termed as Greater India, this strategic move consolidates into a unified business entity, marking a significant milestone for Socomec India and opening up new opportunities for business growth. more..

Feb 8 (AD) Notorious underworld figure Kudu Roshan and his brother, who were arrested during the ongoing countrywide anti-drug operation Yukthiya, have been granted bail. The duo, who was arrested while in hiding in the Warakapola area, was released on strict bail conditions, on the orders of the Colombo Additional Magistrate. Accordingly, Kudu Roshan was released on a cash bail of Rs. 30 million and seven surety bails of Rs. 1 million each, while his brother was released more..

Feb 8 (ST) The prosecution has amended the indictment filed against NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa over his failure to explain assets acquired during the five years he was a minister. The indictment has been amended by adding a further 16 documents to the evidence as court productions. Attorney General hopes to lead four of the new documents under the Evidence (Special Provisions) Ordinance (Computer Evidence), Additional Solicitor General Ayesha Jinasena, PC, more..

Feb 8 (FT) Deutsche Bank reiterated its commitment as a steadfast global banking services provider amidst the country�s journey through economic challenges. Operating in SL since 1980, Deutsche Bank AG, has been a reliable partner for over 43 years, providing fully-fledged commercial banking operations, connecting SL to Asian, European and US markets. As the only European bank operating in SL, with a dedicated team well-versed in local regulations and market trends, more..

Feb 8 (FT) A senior official of the Ministry of Education told Ceylon Today that the Prez had mentioned in the Budget Speech about the provision of Suraksha Student Insurance benefits this year, but no contractual arrangements have been made for the years 2023 and 2024 so far. Thus, he said the provision of Suraksha Student Insurance benefits this time around is questionable and he had held several discussions more..