Feb 12 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed financial assistance from the President�s Fund for liver transplant surgeries for young children at the Ragama Teaching Hospital and cochlear implant surgeries at the Sri J'pura General Hospital. Acknowledging the substantial costs associated with pre and post-tests and treatments for liver transplant surgeries in children under 16 years old at the North Colombo General Hospital (Ragama Teaching Hospital), Prez has approved more..

Feb 12 (CI) Sri Lanka have brought in left-arm fast bowler Binura Fernando in place of the injured Dushmantha Chameera for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The 16-member squad is otherwise unchanged from the one that faced Zimbabwe last month. Chameera has been out of action since injuring his left quadricep in the first ODI against Afghanistan, which SL had won by 42 runs. At 6ft 7in, his replacement Binura is a rare breed as far as quick bowlers go, more..

Feb 13 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe presented his latest policy statement while opening the new Parliament session on Feb 7. Contrary to his previous policy statements and special statements on the economy it did not contain so many plans that his govt is going to implement, yet it has much food for thought. Wickremesinghe at the outset painted a rosy picture on the situation. He said that the inflation, which stood at a daunting 50.6% last year, has dramatically decreased to a mere 6.4%, more..

Feb 13 (DM) Earlier this month, the Legislative Assembly of Uttarakhand, a North Indian State at the foot of the Himalayas, passed a Uniform Civil Code (UCC). While most of the provisions were progressive, there were some which put fetters on �live-in� relationships, to the extent of criminalizing them. These provisions have come in for much criticism on the grounds that they invade privacy and individual liberty guaranteed by the Indian constitution. The law defines living-in as more..

Feb 13 (TM) International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission for SL and the Maldives Sarat Dash explained the experiments which were digitising the labour migration process through the Integrated Guidance and Referral System � a pilot project successfully completed as of now. The IOM, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment, tested working with this platform, which Dash said they were more..

Feb 13 (CT) I will start with citing a brief speech I made as an associate of FabLanka Foundation in welcoming Professor Dr Siegfried Zuern to FabLab and SL today. As an associate of FabLanka Foundation, I Welcome Professor Dr Siegfried Zuern to FabLab and SL. Professor Zuern, Director of the Int'l Centre and the Graduate School of Esslingen University, Germany in coordination with FabLanka Foundation in Makandura, particularly with Mr Chaminda Hettiarachchi, Director and more..

Feb 13 (CT) The importance Sri Lanka now gives mental health is fortunately palpable, however, we still have some work to do. In the last few years, we have seen more and more people talk about the mental well-being of children and adults alike. There is more awareness about the repercussions of not paying attention to a deteriorating mental state which impacts every aspect of our daily lives. Finally, we see that mental health is looked at through the lens of holistic well-being. more..

Feb 13 (TM) SL Govt's Urumaya (heritage or inheritance) programme, aimed at providing freehold land titles to two million farmers and individuals utilising lands on permits and conditional grants, has sparked both hope and concern among stakeholders. "Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe's vision of empowering farmers through land ownership takes shape as the Govt announces plans to grant freehold titles to two million families. more..

Feb 13 (TM) As much as the abolition of Executive Presidency remains one of the most stale topics in SL�s politics and socio-political activism, it still holds considerable importance, especially during elections. Successive regimes have used both the real and perceived dangers of the Executive Presidency as a bait to gain leverage at elections. While some promised to abolish the Executive Presidency, some tried to point out how previous Prezs abused the powers/privileges associated with the same. more..

Feb 13 (ST) The litany of sins which ex-Health Minister Rambukwella stands accused of, came home to roost in a magistrate�s court last Saturday. But there was not even a single Govt MP present when he was brought to court, with hands cuffed to disgrace, to hear his accuser, Deputy Solicitor General Lakmini Girihagama spell out the atrocious claims of corruption against him. Only 5 months ago, he had been the toast of SLPP MPs and had strutted like the cock of the well in Parliament, more..

Feb 13 (FT) COYLE, successfully hosted the annual Diplomats� Evening on 25 February at Hilton Blue Colombo, marking another milestone in furthering global marketplaces for SL�s economic resurgence. With a commitment to fostering equitable growth, this exclusive event aimed to fortify the local employee base through foreign investments obtained via diplomatic relations. The event, enforced COYLE�s annual theme Evolution highlighting the resilience and transformative more..

Feb 13 (FT) EU - SL Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation was organised by the Department of Commerce and was held on 6 Feb virtually with the participation of high level delegates from the two sides. The session was co-chaired by EU side Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission Director (trade relations with Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions, South and South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Trade and Sustainable Development, more..

Feb 13 (CI) Two matches down and two matches the team batting first has scored over 300. This isn't common in Sri Lanka, and for it to happen in consecutive games is even rarer - in fact, there have been only 10 instances across 358 ODIs in Sri Lanka, prior to this series, where two consecutive games have seen a score of 300 or more. In terms of games where 350 or more runs have been scored by the team batting first, SL's 381 in first ODI more..

Feb 13 (ST) The investigation by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) for Preventing Sports Related Offences of SL Police, located at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in connection to a complaint made by Mrs. Preethi Illeperuma, the mother of the national badminton champion Buwaneka Goonathilake, has faced further delays, as reported by the Sunday Times. Following the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s order for Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) to assist the SIU in its more..

Feb 13 (ST) Having the highest annual revenue target in 2024 of Rs.232 billion in history, the Department of Excise has to grapple in collecting a sum of Rs.60 billion more than the last year�s income of Rs.172 billion from the liquor industry hit by tax hikes, Excise Dept. chief M.J. Gunasiri, said. The department has been able to gain an income of Rs.165 billion in 2022 when the volume of production of absolute alcohol was in the region of 432 million litres, he said more..

Feb 13 (FT) Minister Harin Fernando disclosed that three out of four potential parties are Indian companies that are shortlisted to buy Hotel Developers Lanka Ltd, owning company of the popular five-star Hilton Colombo. �Most probably it will go to an Indian firm,� he said speaking at the SL Tourism Networking Evening held recently in Mumbai. He also revealed plans for the sale of Grand Hyatt, which is currently under Govt ownership, with two Indian companies among more..

Feb 13 (Island) Speculation is rampant in political circles that the SLPP-UNP govt is planning to put off the presidential election on the pretext of amending the Constitution to scrap the executive presidency. SJB and Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has said he sees a govt hand in the ongoing campaign against the executive presidency. Neither the govt nor the Opposition can be expected to tell us the truth, which they are notorious for stretching to serve self-interest. more..

Feb 13 (FT) All Island Dairy Association (AIDA) warned of death knell for industry following the unprecedented Govt move of bringing it under the VAT regime. Hitherto the industry was VAT exempt and expressing concerns over the potential impact of the steep increase of 18% VAT on the dairy sector, AIDA proposes a series of measures to alleviate the burden and encourage sustainable growth. more..

Feb 13 (Island) Number five is not the easiest position to bat in ODI cricket and very few have succeeded in the role. Arjuna Ranatunga, Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews are cases in point. Sometimes, with players seniority going up, they also move up the order absorbing the lion�s share of 50 overs of the innings. However, despite his elevation as vice-captain, Asalanka has remained at number five and has done a fabulous job for the team. In the second ODI more..

Feb 13 (DN) Dambulla women�s team led by Harshitha Samarawickrama emerged champions when they beat Colombo women� by 7 wickets in the inaugural National Duper League (NSL) women�s cricket tournament final played at Colts grounds yesterday. It was a low scoring game while Colombo women�s were bundled out for 66t in 25.3 overs and Dambulla lasses reached their target in 11.2 overs with 7 wickets in hand. SL under 19 team skipper Manudi Nanayakkara playing for Dambulla more..

Feb 13 (ST) Parents complain that the cost of educating children has never been as unbearable and unaffordable as it is now, with the imposition of an 18% value-added tax raising the prices of school supplies. The imposition of VAT was the third biggest blow to the education sector in recent years after the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic crisis of 2022. Parents said that the VAT-added prices had diminished their ability to more..

Feb 13 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has been indicating the govt�s intention to conduct both presidential and parliamentary elections this year. He is reported to have made this same declaration during his visit to Australia last week. This would be viewed positively by those who are waiting for elections that would ensure a govt with a people�s mandate for the difficult road ahead. The most powerful post in the country, the presidency, is devoid of such a mandate though it presides more..

Feb 13 (FT) The subscribers of Mobitel enjoyed the best mobile Internet performances in SL during 2023, according to a study by specialist nPerf a French company. The nPerf Score takes into account the measured speeds, the latency and the QoE tests (streaming and browsing). All tests were carried out in the nPerf Internet Speed Test app, available on Android and iOS. �In our comprehensive analysis spanning from1 Jan to 31 Dec 2023, Mobitel (7 Mb/s) has been identified as more..

Feb 13 (Island) Table tennis veteran Nirmala Jayasinghe sees a competitive atmosphere around him, but he still believes extending the hand of camaraderie to youngsters who are hungry for success and practicing hard. Jayasinghe is a coach cum player and has been playing for the national team for the past 14 years (2010-2023). He is aged 41 now and spends much of his time sharing knowledge with players and nurturing young talent. He worked 17 long years for Mass Holdings, more..

Feb 13 (Island) The government will once again appeal to the government of China to reimburse USD 6.9 million paid as damages to a Chinese fertilizer exporter, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera said. Amaraweera expressed confidence that China, being a close friend of Sri Lanka, would assist by reimbursing USD 6.9 million which Sri Lanka paid as damages for tarnishing the reputation of a Chinese company that supplied organic fertilizer. more..

Feb 13 (FT) SJB Deputy National Organiser and MP S.M. Marikkar yesterday proposed that the country must only abolish the Executive Presidency following the Presidential election of 2024. Marikkar said the SJB would not endorse any attempt to eliminate the position before the election, as it would only serve to enable Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the SLPP to prolong their tenure in power. more..

Feb 13 (TM) The shortage of officers at the Medical Supplies Division (MSD) of the Health Ministry due to the recent imprisonment of top-level officials could hamper the medical supply of the country, claimed the Deputy Director General of Health Services (Medical Services) II, Dr. G. Wijesuriya. In response to a question raised by a journalist at a press conference about the allegations levelled by certain parties about the MSD officials who were appointed by the former Health Minister more..

Feb 13 (FT) The Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has raised concerns about potential non-compliance with the Supreme Court�s Determination regarding the recently enacted Online Safety Act. In a letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, the HRCSL highlighted that the Supreme Court had identified over 30 clauses and omissions in the original Online Safety Bill that were inconsistent with the Constitution. While the Court permitted Parliament to proceed with the Bill more..

Feb 13 (Island) UPF Leader and SJB MP Champika Ranawaka, on Sunday, said that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had launched a witch-hunt against the Opposition MPs who did not join the boycott of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s govt policy statement in Parliament on Wednesday (07). Ranawaka said that Premadasa had deprived the dissident Opposition MPs of time speak in Parliament �When the Prez commenced his speech, the Opposition Leader & Chief Opposition Whip walked out more..

Feb 13 (DN) Yahoo Finance website has placed SL among 15 friendliest countries in Asia. These were ranked after considering four sources � Yahoo Finance and Insider Monkey�s articles (an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds) on 30 Friendliest Countries in the World and 20 Most Immigrant Friendly Countries in The World, HSBC�s Expat Explorer rankings that list the top 46 destinations for expat living and Passport Index�s more..

Feb 13 (CT) Against the backdrop of a rising number of cases visiting govt hospitals with side effects resulting from the use of harmful cosmetic products, particularly among the youth, the regulation of such products entering the local market has become increasingly challenging. This difficulty stems from the absence of regulations, notably the repeal of the Cosmetics, Devices, and Drugs Act, No. 27 (CDD Act), the GMOA alleged. more..

Feb 13 (PMD) A press conference was held this afternoon (12) at the President�s Media Center to announce a significant development aimed at making payments easier for Indian tourists in SL. The conference followed the virtual launch introducing UPI transactions, highlighting their groundbreaking impact in connecting SL and India. Jointly implemented by NPCI International Payments Limited and SL�s LankaPay Pvt. Ltd., the program seeks to rapidly expand this payment system more..

Feb 13 (DN) SL�s talented young aquatic athletes excelled at the BIMSTEC Youth Aquatic championship, earning a proud third place among tough competition from neighbouring nations. The team brought home a total of 14 medals, including one silver and 13 bronze, showcasing their excellence on the international stage. Leading the team was Dinali Karunadasa of Visakha Vidyalaya, securing an impressive four bronze medals in events such as 200 IM, 400 IM & various relay races. more..

Feb 13 (Island) The Media Orgainsations Collective (MOC), comprising SL Working Journalists� Association, Free Media Movement, SL Muslim Media Forum, Tamil Media Alliance, SL Young Journalists� Association, and South Asian Free Media Association � SL Chapter, said Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena�s actions were �an obstruction to the right of journalists to report freely and also impinges on the right of the public more..

Feb 13 (FT) Barring the unthinkable, SL will soon elect its ninth Executive Prez and election gossip is increasingly taking centre stage at business and social gatherings. The period running up to the election is, as we all know, the time which gives rise to self-made political strategists and election pundits with some of them claiming to have a direct line to persons in privileged positions and possess insider information. Speculation regarding alliances, crossovers and conspiracies abound. more..