Feb 24 (CT) The GMOA, in an alarming turn of events, recently revealed that the economically-challenged and poverty-stricken public is now turning to quacks or illegal/fake medical practitioners to fulfil their medical needs. While the revelation at first might startle some, when one really analyses the socioeconomic realities in the country, people turning to quacks for medical help isn�t really an inconceivable news but a rather organic transition in a prolonged economic crisis. more..

Feb 24 (CT) UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara speaks about their Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe and says it�s the people who voted corrupt politicians into Parliament and not the UNP. �In the last two decades, the UNP was not in power and the masses knowingly voted for a corrupt system and are struggling now,� he said. Q: The UNP, the oldest party suddenly lost its power. Who destroyed the party? more..

Feb 24 (CT) Fifty six percent, that is the percentage of women voters in SL. With no disrespect for our men folks, every man, woman and child has a mother; not necessarily a confirmed father; but mother, beyond question. They may also have a sister, grandmother, aunt and a cousin sister; they are all in the maybe category. That woman, that mother, is the Queen of each household. She decides what to cook; she decides what time to put children to bed; what time to wake them up. more..

Feb 24 (CT) Enough has been written about the JVP leadership�s so-called official visit to India. Most critics� views seem to have been influenced not only by the JVP�s past but also by their own past views of the JVP. They have almost unanimously referred to the JVP�s past antipathy towards India � which cannot be wished away though it should have been, very long ago � and ask if it would work for the two this time round. The JVP was also opposed to the US and the rest of the West, more..

Feb 24 (CT) Director of Weather Forecasting and Decision Support Division of the Meteorology Department, Ajith Wijemannage, said that the prevailing hot weather conditions are expected to prevail in the country all through March. Wijemannage said that atmospheric temperature will remain at its highest levels in the months of April and May. However, the potential of health hazards is comparatively very low during the prevailing more..

Feb 24 (ST) As February heads towards an end, the theatre scene is gathering momentum. August Osage County, the award-winning play by Tracy Letts, directed and produced by award-winning actress, Bimsara Premaratna will hit the Lionel Wendt Theatre on Feb 22, 24 and 25. Exploring themes of addiction, suicide, and generational trauma, Letts� play described as a tragi-comedy was first staged in Chicago in June 2007, followed by a Broadway debut in December. more..

Feb 24 (CT) In SL politics, it was simply a contest between the SJB and NPP in the forthcoming elections. Then something was happening in the last 6 months or so where more and more public support was tilting towards NPP. Amidst soaring living costs, widespread corruption, and a growing disillusionment with traditional politics, the NPP�s popularity has surged, propelled by a grassroots campaign and a commitment to empower women. Here are some thoughts on the factors fueling more..

Feb 24 (Island) The West has taken upon itself the task of protecting human rights and democracy in the world and meting out punishment to those who violate them. It has thus been able to weaponise human rights to compass its geopolitical interests. It manipulates the UN, especially the UNHRC, for that purpose. The western govts readily confer pariah status on the countries which they consider human rights violators; they even resort to extreme measures such as imposing economic more..

Feb 24 (DN) In a stellar performance, SL junior girls� tennis team secured a spot in the final Qualifying Round of the Billie Jean Cup Junior/Junior Davis Cup Asia Oceania Pre-qualifying Tennis Tournament. They clinched victory over Turkmenistan with a 2-0 win in the semi-final at the SLTA courts in Colombo yesterday. In the 1st singles match, Ivanka Samarasinghe (SL) dominated with a scoreline of 6/1 6/1 against Sabrina Rahamanova (Turkmenistan). Following suit, more..

Feb 24 (CT) The inaugural session of the Student Parliament of Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Kadawatha was successfully held on (19) at the Presidential Secretariat. The students were waiting in a corridor when Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe came to attend his official duties. He exchanged pleasantries with the students and proceeded. The Student Parliament of Mahamaya Balika Vidyalaya, Kadawatha took place in the main hall of more..

Feb 24 (Island) Afghanistan Head Coach Jonathan Trott conceded that SL outplayed his team in all three departments in the recently concluded bilateral series between the countries. While SL won the one-off Test match, they swept Afghanistan 3-0 in the ODIs before taking an unassailable 2-0 in the T-20 series. On Wednesday, Afghanistan managed to record a three-run win in the last T-20 International, a dead rubber, at Dambulla. South African born former England Test cricketer Jonathan Trott more..

Feb 24 (ST) It was all about the heart and how to keep it beating for patients with different types of cardiovascular diseases. It was also a first for Sri Lanka when a cardiology summit held over the years either in India or Bangladesh chose Colombo as its venue for 2024. The 14th Bangla Intervention Therapeutics (BIT) Summit � 2024 was held in Colombo on February 9 and 10 in association with the Sri Lanka College of Cardiology (SLCC) headed by Dr Tanya Pereira. more..

Feb 24 (CT) A total of six foreign-based SL players is likely to be included in the SL squad for the upcoming inaugural FIFA Series scheduled to be held in mid-March, sources at FFSL revealed to Ceylon Today. �About six players have completed their paper work for dual citizenship and they are now eligible to represent SL. We will see them in SL colours at the FIFA series in March,� said a top official. Earlier, FFSL announced they have shortlisted about 15 players to represent SL. more..

Feb 24 (EN) Sri Lankans may have to wait more time to read the meeting minutes of the Central Bank�s Monetary Board, a top official said, despite a new act that has made the CB to be more transparent and accountable for its decisions. Many central banks including the United States� Federal Reserve, India�s Reserve Bank, and Bank of Mexico release the minutes of their monetary policy meeting to ensure transparency. The new Central Bank Act passed by the Parliament in line with more..

Feb 24 (DM) The ITAK known in English as the Federal Party (FP) is in the eye of a legal storm. The premier political party representing the SL Tamils of the Northern and Eastern provinces is currently undergoing an internal crisis mainly due to recently held inner-party elections. Issues relating to the intra-party elections have brought about a clearly visible divide within the ITAK. This in turn has led to an unprecedented situation where more..

Feb 24 (MFA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Embassy of SL in Myanmar continues to make every effort to rescue and repatriate the SL nationals who have become victims of human trafficking and are trapped in Myanmar. These Sri Lankans have been coerced into various online scams in multiple locations within the Myawaddy area of Myanmar, under the pretext of legitimate job offers in the IT field. Foreign Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry took this issue up with more..

Feb 24 (DN) The Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake has directed the initiation of legal action against the unauthorized conferment and utilization of national awards and honorary titles. The Presidential Secretariat is actively overseeing instances where individuals and non-governmental entities are bestowing awards, certificates, and titles falsely representing the prestigious national honours granted by the President to distinguished Sri Lankans. more..

Feb 24 (ST) The Govt will adopt a new approach to the rehabilitation of drug addicts amid widespread claims that the existing process has failed, considering clashes at the Kandakadu Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre in Polonnaruwa between inmates and army staff from time to time. Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse said that recommendations from as many as 30 experts were being sought while a committee is due to make more..

Feb 24 (Amu) The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced today that Afghanistan�s youth cricket team, known as Afghan Abdalyan, will tour Sri Lanka for a series of matches. The tour, scheduled from April 28 to May 14, includes a four-day match and five One Day matches against Sri Lanka A. The Afghan Abdalyan A team will arrive in SL on April 25. The first One Day match against Sri Lanka A is set for April 28, followed by additional One Day matches on April 30, May 3, May 5, and May 7. more..

Feb 24 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to appoint foreign and expatriate volunteers to teach English for SL students, the Ministry of Higher Education said, amid thousand of teachers migrating to other countries after the island nation�s unprecedented economic crisis. Over five thousand teachers have left the country with the Education Ministry permission using the govt�s circular of temporarily leaving state jobs while tens of thousands of teachers have left the country without informing more..

Feb 24 (AD) The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, who called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday (23), has expressed appreciation for the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan government to turn the economy around. During the discussions, the Sri Lankan leader outlined the progress of the debt restructuring, along with several key economic reforms measures, including the agriculture modernisation program. more..

Feb 24 (CT) The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) appealed to Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and his officials only to take action against any officer after conducting a proper inquiry instead of �bowing down to mob attacks and vociferous protests which were disturbing the daily activities of the National Hospital, Colombo.� In a letter signed by the President and General Secretary Drs. A.D.K.S.N. Yasawardene and R. Gnanasekeram of AMS to Health Minister, more..

Feb 24 (Forbes) Discarded fishing gear is endangering wildlife in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay between India and Sri Lanka�now researchers are talking to fishers to find out what can be done. There are thought to be more than 4,000 species (including corals, seagrasses, mangroves and reef fish) in this 12,000 square kilometer protected area, located between the northwestern and northern coasts of SL more..

Feb 24 (CT) Nipun Karunanayake�s unbeaten century went in vain as Team Colombo outplayed Team Jaffna by 3 wickets in the opening game of the National Super League Limited Over tournament worked off at Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket stadium on Friday (23). Put into bat, Jaffna posted a decent 310-6 riding on the back of a blistering century by Nipun Karunanayake, and in reply Colombo batters led by Ashen Bandara put up a splendid show to achieve target in 47.3 overs. more..

Feb 24 (EN) SL�s tea production was up 1.4% to 18.73 million kilograms in Jan 2024, with high growns falling and low and mid growns rising. High grown tea in January 2024 was 3.56 million kilograms, down from 3.36 million, medium growns were 2.6, up from 2.5 million kilograms and low growns were 12.56 million, up from 12.32 million kilograms last year. Exports, including re-exports were up 6.88% to 18.76 million kilograms, industry data published by Ceylon Tea Brokers show. more..

Feb 24 (CT) An enjoining order has been issued on newly elected ITAK Leader MP S. Sritharan in connection with a case filed by the Secretary of the Ilankai Tamil ITAK Ward, Trincomalee, Chandrasekaram Para. The challenge is based on alleged irregularities observed during the recent election in Trincomalee. Sritharan and five other respondents are accused of malpractices in the election process that led to his leadership. The case is scheduled for a hearing on 29 Feb 2024. more..

Feb 24 (GV) In the Institute for Health Policy (IHP) SLOTS polling in Jan 2024, all major party leaders continued to have negative favourability ratings. The net favourability rating of NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake increased 12 points to -10 while favourability of SJB leader Sajith Premadasa and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe decreased by 9 points to -53 and -77 respectively. Favourability estimates for each month are based on 100�500 interviews conducted during that month and more..

Feb 24 (Island) Former External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, MP, said that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena�s refusal to accept that Supreme Court recommendations hadn�t been accommodated in Online Safety Act No 09 of 2024, would undermine their faith in the committee stage of a particular Bill. The dissident SLPP MP said so when The Island sought his opinion on the SC determination on more..

Feb 24 (DM) A controversial white only themed party scheduled to take place on February 24 at a Russian run cafe in the south has been cancelled by its organizers following widespread public backlash. The event, which was promoted as an Opening White Party, stirred significant controversy due to its discriminatory nature. Organizers intended to implement a face control policy where entry would be restricted solely to individuals deemed fitting by bouncers based on more..

Feb 24 (DM) The United States (US) which invested half a billion dollars in the development of the West Container Terminal of the Colombo Port has expressed interest in similar financial cooperation with SL. It transpired during the meetings between U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma and the SL leaders during his visit to the country. Last year, the US, through its International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) provided US $ 553 million loan more..

Feb 24 (DM) SL has been added to the list of 22 heavily indebted countries facing controversial surcharges imposed by the IMF from recently. These additional payments, aimed at countries whose outstanding credit to the IMF�s main account exceeds 187.5% of their quota, have stirred debate and concern. A recent report by the United States-based think tank, Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) highlighted that more..

Feb 25 (SO) Apart from the organic fertiliser fiasco and the fuel queues, the other main factor that hastened the untimely end of the previous administration was the imposition of power cuts that sometimes stretched to 13 hours a day. There was, of course, a link between the fuel crisis and the power crisis, because the CEB generated power mostly from fossil-fuel powered thermal generators in the absence of rain. With the dearth of foreign exchange to import fuel & coal, thermal more..

Feb 25 (TM) With a Prez Election looming ever so large on the horizon, significantly enough becoming due on 18 Sept, a day after the birth anniversary of its creator and first Executive Prez J.R. Jayewardene, it is now a 7-month dead heat to arguably the most decisive election SL has ever faced since independence. The voters of this country, the 6.9 million in particular who voted for the last elected Prez and having firsthand experienced the perilous consequences of their action more..

Feb 25 (ST) The CEB's already battered reputation took another serious hit this week of its own making, after its spokesperson, Noel Priyantha�s comments during a live discussion on a private television channel. Mr. Priyantha�s tirade came when he was asked to comment on the recent tragedy where a father of two children died from electrocution while trying to obtain electricity from a neighbouring house. more..

Feb 25 (ST) These last few days have seen increased VVIP traffic through Colombo by competing geopolitical players beginning with an Israeli Minister followed close on her heels by the Iranian Foreign Minister, two US Undersecretaries and a French Ambassador for the region. Away, a SL delegation was in Brussels this week for talks on the Joint Commission with the European Union (EU) where it seemed more of a Question (by the EU) and Answer (by SL) session had taken place. more..

Feb 25 (CT) The upcoming presidential appears to be narrowing to become a contest between Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The political house of Sajith Premadasa is a house divided according to insiders and outsiders, and he will have to first put his house in order before he can be a serious contender in the prez election. The impending contest between Ranil Wickremesinghe and Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be a very different one when compared to past prez more..