Feb 25 (SO) In a candid interview, Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and the Colombo District Leader of the United National Party (UNP), acknowledged the need for IMF assistance while criticising the organisation�s demands and called for a more human approach. He also spoke regarding the recent salary hike of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) employees and stated that it cannot be justified on any grounds. more..

Feb 25 (ST) My Dear Field Marshal, I wanted to write to you because you are still making headlines, some 15 years after the end of the war. Some would say it is for all the wrong reasons. This time, the man who fought with and defeated Velu is fighting with Sajith, the leader of his own party, leaving everyone confused. You have gone to courts against Sajith, preventing him from removing you from the positions you hold in the telephone party. That includes being its chairman. more..

Feb 25 (CT) It was on 5 Aug 2020 that an election was last held in SL and more than three years have passed since. Data obtained from the Election Commission of SL shows that 16,263,885 electors were eligible to exercise their franchise on 5 Aug 2020 and of this 31.95% (31.95%) were youth. It was not because that there was no poll due in SL�s election calendar, that elections have not been held in the country for the past three years, but because the rulers had the preconceived notion more..

Feb 25 (Island) Umpire hora is a famous cry in this country whether be it at backyard cricket after school, soft ball games played on the Parliament grounds during the weekend, inter-school fixtures or even during international games. Some 25,000 ardent cricket fans were yelling the same on Wednesday night as SL lost a tense game against Afghanistan at Dambulla by a mere three runs. Not just those fans who witnessed the game at the Dambulla stadium but the majority of more..

Feb 25 (SO) At a time when corruption is rampant and the so-called soothsayers and self styled messiahs are helping themselves with untold riches to take the pathetic story of SL to the world community, the country�s top Formula racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa has had enough of spending his own money to showcase the island and instead has decided to appeal to well-wishers to join in the cause. Malagamuwa, a businessman with ties to Japan, has been racing his machine on more..

Feb 25 (ST) In the aftermath of a contentious umpiring decision by Lyndon Hannibal during the third and final T20 international between SL and Afghanistan, the reaction of SL skipper Wanindu Hasaranga has drawn significant attention. Hasaranga�s on-field altercation with the umpire at the end of the match and his subsequent remarks at the press conference have raised concerns about his sportsmanship and respect for the game. more..

Feb 25 (ST) Injured SL seamer Dushmantha Chameera will miss out SL�s white-ball series against Bangladesh starting early next month as cricket selectors have opted for unchanged squads for the two white-ball series. Chameera will be out of action for at least four weeks. SL will tour Bangladesh later this week to play three T20Is, as many ODIs, and two Tests, starting March 4. The series will begin with the T20 series, followed by the ODIs and the two-match Tests series. more..

Feb 25 (SO) While the ICC leaves no stone unturned to fiercely defend its panel of umpires, SL captain Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva slammed the result of the third T20 against Afghanistan claiming his team lost as the umpires stood in the way and failed to rule on what was viewed as an illegal delivery at the Dambulla Int'l Stadium on Wednesday night. Displaying his immaturity as a so-called leader, Hasaranga with disregard for the players code of conduct stipulated by the ICC more..

Feb 25 (SO) SL is exploring the possibility of lifting all taxes on raw material imports soon, Chairman of Industrial Development Board (IDB), Dr. Saranga Alahapperuma said on the sidelines of the CEMS-Global USA�s series of textile exhibitions media event in Colombo. He said that the main reason for this is to bring down the cost of production for manufacturers. �Though most raw material imports are exempt from taxes, some taxes still exist and we have spoken to Ministry of Finance to remove more..

Feb 25 (EN) India has given a lot of offers to establish Ramayana Trails in SL, State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage said, as the island nation is focusing more on Indian tourists to boost the hospitality industry. Historians say, according to Hindu mythology, SL was the kingdom of Ravana, the ten-headed demon king who abducted Sita, the wife of Rama, the hero of the Ramayana, a smriti text from ancient India, one of the two important epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas, more..

Feb 25 (TM) In the midst of gearing for a Prez Election this year, Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt seems to be focused on expediting the finalisation of the country�s debt restructuring programme prior to the IMF's second review of the 48-month EFF. Govt earlier set the end of March as the deadline to finalise the debt restructuring programme, which has now been extended till June this year. In a bid to expedite the finalisation of debt restructuring more..

Feb 25 (Island) A decade or so ago, Richmond College, Galle was winning all the silverware in school cricket. They played by a different set of rules. Often scoring 1000 runs and taking 100 wickets in the season had been seen as hallmark of a good player. But Richmond didn�t care for the personal milestones. They played to win. There were bold declarations, attacking field settings, free scoring batsmen and ambidextrous bowlers. Richmond thought out of the box. more..

Feb 25 (ST) Towards the latter part of next month, the Regional Comprehensive Economy Partnership (RCEP) will be considering SL�s application to be included in the association, top officials said. �We sent a letter of intent to RCEP about four months ago. They are taking up this application somewhere towards the end of March,� K. J. Weerasinghe, Chief negotiator, Office for International Trade said. Sri Lanka is the first country to send a letter of intent in this regard, he said. more..

Feb 25 (TM) Allegations are being levelled against Sri Lanka Energies Ltd. (SLE), a subsidiary of the State-run CEB, for obstructing much-needed repairs at the Samanalawewa Reservoir � repairs which are needed to avoid a catastrophic disaster that could lead to the loss of lives and property. An engineer attached to the CEB who wished to remain anonymous alleged that top-level officials at SLE were not allowing repairs more..

Feb 25 (TM) The failure of the Australian investor, United Solar, to obtain the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on time for the mega-scale solar development project scheduled to be constructed in Poonakary, Jaffna, has resulted in a delay in concluding the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA). As a result, it is expected that the project will not meet its initial timelines. The project, valued at a total of $ 1,727 million, aims to create a mega-scale 700 MW solar power plant more..

Feb 25 (CT) Archaeologists and the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the Mullaitivu Hospital, on Thursday, presented their findings to the Mullaitivu Magistrate�s Court, regarding the human skeletons discovered in the Kokkuthuduvai mass grave, indicating that they are more than 20 years old. During the hearing, presided over by Mullaitivu Magistrate Dharmalingam Pradeepan, officials informed the Court of the progress made in the investigations thus far, including age determination of remains. more..

Feb 25 (TM) Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon is set to be appointed as the next IGP, a top State official disclosed. According to the revelation, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will forward the appointment to the next Constitutional Council (CC) for approval. Tennakoon assumed the role of Acting IGP on 29 Nov, replacing C.D. Wickramaratne who had previously received four service extensions. Tennakoon, a member of Police service since 1998, is slated to reach retirement age in 2032. more..

Feb 25 (TM) SL and Indonesia are considering entering into a potential Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), according to the International Trade Office. Int'l Trade Office Chief Negotiator K.J. Weerasinghe revealed that following the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with Thailand on 3 Feb, SL was looking to enter into a PTA, with discussions in this regard scheduled for March. Responding to a query on whether both countries had come to an agreement on when the first round of talks more..

Feb 25 (TM) Discussions are currently underway between the Govt and State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) whose salary scales are governed by collective agreements to revise their salaries and establish new three-year agreements. When contacted, Treasury Deputy Secretary R.M.P. Rathnayake stated: �State institutions under collective agreements, banks, and other entities governed by the agreements are more..

Feb 25 (DM) Health Ministry has launched an investigation and appointed a committee to look into the incident surrounding the suspected deaths at the dialysis unit of the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. Speaking of the matter, Secretary of the Ministry of Health Dr. Palitha Mahipala said the at least five deaths have occurred since January at the dialysis unit. Accordingly, a five-member committee headed by Chief Epidemiologist Dr Samitha Ginige has been appointed to look into the matter. more..

Feb 25 (ICC) Sri Lanka�s T20I captain Wanindu Hasaranga has been suspended for two international matches after his accumulated demerit points reached five within a 24-month period following his latest breach of the ICC Code of Conduct, for which he received a 50 percent fine and three demerit points. Hasaranga was found guilty of breaching article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to �Personal abuse of a Player, more..

Feb 25 (ST) Though there were no eyewitnesses to the crime, DNA evidence was ultimately instrumental in convincing the Ratnapura High Court to find the accused in the Kotakethana double murder guilty. Accordingly, High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne sentenced the accused in the murder of a mother and daughter to death. The Judge rejected the statement given by the accused, Neil Lakshman, in his defence that he was not present at the house of the victims, which was the scene of the crime. more..

Feb 25 (DM) More than one million power disconnections have been imposed within the past year throughout the country, a parliamentary committee has revealed. It was revealed when the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Alleviating the Impact of the Economic Crisis chaired by MP Gamini Waleboda met in the parliament complex on Thursday. Chairman Waleboda said it was revealed that some 10,69,000 power disconnections were reported last year. more..

Feb 25 (TM) While the prevailing heat is a deviation from the average temperature, the warmer conditions are likely to subside after a month following sufficient inter-monsoonal rainfall, Dept of Meteorology reveals. Dept of Meteorology Director (Weather Forecasting and Decision Support) A.L.K. Wijemannage said: �This heat is likely to last until about March, after which we expect to receive a considerable amount of rain in April. more..

Feb 25 (ST) The State-Owned Enterprises Restructuring Unit (SRU) will make recommendations to the Cabinet to have a regulator for Litro Gas with the divestiture of its entities, top officials said. SRU Director General Suresh Shah told the Business Times that the SRU will be making recommendations for the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) to be the regulator for Litro Gas Lanka Ltd (LGL) and the Litro Gas Terminal Lanka Ltd (LGTL) after its divestment. more..

Feb 25 (PMD) United Republic Front (UPF) presented the proposal titled A United Step for the Country to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning (24), at Srikota. After engaging in discussions with the Prez, the leader of the UPF, MP Champika Ranawaka, along with the delegation, presented the relevant proposal to the Prez. Speaking at the event Prez, highlighted the govt�s concerted efforts over the past 2 yrs to stabilize the country�s economy, which had faced significant challenges. more..

Feb 25 (ST) The Central Bank�s Governing Board has made a formal request through President and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that they be called before Parliament to answer questions on the recent controversy regarding salary increments. �We want to maintain our accountability and transparency alongside the higher autonomy we got under the new Act,� CBSL Governor Nandalal more..

Feb 26 (TM) The Whites Only party scheduled to be held at a Russian-run establishment in the Southern part of the island has been cancelled as the event attracted severe backlash for being racist and nationalistic. The event organisers had expressed regret regarding the said policy, the Russian Embassy in SL had also issued a statement regarding the same. It remains unknown as to whether the event organisers truly had racist motives or whether they merely wanted to hold a party more..

Feb 26 (DM) These days, tax has become the talk of the town, the laughing-stock and the attractive subject matter for cartoonists. The general public perceives it as a legalized robbery executed by the state using rules and regulations, backed by the threat of legal consequences for non-compliances. The reason for such mockery aimed at the recent taxes, is the sheer disregard by the govt of the two main principles of taxation, namely the fairness (ability to pay) and consistency. more..

Feb 26 (TM) Green finance can certainly play a role in SL�s economic recovery as it can unlock new sources of external financing � especially for SL financial institutions like banks and non-bank finance companies � given that the pool of investors for this type of finance is growing, said Centre for a Smart Future Co-Founder/Director Anushka Wijesinha and Biodiversity SL Green Finance Specialist Errol Abeyratne, more..

Feb 26 (DM) SL is presently caught up in the middle of a heatwave. The Dept of Meteorology had forecast the present spell of dry weather some months earlier. As is usual in our country, other than a few media outlets making passing mention of the forecast, neither the govt nor the private sector has made plans to mitigate or counter the effects of the present spell of dry weather. Even worse, Met Dept authorities too are sending out mixed signals regarding the effects of heatwave. more..

Feb 26 (CT) The CEB Spokesperson Eng. Noel Priyantha made headlines recently for his controversial comments on TV. Attending a TV programme, the Spokesperson, when talking about the necessity of electricity for studies, said that school children don�t necessarily need electricity to study and that the light from kerosene oil lamps should suffice. �Why do you need electricity [to study]? For about two years, I also studied using [kerosene] oil lamps,� he boldly claimed. more..

Feb 26 (CT) At a time when the country is preparing for a Presidential Election followed by a General Election the nation�s voters are enthusiastically waiting to get their President and their representatives to Parliament elected in order to win their political aspirations specifically with the hope of relieving themselves of the ongoing challenges they are confronted with stemming from an unprecedented socio-economic crisis. more..

Feb 26 (ST) An adjournment debate on the Current Situation of the Country on Wednesday (21) saw vastly differing views on the prevailing situation and forecasts for the future from the govt and opposition MPs. Moving the debate for the opposition, SJB MP Thushara Indunil Amarasena questioned whether the Govt could claim its policies have set the country on a path to economic recovery when ordinary people were still suffering under the immense weight of the economic crisis. more..

Feb 26 (TM) Despite a stabilising economy and notable signs of growth, the prospect of debt repayment and its potential impact on a recovering economy remain uncertain. Following two years of economic contraction, analysts have anticipated a rebound in 2024, with the World Bank revising its forecast to expect a 1.7% economic expansion this year up from an earlier forecast of 1%. Moreover, CCC's Outlook Report 2024 notes that SL�s economic growth is poised for a modest more..