Feb 28 (FT) As a schoolboy, I was in Tambuththegama with an uncle who served in the Rajanagana Irrigation Project. Inquisitively then, I went to see the Tambuththegama Yodaya-Herath Banda. Anyone visiting him was surprised by his physique. Today, many thousands congregate to listen to another Tambuththegama product that eloquently addresses the masses, rooting his rural origin, on contemporary socio-economic-political problems, seeking mandate to rule country. more..

Feb 28 (EN) SL will improve public infrastructure in the mountainous areas of the country over a 10-year span, its Urban Development and Housing Minister has said. The rural development program will be implemented in 11 districts; Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, Badulla, Kurunegala and Ampara. �The kandukara dashakaya [Mountain Decade] program is being implemented to improve the public infrastructure of people living in the mountainous areas more..

Feb 28 (DM) SL have retained largely the same T20 squad, that beat Afghanistan in their three-match T20I series, for next month�s tour of Bangladesh, with Jfferey Vandersay and Avishka Fernando the only additions. Fernando has been drafted in in place of Pathum Nissanka, who is still recovering from injury, while Vandersay has been added to the squad, as cover for Wanindu Hasaranga, who will miss the first two T20Is due to suspension. In Hasaranga�s absence, Vice Captain more..

Feb 28 (AD) A team from the IMF is to arrive in Sri Lanka for the second review of the EFF programme which is to begin on 07 March, according to State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe. He said he believes the second review for the third disbursement under the EFF will be carried out across a period of around two weeks. �The second review will commence from the 7th of March and we are very confident that will be a smoother more..

Feb 28 (DM) United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Sri Lanka welcomed Pio Smith, the UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Director, who arrived in the country for a formal visit. Mr. Smith's visit aims to bolster collaboration with policymakers, govt officials, civil society, and key partners to advocate for the rights of women and girls. During his stay, he will also visit grassroots communities to assess their needs firsthand and identify areas for effective UNFPA support. more..

Feb 28 (AD) Education Ministry has instructed all respective school authorities to refrain from making students participate in strenuous outdoor activities until Friday (1) at schools as the prevailing high atmospheric temperatures are expected to rise further. Accordingly, Sports Day events, sports practices or any other scheduled outdoor activities are urged to be suspended for the time being. Provincial and zonal authorities of education have been instructed to brief school principals more..

Feb 28 (DM) Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry urged the members of the UNHRC not to allow short-term political gains or domestic vote bank politics to overtake the work of the Council, when addressing the High-Level segment of the 55th Session of the Council through a pre-recorded video statement on 27 Feb. Minister Sabry highlighted that despite the severe constraints faced by the country, SL continued to engage actively and more..

Feb 28 (FT) Though it is now almost two years since the economic crisis blew over, SL has not yet addressed the real cause of the crisis and is seeking solutions for the symptoms, while the cause lies elsewhere. What is most frightening is that the solutions that are being acted on would cause greater damage to the economy to a point where it would totally be out of control, with no way out, even if we wanted to get back to a development path. The past two years was valuable time that SL had, more..

Feb 28 (AD) The Court of Appeal on Wednesday (28 Feb) issued an interim order suspending all measures regarding the divestiture of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) and Lanka Hospitals until 12 March. The relevant order was issued by Appellate Court Judge D. N. Samarakoon upon consideration of a writ petition filed by Lycamobile SARL and Pettigo Com�rcio Internacional on behalf of SLT and another filed by Lyca Leasing Holding Limited and HIMS International on behalf of Lanka Hospitals. more..

Feb 28 (IE) Santhan alias T Suthendiraraja, a SL national who was one of the six convicts released in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, died on Wednesday morning at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital (RGGH) in Chennai. Santhan, who was released by the Supreme Court in November 2022, was kept at the special camp near the Tiruchirapalli Central Prison. Last week, the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Chennai issued an order to deport Santhan more..

Feb 28 (DM) Court of Appeal today issued an interim order preventing the authorities from proceeding with the divestiture process of the Lanka Hospitals Corporation, until March 12. Court of Appeal made this order pursuant to a writ petition filed by Lyca Leasing Holding Ltd and HAIMS International Limited challenging the refusal to consider the petitioners� application for prequalification in the Request for Qualification (RFQ) for the strategic divestiture of 51.34% of Lanka Hospitals more..

Feb 28 (DM) Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) vowed stern legal action against the Adani-sponsored wind power project in Mannar if the proposed environmental concerns on the EIA is not heeded by the Central Environment Authority (CEA), saying over one million birds will be affected annually if the project came into being. Senior biodiversity scientist Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda said proposals on serious environmental more..

Feb 28 (INN) Leading a significant drive to improve public governance and service delivery, National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Mussoorie, has commenced the second phase of its capacity building program for senior civil servants from SL. Hosted from February 26 to Mar 8, 2024, this initiative attends to the enduring partnership between India and SL in the realm of administrative reforms and governance enhancement. Programme is being attended by 40 elite civil servants more..

Feb 28 (CT) The IGP informed the Supreme Court yesterday that a circular is being prepared by the Police, to guide their actions on receiving a complaint and the outcome of that complaint. Senior State Counsel Shaminda Wickrema, representing the Attorney General, requested additional time to draft the circular. SC Bench comprised Justices Gamini Amarathunga, Shiran Gunathilake and Janak de Silva. The Court granted an extension until 9 May and the IGP assured the Court that more..

Feb 28 (DM) Following the Daily Mirror�s expose on Russian tourists engaging in illegal businesses in several areas in the south, it has now come to light that many Israeli and Ukrainian tourists are also engaged in running similar businesses in the south, hampering local businesses and causing much concern among industry stakeholders. Daily Mirror visited these areas along the southern coastal belt and learnt that business operations more..

Feb 28 (CT) Court of Appeal Justice D.N. Samarakoon re-issued a status quo on Monday (26), suspending the Anamaduwa Magistrate from proceeding with the inquiry against six STF officers accused of a dispute with a Police Constable attached to Anamaduwa Police, until 15 May. The alleged incident happened on 21 March 2023. The Court had previously issued a status quo against the Anamaduwa Magistrate on 21 Feb. When the case was taken up on Monday (26), more..

Feb 28 (PMD) In his address at the Pathfinder Indian Ocean Security Conference phase III held in Colombo today, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized SL�s dedication to maintaining a strategic position aimed at ensuring the absence of major power rivalries and upholding freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean. Prez highlighted that SL�s commitment to freedom of navigation has prompted the country to engage in operations as guardians of prosperity in the Red Sea. more..

Feb 28 (DM) The Court of Appeal today issued an interim order preventing Hatton National Bank PLC from auctioning the property relating to New Nawaloka Medical Centre (Pte) Limited. Court of Appeal Justice D.N. Samarakoon issued this order to be effective until March 13. The Court made this order pursuant to a restitutio in integrum (RII) application filed by New Nawaloka Medical Centre challenging the Colombo Commercial High Court�s order dated 22nd Feb 2024. more..

Feb 28 (Telegraph) A private school pupil killed himself after he was blackmailed on Snapchat over nude photographs, an inquest has heard. Dinal De Alwis, 16, represented Whitgift School, Croydon, at rugby and football and hoped to study economics at Cambridge after achieving straight A*s in all his GCSE subjects. Dinal killed himself in Oct 2022 days after he returned from a family holiday in Majorca over the autumn half-term break. He left his home at 2am and was seen on CCTV more..

Feb 28 (BBC) An organiser of a white party in Sri Lanka has apologised after the event sparked a backlash online. The event's advertisement specified a white dress code, but also had a line saying Face control: White - which was largely interpreted to mean the event was open only to white people. An organiser later said the event was a bad idea, adding that it was meant to bring together expatriates. more..

Feb 28 (AD) Two Indian Coast Guard Ships Samarth and Abhinav have reached Sri Lanka after concluding the 16th Dosti trilateral exercise in Mal�, the Maldives. The Offshore Patrol Vessel Samarth and Fast Patrol Vessel Abhinav docked at Galle Harbour on Tuesday (27) and are slated to set sail to Colombo Port on March 02. The Commanding Officers of the ICGS, Deputy Inspector General P Pradeep Kumar and Commandant (JG) Prabhat Kumar will be calling more..

Feb 28 (DM) NPP MP Harini Amarasuriya should bring in a private member's motion to repeal the Vagrants Ordinance of 1841 under which prostitution is banned in SL, former MP Hirunika Premachandra said today. "Amarasuriya did mention that decriminalising prostitution in SL is some thing that will be included in her party's manifesto. They don't have to wait till they come to power to do it. This is because she could easily bring in a private member's motion to repeal more..

Feb 28 (CT) In a stark revelation, it has been found that about 60% of the country�s fuel filling stations were not remitting VAT to the Govt, despite collecting the tax from customers. This revelation came to light during a session of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Economic and Physical Plans. Surprisingly, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) was unaware of the scam during questioning by Committee Chairman more..

Feb 28 (EN) The responsibility of cultivating harmony rests significantly on the shoulders of religious leaders, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has said. �While politicians often pursue power, religious leaders strive to maintain their positions, frequently resorting to the perilous avenues of racism and bigotry. This unfortunate trend has plagued our country since the 1930s, yielding disastrous outcomes,� Wickremesinghe was quoted by his media division more..

Feb 28 (Island) MP Prof. G. L. Peiris said that Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena could be charged for contempt of court for disregarding Supreme Court recommendations in respect of the Online Safety Bill (OSB). The former External Affairs Minister said the certification by the Speaker of the OSB Bill was an executive or administrative act, not a legislative act. �It couldn�t be legislative because Parliament had been prorogued at the time of certification. more..

Feb 29 (DM) Following a long spell of about five months of rainfall in most parts of the country, especially in the wet zone which devastated the agriculture in those areas, the country has begun to experience seemingly a similar long spell of drought which seems to be carrying devastating effects on the same farming community. It might have a huge effect on hydro power generation as well, making in turn a negative bearing on the electricity consumers who have already been hit hard by more..

Feb 29 (DM) The argument put forwarded by Edward O. Wilson, the father was Socio-biology, was that altruism which is the very foundation of socialism, does not come naturally to human beings. Commenting on this subject in his book, The Ants, Wilson maintained that while altruism works for species like ants and bees, humans who are naturally selfish are unable to completely adjust to Socialism. The above quote of Wilson was recited last Saturday to a packed audience at more..

Feb 29 (CT) The economic crisis of 2022 marked the most severe downturn SL experienced since gaining independence. It ushered in widespread price hikes across various essentials, including vital medicines, school supplies, fuel and a slew of taxes. With food inflation skyrocketing to an unprecedented 95%, the crisis profoundly impacted food prices and the nation�s food security. The policy banning chemical fertilisers, imposed by more..

Feb 29 (DM) With the prospect of elections this year, political parties are gearing up their rhetoric and policy promises to an electorate worn out by two years of economic crisis on top of the hardship imposed by two years of a global pandemic. Reckless policies in 2020-21 forced SL to declare a debt default, drove inflation to a peak of over 70% in Sept 2022, and contracted the GDP by over a cumulative 11% in 2022-23. The CBSL has since succeeded in stabilizing inflation at more..

Feb 29 (CT) Tax collection is vital for any country as a key development priority. It is essential to finance investment in human capital, infrastructure and provide services for citizens and businesses. The taxation system is identified as a key determinant of macroeconomic development and sustainable economic growth. This is why taxes are the main source of revenue for the Govt in SL at this juncture. For instance, as per the financial report of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL), more..

Feb 29 (TM) �Our health declined as soon as we entered prison. Every man becomes sick within a week. Cough, fever, cold, and asthma � all these start to happen. With the overcrowding, respiratory diseases are very common. We also get skin diseases such as boils, wounds, and rashes when we come here, perhaps because all the prisoners are stuck together, sweating. There is not enough space in the prison. more..

Feb 29 (TM) Sri Lanka�s outdated policies and legislation was once again highlighted when the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) acknowledged that they (the regulator) have no legal provisions to take action against unqualified persons acting as doctors, scamming thousands of victims in the island. Recently, the leading government medical doctor trade union, the GMOA also raised the issue with the Health Ministry, citing increasing reports about quack doctors, islandwide. more..

Feb 29 (Island) The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has requested the public to use water sparingly in view of the prevailing dry spell. This appeal should be heeded if water cuts are to be averted. However, there is a pressing need for action to be taken to lessen the dependence of the public on mains water. This is something the NWSDB, government politicians and policymakers should take cognisance of. Sri Lanka, which was once known as the Granary of the East, more..

Feb 29 (DM) What would commonsensical authorities do when tourists are found to run businesses illegally? Never mind, that is not a hassle unique to Sri Lanka. Raid illegal ventures. Set up a mechanism to bring them into the tax net. Require them to comply with local regulations. Reform restrictive local laws, considering that businesses operate illegally in the first place due to a labyrinth of red tape that fosters graft and corruption. No! The best that the warped minds of the more..

Feb 29 (CT) It is with the increasing interconnectedness of the countries in the world that the role of economic diplomacy has taken pride of place in today�s economic policies. In other words, the fact that how a govt promotes the state�s economic interests, using its diplomatic ties with other nations, is highly critical to stay ahead of the economic competition. This has resulted in a higher number of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and alliances. more..