Feb 7 (CI) Harshitha Samarawickrama hit a blistering century to set up Dambulla Women�s thumping 178 runs win over Galle Women in the opening game of the NSL Women�s Limited Over Tournament 2024 worked off at P. Sara Oval Colombo yesterday. Opting to bat first, Dambulla registered a decent total of 280 runs on the board, courtesy of Skipper Harshitha Samarawickrama�s solid century at the top, and in reply, Galle were bundled out for 102 runs inside 38 overs. more..

Feb 7 (Island) 5th session of the current Parliament is scheduled to commence today. There was absolutely no need for Parliament to be prorogued, last month. Constitution provides for the prorogation of Parliament, but it should be done for good reason. In this country, the Heads of State prorogue Parliament, according to their whims and fancies. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have decreed that the inauguration of the new parliamentary session today be devoid of more..

Feb 7 (FT) Sri Lanka is preparing for the first ever textile and apparel roadshow in UK, the third biggest market for the sector with the aim to boost exports to $ 1 billion in two years from around $ 600 million at present. The landmark roadshow is a joint initiative by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Apparel Sourcing Association (SLASA), Sri Lanka High Commission in UK, and the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF). more..

Feb 7 (DN) Former SL white ball skipper Dasun Shanaka has been excluded from the 16-member squad, while bowling all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne has been once again re-called for the ODI squad for the Afghanistan three-match ODI series which will be held from Feb 9 at Pallekele Int'l Cricket Stadium. The second and third ODI will be played at the same venue on the 11th and 14th and all matches will be played under lights more..

Feb 7 (TM) There would be no shortage of eggs and milk in the time to come, as claimed by certain parties, since the Government has taken every possible measure to strengthen livestock farmers, claimed State Minister D.B. Herath. Recently, COPA revealed that more than 14,000 farms in SL had been closed, and this had been identified according to data received from the provinces. Officials pointed out that most of these farms were small-scale farms, and that most had been closed due to more..

Feb 7 (TM) PHU denounced the Govt granting land deeds to farmers, claiming that it would cause a severe social crisis in the decades to come. PHU Leader and Opposition MP, Udaya Gammanpila claimed that such shortsighted decisions would result in the loss of land of the farmers. He also noted that former land ministers including former PM D.S. Senanayake, C.P. de Silva, Gamini Dissanayake, and D.M. Jayaratne, refrained from granting land deeds to people looking for more..

Feb 7 (DN) State Minister Anuradha Jayaratne said those found guilty of civil offences will be placed under house arrest to reduce overcrowding in prisons. The programme to place those guilty of civil offences under house arrest will be implemented this year, he said. The relevant laws are currently being drafted by the Legal Draftman�s Dept and after the completion of the work, it will be presented to the Parliament & made into a law this yr itself. more..

Feb 7 (DN) A Police investigation has been initiated regarding a former secretary to a state ministry for allegedly issuing a letter authorizing the construction of a hotel at the Dehiwala beach forging the signature of the director of the Coast Conservation Dept. A special Police team has questioned the former state ministry secretary, sources said. Police sources disclosed that legal action is to be taken against this former state ministry secretary after consulting the Attorney General. more..

Feb 7 (DN) Preliminary work has been initiated to establish an internationally recognized university in SL through South Korea and SL, which will provide space for local and foreign students to study fashion design, performing arts inclusive of dancing. The primary objective of the establishment of this university has been to extend the national plan to expand the tourism sector in Sri Lanka aiming to bring this new subject area easily to the children of Sri Lanka and foreign personnel. more..

Feb 7 (ST) SL banks, to combat credit card defaults, have resorted to converting credit card balances into loans designed for extended tenor, lower interest rates, and better settlements. Banks had witnessed an increase in credit card deals during certain financial quarters last year. �For example, during quarter two and quarter three, we did see an increase in non-settlements. During the past quarter it became much better,� a senior official of the card centre of a large bank said. more..

Feb 7 (DM) NPP delegation led by leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake headed for Gujarat, home base of Indian PM Narendra Modi, yesterday after the conclusion of their second day of the Indian tour. NPP delegation is expected to meet Gujarati Chief Minister Bupendra Patel and do some sightseeing in the state. Gujarat is the political stronghold of the Indian PM who once served in the state as its Chief Minister. His success story in the development of the state boosted his image to run for more..

Feb 7 (FT) The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is to receive brand new 12 STS Gantry cranes and 40 ARMG cranes from China at a total cost of $ 282 million. Three STS Gantry cranes were received at the SLPA�s East Container Terminal (ECT) on 2 February. The cranes will be installed at the ECT of the Port of Colombo. The total cost of the cranes are borne by SLPA. ZHEN HUA 24 is en route to SL carrying these brand new more..

Feb 7 (DM) Speculations have arisen regarding the provision of outside food exclusively for former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella during his detention, prompting clarification from the Prisons Dept. Prison Media Spokesman, addressed the matter, confirming that a formal written request was submitted to the Welikada Superintendent regarding the supply of external food for the former Minister. Subsequently, approval was granted, contingent upon recommendations from medical units. more..

Feb 7 (PMD) While welcoming the participants to Colombo, to the South Asia Hydromet Forum (SAHF) IV Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized the nation�s commitment to address climate change through collaborative efforts at regional and international levels. In his address at the inaugural session at the Galle Face Hotel this morning (6), under the theme Unlocking Regional Synergies, Prez highlighted the pressing issues of adaptation and mitigation in combating climate change. more..

Feb 7 (FT) In a letter addressed to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, MP Prof. Charitha Herath has expressed apprehensions regarding the evident conflict between the executive and legislative branches, notably highlighted by the dispute over appointing a new SC judge in place of Justice Buwaneka Aluwihare. In this letter, he has highlighted to the Prez the concerns regarding potential constitutional issues arising out of such a conflict, despite not being a member of more..

Feb 7 (Island) Students from Cornell Uni, New York, USA and the Uni of Moratuwa, recently visited Brandix and its facilities, establishing a bridge between academia and industry in the pursuit of innovative solutions. This visit was to conclude the first set of collaborative undergraduate research projects involving Brandix, Cornell University and the University of Moratuwa. The partnership reflects a commitment to providing students with real-world experience and cultivating more..

Feb 7 (TM) Despite widespread speculation and allegations that former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella has requested that he be transferred to a private hospital from the Prison Hospital and be given medicines imported from Singapore, he has not sought or received such special treatment, according to the Prison Hospital authorities. Prison Health Services Director Dr. Hemantha Ranasinghe said that more..

Feb 7 (DM) With the advent of dry weather conditions and insufficient rainfall in hydro catchment areas, thermal power generation has risen to 57 percent, leading to a reduction in hydropower generation, Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers' Union (CEBEU) said. CEBEU President Saumya Kumarawadu said that hydropower generation was initially at full capacity, reaching 100%. However, with the commencement of dry weather conditions, the generation has now decreased to 87%. more..

Feb 7 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe will declare open the Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament today. The rehearsal of the ceremonial opening was held yesterday at the Parliament premises. Following the ceremonial opening of the parliamentary session, Prez Wickremesinghe is scheduled to present the Statement of Govt Policy at 10.30 am according to the powers vested in him under Article 33 of the Constitution. On the instructions of the Prez, more..

Feb 7 (CNA) Archdiocese of Colombo, SL, is set to begin the canonization process for the hundreds of faithful killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attack in the country, an archdiocesan official confirmed with CNA. Father Joy Indika Perera, a representative for Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo, told CNA in an email last week that the archdiocese plans to submit a petition to the Vatican to declare those killed in the Easter more..

Feb 7 (FT) To consider what the future holds for SL, a glance at its past and present should prove useful as we could thereby contextualise and perhaps begin to understand what that likely future could be. Unless we look at our past mistakes dispassionately, attempt to learn from them and take meaningful steps to re-chart our national course, we are most likely to continue to allow history to repeat itself. SL, like all other colonised countries suffered immensely at the hands of the colonisers; more..

Feb 7 (EN) SJB has scored a second retired military commander in a week, this time with Former Chief of Defence Staff and ex-Navy Commander Admiral Daya Sandagiri declaring his support. SJB said in a statement that the former navy chief has been appointed as Adviser on Maritime and Naval Policy for the party, based on his expertise in maritime and naval affairs. The appointment came just over a week after the SJB said former Army Commander General Daya Ratnayake had joined party more..

Feb 7 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court has ordered the Chairman of the SL Badminton Association and its board members to appear before the special investigation unit taking action against sports-related offences. The relevant officials have been asked to show cause for sending the runner-up to represent SL at the 2023 Asian Games instead of the national badminton champion. A group of 97 sportspersons including a badminton player represented SL in the 2023 Asian Games more..

Feb 7 (DM) A SL court on Tuesday released six Indian fishermen who were arrested on Jan 22 on charges of poaching in the territorial waters of the island nation. The released fishermen were handed over to the Indian consulate general office in Jaffna. Isaac, 47, Sisarian, 43, Samathana Babu, 38, Easter Arockiadas, 34, Nishanthan, 34, and Murugesan sailed from the Rameswaram fishing jetty on two boats. SL navy detained them. The fishermen were booked for trespassing, poaching and more..

Feb 7 (FT) Sri Lankans are a notoriously impulsive people, quick to violence and to generosity. In times of public disaster, if left un-manipulated, the generous impulse is likely to dominate. Deeply divided racial and religious communities coming together to help each other in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami was a case in point. That same generous impulse could have become dominant during the pandemic had the Rajapaksas more..

Feb 7 (EN) The process followed in enacting SL�s controversial Online Safety Act (OSA) raises serious questions on law-making and its impact on constitutional democracy, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) said, urging the govt to replace the act with a law that genuinely addresses concerns on online safety. Claiming that the process of drafting the OSA was shrouded in secrecy, CPA said the rushed manner of its passage raises questions as to the intentions of the govt in enacting more..

Feb 7 (Island) With the arrival of three KOICA volunteers recently, the total strength of its contingent in the country has gone up to 17, KOICA spokesperson said, adding that they were serving in fields focused on Korean language, computer design, beauty and salon, western music and machine engineering. The newly arrived group will be positioned at the Women�s Bureau of SL, College of Technology in Maradana and the College of Technology in Galle. more..

Feb 7 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, delivering the govt�s policy statement in Parliament on Wednesday, revealed that the govt aims to alleviate the tax burden on the people as the economy continues to stabilize with the implementation of economic reforms. He said this will provide room for a potential revision of the VAT percentage, which was increased from 15% to 18% with effect from the outset of 2024. more..

Feb 7 (FT) Selyn, a women-led handloom business, offers flexible employment and valuable income opportunities to about 1,000 women artisans and persons from marginalised groups in rural SL. Selyn develops and exports high-value craft products in global markets. The bigger revenue margins of quality products translate into better incomes for women artisans. Thanks to its pioneering use of blockchain in the supply chain � consumers can track how their purchases translate more..

Feb 7 (AD) Mahinda Kodituwakku, the self-proclaimed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva has been granted bail on the orders of Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court. When the case was called today, Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered the release of Kodituwakku on two personal bails of Rs. 1 million each, as he suffers from a mental disorder. Accordingly, the accused was instructed to attend the psychiatric clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health in Mulleriyawa, every Monday. more..

Feb 7 (AD) Former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who is in remand custody, has refused to attend the parliamentary session today despite being given permission. The Fifth Session of the Ninth Parliament will be ceremoniously declared open by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe this morning. Parliament was prorogued with effect from midnight on Jan 26, by way of a proclamation published in the govt gazette. On Tuesday (Feb.06), the former health minister had tendered his resignation to more..

Feb 7 (Reuters) Sri Lanka expects to implement a debt restructuring framework within the first six months of 2024, the country's president said on Wednesday, expressing confidence that the nation was recovering from its worst financial crisis in decades. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took over in mid-2022 amid a debilitating financial crisis caused by a severe shortage of foreign exchange, said the island nation was aiming to grow its GDP by up to 3% this year. more..

Feb 7 (TM) The FUTA noted that while demands of non-academic staff must be addressed by the Govt, it (the FUTA) would not endorse any kind of allowance equal to that given to academics being given to non-academic staff. FUTA Chairman Prof. Barana Jayawardena noted that if non-academics demanded an allowance equal to that given to academics, such a demand could not be accepted since the two groups were at more..

Feb 7 (EN) United Nations Children�s Fund (UNICEF) has welcomed an amendment to Sri Lanka�s Children and Young Persons Ordinance (CYPO) that came into effect on January 01. UNICEF said in a statement on Wednesday February 07 that the amendment marks a significant step towards protecting the rights and welfare of all children in SL. CYPO, a legislation governing justice for children in SL since 1939, previously only covered those up to the age of 16. more..

Feb 7 (CT) A friendly meeting, between the delegation of ITAK, led by Batticaloa District ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam and Deputy Indian High Commissioner for SL Dr. Sathyanjal Pande took place in Colombo recently. Rasamanickam said that Ampara District ITAK MP Thavarasah Kalaiarasan, former Batticaloa Mayor T. Saravanabbhavan, the President and Secretary of Batticaloa Youth Front formed his delegation. During the meeting, extensive discussions were more..