Jan 13 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was harping on financial discipline, had sought Parliamentary approval for Rs. 200 million under a supplementary estimate for foreign visits, fuel and vehicle maintenance in addition to the budgetary allocations, NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He said that the Prez must uphold financial discipline in the first place, and said Parliament and the President must think before allocating such a colossal amount of money for foreign tours more..

Jan 13 (TM) An Mi-17 transport helicopter has been damaged during a Peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic earlier today (12). Non of the five SLAF aircrew were injured in the incident which had taken place when the helicopter was attempting to land at a remote airstrip. The helicopter, one of 3 deployed to CAR was on a cargo delivery mission for Peacekeepers. Crew were unhurt and that a team has been dispatch from the UN MINUSCA to the location of the incident more..

Jan 13 (Island) The govt will have to spend about USD 40 million to upgrade the offshore patrol vessel to be sent to the Red Sea to take part in operations against the Houthi rebels, Y.N. Jayarathna, retired Rear Admiral and hydrographer said. SL Navy would be able to operate in the Red Sea if the govt was willing to spend necessary funds for upgrading the ships and bear operational costs, Jayarathna said. more..

Jan 14 (CT) The Presidential Election is here, this year. So maybe the Parliamentary Polls � if not this year, it will (have to) be next year. There are issues and issues and contestants and contradictions. For a nation wanting to get out of the economic mess of past political creation over the decades, getting out of it requires not competition but consensus. That is precisely lacking in this country when it is needed the most than at any time in the past. There are at least a few major issues more..

Jan 14 (SO) There are three discernible schools of thought regarding SL�s current engagement with the IMF, whereby the multilateral lending agency is giving us an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) amounting to US$ 2.9 billion extended over three years. The first argument, articulated strongly by Govt Ministers and the Governor of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL), is that SL has to continue with this program at least until 2027, lest the economy crash with a bang. more..

Jan 14 (CT) Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and CEO, Civil Aviation Authority of SL (CAASL) P.A. Jayakantha spoke to Ceylon Today on the status quo of the aviation industry and said they have concerns about the growing demands for technical expertise and services in the aviation sector. Q: The Aviation Minister, recently, said that SL�s aviation industry shows promising recovery. Do you see that and how promising it is? more..

Jan 14 (FT) A significant event in the post-independence history of the Sri Lankan Tamils took place 50 years ago on 10 Jan 1974 in Jaffna. A joyful cultural celebration was marred by the SL Police unleashing violence against Tamil civilians. Ecstasy turned into agony when the panic-stricken people ran helter-skelter for safety. Seven persons died of electrocution when electric wires were dislodged by Police firing in the air. Another died of a heart attack in the melee. more..

Jan 14 (FT) It has long been the contention of this writer that English-Language Theatre (ELT) in SL has great potential as a vehicle to engage with civics and govt critically in the larger national interest. Since 1994, when I first proposed a consortium of the creative and critical arms of the performing arts to this end, there have been few takers and even fewer serious contenders where ELT has spoken truth to power. Many valuable and valiant attempts have been made � from politically-angled more..

Jan 14 (CT) For Sri Lankans, the year 2024 began with the daunting news of a mass suicide incited by a religious cult leader. A week later, another head of a doomsday cult caused uproar after claiming to be an incarnation of a divine entity and preaching a doctrine that he claims to be his own, at a prominent place of worship in SL. Both these individuals have one thing in common. They claim to be basing their doctrine on more..

Jan 14 (TM) It appears that the ha-ho over the alleged mid-sea party involving at least two dozen ruling party MPs last week has stirred up a hornet�s nest, with accusatory and counter accusatory missiles flying in all directions. More significantly, the saga has once again resurrected the old sins of the party that had somewhat been buried in the sands of time, resulting in not only the SLPP but also the Prez facing a barrage of criticism. It will be recalled that such extravagance more..

Jan 14 (Island) President Ranil Wickremesinghe�s recent disclosure that Sri Lanka intended joining the United States-led Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) in the Red Sea has triggered the inevitable response: Why are we fighting other people�s wars? Wickremesinghe, more than most, is acutely aware of the permutations and combinations of this equation both in the context of domestic politics (a presidential election at which he�ll stand is due this year) and foreign policy. more..

Jan 14 (SO) Sports Minister Harin Fernando has questioned the presence of foreigners calling the shots in the SL cricket team referring to them as Suddho or white people. Foreigners coaching and mentoring players in the SL team out-number locals that Minister Fernando claimed was having no bearing on the players. �The top is in disarray. We have eight white men (Suddho) deciding what has to be done with the team and the players don�t understand what they are saying. more..

Jan 14 (SO) Former SL opening batsman and one-time team manager Charith Senanayake wants the owners of what has become the island�s flagship domestic cricket showpiece, Lanka Premier League (LPL), investigated for shady connections that he claimed were putting lives at risk. The LPL, that has snowballed into a headline-grabbing player-nudging event of SLC, became a contentious event since it hit the stage four years ago when it was alleged some of the team owners were connected to more..

Jan 14 (ST) Under the new leadership of the all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka will aim for their first T20i bilateral series win against Zimbabwe in the first of the three-match T20i series at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today. SL last won a bilateral series in the shortest format against India in July 2021, claiming a 2-1 win after losing the first game. Despite winning 14 games in 28 matches since, including 2022 Asia Cup, more..

Jan 14 (Island) When you travel to West Indies, you often find a lot of cricket fans who are no longer interested in visiting the grounds to watch their team play. Once a team feared by all and sundry, the West Indies have currently become also rans unable to compete with top teams. They failed to qualify for last year�s World Cup. We all grew up marveling and admiring West Indies. So much so Kumar Sangakkara once said that when West Indies played SL, he wasn�t sure which team to support. more..

Jan 14 (Island) Speaking at an awards ceremony on Wednesday (3), Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the govt would be deploying a Navy vessel to the Red Sea. Wickremesinghe pointed out that the disruption of shipping lanes in the region would lead to increased freight charges and cargo costs, increasing import prices in the country. Arguing that this was not in SL�s interest, he declared that the govt would do what it could to contribute to stability in the region. more..

Jan 14 (AD) Japan has informed that in order to commence the stalled projects, SL must repay due for the cancellation of Colombo Light Rail Transit Project (LRT). The Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi, who was on a two-day official visit to the island-nation has reportedly emphasized this, when he met Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. In March 2019, Japanese government agreed to grant loan assistance of USD 1,800 m for LRT project more..

Jan 14 (ST) SL�s maiden voyage to join a US-led multinational naval force to ensure free and unimpaired navigation of the trade avenues between Europe and Asia has raised eyebrows everywhere. SL Navy is being deployed to perform a constabulary mission in protecting the sea routes to the island nation with a token gunship in faraway waters. Govt�s position is that the Iranian-backed Houthi groups attacking container vessels in the Red Sea�not Israelis�forces shippers to circuitously more..

Jan 14 (ST) The govt has rehired Singapore-based consulting firm Surbana Jurong Ltd towards providing one-stop consultancy solutions across the entire value chain of urbanisation, industrialisation and infrastructure domains in SL. In a reactivation initiative of ongoing and stalled development projects launched since 2017, Surbana Jurong is now reviewing its previous 3 key development plans � more..

Jan 14 (EN) Every wedding is special for participants and ordinary for the rest of the world. Wedding between Devoushi Cooray and Jacob Stone was special to me for the lovely bride was my niece. But the wedding would have been special to me even without that connection because of where it was held: a place of unparalleled natural beauty. The Villa, in Bentota (town on the southwestern coast of the island about an hour�s drive from Colombo) was originally a grand colonial house. more..

Jan 14 (ST) As shipping giant Maersk has reportedly stated that the crisis on the Red Sea is expected to continue for months Sri Lanka sees a surge in volumes at the Colombo Port and an increased demand in bunkering as more than 80 per cent of global vessels are diverting traffic from the Suez Canal around the Cape of Good Hope. With the increase in freight rates consumers are likely to face a further crisis in increased prices in time to come as the cost of travel has surged, more..

Jan 14 (TM) Amidst the economic crisis, SL has incurred a substantial additional expenditure of $ 3.146 million, equivalent to Rs. 1.139 billion, due to the cancellation of the term tender initially awarded to Siam Gas Trading Ltd. for the procurement of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Recently-issued Special Report on LPG procurement by Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. (LGLL) for the year 2022/2023, by NAO, reveals that more..

Jan 14 (AD) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe says that attention has been drawn to switching the management of the Kandakadu Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre. He emphasized that a new program will be implemented in conjunction with the Kandakadu Rehabilitation Center, in view of the reports on repeated conflicts within the establishment. When inquired, Rajapakshe stated that a discussion pertaining to the future plans regarding the matter is scheduled to be more..

Jan 14 (CT) The Department of Examinations was forced to declare the Agricultural Science II paper, for the GCE Advanced Level examination 2023, null and void following evidence revealing that the paper had been leaked on social media prior to the examination. Students sat for the paper on 10 January. Examination Commissioner General Amith Jayasundara, issuing a statement said candidates would be required to retake the examination paper to ensure fair treatment for all. more..

Jan 14 (SO) The Govt has pledged to ban canned fish imports to Sri Lanka, SL Canned Fish Manufacturers Association President Shiran Fernando said. This decision was arrived at after a meeting with Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda on Thursday at the Fisheries Ministry. He said that almost 19 million tins of canned fish were imported to the country from September to November hugely jeopardising the local canned fish and fisheries industry. more..

Jan 14 (CT) Ministry of Finance has to extend the deadline for registering the newly introduced Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) to 1 April due to insufficient staff and necessary resources at the Inland Revenue Department (IRD). There are reports suggesting the possibility of extending the deadline even beyond 1 April. Although the Govt initially announced that all citizens over the age of 18 must obtain the TIN before 1 Feb, the programme has been postponed. more..

Jan 14 (ST) The trend of adding VAT to the tag price is rampant in Sri Lanka, as most sellers fleece gullible customers, heaping an additional tax burden on them. Traders have been reportedly misleading customers by tacking on VAT to the tag price of both VAT-inclusive and exclusive goods or services, forcing them to pay more than what was originally displayed. �It is illegal on the part of restaurateurs, shopkeepers, and more..

Jan 14 (ST) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has told West Asian envoys that Sri Lanka will build a school in Gaza once the conflict ends and reconstruction begins. This was one of the takeaways from the highly reported meeting the President convened on Thursday, probably to clear confusion in the Arab and Islamic diplomatic missions due to the Government�s decision to patrol the Red Sea to protect international ships from attacks launched by Yemen�s Houthi forces. more..

Jan 14 (ST) The CEB has proposed to reduce the electricity tariff by 3.34% from February 1 after it recorded a profit last year following a long lapse of nine years. In its quarterly Electricity Tariff Revision (Jan�Mar) proposal addressed to the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) on Friday, it sought regulatory approval to reduce tariffs as it estimated a surplus of Rs 23.73 billion this year. Accordingly, those domestic electricity consumers in the 0�30 kWh bracket more..

Jan 14 (TM) A severe shortage of vegetables is expected to hit SL by April as farmers struggle to continue their cultivation due to the high production cost triggered by the recently-increased VAT. ACFF President Namal Karunaratne said that prices were expected to further increase in the coming months due to a declining harvest. Karunaratne emphasised that the current price of vegetables like carrots had exceeded Rs. 1,000 per kg and warned that prices would only increase further. more..

Jan 14 (ST) While a general ban on vehicle imports continues, the Labour and Foreign Employment Ministry is to import a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) under the amended Imports and Exports (Control) Act after it secured Cabinet approval, according to a gazette notification. According to this notification issued to amend the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, No. 1 of 1969, regulations were introduced to allow the importation of selected vehicles for 3 ministries and SriLankan Airlines. more..

Jan 14 (TM) Amidst the Govt�s plans to provide licences for casinos, progress on the previously-abandoned casino project by James Packer�s Crown Group, now a hotel development project under a new Japanese company, remains in limbo, according to UDA. A high-level official at the UDA said that there had been no progress on the abandoned casino project of James Packer�s Crown Group, although it had not been cancelled. more..

Jan 14 (SO) Sri Lanka Air Force Commander Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa has ordered a full probe into the crash of the MI-17 helicopter in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Thursday and a three-member team is due to travel to that nation to obtain a first-hand report, a senior official said yesterday. The team will leave Colombo at the very earliest when clearance is provided by the United Nations in New York, Air Force Spokesman, Group Capt Dushan Wijesinghe said. more..

Jan 14 (AD) The Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policy has issued a circular pertaining to controlling the expenditure of state institutions, including overtime payments, travel allowances and welfare. Issuing the circular, Finance Ministry emphasized that in the current challenging economic environment, the fiscal space has become extremely limited due to the increase in public expenditure and limited govt revenue. Furthermore, it stated that since cost reduction more..

Jan 14 (ST) Accustomed to Parliament in his life as a politician, Prez Wickremesinghe prefers to work from an office in that complex during days when there are sittings. This week was no different. A handful of MPs in the opposition lobby around Tuesday noon were surprised when he appeared. He had taken a brief break to walk in there, for one of his occasional interactions. Among them were Sarath Fonseka, Charitha Herath, more..

Jan 15 (CT) In a widely-read SL news website, under the banner headline US Ambassador Julie Chung Encourages Collaboration Between President Ranil and Opposition Leader Sajith to Counter Rising JVP Popularity appeared the following: �In a diplomatic move that has stirred the political landscape of SL, US Ambassador Julie Chung has initiated discussions with both Prez Ranil and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, urging them to build a common platform against more..