Jan 17 (DM) SL is to make fresh approaches to counter the UNHRC process during its upcoming session in March, this year by engaging the leaders of the different countries including those from Africa. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe who is currently in Davos, Switzerland will head to Uganda to attend the Non-Aligned Summit that kicked off last Monday. The leaders from about 120 countries across the world have converged in more..

Jan 17 (EN) SL has taken steps to issue licenses for foreigners on arrival at the airport from April and end a lengthy process to obtain them at the Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) in Colombo suburb, State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said. The move could also help the island nation to earn foreign exchange for the service which it now provides for in local currency, two govt official said. Tourists who wish to drive within SL should obtain a driving license by more..

Jan 17 (AD) Police have fired tear gas and water cannons at protesting university students in Wijerama a short while ago. Accordingly, police fired tear gas and water cannons in attempts to disperse an Inter-University Students� Federation (IUSF) protest march staged in the Wijerama area, Ada Derana learns. Earlier today, the Maligakanda Magistrate�s Court issued an order barring the IUSF from inconveniencing the members of the public during their protest march. more..

Jan 18 (DM) With Prez elections scheduled for this year, most political leaders and party members are focusing on how or where to get new votes. They also need to give priority to issues like interfaith harmony in a sincere and steadfast manner, instead of just rhetoric and external participation for publicity purposes. All major religions are based on Truth and when they come together, we will see a truthful, just and fair society. From Feb 1 to 7, UN marks the World Interfaith Harmony Week more..

Jan 18 (DM) In 2024, SL faces two major challenges. Having largely achieved macroeconomic stability, with inflation falling from 70 to 2%, the country needs to resume economic growth, which has been negative for the last two years. SL people have suffered too long with declining incomes. Growth is also critical for the debt restructuring programme, which aims for a debt-to-GDP ratio of 95%. This is a high number. A large external shock or a round of reckless policies could throw more..

Jan 18 (TM) Religion has for a long time remained an inseparable part of the people�s lives, both within SL and globally, and has been a cause and solution of issues countless times. The national discourse on religion and religious freedom in SL has been renewed in the past few weeks, with new developments concerning various aspects such as the place and value we assign to religion. Govt revealed that plans are being devised to more..

Jan 18 (DM) When you stroll through your seafood market, you find the ocean�s bounty laid out in stalls in front of you. But, have you ever paused to ponder whether the quality of fish you bring home holds the distinguished mark of the highest grade? The answer is probably no. The fishing industry plays a key role in Sri Lanka�s social and economic life, and consists of three main sub sectors - coastal, offshore or deep sea, and inland or aquaculture. According to the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) more..

Jan 18 (CT) It has taken seventy-five years of self-destructive communal politics to bankrupt SL economy and leave each of the ethnic and religious minorities to fight for a piece from a shrinking cake. True, corruption, nepotism, wasteful investments, riots, civil war, natural disasters and so on had contributed to this bankruptcy. But at the bottom of all this is the diabolic political ideology of Sinhala Buddhist majoritarianism, which highjacked the British gifted parliamentary democracy, more..

Jan 18 (CT) Cabinet recently approved an increase of the Disturbance, Availability and Transport Allowance (DAT) by Rs 35,000 thereby rousing a hornets� nest, it may seem. Thus, with this increase, the allowance was boosted to Rs 70,000 from the previous Rs 35,000. While thanking Prez and Govt, GMOA identified this as a plus point towards an attempt to stem the brain drain from amongst the medical fraternity, more..

Jan 18 (CT) Sri Lanka, despite being a small country, fosters a society which is multi-cultural and multi-religious. Starting from the mainstream religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Catholicism, there is an array of groups upholding various religious beliefs, apart from this there are variants as well. In fact, religious fervour among Sri Lankans is strong and it is quite a challenge for the State even to remain secular; of course it is no secret that religious leaders more..

Jan 18 (Island) A 35,000-rupee increase in the state sector doctors� DAT (Disturbance, Availability & Transport) allowance has prompted the non-physician health workers to launch a strike demanding that they be paid the same amount immediately. The doctors� unions have sought to ridicule this demand and brought themselves on a collision course with the strikers much to the glee of the govt leaders. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe keeps saying that he does not adopt populist more..

Jan 18 (ST) Was the Sri Lanka govt�s decision to throw in its lot with the US-led initiative against the Houthis in the growing conflict in the Red Sea just a knee-jerk reaction or a considered, well-thought-out one? If one might reverse the late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar�s famous remark at the unveiling of his portrait at the Oxford University, the policy cake appears to have been swiftly baked abroad though the icing was put on at home. It leads to a question that has troubled more..

Jan 18 (Island) Additional Secretary to President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat Chandima Wickramasinghe recently declared that there shouldn�t be a dispute whatsoever over the proposed third National Action Plan (NAP) expected to be implemented in line with the Open Govt Partnership (OGP) project. She strongly advised against the govt and the civil society pointing fingers at each other after having jointly worked on such a project. more..

Jan 18 (DN) Ramesh Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva will lead the respective five teams at the National Super League (NSL) four day cricket tournament which will commence today. Ramesh Mendis will lead the Galle side while Pathum Nissanka will lead the Kandy team. Kusal Mendis will lead the Colombo side. All rounder Kamindu Mendis will captain Dambulla team more..

Jan 18 (TM) In a move that will strengthen the public�s trust in state institutions and the justice mechanism in SL, Supreme Court yesterday found that the 2021 Presidential Pardon granted to the former MP Duminda Silva who was convicted of murder had no legal basis, and squashed it. The landmark order was made by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court following court proceedings on several petitions filed by the late Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra�s wife & daughter. more..

Jan 18 (DN) SL faces Zimbabwe in a must-win game as they meet for their third and final T-20 clash today at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium, commencing at 7 pm. Following Zimbabwe�s historic four-wicket victory in Tuesday�s second T-20 game, the series is now tied at 1-all making today�s game crucial for deciding the series winner. The team that makes fewer mistakes is likely to emerge victorious, a theory underscored by the shortcomings in SL�s fielding and bowling in the last game. more..

Jan 18 (Island) As part of its overall objective of consolidating ties with institutions at governmental and nongovernmental levels in Tamil Nadu, a Pathfinder Foundation delegation visited Chennai to promote tourism and connectivity between Tamil Nadu and SL. Bernard Goonetilleke, chairman (PF) met with Thiru Ramachandran, Minister for Tourism, govt of Tamil Nadu, and Dr. K. Manivasan IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to govt, Tourism, Culture and Religious Endowments Dept. more..

Jan 18 (FT) Infinix, a leading global smartphone brand known for its innovative technology and user-centric devices, has now ventured into SL with an aim to empower the country�s younger generation. After achieving success in 57 countries, the company is set to bolster its presence in the region by not only introducing cutting-edge smartphones but also aiming to establish a global manufacturing hub. Further solidifying its commitment to the country�s technological and economic growth, more..

Jan 18 (FT) SJB charged that the Govt�s half-cooked policies have left people hungry amidst unprecedented rise in vegetable prices. It also said despite high prices of vegetables and supply issues, 45% of produce is still wasted due to the lack of transparency and adequate agricultural policy. SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, noted the high price of produce in the market at present, and attributed the situation to inclement weather, more..

Jan 18 (DN) Shevoni Gunawardena, an undergraduate at Kotelawala Defence Uni, is taking the powerlifting games by storm as she set records in less than an year after taking up the sport. She has already set six records in the sport. On Sunday she went on to set 3 new records at the National Powerlifting Championship 2023 in over 84kg weight class in squat 120kg, bench press 57.5kg, and deadlift 153.5kg. Previously, at the Junior National Powerlifting C'ship 2023 more..

Jan 18 (FT) Horana Plantations and WNPS PLANT have just announced the launch of an exciting new conservation initiative in the hill country which hopes to build a 9-km-long forest corridor along the Maskeliya Oya, creating 55 hectares of new forest in the process. Agricultural expansion and intensive settlement pressures over years have resulted in many parts of the beautiful Maskeliya Oya having lost its natural tree cover on either bank. Oya flows down from the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary more..

Jan 18 (FT) In a letter to Ministry of Mass Media, Right to Information Commission of SL (RTISL) raised serious concerns about the Govt�s attempt to amend the Right to Information Act, No. 12 of 2016 as part of the UNDP project on Simplification of Selected Laws. In response to two letters, one from the Ministry of Mass Media and another from the Ministry of Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reforms, along with more..

Jan 18 (Island) Acting Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne announced that the High Posts Committee had approved five new appointments, including a High Commissioner. Accordingly, the Committee has approved the appointment of P.R.S. Goonawardena as High Commissioner of SL to Maldives. Committee has also approved the appointment of M.M.S.S.B. Yalegama as Secretary to the Non-Cabinet State Ministry of Plantation Enterprise Reforms. more..

Jan 18 (DN) The opening date of the Govt and Govt approved private schools has been postponed to February 5, following the Agriculture, Science question paper leak at the ongoing A/L Examination 2023. With the investigation carried out by the Examinations Dept it was revealed that the A/L Agriculture Science question paper 1 and 11 were out prior to the examination. Accordingly, a fresh exam of Agriculture Science 1 and 11 is scheduled to be held on February 1. more..

Jan 18 (DN) Buddhist clergy, Mahanayaka Theras blessed Minister Tiran Alles yesterday and said that the mission that was started with the main goal of freeing the country from the menace of drugs and controlling the crime wave continues until the end. Maha Sangha, led by Mahanayaka & Anunayaka Theras of Malwatta and Asgiriya chapters, said that these operations should not be stopped regardless of the obstacles and that it is a national interest to free the country from the menace of drugs. more..

Jan 18 (AD) The body of the 9-year-old boy snatched by a crocodile while he was bathing in the Kelani River was recovered late into Wednesday (17). A joint operation was launched by the Police Marine unit and SL Navy in search of the boy who fell victim to a crocodile attack last evening. He was bathing in the river along with his grandmother and younger brother at the time of the incident. The body was found nearly 500m downstream from where the crocodile snatched the child away. more..

Jan 18 (TM) Ministry of Labour & Foreign Employment alleged that the officials of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies are working without any understanding regarding the protection of the fishing community and the industry. Speaking during a discussion with representatives of the fishing community, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara claimed that the relevant officials of the Finance, more..

Jan 18 (FT) Cement industry is languishing from continuous contraction since 2017 with last year�s dip amounting to 17% on the back of a sharp decline of 36% in 2022. Industry sources said the contraction is due to the SL construction sector is facing the toughest periods in its history due to the negative effects of the economic downturn. The sharp reduction of construction activities since the start of 2023 has pushed the industry into near collapse, a fate the key industry players think more..

Jan 18 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe took centre stage in a recent roundtable discussion organized by the Consortium of Indian Industry (CII) and World Economic Forum, unveiling a comprehensive economic vision for SL. Prez emphasized the successful resolution of supply bottlenecks, the removal of import restrictions and the restoration of foreign exchange liquidity as key factors contributing to sustained economic growth. SL is actively expanding its trade more..

Jan 18 (TM) Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has issued notices to the owners of buildings which block waterways within the Colombo Municipality in order to remove the respective buildings from the particular areas, said the Colombo Municipal Commissioner Bhadranie Jayawardhana. She said that the majority of the owners of those constructions have expressed their willingness to relocate the buildings accordingly and that therefore, future actions will be taken by the CMC with more..

Jan 18 (FT) SL�s Tea exports for 2023 earned a record Rs. 428.29 billion posting an increase of Rs. 17.24 billion or 4% as against the previous year�s performance. In US $ terms, export revenue for 2023 was $ 1.31 billion compared with $ 1.26 billion in 2022. Despite the financial success, the volume of tea exported in 2023 witnessed a decline of 3.3%, totalling 241.9 million kilos. This marked a decrease of 8.26 million kilos compared to the 250.2 million kilos shipped in 2022. more..

Jan 18 (EN) SL�s budget revenues have reached 8% by Oct 2023, up 53% to 2,434 billion rupees, while tax revenues surged 58% to 2,212 billion rupees, official data shows. The overall budget deficit and domestic borrowings were down from last year. In the month of October, tax collections were 278 billion rupees, compared to 121 billion rupees last year, amid higher personal and valued added tax rates despite revenue losses from more..

Jan 18 (ST) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has pardoned two prisoners who had been serving life sentences for LTTE activities after being convicted under the PTA and Emergency Regulations. Prisoners, Nagalingam Madansekar and Selvathurai Kirubakaran, have been pardoned following Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe�s recommendation, backed by a Prison Department report that said the duo had displayed good behaviour. The prisoners have been pardoned by the Prez under more..

Jan 18 (DM) As part of a slew of policy reforms that are in the pipeline to improve both the resilience and corporate governance of the banks in the near and medium term, the existing Banking Act, which is currently being amended, could see its passage through Parliament in the early part of 2024. SL�s licensed banks currently function based on the provisions in Banking Act No. 30 of 1988. Central Bank last week said it is already working on the act to further strengthen the sector�s legal and more..

Jan 18 (TM) SJB is planning to move another no-confidence motion (NCM) against former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella over the controversial substandard intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) deal. Attorneys representing two suspects in the case including the owner of Isolez Biotech Pharma AG (Pvt) Limited which supplied the stock of IVIG in question recently claimed before Maligakanda Magistrate more..