Jan 23 (AD) A Buddhist monk has been shot dead inside a temple in the Malwathuhiripitiya area of Gampaha this morning. Police stated that the shooting has been carried out using a T-56 assault rifle. Four unidentified individuals who had arrived in a car, had carried out the shooting and fled the scene afterwards, police said. 45-year-old Buddhist monk, Ven. Kalapaluwawe Dhammarathana Thero, who sustained critical injuries in the incident, had been rushed to the Gampaha Hospital. more..

Jan 24 (TM) Govt, amidst much resistance voted to debate the controversial Online Safety Bill (OSB), citing an increase in cyber-crime, child pornograpy, cyber-bullying and spread of fake news. Civil society, much of the legal community and the opposition political parties have all voiced concerns about the OSB, and the true intentions of those behind it. There has also been a significant push back from Sri Lanka�s budding Information Technology and digital industry regarding the workings of the bill. more..

Jan 24 (DM) Hats off to the JVP lady who promised that when the JVP/NPP comes to power, it will legalize prostitution! If SL is to undergo the next phase of social revolution, which the JVP promises, the archaic and discriminatory laws should be discarded to build a system where every citizen, irrespective of race, religion, income, gender or sexual orientation, could exercise the full scope of liberties. But there is a glitch that the JVP�s ideologues and their busloads of supporters more..

Jan 24 (TM) In the recent past, Govt has introduced a number of new pieces of legislation which the Govt claims will bring good to the people and, which the people, in large numbers, claim will bring harm to them and good to the Govt. Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATB) and Online Safety Bill (OSB) which have been tabled in the Parliament are the most discussed among them. A number of local and international parties have attempted to force more..

Jan 24 (DM) In Dec 2023, Minister Tiran Alles announced with much fanfare, the launch of Operation Yukthiya. Within a 22-day spell, authorities apprehended a total of 29,475 suspects. They initially announced the seizure of millions of rupees in cash and the confiscation of assets belonging to drug peddlers/dealers. Media reports of drug raids continue to regale the public with a plethora of statements issued by Public Security Minister and acting IGP on how well more..

Jan 24 (ST) I wonder how many remember the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II way back in 1953. My memories are somewhat vague about it. But one thing comes to mind. Sri Lanka, then called Ceylon, a dominion in the British Commonwealth, sent its only ship to Britain in 1952 to represent the Royal Ceylon Navy at the fleet review for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. But it could not take part because the ship had to undergo repairs. We are still under repairs, but now, more than 70 yrs later more..

Jan 24 (CT) Manohari, a resilient 36-year-old mother of two from Polonnaruwa, has been shouldering the burden of her elderly mother�s debt, a Rs 700,000 owed to over seven microfinance lenders. In recent months, Manohari has taken on the role of a financial warrior, battling against the relentless pressure these lenders have imposed on her family. Her mother, grappling with a psycho social disability, recently opened up to more..

Jan 24 (CT) As SL welcomed the New Year with hope, an unexpected challenge loomed large � an unprecedented surge in vegetable prices, posing a threat to both economic stability and food security. The Nuwara Eliya Dedicated Economic Centre (DEC) has become the focal point of this crisis, with staple vegetables such as carrots, leeks and beans witnessing an alarming escalation in prices. In the face of this challenge, it is imperative to examine the root causes, understand multifaceted impact more..

Jan 24 (Island) Parliament yesterday resolved to take up for debate the controversial Online Safety Bill (OSB), with a majority of 33 votes. Eighty-three MPs voted for commencing the debate with 50 MPs opposing the move. Govt, which has mustered a parliamentary majority with crossovers, will steamroller the Bill through the House, and Sri Lankans� rights and freedoms in the digital realm will be in jeopardy. There have been fervent appeals from media, public, int'l media rights groups more..

Jan 24 (Island) Under Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s leadership it looks like SL is once again punching above its weight. Prez took centre stage at the 19th Summit of the Heads of State and Govt of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the 3rd South Summit of the Group of 77 & China, currently taking place in Kampala, Uganda. Prez�s media unit stated that at the invitation of Prez Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Prez Wickremesinghe not only participated in critical global gatherings but also addressed both more..

Jan 24 (SO) Annually the budget allocation made for Education in SL is only second to that of Health. One initiative under this move is the bus season ticket provided for school students by the Govt and the Sisu Seriya bus service. Accordingly, in 2023 the Govt issued bus season tickets worth Rs. 21,775 million to school, uni and technical college students in return for a mere Rs. 1,638 million received from parents and students. In other words, only 7% of the ticket price is collected from more..

Jan 24 (HRW) A repressive new internet law that SL Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to rush through parliament this week would create broad and vague new speech-related offenses punishable by lengthy prison terms. The law would seriously threaten the right to freedom of expression as SL prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections later this year. The proposed law, Online Safety Bill, more..

Jan 24 (FT) Ceylon Energy, a company with a history of excellence in power transmission projects, has been issued a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Enterprise licence by Kenyan Prez Dr. William Ruto to commence operations at the Naivasha SEZ. The licence was handed over to Ceylon Energy Chairman Madusanka Fernando by Prez Ruto in Nairobi, Kenya on 13 January. Upon receiving the licence, Fernando assured the Kenyan Prez that Ceylon Energy would be investing heavily more..

Jan 24 (FT) Transparency International SL (TISL) petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the Microfinance and Credit Regulatory Authority Bill, stating that it fails to sufficiently address or introduce a fit scheme to enable the regulation of the extortive and predatory practices that microfinance lenders engage in at the grassroots levels. The Bill was placed on the Order Paper of Parliament on 9 Jan 2024. TISL has argued in the Petition (SC SD 14/2024) that the Bill does not conform more..

Jan 24 (FT) Ceylon Motor Traders� Association (CMTA) warned that the newly imposed VAT on used vehicles, has supported the creation of a black market in the industry, while increasing the market prices of used vehicles which is hurting the common man of the country. CMTA said the recent implementation of VAT has stirred concerns in the motor trade as legitimate companies now face a significant hurdle. When these companies sell vehicles, prices surge by an additional 18% more..

Jan 24 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket announced that the three-match ODI series involving Afghanistan has been shifted to Pallekele. The series was initially scheduled to take place at RPS. The board did not provide a reason for the shift. The Afghans will arrive in the island on the 30th of January. They will start off the tour with a one-off Test match at Sinhalese Sports Club grounds. This will be the first Test between the countries and will be played from 2nd February to 6th. more..

Jan 24 (CT) A group of SL Tamil legislators has sought India�s intervention to ensure that Colombo fully implements the New Delhi-mooted 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which they claim provides for the devolution of power to the minority community, Indian media reported yesterday (23). The group led by veteran politician R. Sampanthan, met India�s new High Commissioner to SL, Santosh Jha, on Monday, more..

Jan 24 (CT) Sri Lanka will have a slight advantage when they take on Namibia in their second game of the ongoing Under-19 World Cup scheduled to kick off today at the Diamond Oval, Kimberley. SL are heading into the game after a comfortable victory against Zimbabwe in their first outing, and will look to continue their winning momentum in-order to top their group. The islanders will be looking for more runs from their top order which failed miserably to contribute in the opening game. more..

Jan 24 (DN) Siblings Matheesha Marambe from Royal College and Kithmi Marambe from Bishop�s College will be leading the 9-member SL Diving team at the upcoming BIMSTEC Youth Aquatic Meet in New Delhi, India. Event is scheduled to take place from Feb 5 to 10. SL diving team, consisting of five boys and four girls, is preparing for the six-day tournament. Notably, all five male divers hail from Royal College: Matheesha Marambe (captain), Mikhail Jayaweera, Yusuf Shihar, more..

Jan 24 (ST) Dwindling consumer demands for high-priced vegetables are driving down prices, yet many consumers say the retail prices are still unaffordable. Nearly four months of continuous rain have destroyed crops in the country�s vegetable basket in the central hills and North Central Province, triggering a supply shortage coupled with an unprecedented rise in vegetable prices. Peradeniya Uni Crop Science prof more..

Jan 24 (FT) The four-member Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry apart from proposing significant overhaul of the existing constitution and administrative process of SLC, has recommended that the Technical Advisory Committee appointed by the then Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Namal Rajapaksa in 2020 be formalised and continue to advice the Minister of Sports and SLC on overall cricket-related decision-makings. more..

Jan 24 (DN) In a ground breaking accomplishment, SL has become the first country in the 100-year history of the World Hockey Federation (FIH) to secure two hockey pitches and enter into MOUs within a 36-day span for locations in Matale and Colombo. Hockey is a neglected sport but players are very keen to go forward with more int'l exposure. Sports Minister Harin Fernando came forward to give support while State Minister of Sports Rohana Dissanayake who himself is a former Hockey more..

Jan 24 (DN) Rotary International President Gordon R. Mclnally arrived in Sri Lanka today on a four -day visit, Rotary District Governor Jerome Rajendram received him at the Bandaranaike International Airport. The four day visit is poised to strengthen ties and foster collaboration between Rotary International and enthusiastic Rotary community in Sri Lanka. Mclnally commence his visit by addressing the dynamic youth organisations of Interact and Rotaract at Cinnamon Grand. more..

Jan 24 (DN) Sri Lanka women�s under 19 team will play Tri-nation T -20 cricket tournament with Pakistan and Bangladesh which will begin today at Cox�s Bazar, Bangladesh. Sri Lanka will meet Bangladesh today and play against Pakistan on January 25 at the same venue. The final will be held on February 2 at the same venue. The team is more focused about the next Under 19 world cup while most of the players of this under 19 team have a chance to play in the next World Cup. more..

Jan 24 (TM) Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera requested Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana to summon CEB Workers� Union (CEBWU) General Secretary Ranjan Jayalal before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee for allegedly making false allegations regarding Parliament�s electricity bill. He said that Jayalal had made a false statement on Parliament�s electricity bill, claiming that more..

Jan 24 (FT) Central Bank said it has sought explanations from several banks that have not swiftly complied with policy rate cuts, as mandated by an order issued last year. �We have called for explanations from several banks that did not comply with the interest rate cuts,� CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe revealed. Despite some banks initiating the process of reducing interest rates, he said others lag behind, prompting CB to request a 350 basis point reduction by December. more..

Jan 24 (DN) In a scientific breakthrough, research conducted by the Lunuwila Coconut Research Institute (CRI) on developing a coconut sapling using tissue from the unopened female flower of the coconut flower has been successful. Lunuwila CRI Director Dr. Sanathani Ranasinghe said that the research carried out by the CRI on the preparation of coconut seedlings using tissue In a scientific breakthrough, research conducted by the Lunuwila CRI on developing a coconut sapling more..

Jan 24 (DM) Claiming that social media was playing a vital role in circulating true and unfiltered news to the people, NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said police would have altered the whole incident involving the Narammala shooting incident if not for social media. He said the mainstream media reports filtered news based on the needs of the media owners and that social media was circulating true and unfiltered news to the people. Commenting on the Online Safety Bill, more..

Jan 24 (DM) A leading private hospital in Colombo that stirred controversy by selling govt price controlled drugs for exorbitant rates, had reportedly pleaded guilty in advance when the case was scheduled to be taken up today in the presence of the complainant and other state officials. NMRA filed charges against eight directors and three other officials of the Asiri Hospital Holdings for selling 11 medicines, which are listed with a maximum retail price, for higher prices, more..

Jan 24 (Island) Sri Lanka�s inflation could rise to 7% in January 2024 due to the VAT increase, Governor of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL), Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe warned. Speaking at a special press briefing, Dr. Weerasinghe explained that an increase in inflation is likely due to the increase in the VAT and other external factors. He was speaking at the CBSL�s first Monetary Policy Review for this year held at CB head office in Colombo. more..

Jan 24 (TM) Ministry of Technology said that no international social media company had informed the Govt thus far that they were to terminate their communication and collaborative links with SL if the proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB) was passed. The statement from the govt comes as the concerns continue mount about the controversial OSB, with some being of the view that if the bill is passed in Parliament, social media companies were likely to terminate their communication and more..

Jan 24 (DM) Ceylon Workers� Congress (CWC) General Secretary Minister Jeevan Thondaman is in the centre of controversy over the presence of South Indian actresses Aishwarya Rajesh, Aishwarya Dutta, Samyuktha Menon, and Meenakshi in national Thai Pongal celebrations conducted in Hatton last Sunday. He is under fire from his political opponents who question him whether these South artistes were sponsored using tax payers� money despite the govt having declared austerity more..

Jan 24 (FT) In defiance of claims from Opposition lawmakers contending that the parliamentary debate on the Online Safety Bill was unlawful due to its violation of parliamentary standing orders, the parliament proceeded with the debate yesterday following a majority vote in favour of considering the contentious bill for discussion. Addressing the parliament, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran maintained that the ongoing debate was illegal and more..

Jan 24 (FT) SL Govt is said to have approved the creation of an int'l A2P SMS centre to curtail fraud and spam. A private company, Infobip, has submitted a proposal to the Cabinet in this regard. Prez has proposed appointing a committee with representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Technology and TRCSL to evaluate this proposal. The need for such a centre to be set up at this time, approved at Cabinet-level, and run by an int'l private messaging aggregator raises multiple questions. more..

Jan 24 (FT) Across the globe, e-commerce has emerged as a powerful engine of economic growth, job creation, innovation and trade integration. Research by the World Bank suggests that e-commerce can flourish in developing countries and in rural areas and be a powerful instrument to create employment for semi-skilled workers, women and other groups. Correspondingly, the usage of e-commerce in SL also appears to be gaining traction, with a recent report published in 20231 more..