Jan 26 (Island) High Commission of India, Colombo is inviting applications for around 200 fully-funded scholarships for Sri Lankan nationals, across various levels. These scholarships are being offered for studies in prestigious Indian Institutes and Universities across subject domains but not including Medical/Paramedical, Fashion Design and Law courses. The scholarships offered exclusively for Sri Lankan nationals are for 2024-2025 academic session. more..

Feb 26 (TM) High Commission of India in Colombo celebrated India�s 75th Republic Day today with a series of events. High Commissioner Santosh Jha hoisted the national flag and read out the President�s address at India House. A cultural programme featuring folk dances and songs by the SL Navy band was held at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center. HC paid homage to the IPKF martyrs at the memorial. A reception was planned for the evening with several SL dignitaries. more..

Jan 26 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has invited political party leaders in Parliament to discuss the IMF agreement implementation with the fund�s Managing Director. �I am willing to extend an invitation to the Managing Director of the IMF to participate in a collective dialogue here. Let us collaboratively explore different perspectives and propose modifications if deemed beneficial,� Prez said during Int'l Customs Day celebrations more..

Jan 26 (SLN) Navy apprehended 3 individuals who engaged in shell fishing, during a search operation conducted in the Ippantivu sea area of Kalpitiya on 25th Jan. Meanwhile, the size of the seized conch shells (about 1856) was not within the legally accepted limit. Navy also held the dinghy used for this illegal act. The search operation was carried out by Navy Marines attached to SLNS Vijaya in the Northwestern Naval Command. The illegal stash of about 1856 conch shells were recovered more..

Jan 26 (TM) Higher education sector non-academic trade unions, who earlier this week met the relevant authorities regarding anomalies related to their salary and allowance, emphasised that the Govt should provide them with concrete answers to prevent trade union action across 17 State universities. �We met the Education Ministry, the University Grants Commission, the Management Services Department, and the Treasury. We received a good response. more..

Jan 26 (SCMP) The controversial passage of an amended bill in Sri Lanka to regulate online content has raised alarm that the legislation could be weaponised to target people critical of the govt in the lead-up to a coming election and beyond. First proposed in September last year, the Online Safety Bill that was passed by the SL parliament on Wednesday has drawn criticism from human rights groups and tech giants, who fear its rushed more..

Jan 26 (DM) Uma Oya project is expected to add 120 MW of electricity to the national grid by February 15, Minister of State for Irrigation Shasheendra Rajapaksa said today. While speaking at a media briefing, he outlined ambitious plans to increase the country's electricity generation and food production in 2024. State Minister also revealed plans to utilize 31 identified reservoirs for floating solar power plants, with the potential to generate an additional 3,077 MW of electricity. more..

Jan 26 (AD) The saffron-robed person claiming to be Vishwa Buddha has been referred for psychiatric treatment under the recommendation of the Judicial Medical Officer, Senior Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris revealed before the court today (26). Appearing on behalf of the CID, the Senior Deputy Solicitor General stated that accordingly, the suspect, who has been remanded in custody, is currently receiving psychiatric treatment at the Prison Hospital. more..

Jan 27 (DM) The media spotlight is focused to a great extent on Jaffna District MP, Sivagnanam Shritharan these days. The 55 year old former school principal has been elected as the President of Sri Lanka�s premier Tamil political party, ITAK known in English as the Federal Party (FP). Shritharan has been elected an MP continuously since 2010. Shritharan contested the ITAK Prez election on a pro-LTTE platform euphemistically described as Thamizh Thesiyam (Tamil Nationalism). more..

Jan 27 (DM) Many in the south seem to confuse the TNA with the ITAK, the group that can be considered to be the main Tamil political party in the country, especially in the north. This confusion was evident by the news items carried by some of the south based newspapers on the election of the Leader of the ITAK last Sunday. Some Sinhala newspapers said that Sivagnanam Sritharan was elected as the Leader of the TNA, while the others rightly described him to be the new President (Leader) of ITAK. more..

Jan 27 (TM) In the last few weeks, an unusual rise in the price of vegetables was reported in a backdrop where the prices of almost all goods and services that people need in their daily lives are increasing at different rates. With the price of a kilogram (kg) of vegetables like carrots being at an unprecedented rate of Rs. 2,500, there is a lot of talk about it, particularly on social media platforms. more..

Jan 27 (CT) In their maiden meeting with the new Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha, a section of the Tamil leadership in the country wanted New Delhi to pressure Colombo to deliver a political solution that they (alone) seem to think should be appropriate to the post-war environment. As even those critical of India otherwise would acknowledge, Jha, who had done an earlier stint in the country in the closing years of the war, was clear in outlining the limits and limitations more..

Jan 27 (DM) Election fever is in the air. Whether it be in the south with over 70% of the population or the Northern Province (which is home to the largest minority), elections are a hot topic. In the south, three political parties - namely National People�s Power (an alliance of individuals and organisation centred around Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna - JVP), Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and United National Party (UNP) have named their candidates for the upcoming Prez election. more..

Jan 27 (TM) Scientists at Uni of Peradeniya�s Postgraduate Institute of Science have uncovered troubling revelations about the release of trace elements, heavy metals, and antimony from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles commonly employed in the production of Bottled Drinking Water (BDW). The study, conducted by Asanka Vishwanath and A.C.A. Jayasundera, reveals significant gaps in existing regulations, more..

Jan 27 (CT) State Minister Sanath Nishantha was killed in a road accident, on the Colombo-Katunayake expressway in the wee hours of Duruthu Poya Day. While the news received mixed reaction from the general public, the incident is as an eye opener to a pressing issue prevailing on all highways, main roads and rural roads in the country, which has often been listed as a top reason for road accidents. That is, unsafe roads or in other words dark roads sans enough lighting. more..

Jan 27 (Island) Controversy over the Online Safety Bill is loud; gunshots of gang-warfare and trigger-happy police are deafening; and, of course, protests proceed as usual like the recent road marches against the shooting of a man by a police sub inspector. So, plenty to comment on but Cass chooses what�s caught her attention most. We have heard from FUTA � from some time ago protesting against an increase in taxes on salaries and the impossibility of maintaining living standards. more..

Jan 27 (TM) Following is an edited version of the speech delivered by the Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry at the Cambridge Union in England on 23 Jan. I come from SL, which, due to its strategic location at the intersection of maritime trade routes and sea lanes, has historically attracted the interest of global superpowers. Prior to gaining independence in 1948, SL was under colonial rule for around 500 years. Though the colonial era�s legacy of exploitation and division left an indelible mark on our nation, more..

Jan 27 (FT) National Development Bank (NDB) stands as the Official Banking Partner at the eagerly anticipated Kadella Exhibition 2024, hosted at BMICH from 26 to 28 January. Organised by CEC Events Ltd, this premier exhibition is the go-to destination for individuals seeking inspiration and guidance on their homeownership journey in SL. Featuring over 150 stalls, the Kadella Living in Style exhibition showcases a diverse range of home-related products and services, more..

Jan 27 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe participated in the 3rd South Summit G77 and China, at Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda. During the event, he engaged in fruitful discussions with numerous State leaders and representatives. Prez Wickremesinghe held a significant meeting with Dr. Riyad al-Maliki, Palestine�s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates. Additionally, he met Maldives Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef, more..

Jan 27 (CT) Rape is a subject that carries an extreme sexual bias, especially in a conservative social setting nurtured by cultural, traditional and religious values; a society much similar to the one SL has. In such a social reality, seldom are males talked about in the victim category and it is even rarer to hear of a female perpetrator, when speaking of rape and sexual abuse. Granted the fundamental physical and psychological differences between males and females give males more..

Jan 27 (Island) Thursday�s tragic accident on the Colombo-Katunayake expressway, where State Minister Sanath Nishantha and his security officer died, has rekindled public debate on road safety. That fatal accident could have been avoided if the driver of the ill-fated vehicle had abided by road rules, we are told. A foreigner was killed yesterday when the van he was travelling in with his family crashed into a truck on the Outer Circular Expressway. more..

Jan 27 (DN) Sri Lanka clinched victory in the Boys Doubles Championship of the ITF Junior Circuit Tourney, held at the SLTA Clay Courts in Colombo yesterday. Methvan Wijemanne and Vichinthaya Nilaweera emerged triumphant, securing the gold medal in a spectacular 6-2 6 -4 victory over the top-seeded opponents. Facing formidable rivals Uri Gilon of Israel and Riku Higashi of Japan, the Sri Lankan duo exhibited exceptional skills throughout the match. With an explosive start, more..

Jan 27 (DN) SL under 19 team led by Sineth Jayawardena will play their last league game against a strong Australian side tomorrow at Bloemfontein, South Africa. SL registered their second consecutive win in the ICC Men�s U19 World Cup 2024 as they beat Namibia by 77 runs last Wednesday at Kimberley to continue a winning mentality but SL batters were not up to standard. SL team scored 204 against Zimbabwe and they were bundled out for 133 in 37.5 overs in their last game against more..

Jan 27 (Island) The prices of upcountry vegetables like carrots will come down at the end of February, says Prof. Buddhi Marambe of the Agriculture Faculty, Uni of Peradeniya. Heavy rains during the past few months were the main reason for the current increase in the prices of vegetables, Prof. Marambe said, adding that December and April were festive seasons in Sri Lanka, and the prices of food usually went up during those months. more..

Jan 27 (EN) Sri Lanka�s Hela Apparel Holdings said it had acquired a Focus Brands, UK based brand licensing house, which is involved in design, sourcing, distribution and promotion of sports fashion and lifestyle apparel brands. Hela has acquired a 100% of Focus Brands from JD Sports Fashion, a statement said. The firm paid 8 million sterling pounds, a stock exchange filing said. �Focus Brands will form the basis for the organisation�s new brand licensing division, more..

Jan 27 (FT) After three weeks or 12 marker days of decline, the Colombo Bourse yesterday managed to close on the up though trading volume remained the same. The active S&P SL20 gained by 0.8% and the benchmark ASPI by 0.6%. Turnover was Rs. 798 mil involving 27 million shares. Up to Wednesday, ASPI was down 3.6% and S&P SL20 by 5.4%. During the week, ASPI and the S&P SL20 lost 0.9% and 0.7% respectively whilst recording an average daily turnover of Rs. 765 mil. more..

Jan 27 (ST) They stood tall and confident talking of their hopes as their parents watched with pride on a new and pioneering pathway not only for themselves but also for others. Excitement and expectation in the New Year for a group very much a part of our society, but usually much-neglected and stigmatized without being given the opportunity to exhibit their skills. Memorable moments such as a youth on spotting a friend more..

Jan 27 (AD) The controversial Online Safety Bill has sparked a geopolitical debate with the Russian Ambassador in Colombo Levan Dzhagaryan stating that regulations of the online sphere are solely a domestic issue of SL, and that any interference in this internal issue by foreign powers is absolutely irrelevant and unacceptable. Russian Ambassador in Colombo highlighted that Russia is currently following the developments pertaining to SL�s Online Safety Bill, which was passed in Parliament more..

Jan 27 (FT) Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Jordan Priyangika Wijegunasekara, held talks with the First Vice Chairman of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Nabil Khatib on 22 Jan, which focused on ways to strengthen economic ties between the two countries through visits of delegations and trade missions. At the discussion Ambassador Wijegunasekara spoke of the developing SL-Jordan relations on trade and the growth and development of bilateral relations which was established in 1965. more..

Jan 27 (DN) Research Intelligence Unit 2023 (RIUNIT) says according to their monthly real estate market surveillance update Colombo 5 has the highest growth rate of average land price per perch within the Colombo city land market. �It has increased nearly by 3% (Y-o-Y) during the time period from Dec 2022 to Dec 2023.� In the suburban areas of Colombo, trend continued with average land prices in LKR terms rising from Rs2.47m per perch in Nov to Rs.2.5m per perch in Dec more..

Jan 27 (Island) Teachers across the country would resort to trade union action after the commencement of the next school term, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said. Stalin said that they were demanding a 20,000-rupee salary hike for teachers and principals and an end to the curtailment of state expenditure on education. Stalin said that most schools now depend on parents chipping in with money and labour for conducting educational and extracurricular activities. more..

Jan 27 (ST) More than 20,000 students have been forced to sit the G.C.E. A/L Agricultural Science Paper for the second time on Feb 1, after the Examination Department cancelled Papers I and II due to social media leaks. As this move puts students in despair and adds to their anxiety, frustration, and uncertainty, Examinations Commissioner General blamed the negligence of the relevant exam supervisor for the leak. more..

Jan 27 (DM) A young man who dragged a 12-year-old boy offshore and sexually abused him and a 16-year-old boy who aided and abetted it were arrested by Angulana Police yesterday. The victim told police that he was picking shells on the beach when the two suspects dragged him into the water, pulled his trousers down and sexually abused him. He said while the young man abused him, the other boy enjoyed it by watching. He said he went home in a sarong burrowed from a fisherman. more..

Jan 27 (FT) The first ever single country exhibition on Sri Lanka in Brazil was held under the theme Explore Sri Lanka 2024 on 12 and 13 January at the Espa�o Cultural Renato Russo (Cultural Centre) in Brasilia to promote history, heritage, culture, trade, tourism, cuisine and products of Sri Lanka. The exhibition was organised by the Embassy of SL in Brazil in collaboration with the Secretariat for the International Relations of the Federal District Govt of Brazil. more..