Mar 10 (SO) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to commence his Prez Election campaign today from Kuliyapitiya, marking his first public propaganda rally since assuming office. The event, themed Sabewa (Reality), will take place at 2 p.m. at the Kuliyapitiya Municipal Council Stadium today. UNP Deputy Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said that Prez, coming forward as a non-party candidate, has gained widespread backing from various political entities for his candidature. more..

Mar 10 (DM) Steps will be taken to raid unregistered religious centres that are engaged in religious conversions in a move to stop such activities, Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka said. He has instructed the Commissioner General of Buddhist Affairs to inform the police chief to carry out raids on unregistered religious centres that are engaged in religious conversions. Minister revealed this during a meeting with a group of prelates at the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. more..

Mar 10 (TM) A technical review on the Mannar Wind Power Project (Phase II) will be conducted by the Central Environment Authority (CEA) once SL Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) completes its technical analysis of the responses received from environmentalists and the general public during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). CEA Deputy Director General � Environmental Management and Assessment Division more..

Mar 11 (ST) SL�s good governance test continued at the UNHRC in Geneva over the week with the Core Group of examiners, viz., UK, Canada, and the US, as the invigilators, with Malawi, Montenegro and North Macedonia cynically thrown in as proof of broad-based concern, the clearest illustration of politicisation of the UNHRC. SL will clearly get no marks for cooperation with the UNHRC�s Accountability Project established by the Core Group through the High Commissioner 3 yrs ago more..

Mar 11 (CT) In mid-February this year, the tragic news of a man and his six-month-old infant daughter dying, in a train-van collision at a level crossing in Inuvil, Jaffna came to light, much to the dismay of the general public. Four days later, another similar tragedy was reported in the Arachchikattuwa area in Puttalam, where a mother and her two children died after the scooter they were travelling on was hit by a Chilaw-bound train at a railway crossing. Although these tragedies occurred more..

Mar 11 (ST) In the power circles of Washington DC, the resignation of Victoria Nuland, the third-ranking US diplomat, as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs this week came amidst a US funding pause for Ukraine to continue with war efforts against the Russian invasion. Ms. Nuland, a career foreign service officer who has Ukrainian roots, came under severe criticism over the crucial role she played in Ukraine, stirring civil more..

Mar 11 (ST) The no-confidence motion against Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and the controversial increase in the salaries of Central Bank staff were among the highlights of Parliamentary activities this week. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and 43 opposition members signed the motion, which was handed over to Parliament�s Acting Secretary General, Chaminda Kularatne. The motion is based on allegations that the Speaker failed to ensure that amendments proposed more..

Mar 11 (DM) International Women�s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and girls around the world and applaud all they have achieved in the fight for equality. However, despite progress, girls and women continue to face systemic barriers that undermine their rights, limit their opportunities, and diminish their well-being. When global crises such as climate disasters, poverty, and hunger occur, women and girls are affected the most. This is also the case in SL where women and girls more..

Mar 11 (TM) The contribution of hydropower to the national grid dropped to 22.7% as of Thursday (7), raising concerns about the preparedness of the State-run CEB to cope with a potential further decline in hydropower generation due to the ongoing dry weather conditions. As predicted by Meteorology Dept, the prevailing dry weather conditions are expected to last until the end of this month, while the department more..

Mar 11 (TM) The Govt and law enforcement authorities take pride in the so-called results of the islandwide anti-drug/organised-crime operation termed: Yuktiya. They have dubbed this operation as the best such initiative launched by a govt, and seem to be extremely confident that it is going to bring major crimes, especially drug-related ones, to an end. However, while the authorities continue their arrest spree, the persistent reports of gun crime has been a concern. more..

Mar 11 (CT) In his recent update to Parliament on the nation�s economy, President Wickremesinghe claimed that it is widely acknowledged that Sri Lanka has achieved a certain level of economic stability. �We�re diligently strengthening the economy each day, striving tirelessly to improve the lives of our people and fortify the economy. Our actions are guided by a strategic plan, ensuring a systematic and methodical approach.� He was also defiant. �Currently, we must decide more..

Mar 11 (FT) Loss-making and debt saddled Softlogic Holdings has announced a Rs. 10 billion equity capital raising plan subject to shareholder approval. The fund raiser is to settle the debt of the Company and for the working capital requirements of the Company/Group. The plan comprises three components - Rs. 2.98 billion via a Rights Issue, Rs. 1.87 billion by issuing warrants attached to the proposed Rights and Rs. 5.1 billion in a manner to be decided by the Board upon completion of more..

Mar 11 (Island) Shortly after the announcement of the new chairmen for Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Committee on Public Accounts (COPA), there was a surge of criticism on social media regarding the appointment of Kalutara District SLPP MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena as the head of COPE. Both chairmen were elected to their positions, and the SLPP, with its majority representation in the committees reflecting that of the parliament, was able to secure election more..

Mar 11 (FT) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa this week released his book titled The conspiracy: How internationally sponsored regime change made a mockery of democracy in SL. Excerpts: On opposition to his election: �The only reason I won the 2019 presidential election with over 52% of the vote was because of the Sinhala vote.� �From the time I was nominated as a candidate for the presidency, large sections of more..

Mar 11 (Island) Injudicious taxation has taken a heavy toll on SL women�s menstrual hygiene, according to media reports based on a study conducted by Advocata. This is a very sad state of affairs, which warrants the immediate attention of the govt. The release of the Advocata survey findings could not have happened at a more appropriate time; it has come while an IMF delegation, which includes some female members, is here to review the progress of SL�s bailout programme. more..

Mar 11 (DM) Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) once again took up the issue of its resolution on Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka. We also heard for the umpteenth time representatives of western nations pontificate on how wars should be conducted with minimum loss to civilians, women and children. Believe it or not, it is we Lankans who have undergone civil conflicts on three or more occasions. more..

Mar 11 (SO) Based on a request by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) took steps recently to reduce electricity tariffs for all consumer categories including residential, industrial, religious and educational. This measure was initiated by Minister Kanchana Wijesekara on the instructions of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. The Rs. 12 charged for less than 30 units of electricity was reduced to Rs. 8, a decrease of 33.3%. more..

Mar 11 (FT) Workers� remittances inflow in the first two months has increased by 14.1% to $ 963.7 million, latest data revealed. February remittances inflow was recorded as $ 476.2 million. However, it experienced a slight decrease of 2.3% when compared month-to-month. The cumulative achievement was possible with Jan 2023 bringing in $ 487.6 million as against $ 437.5 million a year ago. In 2023, full year workers� remittances were $ 6 billion, up by 57.5% from $ 3.78 b in 2022, more..

Mar 11 (CI) Kusal Mendis was reminded of Lasith Malinga when he watched Nuwan Thushara bowl a match-winning spell of 5 for 20, which included a hat-trick, in the third T20I against Bangladesh. "I'm very happy for him," Mendis said. "With the World Cup around the corner, it's great to have many of our bowlers in such form. He's been playing in franchise leagues for some time - he played well in South Africa [SA20] as well - more..

Mar 11 (TM) SL will phase out para-tariffs within the next 5 years following the directions of the IMF and the World Bank paving the way for trade liberalisation, an official of the Treasury said. Speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) last Thursday, Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Finance A. K. Seneviratne said that SL will completely phase out the Ports and Airport Development Levy (PAL) within the next 5 years while CESS will be phased out in next 3 yrs. more..

Mar 11 (FT) Uber Eats SL announced the introduction of a service fee on orders on the popular food and grocery delivery app. It said the service fee is aimed at sustaining a reliable and efficient food delivery service. While ordering from the Uber Eats app, consumers will now pay delivery charges that comprise both delivery and service fee. The service fee component will be equal to 5% of an order�s value, will range from Rs. 25 to Rs. 125, and will be visible to customers at checkout, more..

Mar 11 (TM) While alleging that President and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has not fulfilled his promise to sign the relevant documents to return the powers of the Provincial Councils (PC) that have been taken over by the Central Govt, TMTK Leader C.V. Wigneswaran said that the former talking about the full implementation of the 13th Amendment from time to time is a mere political gimmick. more..

Mar 11 (TM) High Commissioner of India to SL, Santosh Jha visited the Southern Province, and had diverse engagements earlier this week. High Commissioner Jha visited Galle, Matara and Hambantota Districts, marking the first time in the recent past where an Indian High commissioner undertook a standalone visit to the Southern Province, the Indian mission in Colombo said. During his visit High Commissioner Jha met Governor of the Province Dr. Willie Gamage more..

Mar 11 (FT) The tourism earnings during the first two months have registered $ 687.5 million in tandem with the boost in arrivals. Tourism earnings in February were at $ 345.7 million, reflecting a 118.2% increase from the corresponding period of last year, the latest Central Bank data released yesterday showed. Even on a month-on-month comparison, February earnings are 1.14% higher than January 2024. It is the highest earnings registered since 2020. more..

Mar 11 (ST) Sri Lanka�s biggest social security net for private sector workers, and public sector workers not eligible for the state pension, the Employees� Trust Fund, gorged itself on unprecedented interest rates on Govt securities in 2022 to report Rs 464.99 billion assets, compared with 419.12bn the year before. The annual report for 2022, presented this week to Parliament, notes a 10.01% return on investment and member funds of Rs 459.63bn. Factoring in unprecedented interest rates, more..

Mar 11 (DN) Dambulla, led by Minod Bhanuka retained the championship by defeating Kandy by 19 runs in their high-scoring final of the National Super League (NSL) Limited Overs fixture played at the R. Premadasa Stadium yesterday. Despite chasing a target of 333 runs, Kandy managed to score 313 all out in 45.3 overs. Pavan Ratnayake was undoubtedly the hero of the Dambulla team, coached by Avishka Gunawardena. His fine unbeaten knock of 118 also earned him more..

Mar 11 (DM) SL secured a thrilling series win over Bangladesh on Saturday when they clinched the third T20 courtesy of a stunning hat-trick from Nuwan Thushara, but the brilliant performance from the visiting SL team was probably overshadowed by the split opinions on the timed-out celebration. SL captain Wanindu Hasaranga, after lifting the T20 trophy at the end of the post-match presentation on Saturday, handed it to Dhananjaya de Silva, more..

Mar 11 (SO) For the first time in SL, a fully equipped factory for producing brand new electric three wheelers was opened at the Maradana Railway Dept Warehouse premises. The Vega Engineering Company, which produced SL�s first electric supercar under the Vega (Speed) brand name, recently opened the new factory complex for the production of electric three wheelers and the conversion of existing Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) three-wheelers to run on electricity more..

Mar 11 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe led the vibrant festivities of the 2024 IORA Day celebration at Galle Face Green today (10), underlining the imperative of Ensuring a Sustainable Indian Ocean for Future Generations. As SL helms the Chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), this event holds significant resonance. The IORA, comprising 23 Member States and 12 Dialogue Partners, stands as a crucial platform for fostering regional cooperation. more..

Mar 11 (AD) Dept of Meteorology has issued a heat index advisory for tomorrow (11) cautioning the public of rising atmospheric temperatures at some places in North-western, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Anuradhapura and Mannar districts. �Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is expected to increase up to �Caution level� at some places in North-western, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces & in Mannar District� more..

Mar 11 (DN) SL is on the verge of moving to the next phase in the telecom sector, as Telecom Regulatory Commission ((TRCSL)) will start offering the 5G commercial spectrum to local mobile operators by the end of this month. Director General, TRC, said that they have received the methodology for the 5G spectrum distribution among the four local telco companies through the technical assistance of the World Bank. �this will make the 5G spectrum distribution very transparent.� more..

Mar 11 (FT) In an effort to bolster the struggling UNP ahead of the upcoming polls, UNP leader Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe urged both current and former supporters to unite once again to strengthen the age-old party and contribute to the nation�s revival. During the inaugural rally of UNP public meetings titled Sebewa (reality) held in Kuliyapitiya, Wickremesinghe flanked by UNP stalwarts emphasised that SJB which more..

Mar 11 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is opting to hold the Prez election first while the Rajapaksas want the General Elections held first, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Speaking at the Colombo District Women's Convention, he said the Prez prefers the Prez election held first than to the General Elections as he has no strong support at the grassroots level. He said the Rajapaksas prefer the General Elections first as they deem that going for a Prez election is disadvantageous to them more..

Mar 11 (DM) The book released by Gotabaya Rajapaksa on an alleged Conspiracy to Oust him is the latest attempt by the president who ran away to paint an image of innocence, National Unity Alliance (NUA) said. A statement issued by the NUA said the seventh executive president was ousted by the people of SL. "The people highlighted his lack of equitable governance, his penchant for unchallenged power and his serious lack of accountability, responsibility and willingness more..

Mar 11 (Island) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has turned down Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s invitation to a meeting with a visiting IMF delegation, today. NPP and TNA, have also rejected the Prez�s invitation to today�s meeting, but TNA MP MA Sumanthiran is likely to meet the IMF delegation today. Opposition Leader�s Secretary, Thasith Wijayagunawardene, has written to the Secretary to the Prez, more..

Mar 11 (FT) The Parate Execution power, exercised by lending banks to recover non-repaid debt by borrowers by selling assets without going through the judicial processes in a recession hit economy, has become a hot topic today. While the Central Bank maintains that that power should not be removed, the legislators who represent the people think otherwise. They have jumped on the campaign wagon of the micro, small, medium, and small entrepreneurs, popularly known as MSMEs, more..