Mar 11 (FT) The recent huge and unparalleled salary increase taken upon themselves by the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) (mis)using the independence given by the IMF to its staff has dumbfounded the entire nation. According to the sources attributed to the CBSL, the justifications for the increase were that the remunerations of the staff of CBSL were not paid out of the consolidated fund, its recent independence given by CBSL Act, No. 16 of 2023 could not be subject to question by anyone, more..

Mar 11 (PMD) Minister of Wildlife & Forest and Irrigation Pavithradevi Wanniarachchi revealed that the Ministry of Finance has granted approval to deploy 4,500 multi-tasks development officers to aid elephant-fence conservation efforts within the Ministry of Wildlife. Minister also stated that the demarcation of forest boundaries, which is part of the project aimed at increasing the country�s forest coverage to 32% of the total land area, is anticipated to be finalized this year. more..

Mar 11 (DM) SLPP is reported to have reiterated its concerns with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe over his direct dealings with individuals of the party bypassing its hierarchy. It was communicated to the Prez when he met with SLPP leaders Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa last week. Such concerns were reiterated in the wake up of some MPs and electoral organizers siding with the Prez. Currently, a sediment of SLPP MPs remain loyal to the Prez. Most of them hold ministerial more..

Mar 11 (EN) SL is planning to raid places of worship that have not been registered with the authorities, Minister Vidura Wickramanayake said. �As per the law, all religious institutions, be it Buddhist, a Hindu temple or a mosque, need to be registered,� he said. �There are some unregistered religious institutions that cause religious disharmony.� He referred to the case of one Pastor Jerome, who was arrested after a video of more..

Mar 11 (DM) Former UNP National Organizer Navin Dissanayake said he did not participate in yesterday's meeting organized by his party as his name had been removed from the speaker's list. "I politely excused myself from the official UNP meeting as I was promised a speech but later found out that my name had been deleted. I wonder who is making these decisions on behalf of Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. I will stand by the party but a man�s dignity should not be compromised," more..

Mar 11 (AD) Notorious underworld figure and drug kingpin Salindu Malshitha Gunaratne, alias Kudu Salindu, has been further remanded on orders of the Panadura Magistrate�s Court. Accordingly, Kudu Salindu was further remanded until 25 March as per an order issued by Panadura Chief Magistrate Champika Rajapaksha. Salindu Malshitha Gunaratne is currently in the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), after he was arrested in Madagascar in March 2023. more..

Mar 11 (AD) TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran says the opposition can only decide on whether to support the IMF programme after analyzing the IMF�s technical assistance reports which he says the govt has now agreed to provide. He made these remarks while speaking to reports following a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo today with the President and govt officials for talks on the IMF programme. more..

Mar 11 (AD) A 16-year-old schoolboy has reportedly died in Ampara after collapsing while participating in a marathon race held at the Thirukkovil Methodist Central College. The marathon, held as part of the inter-house sports meet, took place this morning at the school premises. The student, identified as Vidurshan, had reportedly collapsed during the event and was rushed to Tirukkovil Hospital for treatment, following which he was taken to the Akkaraipattu Hospital for further treatment, more..

Mar 11 (DM) Steps have been taken to provide 1,000 air rifles this year to farmers to prevent crop damage caused by animals, the Agriculture and Plantation Industries Ministry said. A research conducted by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agricultural Research and Training Institute has confirmed that 30�40% of the crops are currently being damaged by Toque monkeys, monkeys, giant squirrels and peacocks. Although the Ministry has requested that the Animal Friendly Associations suggest more..

Mar 11 (EN) Thirty MPs of the ruling SLPP are in talks with the main opposition SJB about joining forces, SJB MP Ashok Abeysinghe said. He said five out of 11 SLPP MPs that were elected from the Kurunegala district will team up with the SJB for the upcoming elections. �We don�t intend to accept any MP from the SLPP. We only plan to take MPs without corruption charges and don�t have any court cases. Even now about 30 MPs are talking to us about forming an alliance with us� MP said. more..

Mar 11 (CT) The hunger strike initiated by Sri Lankan fishermen, who were rescued after being hijacked by an armed group in the Seychelles and subsequently detained at a port in the country, is continuing. Commencing on 1 March, the hunger strike demands immediate repatriation of the six fishermen who were aboard the Lorenzo Putha 04 multi-day fishing trawler. The Lorenzo Putha 04 set sail from the port of Dikovita on 12 January for its inaugural voyage. more..

Mar 11 (Island) Lawmaker Gevindu Cumaratunga, on behalf of the Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya (ULS), has requested the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) Dr. Harsha De Silva to propose fundamental change to the Central Bank of SL Act (No 16 of 2023) by including Secretary to the Finance Ministry/Treasury Secretary in the decision-making Governing Board (GB) of the Central Bank. more..

Mar 11 (EN) A delegation of renewable energy companies affiliated with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) are in the Sri Lanka for a three-day visit, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. The delegation is organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Govt of India and CII on energizing India-Sri Lanka ties through cooperation in renewable energy, Wijesekera said on social media platform X after they visited the Ministry on Monday morning. more..

Mar 11 (AD) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has issued a stern directive during a special discussion held at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, stressing that SriLankan Airlines must demonstrate operational and financial progress within the next six months. Failure to do so, he warned, could jeopardize the jobs of approximately 6,000 employees. In line with the Prez�s proposal, govt has committed to relieving a portion of the national carriers� debt, more..

Mar 11 (DM) Those who ruled the country, those who are currently ruling the country, and those who intend to rule the country in the future have no plan on how the country should be developed, Prez candidate Janaka Ratnayake said. While opening his party office at Kirulapona today, he claimed that the govt is making a decision not to settle the loans and the loan interest according to the tune of the IMF to obtain IMF loan. more..

Mar 11 (EN) The net assets of SL�s central bank fell to 11.1 billion rupees in December 2023 from 25 billion rupees a month earlier, according to the valuation method used, official data show. The reason for the December fall, whether it was due to administration expenses being charged or valuation losses is not clear. In January equity increased to 59 billion rupees with more profits being made. In the first three quarters of 2023 SL�s central bank made large profits from more..

Mar 11 (FT) SL Army returned over 100 acres of occupied civilian land to rightful owners at a ceremony in Jaffna yesterday. Accordingly, a total of 109.56 acres of land, comprising five plots in the Jaffna District and seven in the Kilinochchi District, were returned. The military occupies only 0.5% of land in the North, which is considered crucial for upholding normalcy and security in the region. The release of land is the 24th consecutive release by military since end of SL�s long-drawn conflict. more..

Mar 11 (Island) The controversial Online Safety Law that entered SL�s statute books in February which has erupted widespread national and international censorship and criticism brought to the attention and scrutiny of the White House when Prez Biden�s special assistant for Asian-American Affairs and Senior Liaison for the Asia-Pacific Region had a lengthy discourse with two SL expatriates known to American lawmakers and socio-political activists as advocates for strengthening US-SL relations, more..

Mar 11 (AD) Muslims in SL will begin the month of Ramadan fasting from dawn on Tuesday as the new crescent moon has been sighted, according to the Colombo Grand Mosque. Muslims all over the world will observe a month of fasting and prayers during Ramadan to commemorate the time when the Quran was revealed to Prophet Mohammed on the night of Laylat Al Qadr. Fasting during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is considered to be one of the Five Pillars of Islam. more..

Mar 11 (AD) US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung has asserted that the US will continue to monitor legislative developments in SL that could challenge its progress on human rights, reconciliation, and civic space. Taking to �X�, the diplomat highlighted that the joint statement issued by the Core Group earlier this month at the 55th Session of the UNHRC, along with other statements made by local and int'l organizations, more..

Mar 11 (DM) In light of the ongoing dry weather conditions, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board has highlighted hurdles in maintaining consistent water supply across various regions. The increased daily water demand exacerbates the situation, resulting in some areas receiving water at reduced pressure or facing restrictions. The Board emphasized the need for proactive measures to address these challenges. To facilitate public feedback and address concerns effectively, more..

Mar 11 (AD) A new ground-mounted solar project was opened in Kommathurai, Batticaloa on Sunday morning, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera stated. In a post on �X�, Minister revealed that the 2MW solar project had been successfully constructed and commissioned by BackBay Solar Private Ltd. BackBay Solar is managed by Sino Lanka Power Gen, a leader in commercial rooftop solar installations with approximately 50MW of projects completed or undergoing development. more..

Mar 11 (DM) More than 250 youths from Jaffna have applied to join the SL Air Force during the Air Tattoo 2024 educational and technological exhibition, which was held in Jaffna in commemoration of the SLAF�s 73rd anniversary. The SL Air Force conducted the �Air Tattoo� from March 6 and concluded on a momentous note, marking a potential turning point in relations between the SLAF and the Jaffna community. more..

Mar 11 (AD) Dept of Meteorology has cautioned the people of rising temperatures in the North-western, Western, Southern and Sabaragamuwa provinces as well as in the Anuradhapura, Mannar, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts tomorrow. The heat index advisory, issued at 04:00 p.m. today, will be in effect until tomorrow evening. �Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is expected to increase up to Caution level at some places in Western, North-western, Southern & Sabaragamuwa more..

Mar 11 (PMD) In a proactive move towards transparency and collaboration, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe convened a crucial party leader�s meeting at the Presidential Secretariat today to deliberate on the IMF proposals. The meeting saw the active participation of various stakeholders, including TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran, underscoring the govt�s commitment to inclusive decision-making. During the discussions, Secretary to the Treasury Mahinda Siriwardena provided insights into more..

Mar 12 (Island) In 2018, EUROPOL headquartered in Hague, Netherlands, a key organization established to prevent and combat serious internationally organized crimes, cybercrime and terrorism, had clearly defined the difference between cyber-dependent crimes and cyber-enabled crimes . As defined by them, any crime that can only be committed using computers, computer networks or other forms of information communication technology was named as cyber-dependent more..

Mar 12 (TM) The recent multiple homicide in Ottawa, Canada which took the lives of six Sri Lankans, including four children, was a tragedy. Its impact was felt in Canada, in SL and among the many Sri Lankan communities overseas. While the crime, which is still being investigated has opened a debate about mental health of SL students studying overseas and about the pressures of adjusting to a new country and the obvious culture shock that comes with it, the tragedy also holds more..

Mar 12 (TM) Any tourists in SL on tourist visas cannot carry out businesses in the country, asserted SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando. �It is specifically stated when the visa is granted that it�s a tourist visa,� he added. Commenting on the operation of illegal businesses in the country by tourists, he said that any foreigner who wanted to do business in SL could do so the legal way and more..

Mar 12 (DM) A political leader is a public servant dedicated to enhancing society, elected through votes from the community. More than just a politician, a political leader embodies statesmanship. This implies having integrity and the determination to champion what is just, even if it means stepping down from a governmental role or facing electoral defeat. Regrettably, in contemporary times, some politicians declare intentions that differ from their actual actions. more..

Mar 12 (CT) A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy by powerful and sinister groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable. In fact, there are a lot of books that attempt to understand the lure of conspiracy theories and their effect on our lives. The repetition of these conspiracy theories also brings another reward: power. The book by Gota appears to have been well timed, when talks of an impending elections more..

Mar 12 (CT) Sociocultural anthropologist, Sulakshana de Mel, received her primary and secondary education in Mexico. She pursued her Master of Science Degree at the Uni of Oxford, specialising in Social and Cultural Anthropology. She has been focussing on various aspects of SL�s sociocultural landscape, with a particular emphasis on women�s well-being. Through her work, she has acquired extensive knowledge about women�s issues more..

Mar 12 (ST) My dear Basil, I am writing to you after seeing you return to Paradise to a hero�s welcome after spending some time in America. I wondered why so many came to welcome you, an ordinary citizen with no official position. Maybe it is to see how a kaputa gets off the plane rather than a kaputa hitting the plane. Still, it is better than what it was like at the same airport nearly two years ago during the aragalaya. When the going got tough, you packed your bags & tried to leave as you usually do. more..

Mar 12 (GV) Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has released a book entitled The Conspiracy to oust me from Presidency. Also on the cover are the words how internationally sponsored regime change made a mockery of democracy in SL. It is priced at least 10 times its print cost and is sold out. The book is in Sinhala and English although Tamil is also an official language. It is addressed to the Sinhalese only. According to the book the three main reasons for former Prez Rajapaksa to come to power more..

Mar 12 (DM) SL women seem to have gained an unprecedented and considerable importance in SL politics lately, thanks to the record gatherings of women by JVP/NPP as a part of their show off of power, as the major elections are around the corner. These gatherings have some sort of copycat effect on some other political parties as well, which is also a good sign, as far as women�s politics is concerned. It is within that context that the International Women�s Day fell on March 8. more..

Mar 12 (CT) With the world distracted by kinetic wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a hybrid economic proxy war against the Global South and China�s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), for global connectivity is unfolding at this time of new Cold War: Across Asia, Africa and South America. 56 Low and Middle Income Countries have been ensnared in Covid-19 Lockdown-induced Eurobond debt traps sprung by private creditors and Int'l Sovereign Bonds (ISB), that charge predatory interest rates. more..