Mar 15 (FT) NPP MP Vijitha Herath said the party informed the IMF that if the NPP were to form a Govt, they would revise some reforms that have imposed burdens on the people and involved the sale of state assets. NPP MP said they conveyed these sentiments during a meeting with a delegation from the IMF yesterday. �We informed them that the clauses related to burdening the people and selling public resources in the recently signed more..

Mar 15 (CB) The stop clock rule, currently undergoing trial, is set to become a permanent feature in int'l cricket, with its implementation during the upcoming Twenty20 WC in June approved. Introduced by the ICC on an experimental basis last December, this rule will now be incorporated into the standard playing conditions of the game. This rule, necessitating the display of an electronic clock between overs, will not be applied in Twenty20Is but also all white-ball cricket, including ODIs. more..

Mar 15 (DM) As temperatures soar in parts of SL, authorities warn of an impending rise in the heat index, particularly in regions spanning the North-Eestern, North-Central and Eastern Provinces, as well as in the Colombo, Gampaha, Moneragala, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Hambantota districts. Heat index, a measure of how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature, is anticipated to escalate to levels classified as Caution. more..

Mar 15 (DM) Local vehicle importers claimed that the current market prices of vehicles would increase after the proposed resumption of vehicle imports from next year due to the change in the duty structure. They said the govt had implemented a significant change in the duty structure in January, resulting in a substantial increase in the marginal cost of importing vehicles. The importers also claimed that vehicles would be imported under huge restrictions. more..

Mar 15 (DM) As SL grapples with arid weather conditions, residents in areas facing drinking water issues have been urged to reach out to the hotline 117 introduced by Disaster Management Center (DMC). The DMC hotline stands ready to address concerns related to water shortages exacerbated by the ongoing dry spell. Pradeep Kodippili, Deputy Director of the DMC, emphasized the importance of swift action in addressing the pressing issue of drinking water scarcity. more..

Mar 15 (DM) Though the Govt imposed VAT on vegetables and other essential goods, books were spared for all these years. However a VAT increase of 18% has affected the book publishing industry. �Around 30% of the bookshops have already shut down due to the effect of the VAT increase,� said SL Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) President Samantha Samarasinghe. In 1950, UNESCO signed Florence Agreement. more..

Mar 15 (CT) A group of employees at the National Zoological Gardens in Dehiwala, held a protest on the sudden death of a zebra at the zoo, alleging veterinary negligence. A zebra transported from the Ridiyagama Safari Park to the Dehiwala Zoo died suddenly on Wednesday (13). A protest was held yesterday (14) in front of the zoo. It was led by President of the SL Podujana Zoological Garden Employees� Union, Krishantha Christopher, with approximately 55 employees participating. more..

Mar 15 (TM) The State Minister Piyal Nishantha de Silva, announced plans to launch a new multi-day fishing trawler equipped with modern technology and advanced operational techniques to enhance the fishing industry. Meanwhile, he further stated that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, via the Attorney General (AG), to facilitate the swift repatriation of the fishermen aboard the Lorenzo Putha-Four fishing vessel back to Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 15 (CI) A team of grown men pointing at their wrists with intent to provoke, a naagin dance mockingly traded for years, a shattered dressing room door, a timed-out dismissal, press conference tantrums, on-field aggro - in this column we will attempt to intellectualise that which is resplendently unintellectual: the rivalry between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Theirs is a conflict born of precisely jack-all. more..

Mar 15 (PMD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe underscored the critical importance of fortifying the extensive trade and economic ties between Sri Lanka and India promptly to ensure mutual advantages for both nations. He expressed these views during his presence at a special commemoration ceremony organized by the SL India Society in Colombo yesterday (14). This event was arranged to mark the 76th Independence Day of Sri Lanka and the 75th Republic Day of India, more..

Mar 15 (EN) Sri Lanka spends 4 billion rupees a year holding prisoners and is now planning to enact new house arrest legislation in 2024 as a solution to overcrowding in prisons, State Minister of Justice and Prison Affairs Anuradha Jayaratne said. Jayaratne told reporters that the country�s prison population stands at 30,793 individuals which far exceeds its capacity of 12,000. Amendments to laws such as the Bail Act are also being considered to address this, he said. more..

Mar 16 (DM) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s book The Conspiracy to oust me from Presidency which was launched recently did not evoke much interest or create any stir among the people as its name suggests to do. Nor did it reveal any hidden facts or details about any incident that would have contributed to his ouster. However, the book is said to have been sold like hot cake due to the curiosity about what it could have contained. Hence, unlike the commotion that was created in Sept more..

Mar 16 (FT) So complete has been the failure of the ostensible elite of this country that a very large percentage of the voters have now decided to place their fate in the hands of the NPP, a combination of political groups predominated by the JVP, a political party putatively Marxist. In the context of global realities, Marxism is not what it was usually associated with. China will display a huge portrait of Karl Marx (a German Jew) at their May Day parade, the next day more..

Mar 16 (SO) There is a clear improvement in the economy and many sectors have returned to normal levels, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said. He said the masses should exercise their vote wisely at the upcoming Prez Election without falling prey to Opposition propaganda. Govt revenue has increased substantially even without traditional income streams such as car imports. As income rises, it will be possible to give tax relief more..

Mar 16 (GV) Politicians, govt officers, temple officials and business people are illegally acquiring hundreds of acres of forest land belonging to the Dept of Forest Conservation in the Kataragama area and distributing them to their friends and relatives. These forest lands serve as water catchment forests and as habitats for wild elephants. In addition to forest land that belong to the Det of Forest Conservation, some land that has been cultivated by farmers for a long time has been forcibly acquired, more..

Mar 16 (DM) LTTE organization fought the armed forces of SL for 33 years in pursuance of its political goal of establishing a separate state called Tamil Eelam in the N&E provinces of the Island. The LTTE known generally as the Tigers had the reputation of monolithic unity. This image was seriously dented in 1993 when the LTTE�s former Deputy Leader Gopalswamy Mahendrarajah alias Mahathaya was arrested and executed on orders of tiger supremo V. Prabhakaran for alleged treason. more..

Mar 16 (CT) UK Govt has unveiled its new definition of extremism to the House of Commons amid heightened domestic tensions, since the onset of Israel�s war on Gaza in October. This comes days after UK PM Rishi Sunak, in a hastily arranged Downing Street statement, claiming extremist groups in the UK are trying to tear us apart and that they have hijacked the streets. Standing outside No 10 late on Friday, the PM condemned more..

Mar 16 (CT) The recent decision to suspend the Parate execution, with an election around the corner, impacts the banking and finance sector. SL Banks� Association (SLBA) reiterated its earlier stand that it strongly objects to the temporary suspension of Parate law, which has an extremely adverse impact on an industry that is already under severe stress, with mounting non-performing loans and external debt restructuring-related losses causing severe disruption to its business operations. more..

Mar 16 (DM) On the 31th of this month Catholics and Christians of all denomination will celebrate Easter Sunday. The festival without a doubt brings to mind the Easter Sunday bombing of 2019. On Easter of 2019, terrorists exploded their deadly caches of explosives in three churches where Christians were celebrating what to the community was the most sacred of Christian festivals. Separately on the same day, in three five star hotels members of the same terrorist group more..

Mar 16 (ST) He saw their agony and the long wait just to get a diagnosis of cancer and felt moved to action to do something in his power to ease their plight. This quest to help his patients has borne fruit and he and his team have come up with a first in the world � a simple blood test to point in the direction of laryngeal cancer. Consultant ENT Surgeon Dr. Rizny Sakkaff who is also a skilled Head & Neck Surgeon had peered closely at the larynx and pondered why there were no biomarkers or more..

Mar 16 (Island) Though I am not in complete agreement with Jathika Chintanaya �both the ideology and its ideologues � I do recognise that, at a certain point, it made a significant intervention in SL�s intellectual life. For better or worse, though, the Jathika Chintanaya of today is no longer the Jathika Chintanaya of yesterday. It does hold a wide appeal, but it no longer is led by the intellectual currents which steered it decades ago. In saying this, I am both paying tribute to more..

Mar 16 (Island) SL govts do not respond to early warnings and thereby invite trouble. The Easter Sunday carnage (2019) could have been prevented if the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe govt had heeded repeated intelligence warnings of impending terror attacks. It let the grass grow under its feet, and disaster struck. It has now been revealed that the Gotabaya Rajapaksa govt did not care two hoots about the dire warnings the Central Bank, etc., issued about an imminent economic crisis. more..

Mar 16 (ST) The Elephant Information Centre at Uda Walawe that has been transformed into the Elephant Knowledge Walk providing visitors with a more visually engaging and comprehensive experience was relaunched this week by the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Dilmah Tea and Dilmah Conservation. Here, visitors can go on an informative journey, exploring elephant evolution, anatomy, ecology and cultural significance supported by statistics, images and info-graphics. more..

Mar 16 (FT) Sri Lanka�s economy grew sharply by 4.5% year on year in the four quarter but ended 2023 with a 2.3% contraction, DCS revealed yesterday. The overall Agricultural activities in 2023 expanded by 2.6% while Industrial and Services activities contracted by 9.2% and 0.2% respectively. Services sector accounted for 59.9% of GDP in 2023 and Industry�s share was 8.3% whilst Agriculture accounted for 8.3%. more..

Mar 16 (CT) It is sad that the entire Opposition boycotted Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s invitation to discuss the govt�s agreement with the IMF, barring one. Tamil MP M A Sumanthiran was the loner who attended the discussion and it turned out as if the entire govt machinery, starting with the Prez who is also his Finance Minister, two State Ministers, CB Governor and his team and the entire Finance bureaucracy turned up for the sake of that one man, rather people�s representative. more..

Mar 16 (FT) Stepping up in its standing as the National Body of Accountants and as a leading professional body, Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL (CA SL) took the initiative to bring together experts to focus on the highly debated restructuring process of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). The enlightening forum held recently, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies, served as a pertinent platform that brought together prominent figures more..

Mar 16 (CI) Bangladesh fought to the end but the 185-run fourth-wicket partnership forged by Pathum Nissanka (114) and Charith Asalanka (91) proved enough in Chattogram, as SL secured a narrow three-wicket win to level the series 1-1. Bangladesh's fighting spirit brought the game close, but they were also aided by the indecision and doubt shown by the SL batting unit. While the eventual margin of victory - 3 wts & 17 balls to spare more..

Mar 16 (FT) Colombo stock market enjoyed a high growth week thanks to investors sustaining their bullish sentiments amidst healthy turnover. ASPI gained 290.8 points (2.6%) and the active S&P SL20 gained 97.8 points (3.1%). The daily turnover averaged Rs. 1.7 billion. In the previous week the ASPI and the S&P SL20 gained 3.3% and 3.6% respectively whilst turnover averaged Rs. 2 billion. The market ended on a strong note as the indices remained in green for 10th straight session more..

Mar 16 (ST) Local football chief Jaswar Umar, known for his financial mismanagement, has received FIFA�s approval for a sum of USD330,000, approximately Rs.110mn to host an international tournament without first getting the approval of his own committee. Ranked 204 out of 210 teams, SL football remain at the lowest ebb with elected officials doing little to help promote the sport while globe-trotting enjoying the FIFA�s and AFC�s hospitality. FIFA fund will enable SL to host more..

Mar 16 (ST) Recent concerns about term exam paper leaks in two provinces have left students in despair, anxiety, frustration and uncertainty. Educationists and parents say exam paper leaks are an unethical practice with dire repercussions that compromise exam integrity and put many students� futures in jeopardy. In talks with State Printing Corporation (SPC), it was decided to reprint the exam papers at no cost, more..

Mar 16 (Island) People do not vote rationally when the general election is held after the presidential election, founder of the SLPP Basil Rajapaksa recently told a televised interview. �If someone wins the prez election, even by a vote, the party he or she represents can get a significant majority in Parliament. I don�t think this is a good thing. If we hold a general election before the presidential election, there is a better chance of a more balanced Parliament.� more..

Mar 16 (FT) Sri Lanka has recently successfully completed the fourth instalments of the tea-for-oil deal with Iran, a significant milestone achieved since the agreement was reached in 2021. Under the arrangement, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) settled a longstanding payment liability of $ 250 million owed to Iran for oil purchased in 2012. As a possible settlement amidst US-led sanctions, Iran agreed to offset payment for crude oil against tea imports from Sri Lanka. more..

Mar 16 (FT) President Ranil Wickremesinghe this week unveiled ambitious plans to transform Galle into a premier tourist destination, stressing the need to utilise State properties for tourism development and relocation of Govt institutions. Speaking at the inauguration of the Serene River Park in Holuwagoda, Galle, he highlighted the significance of Galle as a tourism hub in the Southern Province and outlined key measures to enhance its development. more..

Mar 16 (FT) A total of 14 Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) have been received from potential investors for the strategic divestiture of Litro Gas Lanka Ltd (LGL) and Litro Gas Terminals Ltd (LGT), Finance Ministry disclosed. Accordingly, Epdesa Pte Ltd, Singapore; Bharat Petroleum Cop. Ltd., India; Ayaz Anonim Sirketi, Republic of T�rkiye; SiamGas and Petrochemicals Public Company Ltd, Thailand; BGN Int DMCC, UAE; Confidence Petroleum India Ltd, India; OQ Trading Ltd, UAE; more..

Mar 16 (DM) Police Headquarters is reportedly in the process of revamping the CID and accordingly, a group of police officers including high-ranking officers within the CID, is set to be transferred over alleged ties with notorious underworld drug dealer Nadun Chinthaka alias Harak Kata. Nadun Chinthaka and one of his accomplices Salindu Malshika alias Kudu Salindu, were arrested in Madagascar on March 01, 2023 in a joint more..