Mar 10 (FT) The SJB firebrand economists and MPs trio met CB Governor Nivard Cabraal to find out first-hand the on-going foreign exchange and debt crisis as well as to reiterate their recommendations. The move by SJB trio MP Kabir Hashim, Dr. Harsha de Silva & Eran Wickramaratne (also members of the party’s Economic Centre) was historic for an Opposition party and reflected a proactive stance on their part. more..

Mar 10 (Island) Prez Rajapaksa told SLFP last week that he was sorry about his decision to sack Ministers Udaya Gammanpila and Wimal Weerawansa. But he stressed that he had been compelled to take that decision, according to Environment Minister cum SLFP senior Mahinda Amaraweera. Minister Amaraweera said that an All Party Conference would be held under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa on 23 March in response to a request made by the SLFP. more..

Mar 10 (CT) Counsel appearing for former SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake who was sentenced to four-year rigorous imprisonment over Contempt of Court charges told the Supreme Court yesterday (9), that Ramanayake is willing to unconditionally apologise to Court. This was said during the proceedings of the second case filed against Ramanayake for Contempt of Court, which was taken up before an SC Bench comprising CJ Jayantha Jayasuriya and Justices S. Thurairaja & Yasantha Kodagoda. more..

Mar 10 (AD) New York-based gas-to-power developer New Fortress Energy says it will continue with the plans for the Sri Lanka LNG project after the country’s court discharged the opposing development. New Fortress Energy Inc. today issued a statement following a favorable ruling on Friday (4) by the Supreme Court of SL. Having considered the merits of all the fundamental rights petitions filed seeking to halt NFE’s more..

Mar 10 (FT) SL has managed the health and safety aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic in a commendable way. The nation has been and continues to be swift in safeguarding the health of its population, including vaccinating its citizens. However, the devastating economic impacts of the pandemic are far from over. Across South Asian countries, global and local supply disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have created colossal macroeconomic challenges. more..

Mar 10 (FT) For the first time in the history of the UNHRC and in all probability the history of the United Nations system, and for the first time in the long history of the Roman Catholic Church, a Cardinal addressed the UNHRC. It was also the first time in SL history that a top religious leader addressed a UN body and made a moral-ethical denunciation of the incumbent govt. Those who make justice unattainable nationally, render inevitable the call for justice internationally. more..

Mar 10 (TM) Several complaints have been received from tourists who visit the Great World’s End Drop located within the Horton Plains National Park in the Nuwara Eliya District over exorbitant prices charged for food, drink, and the visit permit. It was learned that the canteen operated by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) sells items at a high price. According to the complaints, a bottle of drink sells at a price of Rs. 100-200 while a small-sized banana sells at a price of Rs. 75. more..

Mar 10 (Hindu) Indian Coast Guard has detained a SL fishing boat with five fishermen for allegedly fishing in the Indian waters. Sources said the Indian Coast Guard Ship Vajra, during its routine patrol off the coast of Kanniyakumari, spotted the SL mechanised boat, illegally fishing on the Indian territorial waters in the early hours of Wednesday. After intercepting the boat, the vessel with five fishermen was detained. They were identified as J.P.S. Pigeru and D.G.S. Fernando, more..

Mar 10 (AD) Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the ultra-low-cost national airline of the UAE, has launched an exciting new route from Abu Dhabi to Mattala, SL. The new destination provides affordable, hassle-free travel for tourists and residents in both the UAE and SL with unique travel opportunities and a convenient WIZZ flight schedule on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tickets are already on sale on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app with fares more..

Mar 10 (EN) Stocks soared over 6% on Thursday after the central bank allowed the local currency to float from a pegged 200 rupees, market data showed. On Thursday, rupee opened at 240/260 in the interbank market and went up as much as 275/285 before easing. In the curb market dollar was at 249 rupees before the float of the rupee which was kept at 200 to the US dollar and was hit by sterilized intervention and a subsidy given to foreign remittances. ASPI, gained 692.35 points more..

Mar 10 (AD) Lohan Ratwatte has been sworn in as the State Minister of Warehouse Facilities, Container Yards, Port Supply Facilities and Boats & Shipping Industry Development. He was sworn in before Prez Rajapaksa at the Prez Secretariat this morning. Secretary to the Prez Gamini Senarath was also present. Ratwatte currently serves as the State Minister of Gem & Jewellery Related Industries while he had previously served as the State Minister of Prison Management & Prisoners’ more..

Mar 10 (EN) Sri Lanka is once again facing a gas shortage as yet another consequence of the foreign exchange crisis in the country, leading canteen and restaurant chains to withdraw from businesses until new supplies come. Due to the ongoing forex crisis, all sectors in the economy, mainly import businesses have been badly affected. Despite finally floating the dollar, SL is continuing to see shortages in all types of fuel while more..

Mar 10 (TM) Further to the protest staged last week by the SJB women’s wing SVB National Organiser Hirunika Premachandra, Premachandra appeared on a facebook live video today claiming that she and her family are being followed by masked men in motorcycles and family phones have been tapped. Premachandra alleged earlier that informed sources have alerted her that there are plans to arrest those who organised the protest in front of Prez Rajapaksa’s residence in Mirihana more..

Mar 10 (DM) The recently proposed Personal Data Protection Bill must only be passed following a broad social discourse on the subject and it should not be passed in haste at this juncture, National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) said. NMSJ called on the Govt and all lawmakers in Parliament to refrain from passing this Personal Data Protection Bill until its serious concerns are addressed. The draft Bill was presented to Parliament only in January & it is expected to introduce new more..

Mar 10 (EN) SL’s prevailing foreign exchange shortage has adversely affected the issuance of driver’s licenses, with the authorities unable to import plastic cards to print licenses on. Commissioner General of Motor Traffic Sumith Alahakoon said that the cards are imported from Austria and that, dude to the ongoing forex shortages, it is difficult to open the required letters of credit (LCs). He said the government has temporarily extended the validity period of more..

Mar 10 (Island) Minister Namal Rajapaksa told Parliament yesterday that the provisions of the Personal Data Protection Bill were of paramount importance for the country’s digitisation programmes. Participating in the second reading stage debate on the Personal Data Protection Bill, the Minister said that the new Bill intended to provide for the Regulation of processing of personal data; to identify and strengthen the rights of data subjects in relation to the protection of more..

Mar 10 (DM) As the opposition alleged that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa has not made any statement in Parliament since Dec 10 last year on the status of SL’s economy, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene said he has no right to force any Minister to make a statement in the House while there is provisions for taking disciplinary action against an MP if he/she fails to attend sessions for three months. more..

Mar 10 (EN) SL needs further rate hike to contain monetary expansion and put the brakes on inflation but a rate hike is will also help support the rupee, W A Wijewardena, former Deputy Governor of the central bank said. An overall plan covering interest rates, exchange rates, and the budget was needed. “We have to raise rates to contain the rising inflation in the country,” he said. “But it has a positive effect on the exchange rate. One reason very high demand for imports is the money available. more..

Mar 10 (TM) Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association (CMA) has strongly objected to Minister Basil Rajapaksa instructing the heads of local govt (LG) bodies to turn off streetlights until 31 March in the face of the current power crisis, claiming it would increase accidents. CMA President Chirantha Amarasinghe said: “Most of the motor accidents in the country are reported after 7 p.m. The high number of accidents during that time is mainly due to the improper operation of street lighting more..

Mar 10 (EN) India has given effect to the a US$ 500 million credit line using which SL can import oil, as money printed to keep rates low, boosted imports to record levels, triggering forex shortages and made it difficult to import oil. SL can use the credit line to buy oil from India and also third countries, following the approval of the Reserve Bank of India. SL has to buy 75% of the goods from Indian exporters and the balance from any more..

Mar 10 (TM) President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masatsugu Asakawa arrived in Sri Lanka today for an official visit. He was warmly received at the BIA in Katunayake this morning by Tourism Minister, Prasanna Ranatunga and State Minister Tharaka Balasuriaya while state ministers DV Chanaka and Shehan Semasinghe wee also present on the occasion. He is scheduled to meet with Prez Rajapaksa, PM Rajapaksa and Finance Minister Rajapaksa for discussion later today. more..

Mar 10 (CT) In the backdrop of the public facing hours-long daily blackouts owing to the present power crisis, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena requested all MPs and Parliament staff members to save electricity by switching off unnecessary lights. In a special statement at the beginning of yesterday’s Parliamentary Sitting, the Speaker also requested the MPs and the staff not to get upset when there are food shortages and delays in Parliament. “Owing to the prevailing crises more..

Mar 10 (TM) Labour Commissioner General Prabath Chandrakeerthi has informed Ceylon Workers’ Red Flag Union that the Labour Dept will intervene to solve the problems of plantation workers after the court proceedings regarding the Wages Board decision that mandated a Rs. 1,000 minimum daily wage are concluded. Union held a two-day protest in front of the Labour Ministry this week, demanding that the ministry intervene to pressurise the regional plantation companies (RPCs) more..

Mar 10 (TM) Mediation Boards Commission (MBC) of SL, together with the Ministry of Justice, launched a convenient dispute intake system for the public by introducing a dispute intake box at the Divisional Secretariat Level. This expands the Community Mediation Boards’ (CMB) chairpersons’ jurisdiction and makes it easier for the CMBs to receive complaints from the public. The launch event to hand over the first set of boxes was graced by several dignitaries including Minister of more..

Mar 10 (DM) Heated argument erupted in Parliament today when the opposition claimed that the country's economy turned bankrupt and govt has failed to address it. Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said the country's economy was bankrupt and the Finance Minister was begging for Dollars from the countries world over. "We should be ashamed. The Finance Minister is going begging for Dollars. He has sought US$ 300 million more..

Mar 10 (Hindu) The Supreme Court on Wednesday released Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict A.G. Perarivalan on bail, taking into account the fact he has suffered over 30 years of imprisonment, in spite of vehement objections raised by the Centre. A Bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai found Perarivalan was entitled to be released on bail considering his conduct during his long incarceration, including acquisition of educational qualifications, and ill-health. more..

Mar 10 (TM) The main reason for the current economic bankruptcy in the country is the serious financial frauds committed by the leaders of the Govts from 2005 to 2014, claimed former President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Commenting to the media on Tuesday (8), she charged: “The main reason for the economic bankruptcy we are experiencing today is the serious financial frauds committed by the leaders of one Govt, the administration from 2005 to 2014. They stole trillions of public money. more..

Mar 10 (Forbes) Again and again, new solutions for the environment and human society fail if not properly planned and executed. Whether it’s widescale use of renewables, closing coal plants with no plan to replace the generation, or big infrastructure builds, if the rush to emplace is more important than their success, then they will fail. The latest example of this is organic farming. Ted Nordhaus, Executive Director of more..

Mar 10 (AD) Meanwhile the Central Bank of SL has announced its official US Dollar rates for today as follows: Buying Rate - Rs. 249.96; Selling Rate - Rs. 259.99. Several leading private commercial banks have today declared their selling rate for the US Dollar as Rs. 260 and the buying rate as around Rs. 250 per USD, in the wake of the CB’s decision to float the currency. On Monday (7), Central Bank announced that greater flexibility has been allowed in the exchange rate with immediate effect. more..

Mar 10 (AD) SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva today charged that the country and the central bank is bankrupt and urged the govt to, at least now, put aside political differences and come together to save the country from this bankruptcy. Delivering a strong statement in Parliament, he said that regardless whether they are in the opposition or the govt as Sri Lankans they are ashamed to say it out loud, but that there is no denying the fact the country is bankrupt. more..

Mar 11 (DM) He claims to have worked at the National Theatre in Maharagama since he was a child. If one tells him a name of a Sinhala movie he would give the date it was released. He would also name the cast and perhaps a song or two, if it had good songs. Quite clever one may say. However he does not work at the movie theatre anymore. Now in his old age he is a cobbler who hangs around Rajagiriya area, walking down the road shouting mending shoes, mending umbrellas. more..

Mar 11 (CT) It is almost two years since the pandemic broke out, and Sri Lanka was one of its earliest victims. Millions died all over the world and many more suffered and were debilitated. Economic losses had been colossal and continues. Yet, in Sri Lanka, the Muslim community went through a most exceptional and harrowing experience during those two years. It all started when a group of Sinhala-Buddhist ethno-nationalists blamed the Tablighi Jamaat for bringing that virus from India. more..

Mar 11 (DM) Young Tamil poet and teacher Ahnaf Jazeem was controversially arrested on May 16, 2020 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) on the allegations of sowing Islamic extremism through his anthology Navarasam penned in Tamil and of having a connection with lawyer and Human Rights Activist Hejaaz Hizbullah. After being detained for more than 18 months Jazeem was bailed out in December last year. more..

Mar 11 (ST) Finally, Lebanon, which was once called Switzerland in the Middle East, needed someone to bail it out. Along with a foreign exchange crisis, domestic supply shortages and hyper-inflation, it failed to meet its maturing foreign debt obligations; the government had to declare its inability to repay the maturing foreign debt since 2020. And, it was none other than the IMF that is bailing out the collapsing Lebanese economy after trying all other possible ways. more..

Mar 11 (GV) Last week witnessed the coming to the fore of the deep divisions within the governing alliance as Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa sacked two Cabinet Ministers, Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpilla, and laid bare the internal disquiet and dissent within the govt, which had been brewing for a while but downplayed by the media until the political explosion. Concurrently, the 11 other minor political party allies of the govt also parted ways with Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara stating that more..

Mar 11 (FT) Hell hath no fury as two SL ministers ejected unceremoniously from the cabinet by Prez Rajapaksa! Both the sacked ministers wrathfully lay the blame for their ouster on Presidential sibling and Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Wimal Weerawansa and Udaya Gammanpila who held the portfolios of Industries and Energy ministers respectively are now industriously energetic or energetically more..