Mar 9 (AD) The revision application filed by the Attorney General seeking the nullification of the order issued by the Colombo Chief Magistrate pertaining to the release of the IUSF convenor Wasantha Mudalige from charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has been fixed for hearing on 27 March. The decision was announced by the Colombo High Court today, while a summons has also been issued to Mudalige, requiring him to appear in court on the aforementioned date. more..

Mar 9 (FT) Taking centre-stage yet again, ISOBAR Sri Lanka, the digital arm of the premier advertising agency group, Dentsu Communications, was bestowed the highest recognition as the Most Effective Agency of the Year at the Effie Awards Sri Lanka 2022, making Isobar the first SL digital agency to win this title. This towering accolade is presented only to the agency that obtains the highest added points from all awards won and the most finalist entries at the Effie’s, and more..

Mar 9 (CI) Sometimes you need only describe the scene at a cricket ground to know what is about to happen. The skies monochrome and heavy like a wet blanket that is about to be applied to the series at the first opportunity. The pitch so flush with vegetation, woodland creatures have taken residence. The outfield damp, as a cold drizzle descends occasionally on biting winds. And while the local bowlers - all tall and strapping - more..

Mar 9 (WFP) Govt of Japan has contributed an additional US$ 6.6 million to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to provide critical food and nutrition assistance to over one million Sri Lankans. Through this funding, WFP will provide families with food baskets comprising rice, pulses and cooking oil, to meet half their monthly food needs for a period of two months. The donation will also be used to procure maize and soybean for the production of Thriposha, a fortified food product, more..

Mar 9 (CI) Angelo Mathews has taken aim at the Test-match schedule Sri Lanka has been lumped with. His complaint: Sri Lanka will not play enough Tests, particularly this year. This, despite there being an outside chance that SL could play in the World Test Championship final, so long as Australia win or draw their last Test against India, and SL beat New Zealand 2-0, in New Zealand. These remain unlikely outcomes, even though both Australia and SL have had good days with the bat on Thursday. more..

Mar 9 (TM) A protest organised by university teachers and the IUSF in Colombo yesterday opposing the Police’s use of tear gas and water cannons against the the IUSF-organised protest Tuesday (7) near the University of Colombo was also met with tear gas and water cannon attacks by the Police, which had reportedly affected after-school transportation in the vicinity. During the protest – which started near the university premises with the participation of more than 500 more..

Mar 9 (DM) Lawyers for NPP, under RTI have requested the IGP to provide a full report on tear gas and water used to disperse protesters. Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala said they handed over a letter comprising of a questionnaire to obtain details with regards to tear gas and water used to disperse protests and said action would be taken based on the report in the future. He said that they have relaible information that expired tear gas cannisters and contaminated water were being used more..

Mar 9 (Reuters) Sri Lanka aims to announce a debt-restructuring strategy in April and step up talks with commercial creditors ahead of an IMF review of a bailout package in six months, the nation's central bank governor said. The crisis-hit island has secured financing assurances from all its major bilateral creditors, including India and China, and so has set the stage for the IMF to give its final approval for a $2.9 billion, four-year bailout more..

Mar 9 (AD) LG Elections (Amendment) Bill presented by MPs Premnath Dolawatta and Imthiaz Bakeer Markar as Private Members’ Bills along with Ministerial reports were considered by the Legislative Standing Committee in Parliament on 28 Feb. Legislative Standing Committee, which took into discussion the said Bill, was chaired by Ajith Rajapakse, Deputy Speaker of Parliament. Standing Orders 53(4) dictates that “No clause that is not in accordance with the basic desire of more..

Mar 9 (DN) “We are always committed to the liberation of Palestine and also rights of self-determination of Palestinians as a nation and as the govt of Sri Lanka,” Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, PC told Parliament yesterday. “We have always criticised the violations unleashed against Palestinians and we continuously do so,” he added. The Minister said this in reply to the statement made by SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar on the freedom and dignity of the Palestinian people. more..

Mar 9 (DM) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has decided to conduct an investigation into the actions of the police and security forces to control the protests held in Colombo and Kelaniya on March 7 and 8. Commission said investigations will be conducted over the protests held around the Uni of Colombo on March 7 and 8 and the protest held around the Uni of Kelaniya on March 8. Police used tear gas and water cannons more..

Mar 9 (Island) The human-elephant conflict has left 14 humans and 74 pachyderms dead so far this year, according to the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The highest number of elephant deaths were reported from Anuradhapura 18, Eastern Region 18 and Polonnaruwa 15. Sri Lanka is said to have the highest density of elephants in the world. Conflict between humans and elephants is an ongoing problem leading to the deaths of 145 people and 433 elephants, last year alone. more..

Mar 9 (DM) The Italian govt will accept applications for jobs offered to non-European countries from March 27, 2023, SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said. SLBFE said that the SL Embassy in Italy has officially informed the SLBFE of this and jobs will be offered under the three categories of seasonal workers, non-seasonal workers, and self-employed workers. The SLBFE further said that suitable candidates can apply for jobs that include truck drivers, electricians, machine operators, more..

Mar 9 (FT) Life is getting harder and harder in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s economy is experiencing unprecedented stagflation, caught in a vice of multiple economic crises impacting businesses, jobs, and income as thousands of workers and their families who struggle to meet ends meet with the economic downturn. In the midst of the crisis, Nayomi Amarasiri, a 21 year-old first Sri Lankan female seafarer, landed a good job with the world famous Carnival Cruise Line in October 2022. more..

Mar 9 (AD) The newly-appointed Postmaster General Ruwan Sarath Kumara says that the postal voting ballot papers can be distributed within the stipulated time period, if they are received on the due date. Speaking to media after assuming duties as the new Postmaster General, Mr. Sarath Kumara pointed out that the Dept of Posts was already prepared for holding the postal voting in the 2023 Local Govt (LG) polls, mentioning that the voting can be done within the scheduled time period. more..

Mar 9 (CT) The Dept of Immigration and Emigration has designed three types of visas for the Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone, namely, employment, investor, and residence visas but the issuance of visas has not yet been authorised. The visa fee, meanwhile, has already been decided to be USD 200,000 per year for multiple entries, which will range from five to ten years. However, this fee will depend on more..

Mar 9 (EN) Sri Lanka’s shares edged up at close to a three-month high on Thursday as the market continued to run on positive macroeconomics over the IMF’s extended loan facility, dealers said. “The market was volatile during the first half of the day, and shares were down due to profit-taking,” an analyst said. “The financial indexes are taking a breather because of profit-taking, which was seen as the financial sector was running on the International Monetary Fund assurances.” more..

Mar 9 (AD) MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara has stated that he is ready to bring forth an impeachment motion against Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, if the need for such arises. MP claimed that the IMF has now become an enemy of the public in SL, after having destroyed the livelihoods of nearly 3.5 million families. Speaking in relation to the recent decisions made by the government in order to fulfill the IMF conditions for the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) that SL currently awaits, Nanayakkara ridiculed more..

Mar 9 (EN) High-income earning public servants in higher education, medical, banking, ports and other sectors has threatened to intensify ongoing trade union action against Sri Lanka’s IMF-backed progressive tax regime, warning of a total shutdown if the matter is not resolved by March 15. Media spokesman of the FUTA Charudaththa Illangasinghe said that a decisive moment has come in their campaign. more..

Mar 9 (CT) Only three individuals have obtained Golden Paradise Visas so far. Meanwhile, Dept of Immigration and Emigration is seeking to attract more investors and visitors to SL by offering this visa and the deposit has been revised to make it more attractive to potential applicants. The Golden Paradise Visa scheme was launched in 2021. Dept is offering a Golden Paradise Visa for individuals who are interested in obtaining 10-year multiple entry visas for both business and residence. more..

Mar 9 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning tourism promotional campaigns in nine key target markets to boost arrivals officials said as the country targets 1.55 million visitors in 2023. “There is a big plan for this year, but we are not going for a global campaign,” Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairperson of SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), said. “Instead, we will focus on nine key markets, including India, Russia, UK, Germany, France, and China, so we don’t spend all our money all over the world,” more..

Mar 10 (DM) These are days when we come across less affluent individuals demanding money from others who are walking on the road. Sometimes walking on the roads at present becomes annoying because a good number of the beggars that approach us are well-dressed. But they have sorry stories to relate; some of them good enough that we feel like giving a little more than what we would give a man in rags. But the question is whether these individuals are genuine and experiencing more..

Mar 10 (CT) A Colombo journalist asked; Sir! In recent times your comments about the Maha Sangha has created a negative situation among the Sinhalese. Is it wise to criticise the Maha Sangha? My response is; I do not think my comments have created a negative situation. In fact, it has created a positive ambience. Lots of Sinhalese Buddhists themselves are now questioning the appropriateness of the pertinacious participation of Buddhist Priests in partisan politics. more..

Mar 10 (DM) We had an interview with Athula Senaratne, Senior Professor of the Geological Dept, Uni of Peradeniya on the effects SL could experience in the event the predicted earthquake-expected to read 8 magnitudes in the Richter Scale- in North India’s Himalayan region does happen. There are warnings that this natural catastrophe is expected within the first two weeks of March. Q: If North India experiences an 8 magnitude more..

Mar 10 (DM) Do we have time to talk to people? Above all, do we have time to listen to others? Yes – for productive time, seminars, lectures, professionals with loads of experience packaging their knowledge and selling it. I remember overhearing an advertising agency executive at a café, telling his friends over lunch how he managed to talk to one of the big names in the field for a few minutes. “Worth more than two or three lakhs,” he exulted, and that was at the 1990s currency rate for a few minutes of more..

Mar 10 (ST) The above may not be the best headline for a column on pensions for govt workers. It is generally believed and understood that new workers to the state sector receive pensions. This is not the case since up to January 2016, pensions were paid to state workers and thereafter they were stopped and a contributory scheme similar to the EPF for private sector employees was announced but not implemented. This week, govt resurrected this scheme & announced its implementation more..

Mar 10 (CT) They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Sadly, that cannot be said for 18% of eateries in this country which prepare food that is unfit for human consumption. And thereby have been classified under the ‘C,’ grade by Public Health Inspectors (PHIs). The Act prohibits manufacturing, importing, selling or distributing food unfit for human consumption. In addition, it prohibits labelling, packaging more..

Mar 10 (TM) Although tax hikes have emerged as a pressing challenge for many, especially key professionals such as doctors and high-ranking public officials, the fact that tax hikes are an integral part of the much-needed economic revival is undeniable. As a country that lost a considerable share of its tax revenue in 2019 due to tax cuts that were implemented during the tenure of erstwhile Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and then-PM and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, more..

Mar 10 (CT) The series of ongoing protests is a clear depiction of the frustration amongst the public over the current and recent state of affairs. There are certain sensitive factors that have to however, be taken into consideration by all parties, including the Security Forces, during protests, especially those involving children. Children in SL have had it the toughest over the past years and it is vital to consider their wellbeing as the ultimate purpose of protests & any action is to make this country more..

Mar 10 (ST) The Sri Lanka govt is to expeditiously explore the export potential of gems and jewelry by consolidating the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute and National Gem and Jewellery Authority which are not performing up to expectations at present, Finance Ministry sources confirmed. The aim is to provide services with better quality and efficiency to the gem-related craftsmen to increase export revenue, State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said. more..

Mar 10 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism will host the first-ever MICE Expo next week to position the country as a year-round business destination. The 3-day event is scheduled to be held from 13 to 15 March at Shangri-La, Colombo and aims to draw around 150 participants from identified key markets from India, China, Russia, Australia, Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, Bangladesh & Pakistan. It will see operators and stakeholders from across the world participating, positioning SL as an ideal more..

Mar 10 (FT) The gold price has come down further this week, as a result of the rupee’s appreciation against the dollar, the Jewellery traders in Sea Street Colombo said. As per the traders, a 24-karat gold sovereign which was at Rs. 185,000 last week has reduced by Rs. 40,000 whilst a 22-karat sovereign which was at Rs. 172,000 last week has come down by Rs. 38,000. “Currently 24-karat sovereign is now at Rs. 145,000 more..

Mar 10 (Island) LG elections that were scheduled to be held on the 9th March will not be held and the alternative date proposed is 25 April. Since the delay in holding the elections is due to what the govt claims to be a shortage of money, whether the election will be held even on this date is uncertain. Be that as it may, to equate the postponement of the LG elections with the end of democracy in SL, is clearly an exaggeration. This is not the first time that a LG election has been postponed and more..

Mar 10 (Island) Sri Lanka is now like Singapore thanks to its current leaders; it, too, has become a police state! The long arm of the law is so ubiquitous that one wonders if armed cops have multiplied like cockroaches during the past several months. CID is busy doing political work, and so are the state intelligence outfits. The Rajapaksa-Wickremesinghe regime is all out to suppress democratic dissent and unflinchingly deploys the police and the military to crush protests. more..

Mar 10 (DN) It was a tough day for SL batters but our players did really well to build up innings said SL most experienced Test player Angelo Matthews after Test match day one in Christchurch yesterday. The ball was seaming quite a lot obviously in overcast conditions and it swung quite a bit. Our players did really well and they left out good balls and punished the bad ones. I think great performance by SL batters to reach 300 run mark said Mathews who himself reached milestone of 7000 Test runs more..