Jan 3 (DM) Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today advised prison officials not to treat remanded suspects like animals, stressing that they should not be chained together while being brought to open court. He reminded officials that individuals in remand custody are also human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity. The Additional Magistrate made these remarks after observing a group of suspects brought into the courtroom shackled in chains. more..

Jan 3 (NW) There was no threat to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s life, even during the war, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said, alleging that the LTTE had a special connection to the former President. “No attempts were made to assassinate or bomb him even during the war. Did he wage the war alone? Did we not fight in the war?” Fonseka questioned. “In 2005, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s manifesto condemned war and stressed achieving peace through talks with Prabhakaran. The LTTE harboured no anger toward Mahinda. more..

Jan 3 (CT) The health sector is set to receive its highest-ever allocation of funds under this year’s Budget proposal, according to Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. The Minister made this statement, yesterday (2), at the opening ceremony of the Bone Marrow and Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Unit at the Apeksha Cancer Hospital in Maharagama. He further noted that the Ministry of Health is provided with funds as requested, and emphasised that this Budget would allocate more..

Jan 3 (DM) SL’s star athlete and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games Silver Medallist, Susanthika Jayasinghe, has decided to settle in Melbourne, Australia, with her two children. She left SL about two months ago and has shared with friends that she is uncertain about returning to the country. Her migration to Australia is aimed at prioritizing the education and future of her children. Susanthika’s contemporary athlete, Asian medallist and Olympian Damayanthi Darsha, more..

Jan 3 (NW) Taxpayers in Sri Lanka would need to contribute an additional Rs. 136,000 in taxes compared to 2020, with the gov’s recent tax measures, UNF leader Patali Champika Ranawaka said. Ranawaka criticised the govt’s tax policy as excessive and potentially harmful to the country’s economic recovery. “In 2025, the govt aims to achieve a revenue target of approximately Rs. 4,300 to 4,400 billion. Compared to the tax revenue of Rs. 1,300 billion during Got more..

Jan 3 (AD) Ministry of Labor has introduced a new WhatsApp number, 070 7227877, to speed up the responses by the Ministry of Labour and the Labour Dept to the issues faced by State and private sector employees. This initiative aims to streamline services and enable the public to submit their requests easily, while enhancing the efficiency and to facilitate public communication. Ministry expects both the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Labour to provide prompt relief and more..

Jan 3 (TM) Govt has taken steps to open tenders for the import of 30,000 metric tonnes (MT) of salt from today. The import of salt will take place under two phases, where 20,000 MT of salt will be imported under the first phase and 10,000 MT of salt will be imported to the island under its second phase. Accordingly, the tenders will be opened for the import of 20,000 MT of salt from today. Meanwhile, it was reported that the imported salt will be distributed under the supervision of more..

Jan 3 (Island) The Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has been awarded the prestigious title of Bank of the Year Sri Lanka 2024 by The Banker magazine, a leading publication from the Financial Times Group in the UK. Notably, BOC also received this coveted award in 2021 and 2023, highlighting its continued excellence. Moreover, BOC has achieved the remarkable distinction of being the only SL bank listed in Top 1000 World Banks 2024. This recognition is based on a rigorous evaluation process more..

Jan 3 (DM) The untimely death of Jivon Zoro Singh (15), a student of Colombo International School (CIS) who fell to his death from the Altair luxury apartment complex sparked much controversy over the past few months. However, Jivon’s mother has been fighting to serve justice to her son while alleging that it was gross negligence and lack of duty in the part of the school that led to this tragedy. Even though she had written several letters to the school and its higher officials more..

Jan 3 (NW) Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), with financial support from the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Dewalaya, has completed the establishment of the first Paediatric Blood & Marrow Transplant Unit for children with cancer in a govt hospital. The facility, constructed at a cost of Rs. 176 million, was inaugurated today at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama. The ceremony was attended by Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Deputy Minister of Defence Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd), more..

Jan 3 (EN) Foreigners investors bought more than $100 million worth SL govt securities in last 15 weeks of 2024, though they net sold in the year, Central Bank data showed. Sri Lanka has been maintaining deflationary policies and import curbs amid declining interest rates after the inflation hit record high of over 70% in 2022. “There is an expectation of the Central Bank reducing the policy rates by further 100 basis points. Foreign investors are buying because of this,” more..

Jan 3 (DN) The 3-match T20 series against NZ ended with a 2-1 win for the hosts. SL played well but couldn’t win the first two matches. The final victory boosted morale before the ODI series, said SL’s skipper Charith Asalanka, who performed well all-round in Nelson yesterday. “This win helps regain our confidence. Adapting to conditions is key to success here,” said Asalanka. “I bowled in home conditions but haven’t bowled much here. Since we were short of one bowler, I decided to bowl myself,” more..

Jan 3 (FT) The Trade Ministry recently convened a meeting with representatives from the Local Tyre Manufacturers’ Association to explore strategies for boosting the domestic tyre industry. Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe in a post via Facebook noted that the discussions centred on reducing the country’s reliance on imported tyres, a move seen as crucial for conserving foreign exchange reserves amidst economic challenges. Association raised concerns about the high volume of tyre imports, more..

Jan 3 (ST) It is a long journey from the house near the signal post at Thambuththegama Railway Station in A'pura to the Prez’s House at Janadhipathi Mawatha, in the heart of Colombo. In the lead-up to the presidential election, at one particular interview, then-prez candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake related how his humble home next to the railway line at Thambuththegama had no designated address but would receive letters addressed to the house near the signal post more..

Jan 3 (TM) Govt, while preparing to purchase the paddy harvest from the Maha cultivation season to address the prevailing rice shortage, is taking steps to renovate approximately 150 small-scale rice mills operated under Dept of Cooperative Development. This initiative aims to enhance the contribution of domestic farmers to the country’s rice supply. Deputy Minister Upali Samarasinghe stated that the rice produced in these mills would be distributed through co-op societies and Co-op City shops. more..

Jan 3 (DM) The Chamber of Construction Industry of Sri Lanka (CCISL) has urged the govt to implement a series of 17 priority policy measures aimed at revitalising the construction industry. Key proposals include conducting mandatory feasibility studies for large-scale projects, establishing a development bank, enacting a long-overdue public procurement law, and boosting construction service exports to place the industry on a sustainable growth path. more..

Jan 3 (CI) In the end, Sri Lanka did enough. That's not something you'd expect to say about a team that had racked up 218 runs in their first innings, but it speaks towards just how well New Zealand had set about their chase for most of the innings. It was a victory set up largely by Kusal Perera's maiden T20I ton, the fastest ever by a Sri Lankan, coming off just 44 deliveries. For about 15 overs of the chase New Zealand were keeping up with the nearly 11-an-over required rate, more..

Jan 3 (FT) In a significant stride toward redefining modern living spaces, Home Lands Skyline Ltd, has announced the successful acquisition of 5A 0R 24.50P of premier land located in Negombo. With a total investment of $ 40 million, this ambitious development aims to redefine luxury living by blending modern architecture with nature’s beauty, offering residents a truly unparalleled lifestyle. The project will feature 224 modern apartments and 40 luxury villas, more..

Jan 3 (ST) Western Provincial Council (WPC) Education Ministry has withdrawn a circular that bans teachers from tutoring students from their own schools despite several other Provincial Education Ministries having adopted similar directives this year. The measures are in effect in the Southern, Central, North-Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces. But the WPC withdrew its circular. An official from Western Province Governor’s Office explained that the provincial directives were all based on more..

Jan 3 (Island) Cassandra feels that T S Eliot has translated her thoughts to words and written them down, her thought being the writing of her column – Cassandra Cry. Her column language changed after the presidential election – tentatively – and in confirmed manner after the dust of the general election settled down with a Cabinet of Ministers and other officials sworn in to guide Sri Lanka in the next five years; critically in the first year 2025. If you, reader, did not discern a change in the words more..

Jan 3 (Island) A Washington Post report that in Jan 2024, India’s premier intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), began discreet discussions with some Maldivian Opposition politicians to explore the possibility of impeaching Prez Mohamed Muizzu has created quite a stir in diplomatic and political circles. Citing a document titled Democratic Renewal Initiative, The Washington Post has claimed that the Maldivian Opposition wanted to bribe 40 MPs including more..

Jan 3 (FT) The multi-billion rupee local food and beverage (F&B) industry has expressed serious concern over Govt’s new food labelling, advertising, and nutritional standards regulations which came into effect on 1 Jan. These regulations, aimed at enhancing consumer protection and food safety, have sparked a huge debate among industry stakeholders, with concerns ranging from unclear implementation guidelines to the financial and logistical burden on businesses, more..

Jan 3 (TM) SL’s Board of Investment (BOI) signed 74 projects in 2024, with an estimated investment of $ 608 million, with the second half of the year showing slow growth, the Finance Ministry said. According to a response tabled at parliament by Deputy Minister Harshana Suriyapperuma on 18 Dec, the BOI signed 41 new projects and 33 project extensions between January and December 2024. The estimated total investment in the 74 projects signed in 2024 stands at $ 608 million, more..

Jan 3 (Island) SL’s credit ratings are somewhat positive, according to Fitch and Moody’s, but the general rating of what was achieved during Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s India visit is mixed. Nothing of much significance was achieved in respect of SL’s interests in comparison with what India gained. The outcome of Prez Dissanayake’s visit could be summarised as the signing of two MOUs and the 32 topics that were discussed and incorporated in the Joint Statement between the two leaders. more..

Jan 3 (FT) A Nepali colleague asked why SL turned out differently from Bangladesh (and he was not implying our outcome was worse). This is a considered answer, within the limits of my observations. Like much of history, this account cannot establish definitive causes for observable effects such as the continued adherence to the Constitution and the economic recovery. Given the complexity of the phenomenon, no one person can know all that happened. So, the account is necessarily incomplete. more..

Jan 3 (TM) Yesterday local authorities announced that the official website of the Dept of Govt Printing which was hacked on Tuesday (31 Dec) has now been restored. This, according to SL Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) who are empowered to respond to cyber-security incidents related to State institutions. However, efforts were still underway last evening to regain control of the official YouTube channel of the SL Police Dept which had also been subjected to a cyber attack since Friday (27 Dec). more..

Jan 3 (CT) A special commemoration ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami was conducted at the Dormero Hotel in Hikkaduwa on Thursday, 26 Dec under the patronage of Dagmar Woehrl; a German national who has a special space in her heart for the island nation. The event, hosted by Woehrl, saw attendance of Karu Jayasuriya – former Speaker of the Parliament and a long-term friend who had closely associated her during many successful projects, more..

Jan 3 (CT) In response to the question raised in the parliament on the 18 Dec, by the opposition M.P. Rauff Hakeem regarding alleged govt corruption involving a Covid-19 vaccine deals, Minister of Health Dr Nalinda Jayatissa promised to reveal them soon. Here is a top evidence for the minister and the govt. Speaking at the Special Committee on COVID-19 Prevention meeting under the chairmanship of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa, SPC Chairman Dr. Prasanna Gunasena said more..

Jan 3 (ST) After completing the debt restructuring process, SL can have access to the capital markets again! This is a statement that I heard many times in the recent past, mostly from the financial market sources. In simple terms, what it means is that SL can borrow again! The statement leads us to an important question: Is that what we expect after making such a massive sacrifice as a nation? We can borrow again! Apparently, it was the borrowings without underlying fundamentals that led more..

Jan 3 (TM) Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) in SL have seen a concerning increase in 2024 compared to 2023. This year, a total of 22,967 accidents were reported between 1 Jan and 13 Dec, surpassing the 22,804 incidents recorded in 2023, underlining the urgent need for effective measures to curb road accidents and their devastating impacts. A total of 2,243 people lost their lives and 4,552 sustained serious injuries in RTAs in 2024. Of these incidents, 2,141 were fatal, more..

Jan 3 (DM) The manner in which our new Executive Prez is promoting the goal of rebuilding this country must be lauded. He is so genuine in his attempts to lift this nation from the depths of despair. And if we were to study people and the events associated with them, we have a president who doesn’t live one type of life away from the public eye and another totally different when pursuing his political interests. This makes living the life he has chosen so much challenging for Prez Dissanayake. more..

Jan 3 (DM) All the wishes and greetings for 2025 count for nothing. The New Year tradition stems from a conjecture, as humans have no record to say that time started or the Earth began its journey around the Sun on January 1 some 4.6 billion years ago. Celebrating the dawn of the New Year does not seem rational without solid scientific data. However, the custom of greeting one another, from a functionalist perspective, is meaningful as it promotes connectivity between people. more..