State Astrologers’ Committee refutes allegations of faulty auspicious times for New Year
Mar 19 (DM) Refuting allegations of faulty auspicious times during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, the State Astrologers’ Committee justified the designation of auspicious times for performing Sinhala New Year rituals at night, claiming that they wanted the most suitable time for the rituals despite practical difficulties. Committee member astrologer G.M. Gunapala said that the sun's transit occurs at 9.05 pm on April 13 and that the New Year rituals
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SLPP undecided on resolution to dissolve Parliament
Mar 19 (TM) Following various speculations that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is urged by many parties to dissolve Parliament before the upcoming Presidential Election, the ruling SLPP is yet to decide which Election – Presidential or Parliamentary - should be held first. When contacted, the SLPP General Secretary and Government Parliamentarian, attorney Sagara Kariyawasam noted that it is yet undecided whether the SLPP would furnish a Parliamentary resolution
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David Pieris Automobiles partners with BAIC
Mar 19 (DM) David Pieris Automobiles (Pte) Ltd (DPA) announced its partnership in SL with Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co, Ltd. (BAIC) recently. BAIC is the 6th largest automobile company in China. Founded in 1958 as the Beijing Automotive Manufacturing Factory (BAMF), it has emerged as one of China’s leading and globally recognised automotive conglomerates with a rich history marked by milestones such as the development of iconic vehicles like the Jinggangshan sedan, BJ212, and BJ130.
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හිරු ටීවී පත්තරේ විස්තරේ
Minimum room rate policy killing hotel industry
Mar 19 (Island) Policy inconsistency for SL’s tourism sector pulls the industry into jeopardy and the new laws that impose a minimum room rate on Colombo City hotels, could make Sri Lanka lose the competitive edge among other countries in the region, a top travel and tourism expert Chandana Amaradasa said. The imposing of a minimum room rate on Colombo City hotels is actually killing the industry, resulting in the industry losing the competitive edge among hotels in the region.
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New alliance led by Dayasiri to debut on Wednesday
Mar 19 (FT) A new alliance titled Humane Peoples’ Alliance under the leadership of former SLFP General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara will debut on Wednesday. “We hope to give new life to politics,” Jayasekara said addressing the media yesterday. According to him, it is evident that a program based on humanity is the need of the hour to revive the country. The SLFP MP affirmed that the new alliance would align with the SLFP and said that he would readily accept the position of General Secretary
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NCPA slams statutory rape relaxation draft Bill
Mar 19 (TM) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), which raised grave concerns regarding the proposed amendments to the Penal Code governing aspects of statutory rape, informed that it intends to question the same in Parliament this week including the Justice Ministry’s motives in seeking to introduce such changes. In the Justice Ministry’s latest draft Bill, released on 13 March, proposing amendments to Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code;
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G.L. accuses Govt. of disregarding SC orders
Mar 19 (FT) FPC member MP Prof. G.L. Peiris accused the Govt of disregarding orders issued by the Supreme Court and opening the doors to allow the destruction of the rule of law in the country. MP highlighted that the Supreme Court plays a pivotal role in intervening when a Parliamentary act clashes with the fundamental rights of the country’s citizens. Peiris stated that despite the expectation for the Speaker to be impartial, the current Speaker is seen to be implementing a biased agenda.
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Editorial: Grim Reaper in overdrive
Mar 19 (Island) Hardly a day passes, in this country, without several fatal road accidents caused by reckless drivers being reported. The police are all out to eliminate trigger-happy hired guns who snuff out quite a few lives almost on a daily basis, but precious little is being done to rein in the drivers from hell, who destroy about seven or eight lives on the roads daily. Eight private bus workers, including drivers, have been arrested recently for working under the influence of narcotics, in Colombo,
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තිස්සකුට්ටි අනුරගේ බිරිද ඉන්න තැන...
Verbal violence against female MPs
Mar 19 (CT) Although SL loves to sing the same tune and announce to the world how progressive and gender-inclusive its society is – by bragging about how the world’s first female PM came from SL – the ground reality of the country is that those so-called achievements are mere exceptions often overexploited to generalise a positive image of the country. According to data and statistics, SL ranks at 183 in the list of the percentage of women in parliaments, when arranged in descending order.
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Tamil MPs to stage protest in Parliament today
Mar 19 (FT) Tamil MPs representing the North and Eastern provinces will stage a protest in Parliament today in Opposition to the recent arrests during Maha Shivaratri religious observances at the Vedukkunaari Hill Athi Sivan temple in Vavuniya. Eight Tamil worshippers including temple official T. Tamilselvan were arrested on 8 March by the Police. Member of Parliament Selvarajah Kajendren was also present at the event. The following persons, aged between 24 and 45, were among those arrested:
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Strike over reward fund takeover: Customs seeks urgent Finance Ministry resolution
Mar 19 (TM) In the wake of around 1,000 containers being blocked at the Customs due to the ongoing strike of Customs officials, SL Customs Department said that the Ministry of Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies should take decisions in this regard as soon as possible, as this could adversely affect the country’s economy. On 17 March, Customs unions launched a token strike, which reportedly blocked around 1,000 containers.
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Don’t cry for me Sri Lanka, if wrong people are elected
Mar 19 (DM) Elections have been the main focus among frontline political parties these days with the Prez election scheduled for this year. According to SL Constitution the poll for the election of the Prez shall be taken not less than one month and not more than two months before the expiration of the term of office of the Prez in office. Since the incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe is holding office only for the unexpired period of the term of office of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa,
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Ceylon Institute of Builders welcomes President’s decisions to resolve construction industry crisis
Mar 19 (FT) Ceylon Institute of Builders (CIOB) in a statement yesterday extended its heartfelt gratitude to Prez Wickremesinghe for favourably considering one of its Budget proposals to appoint an expert committee to resolve construction issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis. In a significant move to address the challenges faced by the construction industry, the Prez’s decision to prioritise the establishment of an expert committee
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Sri Lanka sees surge in air connectivity
Mar 19 (FT) The number of airlines operating flights to SL has steadily increased over the years post-pandemic, indicating a significant interest in the country as a tourist destination. “By the start of the second quarter of 2024, the number of airlines operating flights to SL will exceed 40, mirroring the pre-pandemic figures, signalling ongoing interest in the country as a travel hotspot,” AASL Ltd, Marketing & Corporate Communications Head Dr. Sumith de Silva said.
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Unilever and IDB partner to uplift local industry with financial assistance
Mar 19 (FT) Unilever SL and the Industrial Development Board (IDB) signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to uplift SMEs in SL. This is a public private partnership between Unilever and the IDB to jointly support the growth and development of 20 Micro Small & Medium Scale entrepreneurs in SL every year through the Industrial Development Fund (IDF). The IDF, under the supervision of the Industrial Development Board, and conforming to guidelines of the Central Bank of SL
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South Korean Kiuda to launch carbon exchange in partnership with Lankan tech startup Xeptagon
Mar 19 (FT) Kiuda Digital Holdings, backed by direct international investments, will be launching its state-of-the-art carbon exchange – KiudaEXin the near future. The locally developed carbon exchange will primarily target the growing demand for carbon offset credits in South Korea, Japan, and other regions of Asia. With a multi-million dollar valuation, the Kiuda Carbon Trading eco-system is backed by direct investments and endorsements from well-known and leading South Korean securities,
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පත්තිනි අම්මටත් පොල්ලක්...!
ASPI among top ten global indices in 2024
Mar 19 (TM) All Share Price Index (ASPI) of Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) is ranked among the top 10 best-performing primary equity indices so far in 2024 with a positive price return of 12.96% in US dollar terms. SL’s main index was ranked 7 among the best-performing primary equity indices as of Monday (18), surpassing Japanese and London stock market indices. Kenya and Kazakhstan are the best-performing stock markets globally so far in 2024 with a positive dollar price return of 28.9% and 20.11% respectively.
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Voluntary sea guards to stop Indian poachers
Mar 19 (ST) The Fisheries Ministry has presented a Cabinet Memorandum seeking to establish a civilian voluntary force called sea guards to monitor Indian fishermen’s frequent illegal bottom trawling in SL’s northern territorial waters. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said that the Ministry submitted the memorandum for Cabinet approval as a move to deter Indian fishermen from entering the country’s waters for bottom trawling and destroying the nets of Northern fishermen.
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Halt mushrooming medical faculties
Mar 19 (ST) Mushrooming medical faculties sans a needs-analysis based on SL’s requirement of doctors as well as the available facilities to train hundreds of students to ensure patient safety are causing serious concern among health experts and the public. Currently, SL has 12 state medical faculties; one military medical faculty at the Kotelawala Defence Uni (KDU) with a fee-paying civilian student intake included; and about three private medical faculties,
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Rules-based tax system to strengthen anti-corruption efforts
Mar 19 (ST) The govt is now in the process of devising a rules-based tax system based on principles making it simple fair and efficient with the inclusion of safeguards in all major tax laws to strengthen anti-corruption efforts. The aim is to amend all tax statutes and modernise such regulations by introducing new provisions reflecting international good practice to better ensure the effective and efficient operation of the tax administration, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.
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FFSL proposes massive salary hike for employees
Mar 19 (ST) Following an Emergency Executive Committee meeting of the Football Federation of SL (FFSL) last week, which was meant to discuss and approve matters related to the forthcoming FIFA Series 2024, the football hierarchy is attempting another out of norm move the Sunday Times learns. With many matters pending related to the FFSL elected administrators, the top management has drafted a document proposing salary increments to its permanent staff members.
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Basil Rajapaksa
The India factor in Sri Lanka’s renewable energy sector
Mar 19 (Island) On March 1, SL Sustainable Energy Authority, the Govt of SL, and U-Solar Clean Energy Solutions from India signed an agreement for the construction of hybrid renewable energy systems on Nainativu, Delft (Neduntheevu), and Analaitivu islands situated in the Palk Bay. The three facilities which will have a combined renewable energy capacity of 2,230 kilowatts will be funded by a $11 million grant from the Indian govt. A statement issued by the Indian HC in Colombo
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‘Artists are overlooked as researchers’
Mar 19 (TM) Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art SL (MMCA SL) is transforming the way we enjoy, appreciate, or engage with art. Currently located at Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3, with plans to move to a permanent location next year, MMCA SL presents modern and contemporary art in all its forms, styles, and mediums in a way that is accessible to all. In order to understand the museum’s role and its importance, The Daily Morning reached out to MMCA Sri Lanka Chief Curator Sharmini Pereira,
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'Sri Lanka will crash again'
Mar 19 (TM) With an annual budget deficit of around $ 10 billion and seemingly unable to either service the debt or cut the deficit, SL will certainly crash again, warned biodiversity scientist and public policy advocate Rohan Pethiyagoda. “So long as you spend more than you earn, you have to crash at some point. People point to Greece, but Greece was saved because it is in the European Union (EU). Argentina is a much better point of comparison.
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Comeback rally for UNP hero Ranil after walk on burning rope bridge
Mar 19 (ST) Last Sunday the nation’s lone political elephant made a grand appearance to a roaring welcome at a massive comeback rally held in Kuliyapitiya, after four long years in the wilderness, loitering on the outskirts of oblivion. As it emerged from the forest fringes, it would have found the landscape vastly different, territorial sweep it once commanded, usurped by a kindred herd who’d gone rogue. But in its gallant comeback stride, it held trunk high and trumpeted its resolve to reclaim lost ground.
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Building confidence in SL governance
Mar 19 (TM) Today, embattled Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will face an unprecedented challenge in SL parliamentary history. The opposition, following the Govt’s railroading of the controversial Online Safety Bill–OSB–decided to table a no confidence motion (NCM) against the speaker for his alleged role in it, in a first of its kind in SL. SL’s version of democracy and parliamentary structure has seen multiple prime ministers, nearly a dozen govt ministers,
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Rape Bill eliminates concept of consent
Mar 19 (CT) The proposed amendment to Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code, Chapter 19, issued on 13 Feb, is facing significant criticism, particularly from the female population of SL, who make up over half of the country’s total population. Many argue that the Bill appears to manipulate the perception of women compared to men. On one hand, it eliminates the concept of consent in cases of rape, yet it also suggests that if consent is provided, punishment is less severe.
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V. V. Ganeshananthan: Powerful stories from a civil war
Mar 19 (GV) V. V. Ganeshananthan, also known as Sugi, is the author of the novels Brotherless Night and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. She teaches at the Uni of Minnesota, where she is an associate professor of English. Born in Connecticut, Sugi grew up in Maryland, where her family had moved for her father’s work. A voracious reader and writer, she remembers hearing her parents, relatives and family friends
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Ranil’s distortion of facts about the Sri Lankan political scenario In 1977
Mar 19 (CT) The reason for this article is to correct a statement recently made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe while addressing a political campaign meeting of the United National Party held in Kuliyapitiya. (See: 77 රොනී–විජේවීර ඩීල් එක ජනපති හෙළි කරයි – President reveals the 1977 Ronnie-Wijeweera Deal, and a Tik Tok post published on social media under @abeetha0325 with the heading: “ශ්රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂයේ මලගම” කිය කියා රැස්වීම් තියාගෙන, ජේ ආර් ව දිනවන්න,
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නුගේගොඩ සමීක්ෂණයෙන් අනුර එක...
BASL concerned over vacancies in Superior Courts
Mar 18 (CT) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has voiced its profound concern regarding the escalating number of vacancies in the Superior Courts, reaching a critical juncture that severely impairs the functionality and integrity of the country’s justice system. In a statement, BASL pointed out that the recent retirement of a Supreme Court judge has exacerbated the situation, adding another vacancy to the already strained Supreme Court. This occurs amidst an ongoing standoff between
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Speaker to reveal inside details of Aragalaya on Wednesday
Mar 18 (DM) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena who is going to face a no confidence motion on Wednesday is to reveal inside details on Aragalaya including how he was pressed by some politicians to take over the presidency in violation of the constitution. Speaker's Media Secretary Indunil Yapa Abeywardena said that he will reveal these facts and some other recent happenings in a special statement in Parliament after the vote is taken up on the no faith motion against him.
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