Mar 6 (Island) Several participants at a very popular night-time political chat programme on television recently talked about the history of Sri Lanka after gaining independence. They also chose to lament that the historical events in Sri Lanka are not even taught, let alone mentioned even and discussed in our schools. As a direct result of this, the younger generation is quite unaware of how things had panned out over the last seven and a half decades. Some of the younger members of more..

Mar 6 (TM) A proposal by the Govt to permit Indian fishermen to fish in SL waters has received widespread condemnation from SL’s fishing community as well as from civil society groups. The criticism comes as coastal fishermen, especially in war-torn N&E Provinces, struggle to sustain their livelihoods following the impact of Covid-19, surging fuel costs, and the economic crisis. Govt initially devised the proposal in 2021. more..

Mar 6 (ST) A strengthening currency, falling interest rates and sustainable corporate earnings have helped Sri Lanka’s economy to turn a positive corner, analysts say. The consistent information on the soon-to-be-secured IMF bailout package, has added to the general confidence in the economy, they say. While there is a sharp drop in earnings in corporates due to the deferred tax impact, they have increased prices which are more than covering for their volume drop. more..

Mar 6 (ST) B.D. Shehan, 24, of SL Army in the Open category and his team in the Men’s Team category, came out as winners of the second and final day in the 84th Annual 2-Mile Sea Swim, held in the Mt. Lavinia waters last morning. Shehan clocked 41:33.00 minutes and his team scored 86 points comfortably ahead of second placed St. Joseph’s College, settling with 67 points. It was an identical finish in the Open category, where Josephian Shevon Silva clocked 41:54.00 minutes more..

Mar 6 (SO) University of Vocational Training (UoVT) held its annual convocation on February 24 at the BMICH where 700 students of the Class of 2021 graduated along with 1,000 diploma student’s from its six university colleges. In his keynote speech, the Vice Chancellor of UoVT, Senior Prof. Ranjith De Silva congratulated the new graduates and reminded them of their civic obligations. “It is indeed important to remember the public investment made for your education and it is our responsibility more..

Mar 6 (EN) Sri Lanka would have avoided sovereign default if the reforms initiated by a govt in 2001 was completed, State Minister for Transport Bandula Gunawardana said. Sri Lanka’s cabinet this week gave the go ahead to start a contributory pension fund for new state employees which will make the cost of the public service transparent and avoid unfunded liabilities. The plan was originally proposed in an administration where current Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was PM. more..

Mar 6 (AD) Colombo sees the Adani projects in SL as a govt to govt kind of deal, said Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, as it was the Indian got that had identified the Adani group for infrastructure projects including Northern SL wind power project. Stressing that his govt is very very confident that Adani Ports, Airports & Energy companies have strong fundamentals despite the $140 billion drop in share values after the publication of more..

Mar 6 (CT) Tea smallholders and tea planters in the Kalawana area were the latest beneficiaries of the Commercial Bank’s Dirishakthi Sustainable Entrepreneurship Development Programme, when the Bank conducted a training and knowledge sharing seminar for them in partnership with the Tea Research Institute (TRI) and the Tea Small Holders Development Authority (TSHDA). More than 100 people attended the event at the Rambuka Temple in Kalawana, which began with more..

Mar 6 (Island) Coming to the annual Big Match as underdogs, Ananda needed their inexperienced batting lineup to produce something special to be on par with their arch-rivals. Kithma Sithmal and Kanchana de Livera stood out for them producing just that as their vital knocks in the first innings helped them salvage pride against Nalanda at the annual encounter that ended in a draw at the SSC ground yesterday. In reply to Nalanda’s 280 for 5 wickets declared, Ananda posted 235 runs more..

Mar 6 (TM) PHU Leader Udaya Gammanpila claimed that four dangerous proposals, namely, the sharing of intelligence information with the US, setting up US’s biometric immigration control systems at SL airports, granting access to the submarine telecommunication cable, and the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) have been presented to SL by the mysterious American delegation that secretly arrived more..

Mar 6 (Reuters) Coach Chris Silverwood said SL would be doing their absolute best to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final during their two-match series in NZ to give the people back home something to cheer about. SL, who are third in the WTC rankings behind already qualified Australia and India, will need to beat the reigning test champion Black Caps 2-0 to have a chance of playing in June's final at The Oval. India could take matters out of SL hands with a win in 4th test more..

Mar 6 (AD) Police have arrested two suspects wanted in connection with the shooting and killing of a businessman who was travelling by a vehicle in the Pinwatta area in Panadura. The 57-year-old identified as Sampath Kudagoda, a businessman residing in Kirillawala, was found dead in the driving seat of his Land Cruiser Prado on Feb 28. Following extensive investigations, the shooter suspected to have committed the murder and the rider of the motorcycle in which they had arrived, more..

Mar 6 (CT) CR and FC produced a magnificent performance to beat Navy SC 24-18 in the SLR Nippon Paint Clifford Cup Knock-Out Rugby Tournament final played at the Racecourse Grounds in Colombo yesterday. CR and FC’s success had a huge amount of significance as they won the Clifford Cup after a break of 16 years and in their Centenary season, having last won the title way back in 2006. CR and FC collected their points from one goal, one try and four penalties having led 10-9 more..

Mar 6 (TM) Litro Gas Lanka has decided against increasing prices of domestic liquified petroleum (LPG) considering the SL rupee’s appreciation against the US dollar. Litro Chairman Muditha Peiris stated that although the domestic cylinder price should be increased by a considerable amount according to the pricing formula and LPG prices in the global market, price will not be revised following the revision back in Feb, in order to provide benefit of SL rupee appreciation to Litro consumers. more..

Mar 6 (TM) Stating that Govt of SL is in discussion with Govt of India to accept the Indian currency as a common legal currency for transactions between the two nations, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ali Sabry noted that he hopes it would strengthen and integrate both economies and allow people-to-people contact and more movement. Meanwhile, HC of India in SL organised a discussion on the use of the Indian rupee (INR) for more..

Mar 6 (DN) Two bowlers, left arm seamer Lahiru Samarakoon 4 for 60 and experienced leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga 5 for 44 excelled as Dambulla recorded a 75-run win over Galle to clinch the National Super League Championship in their final game played at Galle International Cricket Stadium yesterday. It was a poor batting display by Galle batters while the number one ICC leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga ended with an impressive match bag of 10 to seal the victory more..

Mar 6 (DN) A team of doctors at Theldeniya hospital has managed to successfully remove a 67-year-old woman’s cancerous tumour through surgery. It is special that this medical team has performed this difficult operation in the amidst the shortage of drugs. It is said this type of cancer should be treated by drugs and radiation therapy. This operation was performed by surgeon Dr. Kosala Somaratne, at the Theldeniya Hospital and his team under difficult circumstances. more..

Mar 6 (EN) Health Ministry plans to expand cancer hospitals in the country and modernize facilities as funding improves in the future, a top official said. Prez has directed the Ministry of Health to establish four new hospitals for cancer patients in the Jaffna, Hambantota, Badulla, and Anuradhapura Districts. “In these hospitals we will be establishing high energy radiation facilities, but we are still in the planning process”, Janaka Sri Chandraguptha, Secretary to the Ministry of Health said. more..

Mar 6 (CT) The world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380-800, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) Katunayake for the third time in the early hours of 5 March 2023. EK 449 of Emirates Airline arrived at BIA at 3.10 a.m. on 5 March while flying from Auckland, New Zealand to Dubai. This passenger plane had also arrived at BIA in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic. This flight had 413 passengers and 29 crew members, and none of them got off the plane. more..

Mar 6 (AD) Sri Lanka has once again expressed the country’s objection to resolution 51/1 adopted against SL by the UNHRC in October last year. During a recent general meeting at the 52nd session of UNHRC, SL’s Permanent Representative to the UN Office in Geneva Himalee Arunathilaka has noted that such resolutions are unhelpful to the people of SL and will fail to serve the objective of promoting reconciliation in SL. more..

Mar 6 (TM) In the wake of SLPP having decided to remove incumbent Opposition MP, Prof. G.L. Peiris from his post as the SLPP Chairman, SLPP-elected and incumbent Opposition MP Dullas Alahapperuma claimed that the SLPP is planning to abolish the parliamentary positions of the group including himself, and assured that they will never betray the programme against the current Govt to protect their positions. He said: “SLPP will remove Prof. Peiris from the Chairmanship, they will also abolish more..

Mar 6 (DM) SL's model Sandani Peiris won the 2nd Runner-up title at the Top Model Of The World event held at the Sunrise White Hills Resort, at Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. Mexico's Mariana Macias was titled the Top Model of the World 2023 at the pageant while Colombia's Leicy Rivas Moreno won the 1st Runner-up title in the event which was held on Friday. This was the 29th edition of the annual event, conducted by the World Beauty Organization (WBO) Danilka German of Dominican Republic, more..

Mar 6 (TM) All main Opposition parties – namely the SJB, NPP, TNA, SLMC, ACMC, TPA, and breakaway factions of the SLPP – jointly wrote to the Election Commission (EC) yesterday, demanding that LG election be held on or before 19 March, fulfilling the undertaking given to Supreme Court (SC) by the EC. The letter sent by the Opposition parties addressed to EC Chairman Nimal Punchihewa and Members of the EC stated: more..

Mar 7 (DM) Inflation seems to be the only major concern for the economic policymakers shaping Sri Lanka. They include the Central Bank, the Finance Ministry, and the IMF. An economic depression is underway in the country with tremendous disruption of livelihoods, mass unemployment, and collapsing businesses. The GDP contracted by a tenth last year and it is likely to contract in similar proportions this year. But all this is of secondary concern to the economic establishment. more..

Mar 7 (CT) Consequences of Sri Lanka’s Bad Borrowings is the bizarrely provocative title of an opinion piece by Mr. Dinesh Weerakkody published in the Daily FT of 3d March. He is undoubtedly an opinion maker and influencer in the current administration. He is the chairman of the Port City Commission and heads the Board of Investment. During the Yahapalanaya years 2015-2019 he authored an honestly adulatory opus – Ranil Wickremesinghe – A Political biography. more..

Mar 7 (TM) In SL, unemployment rate among graduates is a significant concern, and it is essential to understand the factors that affect their employability and identify solutions to address the same. With high rates of unemployment and a surplus of job seekers, SL graduates are facing significant challenges in finding employment opportunities. This is against a backdrop where the freezing of hiring processes and more..

Mar 7 (DM) In spite of the Supreme Court having issued an interim order preventing the Treasury Secretary from withholding funds for the LG elections from the allocations made for the purpose by the budget that was passed in December last year, the uncertainty in holding election still prevails. Election Commission had said on Sunday that elections could be held only in the latter half of April and this might provide the govt ample opportunity to create new issues delaying the elections. more..

Mar 7 (CT) The fact that the Bengal tiger cubs at Dehiwala Zoo celebrated their first birthday is encouraging for the future, but it also serves as a reminder of how far we still have to go to save Sri Lanka’s distinctive and endemic big cats from extinction. The three mini big cats from Robin and Kella, that were sent through an animal exchange programme had a range of scrumptious and exciting enrichment even after Kella passed away, in Sept, after a protracted battle with cancer. more..

Mar 7 (TM) Child sexual abuse materials, also known as child pornography, are a growing global problem. While the use of ICT is significant in the modern world, threats to children are also growing. From the title itself, it is evident that this is a controversial topic. Generally, pornography is a term used to describe material depicting adults engaged in consensual sexual acts and distributed for the purpose of sexual pleasure. more..

Mar 7 (GV) As Sri Lankans continue to protest against postponement of local elections, harsh austerity measures and other injustices, the regime faces added pressure as UN bodies gather in Geneva. The situation in SL is due to be reviewed by civil and political rights experts on March 8 and 9 at a UNHRC session. Meanwhile as the member states of the Human Rights Council meet, although SL is not on the agenda, the plight of its people is touched on in other reports on various int'l concerns. more..

Mar 7 (TM) The Govt’s plans to issue licences to Indian fishermen to enter Sri Lankan waters in a bid to control poaching by Indian fishermen has sparked controversy in the North, even though the move is still in the discussion phase. This week, quoting those opposing this move, foreign media outlets claimed that Northern fishermen see this move as a serious setback to their almost 15-year-long struggle, while Northern politicians too share a similar opinion about the matter. more..

Mar 7 (TM) Multinational garment brands have been questioned about their ethics as they are accused of profiting millions of dollars while the workers producing them in the politically and economically crisis-ridden Sri Lanka struggle for survival. Netherlands-based Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) has chided major international garment brands for not paying the workers in Sri Lanka who make the finished products for them by paying fair wages and offering support in times of crisis. more..

Mar 7 (SO) Colombo Malay Cricket Club (CMCC) will conduct a unique netball tournament rugby Sevens style today (5) to bring the curtains down on its 150th anniversary celebrations which began in March 2022. “This netball tournament is the final sports event in our 150th commemorative year. We have successfully conducted cricket, sepak takraw, hockey and badminton tournaments,” said CMCC president Rizwan Badoordeen at a Press conference held at the Padang on Feb 28. more..

Mar 7 (TM) Biomedical science is the basic science that underpins medicine, making it the foundational knowledge and skills required for healthcare professionals. It is a broad category comprising courses of scientific study related to biology that affects healthcare. The major disciplines of biomedical science include human anatomy and physiology, cell biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, neuroscience, more..

Mar 7 (TM) Tourism is the low-hanging fruit of the SL economy. It has had bipartisan support from both J.R. Jayewardene (JRJ) and Sirima Bandaranaike (Mrs. B). Now even the NPP under Anura Kumara Dissanayake has pledged to support it as said in its meeting with the business community. After all, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva began his career as a hotel employee. However, by trying to form unions of hotel workers in a trade which is already overpaid with service charges, etc., more..

Mar 7 (Island) The Opposition is cock-a-hoop over the Supreme Court (SC) interim order that has restrained the Finance Ministry, etc., from withholding funds allocated for the mini polls from Budget 2023. It would have the public believe that the court order has helped checkmate the government, which will now have to make funds available to the Election Commission (EC) posthaste. It always underestimates the SLPP-UNP axis, which continues to pull off surprises. more..