Feb 22 (ENS) A SL Tamil, who illegally migrated into Tamil Nadu after escaping from criminal charges in SL, was apprehended by the police at Mandapam refugee camp on Tuesday. Following an inquiry, Mandapam law and order police booked the man under the Passport Act on the same day. After receiving a tip-off about a SL Tamil arriving at the Mandapam refugee camp, the Marine police arrived at the spot and nabbed a youngster who was identified as S Sinthujan (22), more..

Feb 22 (EN) SL will dismantle and crush illegally imported vehicle parts seized over time to sell as scrap metal, an official from SL Customs said. �Only parts that are not listed in the Customs Act will be dismantled. Parts such as engines, dashboards and car doors are generally crushed,� Media Spokesperson of SL�s Customs Sudaththa Silva said. Most illegal spare parts that need a license are imported by mixing them with legal spare parts due to restrictions in clearing through customs. more..

Feb 22 (ENS) Opposition political parties, except the JVP-led NPP, have appealed to the int'l community to exert pressure on the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt to conduct the local govt polls, scheduled for 09 March. The following is the text of the letter addressed to heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo. It has been signed by General Secretary, FPA Thilanga Sumathipala, FPC MP Prof. G L Peiris, more..

Feb 22 (FT) Diversified Lankem Ceylon PLC, said yesterday it has posted a remarkable third quarter (Q3) results which resulted in a positive growth trajectory throughout the first nine months of FY23. At a time when Sri Lanka as a country is facing challenging times, the results achieved by Lankem Ceylon demonstrates the Group�s resilience through a challenging business environment to maintain business stability and sustainability, the company said in a statement. more..

Feb 22 (FT) Money printing has become a part of popular jargon in Sri Lanka, particularly since early 2020 following the unprecedented accommodative monetary policy stance of the Central Bank amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With the increase in currency in circulation, money market excess liquidity, and holdings of the govt securities by the Central Bank, attention has been drawn by various stakeholders in the economy to the central bank money printing process. more..

Feb 22 (DM) BOI will sign an agreement with India�s Adani Group to construct a 250 Mega Watt Wind Project in Mannar and a 100 Mega Watt Wind Project in Pooneryn today evening. Sources said that the total investment of the project is US$ 442 million and will be completed in two years. Adani Group, is headed by Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who was recently accused of pulling off the largest con in corporate history through the Indian-based Adani Group Corporation. more..

Feb 22 (FT) Tamil Nadu in South India is geographically the closest Indian state to SL. TN meaning Tamil country has a population of 72,147,030 according to the 2011 Census. The state has spawned many colourful political personalities. Standing out among these figures is actress-politico Jayalalithaa Jayaram who was elected as TN chief minister four times and served in that position for almost 16 years. The alluring actress turned powerful politician reigned over India�s more..

Feb 22 (EN) SL�s agreement with the IMF, negotiated after a severe currency crisis ended in external default, will be presented to parliament for approvals, Prez has said. SL has not in the past presented IMF deals for approval though they have been made public. The parliament will have the option to pass or reject it, he was quoted as telling a forum on taxation. �If the proposal is rejected, the relevant parties should submit alternative proposals to the IMF.� more..

Feb 22 (Island) Cabinet approved the resolution presented by the Minister of Wild Life and Forest Resources Conservation to declare the area of 239.276 hectares where the Narangala mountain range is located as the Narangala Sanctuary and to acquire the lands belonging to the private and Janatha Estate Development Board in that area to the govt and thereafter to declare the entire area as a National Wildlife Reserve. Narangala mountain range, which is more than 1450 meters more..

Feb 22 (DM) Whilst questioning on the investigations carried out on the death of businessman Dinesh Schaffter, SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne today said no foreign investor would come to SL if justice is not meted out to the late businessman�s family. MP who raised the matter in Parliament questioned the conduct of the JMO who conducted investigations. �Initial JMO report said the victim was strangled to death. However the same JMO later said victim has committed suicide. more..

Feb 22 (TM) SL Air Traffic Controllers� Association (SLATCA) has expressed dissatisfaction with the purportedly unfair decision by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva who has instructed the relevant officials to recruit new Air Traffic Controllers subject to a bond of Rs. 10 million and a compulsory service period of 10 years. de Silva said that he had directed and instructed the management of Airport & Aviation Services (SL) more..

Feb 22 (TM) Despite foreign media sources a few days ago claiming otherwise, IMF has neither taken a decision nor is considering providing its Executive Board�s approval for SL�s External Fund Facility (EFF) before receiving financial assurance from China. IMF Asia and Pacific Dept Director Krishna Srinivasan, during a training programme conducted for South Asian journalists in New Delhi, India referring to the aforementioned foreign media reports, stated that he too came across more..

Feb 22 (DM) SL would not get any int'l support such as IMF bailout and GSP+ facility if the govt attempts to postpone the LG elections, NPP MP Vijitha Herath said today. He told Parliament that the European Union has already raised concerns on allowing GSP+ facility to SL. MP said the postponement of LG polls was a serious threat to democracy and people to exercise their franchise. He said the govt postponed the LG polls by one more year previously as the govt deemed the situation more..

Feb 22 (SLC) An over the moon SL A Captain Sadeera Samarawickrama was full of praise for his young new look side that routed the England Lions by 6 wickets in Tuesday�s decisive third and final unofficial ODI to take the series 2-1, �I�m so pleased over the triumph today and the overall series triumph where we as a mainly young side played very positive, competitive cricket in out playing the English. What was remarkable was that several youngsters made the most of the opportunity more..

Feb 22 (AD) Colombo Additional Magistrate Rajindra Jayasuriya has stated that she expects a transparent process to be followed when suitable persons are being selected for the five-member committee due to be appointed to compile a report on the death of famed businessman Dinesh Schaffter. Jayasuriya made this statement in open court this morning, when the magisterial inquest pertaining to the matter was taken up and the relevant facts were presented. more..

Feb 22 (NR) 81 individuals including politicians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have signed a document citing their deep concern over reports on the continuing pressure applied on the Election Commission to postpone the LG Election, scheduled for 9th March 2023. TNA said, it has also become clear that the pressure originates from sections of the govt, particularly from its executive branch. more..

Feb 22 (TM) The Govt is hopeful of positive developments for countries in debt distress, including SL, at the Group of 20 (G20) countries summit which commences today (22), with the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting scheduled for 24 and 25 Feb in Bengaluru, Karnataka. State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe said: �A lot of things will be decided at the G20 meeting in India. They will discuss debtor countries, and more..

Feb 22 (AD) The Ministry of Tourism has launched a Travel Card as an initiative to further progress SL�s tourism industry. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday between the SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and National Development Bank (NDB). Accordingly, those registered as various service providers to the tourism industry under the SLTDA are eligible to obtain the Travel Card, granting them access to special benefits when dealing with tourists, more..

Feb 22 (TM) Although the water tariffs will definitely have to be raised in view of the recent revision of electricity tariffs, National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) stated that the implementation of a tariff revision would take some time due to the need to appoint a committee and make the relevant calculations. When contacted, Deputy General Manager of NWSDB Piyal Pathmanatha said: more..

Feb 22 (EN) Stocks edged up at the close for the fifth consecutive session on Wednesday, fueled by positive macroeconomic sentiment and primarily driven by gains in the financial and energy sectors, according to brokers. �Reports that IMF will proceed with the fund facility even without Chinese assurance are driving the market,� an analyst said. �With the fund facility, the market anticipates a rate cut that will push the market even further.� ASPI gained 0.15%, or 13.90 points, to reach more..

Feb 22 (AD) Supreme Court has dismissed the fundamental rights (FR) petition filed by Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera, convenor of the Inter-University Bhikkhu Federation (IUBF) without a hearing. The legal matter was called before Supreme Court�s three-judge bench comprising S. Thurairajah, Mahinda Samayawardena and Priyantha Fernando today. Siridhamma Thera, in his FR petition, had requested the Supreme Court to deliver an order mentioning that more..

Feb 22 (DM) Plans were afoot to bring the decision making with regard to the intelligence information of the State Intelligence Services (SIS) under an official of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States just as in 2001, MP Wimal Weerawansa said today. He told Parliament that the 20-member US delegation of the Pentagon headed by US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs (PDASD) Jedidiah Royal visited SIS office in Colombo. more..

Feb 22 (TM) Despite the recently imposed taxes including Pay As You Earn (PAYE), Govt foresees a Rs. 2.4 trillion (tn) Budget deficit this year (2023), stated the Chartered Accountants of SL�s (CA SL) Faculty of Taxation�s Chairman Tishan Subasinghe. �This year, even with the increased taxes, there will be a Rs. 2.4 trillion Budget deficit and this is mainly contributed to by the increasing interest. We (SL) are printing money at a higher rate. Therefore, some Rs. 1.3 T would be added into interest payments.� more..

Feb 22 (DM) Rejecting the statement made by an opposition MP, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said yesterday that no vehicles had been imported for state ministers. While making a special announcement, he said an opposition MP had made a statement claiming that some 239 vehicles had been imported for state ministers. According to the minister, opposition MP's statement is a serious charge that more..

Feb 22 (NR) Election monitoring body PAFFREL has written to the Election Commission once again calling for action to be taken against state officials who failed to extend their support for the conduct of the 2023 Local Govt Election. Executive Director of PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi said while the election is scheduled to be held on the 9th of March, it has been continuously observed that state officials expected to support such constitutional tasks were obstructing by citing various reasons. more..

Feb 22 (AD) A group of voters today decided to make financial contributions towards the 2023 LG election, amidst ongoing claims that the Ministry of Finance is refusing to release the funds required for the polls. Accordingly, voters from the Padukka area posted money orders of Rs. 100 and Rs. 200 addressed to the Chairman of the Election Commission of SL. Meanwhile, Leader of PHU Udaya Gammanpila stated that in the event the 2023 LG elections are unable to be held more..

Feb 22 (Island) University teachers supporting the JVP-led NPP called on people to consider the forthcoming local council polls as a referendum on the popularity and legitimacy of the incumbent govt. Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri of the Colombo Uni said that the upcoming LG election would certainly be a turning point in SL�s politics and people must make use of this opportunity to initiate the changes to end the political culture that more..

Feb 22 (AD) Police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse students from the Buddhist and Pali University staging a Satyagraha at Pitipana Junction, Homagama. Earlier today, a tense situation was reported during a demonstration held by the IUBF of the Buddhist and Pali University in Homagama. There, the protesting student Buddhist monks had attempted to erect a temporary platform to commence a Satyagraha near the Pitipana Junction, and the tense situation arose as more..

Feb 22 (AD) During an event held today at Royal College, Colombo, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe urged all citizens, including politicians, professionals, teachers, those engaged in agriculture, the business community, and members of the security forces, police and civil servants, to work together to overcome the current economic crisis and promote reconciliation efforts. The event was held to honour President Wickremesinghe, who is an alumnus of Royal College. more..

Feb 23 (DM) In a sarcastic cartoon the social media portrait the focus of the current crisis by quoting a duck saying, �When I was young, I feared the dark, now I fear the light� clearly referring to the shocking increase in electricity bills by 66% with immediate effect! This and subtle moves to postpone the LG elections have created controversy, confusion and contradictions within contradictions as Prez Wickremesinghe and the ruling SLPP struggle to pull SL out of its worst socio-economic crisis more..

Feb 23 (CT) About 80% of medicinal drugs, purchased utilising the Indian Credit Line, are not registered with the NMRA and many of those drugs are in the non-essential category, Consultant Specialists of SLMA revealed recently. At the same time, it was reported that Minister Keheliya Rambukwella visited India to make arrangements for the purchase of 28 medicines from an Indian company, which was not registered with the NMRA. Allegations have been levelled that more..

Feb 23 (DM) Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda responds to questions on the move to implement the 13th Amendment and the fisheries issue involving India and SL. Mr Devananda is the leader of the EPDP. Q: You have stood for the implementation of the 13th Amendment right throughout. Now there are talks about moves to implement it in full. Do you believe it is a reality? A: Starting from the very beginning, Govt and more..

Feb 23 (GV) Had we had just one language in the world, human history would have been written without many of the ugly stains caused by racial and ethnic conflicts. Of course, one may point out that variety of languages is much better and more culturally enriching than linguistic homogeneity. Yet in terms of human suffering, the price we have been paying for this diversity, which is misinterpreted as a biological difference, cannot be easily overlooked. In such a context, more..

Feb 23 (CT) Senanayake enna (come), Senanayake enna, Senanayake enna�den (now) Bandaranaike enna, Bandaranaike enna� that�s how Rohana Wijeweera in the late nineteen sixties spoke about the exchange of political power between the two family hegemonies in the forties, fifties and the sixties. Power resided within the elite families in Colombo. The so-called Independence won in 1948, in fact, was for these elite families and theirs only; that Independence never left those families; more..

Feb 23 (TM) The issue with the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) as amended, is not only the massive potential to use it to violate the people�s rights and freedoms but also the fact that it does not qualify as a proper law in terms of its enforcement being dependent on facts, evidence, and definitions. At the same time, SL has witnessed how successive govts have kept and enforced the PTA in a manner that is beneficial to govts more..

Feb 23 (TM) Those opposing the newly implemented tax reforms, or tax hikes, claim that it could be the beginning of a new form of aragalaya (a reference to last year�s anti-Govt protests and people�s struggle) and that the only difference would be that this time, there are prominent figures such as professionals including doctors, lawyers and high-ranking officials who would challenge the Govt. A more organised group of such parties, including those who have direct involvement more..