Mar 15 (FT) Freedom People�s Congress member MP Prof. Charitha Herath says the people must deliver a devastating defeat to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the current Govt at any election that is held next. Herath said it does not appear the President and the current Govt will halt their efforts in obstructing the holding of LG elections. �The delaying of elections is a serious issue. Therefore the politics of the Pohottuwa, its leadership, Prez & Govt must be pushed more..

Mar 15 (EN) Shares gained for the second session Wednesday on positive sentiments that the IMF extended loan facility will reach its final decision in the next two weeks, analysts said. ASPI closed up 0.63%, or 59.66 points, at 9,550.70. Analysts pointed out that profit taking was coming to an end and that the market is in recovery mode on the hopes of the conclusion of the IMF deal. �Buying momentum is strong as Sri Lanka nears the IMF deal, there was interest in baking counters, more..

Mar 15 (Vogue) The first time I remember going to SL, I was three. These are my memories: being chased by a kid goat through my grandmother�s house; cleaning my teeth with charcoal; being teased by family members; and meeting my very beautiful cousin, Dashini, whose hair went past her bum � I had never seen anyone with such long hair. I was born in 1981 in grey Coventry. SL was like stepping into technicolour. more..

Mar 15 (PMD) Brand new SENARO GN 125 motorcycles were donated to the President�s Office this morning. The assembly of these bikes followed the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that was introduced by the Ministry of Industry for manufacturing, assembling, and producing vehicle components in SL. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was officially given the keys and accompanying documents by Senaro Motor Corporation Managing Director Roshana Waduge. more..

Mar 15 (DM) A 50-year-old Jewellery store owner in Jaffna has allegedly committed suicide after reportedly finding out that a 21-year-old female employee of the store had also died after allegedly hanging herself in her house. Police recovered both bodies from their respective houses. It was reported that the employee had hanged herself at her home at Navanthurai in Jaffna and after finding out that she is not coming to work, the owner of the jewellery store, who had also hanged himself at more..

Mar 15 (TM) Justice and Prisons Affairs Ministry has sought the Attorney General's (AG) instructions regarding an order issued by the Right to Information (RTI) Commission concerning a request for information regarding former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte's alleged abuse of prisoners. Earlier, the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR) has requested the RTI Commission to initiate legal action against more..

Mar 15 (DM) It was highly unlikely that the Local Govt election would be conducted on April 25 as announced by the Elections Commissions, the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFEREL) said. Its Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi said that the govt was even ignoring the court decisions, which was regrettable. "We never expected that the govt would deprive people of their franchise. The govt has come to a stage where even court decisions are disregarded. more..

Mar 15 (DM) Two notorious underworld criminals Nadun Wickramaratne alias Harak Kata and Salindu Gunaratne alias Kudu Salidu, who were brought into the country this morning, have been detained for 90 days by the CID for further questioning. The 32-year old Nadun Chinthaka, a resident of Weligama and 27-year old Salindu Malshitha were arrested by the security authorities in Madagascar recently. A CID team led by an ASP left for Madagascar on Saturday to bring the suspects into the country. more..

Mar 16 (TM) This week, it was reported that the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice, Prisons Affairs and Constitutional Reforms has not concurred with the decision taken by the Council of Legal Education to make the English language the mandatory medium of examination at the SL Law College. This disagreement has arisen when the said Committee met in Parliament, where the Committee members had raised the importance of allowing applicants to sit for Law College more..

Mar 16 (Island) The democratic system is based on the system of checks and balances. The judiciary is one of the three main organs of the state. Its apex body, the Supreme Court, has declared that the govt cannot make the excuse of not having money to delay the elections. This judgement of the court needs to be respected. Disregarding it will create a crisis of governance to add to the economic one that the country has had to cope with. It can also send a negative message to potential investors more..

Mar 16 (TM) Despite the fact that efforts aimed at expanding the digital economy and skills-related opportunities for women and empowering women to contribute more to economies through the increased and meaningful use of digital technologies have resulted in considerable positive impacts, these targets are yet to be achieved, and there is a great deal of more work to be done in this regard. more..

Mar 16 (CT) It is strange; everybody is attacking the NPP (JVP alliance). Normally the opposition attacks the incumbent govt when an election is to be held. The current govt is such a corrupt, illicit, failed, impotent and incompetent govt, it should attract, like a lightening conductor, all accusations, blame and attacks. But when the leading party in the opposition, SJB (the new name of the broken off majority of the old UNP) begins to attack another party in the opposition (NPP) with only more..

Mar 16 (DM) The Debt Digest by Verit� Research provides analytical commentary on the latest developments in SL�s debt crisis. A key milestone in SL�s path to recovery was the staff-level agreement with the IMF in Sept 2022 that outlined a necessary path of fiscal policy to regain macroeconomic stability and access to international credit markets. SL is expected to obtain board level agreement with the IMF on March 20, 2023; 200 days after the staff-level agreement was reached. more..

Mar 16 (CT) Music fixed heart ailments. At a time when Sri Lanka is struggling to pay for medical care for the public, Tamil Canadian singer, Senthil Thirugnana�s charitable efforts to assist 100 young Sri Lankan heart patients by singing is an impressive story. Last month, he supported the 100th heart patient, a 12-year-old girl Vaishnavi from Kilinochchi. All 100 surgeries performed at Lanka Hospitals were successful. more..

Mar 16 (Island) There seems to be no end in sight to the ongoing trade union struggle, which has dealt a crippling blow to the diseased economy; the govt and the warring trade unions continue to be at loggerheads over several issues such as the new tax regime, which has sent many workers reeling. Instead of trying to resolve the protracted conflict, government politicians are exuding arrogance from every pore, bellowing rhetoric, issuing threats and provoking workers. more..

Mar 16 (CT) The incident of a baby boy, wrapped neatly in a blue flannel blanket and placed carefully inside a blue basket being found in a train last week, sent shockwaves across the country. Photos of the baby went viral on social media and sparked a heated debate on what the country should do to prevent a reoccurrence. However, as usual, the discussion died down after a few days. It is in this backdrop that State Minister of Women and Child Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe made more..

Mar 16 (DM) Due to the unprecedented increase in the cost of living and related problems, most of SL�s people are obviously unhappy. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and SLPP have taken some practical or effective steps to find the solutions to the debt crisis and work out an agreement with the IMF. But Prez himself has admitted that a few more months will be needed to provide relief to the people and make them happy. But opposition leaders say the Govt is trying to postpone LG polls more..

Mar 16 (GV) In a landmark case last month, the Vavuniya High Court ordered the army to produce three LTTE members who had surrendered to the military in May 2019 and have been missing ever since, in response to a habeas corpus case filed by their wives. The judge said he believed the women�s testimony that they had handed their husbands over to the military and said that if the army failed to produce them, it must explain the circumstances in which the men had disappeared. more..

Mar 16 (Island) MP Wimal Weerawansa has attributed Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s downfall to two imprudent decisions taken by Mahinda Rajapaksa. Chairman of ULS, lawmaker Weerawansa alleged that bringing in Namal Rajapaksa to Parliament, in 2010, and Basil Rajapaksa, in 2021, caused irreparable damage. NJS Chairman Dullus Alahapperuma, MP, its convener G.L. Peiris, MP, General Secretary Thilanga Sumathipala, more..

Mar 16 (TM) More than 90% of schools across the island remained closed yesterday (15) due to the strike launched by principals and teachers, which the trade unions said saw the participation of approximately 95% of 16,000 principals and 200,000 teachers. Principals and teachers of schools islandwide had decided to launch a strike yesterday, demanding solutions to issues faced by the people in general, and those pertaining to principals and teachers. more..

Mar 16 (DN) Six Youth Athletes reached qualifying standards of their respective events at the Selection Trials for the Asian Youth Athletics Championship 2023 which concluded in Diyagama recently. Four male athletes and two female athletes in four events met the qualifying standards in a two-day trial for the 5th Asian Youth Athletics Championship 2023, which will be held in Uzbekistan in April. Anuhas Bandara from Dharmaloka College, Ambalangoda sprinted the Boys� 100m in 11.37s more..

Mar 16 (Island) Pacemen will hold the key to success when S. Thomas� meet arch-rivals Royal in the 144th Battle of the Blues which commences at the SSC today. With both teams fielding wicket-taking speedsters who have collectively done better than their counterparts from other Colombo schools, the skippers are likely to back their quicks to share majority of the bowling duties on conditions favourable for them. However, of the two pace departments, the Thomians are ahead with more..

Mar 16 (DN) The season of big-matches is upon us. These cricket encounters are big for the respective schools, not for others. In fact as far as the particular schools are concerned they are huge. It�s THE event of the year. Today there are big-matches in all parts of Sri Lanka, so many that few can escape them for the spectacle is not contained by the walls of the schools. It's not only spills over to the streets but climb over the walls of other schools as well. Well, the girls� schools at least. more..

Mar 16 (TM) Police Dept, on Tuesday, instructed the relevant officers from regional commands to send the surplus anti-riot equipment kept in storage which are allocated to Police divisions in other districts, to the Police Field Force HQ in Colombo. The order, issued recently, is in anticipation that a wave of protests by trade and uni student unions may escalate in the coming days. SSP Nihal Thalduwa said: more..

Mar 16 (ST) Human capital flight, more commonly known as brain drain, characterised as the emigration of highly skilled workers to other, more prosperous countries is a problem faced by Sri Lanka that accelerated over the past year and is impacting all sectors of the economy. Economists and professionals are raising alarms on the loss of skilled and innovative individuals leading to the loss socio-economic potential for the country, which is already facing an economic downturn. more..

Mar 16 (ISDP) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe of SL last month postponed the LB elections scheduled for March 9, 2023. �This is the height of absurdity,� explained senior MP M.A. Sumanthiran. Despite the executive decision to postpone, SL�s top court ordered the govt to proceed with the delayed local election, overruling Prez, who argued financial inability to conduct the elections. Election Commission of SL on March 10 declared that LG polls would be scheduled for April 25. more..

Mar 16 (TM) Govt Printer Gangani Liyanage said that since there is no point in participating in discussions with the Election Commission (EC) in a context where the latter does not intervene enough to obtain the necessary funds for the printing of the ballot papers for the LG elections, even if the EC were to call her in the future, she would not attend any such meeting. Daily Morning queried Liyanage as to whether she expects more..

Mar 16 (CT) The touring Sri Lankan side will need nothing less than a monumental effort to bounce back in the second Test and level the series when they meet high riding New Zealand on Friday (17), at Basin Reserve, Wellington. SL�s hopes of reaching the finals of World Test Championship has already been done and dusted after a heart-breaking defeat in the first Test. The visitors will, however, look to end the series on a high, especially considering their performance in the first Test. more..

Mar 16 (FT) SJB MP Eran Wickremaratne said SL needs the IMF program to instil confidence in the country, but there it is wanting of greater transparency. �IMF deal will send a positive message to the global community. The question is not if we need the agreement, but for the IMF too to be more transparent. The process must be transparent. Even at the executive level, whatever understandings that are in place are not known. This is why there are doubts and certain fears more..

Mar 16 (FT) Two more Fundamental Rights applications have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the electricity tariff hike approved by the PUCSL and implemented from 15 Feb by the CEB. The two fresh applications are by Asoka Abeygunawardhana and Electricity and Renewable Energy Consumers Association, Rev. Matara Ananda Sagara Thero and 4 others. Previously Janaka Ratnayake filed a FR case in his personal capacity despite being PUCSL Chairman. more..

Mar 16 (DN) Although exporters went through hardships during the last few years, facing many challenges internally and in overseas markets they have demonstrated much resilience and SL export earnings in 2022 showed a record high of USD 13 billion newly elected President of National Chamber of Exporters of SL (NCE) Jayantha Karunaratne told the 28th NCE AGM held on Tuesday. Though appreciation of rupees will help to reduce cost of imports & help reduce consumer prices more..

Mar 16 (FT) The economy in 2022 suffered the worst ever contraction of 7.8% with the fourth quarter dealing a severe blow of 12.4% negative growth as per data released. The 7.8% negative growth in the economy in 2022 was in contrast to 3.5% growth in the previous year whilst 2022 marked the third annual economic contraction in recent history after 2019 and 2020. During 2022, all three major economic activities of more..

Mar 16 (Island) Chairman of the Election Commission (EC) Nimal Punchihewa, addressing participants at an Int'l Women�s Day event, held in Colombo, said that female members of local authorities were less corrupt, more sensitive about the future of the nation, and more law-abiding, compared to their male counterparts. Punchihewa said that females cared for children who were the future of the nation and did not break the law. Corruption could be reduced drastically by more..

Mar 16 (FT) SL�s tea exports in February have enjoyed a massive rise in FOB Rupee value from a year ago due to depreciation whilst volume has been lower. Tea exports in February totalled 18.55 million kilos, down by 2.59 million kilos from a year ago. Main categories of Bulk Tea and Packeted Tea have shown a decrease, whilst Tea Bags have recorded a marginal increase when compared to the corresponding month of 2022. FOB value of Rs. 2,040.25 per kilo in Feb was a significant more..