Mar 30 (TM) Showing once again the severe aversion that exists within the public sector towards progressive reforms, a number of CPC and CPSTL employees, mainly those attached to trade unions within the two Institutions, decided this week to oppose Govt�s decision to permit three foreign firms, i.e. China�s Sinopec, Australia�s United Petroleum and US R.M. Parks Inc, to enter SL�s fuel retail market in collaboration with UK�s Shell PLC by importing, storing, distributing and selling more..

Mar 30 (Island) Long lines of vehicles began to form near filling stations on Wednesday owing to a continuous strike launched by the CPC trade unions, but the govt managed to bring the situation under control and buy time by announcing a fuel price reduction with effect from midnight yesterday; many people decided to wait until today to avail themselves of the weekly fuel quota. The problem however is likely to persist unless the got succeeds in restoring fuel supplies preferably by more..

Mar 30 (SO) Many years after Australia ensured that SL was able to procure funding for the salary of World Cup winning cricket coach Dav whatmore, a women�s rugby team from down under will be in the country to take care of the island�s untapped women�s rugby potential that is said to be the fastest growing sport in the world. SL has never had role models in women�s rugby but organisers of the CR and FC Centenary Sevens are elated to learn that a team, Burraneer Women�s Rugby Club, more..

Mar 30 (FT) The SJB, yesterday welcomed investor interest in SL's petroleum sector, and said it will send a positive signal. SJB MP, Dr. Harsha De Silva said that Sri Lanka cannot be developed through constant debt and foreign aid, and said the country must embark on an aggressive program of reforms to attract new investments and industries. �The entry of new players to the petroleum sector will increase competition more..

Mar 30 (Island) On behalf of the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt, State Defence Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon reacted to accusations over the blacklisting of retired Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha. MP declared that Air Force hq had no other option but to resort to legitimate counter measures against the threat posed by AVM Thuyacontha. The officer concerned also served as SL�s Defence Attach� in Islamabad after the successful conclusion of war in May 2009, more..

Mar 30 (CT) Shevon Daniel valiant effort was in vain as Afghanistan Under-19 edge SL U-19 by a thrilling 4 runs in the 6th match of the U-19 Tri-Series at Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi. Opting to bat first, the Afghans posted a mammoth 323-7 in their allotted 50 overs and in reply SL fell 4 runs short of the target, being bowled out for 319 runs. Afghans were off to a shaky start when their opener Suliman Arabzai (12) fell cheaply when he was caught plumb in front off Vishwa Lahiru�s bowling. more..

Mar 30 (DN) Three SL�s Para athletes Dinesh Priyantha (F46) Javelin Throw and Samantha Dulan (F44) Javelin throw and Shot put (F42) national para record holder, Palitha Bandara (Shot put and Discuss throw) will be competing for medals at the Australian Open Para Athletics Championship which will be held at the Olympics stadium Brisbane, Australia commence from today. Dinesh Priyantha, with a distance of 67.79 meters entered the record books with a Gold for the longest throw at more..

Mar 30 (FT) Sri Lanka is to mobilise green energy investments in the energy sector and invites local and foreign direct investments for that purpose, Senior Advisor to the President on Climate Change Ruwan Wijewardene said. He stated this while delivering the opening speech of the SL Clean Energy Summit 2023 held at Kingsbury Hotel, Colombo on Tuesday. This Summit was a great opportunity for investors to find and identify green energy investment opportunities in SL�s more..

Mar 30 (TM) Veterinary Research Officer at the Dept of Animal Production and Health (DAPH), Dr. Hemal Kothalawala said that they could not find any evidence related to Avian Influenza and Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND) during the laboratory tests which were carried out on the eggs imported from India. He said this when The Daily Morning contacted him to inquire about the report of the inspection conducted by more..

Mar 30 (PMD) The construction sector�s problems will be addressed gradually as the country�s financial situation improves, said Mr. Sagala Ratnayake, the Chief of Presidential Staff. Sagala Ratnayake made this statement during the meeting of the working committee on interest rates and bank recovery measures to uplift the construction sector, held yesterday (28) at the President�s Office. In light of the current economic crisis, the financial problems confronting the construction industry, more..

Mar 30 (Island) There was excitement yesterday as fuel prices came down and you may say that there was an equal amount of joy as fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera made a return to domestic cricket. The nation�s quickest bowler went down with a calf strain during SL�s disastrous T-20 World Cup campaign in Australia last year. It was disastrous because half a dozen players broke down during the series and SL failed to make an impact although there was lot of hope after the team had won more..

Mar 30 (DM) SL�s automobile industry is requesting the govt to consider a quota system for vehicle imports for its survival and the livelihoods of over 100,000 people, who are directly or indirectly employed by it. The ban on vehicle imports has been in place for three years now. As the country began encountering severe foreign exchange shortages in 2020, vehicle imports became the first casualty, as the then govt more..

Mar 30 (Island) Turkish Ambassador Demet Sekercioglu will attend the first-ever celebration of International Zero Waste Day today at 9.30 am at Waters Edge, Battaramulla with Environment Minister Engineer Nasir Ahmed presiding. Christopher Powers, Director of the office of Economic Development of the USAID, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Supun Pathirge, Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority and more..

Mar 30 (Island) Secluded amidst the wild jungles of historical Dambulla and in close proximity to a UNESCO Heritage site, Occidental Paradise Dambulla is a call to a luxurious adventure with nature and a journey into Sri Lanka�s ancient past. In keeping with the Hotel�s commitment to its surrounding environment and preserving the country�s rich cultural heritage, Occidental Paradise recently partnered with members of SL Cricket Team to carry out a Shramadana campaign. more..

Mar 30 (FT) A forum on National Quality Infrastructure, an imperative to national development is organised by UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) was held recently in Colombo. Chief Guest of the event, Ministry of Trade Secretary A.M.P.M. Attapattu delivered the Govt�s perspective on National Quality Infrastructure in SL. The forum was an initiative implemented by UNIDO in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) within the framework of more..

Mar 30 (FT) SL�s payment cards domain took a giant leap yesterday when the Commercial Bank of Ceylon in collaboration with LankaPay launched a national credit and debit card with int'l acceptance. This National Card Scheme is an initiative implemented by LankaPay in partnership JCB International Co. Ltd, Japan-based int'l card, with over 150 million cardholders around the world. This is the first launch of LankaPay Credit Cards in SL and the first time five variants of LankaPay more..

Mar 30 (TM) Despite the decades-long diplomatic and trade ties between the countries since 1952, Japanese businesses currently have lost confidence in SL due to the abrupt and arbitrary policy changes that have been made by Govt of SL, says Ambassador for Japan Mizukoshi Hideaki. Ambassador Hideaki stated: �On the governance and transparency of the economic policies, in the past, there have been more..

Mar 30 (DM) The SJB questioned the latest report which said Sarah Yasmin, the wife of the suicide bomber who blew himself up in Katuwaputiya Church on Easter Sunday 2019 has been confirmed dead. Former MP Mujibur Rahman questioned how the latest DNA test confirmed that she was dead when previous tests confirmed the body that was buried were not hers. "This sounds more like a conspiracy. Bodies of those who died during the bomb blast should be exhumed and more..

Mar 30 (Island) JVP trade union wing leader K.D. Lalkantha has called on all those who want an election to get ready to march on Colombo to force the govt to hold the LG polls. He said: �We now are living in a country where we have to fight to safeguard our franchise. It is our right and not something that we should allow the ruling cabal to trifle with. All those who think that an election should be held must join together and must converge in Colombo to pressure govt to hold elections. more..

Mar 30 (Island) A significant number of fuel filling station owners had stopped placing orders with the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) due to an announcement by Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera that fuel prices would be significantly reduced in the first week of April. According to a spokesperson for the Fuel Distributors� Association of the CPC, a reduction of approximately Rs 100 per litre of fuel would result in a loss of Rs 660,000 from a 6,600 liter bowser. more..

Mar 30 (TM) Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said on Tuesday that the staff of the BIA do not have the courtesy and friendliness that can be seen in many other international airports in the region. Speaking at a special discussion held with senior officials of the BIA, he also said that plenty of complaints have been received that baggage handlers, taxi drivers and brokers were engaged in various irregularities at the Airport premises, thus causing various inconveniences to passengers. more..

Mar 30 (DM) SL is negotiating with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, to seek its service as transaction advisor for the sale of the govt�s stakes in several state-owned enterprises (SOEs). State-owned Enterprise Restructuring Unit (SRU) said the Finance Ministry is negotiating with the IFC to obtain its services to divest the state ownership in SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) more..

Mar 30 (DM) Japanese Ambassador Hideaki Mizukoshi said a decision has not yet been made on reviving the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded US $ 2.2 billion Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, stretching from Colombo Fort to Malabe, which was abruptly terminated by the previous govt. �No decision has yet been made. But it all depends on how the reforms of the SL govt go and whether Sri Lanka can regain the trust from the Japanese govt and business community,� more..

Mar 30 (AD) Colombo Fort Magistrate issued an order pertaining to the detention of the ill-famed underworld figures Harak Kata and Kudu Salindu. Accordingly, Colombo Fort Magistrate ordered that proper security measures be followed in the event the duo is taken out of the detention centre for investigative purposes. He further ordered to keep them in the custody of either an authorized officer of the CID or the OIC of the relevant police division in which the investigation is being carried out. more..

Mar 30 (TM) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Ltd (CPSTL) have sent more than 20 employees including trade union leaders who engaged in a strike by withdrawing from duties pertaining to filling and distributing fuel on Tuesday (28) on compulsory leave and initiated the relevant disciplinary and legal action against them, a decision which has however been rejected by trade more..

Mar 30 (FT) It is astonishing to discover that at the highest levels of the Govt, strategic thinking is sorely lacking. Having spent almost two decades in the private sector, working with some of Sri Lanka�s most reputable companies including Unilever, MAS, and Sri Lanka Insurance, I can attest that, as senior corporate executives, strategy was a constant topic of discussion. Our training emphasised the importance of taking a holistic view when prioritising actions. more..

Mar 30 (FT) All int'l experiences and consequent conceptualisations say that any attempt to make systemic or major structural change on two fronts instead of moving sequentially, having consolidated on a single front, leads to implosion or explosion. Prez Wickremesinghe is moving on three fronts, not one or two. He is driving rapidly and simultaneously to make major game-changes on three fronts: political (freezing elections), economic (taxation/ privatisation/ foreignisation shock therapy), more..

Mar30 (AD) The Supporting Effective Dispute Resolution (SEDR) project, funded by the European Union and implemented by the British Council in partnership with The Asia Foundation, launched a Policy Brief titled 'Strengthening A Just Alternative' to strengthen community-based alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms in the country. The launch event, held at the British Council Library in Colombo, was attended by several distinguished dignitaries, including Wijeyadasa more..

Mar30 (MF) Geological Survey & Mines Bureau (GSMB) said that the tremor was recorded as 3.7 magnitude on the Richter scale. The tremor was reported at around 01 p.m. this afternoon, nearly 34 km off Beruwala. Several tremors were reported in the Buttala area earlier this year. On 22nd Feb a 3.2 magnitude tremor was recorded in Buttala. On 11th Feb a tremor was reported in Wellawaya in the Monaragala district. NBRO said the 2.3 magnitude tremor was recorded at around 3.48 a.m. more..

Mar30 (TM) Sri Lanka will hold a virtual presentation today to update its commercial creditors and investors following the receipt of IMF Executive Board approval for the bailout package. The investor and creditor presentation will commence at 8.30 a.m. on March 30, chaired by CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana. Executive Board of the IMF on March 20 green-lighted more..

Mar30 (DM) Sri Lanka awaits the submission of histopathological and toxicological reports by the Indonesian authorities on the murder of Sri Lankan businessman Onesh Subasinghe. The businessman, 45, was found dead mysteriously in an apartment in Jakarta on February 3, 2023. He along with his wife, daughter, and his wife�s assistant had left for Indonesia on a vacation on January 20, 2023. Later, the Jakarta police said the family members had left Indonesia after the incident. more..

Mar30 (SLHCI) Continuing his engagement with key officials of the Indian Government, the High Commissioner of SL to India Milinda Moragoda met with the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Shri Shaktikanta Das at the Bank�s Hq in Mumbai. SL High Commissioner is on an official visit to the State of Maharashtra. The meeting between the RBI Governor and the High Commissioner of SL was held in a very cordial manner, and a range of issues pertaining to the bilateral more..

Mar 30 (EN) SL�s new anti-corruption bill drafted consequent to a US$ 2.9 billion IMF deal has been sent in to be gazetted, according to Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. He said that the new bill, once passed in parliament, will empower the CIABOC to investigate suspected corruption charges with or without a complaint. �Today the people of this country have lost their confidence in the Bribery Commission,� he said, more..

Mar 30 (DM) Speculation is rife that three SJB MPs Harsha De Silva, Eran Wickramaratne and Kabir Hadim are to join the govt while Dr. De Silva told the media that party politics is not important at this point of time. "Party politics is not important at this point of time. What is important now is to adopt the right ideology to build up the nation," he said. "What one could understand from the speculation about us is that there are able people in SJB who could build up the nation," he said. more..

Mar 30 (TM) Senior Advisor of the Minister of Sports Sudath Chandrasekara had informed former national cricket captain and former MP Arjuna Ranatunga in writing to immediately resign as the Chairman of the National Sports Council (NSC) yesterday. Although a virtual meeting of the NSC was scheduled to be held last evening, no member of the council had reportedly participated in the meeting via Zoom. Sudath Chandrasekara has further mentioned in his letter to Arjuna Ranatunga that more..