Jan 24 (DM) The psychiatrist who examined the mental health condition of the self-proclaimed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Mahinda Kodithuwakku has recommended further treatment for him at the National Institute of Mental Health in Angoda. Accordingly, Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered to remand the suspect till February 7. The suspect Mahinda Kodithuwakku was arrested by the CID for allegedly insulting Buddhism and hurting religious feelings. more..

Jan 24 (AD) A suspect has been arrested over his alleged complicity in the recent killing of five persons at Beliatta in Hambantota District. The arrest was made in Matara today, according to the police. The arrestee is believed to have been the driver of the vehicle used by the assailants and is also suspected of having orchestrated the mass shooting which took place on Tuesday (23). Earlier today, the vehicle used by the assailants was found parked near the Vidyaloka Pirivena in Galle. more..

Jan 24 (EN) Some 90% of military-held land in eastern province has been handed over to residents, State Minister of Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon told parliament. Responding to a question raised by TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, he said that military camps are not limited to the country�s formerly war-torn northern and eastern provinces but are located in all provinces taking into account present and future security risks. �In the eastern province, tri forces owned 44,980 acres [of land]. more..

Jan 24 (AD) SL Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM), Federation of Information Technology Industry SL (FITIS), Computer Society of SL (CSSL) and British Computer Society (BCS) have raised concerns pertaining to the proposed Online Safety Bill. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday (24), collective of Information Technology (IT) and Business Process Management (BPM) industry stakeholders raised four key concerns regarding the controversial Bill. more..

Jan 24 (AD) Appeals Court today delivered an order stating that the notorious underworld figure Ganemulla Sanjeewa should not be moved from Weeragula police premises until Feb 27, where he remains in custody under detention orders. This order was delivered after taking into account a writ petition filed by the mother of Ganemulla Sanjeewa. Thereby, further hearing of the petition was fixed for Feb 27. Ganemulla Sanjeewa was arrested at the BIA upon his return from Nepal on Sept 13, 2023. more..

Jan 24 (AD) Second Reading of the Online Safety Bill was passed in Parliament today with a majority of 46 votes. A total of 108 MPs had voted in favour, while 62 had voted against the Bill. The Sectoral Oversight Committee on Media, Youth, Heritage and New Citizen recently approved the Online Safety Bill, subject to the amendments determined by the Supreme Court. The bill was approved when the Sectoral Oversight Committee met in Parliament on Monday (22) under more..

Jan 24 (DM) Following tissue culture research conducted by the Plant Virus Indexing Centre, Homagama, two new varieties of pomegranate named Malee Pink and Lanka Red were introduced for cultivation in SL today, Agriculture Ministry said. The two new varieties of pomegranate were handed over to farmers for cultivation by Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera today. The special feature of these two latest varieties is that the lifespan of a pomegranate tree is over 30 years more..

Jan 24 (EN) The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) refuted claims made by Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles that they expressed agreement with the Online Safety Bill, when tabling it in Parliament. �The Asia Internet Coalition would like to address and refute certain assertions made in the statement read by the Minister of Public Security in Parliament concerning the Online Safety Bill,� the statement that was co-signed by Google, Meta, X, LinkedIn and Bookings.com said. more..

Jan 24 (Island) A group of Canadians of SL origin has recently questioned Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree (Liberal Party) over his continuing silence regarding Canadian support for indiscriminate Israeli offensive against Palestinians. Anandasangaree represents Scarborough�Rouge Park, Ontario and is the second Canadian Minister of Tamil origin, along with Anita Anand (Liberal Party). On behalf of 300 constituents, a Canadian of SL Tamil origin more..

Jan 24 (AD) The United Nations Development Programme in Sri Lanka (UNDP) and the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka (Network Sri Lanka) has recently renewed their commitment through the signing of the third Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), in a move towards advancing sustainable development. The agreement aims to join efforts in facilitating private-sector participation and promoting sustainable development in Sri Lanka, the UNDP said in a statement. more..

Jan 24 (EN) SL ruling party legislators formed a ring around chief govt whip Susil Premjayntha amid strong protests from the opposition that revisions to a controversial online speech bill suggested by the govt did not comply with a Supreme Court order. SC ruled that 31 provisions of the so-called online safety law that sought to control social media and online speech, was against the constitution. The law passed with 108 votes of the 225-member assembly voting in favour more..

Jan 24 (DM) A 22-year-old external rugby coach of a prominent school in Kandy was arrested by the police for possession of heroin and 4,100 narcotic pills. He was arrested in the Ambathenna area of Kandy by the Alawathugoda Police, where the suspect was found with 2 grams of heroin and 4,100 meth pills. The suspect, residing in Ambathenna, had joined as an external coach of the school six months ago. It was revealed that he is an Army deserter who had previously served at the Panagoda camp. more..

Jan 24 (CT) Commissioner General (CG) of Motor Traffic (MT) Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe strongly discouraged the practice of transferring vehicle ownership on open papers, emphasising that everyone should promptly register their vehicles in their own names, in the light of the newly introduced CCTV camera system, aimed at detecting traffic violations within the Colombo city limits. Weerasinghe stressed the importance of swiftly transferring rights when purchasing used vehicles. more..

Jan 24 (PTI) Catholic church in SL has decided to move towards declaring as saints all the 273 people, killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday suicide bombings on its fifth anniversary. Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, announced the move while addressing a mass on Sunday. A person can be named a saint only after the completion of 5 years since one's sacrifice. "Therefore, we will move towards declaring Easter Sunday victims as saints on April 21 this year," Ranjith said. more..

Jan 24 (DM) Police have instituted cash rewards for individuals providing information leading to the seizure of illegal firearms and explosives. Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon has directed senior DIGs, DIGs, Divisional Officers, and Directors to implement cash incentives in line with the nationwide Yukthiya operation. Police said that the confidentiality of informants will be protected. The cash rewards are structured as follows: more..

Jan 24 (TM) The Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) yesterday (23) said that it expected to hold public consultations with regard to the proposed electricity tariff revision as early as possible. Noting that the PUCSL had conducted a review of the CEB's tariff revision proposal, PUCSL Member Douglas Nanayakkara said that the PUCSL would be taking necessary steps to communicate their observations to relevant parties, including the CEB, for necessary action. more..

Jan 24 (AFP) The Maldives has granted permission for a controversial Chinese vessel to make a resupply call, but it will not undertake any research, the Indian Ocean archipelago nation�s foreign ministry said on Tuesday. China�s Xiang Yang Hong 3, which has been reportedly turned down port entry by SL, is due to call at Male in early February, according to ship monitoring website MarineTraffic. The vessel will �not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters�, more..

Jan 24 (AD) Seven suspects including the former Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Janaka Chandragupta, have been further remanded until 1 Feb, over the controversial procurement of substandard human immunoglobulin vials. The relevant order was issued by the Maligakanda Magistrate�s Court, when the case was taken up in court this morning (24). Chandragupta was arrested by the CID on 18 Dec 2023, when he arrived at the premises to record a statement regarding the substandard more..

Jan 24 (DM) Although a date has not been fixed, SL Navy said yesterday that it is now prepared to send a deployment to the Red Sea to assist in defending shipping lanes from Houthi activities, once the govt greenlights and authorizes the deployment. Navy spokesperson Capt. Gayan Wickramasinghe said that discussions are still underway at higher levels regarding the Red Sea deployment, but the SL Navy is ready. "We are now on standby to send our deployment to the Red Sea at any time," more..

Jan 24 (FT) Matara Festival for the Arts (MFA) yesterday announced its Independence Day Concert lineup � a multifaceted celebration of music and artistic expression set to ignite the Mahinda Wijesekara Grounds within the historic Matara Fort on 4 February 2024. This electrifying concert, curated by the musician and educator Dr. Sumudi Suraweera of Music Matters, promises an immersive journey through a vibrant tapestry of sounds. �This Independence Day, we wanted to create a sonic landscape more..

Jan 24 (CT) SLMC Leader Rauff Hakeen claimed that due to the influence and intervention of opportunistic forces, acting with extreme religious or racial intentions, the relations between diverse ethnic groups and communities globally and locally are have been disturbed as never before. Hakeem, who was the Chief Guest at the Thiruchchi Board ��Payil Arangu�, hosted by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and chaired by its Leader Prof. KKader Mohideen at Papanasam in the Thanjai District, more..

Jan 24 (EN) SL is starting the usual cyclical recovery after a currency crisis and depreciation that is triggered by rate cuts, destroying purchasing power and people�s real savings, with default added to the story. At the moment the central bank is providing monetary stability seen in the exchange rate and inflation, allowing a battered, long suffering people to raise their heads. It is not clear when inflationary rate cuts will start. Already 2026 bonds are being bought outright. more..

Jan 24 (CT) Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation, Milinda Moragoda, has called for a reduction in SL overseas Missions. He observed that technology has created a much more globally connected world and transformed the ways in which international diplomacy can be conducted. In light of this, and as part of SL�s urgent need to modernise its governance structure, create efficiencies, and optimise limited resources, he is urging the Govt to seriously consider drastically reducing more..

Jan 24 (EN) Amid some uneasiness in relations between the two countries in light of a cancelled light rail transit project, Japanese funding worth 343,000 US dollars has been used by UN Women and a local organisation to provide assets to 600 women-led micro-enterprises. UN Women, a United Nations (UN) agency, said in a statement that the initiative was undertaken as part of a larger one-year project Empowering women in crisis that began in February 2023. more..

Jan 25 (DM) With SL struggling to meet its debts and stabilise the economy, vital areas include high technology and the new dimension of the positive aspects of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As in most countries, men dominate these areas, and it is important for developing countries like SL to get more women involved, because as a popular say, �Man smart, woman smarter.� So it is, in the case of high technology. On Feb 11, UN marks the Int'l Day of Women and Girls in Science more..

Jan 25 (DM) In less than two weeks time, SL will celebrate its 76th National Independence Day, giving its citizens enough memories to ponder on what kind of independence they�ve enjoyed over the years. To begin with, we must ask ourselves the question whether we can afford to remain at home and relax on Feb 4th? If not, then we must take a quick look at the word independence, and see whether we can relate to it. Given the present situation in this island, the word independence would mean more..

Jan 25 (TM) The complexity of SL�s tax system is due to the lack of a national tax policy, with tax policies being constantly changed as and when ministers change and yearly budget proposals are drawn up, going against the basic principles of taxation, charged former Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) N.M.M. Mifly. �There are four principles of taxation � fairness, simplicity, consistency, and efficiency more..

Jan 25 (ST) The trio had gathered outside the gate just as Aldoris, the choon- paan karaya, drove down the lane in his tuk-tuk. �Sappie, sappie (loosely translated means happy in a sarcastic sense),� said Kussi Amma Sera, directing her comment to Aldoris, who had voted for the now governing party during the 2020 poll. �Aei (Why),� asked the hapless vendor. �Elvalu mila balannako. Wahaletath udin gihilla-ne (Look at the vegetable prices. It�s soaring through the roof),� she said. more..

Jan 25 (CT) SL Police, under the aegis of Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles took a significant step to modernize traffic management with the launch of the Police CCTV Surveillance Division on 22 Jan. This move marks a crucial development in utilising cutting-edge technology to monitor and enforce traffic laws contributing to a safer and more efficient traffic system in Colombo. New system operating 24/7 aims to revolutionise the monitoring of traffic law violations within Colombo city limits. more..

Jan 25 (TM) Several incidents of persons succumbing to death due to shootings or misfires by Police officers, and Police officers being accused of various other wrongdoings have been reported in recent times. The death of a 40-year-old person in the Narammala area due to a shooting by a sub-inspector of Police (SI) and allegations being levelled against the Malimbada and Matara Police Stations in connection to the recent incident more..

Jan 25 (TM) Ministry of Power and Energy recently revealed that the CEB, SL�s debt strapped utility provider�s management to implement a mechanism to recover loan and interest amounts from employees who have taken loans amounting to Rs. 12 billion, part of which the CEB has been paying for decades. The move, which comes as SL attempts to restructure its bloated and wasteful public sector, should be commended. �Data provided by the CEB finance division shows that more..

Jan 25 (Island) Anything that the incumbent govt lays its hands on turns into an unholy mess instantly. It has made a botch of issuing tax identification numbers (TINs). It warned that everyone who did not obtain a TIN would be severely dealt with according to the law. Subsequently, it softened its stand when it realised how difficult the task of issuing TINs was. Proper planning is half the battle in accomplishing any task. SL finds itself in the current predicament because successive govts more..

Jan 25 (CT) It may sound heretical and ridiculous, but I boldly say, that it is only the last word in my title (Abuse) is real, all else is piffle, confusion, and deceit and quite meaningless. Agreed? Of course not, � don�t be crazy! Let me explain. More and more that I see happening around me, seems to validate this apparent heresy. I take a perverse delight in witnessing the demolition of myths and untenable yet popular, beliefs. It is astonishing to see the extent to which we allow ourselves to more..

Jan 25 (ST) While SL is witnessing a vast number of tourists visiting the country from all parts of the world, this year�s FACETS exhibition saw more foreigners purchasing gems and jewellery. The purchasing power for the locals dropped with the 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) that came into play since the beginning of this year. FACETS, Chairman, Altaf Iqbal made these remarks last week following the three-day exhibition held on January 6-8 at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. more..

Jan 25 (Island) Last week�s Midweek piece �Warning issued over proposed Open Govt Partnership action plan� (OGP action plan) dealt with the daunting challenge in addressing improvement of public services, prevention of bribery and corruption, proper management of public resources, ways and means of addressing basic requirement of vulnerable communities and the management of state and privately funded more..