Mar 18 (TM) Despite a Cabinet decision last week stating that a private medical faculty will be established through the National School of Business Management (NSBM), the latter is yet to submit an application to the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) for approval to establish such a faculty. On 12 March, the Cabinet decision noted that the Cabinet of Ministers had approved a proposal to upgrade Homagama Base more..

Mar 18 (FT) With the increased cost of printing, many writers have turned to publishing e-books. They have a better storage facility in the clouds and offer a wider outreach anytime in any part of the globe. Cost-wise also they are economical for both the writer and the reader. The latest to join this bandwagon has been the ex-central banker, C.A. Abeysinghe, who has released his e-book on Unveiling the Secrets: How money is created? recently. more..

Mar 18 (FT) The salary hike of the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has been questioned and challenged on several grounds including constitutional, legal, economic, financial, and ethics. However, one important dimension that has so far escaped attention and scrutiny is the nature and amount of profits or losses CBSL makes and its current financial position. Such a scrutiny is warranted because CBSL seems to believe that the profits generated, and contributions it made to more..

Mar 18 (DM) The El Nino phenomenon has caused an increase in the continuous dry weather situation in the country and it could continue till April, Meteorology Dept Director Genral Athula Karunanayaka said. He told the media that rain can be expected from next Thursday (21), Friday (22) and Saturday (23), but there will also be an increase in the heat. Rains can be expected in the Western, Southern and Uva Provinces. However, the rains will not be enough to reduce the hot conditions. more..

Mar 18 (AD) A programme has been held in Jaffna to raise awareness among the members of Community Policing Committees in Jaffna and Kankesanthurai Police Divisions. Around 2,000 community policing members from 431 Grama Niladhari Divisions of Jaffna and Kankesanthurai Police Divisions have participated in this occasion on Sunday, which was led by Minister Tiran Alles. Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security Viyani Gunathilaka and IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon also took part more..

Mar 18 (DM) A recent survey conducted by the CPA has unearthed that public trust in parliament and political parties has reached an all time low, with parliament showing 22% public trust and political parties showing 19% trust. Survey, titled Survey on Democracy and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka, involved 1,350 participants across 25 districts in January, shedding light on declining trust in democratic institutions and shifting attitudes more..

Mar 18 (EN) Japan has given SL a 600 million yen (3.3 billion rupee) grant for oil spill management, health care and vocational training, the Finance Ministry said. Japan will give four vessels for oil boom with the necessary accessories, a generator, and a cargo truck with a crane for improving oil spill response and management by the SL coast guard. The grant agreement was signed by Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana and Amb. of Japan in SL Mizukoshi Hideaki. more..

Mar 18 (AD) School Principals have been informed in writing to postpone sports meets and other outdoor activities in view of the prevailing high temperatures, Ministry of Education announced. Accordingly, Ministry of Education has advised school principals to postpone the relevant activities until April 24. Furthermore, it is informed to postpone all outdoor activities including sports meets and other competitions until the third phase of the first school term which will commence on April 24 more..

Mar 18 (CI) Tanzid Hasan and Rishad Hossain blazed quick runs to help Bangladesh overcome some mid-innings chaos to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets. The hosts clinched the ODI series 2-1 after three players got injured in the last three overs of the first innings in Chattogram. Tanzid, who was approved as Soumya Sarkar's concussions substitute, struck a career-best 84 before Rishad went berserk, slamming 4 sixes and 5 fours more..

Mar 18 (TM) The Govt plans to complete the construction of the third phase of the Central Expressway from Pothuhera to Galagedara by 2025 and to complete the project by July 2026, Minister Bandula Gunawardana announced. Minister visited the project office located in the Lihinigiriya area of Pothuhera and attended a special presentation on the current progress of the project, which was attended by officials in charge of the project & construction company representatives. more..

Mar 18 (DM) National Unity Alliance (NUA) has called for the initiation of a Presidential Commission to thoroughly investigate into the tumultuous saga of SriLankan Airlines. The NUA expressed serious concerns regarding the govt's recent endeavours to sell the beleaguered national carrier, shedding light on the staggering debt exceeding USD 1 billion that plagues the airline. Attributing these financial woes to years of mismanagement exacerbated by political interference, more..

Mar 18 (EN) Department of Archaeology is to continue laying claim to land in the east of the island for the purpose of furthering archeological understanding, Minister Vidura Wickremenayake has said recently to reporters in Colombo. �Is it something that we shouldn�t do? We have been very myopic on these things. If you look at the point of view of a racist, then we may not be able to get along or go ahead with these types of preservations,� he said more..

Mar 18 (Island) Dam Street Police nabbed 8 private bus drivers for drugged driving, during a raid on Saturday. Police also arrested the person who had supplied the narcotics to the suspects. Dam Street Police conducted a series of raids on Saturday at several places, including Pettah, Bastian Mawatha and Gunasinghepura in Colombo. They acted on information provided by the Western Province Intelligence Division. Suspects, aged between 30 and 45 years, are residents of Kurunegala, more..

Mar 18 (DM) The Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Govt is accused of aiding and abetting a ruling party politician from the Kandy district in his alleged corrupt activities. Pradeep Yasaratne, the Ministry Secretary who is under the spotlight, attracted severe criticism for allegedly transferring A.D. Jayaratne the Divisional Secretary (DS) Udapalatha, Gampola, to Ministry pool more..

Mar 18 (DM) Due to the imposition of taxes on ingredients used for bakery products, the sale of bakery items such as bread has decreased, chairman of the National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection, Ranjith Vithanage said. He said that a tax of Rs. 50 has been imposed on imported wheat flour, egg prices have increased and a Rs. 6,000 tax has been imposed on a kilo of margarine. Therefore, since the prices of bakery items have increased, sale of bread has decreased 40% more..

Mar 18 (TM) SL�s credit to the private sector contracted by Rs. 52 billion in January 2024 with low demand for import credit and reduced private consumption as VAT hike slowed down the economy. According to Central Bank�s weekly indicators, the credit to the private sector contracted by Rs. 52.2 billion in January while net credit to the Government from the banking system increased by Rs. 50.1 billion. First Capital Chief Research and Strategy Officer, Dimantha Mathew, said more..

Mar 18 (AD) SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne has resigned from his position as a member of the COPE. Wickramaratne stated that he has handed over the resignation letter to the Speaker of the Parliament. In his resignation letter, the SJB MP mentions that the duty of the Committee is to report to Parliament on accounts examined, budgets and estimates, financial procedures, performance and management more..

Mar 18 (DM) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $100 million loan to provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka more access to finance and build their resilience to external shocks, such as the economic crisis and climate change. �SMEs play a critical role in SL�s economy, contributing 52% to the country�s gross domestic product and employ 45% of the population,� said ADB Senior Financial Sector Specialist Manohari Gunawardhena. more..

Mar 18 (TM) Chamber of Construction Industry (CCI) has proposed the appointment of a steering committee to resolve all claims disputes that have and/or will arise following the recommencement of construction projects after a hiatus of over one year. CCI CEO Nissanka Wijeratne revealed that while around 30% of public construction projects that had been suspended by the Govt had been given the green light to recommence, most had been inundated by claims disputes. more..

Mar 18 (DM) Despite SLPP insisting on an early parliamentary election, the UNP asserted that the prez election should be conducted first in accordance with the Constitution. UNP General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, in response to a query about the call for a general election, said that his party believes that the Constitution should be honored first. Bandara said the prez poll should be conducted on a day between Sept 16 and Oct 16, this year as stipulated in the Constitution. more..

Mar 18 (PTI) The increasing incidence of dengue in India & SL is not just a significant health concern but also exacts a hefty economic toll on these South Asian countries, say experts who estimate the annual losses to be in billions. Researchers highlight the dire economic consequences of this affliction caused by a virus spread through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito species, reinforcing the benefits that the region would realise if the neglected tropical disease was substantially controlled. more..

Mar 18 (DM) Some 200 people showed up at a public multi-faith funeral service in Ottawa Sunday to mourn the six people killed more than a week ago in the city's Barrhaven suburb. Organized by the Buddhist Congress of Canada (BCC), the service at the Infinity Convention Centre paid tribute to the victims: a family of newcomers to Canada from SL and their friend. Four children and two adults were killed inside a suburban more..

Mar 18 (CT) Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) Batticaloa District MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam expressed confidence that ITAK, which has garnered widespread support in the district regardless of race, religion or caste, will secure at least three seats in the upcoming General Election. Rasamanickam highlighted that the Batticaloa Branch of ITAK has resolved to unite and collaborate, overcoming past conflicts, which bodes well for increasing ITAK�s representation in Parliament. more..

Mar 18 (EN) Pho Vietnam, SL�s pioneer Vietnamese restaurant has launched Banh Mi, a fusion sandwich, which has gained worldwide acclaim, as the South Asian nation recovers from a currency crisis with a specialist chef flown down to train local staff. The restaurant has gone through tough times over the past five years with the Coronavirus pandemic which was immediately followed by an economic crisis. �There is a recovery in customers,� says Norah Phung, Founder Director more..

Mar 18 (Island) Commissioner General of the Election Commission (EC) Saman Sri Ratnayake, said that even if the govt decided to advance the parliamentary polls, the coming presidential election could not be postponed. Ratnayake said so when The Island sought his response to SLPP founder Basil Rajapaksa�s recent declaration that his party preferred a general election first. In line with the Constitution, prez and parliamentary polls more..

Mar 18 (DM) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena who is going to face a no confidence motion on Wednesday is to reveal inside details on Aragalaya including how he was pressed by some politicians to take over the presidency in violation of the constitution. Speaker's Media Secretary Indunil Yapa Abeywardena said that he will reveal these facts and some other recent happenings in a special statement in Parliament after the vote is taken up on the no faith motion against him. more..

Mar 18 (CT) Bar Association of SL (BASL) has voiced its profound concern regarding the escalating number of vacancies in the Superior Courts, reaching a critical juncture that severely impairs the functionality and integrity of the country�s justice system. In a statement, BASL pointed out that the recent retirement of a Supreme Court judge has exacerbated the situation, adding another vacancy to the already strained Supreme Court. This occurs amidst an ongoing standoff between more..

Mar 19 (CT) The reason for this article is to correct a statement recently made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe while addressing a political campaign meeting of the United National Party held in Kuliyapitiya. (See: 77 රොනී�විජේවීර ඩීල් එක ජනපති හෙළි කරයි � President reveals the 1977 Ronnie-Wijeweera Deal, and a Tik Tok post published on social media under @abeetha0325 with the heading: �ශ්‍රී ලංකා නිදහස් පක්ෂයේ මලගම� කිය කියා රැස්වීම් තියාගෙන more..

Mar 19 (GV) V. V. Ganeshananthan, also known as Sugi, is the author of the novels Brotherless Night and Love Marriage, which was longlisted for the Women�s Prize and named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post. She teaches at the Uni of Minnesota, where she is an associate professor of English. Born in Connecticut, Sugi grew up in Maryland, where her family had moved for her father�s work. A voracious reader and writer, she remembers hearing her parents, relatives more..

Mar 19 (CT) The proposed amendment to Sections 363 and 364 of the Penal Code, Chapter 19, issued on 13 Feb, is facing significant criticism, particularly from the female population of SL, who make up over half of the country�s total population. Many argue that the Bill appears to manipulate the perception of women compared to men. On one hand, it eliminates the concept of consent in cases of rape, more..

Mar 19 (TM) Today, embattled Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will face an unprecedented challenge in SL parliamentary history. The opposition, following the Govt�s railroading of the controversial Online Safety Bill�OSB�decided to table a no confidence motion (NCM) against the speaker for his alleged role in it, in a first of its kind in SL. SL�s version of democracy and parliamentary structure has seen multiple prime ministers, nearly a dozen govt ministers, more..

Mar 19 (TM) Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art SL (MMCA SL) is transforming the way we enjoy, appreciate, or engage with art. Currently located at Crescat Boulevard, Colombo 3, with plans to move to a permanent location next year, MMCA SL presents modern and contemporary art in all its forms, styles, and mediums in a way that is accessible to all. In order to understand the museum�s role and its importance, The Daily Morning reached out to MMCA Sri Lanka more..

Mar 19 (TM) With an annual budget deficit of around $ 10 billion and seemingly unable to either service the debt or cut the deficit, SL will certainly crash again, warned biodiversity scientist and public policy advocate Rohan Pethiyagoda. �So long as you spend more than you earn, you have to crash at some point. People point to Greece, but Greece was saved because it is in EU. Argentina is a much better point of comparison. more..

Mar 19 (ST) Last Sunday the nation�s lone political elephant made a grand appearance to a roaring welcome at a massive comeback rally held in Kuliyapitiya, after four long years in the wilderness, loitering on the outskirts of oblivion. As it emerged from the forest fringes, it would have found the landscape vastly different, territorial sweep it once commanded, usurped by a kindred herd who�d gone rogue. But in its gallant comeback stride, it held trunk high and trumpeted its resolve to more..

Mar 19 (ST) The govt is now in the process of devising a rules-based tax system based on principles making it simple fair and efficient with the inclusion of safeguards in all major tax laws to strengthen anti-corruption efforts. The aim is to amend all tax statutes and modernise such regulations by introducing new provisions reflecting international good practice to better ensure the effective and efficient operation of the tax administration, State Minister Ranjith more..