Mar 21 (DM) Int'l Centre for Foreign Studies (ICFS) is set to host a special spot admissions program for students, especially in the N&E provinces, who aspire to pursue higher education opportunities in countries such as Canada, UK and Germany for the upcoming September 2024 intake. Chathurika Dissanayake, CEO of ICFS Education Center said they plan to host a special 2-day program called Project Education Yalpanan on March 30 and 31 at the Jetwing Hotel in Jaffna, free of charge. more..

Mar 21 (AD) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) has raised concerns about the recent trend of using currency notes to prepare ornaments and gift items and promotion of such activities through social media. In a special notice issued to the members of the public, the CBSL�s Superintendent of Currency advised against wilful mutilation or defacement of currency notes. Pursuant to Section 55 of CBSL Act, No. 16 of 2023, any person found guilty of cutting or perforating; affixing any seal or stamp by more..

Mar 21 (DM) COPE Chairman MP Rohitha Abeygunawardane asked today if he was fit to be elected as a MP, why he cannot function as the Chairman of the COPE. Abeygunawardane told Parliament that Standing Orders must include qualifications required to hold the Chairmanship of Parliamentary Committees such as COPE and COPA. �We must include in Standing Orders the educational qualifications required to hold the Chairmanship of the COPE, COPA and more..

Mar 21 (AD) IMF staff and the SL authorities have reached staff-level agreement on economic policies to conclude the second review of the 4-year EFF-supported program and the 2024 Article IV Consultation. Once the review is approved by IMF Management and completed by the IMF Executive Board, SL will have access to SDR 254 million (about US$337 mil) in financing, bringing the total IMF financial support disbursed under more..

Mar 21 (EN) Sri Lanka is to allocate 7.5 billion rupees for fertiliser subsidies this yala season for paddy cultivation or other agricultural needs, Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has said. �The government will allocate 7,500 million rupees to facilitate farmers to buy fertilizer required for paddy cultivation in the 2024 yala season, or to use for other agricultural needs,� Minister Mahinda Amaraweera was quoted in a statement by the Department of Govt Information. more..

Mar 21 (AD) Four persons including FSP activist Duminda Nagamuwa and youth activist Lahiru Weerasekara, who were arrested during the demonstration by the Jana Aragala Viyaparaya in Colombo yesterday, have been remanded until March 27 by the Fort Magistrate�s Court. Accordingly, the court ordered to remand in custody Duminda Nagamuwa, Lahiru Weerasekara, Ven. Rathkarawwe Jinarathana Thero and a female arrested during yesterday�s protest. more..

Mar 21 (AD) The vote on the no-confidence motion against Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, was defeated in the Parliament today, following a three-day debate. The Speaker survived the no-confidence motion, moved by the SJB, by a majority of 42 votes. A total of 117 lawmakers had voted against the motion while 75 voted in favour. Accordingly, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will continue to function as more..

Mar 21 (ADB) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) for SL covering the period 2024�2028. The strategy will focus on restoring the country�s macroeconomic stability, reviving growth, and establishing the foundation for sustainable recovery and resilience. �This new partnership strategy will build on ADB�s ongoing assistance to support the country�s efforts to restore macroeconomic stability, and to achieve green and long-term sustainable growth,� more..

Mar 21 (Reuters) Australia will begin enforcing tougher visa rules for foreign students this week as official data showed migration hit another record high, which is likely to further exacerbate an already tight rental market. From Saturday, English language requirements for student and graduate visas will be increased, while the government will get the power to suspend education providers from recruiting int'l students if they repeatedly break rules. �The actions this weekend will continue to drive more..

Mar 21 (TM) Tea Exports for the month of February totalled 22.31 M/kg, showing a positive variance of 3.76 M/kg vis-�-vis 18.55 M/kg of Feb 2023. All categories except for Tea Packets and Green Tea have shown improvements in comparison with the corresponding month of the previous year. F.O.B value in February was recorded at Rs.1,789.43, a decline of Rs. 250.82 y-o-y compared to Rs. 2,040.25 of February 2023. All categories have witnessed negative variances in SLR term more..

Mar 21 (Island) SLPP MP S. B. Dissanayake told Parliament that misinformation was being disseminated about the recent salary revision at the Central Bank (CBSL). Participating in an exchange of views after COPF Chairman Harsha de Silva presented the COPF report to the House on the CBSL salary issue, Dissanayake said that there were some facts that had been overlooked in the process. CBSL employees got their salary increment once in three years. more..

Mar 21 (DM) The approval rating of the govt fell from 9% in October 2023 to 7% in Feb 2024, according to the latest round of the Gallup style Mood of the Nation poll of Verit� Research. The survey showed that only 9% rated the current economic conditions as either excellent or good, which is a drop from 16% in Oct 2023. Further, 90% thought that the economic conditions in the country were getting worse, whereas in Oct 2023 only 66% had more..

Mar 21 (FT) Any business depends and improves mainly based on the trust placed by the customers. In order to gain and enhance this trust, application of ethics in business is of paramount importance. Banking is a business that purely depends upon the trust placed by not only its customers but also by the general public. Transparency, fairness and sound decision-making are the cornerstones of a strong banking business. All these are more related to ethics in banking than of complying with rules more..

Mar 21 (DM) SLPP stalwart Basil Rajapaksa, in response to a query about the former Prez�s decision to ban chemical farming, said a leader should take final responsibility for any decision taken by him. �I don�t know. A leader may consult others for making a decision. Once a decision is made, he should take the responsibility,� Basil Rajapaksa said. Asked why he, as a responsible member of the govt, did not advise the then Prez who is his elder brother said he could advise but any leader should take more..

Mar 21 (TM) Amidst the appreciating spree of the SL Rupee, Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe anticipates SL Rupee (LKR) to reach 280 levels by June, leading to a decrease in the prices of goods. We anticipate the rupee will continue to strengthen next year as well. Further, Wickremesinghe highlighted that if SL continues to rely on borrowing to address the imbalance between imports and exports, the nation will inevitably confront more..

Mar 21 (CI) Chandika Hathurusinghe expects his young Bangladesh players to pounce on the experienced Sri Lankans in the first Test, starting in Sylhet on Friday. "We understand that SL has an experienced batting line-up," Hathurusinghe said, referring to the fact that Angelo Mathews (107), Dimuth Karunaratne (89) and Dinesh Chandimal (77) have played more Tests - 273 - than the entire Bangladesh side - 270. "They are a formidable side. Couple of the guys [only Mathews] maybe more..

Mar 21 (DM) Despite the prolonged drought, water levels in hydro and irrigation reservoirs in the country are still sufficient, ensuring no need for power cuts in the near future, the authorities said. Ministry of Power and Energy assures no need for power cuts until end of April as hydropower plants have sufficient water reserves. Thanks to heavy rains received two months prior, all hydro and irrigation reservoirs have attained ample water capacity, with some even reaching their spill levels, more..

Mar 21 (AD) Minister Bandula Gunawardena, who was on an official visit to the USA to take part in a conference organized by the World Bank, has returned to the island last night (20), under the directives of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Following his arrival to the island, Gunawardena clarified that he was called back to the island to participate in crucial vote of the no-confidence motion against the Speaker, which is scheduled to be held this evening (21). more..

Mar 21 (Island) Police have arrested a police constable with four girls following a raid on a hotel in the Moratuwa police area on Tuesday (19). Sources said that the arrested PC is attached to the Angulana police station. Responding to The Island queries, sources said that Moratuwa police raided the hotel immediately after those manning a checkpoint recovered 20 mg of heroin from a police constable driving a car. Under interrogation, the policeman, attached to Dehiaththakandiya police, more..

Mar 21 (CI) It's been nearly two years since these two sides faced each other in the longest format of the game. Such is the paucity of Test cricket on offer for teams outside of the Big Three these days - Bangladesh have played eight Tests to SL's 11 since their last contest - there's not much by way of a body of work to discern any emerging trends in these sides. For Bangladesh, the most recent series at home was against NZ more..

Mar 21 (DM) A suspected underworld gunman was killed following a shootout with STF personnel at Ganemulla last night. The suspect in question had opened fire at STF personnel who were engaged in searching a house at Sumedha Mawatha in Ganemulla last night, based on intelligence information received. He was critically injured when police returned fire while the suspect succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the Ragama Hospital. more..

Mar 21 (DM) The senior representatives of the financial sector yesterday raised significant concerns about the govt�s commitment to enacting the necessary legislation for the introduction of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in SL. SL moving towards digital currencies came under fresh spotlight at BankTech Asia 2024: Colombo. Addressing a panel discussion, Lankapay Chairman Dr. Kenneth De Zilwa expressed scepticism about the feasibility of the proposed CBDC and questioned more..

Mar 21 (EN) The purchase price of a wind power plant in Mannar, SL built by India�s Adani has now been lowered to 8.85 US cents in the latest negotiations, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. �They are now proposing 8.85 US cents or about 26.90 rupees,� Minister Wijesekera told parliament. The private plant has drawn controversy because it was not coming through competitive bidding and the initial price demanded more..

Mar 21 (Island) Speaker�s authority in legislative Councils all over the world is supreme, however in SL in the current parliament we are not seeing that being demonstrated. It is drawn from the Speaker�s absolute and unwavering impartiality. This obligation of impartiality is demonstrated when the Speaker is only entitled to vote in the case of an equality of votes, said SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne, opening the debate on the second day of the No Confidence Motion in Parliament on Wednesday (20). more..

Mar 21 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has unveiled immediate plans to swiftly develop the Mahaweli A and B zones, previously overlooked by the Mahaweli project, as part of the nation�s transition towards a modern agricultural economy. Further, he emphasized that this initiative would bring significant benefits to the people residing in these areas. Without the pioneering efforts of the late Mr. Gamini Dissanayake in implementing the Mahaweli project, which revolutionized more..

Mar 32 (DM) SL is a country of mixed fortunes to a total outsider. There is news of doctors leaving the shores in numbers and also tourists arriving in droves to enjoy the scenic beauty of the country. As many as close to 450 medical professionals had left the country during recent times because they were not satisfied with what it had to offer them. On the contrary tourists from overseas are landing here in large numbers because they are happy with what SL can offer them in the paradise island. more..

Mar 32 (CT) Gotabaya Rajapaksa has well explained his own tragedy where the protagonist comprehends his insignificance. To comprehend a self-diagnosis with an insignificance is neither an act of cowardice but the opposite; this value of Gotabaya�s self-diagnosis must be appreciated. Bombs directly impact election results in South Asia, as discussed in my book Conundrum of an Island. The last major bomb attack in SL, the Easter Sunday Terror attack, certainly altered the voter path more..

Mar 32 (DM) A recent post on social media revealed that three purple-faced langurs near the Thalangama Lake were shot at; allegedly with an air rifle following which two animals had succumbed to injuries. Being a highly commercialised area with the last remaining patches of wetlands and paddy lands, Thalangama is home to an abundance of urban wildlife. From jungle cats to fishing cats, jackals, purple-faced langurs and a variety of more..

Mar 22 (GV) Exploitation of women continues within patriarchal societies and marriages. Forced marriages is one of the more notorious examples; the most extreme version of this, is a form of modern day slavery. In 2017, the International Labour Organization (ILO) designated this in its statistics for the first time. Recent estimates indicate that 22 million people globally are living under forced marriages. By making the current gendered order appear normal and natural, more..

Mar 22 (TM) Crime in SL has been a notable issue from the 1970-80�s and has systematically developed to a national security challenge over multiple generations. Organised crime, which was visible during the 1990�s and early 2000�s, especially with links to some political figures, has flourished in the post conflict SL. While there have been many attempts to completely root out organised crime, which going by international experience seems like a utopian dream, the lack of a sustained more..

Mar 22 (TM) A Women�s Commission is to be established under a new law to help protect women�s rights, although questions remain as to why existing institutions meant to protect women are not functioning as they should. On 7 March, the Govt issued the Women Empowerment Bill, with President Ranil Wickremesinghe announcing that it was aimed at empowering women and would be tabled in Parliament in May. more..

Mar 22 (CT) From Nov 30th last year, the SL Rupee is appreciating against the US Dollar gradually. The Rupee value of a dollar on November 30th was Rs. 329 and the same on March 20th was Rs. 304. Sri Lanka is experiencing an appreciation of the Rupee for a second time. Over decades the value of the Dollar in Rupees increased gradually. During the economic crisis for a short period from March 7th 2022 to May 13th 2022 the value of a Dollar in Rupees increased from Rs. 202 to Rs. 369. more..

Mar 22 (TM) In the rural town of Morawaka located in Southern SL, home to tea estates and paddy fields, Ramya is finally a mother to a baby girl. She was born after an experience of an umbilical cord prolapse, a condition where the umbilical cord gets out of the body before the baby and risks cutting off the baby�s blood and oxygen supply. Ramya�s daughter was born safe � although in a surprising twist � aboard an ambulance, one of the world�s most digitally advanced and more..

Mar 22 (FT) Consulate General of SL in Dubai orchestrated a grand event at the Hilton Hotel, Habtoor City, Dubai, UAE, on 8 March unveiling the rich tapestry of SL�s multifaceted offerings under the theme Sri Lanka Beyond Your Dreams. The event was a resounding success, focusing on promoting SL�s potential in tourism, investment, trade and foreign employment. The year 2024 commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the elevation of the Consulate�s status to Consulate General, more..

Mar 22 (ST) The inmates of Pallansena Correctional Centre for Youth Offenders netted in a revenue of nearly Rs. 1.5 million last year by supplying coir mats to the prison sector. Assistant Prison Superintendent H.M Subash Nilanga Upuldeniya said the prisons that obtain coir from the correction centre also make four times their revenue. He said the Pallansena correction centre maintains a coconut cultivation that yields a harvest every two months. more..