Jan 14 (DM) Telecommunication Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) denied reports circulating on social media about an increase in charges by telecommunication service providers for their packages. TRCSL Director Indrajith Handapangoda said that no authority has been granted to any telecommunication service providers to raise their charges. Following the reports circulating on social media, TRCSL immediately inquired with all telecom service providers. more..

Jan 14 (DM) The increasing rates of mental health challenges and suicide among young people have raised urgent concerns, demanding immediate action and intervention from parents, educators and healthcare professionals. Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Rumi Ruben, pointed out that many schoolchildren feel overwhelmed by academic expectations and social pressures. Meanwhile, adolescence is a period marked by significant academic, social and personal challenges. more..

Jan 14 (TM) SL’s Adani-owned West Container Terminal (WCT) of Colombo Port will cause a net present tax revenue loss of US$ 207 million to the Govt, over the project implementation period for the exemptions provided for the $ 650 million investment, BOI said. Officials of the BOI revealed that the $ 650 million investment for the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) Agreement signed between Colombo West Int'l Terminal Ltd more..

Jan 14 (AD) Two unidentified gunmen opened fire in front of the house of a dry fish merchant at Thalpawila, Devinuwara, targeting the businessman. The shooting occurred at around 4:45 p.m. last evening (12), with no casualties or injuries reported, said Ada Derana reporter. Police stated that two unidentified individuals arrived on a red motorcycle and opened fire with a pistol. Incident took place when the gate was opened after the suspects claimed they wanted to purchase dried fish. more..

Jan 14 (DN) Opener Pathum Nissanka’s leg injury is the biggest issue at the moment and we are awaiting his progress said coach Sanath Jayasuriya. SL cricket team returned home yesterday after the T-20 and ODI series in NZ both of which they lost 1-2. Nissanka was injured during the last ODI while he was batting. He was back in the pavilion after completing his half century and once again batted to add further 16 runs. However his availability for Australia test series is still doubtful. more..

Jan 14 (ST) The coconut industry has proposed a subsidy scheme be provided to the coconut growers in the small and medium scale category over a three year period with an allocation of Rs.3,370 million. Around 250,000 acres of coconut cultivation lands is being proposed to be provided the subsidy in 2025; 500,000 acres proposed to be covered during 2026 and 2027. The maximum amount per acre proposed to be allocated is Rs.45,000. This proposed subsidy scheme is to act as a support scheme more..

Jan 14 (DN) The vibrant and sacred festival of Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrated by Tamil people across the world. It is a magnificent festival of thanksgiving and appreciation for a bountiful harvest. It is celebrated most gloriously in the farming communities across SL and India. It celebrates the joy of a rewarding harvest. The cooking transforms the gift of agriculture into nourishment for the gods and the community on a day that Tamils traditionally believe marks more..

Jan 14 (TM) Minister Sunil Gamage said that a special investigation will be launched into alleged fraud and corruption linked to the construction of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Int'l Stadium at Diyagama, Homagama. He made this revelation, having undertaken a recent inspection visit to the venue, to look into its current deteriorating state. He said the proposed inquiries will aim to uncover irregularities, such as exorbitant costs, more..

Jan 14 (DM) Although Hindu devotees traditionally celebrated the Thai Pongal festival during previous years by preparing Pongal rice with red rice, this year they have to celebrate it by using Korra rice or Nadu rice, Jathika Paribhogika Peramuna (JPP) president, Asela Sampath said. Addressing the media, he expressed gratitude to the renaissance government for enabling people in the country to enjoy milk rice on January 1, made possible by importing rice from India. more..

Jan 14 (NW) State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) Chairman Dr. Manuj Weerasinghe, has issued a statement denying media reports claiming a recent procurement of Chlorohexidine 0.2% Mouthwash was awarded to a blacklisted supplier. According to Dr. Weerasinghe, the tender for the mouthwash was initially awarded to the lowest bidder, a company registered with the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). However, it was later discovered that the supplier had been listed as more..

Jan 14 (ST) Seven MoUs covering, among others, investment, the power sector, fisheries, and the economy will be signed during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s four-day official visit to China beginning on Tuesday, a Cabinet Minister said. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said, in addition to the MOUs, the main topics to be taken up for discussion would include China’s support for economic recovery, aligning with its assistance for the IMF’s debt-restructuring programme. more..

Jan 14 (AD) The govt is taking significant steps to address salary disparities in the education sector and elevate five key education services, including teachers and principals, to be among the 10 highest-paid professions in the country, Deputy Minister of Labour Mahinda Jayasinghe said. Speaking at an event held in Maharagama, Deputy Minister outlined the govt’s commitment to improving remuneration and addressing long-standing salary issues in the education sector. more..

Jan 14 (DN) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be on a State Visit to China from Jan 14 to 17, his first such visit to China after being elected Prez in September last. The visit is expected to have far reaching implications for the SL economy as well as for SL’s geopolitical positioning vis-à-vis India and China, regional powers competing for dominance over South Asia. Faced with the necessity to give India, the immediate and only neighbour, more..

Jan 14 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has left for China this evening (13), for a four-day official state visit. Undertaken at the invitation of Chinese Prez Xi Jinping, the visit will take place from Jan 14 to Jan 17. During this visit, Prez Dissanayake is scheduled to engage in high-level discussions with Prez Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and other senior Chinese officials, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations and explore avenues for enhanced cooperation between the two nations. more..

Jan 14 (SO) Over seventy people participated in the consultation of public opinion on electricity tariff revisions which concluded on Friday. A senior official of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) said that consultations concluded on a fairly successful note. The consultations took place with public opinion gathered from the Western Province and took place at the BMICH in Colombo. Public consultations in eight provinces have already been completed. more..

Jan 14 (TM) Since the announcement by Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala in Parliament that the State coffers would save over a billion rupees by withdrawing the security provided by the tri-forces to former presidents and VIPs, questions have arisen as to the exact figures of the savings, especially by reassigning VIP security personnel to other tasks. Upon inquiring into the monies spent to more..

Jan 14 (Island) Anura Kumara Disanayake (AKD) is the first Prez of SL not affiliated with the political duopoly of the nationalist SLFP and comprador UNP, and their offshoots which have ruled the country in turns since the 1950s. In the first elections held since the collapse of the SL economy in 2022 and its default on external debt, AKD secured 42.31% of the popular vote, while his right-wing rivals Sajith Premadasa and Ranil Wickremesinghe secured 32.76% and 17.27% respectively. more..

Jan 14 (Island) Health Ministry is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. It has become a metaphor for corruption. Irrefutable evidence has emerged about how politicians at the helm of it have enriched themselves over the years at the expense of the sick, cutting as they did shady deals to procure substandard equipment and pharmaceuticals including fake cancer drugs. There is a widely-held misconception in SL that only politicians are corrupt; bureaucrats, save a few, are no better. more..

Jan 14 (ST) There is an intriguing question in the air. Is the creeping self-sabotage of NPP Govt due to innate political clumsiness in power, the sycophantic antics of minions appointed to office who are characteristically unable to hold the chairs that they inhabit or a dangerous tendency to lean towards Orwellian control? Or it is perhaps an unpalatable mixture of all of this, I wonder? There is certainly a demonstrated inability on the part of the Govt to select proper person for the proper office more..

Jan 14 (TM) Among the important promises of the NPP Govt to the people has been to address the problem of corruption and waste. This was the centrepiece of the aragalaya protests that brought down the Govt in 2022. Govt made many other promises too when it was in the Opposition. But, unlike in the case of these other promises, such as to reduce the cost of living, the promise to reduce corruption and waste is within the power of the Govt to a greater extent than to bring down more..

Jan 14 (DM) Thai Pongal or Surya Pongal means prosperity, flourishing, growth and abundance in work, business and life. It is an important religious, social, cultural and mythological festival in Hindu mythology. Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by the Tamil Community, the world over. It is a festival of happiness, joy, peace and prosperity. Thai Pongal is a celebration by Hindus to thank the Sun God, more..

Jan 14 (FT) “They’re trampling on our graves with their boots,” said Kavitha, a Tamil woman, as the torrential rain lashing our faces washed away her tears. Standing barefoot and ankle-deep in mud at the site of a former cemetery in Visuvamadu, SL, she was lamenting the adjacent military base built on the graves of fallen LTTE fighters, including that of her brother. LTTE was an armed group dominant in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of SL that fought to establish an independent Tamil state more..

Jan 14 (TM) Sri Lankans face 2025 with much scepticism and hope that it will be a key link in the road to recovery. The island nation stands at a pivotal moment, where bold and transformative reforms can lead the battered nation towards economic recovery and sustainable development. There is an urgent need for fiscal consolidation, governance improvements, and policy modernisation. By implementing reforms that foster resilience, improve transparency and more..

Jan 14 (TM) Suggestions to address brain drain include increasing Governmental investment in higher education, establishing clear career pathways and competitive salaries, improving national systems, putting in place reimbursement-related arrangements, and political and economic reform. These suggestions were made in a letter to the Editor of the SL Journal of Nursing on the Need for change in the current more..

Jan 14 (CT) Recently, there was a shortage of rice at the controlled price. In short, AKD/NPP govt did not create this situation. The past govts, basically the previous govt, were responsible for the unexpected situation because they did not work with insight and strategically to avoid a possible rice shortage in the market. However, the bankrupt opposition used the rice shortage to brutally attack the govt, as it ended the AKD/NPP regime. Fortunately, people know well about the culprits. more..

Jan 14 (DM) The consumers in the country are clueless on the rice crisis currently prevailing in the country since October last year. It was the first major issue President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had faced since he assumed office in late September. First the prices of rice of almost all varieties which were just around Rs. 200 before the Presidential election have risen to around Rs. 250 without any shortage in the market which compelled the govt to fix controlled prices. more..

Jan 13 (DM) The taxes on vehicles may increase by up to 600% in some cases and some vehicles being subject to taxes as high as 400% or 500%, Vehicle Importers Association of SL (VIASL) said. VIASL President explained that although the govt issued a gazette notification, it only mentioned the excise duty percentages imposed on vehicle imports. The final cost of a vehicle is determined after calculating more..

Jan 13 (TM) Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) is set to lodge complaints with law enforcement authorities tomorrow, seeking an investigation into allegations that the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) Tender Board awarded a Rs. 37 million antiseptic mouthwash tender to a blacklisted company. It is learnt that the MCPA plans to lodge complaints with the CIABOC and CID of the Police Department. MCPA President, Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa more..

Jan 13 (DM) The Catholic Church of Sri Lanka urged the govt to carryout a fresh probe on the bomb drama at All Saints Church Borella which took place exactly three years ago and bring the perpetrators to book. A protest was held yesterday to mark the third anniversary of the incident where a hand grenade was found inside the church on Jan 11, 2022. The caretaker of the church was arrested then in connection of this and later he was released. Church then said that he was harassed and more..

Jan 13 (EN) SL Customs has agreed to work 24 hours to clear a backlog of import containers at Colombo Port following discussion with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. “To expedite the clearance process, SL Customs officers agreed to operate continuously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” the statement said. SL Customs officials were doing more checks on import containers, an official was shown saying on television. more..

Jan 13 (TM) Prof. Krishantha Abeysena, Minister of Science and Technology called on public officials to carry out their duties independently, free from any political interference stating that the Government will protect public officials from external pressures. The minister made these remarks addressing a meeting held with govt officials attached to Wattala-Mabola Urban Council. He stated that, “You should perform your responsibilities without fear or favour. Govt will not interfere with your work, more..

Jan 13 (EN) Sri Lanka will reactivate a suspended tender a for a liquefied natural gas terminal to power at least two large combined cycle plants, and lower their costs, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody said. “There is a suspended tender,” Minister Jayakody told parliament. “We will reactivate it and quickly implement it.” “We have two plants in particular which are supposed to run on LNG, but is running on liquid fuel at the moment, which is more expensive.” An international competitive tender more..