January 18, Colombo (LNW): The Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) indicates appreciation against the US Dollar today (18) in comparison to yesterday, as per leading commercial banks in the country.
At Peoples Bank, the buying price of the US Dollar has dropped to Rs. 315.05 from Rs. 315.79, and the selling price to Rs. 326.03 from Rs. 326.79.
At Commercial Bank, the buying price of the US Dollar has dropped to Rs. 314.05 from Rs. 315.42, and the selling price to Rs. 325 from Rs. 325.50.
At Sampath Bank, the buying price of the US Dollar has dropped to Rs. 315.50 from Rs. 317, and the selling price to Rs. 324.50 from Rs. 326.
January 18, Colombo (LNW): Non-academic staff members of state universities have initiated a one-day token strike this (18) morning to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to raise allowances for lecturers.
Earlier this month, the Cabinet of Ministers approved President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s resolution to increase the study allowance for university lecturers by 25 per cent, with the adjustment set to be reflected in their January salaries.
However, the University Trade Union Joint Committee has raised concerns about this decision, asserting that the salary increase for lecturers has caused unrest among non-academic staff members.
There is need for a comprehensive approach, the committee emphasised, urging authorities to consider raising the salaries and allowances for all employees if adjustments are made in the university sector.
Co-Secretary of the Inter-University Trade Union Federation, K.L.D.G. Richmond, stated that 23 trade unions are participating in this token strike.
Simultaneously, the past week witnessed disruptions in hospital services as various health sector trade unions, including paramedical services, supplementary medical services, and nursing officers, engaged in token strikes.
These actions were in response to the Cabinet’s decision to double the Disturbance, Availability, and Transport (DAT) allowance for government doctors, increasing it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.
The series of strikes across different sectors reflects the growing concerns and discontent among various employee groups regarding recent government decisions on allowances and salary adjustments.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe, currently in Davos, Switzerland, due to leave for Uganda to attend the 19th Non-Aligned Summit: leaders of around 120 countries expected at the Conference: President scheduled to hold bilateral talks with leaders of several African countries to seek their cooperation at the UN Human Rights Council.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe attends roundtable discussion hosted by Consortium of Indian Industry: unveils “economic vision” for SL: emphasizes the successful resolution of supply bottlenecks, removal of import restrictions & restoration of foreign exchange liquidity as key factors contributing to sustained economic growth.
Cement Industry sources say the construction sector is facing it’s toughest period in history due to the negative effects of the sharp reduction of construction activities since the start of 2023: also says the contraction has pushed the industry into near collapse: asserts this fate is inevitable with the anticipated exponential rise of operational costs, following the introduction of VAT in Jan’24.
Mahanayaka Theras bless Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and say the mission started with the goal of freeing the country from the menace of drugs and controlling the crime wave must continue until the end, regardless of obstacles: assert it is in the national interest to free the country from the menace of drugs.
Livestock Planning Directorate of the Dept of Animal Production & Health says 14,294 cattle farms in Sri Lanka have closed during the period Jan to Sept’23: 6,961 in Uva Province, 964 in North-Western, 894 in Eastern, 723 in North-Central, 665 in Southern, 2,289 in Central, 847 in Sabaragamuwa: 376 cattle farms in the Jaffna district and 31 in Mullaitivu district have also closed.
SL’s Tea exports for 2023 earn USD 1.31bn compared with USD 1.26bn in 2022: however, volume of tea exported in 2023 witnesses a decline of 3.3%, with only 241.9 mn kg being exported, marking a decrease of 8.26 mn kg compared to the 250.2 mn kg shipped in 2022.
Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara claims the relevant officials of the Finance, Economic Stabilisation and National Policies Ministry are working without any understanding regarding the protection of the fishing community and the industry.
Three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court quashes the Presidential pardon granted by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to former MP Duminda Silva who was convicted of murder: make order that the pardon had no legal basis.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe pardons 2 prisoners – Nagalingam Madansekar & Selvathurai Kirubakaran, who had been serving life sentences for LTTE activities after being convicted under the PTA & Emergency Regulations: the pardons had been recommended by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and backed by a Prisons Dept report that said the duo had “displayed good behaviour”.
Shevoni Gunawardena takes Power-lifting games by storm: sets records at the National Power-lifting Championship 2023 in over 84kg weight class – in squat 120kg, bench press 57.5kg, and deadlift 153.5kg.
January 18, Colombo (LNW): The residents of Horton Place have voiced their opposition to the Colombo Municipal Council’s (CMC) proposal to rename the road as “Ponnambalam Arunachalam Mawatha”, Daily Mirror reported citing residents.
Former Mayor of Colombo, Omar Kamil, raised concerns about the proposed renaming, highlighting that residents in the area received notices calling for objections to the change.
Kamil questioned the rationale behind passing a motion for renaming when the council has reportedly ceased to function for the past year.
The distributed notice informed residents about the motion passed by the CMC, outlining the proposed new name for the road. The specified stretch falls within the administration limits of the CMC, starting from assessment number 75 of C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha and assessment number 75 of Horton Place, terminating between assessment numbers 11 and 120 of Horton Place.
Kamil also questioned the necessity of renaming the road, especially when there is already an avenue named Ponnambalam Arunachalam Avenue in close proximity, just off Horton Place, according to Daily Mirror report.
Former CMC Member Shermila Gonawala, commenting on the matter, indicated that no such motion had been presented during the council’s active days.
Gonawala conveyed that concerned residents, particularly women residing along Horton Place, had reached out to her, expressing their apprehensions about the proposed change.
They highlighted the potential inconvenience of altering various official documents if the renaming were to proceed.
The proposed renaming has sparked discussions and objections from residents, prompting a closer examination of the decision-making process and its impact on the local community, the report added.
January 18, Colombo (LNW): In the initial 15 days of 2024, Sri Lanka has welcomed 102,000 tourists, marking a comparable figure to the entirety of the first month of the preceding year, Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Priyantha Fernando disclosed.
The parallel figure between the early days of 2024 and the entirety of January in the previous year reflects the ongoing trends in tourist arrivals.
It provides an early insight into the tourism sector’s performance, hinting at a potential continuation of patterns observed in 2023.
Notably, Sri Lanka registered a total of 1,482,000 tourist arrivals in 2023. This figure, while indicating a substantial influx of visitors, also underscores the challenges and opportunities facing the country’s tourism industry.
The consistent flow of tourists, even in the early days of 2024, signals both the appeal of Sri Lanka as a destination and the resilience of the tourism sector despite global uncertainties.
However, it remains essential to closely monitor how these trends evolve over the course of the year, taking into account various factors that influence global travel patterns.
January 18, Colombo (LNW): Former MP Duminda Silva, who is subject to a reinstated murder conviction, is currently receiving medical care at Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital under prison security following the suspension of the presidential pardon granted to him by the Supreme Court in 2022, the Prisons Department disclosed.
The department has communicated Silva’s medical treatment status at Jayewardenepura Hospital to relevant authorities, including the court, Prisons Spokesperson Gamini B Dissanayake confirmed.
The Prisons Department has requested the transfer of Silva to the Prisons Hospital, yet the treating specialist has advised continuing treatment at the current facility, despite the department’s preference.
Notably, the Prisons Department lacks a specialist doctor to override the recommendations of Silva’s treating physicians.
Following the suspension of the presidential pardon by the Supreme Court, Silva was apprehended by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) while undergoing medical treatment at Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital on June 1, 2022.
The former MP’s sudden adherence to medical care highly reflects his motive of evading the restored conviction over the assassination of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra in 2011, critics argued.
Silva was granted presidential pardon by ex President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, reversing his murder conviction declared by the Supreme Court in 2016.
Rajapaksa’s decision was challenged before the Supreme Court by filing fundamental rights (FR) petitions by former MP Hirunika Premachandra, her mother Sumana Premachandra, and former Human Rights Commissioner Ghazali Hussain.
The Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices P. Padman Surasena, Gamini Amarasekara, and Arjuna Obeysekara unanimously concluded that the pardon granted to Duminda Silva by Gotabaya Rajapaksa was flawed and therefore, unlawful.
January 18, Colombo (LNW): 50 wild elephants fell victim to electrocution over the past year, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Deputy General Manager (Business & Operational Strategy) and media spokesman Eng. K.A. Noel Priyantha disclosed.
This tragic outcome resulted from the illegal connection of CEB power lines to fences protecting farmlands, he asserted.
Priyantha highlighted that a total of 474 wild elephants lost their lives due to various human activities during the same period.
The CEB has initiated legal proceedings against individuals engaging in the unauthorised use of electricity to harm elephants.
In a bid to combat this issue and protect the elephant population in the country, the CEB is seeking public support. To facilitate immediate reporting of incidents related to the illicit connection of power lines to cultivation fences, the CEB has introduced an emergency hotline with the number 1987.
January 18, Colombo (LNW): Several spells of showers will occur in North-Central, Eastern and Uva provinces and in Mullaitivu district, with a few showers being expected in Central, Sabaragamuwa, North-western and Southern provinces, the Department of Meteorology said in its daily weather forecast today (18).
Mainly fair weather will prevail elsewhere in the island, the statement added.
Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and in Galle and Matara districts during the morning.
Marine Weather:
Condition of Rain:
Several spells of showers may occur in the sea areas off the coast extending from Mullaitivu to Pottuvil via Trincomalee and Batticaloa, and few showers can be expected in other sea areas around the island.
Winds:
Winds will be north-easterly to easterly and wind speed will be (20-30) kmph.
January 17, Colombo (LNW): The Police today (17) utilised water cannons and tear gas to disperse a protest organised by the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) near the University of Sri Jayawardenapura.
The demonstration aimed at highlighting and seeking solutions to the challenges confronting the state university system.
As the protest march approached Wijerama from the university’s front, law enforcement deployed tear gas and water cannons on five separate occasions.
The confrontations resulted in heated situations between the police and the participating students.
January 17, Colombo (LNW): The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on International Relations recently convened to address matters concerning the National Oceanic Affairs Committee Secretariat, an entity affiliated with the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Under the chairmanship of MP Akila Ellawala, the committee discussed the current role, challenges faced, and future plans of the National Oceanic Affairs Committee Secretariat.
Dr. N. P. Vijayananda, the current Chairman of the Secretariat, highlighted the potential utilization of a sea area extending 250 nautical miles beyond the exclusive economic zone, which is 200 nautical miles from the country’s land. Dr. Vijayananda emphasized that, according to the United Nations Charter on the Law of the Sea, agreements with regional countries, including ongoing negotiations with India, are necessary for such activities. The discussed oceanic region holds significance for Sri Lanka in terms of fuel exploration and biodiversity.
In response to these discussions, the Committee Chair stressed the importance of expediting these activities in coordination with the Defence Ministry. He expressed the intention to formally request the Minister in charge of the subject to facilitate the necessary actions.
The meeting, attended by Committee members and MPs Madhura Withanage, S. M. M. Mushaaraff, as well as officials representing the Foreign Affairs Ministry, emphasized the strategic importance of leveraging oceanic resources for economic activities in Sri Lanka.
