National Development Bank PLC (NDB Bank), together with Visa, a global leader in digital payments, has launched Card Present Connect (CPC), an in-person digital payment acceptance solution powered by Cybersource, Visa’s open payment platform that supports both online and offline transactions. As one of the leading global payment gateways within Visa Acceptance Solutions for businesses, Cybersource enables secure payment processing across international card schemes. Through this collaboration, NDB Bank introduces a reliable and future-ready payment acceptance solution to small and medium-sized businesses in Sri Lanka, making in-person card payments more efficient and secure through CPC.
The launch marks the first implementation of Card Present Connect within Visa’s South Asia market, positioning NDB Bank at the forefront of next-generation acquiring solutions in the region. The solution enables businesses to accept EMV chip, contactless, and mobile wallet payments using Android SmartPOS devices, low-cost card readers, or tap-to-phone technology—offering a modern and flexible alternative to traditional point-of-sale systems. For merchants, this translates into lower costs, faster onboarding, enhanced security, and improved access to both local and international customers, supporting their ability to compete and grow in increasingly cashless economies.
From an acquiring perspective, the solution delivers enhanced cost efficiency, faster go-to-market capabilities, and simplified deployment through Visa’s pre-integrated partner ecosystem. By eliminating the need to build and maintain complex in-house payment infrastructure, the platform enables acquiring banks such as NDB to scale efficiently while maintaining full compliance, reliability, and security.
Sanjaya Perera – Senior Vice President Personal Banking & Customer Experience at NDB, added, Our expansion into in-person digital payments acceptance marks an important step in supporting local entrepreneurs and mid-market enterprises. With Visa’s global technology and NDB Bank’s strong local relationships, we are delivering the next generation of payment acceptance that is seamless, secure, and sustainable. This initiative empowers businesses with innovative solutions that simplify transactions, reduce operational costs, and enhance customer experience. Through collaborations like this, we reaffirm our commitment to driving financial inclusion and fostering economic growth for Sri Lanka’s vibrant business community.”
Avanthi Colombage, Country Manager for Sri Lanka and Maldives, Visa, said,We are pleased to partner with NDB Bank to bring yet another breakthrough solution by Cybersource, that can accelerate the growth trajectory of the Sri Lankan business community. For SMBs, traditional POS terminals can be expensive, complex, or tied to long-term contracts. This in-person digital payment acceptance solution bridges that gap by streamlining merchant onboarding, improving operational efficiency and reducing infrastructure dependency for acquiring banks. By helping NDB Bank expand from online to in-person acceptance, we are democratizing card acceptance and enabling merchants of all sizes with the tools, technology, and trust they need to thrive in an increasingly cashless economy. This collaboration reflects Visa and NDB Bank’s shared vision of advancing inclusive digital payments in Sri Lanka and building a financial ecosystem that sustains this agenda well into the future.”
Together Visa and NDB Bank are redefining Sri Lanka’s acquiring landscape by democratizing card acceptance, enhancing merchant agility, and enabling faster, more inclusive access to digital payments across the country.
About Visa Inc.
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
About NDB Bank.
NDB Bank is the fourth-largest listed commercial bank in Sri Lanka. NDB was named Sri Lanka’s Best Digital Bank for SMEs at Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025 and was awarded awards Domestic Retail Bank of the Year – Sri Lanka and Islamic Banking Initiative of the Year – Sri Lanka at the Asian Banking & Finance Retail Banking Awards 2025. NDB is the parent company of the NDB Group, comprising capital market subsidiary companies, together forming a unique banking and capital market services group. The Bank is committed to empowering the nation and its people through meaningful financial and advisory services powered by digital banking solutions.
Comments Off on A First in Visa’s South Asia Market: NDB Bank and Visa Launch Card Present Connect to Transform POS Acceptance in Sri Lanka
Colombo, Feb. 5 (Daily Mirror) – The Supreme Court today ordered the University Grants Commission to admit the son of the former Defence Attache to Moscow, to the Medical Faculty of a local university after a Fundamental Rights petition was filed challenging his rejection.
The Supreme Court made the order that the three year mandatory study requirement for children of Defence Attaches in a foreign country to be eligible for admission to a local university was in violation of the Fundamental Rights of the petitioner.
Earlier, the son of the former Defence Attache to Moscow Group Captain S.R. Jayaratne’s son, Damsith Jayaratne filed a Fundamental Rights petition before the Supreme Court after the University Grants Commission refused his application to enter a local university.
The Defence Attache was posted to Moscow in July 2023 and served till September 30, 2025. The entire family accompanied the Attache to Moscow, where his son studied the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum equivalent to the local G.C.E Advanced level curriculum. The son passed all of his subjects obtaining A grades.
He thereafter applied to a local university under the foreign student category but was denied entry because he did not complete three years of education in Moscow.
The petitioner told court that his father was posted to Moscow only for a period of two years and that his academic the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum equivalent to the local G.C.E Advanced Level curriculum was only for a period of two years.
Accordingly, he said the mandatory requirement discriminated him and all Defence Attaches’ children who are posted only for limited periods, resulting in limited periods of study for their children.
Justice Arjuna Obeysekere delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court stated that the decision to refuse entry by the University Grants Commission is a decision which a non-sensible authority acting with due appreciation of its responsibilities would have decided to adopt” and ordered the petitioner to be admitted to a Medical Faculty of a local university immediately.
Hafeel Farisz with Nishika Fonseka appeared for the petitioner. Deputy Solicitor General Ganga Wakishtarachchi appeared for the University Grants Commission.
Comments Off on Supreme Court says UGC violated FR of former Moscow Defence Attache’s son
The Speaker of Parliament and his Private Secretary should step down until investigations into a bribery complaint against them are concluded, according to SJB Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekara.
Speaking in Parliament today (5), Jayasekara urged the President and the government to address the matter, asserting that remaining in office during the probe is ethically inappropriate.
The MP noted that his attempt to raise a question of privilege regarding the complaint earlier this morning was blocked by the Speaker.
Following the formal tabling of the complaint—which was originally filed at the Bribery Commission by the suspended Deputy Secretary General of Parliament—Jayasekara called for their voluntary resignation on moral grounds.
The complaint alleges serious misuse of state property, which the opposition argues disqualifies the Speaker from presiding over parliamentary proceedings.
Jayasekara emphasized that this is a historic and unprecedented situation, as no high-ranking parliamentary official has leveled such grave accusations against a Speaker in the country’s history.
Comments Off on Dayasiri Jayasekara calls for Speaker’s resignation
Calls to repeal Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) ignore a crucial reality: the PTA is the only legal framework that grants enforceable rights to terrorism suspects while allowing the state to combat violent extremism. Removing it would not end counter‑terrorism efforts—it would simply push them outside the law.
Without the PTA, the government, security forces, people and non-state actors will still act against terrorists, but through extra‑judicial methods with no oversight, no judicial review, and no accountability. Sri Lanka has a long history of such practices when required, and the absence of a legal mechanism like the PTA would leave suspects with fewer protections, not more.
The PTA was introduced in 1979 after the Tamil terrorist attack on an Air Ceylon flight bound to London from Ratmalana. It did not create counter‑terrorism operations; it regulated them. Repealing it would be like removing gloves in a boxing match—actions will continue, but with far harsher consequences for suspects and terrorists. National security does not pause for anyone and anything. Only the means change, not the action.
Comments Off on Repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act Will Escalate Terrorism and Abuse of Suspects
Colombo, Feb. 4 (Daily Mirror) – Sri Lanka’s ambition to become an oil-producing nation has faced a setback, with the planned international tender process for offshore oil and gas exploration and development delayed due to a court case initiated in the past, an official said yesterday.
The Sri Lanka Petroleum Development Authority (SLPDA) had planned to call for international bids early this month. However, the process could not be initiated because of the ongoing legal issue.
Exploration conducted in 2011 by India’s Cairn India identified hydrocarbon deposits in two wells—Barracuda and Dorado—in the Mannar Basin.
The Petroleum Resources Act No. 21 of 2021 stipulates that oil and gas exploration and development must be undertaken through an international competitive bidding process. Sri Lanka’s offshore area consists of four sub-basins—Cauvery, Mannar, South Lanka and East Lanka—with past discoveries confirming a proven petroleum system in the Mannar Basin.
The international bidding round was initially scheduled to be launched in December. However, it was delayed after the Attorney General’s Department requested additional time to review and clear the related documents.
Commenting on the current status, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Chairman D.A. Rajakaruna said the tender process would be further delayed due to unresolved legal issues.
We are now in discussions with the Attorney General’s Department to clear all outstanding matters. The tender process will be initiated once everything is resolved,” he said.
According to a 2021 press release issued by the Parliamentary Media Unit, oil and gas resources in the Mannar Basin have been valued at approximately US$ 267 billion.
Meanwhile, oil companies from countries such as Qatar and India have already expressed interest in participating in Sri Lanka’s oil and gas exploration and development projects.
Comments Off on Sri Lanka’s dream of becoming an oil-producing nation hits a snag
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Colombo, Feb. 4 (Daily Mirror) – The proposed ‘Protection of Occupants Bill’ is under fire as it has got three foreign companies to leave Sri Lanka while eight other local companies are expected to file fundamental rights cases against it, an Opposition MP told Parliament yesterday.
MP Ravi Karunanayake who came up with this information in Parliament urged the Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara to look into the matter.
Sri Lanka cannot afford to lose foreign investors,” he added.
MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said the new Bill does not seem to care for the house owners but only focus on tenants. People will be reluctant to rent houses in the future,” he said.
MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake who came up with a more serious allegation said those who have been affected by Cyclone Ditwah in the Badulla District have not been able to rent a house because of this new law. They have not been able to rent houses despite receiving Rs 25,000 granted by the government to rent houses,” the MP said.
Minister Nanayakkara who responded said only landlords who act highhandedly will be affected by the new legislation. “Landlords should not act with fear but should rent their houses,” he said. He said the general public could file objections against the Bill and it could be subjected to amendments later.
The new legislation provides legal provisions for a tenant who has rented a house to charge a house owner for contempt of court.
The Protection of Occupants Bill provides provisions for a house owner to be dealt with contempt of court where a fiscal is resisted or obstructed by a respondent or any other person from carrying out an order given by the courts. Accordingly, the court could require a house owner to show cause within 14 days from the date of such notice as to why he should not be dealt with contempt of court.
A house owner who is found guilty of contempt of court will be fined Rs 500,000 or subjected to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or both such as a fine and imprisonment.
The Bill also prohibits a house owner from discontinuing any essential supply such as water or electricity. Further, a landlord cannot refuse, withhold or refuse to allow a tenant to repair any essential supply or utility service provided to the occupant. A house owner is prevented from evicting a tenant in contravention of terms and conditions of any lease agreement. In addition the new laws prevent a house owner from using threats to evict a tenant from a rented house.
Comments Off on Govt.’s ’Protection of Occupants Bill’ under fire
Colombo, Feb. 4 (Daily Mirror) – Colonialism has become active in a different form in Sri Lanka and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said today.
Speaking during a ceremony held at Dharamakeerthirama in Polwatte, Kollupitiya to mark the 78th anniversary of independence, Premadasa said colonialism is now indirect unlike in the past.
Colonialism has become active in a different form in Sri Lanka and other countries in the Southern Hemisphere. It is active in different sectors of the society such as the economy and culture. This colonialism has to be defeated,” he said.
Comments Off on Colonialism has become active in a different form today: Sajith
LEMONDE – Human Rights Watch warned Wednesday, February 4 that President Donald Trump was turning the United States into an authoritarian state as democracy declines globally to its lowest ebb in four decades.
Trump’s return to the White House has intensified a “downward spiral” on human rights that was already under pressure from Russia and China, the New York-based advocacy and research group said in its annual report. “The rules-based international order is being crushed,” HRW said.
In the US, the group said, Trump has shown “blatant disregard for human rights and egregious violations.”
In descriptions that would have been unthinkable in the US section of its previous annual reports, the group pointed to the deployment of masked, armed agents – the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency – which has carried out “hundreds of unnecessarily violent and abusive raids.”
“The administration’s racial and ethnic scapegoating, domestic deployment of National Guard forces in pretextual power grabs, repeated acts of retaliation against perceived political enemies and former officials now critical of him, as well as attempts to expand the coercive powers of the executive and neuter democratic checks and balances, underpin a decided shift toward authoritarianism in the US,” the report said.
Human Rights Watch repeated its finding that the US engaged in enforced disappearances – a crime under international law – by sending 252 Venezuelan migrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
In a recent report, HRW documented allegations by the men, who eventually were allowed into Venezuela, of being tortured including beatings and sexual violence.
Human Rights Watch pointed to metrics by which democracy has declined to the level of 1985 – when the Soviet Union still existed. “Russia and China are less free today than 20 years ago. And so is the United States,” it said.
Philippe Bolopion, the group’s executive director, called on countries to form alliances based on respect for human rights and to stand together – including against the tariff-wielding Trump. “Some countries may be tempted to forge ad hoc alliances on specific issues – one day with China, another with Turkey, another with South Africa,” Bolopion told AFP.
“From our perspective, for such an alliance to be strong and lasting, it must be built on principles and values – democracy, international law, human rights,” he said. “It can carry weight and provide a degree of security to its members,” he added.
The 529-page report stands in contrast to the latest human rights report issued by the US State Department, which toned down sections on countries friendly to Trump. The State Department report said El Salvador in 2024 saw “no credible reports of significant human rights abuses” and that President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gangs has brought crime to a “historic low.”
The Human Rights Watch report also said that gang violence had “markedly declined” but that in 2025, authorities carried out “widespread abuses, including mass arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment of detainees and due process violations.”
HRW again renewed its charge that Israel has carried out “crimes against humanity and acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians in Gaza.
It said that Israeli authorities in 2025 “escalated their atrocities” which included “killing, maiming, starving and forcibly displacing Palestinians and destroying their homes, schools and infrastructure at a scale unprecedented in the recent history of Israel and Palestine.”
Israel has angrily rejected the Human Rights Watch genocide allegation first issued in December 2024, with the US backing Israel’s stance.
Comments Off on Human Rights Watch warns US heading to ’authoritarianism’
Insults directed at religious leaders by certain government ministers are strongly condemned, according to His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo. The Archbishop shared these views while participating in a special church service held today (04) in Colombo to mark Independence Day.
Reflecting on the country’s cultural foundation, the Archbishop noted that the spiritual mindset and disciplined behaviour of the nation are rooted in the values brought by Buddhism. He emphasised that since Sri Lanka is a country shaped by religious traditions, national leaders have a responsibility to respect these institutions. He cautioned that attempting to build a society contrary to religious and moral values—while trapped in specific political ideologies—is not the path to genuine economic or social progress.
The Archbishop further criticised the growing trend where those in power attempt to suppress the right of Buddhist monks and other religious leaders to speak out on national issues. He asserted that true economic stability can only be achieved through righteous policies and pointed out that the Constitution itself grants foremost place to religious existence. Warning against following a path of moral decline seen in some secularised nations, he remarked that while political leaders provide many promises, the economy remains in a precarious state. He concluded by stating that religious thought should be a benchmark for national progress rather than a target for ridicule.
Comments Off on Cardinal condemns ministers’ insults
A private company is allegedly planning to plunder valuable garnet minerals located in the coastal zone near the Mirijjawila boat yard in Hambantota.
Environmentalists claim the firm intends to carry out this mineral theft under the guise of removing sand accumulated at the fishing harbor.
When questioned whether permission had been granted for such activities, a senior official from the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) stated that although requests were submitted, no mining licenses were issued to the organisation.
Despite the lack of official authorisation, Hiru News obtained audio recordings of an individual connected to the Indian company seeking the tender.
In the recordings, the individual informs a GSMB official that the machinery required for the mining operation already arrived in the country.
Comments Off on Hambantota garnet theft plan exposed
The historic Devnimori Sacred Sarvagna Relics from India arrived in the country a short while ago for a week-long exposition.
Devotees can pay their respects at the Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple in Colombo starting tomorrow (4).
This arrival marks the first time these sacred relics left India, following an initiative by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the full patronage of the Indian government.
The relics were originally discovered during excavations in the state of Gujarat, the birthplace of the Indian Prime Minister.
The public exposition at the Gangarama Temple will continue for seven consecutive days.
Comments Off on Sacred Devnimori Relics arrive in Sri Lanka
SL would be celebrating another expensive and sadly hollow Independence Day tomorrow, February 4th, with great pomp and pageantry. The celebration at Independence Square in Colombo would be held despite the geo-engineered Weather disaster Ditwah, which devastated the country less than three months ago, killing more than 600 people. Many more lost homes and livelihoods.
The Ditwah Twister storms late last year dealt a massive blow to Sri Lanka’s economy and society. It was not as deadly as the 2004 Asia Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster that killed 30,000 people in Sri Lanka and displaced hundreds of thousands. 200,000 died in Aceh, Sumatra Island, Indonesia during the Christmas Tsunami of 2004.
Is it because the International Monetary Fund’s Managing Director Kristalina Geogieva is due in geostrategic Sri Lanka at the center of the Indian Ocean world hit by strange weather disasters, that the National Peoples Power government of President Anura Kumara Dissanayaka seems as pleased as punch, and all but forgotten the Ditwah Tragedy for a grand Independence celebration?
In any event, it may be appropriate share a recent Open Letter to the United Nations Development Program Representative in Sri Lanka, Ms. Azusa Kubota on the problem of Geoengineering, weather warfare, and Anthropocene climate disasters that impoverish Global South countries, with the IMF’s Kristalina Geogieva at this time.
The letter below calls on the UNDP to urgently set up a Research Program to study and investigate the hostile use of plausibly deniable” environmental modification technologies and Geoengineering as part of Hybrid Economic Warfare in the Indian Ocean region including in Sri Lanka and other islands, particularly Sumatra, Indonesia.
Particularly relevant to such a research investigation would be recent un-natural Monsoon-related climate Disasters across the Indian Ocean world, reminiscent of Operation Popeye during the Vietnam War and the Environmental Modification or ENMOD treaty.
This is in light of the fact that weather disasters seem to be the new face of hybrid economic warfare and Disaster Capitalism in the Global South: That is the delivery of plausibly deniable” Exogenous Economic Shocks to Make the Economy Scream” and impoverish emerging economies by the crashing Euro-American Empire as de-dollarization gathers force in the Asian Century.
Pumping and Dumping Emerging Economies with Shocks: Manipulating Data and Metrics
Ever since Sri Lanka was ‘upgraded’ by the World Bank to an Upper Middle Income Country (MIC) in 2019, the Island has faced mysterious Exogenous Economic shocks. This, after a 10-year period of calm and economic growth between May 2009 (when the Armed Conflict ended) and 2019, when the geostrategic island was hit by the mysterious ISIS claimed Easter Sunday bombings of luxury hotels, Churches and Chinese scientists, 4 of whom died at the Kingsbury Hotel. After the Easter attacks the joint Indian Ocean marine research project between the Chinese academic and Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Research Agency (NARA) was aborted, and the Chinese research vessel Shi Yan-3 left the Colombo Harbour.
The 2019 Easter attacks and security lockdowns were followed by a series of other mysterious exogenous economic shock: the Covid-19 Lockdowns in 2020-21, during which the economy crashed and people were impoverished and National institutions, data, and oversight systems were debilitated.
Then in 2022 the Gen-Z Araglaya protests for regime change and staged Sovereign Default transpired. This was amidst a blockade of oil and gas reaching Sri Lanka while the US Navy ironically conducted a Sea Vision Training program” in the Seas of Sri Lanka (much like Cuba and Venezuela today). This enabled the IMF to come to Sri Lanka’s rescue and upend economic sovereignty and Policy Autonomy.
The current IMF Extended Fund Facility program for a bailout of predatory hedge funds like BlackRock and their secret unnamed EuroBond holders has deepen the USD debt trap that Sri Lanka was pumped and dumped into by the World Bank Upgrade to an Upper MIC Debt trap in 2019.
Meanwhile, The IMF’s mission and mandate creep into Sri Lanka’s Domestic Debt Restructure under the EFF has significantly deepened Sri Lanka’s US dollar debt trap to impoverish the country and reverse its Upper Middle Income Country Status.
The Shock Doctrine to Making the Economy Scream: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
MICs are NOT eligible for concessionary loans when disasters strike since concessionary loans are reserved for Less Developed Countries (LDC). Hence MICs and Emerging economies like Sri Lanka appear to be PUMPMED AND DUMPED INTO AN MIC Trap, being forced to borrow from private capital markets at predatory interest rates, and kept impoverished by the manipulation of metrics and data?
Indeed, since 2019 there appears to be a systematic pattern of Exogenous Economic Shocks or Staged disasters like ISIS Terror attacks, Covid-19 Panicdemic Lockdowns, Gen-Z protests for Regime Change, in order to to reverse economic development and growth, debt trap Global South countries like Sri Lanka and erode economic sovereignty and policy autonomy.
Is it an accident that after the Covid-19 Lockdowns Shock Doctrine, 56 countries were in or near Default and forced to go to the IMF which upends National Economic and Policy Sovereignty of debt trapped Global South Countries?
The Environmental Risk Premium Business
Staged Disasters also send up RISK PREMIUMS and borrowing costs as well as insurance premiums, once again benefiting the Creditor Club of the OECD Colonial Club de Paris and the Eurobond financial gravy train.
Increasingly, Environmental Disasters Risk Premiums are a growth sector along with Green and Blue Bonds and scams at this time in the financial industry. As we know Debt-for-Nature-Swaps or Environmental, Social and Governance Bonds are based on the Financiaization, Monetization and commodification of Mother Nature’s largess in Global South countries, including marine, forest and mineral wealth, with dubious and spurious AI based Net Zero Carbon credit calculations
It is in light of this apparent Environmental Disaster Narratives-linked gravy train of international corruption in the Global Financial system that it would be appropriate for BOTH the United Nations and IMF to undertake a research study and investigation on the use of Environmental Modification Technologies, weather warfare, Climate disasters, mass impoverishment in the Global South and the relevance of the ENMOD Treaty. Such an investigation would need to include analysis of criminal intent into the Global Climate Crisis narrative, green and blue bonds and scams, and the hostile use of Geoengineering and Environmental Modification to stage Climate Disasters, impoverish people and debt trap Global South countries.
Please see below an Open Letter to the UNDP Resident Representative in Sri Lanka.
Dear Ms. Kubota,
It was good to meet you at the Open University CEPA meeting yesterday.
Given yesterday’s discussion on disasters and environmentalism, I’d like to share a recent piece at the link below that may be of interest to you and your colleagues: From the 2004 Christmas Tsunami to Twister Ditwah: Weather Warfare Escalates in the Indian Ocean as Russia Enters?
At this time, I would suggest that the UNDP URGENTLY set up a research program to study recent weather disasters and the relevance of the ENMOD Treaty. Recent environment disasters seem designed to deliver Exogenous Economic Shocks that stymie economic growth, and de-develop, and impoverish countries in the Indian Ocean World at this time despite the rise of the Asian 21st Century.
Based on an extensive research and literature review in a research paper, Deurlle states in the Journal of Geography, Environment and Earth Science”: “In conclusion, the use of military climatic and environmental modification technologies appears to be the most relevant explanation to understand the increase in natural disasters over the last 20 years.”
What used to be deemed ‘development-induced disasters’ now get clubbed under Anthropocene epoch “climate change” / global warming environmental disasters with a lot of Media Hype. However, to my knowledge we are still in the Holocene.
There No mention of Geoengineering, weather warfare and the use of weather modification technologies in the “Climate Disaster” narrative promoted by the United Nations even though we have the ENMOD treaty or the Environmental Modification Treaty on the hostile use of weather modification technologies dating back to the use of Rainmaker Cloud seeding technology to extend monsoons and to flood the Ho Chi Minh trail during the Vietnam War in the 1970s.
The ignorance and elision about the ENMOD treaty is one of the reasons for growing skepticism about the UN’s CoP summits and the Environmental Climate Disaster narrative, which increasingly seems to be part of the so-called “global polycrisis”, a psychological operation to spread fear and promote Global Governance under the Rubric of the “Climate Emergency”.
The UN’s Climate Emergency” narrative which serves many Corporate interests, particularly Green Tech. and Green and blue bond finance, ironically upends the UN’s own Core Principle of National Sovereignty, and Policy Autonomy of countries, while attenuating local development priorities and needs in countries in the Global South — in the name of the CLIMATE EMERGENCY.
The “climate emergency” is much like the “Covid-19 Emergency” narrative and fear psychosis whereby the whole world was Locked down, as Emergency-authorized injections were forced on people, and economies destroyed by the World Health Organization (WHO), and Big Pharmaceutical Companies which profited from promoting the Covid-19 EMERGENCY.
Thankfully, the United States under President Trump has exited the WHO and Paris Climate Accords and Green New Deal to financialize and Commoditize Mother Nature with dubious AI generated, Net Zero jargon and Carbon Credit calculations in order to market green, blue, ESG bondscams to countries that have been debt-trapped in Eurobond and IMF odious debt spiderwebs.
Debt for Nature Swaps or ESG bonds increasingly serve to Greenwash the world’s biggest vulture funds, including BlackRock’s Bond scams, and enable further Debt trapping of Global South countries, now in the name of Environment Conservation. Is this not the new Disaster Capitalism, marketed by the UNDP with a Green environmentalist mask that needs to be exposed?
There is a long history of biowarfare and chemical warfare that is also relevant to geoengineering and weather warfare (including the generation of earthquakes and Tsunamis in the Bikini Atoll back in the 1950s with nuclear and hydrogen bomb tests, as part of Hybrid Economic Warfare that the climate disaster narrative masks.
Indeed, it seems that environment related events are on a continuum of Anthropogenic crisis brought about by unplanned urban and rural development to staged disasters that are geoengineered with weather modification technologies as part of HYBRID ECONOMIC WARFARE and Green DISASTER CAPITALISM in the world of increased hybrid economic warfare where weather modification is used as a “force multiplier” or to stage kinetic ‘disasters’ that de-develop and impoverish countries.
Would be interested to know your thoughts on this matter as the climate disaster and poverty narrative is being promoted by CEPA to echo the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrez’s ‘Climate Boiling’ narrative amid over-generalized claims of the Anthropocene climate crisis, which never mentions the Military Business Industrial Complex/War Machine that is the single largest environmental threat to the planet. As you know the United States as over 750 environment polluting military bases around the world.
Please feel free to share with your colleagues at the UN.
Finally, suggest that Naomi Klein’s book “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” which has a chapter on Sri Lanka after the 2004 Christmas Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster in the Indian Ocean world and the Degrowth debates in an interesting book: The Geopolitics of Green Colonialism, published last year at Pluto Press, may be of interest to you and your colleague, Kanni Wignaraja at UNDP.
Kanni was a year junior to me in high school at Ladies’ College in Colombo and at Princeton University where I did my doctorate in Anthropology and she did a Master’s Degree in public policy. I would be happy to debate her on the subject of the Faux Anthropocene and Green Blue ESG Sustainability Bonds and scams that the UNDP is promoting at this time!
Once again, suggest that the UNDP perhaps in partnership with the World Bank and IMF urgently set up a research program on the relevance of the ENMOD treaty to apparent weather disasters that stymie economic growth and development and enable Disaster Capitalism in the Indian Ocean World at this time of hybrid economic warfare by the crashing Euro-American Empire.
The opportunity costs to Real Development priorities and needs, including research and education, in terms of diverted funds, time and energy resources as per the UN’s Green Hoax and related Disaster preparedness agenda in the name of the Davos/WEF mantra ‘Build Back Better’ (BBB), for Global South countries is incalculable. Indeed, it is a crime.
Kind regards,
Dr. Darini Rajasingham
Comments Off on Hollow Independence and the Ditwah Shock: An Open Letter to the UNDP-SL Representative
Is it possible to have a quasi-judicial body like the Press Council of India to survive for weeks without its chairperson? Should the largest democracy on Earth put such an example where its government recognized autonomous media watchdog faces an existential crisis as the 15th council of PCI still devoid of a functioning head and 13 seats? How come a press council runs its business without filling these 13 seats, meant for millions of media professionals, for more than a year now, whereas the term of a council is limited to three years only? Many such pertinent questions emerge among media professionals in the south Asian nation, as the regular three-year term (as well as a permissible extended period of six months) of immediate past PCI chairperson Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai came to end on 16 December 2025.
Recently, a good number of media associations urged the Union government in New Delhi to appoint a new chairperson for the PCI as early as possible. Moreover, this writer sent a few official communiqués in the last few weeks, requesting due information about the current PCI team, but the PCI office remained silent. It even did not find time to return a courtesy response. Till recent days, its official website (www.presscouncil.nic.in/ currently non-functional) stated that Justice RP Desai, who took charge on 17 June 2022, continues to be the PCI chairperson. But the media reports suggest that the retired Supreme Court judge has already been appointed as chairperson of the Eighth Pay Commission.
With more to it, the tenure of 14th council expired on 5 October 2024 and various initiatives to constitute the statutory 15th council faced different hurdles. Currently the PCI has functioning members namely Sudhanshu Trivedi, Brij Lal (Rajya Sabha lawmakers), Sambit Patra, Naresh Mhaske and Kali Charan Munda (Lok Sabha members), Ashwini K Mohapatra (University Grants Commission), Manan Kumar Mishra (Bar Council of India), K Sreenivasarao (Sahitya Akademi), Sudhir Kumar Panda, MV Shreyams Kumar, Gurinder Singh, Arun Kumar Tripathi, Braj Mohan Sharma and Arti Tripathi (who either own or carry on the business of management in big/ medium/ small newspapers).
The 28-member PCI (excluding the chair), which was initially set up in 1966 under the Press Council Act 1965 and later re-established in 1979 following the Press Council Act 1978 with an objective to improve the standard of newspapers and news agencies in the billion plus nation, should have 13 individuals representing the professional journalists (out of whom 6 need to be editors and 7 working journalists of newspapers), but those seats remain vacant till date.
The crisis started as many national journo-bodies opposed a change in the PCI rules to pick up members from various press clubs instead of the national union of working journalists. Some of them even approached the court making the situation more complex. They argue that the press clubs are basically recreational bodies and their coverage areas normally stick to a particular region, city or town. Often the press clubs offer memberships to non-working journalists (like academicians, writers, film personalities and also diplomats) to enhance their influences, and hence their members may not do justice to the professional media personnel in various crucial junctures. More precisely the press club/press guild/ media club cannot have an all India body (nonetheless the nomenclature Press Club of India) with representatives from various parts of the vast country. On the other hand, they argued that recognized journalist-unions usually comprise members from different parts of India.
As the PCI becomes headless (happening for the first time in the history of the statutory body), the question must arise: who else are taking care of the robust Indian print media fraternity (comprising over 100,000 publications, endorsed by the Registrar of Newspapers for India, in various frequencies and languages)? The PCI can receive complaints against a particular newspaper/news agency or an editor/working journalist for their professional misconduct deteriorating the standard of journalistic behaviours. But it has limited power to enforce its guidelines by penalizing print outlets as well their editors and working journalists for the violation.
Besides the newspapers, the billion plus nation also supports nearly 400 satellite news channels along with millions of portals, whatsapp and other digital media outlets. But those are not yet under the purview of the PCI. In reality, all modern technology-driven news outlets remain out of its purview. As the PCI enjoys the authority to make observations whenever the conduct of any government is found inappropriate while ensuring freedom of the press. So the demand to bring all the news channels, radio and digital platforms under the PCI’s jurisdiction and its subsequent empowerment continues to grow.
Comments Off on Press Council of India: No chairperson, incomplete 15th council, website non-functional
Experience the heartfelt patriotism and cultural pride of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day celebrations on February 4th, 2025.
This special event, held at the scenic ViharaMahaDevi Park in Colombo, brought together like-minded individuals to honor the heroes—past and present—who have sacrificed life and limb for the country.
In this opening address, Attorney-at-Law Senaka Weeraratna sets the tone for the gathering, emphasizing the spirit of patriotism, love, and gratitude that underpins the commemoration. Following his speech, the audience joined in singing the Jayamangala Gatha (Blessings of Success) and cherished Sinhala Jathika Geetha (Patriotic National Songs), accompanied by an orchestra specializing in Sinhala Oriental Music.
Parents, children, and friends filled the open-air venue, surrounded by flowers, greenery, and the gentle sounds of water from the nearby lake. This intimate yet significant celebration resonates with the roots of Sinhala culture and civilization, raising the collective spirit of Sri Lankans both at home and abroad.
Jaya Shree!
Comments Off on The Purpose of Independence Celebrations
It is fascinating to observe how Buddhism, a 2,500-year-old Eastern tradition, is finding such a profound resonance in the high-tech, fast-paced West. While it was once seen as an “exotic” or niche interest, it has now moved into the mainstream of psychology, healthcare, and daily lifestyle.
Here are the primary reasons why Buddhism is becoming increasingly important in Western life:
1. The “Science of Mind” Approach
Unlike many Western religions that rely heavily on faith or dogma, Buddhism often presents itself as a rational inquiry into the mind. This aligns perfectly with the Western scientific mindset.
Empirical Nature: The Buddha famously encouraged followers to “test” his teachings for themselves rather than believing blindly.
Neuroscience: Modern studies on neuroplasticity show that meditation can physically rewire the brain to reduce stress and increase focus, giving the practice a “seal of approval” from the medical community.
2. An Antidote to “Burnout Culture”
Modern Western life is characterized by “always-on” connectivity, high competition, and constant consumption. Buddhism offers a direct counter-narrative:
Mindfulness: The practice of being present helps people navigate the anxiety of a future-oriented society.
Non-attachment: In a consumerist culture that says “more is better,” the Buddhist idea that craving leads to suffering provides a much-needed mental relief.
3. Psychological Compatibility
Buddhism and modern psychotherapy (especially Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) share a common goal: reducing human suffering.
Emotional Regulation: Many Westerners turn to Buddhism not as a religion, but as a toolkit for managing anger, grief, and loneliness.
Self-Compassion: The Buddhist emphasis on metta (loving-kindness) provides a healthy alternative to the harsh self-criticism often found in “hustle” culture.
4. Ethical Framework Without the “Judge”
For many Westerners who have become disillusioned with traditional organized religion, Buddhism offers a spiritual path without a central “judgmental” figure.
Karma as Cause and Effect: Karma is often viewed in the West as a natural law of consequences rather than a divine reward/punishment system.
Inclusivity: Its core tenets—non-violence, environmental stewardship, and compassion—overlap strongly with modern social and environmental values.
Key Concepts Driving Interest
Concept
Western Application
Dukkha (Suffering/Discontent)
Acknowledging that “success” doesn’t always bring happiness.
Anicca (Impermanence)
Helping people cope with rapid technological and social change.
Sangha (Community)
Combating the “loneliness epidemic” through shared practice.
Also see
Buddhism is becoming increasingly important in the West as a practical, non-dogmatic framework for addressing the stress, anxiety, and materialistic, fast-paced nature of modern life
. It is valued for offering tools like meditation and mindfulness that improve mental health, foster inner peace, and promote compassion without requiring blind faith in a creator god.
Here are the key reasons for its growing significance in the West:
Stress Management and Mental Wellbeing: In a high-pressure, “rat race” society, Buddhism’s focus on meditation and mindfulness is widely used as a therapeutic tool to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
A “Scientific” and Rational Approach: Many in the West appreciate that Buddhism encourages “seeing for yourself” rather than accepting doctrines on blind faith. It is often perceived as compatible with science and modern, rational, or secular thinking.
Non-Theistic, Philosophical Alternative: For those disenchanted with traditional organized religions, Buddhism provides a non-theistic, or “spiritual but not religious” path that focuses on human-centered psychology rather than divine dogma.
Direct Application to Daily Life: The teachings are seen as practical, providing a “user-friendly” guide to ethical living, dealing with emotions, and finding personal happiness through self-awareness.
Empowerment and Personal Responsibility: The concepts of karma and responsibility teach that individuals have the power to change their circumstances, shifting from a victim mindset to one of personal empowerment.
Interest in Eastern Culture and Wisdom: The influence of teachers like the Dalai Lama, along with the popularity of Tibetan and Zen Buddhism, has brought perspectives on compassion, non-violence, and impermanence into Western mainstream culture.
Connection to Modern Movements: Buddhist principles of interdependence and compassion are increasingly informing Western movements like environmentalism, social justice, and psychotherapy.
Western Buddhism has also developed its own flavor, often stripping away cultural rituals to focus on meditation and secular practice, which has helped it grow rapidly, particularly in countries like Australia, the United States, and Canada.
AI Overview
Comments Off on Why Buddhism matters increasingly important in the life of people in the West
Sri Lanka’s sales sector one of the country’s largest employment generators, has long faced a structural challenge: while demand for sales talent continues to grow across industries, the profession itself lacks formal training pathways, consistent standards, and clear career progression.
In a move aimed at addressing this gap, the Colombo Institute of Sales & Distribution (CISD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with XpressJobs, one of Sri Lanka’s leading recruitment technology platforms. The partnership seeks to better align structured education with employability outcomes, particularly in sales and commercial career tracks.
A Persistent Skills Gap
Sales roles span sectors such as FMCG, banking, technology, healthcare, logistics, and exports. Yet many professionals enter these roles without formal grounding in areas such as buyer behaviour, negotiation, ethical selling, data-driven decision-making, or long-term account management.
Industry observers note that this has contributed to high attrition rates, inconsistent performance standards, and limited leadership pipelines within sales teams. Despite its economic importance, sales is often viewed as a short-term job rather than a long-term profession.
Why CISD Was Established
CISD was founded to address this exact issue: the absence of structured, professional sales education in Sri Lanka.
The institute’s mandate is to position sales as a recognised professional discipline, comparable to fields such as finance or information technology, supported by formal education, ethical frameworks, and defined progression routes.
By combining academic structure with industry relevance, CISD aims to ensure that sales professionals are trained not only to perform, but to build sustainable careers.
Supporting New Entrants and Experienced Professionals
A key focus of CISD’s model is its dual approach.
For school leavers and early-career entrants, CISD provides structured programmes that allow young people to enter sales intentionally, with foundational skills, professional discipline, and employability readiness, rather than learning informally on the job.
For those already working in sales and commercial roles, the institute focuses on upskilling and career advancement. This includes developing advanced sales capability, leadership skills, digital and data competence, and ethical decision-making, skills increasingly required in competitive markets.
Linking Education to Employment
As part of this MoU, CISD is able to integrate live sales vacancies from XpressJobs directly onto its platform through an integrated job feed. This ensures that sales opportunities across hard-core, field, and corporate sales are accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds and experience levels, from all regions across the island.
Through the MoU, CISD learners gain direct access to employer networks, job readiness support, and structured career pathways, while employers benefit from a pipeline of sales talent trained to professional standards and modern sales practices. XpressJobs contributes its recruitment technology and nationwide reach, ensuring that skills development is directly connected to real employment opportunities.
Commenting on the partnership, Chathura Kotagama, Co-Founder and CEO of CISD, said the initiative was about redefining how sales careers are built in Sri Lanka.
Sales plays a critical role in every sector of the economy, yet it has lacked structured professional pathways for decades. CISD was established to change that. This partnership helps connect education with opportunity, ensuring both young entrants and experienced professionals can progress with confidence,” he said.
Dr. Oshadie Korale, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of XpressJobs, noted the importance of closer collaboration between education and employment platforms.
Our data consistently shows a clear gap in sales talent, hard-core, field, and corporate sales. Instead of waiting for candidates to come to us, we actively take opportunities to find them. That’s why partnering with CISD made sense. Their practical, hands-on approach to building job-ready sales professionals aligns perfectly with how we bridge real market gaps”
A Broader Workforce Impact
As Sri Lanka seeks to strengthen productivity, youth employment, and professional standards, initiatives that connect education providers with industry platforms are gaining importance. The CISD–XpressJobs partnership reflects a broader shift towards skills-to-jobs alignment, where training is directly linked to employability and long-term career growth, particularly in high-demand sectors such as sales.
Comments Off on CISD and XpressJobs Partner to Bridge Sri Lanka’s Sales Skills Gap
The Constitutional Council unanimously approved the appointment of Samudika Jayaratne, a Senior Deputy Auditor General, as the new Auditor General during its meeting today (3).
Sources reported that the council, chaired by the Speaker, endorsed her name after the President recommended her for the position.
This decision follows several previous council meetings where members failed to reach a consensus on prior nominations sent by the President.
This approval finally resolves the deadlock regarding the leadership of the Government Audit Department.
Comments Off on Constitutional Council approves new AG
image-wikipedia
