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‘The country must be opened up, giving priority to health care systems’

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Nimal Lansa – State Minister for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure

Nimal Lansa, State Minister for Rural Roads and Other Infrastructure, said that the hope of 22 million people is to open up the country under health care systems and to enable them to carry out their activities as usual and strengthen the economy.

State Minister, Nimal Lansa expressed these views while inaugurating road development projects in the Panadura electorate.

Minister further stated,

We never stopped road development when there was corona effect. We have to live with the corona subject to health advice. Accordingly, I and my Cabinet minister decided not to stop work. Four years later, the people will ask whether his excellency the President had fulfilled his promise of 100,000 km.

‘Our goal is to make the country corona-free by 2021. I urge the people of the country to support this by following health advice. Some opposition MPs want to keep the country closed. The 22 million people of the country hope to open up the country and return to normalcy.

‘More than 2 million people who are engaged in the tourism industry have been at home for 9 months unable to carry on the tourism business. People who work every day should be given the opportunity to do their work.

‘My personal opinion is that we need to live safely with covid. We have to go about our daily business. Or the country will fall and we will fall. We must be determined to win the country’s development in 2021 and the country’s economy in the face of covid 19.

‘We hope to open the airport after January 17th. Provide opportunities for those who wish to come to Sri Lanka from abroad. All of this is done by following health guidelines. PCR is done 72 hours before tourists arrive in Sri Lanka. After the tourist comes to Sri Lanka he does a PCR. When the tourist goes out after about 7 days, he does a PCR again. He does three PCRs.

‘2021 is an important year for all of us. As the world faces the Covid epidemic and the world economy goes downhill, we must be determined to open a few schools, open the country to business and make it the country with the best economy while carrying out day to day activities as usual. We must all unite for that.

‘The Rs. 129 million worth road development work in the Panadura electorate commenced today under the national program to develop 100,000 km and the distance to be developed under it is 9 km.’

State Minister of Women and Child Development, Preschools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services, Piyal Nishantha , State Minister of Warehouse Facilities, Container Yards, Port Supply Facilities and Boats and Shipping Industry Development Jayantha Samaraweera, former members of the Western Provincial Council, Neil Sunethralal and Vikum Gunasekara, chairman of the Panadura Pradeshiya Sabha Hemantha Fernando, , Chief Engineer of the Road Development Authority Ms. Gayani Mullewithana and a group of officials of the Road Development Authority were present on the occasion.



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Stealer malware leaked over 2 million bank cards

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The number of infections with data-stealing malware, 2020-2024 (Source: Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence)

Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence estimates that 2.3 million bank cards were leaked on the dark web, based on an analysis of data-stealing malware log files from 2023-2024. On average, every 14th infostealer infection results in stolen credit card information, with nearly 26 million devices compromised by infostealers, including more than 9 million in 2024 alone. Kaspersky released its report on the infostealer threat landscape while the technology world gathers at MWC 2025 in Barcelona.

Kaspersky experts estimate that approximately 2,300,000 bank cards have been leaked on the dark web. This conclusion is based on an analysis of the log files from data-stealing malware, dated 2023-2024, that were leaked on the dark web market. While globally the share of leaked cards is well below one percent, 95% of the observed numbers appear technically valid.

Infostealer malware is not only designed to extract financial information, but also credentials, cookies and other valuable user data, which is compiled into log files and then distributed within the dark web underground community. An infostealer can infect a device if a victim unknowingly downloads and runs a malicious file, for example one disguised as legitimate software, such as a game cheat. It can be spread through phishing links, compromised websites, malicious attachments in emails or messengers and various other methods. It targets both personal and corporate devices.

On average, every 14th infostealer infection results in stolen credit card information. Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence experts found that nearly 26 million devices running Windows were infected with various types of infostealers in the past two years.

“The actual number of infected devices is even higher. Cybercriminals often leak stolen data in the form of log files months or even years after the initial infection, and compromised credentials and other information continue to surface on the dark web over time. Therefore, the more time passes, the more infections from previous years we observe. We forecast the total number of devices infected with infostealer malware in 2024 to be between 20 million and 25 million, while for 2023, the estimate ranges between 18 million and 22 million,” says Sergey Shcherbel, expert at Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence.

In 2024, Redline remained the most widespread infostealer, accounting for 34% of the total number of infections.

The most significant surge in 2024 was in infections caused by Risepro, whose share of total infections increased from 1.4% in 2023 to almost 23% in 2024. “RisePro is a growing threat. It was first discovered two years ago but seems to be gaining momentum. The stealer primarily targets banking card details, passwords and cryptocurrency wallet data, and may be spreading under the guise of key generators, cracks for various software and game mods,” explains Sergey Shcherbel. Another rapidly growing stealer is Stealc, which first appeared in 2023 and increased its share from nearly 3% to 13%.

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ComBank’s 2023 Annual Report tops Banking sector at ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards

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Commercial Bank Chief Operating Officer S. Prabagar and members of the senior management accepting one of the ACCA awards.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s prowess in comprehensive disclosure of sustainability-related information to stakeholders has won its 2023 Annual Report two top awards at the 2025 Sustainability Reporting Awards presented by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

The Bank was adjudged the overall runner-up and the winner in the Banking category at these awards, repeating the achievement of its 2022 Annual Report which was similarly honoured by the ACCA last year.

The ACCA Sustainability Reporting Awards recognise Annual Reports that clearly acknowledge and explain the economic, environmental and social impacts of the business to internal and external stakeholders, demonstrating the organisation’s policies, targets and long-term objectives towards the goal of sustainable development.

Commercial Bank’s 2023 Annual Report also won two Golds, a Silver and a Bronze at CA Sri Lanka’s ‘TAGS’ Awards 2024, excelling in the key aspects recognised by the awards programme which is dedicated to Transparency, Accountability, Governance, and Sustainability – TAGS.

The Bank won the Gold for ‘Corporate Governance Disclosure’ in the Financial Services sector, the Gold for the Best Annual Report among the private sector banks, the Silver for ‘Digitally Transformative Reporting’ across all sectors, and the overall Bronze award for Excellence in Corporate Reporting.

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UTE Delivers Sri Lanka’s Largest Cat D8 Tractor to NEM Construction

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(From left to right) Deepthi Hewageegana (CEO - UTE), Mani Rajan (Director Distribution - India), Joe Moscato (Vice President - Distribution - Japan & Asia South (India & SE Asia) Caterpillar Inc), Raja Nanayakkara (Chairman / MD - NEM Construction), Prasan Fernando (Chairman - UTE), Priath Fernando - (Director - UTE), Duminda Perera (Senior General Manager - Operations)

Caterpillar equipment dealer UTE has delivered the country’s largest Cat D8 Track-Type Tractor to NEM Construction Pvt. Ltd., marking a significant milestone in heavy machinery. This delivery strengthens the long-standing partnership between UTE and NEM Construction, which spans over 45 years. The Cat D8 is expected to boost operational efficiency in large-scale projects. As the sole authorized dealer for Caterpillar in Sri Lanka, UTE continues to provide top-tier machinery and after-sales support. The handover is particularly notable as Caterpillar celebrates its 100th anniversary. NEM Construction’s Chairman, Raja Nanayakkara, praised the Cat D8’s superior performance and UTE’s unmatched service and parts support, which have been key to the company’s long-term collaboration. This purchase highlights the continued trust in both Caterpillar and UTE’s expertise in supporting Sri Lanka’s construction industry.

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