Nov 22 (FT) The Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Petteri Taalas has promised to collaborate with Sri Lanka in strengthening Meteorological Services for forecasting purposes, which will be more cost-effective and could help avoid calamities caused by changes in weather patterns. He said the WMO was in the process of finding more resources to assist developing countries and that greater opportunities would be provided to Sri Lanka for more..

Nov 22 (ST) The tourism industry workforce that caters to the livelihoods of about 160,000 families will carry out a protest against the recent budget allocations and lack of relief for hotel staff. The protest comes at a time when the industry is set to welcome its peak season visitors. A miserly Rs.385 million has been allocated to the Tourism Ministry for home stays that are primarily in the informal sector and a three-wheeler campaign with next to nothing made for promotions next year, more..

Nov 22 (DN) A cross section of society including politicians hailed PM Ranil Wickremesinghe for voluntarily appearing before PCoI. They said that the PM deserves a special appreciation for setting an example to the country by appearing before the Commission. “PM’s appearance before the Commission marks the beginning of new era of governance where rule of law reigns,” they said. more..

Nov 22 (Island) SLFP praised PM Ranil Wickremesinghe for his appearance at the Presidential Commission of inquiry probing the Central Bank bond scam on Monday. It said the PM had changed the political culture in the country. State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said that a mechanism would be prepared to punish the bond racketeers. He noted that the report of the PCoI would be handed over to the President on Dec 8 and legal action taken, based on the report. more..

Nov 22 (DN) The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and Korea Exchange (KRX) announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a collaborative relationship focused on mutual development opportunities in the Sri Lankan and Korean capital markets. The MoU was signed by KRX Chairman Jiwon Jung and CSE Chairman Ray Abeywardena in Seoul on November 20, 2017 in the presence of Manisha Gunasekara, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to South Korea. more..

Nov 22 (CT) Minister Lakshman Kiriella, said that it is essential to strengthen private education as the Govt cannot grant opportunities to everyone who wants to engage in higher education. Participating in the debate of Heads of Expenditure of Ministry of Higher Education, Kiriella said, "In Europe, at least 80% of the education sector is provided by private institutions. But in SL, State provides 90% of educational needs. more..

Nov 22 (ST) In a rare case of one state entity at loggerheads with a govt ministry, Lanka Mineral Sands Ltd (LMSL) has filed action in the Court of Appeal on Sept 22 against three key officials at the Industry and Commerce Ministry for alleged malpractices. In this respect, the petitioner, LMSL Chairman Maithri Gunaratne has submitted a writ application requesting court to allow for interim relief for the sale of minerals, the continuation of appointments made to the institution more..

Nov 22 (CT) It is unethical for members of the COPE to engage in telephone conversations with Perpetual Treasuries owner, Arjun Aloysius, Minister of Plantation Navin Dissanayake said. "If Aloysius called me and if I was a member of the COPE, I would have told him on the very first occasion that it is unethical for me to talk to him. I would have said this because I was a member of a committee that was investigating the actions of Perpetual Treasuries Limited. more..

Nov 22 (Island) Top JO spokesman MP Bandula Gunawardena has found fault with TNA MP and COPE member M.A. Sumanthiran for representing an interdicted Central Bank employee, Sangarapillai Pathumanapan, investigated by the CID in connection with the just concluded PCoI into alleged bond scams. Former Minister G.L. Peiris, too, said the issue needed to be further studied and remedial action taken. more..

Nov 22 (DM) In a fine example of good governance and its principle of all being equal before the law, PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday appeared before the PCoI probing the alleged scams in the CB bond issues and testified for about 90 minutes. Reports say he answered about 48 questions, including some related to economic development strategies, when he was examined by Attorney General Jayantha Jayasooriya.  Leaving the Commission premises after his testimony, more..

Nov 22 (DM) The influence of Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (SWRD), Junius Richard Jayewardene (JR) and Rohana Wijeweera (Wijeweera) on the local political theatre is unmatchable. The great puppeteers of local political minds, they excelled in their chosen field and when they entered the arena, the aura that emanated from their physical statures, albeit SWRD and Wijeweera being slight and unimpressive, while JR was all persona & impeccable, collective impression more..

Nov 22 (Reuters) When her daughter turned seven, and it was time for the khatna - a female genital mutilation (FGM) ritual - a close friend advised Naqiyah to try the butter knife method. A trusted doctor in Colombo would simply run a blunt knife against little Tanzeem’s vagina, and Naqiyah could tell her relatives that the ceremony had been carried out. There would be no bleeding, no pain. FGM, which can cause serious physical and more..

Nov 22 (ST) Delays of police investigations into serious cases of fraud, corruption, drug trafficking and the current security situation figured in Parliament during the Committee stage debate, of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Law and Order. Speakers from both the Govt and Opposition, expressed their views at the debate. Minister Sagala Ratnayake said, “In other countries, police resort to advanced and sophisticated methods to more..

Nov 22 (DM) There are different versions of the tense situation that occurred in Gintota last week. The villagers criticize the media and social activist groups for spreading wrong versions regarding what happened in Gintota and being biased. Daily Mirror visited the affected families of both Sinhala and Muslim communities in the village.  Gintota faced a heavily tense situation with impending riots between Sinhalese and more..

Nov 22 (SL) The Office of Missing Persons (OMP), will become fully operational during the first quarter of 2018, Mano Tittawella, Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM) said. He says the Constitutional Council will begin interviewing suitable candidates for OMP commissioners very soon. The public application deadline closed 10 days ago. more..

Nov 22 (DN) Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that a nine-member committee, appointed to look into the progress of the implementation of the recommendations by the Presidential Committee, is to submit a report pertaining to the SAITM issue before Dec 31 this year. Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Rajaratnam appearing on behalf of the AG made these remarks when the appeal petition pertaining to SAITM more..

Nov 22 (Island) The Supreme Court ordered Sirasa TV to submit for the perusal of the court the entire video footage containing public address made by the UNP MP Ranjan Ramanayake, allegedly claiming that 95% of the judges were corrupt. Additional Solicitor General Priyantha Navana, P.C., who appeared for the Attorney General told the court that the allegation was serious enough for the court to issue summons on more..

Nov 22 (CT) The country spends more on treating people who have fallen ill due to smoking and drinking than it collects in taxes on alcohol and tobacco, a survey carried out by various local and foreign agencies has revealed. Consultant Community Physician Dr. Rohan Ratnayake, said that an economic survey conducted by the Ministry of Health, National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol (NATA), WHO and more..

Nov 22 (SL) CID has begun investigations on social media posts which attempted to instigate violence in SL. Superintendent of Police Ruwan Gunasekara said that during the Gintota incident social media had published images of bodies claiming they were that of people killed during the violence. However he noted that the images were that of people killed during a bomb attack and was not related to Gintota. more..

Nov 22 (AD) NASA’s International Space Station will be visible to the naked eye at 6:25 pm local time, above Sri Lanka today (22). According to NASA, its International Space Station, is the third brightest object in the sky and easy to spot if you know when to look up. Visible to the naked eye, it looks like a fast-moving plane only much higher and traveling thousands of miles an hour faster, NASA has said. more..

Nov 22 (AD) The Court of Appeal issued a stay order preventing the implementation of the Gazette notification on the delimitation of Local Govt councils till Dec 4. The decision was given following the hearing of the petition filed against the delimitation of LG bodies today.  The petition was taken up before a three-member judge bench comprising President of the Appeal Court, Justice L.T.B. Dehideniya, more..

Nov 22 (AD) General Secretary of National Freedom Front (NFF) Priyanjith Vitharana resigned from his post as the General Secretary citing personal and health reasons. Reports confirm that he informed the NFF of his decision during a party meeting held last night. Spokesman of the Party Mohammed Muzammil said the resignation letter was handed over yesterday. Deputy Secretary of the NFF Attorney at Law Kapila Gamage will be announced as the new General Secretary of the NFF.  more..

Nov 22 (GDI) On the invitation of President Moon Jae-in, President Maithripala Sirisena will undertake a state visit to the Republic of Korea from 28th to 30th Nov, in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between SL and Korea. On 29th November, President Moon is scheduled to meet President Sirisena for summit talks, and host SL President to a state dinner. The two Heads of State will discuss matters of mutual interest to deepen cooperation more..

Nov 22 (FT) The lengthy article by Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe PC on constitutional reform published in the newspapers recently appears to contain several errors of fact and of law. I have no wish to argue with the former Minister of Justice on his views on the legality of the current constitutional reform process in which he participated until his removal from office. However, any debate should proceed upon the basis of accurate information and correct statements of the law. more..

Nov 22 (CT) PM Ranil Wickremesinghe appeared before the PCoI probing the Central Bank Treasury Bonds auctions on Monday. The voluntary appearance of the PM at the PCoI can be seen as a positive sign as it shows that even the most powerful men in the country are subject to the law of the land and if the belief is that the long arm of the law can reach powerful individuals like Wickremesinghe, it would do a lot to rebuild the faith in the judiciary among the people. more..

Nov 22 (EN) Foreign investment in SL companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in 2017 has hit an all-time high during a year, with Rs105.1 billion in foreign purchases so far this year, passing the record Rs104.7 billion in 2014. CSE said the development follows signs of renewed foreign interest in the stock market in mid-2017. During this period foreign buying doubled to that in the first half of 2016 and recorded an all-time more..

Nov 22 (GDI) State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne said the present govt will strengthen free education as well as the right for free education. He made this statement at the parliament. “Rs.25 million rupees have been allocated for higher Education standard monitoring Institute.” he said. Rs. 110 million have been allocated for the Insurance scheme for university undergraduates, he added. Meanwhile plans are underway to establish Technical Colleges in more..

Nov 22 (FT) The Board of Investment (BOI) revealed Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) this year would double to $ 1.5 billion from last year whilst expressing confidence of a $ 5 billion figure by 2020. This optimism was expressed by Chairman Dumindra Ratnayake, who said a host of initiatives were ongoing to boost FDIs with the BOI transitioning to an investment facilitator rather than a regulator. “At present total FDIs for 2017 amount to $ 1 billion, which will reach $ 1.5 billion by more..

Nov 22 (PMD) Vice President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Wencai Zhang said that ADB would extend fullest support to the economic development plans initiated by the govt. ADB Vice President called on President Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat today to discuss the Country Partnership Strategy for development assistance for the period 2018-22 for which the ADB has allocated a sum of US$ 4-5 billion for SL. more..

Nov 22 (GDI) Foreign Secretary Prasad Kariyawasam, joined by the Governor of the Central Bank Indrajit Coomaraswamy, and Secretary-General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms Mano Tittawella, shared information on Sri Lanka’s journey of peace-building with the UN Peace-building Commission in New York on 20th Nov. Briefing focused on the holistic approach including comprehensive reform required for sustaining peace and the prevention of more..

Nov 22 (DM) The Narcotics Unit of the Excise Department seized 2 kg of heroin valued at Rs. 20 million during a raid at Karukapane beach in Chilaw last night. Department officials said a suspect was also arrested with the contraband during the raid and expressed suspicion that the drug would have been smuggled into the country from India via the sea. The arrested suspect was a resident at Kolaniwella in Chilaw and to be produced before the Chilaw Magistrate today. more..

Nov 22 (AD) The Registration of Persons Department had decided to implement a special one day service to issue National Identity Cards (NICs) to students sitting for the 2017 G.C.E. O/L Exam. Accordingly the special one day service will be carried out at the Registration of Persons Department, Suhurupaya in Battaramulla on Saturday (25) from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. The candidates who have not yet applied for NICs, the candidates who have not received NICs more..

Nov 22 (Island) GMOA appealed to President Sirisena to step in to preserve the dignity of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) by ensuring its elections were conducted properly. GMOA President Dr Anuruddha Padeniya and Secretary Dr Haritha Aluthge, has, in a letter to President Sirisena, said that the appointment of office bearers of the SLMC could be legally challenged. In their letter, copied to PM, Health Minister, the Health Secretary and SLMC Chairman, two unionists have, more..

Nov 22 (DN) Former President’s Chief of Staff, Gamini Sedara Senarath and two officials were yesterday ordered to be released on bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate. Magistrate observed that the suspects cannot be charged under the Public Property Act. They are charged for allegedly misusing public funds by illegally investing Rs. 4 billion from the Rs.18.5 billion approved by the Cabinet for a hotel project in 2012. more..

Nov 22 (DM) The 3rd edition of the China Products exhibition will be opened on Nov 22 at 10 a.m. at the Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre and will be graced by the Director General of Commerce as the Chief Guest. The show will be open to the public from 22nd to 24th November  from 10 a.m to 6 p.m. The industry partner for the event is National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) for the 3rd consecutive year. The exhibition is  jointly organized by China Council for Promotion more..

Nov 22 (DM) IGP Pujith Jayasundara yesterday criticized the verbal order, given by an individual during the previous regime, to stop the construction work of the Attidiya Police University within 24-hours and said the Sri Lanka police was not anyone's property. Addressing those present at the opening of the new administrative building of the Weeraketiya Police Station on Tuesday, IGP said the Sri Lanka Police had to grapple with an unfortunate incident during the previous regime. more..

Nov 22 (CI) At the end of the Kolkata Test match, Suranga Lakmal won an award. Not Player of the Match, for which he was surely in the running, but [insert sponsor name] Bankable Player of the Match. It isn't an award that will live on forever in the ESPNcricinfo scorecard - sorry, Suranga - but it was, nonetheless, both well deserved and aptly named. Over the last year or so, Sri Lanka have been able to bank on Lakmal. more..

Nov 22 (DM) Joint Opposition MP Dinesh Gunawardane said that State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe, who criticised the conduct of the President at a press conference on Tuesday, had violated the Standing Orders and the Constitution by doing so. He said the Constitution and the Standing Order 78 had provided clear guidance with regard to the conduct of the President. "Mr. Senasinghe had made a statement criticising the President during a press conference. more..