Nov 26 (DM) The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) today categorically denied reports which said it had given nominations to Dan Priyasad and Mahason Balakaya leader Amith Weerasinghe. “We categorically deny reports fueled by the UNP stating that nominations were given to Dan Priyasad and Amith Weerasinghe from the SLPP. The nomination board has not yet begun accepting applications nor have they made a final decision on the candidates,” the SLPP tweeted. more..

Nov 26 (FT) Breaking a self-imposed silence, SLFP National Organizer Duminda Dissanayake said that he was working towards a new force beyond party lines to take the country forward from the current situation. “I don’t like the current system and I am working towards forming a new force beyond any party lines to work for the development of the country,” he said. Insisting that his next move would not be based along any party lines, he said that he would work with national interests in mind more..

Nov 26 (CT) The CID yesterday questioned the IGP Pujith Jayasundera in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate President Maithripala Sirisena, Police sources said. They said the Police Chief was grilled for nearly three hours at the CID office in Colombo, adding that Jayasundera was also noticed that he would be obliged to appear before the CID in the future too, as the investigations into the case continue. more..

Nov 26 (Island) Parish priest of St Anne’s Church, Kurana, Negombo, Rev Father Cyril Fernando lashed out at power hungry MPs causing constitutional crisis at the expense of the country. Former Catholic Church spokesman, in his Sunday sermon, alleged that the country was in a sorry state for want of national leadership. Referring to allegations pertaining to some lawmakers switching allegiance to rival political parties for personal benefit, Rev. Father Fernando called for more..

Nov 26 (Island) Housing and Social Welfare Minister Wimal Weerawansa has announced that 14,000 Samurdhi officers, including those serving in the north and east on casual basis will be confirmed in service shortly Addressing the media at the Ministry office, Weerawansa said, the previous govt had failed to address the issue in spite of protests by trade unions. Issues pertaining to salary structures, service periods and pensions were discussed at the meeting. more..

Nov 26 (AD) Former Minister Harin Fernando states that the country should be rebuilt under the leadership of Sajith Premadasa as Premadasa is the wish of the whole country. Stating that he respects UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Fernando said that they should instead appoint Wickremesinghe to an honorary position and seek his intelligence. However, if this change doesn’t occur within the party, more..

Nov 26 (DN) The awards ceremony of the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Award 2018 (BCCS 2018), will take place at the Cinnamon Grand, Colombo this evening amid a gathering of 350 distinguished corporate executives. Held for the 15th consecutive year, the Awards have produced 7 winners of the coveted title of Best Corporate Citizen so far. Hayleys PLC was awarded the Grand Slam Award in 2016, and last year Aitken Spence PLC claimed the title of BCCS 2017. more..

Nov 26 (CG) The SLMC says it will never support newly appointed PM Mahinda Rajapaksa because of the violence which took place in Digana when he was President. SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said that Rajapaksa is feared by the minorities. “Under no circumstances will we allow the return of the Rajapaksa regime which was inherently corrupt and intrinsically evil. Feared much by the minorities’ they remind us of the horrors of the past. We all know who were behind the Digana incidents more..

Nov 26 (EN) President Sirisena said he had opposed the appointments of Kapila Chandrasena as Chairman to SriLankan Airlines and Nalaka Godahewa to SL Insurance. "The person at SriLankan had been removed," Prez said. "We opposed the appointment as soon as it was done." Chandrasena is at the centre of several fraud allegations at SriLankan Airlines under a commission of inquiry appointed by Prez himself. more..

Nov 26 (FT) Lieutenant Commander G. Laksiri, a key witness in a case regarding the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in an alleged Navy abduction racket, has been threatened by six navy officers, including the Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Police Spokesperson SSP Ruwan Gunasekara confirmed. The victim is one of the main witnesses in the investigation where a key suspect, former Navy officer Lieutenant commander Prasad Chandana Hettiarachchi, more..

Nov 26 (CT) While President Maithripala Sirisena has decided to conduct an investigation into the transaction of the EAP organization, over corrupt dealings, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has planned to conclude those transactions. Even though the buyers have agreed to pay, within three months, the agreed monies when purchasing the EAP organization, it is reported that the sum agreed upon in connection with the transaction has not yet been paid in full. more..

Nov 26 (FT) Issuing a swift rebuttal to President Sirisena’s accusations that the UNP was behind stalled corruption investigations, MP Sagala Ratnayake rejected the statements and insisted that it was the President who was responsible for the delays and disruptions. “As a responsible Cabinet Minister I have never spoken in public about instances in which @MaithripalaS interfered with high profile investigations. more..

Nov 26 (DM) In recent years sweeping the world is a wave or highest grade hurricane of populism and extremism, nationalism or a lack of respect for minority races and religions a vice that prevents the fundamental principle of unity in diversity. This trend reached crisis proportion with the election in Nov 2016 of Donald Trump as President of US which till then had been regarded as the moral and ethical leader of the free world while being the biggest military and economic power. more..

Nov 26 (DM) Were the No-Confidence Motions passed in Parliament? Was the Govt of the PM dissolved on Nov 14 or 16? These are questions in the minds of many people. Let’s read Article 48(2) of the Constitution: “If Parliament rejects the Statement of Govt Policy or the Appropriation Bill or passes a vote of no-confidence in the Govt, the Cabinet of Ministers shall stand dissolved, and the President shall, unless he has in the exercise of his powers under Article 70, dissolved Parliament, more..

Nov 26 (CT) To steer clear of the present political deadlock that resulted subsequent to the appointment of a new Premier and Cabinet, the only solution is to dissolve Parliament and hold a General election to enable the public to choose the leaders without further muddling the present state of affairs, so opined Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Private Secretary to PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and Chairman of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation. more..

Nov 26 (Island) Convenor of Yuthukama Organisation Gevindu Cumaratunga admitted that the country couldn’t be redirected to the correct path only by way of an early general election. The civil society activist said that the country needed disciplined lawmakers. Cumaratunga said so when The Island sought an explanation as to why newly formed People’s Movement for a General Election deceived the electorate by more..

Nov 26 (DN) While noting that a sinister nexus seems to have emerged between the JVP-UNP alliance and the TNA, MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara yesterday challenged the three parties to contest together at a General Election, if they were sincere about their new found friendship. Nanayakkara charged a sinister nexus has surfaced between the JVP-UNP alliance and the TNA in Parliament only for petty political gain and more..

Nov 26 (CT) Police probing the murder of a 19-year-old student in Matara on Saturday afternoon, are seeking to question a teenage girl, who could shed more light on the reasons that led to the incident. According to Police, the teenage girl is alleged to have maintained a clandestine love affair with both the victim and the suspect and had shared intimate secrets among them that apparently irked the suspect killer. more..

Nov 26 (DM) Ahead of another parliamentary vote to curtail expenditure to the Office of PM, govt is making fresh efforts to muster the simple majority, Minister S.B. Dissanayake said. Minister who acted as the go-between in the formation of the new govt said that Dissolution of Parliament hampered the process of luring UNP MPs. He said the govt could have secured at least 117 MPs otherwise. more..

Nov 26 (EN) SL's political situation has been wrongly interpreted as a crisis by foreign lenders and conditions will come back to normal in early December, Prez Sirisena said as bond yields shot up, the rupee fell rapidly, and plans to roll-over debt appear to have been dropped. Sirisena said there was a political disturbance in Sri Lanka rather than a big crisis. "As I see it in the current politics of SL there is no big conflict," more..

Nov 26 (ST) One month after the appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as PM, foreign govts continue to show reluctance to send formal congratulatory messages. The Foreign Ministry first notified Sri Lanka’s Heads of Missions and Posts abroad of the appointment of the new PM on Oct 27—the day after the event—despite a spokesperson claiming that foreign leaders had not send congratulatory messages only because more..

Nov 26 (CT) President of the Tourist Hotels Association, Sanath Ukwatte has notified appointed PM, Mahinda Rajapaksa that if the ongoing political crisis continues it would have a serious impact on the tourism industry. He said that several Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism have been cancelled, despite the cancellations not being in alarming numbers, but warned that if the current instability more..

Nov 26 (AD) The petition filed against Mahinda Rajapaksa holding the Premiership is set to be supported before the Court of Appeal on the 30th Nov. The petition has been filed by 122 MPs stating that PM and the Ministers cannot hold their positions as it is illegal. Accordingly, the petition will be taken up before a two-member judge bench consisting Court of Appeal President Justice Preethi Surasena & Justice Arjuna Obeysekara more..

Nov 26 (AD) Chairman of UNP MP Kabir Hashim issuing a statement stated that the corruption allegations by Prez Sirisena have to be equally borne by President along with Ranil Wickremesinghe. He says that the past 3 ½ years wasn’t just a Ranil Wickremesinghe govt but Prez Sirisena too was a part of it as the Head of State. MP Hashim says while they welcome a Presidential Commission of Inquiry on the allegations, more..

Nov 26 (CT) It is one month today since the political tsunami hit Parliament with Prez Sirisena removing PM Ranil Wickremesinghe from his position and appointing former Prez Rajapaksa as the new PM. The SL Parliamentary system is now in a sad state with no stable govt in power and the countrymen are clueless over the future of democracy in the country. It is for the first time in the political history of SL, Parliamentary system has been ridiculed for a lengthy period after 26 Oct, more..

Nov 26 (FT) Moody’s Investors Service, in a recent ratings change, downgraded SL’s sovereign debt from B1 to B2, while improving the country’s economic Outlook from Negative to Stable. Its prompt move to revise Sri Lanka’s rating status is understandable, since rating agencies had been blamed for not warning the investors in time before Greece bonds became worthless in 2009. The other two rating agencies, Standards and Poor’s and Fitch Ratings, are yet to come up with their own more..

Nov 26 (R29) Each year on 25th November, the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we're encouraged to take stock of the physical, sexual and psychological violence facing women and girls around the world every day. We're all too aware of the dangers in our own lives, and may well be vocal about them, but in many countries these human rights violations go unreported due to impunity, stigma and shame. The behaviours women endure are as more..

Nov 26 (DN) Visa International, says that SL’s digital payment landscape has been registering a tremendous growth, due to more and more consumers choosing to shop on line and engage in e commerce. According to Anthony Watson, Country Manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives – Visa International, Sri Lanka has seen the e- commerce segment expand with a growth of 34% for year on year, as at July 2018. This is mainly due to consumers wanting to adapt new technology more..

Nov 26 (CT) Chief of Defence Staff Ravindra Wijegunaratne and his aides have attempted to assault and shoot Laksiri Galagamage, a Lieutenant Commander of the Navy, a witness in the case of abductions and killings of 11 youth by a Navy gang, at the Navy Headquarters today (25). Galagamage, an officer who gave evidence against Wijegunaratne in the case, had been confronted by Wijegunaratne as more..

Nov 26 (Island) A statement issued under the heading Evolving political crisis, behavior of state and private media and safety of journalists by a group calling itself Federation of Media Employees' Trade Unions and signed by its Secretary Dharmasiri Lankaapeli yesterday claimed: It is the firm belief of the Federation of Media Employees’ Trade Union that a socio-economic and political crisis of very serious nature is brewing in Sri Lankan polity owing to the calling of more..

Nov 26 (AD) Former National Savings Bank (NSB) Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam has been given a 5-year suspended sentence over causing losses through purchase of overvalued shares of TFC by NSB. The Bribery and Corruption Commission filed action at the Colombo Magistrate Court against former National Savings Bank Chairman Pradeep Kariyawasam for alleged corruption in Finance Company (TFC) and NSB transactions. The deal involved a 13% stake of TFC being bought more..

Nov 26 (AD) Chief Justice has appointed a seven-member full judge bench to hear the petitions filed against the dissolution of the parliament. The justices appointed to the bench are, Nalin Perera, Buwaneka Aluwihare, Sisira de Abrew, Priyantha Jayawardena, Prasanna Jayawardena, Vijith Malalgoda, Murdu Fernando. Thirteen fundamental rights petitions were filed at the Supreme Court asking it to declare that more..

Nov 26 (AD) The 17 year old main suspect allegedly involved in the stabbing of a student in Matara has been remanded until the 3rd of Dec as per the orders of the Matara Magistrate’s Court. Another 17 year old suspect allegedly involved in the case has been arrested after he surrendered before the Matara SP’s Office. The main suspect believed to be involved in the stabbing of a 19 year old boy near a tuition class in Matara has surrendered before the Matara magistrate’s Court. more..

Nov 26 (DM) The book Janadhipathi Thaththa penned by President Maithripala Sirisena’s daughter might disappear from the shelves at bookshops after the statements made by opposition MPs in Parliament with regard to it, UNP MP Ashu Marasinghe said yesterday. Mr Marasinghe said the book had become a best seller after the statements made by MPs on it. “People should purchase and read it before copies of it are taken out of book stores” he said. more..

Nov 26 (CI) A stunning piece of fielding from the tourists was, typically, the defining moment of the fourth day's play, as England snuffed out a fighting sixth-wicket stand, then withstood some feisty hitting from the No. 11, to complete a sensational 3-0 whitewash of SL. Requiring six wickets at the start of the day, they were made to bowl 59.4 overs before the opposition finally succumbed, going down eventually by more..

Nov 26 (DM) Gemunu from Ruhuna who had been making newspaper headlines ever since shifting his roost to Kelaniya was forced into political wilderness with the advent of yahapalanaya. However, the man continued to steal the limelight from time to time resorting to some publicity gimmick or other. His latest stunt was to join forces with the Green diehards who have pitched camp at Temple Trees poised for a do or die battle to protect their leader. Gemunu, after a few days of wining and more..

Nov 26 (NR) The UNF says the proposal tabled calling for the suspension of funds to the Office of the PM will be passed with ease, as the Speaker of House has claimed that there is no govt in the country. MP Champika Ranawaka said Mahinda Rajapaksa has no majority in Parliament. MP said the proposal suspending the funds to the Office of the PM will be taken up on the 29th of this month. He added there is no govt at present, as the Hansard has clearly stated that a legitimate more..

Nov 26 (EN) The Presidential Secretariat has not responded to repeated requests from a Commission of Inquiry probing irregularities at state-run SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Lanka for more time to complete its work, its chairman said. Commission Chairman Anil Gunaratne, a retired Supreme Court judge, said that the Presidential Secretariat has not responded to multiple requests from the commission to extend its duration more..

Nov 26 (AD) Conducting tuition classes targeting the G.C.E. O/L Exam 2018 will be prohibited with effect from midnight tomorrow, stated the Department of Examinations. The prohibition will be imposed from midnight tomorrow to Dec 12. Accordingly, organizing and conducting tuition classes, subject-oriented seminars and workshops, printing and distributing examination-oriented question papers, and possession of posters, banners or flyers claiming to provide mock exam questions more..