Nov 27 (Island) Magni Holdings won the Best Team title while Ashan Silva and Shoel Daniel won the Best Driver and Best Rider awards at the Rotherham Circuit Meet – 2019 concluded successfully at the SL Air Force Station Katukurunda on Sunday. Commander of Air Force, Air Marshal Sumangala Dias graced the event as the Chief Guest. The motor car and bike racing competition worked off at the Katukurunda Airstrip was full of thrills and spills, excitement & great sportsmanship. more..

Nov 27 (CT) Manager of the South Asian Games Triathlon team, Mahinda Liyanage, has been recalled by the Sports Ministry. The former SL Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) President accompanied the team which left SL on Monday. Liyanage was banned by Sports Ministry in February this year for a period of one year due to misconduct over the National Diving C'ship 2018. Accordingly, he was banned from holding any kind of position in a National Sports Association, more..

Nov 27 (ST) Foreign employment scams and fake recruitment issues are on the rise in SL with more people looking online for overseas jobs and some of them falling victims to unscrupulous agencies which exploit mostly the poor domestic workers. A Special Investigation Unit has been established in the Foreign Employment Bureau (FEB) in accordance with an approval of the Cabinet, to tackle this menace. more..

Nov 27 (EAF) The election on 16 Nov 2019 of SL President Gotabaya Rajapaksa — the brother of former prez Mahinda Rajapaksa — ushers in an authoritarian populist regime that upholds a form of ethno-religious nationalism. The foundation of such a regime is in the new bourgeoisie that has emerged over the last two decades. Gotabaya was secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development under the Mahinda Rajapaksa govt (2005-2015). He presided over the brutal end of the civil war more..

Nov 27 (TM) With the 2019 prez election complete, some of the main policies that have been outlined include establishing a meritocracy, improving efficiency, and eliminating corruption. Although an interim cabinet has now been appointed, the upcoming 2020 parliamentary elections will ultimately determine the new govt of SL. Given this, it is necessary to take a deeper look at the structure and functionality of our ministry system. Why should ministry allocation be a policy priority? more..

Nov 27 (CT) Fitness trials held at the Sugathadasa Stadium for South Asian Games athletes yesterday took an unexpected turn as defending SAG 100m Champion Himasha Eashan and 200m Gold medalist Vinoj Suranjaya de Silva refused to take part in the pre-arranged 100m trial. Ultimately officials had to compromise and agree upon a 60m fitness trial, which de Silva did not take part in, opting instead to run the 150m trial for more..

Nov 27 (Island) St. Joseph Vaz’s all rounder Nipun Dananjaya is likely to retain the captaincy of the SL Under-19 team for next year’s ICC Youth World Cup. Dananjaya has been retained as the captain of the team which will tour West Indies for a tri-nation tournament. The tournament involving England, West Indies and Sri Lanka will commence on December 6. The team will leave on Friday. A team official said that Dananjaya will lead the team picked from the Youth World Cup squad of 20. more..

Nov 27 (AD) Troubled The Finance company PLC (TFC) yesterday (25) noted that the company has been approached by 03 interested parties to consider an investment in the finance firm, if a Banking License could be obtained. “Since publication of the Notice of Cancellation, TFC was approached by 03 interested parties to consider an investment on the basis Banking License could be obtained with the sufficient investment," the firm said in a stock exchange filling. more..

Nov 27 (DN) Information, Communications Technology, Higher Education, Technology and Innovations Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena yesterday urged journalists to be committed to fair and objective reporting with a balanced approach towards disseminating news. “The Govt is keen on providing necessary support and facilities for this purpose,” Minister Gunawardene said, addressing the media after assuming duties more..

Nov 27 (FT) Vistara – India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines – today inaugurated service to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The airline now flies daily (except Wednesdays) between Mumbai and Colombo, making it the first to offer the choice of Premium Economy Class for travel between India and SL, in addition to Economy and Business Class. Passengers on Vistara’s inaugural flight from Mumbai were welcomed in Colombo with more..

Nov 27 (CT) CEB said that a power crisis is imminent in March 2020 if steps are not taken to build proposed power plants at the correct time. CEB engineers say that though power can be supplied at present owing to the high level of hydropower production, a power crisis will occur in March 2020 due to drought. They added that this crisis has been created as no power station was built after adding 280 MW to the national power grid under the third phase of Norochcholai coal more..

Nov 27 (AN) Saudi Arabia’s envoy to Sri Lanka vowed to take relations with Colombo to new heights after meeting with SL’s new Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Speaking to Arab News a day after congratulating Rajapaksa on his recent election to power with a thumping 1.3-million-vote majority, Saudi ambassador Abdul Nasser Al-Harthy said there would be concentrated efforts to boost bilateral ties between the two countries. more..

Nov 27 (FT) A photography exhibition on Making of Indian Constitution was inaugurated by the High Commissioner of India Taranjit Singh Sandhu on 26 Nov. Speaking on the occasion, which marked the start of yearlong celebrations associated with the 70th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, Deputy HC Vinod Jacob highlighted the importance of the Constitution Day (26 Nov) and elaborated upon the constitution-making process in India leading to the adoption the Constitution, more..

Nov 27 (CT) SL Consulate General in Mumbai, together with the SL Convention Bureau (SLCB), organised two MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences, Exhibitions) promotion events on 13 and 15 Nov 2019 in Mumbai and Pune, respectively. This was the first time that a series of MICE promotion events has taken place in Western India to promote SL as an ideal destination for global corporate events. India is the largest MICE Market for SL, with over 33,990 arrivals in 2018. more..

Nov 27 (CT) Releasing a communique the Competent Authority of Jaffna University, Prof K. Kandasamy has requested the students not to carry out any functions today and tomorrow (26 and 27 Nov) within the university premises. The letter issued by Prof Kandasamy dated 26 Nov requests the university students to assist by abiding by the said guidelines to ensure that the usual atmosphere of the university is maintained. more..

Nov 27 (FT) DFCC Bank PLC recently entered a breakthrough partnership with one of the oldest and most established corporate entities in the Maldives, the Cyprea Group of Companies, for a dual-tranche bilateral term loan, together with a trade finance and guarantee facility. This landmark transaction is the single largest bilateral deal arranged by DFCC Bank to date. The new term loan was structured by DFCC Bank to refinance existing term borrowings and meet key capital investments and more..

Nov 27 (DN) SL’s blow hot blow cold performances in T20 International cricket has been their lack of experience playing in that type of format even at domestic level and this shortcoming has been emphasized on several instances by the chairman of selectors Ashantha de Mel whose selection committee has quite a headache when they sit down to pick squads because they have to do with only what is available and that is not just good enough if we are to compete with other nations at more..

Nov 27 (Island) The TNA said the govt’s plan to review UNHRC Resolution 30/1, for promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL would have serious repercussions for the country at the int'l level. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that in 2015, SL govt co-sponsored the UNHRC Resolution 30/1, promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL at a time when there was a negative image about the country internationally, more..

Nov 27 (DN) The Federation of Information Technology Industry SL (FITIS) congratulates Gotabaya Rajapaksa on being elected as the 7th Executive President of SL. Abbas Kamrudeen, Chairman of FITIS went on to state “As the Apex body in the ICT industry, we look forward to your successful tenure and working with you on your vision of A Technology Based Society (Smart Nation) to uplifting the standard of technology across the country & to make SL next technology hub”. more..

Nov 27 (TM) NBRO says Colombo air quality will reach an unhealthy level today. “The air quality levels today (27) will be at unhealthy levels for sensitive groups for few hours,” NBRO said. However, it says on Thurs (28), condition will subside to moderate levels. NBRO said the forecast levels are subjected to weather conditions and wind profile of the country. US Air quality index level (US AQI) for 24 hours ending at 6 a.m. yesterday (26) indicated moderate air quality level in C'mbo. more..

Nov 27 (Island) UNP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakse revealed that he had personally brought the underhand activities of Chief Inspector Nishantha de Silva to the notice of the then Prez Sirisena but the officer had been given a free hand. Former justice minister Rajapakse was commenting on the officer attached to the CID leaving the country over the last weekend with his wife and three children to Switzerland without informing the police. more..

Nov 27 (DN) The new ministry secretaries are reported to be appointed today by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after the swearing in of the state ministers. Fifteen Cabinet Ministers were appointed last week and the state ministers are expected to take oaths before the President today at 9.00 a.m. at the Presidential Secretariat. The gazette notice assigning the subjects of the ministers and the institutions coming under their purview may be issued today or tomorrow. more..

Nov 27 (DM) The Colombo Municipal Council has fixed the road cleaning and garbage collection times at 5.30 am and 6.30 am respectively, a CMC official said. He said the times were fixed on the instructions received by the environmental police and were effective from today. “We have informed all our employees who are engaged in garbage collection, to report for duty by 6 am while employees who are engaged in road cleaning to report for duty by 5 am,” the official said. more..

Nov 27 (DM) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa is reported to have instructed his ministers to review all agreements signed during UNF govt and renegotiate them if they violate the constitution. The agreements which will come under the scanner include the Hambantota Mirijjawila oil refinery project which the former govt signed with Singaporean registered Silver Park International and agreements in the aviation and power sector. more..

Nov 27 (DM) First let’s look at the positives. Clearly, the size stands out for its smallness. Just 15! The previous regime had to legislate a limitation and even that was mere eyewash. 19th Amendment limited cabinet to 30 ministers but the architects slipped in an escape clause: Parliament would decide cabinet-size in the event there’s a national govt. They made sure that national govt was not defined and therefore open to multiple interpretation. Of course, the Opposition, more..

Nov 27 (DM) PROCRASTINATION is the name of the game, a game that is well played in our island country!!! Whether it be Politics, Elections, Bringing Criminals to Justice, Building Bridges, or Planning Equitable Distribution of Wealth, Making Schools available to All Children, Giving Equal Opportunities to every Sri Lankan, especially the differently abled in order to give them a sense of belonging, a sense of self-worth, what about the aged and aging population!!! more..

Nov 27 (DM) Prez elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa announcement that loss-making institutes have to be turned around has been met with positivism more than a lackadaisical attitude. Gotabaya has got a cracking start. He has reduced his staff and back-up vehicles and even objected to roads being closed when his official vehicle was travelling on the road. Where he wants the state to head is towards prosperity. more..

Nov 27 (ST) Mahinda Deshapriya, Chair of the Election Commission, who oversaw the election considered to be the country’s most peaceful presidential poll, was visibly tired when we met him at his office three days after the results were announced. The Election Commission is still buzzing with activity, with officials engaged in monitoring the post-election period and dealing with complaints of election law infringements across the country. more..

Nov 27 (Island) The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) critised the decision of the Conservator General of Forest and other govt authorities to legalise certain forms of encroachment. Attorney at Law Ravindranath Dabare, representing CEJ said that the Conservator General of Forest and the govt authorities were planning to legalise illegal activities harmful to the forest cover. On Monday, the Conservator General of more..

Nov 27 (Island) SriLankan Airlines has incurred a loss of over Rs. 44 billion in the financial year that ended on March 31, 2019, Auditor General, W.P.C. Wickramaratne says in his report on the state venture. The accumulated loss of the company was Rs. 230 billion. The Company’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by Rs. 186 billion and total liabilities exceeded its total assets by Rs. 177 billion. more..

Nov 27 (RN) Veteran Broadcaster Anton Jayamaha was on his way to the Seth FM Radio station, in Negombo, Sri Lanka to host his regular call-in show on Easter Sunday when he heard a loud blast nearby. As he passed the city Hospital he saw vehicles and ambulances arriving with injured people and decided to investigate. When the Founder and CEO of Seth FM found out that there had been an explosion St Sebastian’s Church more..

Nov 27 (AD) Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya says that he has recognized UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Leader of the Opposition, upholding Parliamentary traditions. In a twitter message, he said that recognition of the Leader of the UNFGG as the Leader of the Opposition was done upholding established Parliamentary traditions that should not be violated “While I empathize with more..

Nov 27 (DM) Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan is among the three new governors tipped to be appointed to three provinces shortly by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Presidential Secretariat sources revealed that the former ace spinner is to be appointed as the Governor of the Northern Province, Ms. Anuradha Yahampath to be appointed as the Governor of the Eastern Province and Prof. Tissa Vitharana more..

Nov 27 (DM) It was reported that Mahaveerar Day celebration was held at the Jaffna Uni premises despite the directive made by the Jaffna Uni Vice-Chancellor. Earlier a notice had been issued by the Jaffna Uni’s VC Kakandasami directing students not to observe the Mahaveerar Day within the campus on Nov 26 and 27. That notice also warned that legal action would be taken against the students and Deans of faculties more..

Nov 27 (AD) Ministerial portfolios are important responsibilities rather than privileges, stated Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Prez expressed these views at the ceremony held to swear in State and Deputy Ministers of the new govt. Accordingly, 35 State Ministers and 3 Deputy Ministers took oath before Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. “We are not able to grant positions for everyone who worked for us politically more..

Nov 27 (AD) The swearing-in ceremony of State Ministers & Deputy Ministers of the new govt was held this morning. The ceremony, presided by Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa, is taking place at the Prez Secretariat in Colombo. A total number of 35 State Ministers and 3 Deputy Ministers took oaths before the Prez. Minister of Mahaweli Development, Agriculture & Trade Chamal Rajapaksa was sworn in as the State Minister of Defence more..

Nov 27 (CT) This newspaper yesterday reported that newly elected Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa plans to change the trend of making political appointments to high office, by making such appointments as far as possible, merit-based. The article further said that in this connection the Govt has appointed a four-member selection board to scan appointments of those who are to head State-owned enterprises (SOEs). They are former Secretary to the Prez Lalith Weeratunga, former SEC Chairman more..

Nov 27 (FT) Elections are over. Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assumed office. Euphoria continues and will continue for few more days. Winners are celebrating whilst the losers are nursing their wounds. What tomorrow holds is in everyone’s mind. Largely there is an atmosphere of hope in the air in the country. The people voted and now people want action. The stage is set for Prez Gotabaya to walk the talk! My attempt here is to keep away from political rhetoric and analyse the Prez’s win more..

Nov 27 (DM) Japan is reported to have begun discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the purpose of reviving projects that did not take off during the former govt mainly because of bureaucratic hurdles. Four projects were lined up for development with financial assistance from Japan - liquefied natural gas power project, the construction of the Pothuhera- Galagedara stretch of the central expressway, the expansion of the BIA and the Colombo East Container Terminal. more..