Nov 28 (FT) SLASSCOM recently hosted the annual Innovation Awards and Gala 2019 for the second consecutive year at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo, recognising and celebrating innovators across a range of award categories in the knowledge solutions industry. SLASSCOM Innovation awards were the premier tech innovation awards held in SL which recognised and rewarded teams across the industry who help put SL on the map by coming together to innovate, reinvent, reimagine more..

Nov 28 (Island) The govt invited expressions of interests from experienced professionals to be considered for appointment as chairpersons and board members of regulatory and promotional agencies, statuary bodies and institutions and commercial state owned institutions. A public notice by the Secretary to the Prez, Dr. P.B. Jayasundera says that the govt is seeking to entrust professionals with the task of transforming those institutions into efficient entities and turn more..

Nov 28 (RN) The Opposition is accusing the administration of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa of failing to fulfil its main campaign pledge of providing national security as a woman staffer of an embassy has been kidnapped at gunpoint in Colombo. UNP MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara said that “it has been four days since this happened and still there have been no arrests. Country needs to know what has happened.” more..

Nov 28 (DM) Proficiency in at least two languages should be made mandatory and considered as a qualification when recruiting new state employees, Public Administration and Home Affairs State Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said. He expressed these views to the media after he assumed duties as State Minister for Public Administration & Home Affairs at the ministry today. “It is a matter of concern that a majority of state employees are unable to speak at least in 2 languages fluently. more..

Nov 28 (FT) Ajith Nivard Cabraal has been appointed as the Senior Advisor on Economic Affairs to the PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. Nivard Cabraal served as the Governor of Central Bank when Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Prez. The latest appointment means Cabraal will not return to the Central Bank when current CB Governor Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy retires on 20 Dec. Political circles maintained that Cabraal is likely to enter the next Parliament via the National List. more..

Nov 28 (CT) Cabinet approval has been sought, urging President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appoint a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate if the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) and the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), have acted under undue influence of third parties and whether they have abused their power or acted more..

Nov 28 (AD) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left for India for a two-day official visit this afternoon. Prez departed from the passenger terminal of the BIA. This is the first official overseas visit of Gotabaya Rajapaksa after he took office as the new Prez of SL. Prez had accepted the invitation extended by Indian PM Narendra Modi to visit the neighboring country following his prez election victory. President is set to meet his Indian counterpart Ram Nath Kovind and PM Modi for bilateral discussions. more..

Nov 28 (AD) Nimal Lanza, Kanchana Wijesekera & Indika Anurudda, who were sworn in as Deputy Ministers yesterday have been sworn in as State Ministers today. Nimal Lanza took oaths as the Deputy Minister of Community Empowerment and Estate Infrastructure and Kanchana Wijesekara was sworn in as the Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. In the meantime, Indika Anuruddha was sworn in as the Deputy Minister of Public Management, Internal Affairs, more..

Nov 28 (DM) Colombo city is to experience unhealthy air quality in the morning hours which would gradually decline after mid-noon, Senior Scientist H.D.S. Premasiri said. Premasiri is one of the senior members of the NBRO Air Quality Unit. He said when the sunshine spreads over the city, the situation would decline and added afterwards, the condition would remain at a moderate level. more..

Nov 28 (Island) Homosexuality, particularly men to men sex has come down drastically in comparison to 10 to 15 years ago. Superintendent of Prisons, (Rehabilitation) S. Hanisdeen, answering questions at an Advocacy Workshop on Stigma and Advocacy said that their observations and surveys had revealed that homosexual activities among prison inmates had decreased. He said that few years back there were numerous complaints by the inmates that they were forced to have sex with others, more..

Nov 28 (Island) Former Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, C. V. Vigneswaran on Tuesday said that the Tamil people had a right to celebrate the Mahaviru Day peacefully. On Mahaviru Day people of the North commemorate a number of people who had passed away and those celebrations were done in a peaceful manner, he said, that he expected Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa would understand the situation and refrain from disrupting the commemorations. more..

Nov 28 (DM) Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko and his supporters were detained by the Delhi Police on Thursday for protesting against SL President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's visit to India. "Gun-toting soldiers are roaming in the streets inhabited by Tamil people. Tamil areas have become concentration camps controlled by the SL army. What happened in Nazi Hitler's time in Germany and Poland, is happening today in SL," Vaiko said more..

Nov 29 (CT) When the 15 member caretaker cabinet was announced soon after Prez Gothabaya Rajapaksa assumed office, the Muslim community must have noted that it was the first time since cabinet govt was introduced in this country in 1947 that a Muslim name was absent from the list of ministers. Although it is not a constitutional requirement that every cabinet should reflect the pluralist makeup of the society, it became almost an unwritten conventional norm for PMs to more..

Nov 29 (CT) Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won an immense landslide victory among the Sinhalese (72% of Sinhala Buddhist and nearly 60% of other Sinhalese – Catholic/Christian – voted for him). Equally stunning was his total rejection by Tamils and the Muslims. Never before has polarisation been so stark in our electoral history. However, that is all water under the bridge now. How to go forward? The spirit of this column is: 1) Let’s make proposals that are legitimate and feasible; more..

Nov 29 (CT) 'Our nation was protected by the sacrifices made by our military, without them, democracy would have been long gone due to terrorism, remember this is the same reason we could hold election rallies at midnight and speak to more than one thousand participants who are gathered here.' - Ossie Abeyagoonasekera's final speech on 23 Oct 1994 before the LTTE suicide attack. Oct 24, 1994 was a dark day in SL political history. more..

Nov 29 (CT) I thought it would be apt to remember the services rendered by noted educationist late R.I.T. Alles who left this world six years ago, as I was able to nurture and grow under his stewardship receiving his guidance, instructions and advice for a period of 12 years. R.I.T. Alles was a disciplined teacher and led by example. He was also a distinguished school Principal. He was a noted administrator and a storehouse of knowledge. Bogoda Premaratna, having learned that more..

Nov 29 (ST) Christmas has come early to Colombo as Silent Hands Productions stages the Yuletide farce, Sorry, Wrong Chimney, on November 29 and 30 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre at 7.30 p.m. Sorry, Wrong Chimney, originally written by Jack Sharley and produced and directed by Leo Sears, is the story of David Tuttle and his desperate attempt to get his wife the best possible Christmas present, and everything around him conspiring against his wish to do so. more..

Nov 29 (DM) Reading Northern Tamil politics from Colombo, the presidential election seems to have proved Tamil political leaderships of all colour are caught in a serious dilemma. Much fractured TNA had to eventually compromise to announce Tamil people should vote to the lesser evil. TPC led by former Supreme Court Judge and former Northern Province Chief Minister Wigneswaran asked the people to vote wisely. more..

Nov 29 (SO) The first ‘Kacha Kacha’ was hosted by Imaad Majeed as part of Colomboscope in August 2015, conceived with co-curator Radhika Hettiarachchi, bringing together original rappers, poets and singer-songwriters, performing in Sinhala, Tamil and English for “a night of uncensored expression.” At its inception the evening was hosted at Castle Hotel, a colonial era building, regarded by many as a heritage building, that housed a bar that catered to the working class clientele of more..

Nov 29 (CT) Election results prove what the Sama Samajists suggested is true. They campaigned for a fighting front against pro-Gota camp and it is correct. Pro-Gota forces barely got 52 % of the total votes. Divided democracy camp was dispersed. 42% of vote went for NDF, 3% for JVP for and 3% for small socialist and Tamil Muslim Radical parties. If they formed a unity by joining with the NDF and common candidate Sajith they could have, with hard work, defeated the pro-Gota forces and, more..

Nov 29 (Island) The past week has seen a number of key appointments including those of ministers and some vetters tasked with selecting the heads of corporations, etc. They are a foretaste of the govt’s future plans, we reckon. When it was announced that the caretaker Cabinet to be appointed would be limited to 15 members, even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forebear to cheer. Needless to say a jubilant Citizen Perera found himself dancing in the streets, singing hosannas. more..

Nov 29 (Island) The Economist proclaimed recently that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the man who, as secretary of defense, presided over this horrifying episode (the final phase of Sri Lanka’s terrorist inspired internal conflict), has just been elected president of Sri Lanka. To Sinhalese Buddhists, about 70% of the population, he is a hero. After all, the militia he destroyed was appallingly cruel and bloodthirsty and had tormented Tamils as much as, if not more than, other Sri Lankans. more..

Nov 29 (ST) SL has undergone a financial beating, leaving the country’s banking sector in an insecure position although some of the leading commercial banks have found a balance between risk and growth, official sources disclosed. The banking sector’s gross non-performing loans (NPLs) ratio is set to reach 5% at the end of this year, highest rank since 2014 amid increased market lending rates & a sluggish economy, more..

Nov 29 (DM) Menswear specialist and SL’s Number one clothing brand Emerald produced two of SLIM NASCO’s emerging superstars this year, as sales professionals Madura Premarathne and Jeewan Rathnayaka bagged two prestigious awards alongside other super achievers at the annual ceremony held at the BMICH. They credited Emerald’s supportive work culture for their success. Organized by the SL Institute of Marketing, SLIM NASCO (National Sales Congress) Awards more..

Nov 29 (Island) The SL delegation secured second place overall at the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards 2019 held from 19th to 22nd Nov, 2019 at Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. APICTA is an alliance of national ICT organizations to build and enhance a mutually cooperative network to promote ICT across the Asia Pacific region with 16 permanent member countries. BCS Sri Lanka Section (BCS the Chartered Institute for IT Sri Lanka Section) and FITIS more..

Nov 29 (DN) The Sri Lanka under 19 cricketers tour to West Indies for the Under 19 tri-series with West Indies and England was placed in jeopardy of being cancelled after the US Embassy in Sri Lanka refused visas of seven of the cricketers picked for the tour. The team of 15 cricketers and nine officials were due to leave for the Caribbean today, but has been put off till the visa issue has been sorted out. Team was due to fly via USA more..

Nov 29 (FT) UNP raised concerns about what they saw as shrinking democratic space in Sri Lanka citing raids on a media organisation, as well as the detention and questioning of an embassy official. UNP MPs Palitha Range Bandara, and Prof. Ashu Marasinghe, addressing the press, raised concerns about the alleged detention and questioning of an embassy official by SL law enforcement personnel, and charged that such actions by the Govt sends an ominous message to diplomatic community, more..

Nov 29 (Island) Singer Schools Rugby League winning Royal College captain Thulaib Hassen will lead SL U-19 Rugby team for the Asian Under 19 Rugby Championship 2019 – Division 1 which will be held from 11th to 14th December in China. Last year, SL lost all three of their matches against Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and South Korea and were relegated to the Division 1 where they will play against the hosts, China, Philippines, and Thailand. The national selectors have picked more..

Nov 29 (Island) Former Inspector Sumith Perera alleged that SP Sharnie Abeysekera of CID, the then Director, CID, Nagahamulla and ASPs Tissera and Weerasekera had pressured him to implicate former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa in the alleged killing of rugger player Wasim Thajudeen. Thajudeen was killed in May 2012 in the Narahenpita police area. Perera said that soon after the accident more..

Nov 29 (CT) Team Dambulla emerged champions of the Super Provincial Women's T20 Cricket Tournament, beating Team Colombo by 7 wickets in the final played at SSC. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Team Colombo were bowled out for 98 runs in 18.4 overs. Oshadi Ranasinghe top scored with 23 runs, while Ama Kanchana (19), Hasini Perera (13) and Shereena Ravikumar (13) helped to build their inning. Sugandika Kumari took 3 wickets for 13 runs, while Hansima Karunarathne and more..

Nov 29 (FT) SriLankan Airlines is presenting the Black Friday exclusive one-day sale today (29), with amazing discounts on air tickets booked through its website www.srilankan.com to 37 exciting cities throughout its route network. Customers can choose to travel at any time between 1 Feb 2020 and 31 Dec 2020; 37 destinations all over the world are up for grabs for anyone who wishes to make use of this offer. More details on this offer can be found at www.srilankan.com more..

Nov 29 (FT) The UNP expressed concern that attempts to repeal the 19th Amendment by the current administration of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa could dismantle independent institutions, and reduce checks and balances that uphold democracy and the rule of law. UNP MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara charged that individuals in Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration were attempting to repeal the 19th Amendment. more..

Nov 29 (DN) The Ceylon National Chamber of Industries (CNCI) Chairman Ruwan Edirisinghe, cheered the sharp cuts in tax rates for the construction industry. According to the Finance Ministry, it had been decided to reduce income tax on the construction industry from 28% 14%, while the VAT on condominium properties had also been abolished. Moreover, the tax free threshold for VAT has also been raised to Rs. 25 million turnover per month from the existing Rs.1 million. more..

Nov 29 (Reuters) The Central Bank is likely to leave its key interest rates on hold at a policy review today, a Reuters poll indicated, while it waits for the new Govt’s economic policies after the election of a fresh President on 16 Nov. New President Gotabaya Rajapaksa promised to boost annual growth to 6.5% in his election manifesto. He swore in his elder brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as Prime Minister and Finance Minister, cementing the family’s political comeback. more..

Nov 29 (FT) Electricity Users’ Association (EUA) yesterday called on the new Govt to implement measures to improve Sri Lanka’s energy security, including kick-starting the Kerawalapitiya LNG power plant, and fast tracking solar plants that have been in the pipeline since 2016. The Association also criticised both the former officials of the Power and Energy Ministry as well as the CEB for failing to implement consistent more..

Nov 29 (SO) Former SL Rugby president Nimal Lewke has thrown his weight behind the sport’s incumbent head Lasitha Gunaratne who has been castigated for not voting in favour of the UAE candidate who won last week’s Asian Rugby election. Gunaratne was also on the list for the vice presidency and was authorized by SL Rugby to vote for the Japan candidate who eventually lost. “I think Lasitha (Gunaratne) did the right thing by supporting Japan at the election,” said Lewke more..

Nov 29 (DN) British Parliament took time to acknowledge and honour the work of the Hettigoda family and their services to Sri Lankan Ayurveda recently. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Indian Traditional Sciences of the House of Commons welcomed Asoka Hettigoda to address dignitaries and guests of the committee regarding Sri Lankan Ayurveda and work that his family has been devoted to for over 200 years. The SL High Commissioner to UK, along with more..

Nov 29 (CT) One of the brightest prospects at the forthcoming South Asian Games (SAG) Nimali Liyanarachchi's bid for three Gold medals was shattered by a careless driver as she met with a nasty accident yesterday. It left her with a fractured arm, and months of painful preparation were thrown to the wind. The incident occurred in the early morning while she was riding her motor scooter from Kottawa to Sugathadasa more..

Nov 29 (Island) Gateway College Colombo emerged as the champions of the 4th annual Inter-school E-Sports Championships organized by Gamer.lk and powered by SLT’s ultrafast broadband connectivity that offered an unmatched cyber game experience to the enthusiastic gamers. The grand finale took place between Gateway College Colombo and Nalanda College Colombo at Stein Studios, Ratmalana recently, amidst much excitement and the rush of adrenaline. more..