Nov 16 (FT) Whilst many interpretations are made on the Budget 2023, if one analyses the media today, tourism has become the only saviour that can save SL from the liquidity crunch. But many have forgotten that for a brand to perform in the market place we need to invest and give purpose to a brand. The world must understand that only with input we can expect an output. Let me capture a best practice that might help SL. Whilst the macro data tells us that SL must be on red alert more..

Nov 16 (ENS) The four SL nationals, convicted for their role in the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi, but released by the Supreme Court recently, will be deported to their country of origin, according to Union Home Ministry sources. The ministry has issued instructions to the TN govt for the deportation of the four persons, Murugan (alias Sriharan), Robert Payas, S Jayakumar and Santhan alias T Suthendraraja, soon after they were freed from the prisons. All 4 are in a special camp in Tiruchy. more..

Nov 16 (DM) SL cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has returned to court a day before he asks it to review his bail conditions. The 31-year-old is behind bars on remand after being charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. He was excused from appearing in Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday when the court was told there was a subpoena to obtain digital material from a govt agency. Magistrate Robert Williams granted access to a USB containing files of interest. more..

Nov 16 (DM) Transport and Highways Ministry today launched their pilot program to issue light vehicle driving licenses for the hearing impaired in the Gampaha district. Temporary driving licenses for practical training (Learner Permit) were issued at the Motor Traffic Dept's Gampaha office by Transport State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna today. On Nov 6, the medical exam and written test for applicants more..

Nov 16 (FT) Whether it is from a SL context, or more generally from a global context, ensuring food security is a complex subject that has no easy answers if all aspects of it are to be considered. Broadly, food security is the availability of food and the ability of all the people irrespective of ethnicity, religious beliefs, economic class, gender, which part of the country they live in, etc., to physically and economically access the food. The target is therefore for the entire population more..

Nov 16 (Island) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his associates are critical of the cost maintaining a huge public sector for the past few months, but in the Budget 2023, Wickremesinghe has proposed to establish 11 new state entities, a spokesman for the dissident SLPP MPs, Udaya Gammanpila, MP, says. “Besides, there is a proposal to establish non-standing committees, presidential commissions, presidential task forces, and new institutions that amalgamate existing institutions,” he said. more..

Nov 16 (DM) IGP Chandana Wickremaratne and four other police officers today tendered their unconditional regret to the Supreme Court for their failure to adhere with a SC's order. This is for their failure to adhere with the SC's order to take necessary action to pay the salary of former CID sub inspector Sugath Mendis who was arrested and interdicted along with former CID Director Shani Abeysekera. more..

Nov 16 (FT) Seylan Bank announced yesterday it has closed the nine months ended 30 Sept 2022 with a post-tax profit of Rs. 2,505 Million. In the backdrop of the volatile financial landscape experienced in SL, described as the worst since Independence, the said post-tax profit has once again been seen as very commendable by financial analysts. Net Interest income recorded an increase of 63.2% YOY from Rs. 17,068 Million to Rs. 27,960 Million, for the 9 months ended 30 Sept. more..

Nov 16 (CT) Locomotive engineers went on strike yesterday demanding a place to sleep during their overtime shifts. Due to the cancellation of several trains scheduled to run from Colombo Fort in the morning due to the strike of Locomotive Engineers’ Association (LEA), train power sets S09, S10, and S12 scheduled to operate yesterday were withdrawn from operation. This, however, infuriated a large number of passengers. LEA president K.U. Konthasinghe said, the trade union has more..

Nov 16 (Island) Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe asked Parliament why the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) should be maintained as it had failed to investigate complaints from the public. Minister said that he had made four to five complaints to the CIABOC but none of them has been investigated. “What is the use of such a commission for the country if it does not investigate complaints? After my complaints, commission summoned me more..

Nov 16 (AD) A teacher, who was arrested over charges of brutally assaulting a Grade 6 student at a prominent school in Colombo, has been granted bail by Colombo Additional Magistrate Shilani Perera. Bambalapitiya Police arrested the suspect and produced him before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today. The concerned student’s parents have lodged a complaint with the police alleging that the child had started to vomit after the assault and was admitted to the hospital to receive treatment. more..

Nov 16 (Island) Against the backdrop of Sri Lanka being under review by the delegates of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission Justice Rohini Marasinghe has been invited to address a range of issues, including social and economic rights and the establishment of national prevention mechanisms at the UPR Info Pre-sessions on Nov 28. In addition to addressing the concerns more..

Nov 16 (Island) Parliamentary Caucus for Children recently stressed the need to fill 284 vacancies in National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). The inordinate delay in filling these vacancies as well as the need for closer coordination among institutions working on child protection in SL received the attention of the parliamentary group. This was discussed during the meeting of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children held in Parliament recently under chairmanship of MP Rohini Kumari more..

Nov 16 (Island) State Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, together with Ministry of Public Security, is currently reported to be focused on setting up a separate area in police stations to record the complaints of women and children, while assigning four female police officers to every police station to receive such complaints. Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe said that women and children who come to police stations to lodge complaints are often inconvenienced due to the system more..

Nov 16 (TM) Election Commission (EC) Chairman Attorney Nimal Punchihewa has assured all Opposition political parties that the LG elections will be held prior to 20 March 2023, in response to a letter signed and submitted by the said parties. SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa said that Punchihewa and all the Members/Commissioners of the Election Commission are working towards holding more..

Nov 16 (DM) The Tusker Muthuraja, which was a gift by the govt of Thailand to SL, was ordered to be handed over to the Dehiwala Zoological Garden due to ill treatment meted out on the animal by the mahout in charge. The Tusker was gifted to former President Chandrika Kumaranatunga by the govt of Thailand, and the majestic animal was later given to the Aluthgama Kande Vihara temple. But later, it was revealed that the tusker was facing inhuman ill treatment by the mahout more..

Nov 16 (EN) Shares slipped over 2% to their near three-and-a-half month low on Wednesday dragged down by index heavyweights as investors gradually absorbing the impacts of the budget 2023 policies, brokers said. Less than expected quarterly earnings in September quarter has dented the bourse. “Earnings report of big counters are not so impressive this time and that’s bringing the market down,” an analyst said. ASPI closed 2.47% or 204.48 points lower at 8,087.04, more..

Nov 16 (AD) Authorities have decided to carry out island-wide raids in search of individuals involved in human trafficking operations in the country and to punish them regardless of their status. The decision has been taken during a meeting held between the Minister Manusha Nanayakkara and the Minister of Public Security, Tiran Alles along with the high-ranking officers of the Police Dept including IGP C.D. Wickramaratne, officials of SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), more..

Nov 16 (TM) The fundamental rights (FR) petition which was filed requesting the annulment of the promotion given to Bimshani Jasin Arachchi as the first Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in the history of Sri Lanka has been fixed for consideration on 18 May 2023 by the Supreme Court. The petition was taken up before the three-member Supreme Court judge bench consisting of Justices Priyantha Jayawardena, Shiran Gunaratne, and Kumudini Wickremasinghe. more..

Nov 16 (TM) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has taken steps to deploy a number of SL officials to communicate with the 303 SL illegal migrants in Vietnam to discuss if they wish to be repatriated, and to inform that if they are unwilling to return, the UNHCR may have to assess their case and that until such time, the migrants would have to remain in Vietnam. more..

Nov 16 (CT) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya emphasised that 2023 Budget is not a futile document, while rejecting allegations of international influences that shaped the parameters of the budget. He also said each MP’s income tax file should be opened. State Minister added that Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was able to consolidate democracy and strengthen the economy to some extent because he accepted the challenge and presented his plan for the country. more..

Nov 16 (TM) Young Journalists’ Association of SL (YJASL) President Tharindu Iranga Jayawardhana had been summoned by the CID to appear before it on Monday to record a statement regarding a post he had published on social media platforms seeking information on eight Police officers who had obstructed a recent protest at the Galle Face Green in Colombo. Jayawardhana said that eight Police officers had obstructed a recent protest at the Galle Face Green. more..

Nov 16 (TM) TMTK Leader MP C.V. Wigneswaran yesterday claimed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had ignored the North and the East in Budget 2023, adding that proposing an economic zone in the North and asking the diaspora to invest would have been one of the easiest ways by which he could have brought about reconciliation. Wigneswaran noted that from the point of view of the Tamil people, there is nothing worthwhile more..

Nov 16 (AD) The rate of CESS levy imposed on a total of 637 items under 187 HS codes has been amended with effect from Nov 15. In his capacity as the Minister of Investment Promotion, Prez Wickremesinghe has issued the relevant govt notification on Nov 14, by virtue of the powers vested in him by Section 14 of Export Development Act No. 40 of 1979. Thereby, the prices of imported items such as butter, dairy spreads, cheese, curd, onions, garlic, several vegetables and fruits, more..

Nov 16 (DM) The CID conducting investigations into a massive financial fraud relating to Thilini Priyamali today informed the court that the ongoing investigations have revealed Thilini Priyamali had allegedly misappropriated more than 1.3 billion rupees of funds invested in her companies. The CID made this revelation when the nine cases filed against Thilini Priyamali were called before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage. The court was informed that investigations have revealed more..

Nov 17 (DM) Presenting his first budget on Monday, Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe said a new economic order would be introduced to suit world trends and highlighted that Sri Lanka would embark on this new path through the 2023 budget. The President said the economic order introduced in 1978 was no longer valid. “Our aim now is to take the country towards a new economic order. Sri Lanka will move towards a social market economy through the budget,” he said. more..

Nov 17 (GV) The govt’s budget presented on November 14 is incredibly callous. It fails to acknowledge the suffering Sri Lankans are enduring due to the economic crisis. The budget speech refers to rapid economic growth and economic modernisation as the way forward, which are unrealistic in the current scenario. While many Sri Lankans are experiencing hunger, it received no mention in the budget speech. At a time when proposals ought to be overtly people more..

Nov 17 (DM) Everyone believes that IMF is the only solution to overcome the prevailing economic crisis in Sri Lanka. But we can also obtain the assets stolen by politicians with the help of the IMF. Do we need IMF reimbursements in such a situation? This is what Rusirupala Tennakoon- who held the post of Chairman at both Bank of Ceylon and the National Gem and Jewellery Authority- had to say in this regard during an interview. more..

Nov 17 (DM) There are two questions. First, does research really matter or rather does research drive decisions when it comes to policy planning? Second, what is the role or research institutes or, put another way, do policy-makers understand the worth of such bodies? My friend Sugath Kulathunga raised an interesting point recently with regard to the fertilizer policy of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa: ‘One is baffled why a risk analysis of the overnight, island-wide implementation of the decision on organic more..

Nov 17 (TM) On Monday, SL saw its first full-year Budget after the economic crisis peaked, which was also the first Budget that Prez presented as Head of State. Budget 2023 has been proposed amidst significant criticism, and will play a huge role in the people’s lives over the coming year. Truth is that despite the existence of rapidly growing mistrust towards the Prez due to the manner in which he dealt with the anti-Govt protests, people expected to be granted considerable relief through more..

Nov 17 (TC) Scholars have pointed out that Sri Lanka has an army far too big for its size and population, and has a military that is ill-suited to meet the new strategic needs. It is further noted that, despite this assessment, no meaningful steps have been taken to rationalise the size of the army and the expenditure pattern. The evolution of a military doctrine suited to emerging threat scenarios is also not evident. more..

Nov 17 (CT) The 2016 US Presidential Election was the 58th quadrennial Presidential Election, held on Tuesday, Nov 8, 2016. In what was considered one of the greatest upsets in American history, the Republican ticket of billionaire-businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the US Senator from Virginia Tim Kaine. After the results were announced, Michael Smith, an ordinary farmer in Iowa, more..

Nov 17 (Island) SJB MP Mujibur Rahuman declared in Parliament on Nov 10, 2022 that Pulasthini Rajendra aka Sarah Jesmine, wife of Thowheed Jamaat suicide bomber Atchchi Muhammadu Hastun, who carried out the 2019 Easter Sunday blast, at St. Sebastian’s Church, at Katuwapitiya, Katana, “is alive”. Alleging Jesmine had taken refuge in India, the Colombo district MP, who represented the UNP at the time of the Easter Sunday carnage, said that the govt was struggling to prove more..

Nov 17 (ST) Devindya Oshini Gunawardhana of Wycherley Int'l School represented Sri Lanka at the Asian Youth Chess Championship 2022 held in Bali Indonesia from October 13 to 22. A total of 451 players from 20 Asian countries competed in the event in 12 categories and at this event Oshini Gunawardhana emerged champion in the Under-10 category and she is now the Asian Youth Chess Championship of her age category. She scored 8.5 points during the nine-round event more..

Nov 17 (TM) The Conference of Parties (COP) 26 was the 26th conference on negotiating ways in which we can save ourselves and the planet. There have been over 26 conferences with no real agreements or relief in sight. People are losing their reliance on these negotiation processes, especially given the reluctance to invest in the vulnerable, developing nations facing the most effects of climate change. If you look at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and more..