Nov 17 (DM) Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage who became an active participant in the GotaGoGama protest was today ordered to be released on bail after being surrendered before Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court. Nuwan Bopage was named as the 59th suspect in a case filed before Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court for forcibly entering the Presidential Secretariat and damaging its properties during a protest. Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered to release Bopage on a surety bail of more..

Nov 17 (AD) The Colombo Additional Magistrate today ordered to remand IUSF convenor Wasantha Mudalige and IUBF convenor Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thero. SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that the court ordered to remand them until the Attorney General’s instructions are received. IUSF convenor Wasantha Mudalige and IUBF convenor Ven. Siridhamma Thero, who were detained under the PTA, are currently detained in the Old Prison at Tangalle. The Defence Ministry had issued more..

Nov 17 (TM) With 1,053 suspected dengue cases being reported during the 45th week of the year, bringing the total number of dengue cases from January to date to 54,083, a total of 25 Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas have been flagged as high-risk areas by NDCU. 1,053 suspected dengue cases have been reported from 25 districts during week 45 in comparison to 1,114 cases reported from 24 districts during week 44. more..

Nov 17 (TM) FSP Leader and General Secretary Kumar Gunaratnam has demanded a referendum to be conducted along with the next Parliamentary election in order to decide the nature of SL’s next Constitution, stating that an election without such a referendum would be a pointless exercise. “A Budget has been prepared according to an IMF recipe and the entire burden of the economy has been loaded onto the people. Everybody is demanding an election as the only solution more..

Nov 17 (TM) The Office of Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena denied allegations levelled by State Minister of Women and Child Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe to the effect that Speaker Abeywardena had behaved in a way that insulted her during a Parliamentary session held last week. Speaking to the media, Kumarasinghe claimed that while responding to some questions raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, MP Milan Jayathilake had asked her more..

Nov 17 (FT) Experienced hoteliers Chris Quyn and Travis Casather have assumed duties as Chief Operating Officer for Amaya Resorts & Spas and Head of Operations for The Kingsbury, Colombo respectively. With a wealth of experience, both Quyn and Casather rejoin Hayleys Leisure Sector Managing Director Rohan Karr to further enhance the sector’s vision of becoming the preferred hospitality service provider in SL. Quyn joins Hayleys Leisure from Fox Resorts where more..

Nov 17 (EN) President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s budget has given way to economic planners and controllers undermining the freehold of coconut land-owners resisting change and high productivity of land. Sri Lanka’s nationalists and planners have for many years behaved as if other people’s land was their own inheritance (known in Sinhalese as ‘Am-mar Ap-par-gay Boo-dher-lay) placing various controls on their use, mis-using the coercive power of the state, critics say. more..

Nov 17 (Island) Budget 2023 has sought to deprive the farming community of their land rights by placing the Mahaweli lands under the purview of Divisional and District Secretaries, SLPP dissident MP Prof. Channa Jayasumana says. “This proposal will take away the farmers’ rights to land. Farmers of Mahaweli lands in 15 districts and their children, will be affected by this move,” he said, participating in the debate on Budget 2023. more..

Nov 17 (CT) The Joint Transport Trade Union Centre (JTTUC) said highway buses across the island will stop functioning from 20 November. Union President, Sampath Ranasinghe said yesterday (16), they had decided to take trade union action against the exhorbitant tender fee charged by the National Transport Commission (NTC) from highway buses. “NTC charges around Rs 150,000- Rs 300,000 monthly and it is a serious challenge in view of the crisis situation in the transport sector. more..

Nov 17 (CT) While admitting that the tea industry has been hard-hit by the arbitrary decision to ban chemical fertiliser, Minister of Plantation Industries, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said he could not acknowledge the failure before the public as he was bound by the collective responsibility of the Cabinet. Minister said, he as the Minister of Plantation Industries, was the first to oppose the fertiliser ban when the Cabinet Paper came out. He was responding to a question raised by more..

Nov 17 (AD) Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe stated that customers who have been inconvenienced due to the increase in the interest rates charged for the loans obtained under variable interest rates in the past are able to get relief by negotiating with the bank. Governor stated this when MPs inquired regarding the aforesaid at the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Finance, Economic more..

Nov 17 (AI) In response to the detention for over 90 days of student leaders Wasantha Mudalige and Galwewa Siridhamma Thero, under PTA, Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Researcher, said: “The continued targeted persecution of student leaders in SL has a chilling effect on civil society and the right to protest. The baseless terror charges against Wasantha Mudalige and Galwewa Siridhamma Thero must be immediately dropped and any extension of more..

Nov 17 (AD) The amendments proposed by the Attorney General for the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill should be included at the committee stage before the Bill is passed, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena told the parliament today. He stated this conveying the determination of the Supreme Court on the petition challenging the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill. An application challenging the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Draft Bill was filed before the SC on Oct. 27. more..

Nov 18 (CT) Although there has been a drastic transition in the methods of dissemination of news and information, the power of print has remained consistent over the years. This is most often associated with the reliance that the public has in print media, due to the standards that has been maintained throughout the world over the years. From quoting reliable sources to publishing only verified information, accountability and credibility has never been compromised in print media. more..

Nov 18 (TM) Yesterday marked 3 years since Gotabaya Rajapaksa began the term of his short-lived presidency, and the deep and painful consequences, direct or indirect, of his ascension have left the country reeling. However – despite having experienced a pandemic, an economic crisis, a political crisis, and the flight of a Prez since that fateful assumption of office – it remains to be seen whether Sri Lankans have learnt vital lessons on why we plummeted into this abyss, and more..

Nov 18 (TM) Although Sri Lanka has performed well in basic education indicators such as a high literacy rate and near-universal participation in primary and secondary schooling, there are striking disparities across regions in the country. Specifically, the education performance of the estate sector consisting of plantation communities is dismal, with a high level of school dropouts. Based on a study carried out by Institute of Policy Studies, more..

Nov 18 (CT) Voices for democracy are reverberating in many countries, where people’s rights and freedoms are being usurped by fundamentalist and autocratic regimes around the world. They are openly and covertly resorting to desperate attempts at repressing and destroying democratic movements. In some countries people have succeeded in thwarting them. In others the autocrats have prospered. In a few instances, people themselves have brought autocrats to power. more..

Nov 18 (DM) We talk much about youth these days with so much concern. There is no doubt they have to deal with frustration given the skyrocketing prices of goods and services and both the state and private sectors reducing the intake of new employees. There is also brain drain in the country, but before youth get to the stage of being qualified professionals they have to first complete their university education; which is now getting increasingly costlier. more..

Nov 18 (Roar) On 5 Sept 2022, Samith Mapalagama (46), the director of a sanitary ware company, was scrolling through his Facebook feed, when a message popped up. The sender was a local representative of a university based in the US. His message read: “We offer honorary doctorate degrees. If you are a professional you can get the degree. Next graduation on Nov 6, 2022 (at) Taj Samudra Hotel. Cost only LKR 390,000. more..

Nov 18 (TM) Even though the public relations (PR) industry is viewed as a mere business, it has a significant impact on the businesses that its clients represent, and in turn, on society and the general public. However, in order to continue to extend that contribution, the industry, having been affected by a plethora of challenges including the prevailing economic crisis, needs to adopt innovative thinking and strategies, such as PR approaches based on digital platforms, new talent, and more..

Nov 18 (Island) SL politicians who are given to moronic thinking and self-promotion do not heed the oxymoronic, classical adage, festina lente, (make haste slowly) when they enter into pacts with other nations. The incumbent govt is in a mighty hurry to implement SL-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) as if it were the panacea for all our economic ills. UNP-SLPP combine has got its priorities mixed up, and the success of its crackdown on Aragalaya seems to have lulled it into more..

Nov 18 (SO) Complaints against the wealthy Thilini Priyamali now stand at 13. Even though investigations have revealed that over a hundred persons have fallen victim to her scam, the majority have opted to not come forward to complain against her, perhaps concerned they will have to reveal the source of their funds. However her decision to defraud former Governor of the Western province Azath Salley and a friend of his has now led to her downfall with Salley providing investigators more..

Nov 18 (FT) According to him, the people have been left with merely a tax burden following the recently presented Budget. “It is a Budget that has not considered the true situation on the ground. This Budget, the 77th in SL’s history, was a confession of the curse that has continued for over seven decades. It is a political mockery of fate that Ranil Wickremesinghe, a key person responsible for the country’s fall, had to in his Budget speech, acknowledge country’s current situation” more..

Nov 18 (FT) Supreme Court has ruled that the Inland Revenue (Amd) Bill as a whole is not inconsistent with the Constitution. SC ruling was conveyed by Speaker of Parliament yesterday. The ruling is seen as a breakthrough for the Govt's efforts to boost much-needed revenue from 8.2% of GDP in 2021 to 11.3% next year. Bill was challenged in SC by concerned individuals and corporates especially over high income taxes proposed. more..

Nov 18 (Island) The most important event in the country last week was the 2023 Budget presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe wearing one of the several hats on his official rack––that of Finance Minister. It is said that the budget was to match the strictures dictated by the IMF. How else can it be when we as a country are grovelling for sustenance and our daily measure of rice with medicines lacking and lots imports taboos? The import of some that needed banning like oranges and grapes more..

Nov 18 (FT) The initialism OPA represents Org of Professional Associations. This organisation may be considered unique due to several factors. It was established in 1975 and, therefore, a very old institution. Further, it is the only one of its kind in the whole of South East Asia. Its membership comprises 52 professional associations representing 32 professions in SL. For reasons unbeknownst throughout this long period of its existence, Victorian fairer sex was not visible at the helm. more..

Nov 18 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday graced the 70th anniversary celebrations of the US-SL Fulbright Commission Program held at the Oak Room of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo. Prez said that the foundation for the friendly relations between the two countries is the educational exchange program, especially the binational Fulbright exchange program between SL and US. “We have had about 3000 scholars from SL and America who typified the exchange more..

Nov 18 (FT) Young MP and Attorney-at-Law Madhura Withanage has been appointed as the Chairman of the Select Committee of Parliament to study the practical problems and difficulties that have arisen in relation to enhancing the rank in the Ease of Doing Business Index and make its proposals and recommendations. The appointment was made by Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana. Other members of the Select Committee are MPs Naseer Ahamed, more..

Nov 18 (TM) Four companies listed at CSE, which enjoy a 50% tax concession for having held their IPOs within 2021, have filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition at the Supreme Court against a proposed amendment to the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 to withdraw the said concession. The FR application was filed in October and has Prime Land Residencies and Myland Developments as petitioners, while the legal costs were shared more..

Nov 18 (FT) Aitken Spence Travels will commence the first luxury passenger cruise ship Viking Mars USA on 18 and 19 Nov. Viking Mars will be calling over at the Colombo Port with 900 passengers on board commencing the Winter season for cruise calls after the pandemic. Aitken Spence Travel is the leading destination management company (DMC) that handles the highest cruise calls for shore excursion to SL. The company will be offering an array of SL shore excursion packages more..

Nov 18 (ST) SL will support the candidature of Justice Deepthi Amaratunga for the position of judge of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT). Voting for the position will take place at the sessions of the UNGA in New York on Tuesday. Ministry of Foreign Affairs is expected to garner diplomatic support for the appointment. The Internal Justice Council of the UN has recommended Justice Amaratunga to the UN General Assembly for a full time position as a judge of the UNDT. more..

Nov 18 (FT) MP Dr. Nalaka Godahewa yesterday claimed that the Govt has ignored the country’s youth in its Budget for 2023. “There was a significant citizen’s struggle or Aragalaya this year led by the country’s youth. Today 50% of the country’s population is under the age of 35 while 25% are under the age of 15. The country cannot go forward without focusing on the youth, their needs and demands. more..

Nov 18 (Island) The Invitees taking part in the SriLankan Airlines’ Global Sales Conference 2022 are currently arriving in the country, from across the airline’s extensive network ranging from Europe; the Middle East; Indian subcontinent; Asia-Pacific; and Australia. The invitees consist over 150 leading international travel agents who predominantly market Sri Lanka and the airline’s General Sales Agents (GSAs) that represent the airline across the globe. more..

Nov 18 (DN) We are confident of hosting the third edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the five teams of the last two editions will battle it out said Tournament Director Samantha Dodanwela at a press briefing yesterday. The third edition of the LPL is going to be a big challenge as for the first time it will be played at three venues, Mahinda Rajapaksa Int'l Cricket Stadium Hambantota, Pallekele Int'l Cricket Stadium and final stage at R. Premadasa Int'l Cricket Stadium. more..

Nov 18 (FT) Aarohi (which means to ascend) initiative of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) aims at all-round development, especially leadership qualities of an identified group of women at the middle management level. It is a pioneering effort and Indian Oil’s Commitment to develop unique strengths in middle management level especially to enhance the leadership quality among promising women leaders, so that they can ascend into significant leadership roles and contribute to more..