Sri Lanka News : InfoLanka News Room

Nov 27 (GV) In Sri Lanka, motherhood appears to be publicly venerated: the country is called The Motherland, and mothers are universally regarded as a powerful force and influence in the lives of their children. Yet when we look beyond the happy family pictures regularly presented to us at Sinhala and Tamil New Year with prosperity and abundance equated with fertility and progeny, we become aware of the negative experiences endured by women in SL in the process of giving birth. more..

COPE chairman’s hand gesture stirs up a hornets’ nest

Nov 27 (CT) The upheaval in the parliamentary watchdog, COPE, reflects SL’s present parliamentary democracy. While there were discussions to enhance COPE’s role in representing public interest and ensuring corruption-free State institutions, a detailed examination emerged when SL Men’s National Cricket Team struggled in the Men’s World Cup 2023 in India. The focus shifted when SLC faced COPE, diverting attention more..

Prez, public trust & parliamentary Devilry

Nov 27 (ST) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s highly inappropriate jocularity in Parliament this week when commenting about the Public Trust Doctrine only reinforces the (unfortunately) pejorative stamp of his Presidency as undermining the Constitution. Mind, this is not in the typically crude sledgehammer style of Medamulana rule but more subtle and hence far more dangerous. Prez alleged that the Opposition Leader’s refusal of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s offer to take the Presidency more..

Editorial: Sinners stoning sinners

Nov 27 (Island) The SJB has commenced collecting signatures for a public petition as part of a campaign to have those who are responsible for the current economic crisis stripped of their civic rights. Given public resentment, which is palpable, the SJB may be able to obtain hundreds of thousands of signatures for its petition, but the chances of its political venture yielding the desired results are remote; the Rajapaksas and their cronies are controlling Parliament. more..

ලංකාව සොම්බි drugs නිසා...

China’s Belt and Road: 10 years passed, centuries ahead

Nov 27 (DM) Despite anti-China sentiments the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in 2013, has emerged as a transformative force, connecting the world through a network of infrastructure projects and fostering economic cooperation across continents. Chinese leader Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Sept 2013. SL partnered in 2014 marking its first mega attempt to grow the land mass with the Port City. Sri Lankans still referring to Trincomalee port as more..

What to do with Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport?

Nov 27 (Island) First, there was the China Bay airport nominated as a possible alternative to the Bandaranaike Int'l Airport (BIA). The advantage was that since Sri Lanka was mainly affected by two Monsoons namely the South West and the North East, during that time the opposite coast has generally had good weather. For example, when the South-West monsoon was in full swing, the North-East was clear, and vice versa. The Air Ceylon Pilots’ Guild was pushing for that airport more..

Sugar prices stir bitter issues ahead of Christmas

Nov 27 (ST) In the retail markets, sugar prices have increased amid shortages in some areas as the govt struggles to maintain stocks in the markets ahead of the Christmas season. By yesterday, some shops claimed they had run out of stocks while some raised their prices ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 350 a kilo, after the maximum retail price for sugar was removed this week. Currently, the wholesale price of sugar stands at more..

Cricket’s day of reckoning

Nov 27 (Island) Many attempts had been made by the cricket hierarchy since they stayed the appointment of an Interim Committee through an injunction that cricket is in good hands. We are made to buy into the theory that the ten-year plan will eventually pay dividends and SL will before long become a force to be reckoned with in the sport. Those theories can be debated on but what you can not simply stand is the administrators’ refusal to accept that there is a problem, and more..

SLIC to be split into Life and General units

Nov 27 (ST) SL Insurance Corporation (SLIC) will be split into two entities namely Life and General before its restructure and the background to this process is nearing completion, Finance Ministry officials said. The Regulation of Insurance Industry (Amendment) Act, No.03 of 2011 requires an existing insurer to be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Insurance Companies were asked to segregate their business into two separate companies before obtaining a mandatory public listing more..

Prez tells opposition best way to gain power is to unite with Govt

Nov 27 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday told the opposition that the best way to gain power is to unite with the Govt. Addressing a political meeting in Matale, Wickremesinghe expressed concern that the opposition seems primarily self-oriented. He suggested that the most effective route for them to attain power is through collaboration with the Govt. “By actively participating and leveraging experience gained from such collaboration, more..

Bulgarian Prez seeks increased bilateral trade, tourism flows and multifaceted...

Nov 27 (FT) Conveying greetings and best wishes from Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to Prez Radev, Ambassador Semasinghe reaffirmed SL’s readiness to revitalise the bilateral engagement and discussed a new roadmap for increasing cooperation in the ICT, agriculture, labour, education, tourism and manufacturing sectors, where prospects for mutual benefit were promising. She outlined the opportunities for Bulgarian investors and businesses as SL continued to emerge as an important more..

Apparel industry urges for strategic partnerships with Japan & India to...

Nov 27 (FT) SL Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA) Chairman Indika Liyanahewage called for strategic partnerships with Japan and India to boost and diversify markets to steer amid challenges posed by economic downturns in traditional export destinations. He noted that 30% of garments shipped to Europe and 40% to US, these markets have seen a dip due to economic challenges. To address this, he stressed the importance of expanding to other regions, particularly more..

රහස් කියන මී මැස්සා

Razor-slashing ragging at SJU: Suspension of management faculty students sparks...

Nov 27 (ST) Using a discarded razor to inflict wounds on a student’s face was just one of a number of ragging-related complaints received from Management Faculty newcomers, a senior professor at Sri J'pura University said. This week, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Pathmalal Manage, announced that the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce would be closed until further notice. Students of all years were prohibited from entering the uni premises. more..

Hasaranga, Dasun, Bhanuka released by their IPL teams

Nov 27 (Island) RCB are set for a massive overhaul of their bowling attack after releasing the trio of Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel. The franchise has spent a huge amount of money on Hasaranga (INR 10.75 cr) and Harshal (INR 10.75 cr) in particular and releasing them will boost their purse. Mumbai Indians on expected lines have released pacer Jofra Archer (INR 8 cr). The move was looked at as a gamble when they picked him a couple of seasons ago because of his injury more..

Law and order: Police headless again?

Nov 27 (TM) With the Department of Police currently headless, a suitable name for the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) has not yet been recommended to the Constitutional Council (CC), it is learnt. Following the expiration of the fourth service extension granted to former IGP Chandana D. Wickramaratne on 24 Nov, the Police Dept is operating without the presence of an IGP. SSP Nihal Thalduwa confirmed more..

NMSJ wants govt to punish racketeers

Nov 27 (Island) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has flayed the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government for its failure to take meaningful measures to control waste, corruption and irregularities. Sunil Jayasekera has, in his capacity as General Secretary, NMSJ, in a media statement, faulted the government for failing to recover losses amounting to Rs 16 bn due to the slashing of Special Commodity Levy (SCL) imposed on imported white sugar. more..

Politics: Ban parties based on religion/ethnicity: Labour Ministry

Nov 27 (TM) In the wake of criticisms made by SLMC Leader and MP Rauff Hakeem regarding the Govt's plans to send 10,000 Sri Lankans to Israel for employment, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara opined that political parties based on ethnicities or religions should be banned. Nanayakkara claimed that political parties have been using racism to their advantage for decades. With elections scheduled to be held next year (2024), he claimed that more..

මේ කාබන් ණය කුමක්ද?

'Downstream petroleum liberalisation is a mega deal and vested interests at play'

Nov 27 (FT) SJB MP Kabir Hasim called for tabling of agreements with new retail fuel operators in Parliament alleging that the country was the loser rather than a beneficiary from liberalisation of the downstream petroleum sector. “The Power and Energy Minister must in Parliament table all conditions and agreements with the proposed investors/retailers of petroleum products,” MP said. He said that SJB wanted a premium per litre charged and conditions for repatriation of more..

SL tells UK: ‘We want equal treatment not revisit on past happenings’

Nov 27 (DM) In its fresh engagement with the UK regarding the UNHRC process, SL has categorically said that it wants equal treatment but not revisit past happenings, an official said. UK leads the core group of countries that proposed the resolution adopted in 2021 calling for an investigation into the allegations of human rights and accountability issues, and updated last year to reflect more on the issues arising from the economic crisis. Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia & US more..

Sports Minister reveals SLC corruption exposed by resigned secretary

Nov 27 (DM) Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe said the recently resigned Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Secretary Mohan de Silva contacted him from Australia, exposing corruption within the SLC. "Mohan de Silva called me from Australia revealing his attempts to steer the SLC in the right direction. Witnessing a lack of proper action, he highlighted widespread theft under the guise of investments that took place within the SLC, more..

Presidential ambition claims: BASL to discuss Prez’s allegations and...

Nov 27 (TM) The Bar Association of SL (BASL) is to discuss the recent statement made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding their course of action during the Aragalaya (people's struggle) protest movement, and former BASL President, Saliya Pieris, in the coming days. Responding to allegations levelled at him by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, the Prez claimed in Parliament last week that then BASL President Pieris had ambitions to be the PM during the Aragalaya period. more..

Lankan marathoners excel in Selection Trial for international races

Nov 27 (DN) RMS Pushpakumara from SL Army, RW Rathnapala, and M Sivarajan from the SL Air Force secured victories in a marathon selection event organized by Sri Lak Athletics Club and overseen by SL Athletics yesterday. The purpose of this trial was to choose participants for upcoming marathons, including the Asian Marathon, Hong Kong/Vietnam Marathon, and Bangabandu Marathon scheduled for early next year. The race, covering a 30km distance, began at BMICH and more..

හිරු ටීවී පත්තරේ විස්තරේ

AKD consolidates lead in Prez Election voting intent

Nov 27 (FT) IHP’s SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) MRP estimates of Prez Election voting intent in October 2023 show NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake gaining support to half of likely voters (51%), followed by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa with a (30%), and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on 13%. The generic SLPP candidate is on 6% with little change. The past four months have seen support for A.K. Dissanayake consolidating at expense of the three other candidates more..

Probe launched after inmate at Boossa Prison tampers with CCTV system

Nov 27 (AD) Dept of Prisons has reported an incident of an inmate at the Boossa High Security Prison allegedly having tampered with several CCTV cameras within the prison. Accordingly, the inmate, identified as a special category inmate, had tampered with several CCTV cameras last morning (25). Investigations into the incident are currently underway, on the directives of an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons, while Rathgama Police will also be notified to take legal action more..

Lawyers’ Collective notes growing authoritarianism under President

Nov 27 (DM) Lawyers’ Collective, a prominent legal advocacy group in Sri Lanka, has noted its concern about the growing authoritarianism under Sri Lanka's Prez. Lawyer’s Collective noted the growing authoritarianism of the Prez who serves without a mandate from the people. It further observed that people’s sovereignty as articulated by Constitution cannot be flippantly dismissed as stated in several SC decisions, more..

Joint raid nets 43 suspects with drugs and weapons in Wellampitiya

Nov 27 (FT) A joint pre-dawn operation conducted by the SL Police, Police STF and the SL Army yesterday resulted in the arrest of at least 43 persons, including four females, in Sinhapura, Wellampitiya. They were apprehended while in possession of drugs and weapons. A combined team of 138 Police personnel and 200 Army personnel conducted the raid, during which 61 houses were searched and 196 persons of interest were searched. The raid yielded various more..

Verité survey: 56% fear Online Safety Bill will limit social media freedom

Nov 27 (DM) In a survey conducted by Verité Research, 56% of the respondents who were familiar with the Online Safety Bill expressed concerns that it would curtail the freedom of using social media. When asked if they were aware of the govt's introduction of a bill to regulate behaviour on social media, 34% of the respondents answered affirmatively. Among those who acknowledged awareness of the bill, 56% believed it would restrict the freedom of using social media, more..

Pharmaceutical imports: Procurement issues stop SPC imports for 2 months

Nov 27 (DM) State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) yesterday (25) revealed that it was not in a position to import medicine and other medicinal equipment for the next two months due to delays in the Health Ministry procurement process. It is learnt that previous procurements have been put on hold following the revelation of the controversial immunoglobulin racket. Additionally, tenders for nearly 180 items have been reportedly more..

Colombo MC disregards EC’s directive

Nov 27 (Island) The SJB has accused Colombo Municipal Commissioner Bhadrani Jayawardena of inviting top UNP official Sagala Ratnayake to open a newly-built community centre in violation of an Election Commission (EC) directive. SJB mayoral candidate for CMC Mujibur Rahman asked relevant authorities to prevent the participation of UNP National Organiser Sagala Ratnayake as the Local Govt polls had not been officially cancelled. Rahman said that the matter was before court. more..

Dangers of Israel-Hamas war

Nov 27 (FT) The war between Israel and Hamas has become quite barbaric. Both Palestinians and Israelis are extremely suffering, the major victims being children and women. The pictures and videos of the ongoing events are heartrending. Over 10,000 people are already killed, twice of that number being injured and disabled. Families are broken, and the victimised children are crying for their parents. People in Gaza suffer from an extreme lack of food, water, medicine, and shelter. more..

COP28: නොවැ. 30 ඩුබායිහිදී ඇරඹෙයි

Pfizer vaccines worth Rs.10 billion destroyed in 2022

Nov 27 (DM) The life span of over seven million doses of Pfizer vaccines worth Rs. 10,736 million expired in 2022 and thus were destroyed without being used. These vaccines were purchased under the World Bank loan. This was revealed in annual report of Auditor General for 2022. Medicines, surgical and laboratory materials valued at Rs 349 million have been removed from use due to quality failures in 2022. Furthermore, another stock of medicines valued at Rs 32 million was more..

40 govt hospitals shut down, 100 on the verge of closure

Nov 27 (DM) An alarming number of approximately 40 govt hospitals across the island have shut down, with an additional 100 on the verge of closure. The affected hospitals, lacking medical staff, are predominantly located in the Northern Province and the Puttalam and Nuwara Eliya districts. This was disclosed during a meeting held between Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana and health officials today. Hence, the Health Minister directed the officials at the Ministry of Health to take more..

Just as in Palestine, all Sri Lankans faced a hard time during country’s war: Murali

Nov 27 (TOI) Muttiah Muralitharan on Sunday said that just as in Palestine today, it was a hard time for Sri Lankans of all religions and races during the country’s long-running civil war. Recalling the 2009 terrorist attack on the Lankan cricket team in Pakistan, he said that the team knew how to react to the attack due to their exposure to such attacks back home. Muralitharan was at the 54th International Film Festival of India (Iffi) more..

Sanitary napkins for Sri Lanka school girls next year: Minister

Nov 27 (EN) From next year school girls above Grade 6 in the country will be provided with free sanitary napkins, education minister Susil Premajayantha said in parliament. “There are 24 lakhs of schoolchildren above Grade 6 in our country. Half of them are girls. We hope to cover at least 10 of the 12 lakhs, excluding the main schools,” Premajayantha said in response to a question by SJB MP Hesha Withanage and clarification by state minister Geetha more..

Video: Sajith asks Speaker to arrange meeting for MPs with ICC Chairman

Nov 27 (DM) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today requested the Speaker to arrange a meeting with International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Greg Barclay during his scheduled visit to Sri Lanka. He told Parliament that the Speaker must invite the ICC Chairman to Parliament and facilitate a meeting with all 225 MPs to brief him about the current cricket crisis and the unanimous resolution passed by Parliament to remove the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) office bearers. more..