Nov 27 (DN) Despite being an island nation SL’s marine economy currently contributes a less than 10% of Sri Lanka’s GDP of about US$ 84 billion said Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, a retired Indian Navy officer, who served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command in India at the Marine Conference, Voyage Sri Lanka in Kingsbury Colombo yesterday. SL has been a maritime country since its ancient past and he said that this figure is grossly insufficient for more..

Nov 27 (FT) Public Security Ministry Secretary Ravi Seneviratne said the existing Computer Crimes Act (CCA) in SL needs modifications to apprehend cyber criminals and bring them to justice. He expressed these views at the Daily FT-CICRA Annual Cyber Security Summit, which was held for the 10th consecutive year at Cinnamon Grand. Delivering a speech as the Chief Guest, former Senior DIG Seneviratne admitted that more..

Nov 27 (FT) The 24th edition of the SL Economic Summit organised by The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will take place on 28 and 29 January at the Shangri La Hotel, Colombo. Held under the theme Shaping SL’s future: Transformational growth rooted in sound economic policies, the summit will host an exceptional line-up of national and international industry leaders and experts as speakers and panellists. Against a backdrop of significant political and economic shifts, more..

Nov 27 (Island) Sri Lanka’s cricketers wrapped up their final training session in Durban yesterday, exuding a sense of calm confidence ahead of the two-match Test series against South Africa. Touring South Africa has historically been a trial by fire, with fiery fast bowlers and hostile pitches ready to humble visiting teams. But times have changed. With past victories on these shores under their belt, Sri Lanka seems to have cracked the code, proving that no mountain is too high to climb. more..

Nov 27 (TM) The Ministry of Education stated that all possible options are being explored to address the issues surrounding the Grade Five Scholarship Examination, and that the Supreme Court (SC) will be informed of such in the coming days. Considering a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by a group of parents of students who appeared for the Examination this year, the SC recently issued an interim order suspending more..

Nov 27 (GN) After a heartbreaking loss recently, SL cricket legend Aravinda de Silva has made a bold decision: he won’t watch his team play again unless they reach the World Test Championship final. The former captain’s choice followed a recent defeat against NZ, a game he had tuned in to watch for the first time in a long while. “After a long time, I started watching a match, and unfortunately, we lost that match,” de Silva said during his visit to Jafza Cup, presented by We One in Dubai. more..

Nov 27 (DM) Central Bank of SL announced it has decided to implement a single policy interest rate mechanism transitioning from its dual policy interest rate mechanism, effective from 27 Nov 2024. This marks another significant improvement in the Flexible Inflation Targeting (FIT) framework implemented by the Central Bank. The announcement of single policy interest rate mechanism was announced in the Central Banks’s Annual Policy Statement in Jan 2024 and more..

Nov 27 (NW) A vehicle belonging to Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe, the General Secretary of the NPP and a Member of Parliament for the Kalutara District, met with an accident last evening (26) when it fell into the pond within the Parliament premises. According to police, Dr. Abeysinghe was not in the vehicle at the time of the incident. The accident occurred when the driver arrived to pick up the MP, who had been attending a workshop organized for newly elected Members of Parliament. more..

Nov 27 (Island) Former Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MP and Deputy Leader of the party H.M.M. Harees has been suspended from the party over allegation of breach of party discipline during the presidential election campaign 2024. The letter of suspension says the speeches he made on 16 October 2024 in Kalmunai significantly damaged the party’s campaign in Digamadulla district and across the country at the general election as they were widely circulated on social media. more..

Nov 27 (TM) The Catholic Bishops Conference of SL (CBCSL) stated that the investigations into the bombings on Easter Sunday of 21 April 2019, are now progressing in a positive manner, with hopes that the remaining work will be completed soon. Under the administrations of former Presidents Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe, there were allegations that the relevant authorities were not conducting more..

Nov 27 (DM) Six aircraft have been diverted to the Mattala International Airport and Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in India due to the heavy rains around the BIA. Accordingly, aircraft arriving from Chennai in India and the Maldives, as well as an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi, have landed at the Mattala Airport. Additionally, three flights arriving from Narita in Japan, Dubai and Chennai in India have been diverted to the Trivandrum Airport in India. more..

Nov 27 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved the timeline for the preparation and presentation of the 2025 Budget, with the Appropriation Bill scheduled to be presented to Parliament on 9 Jan. Second reading, also known as the Budget speech is set for 17 Feb, while the third reading and debate will take place from 27 Feb to 21 Mar 2025. “Govt aims to lay the groundwork for economic rejuvenation while strengthening public trust and addressing citizens’ expectations,” more..

Nov 27 (FT) Polling by the Institute for Health Policy’s SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) has revealed significant improvements in Sri Lankans’ confidence in institutions following the Presidential Election in September 2024. IHP said the Supreme Court remains the most trusted institution, followed by the courts and tri forces. Confidence in the Supreme Court and courts more than doubled, rising from 30% before the election to 72% and 62%, respectively, afterward. more..

Nov 27 (AD) At least eight persons including 06 children are reported missing while two children have been rescued after the tractor they were travelling on was caught in flood waters in Karaitivu in Ampara District this evening (26). A total of 13 individuals including 11 boys, the tractor’s driver and assistant were traveling on the vehicle at the time of the incident and that 5 children had been rescued. The tractor was traveling from Ninthavur to Sammanthurai when it had toppled due to more..

Nov 27 (FT) The Govt announced the official launch of the exchange of its outstanding International Sovereign Bonds, totalling approximately $ 12.55 billion, as of 25 Nov 2024. This follows the approval of the terms and conditions of the Invitation by the new Cabinet of Ministers, which was formed on 18 Nov 2024. The Finance Ministry said holders of the existing Bonds are invited to tender their Bonds and more..

Nov 27 (TM) SL will extend the suspension of parate right execution by the banking sector till June 2025, as the government has started to analyse loans given by the banks, Economic Development Deputy Minister Prof. Anil Jayantha Fernando said. He said that the govt will extend the parate right execution suspension by another six months after reaching an agreement with the banking sector. He said that the govt discussed with the bankers at which they agreed that they wanted to build up more..

Nov 27 (TM) The Cabinet of Ministers announced that while all Parliamentarians will be provided with a vehicle, they will however not be given duty-free car permits. “Having a vehicle is essential to fulfilling a role,” Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa told the media yesterday. “However, we will not be awarding any car permits to anyone.” These comments come following the NPP party pledge that if elected, their Govt will not obtain vehicle permits. more..

Nov 27 (DN) A total of 77,670 persons from 22,532 families have been severely affected due to the prevalent inclement weather conditions experienced across 15 districts in the country so far. A total of 16 injuries have been reported with 6 people gone missing with 6 houses completely damaged and 265 houses partially damaged so far due to the flash floods experienced in SL from the adverse weather conditions. more..

Nov 27 (FT) Over the past few weeks, TV channel reported on a number of occasions, the plight of the paddy farmers in Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa and Amparai districts due to non-availability of fertiliser for their paddy cultivation. But the Government TV channels were silent over the issue. Maha rainy season started in early October as usual and will continue until early January. Rains start in early October during the evenings and intensity will increase more..

Nov 27 (EN) SL’s current deflation is not harmful to the economy and is a correction from previous very high inflation, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. The deflation is reducing the cost of living for the people and also the cost of production of companies, he said. “It comes after very high inflation,” Governor Weerasinghe said after reducing its policy rate to 8% from an earlier corridor of 9.25 to 8.25%. SL’s deflation is expected to continue in the near term, he said. more..

Nov 27 (AD) The Irrigation Department has issued a flood warning for several low-lying areas of Kelani River Basin, effective until 10:30 a.m. on Nov 29. Similarly, another flood warning has been issued for several low-lying areas Kala Oya Basin effective until 9:30 a.m. on November 29, 2024. It states that considerable rainfall has occurred in some of the upstream and middle reach catchment areas of Kala Oya Basin as of 8 a.m. today (27). In addition to that, the Rajanganaya Reservoir more..

Nov 27 (FT) The change that the new election has brought to the country is unprecedented. We have a woman Prime Minister (that many of us in the academic and activist communities know) and we have several young women in Parliament. Historically, since independence, we have only had 5% representation at any given moment. Now we have close to 10%. And that too through elections and only one through the national list. Combined with the local Govt quota of 25% introduced more..

Nov 27 (IPS) In a mid-Oct 2024 meeting with the EU Ambassador, SL reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade relations with the EU, particularly highlighting the role of the GSP+ programme in boosting SL exports. This discussion underscores the significance of the GSP+, which offers tariff preferences for SL’s exports to the EU. The GSP+ offers reduced tariffs on exports, conditional upon the recipient countries more..

Nov 27 (AD) The A-9 main road to Jaffna has been flooded at Omanthai, prompting police to urge motorists to take alternate routes. The area near Nochchimoddai Bridge and Omanthai Town, within the Omanthai Police Division, has been completely inundated. As a result, light vehicles such as motorcycles and cars are unable to pass through, with only heavy vehicles, including lorries and buses, able to traverse the area, police said. In light of this situation, the public and motorists more..

Nov 27 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake directed officials to provide immediate relief services to affected people in disaster-stricken areas by gathering information on-site rather than relying solely on technological data. Prez emphasized the need to establish a strong grassroots-level mechanism to facilitate this process. These remarks were made during a discussion held today at the Presidential Secretariat with state officials, aimed at expediting relief services more..

Nov 27 (EN) SL’s central bank has announced an 8% overnight policy rate dropping the earlier policy corridor, with its standing facilities kept at 8.5% to print money and 7.5% to take out excess liquidity. The new rate is 75 basis points below the mid-point of the last announcement where a corridor was bound by the central bank’s standing facilities. SL’s central bank has operated broadly deflationary policy (generally withdrawing more..

Nov 27 (AD) The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands, and Irrigation has issued a notice for the engineers and technical officers from the Irrigation Department, who are in charge of managing reservoirs, amidst the prevailing adverse weather conditions. Accordingly, the engineers and technical officials of the Irrigation Department and the Mahaweli Authority who are responsible for reservoir management are required to remain at their workplaces. more..

Nov 27 (NW) Former President Maithripala Sirisena recorded a statement with the Bribery Commission for two hours yesterday regarding the presidential pardon granted to Jude Shramantha Jayamaha, who was convicted of a murder at the Royal Park apartment in Colombo. It is reported that the former President was summoned before the Bribery Commission to record a statement regarding a complaint alleging that he had accepted a bribe to grant the presidential pardon. more..

Nov 27 (PMD) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged its support for investment opportunities in SL, citing increased foreign investor interest fuelled by the govt’s systematic financial reforms. During a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat today (26), led by ADB’s Regional Head of Private Sector Development, Takeo Koike and Senior Additional Secretary to the Prez G.N.R.D. Aponsu, ADB delegation highlighted foreign investors’ enthusiasm for SL’s expanding prospects across more..

Nov 27 (AD) The Director of Health Services for the Sabaragamuwa Province, Dr. Kapila Kannangara, has stated that the Ratnapura District has recorded the highest number of deaths and infections from leptospirosis disease this year. Speaking at the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council Complex, Dr. Kannangara highlighted the severity of the situation, noting that a total of 1,882 Leptospirosis cases and 22 fatalities have been reported in the district. The identified high-risk areas within more..

Nov 27 (EN) New active credit cards in SL increased by 7,958 in September this year, with local banks promoting along with the key fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) venders amid falling interest rates. The number of active credit card recorded 1,936,336 by end September, compared to 1,028,378 in August this year, showing an increase of 7,958. “Most banks have been aggressively pushing for credit cards more..

Nov 27 (DM) Adani Group conglomerate said Wednesday it had suffered a staggering loss of nearly $55 billion since U.S. corruption charges against top officials, accusations the company denies. India's Adani Group conglomerate said it had suffered a staggering loss of nearly $55 billion since US corruption charges against top officials, accusations the company denies. "Since the intimation of the US Dept of Justice indictment, the group has suffered a loss of near $55 billion more..

Nov 27 (OC) The landslide victory of the National People’s Power (NPP) in this year’s Parliamentary and Presidential elections is a historic achievement that came on the heels of the #GotaGoHome protests, reflecting the public’s demand for accountable and professional leadership following the devastating economic crisis of 2022. The election also signalled the fall of the Rajapaksa dynasty who ruled from 2005-2014 and 2019-2022, & whose rise was rooted in military triumph more..

Nov 27 (CI) Under dark Durban skies, SL had very nearly their perfect first morning of a first Test, their captain inserting the opposition, before his seamers removed four South Africa batters. But only 20.4 overs were possible on the first day before rain arrived just before scheduled lunch. It stayed put over Kingsmead, until play was called off at around 3pm. Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando had led SL's advances, more..

Nov 27 (TM) The Board of Directors of the CEB is set to discuss recent requests from CEB unions to distribute annual bonuses among all 23,000 employees in December of this year. It was recently reported that the CEB Workers' Union (CEBWU) had called on the CEB management to distribute bonuses among employees before 10 Dec. When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether a decision had been made on the said request, CEB Chairperson Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya said more..

Nov 27 (CT) The Centre for Environmental Justice, (CEJ) in collaboration with the BASE for Enthusiasts Environmental Science and Zoology (BEEZ) society of the University of Colombo, organised a striking human sign action to demand a strong global plastics treaty. This initiative aimed to send a powerful message to representatives attending the Fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) meeting on plastic pollution in Busan, South Korea, from 25 Nov to 2 Dec 2024. more..