Nov 29 (DN) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has affirmed its commitment to maintaining stability regarding the Colombo West International Terminal project, led by the Adani Group, amidst ongoing allegations in the U.S. against the conglomerate’s top executives. SLPA Chairman Sirimewan Ranasinghe has emphasized that there is no immediate plan to reassess or terminate the agreement. more..

Nov 29 (AD) Colombo High Court has acquitted former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and two others in the case related to the controversial white van media conference held in 2019. On Sept 12, 2022 former Minister Rajitha Senaratne and former State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) chairman Rumy Mohamed had pleaded not guilty for the charges against them over the controversial white van press conference. In the days leading up to the Presidential Election in 2019, more..

Nov 29 (EN) A group of businesspersons from the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) visiting the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to strengthen trade and investment ties between India and Sri Lanka, have suggested the island nation prioritise wedding tourism to tap into the growing Indian market for destination weddings. SGCCI proposed that SL prioritise Wedding Tourism to tap into the growing Indian market for destination weddings, the Ceylon Chamber said more..

Nov 29 (DM) In response to criticism on social media over participation in ABBA Tribute Show at Mount Lavinia Hotel, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said he, along with others, attended and enjoyed it as people with a palate for enjoyment. Asked for a comment on this during an interview, he said, “Actually, I am not keen to talk about it. The forces that were defeated seek to cling to something or another. Mount Lavinia Hotel carried it. The event was organised to promote tourism. more..

Nov 29 (Island) Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasooriya recently stated that it is more appropriate to apprehend and bring drug suppliers to justice rather than focusing solely on arresting individuals who use drugs. Weerasooriya that drug networks and suppliers had already been identified and steps were being taken to neutralise them. IGP said that significant raids had been conducted recently and some Sri Lankans residing abroad were involved in smuggling drugs into the country via boats. more..

Nov 29 (EN) SL’s inflation fell 2.1% in the 12-months to Nov 2024, while the index fell back to Sept 2022 levels, amid deflationary policy and currency appreciation by the central bank. Colombo Consumer Price Index (re-based) fell to 0.3 points during the month of Nov 2024 to 189.4 point which is around the 189.3 points Sept 2022. After rate cuts enforced by inflationary open market operations triggers a currency crisis and draws the IMF, more..

Nov 29 (DM) The deep depression that caused significant disruption in Sri Lanka’s northeastern regions over the past few days has intensified into Cyclone Fengal, according to the Indian Meteorological Dept (IMD). Centered about 240 kilometers northeast of Trincomalee late Thursday, the cyclone is moving towards the Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coast, with landfall expected near Mahabalipuram on Saturday morning. The cyclone’s indirect effects have already impacted SL, more..

Nov 29 (MB) In a well-coordinated operation, the Indian Navy, in collaboration with the SL Navy on Friday successfully seized approximately 500 kg of narcotics, identified as Crystal Meth, from two fishing boats in the Arabian Sea. This combined operation followed intelligence received from the SL Navy, indicating possible narcotics smuggling by SL flagged fishing vessels. Acting swiftly on the intelligence, Indian Navy initiated an operation to intercept the boats involved. more..

Nov 29 (Island) Former Northern Province Governor Dr. Suren Raghavan says the deployment of the armed forces should be the exclusive prerogative of the military. The deployment of armed forces shouldn’t be under any circumstances, an issue for debate among civilians whatever their status, the academic said. Dr. Raghavan, who served as the Northern Governor in 2019 during Prez Mairthripala Sirisena’s tenure, said so regarding more..

Nov 29 (DM) The sudden death of the elephant Deega Danthu 1 has caused the country an annual loss of approximately Rs. 90 million in foreign exchange, environmentalist Nayanaka Ranwella claimed. Addressing the media, he said some foreign tourists travelled great distances specifically to see this elephant. This elephant lived in the Kalawewa, Balalu Wewa and Horapola areas in Kekirawa. It was found dead after becoming entangled in an illegal electric fence more..

Nov 29 (FT) The Geneva Association has announced AIA SL CEO Chathuri Munaweera as the winner of its 2024 Women in Insurance Award. The award selection committee – comprised of BNP Paribas Cardif CEO Pauline Leclerc-Glorieux, AIA Group Chief Executive and President Lee Yuan Siong, and Prudential Financial CEO Charles F. Lowrey – selected Chathuri Munaweera for her outstanding leadership of AIA’s SL business, particularly through the unprecedented more..

Nov 29 (FT) Former Northern Province Chief Minister and TMTK party leader C. V. Vigneswaran PC has announced plans to form an alliance of Tamil nationalist parties aimed at securing official recognition of the Northern and Eastern provinces as Tamil-speaking regions. This development comes in the wake of a significant shift in voting patterns during the last parliamentary elections, where traditional Tamil nationalist parties faced notable setbacks in these regions. more..

Nov 29 (FT) Senior Additional Solicitor General Viraj Dayaratne PC has been officially appointed as the new Solicitor General. Dayaratne has served in the Attorney General’s Dept for 31 years, holding the position of Additional Solicitor General since May 2018. He has also served as the Securities and Exchange Commission of SL (SEC) Chairperson from January 2020 to January 2023. An alumnus of St. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Dayaratne has experience both locally and internationally. more..

Nov 29 (AD) The Chinese Ambassador to SL, Qi Zhenhong, says that while some critics label the large-scale projects implemented in Sri Lanka with Chinese financial assistance as white elephants, all such projects were developed according to the requests of the govts in power at the time. Ambassador made these remarks during a meeting with a group of representatives of media, where the discussion touched on various more..

Nov 29 (AD) Minister Vijitha Herath appeared before the Colombo High Court today to testify in connection with a bribery case filed during the administration of the Good Governance Govt. Case had been filed by the Bribery Commission against the former Chairman of the Development Lotteries Board (DLB), Chandrawansa Pathiraja accusing him of causing losses to the DLB by awarding promotional activities for several lottery tickets to private companies, in violation of more..

Nov 29 (EN) Sri Lanka’s construction sector rebounded in October registering an index value of 54.3, from 48.6 in Sept, following the resolution of election-related uncertainties, according to a Purchasing Managers Index compiled by the CB. “Many respondents mentioned that the operations in construction projects regained momentum in October, following the resolution of election-related uncertainties,” statement said. All the sub-indices, except for employment, remained above more..

Nov 29 (DM) According to the real-time Air Quality Index (AQI), the air pollution level indicated in SL's atmosphere is still at risk and the country will experience unhealthy air quality conditions. Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Trincomalee, Puttalam, Dambulla, Matale, Negombo, Kandy, Colombo, Ratnapura, Ambalangoda, and Galle also indicated to have unhealthy air pollution level. Reports said these regions will experience more..

Nov 29 (TM) The current Govt will have to maintain the policies of the IMF, agreed upon by former Prez and Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in the same way next year (2025), claimed former MP Prof. Charitha Herath. He said that the economic crisis that emerged in the country was a reason for the NPP to come to power. “The people's struggle (aragalaya) which took place in 2022 (the series of protests demanding the resignation of the then Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa and more..

Nov 29 (Island) Colombo High Court Judge R.S.S. Sapuwidda yesterday rejected a request for bail, under any conditions, for two suspects linked to an attempt to assassinate then-Minister Maithripala Sirisena in Boralesgamuwa in 2008. The case involves 17 charges, including aiding and abetting an LTTE suicide bomber identified as Sammungrasa Gajabalini. The suspects, Selvarasa Kirubakaran, also known as Gosthar or Morris, and Thambayya Prakash, alias Dhanush, have been held more..

Nov 30 (DM) The monsoon season is here again. This time heightened by the adverse effects of climate change. According to latest reports, 13 persons have lost their lives. Over 400,000 persons from over 132,000 families have been affected by overflowing tanks, landslides and or flooding with 102 houses completely destroyed and over 2,000 partially damaged. Unfortunately, flooding, landslides and loss of life and property is not new to SL. It takes place at least twice a year. more..

Nov 30 (CT) Adverse weather conditions are wreaking havoc in the country, impacting 20 districts and affecting over 280,000 individuals. Rapidly rising water levels of rivers and reservoirs and torrential showers are causing floods in many areas, localised strong winds and lightning are posing dangers to people and property and landslides in the central parts of the country are already being witnessed. As a tropical country which receives the bulk of its annual rainfall courtesy the monsoons, more..

Nov 30 (CT) In a way, there isn’t much new in the book, The Rout of Prabhakaran by M.R. Narayan Swamy, who had authored an unauthorised biography of LTTE supremo V. Prabhakaran, Inside an Elusive Mind, way back in 2003, and two other books, one earlier and another latter, on the world’s most dreaded guerrilla force and its unpredictable leader, who had the uncanny knack of turning defeat into more..

Nov 30 (DM) The row in the New Democratic Front (NDF) led by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) over the National List slot allocated for them at the Nov 14 Parliamentary election seems to prolong for another week or more. NDF, commonly known as the Cylinder party that has won three seats at district level is eligible for two National List slots while the SJB with 35 district level seats has been allocated five seats as their national quota. more..

Nov 30 (CT) As it was reported in media recently, the General Secretary of SLPP, and Attorney Sagara Kariyawasam had stated in a meeting of SLPP’s headquarters that the government wants to postpone budget in order to win local elections by lying, as it did with the presidential and general elations. As per Sagara Kariyawasam, the said lies were basically related to reduction of VAT and income tax that AKD/NPP govt is committed to work in due course along with next govt budget, more..

Nov 30 (TM) URPA President Kusumitha Mudith Perera notes that the focus on higher-profit rice types, like Keeri Samba, has led to a decline in the overall yield per ha, thus affecting supply stability. Over the past few weeks, the country's rice shortage and pricing issue has sparked great public debate. The main problem allegedly centres on the Govt’s outdated control prices for rice, which have not been revised in over two years. more..

Nov 30 (TM) The Prez and General Elections of this year ushered in a new era in our political history. We experienced the era of Western colonialism where we were usurped of all our rights and made second-class citizens under oppressive white supremacist rule. During this period, our national wealth was plundered and made the Commonwealth of the Crown. Our people were divided ethnically, culturally, religiously, and regionally, deliberately, by sensitising them on the differences as a strategy more..

Nov 30 (Island) A tragic incident where a car, reportedly guided by Google Maps, plunged off a bridge under construction, killing three persons in India has sparked a debate on whether online navigation apps should be held responsible for such mishaps. There are arguments for and against the culpability of the providers of online navigation services in respect of incidents of that nature, which however are rare. Above-mentioned accident and the debate thereon are of much relevance more..

Nov 30 (FT) Plenty is written about the JVP-led NPP in 2024 Sept-Nov elections, with many comparisons and much praise. It is a historic achievement, no doubt. It was only possible with an amateur politician Gotabaya elected president by 6.9 million voters in 2019 November totally messing up everything possible. Politically naïve and meek too, he was a total contrast to what he was projected to be, a Hitlerite leader. The #GotaGoHome protest campaign brought to Galle Face Green more..

Nov 30 (TM) While the much-needed legal reforms concerning cosmetics will take time, people should not wait until those reforms materialise to protect themselves from substandard skincare products. Even if these reforms materialise, a great deal of the responsibility for protecting one’s health and taking action against substandard skincare products still lies with consumers. Noting this, the Colombo National Hospital’s consultant dermatologist Dr. Indira Kahawita raised concerns about more..

Nov 30 (CI) Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs eased to Test centuries in the first two sessions, making South Africa's lead gargantuan, before the quicks snapped up five Sri Lanka wickets. Having utterly dominated the match since lunch on day two, South Africa finished the third day only five wickets short of going 1-0 up in a vital World Test Championship series. SL are 413 runs adrift, on a surface on which the bounce more..

Nov 30 (Island) A Japanese delegation recently announced the resumption of the previously stalled digital television project in SL following a meeting with the newly-elected Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The commencement of the digitisation project is now imminent. Once terrestrial television transmissions are digitised in SL, it will replace the old analogue terrestrial television forever. Therefore, it is critically important that the final outcome is better than the current analogue television, more..

Nov 30 (DM) The govt is eyeing to enforce the long-overdue anti-dumping laws, in order to ensure the fairness in trade and to safeguard the domestic industries from unfair competition from imports, Deputy Minister Chathuranga Abeysinghe said. Although the country enacted the Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties Act way back in 2018, before the country entered into its first comprehensive bilateral trade deal with Singapore in the same year, the successive govts failed to establish more..

Nov 30 (DN) Prabath Jayasuriya, the key leg-spinner of the SL Test team, became the joint second-fastest player to reach 100 Test wickets during the ongoing first Test between SL and South Africa in Durban. Jayasuriya only took 17 matches to take his 100th wicket in the format, faster than any Sri Lankan bowler who came before him. Prabath Jayasuriya became the second-fastest bowler ever and the fastest Sri Lankan to reach 100 Test wickets after he dismissed Tony de Zorzi during more..

Nov 30 (FT) SriLankan Airlines recently celebrated the seventh anniversary of its Melbourne-Colombo route, launched in 2017. Since then, the airline has successfully connected many Sri Lankan expatriates and students to Melbourne while providing seamless travel options for tourists travelling between Melbourne, Sri Lanka, and beyond, particularly destinations across India. With steady growth in traffic, including tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, the Melbourne-Colombo route more..

Nov 30 (FT) Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the tourism sector into a cornerstone of economic growth, with a strong focus on sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity. Speaking at the 59th Anniversary of The Hotels Association of SL (THASL), he outlined the vision, reiterating the Govt’s commitment to positioning the country as a top sustainable tourism destination, driving foreign exchange, more..