Nov 5 (CT) Wikipedia states that gender identity is an individual self-conception of perceiving oneself as man or woman, as fluctuating between man and woman or being something outside of man and woman. Gender identity, despite political, social and lexical prominence, given to it, especially it in the last years; is an imagined state of selfhood. It is not science. It is an ideology. Empirically, there exists ONLY two biological sexes. Yet, gender ideology’s Denial of Reality is not only more..

Nov 5 (CT) The recent move by the SL Govt to recall 15 political appointees from diplomatic missions is a noteworthy step toward enhancing professionalism within the Foreign Service. Many of those recalled were appointed based on political connections rather than expertise in diplomacy or international relations. The recall of figures like Rohitha Bogollagama, High Commissioner to UK and Chitrangani Wagiswara, High Commissioner to Australia, highlights the need to prioritise credentials more..

Nov 4 (TM) Female estate workers often neglect their health and sanitation due to a lack of toilet facilities in estates, according to estate sector trade unions. “Many female estate workers often go an entire day without using the bathroom or changing their sanitary napkins due to fears of being sexually assaulted by surrounding males,” Voice of the Plantation People (VOPP) Executive Director, Anthony Jesudasan, said. “If toilets are used at all, it is the males who usually use them and more..

Nov 4 (AD) Colombo High Court today granted bail for 24 individuals who had been remanded on the charges of assaulting a group of people and causing damage to property at the Borella New Magazine Prison during clashes in 2012. During the trial, 43 defendants involved in the incident pleaded guilty to the charges. Accordingly, the accused were ordered to pay Rs. 300,000 in compensation to Nihal Gunawardena, who was seriously injured in the incident. more..

Nov 4 (SN) Pooping whales changed the course of Asha de Vos’ career. SL marine biologist was aboard a research vessel near her home island in 2003 when she spotted six blue whales congregating. A bright red plume of whale waste was spreading across the water’s surface. De Vos, then a master’s student, recalls being super excited. What she witnessed went against prevailing dogma: Her textbooks and professors had taught that more..

Nov 4 (CT) NDF National List nominee Nimalka Fernando stated that PM Harini Amarasuriya’s recent comments about former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe were defamatory and damaging to the dignity of a senior politician who had held the Prime Ministerial office multiple times. She also expressed concern over senior trade unionist and CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin’s silence on issues like salary anomalies and other matters affecting public servants and teachers, more..

Nov 4 (AD) Shashi Prabha Ratwatte, the wife of former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, has been arrested after appearing before the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court as per a court order, over the incident an unregistered car found at her house in the Mirihana area of Nugegoda. Subsequently, the Nugegoda Magistrate has ordered her to be remanded in custody until 7 Nov. Former state Minister Lohan Ratwatte was arrested by Mirihana Police on October 31 in Katugastota, Kandy more..

Nov 4 (AD) The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition filed challenging the decision to hold the General Election on Nov 14. The 3-member Supreme Court judge bench consisting of Justices Preethi Padman Surasena, Shiran Gunaratne and Priyantha Fernando ordered the relevant petition to be dismissed without taking up for hearing following an extended consideration of facts presented. more..

Nov 4 (TM) PM Harini Amarasuriya announced at a NPP Women’s wing rally in Gampaha that under the new Govt, MPs will not be allowed to appoint family members as personal staff. She emphasised that facilities provided to MPs, including official residences, will be limited to curb corruption and promote accountability. Govt will prioritise development projects for the country's future, adhering to a national policy focused on progress rather than the interests of ministers & MPs. more..

Nov 4 (DM) The case filed against former State Minister Diana Gamage for allegedly obtaining a national identity card by submitting forged documents despite being aware that she is not a SL citizen, was fixed for trial today by the Colombo High Court. High Court Judge Manjula Tilakaratne fixed the trial for Jan 9, with three prosecution witnesses summoned to appear before the court on that date. The Attorney General filed the indictment against Diana Gamage on three counts, more..

Nov 4 (AD) Board of Directors of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) has resolved to appoint Dr. Mothilal de Silva, as an Independent, non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of SLT with effect from 4 Nov. With a career spanning over many decades, Dr Mothilal de Silva is a result oriented multidisciplinary C-level executive in the telecommunication industry having experience in SL and multiple countries in Asia and Pacific regions. He is a turnaround specialist and a strategist. more..

Nov 4 (NW) A high-profile delegation from the global tyre manufacturing giant Michelin and the newly appointed EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe engaged in discussions recently (Nov 1) to explore avenues to improve SL’s rubber manufacturing sector. The delegation was represented by the Corporate Vice President of Public Affairs of Michelin HQ based in France Eric Le Corre, Consultant, Public Affairs Koenraad Pringiers and Head of Legal Affairs from Michelin’s local facility Nilanthi more..

Nov 4 (TM) Sri Lanka rupee ranks as the top performer among emerging market currencies in the first 10 months of 2024, with a spot return of over 10%, according to data. Accordingly, emerging-market currencies were mostly down against the dollar in the first ten months of 2024, with SL, Malaysia, and South Africa ranking top in the chart. As of the end of October, SL had a spot return of 10.56%, while Malaysia and South Africa more..

Nov 4 (AD) The Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has asked the CEB to submit a revised proposal for electricity tariff reductions, stating that the initially proposed tariff reduction is inadequate. PUCSL Communications Director Jayanath Herath said the CEB has been directed to provide an updated proposal by Nov 8. This follows an initial proposal submission by the CEB on Oct 24, in which the board proposed a reduction of electricity tariffs ranging from 4% to 11%. more..

Nov 4 (FT) SJB Colombo district candidate Hirunika Premachandra has pledged that, should the party and its alliance, the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya (SJS), fail to secure Govt power at the upcoming General Election, they will create a robust and effective Opposition instead. Premachandra emphasised that a strong Opposition is vital for a functioning democracy, citing how the Opposition played a crucial role in supporting the public during the economic collapse and ensuing protests more..

Nov 4 (FT) In the wake of the travel advisory from Israel’s National Security Council urging its citizens to exit Sri Lanka over a possible attack, the number of Israeli tourists in the country has sharply dropped from 514 to just 125 at present. “These remaining Israeli visitors are reported to be staying in popular tourist destinations like Ella and various locations along the Southern coast,” sources from the SL Tourist Police Unit said. more..

Nov 4 (FT) Veteran banker, Manoj Akmeemana, has chosen to share his decades long experience in banking and lending with bankers, students of banking and the public in the form of a comprehensive text under the title Lending: Concepts, Theory, and Practice. The book has been produced by using modern technology of producing such texts – two colours, graphs, flowcharts, and tables to make it user friendly. Insight capsules – box articles in other cases – have been added more..

Nov 4 (NW) The Chinese Embassy in SL has donated Rs. 2,500,000 for scholarships to students of the Keppitipola Maha Vidyalaya. Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong made the donation while attending the Award Ceremony of the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship held at the school yesterday. Accordingly, the donated fund is to be distributed by the school to 100 students. The full statement of Chinese Ambassador Qi Zhenhong at the event; I am very pleased and honoured more..

Nov 4 (Island) Former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, who was receiving treatment in the Prison, had been transferred to the National Hospital (NH), Colombo, the Prisons Department said yesterday. Ratwatte had been transferred to the NH due to a sudden illness on Saturday night. Ratwatte, who was arrested and remanded on charges of using a vehicle illegally assembled here, was admitted to the Prison Hospital on Saturday under the permission granted by the Nugegoda Acting Magistrate. more..

Nov 4 (DM) NPP member Tilvin Silva refuted making any allegations of hidden money in Uganda, while saying that such claims were made by the SJBers. He said that it was the NPP which said the so-called containers of US Dollars were printed here and taken to Uganda. "We did not say any Uganda story. It was the SJBers who said that. We said those days that there could be hidden money in Uganda and other countries. We said the alleged containers full of dollars were printed here and taken to more..

Nov 4 (EN) State-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) under the new govt led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has opted for reforms without privatizing the utility service provider in line with the mandate received by the current President, the CEB said. The proposed CEB reforms were strongly opposed by Dissanayake’s Marxists JVP trade unions in the past citing the past govt was trying the sell the state asset to the private sector. more..

Nov 4 (DM) In the future, no opportunity will be provided to recover expenses from people for illegally built filling stations, CPSTL Chairman D.J.A.S De S. Rajakaruna said. He said that some filling stations are unable to sell even one bowser (6,600 MT) of fuel due to the excessive number of stations permitted to be built. "Permitting to These filling stations were not built in a scientific manner. They were constructed illegally, with large sums of money involved," more..

Nov 4 (NW) 25 SL foreign employment agencies participated in the Saudi Human Resources and Manpower Expo, for the first time. According to the SL Embassy in Riyadh, the Expo was held from 27 – 30 Oct 2024 in Riyadh with the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad inaugurating the Sri Lanka pavilion. The SL Embassy in Riyadh in collaboration with the SL Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE) facilitated the participation of the Sri Lankan foreign employment agencies. more..

Nov 4 (DM) In its recent judgement, Supreme Court held that a party in a divorce case can pursue a claim against a co-defendant (the adulterer—a third party outside the marriage) for damages, without simultaneously seeking dissolution of the marriage in the same action. With Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and Justice Achala Wengappuli agreeing, Justice Priyantha Fernando observed that there is no misjoinder of causes of action by more..

Nov 4 (CT) United Democratic Voice party Media Spokesman Ravi Kumudesh, called on the NPP and JVP to clarify whether dissolving trade unions is their official stance. This follows a statement from an NPP candidate claiming that an NPP Govt would dissolve its trade unions after the General Election, a proposal Kumudesh strongly criticised. He argued that the NPP should make its position clear before the election, as dissolving trade unions could pose a threat to the Fundamental Rights of workers. more..

Nov 4 (AD) The individuals with urgent needs for a passport can apply directly with supporting documents. Acting Controller General of Immigration Nilusha Balasuriya said that in response to the high demand for expedited travel permits, an independent committee within the Immigration Department has been established to evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis. Balasuriya explained that those requiring immediate passports must still schedule an appointment through the usual process. more..

Nov 4 (FT) On 23 Oct, the US embassy in SL issued a travel advisory warning of a potential attack targeting tourist sites in Arugam Bay, a popular surfing destination in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. The embassies of the UK and Russia soon followed suit. Given the mysterious circumstances of the 2019 Easter attacks that occurred following a warning by Indian intelligence services, this has understandably stirred much anxiety and speculation among Sri Lankans. more..

Nov 4 (CT) The cultural arm of the High Commission of India in Colombo, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre celebrated the 9th Ayurveda Day in Colombo on 1 Nov 2024. High Commissioner of India, Santosh Jha, inaugurated the 9th Ayurveda Day with the Vice Chancellor of the Uni of Colombo Prof. H.D Karunaratne at the New Arts Theatre of the Uni. The event was organised by the Centre along with the Faculty of Indigenous Medicine of the Uni of Colombo for the second time in collaboration more..

Nov 4 (Island) ITAK dismissed Sarvajana Balaya claim that it had reached a post-general election understanding with the NPP govt on the setting up of a federal structure in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and the inclusion of ITAK frontliner M. A. Sumanthiran, in Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s cabinet as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A senior party spokesperson said so when The Island sought the ITAK response to more..

Nov 4 (CT) Nearly 2,000 Sri Lankans have lost their lives in road accidents from 1 Jan to 25 Oct, according to DIG Nihal Thalduwa. He said 1,818 fatal accidents occurred during this period, resulting in 1,898 deaths across the country, of which, 676 were pedestrians. In 2023, SL recorded 2,557 fatalities in 2,200 fatal traffic accidents. Police have launched an investigation to determine whether a recent fatal bus accident on Dunhinda Road in Badulla was caused by more..

Nov 4 (DN) Immigration and Emigration Dept said 50,000 passports under category ‘P’ have been received by the Dept so far in accordance with the agreement made with the company that was awarded the tender for the purchase of passports. In addition to this, another quantity of 100,000 passports is expected in end November and another 150,000 passports in December. At the same time, the procurement process for another batch of passports has also begun. more..

Nov 4 (ST) Presidential Secretariat has decided to terminate the appointments of 16 Consuls General and diplomatic officers with immediate effect. Accordingly, Presidential Secretary N.S. Kumanayake has sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a list of names of those to be recalled. He said the decision to recall them was taken on the instructions of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. more..