Nov 11 (DM) Former MP Rohitha Abeygunawardhane became emotional during an election rally in Kalutara where he said, with tears in his eyes, that he had been with the people over the years. Abeygunawardhane said he will protect the people even as an Opposition MP in Parliament. "I am a good organiser. I have never thought of my personal needs. I have been with the people. I will protect you even as an Opposition MP. It is good that we were defeated. more..

Nov 11 (EN) The inaugural session of the Tenth Parliament, with 196 members elected by public vote and 29 members entering through the national list, is scheduled to commence on Nov 21. A total of 225 members of parliament will be elected in the upcoming general election on Nov 14. A series of special proceedings expected to take place on that day, including the appointment of Speaker, the Parliament of Sri Lanka said in a statement. more..

Nov 11 (CT) Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union, attributed the rise in bribery incidents to the absence of a confidential reporting mechanism and insufficient govt funding for school development. When contacted by Ceylon Today, Stalin recalled a recent incident involving the principal of a primary school in Ragama, who was arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 150,000 to secure a student’s admission. According to the Bribery Commission, more..

Nov 11 (DM) Samagi Jana Sandanaya (SJS) National Organiser Sujeewa Senasinghe said he has handed over his vehicle to the Supreme Court for further investigations. "I was asked to hand over the vehicle because the anti-corruption unit of the govt had informed courts that they had to carry out more investigations. They told the courts that a report on the vehicle was needed from the Toyota Company. Accordingly, I had to hand over the vehicle," Senasinghe said. more..

Nov 11 (Vanity) In a move to bolster film preservation across borders, India‘s Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) is teaming with French diplomatic missions in India, SL and the Maldives on a two-year project dubbed FISCH (France-India-SL Cine Heritage). Supported by the French Embassy and the French Institute in India, alongside the French Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, the project spans over two years with a focus on training, film restoration, preservation and outreach. more..

Nov 11 (FT) The Lanka Angel Network (LAN) last week partnered with the SL Design Festival (SLDF) to bring forward the Creative Entrepreneurs for Social Change competition, a transformative initiative aimed at fostering social innovation within the creative sector. The event, held at Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, showcased how creativity can effectively address pressing societal issues. The Creative Entrepreneurs for Social Change competition aimed to discove more..

Nov 11 (TM) Three companies have submitted bids for an international tender to resume Phase II of the BIA expansion project. The tenders were solicited as part of the BIA Development Project Phase II Stage 2, which aims to complete key infrastructure for the airport’s expanding passenger capacity. Airport and Aviation Services (SL) Ltd. (AASL) released tender number 105/T/2024 last month, detailing the extensive construction more..

Nov 11 (EN) SL’s pharmaceutical sales are starting to grow, recovering from a currency crisis in 2022, Hemas Holdings Plc, a group involved in pharma and consumer goods said. The expansion was driven by lower priced items, including diabetic drugs and vitamins. “During the quarter under review, the pharmaceutical industry experienced volume growth, for the first time since the economic crisis in the year 2022,” the firm told shareholders in the September quarter review. more..

Nov 11 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that SL’s debt restructuring process can be completed by December. Speaking at a public rally in Gampaha today (11), he outlined the govt’s plan to achieve financial stability amid ongoing economic challenges. “Our restructuring process is nearly complete, with only a small amount left to finalize,” Prez Dissanayake stated. He assured that by 2028, the country would be in a position to start repaying the restructured debt, more..

Nov 11 (AD) National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF) has issued a warning regarding a spike in cases of Sri Lankans being referred to cybercrime camps in Myanmar. According to the NAHTTF, recent reports have revealed that Sri Lankan citizens, particularly those living in the UAE, are being targeted by human traffickers who falsely promise high-paying jobs, particularly in the IT sector. more..

Nov 11 (AD) Dr. Deepal Perera, a paediatrician at the LRH, states that a recent rise in fever cases among children is observed, attributing this to a surge in viral infections as well as an uptick in dengue cases. He emphasized that parents should closely monitor children’s symptoms, especially if a fever lasts more than three days, as it may indicate a more serious infection. Many children are presenting with symptoms of viral fever, such as cough, cold, body aches, and occasional vomiting. more..

Nov 11 (SO) As the election countdown intensifies, Sunday Observer spoke to Sagala Ratnayake, former Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor to former Prez Wickremesinghe to discuss the recent electoral loss and the future trajectory of the UNP. Ratnayake said that the coalition under the gas cylinder failed due to communication missteps, although the change a called for by the youth was undertaken during their tenure. He is worried that the NPP lacks a coherent economic policy and more..

Nov 11 (SO) A former doctor and now a key figure in the NPP and its Kalutara District leader and candidate, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, shares his journey from medicine to politics. Driven by a vision for systemic change, he discusses his party’s plans to transform SL’s economy by boosting local production, digitising public services, strengthening healthcare, and increasing tourism. Dr. Jayatissa highlights the importance of a strong, corruption-free Govt to empower rural communities more..

Nov 11 (SO) ITAK frontliner and its Jaffna District candidate M. A. Sumanthiran, shared his perspectives on a wide range of issues such as how they plan to work with a possible NPP Govt, reconcile differences within the ITAK, their plans to get the support of the Tamil diaspora to revive the North and the East and extend their support to the new Govt to eliminate corruption. The prominent Tamil lawmaker said if there is an NPP Govt after the Nov 14 general election, more..

Nov 11 (AD) Former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province S. Chandrakanthan alias Pilleyan has been summoned to the CID tomorrow, in order to record a statement related to the allegations in the documentary aired by British television network Channel 4 on the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks in SL. The CID has launched a probe into the relevant incident as per a complaint lodged by an organization with Ministry of Public Security more..

Nov 11 (NW) Minister of Civil Aviation, Vijitha Herath engaged in an inspection tour of the Katunayake Airport premises on Sunday during which he addressed a range of issues affecting employees and services. Minister Herath was accompanied by Airport and Aviation Services Chairman Harsha Abeywickrama and Deputy Chairman Cyril Wannigama. During the tour, minister engaged with workers across various departments, addressing their concerns and committing to more..

Nov 11 (EN) Sri Lanka’s banks, regulators and small and medium enterprises met at the Presidential Secretariat to discuss parate execution (foreclosure) and loan repayment difficulties faced by SMEs, a statement said. The law on parate execution or deciding on auctioning collateral of defaulted loans by banks has been suspended till December 15. The meeting discussed financial difficulties encountered by SMEs due to loan obligations, president’s media division said. more..

Nov 11 (DM) The NPP is confident of winning a majority seats in Thursday's Parliamentary Election but will look at forming a national unity govt with MPs representing the Tamil and Muslim communities, in order to achieve national unity, Minister Vijitha Herath said. Just days ahead of the Nov 14th Parliamentary Poll, Herath said the NPP was very confident of winning the most number of seats in the new Parliament but more..

Nov 11 (DM) A total of 976 solar panel systems have been installed on the rooftops of religious shrines across the country with financial support from the Govt of India, the Ministry of Energy said. With a funding of USD 17 million from the Indian Govt, the Ceylon Electricity Board, the Sustainable Energy Authority, and the Lanka Electricity Company have jointly launched a solar power project to equip religious shrines across the island with rooftop solar panels. more..

Nov 11 (AD) Deputy Postmaster General (Operations), Rajitha K. Ranasinghe announced that the distribution of official polling cards for the 2024 General Election has been completed. According to Ranasinghe, 97% of the total official polling cards have been distributed. He stated that those who have not received their official polling cards as of yet, can visit their local post office during working hours to collect them. He further said that this will be in effect until the date of the election. more..

Nov 11 (FT) Prez Election 2024 has shown a dramatic shift in the voting behaviour of Muslim voters in the Eastern Province. A long struggle for an alternative political force of the Muslims has finally gained significant behavioural change in areas traditionally led by established political figures. These results reflect a departure from conventional voting patterns, emphasising a strong desire for a change among Muslim voters in Eastern Province, who are increasingly drawn to progressive more..

Nov 11 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, known to electorate as AKD, in a more than three-hour long marathon talk show on Sirasa TV last week, said that his acceptance of the IMF’s EFF and its associated debt restructuring plan was done by necessity rather than by choice1. He admitted that the country could not absorb, unhurt, the shock of not having IMF behind SL. But it does not mean that in the future he will go along with this program without amendment. more..

Nov 11 (TM) While the Small and Medium Scale Rice Mill Owners’ Association has raised concerns that the ongoing shortage of rice in SL is being exacerbated by the increased diversion of raw rice into beer production, the Ministry of Agriculture has planned to implement a system to minimise locally produced rice being used for purposes other than consumption as food. The rice used in beer production is primarily sourced from nadu more..

Nov 11 (DN) President’s Secretary Dr. Nandika Kumanayake has informed the CID to immediately conduct an investigation into the irregularities that occurred during the importation of fuel to SL in the 2022/2023 period. This has been done on a request made by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminal Chairman D.J. Rajakaruna. Accordingly, Rajakaruna stated that the CID had already inquired about the basic facts from him and obtained a statement. more..

Nov 11 (DM) Acting IGP Priyantha Weerasuriya said the Sri Lanka Police now operates in an environment conducive to enforcing the law impartially and without undue influence. The Acting IGP emphasised that the current govt has made it clear that the law should be applied equally to all citizens, and he has communicated this directive to all officers. Weerasuriya made these remarks during the inauguration of a new building at the Chunnakam Police Station in Jaffna. more..

Nov 11 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced that the Govt is prepared to take necessary steps, under the guidance of the Attorney General (AG), to release Tamil political prisoners currently incarcerated. Speaking at a NPP rally in Vavuniya, Dissanayake emphasised that, unlike in the past, this move would not face opposition from the South, as the nation now stands united under the NPP banner. more..

Nov 11 (FT) As Parliamentary Election approaches, a mandated silence period begins midnight today lasting until Election Day on 14 Nov. During this time period, all campaign activities will be prohibited, including public rallies, promotional material distribution, and door-to-door canvassing. Police are empowered to arrest anyone violating these regulations. Campaigning officially ended at midnight on 11 Nov, and the Election Commission has further instructed that all election offices more..

Nov 11 (ST) The govt has plans to bring PayPal service through India to Sri Lanka soon, senior ruling party sources said. “We may discuss bringing PayPal out of India as an initial step, and get this facility into the country,” one source said. He pointed out that Sri Lanka does not have good international payment channels and those such as PayPal have high transaction costs. He added that this division is being pondered in conjunction with facilitating digital nomads both local and foreign. more..

Nov 11 (AD) Police have apprehended a Buddhist monk in connection with a luxury vehicle found in the Mahiyanganaya area that reportedly had no valid registration or legal documentation. Officers suspect that the vehicle’s license plate is also fraudulent, raising further concerns about the vehicle’s legitimacy. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the Trooper Jeep in question had been transferred to the monk through an informal document, without any official or more..

Nov 11 (AD) Two individuals including a female have been reported dead following a shooting incident that took place in the Urawatte area of Ambalangoda, police said. Police revealed that two unidentified individuals who arrived on a motorcycle, had opened fire at the man and the woman who were also travelling on a motorcycle. The deceased man and the woman, both aged 46, have been identified as a married couple who were residing in the Kuleegoda area of Ambalangoda, more..

Nov 11 (EN) SL’s application for membership in BRICS has not been rejected, but not accepted due to the decision by nine members in the block, SL’s Foreign Ministry said. Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath last week said SL’s application to become a member in the BRICS has not been accepted by the group’s current membership, but its request to become a member of BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) more..

Nov 11 (MoD) Defence Secretary visited the Eastern Province, focussing specifically on the security situation in the Arugam Bay area today (10). During the visit, attention was drawn to the current security situation in the area and the Defence Secretary was briefed on the ongoing plan by local senior military and police officers. Accordingly, Defence Secretary issued necessary instructions to the relevant officials on the measures to be taken to maintain the security of the area more..