Nov 9 (FT) Former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has criticised the NPP party for fielding candidates who had previously gone on strike and halted national progress. Nanayakkara noted that those who once obstructed the development of SL are now vying for power under the NPP banner, questioning their role in the nation’s current challenges. “Those who disrupted the country by opposing infrastructure projects and development initiatives are now contesting from the NPP. more..

Nov 9 (FT) Govt defended its recent appointment of Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, a top industry professional as Chief Adviser on Digital Economy, citing that the move will propel the country’s digital transformation agenda. Minister Vijitha Herath said that Dr. Wijayasuriya, a renowned figure in the ICT landscape internationally, has made a significant personal sacrifice by stepping down from a lucrative position in the corporate world to support the Govt’s vision for digital transformation. more..

Nov 9 (CI) How much can a month change? Apparently, a little and a lot. New Zealand were last in Sri Lanka few weeks ago, where they were promptly dispatched 2-0 in the Test series, and then sent along to India in trepidation for - what everyone presumed - would be a similar shellacking. SL, meanwhile, were simply tasked with continuing the good vibes. They'd lost the Test series in England but a consolatory final Test win had been sandwiched between an ODI series victory more..

Nov 9 (ST) Govt is battling to control the escalating price of rice as traders overlook the maximum retail price. According to the weekly food commodities bulletin published by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute (HARTI) for Oct 18-24, rice varieties are being sold above the maximum retail price. After a meeting last week, officials began checking large, medium & small scale rice mills as well as more..

Nov 9 (CI) Coming off three limited overs series wins in a row, men's captain Charith Asalanka has serious aspirations for this team: let's be as good as SL had been before 2014. That 2007-2014 side had arguably been SL's greatest ever outfit, getting to no fewer than five World Cup finals (three in T20Is and two in ODIs), before finally winning the 2014 T20 title. Limited overs performances in particular had fallen off a cliff for SL after 2015. But on the heels of an ODI series win against India, more..

Nov 9 (DN) Skipper Vishmi Gunaratne scored 67 off 70 balls with 9 fours and a six, while Nethmi Perera took outstanding figures of 5 for 11 as CCC recorded an easy 204-run win over Galle CC in their SLC Major Clubs Women’s Limited Over Cricket fixture at Bloomfield Grounds on Thursday. CCC scored 263 in 47.4 overs, while Galle CC was bowled out for 59 in 24.4 overs. Vishmi Gunaratne and Sandali Weerasinghe (52 off 83 balls) shared a 119-run opening stand to set a solid platform for CCC. more..

Nov 9 (DN) The SL team, led by Charith Asalanka, is expected to continue their winning mentality when they play against New Zealand in their first T20 game today at the Rangiri Dambulla Int'l Cricket Stadium, commencing at 7 p.m. Ritzbury is the title sponsor for both the T20 and ODI series, and its General Manager of Marketing, Nilupul de Silva, stated that they are happy to be the sponsor for this series. more..

Nov 9 (FT) Sri Lanka Tourism successfully hosted an influential press conference at WTM 2024, drawing the attention of over 84 leading UK travel media outlets who participated at the event this year. This high-profile event, attended by top media figures and travel influencers, marked a significant milestone for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector as it introduced a bold, sustainability-focused strategy aimed at rejuvenating and elevating the country’s tourism offerings. SL Tourism Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam, more..

Nov 9 (FT) Agora’24, the annual talent show organised by the first-year undergraduates of the Uni of Kelaniya’s Dept of Finance (DFIN), will be happening for the third consecutive time on 9 Nov. Held at the prestigious Sri Dharmaloka Hall, Agora’24 will be an evening of captivating performances, including traditional dances, 90s singing, baila, and drama, showcasing the diverse talents of the DFIN freshmen. The event is a project by the first-year batch as part of a course more..

Nov 9 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday sustained the positive momentum with a rebound in investor sentiment though closing the week with marginal losses due to profit taking earlier on. The benchmark ASPI gained by 0.6% yesterday whilst the active S&P SL20 by 0.2%. However the ASPI and the S&P SL20 lost 0.5% and 1.2% respectively for the week. Turnover on Friday was Rs. 2 billion involving 77.4 million. During the week turnover averaged Rs. 2.32 billion. more..

Nov 9 (Island) Large-scale rice millers, wholesalers and retailers continue to flout consumer protection laws with impunity. All varieties of rice are sold above the maximum retail prices, and some of them are in short supply. Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA), true to form, trots out various lame excuses for its inability to prevent hoarding and the exploitation of the public. Successive govts have failed to serve the interests of consumers vis-à-vis the rice Mafia, which always has the last laugh. more..

Nov 9 (FT) Indian High Commissioner Santhosh Jah yesterday called for stronger tourism links between the two countries. Speaking as the Chief Guest at the inaugural South Asian Tourism Leadership Forum titled, Designing Experiences; Enhancing Sri Lanka’s Luxury Travel Offer of the SL Design Festival 2024, he emphasised India’s significant contribution in SL’s tourism sector and its potential to drive economic growth. more..

Nov 9 (ST) The CEB management has failed to inform its employees before a legally mandated deadline which of the 12 companies they would be assigned to when the utility is unbundled under the new Sri Lanka Electricity Act. The law says that the management must give all CEB employees this information within four months of the date of enactment of the SL Electricity Act No. 24 of 2024. This deadline passed on Oct 27 this year. In a letter sent to employees on Oct 25 more..

Nov 9 (DM) Passed out as a lawyer from the Colombo Law College and having two Master-LLM from the Uni of Colombo and a LLM and Development as a Chevening Scholar at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, young activist Swastika Arulingam was a prominent figure in the Aragalaya (Protest) which toppled the Gotabaya Rajapaksa govt. She has been a fearless voice and as a legal representative played her part to protect those who were beaten up by more..

Nov 9 (ST) If you thought that I was going to talk about the Nuwara Eliya Post Office and the aborted plan to convert it to a tourist hotel, I am sorry, you are wrong. My purpose today is to talk about an actual project that transformed an iconic Post Office building to a five-star luxury hotel – The Fullerton Hotel in Singapore. Then you may have a question to ask: So, why is this issue important to discuss in this column? This is because our last week’s discussion in this column was on institutions more..

Nov 9 (CT) In a landmark Court decision in SL the Colombo High Court recently sentenced four former senior Customs Officials to 35 years of rigorous imprisonment after they were found guilty of accepting a Rs 125 million bribe to release vehicle spare parts worth Rs 1,500 million. The Court decision marks the culmination of the case following the largest-ever recorded bribe nabbed by the CIABOC. From time to time, the reports of major corruption busts and landmark rulings more..

Nov 9 (CT) About a month after the prez polls, hundreds of relatives and friends with loved ones who have disappeared over the years gathered in Seeduwa for the 34th Annual Commemoration of the Disappeared with a banner reading; Comrade President Anura ‘Let’s make it happen! Let’s demonstrate the difference together. Her son’s photograph is securely wrapped in a polythene cover, so, the rain wouldn’t ruin it. more..

Nov 9 (DM) Apsari Singhabahu Tillakaratne, wife of former SL cricketer Hashan Tillakaratne, who is contesting the upcoming Parliamentary Elections from the SJB in the Colombo District, opens up about her decision to enter politics in an exclusive interview with Daily Mirror. In this candid conversation, she discusses her vision for Sri Lanka’s future and her commitment to addressing key issues such as women’s safety, education, and economic opportunities. more..

Nov 9 (Island) NPP is in the fray in the Northern and Eastern Provinces at the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The ruling party, on its own, is contesting all five electoral districts in the war-torn region, namely Jaffna and Vanni in the North and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Digamadulla in the East. NPP is confident that the Northern and Eastern electorates are likely to be influenced by Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s victory at the Prez Election though he couldn’t secure 50% plus one vote. more..

Nov 9 (CT) On Wednesday (13), it will be 35 years since Rohana Wijeweera, the founding Leader of the JVP, was killed. The following day, SL citizens are likely to elect a govt with a JVP majority. However, the JVP will miss the opportunity to commemorate the first Il-Maha Viru Samaruwa (November Heroes) under a JVP Executive President due to election laws. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made by more..

Nov 9 (DM) SJB candidate for the Gampaha District Dr. Kavinda Jayawardena who conferred with the Daily Mirror recently on his candidature and the political situation did mention that his party has suffered some set back after its candidate former MP Ajith Mannapperuma withdrew from the campaign suddenly. He said SJB organisers in Gampaha were affected by the move. However, he was confident that the party will succeed in the district at the end. Also he said he will continue his struggle more..

Nov 9 (DM) Sarvajana Balaya candidate for the Colombo district Udaya Gammanpila who is in the centre of controversy regarding his revelation on the Easter Sunday attacks shared his views further in this regard with Daily Mirror. Q: Ahead of the general election, you suddenly raised this issue of the Easter Sunday attacks. Why did you raise it at this particular time? A: Well, it is not sudden. We were aware that the previous president appointed two committees and during the tail end of more..

Nov 8 (AD) Dept of Motor Traffic (DMT) says that the courts have temporarily suspended over 3,000 driving licenses during the time elapsed this year (2024). Commissioner General of Motor Traffic, Nishantha Weerasingha, stated that a total of 3,249 driving licenses have been temporarily suspended since January this year due to court orders following trials for various traffic violations committed by motorists. Meanwhile, Professor Mohamed Mahees of the Dept of Sociology of more..

Nov 8 (DM) Investigations into the recovery of an illegally assembled, unregistered luxury car from the home of former State Minister Lohan Ratwatte’s wife in Mirihana have revealed that Ratwatte had been using the vehicle since 2020 with a fake number plate. DIG Ruwan Gunasekera, who heads the Police Legal Division said that Lohan Ratwatte had attempted to mislead the police during the initial investigations by claiming that the car had been brought to the residence by his late more..

Nov 8 (DM) Taking a swipe at the name he is often referred to by some of his opponents, former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said the govt hierarchy should seek advice from the grandfather if they do not know how to handle govt finances. "Those who are in the govt should know how to handle govt finances. The govt has to implement the recommendations of the Udaya Seneviratne Committee to increase more..

Nov 8 (EN) Elections Commission (EC) is urging voters to show up and vote in the parliamentary election on Nov 14. “Voting is your constitutional right. So it is your duty to exercise that right,” EC Chairman R M A L Rathnayake said on Friday. Over 3.5 million citizens eligible to vote, did not vote in the 2024 Prez Election. He urged voters to visit their polling stations between 7 am and 4 pm on Nov 14. Sri Lanka will choose 225 representatives for its 10th Parliament. more..

Nov 8 (CT) The Public Health Inspector (PHI) of Dehiwala lodged a complaint at the Dehiwala Police Station regarding a mysterious red dye that had entered the canals of the Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia areas, flowing towards the Attidiya Bird Sanctuary, according to Dehiwala Police. Video footage and photographs circulating on social media showed water formation in bright crimson, suspected to be industrial waste illegally dumped into the waterways. more..

Nov 8 (HM) In 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became SL’s first woman PM – and the first female prime minister in the world – after entering politics and taking over leadership of her husband’s party after his assassination. Once in high office, Bandaranaike proved highly adept in navigating the complex and male-dominated political landscape – something equally true of other women leaders, including her daughter Chandrika more..

Nov 8 (Island) The Supreme Court issued an order yesterday directing the immediate transfer of a case regarding the possession of several unregistered elephants from the Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court to its own jurisdiction. SC also instructed the Magistrate’s Court not to take any further steps concerning the case. Additionally, it issued a stay order on all directives given by the Magistrate’s Court regarding the case filed by the CID until the conclusion of its examination of the related more..

Nov 8 (NW) National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has issued a statement addressing recent reports suggesting the possibility of widespread pharmacy closures across the island. The claims are unfounded and based on false reports alleging that a large number of applications for annual pharmaceutical licenses were rejected, leading to fears of pharmacy closures, NMRA said. In a letter, NMRA Chairperson Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama clarified that the misleading report had been more..

Nov 8 (DM) Ministry of Education has issued a special circular on the use of social media tools in school education and communication. Thilaka Jayasundara, Secretary to the Ministry of Education, has issued the circular to all school principals and education authorities. According to the circular, social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram were initially introduced to help students recover missed learning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. more..