Dec 20 (EN) Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, clarifying the govt’s decision on one-year temporary ban over foreign research vessels said the moratorium is ending on Dec 31 and it has not relaxed yet. Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa on Thursday said the ban had been relaxed and requests for foreign research vessels will be considered on a case by case basis. SL is under pressure from India not to allow Chinese research vessels citing more..

Dec 20 (DM) MP Dayasiri Jayasekera has rejected allegations that he improperly benefited from the President’s Fund. The remarks follow Minister Jayatissa’s recent parliamentary disclosure of payments from the President’s Fund to politicians between 2005 and 2024. Clarifying the matter, he said that he did receive Rs. 400,000 from the Fund in 2019 for a heart surgery approved by then-Prez Maithripala Sirisena. Presenting hospital bills, he explained that the Fund covered only part of more..

Dec 20 (NW) The owner of the Galle Marvels team in the Lanka T10 Super League, who was arrested over allegations of match-fixing, has been granted bail. The suspect, Prem Thakkar of Indian origin, was released on a cash bail of Rs.500,000 and two sureties of Rs.05 million each. He was arrested by SL’s Sports Police Unit on 12 Dec following allegations of a fixing approach linked to the Lanka T10 Super League and was later remanded by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. more..

Dec 20 (FT) Ranwala Arachchige Asoka Sapumal Ranwala blazed across the parliamentary skies of Sri Lanka for a brief period. NPP Gampaha district MP served as SL’s Speaker from 21 November to 13 December 2024 for 22 days. As is well known Ranwala was in the eye of a political storm due to the authenticity of his higher educational qualifications being publicly disputed. He was challenged to prove that he had acquired more..

Dec 20 (DN) Attorney General has informed the Supreme Court that investigations have been launched to locate Jude Shramantha Jayamaha who was sentenced to death in connection with the Royal Park murder case. In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court recently ruled that former Prez Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to grant a Presidential pardon to Royal Park murder convict Don Shramantha Jude Anthony Jayamaha was arbitrary and invalid in law. more..

Dec 20 (NW) Two suspects wanted in connection to beating a dog with a wooden pole have been arrested by the Akmeemana Police. The incident which was widely circulated on social media, shows the suspects arriving in a three-wheeler and assaulting the dog. The owner of the dog had filed a complaint with the Akmeemana Police, claiming that the suspects had attacked her dog on Dec 11 after which the dog had succumbed to injuries. Launching a probe into the incident, the suspects more..

Dec 20 (FT) SL’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is on a State visit to India, his first foreign trip. Dissanayake was given a high ceremonial welcome by his counterpart, Prez Droupadi Murmu, and received with warmth by PM Modi at Rashtraprati Bhavan. In the joint statement released thereafter, India has pledged to supply LNG gas to Sri Lanka, enhance INR-LKR trade settlements between the two countries, boost education and technology exchanges more..

Dec 20 (FT) System change was the magical slogan coined by the Aragalaya youth, and that slogan turned out to be the magnetic vote puller for Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his NPP at the Presidential and General Elections respectively. Although in their public campaigns AKD and NPP identified the post-independence political culture of ethnonationalism and its corrupt system of governance as the two crucial areas to be ended or radically reformed through a social revolution more..

Dec 20 (EN) Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers have approved and extension of exchange controls in a proposed by the central bank to extend for six months exchange controls which expired on December 19. The cabinet has approved extending the exchange control regulation for another six months. The exchange controls have been revised, a post-cabinet statement said without specifying the changes. more..

Dec 20 (DN) Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage issued open warrants yesterday against former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran and Ajahn Gardiner Punchihewa for failing to appear in Court in connection with a money laundering case related to the 2015 Central Bank bond scam. The warrants were issued during a hearing of the case, where it was revealed that Arjun Aloysius, who is currently in remand custody over allegations of VAT evasion, is also a suspect in this matter. more..

Dec 20 (DM) SL will issue US$ 10.4 billion in macro-linked bonds (MLBs), including US$ 1.6 billion in governance bonds and Rs. 155 billion in rupee bonds today. SL’s dealer manager for ISB exchange, Citigroup said in a statement this week that new bonds for the restructured ISBs will be issued after meeting the minimum thresholds. “Subject to the terms and conditions described in the invitation memorandum, the New Eurobonds, Exchange Fee Bonds and the Local LKR Bonds more..

Dec 20 (CN) Nearly two months after it was written, a letter has been published by SL Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo banning girls from serving as altar servers in his archdiocese, on grounds that it is a pathway to the priesthood. In an Oct. 22, 2024, letter to the priests of his diocese, Ranjith said, “It has been brought to my knowledge that several parishes in the Archdiocese of Colombo have appointed girls as altar servers.” more..

Dec 20 (DM) Cabinet Spokesman Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said today he will release the list of politicians who had obtained money from the President's Fund apart from the list of politicians he revealed in Parliament on Wednesday. The Minister said an investigation is being conducted over the matter and assured to release more details once the investigation is completed. "I presented the list of politicians who had obtained funds from the President's Fund from 2005 to 2024. more..

Dec 20 (FT) Govt has announced a comprehensive review of its non-commercial State statutory institutions, a move aimed at strengthening public service delivery and addressing inefficiencies. The Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved appointing an official committee, chaired by the PM’s Secretary, to conduct the review and submit a report with actionable recommendations. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the public service infrastructure comprises 86 Depts, 25 District Secretaries, more..

Dec 20 (TM) Election Commission (EC) stated that candidates who failed to submit expenditure reports for the Prez and Parliamentary Elections on time will still be allowed to contest upcoming elections until the relevant court proceedings conclude. It was recently reported that politicians who failed to submit their campaign expenditure-related reports to the EC following the Prez and Parliamentary Elections would have to face barriers in competing for upcoming elections such as LG & PC polls. more..

Dec 20 (Island) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s statement in parliament on increasing withholding tax on conservative investments, such as fixed deposits and savings, from 5% to 10%, positively impacted the stock market and attracted more local and foreign investors, market analysts said. This new withholdings tax increase by the govt does not apply to stock market transactions. Amid those developments mixed reactions were noted in both indices yesterday. more..

Dec 20 (FT) The Govt is set to revive the Export Development Council of Ministers (EDCM), a high-powered body designed to oversee and guide the country’s export sector. Export Development Board Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe confirmed that discussions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and other Ministers have been positive and efforts are underway to reconvene the Council soon. more..

Dec 20 (FT) Comfort Mattress Lanka, has become the first investor to seize the opportunity to set up operations in the Hambantota International Port’s (HIP) industrial park. With an investment of $ 25 million, the project targets key export markets, including the USA, Europe, and Canada. The move follows Hambantota Port Group’s recent investment in upgrading crane facilities to expand container operations. Under a 30-year renewable long-lease agreement with HIPG, more..

Dec 20 (DM) The confectionery industry expressed serious concerns over a new set of rules, introduced for labelling and advertising packaged food in the country, which is set to take effect from Jan 2025. Lanka Confectionery Manufacturers Association (LCMA) said those involved in manufacturing packaged ready-to-eat foods across the country are in a dilemma over complying with the new regulations which were introduced by the Ministry of Health in 2022 and announced by the govt more..

Dec 20 (TM) Govt announced that a decision will be made regarding the extension of the deadline for importing rice into the country without obtaining import control permits, which expires from today onwards, after observing whether the available rice stocks are sufficient to meet the market demand. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that 22,000 metric tonnes (MTs) of imported rice had arrived in SL by Wednesday, and that another stock of 10,000 MTs was expected to arrive yesterday. more..

Dec 20 (DM) The govt has decided to further ease certain restrictions imposed on outward remittances for a six month-period until June next year based on recommendation of the Central Bank (CB). “The Central Bank of SL has proposed that it is suitable to issue new directives that will be effective until June 2025 by further amending certain suspensions/restrictions imposed under the presently implemented directives,” the Govt Information Department noted. more..

Dec 20 (Island) In recent years, SLC has wielded the axe on senior players with an almost clinical ruthlessness, but the tide seems to be turning. Current Chairman of Selectors, Upul Tharanga, has hinted at a more measured and amicable approach, emphasizing dialogue and mutual understanding with the seasoned campaigners before making any decisive moves. Last month, Sri Lanka embarked on a tour of South Africa more..

Dec 20 (FT) Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Govt-to-Govt transaction to procure high-quality cattle and bovine genetic material to boost the country’s dairy production capabilities. This initiative follows challenges in executing procurement procedures despite a Budget allocation of Rs. 100 million for the years 2023 and 2024. Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the Pakistan Trade Development Authority has agreed to supply Sri Lanka with seven fertile male bulls, more..

Dec 20 (ST) The new management of the SL Export Credit Insurance Corporation (SLECIC), while celebrating its 46th anniversary, has an onerous task ahead of reforming an institution that has been marred by corruption and malpractice for the past 12 years. A forensic audit, initiated at the instance of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in the previous Parliament is afoot to investigate the alleged financial mismanagement of the state-run corporation. more..

Dec 20 (DN) Hambantota Bangla Tigers emerged as champions of the inaugural Lanka T-10 Super League cricket tournament when they defeated Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in the final game played at Pallekele yesterday. Skipper Dasun Shanaka, who showed fine leadership to the champion Hambantota team, fought back strongly to win this championship and built good team spirit. They lost to Jaffna Titans in Qualifier 1 game more..

Dec 20 (DM) Port of Colombo achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 7 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in container throughput by the end of Nov 2024, marking its highest performance since 2021. This achievement positions the port to close the year with its highest-ever container throughput. As of November, the cumulative container throughput reached 7.1 million TEUs, reflecting a 12.6% year-on-year (YoY) increase. Port first crossed the 7 million TEU more..

Dec 20 (TM) Refuting the allegations levelled against pharmaceutical companies by Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa at the Parliament recently, pharma company, Divesa Pharma Limited, stated that it was issued a licence “to sell medicine by wholesale by the NMRA on 18 Aug 2018, which has been continuously renewed to date.” Divasa Pharma Ltd, providing factual clarity on the recent allegations stated that it has been a local authorised distributor of George Steuart Health more..

Dec 20 (DN) Moratuwa Uni Faculty of Information Technology (FIT) highlighted that SL is expected to earn USD 5 million from the country’s Information Technology (IT) sector during the next few years. Moratuwa University, FIT, Prof. Thanuja Sandanayake said that the current statistics reveal that due to the brain drain in the country there has been a severe shortage of IT professionals. “The brain drain or the migration of professionals for overseas employment has become a threat to more..

Dec 20 (TM) New mechanisms should be introduced to enhance adult education in Sri Lanka by moving away from the traditional knowledge-based system to those that evolve with advancing technology, according to human resource academic Prof. Sagara Chandrasekara. Speaking at a forum organised by The Coalition for Educational Development, Prof. Chandrasekara highlighted the challenges surrounding adult learning in the country. He noted that certain stigmas prevent more..

Dec 20 (ST) Sri Lanka’s public health sector is grappling with a shortage of essential medicines, attributed to both local and global factors, with concerns about potential future shortages. While authorities have acknowledged some improvements, critical gaps in supply persist. Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, president of the Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association, highlights some critical issues. more..

Dec 20 (Island) UNHRC at its 57th session adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Project on SL Accountability by one year. Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, has commented extensively on this resolution. The source of these allegations of human rights violations against Sri Lanka is the controversial report called the Dharusman (UNPOE or United Nations Panel of Experts.) report, more..

Dec 20 (Island) The JVP-led NPP’s ascent to power rekindled the hopes of good governance activists for a radical break from the past and a new political culture. The incumbent govt came under pressure to ensure the independence and integrity of the parliamentary Financial Committees by allowing them to be headed by Opposition MPs. But the efforts of the campaigners for good governance have been only partially successful. SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva has been appointed the Chairman more..