Dec 14 (CT) In response to the growing concerns over religious offences propagated on social media networks, a dedicated unit has been set up to investigate such incidents, SL Police said. The initiative follows the directives given by Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon. SSP Nihal Thalduwa said, “Acting IGP has issued orders to CCID to set up a specialised unit to receive and investigate complaints related to religious offences committed through social media networks.” more..

Dec 14 (FT) The IMF yesterday stressed the importance of timely conclusion of agreements between SL authorities and the official creditors on the external debt restructuring. “It is now important for the SL authorities and the official creditors to sign the respective MoU. Timely implementation of the agreements, together with reaching a resolution with external private creditors, should help restore SL’s debt sustainability more..

Dec 14 (FT) Sajith Premadasa has declared that he will not reunite with Ranil, nor will the SJB realign with the UNP. That makes perfect sense. The electricity price hikes, VAT shock, hollowing of public health and education, and mounting hunger will cumulatively obliterate Ranil’s presidential prospects. If he stalls the election, a social firestorm will obliterate much more. Why should Sajith and the SJB buy tickets on that Titanic? If they do so, the irresistible public compulsion to more..

Dec 14 (AD) Four former revenue officials, including a former zonal deputy tahsildar - officer in charge of the collection of revenues, were convicted and sentenced to two-year-imprisonment in India for siphoning off funds meant for SL refugees in Kancheepuram district. In 2000, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), Kancheepuram unit, booked a case against seven revenue officials, including a tahsildar, for siphoning off Indian govt funds meant for more..

Dec 14 (TM) Minorities, for the most part, live in some apprehension of the power of the majority. At their worst, majorities can inflict violence on minorities, such as in the form of riots. While minorities may resist, they tend to be at the receiving end. In democracies, minorities will invariably face the problem of majority rule, as the majority’s view of what is important will tend to take precedence over what the minority thinks as being important. Therefore, concepts of the rule of law more..

Dec 14 (DM) A group of four young men who attempted to illegally take closeup photos of tusker Agbo with a drone camera were arrested and the drone camera was seized by the Thirappane police on Wednesday evening. Tusker Agbo which had received gunshot injuries on one of its limbs has been released after providing treatment under the care of the Wildlife Department surgeons and it is now frequenting the Thirappane area. The suspects are from Kumbukwewa in Maho, more..

Dec 14 (DM) Supreme Court today ordered Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon and three other police officers to pay a compensation of Rs. 2 million out of their personal funds to an individual for violating his fundamental rights, while being detained at the Mirihana Police Station. The Supreme Court held that four police officers, including Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon have violated the fundamental rights of petitioner more..

Dec 14 (EN) Sri Lanka is engaging with its private bond holders and expected to complete the agreement by end of the March quarter of 2024, State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe said. The bankrupted island nation has already concluded domestics debt restructuring and a deal with its bilateral creditors. However, it is yet to reach consensus on the debt restructuring with sovereign bond holders, who had lent over $25 billion before the SL declared default in April 2022. more..

Dec 14 (DM) A female student of a state university and a male student of a private sector university were arrested by the Kadugannawa police on suspicion of producing a pornographic film for the internet. Police said the two suspects were between 28 and 29 years of age and that they had been carrying on the racket while pretending to be school children. However, investigations revealed that they were lovers whose marriage is scheduled to take place in a couple of months. more..

Dec 14 (DM) SL is fast losing its rubber plantations to a fast-spreading airborne fungal disease, which is severely impacting the crop output. The latest rubber market report by Forbes & Walker Commodity Brokers revealed that about 51% of rubber plantations have been affected by the Circular Leaf Spot Disease (CLSD). As per the estimates of the Rubber Development Dept, out of 98,000 hectares of rubber plantations, more..

Dec 14 (EN) There are indications of a growing mismatch between recruitment of SL workers (supply) and global job vacancies (demand) in foreign employment, with increasing supply shortages – especially for skilled jobs, a World Bank report shows. “You have overseas workers that are sending remittances to Sri Lanka; however there is a difference in their skills,” Shobana Sosale co-author of the World Bank report, Enhancing Skills in SL for Inclusion, Recovery, and Resilience, more..

Dec 14 (DM) Former captain Sanath Jayasuriya has been appointed as Cricket Consultant to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC). Accordingly, the cricketing legend will oversee all teams that attend SLC’s High Performance Centre. The appointment of Sanath Jayasuriya marks a strategic initiative by SLC to harness the expertise and experience of one of the country's cricketing legends in fostering the growth and development of the sport. Jayasuriya, who has previously served as more..

Dec 14 (SLN) In the wake of inclement weather prevailing in several parts of the island, the Navy has swiftly mobilized its relief teams in Parakramapura of Padaviya, Anuradhapura since 3rd Dec. Demonstrating their commitment to safeguarding lives and property, the Navy relief teams are currently engaged to alleviate the suffering of the affected communities. The tireless efforts of the Navy provided immediate relief and instilled a sense of hope and resilience within people more..

Dec 14 (AD) Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, the Princess Royal of the United Kingdom will visit Sri Lanka from Jan 10 to 13, 2024, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced. She will be accompanied by her spouse Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the statement said. Her Royal Highness has been invited by the Govt of Sri Lanka to participate in events connected with the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between SL and UK, according to the Foreign Ministry. more..

Dec 14 (Island) Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means Champika Ranawaka alleged that the Finance Ministry had allowed the operation of a distillery in spite of that company failing to pay taxes. The former minister said that the country lost millions for want of political will to recover what that company owed the Treasury. He questioned the failure on the part of the Finance Ministry to cancel the license more..

Dec 14 (AD) US Ambassador to SL Julie Chung has expressed her satisfaction over the IMF approval for the second tranche of funds for Sri Lanka under its EFF. Taking to ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, the Ambassador noted that the step was a crucial step for SL, which emphasises the continued importance of sustained reforms and improved governance, not only for the progress of the country, but also to safeguard those who are most vulnerable. “The US will continue to support SL’s more..

Dec 14 (AD) Over 50,000 tourist arrivals were recorded within the first 10 days of December. A total of 57,394 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka between 1 and 10 December, bringing the total count of tourist arrivals in the country for 2023 to 1,334,345. On 10 Dec, a group of 8,696 tourists visited SL, marking the highest number of tourist arrivals in a single day this year. On that day, three luxury cruise ships had docked at the Colombo Harbour, bringing in more than 4,000 tourists. more..

Dec 14 (AD) Maligakanda Magistrate Lochani Abeywickrama has emphasized that the court finds the actions of the former Secretary of the Ministry of Health Janaka Chandragupta with regard to the process of purchasing the batch of substandard human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), as suspicious. Therefore, the Magistrate has ordered that all responsible parties must be arrested and produced before the court more..

Dec 14 (DM) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has handed over two specially designed climate-resilient fishing boats and 30 modified fish display stalls to the Ministry of Fisheries, in line with FAO's commitment to sustainable development and addressing climate change challenges. SL20 and SL23 fishing boats, measuring 6.3 and 7 meters in length, were meticulously designed for coastal fishing operations in SL. These boats prioritize safety of fishers more..

Dec 14 (SLN) Charting a new course towards maritime security and economic prosperity, the SL National Hydrographic Office (SLNHO) was declared open at the Welisara Naval Complex today, under the patronage of the State Minister of Defence, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon. The milestone event was also attended by the Secretary of Defence, General Kamal Gunaratne (Retd), Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera and more..

Dec 14 (AD) An official of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) was arrested for reportedly defrauding a woman of Rs. 500,000 by promising foreign employment opportunities. Accordingly, the suspect was arrested by the Special Investigations Unit of the SLBFE after a resident of the Middeniya area had filed a complaint, claiming that the official in question had swindled money from her under the false pretense of providing her with employment in Romania. more..

Dec 14 (EN) There should be increased government spending in key areas, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, Harsha De Silva, said, while adding that ethical taxation was important. “We have to spend more on healthcare. We need to spend three times more on teachers’ salaries, and we need more money into infrastructure,” De Silva said at a press conference on Tuesday (12). De Silva also criticized the taxation of solar panels and milk and called for affordability in taxes. more..

Dec 14 (AD) Former Mayor of Kurunegala Thushara Vitharana and four others have been sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty over the destruction and removal of the ancient Raja Sabha Mandapaya (King’s Court) in Kurunegala. On 6 Aug 2020, the Kurunegala Magistrate had issued arrest warrants against the Kurunegala Mayor, the Municipal Commissioner, Engineer and two others in the case filed over more..

Dec 14 (TM) Govt has decided to appoint a combined standing committee to make decisions concerning renewable energy projects and to monitor whether the decisions are efficiently and promptly implemented by the relevant institutions. The Cabinet green-lit this resolution on Monday, after identifying the need to accelerate the implementation of renewable energy projects, in order to meet the nationally determined contribution targets by 2030. more..

Dec 14 (AD) Family Health Bureau states that a hotline number which is operational around the clock has been introduced for Mithuru Piyasa in order to report incidents related to domestic violence. Accordingly, the general public can now inform the Family Health Bureau’s Mithuru Piyasa pertaining to any form of domestic violence incidents through the contact number - 070 2 611 111. Around 10 percent of males in the country also subjected to domestic violence at present. more..

Dec 14 (DM) A severe drought is predicted between February and the middle of next year posing a threat to the country’s food security, especially at a time when people endure hardships due to the economic crisis, experts warn. This transpired at a top-level scientific session organized by the Association of SAARCSFOOD in SL on climate change and its impact on food security in SL. Assistant Representative of FAO Nalin more..

Dec 14 (DM) After implementing the new Value Added Tax (VAT) at a rate of 18%, the retail prices of all mobile phones, accessories and stationary items will increase, All Ceylon Communication Owners’ Association (ACCOA) said. ACCOA chairman Indrajith Perera said that they cannot determine the prices that are to be increased. "The price increase will directly affect small-scale mobile sellers and importers. Our consumers will also not be able to buy any phones or accessories. more..

Dec 14 (AD) SL Police have implemented a specialized data system, encompassing all police stations across the island, with the aim of streamlining the process of identifying criminals arrested over drug-related activities. Accordingly, this data system enables all police stations to input the details of any such individual immediately following their arrest and retrieve any existing criminal records. Currently, the data system has been updated with information on more..

Dec 15 (DM) Propaganda campaigns in this sun-kissed island targeting future elections have commenced, but we don’t see these efforts being strong enough to attract the attention of intellectuals who are also sensitive. Each person in this island has his or her own way looking at the country’s burning issues from the perspective of his education. Then there are those who look at these challenging issues through the eyes of a working professional. The majority of the people would still look at more..

Dec 15 (DM) While calls for a Gaza ceasefire intensify, with more than 18,500 civilians, mostly women and children, killed, a rift is brewing between the US and its staunchest ally, Israel. This is no indication that the US has a change of heart—from a stone heart to a humane heart. Rift or no rift, the US and Israel are inseparable allies and will be so until US public opinion remains religiously pro-Israel. To stop the Gaza genocide, Joe Biden administration is unlikely to take any drastic steps, more..

Dec 15 (TM) SL has recorded 440 elephant deaths from January to November this year, exceeding the record for the highest number of elephant deaths in the space of a year – 439 in 2022 – in 11 months, according to DWC statistics. At least one elephant dies in SL every day, as the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) escalates due to the unplanned alienation of land, clearing and fragmentation of forests, more..

Dec 15 (ST) SL’s foreign policy, based on the principle of Friendship to all and enmity to none, has brought results as it charts a path towards economic recovery, Parliament was told. Speaking during the debate on the head of expenditure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Ali Sabry said that SL faces a challenge when safeguarding its long-practiced policy of non-alignment as it works to revive its economy. “Our biggest challenge is how we should not be drawn into any particular more..

Dec 15 (CT) Meerigama-Kurunegala stretch of the Central Expressway Project – completed by the Govt of SL at a cost of Rs 137 billion – was ceremoniously opened to the public on 15 Jan 2022 by then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. Although the stretch of Central Expressway provides much convenience to many and contributes to the increased efficiency in transport sector, on the flip side, there are many residents in the Kurunegala District – more..

Dec 15 (TM) Although a significant proportion of social media users are willing to reach out to and contact a peer with manifestations of depression on social media, many mostly to provide emotional support, a significant majority are unwilling to ask about suicide, mostly due to misconceptions, while even among those who opted to ask, only a few would question directly. These findings were made in an oral presentation on more..

Dec 15 (TM) The Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, yesterday vowed to take measures to destroy seized illegal drugs within a short period of time, acknowledging that there are reports that drugs seized by the law enforcement authorities during raids end up in the hands of drug racketeers in various ways. He made these remarks during the destruction of over 100 kilograms of heroin as per the directives of the Colombo High Court. What he said has remained a pressing concern for more..

Dec 15 (Island) The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon and three other police officers to pay two million rupees as compensation, out of their personal funds, to a person for illegal arrest, detention and torture at the Mirihana Police Station in 2011. Ordering the State to pay Rs. 100,000 to the petitioner as compensation, SC has directed National Police Commission to take disciplinary action against all police officers including Tennakoon. more..