Dec 21 (TGH) A growing number of young and otherwise healthy farm workers are mysteriously developing kidney failure in the world’s hottest regions. Found in Central America, Sri Lanka, and across hot zones everywhere in between, chronic kidney disease of nontraditional (CKDnt) or unknown (CKDu) origins is diagnosed when doctors have ruled out standard contributors, such as diabetes, hypertension, autoimmune conditions. more..

Dec 21 (Island) The Cinnamon Gardens police investigating into the recent mysterious death of a retired music teacher, residing alone in her luxury house, have shifted their focus toward treating the incident as a potential case of murder. Police said that the Judicial Medical Officer who examined the body of the 75-year-old retired teacher, who lived at Wijerama Road, Colombo 07, had observed some evidence that death was caused by strangulation and given an open verdict, more..

Dec 21 (wsws) In solidarity with the people of Palestine and their young performing artists, the Mind Adventures Theatre Co and the Stages Theatre Group in Sri Lanka performed a reading of the Gaza Monologues at the Palestine embassy in Colombo on November 29—the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The performance was limited to around 250 spectators due to the lack of space available. Reservations were closed days earlier because of the heavy demand, more..

Dec 22 (DM) The citizens of this sun-kissed island are getting ready for a doubtful 2024, but before that they have to celebrate Christmas and the dawn of the New Year. This celebrating habit has continued even if credit cards have to be pulled out in case there is a shortage somewhere. In the past we maintained cultures and traditions and it wasn’t expensive or exhausting to do that. Now we have to maintain both ourselves and the lawmakers, who are largely responsible for making this nation more..

Dec 22 (TM) Govt should be keeping a close eye on the prevailing situation in the Red Sea, as Sri Lanka is largely dependent on maritime trade and commerce to uphold her economy. A spate of attack on civilian shipping in the Red Sea, particularly in and around the Bab el-Mandeb strait off Yemen's western coast, over the last few weeks, have had serious implications on merchant shipping, with several major shipping lines opting to reroute their fleets to avoid the narrow choke point more..

Dec 22 (DM) The proposed tax revisions which will come into effect from Jan 1 (2024) have raised eyebrows of the public. While some have been confused about how the 18% VAT would be imposed, economic experts are critical of the govt’s approaches to generate more revenue in 2024 while trying to agree to criteria set out by the IMF. Economist and SJB MP Dr. Harsha De Silva believes that SL should do away with more..

Dec 22 (CT) Manufacturing pharmaceutical products is highly research and development (R & D) oriented and a capital-intensive industry forcing its manufacturing facilities to be set up mainly in developed and a few fast-developing countries requiring other countries to depend on foreign manufacturers for obtaining their medicinal requirements, but mostly these latter countries are not receiving them in required qualities and quantities at affordable prices. more..

Dec 22 (DM) It is a truth universally acknowledged that if Sri Lanka under-performs on its governance corrections, it will underperform on its economic recovery as well (with apologies to Jane Austen); the first provides the foundation for the second. Sri Lanka secured IMF board approval for the second tranche of the current IMF programme exactly 102 days after the scheduled date for the first review. It is not normal for a second tranche to be so delayed, and it is a red flag for SL’s creditors. more..

Dec 22 (DM) Back in 2019, during one of his visits to the Philippines, the then Prez Maithripala Sirisena praised Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s approach to control the drug menace; an approach that had allegedly led to thousands of extrajudicial killings at the time. Sirisena not only said that it had set an example to the world, but said that he should consider adopting similar approaches to eradicate the drug menace in Sri Lanka. more..

Dec 22 (ST) The movements in the global economy during the post-COVID time are interesting. In the US, EU and the UK, it was unusually high inflation. Japan, that failed to produce at least 2% inflation rate for many years, began to see it rising to over 4%. Even many of the Western European countries, including Scandinavian region, which experienced rising inflation had deflationary fear during the COVID time. China, the second largest economy in the world, is an outlier. more..

Dec 22 (CT) On Tuesday (5), French Embassy screened Vaishnavee at the Film Corporation, the last in a series of cultural items commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and SL. Finale was a fitting one, for Peries epitomised SL’s French connection in ways few of her contemporaries did. A Francophone and a Francophile, Sumitra represented the country there in the late 1990s. As a student in the 1950s, she found herself stranded in Paris, more..

Dec 22 (DN) Jevahn Sathasivam continued to dominate the Gold Division leaderboard on the second day of the SL Junior Amateur Open Golf Championship sponsored by Prima Sunrise Bread. Despite Reshan Algama’s impressive recovery with a spectacular gross score of 67, Sathasivam maintained his lead with a total of 140 in a thrilling turn of events at the Royal Colombo Golf Club yesterday. Reshan Algama faced unexpected challenges on day one, finishing more..

Dec 22 (CT) In a calculated move at the IPL 2024 Auction, Mumbai Indians Global Head of Cricket Mahela Jayawardene expressed his satisfaction in securing the talents of Dilshan Madhushanka and Gerald Coetzee. These strategic acquisitions were part of Mumbai Indians’ targeted approach, aiming to bolster their squad with highly skilled and experienced players. “We were hoping that we would get these two. These were our targets. Both these players were highly skilled players. more..

Dec 22 (ST) Climate conditions with excessive showers of rain, coinciding with the festive season, have contributed to vegetable prices escalating across the country. Among many vegetables, prices of imported big onions have shown a significant hike in the past month, affecting wholesalers, retailers and consumers. S.H.M. Ashraff is a wholesale and retail fruit and vegetable vendor in the Kollupitiya Super Market. more..

Dec 22 (FT) Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe yesterday assured the country’s entrepreneurs that he will take steps to introduce major reforms to the existing parate law and bring in a new and improved act through parliament. Addressing a conference organised by Small and Medium Scale Enterprises on Parate Executions and their impact, the Minister said while the parate law is part of the Roman-Dutch law, it fails to exist today in both Rome and the Netherlands. more..

Dec 22 (FT) Siri Ranasinghe, regarded as a doyen of Sinhala journalism and the longstanding editor of Daily Lankadeepa, was felicitated yesterday by his friends, well-wishers and colleagues. Titled Siri Asiri the felicitation ceremony saw the attendance by two former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena, the clergy, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Ministers, MPs, journalists and academia. Ranasinghe has been the Editor of Lankadeepa for the past 33 years more..

Dec 22 (Island) Marriages are said to be made in heaven, but the political marriage between SLPP and UNP was made in hell, (economic hell being the term Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has used to describe the politico-economic situation in the country last year). There are signs of the matrimonial bond between the two parties falling apart. Political marriages of convenience are usually short-lived. SLPP leader and former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa has fired another salvo of accusations at UNP more..

Dec 22 (CT) Scarred first by the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Govt’s imported chemical fertiliser ban and now by the removal of the fertiliser subsidy altogether, tea production, year-on-year (YoY) to last month fell by 3.82% (0.78 million kilos) to 19,586,188 million kg. Tea production in November 2022 was 20,364,487 kg. Rajapaksa’s chemical fertiliser import ban lasted for seven months, from April 2021 to November 2021, followed by the altogether removal of the chemical fertiliser more..

Dec 22 (ST) After weeks of dilemma, with the revocation of the gazette notification issued to appoint an Interim Committee to SLC, the focus now shifts to the new appointments made by the newly appointed Minister of Sports, Harin Fernando. The first in line to take on the blame for the recent dismal performances of the Men’s team, the Selection Committee, headed by Pramodya Wickramasinghe, is now non-existent. more..

Dec 22 (FT) Industrial action by trade unions demanding December bonus amidst current financial challenges has impacted operations and clients of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT). Unions-influenced workers have struck work for the second day as enterprise customers complained about lags in SLT services. Payment of one month December bonus is among demands made by the unions which also want recent Govt nominees on the Board being removed and sale of Treasury stake suspended. more..

Dec 22 (DN) SLC will conduct the National Super League (NSL) cricket tournament from January 18 and five provincial teams are expected to take part in this main domestic tournament. The first week of matches will be held from January 18 to 21, with the final will be scheduled from April 30 to May 3 at Pallekele Stadium. Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota, SSC, Pallekele Stadium, R. Premadasa Stadium and the new-look Rangiri Dambulla Stadium are the venues for more..

Dec 22 (TM) In the wake of the All Ceylon Medical Officers' Association (ACMOA) demanding the immediate arrest of former Health Minister and incumbent Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella in connection with the controversial substandard intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) import case, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles said that Rambukwella will be arrested not as demanded by the media or political parties, more..

Dec 22 (ST) Central Bank is amending rules to facilitate non-residents to transact in regulated short selling (RSS), an instrument recently facilitated by the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). RSS happens when a short seller or the borrower of shares trades on the CSE based on a stock borrowing and lending agreement. Short seller does an RSS transaction to buy back, such as at a future point in time, ideally at a price that is lower than the initial sale price to deliver the said shares to the lender. more..

Dec 22 (DM) In a pioneering breakthrough, 1990 Suwa Seriya, Sri Lanka’s national pre-hospital emergency ambulance service, is ushering in a new era in emergency healthcare through its innovative connected ambulance. Powered by state-of-the-art mixed reality (MR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this initiative is set to revolutionise the landscape of pre-hospital care emergency medical response, not only in SL but also for the first time in the Asian region. more..

Dec 22 (Island) Persons with political connections are the biggest problem for Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) in its efforts at controlling illegal activities in elephant corridors, environmental scientist Hemantha Withanage said. Speaking at a Stakeholder Consultation on Presenting Draft Proposals to Mitigate the Human- Elephant Conflict in SL at Hector Kobbekaduwa Research and Training Institute recently, Withanage said that they have received 24 project proposals, more..

Dec 22 (FT) Small and Medium-scale Enterprises requested the Govt to temporarily halt parate executions allowing them time to rebuild after suffering major setbacks following the Easter Sunday terror attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic. They urged the Government to also take steps to reform the law to suit modern times and restructure loans obtained by SMEs. Addressing the Anti-parate Activists Business Forum held at the BMICH National Construction Association of SL more..

Dec 22 (FT) State Drama Advisory Council Chairman veteran artist Parakrama Niriella made a dramatic exit from the body this week, accusing the Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka of interfering with the Council’s decisions. Speaking at the 50th State Drama Festival which was also attended by Prez, Niriella publicly accused the Minister of overruling decisions taken by the Council. more..

Dec 22 (ST) Business operation of 89% of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector in SL is worsening following stringent legal actions taken by banks to recover their loans. 1183 SME assets had been taken over by banks and auctioned to prospective bidders under parate execution during the past 11 months this year. 70% of around 1.3 million SMEs with 2.2 million employees contributing to more than 50% of Sri Lanka’s GDP are now in more debt than any time before. more..

Dec 22 (DM) Public Security Minister Tiran Alles has received a threatening call from an overseas underworld figure following a media briefing at the Prez Media Centre on the progress of the island-wide special operation, Yukthiya (Justice). Shortly after the briefing concluded, Minister Alles reportedly received an anonymous call, suspected to be from an overseas criminal. Minister reportedly activated the speakerphone, allowing a media secretary to record the entire conversation. more..

Dec 22 (TM) Govt has promised the Northern and Eastern politicians regarding bringing a long-term solution for the historical ethnic issues through the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Bill which is to be presented to Parliament in January of next year (2024), as per Prez and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. ITAK MP Govindan Karunakaran said that Prez Wickremesinghe had promised the Tamil politicians to table the Truth and Reconciliation Bill to Parliament more..

Dec 22 (CT) The Sri Lanka Customs, which comes under the purview of Ministry of Finance, failed to collect a total of over Rs 61.2 billion in tax arrears last year. It has been able to collect only a measly 9% of the outstanding taxes, Ceylon Today learns. According to a senior official at Sri Lanka Customs, a significant portion of the outstanding tax revenue, amounting to Rs 39 billion, or 63% of the tax arrears, should be retrieved from Ministry of Finance. Breaking down the arrears, more..

Dec 22 (Island) SJB has cautioned the govt against counting loans received from the IMF, World Bank and ADB as external buffers as they have to be paid back. SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said loans secured from whatever sources weren’t earned reserves. He said so when we sought his opinion on the govt declaration that with the IMF second tranche amounting to USD 337 mn and WB’s USD 250 mn loan official reserves more..

Dec 22 (DM) Concerns have emerged surrounding the demise of a 22-year-old mother and her newly born child at the Watupitiwala Base Hospital in Nittambuwa. According to sources, the mother passed away shortly after undergoing a cesarean operation for her first delivery on the 18th. Further, it has been disclosed that the infant did not survive until delivery. Relatives of the deceased mother and child harbour suspicions regarding the circumstances leading to their deaths. more..

Dec 22 (TM) Govt has reportedly revised its previous decision to abolish the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA) following a joint cabinet paper submitted by PM Dinesh Gunawardena and Minister of Urban Development and Housing Prasanna Ranatunga. Ranatunga said that a decision has been made by the Cabinet to resume the functions of the USDA in order to carry on its performance to meet with its fundamental objectives. Earlier, it was reported that more..

Dec 22 (TM) GMOA urged the health authorities to assess the possible risk to SL from the new Covid-19 variant, claiming that it should not be taken lightly in the midst of the country’s health service being in a crisis. GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that the Health Ministry should take steps to convene the Ministry’s Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases to assess the risk of the new Covid-19 variant more..