Dec 23 (DM) In Lanka today, the winds of change are blowing. Unfortunately, it is an ill-wind which blows across our country. The prices of essentials - including basics like food, fuel, and medicines - are out of the reach of the masses and continue rising daily. Salaries of the working class which were slashed during the Covid pandemic, still largely remain in place. Yet, neither trade unions nor political parties take up their cause. In an earlier era, trade unions took to the streets, more..

Dec 23 (DM) The solitary member of the UNP in Parliament, Vajira Abeywardena seems to be clever in grabbing and holding media attention but sometimes in wrong ways – in most occasions damaging his own image. In recent months, he had made statements – all in respect of the next Presidential Election – for which the media had given wide coverage. In April this year, he said, since possible rival candidates of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe could not even think of more..

Dec 23 (CT) With Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe recently remarking that he will have to take unpopular decision for the future benefit of the Country in its path to economic recovery, rumours started circulating to the effect that Prez Wickremesinghe will not be contesting the forthcoming Prez Election. Simultaneously, another was doing rounds and was circulating, especially on social media groups, indicating that both Chief of Staff more..

Dec 23 (DM) 25 years ago an Antonov 24 aircraft carrying fifty-five civilians from Jaffna to Colombo was shot down over the Gulf of Mannar by the LTTE on 29 Sept 1998. LTTE known as tigers was then at war with the SL armed forces. Of the fifty-five on board, 48 were passengers and seven crew. All the 48 passengers were Tamil. 4-member cockpit crew were Ukrainian nationals, while the 3 cabin crew were Sinhalese. Shooting down a plane with civilians was the first of its kind in SL’s long war. more..

Dec 23 (Island) Spectacle of the past week was the SLPP Convention held at the Sugathadasa Stadium. Of course, the crowds were present – transported from outstations since nobody thirsting for some free frolic will stay home when offered transport and food and probably more than a tot just to swell the audience. The usual paeons were sung about the Leader of the SLPP, who was called the present-day Dutugemunu, for defeating the Tamil Tigers and unifying the country. more..

Dec 23 (ST) The coconut industry in SL lacks foreign direct investment, financial assistance and is subject to poor estate management — all matters that need to be addressed if productivity is to be improved. The coconut tree is known as the Tree of life due to its versatile uses, but it is also considered the lazy man’s crop since in most cases, farmers especially, smallholders, just watch and wait for the produce. more..

Dec 23 (FT) What’s all this sudden hype about the six sentences called the Joint Himalayan Declaration? A supposed declaration signed almost 8 months ago on 27 April in Nagarkot, Nepal. Signed between a few lesser representative Buddhist Sangha chapters or nikayas and Tamil individuals permanently domiciled in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia calling themselves the Global Tamil Forum (GTF). These six sentences written as Statements propose nothing new more..

Dec 23 (CT) At last, the expert has spoken. According to the World Bank, there is a growing mismatch between the SL supply and global demand for labour. Rather, the country has been satisfied with ‘exporting’ housemaids and mechanics, not enough skilled labour, for whom there is a great dearth across the developed world, geographical and racial divides no bar. “You have overseas workers that are sending remittances to SL; however there is a difference in their skills,” more..

Dec 23 (Island) All citizens are said to be equal before the law. But the ruling party politicians in Sri Lanka are more equal than others, just like the Pigs in Orwell’s dystopian novella, Animal Farm. The selective efficiency of the police in making arrests in connection with the immunoglobulin scam in the Health Ministry is a case in point. The CID has so far arrested several health officials and former Health Secretary Janaka Chandraguptha over the aforesaid pharmaceutical racket. more..

Dec 23 (CT) The uncertainty, the fear of the unknown, many variants and multiple waves that came along with the Covid-19 pandemic, which began to slowly but steadily take hold in Sri Lanka in early 2020, made the islanders rejoice when they had to bid adieu to the first two years of the pandemic, and they were even optimistic for the coming year, not necessarily because it promised much but because the common belief at the time was that things could not get any worse. more..

Dec 23 (FT) The gem and jewellery industry yesterday warned that the Govt’s decision to bring it under the VAT regime from next year will force closure, the private sector relocating overseas or reverting to the informal sector. Come 1st January 2024, import of precious stones, a key input for the industry’s exports as well as sale of gem and jewellery to tourists and expatriates, a major forex earner, will be subject to 18% VAT. more..

Dec 23 (FT) Variosystems an internationally established and recognised electronics services partner in the field of the development, industrialisation, production and life-cycle management of electronics solutions to leading innovators in Europe, North America and Asia, has marked 25 years of unparalleled commitment to excellence in Sri Lanka, with the inauguration of its third state-of-the-art production facility, located in Badalgama. more..

Dec 23 (FT) SL Banks Association (SLBA) said banks exercise their legally-enshrined right to parate execution as a last resort, and the overarching objective is the protection of depositors’ funds that have been lent to borrowers. Responding to what it termed as lobbying by a group of defaulting borrowers espousing the removal or weakening of the protection of depositors’ funds, the SLBA said the parate execution remedy is aimed at recovering mortgaged assets from wilful defaulters more..

Dec 23 (AD) SriLankan Airlines has expanded its fleet with the addition of a newly leased Airbus A320 aircraft, identified by the serial number 4R – ABS, bringing the total number of aircraft in its fleet to 22. Leased for a period of six years, the aircraft arrived in Colombo from Malaysia on Thursday night (21), and is set to enter service promptly after customization and branding. Its inaugural flight is scheduled to take place on 29 December, to the Maldives. more..

Dec 23 (DM) Prisons across the country are facing a serious problem of too many people crammed into limited space. The situation has gotten worse due to increased police operations, with over 10,000 suspects nabbed in a recent crackdown on drugs and underworld activities. Recent data from the Prisons Department shows that there are a whopping 30,000 inmates detained in 30 prisons across the country, even though these facilities are meant to hold only around 13,000 inmates. more..

Dec 23 (CT) In the last two years, the man-made severe economic and financial crisis in SL has driven individuals, from various walks of life, to seek an escape from the island. The overwhelming financial burden hindered their ability to support their families, triggering a rush to depart, causing extensive queues at passport offices. Regrettably, a faction that hastily departed are stranded in Myawaddy, Southeastern more..

Dec 23 (DN) Jevahn Sathasivam showcased remarkable mental toughness and golfing finesse to secure the boys’ title at the SL Prima Junior Open Tournament. Leading throughout all three days, Sathasivam clinched victory with a final day’s score of 70 and an aggregate of 210. Meanwhile, seasoned player Kaya Daluwatte continued her winning streak, claiming the girls’ title for the third consecutive year with a final day gross score of 75 in the Girls Tournament sponsored by more..

Dec 23 (DN) Int'l Master Susal de Silva from Nalanda College emerged victorious as the undisputed champion in the Under-18 Open category to win the gold medal of the Asian Youth Chess Championship. The tournament, organized by the Asian Chess Federation under the guidance of the World Chess Federation, unfolded in the UAE from Dec 14 to 21. Facing stiff competition from 40 players, Susal de Silva dominated the field with a flawless performance, securing a perfect 7/7 more..

Dec 23 (AD) Professor Chandima Jeewandara of Sri J'pura University, has issued a cautionary statement, suggesting that the novel JN.1 virus may already be present in Sri Lanka. Despite the low testing rate for the substrain of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 virus in the country, with the figure being close to zero, Prof. Jeewandara emphasized that this does not necessarily imply the virus’s absence. more..

Dec 23 (CT) Danushka Gunathilaka is set to make a much-anticipated return to domestic cricket after his club SSC lifted the ban on the cricketer after he was sidelined on account of allegations of rape and other disciplinary issues. “The Cricket Committee and the Executive Committee of the SSC after conducting an inquiry has cleared Danushka Gunathilaka to represent SSC at the future matches of domestic cricket. The right hander will be available for the upcoming matches more..

Dec 23 (DN) Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) has made arrangements to conduct regional development programmes, which have proven to be successful, said Badminton Regional Development in charge and senior Vice President Roshan Gunawardena. This marks the first time that such Regional Development Pools have been established by SLB, stemming from the concept introduced by Roshan Gunawardena to foster the sport nationwide. The regional development programmes covered more..

Dec 23 (DM) Claiming that only a few officials of the Health Ministry could not have struck a massive deal of USD 2.5 million when importing substandard Immunoglobulin injections without any involvement of the subject minister, NPP reiterated that former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella must be interrogated regarding the incident. Former NPP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that Minister Rambukwella must have given at least oral, if not written instructions regarding the said import. more..

Dec 23 (DM) Former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said he was the first complainant regarding the import of substandard Immunoglobulin injections and that there was no need to record a statement from him. He said that if the CID deems it necessary to obtain more details regarding his complaint, he was ready for that. "I am the complainant. I don't need to give a statement regarding the complaint. A complaint means a statement. Complaints include all the details. more..

Dec 23 (AD) Rev. Fr. Jude Chrysantha has accused Minister Tiran Alles of making false accusations regarding an alleged appeal made to the Acting IGP on behalf of Fr. Cyril Gamini after a road accident. Convening a special press conference on Friday in his capacity as the Director of the Archdiocesan Commission for Social Communications, Fr. Chrysantha said that no such plea for help was made by Cardinal Malcolm more..

Dec 23 (DM) Sri Lanka and India have agreed on a submarine cable to connect the power grids instead is laying overhead transmission lines, a top official said. The official said the CEB and the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd finalized the technical report to be forwarded to the joint working group headed by the secretaries of the line ministries of the two countries to work out modalities for the implementation of the grid connectivity project. Official who wished to remain anonymous more..

Dec 23 (DM) A notable resurgence in dengue cases has been observed globally in 2023, characterized by a significant increase in the number, scale, and simultaneous occurrence of multiple outbreaks, WHO said. The WHO has documented this recent surge in its press release, highlighting the alarming nature of the increase in dengue cases. This uptick comes on the heels of a slight decline in cases between 2020 and 2022, attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and lower reporting rates. more..

Dec 23 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday implemented substantial administrative changes by appointing new Secretaries to ten Ministries and assigning two Chief Secretaries to two provinces. These appointments are set to take effect from 1 Jan 2024. Among the noteworthy appointments are Wasantha Perera, who will serve as the Secretary to the Ministry of Education and N.M. Ranasinghe, appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Prisons & Constitutional Reforms. more..

Dec 23 (CT) President’s Office has decided to discontinue the maintenance of the website itukama.lk, initially utilised to raise awareness and funds during the Covid-19 pandemic. PMD officially announced that the use of the Itukama website and domain name will be terminated. In light of the website’s non-utilisation, there exists a potential risk of the website name being acquired by other parties and misused. Consequently, the Prez’s Office has issued a public advisory, urging vigilance. more..

Dec 23 (DM) As the govt is leaving no stone unturned to increase tax revenue, experts in the field asserted that while doing away with VAT exemptions is necessary, the authorities couldn’t have picked a worse time to implement the policy. Sri Lanka is already well-known for implementing policies in a rush, which almost all the time has resulted in detrimental outcomes for businesses and consumers alike. more..

Dec 23 (EN) Employees of any government bodies cannot be paid a bonus unless they made a profit, and part of that profit was paid to the consolidated fund, a minister said on Friday. “Payment of bonus to the staff of Commercial Corporations, Statutory Boards and Govt Owned Companies for the year 2023 should be granted if the institution have earned profits during the financial year 2022 and have paid at least 30% of the profit after tax as dividend to the Consolidated Fund,” more..

Dec 23 (MFA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs is aware of the situation that has been evolving in Myanmar where SL nationals have become victims of human trafficking for cybercrimes. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of SL in Myanmar have continued to actively seek the assistance and cooperation of the Myanmar authorities on the safe repatriation of SL nationals who have been trafficked to Myanmar. It may be noted that this situation has been an ongoing issue since 2022. more..

Dec 23 (Island) Environment Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that in spite of the then Chief Executive Officer and Director General of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) declaring that the proprietor of Isolez Biotech Pharma AG Sugath Janaka Fernando alias Aruna Deepthi had failed to meet stringent requirements needed to supply Immunoglobulin vials, the procurement process proceeded, more..

Dec 24 (CT) In Bethlehem where it all began, there is no Christmas this year. Bethlehem is located in Israeli occupied West Bank of Palestine. Palestinian churches have reportedly cancelled Christmas celebrations and some of them have set up nativity scenes showing the symbolic Baby Jesus lying in a manger of rubble destruction. Death and destruction now define life in Gaza less than 100 km to the west, but Palestinians on the West Bank are also subject to unchecked attacks by illegal Jewish more..

Dec 24 (GV) Coming from a Christian family, Christmas is one of the most important festivals for us. I was born in Navaly village in Jaffna to a wealthy Christian family. My grandparents celebrated Christmas by sharing home made food to the village people. My grandmother baked cakes. We shared the meal with neighbours and relatives on Christmas day. We went to church on Christmas morning with new clothes and celebrated the joy of Christmas with family and friends. more..

Dec 24 (TM) As a majority of the country’s politicians, including Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, have taken time off to enjoy the holiday cheer, the people were also seen trying to make the best of what they have to give some cheer to their families amidst strangulating economic conditions that have driven prices of goods and services high this season. The skyrocketing prices of vegetables in recent days have left consumers wondering more..

Dec 24 (TM) As another Christmas dawns at midnight today, celebrants in this economically-ravaged island nation are unlikely to forget to seek divine intervention in easing their economic burden before the next one, given that Christmas 2023 must surely rank as the most expensive festive season in terms of consumer prices. Nevertheless, it is indeed heartening to see Sri Lankans living the island life and going about as if there is no tomorrow, with shopping malls & main streets of most towns more..