Dec 11 (TM) Govt yesterday stressed that Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act as amended (PTA) as well as the Online Safety Act should be urgently revisited, as it is crucial to address the concerns surrounding such laws that have negatively affected public trust in the country's law. Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara made these remarks during a media forum held in Colombo on human rights related concerns. Convenor of the Justice for All group that more..

Dec 11 (DN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved a monthly allowance of Rs. 9,375 for owners of small fishing boats, starting from Nov 1 and lasting for five months. This measure is intended to alleviate the economic challenges faced by the fisheries industry. The allowance will initially be provided to active small fishing boats registered with the Dept of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that run on kerosene. At the same time, the existing subsidies for diesel-powered boats will remain in place. more..

Dec 11 (FT) Former MP Thalatha Athukorala presented evidence to the media challenging the academic credentials of Speaker Asoka Ranwala, alleging he never pursued a doctorate at Waseda University in Japan, as previously claimed. The controversy surrounding Speaker Ranwala’s qualifications erupted after opposition parties accused him of falsely using the title Dr. Parliament website initially listed him as more..

Dec 11 (DM) Newly appointed Chief Justice Murdu Fernando pledged her unwavering commitment to upholding the integrity, independence, and dignity of the country’s judiciary as an independent and impartial arbiter of justice. Chief Justice Murdu Fernando made these remarks while speaking at the ceremonial sitting held at the Supreme Court to welcome her as the country’s 48th Chief Justice. Justice Murdu Fernando, the second woman to hold the position of Chief Justice after Dr. Shirani more..

Dec 11 (AD) A complaint has been lodged with the Jaffna Police against Jaffna District Independent MP Dr. Archchuna Ramanathan. Police said that the Jaffna Hospital authorities have lodged the complaint accusing the MP of disrupting the operations of hospital. The complaint states that MP Ramanathan entered the hospital without permission and obstructed with its activities. Jaffna Police stated that an investigation into the incident is underway. Previously, Director of Mannar Hospital more..

Dec 11 (PTI) Billionaire Gautam Adani-led conglomerate said it will use its own resources to fund a SL port project and not seek US funding. In an exchange filing late on Tuesday, Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd said the project is on track for commissioning by early next year and added that the company will fund the ongoing project through internal accruals, aligning with its capital management strategy. more..

Dec 11 (FT) CB Governor’s sanguine assurances about SL’s debt sustainability ring hollow in the face of SL’s impending foreign exchange obligations. While the recently signed International Sovereign Bond (ISB) restructuring agreement is touted as a panacea, the reality paints a far grimmer picture. CB Governor’s nonchalant dismissal of a potential balance of payments crisis in the new year reminds of Pied Piper that led the rats of Hamelin to their grave while in a hallucinated trance. more..

Dec 11 (FT) Rice shortages and the Maaveerar celebrations in the north and reporting of the same in the south are issues that took centre stage last week. These are issues that shape a practical ideology for the new Government as it transitions from election promises to the reality of governing. As for rice shortages, it is time for the Cabinet to put its heads together and learn about the limits of State intervention in the marketplace and adopt appropriate responses. In the second case, more..

Dec 11 (AD) The final decision of the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) on the proposed electricity tariff revisions will be announced on 17 Jan 2025, the PUCSL announced. Meanwhile, the PUCSL also said that the public consultation regarding the proposed tariff revision is scheduled to get underway from 17 December 2024. Accordingly, the general public are allowed to submit their opinions regarding the matter virtually or in writing before January 08, 2024. more..

Dec 11 (DM) Geethanath Cassilingam, SLPP Jaffna District Organizer, has called on the diplomatic community to temporarily halt all engagements with the Speaker of Parliament, Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala, amid growing allegations surrounding the authenticity of his academic qualifications. In a statement, Cassilingam expressed concerns over claims that Ranwala misrepresented his credentials by using the title “Dr.” during his campaign for the recently concluded parliamentary elections. more..

Dec 11 (TM) A group of specialists is to send a letter of demand (LoD) to the relevant authorities, warning of legal action against them for allegedly ignoring and not complying with a judgement issued by the Court of Appeal (CA) last year (2023). Concluding the hearing of an application filed by 176 medical specialists seeking a writ order against the former Govt's decision to reduce the retirement age of medical officers (MOs) including medical specialists, grade MOs, more..

Dec 11 (DM) Liberal Youth Movement has expressed deep concern over allegations questioning the authenticity of the academic qualifications presented by Speaker Ashoka Ranwala prior to the elections and during parliamentary proceedings. These concerns have sparked significant public debate and raised serious doubts about the integrity of information shared by leaders with the electorate. While academic qualifications are not mandatory for holding the position of a MP or Speaker, more..

Dec 11 (EN) A competition to find the best entrepreneurs under the name ‘I am the Sri Lankan Entrepreneur 2024’ has been initiated by Sri Lanka’s Chamber of Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE). The awards will be open to entrepreneurs from around the island with provincial to district-level recognition. Over 65 awards will be given under categories including Best Young Entrepreneur, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Best Social Entrepreneur, and the coveted Entrepreneur of the Year. more..

Dec 11 (USE) US Embassy in SL, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Dept of Archaeology, proudly celebrated the reopening of the newly restored Old Kandyan Kings’ Palace and Archaeology Museum, located within the Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic complex, today. The ceremony was attended by US Ambassador Julie Chung and Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Prof. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi. This significant cultural preservation project more..

Dec 11 (CT) Preliminary discussions at the Ministerial Level for the preparation of the 2025 Budget have commenced under the leadership of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. As part of this process, a meeting focused on the Budget proposals related to the expenditure heads of the Ministry of Health and Media was held last morning at the Prez Secretariat. The discussion was attended by Minister of Health and Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Secretary to the Prez Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, more..

Dec 11 (DM) Cricketer Niroshan Dickwella’s three-year ban for an alleged anti-doping violation has been reduced to three months following an appeal. The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter had originally been handed a three-year suspension after testing positive for cocaine during a doping test conducted by the SL Anti-Doping Agency (SLADA) on 14 July. The positive result was linked to the Lanka Premier League (LPL) T20 tournament, where Dickwella's team lost to Jaffna Kings in the final. more..

Dec 11 (AD) The Attorney General (AG) today (11) informed the Supreme Court that the Cabinet of Ministers has instructed the legal draftsman to amend the Local Govt Elections (Special Provisions) Bill in order to make necessary provisions for holding the Local Govt (LG) Elections using the 2024 voters’ list, in order to ensure the right to vote of the young voters. Appearing on behalf of the Attorney General, Deputy Solicitor General Nirmalan Vigneswaran informed this to the court, more..

Dec 11 (FT) NDB Investment Bank (NDBIB) has once again been recognised as the Best Investment Bank in SL by Euromoney Magazine at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2024. This milestone marks the 13th consecutive year NDBIB has been honoured with this prestigious award, reaffirming the company’s sustained excellence and undisputed leadership in SL’s investment banking landscape. NDBIB remains the only investment bank in SL to have secured this award despite an increasingly competitive environment. more..

Dec 11 (AD) The Technical Engineers and Supervisors Association of the CEB allege that the state-owned electricity provider has procured electricity from private thermal power plants, even as reservoir levels associated with hydro-power plants are at their maximum as a result of recent heavy rainfall. The association’s Vice President, Nandana Udayakumara, called for an investigation into the decision, questioning whose interests are being served by such actions. more..

Dec 11 (EN) Sri Lanka is likely to miss its 2023 target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals despite a pick up in the numbers in the current tourism season, with the island nation likely to reach over $3 billion earnings from tourism, official data showed. The island nation has received 1.85 million tourists up to Dec 8 this year, compared to 1.49 million last year. Industry stakeholders said Sri Lanka will not be able to attract another 450,000 tourists in the last 23 days of the month. more..

Dec 11 (AD) The Election Commission of SL has issued a Gazette notification confirming that Faiszer Musthapha has been elected as a Member of Parliament through the National List of the New Democratic Front (NDF), which contested the 2024 General Election under the Gas Cylinder symbol. On Tuesday (10), it was reported that the New Democratic Front (NDF) has nominated Musthapha for the remaining National List seat out of the two won by the party in Parliament. more..

Dec 11 (DM) International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has submitted more than 60 sanctions and visa ban requests against SL public and security officials to date for human rights and economic crimes in SL and multiple universal jurisdiction cases. These have been sent to the Govts of US, UK, Australia, Canada and EU as well as the UN. The submissions cover gross violations of human rights and significant corruption in respect of the SL army, navy, air force, more..

Dec 11 (NW) Colombo Additional Magistrate Bandara Ilangasinghe on Tuesday ordered the directors of the Randenigala Distilleries Lanka (Pvt) Ltd to appear before court on the 17th of December. The order was issued against directors Sarath Wijewikrama, Buddhika Wijewikrama, and another director of the company over allegations of evading taxes amounting to Rs. 1.35 billion. The case, filed by the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, alleges that the company evaded Rs. 1,358,773,144 more..

Dec 11 (TM) Probes into high profile killings of journalists have been hindered by the absence of key evidentiary documents, it is learnt. The cases, including that of editor Lasantha Wickrematunge, are stalled due to absence of key documents and the non-involvement of key initial investigators in ongoing probes due to retirement or fleeing overseas due to actual or perceived persecution, Govt said yesterday. “We are continuing the investigations; however, several of these cases have missing documents,” more..

Dec 11 (FT) LIRNEasia hosted a forum on 7 Dec titled Unlocking Data for Artificial Intelligence in SL at the ITC Ratnadipa Hotel, Colombo. The event brought together AI experts, data scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to explore practical ways to leverage data and artificial intelligence for informed decision-making and meaningful societal and organisational impact. The session featured several examples of successful and unsuccessful data projects from around the world, more..

Dec 11 (TM) Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) called on public and private sector institutions to make recruitment policies more accessible to people with disabilities, highlighting that applying for jobs and the recruitment process must be fair and accommodating to ensure equal opportunities. Speaking at an event held yesterday to mark the International Human Rights Day, HRCSL Commissioner Nimal Punchihewa highlighted the importance of allocating 3% of job vacancies to people with disabilities. more..

Dec 11 (DM) The sudden fever currently spreading in the Jaffna district has not yet been identified, nor has it been confirmed as rat fever (leptospirosis), Consultant Community Physician of the Health Ministry’s Epidemiology Unit Dr. Kumudu Weerakoon said. She said that samples from fever patients had been sent for testing to determine whether the spreading fever is linked to leptospirosis. "Patients with the unidentified fever were found to have respiratory difficulties. more..

Dec 11 (FT) Creative Software, a leading software solutions provider, celebrates 25 years of delivering innovative IT services and shaping SL’s tech landscape. With a strong presence in Scandinavia and clients across four continents – South Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia, the company has built a reputation as a trusted partner for businesses worldwide. To mark this remarkable milestone, Creative Software hosted a grand celebration themed Mystic Masks, a black-tie masquerade gala more..

Dec 11 (FT) The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on Monday approved amending protocol to the 2013 Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Tax Evasion between SL and India. The updated protocol has received clearance from the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Ministry as well as the Attorney General, incorporates necessary changes to comply with these changes. The revision aligns with the countries’ commitments under the Inclusive Framework of more..

Dec 11 (AD) Another dispute has emerged within the NDF concerning the nomination of Faiszer Musthapha for a National List MP position with the coalition partners alleging that this decision has been made without consulting them. Former MP Ramesh Pathirana stated that there was unanimous agreement to appoint former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera to the remaining National List MP position. However, SLFP, a key partner in the NDF, had proposed Faiszer Musthapha’s name for the position. more..

Dec 11 (DM) Over 900 candidates who contested the General Elections have failed to submit their income and expenditure reports to the Election Commission, with the deadline ended on Dec 6. According to the Commission, 949 of the 8,361 candidates have not submitted their expense reports. Of the 527 members on the national list, only 434 have submitted expense reports. Commenting on the situation, Commission's Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake told Daily Mirror that the failure to meet more..

Dec 11 (AD) CID has reported to the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that a total of 2,017 complaints have been filed by depositors who claim to have been cheated out of their money after investing in Onmax DT, a private firm alleged to have been operating a pyramid scheme. According to the CID, the total estimated financial losses incurred by the complainants amounts to around Rs. 2.96 billion. During a hearing before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage today, more..

Dec 12 (TM) With rice shortages continuing to impact SL’s populous, and the tug-of-war between industry and State continuing, the absence of some types of rice in the market, and the high price for the staple food highlights the island nation's failure to address a key national issue. Political parties, farmers and industry often trout SL’s historic achievements of once being termed the granary of Asia. However, little concrete action has been taken to address the food security issue, more..

Dec 12 (CT) PM Harini Amarasuriya emphasised the commitment of the Govt to reshaping the country’s trajectory, noting that research and science-based thinking will be a critical element of the new Govt’s development agenda. She pointed out that the decisions made at the highest levels to this date were done with little consideration towards any scientific evidence or data, and that this will change. She made these remarks while seemingly sharing an interest in involving the research and more..

Dec 12 (SO) Sri Lanka is home to the world’s first female PM, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, yet it remains a country with one of the lowest levels of female representation in Parliament globally. Despite this, there has been little progress in increasing female representation in leadership positions within the legislative and executive branches of Govt since the country gained independence. more..

Dec 12 (DM) When Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake took oaths as the 43rd Chief Justice of SL in May 2011, there were many who were unhappy about this appointment. Even though her appointment to the Supreme Court in 1996 was challenged, her subsequent ascension to the leadership of the Apex court in the country could not be challenged given her seniority. Months before her appointment, the then govt rushed the passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution to further more..