Dec 18 (DM) The number of internet subscriptions in SL, including mobile internet connections, has risen to 26 million units by the end of the second quarter of 2024, according to local analytics platform Charts.lk. The platform noted that the surge in the figures marks a 19 percent increase in growth compared to the same period last year, signifying a growing demand for internet connectivity and digital services across the country. “Internet subscriptions started to increase substantially, more..

Dec 18 (TM) Parliamentary Opposition has called on the Govt to conduct a departmental-level inquiry into the forced cremation of bodies, particularly those of Muslims, during the Covid-19 pandemic, which took place under the administration of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Speaking in the Parliament, SJB MP and Leader of the SLMC Rauff Hakeem, made these remarks while urging the Govt to disclose the details of the individuals more..

Dec 18 (FT) SL’s citizenry is in a way fortunate that there is a written down constitution – a variety of benefits behold its citizenry. Successive political legislators have however, contrived to be guilty of violating the rights of the people – when it comes to elections. A written down constitution like SL has, offers plenty of balance and equity for all: 1. Clarity and certainty: A written constitution provides a clear and definite framework for govt structure, powers, and limitations. more..

Dec 18 (FT) When reviewing civil society’s involvement in supporting the education system in SL, we find that existing opportunities are minimum. It is not that civil society in SL has not contributed – however given the vast potential for collaboration and partnership, impact has been limited, largely due to the ad hoc nature of interventions. The role of civil society and contribution towards development cannot be undermined. Recently UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s remarks to more..

Dec 18 (AD) A residence said to belong to a drug trafficker, located in the Ranaviru Gama area of Homagama, was shot at early this morning, Meegoda Police said. Police stated that preliminary investigations have revealed two unidentified gunmen who arrived on a motorcycle had carried out the shooting, and then fled the scene. Police also revealed that the shooting was carried out using a 9mm pistol. Accordingly, two bullet casings and a live bullet were found on the road in front of the house. more..

Dec 18 (DM) A hill country leopard, frequently seen in the shrub jungle adjacent to Pordias Estate in Hatton, was killed, and its head and limbs were cut off and taken away. Police said the leopard was killed by a wire trap. Wildlife officers from Nallathanniya visited the location following information from the Hatton police and initiated an investigation. They said that the well-grown leopard was about ten years old, and its carcass, minus the head and legs, would be referred to more..

Dec 18 (EN) Sri Lanka will allow private vehicle imports from Feb 1, 2025, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake told parliament. The decision has been made after discussions with the central bank after assessing the impact on foreign exchange he said. “Do not have any fears that we will face another foreign currency crises because of car imports,” Prez said. “We have estimated the outflow of dollar for car imports. But to turn the economy around we decided we have to open imports. more..

Dec 18 (NW) The suspension of the parate execution law, which allows banks to auction collateral on defaulted loans, has been extended until March 2025, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament. The law was previously set to remain suspended until Dec 15, 2025 following a conditional approval of the COPF under the previous Govt. Prez Dissanayake said the decision to extend the suspension by three and a half months was made following concerns raised by SL’s banks, regulators, more..

Dec 18 (AD) Deputy Minister Samantha Vidyarathna announced plans to provide fertilizer subsidies to coconut plantation owners as a measure to resolve the prevailing coconut shortage in the country. Deputy Minister revealed that out of the 55,000 metric tons of fertilizer recently imported, a total of 27,500 metric tons will be allocated for coconut cultivation. “Our ministry’s coconut plantations, spanning tens of thousands of acres, have not been fertilized for five years, more..

Dec 18 (AD) The Supreme Court announced that the verdict on the fundamental rights petitions filed seeking an order to re-conduct the 2024 Grade 5 Scholarship Exam, will be delivered on Dec 31, 2024. This was announced by the Supreme Court after concluding the hearing related to the petitions, which have been filed by filed by a group of students who sat for the examination and their parents. The petitions were heard before a judge bench comprising more..

Dec 18 (DM) Chief Incumbent of the Mihintale Rajamaha Vihara, Ven. Walawahengunawewe Dhammarathana Thera, who was charged with the alleged assault of a tour guide within the temple's central compound, causing injuries, was acquitted by A'pura Additional Magistrate Ms. P.H.W.D.L. Samarasinghe. A'pura police investigated into the complaint by tour guide Chandana Weerawantha Waduge, alias Ukkuwa, who alleged that Ven. Dhammarathana Thera had assaulted him on March 12, 2009, at the temple. more..

Dec 18 (DM) The age of those suffering from heart disease in SL is gradually decreasing and the age limit has now reached 17, National Hospital specialist Indika de Lanerolle said. He said that the age range for developing heart disease was previously between 50 and 70 years. He said that the decreasing age of individuals suffering from heart disease raises concerns about its connection to the country’s development. In developed countries, the age of onset for heart disease is also decreasing. more..

Dec 18 (AD) CIABOC has ordered to freeze two current and fixed deposit accounts belonging to former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella for a period of one week. The combined balance of the two bank accounts in question is around Rs. 20 million. In accordance with Section 53(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 09 of 2023, the suspension was ordered to be implemented effective from yesterday. The Bribery Commission intends to seek an extension of the suspension order once it is presented before court. more..

Dec 18 (NW) Colombo Additional Magistrate Pavithra Sanjeewani Pathiraja has ordered the arrest of a doctor accused of performing an illegal abortion at a private hospital in Colombo, Mawbima newspaper reported. The order follows an investigation by Dematagoda Police into allegations that a woman aborted a foetus older than seven weeks without her husband’s knowledge. The woman who allegedly aborted her foetus had been arrested after a complaint was lodged by her husband, a resident of Colombo 14. more..

Dec 18 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake says that the govt was able to reach an agreement with the IMF to increase the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax exemption limit from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 150,000. Delivering a special statement in Parliament, the Head of State informed the House that following discussions with the IMF on the third review of the EFF for SL, it was agreed to increase the income tax threshold (tax-free) from a monthly income of Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 150,000. more..

Dec 18 (DM) SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa today challenged Minister of Trade Wasantha Samarasinghe to step down from his ministerial portfolio if "he (Wasantha) fails to prove that I (Namal) took the law exam alone in an A/C room," During a parliamentary debate, MP Rajapaksa stated that he would resign from Parliament if it is proven that he took the law exams alone. In response to the challenge, Minister Samarasinghe said, “Hari hari, right.” MP Rajapaksa further added, “It is the law college and more..

Dec 18 (AD) SL Police says that a total of 16 people have died in 12 fatal accidents on the expressways of Sri Lanka as of December 14 this year. Police reported that 5 individuals have sustained serious injuries, while another 77 suffered minor injuries from accidents on the expressways. Additionally, 404 property damage cases have been recorded due to these incidents. The majority of these accidents were caused by drivers’ inability to control their vehicle speeds, the Police said. more..

Dec 18 (ET) SL President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his govt is not concerned with Adani Group’s dealings with other countries but is instead focused only on what the conglomerate does in Sri Lanka. He said his stable govt intends to pave the way for more Indian investments. “We don’t have any concerns over how they (Adani) work with other countries. What is important for us is how they work with us,” Dissanayake told ET more..

Dec 18 (AD) SJB Member of Parliament, Dr. Harsha de Silva has been appointed as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF). The appointment was formally announced today by the Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne. The COPF includes the following committee members: Harshana Sooriyapperuma. Ravi Karunanayake, Harshana Rajakaruna, Nimal Palihena, Wijesiri Basnayake, Thilina Samarakoon Lakmali Hemachandra. more..

Dec 18 (DM) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism said it is collaborating with relevant authorities to ensure the swift rescue and repatriation of Sri Lankans still trapped in Myanmar. These individuals had been lured into cybercrime operations and became victims of human trafficking. In coordination with Sri Lanka Missions in Myanmar and Thailand, the Ministry facilitated the repatriation of 27 Sri Lankans from Myanmar. Senior officials of the Ministry's Consular Affairs Division more..

Dec 18 (DM) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa claimed today that he is a degree holder and tabled all his certificates in Parliament. "I attended Kindergarten at St. Bridget's Convent and then joined S. Thomas Prep for my Primary Education. I studied at Royal from Grade six but sat for my O/L and A/L examinations at Milhill College UK. I joined the University of London and obtained by first degree. However, I could not complete my Masters as I returned to SL more..

Dec 18 (EN) China is planning to start its maritime research in the Indian Ocean, a top Beijing government official said, as a temporary one-year ban imposed due to strong Indian protests comes to an end in January 2025. Sri Lanka’s previous govt has imposed a temporary one-year ban on all foreign research vessels visiting Sri Lanka for research purposes. The move came in December last year after strong security concerns raised by India on Chinese research vessels. more..

Dec 18 (EN) SL witnessed foreigners selling its govt securities for the first time in 13 weeks after the island nation saw foreign inflow of nearly $100 million in the previous 12 straight weeks. Analysts said foreign investors are worried about possible reverse in rupee appreciation amid SL’s impending decision to relax imports. “Foreign investors have been taking risks and buying SL govt securities for the past three months because they had been expecting rupee appreciation more..

Dec 18 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the Withholding Tax will be increased from 5% to 10%. He said that the govt agreed with the IMF to reduce tax on services exports from the existing 30% to 15%. He said that an agreement was also reached to increase the Withholding Tax from 5% to 10%. “Usually, elderly people, pensioners, deposit a certain amount of money in banks and live off the interest they earn. Usually, they are subject to tax if they earn more..

Dec 19 (TM) The questionable Dr. title of SL’s former Speaker of the Parliament Asoka Sapumal Ranwala, has reignited discussions about the educational and professional qualifications of MPs and the integrity of public representatives elected through the most recent Parliamentary Election. In the context of the controversy surrounding his fake Dr. title, which was publicly displayed as his title during the Parliamentary Election, the legitimacy of titles like Dr. and Prof. held by more..

Dec 19 (DM) Recently, former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa posted a photo on his official Facebook page where he was posing alongside members of his security detail. The photo caption thanked all security personnel who had provided protection to him and his family over the years. The photo was posted after the Sri Lanka Police Headquarters issued a statement which revealed that an annual expenditure of Rs. 1.1 billion had been incurred to provide protection for former presidents. more..

Dec 19 (CT) Sri Lanka and the rest of the world would be faced with yet another issue in addition to climate change. While changes in weather patterns would affect the environment, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) would affect the health of individuals. With few antimicrobial drugs being discovered and becoming more and more ineffective as drug resistance grows, SL and the globe would face more difficulties in treating infections, more..

Dec 19 (DM) Politics in South Asia is largely interesting when circumstances break traditional politics and ushers in a new caretaker regime. This writer uses the adjective caretaker because no regime has come to stay forever and must hand over the baton of administration to a new party once its term concludes. This govt has to do the same. But for the record, this NPP led regime is no caretaker govt –akin to the one that was led by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe- and was installed more..

Dec 19 (DM) In the overall context, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to India can be viewed as reaffirmation of the already existing blueprint for furtherance of bilateral relations. Once again, the importance of SL’s geostrategic resonates as India reiterates that SL occupies central place in its Neighbourhood First Policy and vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). The joint statement issued in the wake of bilateral discussions between Prez Dissanayake and Indian PM more..

Dec 19 (TM) CEB has predicted a tariff revision for rooftop solar producers while maintaining that the tariffs of large-scale Renewable Energy (RE) projects will be decided on competitive bidding. This is in the context of Ministry of Power & Energy submitting a report containing nearly 40 RE projects submitted under the previous administration to the Cabinet last week. The proposal has only been submitted for principal approvals, but more..

Dec 19 (CT) This may be of some interest to readers for two relevant reasons. One being the drama related to the Speaker, Dr/Mr Ranwala on the issue of what prefix to his name he should use (There being no change to his being The Honorable). This big question has led to great debate in the Press (Mainly in the on-line Colombo Telegraph). The second reason, being the claim that political acts in SL are based on Science. The man who wished to give form to this lofty theory, more..

Dec 19 (CT) The havoc wreaked by crop-raiding animals has once again appeared in public conversation, continuing the debate on what would be the appropriate solution to protect farmers’ crops, while respecting and preserving wildlife and ecosystems. Having failed thus far to address these challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched a public consultation programme inviting all citizens, including academics and environmentalists to submit their suggestions. more..

Dec 19 (Island) JVP-led NPP govt is quite upbeat about Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s India visit. However, if the joint statement Dissanayake and PM Narendra Modi issued on Monday is anything to go by, the NPP administration has endorsed what its leaders used to flay Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe for having undertaken to do at the behest of India, much to the interests of SL’s interests. Wickremesinghe has thanked Dissanayake for endorsing Economic & Tech Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) more..

Dec 19 (Island) We Sri Lankans are facing a spate of karma in climate change, and its consequences are not due to our faults but because of those committed by developed countries. Those developed countries exploit natural resources such as fossil fuels, gases, oil, and coal, in excess. Burning fossil fuels for energy production releases carbon dioxide, methane, fluorinated gases, and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere. These major greenhouse gases (GHG) contribute to trapping heat more..

Dec 19 (ST) The delay in reducing electricity tariffs is being attributed to the compound impact of a growing energy demand and years of underinvestment in low-cost power generation, a senior official said. The additional demand of one billion electricity units projected for 2025, coupled with heavy reliance on expensive energy sources, has created significant financial and operational challenges, the official explained. more..

Dec 19 (DM) SL’s tea exports for Nov 2024 fell to 20.07 million kilogrammes (M/Kgs), a 6.4 percent decline, from 21.46 M/Kgs in Nov 2023. All categories saw contractions, except for tea packets, which saw a slight increase. The average free on board (FOB) value for November stood at Rs.1,718.88 per kilogramme, marking a year-on-year (YoY) drop of Rs.6.89, compared to Rs.1,725.77 in Nov 2023. Despite the monthly decline, the cumulative exports for more..

Dec 19 (DN) Off-spinner Treveen Mathew once again came to the limelight with his superb bowling figures of 4 for 13, leading Jaffna Titans to the final as they beat Hambantota Bangla Tigers by 39 runs in their Lanka T-10 Super League Qualifier 1 game played at the Pallekele Stadium yesterday. Jaffna Titans dominated the tournament from the beginning. After being invited to bat first, they posted a challenging total of 124 for 4 wickets in 10 overs, with a run rate of 12.4. more..