Nov 20 (Island) JVP-led NPP asked for a mandate to clean up Parliament, and received a mammoth majority for that purpose. Its stalwart bragged that they had asked for brooms but the people had given them bulldozers. A fish is said to rot from the head down, and therefore Parliament has to be cleansed as a national priority. Let the clean-up begin! One can only hope that the latest regime change will not lead to another false dawn like the one described in Orwell’s dystopian novella, more..

Nov 20 (Island) In a way it was a great thing for the country that the NPP scored an emphatic victory at the Nov. 14 general election. Now the JVP-led NPPers can have no excuses for not being able to fulfill their promises as would have been the case if the preceding September Prez election outcome was repeated with the combined Opposition having the lion’s share of the vote, which would have left the country with a virtual hung Parliament of no benefit to anyone other than creating more..

Nov 20 (CI) Persistent rain in Pallekele meant the final ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand was washed out, with SL, who had won the first two games, taking the series 2-0. This is SL's fifth ODI series win this year. It was an anti-climactic end to a game that had begun with much promise, courtesy a fresh pitch that was expected to suit the batters as opposed to the more sluggish surfaces served up in the first two games. more..

Nov 20 (DN) We want to develop our sports to a high level to compete with other countries and our vision is to produce talented, professional players with high standards said New Sports Minister Sunil Gamage after he assumed duties at the Sports Ministry yesterday. This is a very important Ministry with lot of responsibility while development of Sports and Youth generation guide to make sustainable practices ensures a prosperous tomorrow said new Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Gamage. more..

Nov 20 (PO) Pakistan 'A" gained a 143-run first innings lead against Sri Lanka ‘A’ after they were bowled out for 258 on day two of the first four-dayer at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. In turn, Sri Lanka closed the day with 77-1 on the board in their second innings and with a deficit of 66 runs. Gritty half-centuries from Hussain Talat (56), Rohail Nazir (55) and Ali Zaryab (55), which included five fours each, put Pakistan 'A' ahead of SL ‘A’ after they resumed their first innings more..

Nov 20 (FT) Teejay Lanka announced it will be expanding its business operations in Egypt under a new entity incorporated on 19 November 2024. It will engage in manufacturing fabric, manufacturing services, and trading activities. In the first half of FY25, Teejay Group, SL’s first multinational textile manufacturer, recorded a Profit after Tax of Rs. 0.9 billion. The Group revenue reached a notable Rs. 32.7 billion, recording an 11% increase compared to the first half of the previous year. more..

Nov 20 (TM) There is a three-way face-off between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), and the Int'l Cricket Council (ICC) over the Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan is the official host of the ICC Champions Trophy and preparations are in full swing in the country despite all the security issues. India travelling to Pakistan for the ICC event was never on the cards, but it is the ICC, whose future course of action is under the microscope. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Ceylon Federation of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) expressed optimism that the Govt will provide a favourable resolution to their appeal against the enforcement of the Parate law, as the temporary suspension is set to expire on 15 Dec. Federation revealed that its members had engaged in two rounds of discussions with key members of the Got’s Economic Council, including Prez’s Senior Consultant more..

Nov 20 (FT) President’s Office yesterday announced the appointment of career diplomat Aruni Ranaraja as the new Foreign Secretary. She succeeds Aruni Wijewardane, who served in the post since May 2022. A career Sri Lanka Foreign Service officer, Ranaraja counts 28 years of service in the Foreign Ministry. She has served both at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sri Lanka Missions abroad, in various capacities including as SL’s Ambassador to the Netherlands and the Philippines. more..

Nov 20 (TM) Sri Lanka’s new govt should do everything to regain the ‘B’ credit rating by 2027-28 to pay back its creditors including the IMF through affordable market borrowings, World Bank SL Lead Economist Gregory Smith said. Speaking at a webinar by London based Overseas Development Institute (ODI) on Monday, he said that the govt should do everything they can to regain a ‘B’ rating as the IMF goes from putting money to taking money out in a few years’ time. more..

Nov 20 (TM) The ITAK expressed hope for power devolution, land rights including the release of military-occupied private land, and justice for alleged war era crimes which stem from the conflict, following the election of a new Govt. “While it is too early to form any expectations from the new Govt, we still expect certain issues such as land rights, power sharing or devolution, and justice for (alleged) war crimes, to be addressed,” more..

Nov 20 (DM) Access to information and strategic branding are pivotal for SL to emerge as a premier wedding destination for Indians, according to Vandana Mohan, India’s first female event manager and founder of the Wedding Design Company. Speaking at the inaugural South Asian Tourism Leadership Forum, Mohan, the wedding planner of Bollywood star couple Deepika Padukone and Raveer Singh, emphasised SL’s potential to tap into India’s booming destination wedding market. more..

Nov 20 (DM) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) today approved a USD 200 million policy-based loan to further help the Govt of SL strengthen its financial sector, ADB said. This second subprogram of ADB’s Financial Sector Stability and Reforms Program builds on the stabilization and crisis management measures put in place under the first subprogram approved in 2023. “Sri Lanka has made good progress in stabilizing macroeconomic conditions and improving the fiscal situation. more..

Nov 20 (DN) The second day of the Ritzbury-sponsored 53rd Sir John Tarbat Junior Athletic Championship, organized by SL Schools Athletic Association, saw 3 new meet records at the Kotawila Sports Complex in Matara yesterday. Sinura Salgado from St Benedict’s College, Kotahena, set a new record in the Boys Under-14 600m, completing the race in 1:29.8, breaking the previous record. In the Boys Under-12 High Jump, KWS Pabasara from Vijitha MMV Dickwella cleared 1.55m, more..

Nov 20 (DN) A staggering over USD 1.5 billion mixed development project centering around the Jaffna Lagoon which would have been the biggest single-ever investment in the region and a golf resort project with a theme park in Beragala to the tune of USD 1 billion had to be folded up due to the then Ministers, politicians in the area demanding a commission, diaspora investor, Dr. Vasudevan Rasiah said during the sidelines of the Jaffna Trade Show launch to be held in January. more..

Nov 20 (FT) A fresh cohort of Cabinet Ministers officially assumed duties yesterday, marking a pivotal moment for the new Govt’s agenda. Each Minister expressed a commitment to systemic reforms, addressing both immediate crises and long-term structural issues. Here are some of the key comments. Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe pledged swift action more..

Nov 20 (DM) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) signed revised MoUs with Eastern Uni of SL (SEUSL) and South Eastern Uni of SL (SEUSL) last week, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the educational and career aspirations of undergraduates. SEC began its partnership with national universities in 2008 through the signing of MoUs, and the MoUs were initially signed with the EUSL and the SEUSL in 2010. This marked the start of a lasting partnership aimed at nurturing more..

Nov 20 (Island) In a counter smuggling operation to prevent illegal pharmaceutical drugs from coming into the market, a large quantity of smuggled medicines had been seized by the Customs Revenue Task Force last week from a warehouse in the Colombo Port, Customs media spokesperson, who is also an Additional Director General of Customs, said. The official said the drug was widely abused by drug addicts and, therefore, had a very high demand in the market. more..

Nov 20 (Island) Former Chairman of the Election Commission, Mahinda Deshapriya said that the appointment of Ravi Karunanayake, as a National List (NL) member, was in line with the Parliamentary Election Act 01 of 1981. Deshapriya pointed out that appointment couldn’t be challenged under any circumstances. According to Article 99 A, those who had been included in the NL, and defeated candidates, could be accommodated in the Parliament. more..

Nov 20 (DN) Agriculture Commissioner General Rohana Rajapaksa stated that the government has already credited Rs.1292 million to farmers accounts under the programme of providing fertilizer subsidy for paddy farmers. He said that this allocation was made to 109,000 paddy farmers in 22 districts. According to the Agricultural Commissioner General, the most beneficiaries of this fertilizer subsidy were reported from Ampara District and Rs.291 million has been provided to 19,900 farmers. more..

Nov 20 (FT) The US District Court for the Southern District of New York has recently granted Sri Lanka’s motion to extend the stay of litigation involving the nation’s defaulted international sovereign bonds (ISBs) until the end of this month. This decision marks the third extension in the high-stakes legal case brought against Sri Lanka by Hamilton Reserve Bank Ltd., which claims over $ 240 million in unpaid bonds. more..

Nov 20 (TM) Environmentalists urge Sri Lankans to make use of masks in order to mitigate the effects of air pollution following reports of smog engulfing parts of India. “There is nothing we can do to stop the air pollution,” the Chairperson of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) organisation Ravindranath Dabare, said following a question on what Sri Lankans can do to reduce the harmful effects of India’s air pollution. “However, we can take steps to mitigate the effects and more..

Nov 20 (AD) The Election Commission of SL has issued a Gazette notification declaring that the General Secretary of the SJB, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, has been elected as a Member of Parliament through the National List of the SJB. Following the general election held on November 14, the SJB secured five National List seats. While Ranjith Madduma Bandara has been named for one of the positions, nominations for the remaining four seats are yet to be finalized. more..

Nov 20 (TM) The delay in crediting the fertiliser subsidy funds to farmers’ bank accounts is due to a technical issue with the computer system, claimed the Ministry of Agriculture. Accordingly, the Ministry has confirmed that a team of officials was deployed on Monday (18) to investigate the matter and that a report pertaining to the matter was expected to be submitted to the Secretary of the Ministry yesterday (19). more..

Nov 20 (FT) There is magic in the air! The country is in a festive mood. The toast of the town is a man called Anura Kumara Dissanayake who is the leader of two political parties namely the JVP and NPP. AKD as he is popularly known was the victor in a Prez election held two months ago. He followed it up last week by spearheading his party to victory in a Parliamentary election. Dissanayake won the Prez election of 21 Sept 2024in a gigantic leap. From 418,553 (3.16%) votes in 2019 Prez poll, more..

Nov 20 (EN) Chinese Ambassador to SL Qi Zhenhong has welcomed news of the island nation’s president’s first foreign visit to India and said such a move will be beneficial for Sri Lankans. Ambassador Zhenhong is in Jaffna on a visit to see the situation in the Northern Province which is close to South India’s Tamil Nadu State. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath has said Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will go to New Delhi on an official visit next month and later he will visit China. more..

Nov 20 (DM) National Organiser of the SLPP, MP Namal Rajapaksa, has expressed serious concern over the recent withdrawal of an army camp in the Northern Province and plans to dismantle several more camps in the coming months. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rajapaksa emphasized that while the release of land back to civilians is not inherently problematic, such decisions must be made in consultation with the security forces to ensure national security is not compromised. more..

Nov 20 (CT) Hesha Withanage, an elected MP of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), said that he will bring a private member’s motion to remove the privileges of MPs after the new Parliament convenes. He said that they do not like some of the privileges given to MPs and that the breakfast and lunch provided to MPs should be halted. He said the Rs 10 million loan given at low interest should be completely stopped and the security of all MPs and Cabinet Ministers should be removed. more..

Nov 20 (AD) Former Minister Harin Fernando, who was arrested this morning (20), has been released on bail, after being produced before the Badulla Magistrate’s Court. Accordingly, he has been ordered released on two surety bail of Rs. 500,000 each. Fernando was arrested by the Badulla Police on allegations of election law violations, after he arrived at Badulla Police to provide a statement regarding the alleged more..

Nov 20 (NW) The Ministry of Health has launched a probe into the death of a pregnant woman, along with her unborn child, at the Mannar District General Hospital last night. Minister of Health Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the probe via a statement on ‘X’. Meanwhile, the Mannar Police has also launched a probe into the death of the pregnant woman and her child. The Police told Newswire that a 27-year-old woman from Mannar had been admitted to the hospital for childbirth on Monday night. more..

Nov 20 (AD) A suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident where the driver of a private company providing cash in transit services had made off with over Rs. 70 million in cash which was being transported in the Minuwangoda area. The suspect was arrested last evening in the Kaduwangaha area of Gampaha during a joint operation by the Gampaha Division Crimes Bureau and Minuwangoda Police. At the time of his arrest, police officers found 5 grams and 420 mg more..

Nov 20 (AD) Former State Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilleyan has left the CID, a short while ago, after providing a statement for around 5 hours. Pilleyan arrived at the CID this morning to provide a statement pertaining to an investigation regarding the controversial documentary aired by British TV network Channel 4 on the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks in SL. On Nov 12, the former Chief Minister of EP more..

Nov 20 (AD) The Court of Appeal has upheld the death sentence given to Geeganagamage Amarasiri alias Julampitiye Amare who was accused of shooting and killing of two persons at a JVP rally in June 2012. This verdict was issued when an appeal filed by the accused through his attorneys, seeking an order to acquit and release him, was taken up before the two-member Appeals Court judge bench comprising Justices P. Kumaran and Sampath Abeykoon today (20). more..

Nov 20 (EN) Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Vijitha Herath said the new National People’s Power government is committed to working with India to strengthen bilateral ties. “I also wish to reiterate our commitment to work with India to further strengthen our civilizational links & the excellent bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” Herath said on social platform X. He was responding to India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s congratulatory message. more..

Nov 20 (DM) A 14-member team from the Saving Animals from Extinction (SAFE) Sloth Bear Programme of the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums is currently in SL. The programme aims to educate, train and support ongoing sloth bear research and conservation efforts conducted by the SL Wildlife Conservation Society, as well as assist the Wildlife Conservation Dept in providing medical treatment to sloth bears. Team has also brought valuable medical supplies to support more..