Dec 13 (DM) Even though the required stocks of rice have been imported into the country, releasing these stocks to the local market has been difficult due to an increase in Customs duty charged per kilogram, a rice importer said. An importer from the Pettah market in Colombo mentioned that he had imported 500 tons of rice in 20 containers. "As requested by the govt, we imported the rice stocks before Dec 20. However, we are now facing difficulties in releasing the stocks from Customs," more..

Dec 13 (CT) CEB Chairman Tilak Siyambalapitiya stated that the torrential rains over the past two weeks have positively impacted the CEB. He also outlined future plans to reduce electricity costs through a strategic policy framework, emphasising the introduction of additional LNG plants to cut costs by 50% by 2028. Heavy rainfall during Nov and Dec filled catchment areas, while many raised the question of why fuel-based electricity production was not reduced and hydropower used instead. more..

Dec 13 (Hindu) The enduring fisheries conflict in the Palk Bay — which impacts fisher folk of northern Sri Lanka and daily wage fishermen of Tamil Nadu — can be decisively resolved only if the Indian side stops using the destructive bottom-trawling method, according to SL’s Minister of Fisheries Ramalingam Chandrasekar. The fisheries conflict has remained a key diplomatic issue between India and Sri Lanka for many years. more..

Dec 13 (PMD) Canadian Govt has expressed its strong commitment to supporting SL’s initiatives to combat corruption and fraud. This assurance was conveyed by Eric Walsh, the High Commissioner of Canada to SL, during a meeting with the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat today (12). High Commissioner Walsh emphasized Canada’s readiness to share its expertise and experiences in preventing corruption and fraud, more..

Dec 13 (NW) Minister of Ports Bimal Rathnayake says it is important that India’s Adani Group commences development of the West Container Terminal of the Colombo Port. Speaking to the media during a tour of the Colombo Port yesterday, Minister Rathnayake said objections were only raised on the Adani Group’s wind power project in Mannar as it is not feasible for SL. Commenting on the Port project, Minister said that an issue has arisen regarding funding, more..

Dec 13 (ABC) SL's former Deputy High Commissioner to Australia has been ordered to pay a further $117,000 to a domestic worker she paid less than 90 cents a day for three years in Canberra. Priyanka Danaratna came to Canberra in 2015 from Sri Lanka to work as a domestic servant for Deputy HC Himalee Arunatilaka, until she escaped in 2018. She could not read or speak English, and had her passport confiscated more..

Dec 13 (AD) U.S. Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs at the Dept of State, Ambassador Donald Lu, along with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the U.S. Dept of the Treasury, Robert Kaproth, and Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia at the USAID, Anjali Kaur, recently concluded a successful visit to Sri Lanka. During their visit, they engaged in high-level discussions with Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake, PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, more..

Dec 13 (AD) Fraud Investigation Bureau (FIB) has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today that it has initiated an investigation into several candidates that contested the last Prez Election and their representatives who have failed to submit proper expense reports as mandated under the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act. FIB today presented facts before the court in relation to seven complaints filed by the EC regarding non-compliance with the Election Expenditure Act. more..

Dec 13 (AD) Two unidentified individuals who had arrived on a motorcycle have reportedly opened fire at a three-storey house located on Veedi Mawatha in Kandana. During the shooting incident, several bullets had also hit nearby houses while it is reported that a T-56 assault rifle had been used to carry out the shooting. The gunmen had targeted a residence belonging to Ranjith Kumara, also known as Kandane Konda Ranji. It is said that the individual known as Konda Ranji more..

Dec 13 (DN) Parliament will meet only on Tuesday, Dec 17, and Wednesday, Dec 18, said the Secretary General of Parliament, Mrs. Kushani Rohanadeera. The parliamentary business with regard to that week was decided at the Committee on Parliamentary Business held on the 6 th Dec under the chairmanship of the Hon. Speaker. Parliament will meet at 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec 17, and the time from 9.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. has been allotted for Questions for Oral Answers. more..

Dec 13 (DM) Claiming that the govt will not shield anyone who errs, for any reason, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face the consequences. "Our govt is not here to shield anyone who errs, for any reason. Be it within the broader framework of the country or within our administration, anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face the consequences. We will not hesitate to act more..

Dec 13 (AD) SJB parliamentary group, led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, has commenced signing the Motion of No Confidence against the Speaker of Parliament. The SJB alleges that the Speaker, both before and during his campaign for the 2024 parliamentary election, and throughout his tenure as an MP and as the Speaker, has used the title Dr. alongside his name. According to the SJB, this implies he holds a B.Sc. in Chemical and Process Engineering from the Uni of more..

Dec 13 (FT) The SLFP has decided not to contest future elections under the National Democratic Front (NDF) alliance. The decision was confirmed by SLFP Treasurer Lasantha Alagiyawanna yesterday. Alagiyawanna clarified that the party’s Senior Vice President Faiszer Musthapha’s nomination to the National List was part of a pre-election agreement between the parties. Alagiyawanna dismissed allegations of conspiracy surrounding the appointment by coalition partner, the UNP, more..

Dec 13 (EN) SL’s weekly coconut auction was not held for the second consecutive week due to a lack of coconuts, an official has said. “We did not receive enough [coconuts] to have an auction,” a Coconut Development Board official said. Minister of Trade Wasantha Samarasinghe told parliament on December 5, that there was no shortage in the market for coconuts but a shortage being artificially created by a mafia. Samarasinghe was replying to a question raised by SLPP MP D V Chanaka. more..

Dec 13 (FT) Relatives of the late Major General Janaka Perera, including his brother have filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Public Security, urging a renewed investigation into the circumstances surrounding his assassination and that of his wife, Wajira Perera. The couple was killed in a suicide bombing on 6 Oct 2008, in Anuradhapura. Priyantha Perera, a family member, revealed that the relatives have suspicions about the involvement of a particular regional politician more..

Dec 13 (DN) Minister Lal Kantha while thanking Russia for granting a consignment of 55,000 MT of Potassium Chloride fertiliser yesterday said that arrangements have been made to distribute the stock among farmers promptly. He said that the farmers are receiving the fertiliser in addition to the fertiliser subsidy and the Russian grant of fertiliser to SL at this critical juncture will help boost production too. more..

Dec 13 (NW) Russian Ambassador Levan S. Dzhagaryan has alleged that a European country blocked a consignment of free fertilizer to be granted to Sri Lanka under the World Food Programme. The Russian Ambassador revealed the details while addressing an event held to mark the official handing over of free mineral fertilizers to Sri Lanka. Ambassador Dzhagaryan said the Embassy was waiting for the arrival of this consignment of fertilizer for over 2 ½ years. more..

Dec 13 (Island) Defence Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) graced the induction ceremony of the Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft held yesterday at the SLAF base in Ratmalana as the chief guest. Australian High Commissioner to SL, Paul Stephens, and Commander, Joint Agency Task Force (JATF) Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB), Rear Admiral Brett Sonter, were also present at the induction ceremony. The aircraft was recently handed over to the SLAF by the Australian govt. more..

Dec 13 (FT) The recently held Parliamentary elections have resulted in the JVP led NPP winning 159 seats and forming the Govt. The SJB with 40 seats is the chief Opposition party. Ilankai Thamil Arasuk Katchi (ITAK) known in English as the Federal Party (FP) with eight seats became the third largest party in Parliament. The ITAK did remarkably well in the multi-ethnic Eastern Province winning five seats. The party obtained three seats in more..

Dec 13 (TM) Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju shocked the world of chess on Thursday when he became the youngest world champion at the age of just 18. The Chennai-born prodigy defeated defending champion, China's Ding Liren, in a dramatic match staged in Singapore which he had entered as the challenger. The FIDE World Chess Championship carries a $2.5m (£1.96m) prize fund. It marked the peak to date of his career, his greatest moment in a long string of achievements. more..

Dec 13 (NW) The Parliament of SL has clarified details regarding the educational qualifications of Minister of Justice, Attorney-at-Law, Harshana Nanayakkara on the Parliament website, citing erroneous data. Issuing a statement, Director of Legislative Services Jayalath Perera said that recent reports in the media have indicated that the title of Dr. has been mentioned before the name of Minister Harshana Nanayakkara, in the directory of MPs on the Parliament website. more..

Dec 13 (NW) Speaker Asoka Ranwala has tendered his resignation following the controversy surrounding his academic qualifications. Issuing a statement, Ranwala clarified that while he has not made any false claims, he is currently unable to substantiate his academic records due to the absence of certain documents. “I intend to present the academic documents from the research institutes affiliated with Japan’s Waseda Uni more..

Dec 13 (EN) Prez Anura Dissanayake has appointed Harsha Amarasekera as chairman of the Port City Economic Commission. Other members include Damien Amal Cabraal, Mohan Ray Abeywardena, Sanjaya Kulatunga, and Dr Harsha Subasinghe. SL’s China-backed Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill was passed in 2021. Colombo Port City Commission approves large investments such as those that invest in building as primary businesses of strategic importance more..

Dec 13 (FT) In the wake of the Prez and General Elections, the NPP Govt will have to navigate the disinformation and scare tactics that were deployed during the campaign period about reform of the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). The new Govt has a genuine opportunity to lead an inclusive, evidence based, and responsible public discussion on the reform of MMDA. It is important that those in power are clear in their intention, their messaging and their approach to this sensitive but more..

Dec 13 (FT) Dear Mr Secretary; Following was sent to me by a very dedicated, loyal and caring young parent who wishes to remain anonymous due to obvious reasons. I sincerely hope you will study it well and take the most appropriate steps – not only because Royal College is both our alma mater – but because it’s one of the priceless assets of the nation and a lasting legacy left behind by the British Empire! Royal College leadership crisis: A systemic failure at the top? more..

Dec 13 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayaka will travel to India on a State Visit on 15-17 Dec, India’s Ministry of External Affairs announced. According to the Indian Ministry, this will be the first bilateral visit of Prez Dissanayaka to India after the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections in SL. During his visit, Prez Dissanayaka will meet Rashtrapati Ji and hold discussions with PM Shri Narendra Modi on bilateral issues of mutual interest. Prez Dissanayaka will also participate more..

Dec 13 (TM) The NPP party stated that they did not look into their Parliamentary candidates' educational qualifications during the selection process, and will therefore allow the Speaker of the Parliament Ashoka Ranwala to address allegations surrounding the doctorate degree that he claims to possess. Questions about the authenticity of the doctorate from a foreign university that Dr. Ranwala, who entered Parliament from NPP ticket, more..

Dec 13 (FT) Sri Lanka Customs yesterday announced that it has introduced an innovative online portal designed to verify the authenticity of legally imported vehicles. This offers both buyers and sellers a seamless way to ensure the authenticity of their transactions. The portal accessible at https://services.customs.gov.lk/vehicles, aims to mitigate the circulation of illegally imported vehicles in the country and foster transparency more..

Dec 13 (FT) Power and Energy Ministry confirmed that electricity tariffs will remain unchanged for the first half of 2025, citing financial management measures taken to offset expected shortfalls. Speaking at a media briefing organised by the Govt Information Department, Power Sector Reform Secretariat Director General Pubudu Niroshan pointed out that maintaining the existing electricity tariff structure will result in a revenue shortfall of Rs. 39 billion for the CEB. more..

Dec 13 (DN) A Fundamental Rights petition filed by an attorney seeking an order directing the Constitutional Council to approve the recommendation made by former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint the incumbent President of the Court of Appeal, Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, as a Supreme Court Judge was dismissed yesterday by the Supreme Court with two million rupees costs. more..

Dec 13 (NW) An owner of a franchise in the Lanka T10 League has been arrested by SL’s Sports Police Unit following allegations of a fixing approach. “The owner of the Galle Marvels team in the Lanka T10 Super League, was arrested and will be produced before court today” Police confirmed. The arrest was made after a foreign player lodged a complaint, claiming to have been approached with a suspicious offer related to match-fixing. Authorities are now investigating the incident, more..

Dec 13 (CT) Thondaman Vocational Training Centre (TVTC) in Hatton, completed in 2020 at a cost of Rs 199 million, was initially inaugurated during Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency but was left idle for four years. Yesterday, the facility was finally opened to the public by Deputy Minister of Plantation and Estate Infrastructure, Chandralingam Pradeep. Despite being intended to operate during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s tenure, the centre remained unused, with its equipment, halls, and more..