Dec 13 (Island) British Council inaugurated its flagship project, Youth-Led Green and Inclusive Businesses, in partnership with four state universities, Uni of Peradeniya, Uni of Kelaniya, Uni of Sri J'pura and Uni of Uva-Wellassa during an event held recently. This initiative is designed to equip university students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to lead transformative changes in their workplaces and enterprises, fostering sustainable and environmentally conscious more..

Dec 13 (NW) The foundation stone was laid today for a 42-storey apartment complex developed in partnership with members of SL’s 1996 Cricket World Cup-winning team. The plot of land located on Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha in Pelawatte, will feature 240 housing units, with each floor named after a cricketer from the iconic team. Arjuna Ranatunga, captain of the 1996 World Cup-winning team laid the foundation stone. “In 1996 then Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga granted 14 more..

Dec 13 (DM) The annual loss to SL due to corruption in govt tender procurements is estimated to be at around 1% of the country’s GDP, according to Verité Research. Based on a 20% cost escalation of SL’s procurement expenditure, the think tank said the loss amounts to approximately Rs. 300 billion if the 2023 expenditure figures are considered. To support the estimation, Verité Research shared that out of 34 public more..

Dec 13 (EN) State-run CEB has recommended to the govt to go ahead with a tender for a floating liquefied natural gas terminal that will allow power generation costs to be slashed, Chairman Tilak Siyambalapitiya said. The tender for a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) to be built offshore of Kerawalapitiya was called in 2021. The tender involved an FSRU on a built operate own basis and a compatible mooring system on a built operate own and transfer (BOOT) basis. more..

Dec 13 (TM) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) reassured the public that they have adequate fuel despite a ship carrying fuel meant for the country being turned away by the company that placed the order for the same. “We have adequate supplies of fuel so we would like to tell the public not to worry,” CPC and the Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminals Limited Chairperson D.J.A.S. De S. Rajakaruna said at a press conference held yesterday at the Govt Information Dept. more..

Dec 13 (Island) Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra said that Sri Lanka would receive a lot of positive news after President Anura Kumara Disanayake’s visit to India. When asked the deputy foreign minister several questions related to the Prez’s visit to India from Dec 15 to 17, which is set to take place following an invitation from the Indian govt. The following are some comments made by the deputy foreign minister during the programme. more..

Dec 13 (FT) Aitken Spence emerged as the overall winner and received the prestigious Grand Slam Award for winning the award five times at the Best Corporate Citizen Sustainability Awards (BCCSA) 2024 organised by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. This is a remarkable milestone for the organisation that has been a pioneer in sustainability as a corporate strategy in SL. Moreover, Aitken Spence is the only corporate in SL to be ranked among the Top 10 Corporate Citizens for more..

Dec 13 (TM) Close to 180 public-private partnership (PPP) projects valued at $ 5.3 billion have reached a financial close in Sri Lanka in 33 years, with only a few investments exceeding $ 15 million, Asian Development Bank (ADB) said. According to the Public-Private Partnership Monitor by ADB, during 1990-2023, 179 PPP projects reached a financial close, most of which concerned power (162 projects) and ports (five projects). more..

Dec 13 (DN) US Embassy Colombo announced the achievement of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, becoming the 50th building in Sri Lanka to earn this globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. The U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED green building program recognizes energy efficiency, water management, waste reduction, and indoor environmental quality execution in the built environment. more..

Dec 13 (Island) All eyes will be on new entrants to rugby Sri Lions Sports Club when they debut in the 2024/25 Inter-club league rugby tournament in Kandy on Sunday (15). Sri Lions are slated to take on last season’s league tournament runners-up Kandy Sports Club at the Nittawela grounds. Despite Sri Lions SC being new to domestic rugby, a thriller is expected; as the team is packed with players who are well drilled at training and other reason being all players possess an IRB Level 1 qualification. more..

Dec 13 (FT) Investors in the Colombo stock market appear to show growing signs of attraction to Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake-influenced optimism with its value soaring by Rs. 1 trillion since his election and the benchmark index yesterday crossing the 14,000-points level for the first time in its history. Sustaining the indices in green for the 13th consecutive day, benchmark ASPI and active S&P SL20 yesterday gained by 1% more..

Dec 13 (Island) The winds are a-changing in civil aviation and at SriLankan Airlines. Our national airline is now under the Ministry of Finance, directly under the control of the Prez, instead of the Ministry of Aviation. We have to wait and see whether it will improve matters. It will certainly carry a few possible risks and pitfalls. Some say that the situation in SriLankan Airlines cannot fall any lower. These risks must be properly managed and mitigated, because in civil aviation there is always more..

Dec 13 (DM) Geminids Meteor shower will be visibe to SL at its peak on Dec 14. Geminids is annually active in December and considered to be one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year. Geminids originate from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. When the Earth passes through the debris of the asteroid they collide with the Earth's atmosphere and create Geminids meteors. Tbe meteors appear to emerge from the constellation Gemini and is visible when looking at the Gemini constellation more..

Dec 13 (Island) Opposition continues to crank up pressure on Speaker Asoka Ranwala to resign over what it calls his false claim to have a doctorate. NPP govt may have expected its opponents’ campaign against the Speaker to fizzle out with the passage of time. In this country, controversies crop up at such a rate that one finds it well-nigh impossible to keep track of them, and that may be the reason why the govt has chosen to remain silent on the issue of the Speaker’s educational qualifications. more..

Dec 13 (TM) A few years ago, Sri Lanka set an ambitious target of reaching 70% of her energy needs through renewable energy by 2030. While the policy declaration by the Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa drew much attention from foreign leaders, industry giants, scientists, and environmentalists, the enthusiasm of the Govt’s power generation mechanism towards the set goal was lukewarm. There is little doubt that the energy establishment has resisted the push to bring onboard more..

Dec 13 (ST) The recent persistent heavy rains have led to a noticeable increase in prices of vegetables at wet markets. Vendors at Pettah market expressed frustration, attributing the price increase to flooded farmlands. “Many fields are waterlogged, and crops are either damaged or completely destroyed. This limits our supply and forces us to raise prices,” said Sunil Perera, a long-time vendor. more..

Dec 13 (DN) Rain once again disrupted the Lanka T10 Super League matches on the second day at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Only 3.3 overs were bowled in the first match between Kandy Bolts and Nuwara Eliya Kings, while the second game between Galle Marvels and Hambantota Bangla Tigers was abandoned without a ball being bowled. In the first game, Kandy Bolts were invited to bat. Pathum Nissanka started aggressively, scoring an unbeaten 26 off 11 balls more..

Dec 13 (FT) The Advocata Institute has applauded the recent policy action by the Government to provide a cash transfer of Rs. 6,000 to school children from vulnerable groups to assist them in purchasing school stationery for the upcoming 2025 academic year. “This policy move reflects a thoughtful and impactful approach to addressing pressing social challenges without compromising Sri Lanka’s fiscal sustainability,” Advocata said in a statement. more..

Dec 13 (ST) As Prez Sahodara Anura Kumara Dissanayake prepares to call on neighbouring India, his first official visit abroad in a few days, he is taking his first step into what could well turn into a foreign quagmire in the coming years, if not months. As I said last week, it has become traditional now for Sri Lanka’s leaders, including the president and prime minister, to head north and pay respects to the huge, quickly growing economic and military power just a few miles to the north of us. more..

Dec 13 (CT) On 21 Aug 2024 Colombo Telegraph published an article titled, Will the Old Order Accept AKD Victory? The reason for raising that question then was because, of all the 39 contestants in the race for Presidency, including the two front runners Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) and Sajith Premadasa (SP), only AKD stood for something radically different. While all the others had exhibited no understanding of the root cause of the poly-crises that plagued the nation and more..

Dec 13 (TM) On Friday (6), the new Govt passed its expenditure estimates or the Vote on Account without a vote in Parliament, managing to secure its expenses for the first four months of 2025. However, this mini budget is a test of Govt expectations and forecasts for 2025, as well as the first step towards Budget 2025 due in February next year. Although the Vote on Account only depicts numbers, these numbers tell more..

Dec 13 (FT) Traditionally recognised in the fields of agriculture and tourism, Sri Lanka has often been overlooked as a hub for technological innovation. Twinery, the innovation arm of global apparel tech leader MAS Holdings, is redefining this narrative as it announces the granting of its 100th utility patent. As a leading innovation powerhouse in Sri Lanka, Twinery brings together scientists, engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs to transform the human-textile interface. more..

Dec 13 (CT) The establishment of the Food Policy and Security Committee under the Prez Secretariat is a decisive move by SL to address the nation’s pressing food security challenges. Announced on 10 Dec, this initiative reflects the govt’s commitment to ensuring that every citizen has access to affordable and nutritious food. While this marks a critical step forward, the challenges surrounding food security demand sustained effort and a holistic approach to address systemic vulnerabilities. more..

Dec 13 (DM) Uva Pathanbima, which includes the Nilgala Forest, one of the four unique ecological zones native to SL, has yet to be gazetted as a protected forest. As a result, the forest is rapidly falling prey to chena cultivators, according to Monaragala Sobha Padanama Organization. Nilgala Forest, which is not safeguarded under Forest Ordinance, Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance, or National Heritage Wilderness more..

Dec 13 (DM) Book publishers in Sri Lanka are up in arms against the existing Value Added Tax (VAT) that’s charged on books. There is a saying Reading maketh a full man. But this saying by philosopher Francis Bacon might not be applicable to Sri Lanka in the future. Publishing books in Sri Lanka is a challenge given that there is a charge of 18% as VAT on books, which publishers deem as exorbitant. VAT is charged from the raw materials imported, then the process goes on to tax more..

Dec 13 (DM) The crisis unfolding in Syria is indeed a major geopolitical quake, the likes of which the Middle East has not seen since the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the balkanisation of the region into more than a dozen nation-states some 105 years ago in keeping with the Western imperialists’ sinister design to divide and rule the Arabs. After the ouster of the oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad, the tectonic plates beneath the Middle East are shifting, creating a new reality— more..

Dec 12 (TM) Stocks of rice imported by private importers have been released into the market. It is reported that the first consig of rice, which arrived in the country yesterday (11), has been cleared by Customs. On December 03, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal to allow the import of rice without import control permits until 20 December 2024, in view of the current shortage of several rice varieties in the local markets. more..

Dec 12 (TM) The former Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) and incumbent Head of the Legal Dept at the Uni of Peradeniya, Prof. Deepika Udagama emphasised the importance of promoting civic education and economic rights among citizens. She made these remarks during an event held on Tuesday to mark the International Human Rights Day under the theme Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now. Delivering the keynote speech, stressed the need for stronger civic education to protect human rights. more..

Dec 12 (EN) Sri Lanka’s central bank has issued a notice calling for banks and financial institutions to record the unique identification numbers of depositors before the deadline on December 31. “It is advised that all individuals and entities obtain the required identification or registration documents from the relevant authorities and update their unique identification number information with the applicable Licensed Banks and Finance Companies,” the notice said. more..

Dec 12 (AD) Three individuals from the same family have been injured and a young girl has died in a fatal accident that occurred near the Pinnaduwa interchange on the Southern Expressway. The police said the incident had occurred last night. The driver of the car, travelling from Kottawa towards Palatuwa, is said to have fallen asleep at the wheel causing the vehicle to crash into the back of a lorry travelling in the same direction between 100 L and 100.1 L on the Southern Expressway. more..

Dec 12 (DM) The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Sri Lanka Police has launched an inquiry into reports alleging that an Army Intelligence officer was responsible for the injuries sustained by police officers during a protest outside the Isurupaya building in Battaramulla. The incident occurred on December 2, when School Development Officers, protesting for permanent teacher appointments, clashed with the police. Three officers were injured by a sharp weapon during the unrest. more..