Nov 30 (UCAN) Catholic Church officials along with rights activists have criticized the appointment of an officer accused of negligence during the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings as SL’s new IGP. Deshabandu Tennakoon was promoted to the post of Acting IGP by Prez on Nov. 29 after the retirement of C.D. Wickramaratne from the post. “We strongly reject the appointment as the biggest insult to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks,” more..

Nov 30 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has left the island to attend the COP28 World Leaders Summit to be held in Dubai, UAE. The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP28) will be held from November 30 until December 12 with the aim of tackling pressing climate change issues and addressing critical decisions. SL leader, accompanied by 3 ministers, 2 opposition MPs and 20 young participants passionate about environmental concerns, will take part in more..

Nov 30 (AD) The petition brought forth against former Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe over alleged contempt of court has been fixed for hearing on Jan 3, 2024. During today’s proceedings, Appeals Court instructed Ranasinghe to file his objections, if any, on or before Dec 15. Petition had been filed by Attorney-at-Law Dimitri Pietrangeli, alleging that a statement made by the former minister in during a recent parliamentary session was prejudicial to the President of the Appeals Court, more..

Nov 30 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Senior DIG Deshabandu Thennakoon as the acting IGP after months of speculation as to who would get the seat. The appointment has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising Thennakoon's experience and expertise saying it will be valuable in leading the police force and implementing strategies to curb crime, while others have expressed concerns about more..

Nov 30 (AD) The Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Alibrahim, has announced that the country’s national carrier Saudia, formally known as Saudi Arabian Airlines, would recommence flights to SL very soon. Announcing the matter, Saudi Minister Faisal bin Alibrahim also took into note that the resumption of flights to Sri Lanka will contribute to capturing a sizable market of affluent Saudi travelers to SL, SL Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. more..

Nov 30 (AD) Programme to establish condom vending machines making it easy for members of the public to have access to condoms as a measure to prevent HIV/AIDS. Director of the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Dr. Janaki Vidanapathirana explained that this measure is being taken in a bid to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Programme of establishing Smart Condom Vending Machines at public places was launched in the year 2017, however, more..

Nov 30 (DM) Uganda will become only the fifth African nation to feature in a ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. With five wins from their six games, Uganda have ensured a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier and booked their tickets for the T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies and USA. This will be their first-ever appearance in an ICC World Cup event. In the qualifier, Uganda overcame Tanzania in their opening game by a comfortable margin of eight wickets. more..

Nov 30 (AD) The US has welcomed the in-principle agreement reached between SL and the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) on specific financing terms to restructure the island nation’s debt in line with the parameters set in the IMF program. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the US Ambassador in Colombo, Julie Chung said this agreement supports a viable path to economic stability for SL. Chung emphasized that the agreement on debt restructuring and sound economic policies more..

Nov 30 (EN) Around 700 families of missing persons from around the world connected to share their experiences at the third International Conference for Families of Missing Persons on Nov 21-23. The forum brought together families whose loved ones have gone missing due to armed conflict, migration, or other situations of violence. “37 families of missing persons from all communities in SL joined from Colombo, Vavuniya and Batticaloa more..

Nov 30 (FT) Let’s not over dramatise and or politicise yesterday’s removal of the portfolios of Sports and Irrigation of Roshan Ranasinghe (RR). At the outset let me declare total impartiality, no supporter of either RR or Shammi Silva. I am only concerned about the future of Sri Lankan sports, cricket in particular. Whether one likes it or not Shammi and SLC Admin team were voted in a legally accepted election and duly sanctioned by the world governing body of cricket, the ICC. more..

Nov 30 (EN) SL’s 12-month inflation in the capital Colombo rose to 3.4% in November 2023, from 1.5% in October, state statistics office said. The widely watched Colombo Consumer Price Index grew 1% in the month to 193.4 points with electricity and housing sub-index growing 4% following an electricity tariff hike. The food index grew 0.3 points to 230.3 but the 12-month change was down 3.6%. Colombo Consumer Price Index has grown only 2.1% since monetary stability was reached more..

Nov 30 (AD) Pastor Jerome Fernando has reportedly left the CID, a short while ago, after providing a statement for around 08 hours. The self-styled prophet, who was under fire for his much-disputed comments on several religions during sermon, made an appearance at the CID this morning, as per the court orders, to record a statement with the CID’s Cyber Crime Investigation Division within 48 hours of his arrival in SL. more..

Nov 30 (EN) Transport and highways minister Dr Bandula Gunawardena said that steps are underway to digitalize functions of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) within the next year. “The govt is working to implement many digital projects in the SLTB in the coming year,” Gunawardena said at the presentation of appointment letters to a group of new drivers and conductors recruited to fill vacancies. “All new appointees should be determined to work towards that,” more..

Nov 30 (DM) Patients who had received the controversial substandard immunoglobulin medicine should be screened for Aids and hepatitis B, former State Health Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said. He said that controversial immunoglobulin medicine is a blood-based product and therefore could pose a serious health risk for those who had received it. Prof. Jayasumana said a drastic increase in the spread of Aids could be observed in the country during the past few years where more..

Nov 30 (EN) SL is likely to maintain the exempt status from value added tax for electricity, kerosene and naptha, Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena said. “There the policy would be to remove the exceptions; except electricity, kerosens and naptha,” he told an economic forum organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. There are a number of taxes on petrol and diesel including excise tax, & border taxes. “We are considering removing, or reducing, PAL more..

Nov 30 (FT) The welcome Supreme Court judgment pertained to the Gotabaya presidency (2019-2022) during which Mahinda was deprived of his powers by his irrational sibling. Demanding the deprivation of Gotabaya’s civic rights is righteous (criminally wrecked harvests, lethally exploding gas cylinders, fatally interminable queues). Demanding that Mahinda’s civic rights be removed isn’t. I write as someone treated unfairly and unwisely by Mahinda who succumbed to pressure and removed more..

Nov 30 (CT) Although the CIABOC received 4,415 complaints from January 2022 to Sept 2023, only two of these complaints have been resolved, MP Dullas Alahapperuma revealed in Parliament. Alahapperuma submitted a question for Oral Answers on this issue, and he is scheduled to receive a response only in late Jan 2024. Expressing concern about the significant delays in resolving complaints by the Bribery Commission, more..

Nov 30 (FT) The Catholic Church yesterday expressed its displeasure over the President’s decision to appoint Senior DIG Deshabandu Tennekoon as the Acting Inspector General of Police. Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith condemned and rejected the appointment with deep disgust. The Archbishop said the appointment is the greatest insult to victims of the Easter Sunday attack. He highlighted that the President’s Commission of Inquiry into more..

Nov 30 (Island) The French Development Agency’s (Agence Française de Développement also known as AFD) Regional Directorate is strengthening its base in Sri Lanka in line with the commemoration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and France. It also marks the enduring partnership between AFD Group and its Sri Lankan partners, which began in 2005 when supporting the post-tsunami reconstruction. AFD, which finances the public sector, NGOs, research and training, more..

Nov 30 (TM) SL has received seven expressions of interest (EOIs) to invest in direct and indirect aviation-related business ventures at the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) which will be finalised in two weeks, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said. He said that they had received the seven EOIs from the private sector. These are being evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Committee, which will make a final announcement more..

Nov 30 (TM) With the intervention of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL), the issues pertaining to the appointment and transfer of principals in the North-Western Province have been resolved, stated the Ceylon Principals’ Union (CPU). CPU had recently filed a complaint with the HRCSL regarding the alleged appointment and transfer of principals in the NWP based on the wishes of politicians, without following the procedure adopted by the relevant Provincial Council in 2010. more..

Nov 30 (DN) SL will have several new Free Trade Agreements and already the country has successfully concluded the FTA with Singapore, said Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the opening ceremony of the Economic Summit in Colombo. “Our intention is to extend this initiative by expressing our desire to open discussions for an FTA with Malaysia. We have also resumed talks with India and they have conveyed that they prefer separate agreements for investment and trade. more..

Nov 30 (Island) Grievance handling in Human Resource Management (HRM) refers to the process by which employee complaints, concerns, or disputes are formally addressed and resolved. The goal is to provide a structured channel for employees to express their concerns or report issues they are facing in the workplace for the benefit of the company, the management and the employees. True to those values, the International Labour Organization (ILO) recently invited more..

Nov 30 (TM) The SJB proposed to the Govt to hold the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary Elections on the same day in order to reduce the related expenditure. SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said that the SJB is ready to support if any new legislation should be passed in this regard. He also said that this proposal would reduce the cost of Elections at a time when the Govt is postponing Elections claiming that the country is not in a position to make such expenditure. more..

Nov 30 (FT) Sri Lanka’s External Debt Restructuring (EDR) yesterday achieved what the Govt described as a landmark step with an agreement reached in principle with the Official Creditor Committee on treatment of debt worth $ 5.9 billion. The agreement in principle consists of a mix of long-term maturity extension and reduction in interest rates, Finance Ministry said. “This agreement marks a landmark step for Sri Lanka. more..

Nov 30 (Island) Fitch Ratings expects greater divergence in the performance of banking sectors in Asia Pacific (APAC) in 2024, with five countries set to report broadly improving results and three to see deterioration. These outlooks stand in contrast to those leading into 2023, when we projected a broadly stable performance for the vast majority of APAC banking sectors, with only our outlook on Sri Lanka judged to be deteriorating at that time. The difference in outlooks is particularly more..

Nov 30 (DN) The tough reform agenda currently carried out by the government in many sectors including the unbundling of the energy sector must be applauded, said Country Director for SL, ADB Takafumi Kadono on day two of SL Economic summit organized by Ceylon Chamber of Commerce in Colombo yesterday. He however said that more powers should be given to the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) and a system should be created where they could act more more..

Nov 30 (DN) “My target is to build a Badminton complex with all facilities and organise an Int'l-standard national championship next year in 2024. I hope to find a suitable location or building for this Badminton Complex,” said SL Badminton President Rohan de Silva at the 71st National Badminton Championship press conference held at the 80′ Club. 71st National Badminton Championship has attracted more than 1000 shuttlers, and all leading ranking players are expected to participate more..

Nov 30 (DN) Unbeaten Colombo South U15 emerged champion of the SL Youth Under 15 Cricket tournament conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket yesterday. Unbeaten Colombo South U15 beat Colombo North U15 by runs in the final played at MCA on yesterday. 5 Super province teams participated in this tournament named Colombo South U15, Colombo North U15, Galle U15, Kandy U15 and Dambulla U15. Colombo South U15 and Colombo North U15 entered the final as more..

Nov 30 (Island) No country could be described as democratic if there is no separation of powers that ensures one branch of govt does not exceed its powers, former head of the HRCSL Prof. Deepika Udagama said. “The three branches of govt, i.e., the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, must keep an eye on each other so that there is a balance. The 1978 Constitution centered power on the executive president. more..

Nov 30 (FT) SCB CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri underscored the need for a bankruptcy court in the country to address debt repayment challenges faced by individuals and businesses. Speaking at the CCC SL Economic Summit 2023, Thewarathanthri explained that having a dedicated court for bankruptcy proceedings would provide a structured and fair mechanism for resolving financial difficulties preventing the premature demise of businesses without exploring alternatives. more..

Nov 30 (Island) If any student growing up wants to learn how to create a brand of your own, what Percy did can be an example, not necessarily replicating what he did which is his own unique benchmark- a hard act to follow. The point I’m trying to make is that one should not be afraid to establish one’s identity following their passion, but do it the way he did- relentlessly, which eventually became a global one-man-brand that is most extraordinary. It is time that we recognize such a personality, more..