Nov 23 (SO) It is rare for a country leader to stroll to the seat of an award-winner at a film festival. In a heartwarming gesture, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, on Nov 14, at Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, took a nostalgic stroll from his seat to where the veteran songstress Nanda Malini was seated and personally presented her with the Best Singer award 2022 at the Presidential Film Awards 2023. The Award was presented for her vocal rendition of the theme song of the movie The Newspaper. more..

Nov 23 (ST) In the world of swimming, records are not just broken; they are shattered by those who dare to dream big and possess the unwavering determination to turn their dreams into reality. Florington Dian Frido, a name that will soon be etched in the annals of history, was born on December 6, 2008, and is a testament to the power of ambition and dedication. At the tender age of 14, this young swimming prodigy achieved something truly remarkable, setting a new Asian record by more..

Nov 23 (FT) Eight parties have expressed keenness to acquire the Govt�s 51.34% stake in The Lanka Hospitals Corporation. The eight parties responding were several existing firms in the healthcare industry including Asiri and Hemas and the other local firm is Sunshine Holdings. Among foreign parties speculated were India�s Apollo and Kauvery and from UK and Malaysia. The deadline for Request for Qualification (RFQ) was on Tuesday and according to SOEs Restructuring Unit (SRU), more..

Nov 23 (Island) A famous artiste once incurred much public opprobrium by arguing that the then Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa was of the same royal lineage as Prince Siddhartha. We lack expertise in genealogy, and therefore cannot either confirm or deny the veracity of such claims but the reason SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa has given for his absence in Parliament, on Tuesday, when a vote was taken on the second reading of Budget 2024, makes one wonder whether the SLPP leaders are descendants of P.T. Barnum, more..

Nov 23 (Island) The abstention from voting recently by some foremost powers of the vital UN Security Council on a crucial resolution relating to the wellbeing of the people of the Gaza Strip, helped focus on the vexatious issues central to the Israel-Hamas war which are driving the world apart. The abstention from voting by the US, Russia and UK, highlighted, among other matters, a crisis faced by humanity in the present world disorder. Parts of the resolution underscored the need for: more..

Nov 23 (Island) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has shifted the Under-19 World Cup which was to be staged in Colombo to South Africa leaving Sri Lanka Cricket in the lurch. The 16-nation tournament would have helped the country in many ways. The cricketing infrastructure would have received a major boost while the fans would have had a first-hand experience of seeing the sport�s future stars and Sri Lankan players would have loved playing in home conditions. more..

Nov 23 (DN) The International Cricket Council�s (ICC) Board has made four key decisions concerning the sport of cricket. The decisions were taken at the ICC Board�s meeting that took place in Ahmedabad, India recently. The four key decisions are as follows; l Transgender women have been banned from international women�s cricket. The International Cricket Council said its priority was to protect the integrity of the international women�s game and the safety of players. more..

Nov 23 (TM) NBRO said that it had advised the Ministry of Education on what action should be taken on some of the hazardous buildings found in many schools throughout the island. Following the death of a six-year-old female student due to the collapse of a wall in a school in Wellampitiya last week, Ministry and other related authorities were blamed by many parties for not taking necessary action in time regarding many similar hazardous buildings in schools. more..

Nov 23 (CI) Chamari Athapaththu, who has been in the middle of a sensational run of form, has been signed up by Northern Brave for the 2023-24 women's Super Smash competition, with the team calling it a huge coup. SL stalwart Athapaththu is playing in the WBBL for Sydney Thunder, and is currently the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament across teams with a tally of 451 runs from 12 innings at an average of 45.10 and strike rate of 134.62, behind only Perth Scorchers' Beth Mooney, more..

Nov 23 (DN) The recently concluded Asian Masters� Athletic Championships held in the scenic New Clark City, Philippines, saw the SL team achieve remarkable success. SL athletes showcased their exceptional skills and determination, securing a total of 84 medals, including an impressive 25 golds, 34 silvers, and 25 bronzes. Asian Masters� Athletic Championships served as a platform for athletes from different nations to come together, compete, and celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship. more..

Nov 23 (Island) Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC, yesterday said that Parliament like other institutions should bear responsibility for the unprecedented economic crisis caused during Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s administration. Minister Sabry said so when The Island sought his response as regards the responsibility of Parliament for the developing situation against the backdrop of the country being bankrupted mainly due to overall mismanagement of the economy. more..

Nov 23 (CT) �Excise Dept is working to streamline the liquor licence issuance system to align with revenue goals outlined in the 2024 Budget. As part of this effort, they have granted a new liquor licence to Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, recognised as the leading entity in Sri Lanka�s beer industry,� Departmental media spokesperson Kapila Kumarasinghe told Finance Today. �We issued a fresh liquor licence to Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC a few months ago, and they will soon commence operations,� he said. more..

Nov 23 (FT) People�s Bank yesterday announced the results for its nine-months period ended 30 Sept 2023, with total consolidated operating income and pre-tax profit was Rs. 67.6 billion and Rs. 11.4 billion, respectively. Due to the higher cost of term deposit funding, which stemmed from the high interest rate environment which prevailed during much of 2022, consolidated net interest income slipped to Rs. 44.6 billion during the nine-months ended 30 Sept 2023. more..

Nov 23 (FT) SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), under Ministry of Tourism and Lands welcomed World�s Top Travel Influencer Nusier Yassin also known as Nas Daily to promote SL as one of best travel destinations in the World to travel. As part of this exclusive social media-based campaign with SLTPB, Nas Daily social platforms where they have over 67 million followers base worldwide, will be posting various destination promotional posts, videos and stories to inspire social media savvy more..

Nov 23 (DN) Ambassador of the United States to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, acknowledged the resilience of the Sri Lankan people, the abatement of inflation, and the gradual reduction of shortages at the seventh annual general meeting of the Sri Lanka � USA Business Council (SLUSABC) of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. The Ambassador of the US recognized the challenging journey that Sri Lanka has traversed since the previous annual general meeting in August of the previous year. more..

Nov 23 (TM) Dept of Agriculture has stated that it is not possible to import Keeri Samba � a local rice variety � as it is not grown in any other country, in the wake of reports that the Cabinet has given approval to import 100,000 metric tonnes (MT) of Keeri Samba and Samba rice in view of the upcoming festival season. Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana said that the Cabinet had granted approval for the said importation. He said that the decision had been taken to meet more..

Nov 23 (DM) Using antibiotics without a doctor's prescription could cause the death of necessary bacteria that are needed for the survival of the body, and the diseases caused by the creation of resistant bacteria in the body spreading throughout society could cause death for everyone within about 50 years, Paediatrician Dr. Deepal Perera said. Commenting on the World Antibiotic Awareness Week from Nov 18 to 24, he further said that the world's antimicrobial experts have discovered more..

Nov 23 (DM) A vote was called for the Prez�s expenditure head by the NPP. The division was called by NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake creating a dramatic moment during the first day of the committee stage debate on the budget. MP said his party decided to call for a division as their school of thought was that it was not proper for the House to allocate funds for former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa who have been held responsible for the country�s economic downturn by the Supreme Courts. more..

Nov 23 (TM) CEB United Trade Union Alliance (CEBUTUA) is to launch a public seminar series in order to make citizens aware of Govt�s alleged attempt to privatise the electricity sector through the proposed electricity sector reforms Bill. CEBUTUA Convenor Ranjan Jayalal said that the seminar series is scheduled to start from the Laxapana area on 29 Nov and that it is to hold several public campaigns in districts such as Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee, Kurunegala, Kalutara, more..

Nov 23 (TM) A group of Northern fishermen yesterday revealed that they have planned to hold discussions with Southern fishermen in order to consider collective measures to a host of issues faced by SL�s fisheries community. They claimed that the Budget 2024 has failed to provide the much needed support for the economic crisis-affected fisheries sector, while the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Amendment) Bill is likely to have several forms of negative impacts on the sector. more..

Nov 23 (TM) The TNA of the Parliamentary Opposition said that the Legislature is yet to appoint a member to the Constitutional Council (CC) representing the ethnic minorities, even though this matter had been raised on many an occasion. TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran said that even though they had named TNA MP Dharmalingam Sithadthan for the vacant seat of the CC, Speaker of the Parliament and more..

Nov 23 (CT) Ministry of Education, yesterday, informed the Supreme Court that the G.C.E. A/L Examination 2023 will not be postponed, dispelling any uncertainties surrounding its schedule. Accordingly, the exam will be held from 4 � 31 January 2024. The Supreme Court, addressing Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions that called for the postponement of the 2024 A/L Examination, dismissed one petition yesterday . Simultaneously, the petitioners withdrew the other petition. more..

Nov 23 (FT) Govt of Japan has agreed to provide grant assistance worth Rs. 435 million (� 200 million) to empower the fisheries industry in Northern and Eastern provinces. This funding is part of the Japanese Govt�s Economic and Social Development Program to provide supportive equipment for the fisheries industry. Objective of this grant aid to develop cold chain facilities and equip the fisheries sector with modern electronic equipment and, thereby realising high value-added marine more..

Nov 23 (TM) Claiming that the officials of the Parliament's Department of Serjeant-at-Arms did not take adequate measures to prevent State Minister Sanath Nishantha from snatching a file of his (SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa) during the Parliamentary session on Tuesday (21), Premadasa raised concerns over the security of MPs within the Parliamentary premises. The incident of a group of ruling SLPP MPs disrupting more..

Nov 23 (FT) The victory of the economic rightist presidential candidate in Argentina, a Trump-Bolsonaro clone who will certainly polarise and destabilise Argentina in the coming years and eventually generate a left-Peronist backlash and outcome, should not mislead SL readers. He was running against the Peronist govt and its centrist Finance Minister. If you run against a centre-left govt as an Opposition candidate, you can do so from the populist Right and win because more..

Nov 23 (FT) It is alleged that this Budget is an election budget; the borrowings are continued; and there is only excessive taxation, selling and borrowing. When reviewing the summary of the Budget it is evident that the Budget was prepared in line with the indicators of the IMF. The figures in Table 1 were extracted from the Annexures I and II of the Budget speech. There are slight differences between the figures in those annexures. According to Table 1 total income is Rs. 4,164 billion and more..

Nov 23 (FT) Urban Island, a brand with a compelling 16-year journey that began at a design school in Sri Lanka, opened its first permanent boutique in Toronto�s charming Rosedale neighbourhood. Urban Island�s story is one that embodies passion, craft and a commitment to making a difference. What started as a movement at the Academy of Design (AOD) in Sri Lanka has blossomed into a brand that seeks to share its vision with like-minded individuals and supporters. more..

Nov 23 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa were engaged in heated arguments over several matters in Parliament today. During the arguments between the duo, the Opposition Leader alleged that those who manage mikes and video cameras were not acting partially. �The people who are managing the mikes and the video cameras are not acting partially. Please instruct the Chair to ensure that the videography is done in the proper order. more..

Nov 23 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe says there was no evidence indicating that the Chinese research vessels that had docked in Sri Lanka were spy ships. �We asked for evidence, and there was none. These were civilian ships.� SL leader said the island nation would not allow spy ships to make port calls here. Responding to a question on the arrival of two Chinese research vessels in Sri Lanka amidst more..

Nov 23 (AD) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recruited and extended the services of several experts to assist in the reform process of SL�s electricity sector. Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, on Wednesday, met with officials of the reform secretariat, to discuss the next steps required to be followed for the reform process. Accordingly, the Minister stated that ADB has recruited and extended the services of Dr. Pankaj Batra, former Chairman of Central Electricity Authority of India to assist more..

Nov 23 (EN) MP Rauff Hakeem has opposed Sri Lanka�s plans to send 10,000 workers to belligerent Israel. Minister Bandula Gunawardena said this week that cabinet approved a plan to send workers to Israel�s agriculture sector. �Sending our workers to a country that is committing war crimes is like sending workers to nazi Germany, when Hitler was killing jews, and there were labour shortages,� Hakeem said. �We are forgetting the atrocities being committed in the occupied territories today.� more..

Nov 23 (Island) Historically, SL govts have failed to reduce the budget deficit, SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne says. SL govts have consistently looked at maximising revenue but paid minimal attention to curtailing expenditure, MP Wickramaratne has said. Even the IMF had not factored in state expenditures when the latest bailout programme was designed, he said. Compared to the 2022 budget, state expenditure had increased by 47% for 2024, more..

Nov 23 (DM) A PC attached to the Jaela police fell into a canal and drowned during his attempt to arrest a suspect who had escaped custody. Police said the suspect had escaped custody and jumped into the Ja-ela canal when the police officers were taking him to the police jeep to be produced before the court. The suspect from Bodhirajarama Road in Jaela had been arrested for possessing heroin. A senior police official said when the suspect in handcuffs had escaped from custody more..

Nov 23 (AD) State Minister Sanath Nishantha has apologised to Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, over his recent unruly behavior in the House. In a letter addressed to the Speaker, MP Nishantha expressed his regret over the incident that occurred inside Parliament on Tuesday, admitting that he should not have acted in such a manner. The state minister says the decision to hold him accountable for the entire incident while allowing Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and more..