Nov 24 (DN) Chamari Athapaththu, Captain of the SL Women�s Cricket team, shared her enthusiasm for playing in the Women�s Big Bash League (WBBL) as part of the Sydney Thunder team. Athapaththu said her participation in franchise cricket offers valuable exposure, while national duties remains her top priority. Her best performance in this WBBL season, where she has scored over 450 runs with an impressive strike rate, contributing significantly to the success of Sydney Thunder as an all-rounder. more..

Nov 23 (ST) Factories in SL will be increasing salaries of workers by a minimum of Rs.1000 in the coming months which for the first time has not received the traditional endorsement of the Board of Investment (BOI). Private sector factories in the BOI zones have agreed to bring about a wage revision by a minimum of Rs.1000. This has traditionally received the endorsement of the BOI Chairman but this year for the first time this endorsement of a salary revision was not there since more..

Nov 24 (FT) State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya announced that a substantial 86% of the 2023 Budget proposals has been either completed or is in the process of implementation, while acknowledging that 17% proposals are yet to be implemented. Speaking in Parliament yesterday he highlighted that certain proposals are part of medium and long-term plans, extending their execution over multiple years. Responding to a query raised by the Opposition Leader under Standing Order 27 (2) more..

Nov 23 (CT) The on-going rift between the Executive and the Constitutional Council (CC) has seemingly deepened further, as Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe openly criticised the conduct of the CC yesterday and the day before yesterday in Parliament. Prez announced that a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) will be established to investigate the delays caused by the CC in approving appointments to key positions more..

Nov 23 (Island) Dissident SLPP MP Dullas Alahapperuma said that 27,000 soldiers had deserted during the past two years. Participating in 3rd reading debate on Budget under the defence ministry expenditure heads, MP said that the enmasse desertion by service personnel should be taken seriously by the defence authorities. �There seems to be a serious problem here and it warrants immediate attention because there could be dangerous consequences as a result of that more..

Nov 24 (TM) Ministry of Agriculture has ordered the Department of Agriculture to conduct an immediate investigation and provide a report regarding the alleged importation of several types of vegetables and yams that can be grown locally at a cost of $ 293 million. An official of the ministry said that a PM had recently claimed that several types of vegetables and yams, including taro (kiri ala), had been imported at a cost of $ 293 million. Considering the allegation, more..

Nov 23 (EN) SL�s tea exports fell 4.1% from a year ago to 18.2 million kg in Oct 2023, but rupee revenues went up to 354 billion rupees from 333 billion. Up to October exports were down 5.6% to 199 million kilograms, a report by Ceylon Tea Brokers quoting SL Tea Board data showed. US dollar value of exports were US$ 1,083 million, marginally up from 1,061 million dollars. SL�s export tea prices which went up to 6.13 dollars on average in March was down to 5.25 dollars by Oct. more..

Nov 24 (EN) Sri Lanka is to host the first of a series of international music shows between the three countries SL, Canada and Malaysia featuring Indian musicians, minister Harin Fernando said. �Deva, Hariharan, Murali, Krishnaraj, Shrikanth, Anuradha, Ajayakrishna, Pooja, Alka, Ajith, Mano, Sathyaprakash, Divakar and other popular artistes are scheduled to perform,� Fernando said. More than 2,000 foreign tourists are expected to attend the concert in addition to local fans. more..

Nov 24 (CT) Minister Tiran Alles, claimed in Parliament that, in his view, deploying the Police and Military exclusively to address the Aragalaya and its associated incidents for about a year, resulted in diverting the attention of the law enforcement agencies away from underworld activities and drug-related issues in the country. Minister explained that the Police had to divert their full attention to Aragalaya, thereby shifting more..

Dec 24 (DN) Road Development Authority (RDA) said that although revenue collection on expressways started two hours late due to the strike carried out by Expressway workers on Nov 22 based on several demands, the revenue has increased compared to the revenue on Wednesday 15 of last week. A senior RDA officer that with the intervention of the Army officers, revenue collection was done with the initiation of the strike action by expressway employees who reported sick leave more..

Nov 24 (CT) The Ministry of Health has observed an increasing trend in medical practitioners, who had left the country to work overseas, returning, newly appointed Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said. He said, �The trend is coming down and there is a noted decline in the number of medical practitioners and other health category employees leaving the country. Even medical specialists who had left the country during the economic crisis have been returning.� more..

Nov 24 (Island) The mastermind behind the procurement of a stock of substandard intravenous human immunoglobulin (IVIG) and misappropriating a huge amount of public funds had to be revealed, the secretary of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. �There is a broad public discussion on how this transpired, what the govt has done, and the status of the investigation, especially following the recent arrests. more..

Nov 24 (FT) Since independence Sri Lanka has been struggling to become a developed state. We seem to be failing at it, making the same mistakes over and over again. The western institutes that run the global financial systems and the development aid want poor nations to follow a linear development process, which reinforces and consolidates the current global order. That is why only a handful of nations have been able to attain a developed state since the end of World War 11. more..

Nov 24 (FT) Generative AI, most well-known example being ChatGPT, has surprised many around the world, due to its output to queries being very human likeable. Its impact on industries and professions will be unprecedented, including the legal profession. However, there are pressing ethical and even legal matters that need to be recognised and addressed, particularly in the areas of intellectual property and data protection. Firstly, how does one define Artificial Intelligence? more..

Nov 24 (EN) Sri Lanka will use cash deposits at state banks to settle part of bond auctions if the govt felt that bid yields were too high, Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said. At the last bond auction the debt office rejected about 60% of bonds at a 250 billion rupee bond auction, leading to speculation about the settlement means. �The govt has built up this buffer, for them to be able to manage the short-term debt service payment,� Governor Weerasinghe said. more..

Nov 24 (DM) The proposed 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) increase will not be effective for diesel and kerosene, Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera assured today. �The final decision on the proposed VAT increase will be made on December 10 this year. However focus is made to exempt kerosene and diesel from the VAT,� the Minister said. The construction of Sri Lanka�s second oil refinery in Hambantota is to begin next month, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told Parliament today. more..

Nov 24 (DM) Putting to rest speculation about uncertainty on the conduct of polls pending next year, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced in Parliament that he would take steps for the conduct of both the Prez and General Elections next year. He made such an announcement against the backdrop of the political parties and politically savvy people raising concerns about the possible postponement of elections through legal more..

Nov 24 (CT) Colombo High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe granted approval for Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to go overseas temporarily, when a case filed against the latter, was heard. Ramukwella, the former Minister of Mass Media along with former Director of SL Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Liyanage Chandrapala and the former Accountant of SLRC Wimalasena Rubasinghe, have been charged before the High Court, by the CIABOC with causing a loss of Rs 900,000 to the Govt, more..

Nov 24 (CI) TIME has named Conservation International CEO M. Sanjayan to its inaugural list of the 100 most influential people driving climate action in business. He is in good company: The TIME100 Climate list announced Thursday also includes Conservation International board members Stella McCartney, fashion designer and sustainability advisor at LVMH, and Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives at Apple. Each year, TIME100 features artists, athletes, more..

Nov 24 (FT) The main Opposition party, SJB launched a public petition campaign yesterday to demand the stripping of civic rights of those who were found responsible for the economic crisis in SL. The signing of the petition commenced in front of the Fort Railway Station, led by SJB leader Sajith Premdasa. Speaking to the media at the event, Premadasa said the petition will demand the establishment of a special Prez Commission. more..

Nov 24 (EN) The ministry of agriculture has distributed 84,000 Tom EJC, or TJC, mango saplings among 300 farming families in the Vavuniya District, minister of agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said in parliament on Friday. Amaraweera was responding to a question posed by Batticaloa District MP Charles Nirmalanathan about the distribution of seedlings to people in Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu districts. Each family is given 280 saplings of this popular variety of mango. more..

Nov 24 (DM) Former Minister of Fisheries Rajitha Senaratne and two others who were indicted before the Colombo High Court, for causing losses to the State when leasing out the Modara Fisheries Harbour to a private company in 2014, pleaded not guilty of the charges following the reading out of the charges against them by the interpreter mudliar of the court. The case was called before Colombo High Court judge Navaratne Marasinghe and the indictments against the accused more..

Nov 24 (FT) Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SL (MBFW) emerged from the visionary drive of AOD� the pioneering design university in SL� to create a global platform for fashion talent. The endeavour found a key patron in Diesel and Motor Engineering (DIMO), official brand custodian of Mercedes-Benz in SL. Strategic partnership between AOD and DIMO brought MBFW to life, as one of South Asia�s fashion highlights that not only showcases local creativity but also aligns SL fashion with global standards. more..

Nov 24 (DM) Revealing that a certain private institution had obtained a loan amounting to Rs. 7 billion from Bank of Ceylon and People's Bank using the same security, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today urged the govt to disclose the names of the first ten borrowers of the two State banks who had defaulted massive amounts of loans. Raising a question under Standing Order 27(2), he said people doubted whether the two State banks were not recovering the loans granted to more..

Nov 24 (NCA) Police who prosecuted a SL cricket star later cleared of sexually assaulting a woman at her Sydney home acted unreasonably, a court has been told. Danushka Gunathilaka, 32, was finally allowed to leave Australia after about 10 months on bail after he was acquitted following a judge-alone trial in September. Police had alleged Mr Gunathilaka had removed a condom without consent, also known as stealthing, more..

Nov 24 (AD) Former Director of the CID, Shani Abeysekera, has filed a case before the Colombo District Court, demanding a compensation of Rs. 1 billion. In his case, Abeysekera claimed that he had been arrested on false charges, which he said was an act of misusing the judicial process that consequently tarnished his reputation. Thus, naming the IGP C. D. Wickramaratne, Western Province SDIG of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) ASP Neville de Silva more..

Nov 24 (AD) Board of Investment (BOI) has earned USD 1.8 billion in total investments as at 23 Nov, State Minister Dilum Amunugama revealed. Accordingly, the BOI noted that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects worth USD 1.5 billion and USD 258 million worth of local investments have been signed and approved as at the aforementioned date. The BOI said its registered and approved FDI projects increased by 122% in 2023 (from USD 695 m to USD 1.547 b) and attributed this more..

Nov 24 (DM) In rendering its judgment, Supreme Court held that the respondent parties including RDA have not violated fundamental rights of the petitioner in connection with the Passara bus accident which occurred in 2021 which claimed the lives of 14 passengers, while leaving 35 individuals injured. Three children and their grandparents filed this FR petition against the action and inaction on the part of the RDA more..

Nov 24 (AD) Legal action is due to be taken against those who attempt to celebrate Mahavriu Day, commemorating the LTTE cadres. Accordingly, the IGP and the Director of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) on Friday (24), gave an undertaking to the Court of Appeal that action would be taken against the such individuals, under the Criminal Procedure Code. The undertaking was given by Senior State Counsel Shaminda Wickrema, on behalf of the IGP and the Attorney General. more..

Nov 24 (AD) Court of Appeal on Friday yet again decided to postpone the further consideration of the case filed pertaining to the SLC Interim Committee. Accordingly, the case is now fixed to be taken up for further consideration before the Appeals Court on Nov 27, making this the fourth consecutive time the matter was deferred. The petition, filed by SLC Prez Shammi Silva, was called before the Appeals Court bench comprising Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and D.N. Samarakoon this morning. more..

Nov 24 (AD) Colombo District Court today dismissed a petition filed by State Minister Diana Gamage, seeking an interim injunction against Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and SJB general secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara. In her petition, Gamage had sought an interim order preventing Sajith Premadasa from functioning as SJB�s leader and Ranjith Madduma Bandara as the party�s general secretary, alleging that the two politicians are not suitable to hold their respective positions more..

Nov 24 (DM) A new mobile application has been launched to address various railway-related concerns. The passenger network organization in SL, RDMNS has embraced digitalization, presenting a user-friendly digital solution for commuters to reserve train seats. SLRD unveiled a train alert mobile app yesterday, aiming to address challenges encountered by commuters during the seat reservation process. The latest addition to the RDMNS.LK: Live Train Alerts Mobile App, more..

Nov 24 (Island) Rebel SLPP MP Gevindu Cumaratunga said that SL should be concerned about external interventions in the judiciary.MP Cumaratunga told The Island that without any malicious intent, on behalf of the Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa he raised the issue at hand in parliament on Wednesday. The leader of Yuthukama civil society group urged parliament to provide required funds for judges of the Supreme Court and more..

Nov 24 (AD) Appeals Court today ordered that the hearing of the case against former Minister Champika Ranawaka, filed over an alleged hit-and-run incident in 2016, be suspended. This was conveyed by way of an interim injunction, which will be in effect until the hearing of a petition put forward by Ranawaka challenging the lawsuit. Interim injunction was delivered by Appeals Court Prez Nissanka Karunaratne and Justice Chamath Morais, granting leave to proceed with the former more..

Nov 24 (CT) While reluctant to divulge specific details, Dr. Asela Gunawardena, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS), acknowledged that the Medical Research Institute (MRI) had submitted a report to the Ministry regarding the controversial immunoglobulin IV sourced from ISOLEZ BIOTECH PHARMA AG, sparking controversy within the State health service. Dr. Gunawardena refrained from providing further details from the report due to the ongoing more..