Nov 22 (FT) Politics is the art of the possible. And more often than not, the gradual erosion of the political soil by the dirt and debris of decades makes the seemingly impossible also come to pass. That a sullen City and silent Chamber may realise that this shift in the plate tectonics of local politics was almost inevitable will make the transition to new, fresh, welcome modes of governance less painful for all stakeholders in the national interest. Especially the engines of growth, development and more..

Nov 22 (FT) One of the fundamentals of good marketing is that one must understand the consumer insights to data which is seen on the table. The General Elections 2024 had 17.1 million registered voters from which 11.1 million were the valid votes casted. From this data set 61.6% of people decide to buy Brand NPP. The brand garnered a two-thirds majority in Parliament with a commanding 159 seats whilst most of the geographical areas registered a 60% plus favoured the NPP brand. more..

Nov 22 (FT) In a call for bipartisan cooperation, Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake urged Parliament to rally behind a shared mission of driving the nation�s economic and social transformation. Delivering govt�s policy statement at the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament, Prez emphasised the collective responsibility of building a better future for the country, appealing for support across political divides. more..

Nov 22 (AD) Colombo Magistrate�s Court today (21) issued an arrest warrant against former Minister Douglas Devananda after he failed to appear before the court to testify in an ongoing case. The case pertaining to a complaint lodged by Devananda with the CID in 2016, accusing Wellawatta-based businessman Subramaniam Manoharan of issuing two fraudulent cheques, each valued at Rs. 10 million, was taken up before the court today. Despite being summoned to testify in court today, more..

Nov 22 (EN) Kenya President William Ruto had cancelled by public announcement, two deals with India�s Adani group after bribery charges were filed in America linked to renewable energy contract in the South Asian nation which was part-financed by US investors, reports said. The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (KETRACO) and Adani Energy Solutions Limited had signed a US$ 95.7 billion Kenyan Schilling deal to operate and maintain lines and grid substations for 30 years. more..

Nov 22 (Hindu) Sri Lanka should be vigilant about the Adani power project in the island, experts said on Thursday, after Federal prosecutors in New York indicted Group Chairman Gautam Adani and seven others on multiple counts of fraud. Sri Lanka has often seen cases of significant corruption in the country being exposed in other jurisdictions, according to Nishan De Mel, Executive Director of Verit� Research, Colombo-based think tank. more..

Nov 22 (CT) Police seized a massive haul of Ice (crystal methamphetamine), heroin, and Kush exceeding 200 kg and illegally earned cash of Rs 11 million during the last 48 hours. Police arrested suspects in Matara, Kadawatha and Kalutara in connection with these crimes. DIG Nihal Thalduwa said in one incident, the Matara Division Criminal Investigation Unit arrested ten persons from the Gandara area in Matara for possession of 160 kg of Ice and 60 kg of heroin. more..

Nov 22 (Island) SJB and NDF have yet to fill their national list MP positions due to ongoing internal disagreements. SJB is entitled to five national list seats and the NDF to two. SJB has nominated its General Secretary, Ranjith Maddumabandara so far, while the NDF General Secretary has chosen former minister Ravi Karunanayake. SJB is deliberating on filling its four vacant seats from a shortlist of six potential candidates: Dullas Alahapperuma, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, Sujeewa Senasinghe, more..

Nov 22 (DN) Sugath Thilakaratne, NPP National List MP, was sworn in as Deputy Minister of Sports before Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday. The former national 400m athlete, Thilakaratne, is the first Olympian to enter Parliament, having represented Sri Lanka at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000. After retiring from sports, he served as the President of Sri Lanka Athletics from 2015 to 2017. Thilakaratne hails from Vidulipura MV, Norton Bridge, and still holds the 400m record more..

Nov 22 (DM) Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation has established a special unit to address the issue of harmful animal populations causing significant damage to crops. This initiative aims to implement multiple strategies for sustainable control. A special discussion on the matter was held under the chairmanship of Minister K. D. Lalkantha. The discussion focused on identifying sustainable measures to control toque monkeys and other animals that cause extensive damage to more..

Nov 22 (FT) In a landmark achievement, Sri Lanka has seen a 75% increase in female representation in Parliament following the recent election, with a total of 22 women now set to serve as MPs. This number is just over 9% out of the total MP representation in Parliament, up from the previous 6%. The previous Parliament had just 12 female MPs, but this election has ushered in 21 newly elected female candidates. more..

Nov 22 (TM) The Secretary to the Energy Ministry, K.T.M. Udayanda Hemapala stated that they � the ministry and the CEB � expect to prepare the proposal for the electricity tariff revision after obtaining the opinions of the representatives of the IMF as well. The IMF representatives, currently on a visit to Sri Lanka, were scheduled to meet with officials from the ministry and the CEB for a discussion. Hemapala stated that the discussions were held yesterday (21) and more..

Nov 22 (TM) UNP refuted claims that the name of Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake was submitted to the Election Commission (EC) for a National List MP position of the NDF after informing former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. UNP Chairperson Wajira Abeywardana asserted that these claims are entirely false. According to Abeywardana, there was no prior notification to Wickremesinghe regarding the submission of Karunanayake's name to the EC for the National List Parliamentary position. more..

Nov 22 (FT) MP Ravi Karunanayake yesterday attended the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament as the National List appointment of the NDF. He affirmed that his appointment via the NDF�s National List was legal, insisting that he was rightfully nominated by the party. �It is just two members who are making a big fuss over my nomination, not the entire party,� he claimed, commenting on the controversy surrounding his nomination as NDF National List candidate. more..

Nov 22 (TN) Pakistan 'A' clinched a 1-0 series win over SL 'A', with 2nd four-day match ending in a draw at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sonal Dinusha and Pavan Rathnayake starred with centuries, guiding SL 'A' to a challenging 284-run target after declaring their second innings at 260-4. Dinusha remained unbeaten on 116, while Rathnayake also finished not out on 100. Their partnership of 214 runs for the fifth wicket ensured a steady recovery for SL 'A', who had been struggling at 46-4. more..

Nov 22 (Island) Sri Lanka�s prolific top-order batter, Pathum Nissanka, is set to rewrite the cricketing record books and ascend to the pinnacle of world batting, according to Head Coach Sanath Jayasuriya. The 26-year-old has already etched his name in history, shattering Jayasuriya�s long-standing record for the most runs in an ODI innings and becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a double century in limited-overs cricket. more..

Nov 22 (TM) Sri Lanka, fresh from its historic 1-0 win over Yemen last Saturday (16) in the first FIFA friendly encounter, were brought down to earth in stunning fashion, as they crashed to a 2-0 loss to their hosts, in the second and final game of the two-match series at Doha Qatar on Tuesday. Yemen ranked 154th in the world by FIFA and smarting from its unexpected defeat in the opening game to the visitors, bounced back in typical style to subdue the Lankans, as the latter went down fighting. more..

Nov 22 (Island) Leaders of all previous govts, including those who provided political leadership for defeating the LTTE, shamefully failed to tame the rice millers� Mafia; they took on the latter only to beat retreats with their tails between their legs. The signs are that the NPP leaders will fail to be different. They, too, have decided to import rice, unable to make a handful of large-scale millers release hoarded rice to the market. JVP-led NPP govt is in overdrive to trace illegally assembled vehicles more..

Nov 22 (TM) Steps are being taken to register the Pure Ceylon Cinnamon logo and the Ceylon Spice brand in foreign countries under the Madrid Protocol. EDB Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe revealed that the Dept of Cinnamon Development would be taking steps to register the Pure Ceylon Cinnamon logo and the Ceylon Spice brand in foreign countries under the Madrid Protocol. This will be done in order to promote more..

Nov 22 (DM) In Badulla, families in tea plantation communities struggle daily to obtain clean water and enjoy basic sanitation. Distant, unreliable water sources and poor infrastructure expose residents to frequent illnesses. The sad part of their story is that there is limited relief in sight for their woes. For women and children, who bear much of the burden, the absence of safe water and sanitation remains a harsh, ongoing reality. Organizations like The Future in Our Hands (FIOH) and more..

Nov 22 (FT) SL Embassy in Brussels participated at the European Parliament Fair Trade Breakfast-2024, on 13 Nov 2024, highlighting Sri Lanka as one of the best ethical and sustainable sourcing destinations in the world. The event was organised by the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Belgium and hosted by the European Parliament�s Fair Trade Working Group and its Chair Bernd Lange, a member of the European Parliament. The Embassy, with the support of the EDB more..

Nov 22 (CT) Former Olympian and Asian Games Gold Medallist Damayanthi Darsha has called for immediate steps to clean up the country�s sports associations, which have long faced criticism and corruption charges. With the recent political changes in the country, Darsha emphasised the need for reform. Almost all sports associations in the country have been criticised for their conduct, financial mismanagement, and corruption over the years. Recently, corruption allegations against more..

Nov 22 (FT) Jetstar Asia launched its Colombo-Singapore direct route positioning itself as the only low-cost carrier connecting the two cities. Jetstar Asia CEO John Simeone expresses optimism about the new route�s potential to boost regional connectivity, attract travellers from diverse markets and contribute to SL�s tourism growth. �This route has been years in the making since 2019. Although the COVID-pandemic delayed our plans, we are thrilled to finally bring this opportunity to life. more..

Nov 22 (FT) Research Intelligence Unit (RIUNIT) revealed remarkable growth in apartment prices in Colombo and its suburbs, underscoring their resilience and attractiveness as income-yielding assets. The year-on-year change in average apartment prices across all tiers in Colombo City stands at 15.66%, with a year-to-date fluctuation of 11.91% (in USD terms). These figures emphasise the consistent appreciation of real estate more..

Nov 22 (ST) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake awoke on Friday morn to find the country painted red, and that he had been thrust with a thumping two third majority in Parliament much against his wishes. After casting his vote on Thursday morn, Prez Dissanayake told the media: �We do not want a two-thirds majority. A strong Parliament will suffice. A two-thirds majority is expected to enact laws detrimental to the people. In 2010, the then govt obtained a two-thirds majority and more..

Nov 22 (FT) The Fabric and Apparel Accessory Manufacturer�s Association (FAAMA), a subsidiary association of the Joint Apparel Association Forum of SL (JAAF), hosted its 17th AGM 2024, at Jetwing Colombo Seven on 29 Oct 2024. The event was attended by Chief Guest, US Embassy in SL Deputy Chief of Mission Doug Sonnek, and Guest of Honour JAAF SL Chairman Saif Jafferjee. The AGM also was attended by representatives of JAAF member associations including JAAF SL Secretary more..

Nov 22 (DM) There was a breath of fresh air spread all around during the first meeting of the parliament which was convened yesterday by the newly elected Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD). There was also much hope as AKD made his Policy Statement in Parliament; not forgetting to incorporate in his speech topics like the less affluent and the alleviation of poverty. This is where AKD becomes different from the rest who have held the post of president; barring former Prez R. Premadasa more..

Nov 22 (CT) The tragic death of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Wennappuwa on 13 Nov has cast a sombre shadow over the manner in which due care is being exercised by certain teachers, highlighting the urgent need to re-evaluate the role of corporal punishment in schools and the broader implications of teacher training. Her untimely demise, following an alleged assault by two teachers, underscores a deeply rooted issue that must be addressed with conviction & compassion. more..

Nov 22 (SO) National Executive Committee Member of the NPP and its Anuradhapura District Team Leader Wasantha Samarasinghe who secured the highest number of 251,639 preferential votes at the Nov 14 general election outlined the NPP�s landslide victory and its way forward. He said for the first time in SL�s history, a single political party has secured the highest number of 159 parliamentary seats from all districts to more..

Nov 22 (Island) Cassandra is totally in favour of the newly-appointed Cabinet of Ministers, particularly approving the continuation of Dr Harini A as PM and Minister of Education in its various levels, and appointing Vijitha Herath as Foreign Affairs Minister and Dr Nalinda Jayatissa in charge of Health and Mass Media. Especially joyful is the appointment of Saroja Savithri Paulraj as Minister of Women and Child Affairs. She has made history by being the first Tamil to be elected to Parliament more..

Nov 22 (DM) Late last week, the post-Hasina Interim Govt of Bangladesh led by Nobel Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus crossed the first 100 days of its existence. But the event passed with little or no fanfare. The reason for the sombre mood was that the govt is yet to settle down with a well-structured decision-making and delivery mechanism to match the sky-high expectations of Bangladeshis who are, understandably, eager to savour the fruits of liberation after the ouster of the oppressive more..