Nov 26 (HRW) SL�s new president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, should address the country�s many human rights problems by fulfilling and building upon pledges he made in recent election campaigns, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the president on Nov 18, 2024. Dissanayake was elected president on Sept 21, and on Nov 14 his NPP coalition won a majority of parliamentary seats. In his election manifesto, more..

Nov 26 (TM) Minister of Public Security Ananda Wijepala stated that commemorations linked to the banned LTTE are prohibited. He clarified that while individuals can honour their deceased relatives from the war, celebrations that glorify the LTTE, including displaying its symbols, uniforms, or images, are illegal. Minister emphasised that no space exists for LTTE-related celebrations, & Govt is committed to enforcing these laws. A new program to combat drug trafficking has been announced. more..

Nov 26 (AD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake will undertake an official visit to India during the third week of December on an invitation by the Indian govt. This was confirmed by the Cabinet spokesman, Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa during the Cabinet press conference. Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath had previously stated that Dissanayake will call on India�s PM Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who became the first foreign dignitary to call on Dissanayake . more..

Nov 26 (TM) NPP stated that while there has been no recent discussion on justice for JVP members killed during the 1988-1989 insurrections and their families, related efforts will be undertaken in the future. A Marxist-Leninist political party in SL, the JVP, is a founding member and key constituent party of the NPP coalition, which is now the ruling party. When queried as to whether there had been any discussion on serving justice to JVPers killed during 1988-1989 and their families, more..

Nov 26 (NW) The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has collected penalties amounting to Rs. 2.75 million in total from three institutions for non-compliance with the provisions of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act (FTRA). Central Bank of SL said the penalties were collected from MCB Bank Ltd, Bank of China Ltd, and Vogue Jewellers (Pvt) Ltd from May to Oct 2024. The Central Bank went on to note that by virtue of the powers vested under Section 19 (1) read together with more..

Nov 26 (EN) A committee of bondholders who negotiated with Sri Lanka to restructure defaulted bonds for GDP-linked new bonds, the first of its kind, have said they will take up the new bonds and urged all other holders to participate. The steering committee of the so-called ad-hoc group of bond holders own about 40% of US$ 12.55 billion of defaulted bonds while a group of local bondholders including banks have around 12%. more..

Nov 26 (NW) Deputy Minister of Economic Development Anil Jayantha provided clarification on the govt�s future policy regarding vehicle imports. �Permissions will be granted under several categories, particularly for commercial vehicles. However, this will be done within the framework of foreign exchange limits. At present, careful consideration has been given to the amount of reserves available. The Central Bank has also created a necessary buffer reserve,� more..

Nov 26 (EN) Sri Lanka has urged all bondholders to take part in a bond exchange launched on Nov 26, with a deadline of December 12 where 12.55 billion in defaulted bonds are exchanged for new ones along with past due interest. �I urge private sector creditors to participate in the debt restructuring process to provide essential relief, thereby laying the groundwork for a brighter future for Sri Lanka and its people,� President Anura Dissanayake said in a statement. more..

Nov 26 (TM) The Electricity Consumers Association (ECA) warned that if the Ministry of Energy bases decisions on the IMF's advice regarding critical issues like electricity tariffs, it will pursue appropriate legal action. It was recently reported that representatives of the Ministry were to meet a delegation from the IMF, and that the discussion would also focus on the electricity tariff revision. more..

Nov 26 (NW) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has received an official invitation to visit China. Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said the Chinese Ambassador to SL has officially handed over the invitation. He further said that the govt is considering the visit following the Prez�s official visit to India. Prez had also received an official invitation to visit India. He revealed that Prez will engage in the visit during the third week of December, but the exact dates are yet to be decided. more..

Nov 26 (DM) While condemning claims that Viyathmaga members are backing the NPP govt, Minister Nalinda Jayathissa today assured that no one from Viyathmaga has been appointed as Ministers or Ministry Secretaries. A journalist raised a question regarding the appointment of Professor Kapila Perera as the Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation. Responding to the query, Minister guaranteed that Professor Kapila Perera was not affiliated more..

Nov 26 (AD) SL�s new govt has responded to allegations over the lack of Muslim representation in its Cabinet of Ministers. �We didn�t form the Cabinet according to the race, religion or the cast. We have selected the persons who are very much capable to hold those ministerial portfolios,� Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said. Responding to a question during today�s Cabinet press briefing, he noted that the NPP govt has in fact appointed a Muslim businessman as Governor of WP more..

Nov 26 (AD) Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Ratnayake has ordered the issuance of an arrest warrant against Jaffna District Independent MP Archchuna Ramanathan, through the SSP in Jaffna. This order was issued during the hearing of an ongoing case today related to an alleged incident of assaulting an individual after causing a traffic accident on the Baseline Road, Colombo in 2021. Meanwhile, on Nov 25, MP Archchuna Ramanathan, who had unintentionally occupied more..

Nov 26 (AD) Dept of Meteorology has issued a Red alert warning for the land and the deep and sallow sea areas around the island due to the deep depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal. As per the warning, the depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a deep depression. The system was located to southeast about 170 km of Batticaloa and 240 km of Trincomalee at around 11 a.m. of Nov 26. more..

Nov 26 (DM) Steps have been taken to close the wildlife tourist bungalows located in the Yala and Wasgamuwa National Parks due to the current adverse weather and flood conditions prevailing in the country, the Wildlife Conservation Department said. Accordingly, the Pahala Henathota, Thalgasmankada, and Warahana Wildlife Circuit Bungalow in Yala National Park have been closed. Meanwhile, the Mahaweli and Wavul Ebe tourist bungalows in Wasgamuwa National Park more..

Nov 26 (EN) SL�s new cabinet of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has yet to discuss removing a temporary one-year ban on Chinese vessels coming to SL waters, Cabinet Spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa said. The ban was imposed by former leader Ranil Wickremesimghe�s govt in December last year. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the ban was for 2024 and will end on Dec 21 this year. The decision to ban research ships was taken following strong security concerns raised by India citing more..

Nov 26 (DM) Examinations Dept announced that it has been decided to temporarily suspend the ongoing GCE A/L Exam. Accordingly, the subjects which were scheduled to be held on November 27, 28 and 29 have been suspended, Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara said. This decision was taken in view of the prevailing adverse weather conditions. Furthermore, he highlighted that the exam more..

Nov 26 (FT) Prez of the Republic Anura Kumara Dissanayake spoke without notes in his first policy statement in Parliament. His unhesitating delivery in punctilious order was simultaneously translated into both English and Tamil. I rely on the English translation of the speech for the purpose of this brief commentary. He described it as a monumental moment in the history of SL�s Parliament. Indeed, it will be remembered as a watershed moment, a turning point of our politics if only more..

Nov 26 (DM) Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court today issued a notice directing former CB Governor Arjuna Mahendran to appear before the court on Feb 25, 2025. Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage issued this order in connection with an alleged corruption case filed by the Bribery Commission concerning the investigation into the 2015 Central Bank bond scam. The Colombo Permanent Trial-at-Bar bench has already issued a warrant through Interpol for the arrest of former CB Governor more..

Nov 26 (FT) The sweeping victory of the NPP in SL�s recent elections marked a resounding call for change, as voters across the nation�from north to south and east to west�rejected corrupt political elitism in favour of a new, principled political culture. The scale of this victory, surpassing all predictions, demonstrated the people�s overwhelming desire for a transformation in governance, as clearly reflected in the election results, particularly the postal votes. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, more..

Nov 26 (NW) Police have sought public assistance in apprehending two suspects in connection with the murder of two individuals in Ahangama. Galle Division Crimes Investigations Unit has launched a probe into the incident to arrest the suspects who had fled the area. The two suspects aged 46 and 41 are reported to be residents of Magolla and Unawatuna. The public with knowledge of the whereabouts of the suspects has been requested to contact the Police via 071-8591452 more..

Nov 26 (FT) SL Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) Chairperson Kosala Wickramasinghe has labelled private agencies attempting to send workers to South Korea under the E-8 visa system a human trafficking scheme. Wickramasinghe said CID has been informed, and an internal probe is also underway to look into the issue. He also raised concerns over the involvement of a former Foreign Employment Minister, accusing him of more..

Nov 26 (NW) General Secretary of CEB Employees� Union, Ranjan Jayalal, has responded to criticism regarding the union�s request for the CEB management to pay bonuses to employees. �Our request to pay bonuses to employees has been portrayed as a big sin in the media. We must remind everyone that we are a trade union representing the govt,� he said. �It is no longer necessary for us to protest on the streets to make our demands. This is our govt now. more..

Nov 26 (DN) Examinations Commissioner General Amith Jayasundara said that the GCE A/L Exam was held yesterday without any issue. He also said that a few students who were affected by the floods and adverse weather were directed to the relevant examination centres with the assistance of the Security Forces. Accordingly, those students who faced flooding in areas such as Matara, Akuressa, Batticaloa, Kahatagasdigiliya etc. were directed to the relevant examination centres and more..

Nov 26 (DM) EPF Act No. 15 of 1958 established the EPF as a mandatory retirement contribution scheme for employees in the private and semi-public sectors who are not entitled to a pension. By the end of 2022, the EPF�s assets stood at 3.4 trillion rupees, increasing to 3.9 trillion rupees by 2023. The EPF is regarded as the largest pension scheme in SL. Contributions to the fund consist of 8% of an employee�s salary and more..

Nov 26 (DN) Audits have been launched regarding the firearms and ammunition that had been issued to civilians which had been recalled by the Defence Ministry recently. A special team has been appointed by the Defence Ministry to conduct the audits effective yesterday on the licensed firearms and ammunition that had been issued to civilians for their personal security. Defence Ministry stated that steps will be taken to return the firearms to the identified civilians after the conclusion of the audit. more..

Nov 26 (DM) The depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was located approximately 410 km southeast of Trincomalee last night. It is expected to move northwestward, intensify into a deep depression within the next 12 hours, and approach the country�s east coast. Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into deep and shallow sea areas around the island till further notice. Regarding weather conditions, showers are expected in the sea areas surrounding SL. more..

Nov 26 (TM) The UGC is to put in place stringent guidelines for academics travelling abroad following reports of academics not returning. �Overseas travel has often been misused by university academic staff that makes excuses to go abroad,� the UGC Chairperson Prof. Kapila Seneviratne said.�Many of them show some sort of invitation and use Govt money to go abroad; however, this will not continue, as stringent measures will be taken to assess if they need to go abroad.� more..

Nov 26 (EN) SL saw offshore inflows into its government securities for the 10th straight week ended on Nov 21. Analysts said investors speculate a rate cut by the central bank during this week�s Monetary Policy Review meeting scheduled for late on Tuesday. The latest monetary policy rates will be announced on Wednesday (27). They said some investors have been buying to make some profits due to appreciation of the rupee currency and fall in market interest rates. more..

Nov 26 (DN) Meteorology Dept issued an advisory yesterday for heavy rains in several areas which will be effective until 4 pm today, as a result of the low pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal. The low pressure area over the southwest Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression over the central-southwest Bay of Bengal yesterday morning which moved to about 530 km southeast of Trincomalee. more..

Nov 26 (DM) SL�s consumer confidence reached a new high in October, the highest since 2022, as sentiment continued to improve, following the prez election. The election marked a historic moment, with the appointment of a president from outside the political establishment for the first time since independence, according to a survey by the Institute for Health Policy (IHP). In October, all 3 of the IHP�s Consumer Confidence indices increased, reaching highest levels since tracking began in 2022. more..

Nov 26 (PMD) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed two new secretaries to ministries. The letters of appointment were handed over today (25) at the Prez Secretariat by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Kumanayake. Accordingly, President�s Counsel Ayesha Jinasena has been appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and National Integration. Meanwhile, Ms. Malarmathi Gangadharan has been appointed as the Secretary to the Ministry of Rural Development, more..