Dec 1 (DM) Two persons including a Russian woman died after a three-wheeler crashed against an express train at Dalawella in Habaraduwa this morning. Police said the three-wheeler traveling through Maharamba railway crossing crashed with the Beliatta-Vavuniya express train. The driver of the three wheeler and a Russian passenger on board the three wheeler died on the spot. Police said although signal lights at the crossing were not operating at the time of the accident, more..

Dec 1 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was asked by the chief of Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) to fulfil all the commitments the island nation has promised since 1987 including a Federal solution for the ethnic minority Tamils, sources close to the president said. RAW chief Samant Kumar Goel also has discussed possible threats by the expansion projects of China which now has a strong foothold in SL more..

Dec 1 (EN) Sri Lanka shares gained for the fifith session on Thursday to close at one month high on positive sentiments from the economic front and recorded the highest net foreign inflows in two monts, brokers said. The ASPI closed 0.61% or 52.56 points higher at 8,703.79, highest index gain since October 27. The market saw a foreign inflow of 894 million rupees, highest inflow in two months (Sept 27). The total net foreign inflow stood at 19.22 billion rupees so far for this year. more..

Dec 1 (TM) The testing of those driving under the influence of narcotics and other abusive substances will commence from next year, assured State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna. Accordingly, 5,000 units of the required equipment for this operation have already been handed over to the Police, Alagiyawanna said. Such tests are now crucial, given the alarming increase in the use of drugs. �We have to admit the fact that we are currently facing a massive challenge concerning drugs,� more..

Dec 1 (TM) The PAFFREL, a polls monitor, will file two Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions at the Supreme Court (SC) against the relevant authorities for not holding the Provincial Council (PC) elections, and for not declaring the LG election within the required timeframe. PAFFREL Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi noted that the fundamental rights of the people are being infringed when both the said elections are not held more..

Dec 1 (CT) MP Udaya Gammanpila claimed former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa believed if former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned as Prez, he would be able to become Prez through Parliament. He blamed Basil Rajapaksa for taking advantage of the country�s economic crisis to benefit him. Gammanpila was speaking at the Galle District Conference of Uththara Lanka Sabhagaya on 29 Nov. He said accusing each other is futile. �Govt of Gotabaya Rajapaksa had ample more..

Dec 1 (Island) A senior official of the Ministry of Health has asked the daughter of a Cabinet Minister to help him obtain a service extension in return for approving a controversial tender for medical supplies, President of the CMLS Ravi Kumudesh says. He said that Minister�s daughter was working for a company that supplied oxygen generators. �The official told the Minister�s daughter that he would grant the tender to a company of his choice to ensure a comfortable retirement and more..

Dec 1 (Island) National Peace Council (NPC) has urged the govt to hold the much delayed PC polls and the scheduled Local Govt election. The following is the text of the statement issued by the NPC: �Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has been stressing the importance of political stability to achieve the common dream of economic restoration. His recent statement that the security forces will be used to negate any unauthorized protest is a sign that the govt expects the conditions of more..

Dec 1 (CT) As the number of middle class persons who cannot afford private medical care is increasing significantly, approximately a 25 to 30% rise in those who will seek treatment at Govt hospitals is unavoidable by next year, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. The minister said this during a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Health held in Parliament recently. He said it has come to a point where the middle-income category cannot afford private hospital facilities further. more..

Dec 1 (EN) Central Bank has asked banks not to compete with each other for deposits CB Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said, as attempts were being made to bring down interest rates. �With the tight liquidity banks are competing among themselves for deposits,� Governor Weerasinghe said. �Some banks were offering 30% for deposits. �We have made a request for banks not to compete with each other for deposits eating into more..

Dec 1 (DM) All women MPs were seen clad in orange sarees today to mark the 18 day campaign which is carried out all over the globe on violence against women. State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe was also seen clad in an orange saree. Leader of the House Susil Premajaynatha who noted the dress pattern of women MPs had queried about it. "May be there is some speciality behind the dress pattern of women MPs today,� he questioned. SJB MP Rohini Kaviratne said more..

Dec 1 (TM) Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court yesterday ordered the release of Ven. Borelle Sirisumana Thera and Isuru Bandara � who were in remand custody over allegations of large-scale financial fraud involving very important persons � on bail, while the main suspect in the case, Thilini Priyamali, and two other suspects were further remanded until 13 December. The suspects were produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, after which they were ordered more..

Dec 1 (DM) SL crossed the billion dollar milestone in earnings from tourism in October when the country earned US$ 75.6 million from the trade, which is providing a glimmer of hope for the country�s economy beset by acute shortages of foreign currency since the middle of last year. With October revenues, SL recorded US$ 1,022 million in cumulative earnings in the ten months, compared to US$ 158.2 million reported in 2021. more..

Dec 1 (TM) Former Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said that his political and professional journey is not over yet, and that he is ready to serve the country again if the appropriate opportunity arises. He said that in anyone�s political journey, there are bound to be successes and failures, triumphs and disasters. He added that he has learnt to trust himself when others doubt him, and not to deal in lies even when he is being lied about. more..

Dec 1 (TM) State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon has stated that the tri-forces will not be downsized, claiming that the Ministry�s primary objective is to right-size the tri-forces instead. �Many ideas are going around, especially in business forums about downsizing the tri-forces. I don�t think that anyone can just downsize the tri-forces. Tri-forces are different to companies. We first make an estimation and then take into account the security of the country more..

Dec 1 (DM) Sri Lankan restaurant Copper Ceylon in Bromley won the Best Restaurant award in the London Suburb category at Monday�s British Curry Awards. It also became the first Sri Lankan restaurant to win an award in the ceremony�s history. Copper Ceylon owner Haran Thurairajah has gloated about how proud he is of his team and about making history. �What an amazing night we had at the Curry Oscar�s, it was our first time, and we were excited to have been shortlisted. more..

Dec 1 (DM) A total of 343 SL migrant workers have lost their lives in Qatar where they were employed since 2014. Cause of death of migrant workers were listed as natural, suicide, homicide, road accidents, other accidents, COVID deaths, and deaths not confirmed. In 2022, 37 deaths were reported as of October 31. Reasons attributed for the deaths are 207 natural deaths, 30 suicide deaths, 6 homecide deaths, 50 due to road accidents, 35 other accidents, 14 COVID virus deaths, more..

Dec 1 (DM) Many Sri Lankans have fallen prey to a surreptitiously carried out Ponzi Scam run by a purportedly Australian Company Onmaxdt. A source at the Onmaxdt scheme said senior Govt officials, leading businessmen, Police officers and ordinary people from several areas of the country were among its members and that the ordinary people had even mortgaged their property to find money to invest. more..

Dec 1 (AD) Police have arrested a tuition class teacher over an alleged incident of raping a 15-year-old girl in the Pannala area. The 24-year-old tuition class teacher has been ordered to be remanded until December 15, after being produced before Kuliyapitiya Magistrate�s Court today. The suspected teacher has been identified to have conducted tuition classes for the Science subject within several areas including Dankotuwa, Vennapuwa and Makandura. more..

Dec 1 (EN) SL�s China-backed Hambantota Port said it was getting ready to welcome MV Azamara Quest, a cruise ship, as another passenger vessel departed. Mein Schiff 5, operated by TUI had departed Hambantota International Port for Pulau Penang Island, Malaysia on November. �As well as being her maiden call at the port, Mein Schiff 5 is the first passenger cruise ship to call at the port since the pandemic began,� said Johnson Liu, CEO of Hambantota Int'l Port Group (HIPG) said. more..

Dec 1 (AD) The CEB has not requested an electricity tariff revision so far and there is no requirement for a tariff revision at the moment, says the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) Janaka Ratnayake. It was reported yesterday that although the electricity tariff has been increased in the past, it is not sufficient to cover the loss of the CEB and thus, the request to increase electricity bill has received cabinet approval. more..

Dec 1 (EN) Education Minister Susil Premajayantha will intervene in the ongoing daily power cuts and a proposed electricity tariff hike in consideration of students sitting for their GCE A/L exams from January to February next year, minister said. He said 350,000 students are going to sit for their A/L exams from January 23 to mid February, a month long period in which power cuts would prove disruptive and higher electricity bills would be unaffordable amid a high cost of living. more..

Dec 1 (TM) The Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC) and the Ceylon Teachers� Service Union (CTSU) told the media yesterday (30 November) that they will be rallying in protest in the Colombo, Kalutara, and Gampaha areas in the Western Province (WP) on 5 and 6 December to show their opposition towards the Govt and President Ranil Wickremesinghe�s newly introduced 2023 Budget, and hence called on all members of the working class to join this cause. more..

Dec 2 (TM) Despite severe criticism of the massive budget allocation on defense and public security for 2023, which exceeds Rs. 0.5 trillion, along with demands that the military be downsized, State Minister of Defense Premitha Bandara Tennakoon has stated that the tri-forces will not be downsized, and that instead, the Ministry will pay attention to right-sizing the tri-forces to suit the country�s needs. Although there is not much clarity as to what right-sizing the tri-forces means, more..

Dec 2 (CT) Historically, the UNP was a party of businessmen, traders, and rentiers. It underwent two shifts in its early phase: under the Senanayakes (1948-1977), and under JR Jayewardene (1977-1989). Under Ranasinghe Premadasa (1989-1993) it went through its third shift, enacting somewhat progressive economic measures while fortifying the State�s military and defence sectors. The measures which are most often invoked by commentators today are janasaviya, the Garment Factories, more..

Dec 2 (TM) In the wake of Minister Ali Sabry claiming that even though the then-Cabinet of Ministers was of the opinion that the burial of Covid-19 victims should be allowed, they had to be cremated due to opinions expressed in that regard by experts such as Prof. Meththika Vithanage, the latter queried as to why the Govt listened to expert opinions only in this case and not in others. Prof. Vithanage, who is a Prof more..

Dec 2 (DM) In a much-anticipated move, the Cabinet yesterday approved to revoke the 2019 and 2022 circulars on the official attire of staff grade officers in the State sector, which permitted females to be attired in any appropriate clothing in addition to the customary saree and osari. This was after dozens of female teachers in the State school system defied a long-standing tradition of donning the saree, the customary garment worn by female Govt employees in Sri Lanka. more..

Dec 2 (DM) People who have remained here in Sri Lanka are working harder than before to make ends meet. Some among them are seen opting to buy lottery tickets; in most cases this is a new found habit. There are also those who want to see an election being held which would facilitate the need for a new cabinet being formed. SL is seen as a hopeless place to be in at present. It is in this backdrop that parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa was heard and seen speaking to an audience more..

Dec 2 (TM) Over 1,500 Sri Lankans have been arrested for attempting to illegally migrate from the island between January to the end of October this year. This number does not include the 303 Sri Lankans who are now being held in Vietnam following a mid-sea rescue earlier this month. Attempts at illegal migration from SL have increased tenfold this year, with the total number of suspects arrested last year (2021) being only 127 and more..

Dec 2 (CT) The days that we earned to save and spend on things we really needed is long gone, while now, a larger fraction of the money we make is spent on repaying the debts the country has faced due to faulty decisions of so-called rulers. The prices of essentials are unbearable on many including the middle-class, while the state of the poor is beyond imagination. While the gruesome reality of where the country is headed was always known to those in power, the people of the country, more..

Dec 2 (GV) A statement made by a teachers trade union has opened up another social debate. This is about the female teachers� school attire. The union points out that just like in any other non-uniform govt servants, female teachers should have a right to go to work in any appropriate and comfortable attire rather than limiting it strictly to a saree. I was thrilled to finally see someone bringing this to the table. Any professional attire should be decided by the type of work we do and more..

Dec 2 (SLA) Considering present economic constraints, 593 Brigade troops of the 59 Division under the Security Force HQ-Mullaitivu with sponsorship received from Buddhist monks and the Sarana Foundation gave away dry ration packs and spade blades to needy civilians in Nayaru area after inviting the beneficiaries to the Kohombagas Junction public ground on Monday (28). Singapore-based Ven Nakulagamuwe Sumana Thero in collaboration with the Sarana Foundation, more..

Dec 2 (Island) A diplomat attached to the SL Embassy in Muscat has been arrested upon his arrival at the BIA and remanded for his alleged involvement in a human trafficking racket, where women smuggled out of this country were forced into prostitution in Oman. According to some media reports, they were auctioned like slaves and raped. But those who have gang-raped the SL economy for years can move through the BIA freely. Basil Rajapaksa, who is one of the politicians more..

Dec 2 (DM) SL all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne could face a fresh inquiry, this time from the Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, after a letter written about the player�s behaviour while on tour with the national team at the T20 World Cup in Australia last month, was leaked publicly. Karunaratne was handed a suspended one-year ban by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and a fine of US$ 5000 after SLC carried out an inquiry of its own, more..

Dec 2 (ST) The vision for a new economy as envisaged in the Budget 2023 entails an export-oriented, competitive economy led by the private sector. It expects Sri Lanka to be a developed country by the year 2048, which marks 100 years of independence; therefore, we have 25 years to go. A developed country means a high-income country which has per capita income more than US$12,695; by that time, the high-income threshold must be higher than this. more..

Dec 2 (FT) The Govt this week took the first step towards enacting legislation to control election expenditure with Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe issuing a relevant Bill in the Govt Gazette. The Bill titled Regulation of Election Expenditure, will apply to Local Council, Provincial Council, parliamentary and presidential elections. The proposed law requires the Election Commission, in consultation with recognised political parties, independent groups and more..