Dec 2 (EN) SriLankan Airlines will request proposals to lease up to 11 aircraft whose lease contracts are expiring over the next year, Chairman Ashok Pathirage said. �Cabinet has given up approval to replace these aircraft,� he said. �We will call for RFPs. Lease contracts of up to 4 aircraft are due to expire over the next year. �That would be our priority,� he said. �The travel demand is increasing. If we wait longer the cost is going to go up. �We have to analyze carefully and see what is good for more..

Dec 2 (CT) The Fundamental Rights Petition, filed by Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, who was interdicted based on several allegations, following statements recently made by him with regard to malnutrition among children in Suriyawewa, was fixed for support on 14 December by the Supreme Court yesterday (1). This was when the Petition was taken up before Supreme Court Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Mahinda Samayawardhena and Gamini Amarasekera. It was stated that Dr. Sanjeewa, more..

Dec 2 (TM) Public Sector Reform Steering Committee of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC), through its Sub-Committee on State-owned enterprise (SOE) Reform, recently presented a set of proposals to policymakers on SOE reforms. It noted that the objectives of an SOE reform agency should be to separate the state�s ownership functions from its policy-making and regulatory functions in order to help avoid or minimise potential conflicts of interest while minimising more..

Dec 2 (AD) A ship carrying 9,000 metric tonnes (MT) of urea fertilizer arrived at the Colombo Port this morning. The consignment was given by the FAO of US for the purpose of distribution amongst low-income families engaged in farming across eight districts in SL. While the consignment is currently being unloaded, Ministry of Agriculture further stated that a ship carrying a consignment of 40,000 MT of Bundi fertilizer is scheduled to dock at the Colombo Port tonight. more..

Dec 2 (DM) Central Bank (CB) Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe has emerged as the most trusted and the only person commanding the trust of the majority of Sri Lankans to carry out economic reforms in resolving the present economic crisis, according to the Economic Reform Index survey conducted by Social Indicator (SI), the survey research arm of the CPA. The Survey found that 57% of Sri Lankans placed the trust on more..

Dec 2 (TM) Planters� Association of Ceylon has expressed bafflement over the recent statement made by the Minister of Plantation Industries about plans on taking over underutilised lands from big-scale planters, as they say there are no such underutilised cultivable lands. Planters� Association Spokesperson Roshan Rajadurai stated that all fertile lands have already been put to use, and whatever the Govt is viewing as underutilised are in fact lands that are non-cultivable. more..

Dec 2 (AD) Colombo (SL) has been ranked amongst the 10 cheapest cities in the world in this year�s Worldwide Cost of Living survey (WCOL), run by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The city was ranked at 161, tying with Bangalore (India) and Algiers (Algeria), while Damascus (Syria), Tripoli (Libya) and Tehran (Iran) were ranked the lowest at 172, 171 and 170, respectively, reflecting their weak economies and currencies. The EIU noted, however, that this year�s WCOL survey was severely more..

Dec 2 (TM) During the sittings of Office on Missing Persons (OMP) held in the Ampara District from Monday (28) until Wednesday (30), 80% of the families that have applied for compensation are mostly women-headed families looking for financial support. An official from the OMP told The Morning on 30 Nov that while 160 cases were invited to testify before the Office, 151 had made submissions. more..

Dec 2 (DM) USAID administrator Samantha Power yesterday emphasised that political reforms need to accompany economic reforms in Sri Lanka. USAID Spokesperson Jessica Jennings said Samantha Power met with Sri Lanka�s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry yesterday to further USAID�s understanding of the Govt of Sri Lanka�s priorities and reforms to address the country�s economic crisis. The two discussed how USAID can support a viable path forward for Sri Lanka�s recovery and growth. more..

Dec 2 (TM) As an initial step towards overcoming the food insecurity and malnutrition prevalent in the plantation sector, the Ceylon Community Kitchen funded by the Canadian High Commission (HC) in Sri Lanka was launched by the Prajashakthi Development Unit in assistance with the Ceylon Youth Movement in the Kandy-Kelebokka, Maskeliya-Brunswick, and Matale-Elkaduwa areas on Monday (28). Prajashakthi Development Unit Director General Barath Arullsamy said more..

Dec 3 (DM) In August this year US House Speaker Pelosi, despite suggestions from president Biden to avoid visiting Taiwan landed in that country. The visit angered China which saw the visit as a blatant attempt to interfere into China�s internal matters. People�s Republic of China (PRC) -the most populous country in the world, covering a land area of approximately 9.6 million square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), was founded on 1 Oct 1949. It�s population, as revealed by macrotrends.net more..

Dec 3 (CT) Ranil Wickremesinghe, our current Prez has shown time and time again that he has no credible relationship with reality. It�s not a trait that has manifested itself in him after he became the President via a parliamentary procedure; it has been present in him ever since he became involved in politics. When he was the Minister of Education under the J R Jayewardene-govt, his antagonism towards RT Alles, the then principal of DS Senanayake College was a well-known fact more..

Dec 3 (CT) Women Parliamentarians attended Parliament on Thursday (1) clad in orange colour attire in support of the Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). A number of activities were held in Parliament under the leadership of the Women Parliamentarians� Caucus in support of the Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. Women employees of Parliament were more..

Dec 3 (DM) During eighties Dr. Ananda Tissa de Alwis, the State Minister under the J.R. Jayewardene govt was the Cabinet spokesman who conducted the weekly press briefings. State Minister was then a Cabinet portfolio that handled the media and related issues. Dr. Alwis then used to relate various interesting stories to the journalists apart from his briefings on Cabinet decisions and other related political matters. Once he narrated a story off the record about a discussion in New Delhi more..

Dec 3 (Island) I am pleasantly surprised and marvel too most times I read the editorial in The Island. Why? Because they are so very apt on the most current issue in the land. The editor has the clever knack of hitting the nail right on the head and is fearless even when the nail represents a VVIP. Nov 25 had the sharp, truth writing editor commenting on Prez Ranil and his stunning metamorphosis from a peace promoting, democracy advocating politician to a persona that he himself says is Hitler like. more..

Dec 3 (CT) The CEB published two newspaper articles on 21 November �22, quoting from Ceylon Today CEB makes Rs 384 million generation profit on Saturday, 19 Nov. It has given data as Saturday consumer demand was 35.32 million units which was met by CEB hydro 22.38 million units (GWh), CEB Coal 9.65 GWh, CEB wind 1.11GWh, private sector mini hydro 1.3 GWh, private sector wind 0.55 GWh and others 0.3 GWh. more..

Dec 3 (CT) The bigger picture of the impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by the economic crisis, was the blow to the tourism industry. The drop in tourists arriving in the country did not only affect the economy but also pushed the tourism industry to its knees. An article published in this paper, on 19 May 2022, revealed that tourism had dropped to an all-time low and the outlook for tourism in August was bleak with 30 per cent of bookings cancelled. more..

Dec 3 (GV) Recently an attempt to prompt SL forward into the 21st century was stymied. On Nov 21 some female school teachers posted photographs of themselves on social media dressed in their interpretation of the appropriate and modest attire in which they preferred to teach their classes. This apparently simple and straightforward action caused a great deal of controversy and comment which illuminated the attitudes of many sectors of society. It had been suggested as more..

Dec 3 (DM) Sugath Premalal hails from Ranawarawa and has lived with the human-elephant conflict ever since he can remember. Damaged crops, an angry elephant in his backyard, staying awake to keep the elephants away were his only memories of the jumbos. But during the past year his attitude towards this conflict experienced a change. This was after he got involved in removing invasive plants that had invaded the Lunugamvehera National Park. more..

Dec 3 (Island) The current economic crisis has eclipsed many other serious issues the country is beset with, and among them is the drug menace. President of the Govt Medical Officers� Forum Dr. Rukshan Bellana has made a revelation, which is sure to send a chill down everyone�s spine; drug addiction is on the rise among hospital workers, he has told the media. The majority of these drug addicts are members of the minor staff, and they are involved in drug peddling as well, more..

Dec 3 (CT) University student movements the world over have played a pivotal role in fighting for progressive changes in society throughout history. In Sri Lanka too, the students sacrificed their own lives while fighting State terror unleashed on the society. Whenever a struggle of the common people emerges like the recent Aragalaya against former Prez Rajapaksa, students were seen on the frontline of mass protests. more..

Dec 3 (ST) Sri Lanka will be represented by three young and aspiring athletes at the Junior Asian Rowing Championship, which will begin today at Ban Chang Rayong in Thailand. The meet will run along for over 10 days and the three youngsters representing SL. Shaylon Gunaratna and Cheyanka Epasinghe, who will compete in the Men�s Double Sculls, and Maheshi Liyanage, who will turn out in the Women�s Single Scull, have been going through constant training under the watchful eyes of more..

Dec 3 (ST) The cash-strapped government has effected an unprecedented taxation overhaul this year by introducing 10 tax changes while amending VAT four times to increase revenue. According to CB's report on Recent Economic Developments: Highlights of 2022 and Prospects for 2023, 35 tax amendments including these 10 changes were made since 2019 up to October this year. These tax changes included surcharge tax levied on income on one-off basis at the rate of 2.5% per annum, more..

Dec 3 (FT) Maldivian Vice President Faisal Naseem called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday. Considering the longstanding friendship between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, President Wickremesinghe requested the Maldives to invest in Sri Lanka�s high-tech agriculture sector, cruise tourism and high-end tourism sectors. President Wickremesinghe also requested the Maldives to join hands with Sri Lanka in establishing the climate change university. more..

Dec 3 (FT) The Election Commission of SL has acknowledged seven new parties as recognised political parties in SL. Releasing the names of the new parties, the Commission said they were chosen to be acknowledged as parties from those that submitted applications to the Commission at the beginning of this year. The parties so acknowledged were the United Congress Party, Dewana Parapura, Sri Lankawe Samaja Prajathanthrawadi Pakshaya, Deshapremi Eksath Jathika Pakshaya, more..

Dec 3 (Island) Jumper Nethmika Madushani Herath of Nannapurava MV, Bibila and thrower Thareen Sachintha of St. Peter�s College, Bambalapitiya produced outstanding feats as they reached their personal best performances on day one of the All Island Schools Games Athletics Championships at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Friday. The Asian Youth Athletics Championship participant Herath missed the meet record of the Under 18 girls� more..

Dec 3 (Island) A record number of students had visited Parliament yesterday, Serjeant-at Arms said, adding that it was the highest since the country gained Independence in 1948.Permission had been given to over 5,000 students from 32 schools representing different areas of the country to visit the Parliament on 1 December, he said. More than 25,000 students have visited to observe the Parliamentary debates after the Public Gallery reopened for schoolchildren from 19Sept more..

Dec 3 (Island) SL Red Cross Society launched SL�s first-ever medical-supply-to-donation matching platform on Oct 19, called the Elixir Platform. The initiative is a volunteer-run, private-public-private partnership under the aegis of the SL Red Cross Society, and allows hospitals and treatment centres from across SL to register their requirements for lifesaving medicines and medical supplies that may be in short supply, due to the country�s ongoing economic and foreign exchange crises. more..

Dec 3 (EN) SL�s school teachers are struggling to continue the service with the ongoing high inflation destroying their salaries and with on ongoing battle to wear more affordable clothing than the traditional saree while. With the country is going through its worst currency crisis in the history of its central bank, teachers say the rapid inflation in the country has forced them to go with more affordable clothing than the traditional attire of more..

Dec 3 (DN) Over 5000 school swimmers are expected to take part at the 47th Sri Lanka Schools Diving and swimming championship conducted by Sri Lanka schools Swimming Association which will be held from December 7 to 11 at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool in Colombo. After lapse of two years (2019) this event will be conducted this time while last time in 2019 Lyceum International school Wattala won the mixed schools championship while overall girls championship was won by more..

Dec 3 (SLA) The Attach� Case, the Presidential dispatch bag, crafted jointly by the Directorate of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (DEME) and the Directorate of Information Technology on the instructions of the Commander of the Army in response to a special direction by His Excellency the President Ranil Wickremasinghe was handed over to the President this morning (2) by Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army at the Presidential Secretariat. more..

Dec 3 (DM) Cinnamon Air, SL�s premier domestic airline, has resumed daily scheduled flights after a temporary suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline is the only domestic carrier in SL offering daily scheduled flights and the only such airline to operate flights from BIA with a dedicated passenger terminal and aircraft maintenance facility. As the airline resumes its daily scheduled flight operation from Dec 15, 2022, the entire Cessna 208 fleet of Cinnamon Air will operate to more..

Dec 3 (AD) Reports have claimed that no one has appeared to take guardianship of the 4-year-old daughter of a Russian native who was killed in an accident in Dalawella, Habardauwa. The deceased, who was killed in a collision between a three-wheeler and a train, was identified as a Russian female who was residing in the Unawatuna area with her daughter. The accident took place last morning, when the three-wheeler the mother was travelling in after dropping her daughter at a daycare more..

Dec 3 (ST) Sri Lanka�s embassies have repeatedly warned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and other authorities of glaring shortcomings in the handling of local labour in West Asia�including an urgent need for SLBFE attach�s in these missions to have minimum qualifications. Written recommendations were routinely made by missions in the labour-receiving countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE and Oman, more..

Dec 3 (AD) The utilization of 5,000 hectares of land in Moneragala, Kotiyagala and Kabilitta for farming was discussed yesterday (1), as a precautionary measure for the food crisis SL is expected to face in the future. The discussion was held at the Presidential Secretariat under the patronage of the Prez�s Senior Adviser Sagala Rathnayake. Although nearly 8,000 hectares of land in these areas were owned by the Forest Dept for reforestation, it has been decided to commence afforestation more..