Dec 17 (CNA) �If there�s no risk of danger, it�s not an adventure,� he said with a grin. Well, that certainly got my attention. Head Ranger Sajith Withanage was briefing us upon arrival on what to expect � and how to stay safe � during our four-day stay at Hilton Yala Resort, the brand�s third property in SL. Not all Hiltons are made equal, you see. This one is set within the Yala National Park, a wildlife sanctuary spanning 130,000 hectares of more..

Dec 17 (EN) Civil Aviation Authority, Rupavahini Corporation and SriLankan Airlines have signed a MoU, to promote aviation sector jobs among school children, through TV programs and in-person orientations by SriLankan personnel. The Guwan Sihina program focuses on schoolchildren from rural areas, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. �There are 4.4 million children across the nation, especially in rural areas, who come to school to only learn what they will be questioned in examinations,� more..

Dec 17 (ST) The Finance Ministry has earmarked distillery companies to raise next year�s excise revenue target by Rs 50 billion through the introduction of revenue collection measures. Under the new directive to be issued by the Excise Department, hotels, restaurants, liquor shops, bars and supermarkets will be given only a 7-day credit period by the manufacturer. Distillery companies have been directed to collect dues from retail sales outlets within 7 days of providing supplies more..

Dec 17 (SO) As cricket�s big match continued to snowball in Parliament with a bowl-out between a former and a present Sports Minister, none could have hidden the fact that the nation�s cradle was further rocked into submission as the next generation players returned to the country empty-handed thrown out from qualifying for the second stage at the Asia Cup. With two defeats SL�s budding cricketers have been left behind proving that their so-called guardians at SLC are living on more..

Dec 17 (ST) Met Dept has warned that the prevailing showery conditions will increase over most of the island due to a low-level atmospheric disturbance in the vicinity of SL associated with easterly waves. Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an advisory for heavy rains in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Northwestern, and Eastern Provinces and in the Nuwara-Eliya and Polonnaruwa districts. Met Dept said heavy showers above 100 mm are likely in some areas. more..

Dec 17 (TM) Despite Cabinet approval being granted for a mega-scale solar development project to be established in Poonakari in Jaffna, the State-run CEB is yet to finalise the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) with the Australian investor United Solar. The project, worth a total of $ 1,727 million, aims to develop a mega-scale 700 MW solar power plant at the Poonakari Tank, and the Australian investors are poised to inject more..

Dec 17 (ST) An Indian company is now at the centre of a controversy in Sri Lanka over the govt�s decision to award the contract for the construction of hybrid recycled power plants on three islets in the northern Jaffna district even after their withdrawal of the bid from the relevant tender. The cabinet meeting on Monday decided to award the contract to U Solar Clean Energy Solutions (Pvt) Ltd to build hybrid recycled power plants in Delft, Nainathivu, and Analathivu, more..

Dec 17 (TM) National Audit Office (NAO) has exposed the wastage of millions of rupees in a failed initiative to issue new Identity Cards (ID) and re-register members of the Employees� Provident Fund (EPF). According to the NAO, Rs. 12.61 million has been spent on 15,000 cards while Rs. 17.67 million has been used to purchase 35 account balance-checking machines (kiosks) for the project. Notably, these assets have not been utilised for the intended purpose nor managed efficiently, more..

Dec 17 (ST) FPC, a breakaway group of the SLPP, is on the verge of a breakup. A section wants to leave and join the SJB led by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. They are not happy about the long-drawn dialogue the Congress has been holding with the SJB leadership. As revealed in these columns last week, Congress leaders are seeking a change in SJB�s economic policies, an electoral arrangement, and more..

Dec 18 (DM) Last week, U.S. Special Representative for Racial Equity and Justice, Desir�e Cormier Smith was in Lanka. During her time here, Ms. Smith met Malaiyaha Tamils - up country Tamils - civil society groups, and government officials to reiterate the U.S. Govt�s support to help advance the human rights of members of marginalised ethnic communities in the country. If it were not so sad, the agenda of Ms. Smith might have sounded funny. US involvement in rights more..

Dec 18 (DM) On 22nd Oct, Prez Wickramasinghe disclosed that India�s electricity system would be connected with SL�s electricity system. Power and Energy Minister also expressed views on plans to connect the grids of the two countries by 2030. SL HC to India, Milinda Moragoda, in his 27-page Integrated Country Strategy (ICS) for SL Diplomatic Missions in India for 2021/2023, highlighted on grid connectivity between the two countries. Hence both govts act with one mindset on this matter. more..

Dec 18 (DM) Outgoing Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Baglay, in an interview at the end of his three and half year stint in Sri Lanka, shared his views on the development of bilateral ties and what holds for future. Q: You have been here for more than three years. How has your experience in Sri Lanka been? A: Both professionally and personally, I had the most memorable time of my diplomatic career in Sri Lanka. more..

Dec 18 (ST) My dear pohottuwa supporters, I thought of writing to you this week as you must have returned to your hometowns after attending your convention in Colombo on Friday. To look on the bright side, it wasn�t a total disaster. You could at least fill up the Sugathadasa Stadium, even if you had to hire busloads of people to do it. Seeing you, the pohottuwa faithful, flock to that stadium on Friday, I didn�t know whether to laugh or to cry. That must be encouraging after seeing more..

Dec 18 (CT) SL�s Supreme Court only last month issued a symbolic ruling that the powerful Rajapaksa brothers and their top administrators were guilty of triggering the island�s worst financial crisis by mishandling the economy. According to Transparency International SL (TISL), the court found that the actions of the respondents directly contributed to the economic crisis. The ruling stated, �This situation brought in a total breakdown of economic and social life of the entire society. more..

Dec 18 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Govt were on a victory lap last week after the Executive Board of the IMF approved the second tranche of $ 337 million under the EFF while the third reading vote of the Govt�s 2024 Budget was passed last week. Approving the second tranche for SL, the IMF stated: �SL�s agreements-in-principle with the Official Creditors Committee and Export-Import Bank of China on more..

Dec 18 (TM) SL citizen�s view of their country differs widely but there is little doubt that many believe we can do better. We could have, can, and must do better in the future to ensure SL remains an economically, socially and politically stable nation. There is little doubt in that. If Sri Lanka remains fragmented, weak and distracted it will not recover and reach the desired place it can stand in the world. Last weekend, Prez Wickremesinghe, as the Chief Guest at a Commissioning Parade at more..

Dec 18 (GV) On Aug 14, 2006, SL Air Force bombed an orphanage in Vallipunam killing 61 schoolgirls. Rajapaksa administration insisted that the location was a LTTE training camp and the victims were child soldiers. Independent reports, including by the UTHR-J, confirmed that the victims were students taking part in a non-military first aid programme organised by the LTTE. Once the civilian nature of the victims became incontestable, Colombo could have acknowledged a mistake & apologised. more..

Dec 18 (DM) It is indeed noteworthy that the ITAK/FP is the only Sri Lankan Tamil political party that has Parliamentary representatives from all five electoral districts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Currently the party has six seats in Parliament including one on the National List. Of these two were elected from the Jaffna electoral district and one each from the Wanni, Trinco and Batticaloa districts. National List MP is from the Digamadulla/Amparai electoral district. more..

Dec 18 (Island) The SLPP�s second national convention on Friday was a soft launch of its next election campaign, presidential or parliament, to all intents and purposes. The presidential election will have to be held next year, and there is no way the govt can postpone it. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe himself told Parliament the other day that the next presidential and parliamentary elections would be conducted in 2024, followed by the Provincial Council and local govt polls in 2025. more..

Dec 18 (FT) Sri Lanka�s economy has shown signs of rebound with the July-September posting a 1.6% improvement ending six quarters of negative growth. As per provisional data, the year-on-year GDP growth rate for the third quarter of 2023 is estimated at 1.6% of positive growth rate. The Agricultural, Industrial and Services activities expanded by 3%, 0.3% and 1.3% respectively in the third quarter of 2023, more..

Dec 18 (DN) With reference to the news item published on the front page of the Daily News on Nov 8, 2023, titled Verite Research Publishing False Reports Due To Petty Reasons � UNP, we have received a clarification/Right of Reply from the legal representatives of Dr. Nishan De Mel, Executive Director of Verit� Research (Pvt) Ltd, an independent multi-disciplinary think tank, conducting studies and research to offer a holistic understanding of SL�s economy, polity and society. more..

Dec 18 (ST) Former Olympian and Asian gold medalist in the Men�s 400m event, Ranga Wimalawansa, who was convicted of defrauding by the Colombo Fort Magistrate, was granted bail on Friday on Rs. 50,000 cash bail and two surety bails of Rs.2 million. However, Fort magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered him to be remanded till Dec 28, for another case of defrauding. On Thursday, the magistrate sentenced Wimalawansa to two years of rigorous imprisonment after he was found more..

Dec 18 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said a decentralised budget would be allocated for each district based on the available number of seats starting next year. He was attending the Special District Coordination Committee (DCC) meeting in the Badulla District. �Starting from the next fiscal year, districts will receive a decentralised budget based on the available number of seats. Additionally, the Upcountry programme, aimed at supporting isolated mountain villages, has commenced, more..

Dec 18 (EN) Sri Lanka�s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) will start mobile service to reach people to open tax files, State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe said, as the island nation is in the process of boosting the number of personal income tax payers amid a challenging 2024 revenue target committed with the IMF. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the island nation�s finance minister, has aimed to boost tax revenue by 47% in 2024 to 3.82 trillion rupees. more..

Dec 18 (ST) There were no detectable levels of immunoglobulin in the counterfeit human immunoglobulin consignment purchased and paid for by the Health Ministry, laboratory reports disclose. They also reveal that the medication, some of which was administered to patients in govt hospitals, was not sterile and contained bacterial endotoxins. Sunday Times has seen the lab reports. more..

Dec 18 (FT) Continuing the upward momentum, outstanding credit extended to the private sector in October has increased by Rs. 38 billion. The cumulative figure stood at Rs. 7.206 trillion as against Rs. 7.168 trillion in September. In August it was Rs. 7.09 trillion. Annual growth as at October was 9.8% as against a decline of 5.4% in September and 4.3% dip in October last year. A pick up in private sector credit was first seen in June with an increase of Rs. 74 bil and again in Sept more..

Dec 18 (Island) Individuals running the national cricket team found a scapegoat following the recent disastrous World Cup campaign pinning all blame on poor fitness standards of the players. Skin fold tests and the two-kilometer run had been highly publicized when the selectors first introduced them. Anyone who failed these tests were made ineligible for selections. However, the rules were changed when certain favourites of selectors failed fitness tests. Instead of them being ruled out of selections, more..

Dec 18 (Island) Urban Development & Housing Ministry has launched an investigation into the housing projects conducted by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa during his tenure as the Housing Minister of the Yahapalana govt (2015-2019). Alleging that the then Deputy Leader of the UNP had distributed housing loans, etc., in violation of proper procedures, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga recently directed the NHDA to initiate an investigation. more..

Dec 18 (AD) Prez Wickremesinghe has appointed Prof. Monte Cassim as the Chancellor of the Uni of Moratuwa. Appointment has been made in accordance with the provisions of Section 32 of the Uni Act, No 16 of 1978, as amended by Act No 07 of 1985, and is effective immediately and is set for a tenure of five years,. Prof. Cassim is the Vice-Chancellor of the Ritsumeikan Trust and from April 2004 until Jan 2010 served as the Prez of Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific Uni, Beppu, Japan more..

Dec 18 (AD) Seasoned campaigner Buwaneka Goonathilleka beat the odds against him at the recent 71st Badminton Nationals held in Colombo and won a triple crown. But according to him the sport he loves the most is at present generating enough thoughts in him to consider whether to continue his association with badminton. He said that he sees the road that took him so far in the sport nearing an end; largely because he doesn�t see playing full time sport giving him the desired more..

Dec 18 (CT) Backed by record high taxes and utility rates, Govt of SL's face value money printing (FVMP) debt recorded a new second highest year-on-year (YoY) fall on Friday (15), declining by at least Rs 3,048,571.37 million (Rs 3.0486 tri/50.13%) to Rs 3,032,421.63 million (Rs 3.0324 tri), thereby sharply reducing demand pull inflationary pressure. The previous second highest YoY fall in GoSL�s FVMP debt, a value of Rs 3.0190 trillion was registered on Tuesday (12) more..

Dec 18 (DM) The Judicial Service Commission has decided to transfer 54 judicial officers, including judges, district judges and magistrates with effect from January 1, 2024. H.S. Somaratne, Secretary to the Judicial Service Commission, has issued transfer orders based on service requirements for annual rotations. Accordingly, District Judges from Kaduwela, Pugoda, Marawila, Kalutara, Matale, Elpitiya, Moneragala, Puttalam, Kilinochchi and Anuradhapura have been reassigned. more..

Dec 18 (TM) Govt of SL is considering a moratorium on granting diplomatic permission for foreign marine scientific research (MSR) vessels for 2024 and beyond. The decision comes weeks after SL communicated a reviewed standard operational procedure (SOP) to grant diplomatic approval for foreign warships, aircraft, and research vessels to traverse SL waters, airspace, and to call at local ports, more..

Dec 18 (DN) Sri Lanka�s rising boxing talents shone brightly at the 34th Penang Pesta International Boxing Tournament in Malaysia, bagging an impressive collection of five medals. Among 16 competing teams, SL secured the third spot in the medal standings. The skilled Under-20 Boxing Team, comprised of six members, showcased immense potential and skills during the 5-day event that concluded on Friday, marking a historic moment for SL�s boxing community as more..

Dec 18 (TM) SJB has unanimously decided not to join any political alliance led by the incumbent Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. This, despite the media reports claiming a split in the party following a recent statement made by the party leader, Sajith Premadasa regarding the matter. Last week, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa vowed that neither he nor anyone in his party would join any future political alliance which is to be led by Prez and leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe claiming that more..