Dec 25 (GV) On Dec 14, 2023, SC delivered a historic judgement, holding Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon personally responsible for torture. Before this judgement, there have been reports of Mr. Tennakoon being complicit in attacking peaceful protests, making death threats to a journalist, threatening and wrongfully arresting police officers, interfering with police officers carrying out their duties, obstructing investigations and abusing state resources and privileges associated with more..

Dec 25 (DN) In a historic move for SL swimming, the SL Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) has introduced a pioneering initiative by inviting foreign swimmers to participate in the National Short Course Swimming Championship. The event, organized by SLASU, is scheduled to take place from Dec 26 to 30 at the Hillwood College Swimming Complex in Kandy. This marks a significant boost for the SL�s sports tourim, spending USD millions, 30 players and more than 100 more tourists including their parents more..

Dec 25 (DM) Foreign minister ali sabry responds to questions about the current direction of the country�s foreign policy and plans for the future. Q: What is the next direction of our foreign policy? A: The next direction is to create a platform for all the countries in the world to come and invest in Sri Lanka. That is to make SL a hub for tourism, aviation, investment and shipping. That is how we can create partnerships, and get more..

Dec 25 (TM) Christmas has dawned, and across SL, the faithful would pause to reflect and renew their efforts to find cheer in a year which has brought much strife. A drive around the Capitol will expose you to the lights and sounds of commercialised festivity. This, while some MPs make merry overseas, while others in Parliament and state officers celebrate with extravagance, on the public dime. Cheer certainly seems to be with those with power and politics at their beck and call. more..

Dec 25 (Island) Christmas has dawned with the message of peace, love and hope while the world is embroiled in multiple crises which have not spared even the birthplace of Jesus Christ. Bethlehem, under the shadow of war, is devoid of customary Christmas celebrations this year, according to media reports. Nothing will however diminish the spirit and joy of the blessed day, which gladdens the hearts of believers and others alike, the world over. Never is the message of peace more cherished than more..

Dec 25 (ST) Coconut Development Authority (CDA) is now actively working to obtain technical information from Saudi Arabia following the decision of the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture recently to allow the export of Coco-peat for their massive national tree planting programme, Chairman of the Authority Prof. Roshan Perera said. The CDA has written to the Foreign Ministry to obtain this technical information from Saudi Arabian authorities with intervention of SL embassy more..

Dec 25 (FT) There was no Christmas cheer for the Colombo stock market as the week ended with both indices down though turnover spiked driven by crossings. ASPI lost 136.48 points (1.27%) during the week while the S&P SL20 lost 62.44 points (2.01%). In the previous week ASPI declined by 51.76 points (0.48%) and the active S&P SL20 edging down 0.35 points (0.01%) lower. Turnover this week averaged Rs. 2.4 billion, improving from Rs. 763 million last week mainly due to more..

Dec 25 (ST) Stepping into the real world of cricket after stamping his authority as an ardent softball six-a-side fanatic, speedster Nuwan Thushara is now shaping up to become a world renowned figure. Having no experience at all from handling the tennis ball weighing merely 60 grams, to becoming a top end fast bowler who could perform magic with the approximately 130 gram leather ball, Thushara�s value eventually more..

Dec 25 (DN) SLC Operations Manager Jerome Jayaratne once again back to the post of High Performance Center (HPC) Head as SLC overall Consultant Sanath Jayasuriya wanted to reconstruct the High Performance Centre very soon to focus on next T-20 World Cup and 2027 One day World Cup. Under the service of Jerome Jayaratne High Performance Centre (HPC) did a good job but after replaced by two foreigners Simon Wills of England and Tim McCaskill of Australia, more..

Dec 25 (ST) Sri Lanka will send 1,000 kilograms of Ceylon tea to Palestinians via Saudi Arabian channels, a senior Foreign Ministry official said. The donation, which the SL Tea Board is now collecting, will be airlifted by SriLankan Airlines to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, soon. SL will look at similar donations in the future as a token of assistance to the Palestinians in war-torn Gaza and West Bank, the official said. Saudi Govt has launched a national campaign to support the Palestinians more..

Dec 25 (Island) Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, has assured the local business community, troubled by parate executions, that laws will be brought in to regulate the practice. The Justice Minister said he would work with Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana to convince the Cabinet-of-Ministers to change the law. Assurance was given at a meeting held at BMICH, where the former President of the Bar Association explained more..

Dec 25 (FT) Jayaflava is the debut cookbook from cook and author Tasha Marikkar. Finally, a cookbook that highlights the real story of SL food told by a born and bred Lankan local. Jayaflava is Tasha�s love letter to her country, focusing on everything from ethnic heritage writeups, playful island culture, and most importantly authentic Sri Lankan recipes. Tasha�s purpose is to represent Sri Lanka and its food in all its warm glory, its multi-culturalism, its diverse history and evolution, more..

Dec 25 (DN) Mumbai Indians roped in Nuwan Thushara the SL pacer for 4.40 crores in the IPL 2024 auction.Thushara the 29-year-old slinger action paceman was the highest value by SL player at this IPL auction. Speaking after the IPL 2024 auction, Mumbai Indians head coach Mark Boucher spoke about the pace attack that the management has been successful in getting. He said that MI got the likes of Coetzee and Madushanka at a relatively cheaper price than expected. more..

Dec 25 (TM) In a context where the need to increase the recruitment of women officers to the Police force has been reiterated, the Police Department is striving to increase such recruitments as a general practice in order to ensure gender equality. Noting this, Police Media Spokesperson, SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that although not by a significant percentage, the recruitment of woman officers to the force has gradually increased during recent recruitment cycles. more..

Dec 25 (CT) Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, in his Christmas message, urged Catholics to observe the birth of Jesus in a humble manner given the present challenging economic situation in the country. �Catholics have passed through Advent and will celebrate Christmas amid difficulties due to SL�s severe economic crisis,� the Colombo Archbishop said. He highlighted the high cost of living, with a family of four spending Rs 120,000 a month for meals, while the average monthly more..

Dec 25 (Island) SJB MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has said that Public Security Minister Tiran Alles could resort to legal action if there was no basis for the recent declaration by the Int'l Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) that he has offshore holdings, identified by Pandora Papers. MP Ranawaka said the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) should conduct a proper inquiry into the allegation. more..

Dec 25 (DM) SriLankan Airlines today extended apologies to customers affected by recent travel disruptions involving a series of cancellations and delays. The airline faced challenges as two Airbus A330 aircraft were grounded for several days during this busy period. One aircraft required an extended check, with a part replacement delayed due to a global supply shortage. The other experienced a burst tire incident in Paris. Simultaneously, delays in receiving two spare engines and more..

Dec 25 (TM) The State Ministry of Women and Child Affairs is to present a proposal to the concerned parties to set aside one day per week for the hearing of cases related to females and children in every court, The Daily Morning learnt. State Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Geetha Kumarasinghe said that a large number of cases related to incidents involving females and children such as domestic violence, sexual abuse and child abuse are pending before courts. more..

Dec 25 (DN) As SL gears up for the implementation of its reformed VAT system starting Jan 1, 2024, businesses are closely examining the time of supply rule, a critical component of these changes. This rule dictates when a transaction is considered to have occurred for VAT purposes, significantly impacting how companies will navigate the transition from the old to the new VAT regime. KPMG Principal Suresh Perera, a leading voice in tax advisory, emphasizes the importance of this rule. more..

Dec 25 (CT) In his Christmas Day message, President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted the significance of hope and unity as the nation grapples with challenges. Drawing parallels to the biblical narrative, he said Christmas represents the celebration of hope, symbolising a profound light in the midst of darkness. Prez urged citizens to conscientiously fulfil their responsibilities and duties, fostering a Christmas that instils fresh hopes in the nation. Emphasising the significance of... more..

Dec 25 (ST) This is the season for all viral diseases but do not panic. Take precautions to stay safe and if ill seek medical advice, says an expert, while a senior Virologist allays fears about the coronavirus�s latest variant of interest JN.1. �Many respiratory illnesses such as Influenza A and B as well as para-influenza are doing the rounds along with COVID-19,� says President of SL College of Pulmonologists, Dr. Bodhika Samarasekera, more..

Dec 25 (DM) Referring to media reports that he had sought the help of Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennekoon after allegedly knocking down a person while driving his vehicle, member of communication unit Archdiocese of Colombo Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando said he had not asked for assistance from any senior police officer to obtain bail. "I didn't ask for help from any person. Did not call Mr. Deshbandu Thennakoon regarding this matter. "Reports which said I thanked Mr. Deshbandu Thennakoon more..

Dec 25 (AD) A special presidential pardon will be granted to a total of 1,004 inmates and they will be released from the prisons in view of Christmas Day, says Commissioner of Prisons and Media Spokesman Gamini B. Dissanayake. Among the inmates qualified to receive presidential pardons are 989 male inmates and 15 female inmates, as per the Department of Prisons. This includes 162 inmates of Pallekele Open Prison, 78 inmates of A'pura Prison and 42 inmates of Welikada Prison. more..

Dec 25 (TM) Bar Association of SL (BASL) will soon make some recommendations on the actions to be taken with regard to the recent Supreme Court (SC) judgement which ruled that the Acting IGP Deshabandu Tennakoon, along with two other Police officers, have violated the fundamental rights (FR) of an individual by illegally arresting and detaining him. Ruling that three Police officers including Tennakoon more..

Dec 26 (DM) The govt is going to pass next month the Online Safety Bill which provoked controversy and a wide debate few months ago due to its apparent crude repressive nature. In fact it was a Bill originally drafted apparently with questionable faith professing to be good faith. So many sections of the original Bill seemed to be threatening the freedom of expression. The Bill, in its perambulatory clause said that it is an Act to establish the Online Safety Commission and it provided for more..

Dec 26 (DM) Sri Lanka�s relationship with Israel has been unique. In the past 75 years as an independent nation, Sri Lanka has recognised, derecognized and again recognised Israel, guided by ever changing ideological, geopolitical and domestic factors. But in contrast to Sri Lanka, Israel has been consistent: It has always wanted good relations with Sri Lanka and has helped Sri Lanka whenever its help was sought, irrespective of the official status of the relationship. Interestingly, war has been more..

Dec 26 (CT) The demining programme is widely regarded as one of the most-challenging occupations due to the meticulous process of locating and removing landmines on a large scale, progressing inch by inch to ensure thoroughness. Amidst the peak of the war in 2002, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) arrived in Sri Lanka and while this year they have increased overall productivity in the demining of more..

Dec 26 (DM) Part 1 of the financial loan of 2.7 billion the IMF has pledged for the 17th time to Sri Lanka was released last March. The delay in releasing the second tranche of the loan was due to the failure of the Govt of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to satisfy the agreed policy requirements. However, the IMF released the second tranche a week ago but demanded that the SL govt strengthen tax administration, remove tax exemptions, and actively eliminate tax evasion. But if our govts had met with more..

Dec 26 (ST) Long time ago in Bethlehem, it may have been a silent night, indeed, but here on the western seaboard of Lanka�s coast in the year of the Lord two thousand twenty-three AD, it was anything but silent. Nature�s resounding orchestra, accompanied by a dynamic percussion section, which had been playing its overtures all month long, was rising to its ear-shattering crescendo. The winds howled, the sea roared, the trees shrieked, its branches swaying to and fro like more..

Dec 26 (TM) The issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters � often employing fishing methods that damage the environment � is a topic that is often looked at through political, diplomatic, and economic lenses. However, the environmental and livelihood-related aspects of this issue are considerable. On the one hand, environmental destruction caused by the fishing methods are long term. more..

Dec 26 (GV) The last few weeks witnessed a flurry of activity that brought to light a quiet initiative which has been progressing during the past year in terms of the post-war reconciliation process in the country. For close upon 15 years, after the end of the fighting in 2009, neither the effects nor the causes of the conflict have been adequately dealt with or addressed. Regarding the effects of the war, we still have detainees under the PTA who continue to be detained and private and communal land more..

Dec 26 (DM) Road Development Authority (RDA) has recorded more ill-effects of climate change troubling the world were not enough, there are disturbing reports of Covid-19 raising its head again in some countries. WHO has warned of an increase in the cases of respiratory diseases including COVID-19 and its new sub-variant JN.1, and influenza, especially in southeast Asia. WHO has classified JN.1 as a variant of interest owing to its rapid global spread. more..

Dec 26 (CT) With the release of video testimony by a trafficked victim, Sri Lanka yet again got to know about the cyber slavery trade in Myanmar. Following the victim�s video, it was revealed that dozens of Sri Lankans have fallen victim to the cyber slavery trade and it was also revealed that around 56 Sri Lankans are held captive in the said area � Myawaddy which is controlled by ethnic rebels � and forced to commit cybercrimes via popular scams. It was also reported that over 100 Sri Lankans, more..

Dec 26 (CT) Here we go again�. A pre-election gimmick in full display. Local news media shows day in and day out about a mass anti narcotic campaign launched by the police minister and the freshly minted acting IGP. Droves of police teams with their sniffing dogs are all over the homes of the small-time drug pushers. They catch a few ounces of dope here and there. Hold the suspects from their neck and throw them into jeeps. The Acting IGP too is all over the media and with his police teams more..

Dec 26 (TG) Accusations are growing that the former SL govt, led by strongman president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, blocked an investigation into the country�s worst terrorist attack amid claims that they had helped orchestrate the blasts in order to return to power. In the attacks on Easter Sunday in 2019, six suicide bombers targeted churches and luxury hotels across the country, killing 269 people, including eight British tourists. more..