Nov 13 (CT) Iranian Embassy in Colombo issued a media release regarding the baseless allegations in the US against the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the threat posed by alleged Iranians involved in the recent Arugam Bay incident against Israeli tourists. The statement said, that in recent days, certain biased and pro-Zionist media outlets have been attempting to recycle their old, worn-out scenarios by spreading baseless more..

Nov 13 (CT) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) introduced six emergency contact numbers for the public to contact in case of an emergency during the General Election. These numbers are introduced in addition to its hotline ‘117’. Director of the Public Awareness and Education Unit at the DMC, Pradeep Kodippili, said on 12 November that 70-2117117, 011-3668032, 011-3668087, 011-3668025, 011-3668026 and 01136680119 are those numbers and will be in use from 12 to 16 November only. more..

Nov 13 (DM) Kahathuduwa Police launched an investigation following a complaint filed by a photographer from the Presidential Media Division (PMD), alleging that he was receiving threatening phone calls from the former Director General of the PMD. The complaint comes after several items, including a drone camera, were reported missing from the PMD. The missing equipment was discovered during a search conducted at the division’s facilities after President more..

Nov 13 (SCMP) A notable number of women are contesting SL’s general elections on Thursday, signalling a potential shift in the nation’s male-dominated political landscape, but analysts warn that simply having more female candidates is not enough to transform the country’s leadership culture. The rise in female candidates come as Sri Lankans prepare to elect the first parliament under SL’s inaugural leftist govt, led by Prez more..

Nov 13 (EN) Election Commission had received 188 complaints on Monday (11) when campaigning officially ceased ahead of the Parliamentary Election on Nov 14. A majority of the complaints were on election law violations, with only one incident reported of actual violence. Total complaints received by the commission since the election was declared on Sept 26 was 2,999. Number of incidents are considerably less compared to the 8,683 reported in the previous parliamentary poll more..

Nov 13 (AD) Commissioner General of Elections, Saman Sri Ratnayake, has requested private sector and banking sector employers to grant leave for employees to cast their vote at the parliamentary election which is to be held on Thursday (14). He said that all eligible voters should be allowed to cast their vote to exercise their franchise. The Commissioner General further emphasized that all A/L students who are also eligible voters this year (2024) should be allowed to cast their votes more..

Nov 13 (PMD) Korean Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Association has expressed its commitment to support SL in advancing the agriculture sector and enhancing related employment opportunities. Additionally, the association has agreed to provide technical assistance and training resources essential for the development of the fishing industry. These topics were highlighted during a meeting held today (13) at the Prez Secretariat between a delegation from the Korean SME Association more..

Nov 13 (TD) As Sri Lanka heads toward a significant parliamentary election, the recent presidential victory of Anura Kumara Dissanayake has ignited hopes for political transformation. For the first time, the grassroots Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and National People’s Power coalition (NPP) have gained a foothold in national leadership by winning over large sections of the Sinhala population, including many former Rajapaksa voters, raising expectations for systemic change. more..

Nov 13 (FL) SL President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is selling hope ahead of the Nov 14 Parliamentary elections. Not just for the Sinhalese in the south, but for the Tamils in the north. The election of Dissanayake in late September this year as President was a breath of fresh air for a country long dominated by a set of influential political families. Many voters this reporter spoke to—both in Colombo and Jaffna—said they would vote more..

Nov 13 (CT) If citizens gather in groups to watch the election results on television or participate in public screening events after the polling stations close on Thursday, it will be considered an unlawful gathering, and legal action will be taken against such persons, Chairman of the Election Commission (EC), R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said. He was speaking at a media briefing, detailing the guidelines for the media and the public ahead of the General Election scheduled for tomorrow. more..

Nov 13 (AD) SL Customs Trade Union Alliance says that the decision taken by the customs officers to only carry out the activities related to their respective duties has been temporarily suspended. The customs officers had resorted to a union action of carrying out only the work related to their official duties, in protest against the alleged false accusations levelled against them by container truck owners and drivers during an observation visit by Minister Vijitha Herath to the Colombo Port more..

Nov 13 (Island) The govt decided to stop the sale of Thriposha Company only after the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) had raised the issue, FSP propaganda secretary Pubudu Jayagoda said. Jayagoda criticised the govt’s handling of the Thriposha issue, stating that it was only after the Jana Aragalaya Alliance raised its voice that the Ministry of Finance announced it would not proceed with the shutdown. more..

Nov 13 (DM) There is a possibility of thundershowers exceeding 100 mm tomorrow after 2 p.m, Deputy Director of the Meteorology Dept, said. He noted that the parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held tomorrow and advised the people to go to the polling stations before the rains. “With the low-pressure area forming over the south-west Bay of Bengal, heavy showers of 100 mm are likely in some areas of the Central, Uva, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern Provinces, more..

Nov 13 (AD) The Kuliyapitiya High Court Judge, Manoj Thalgodapitiya, has ordered the acquittal of two defendants indicted before the Anuradhapura High Court for a murder that took place in Rajanganaya 27 years ago. The defendants, identified as Dadigamage Premasiri alias Ukkuwa and K. Wasantha Kumar alias K. Wasantha, both residents of Rajanganaya, were acquitted due to insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution. High Court Judge ruled that more..

Nov 13 (PMD) The newly appointed Board of Directors of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) will convene for their first meeting this afternoon (13). Dr. Hans Wijeyasuriya, recently appointed by Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the Principal Prez Advisor on Digital Economy, will chair the board in a non-executive role. Dr. Wijeyasuriya’s leadership reflects a commitment to strengthening SL’s digital economy, aiming to boost economic growth, more..

Nov 13 (NW) The United States today lifted the security alert on the Arugam Bay area, following close collaboration with the Sri Lankan Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Issuing a statement, the Foreign Ministry said the decision was the result of close collaboration with the Sri Lankan side and the immediate and extensive security measures put in place by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Security and related agencies. more..

Nov 13 (TM) SL sees low cigarette sales in the third quarter of 2024, as its main tobacco manufacturer struggles with higher prices and excise duties in a market replaced by smuggled cigarettes. Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC)’s sales volume during the three months ended 30 September was lower than in the same period last year. CTC has recorded a volume sale of 1.39 billion cigarette sticks in the first nine months of more..

Nov 13 (DM) The govt has announced a new initiative to issue copies of birth, marriage and death certificates to Sri Lankans living abroad through SL embassies, aimed at providing greater convenience to the expatriate community, the PMD said. The programme will be launched as a pilot project across seven selected foreign missions, including the embassies in Kuwait, Japan and Qatar and the consulates in Melbourne (Australia), Toronto (Canada), Milan (Italy) and Dubai (UAE). more..

Nov 13 (AD) A luxury vehicle valued at around Rs. 30 million and suspected to have been illegally assembled has been seized by the Matara Division Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) after being found hidden at a residence in the Vitharandeniya area of the Tangalle Police Division. One suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident. Based on a tip-off received regarding a suspicious vehicle hidden in the house, officers from the Matara Division CIU had searched the residence more..

Nov 13 (DM) The tragic death of Jivon Zoro Singh, a bright 15-year-old boy from a leading international school, who mysteriously fell to his death at the Altair building, has sparked much controversy and speculation on all forms of media including parents and children. While many were quick to label the incident as a suicide, Jivon's family categorically denies these claims, adding that there has been a great deal of misinformation more..

Nov 13 (DM) The United States embassy in Sri Lanka today rescinded the travel restrictions for Arugam Bay on October 23. "U.S. Embassy Colombo has lifted travel restrictions issued on Oct 23, 2024, for Arugam Bay. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo encourages all U.S. citizens to review the Travel Advisory for Sri Lanka, maintain vigilance, be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity and emergencies to local authorities (119)," the Embassy said in a statement. more..

Nov 13 (EN) SL’s energy sector is expected to undergo significant changes, guided by social and economic reforms under the island nation’s new President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his Marxist-leaning NPP govt. Here are five potential implications to the sector after the Nov 14 parliamentary elections: 1. Focus on Renewable Energy Expansion: The NPP’s policy platform strongly emphasizes environmental sustainability and energy independence. more..

Nov 13 (FT) President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has directed that all political appointees to the diplomatic service be recalled. The political appointees are expected to complete their assignments before 1 December 2024. The President and his Govt apparently do not want to take any chance with political appointees of former govts. Anyone who survives the recall and remains at post would undoubtedly have astounding political sophistry! more..

Nov 13 (FT) I have always been struck by two distinct moments in history. First, in June 1865, during the tenure of Prez Abraham Lincoln, slavery was abolished in the US. And yet, there were slaves who were reluctant to embrace the associated freedoms. They appeared to be too attached to their chains. Then, in July 1945 C.W.W. Kannangara introduced an act in parliament to ensure free education for all Sri Lankans. He was compelled to debate for hours extolling virtues of this more..

Nov 13 (DM) International Olympic Committee (IOC) has called for the immediate suspension of Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of SL (NOCSL) Maxwell de Silva following the conclusions and the recommendations submitted by the NOC Ethics Committee. Jerome Poivey, Associate Director, Institutional and Governance Services IOC NOC Relations Dept in an email dated Nov 11, 2024 has urged Suresh Subramaniam, President, more..

Nov 13 (TM) Visiting foreign election observers recommended taking down any online messages that violate election laws prior to the commencement of probes on related election law violations. “We first recommend removing any online messages that may violate election laws,” election observer and former Chief Election Commissioner of India Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi said at a press conference in Colombo yesterday (12) ahead of the Parliamentary General Election tomorrow (14). more..

Nov 13 (FT) Sri Lanka's tourism sector continued its robust rebound with over 61,000 arrivals in the first 10 days of November, bringing the year-to-date (YTD) to over 1.68 million. These figures mark significant progress towards the 1.7 million arrivals mark for 2024, with the country poised for a busy winter season. The early November influx included 42,148 tourists during the first week and another 6,021 between 8-10 Nov; indicating the sustained interest in Sri Lanka as a destination. more..

Nov 13 (DM) Five leading liquor manufacturers including W. M. Mendis and Co. Limited will face imminent risk of losing its liquor production licence, if an accumulated tax arrears of Rs.8.5 billion is not settled by Nov 30th. Department of Excise following instructions of the Treasury issued a fresh warning by early November reminding five large scale liquor producing plants in the country to settle the dues more..

Nov 13 (FT) The Colombo stock market yesterday apparently revved up for tomorrow’s Parliamentary Election with the benchmark ASPI momentarily touching 13,000-points mark and turnover crossing Rs. 4 billion. Mid-day the ASPI surpassed 13,000-points level but closed the day at 12,988 points, up 0.9%. The active S&P SL20 gained by 0.85%. Turnover was Rs. 4.3 billion involving 132.3 million shares. Investor sentiment remained bullish ahead of Thursday’s General Election at which more..

Nov 13 (HT) An advertisement by Sri Lankan Airlines showcasing the Ramayana Trail, a journey through the iconic locations connected to the story of Ramayana, has won hearts on the internet. The five-minute advertisement shows a grandmother narrating the story of the Hindu epic to her grandson from a children's book. The grandson asks about the island where Ravan took Sita after kidnapping her. The grandmother then tells him the story of the kingdom of Ravan in modern-day SL. more..

Nov 13 (DM) With an aim to boost FDI flows into the country while fostering inter-regional trade among SAARC nations, Board of Investment (BOI) is exploring the creation of country-specific industrial parks tailored to the needs of SAARC nations. The proposed country-specific industrial parks are aimed at addressing concerns around economic and political risks associated with single-market operations by enabling businesses of SAARC nations to establish offshore bases more..

Nov 13 (DM) The scheduled restructuring of SL’s Board of Investment (BOI) into three new entities under the Economic Transformation Act (ETA) is facing delays and may even be shelved by the incoming govt, according to top lawyer. The ETA which was enacted on 9 of Aug this year was initially aimed to transform the BOI into three distinct bodies— the Economic Commission, Invest SL, and Zones SL. Key parts of the Act which includes restructuring of BOI was only set into operation within more..