Dec 2 (DN) Susal de Silva and Oshini Gunawardhana won runner-up positions in the Western Asian Juniors and Girls Rapid Chess Championship held on Nov 29 at the Board of Investors Auditorium, World Trade Centre. Susal de Silva, a student from Nalanda College, clinched the second runner-up spot after a four-way tie for the championship with 5.5/7 points. The title went to International Master GB Harshavardhan of India, with Vepaly Halynyazow of Turkmenistan more..

Dec 2 (DN) In a bid to secure spots for four swimmers at the World Aquatic Championship in Doha in Feb 2024, the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) is set to conduct a Selection Trial at the Sugathadasa Stadium Swimming Pool today (Saturday) starting from 8:30 AM for a three-hour duration. Sri Lanka has the opportunity to send two male and two female swimmers to the World Aquatics Championship in the Qatari capital, Doha, scheduled from February 2 to 18, 2024. more..

Dec 2 (ST) Uncertainty continues in the electrical and electronic items market in view of the revision of VAT in January. Vendors and businessmen expressed concerns over price fluctuations and reduced purchasing power as salaries have not increased relative to the cost of living. Merchants expect sales to drop as the prices of newly imported electrical items rise due to VAT. They also expect greater availability of more..

Dec 2 (DM) A Fundamental Rights Petition has been filed on Tuesday before the Supreme Court seeking an order suspending the implementation of a decision taken by the Constitutional Council (CC) calling for a report from the Chief Justice regarding certain Judges of the Court of Appeal. The petition alleged that the CC had taken this decision in the context of those Judges being nominated by the President for appointment to the Supreme Court and different positions of the Court of Appeal. more..

Dec 2 (FT) In its December edition, leading business magazine LMD reports that business confidence has plummeted to a 15-month low. It elaborates: “Biz confidence has nosedived. And we may have to tighten our seatbelts and prepare for a hard landing when businesspeople take cognisance of the 2024 Budget proposals presented in Parliament on 13 November.” The magazine notes that the Business Confidence Index (BCI) shed 17 basis points in November, to fall to 58. more..

Dec 2 (FT) In an open letter addressed to the Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD), Lanka Tax Founder Mahesh Yogarajan has appealed for an extension of the tax return submission deadline, citing recent system errors that affected many taxpayers. The request comes following the IRD circulating that taxpayers facing difficulties in filing their returns due to system errors more..

Dec 2 (FT) Colombo stock market yesterday began the festive month of December in green with both indices gaining by over 1%. The active S&P SL20 was up by 1.23% and the benchmark ASPI by 1.2%. Turnover was Rs. 962.2 million involving 38.7 million shares. During the week the ASPI and the S&P SL20 gained 1.8% and 2.2% respectively whilst recording an average daily turnover of Rs. 982 million. ASPI continued its positive momentum for a third consecutive session on Friday and more..

Dec 2 (Island) Inconceivable, unbelievable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, unaccountable, perplexing and plain shocking are the terms that came to Cassandra’s mind as she read the stunning news that the Prez sacked the Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs on 27 Nov, who was on the trail of allegedly corrupt SLC office bearers. The President was not voted in but selected by the SLPP, when its leader President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stole away to Male and elsewhere in a blue funk for his life. more..

Dec 2 (Island) The govt finds itself in such a situation with hardly any feats to preen itself on that it even flaunts the receipt of a foreign loan as an achievement. One may recall that the UNP went so far as to celebrate the approval of the IMF bailout by lighting firecrackers at its headquarters, Sirikotha, early this year, making as it did a spectacle of SL in the eyes of the international community. Now, Minister Bandula Gunawardena has boastfully announced that SL will receive more..

Dec 2 (Island) An MP is reported to have claimed that several types of vegetables and yams have been imported at a cost of $293 million. Following this disclosure, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed the Dept of Agriculture to investigate the allegation and submit a report. The country from which vegetables and yams were imported has not been disclosed. Furthermore, although serious attempts have been made and continue to be made to restrict imports to ease pressure on more..

Dec 2 (CT) Oil palm cultivation in SL is a much-debated topic. Although the hype created around the introduction of oil palm to Sri Lanka was immense, as the plantations began to be established, many issues in the areas of health, land preservation and water retention began to surface which forced the Govt to revisit its decision to commence oil palm cultivation in SL. Accordingly, a special expert committee was appointed more..

Dec 2 (ST) Over 30 families living in estate-line houses in Thangamale, Haputale, owe their lives to a pet dog, who alerted his owner to an impending landslide. The pet owner, recounting the day, said the dog had been barking incessantly for many hours. “Initially, I was annoyed. But then I noticed concern, and it seemed stressed and even started pulling me out of the house,” the owner said. When he stepped outside, he noticed signs of an oncoming landslide and immediately alerted more..

Dec 2 (GV) The HIV epidemic remains a significant global health challenge, affecting millions of people around the world. While advancements in medical treatments have improved the quality of life for those living with HIV, prevention remains a crucial aspect of combating the spread of the virus. Responsible sexual practices and comprehensive education play pivotal roles in reducing new infections and breaking the cycle of the HIV epidemic. On October 27, 1988, the UN General Assembly officially more..

Dec 2 (ST) A cozy and safe little place all of their own with every facility for vulnerable mothers with mental health issues, and their babies, to recover and recuperate in the heart of the bustling city of Colombo! It is a first for a maternity hospital in Sri Lanka – this dedicated Mother Baby Unit down Francis Road, Colombo 8. The opening ceremony on Wednesday (Nov 22) was simple but the presence of influencers from both the health sector and medical education as well as more..

Dec 2 (CT) Critics may find fault with the newly-minted Dwaraka, supposedly the daughter of LTTE supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran, for delivering a lifeless, listless speech to mark the outfit’s annual Heroes’ Day on 27 November. With some of her promoters projecting her as Thalai-magal, or woman leader or leader’s daughter, as the case may be, the woman sold to believers as Dwaraka should have been tutored to emote better, speak better, if the idea was for her to touch more..

Dec 2 (CT) In the economic landscape of our country, certain influential entities, commonly referred to as mafias, have come to the fore. Among them, the rice mafia stands out as a major player, comprising large-scale paddy millers, intermediaries, and wholesalers. This consortium significantly impacts both agricultural producers and consumers, creating a complex web of challenges. The pinnacle of the issue lies in the control, more..

Dec 2 (ST) Senarath (not his real name) is spending his retirement, perhaps intermittently attending his family affairs, including those of his children and grandchildren. Although he is known to me for about 40 years, we haven’t met since the time he graduated and left the university. A few days ago, we were both happy to see each other after so long, when we suddenly and unexpectedly met at a social gathering. We took some time there to sit down and recall our university life. more..

Dec 2 (GV) Committee for Protecting the Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) took a decisive step towards justice by submitting a special petition to the UN, European Union and the Swiss Embassy in SL. The gravity of the appeal cannot be overstated, as the CPRP sought intervention to halt the disturbing trend of custodial deaths in the country. CPRP collaborated with grieving family members of those who have lost their lives in police custody. As it extends its plea to UN Special Rapporteurs more..

Dec 2 (CT) As preparatory work ahead of the implementation of the budget proposals for 2024, which were tabled in the House, the Prez headed to Nochchiyagama last Sunday to participate in an event to handover freehold land deeds. There, he cited the example of setting aside the land, which previously housed the Army headquarters, towards the construction of the Shangri-La Hotel. He questioned the rationale behind the inability more..

Dec 2 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe left the country last week to attend the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28) Summit in Dubai, along with over 80 delegates, including Ministers Ali Sabry, Keheliya Rambukwella and Kanchana Wijesekara. The delegation was also made up of international non-governmental organisations, private sector entities and stakeholders, making it the largest-ever SL delegation to attend the annual climate change conference of parties. more..

Dec 2 (DM) The month of Christmas is already upon us. In another 21 days we - the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the war-affected and those who inflict war on helpless people - will all in our own way be celebrating the festival of Christmas. In Bethlehem, the Washington Post reported: Palestinian Christian leaders across denominations in the West Bank city decided last week that they would forgo all festivities this year as a mark of solidarity with their brethren in Gaza. more..

Dec 12 (PTI) Sri Lankan cricket legend Muttiah Muralitharan says Hindi and Tamil films enjoy a huge fan following in his home country and the craze for cinema comes in a close second to cricket in the island nation. The legendary spinner also said he recently watched Tamil hits such as Jailer, Leo and Hindi movies Jawan and Tiger 3. "In Sri Lanka, Hindi movies are famous because very few movies are made in SL. They (SL films) don't have a lot of budget but they still run in theatres more..

Dec 12 (AD) Sri Lankan youths will be conditionally allowed to enter Japan under the Special Skilled Worker (SSW) visa category for employment opportunities in the field of construction, Minister of Labour & Foreign Employment says. According to Manusha Nanayakkara, the move comes into effect today. SL youths are, however, required to fulfil Japanese language requirement by passing the proficiency exam in order to be eligible to secure entry to Japan under SSW visa category. more..

Dec 12 (DM) Compared to other countries, the highest number of elephant deaths are reported in SL every year due to the elephant-human conflict in this country, Sectoral Oversight Committee revealed. This matter was brought to the attention of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, presided over by Ajith Mannapperuma, on Nov 24. more..

Dec 12 (DM) Sri Lanka is among the South Asian countries gearing up for elections at different levels in 2024, alongside India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Maldives, the UK govt said. In response to a written question in UK Parliament about the South Asian countries elections, Anne-Marie Trevelyan Minister of State stated that India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives are all expected to hold elections at different levels in 2024. more..

Dec 12 (AD) The minimum Z-scores required for the university admission for the academic year 2022/2023 based on the 2022 G.C.E. A/L Examination were released a short while ago. Accordingly, of the total 274,304 students who sat for the exam, 166,967 students have been deemed eligible for university admission for the academic year 2022/2023, Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Prof. Sampath Amaratunga said while addressing a media briefing. more..

Dec 12 (Reuters) A group of creditors holding SL's international bonds said on Friday it welcomed the country's debt restructuring agreement with official creditors, though said a lack of transparency on deals struck so far was regrettable. SL and a group of its creditor nations, including Japan, France and India, on Wednesday reached an agreement in principle on a debt rework of $5.9 billion of outstanding public debt. more..

Dec 12 (AD) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has revealed that discussions pertaining to the revision of operating hours of liquor stores are currently underway. Accordingly, while discussions in this regard are underway, he said it has also been identified that certain existing laws pertaining to the sale of alcohol rather encourage people to turn towards the illicit sale of alcohol, as opposed to discouraging them for such illegal acts. Thus, the State Minister assured that more..

Dec 12 (DM) Three individuals have been detained for 48 hours for questioning over an explosion in a house at Nikapitiya, Gallawatta in Ridigama. Ridigama Police initiated an investigation following information on an explosion in a residence. Initially, police arrested three individuals linked to the incident. Arrested suspects, aged 36, 47 and 72, were identified as residents of Dodamgaslanda, Gurumada and Nikapitiya. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the affected house more..

Dec 1 (CT) A tragic double murder occurred in Cheddikulam, located in the Northern Province, claiming the lives of a husband and wife. The victims, Pasupathy Wanakulasingham (78) and his wife Kanagalukshmi (68), were found dead in a pool of blood. They resided in a room behind their son’s shop, where the ghastly incident took place. The couple lived with their son, who operated a shop in Cheddikulam Town. On a usual day, the son closed his shop and returned home nearby, more..

Dec 1 (DM) Considering the recent fuel price revision, Lanka Private Bus Owners' Association (LPBOA), the Inter-Provincial Private Bus Owners' Association (IPPBOA), and three-wheeler associations claimed that there would be no fare revisions to bus and three-wheeler fares. The bus associations claimed that Rs. 27 was reduced from the diesel retail price last night. Earlier, the retail price was reduced by Rs. 5, and the price was Rs. 356. "When the diesel fuel price more..