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Latest News from Sri Lanka: Wish our readers a Peaceful, Happy and Prosperous Sinhala & Tamil New Year! ...
[Last Updated = Thu, Nov 30, 2023, 11:49 am SL Time]
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TOP STORY
Thank You & Goodbye
Dear readers, today is the day to say Goodbye. We have decided to cease the publication of LankaPage and ColomboPage after twenty-six years.
LankaPage, a pioneer among the early internet news sites on Sri Lanka, started in 1995 as an email service disseminating news on Sri Lanka to a limited number of readers. When it evolved into an online news site in 1997, there were only two or three other Sri Lankan news websites.
Early on, LankaPage mainly reported news from other sources, along with a few original stories from reporters in Sri Lanka. As we grew in readership, we felt the need to include more original news and added ColomboPage, which was dedicated to publishing original news reports from Sri Lanka.
We want to thank everyone who has contributed news articles and features to the two websites, sent press releases, and shared their views in op-eds over the years.
First of all, we need to thank Dr. Rohana Hettiarachchi in the Netherlands, who helped us to launch LankaPage as a website in 1997.
Sincere thanks to the many writers in the early years, especially Athula Pushpakumara, Amal Jayasinghe, Sunil Jayasiri, and the late Suneth Mallikarachchi, and to Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema, and Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe in the later years.
And, last but not least, we thank all of you readers and followers of the two websites, and the FaceBook and X (formerly Twitter) CP@ColomboPageNews, for reading, commenting, and engaging with us over the last few years.
 Full Story
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Recent Head Lines
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LEGAL - SITUATION
Nov 30 (CP) Colombo- At least 30 passengers have been injured after a bus they were travelling in ran off the road and overturned in Welikanda, Manampitiya area.
The Police said the accident happened at the 8th kilometer post of the Welikanda Sinhapura road when the bus driver was unable to control the speed of the bus.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon, who has been appointed as the Acting Inspector General of Police, visited the Gangarama Temple this afternoon (29) and received blessings and advice from the temple administrator Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Pastor Jerome Fernando of the Glorious Church, who made statements insulting Buddhism and then fled to Singapore, has arrived in Sri Lanka early today (29) via Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport, an Immigration and Emigration Department official said.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- A four member Sri Lankan family, who were stranded in the Gaza, safely arrived in Sri Lanka on November 24, 2023, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Monday.
The Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs facilitated the repatriation of the family.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- The Police Special Task Force has arrested a man who is accused of committing multiple murders and shootings, during a raid conducted in Morayalewatta Sadalankawa area.
The Police also seized several sharp weapons including a sword and an illegal firearm found in the possession of the suspect.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo- At least 40 persons have been arrested in a special operation jointly conducted by the Police, Special Task Force (STF) and the Sri Lanka Army early this morning in Wellampitiya.
The Police Media Division said the pre-dawn raid was carried out for three hours on Sunday (26) in Sinhapura in the Wellampitiya Police Division.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo- It is reported that a new nomination paper will soon be sent to the Constitutional Council for the appointment of a new Inspector General of Police.
Inspector General of Police C.D. Wickramaratne retired from his post Saturday after serving three extensions after reaching retirement age of 60 years.
Nov 25 (CP) Colombo- Four police officers have been arrested in connection with the death of a young person who was in remand custody at the Jaffna prison.
The deceased inmate who was a suspect involved in several robberies was remanded after being arrested by a team of Vadukkodei police officers on November 11 and produced before the Mallakam Magistrate’s court.
Nov 25 (CP) Colombo- Police Media Spokesman’s Office has announced that Officer Krishnamurthy Prathapan, the trainee Police Constable who drowned in line of duty, has been posthumously promoted to the rank of Police Sergeant.
Nov 25 (CP) Colombo- The Court of Appeal Friday (24) issued an interim order suspending Colombo High Court trial proceedings against Parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka in connection with the 2016 Rajagiriya motor accident case.
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NEWS - HIGHLIGHTS
Nov 30 (CP) Colombo- The Committee on Public Finance (COPF) took into consideration the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill which aims to remove VAT exemptions on certain items and includes provisions to discontinue the Simplified VAT (SVAT) system.
Nov 30, Colombo: A group of 107 students from the Political Science Association and Students’ Parliament of Royal College Colombo had the distinct honor of meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat, Wednesday (29).
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Minister of State for Finance Shehan Semasinghe says that the Official Creditor Committee co-chaired by Japan, India and France has confirmed the Agreement in Principle on specific financing terms for the restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debt in accordance with the debt restructuring parameters set in the International Monetary Fund program.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- As the world gears up for COP 28, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is spearheading Sri Lanka’s delegation, to the Conference, which is set to tackle pressing climate change issues and to address critical decisions.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has contributed a total of Rs.07 billion to the Treasury this year and the Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara formally presented a Rs. 04 billion check to President Ranil Wickremesinghe this afternoon (29) at the Presidential Secretariat.
FINANCE - TRAVEL
Nov 30 (CP) Colombo- In September, Mr. N.A. Dharmaratne emerged as the lucky winner of two return air tickets to the Maldives, courtesy of the exciting collaboration between Seylan Cards and Halo Flights, which was celebrated at Seylan Towers.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- The Official Creditor Committee (OCC) co-chaired by India, Japan and France Wednesday announced that it has reached an agreement with Sri Lanka in principle on debt restructuring.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Commercial Bank of Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s largest private bank and AIA Insurance Lanka Limited, pioneers of Bancassurance in Sri Lanka announced an exclusive long-term Bancassurance partnership. This milestone marks a partnership between two corporate giants, each with a legacy of more than 100 years.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Navigating the complexities of international trade can be daunting for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Sri Lanka. Seylan Bank’s game-changing ‘Export Expert’ service is specifically designed to empower SMEs.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Addressing the 2023 Sri Lanka Economic Summit, President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared the imperative need for radical economic restructuring to ensure the sustainability of the country’s economy.
The President emphasized that continuous commitment to a new economic policy framework is essential to avoid a recurring economic crisis.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Fitch Ratings has placed Bank of Ceylon’s Viability Rating (VR) of ‘cc’ on Rating Watch Negative (RWN).
At the same time, Fitch has affirmed BOC’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘CC’.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has approved in principle the listing of Commercial Bank of Ceylon’s Rs 6 billion Debenture Issue opening on Tuesday 12th December 2023.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- Addressing the 58th Annual General Meeting of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President Ranil Wickremesinghe outlined a comprehensive strategy to propel the country’s tourism sector to new heights.
Focused on surpassing the target of 5 million tourists and redefining traditional approaches, the President’s vision extends to achieving 7.5 million visitors in the coming years
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- COYLE in collaboration with Nations Trust Bank PLC, marked a significant milestone on 20 November 2023 with the successful conclusion of its Leadership Forum themed, “People, Planet, Paradise”.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka’s market leader in wood coatings and emerging regional conglomerate, JAT Holdings PLC, reported robust financial performance for Q2 of FY 2023/24, recently.
Nov 27 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan shares closed lower on Monday, dragged by losses in communication services and industrial stocks. The CSE All Share index settled down 0.45% at 10,480.02.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- State Minister of Investment Promotion Dilum Amunugama says that despite the economic contraction, Sri Lanka’s investment promotion agency , Board of Investment (BOI) has attracted investments worth US$ 1.8 billion and US$ 1.5 billion of them are foreign direct investments (FDI).
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- Sysco LABS was honored with the prestigious Best Exporter Award in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector at the Presidential Export Awards for both 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Nov 25 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka will likely approve on Monday a proposal from Chinese state refiner Sinopec to build a $4.5-billion-dollar refinery, Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has told Reuters on Saturday.
Nov 25 (CP) Colombo- The government of Sri Lanka and the European Union (EU) have signed a financing agreement to promote a circular economy and sustainable consumption and production in the food sector.
The grant of EUR 15 million from the EU aims to increase food availability for vulnerable people
Nov 29 (Reuters) Sri Lankan shares closed higher on Wednesday, after creditor nations agreed in principle on debt restructuring. The CSE All Share index settled up 0.58% at 10,513.28, in its strongest session since Nov. 8.
Nov 29 (Nation) James Finlay Kenya has completed its sale to Sri Lanka-based Browns Investments PLC.
In the deal, 15 per cent of the sale value has been reserved for the local community through the Kipsigis Highlands Multipurpose Cooperative Society (KHMCS).
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- The Hambantota International Port (HIP) was awarded in the Corporate Social Responsibility category at the 10th Maritime Standard Awards 2023. HIP, who won the accolade for the second consecutive year, has actively worked on integrating its community programs to harmonize the operational aspects of the port with its sustainability initiatives.
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POLITICS - GENERAL
Nov 30 (CP) Colombo- As a strategic cost-cutting initiative, the newly appointed Sports Minister Harin Fernando has instructed to move the State Ministry of Sports from the World Trade Center to the Sports Ministry Building in Colombo-07.
Nov 30 (CP) Colombo- Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that a sub-committee consisting of Members of Parliament will be established to amend the local government laws that have been in force for almost a century to suit the current social conditions.
Nov 30 (CP) Colombo- A preliminary discussion to initiate a program to preserve the valuable architecture in the Parliament complex was held on Monday in Parliament under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- The Coconut Development Authority has planned to hand over 125 million rupees from the income earned in this year to the Treasury.
The relevant check was symbolically handed over today (29) to the Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mr. Mahinda Amaraweera
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- State Minister for Provincial Council and Local Government Mr. Janaka Wakkumbura announced that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has allocated Rs. 1,500 million for the “Greater Kandy Urban Development Program” in this year’s budget.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- To facilitate a dynamic space for experience sharing and public engagement to foster dialogue and idea generation on Gender Transformation, Women’s Empowerment and addressing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), a mobile interactive space named, ‘A Journey of Transformation and Women’s Empowerment’ led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sri Lanka was launched today in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Opposition Samagi jnana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Eran Wickramaratne said that capital borrowed at high cost and used for projects such as road development that do not give return on investment is carried out because it paves the way for corruption or those who gives priority to such projects due to their ignorance lack understanding on how to develop a country.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Minister of Transport, Highways and Mass Media Dr. Bandula Gunawardena has revealed plans to convert the state-run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), which are continuously making losses into a public company.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- According to the existing Inland Revenue Law, the annual income report for the assessment year 2022/2023, i.e. from April 1st, 2022 to March 31st, 2023, must be submitted to the Inland Revenue Department before November 30th, the officials of the Inland Revenue Department stated.
Nov 29 (CP) Colombo- Minister of Environment Keheliya Rambukwella Tuesday announced that the Sri Lankan delegation, led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, will attend the forthcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP) in Dubai.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- A meeting was convened yesterday (27) at the Presidential Secretariat presided over by State Minister for Finance Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya and Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, Senior Advisor to the President on Economic Affairs with representatives from numerous trade union leaders, representatives from the National Youth Service Council, youth organizations, and civil society activists concerning the forthcoming 2024 budget proposals.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that, despite the country’s progress from past challenges, the journey is not yet complete. He stated that in order to achieve the desired goals, everyone must move forward with great patience.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- “In our society, there is a belief that domestic violence should be kept behind closed doors and not discussed openly”, says Anoja Makawita, a social worker and counsellor at Women in Need (WIN).
“Violence within families has far-reaching consequences, and it is women and girls who suffer the most”, she said. “It is not just an issue within individual households; it has an impact on entire communities.”
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in implementing a low-interest housing loan scheme for migrant workers, despite Cabinet approval.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- The Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on Open and Accountable Government directed the heads of local government bodies to provide the necessary services with equal consideration to the public who come to get services.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- Ambassador Dhammika Kumari Semasinghe presented Letters of Credence concurrently accrediting her as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Bulgaria with residence in Warsaw, Poland, to President Rumen Radev of Bulgaria, at the Presidential Palace in Sofia on 22 November 2023.
Nov 28 (CP) Colombo- President Ranil Wickramasinghe has decided to present 3 special proposals for the United Nations Climate Change Conference – COP 28, that will take place from 30 November until 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed two new ministers and they were sworn in before the President at the Presidential Secretariat later today, President’s Media Division reported.
Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, was sworn in as the Minister of Irrigation in addition to her current portfolio of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- A meeting between Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh took place Monday (Nov 27) at the Prime Minister’s Office in Parliament.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- Minister of Water Supply and Estate Infrastructure Development Jeevan Thondaman disclosed the ongoing discussions on the formulation of a water tariff, emphasizing the need for a formula that sustains the water board while maintaining fairness for the general public.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- The Minister of Economy and Planning for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Faisal F. Alibrahim, met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe this afternoon (27) at the Presidential Secretariat.
Nov 27 (CP) Colombo- Prasanna Ranatunga, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, has submitted a cabinet paper to obtain approval for the transfer of the land portion of the old Dutch building in Trincomalee to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) for a tourism development project.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo- The construction work of the ten-storey building for the Professorial Unit of the Faculty of Medicine of Uva Wellassa University with the financial allocation of 2.26 billion rupees commenced on Sunday, 26th November at the Badulla Teaching Hospital premises.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo- The government is paying close attention to provide Rs 5,000 from the proposed salary increase for government employees and Rs 2,500 to pensioners from next January, the Minister of State for Finance Dr. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo- In a historic move to empower the agricultural sector and strengthen the export economy, President Ranil Wickremesinghe unveiled the “Urumaya” Freehold Deed Program during the first phase of the public awareness campaign for the 2024 budget proposal.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo- The attention of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education was recently drawn to the report on the National Education Policy Framework which was presented to Parliament recently.
The Draft National Education Policy Framework was discussed at the Sectoral Oversight Committee on Education, presided by MP Dr. V. Radhakrishnan, met in Parliament on 23rd November.
Nov 26 (CP) Colombo: Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that by October 2023, the expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office were reduced by 46% compared to 2022.
The expenses of the Prime Minister’s Office have been reduced by 21% in 2022 compared to 2021 and by 46% by October 2023 compared to 2022.
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SPORTS
Nov 30 (ESPNCI) Rahul Dravid will continue as India’s head coach after accepting the BCCI’s offer to extend his term. While the BCCI did not specify the duration of the extension, it will be at least until the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.
Dravid became the head coach in November 2021 for a two-year term that ended at the conclusion of the 2023 ODI World Cup earlier this month.
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Nov 26 (ESPNCI) England batter Joe Root, who had made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals earlier this year, has opted out of IPL 2024 just a day before the retention deadline. Royals said in a statement on their website that they "respect" Root’s decision.
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Nov 26 (ESPNCI) IPL franchises have till November 26 to announce their final list of retentions ahead of the 2024 player auction, which will be held in Dubai on December 19. Two key factors that franchises will consider before finalising the list of retained and released players are:
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Nov 25 (CP) Colombo- Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Friday reiterated that Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera were included in the 15-member squad selected by the Sri Lanka Cricket Selectors to take part in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
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WORLD
Nov 30 (Reuters) -Israel and Hamas struck a last-minute agreement on Thursday to extend their six-day ceasefire by at least one more day to allow negotiators to keep working on deals to swap hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners.
The truce has allowed much needed humanitarian aid into Gaza after much of the coastal territory of 2.3 million was reduced to wasteland
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Nov 30 (BBC) An elephant christened by activists as one of the world’s "saddest" has died at a Philippine zoo, where she lived almost all her life alone in a pen.
Tributes have poured in for Mali, who was the star attraction at Manila Zoo for four decades and much beloved.
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Nov 30 (BBC) A US military aircraft with eight people aboard has crashed off Yakushima Island in south-western Japan.
Japan’s Coast Guard said one person had been found dead near the crash site.
Japan’s NHK broadcaster said the CV-22 Osprey hybrid plane had been trying to land at Yakushima Airport with one engine on fire.
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Nov 28 (BBC) At least 24 people have been killed by lightning and intense rain and hailstorms in India, officials said.
The weather damaged houses and killed livestock across western Gujarat state.
Storms are unusual in Gujarat during winter, meteorologists said, and the fierce downpour caught many off guard.
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About Sri Lanka ::-
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Introduction to Sri Lanka ::-
Sri Lanka is a beautiful island paradise in the Indian Ocean with white sandy beaches lush greenery, exciting adventures, amazing wildlife, cascading waterfalls and a rich heritage. The island of Sri Lanka is roughly pear-shaped. The total area of Sri Lanka is 65,610 sq km. Sri Lankas coastline is about 1,340 km (about 833 mi) around.
The people in Sri Lanka are warm and friendly. Sri Lankans are known for hospitality in all over the world. People in Sri Lanka ethnically fall into four main categories. The population of Sri Lanka is about 20 million. Sri Lanka has a tropical climate. Sri Lanka has a democratic government. Sri Lanka is mainly an agricultural country. Colombo is the commercial capital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka gained independence in 1948. Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Sri Lanka became a plantation economy, famous for its production and export of cinnamon, rubber and Ceylon tea, which remains a trademark national export. By 1996 plantation crops made up only 20% of export, and further declined to 16.8% in 2005 (compared with 93% in 1970), while textiles and garments have reached 63%. The GDP grew at an average annual rate of 5.5% during the early 1990s, until a drought and a deteriorating security situation lowered growth to 3.8% in 1996. The economy rebounded in 1997-2000, with average growth of 5.3%.
Sri Lanka, with an income per head of $1,350, still lags behind some of its neighbors including Maldives and Mauritius but is ahead of its giant neighbor India. Its economy grew by an average of 5% during the 1990s during the 'War for Peace' era. According to the Sri Lankan central bank statistics, the economy was estimated to have grown by 7% last year, although inflation had reached 20%.
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