June 15, Colombo (LNW): Flight Lieutenant (Rtd) Subodha Angammana, a distinguished figure with a multifaceted career spanning hospitality management, military service, and entrepreneurship, has marked a significant milestone with the launch of his latest book, “Hospitality Supervision.” 

The book launch, hosted by Samudra Book Publications, represents a notable achievement in Sri Lankan literature as it is the first of its kind authored specifically for supervisors in the hospitality industry.

Having commenced his career in hospitality with studies at Trinity College Kandy, Angammana later pursued professional training in Australia, achieving qualifications including Certificate IV in Hospitality and a Bachelor of Hospitality Management (Human Resource Management). His tenure included pivotal roles at prestigious venues such as the Sydney Tower Buffet and participation in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games catering team.

Transitioning to a career in the Sri Lanka Air Force in 2005, Angammana exceled as a Resident Manager Cum Base Catering Officer across several military bases. His exemplary service during critical humanitarian operations earned him prestigious awards, including recognition for his contributions during the North and East Humanitarian Operations.

Notably, he hosted Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, during his visit to the Air Force Base Anuradhapura in 2009.

Following his tenure in the Air Force, Angammana continued to excel in hospitality management, serving as Duty Manager at Hotel Topaz/The Tourmaline, Kandy, and subsequently establishing himself as an entrepreneur with ventures like “Home Away From Home” and “Area 51.”

His academic pursuits culminated in a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and ongoing studies towards a PhD in Business Administration.

Beyond his professional achievements, Angammana is committed to social causes through the “Flight Lieutenant Subodha Angammana (Rtd) Social Service Foundation”, which organises charitable initiatives such as book donation drives and providing essential supplies to low-income families.

The launch of “Hospitality Supervision” follows his debut book, “Master Guide on Hospitality,” which similarly broke new ground as the first hospitality book authored by a Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka.

Reflecting on his journey, Angammana expressed his pride in contributing significantly to the advancement of Sri Lankan literature in the field of hospitality.

“I have been working in the Hospitality industry since 1997 in Australia, United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. My book “Master Guide on Hospitality” is the first ever Hospitality book authored by a Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka,” Angammana told LNW.

“My second book, “Hospitality Supervision” will be published on first of July this year at Kandy Book Fair at Kandy City Centre, Kandy, Sri Lanka,” he added.

The book launch event is expected to be attended by esteemed guests, colleagues from the hospitality industry, and well-wishers, highlighting Angammana’s enduring commitment to excellence and innovation in both hospitality and literature.

“Hospitality Supervision” is poised to become an essential resource for supervisors and aspiring professionals in Sri Lanka’s vibrant hospitality sector, hence the book being pivotal for anyone pursuing career in the field, he remarked.

June 15, Colombo (LNW): The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is calling on the Sri Lankan government to sustain the momentum of the current reform agenda to guide the economy towards enduring recovery and stable, inclusive growth.

A major challenge highlighted by the Chamber is the implementation of fiscal reforms, particularly the broadening of the tax base, supported by digitization efforts.

The Chamber emphasized the importance of addressing ongoing issues related to governance weaknesses and corruption vulnerabilities to ensure the effectiveness and credibility of the reform process.

Furthermore, the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce is urging Sri Lankan citizens to actively participate and take ownership of the reform agenda, recognizing that collective effort is essential for the success of these initiatives.

June 15, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Sabry, PC, has confirmed the upcoming visit of Dr. S. Jayashankar, the External Affairs Minister of India, to Colombo later this month.

This visit aims to review and strengthen existing partnerships between the two countries in key areas such as renewable energy, tourism, and financial cooperation between the central banks and finance ministries.

Additionally, Dr. Jayashankar’s visit is expected to pave the way for a future visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sri Lanka, further enhancing the bilateral relations between the two nations.

June 15, Colombo (LNW): A recent report by an external mechanism established in Geneva to collect evidence against soldiers and political leaders accused of war crimes in Sri Lanka has uncovered significant evidence against the country’s military leaders, according to MP Sarath Weerasekera, Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security.

MP Weerasekera explained that this external mechanism, set up in Geneva, Switzerland, for the past two years under resolution 46/1, has been collecting evidence related to war crimes allegedly committed by Sri Lankan soldiers and political leaders. The latest report from this mechanism indicates a substantial amount of evidence implicating the military leadership.

He further noted that this external mechanism has the potential to frame the war in Sri Lanka as a conflict against the Tamil population rather than the LTTE. Weerasekera emphasized that this portrayal poses a threat to the self-esteem of Sri Lankan war heroes and national security.

In response to these developments, the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security has urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take immediate action to prevent other countries from accusing Sri Lankan military personnel of war crimes and prosecuting them in the International Military Tribunal. The committee has also sought clarification from the Ministry on their strategies to counter the external mechanism brought by Geneva Human Rights Organizations and their preparedness to defend against potential prosecutions.

During the committee meeting held on June 5, it was revealed that several countries are collaborating to file cases in international courts under universal jurisdiction against Sri Lankan military leaders accused of war crimes. Although the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected the external mechanism, the continuous collection of evidence by this body creates a scenario where Sri Lankan military officers could be arrested and prosecuted in any country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by stating that it has taken steps to inform impartial countries about the situation and has expressed strong protests against the reports from the Geneva Human Rights Commission. Attorney at Law Darshana Weerasekera, who was present at the committee meeting, recommended that Sri Lanka establish a robust domestic mechanism capable of countering the external mechanism with concrete evidence. He suggested incorporating facts from the LLRC report and the Paranagama report into a comprehensive local data file.

MP Weerasekera also warned that the proposed Commission for Truth, Unity, and Reconciliation might inadvertently support external forces against Sri Lanka.

June 15, Colombo (LNW): The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has directed that five luxury vehicles, previously seized by the Bribery Commission, be handed over to Sri Lanka Customs. These vehicles were found to have been imported using false information submitted to the Department of Motor Traffic.

Investigations by the Bribery Commission revealed that the government lost approximately Rs. 300 million in tax revenue due to the illegal importation of these vehicles, which are estimated to be worth around Rs. 600 million.

The vehicles were initially taken into custody by the Bribery Commission based on court orders issued during the investigation.

Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage has now ordered the transfer of these vehicles to Sri Lanka Customs for further investigation, following the presentation of facts by the Bribery Commission.

June 15, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s year-on-year GDP growth rate for the first quarter of 2024 has been estimated at a positive 5.3%, according to the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS).

The DCS released the estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current and constant (2015) prices using the Production approach, along with other macroeconomic indicators for the first quarter (January 1st to March 31st) of 2024.

The GDP at constant prices (2015) for the first quarter of 2024 increased to Rs. 3,329,583 million from Rs. 3,161,963 million recorded in the first quarter of 2023.

In detail, the Agricultural, Industrial, and Services sectors expanded by 1.1%, 11.8%, and 2.6% respectively in the first quarter of 2024.

Issuing a communiqué on the release of the National Accounts Estimates, the DCS confirmed the year-on-year GDP growth rate for the first quarter of 2024 at 5.3%.

Overall, the GDP growth reflects a significant increase, with the GDP at constant price (2015) reaching Rs. 3,329,583 million in the first quarter of 2024, up from Rs. 3,161,963 million in the same period of 2023.

1. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured that he has not deviated from the principles of the democratic socialist system of Sri Lanka, in his efforts to revive the economy. The President explained that although Sri Lanka gradually started liberalizing its economy since 1977, it did not bring along the necessary legislation.
2. National Peoples’ Power (NPP) Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake has left for the United Kingdom (UK) for a meeting with the Sri Lankan community residing in the country.
3. Minister of Tourism, Lands, Sports and Youth Affairs Harin Fernando said that an election will be held on October 5, this year. “An election will be held on the fifth of October,” the Minister said. Minister Fernando said that President Ranil Wickremsinghe will emerge victorious in the forthcoming election.
4. Sri Lanka’s year-on-year GDP growth rate for the first quarter of 2024 has been estimated as 5.3% of positive growth rate, according to the Department of Census and Statistics. The Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) Sri Lanka, has released the estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current price and at constant (2015) price in Production approach and the other macroeconomic indicators for the first quarter (January 1st to March 31st) of 2024.
5. Former Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella and 07 others have been further remanded until June 28 by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court over the import of substandard human Immunoglobulin vials.
6. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National Organizer MP Namal Rajapaksa has warned the people in the North to be cautious of politicians who change their policies to secure votes. MP Rajapaksa cautioned the people in the North, including the main political party in the North, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), to be mindful of policy changes ahead of the anticipated elections.
7. Sri Lanka’s economy is expected to expand by 2.2 percent in 2024, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report issued on Friday (14). The report indicates that this is a 0.5-percentage-point upward revision from January—supported by modest recoveries in remittances and tourism.
8. The Attorney General’s Department today informed the Supreme Court that it will not appear on behalf of former Health Minister Kehiliya Rambukwella and arrested NMRA officials over the case of purchasing medicines from two allegedly unregistered companies.
9. The Forest Conservation Department said drone operations will commenced to detect forest destruction. Forest Conservation General Nishantha Edirisinghe said operations will commence in seven districts under the first phase. Accordingly drone operations will commence in the Ratnapura, Hambantota, Ampara, Mullaitivu, Monaragala, Batticaloa, and Mannar districts.
10. Minister of Sports Harin Fernando expressed concerns about Sri Lanka’s consistent losses in the ICC T20 World Cup, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions. He mentioned that Sri Lanka Cricket was already in disarray when he took over. Responding humorously to a question about future steps, he remarked that he might have to play cricket himself if the team keeps losing.

June 15, Colombo (LNW): Ho Thi Thanh Truc, the outgoing Vietnamese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, expressed deep affection for the country as she concluded her tenure in Colombo on Wednesday. Reflecting on her time in Sri Lanka, she described it as a land of “smiling people” and expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality she received.

In an interview with Daily News on the eve of her departure, Ambassador Truc shared that Sri Lanka and its people would remain in her heart forever due to the enduring friendship shown towards her and her country. “I am grateful for the warm welcome I received and Sri Lanka has become my second home. I have experienced with you the difficult period of the Covid pandemic and then the economic crisis. I am glad that Sri Lanka is bouncing back fast now,” she said.

Quoting a famous Vietnamese poet, she remarked, “When you are here, it is just a place, but when you are going to leave, it has become part of your soul,” expressing how Sri Lanka has deeply touched her soul. She also promised to return, in line with Sri Lanka’s tourism slogan, “I will come back for more.”

Ambassador Truc shared these sentiments during a meeting with Colombo Times Editor in Chief, Mohammed Rasooldeen, on Monday, June 10, where she was presented with a memorabilia.

Enthusiastically recounting her travels within Sri Lanka, she revealed that she had visited all nine provinces and especially enjoyed the historical sites. She proudly mentioned visiting Sigiriya five times and considered herself fortunate to have climbed Adams Peak three times.

June 15, Colombo (LNW):Russian Ambassador in Colombo, Levan S. Dzhagaryan, stated that Russia has never meddled in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka. He emphasized that Russia hopes the future Sri Lankan government will maintain an independent and neutral foreign policy, continuing the friendly relations between the two nations regardless of the outcome of this year’s Presidential Election.

Dzhagaryan expressed his hopes for a peaceful election, which he believes will contribute to the stability, growth, and prosperity of Sri Lanka.

The ambassador made these remarks at a reception hosted by the Russian Embassy in Colombo to mark Russia Day at the Galle Face Hotel on Tuesday. Russia Day, celebrated on June 12, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty by the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1990, a milestone regarded as the beginning of modern Russia.

The event’s Chief Guest was the Chairman of the Russia Sri Lanka Friendship Association and Education Minister, Susil Premajayantha. Ambassador Dzhagaryan highlighted the strong and sincere friendship and mutual understanding between Russia and Sri Lanka, noting that both countries share similar approaches to significant foreign policy issues.