Nov 30 (Island) Deputy Leader of NFF Jayantha Samaraweera said that his party recently submitted 23 proposals to the 9-member expert committee appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers to draft a new Constitution. President’s Counsel Romesh de Silva leads the expert committee, named in early September, this year. The proposals consisted of what shouldn’t be included in new draft Constitution under any circumstances, more..

Nov 30 (Island) LSSP leader Prof. Tissa Vitarana said that re-streamlining the cooperative movement is the only way to save farmers from middlemen who prevent both producers and consumers from enjoying decent prices in the market. Participating in the third reading stage debate on budget 2021, MP Vitarana said that middlemen and miller mafia have become the bane of farmers. “The middlemen and miller mafia get the farmers into a debt trap and buy their produce at prices they determine. more..

Nov 30 (Island) Education Minister Prof GL Peiris told Parliament, on Saturday, that the final decision on whether the GCE O/L examination would be held as scheduled would be made public within one week. Responding to a question raised by Kurunegala District SLPP MP Shantha Bandara, Minister Prof Peiris said that schools in Colombo, Gampaha, Kalutara districts, and the areas under lockdown in other districts had been closed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. more..

Nov 30 (AD) SL’s Covid-19 death toll climbed to 116 as seven new fatalities were confirmed today (29). The victims were identified from Colombo, Gothatuwa, Moratuwa, Chilaw and Akuressa areas. Six of the fatalities have been reported from hospitals while the remaining one was determined as a home death. A 50-year-old woman residing in Colombo 12 had passed away on Saturday while receiving treatment in the ICU of Mulleriyawa more..

Nov 30 (AD) In an era when almost everyone attempts to disseminate information through a plethora of platforms available, role of the journalist is all the more important. Even as such a situation could pose a threat to professional media practitioners, it is to them that the public looks to for factual information. Naturally it calls for media practitioners to be well read and informed of both local and global trends, beliefs, ideologies, market forces, political movements and everything more..

Nov 30 (DN) Govt reiterates that SL will engage with all investment and development partners and implement necessary measures to build up reserves through non-debt creating inflows. Investors are invited to approach the SL policy authorities at the highest levels who are dedicated to facilitating any one-on-one or roadshow discussions, without being dissuaded by baseless rating action by Fitch says the Finance Ministry. Fitch Ratings question SL’s ability to meet its external debt repayments more..

Nov 30 (FT) Over 23,000 COVID-19 cases have been identified in Sri Lanka to date, including 496 persons who tested positive for the virus yesterday. The 496 cases were associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster. While the Divulapitiya COVID-19 cluster has declined, the dual cluster has reached a total of 19,946 cases since it emerged on 4 Oct. Total number of COVID-19 patients identified in the island is 23,484. more..

Nov 30 (AD) Minister of Foreign Affairs Dinesh Gunawardena says Sri Lanka’s security is not just not limited to physical security and consequent regional stability, but also encompasses non-traditional security challenges including threats to the marine environment. His remarks came during the inaugural event of the 4th NSA-level trilateral meeting on maritime cooperation which took place in Colombo on Saturday (28). The minister graced the event as the chief guest. more..

Nov 30 (DN) The Govt of Switzerland and the International Organization of Migration (IOM) have extended their assistance to the Govt of Sri Lanka to expedite the resumption of repatriating migrant workers, Health Ministry Spokesman said. Accordingly, the IOM has assisted the Govt in improving the COVID-19 testing facility at the BIA. This facility at the Point of Entry can help the Govt in bringing back migrants safely as well as in opening the airport for tourists in due course. more..

Nov 30 (AD) A total of 24 inmates of Mahara Prison have been admitted to the Ragama Hospital for treatment, following the unrest reported within the prison this evening (29). The Director of the Ragama Hospital said the remains of four individuals who died during the tense situation were received by the hospital. In the meantime, a massive fire is also reported from the prison premises. more..

Nov 30 (FT) Aseni, the Wiz Kid, has been puzzled by different ways in which different parties had commented on the Budget 2021 presented in Parliament two weeks ago. Some had hailed it as a development budget, some had scathed it for not giving relief to people, some had found fault with it for not addressing the problems they are facing, and so on. Aseni, as she had done on previous occasions, turned to her Grandpa, Sarath Mahattaya, an ex-employee of more..

Nov 30 (FT) Budgets are presented by every government and every year except under unavoidable special circumstances. Normally, Sri Lanka had chosen 5 November as the day for presenting the budget to Parliament. However, 2019 was an exception due to several reasons. The Commissioner of Elections issued the gazette notification on 18 Sept 2019 calling for nominations for the Prez Election closing on 7 Oct and the Prez Election on 16 Nov 2019. more..

Nov 30 (DN) Vice-Chancellor of Uni of Peradeniya Prof. Upul Dissanayake said that the Uni of Peradeniya is developing a test kit that can perform a PCR test for less than Rs.1500. He said that the team of experts conducting research on the new test kit has now conducted a large number of sample tests and obtained successful results. He further said that the UGC is financially assisting the research and the research team is focused on developing a new set of rules more..

Nov 30 (DM) Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) filed a Writ application in the Court of Appeal against revoking of Circular No. 05/2001 dated 10.08.2001 and Circular No. 01/2006 dated 17.05.2006. The circulars were revoked by way of Circular MWFC/1/2020 dated 04.11.2020 titled ‘Managing Other State Forests’ by the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Conservation with immediate effect. The petitioners claim that the Secretary has no such authority under more..

Nov 30 (AD) Twenty-six inmates admitted to the Ragama Hospital following the unrest at the Mahara Prison have tested positive for COVID-19. Rapid antigen tests have been carried out on 48 of the 71 inmates admitted to the hospital over injuriesi. Meanwhile, 10 among the 71 injured inmates are in critical condition. A tense situation had occurred at the Mahara Prison last evening (29) when a group of inmates had attempted to more..

Nov 30 (AD) The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has instructed IGP, C.D. Wickramaratne to probe into the tense situation which had escalated at the Mahara Prison yesterday. “The Defence Secretary has directed the IGP to conduct a special investigation following the tense situation reported at the Mahara Prison, after several inmates were reportedly struggling to escape the prison premises demonstrating unruly behaviour.” more..

Nov 30 (FT) Kahawatte Plantations Board of Directors has resolved to capitalise Rs. 800 million of related party debt via a private placement at Rs. 41 per share to controlling shareholders. Kahawatte Plantations, in a filing to the CSE, said it has obtained Rs. 350 million loan from MJF Teas Ltd. (the lender) at an interest rate of Average Weighted Deposit Rate plus 1% (AWDR+ 1%) per annum. The company has also obtained a Rs. 275 million loan from MJF Exports Ltd. at an interest rate of more..

Nov 30 (Island) Justice Minister Ali Sabry urged Opposition MPs to be fair when they spoke about the judiciary as their speeches and innuendos could lead to an erosion of public faith in the judiciary. Participating in the third reading debate on budget 2021, the minister said: “I have noticed that some members in the Opposition make various remarks on some recent judgments. They really do not know the danger of what they are doing. more..

Nov 30 (AD) Dept of Meteorology says that the low-pressure area in the south-east Bay of Bengal has concentrated into a depression lay centered around 750 km southeast of Trincomalee. The system is very likely to intensified into a deep depression during next 12 hours and likely to intensify further into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours, it said. This system is very likely to move West-northwestwards and cross Eastern coast of SL between Batticaloa and Mullativ around more..

Nov 30 (FT) Amidst unprecedented disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vallibel Finance has been able to record steady performances in the face of many challenges. Vallibel Finance said it continued to set the bar soaring, with profits-before-tax (PBT) reaching a high of Rs. 890 million for the first six months ending Sept 2020. Total assets crossed Rs. 52 billion, growing by 4%; resulting in an impressive Balance Sheet, placing the company among more..

Nov 30 (Hindu) In an apparent last-minute addition to his two-day itinerary in Colombo, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met senior SL Tamil leader R. Sampanthan on Sunday, before wrapping up his visit for a trilateral discussion on maritime cooperation and security. The meeting was held at India House, official residence of the Indian High Commissioner, and lasted about 30 minutes. Asked about the development, more..

Nov 30 (FT) Pioneering business magazine LMD has announced that its Sri Lankan Of The Year (SLOTY) for 2020 is The Healthcare Worker. The magazine pays tribute to the nation’s healthcare community, saying it has been pushed to the forefront of efforts to mitigate the impact of the highly contagious respiratory disease, which has wreaked havoc across the world. The medical community and its support staff risk their own lives when dealing with the uncertainties of novel coronavirus, more..

Nov 30 (Island) Standards of tea factories producing for export will be assessed, and only those who scored more than 80% of marks in a standards test would be given permits to export tea, Plantations Minister Dr Ramesh Pathirana has said. He said so in response to a question raised by MP Udayana Kirindiyagoda at the parliamentary consultative committee held at the parliamentary complex on Thursday (26). Minister said that the quality could not be controlled without strict more..

Nov 30 (AD) Colombo High Court has acquitted former Minister Basil Rajapaksa and three others over the Divi Neguma case. The case against the former Minister of Economic Affairs Basil Rajapaksa and three others, over the misappropriation of Divi Neguma funds, was taken up before the High Court Judge R. Gurusinghe today (30). In addition to Rajapaksa, the other 3 defendants of the case, former Secretary more..

Nov 30 (EN) SL has printed money in 2020 to finance the govt as tax revenues fell and foreign financing dried up, officials said as deteriorating balance of payments triggered rating downgrades. CB has purchased unprecedented volumes of Treasury bills to finance deficits and also target interest rates at various points along the yield curve. “If you talk about money printing, as the figures I showed in the presentation, the CB now holds 566 b rupees of treasury bills or govt securities” more..

Nov 30 (DM) Health Authorities and the Epidemiology Unit should take maximum effort to control the emerging of new sub-COVID-19 clusters in the country, GMOA said today. Addressing the media GMOA Editor Dr Haritha Aluthge said the emergence of sub-clusters can be seen in various places in the country, such as in the Prisons Department, Govt and private hospitals, Factories, Free Trade Zones, police and various institutions. “Conducting of surveillance process in more..

Nov 30 (AD) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa called for an independent and impartial inquiry into the Mahara Prison unrest. SJB Leader mentioned this at the parliament today. An investigation conducted under the Secretary to the Ministry of Prisons is not fair or reliable, he said. Premadasa requests for an independent team to find out the truth behind the incident. He further expressed his displeasure over the inaction more..

Nov 30 (FT) Sri Lanka’s draft Natural Gas Policy, which went through several versions, has been rewritten in certain parts, especially its policy objectives and framework, and is now more aligned with the original intent, reveals Ministry of Energy Advisor Saliya Wickramasuriya. The draft policy began its journey in 2013 and has been on a long and winding road and is an essential part of the above ground factors for oil and gas companies to consider to invest in the region, he added. more..

Nov 30 (FT) Two vessels owned by global French transportation and shipping group CMA CGM made their maiden call at HIP last week. The vessels which were scheduled to call at the Colombo Port, diverted to HIP for the transshipment of 450 units, and 722 TEUs. The Singaporean flag bearing MV Glacier Bay carrying containerised cargo from the Jebel Ali port in Dubai, berthed at the port on 25 Nov to discharge containerised cargo including reefer containers for transshipment. more..

Nov 30 (Island) There was discrimination against Tamils in this country, even in the remembrance of the dead, TNA Jaffna District MP M.A. Sumanthiran told Parliament on Saturday. “Nobody raises questions when the JVP remembers its fallen comrades and displays pictures of Rohana Wijeweera in berets. But when the Tamils remember their dead, the issue of terrorism is brought up. Isn’t this discrimination,” MP Sumanthiran queried. more..

Nov 30 (EN) Sri Lanka’s 12-month consumer ination edged up to 4.1% in Nov 2020, from 4.0 a month earlier with the index rising 0.4% during the month, data showed. The Colombo Consumer Price Index grew to 137.1 points in November from 136.5. Food prices rose 1.2% during the month, and non-foods 0.2%, driven up mostly by a rise in transport costs. SL’s private credit has been weak up to Aug 2020, while credit to govt has expanded, though part of it has been paper. more..

Nov 30 (Island) People hit by the pandemic were struggling to dull the pangs of hunger, but the Sports Ministry was holding carnivals by playing premier league cricket, the SJB said yesterday. SJB MP Chaminda Wijesiri, participating in the third reading debate on the budget 2021, said that the urgent need of the people was not premier league cricket tournaments, which cost billions of rupees. “They cannot even watch those matches on TV because of the mounting electricity bills during more..

Nov 30 (BBC) British mercenaries who were involved in the SL civil war are being investigated for war crimes by the Metropolitan Police. Private security company Keenie Meenie Services (KMS) trained an elite unit of the SL police called the STF in the 1980s to fight Tamil separatists. STF has been implicated in a number of human rights abuses. These have included executions without trial and killings of Tamil civilians. more..

Nov 30 (AD) A group of female inmates at the Negombo Prison has launched a protest on top of the prison roof, Ada Derana reporter said. In addition, several more female inmates had supported the protest from the ground. Protesters demand that their trials be expedited and that they are allowed to go to their children. The detainees had displayed protest slogans written on their clothes. Meanwhile, a group of inmates of the Welikada Prison continued their protest on more..

Nov 30 (AD) Rapid Antigen Test Kits used for diagnosing COVID-19 have been distributed to all major hospitals in the country, says Deputy Director-General of Health Services on Laboratory Services, Specialist Dr. RMS Ratnayake. He said that private hospitals have also been given permission to conduct Rapid Antigen tests in addition to the PCR tests. These procedures are constantly monitored by the govt, he added. He mentioned this at a press conference held in Kandy. more..

Nov 30 (CT) A tipper truck driver had fled the scene after running over and killing a Police Constable during a Police raid conducted on an illegal sand mining operation in Kobaigane, Nikaweratiya. The deceased was a 32-year-old PC and a father of two. He was attached to the Kobaigane Police. Police seized the truck in the Kuliyapitiya area, while the suspect was arrested in Nikaweratiya. It was also revealed that the suspect had previous more..