Nov 3 (NF) Former SL cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya has said that the two-year ban imposed on him by the ICC has ended. “…the terms of my agreed sanction have been met and my period of ineligibility has concluded,” Jayasuriya who was slapped with the ban until Oct 15, 2020, said. The cricketing authority had banned the former national cricketer from all forms of cricket after he admitted breaching two counts of the ICC Anti Corruption Code. “I have always maintained a high degree of integrity more..

Nov 3 (EN) Sri Lanka saved 120 pilot whales in possibly one of the world’s most successful rescue operations after the country’s biggest mass stranding of the mammals, officials said Tuesday. Some 65 sailors from the navy and the coastguard along with local volunteers moved short-finned whales by dawn Tuesday after a gruelling overnight rescue, navy spokesman Indika de Silva said. more..

Nov 3 (EN) Stocks gained 2.27% at Tuesday’s closing on Expolanka Holdings, Commercial Leasing and Finance and John Keells Holdings. Colombo’s All Share Price Index gained 2.27% or 129.69 points to close at 5,843.27. The S&P SL20 index of more liquid stocks gained 1.39 percent or 31.45 points to 2,294.39. The market turnover was 2.7 billion rupees with 177 stocks gaining and 25 falling. Expolanka contributed most to ASPI’s gain, closing 3.40 rupees up a share to trade at 22.30 rupees. more..

Nov 3 (CT) Blood reserves stored at the National Blood Centre (NBC) have decreased slightly, with the onset of the second wave of the COVID-19, said Director Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe. At present, the red blood cell reserves stored at the NBC are sufficient for a period of 21 days and that it is mandatory to collect platelet reserves once every five days. It was essential to maintain the blood supply for cancer patients, patients with conditions such as thalassaemia & leukaemia, and more..

Nov 3 (Island) The SL Association of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (SLACPT) said that they found it difficult to agree with a statement issued by the State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana, a professor of pharmacology himself, recommending the use of Ayurveda preparation Sudarshana in state hospitals. SLACPT has said that although it had been tested on animals to show some physiochemical properties of the drug, more..

Nov 3 (EN) A request for a national curfew by health authorities was avoided with the greatest difficulty Basil Rajapaksa, who heads an economic task force has said. “The majority opinion (wedi mathaya) was to impose a nation-wide curfew and fully lockdown (sampurnayen lockdown karanna),” Rajapaksa said. “It is with greatest difficulty that is was limited to the Western Province. Health authorities are in the firm opinion (dedi lesser innay) is to stop everything for at least 10 days.” more..

Nov 3 (AD) New members have been appointed to the Committee on Public Finance to serve the 1st session of the 9th Parliament. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardane announced the names of the 18 members during the parliamentary session which was convened for just three hours earlier today. Accordingly, Ministers Dr Bandula Gunawardana, Dr Nalaka Godahewa, Keheliya Rambukwella, Susil Premajayantha, D.V. Chanaka, Vidura Wickramanayaka, Dr Sarath Weerasekera more..

Nov 3 (CT) Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne, on 30 Sept, has picked holes in respect of the utilisation of funds in regard to the US$ 125 million World Bank (WB) funded Agriculture Modernisation Project executed under the previous regime, where the team leader was the Agriculture Ministry. In the AG’s observations found on the WB website on 31 Oct, he said though four companies qualified for a total funding of more..

Nov 3 (CT) SL’s Foreign Secretary, Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, told several senior Sri Lankan and Indian academics and regional experts, in a webinar discussion held yesterday, that Sri Lanka is fortunately or unfortunately on the crossroads in the Indian Ocean with both Indo-Pacific strategic and the Belt and Road initiative and at the same time closely observing the movement of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or the Quad comprising the US, India, Japan and Australia. more..

Nov 3 (SLN) SL Navy initiated a programme to clear plastic and polythene collected on the sea bed, covering the Trincomalee sea area on 02nd November 2020. The Navy is constantly contributing to the cleaning of the coastline around the island to prevent damage to the marine ecosystem and its biodiversity due to careless dumping of plastic and polythene waste. Accordingly, this particular programme was carried out by Eastern Naval Command to clean up the coastal marine more..

Nov 3 (NR) At a meeting with PM Mahinda Rajapaksa this evening, World Bank Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and SL, Faris Hadad-Zervos, commended the SL Govt for how it has dealt with the Coronavirus outbreak. Expressing deep gratitude for the relationship that SL and the World Bank share, Hadad-Zervos congratulated the PM “not only on the election (victory) but how SL has managed the pandemic.” more..

Nov 4 (CT) The rapid spread of the coronavirus has become the focus of national attention. The extension of the three day lockdown and 24 hour curfew that was imposed on Colombo and the entire Western Province over the weekend has now been extended by a week with the implication that the threat of uncontrolled spread is very serious. The external manifestation of the crisis came with the discovery of the Brandix factory cluster in early October. more..

Nov 4 (GV) US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, was in SL last week as part of his Asian tour that included regional power India as well as the Maldives. Coincidently his visit came not too long after one by former Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to Colombo. It was also on the eve of the Nov 3 prez elections in the US, which will determine if the Trump Administration is re-elected for a second term or if the Democrats take the White House under Joe Biden, Prez Obama’s former Vice President. more..

Nov 4 (CT) On Tuesday (27) this week, State Minister of production, supply and regulation of pharmaceuticals, Prof. Janna Jayasumana, during a Media briefing, said that the Ministry of Health has decided to give an Ayurveda syrup named Sudarshana to COVID-19 patients, who are currently receiving treatments at hospitals. This claim, made by State Minister Jayasumana, who was also a Professor at Faculty of Medicine more..

Nov 4 (CT) As the number of COVID-19 cases climbed drastically and the Divulapitiya and Peliyagoda COVID-19 clusters started spreading to all parts of the island, the Govt was forced to declare quarantine curfew, first in selected Police areas and later in the entire Western Province and certain Police areas outside the Western Province. As of 2 November, quarantine curfew was in effect in 118 Police areas, according to Police Spokesman, Deputy Inspector General Ajith Rohana. more..

Nov 4 (CT) A few days before I had been travelling to my home town and, the radio was playing, not because I deliberately switched on and channeled but it worked as usual and, this time it was the debate over proposed 20th amendment at the supreme house, the Parliament. I do not like to dishonor the good readers here by summarizing the arguments in favor and against to the 20A but I beg your little mercy on succinct few sentences. The repeatedly made argument in favor of the bill more..

Nov 4 (CT) Imagine sleeping on the floor of your bathroom with the light on while the temperature is really down; that is the life a prisoner behind a slab of steel in a cell smaller than a single parking space. In late October 1991, a 46-year-old man named Winston* from Manikhinna near Kandy was remanded for possessing 4,000g of heroin. First, he refused to talk about his dark history or the miserable life he spent behind steel bars. more..

Nov 4 (DN) The ports of Colombo, Hambantota and Galle have little or no deviation cost for ships traversing the East West Main Sea Route (MSR). MSR between the Far East and Europe is the largest and busiest maritime trading lane in the world. Like Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas in the Straits of Malacca, SL sits astride the East-West MSR. Speaking at an awareness program on SL’s potential on Logistics and Supply Chain, organised by SL Export Development Board recently more..

Nov 4 (DM) Looking at SL while stuck somewhere thousands of miles far off has always given me a sense of living in two parallel universes. Like the time I ended up in a side street in Yangon, Myanmar in an old Rosa bus that reminded me of getting to school in a similar vehicle decades back. Or meeting with SL colleagues forced to flee the country because they just wanted to tell their stories. Meals with them would be surreal, trying to save the last morsels of the Luni-miriss from home like more..

Nov 4 (Island) SL like many other countries has multiple economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is important to understand that these challenges were not caused by the pandemic; they were exacerbated by it. SL has struggled to attract foreign direct investment despite being considered a frontier economy, and relies heavily on remittances from migrant workers. We have a large bloated state sector that does not add anywhere near enough value to Sri Lankans in their more..

Nov 4 (DM) Yesterday (3), Americans went to the polls. They began voting for their next president. Americans have a choice between Donald Trump, the Republican incumbent president, and his Democratic challenger, and former Vice President Joe Biden. According to the US Embassy website, polls opened in the US around 7.30 pm (SL time) yesterday. US election is unique. The winner is not decided by the popular vote. Under the US Constitution, the election is neither a vote more..

Nov 4 (TM) It has been exactly four weeks since the detection of the first Covid-19 patient in what is now referred to as the Minuwangoda cluster, and there has been no shortage of drama and finger pointing during this period. In the eye of the storm has been apparel giant Brandix Lanka Ltd., as the first patient was one of its employees. In the company’s first media interview after the crisis erupted, Brandix Group Finance Director more..

Nov 4 (FT) Cabinet gave the greenlight for the re-establishment of the Spices and Allied Products Marketing Board to support and implement Govt policies for the sector. Spices & Allied Products Marketing Board was established under Section 2 of the State Agricultural Co-Operations Act No. 11 of 1972. On 16 July 2008, Cabinet of Ministers decided that the activities of the institution should be handed over to the Dept of Agriculture and the institution should be closed from 27 July 2008. more..

Nov 4 (ST) Considerable uncertainties in the global containment of COVID-19 and when the int'l economy would rebound as well as the recent resurgence of COVID-19 in the country, make economic projections quite hazardous. It is in this uncertain health and economic environment that we venture to discuss the prospects of SL’s balance of payments. Economists are diverse in their views on when and what shape the international economic recovery will take. Will it be U shaped, more..

Nov 4 (TM) SL’s fish export revenue in the first three quarters of this year dropped by about 22.5% compared to the same period last year, amidst decreased demand from European countries due to the prevailing pandemic. According to data, export earnings recorded from fish and fishery product exports in the first three quarters of 2020 was Rs. 31.22 billion compared to Rs. 40.31 billion last year. The drop was witnessed across all fish and more..

Nov 4 (Island) Yesterday’s parliamentary sitting was limited to about three hours. Serious thought should be given to shortening the House proceedings even after the pandemic is over. Parliament is characterised by absenteeism, and not many MPs come prepared for debates, which are an insult to the intelligence of the taxpaying public. Our representatives have mastered the art of saying so little in so many words, and their blether is sickening. After all, the country did without Parliament more..

Nov 4 (FT) Fertiliser production and supply is to get a major tech facelift after Cabinet approved a proposal to formulate a new centralised methodology with support from key IT and nanotechnology bodies of govt. Cabinet proposal presented by Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and approved by the Ministers aims to ensure that production, supply and use of fertiliser is done on a scientific basis in order to maintain sustainable soil conditions to produce quality crops. more..

Nov 4 (DN) SL’s Chamari Atapattu and Shashikala Siriwardene have been named in the playing XI for the Supernovas Team for their opening fixture of the Women’s Twenty20 Challenge fixture against Velocity Team at the Sharjah Stadium in the UAE today. Women’s T20 Challenge is organised and conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in line with the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Tournament, more..

Nov 4 (TM) Local retailers are optimistic that the current outbreak of Covid-19 will have less of a negative impact on the retail sector than the previous seven-week lockdown, according to SL Retailers’ Association (SLRA). SLRA Founder Chairman Hussain Sadique stated that this time around, Govt is better equipped to handle the outbreak, and since there is no community spread, retailers expect to come out of it in around two weeks. “We think that 2 weeks is enough time more..

Nov 4 (CT) Govt of SL’s (GoSL’s) face value money printing (FVMP) debt passed the Rupees half-a-trillion mark once more yesterday, after a day’s interlude on Monday due to a lack of revenue. Consequently, GoSL’s FVMP debt increased by 2.03% (Rs 10,000 m) to Rs 503,167.87 million. Of this, Rs 1,567 million was demand pull inflationary, while the balance Rs 8,433 million was utilised as settlement/s for GoSL’s foreign debt servicing commitments and/or due to CBSL more..

Nov 4 (FT) Despite the recent escalation of COVID-19 globally, Sri Lanka’s merchandised exports have sustained their momentum for the past five months with $ 924 million achieved in October as per provisional data, proving continuous resilience. In comparison to last year, October 2020 performance reflects a marginal $ 52 million decline but the achievement reinforces post-COVID track record of near $ 1 billion exports since June. more..

Nov 4 (ST) Innovative Production Group (IPG), the event rights holder of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) has failed to settle the rights fees to date, even though the agreement entered into between Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and IPG on Oct 14, 2020, required an immediate payment. This is despite SLC having sent several reminders to IPG upon submission of the invoice to settle a balance of US$ 1,775,000 (after deduction of the bid collateral amount). more..

Nov 4 (Island) The country should be divided into two separate zones based on the severity of the spread of COVID19 and the potential to have outbreaks, GMOA said. GMOA Editor Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that instructions should be issued for those areas based on current health ministry guidelines on COVID19 prevention. “Also 80% of all travel must be restricted and relevant authorities must ensure that this is implemented. Quarantine curfew must be imposed and areas must more..

Nov 4 (Reuters) When women at a SL garment factory started to develop coughs and fevers, few took it seriously - South Asian island had few cases of the coronavirus and the onset of the rainy season meant colds were to be expected. Staff who fell ill saw the company doctor, but many went back to the production line having being told that the factory’s owner Brandix, which makes clothes for brands including Gap, Victoria’s Secret more..

Nov 4 (FT) Considering the difficulties in organising physical export promotion programs during this pandemic situation, SL Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with Foreign Ministry and SL Missions overseas has initiated online sessions to enable foreign buyers and SL exporters meet via virtual platforms with the objective of creating trade linkages between SL and the rest of the world, as it is imperative to sustain nation’s export promotional activities in spite of severe challenges more..

Nov 4 (CT) An inmate was killed and a jailor sustained injuries yesterday during an altercation between jailors and an inmate at the Moneragala Prison. Tensions had flared up when an inmate hurled a rock at a jailor, injuring him. In response to the incident, two other jailors had allegedly assaulted the inmate and the latter had succumbed to injuries. Sources said, when the jailor had gone to open the prison cell where the inmate had been housed last morning, the latter had berated more..

Nov 4 (Island) Acknowledging the need to restrict freedom of movement and liberty of people in the interests of public health and public order during an extraordinary health emergency such as that facing the country at present, Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has in a letter addressed to Health Minister Pavitra Wanniarachchi and Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva, head of the NOCPCO, more..

Nov 4 (ST) Big time food stores are gearing up to strengthen their online delivery services as the authorities imposed a curfew in the Western Province and urged the public sector employees to work from home to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lanka Sathosa Chairman Nushad Perera said the state-owned enterprise would join with PickMe to deliver essential goods via an app to households in the Western Province from this week and islandwide next week. more..

Nov 4 (FT) PCR tests on a group of 200 randomly selected employees were carried out on 3 Nov at the Port of Colombo to ensure the safe health of the employees who are committed to maintaining the continuity and quality of efficient operations at the Port. These tests carried out at the Boat Yard premises is another effective step taken by the Management of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to ensure the continued safety of its employees and port users. more..