Oct 21 (Island) Middle distance runner Nimali Liyanarachchi has spent nearly a year without competitions. A gold medal hopeful at the last South Asian Games, Nimali met with an accident on the eve of SL team’s departure for the Games last year. She is among dozens of top athletes preparing to assess their strengths after a long layoff at the time trial scheduled for the weekend as SL Athletics decided to go ahead with the low key affair to provide competition-starved track and field more..

Oct 21 (NDTV) Cyber Cell of Chennai Police has registered a case after a rape threat was made on Twitter against the daughter of actor Vijay Sethupathi, who yesterday exited from 800 - a biopic on SL cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan - following opposition to his involvement in the project. Without referring to Mr Sethupathi by name, or revealing details about the threat, Chennai Police Commissioner tweeted: "There has been a lot of concern on social media regarding comments more..

Oct 21 (Island) Sanjeewa Jayawardena, PC, told the Court of Appeal that the President had never had any hand in revoking any detention order issued against Riyaj Bathiudeen, the brother of Rishad Bathiudeen. At the outset Faiz Mustapha PC, who appeared for the petitioner Riyaj Bathiudeen told the Court of Appeal that the petitioner had not been involved in terrorist activity, according to investigation reports of recent times. more..

Oct 21 (Island) Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi told Parliament that 48 persons had been brought down from India to the Brandix Apparel Limited and all of them were Sri Lankans and there was not a single Indian among them. Responding to a question raised by opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, the Minister said that the authorities were still in search of the origin of the COVID-19 cluster at Minuwangoda. “When we ascertain the true facts, we will inform parliament of that,” she said. more..

Oct 21 (FT) Corporate earnings of listed companies plunged by 52% year-on-year (YOY) to Rs. 33.5 billion in 2020 March quarter, First Capital Research revealed yesterday. The analysis was based on reported earnings of 266 listed companies. It said the plunge was primarily owing to sluggish performance in Diversified Financials (-87% YOY), Capital Goods (-63% YOY), Food, Beverage and Tobacco (-72% YOY), Telecommunication (-52% YOY) and Consumer Services (-101% YOY). more..

Oct 21 (DM) Notorious underworld figure Makandure Madush was killed to prevent the names of politicians involved in the drug trafficking being disclosed in Court, NPP MP Vijitha Herath said. He told Parliament that if the case against Madush was taken up in Court, there was a good chance of his revealing the names of politicians involved in drug trafficking and his killing was to prevent him from doing so. more..

Oct 21 (FT) When the US Envoy for Sri Lanka spoke about China’s lack of transparency in a local newspaper, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo responded and said: “We strongly suggest the US quit the addiction of preaching others and applying double standards.” In an interview with Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror, the United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Alaina B. Teplitz was quoted as saying Sri Lanka should engage with China in ways that protect its sovereignty. more..

Oct 21 (FT) The Cabinet wants us to believe that it has backed off from restricting the limited opportunity given to the public to challenge bills prior to approval. But it has retained a massive backdoor for bills related to national security and disasters. This must be closed. Legislative power lies with the sovereign people. They are the Principal; Parliament is the agent. They allow their agents, the Parliament, to exercise it on their behalf. But it is necessary for the people to more..

Oct 21 (DM) The preliminary draft of a new Constitution is expected to be ready in six months. Cabinet so-spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, addressing the media in the first post-cabinet media conference to be held via Zoom, said that the process to draft a new Constitution is underway. “We are confident the expert committee appointed to draft a proposal will submit a draft in six months,” he said. A 9-member expert committee was appointed last month to prepare the preliminary draft more..

Oct 21 (CT) Not a single Indian national was allowed into the country as an employee or to provide technical assistance since the outbreak of COVID-19, assured Minister Wimal Weerawansa in Parliament yesterday. Responding to a question by Kurunegala District SJB MP Thushara Indunil, he said there had been rumours to the effect that the recent Minuwangoda cluster had been triggered off by Indians but this had no basis. Indunil queried whether the Govt would admit that more..

Oct 21 (AD) A junior staff member of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital in Kalubowila has tested positive for Covid-19, says its Director, Dr. Asela Gunawardana. The employee in question had last reported to work on the 15th of Oct and was referred to a PCR test as he was showing novel coronavirus symptoms. Thereby, 40 of his close contacts have been identified and directed to PCR tests. more..

Oct 21 (CT) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) claimed that views expressed by Minister Prof G.L. Peiris concerning the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill, to the effect that the mooted Bill would retain most of the progressive clauses in the 19th Amendment, would mislead the public. ‘This is further from the truth. He says that the new Bill would strengthen the democratic form of governance. But we are of the view that its Clauses will be detrimental to the democratic way more..

Oct 21 (CT) TNA MP, M.A. Sumanthiran, submitted a draft Private Member Bill (PMB) to the Secretary General of Parliament to provide for the declaration of a state of public health emergency and for the adoption of special measures in the interests of public health. The draft Bill contains a provision allowing Parliament to declare a state of public health emergency through a resolution passed by a two-thirds vote upon the written advice from the Director General of Health Services (DGHS). more..

Oct 21 (AD) DIG Ajith Rohana says that vehicles will be allowed to pass through Gampaha District during the quarantine curfew, however vehicles are not allowed to stop. Quarantine curfew will be imposed within the Gampaha District from 10 pm today to 5 am on Monday (26). The decision has been taken due to a surge in the number of coronavirus cases reported within the district. Currently quarantine curfew has been more..

Oct 21 (DM) Peliyagoda Fish Market has been temporarily closed after a total of 49 individuals including fish vendors tested positive for Covid-19, area Medical officer of Health (MOH) said. PHI assigned to the area said the majority of positive cases are fish vendors and the people who have bought fish from them recently were asked to report to nearby PHI officers to undergo PCR tests. A total of 105 individuals were subjected to PCR tests after a fish vendor who was identified as more..

Oct 21 (CT) Colombo Crimes Division (CCD), yesterday (20), informed Nugegoda Chief Magistrate Prasanna de Alwis, that its officers have so far listened to 25,000 audio tapes that were seized from the Madiwela residence of SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake. The CCD said its officers have to listen to a further 100,000 audio tapes that were found in Ramanayake’s residence. The prosecution made this submission while producing a progress report on the case to Chief Magistrate more..

Oct 21 (NR) 109 new cases of coronavirus were detected in the country, increasing the total infections to 5,920. 49 cases were detected from the Peliyagoda fish market today. 37 persons from quarantine centres and 23 close contacts of the Minuwangoda COVID-19 cluster have also contracted the novel coronavirus today. Minuwangoda cluster has increased to 2,451. Meanwhile, 44 persons including a foreign more..

Oct 21 (CT) NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said he was unaware of being named as a Member of the Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat (ACCS). Testifying before the PCoI appointed to probe the political victimisation of public officials during the tenure of the United National Front Govt yesterday (20), he added that he was unaware that he was named as a Member of the Secretariat by a Cabinet Paper issued by former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Oct 21 (FT) Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) is on course to roll out energy-efficient Smart-LED street lighting throughout the city, following the completion of the Galle Face stretch down Galle Road, keeping with the committed time lines of the project. “The Smart-LED lighting system installed is providing well-lit streets for motorist and pedestrians whilst providing more than 60% energy saving. We plan to deploy this solution across Colombo city in phases within the next 5 years,” CMC sources said. more..

Oct 21 (AD) The 20th Amendment is brought to remove the 19th Amendment which turned the country into anarchy, said PM Mahinda Rajapaksa at the parliament today. The proposed 20th Amendment was taken into the debate at the Parliament this morning. The recent parliamentary election and the presidential poll showed that the public’s desire to remove the 19A, stated the PM. He points out that the people trust the Prez more..

Oct 21 (CT) The ruling Party is trying to portray a democratic aspect, by stating that they might adopt some of the proposed clauses of the 20th Amendment, to avoid opposition towards its enactment, claimed SJB MP Tissa Attanayake. “A group of ruling Party MPs including Dinesh Gunawardena, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Wimal Weerawansa, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Vidura Wickremanayake, and Gevindu Kumaratunga have delivered a set of diverse opinions about more..

Oct 21 (Xinhua) SL stands to gain from greater Chinese trade and investment, a SL diplomat has said. SL exporters should particularly take advantage of the annual China Int'l Import Expo set to open next month to boost exports, Palitha Kohona, SL's ambassador-designate to China, said. "I would like to see a number of tea companies, rubber products companies, spice companies, coconut products companies, gem and jewelry producers, and other service providers, more..

Oct 21 (HRW) SL authorities have subjected at least seven people to forced physical examinations since 2017 in an attempt to provide proof of homosexual conduct, Human Rights Watch and EQUAL GROUND said today. The exams, which include forced anal examinations and a forced vaginal examination, are a form of sexual violence as well as cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment that can rise to torture. The SL govt should end abusive physical examinations and more..

Oct 21 (WB) Global poverty is expected to increase for the first time in over 20 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Up to 115 million people worldwide will fall into extreme poverty this year. So, this particular End Poverty Day was marked not with celebration as in years past, but with reflection and recommitment. We can reflect on the achievements of this island nation over the past few decades. Indeed, SL has carved out a special place in the region. Its economy has undergone important transformations. more..

Oct 21 (LBO) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson appointed Lord Davies of Abersoch CBE as the new Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Sri Lanka on 5th October 2020. Lord Davies will support the UK’s trade and investment promotion objectives through high-level access to SL and UK stakeholders, opening doors for UK businesses to catalyse deals that will bring benefits to both countries. Speaking about this appointment High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Sarah Hulton OBE said: more..

Oct 21 (CT) Former Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando claimed that the report of the Committee headed by Supreme Court Judge, Justice Vijith Malalgoda, appointed by former Prez Maithripala Sirisena, to investigate the 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday Attacks, contained statements that he did not make. Fernando also said although Sirisena recently said he left for Singapore on 16 Apr 2019 to receive treatment at a hospital, more..

Oct 21 (EN) Samagi Vanitha Balavegaya (SVB), the women’s wing of SL’s main opposition party SJB, has expressed grave concern at what it calls the deleterious impact that the proposed draft 20th amendment to the constitution would have on women and children in Sri Lanka. “We are saddened that the struggle for dignity and rights of the women of Sri Lanka may be further jeopardised due to the attempted over centralisation of power in the presidency,” the SVB said in a statement. more..

Oct 21 (AD) UNP says it is gravely concerned by the govt’s decision to continue with the presentation of the 20th Amendment to Parliament, and the subsequent debate, despite the SC’s determination that several clauses of this amendment require a referendum by the people. “The clauses included in this amendment have not been presented by these parties to the Parliamentary Select Committee prior to this, and therefore these are unnecessary and pose a danger to the people of the country,” more..

Oct 21 (CT) The Supreme Court has determined that the Bill titled, the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, could be passed in Parliament with a two-thirds majority without going for a referendum, provided that inconsistencies contained in four clauses of the Bill, in comparison with the existing Constitution, would be amended, Speaker of Parliament, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, announced in Parliament yesterday (20). more..

Oct 21 (FT) With the objective of taking local start-ups to the commercial level and thereon to the global market, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Forum of SL Association for Software Services Companies (SLASSCOM) kicked off an ambitious agenda, with the main highlight being a programme to mentor and uplift local start-ups. “SL has immense talent and creativity – there are so many innovators out there, but not all of them become entrepreneurs – that’s the gap we are trying to bridge,” more..

Oct 21 (CT) The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) is all set to get underway on Nov 21. The player draft for the tournament also took place on Oct 19 with more than 20 foreign players also picked in five different teams. The T20 tournament has also got its Bollywood flavour now with Salman Khan’s family buying the franchise Kandy Tuskers. Salman’s younger brother Sohail and his father, a well-known script writer, Salim Khan, are part of the consortium, more..

Oct 21 (EN) The TNA will reject any constitution that does not have wide national consensus including that of the Tamil people, TNA leader R Sambanthan said. The MP made this remark in a speech declaring the TNA’s and the ITAK’s decision to vote against the 20th amendment to the constitution. In the second reading of the 20th amendment bill debate today, the senior Tamil politician told parliament that more..

Oct 22 (CT) Creation of diplomatic and economic space has been an important concern and a never ending topic of discussion for nations. Through a policy of proactive and creative diplomacy a country will be able to initiate the formation of international groups, regional forums leading to commercial partnerships and trade agreements etc. Diplomacy and economy thus are two closely interrelated issues. Recently I had an accidental public hob-nob with an acclaimed personality in the field of more..

Oct 22 (GV) Since 1971, Sri Lanka has been embroiled in two revolutions and a civil war that have seen families shatter, brutal death, homes lost, loved ones missing, economic ruin and psychological trauma. As in most conflicts, women and children pay a heavy price. In Sri Lanka’s case, the decades of violence have killed and maimed husbands, fathers, brothers and sons leaving women to fend for themselves, often vulnerable to sexual harassment, exploitation and bribery. more..

Oct 22 (CT) As US President Donald Trump and his opponent Joe Biden are battling it out to occupy the hot seat in the 3 Nov US Prez Poll, the high focus on China and the grouping up against them by the US, Japan, India and Australia, known as the Quadrilateral Coalition or the Quad, has raised concerns over China, as they know that in the Indo- Pacific region they have come out stronger than the rest, hence in the process of more..

Oct 22 (CT) As reports of new COVID-19 cases surface almost each day we wonder if the pandemic’s dreaded community spread phase has finally come. Through callousness and pure bungling, the tight, almost virus-free ship that was Sri Lanka, was finally scuttled and the coronavirus seeped in through the now infamous Brandix cluster crack. However, there are also rumours that COVID-19 might have been spreading low-profile via asymptomatic carriers for some time; more..

Oct 22 (ST) At a public park in the UAE, a group of female SL migrant workers gather after losing their jobs. They have no accommodation and barely enough food. They are desperately awaiting repatriation by the SL govt which is delaying the process of bringing back, altogether 46,000 workers owing to a shortage of quarantine facilities at home. At a boarding house in Katunayake, its female occupants – garment workers from the nearby free trade zone, who share rooms – more..

Oct 22 (CT) For socio-economic growth, the public transport system is key and as of 2020, Asia pacific region tops with high-speed rail lines and it is predicted that by 2050, passengers will travel almost 50 trillion km on urban transportation networks globally. Sri Lanka is straddled with old railway lines built during colonial times with some refurbishment. But what is surprising is that there is not a single electric train in the country and more..

Oct 22 (DM) The 20th Amendment is now under debate, and it is expected to be put to vote at 7.30 pm today. The first piece of legislation of the new Govt formed after the Aug 5 General Election reached the debating stage at a political cost to the Govt. True, the Govt looks to be in a position to rope in a few more from the opposition to enact it with a two-thirds majority in Parliament. But there is doubt whether it will be a pyrrhic victory for the ruling side which is in its first year in office. more..