Oct 3 (Hindu) India’s appeal to SL to address the aspirations of its Tamil minority will certainly find resonance among the Tamil-speaking populace on both sides of the Palk Strait, but it is doubtful if it will have any effect. A joint statement by both countries after a virtual summit between PM Narendra Modi and his counterpart, Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Sept 26, not only reiterated India’s stated policy of seeking to ensure equality, justice, peace and respect within a united SL for Tamils, more..

Oct 3 (AD) Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has scheduled the next parliamentary sittings from the 6th to 9th of Oct. As per the decisions taken by the Committee, the second reading of the Finance (Amendment) Bill and the regulations submitted to the Regulations under the Imports and Exports (Control) Act will be taken up for debate on Tuesday (6). more..

Oct 4 (Island) The 20th Amendment has given rise to a debate over whether dual citizens should be allowed to contest elections in this country. The dual citizenship law has been operational for decades and nobody had any issue with it until the yahapalana camp seized on it as a means of keeping the Rajapaksa brothers Gotabhaya and Basil out of politics. The yahapalana camp includes the majority of the foreign funded NGOs that have no purpose other than to interfere in, more..

Oct 4 (ST) That a book titled Dictatorship within a Democracy, authored by the grandson of the Executive Presidency’s architect J. R. Jayewardene, was launched just when the Supreme Court sat last Tuesday to adjudicate on the 20th Amendment (20A) was sweet irony. The incumbent Prez who is being accused of trying to draw virtual dictatorial powers through the democratic process (20A) had only a few days earlier uttered a jaw-dropper comment in a remote village near Haldummulla more..

Oct 4 (SO) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the people gave an overwhelming mandate to the Govt at the last General Election to execute its policies for the well-being of the country. We specifically asked the people to give us a two-thirds majority to get rid of the 19A which works negatively and hampers development. He said as the people have given them a mandate, they are bound to take SL in the right direction. more..

Oct 4 (SO) Hambantota Port and other Chinese development projects were strictly commercial transactions, said the Prez articulating elements of his neutral foreign policy at a credential granting ceremony for new diplomats posted to Colombo. His new Ambassador to China Palitha Kohona would be an ideal brand ambassador for this archetype of policy that would see Sri Lanka making peace, and making friends, but not making the mistake of being identified with rival powers in proxy battles. more..

Oct 4 (CT) If you have not read or reread Victor Ivan’s Queen of Deceit recently it might be an idea to do so because of forebodings that the Gotabaya Rajapaksa presidency will be an autocracy post 20th Amendment and anticipation that the constitution to be enacted thereafter will set this in stone. An allied concern is that autocracy is usually a stepping stone to kleptocracy; but is this an inevitable corollary? I make the distinction because JR was an autocrat who he did not rob the country dry; more..

Oct 4 (SO) UNP stalwart and national list aspirant John Amaratunga says the re- organisation of the party including the reshuffling of top positions and naming of the new Leader, will precede the nomination of their National List candidate to Parliament although almost two months have elapsed after the General Election where the grand old party suffered a humiliating defeat. The party lost all districts it contested and was reduced to more..

Oct 4 (ST) Me Lords, We do not usually write, but we thought we must because everyone is petitioning about this Amendment that Gota maama has proposed to the Constitution. The last time we wrote was some two years ago, when Cheerio Sirisena tried to stage that ill-conceived constitutional coup of his. At that time, he was rapped on the knuckles, ruling that what he was doing was wrong and unconstitutional. Then, he had to abandon his plans of installing Mahinda maama as PM. more..

Oct 4 (Island) Tourism, as we have observed on many occasions, is a fickle industry. It is easy to disrupt the industry, all one needs is a bomb or even a bomb scare. So, while tourism is an illusion, culture is not. A rich cultural matrix has sustained this country for centuries and saved it from invasions. It was the sworn role of the Sri Lankan Kings to take on the responsibility and safe guard the country from harm. The Presidents followed suit. Today, Sri Lanka is at a crossroads, and more..

Oct 4 (SO) Prez Rajapaksa took part in celebrating World Children’s Day by donating mobile libraries to schools in five districts. The President said that provision of a library and access to sports will help children to maintain a balance between physical and mental well-being and that he was convinced of this fact by his recent visits across the country. Following requests by children, the construction of a large number of playgrounds in remote areas of the country is now underway. more..

Oct 4 (CT) The author of the 1978 Constitution has never been officially disclosed. It was included in the report of a select committee of the National State Assembly appointed to consider amendments to the first republican constitution of 1972 without it ever having been considered by that committee. It was passed in the NSA with the requisite two-third majority and became law in September 1978. For the first time in our constitutional history, twelve of its Articles were declared to be unamendable more..

Oct 4 (CT) Sri Lanka’s location is of strategic importance and therefore our country is attractive to many parties, so in this context, Sri Lanka has chosen neutrality as its foreign policy with the top priority being mutually beneficial development cooperation and being open to foreign investments, Prez Rajapaksa said. He said this in a brief conversation with four newly appointed Ambassadors to Sri Lanka, more..

Oct 4 (TM) Third quarter (Q3) of 2020, which is also the first quarter of the year in which SL did not endure a Covid-19-induced curfew or lockdown, came to an end last Wednesday, with several key economic indicators of the country showing signs of recovery. Amongst these indicators, some have managed to bounce back to their pre-pandemic levels while a few have shown gradual signs of recovery. However, the tourism industry is yet to begin recovery due to the closure of airport more..

Oct 4 (TM) Tea exports are set to reach their revenue target for the year 2020, despite the interruptions from the Covid-19 pandemic and the gradually decreasing trend in tea production. SL Tea Board Chairman Jayampathy Molligoda stated that the Board is confident that they would reach their annual target of $ 1.24 billion and has not made any serious revisions to their original target for 2020. As of August 2020, the Tea Board recorded revenue of $ 805.57 million in tea exports, more..

Oct 4 (TM) In a bid to gradually revive the shut-down tourism industry, Sri Lanka Tourism is in discussion with the Indian HC in SL to create a Corona Corridor with India, one of the top three tourism-generating markets of the country. A Corona Corridor or a Travel Bubble is an exclusive partnership between countries that have demonstrated considerable success in containing the pandemic within their respective borders. more..

Oct 4 (Island) Although the dust has settled on the matters raised by Dr. A.H. Sheriffdeen’s letter to the President of the College of Surgeons of SL (CSSL) and the heat generated by the issue has now cooled, it is worth reflecting on this matter. Emeritus Professor Sheriffdeen has acquired a well deserved reputation as an excellent surgeon and teacher of the highest calibe and it was natural that what he had to say struck a resonant chord among a wide section of society not only because more..

Oct 4 (YN) Sri Lankan authorities have embarked on an innovative initiative to promote the Ceylon Tea brand during the global Covid-19 pandemic by distributing tea dyed face masks to the international business community. According to the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB), the face masks which have undergone a value addition process with the usage of the Ceylon Tea dye, a by-product of iced tea manufacturing, is reusable upto 30 washes, reports the Daily Mirror newspaper. more..

Oct 4 (ST) At 40 years and 295 days, there is only one thing that keeps him going. He wants to reach 15,000 first class runs. Just 37 runs shy, he will reach the milestone during the next domestic cricket season and then call it a day, ending over two decades of professional cricket. A disastrous World Cup campaign in England by Arjuna Ranatunga’s men in 1999, three years after winning it in Lahore, made way for young more..

Oct 4 (ST) Sri Lanka’s national sport Volleyball was given a massive boost during the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic when they received a dedicated indoor stadium for the sport in Galle while Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL) announced that it would be sponsoring the National Volleyball Championship for the 13th consecutive year. “Our responsibility for developing SL’s volleyball standards is boosted by the support we receive from Munchee,” said Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, more..

Oct 4 (ST) The announcement of a Test series between hosts Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in October prompted sighs of relief from many. It was to be the first in many moons, and like manna from heaven to cricketers starved of international cricket since the Englishmen abandoned their visit in March post COVID-19. With health restrictions easing and life returning to normal, cricketers worked hard at nets while adhering to strict protocols to return to action in October. more..

Oct 4 (Island) The infamous match fixing scandal involving two First Class cricket clubs would be brought to the attention of Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa’s after his predecessors repeatedly turned a blind eye and threw the findings of a probe under the carpet. In Jan 2017, Panadura Sports Club and Kalutara Physical and Culture Club fixed a First Class match in such a way that the former gained promotion to the elite division more..

Oct 4 (SO) SL has an opportunity to swim against negative tide of current global crisis and be an exception as a destination for Foreign Direct Investments, said Jayamin Pelpola who was appointed to the board of the BOI last week. “It is not an easy task but with resolute focus, it can be achieved,” he said, adding that with the good work initiated at the leadership level and at the BOI, we have built a pipeline that is twice the past 12 months’ trailing FDIs, with new agreements already more..

Oct 4 (SO) Country after country may be turning their backs on Sri Lanka but benefactor after benefactor pumping in the big bucks to reload the cricket team in the latest trend where no action takes place while off-field shows are the name of the game. This time it came in the form of what is been touted as the world’s best known energy drink Red bull who entered the ring as the team’s latest motivator and promoter. Having tied up with over 800 global sporting icons, more..

Oct 4 (ST) Govt has allowed the ill-fated oil tanker that caught fire off the eastern coast last month to leave the country against the Marine Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) directives and the Attorney General’s advice. “The ill-fated crude oil tanker, the MT New Diamond, is being towed away from Sri Lanka against MEPA directives and the Attorney General’s advice regarding pending marine pollution claim, more..

Oct 4 (Island) Representatives of the Palm Oil Industry Association (POIA) Association met with Prez Rajapaksa to present an appeal for a pragmatic solution to the impasse created by non-scientific opposition to the cultivation of oil palm, Dr. Rohan Fernando, president of the industry’s apex body, said. Prez’s announcement of a ban on further expansion of the crop has placed a Rs. 26 billion investment in jeopardy, he noted. “We have presented the facts that respond to more..

Oct 4 (TM) The Govt said the controversial and politically sensitive Colombo Port City agreement signed between Sri Lanka and China will not be renegotiated, despite its claims made prior to the election. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said there was no discussion to renegotiate the Port City agreement. Nevertheless, prior to the election the Govt said it will review the agreement to see whether there were any clauses that were inconsistent with the Constitution, while more..

Oct 4 (TM) In a letter written to the Director General of the Department of External Resources (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance, Economic, and Policy Development on 7 May 2020, Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) said the Govt of Japan would “hold the formulation process temporarily regarding the Greater Colombo Transmission and Distribution Loss Reduction Project Phase II towards the appraisal stage”. more..

Oct 4 (ST) The Central Bank (CB) is considering to put out a report on finance companies based on its on-site examinations, officials said. “This has to be done very carefully, so as not to cause a systemic risk in the finance companies which will affect the entire financial system,” a senior CB official explained to the Business Times. He said the CB carries out on-site examinations by visiting the premises of financial institutions to assess their business operations. more..

Oct 4 (ST) SEC will be revamping a whole set of rules for the capital market along with setting guidelines for valuing listed company properties, officials said. The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) listing rules, stockbroker rules and other market intermediary rules will be overhauled, they said. The rule changes will be made for market intermediaries such as rating agencies, fund managers, stockbrokers, underwriters, unit trusts, margin providers and investment managers. more..

Oct 4 (ST) While 12,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers have been brought home under a humanitarian mission from 14 destination countries amidst the COVID-19 pandemic another over 45,000 workers are desperately seeking repatriation. The repatriation mission has however encountered delays owing to insufficient space at quarantine centres in Sri Lanka, insufficient health staff and other limitations, according to a senior official more..

Oct 4 (TM) Police Media Spokesperson SSP Jaliya Senaratne on Friday (2) said that 20 incidents of deforestation and illegal logging had taken place across the country and the media’s reporting had assisted the Police to promptly take action and continue further investigations as well. Incidents were reported in Hanthana in Kandy, Kalpitiya Mangrove Forest, Eluwankulama in Wanathawilluwa, Muhudu Katuwa in Marawila, Morawewa in Horowpathana, more..

Oct 4 (PTI) Indian women's team in all likelihood will resume its bilateral engagements with a tour of Sri Lanka, which the BCCI is trying to schedule after the women's IPL from Nov 4-9 in the UAE. A senior BCCI official confirmed that the women's team could tour the island nation right after the WIPL (Challengers series) but a big bone of contention could be the 14-day mandatory quarantine in SL. "There is a bright a chance that India will be travelling to Sri Lanka after women's IPL more..

Oct 4 (AD) His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has raised concerns over the CID releasing Riyaj Bathiudeen, brother of MP Rishad Bathiudeen, who was detained over the alleged links to the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Over the last few days, it was observed that the suspects, whose actions were investigated over the allegations pertaining to the Easter Sunday bombings, were released from custody CID, he remarked. more..

Oct 4 (DM) Minister Namal Rajapaksa, slammed reports that his father-in-law, Thilak Weerasinghe who serves as a Director of Airport & Aviation Services SL has been given the authorisation to import beef into the country following the cabinet approval to ban cattle slaughter. Rumours circulated on social media that following the ban, Weerasinghe was now preparing to import beef into the country which was one of the main reasons that the ban had been proposed to the cabinet. more..

Oct 4 (ST) The Govt will focus on improving beef imports before legislating a ban on cattle slaughter, Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. The Cabinet will tomorrow discuss import procedures and concessions for importers so that foreign beef can be provided to Lankans at affordable prices. Equally on the agenda will be amendments to laws relating to banning cattle slaughter, a programme for aging cattle and instructions to local authorities. more..

Oct 4 (ST) As the Supreme Court adjudicates on 20A, both overt and covert moves are afoot by the SL Podujana Nidahas Sanvidanaya (SLNPS) govt to ensure a majority for the bill’s passage in Parliament. The Govt now holds 149 seats. With the Speaker, who has a casting vote, it would be 150. That would be adequate but the leaders do not want a nervous photo finish. More so with rumblings from less than a handful more..

Oct 5 (CT) The govt of Sri Lanka is currently amending the constitution for the 20th time. Though I use the term the government to explain the proponents of this amendment as the coalition members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), there seemed to be no unanimity on the proposed amendment among them at the beginning. Understandably, there was a clear division and greater reluctance among them to accept the authorship of the amendment in public. more..

Oct 5 (CT) These days, people watch news bulletins of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry in regard to the Easter Sunday (21st April 2019) bombings, purely for entertainment and not for any news value. The blame game has taken the stage of comic strips as commented by all and sundry. The magnitude of the incidents and their ramifications are thereby lost on the people. These news broadcasts have opened the floodgates for public discourse. The co-ordinated attacks in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa more..