Nov 7 (ST) As SL’s farmers abandon their rice fields, burning effigies of politicians and shouting their agonies to the heavens over the deprivation of fertiliser, elsewhere a desperate man breaks into the govt-run Sathosa to steal three packets of milk doubtless for his family. These vistas of desperation have not been seen in the country, even at the height of numerous civil and ethnic conflicts, let it be said. Layers of misgovernance, thievery and the open abuse of the law are so pervasive that more..

Nov 7 (ST) In cosmic time, it is one minute to midnight before the earth is irreversibly destroyed, its fragile atmosphere damaged beyond repair. And within this nano minute of grace, it rests in the hands of the human race which has brought the planet to the brink of Armageddon, the power to save it. It is still within the reach of mankind to stay doomsday’s ticking clock and avert the extinction of all life on earth. Centuries of industrial effluence, spewed indiscriminately to the atmosphere more..

Nov 7 (SO) Minister of Power Gamini Lokuge said whatever future trade union action is taken; the Govt with the assistance of the CEB employees would take the responsibility of providing uninterrupted power supply to the people. He said the CEB employees have given this assurance to the Govt. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said they explained the true situation of the Yugadanavi power plant more..

Nov 7 (SO) Five million. That is the number of people who have succumbed to Covid worldwide in just 22 months. This is a staggering number, but the sad reality is that it is on the rise all over the world. The death toll, as tallied by the Johns Hopkins Uni, USA, is about equal to the populations of Singapore and New Zealand or Los Angeles and San Francisco combined. It rivals the number of people killed in battles among nations since 1950, according to estimates from Peace Research Institute Oslo. more..

Nov 7 (CT) Disaster Management Centre (DMC) data of Friday (5), showed that in the eight days until Wednesday, the number of deaths due to inclement weather reported islandwide was five; one person missing, 12 houses destroyed; another 630 damaged and 10 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) damaged. Further, the number of families displaced was reported as 63 with 251 persons being impacted. The numbers impacted, but not displaced comprised 4,364 persons in 1,136 families. more..

Nov 7 (ST) Basketball player Dasun Nilantha on one hand is living his dream of representing the national team at the highest level, and on the other hand he has set sights on converting the coaching sessions into winning shows. Nilantha, part of the 15-man squad for the South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) championship, scheduled from Nov 15 to 21, is already on the ball of training hard day and night. “In the run up to SABA, our training has split into mornings as well as evenings. more..

Nov 7 (SO) Five Sri Lankans who had won the Observer SLT Mobitel Schoolboy Cricketer of Year awards are featuring in the ICC T20 World Cup tournament now in progress in the UAE. Among them, three are representing the SL team while the other two are representing the ICC as the Chief Match Referee and an elite panel international umpire. Dinesh Chandimal (2009), Bhanuka Rajapakse (2010 and 2011) and Charith Asalanka (2015 and 2016) are the current more..

Nov 7 (Island) Prevailing crisis situations in Lankan politics, economics and society will remain for years to come unless people understand the root cause of all such ills and remedy them, says the FSP’s Education Secretary Pubudu Jayagoda. “They should understand that the origin of all these problems is systemic failure. They need to realize that changing govts or presidents, or handing over power from one party to another, more..

Nov 7 (Island) SL’s rugby players got the opportunity to come out of the woods and be back in the game with their participation at the Warrior Cup rugby sevens held recently in Colombo. New players impressed during the two days of rugby and the sport found a new winner in SL Air Force Sports Club who won the Cup Championship; probably for the first time in the domestic seven-a-side rugby history of the game. Tournament featured mostly players from the security forces establishments more..

Nov 7 (SO) Women’s middle distance runner Gayanthika Abeyratne established the most impressive Sri Lanka record out of the four records that were shattered at the National Athletic Championship held at the Sugathadasa Stadium last weekend. She was competing along with only two runners in the 1500 metres race but that did not deter her enthusiasm from going for the record. She clocked in at 4 minutes, 09.12 seconds to shatter the record that was set by Nimali Liyanarachchi in 2019. more..

Nov 7 (ST) Admitted, SL were ejected from the World Cup in the group stages. And they did notch three losses against Australia, South Africa and England between their wins against Bangladesh and West Indies in the Super 12s. But did they also exceed hopes with some excellent performances? True, three out of five wins were against minnows. But didn’t SL push teams like South Africa and England to the brink of defeat? The only game SL were completely outplayed in was the one with Australia, more..

Nov 7 (Island) SL’s current mangrove cover, estimated to be 15-000 19,000 Hectares, is a mere 0.3% of the total landmass and is critically low, putting the island at risk from the impact of climate change and natural disasters such as storm surges and Tsunamis. Mangroves are an integral part of our forests and constitute about 2% of SL’s total forest cover – they are very much a part of the fast dwindling 17% of our primary forests. WNPS’s Accelerated Natural Regeneration of Mangroves (ANRM) Project was launched more..

Nov 7 (ST) The long- delayed Colombo Port East Container Terminal (ECT) development project taken over by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) is now seeking a US $325 loan facility, deviating from its original plan of using its own funds for procurement and construction work. A detailed plan of developing the Eastern Jetty with SLPA funds without entering into a Public-Private Partnership for the partially completed ECT project was submitted as a prelude to settle the port workers strike against handing more..

Nov 7 (ST) In 2019, Sri Lanka had the highest number of live investigations in cricket-related corruption but this number has now tumbled admits ICC’s Anti-Corruption head Alex Marshall. Speaking to a few SL reporters covering the T20 World Cup in the UAE, the former Scotland Yard police officer said, Sri Lanka had 22 live cases at one point—the highest number of investigations among all cricket nations. “There is a big improvement,” Marshall said, more..

Nov 7 (SO) SL’s iconic rhythmic gymnast Canadian-born Anna-Marie Ondaatje wears many hats but the 21-year-old sports star is focussed on winning a medal for her motherland next year. Having made her debut at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Anna-Marie has shrugged off her disappointment of missing out on the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by steaming ahead with her ambitions to become SL’s global sports ambassador. A multi-faceted personality, the stunningly beautiful Anna-Marie Suzanne Quint Ondaatje aims more..

Nov 7 (Island) Prez Rajapaksa returned home to Sri Lanka on Thursday to a plateful of problems, many of his own making. The farmers protests over the import ban on chemical fertilizer is nowhere near tapering off. Rather, it is gathering further highly-publicized momentum. Then there is the appointment of BBS chief, Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara, as the head of a Presidential Task Force (PTF) on One country, one law which has been roundly condemned by a wide cross-section of the people. more..

Nov 7 (TM) Scrolling down Twitter over the weekend, I bumped into a tweet by Verité Research Director – Research Subhashini Abeysinghe. The tweet highlighted the percentage of exports that is qualified to enjoy the EU GSP+ but is not utilising the concession. The number is baffling, and so Sunday Morning Business Market Mine decided to delve deeper into the figures and analyse the causes behind these numbers. The term GSP+ is not a new word for Sri Lankans, and even this very column has talked about GSP+ before. more..

Nov 7 (CI) West Indies and Sri Lanka will both have to play an additional qualifying round to make the Super 12s in next year's Men's T20 World Cup in Australia, while Bangladesh and Afghanistan are assured of direct entry. The automatic qualifiers for the Super 12s in 2022 were determined to be the winner and runner-up of the ongoing T20 World Cup, alongside the next six highest-ranked teams. Going into Saturday's games, six teams - England, Pakistan, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia - more..

Nov 7 (TM) State-owned Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. will float a new tender this month for the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for 2022. The existing contract for LPG supply, which was entered into in 2020, ends Feb 2022. This comes amidst an ongoing shortage of LPG in the local market, forcing many to queue up to replenish their LPG cylinders. The decision to float a new tender followed a controversial statement by Litro Gas Lanka Ltd. Chairman Theshara Jayasinghe, more..

Nov 7 (AA) Turkish foreign minister on Saturday said Turkey wants to develop holistic relations with Asia that has become the center of global economic power. Inaugurating a new office of SL's Antalya Honorary Consulate General in the town of Alanya, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara desires to promote cooperation with SL in fields such as economy, culture, and education. Emphasizing that honorary consulates play an important role in diplomatic interactions, he recalled that the first Turkish diplomatic contact more..

Nov 7 (TM) Justice Minister Ali Sabry submitted his letter of resignation, from his membership in the SLPP, his parliamentary seat, and the justice portfolio, to Prez Rajapaksa last Friday. Prez had, however, refused to accept the resignation letter. Highly placed sources said that the Justice Minister had taken his resignation letter to the President, but that the President refused to accept it. It is reliably learnt that during the lengthy discussion that followed, Sabry had explained more..

Nov 7 (TM) Despite continuous requests from the Tile and Sanitaryware Importers Association (TSIA) to ease the ongoing import ban, the Treasury is most likely to maintain this imposition until further notice. A top source from the Ministry of Trade, on condition of anonymity, revealed to us that the Govt of Sri Lanka may take the decision to not relax the current import ban, which was imposed on tile, during the forthcoming Budget 2022. more..

Nov 7 (ST) A letter sent by leading businessmen a few weeks ago to the Minister of Finance, Basil Rajapaksa calling to negotiate with the IMF for financial aid in the wake of multiple international rating downgrades and rising fears on potential nonpayment on the country’s external debt, hasn’t seen a response. At least 20 businessmen had signed the letter that was a clarion call to stop the crisis from intensifying, a businessman told the Business Times on Tuesday. more..

Nov 7 (ST) Sri Lanka’s decision to reject the request of allocating an offshore block in the Mannar Basin for oil exploration instead of the interest payments for a US$ 3.6 billion credit line by the Omani government has put this loan facility in the balance, reliable official sources said. The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal recently to enter into a loan agreement for a $3.6 billion loan with the Government of Oman to fund oil procurement for year. more..

Nov 7 (TM) Schools across the island will likely see around 70% of its student population return to school tomorrow (8), following last week’s announcement by the Government that grades 10 through 13 would reopen. Accordingly, from tomorrow, primary sections of all schools, and students in grades 10 through 13, will attend school. Despite the daily number of detections having dropped, and related deaths now back at double-digit levels, Covid-19 is still prevalent in the country. more..

Nov 7 (EN) SL daily Coronavirus confirmations went past the 600 mark for the second day and home based patients are also rising health officials said warning the public to exercise more care and avoid large gatherings to avoid another lockdown. Health authorities identified new 628 Covid patients on Friday (5), for the first time in 20 days and 617 on Saturday. Health officials says complaints were received about functions held without adhering to the health guidelines, and many other large gatherings more..

Nov 7 (Island) The Pro-LTTE demonstration held against Prez Rajapaksa who was attending the COP26 summit in Glasgow was an utter failure, according to independent political observers. Since the conference centre and the surrounding areas have been considered as high-security areas, demonstrators could not go anywhere near the President. A few people protested in front of the hotel where the President was staying. Unlike in 2010 and 2012 where they managed to bring more..

Nov 7 (TM) Chinese diplomats will meet officials of the Agriculture Ministry tomorrow to discuss the rejection of a stock of Chinese organic fertiliser bound for SL. Responding to a query, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage said he intends to explain to them why the consignment was rejected following the testing of the samples provided by the Chinese company, Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co, Ltd. more..

Nov 7 (ST) Central Bank has ordered importers, exporters and those engaged in receiving funds for goods and services provided abroad, including professionals, to convert their foreign currency earnings to rupees forthwith and for commercial banks to ensure the transactions are done each month. In a move that has sent shock waves among the business community, professionals and banking circles, the directive orders the foreign currency proceeds of goods and services provided more..

Nov 7 (Island) Consumer Affairs Authority that had removed the controlled prices on a number of essentials including sugar, dhal, chicken and potatoes must take immediate action to prevent consumers being fleeced by traders at their will, says Ranjith Vithanage, Chairman of the National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection. He said that the CAA issuing a special gazette notification removed the maximum retail price imposed on several items. more..

Nov 7 (ST) When the distinguished guests attending the fifth anniversary celebrations of the SLPP at Colombo’s plush Nelum Pokuna Theatre on Tuesday (2), took their seats, it is unlikely that anyone expected the party’s patriarch, PM Rajapaksa, to read the riot act to SLPP politicians and party activists. Yet, that is exactly what the veteran politician and former Prez did, chastising them for distancing themselves more..

Nov 8 (ST) My dear Wimal, Vasu, Gammanpila and the Gang of Eleven, I thought of writing to you when I heard that you have forcefully expressed your opposition to the some of the decisions taken by Gota maama and his govt, particular the decision to sell a power plant to the country which adopted him and of which Basil maama still remains a citizen. Honestly, I was quite surprised to hear from all of you – especially the likes of Wimal, Vasu and Gammanpila. more..

Nov 8 (DM) When the histories of certain communities are silenced and their identities suppressed that is often a sign of devastating oppression. Tens of thousands of Hill Country Tamils – indentured labour brought over by the British to work first in the coffee plantations and then in tea plantations – were displaced to the North from the 1960s to the 1980s. Denial of their citizenship, the original sin of our country soon after Independence, followed by the forced return to India of more..

Nov 8 (TM) Govt’s initiative to stop the use of chemical fertiliser and create an agriculture sector that depends on organic fertiliser keeps facing challenges, and the Govt is trying to stick to its plan irrespective of these challenges. Even though it was only farmers’ groups/activists, politicians, and a handful of academics that conveyed strong displeasure about the practicality of the said plan, the opposition has now taken more..

Nov 8 (DM) “Half a league, half a league, All in the valley of Death; Rode the six hundred. ‘Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!’ he said: Into the valley of Death”- Lord Tennyson. Tennyson narrated in poetic genre the true story of failed military action of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on Oct 25, 1854. A brigade consisting of 600 soldiers on horseback was dispatched into the “Valley of Death” by obeying a foolish command. more..

Nov 8 (TM) The recently and controversially established Presidential Task Force (PTF), which enters the stage set for the battle of the One Country, One Law – with its protagonists and bit players with their stock characters of tragic and anti-heroism and arch-villainy forming the mise-en-scene together with a menagerie of zero-sum props including race, ethnicity, religion, culture, and majority and minority statuses, as crutches for their collective and mutual antagonism, ready to more..

Nov 8 (CT) With the resumption of schools across the country after months of travel restrictions and six months of school closure, parents are beginning to feel the pressure of a new annoyance now, apart from the lack of facilities for distance learning or the issue of teachers and principals. The new concern is the school maintenance fee, which must be paid at the end of the year or at the beginning of the year. more..

Nov 8 (CT) With the country gradually making its way forward adapting to the new normal and with the resumption of economic and several other activities, the importance of the recommencement of academic activities of schools islandwide could not be disregarded. The long-term impact of the closure of schools on the well-being of children should not be taken lightly as an uncountable number of students in SL have already faced a huge burden due to inability of accessing online education more..