Oct 27 (TM) While condemning the decision taken by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appoint Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero as the Chairperson of the One country, One law Presidential Task Force, SJB MP Harin Fernando said that it is clear that Prez Rajapaksa has failed to deliver in all aspects. He made this statement via a twitter post today. “Now it’s very clear what President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s agenda is after he failed to deliver in all aspects. more..

Oct 27 (SLN) Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) formally took the delivery of the EX-United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Douglas Munro, provided by the United States to SLN, in a ceremony held at the U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle of Washington in the United States on 26th Oct 2021. On behalf of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, the event was attended by Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne. As such, the ship formally joined the SLN fleet more..

Oct 27 (EN) A top SL agricultural scientist who was sacked for publicly raising concerns over a sudden agro-chemical ban said a change of course is needed to avoid a worsening crisis in agriculture which could undermine food security. Professor Buddhi Marambe, 59, the top advisor on agriculture, was sacked from all his govt positions after his criticism of the ban, the Agricultural ministry said in a statement on Tuesday (26). more..

Oct 27 (CI) This group is accepted as the toughest to emerge from but a victory for either Australia or Sri Lanka to make it two from two would leave them strongly placed for a semi-final slot. Both sides chased successfully in their opening games, but Sri Lanka's was more convincing than Australia's albeit on a surface that was easier for strokeplay in Sharjah. The two teams last met in 2019 when Australia won 3-0 in home conditions. Having come through the qualifying stage unbeaten more..

Oct 27 (DM) The Fundamental Rights petition filed by award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara challenging his arrest and detention over an allegation that he propagated religious hatred through a short story titled Ardha (Half) has been fixed for argument by SC. On April 1, 2019, Sathkumara was arrested by Polgahawela police for allegedly propagating religious hatred through his literary work over offences under Penal Code and Int'l Covenant on Civil & Political Rights Act. more..

Oct 27 (Island) Monies taken in the form of commissions by forfeiting people’s welfare will never do any good to those who take them, says His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith. “The biggest malady our society is afflicted with is the commissions earned by politicians through various deals. They take commissions from companies by depriving the people of their dues. Such money has blood on them and they would not do more..

Oct 27 (CT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said the absence of Ranjan Ramanayake from Parliament at a time like this is a serious loss and that it is everyone’s wish that Ramanayake, who always performed a leading role against fraud, corruption and bribery, be released soon. Premadasa said so after visiting Ramanayake at Angunakolapelessa Prison, yesterday. Further, Premadasa requested the Minister of Justice to intervene on behalf of Ramanayake more..

Oct 27 (FT) SL exporters of food items will soon have the opportunity of accessing the giant Chinese market with the China Council for the Promotion of Int'l Trade (CCPIT) hosting the second China On-Line Import Fair and matchmaking of Food and Agro products (CIFFA) from 15 Nov to 3 Dec. There will be a lot of scope for a large number of exportable food and beverage products from SL such as Ceylon tea, king coconut, coconut arrack, fruits such as mangoes, pineapples, and seafood such as more..

Oct 27 (EN) The total number of people, who died of COVID-19 infection in SL, moved up as 20 more fatalities were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services on Tuesday. The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in the country to 13,674. The latest victims include 11 males and 09 females. 8 deaths were reported among elderly people aged above 60 years. In addition, 12 people aged between 30-59 years have also fallen victim to virus more..

Oct 27 (CT) Medical Laboratory Sciences rang warning bells against further chaos in the State health service, if Presidential intervention did not prevent further damage by appointing more military personnel to the State health service. President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science SL (CMLSSL), Ravi Kumudesh claimed there had been a recommendation by the Health Secretary for the appointment of a military person to the post of CEO of the NMRA more..

Oct 27 (DM) Police Headquarters announced that a Rs. 2.5 million cash reward will be awarded for any information on the main suspect in the shooting incident in which a 42-year-old man was killed and another was injured when a gunman on a motorbike opened fire at them at Kotikawatte in Mulleriyawa on Monday. The suspects who had travelled in a motorcycle had entered the house of the victim wearing more..

Oct 27 (DM) CEB United Trade Union Alliance today warned that there would be trade union action on Nov 3 similar to the 72-hour trade union action experienced in 1996. Trade Union Alliance Convener Ranjan Jayalal said that trade union action will be launched against the govt's deal to transfer shares of the Yugadanavi LNG Power Plant in Keralawalapitiya to a US-based company and handing over the monopoly on bringing and distributing LNG to a private company without more..

Oct 27 (CT) SJB MP Hesha Withanage, who resigned from his organiser post with his colleague Chaminda Wijesiri on Monday (25), said they decided to quit to make the SJB Leader and General Secretary aware of certain “conspirators” who are disrupting party activities. He said there is no point in holding onto a position if they cannot address concerns of the people in their electorates. Withanage and Wijesiri were SJB organisers in Rathnapura, Badulla electorates respectively. more..

Oct 27 (Nikkei) SL's COVID-stricken economy is being likened to a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment as foreign reserves plummet, the cost of living rises and the central bank carries on printing money. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka printed over 130 billion rupees ($640 million) in October alone, but that is just the iceberg's tip. From Dec 2019 to Aug 2021, SL's money supply increased by Rs. 2.8 t -- a massive 42%. more..

Oct 27 (CT) SLPP General Secretary, MP Sagara Kariyawasam, said there is nothing wrong with the statements made by the former Chairman of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka, Raja Collure against the teacher, principal trade union action. Collure previously stated that the salaries of teachers who continue striking following the recommencement of academic activities will be slashed for the month of November. Kariyawasam stated that Collure only made such statements against more..

Oct 27 (EN) Sri Lanka is driving QR code use, getting more state agencies and private retailers to use the system for payments, the central bank said. The central bank initiated a LankaQR, a national standard, with LankaClear (Pvt) Ltd, a clearinghouse being the network service provider. “In the current environment of the COVID-19 global pandemic, it is now more important than ever to reduce the usage of cash and move towards digital payment methods,” the central bank said. more..

Oct 27 (DM) Prez Rajapaksa has said that SL, with its rich philosophical heritage shaped by the teachings of the Buddha, fully understands the importance of balancing environmental boundaries with human needs. President made these observations while participating at the High-Level Meeting on Delivering Climate Action for People, Planet and Prosperity convened by Mr. Abdulla Shahid, more..

Oct 27 (DM) The matter with regard to making the vaccination card mandatory when entering public places is being discussed by relevant stakeholders, the Health Ministry said. Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath told media today that it is vital to see how this could be implemented on practical grounds. “This is not a decision that can be taken overnight. There are various factors to be taken into account before arriving at a final decision,” he underlined. more..

Oct 27 (DM) Parliamentary Council approved the appointment of Sundaram Arumainayagam as a member to the Public Service Commission and Mrs. P. S. M. Charles as a member to the Election Commission, Parliament media unit said today. The media unit which quoted Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake stated that the Parliamentary Council which met on Monday (25) under the chairmanship of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene has agreed with the proposal more..

Oct 27 (Island) UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena says the plight of teachers and principals would have been unfathomable today if not for the salary increments given the Yahapalana govt. “Those who blame us for many things have to admit that the situation of teachers and principals would have been much more miserable if not for the salary increments given to them by that govt,” the UNP chairman said, more..

Oct 27 (TM) College of Medical Laboratory Science SL (CMLSSL) said there was no point in keeping inter-provincial travel restrictions in place without a random cluster testing mechanism to continue assessing the COVID-19 situation in the country. CMLSSL President, Ravi Kumudesh when contacted to query about the Govt’s decision to lift travel restrictions that have been in place for the past several months, said there was no point in continuing with interprovincial travel more..

Oct 27 (TM) The PCR lab at the BIA, which had been closed down after the Health Ministry failed to authorise its operations, was reopened today. Thus, all passengers that leave the country and those who arrive in Sri Lanka with one vaccination will be subjected to PCR testing. Earlier, the Director General of Health Services had authorised the PCR lab, SASL Hospinorm, to operate. Manager of the lab, Sumudu Sarasiraja said that they can provide the PCR report within three hours. more..

Oct 27 (CI) Pathum Nissanka and Charith Asalanka - SL's opener, and No. 3 in this current side - are generation next for Sri Lankan batting. So said coach Mickey Arthur, one day out from their second match of the Super 12 stage, against Australia. Asalanka was the player of the match in the game against Bangladesh, hitting 80 not out off 49 balls, after putting on a 69-run partnership with Nissanka for the 2nd wicket, more..

Oct 27 (DM) SL's Elections Commission has received an increase in applications of new political parties, signalling a rift in some of the major parties already in existence, with sources saying Sri Lanka had now bypassed India with the number of political parties registered in the country. According to senior sources from the Elections Commission, Sri Lanka already has an estimated 70 political parties registered in the country, a number bypassing even the number of registered parties in India, more..

Oct 27 (AD) The ship carrying a consignment of fertilizer containing harmful bacteria imported from a Chinese company will not be allowed into Sri Lanka, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage insisted today. Addressing a media briefing, the minister noted that the samples from this fertilizer shipment will not be re-tested, nor will any payment be made to the Chinese firm in question. He stressed that future fertilizer imports into the country will require a third-party independent test. more..

Oct 28 (DM) We focus today on journalists, Maria Ressa and Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov, who were awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. The announcement of the award was made on Friday, October 8 by Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairperson Berit Reiss-Andersen. She said they received the award “for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in Philippines, Russia. more..

Oct 28 (DM) The govt decided, all of a sudden, to implement organic farming in place of chemical agriculture which SL farmers are accustomed to for nearly 60 years. Prez Rajapaksa is pledge-bound to introduce eco-friendly agriculture in steps over a decade according to his manifesto Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour. Despite the policy envisaged in the manifesto, the govt took a hasty move to ban chemical farming ahead of four months for Maha season (main cultivation season). more..

Oct 28 (DM) Receiving the coveted Sahithyaratne, the Lifetime Award of State Literary Awards 2020 at 87, will not slow down the literary pace of Namel Weeramuni. The playwright, translator, author, dramatist, thespian and promoter of the arts, ensconced in his Namel Malini Punchi Theatre, the monument he built to satisfy his insatiable passion for the arts, was dotting the ‘i’s and crossing the ‘t’s in his latest works when more..

Oct 28 (DM) It is absolutely correct if we say that SL’s democracy received its worst ever blow on Oct 26, 2018. The then Prez Maithirpala Sirisena toppled the govt on that day through a constitutional coup and handed over power to the joint opposition. PM Ranil Wickremesinghe was removed from his post and was replaced by Mahinda Rajapaksa. Oct 26 this year marks the third anniversary of this coup. This has been forgotten by many today, because a new Prez was elected in 2019 and more..

Oct 28 (TM) While farmers have become weary of struggling to get fertiliser to commence Maha season cultivation which is supposed to have started by now, Govt seems to be in a dilemma as to how to balance various parties involved in its plan to go organic. First, the Govt had to deal only with farmers’ struggles and protests that kept intensifying and spreading, and the main challenge was ensuring the adequate distribution of fertiliser. However, the fertiliser situation is no longer more..

Oct 28 (CT) Captured from the wild against their will and taken away to a life of captivity, cruelty, and exploitation they suffered in silence, until the day when they were freed from a harsh and brutal life in chains. They have already lost their freedom to roam free in the wild but managed to live their lives in a peaceful environment, in the comfort and care of their caretakers since the shackles came off. more..

Oct 28 (CT) The ongoing teacher-principal trade union action, that has grabbed headlines over the past three months, appears to be an endless crisis, with neither party settling for a better tomorrow for students. Although repeated discussions have been held between the trade unions and authorities to resolve the age-old salary anomalies, they have all proved futile. The report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to find solutions for the long-standing teacher-principal salary anomalies more..

Oct 28 (Island) Power befogs govts, and makes them muddle along, impervious to reason. When intoxicated with power, politicians think they cannot be wrong and resort to ill-conceived actions, and box themselves into a corner, in the process. This, we have witnessed under all govts with steamroller majorities. Prez Rajapaksa is no stranger to controversy. This time around, he has triggered an avalanche of criticism by appointing Ven. Gnanasara Thera, of all people, more..

Oct 28 (CT) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to appoint the country’s most rabidly racist monk to chair a Presidential Task Force entrusted with implementing the Govt’s One Country One Law concept has been a slap in the face of minorities and the rule of law, activists and lawyers said. The idea of handing over a law drafting process to a convicted felon is an outrage, Sri Lankans said on social media, as the country reeled from the shock of the appointment. more..

Oct 28 (Island) From the beginning of the early 1980s, trawlers, from Tamil Nadu, have been crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) and illegally fishing in the Palk Bay waters of northern SL, damaging the ecosystem by bottom trawling, smuggling fisheries resources, belonging to the northern SL fishers, damaging their fishing equipment, and undermining their livelihoods. Diverse types of interventions, by the two govts, dialogues between the fishers of 2 countries, more..

Oct 28 (NIA) President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday appointed a Presidential Task Force (PTF) to study the implementation of the One Country, One Law concept and prepare a draft Act to bring about one law for all Sri Lankans, irrespective of religion or ethnicity. The move to get everybody to obey the same laws is laudable. The concept One Country, One Law is a hallmark of modern democracies. more..