Sep 22 (HRW) The European Union should publicly set out a clear framework with short timelines for Sri Lanka to comply with its human rights commitments and retain tariff-free access to the EU market, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the European Commission this week. EU pressure over a sharply deteriorating human rights situation has led the SL govt in recent weeks to promise reforms, but these gestures more..

Sep 22 (EN) Sri Lanka’s Treasuries yields rose across maturities at Wednesday’s auction, with the 12-month yield up 38 basis points, in the first auction without price controls since March 2020, as the country sought to emerge from a currency crisis. The 3-month yield rose 30 basis points to 6.38%, with 19.8 billion rupees of bills sold after offering 10 billion. The 6-month yield rose 32 basis points to 6.27%, with only 58 million rupees of bills sold after offering 13 billion rupees. more..

Sep 22 (DM) Permission had been granted to keep bookstores open during the quarantine curfew period, the Police said. The permission was granted after IGP C. D. Wickramaratne has made a request to the Director General of Health Services to keep bookstores open during the quarantine curfew period. The IGP has requested permission to keep bookstores open in compliance with the health instructions issued by the government and under the supervision of public health inspectors. more..

Sep 23 (DM) We are now, most probably, on the last lap of more than a month-long period of quarantine curfew. During the past several weeks and months we have often focused on the rapidly-spreading COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant increase in the number of new cases and related deaths. In such a situation, Monday’s lead story in the Daily Mirror headlined, Major decline in COVID cases and hospitalisation was an occasion for Sri Lankans to heave a sigh of relief. more..

Sep 23 (DM) The re-opening of wine stores caused quite a stir. Memes of what’s now been called bar pokura (wine store cluster) have done the rounds. Naturally much of the ridicule has emanated from those who are part of the ongoing union action by school teachers and principals as well as from those who support them. The political history of the leaders and their backers make dismal reading and as such the self-righteous chest-beating is rather nauseating. The reverse is also valid. more..

Sep 23 (Roar) Sri Lanka’s impressive railway network spans over 1,500 km, across which more than 1,180 bridges are distributed. Originally established by the British to transport produce from the hill country, the railways are now a popular way to see the island’s diverse landscapes, with the Main Line from Colombo to Badulla considered one of the most scenic railway lines in the world. It took well over 70 yrs for British more..

Sep 23 (CT) The ongoing and deepening economic crisis is tailor-made for a Premadasaist or neo-Premadasist intervention, for two reasons: (a) President Premadasa demonstrated that it is practically possible to revive economic growth, increase industrial exports and foreign investment while simultaneously, not sequentially, increasing the real wages of the people and reducing inequality (b) The Opposition is led by his only son. It would be as absurdly incongruous for an Opposition party more..

Sep 23 (CT) It is about one-and-a-half years since we were confronted with the unprecedented in recent history health crisis of the Coronavirus disease coupled with the concomitant economic crisis that gradually crept in giving rise to a mega epidemical disaster assuming near famine proportions, being a threat to the lives, not respecting age of our beloved countrymen, ranging from toddlers to those in their dotage. Those invaluable citizens, include medical doctors; more..

Sep 23 (TM) SL’s scout movement has a history of over a century and it has shaped the lives of a large number of persons, especially teenagers, throughout that time. Scouts are usually seen as potential leaders of the next generation, as they are exposed to activities that enhance their leadership qualities. However, despite the hopes for a bright future, the leaders of SL’s scout movement have locked horns over an appointment more..

Sep 23 (DM) Contracting COVID-19 has become a nightmare, so much so that people now resort to purchasing over-the-counter drugs, sans medical guidance with hopes that they could keep away from the virus. But medical experts continue to reiterate that this would not only lead to complications, but even result in developing a resistance towards certain drugs. “There’s no special recipe for meals or lifestyle modifications that would prevent someone from being infected with the virus,” more..

Sep 23 (TM) Justice Minister Ali Sabry, yesterday, took a firm stand against the alleged incidents involving former Prison Management and Prisoners Rehabilitation State Minister Lohan Ratwatte at the Welikada and Anuradhapura Prisons, and vowed in Parliament to take proper action with regard to those incidents. He asserted that he unequivocally and unconditionally condemns the incidents, adding that they were a disgrace. He also extended an apology to the victims of the said incidents more..

Sep 23 (Island) The unprecedented success of two young Sri Lankan artistes, Yohani and Satheeshan, following the release of their song, Manike mage hithe, which has become a viral trend on social media, has led to Sri Lankan politicians to jump on the bandwagon. SJB MP Nalin Bandara has proposed that Parliament honour the singing duo. The best way the national legislature could honour the young artistes is to serve the interests of the Sri Lankan youth, more..

Sep 23 (GV) When a govt contravenes the rule of law, crushes human rights, reneges on its responsibility of protecting its own citizens and begins attacking them instead, the international community will step in. It is a simple and clear concept – any nation has to adhere to good governance principles if it wishes to remain a member of the international community. Denial, stalling and band aid measures are not the answer; they are unacceptable and will be challenged. more..

Sep 23 (FT) SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne yesterday alleged that the Govt’s promise of Vistas of Prosperity had turned into vistas of corruption and negligence. In a statement, the MP said the appointment of Nivard Cabraal as Governor of The Central Bank had brought to the forefront the credentials required to hold key positions in President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Govt. more..

Sep 23 (TM) Sri Lanka Tourism will be launching the second instalment of the Couch Safari series with the live streaming of Wilpattu National Park to a global audience. The tourism authorities have been strategically positioning the island as a destination offering a multitude of immersive experiences and the introduction of the virtual safaris initiative showcasing awe-inspiring national parks has helped keep the dream alive. The next Go on a Couch Safari event, conceptualised by SL Tourism, more..

Sep 23 (MFA) High Commissioner of SL to India, Milinda Moragoda, appointed with cabinet rank, presented his Letter of Credence to President Shri Ram Nath Kovind of India today (22) in New Delhi. In keeping with the established practice in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the Credentials ceremony was held virtually at the situation room of the Ministry of External Affairs. High Commissioner Moragoda presented his Letter of Credence to the President of India more..

Sep 23 (FT) Impacted by the drop in revenue and rising expenditure due to the COVID pandemic, Govt has decided to raise the 2021 Budget borrowing limit by Rs. 400 billion to Rs. 3.4 trillion. The move was approved by the Cabinet of Ministers at its meeting on Tuesday. The Govt said the Appropriation Act No. 7 of 2020 had originally approved a borrowing limit of Rs. 2.99 trillion for the year 2021. more..

Sep 23 (FT) The Govt cleared the air on the organic fertiliser import shipment in which harmful bacteria was found. “It is the responsibility of the Govt to import fertiliser that comply with the relevant standards. We strongly emphasise that the Govt doesn’t import goods that are harmful to the country, or any plans to release such things to the country,” Plantation Industries Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said at the post-Cabinet meeting media briefing held yesterday. more..

Sep 23 (FT) The Consulate General of Sri Lanka – Guangzhou participated with the Guangdong Scenery International Travel Agency in the China (Guangdong) International Tourism Industry Exposition (CITIE) held from 10-12 September in Guangzhou, organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province. The Consulate designed the SL stall, which was embossed with vibrant and beautiful pictures of prominent tourist attractions, archaeological and cultural sites. more..

Sep 23 (FT) The detection of 1,342 COVID-19 patients yesterday brought the country’s COVID-19 case count to 508,672. The patients detected yesterday include 1,321 persons from the New Year cluster and 21 overseas arrivals. The previous day, 1,318 persons from the New Year cluster, two persons from the Prisons cluster and one Sri Lankan overseas arrival tested positive for COVID-19. more..

Sep 23 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket is keen to help Pakistan once again after cricket in the country came to a standstill with New Zealand and England pulling out from their bilateral tours. Pakistan cricket chief former Test captain Ramiz Raja had reached out to his counterparts at SLC requesting the possibilities of a short tour. However, SLC is cramped for room for an immediate tour but will consider travelling to the country for a white ball series, possibly this year, SLC sources said. more..

Sep 23 (DN) Head Coach Mickey Arthur said that the SL players have shown a lot of commitment in the past and are determined to perform well in the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE. The former South Africa and Pakistan Coach said he is proud of the attitude and the commitment of the Sri Lankan players as they prepare for the biggest T20 showpiece in the world. “I am so proud of the attitude and the commitment of everybody,” Arthur tweeted yesterday just before more..

Sep 23 (TM) Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera said that the investigations into the alleged conspiracy in 2018 to assassinate the then Prez and current MP Maithripala Sirisena and incumbent Prez Rajapaksa are still ongoing. He said this during a Parliamentary session in response to a question raised by SJB MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha. In Oct 2018, an individual named Namal Kumara, releasing more..

Sep 23 (CT) SL footballers will be rewarded with cash prizes if the lads emerge Champions at the SAFF Championship which will run from 1-16 October in Maldives. “We will offer substantial cash awards to all the players if they become Champions at the SAFF Championship. I cannot mention the exact amount, but it will be big for everyone,” sources at Football Sri Lanka said. SL was last crowned SAFF Champions in 1995 and will look to put up an improved performance this time more..

Sep 23 (FT) ADB has lowered SL's 2021 GDP growth forecast to 3.4% from 4.1% estimated in the April. The downgrade is contained in ADB's Asian Development Outlook (ADO) Update released yesterday. It has also lowered the 2022 growth forecast to 3.4% from 3.6% made in the April Update of ADO. The downgrade reflects developments within South Asia as well as in all of developing Asia. South Asia’s growth forecast has been lowered to 8.8% in 2021 from a 9.5% previous estimate. more..

Sep 23 (FT) SJB MP Harin Fernando in Parliament shone a light on the deletion of records belonging to the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), something he said was a serious loss of information and data and a breach of responsibilities. Fernando, who was the Minister of IT and began drafting the Data Protection Law under the previous regime, said the Rajapaksa Govt has to take responsibility for what more..

Sep 23 (DN) SALA Global (Pvt) Ltd have joined hands with Laksala to take their products globally by having their showrooms and using their IT knowledge after observing the destitute situation of artisans and craftsmen in the country due to the present COVID pandemic. Having signed the Franchise Agreement with Laksala for UAE, their first showroom will be in operation from October 2021 in Dubai along with the DUBAI EXPO 2021. In this operation, Reemal Trading also tied up more..

Sep 23 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 183,278 persons on Tuesday, raising the number of persons to receive the first dose of a vaccine to 13,906,987 and the number of persons to receive the second dose of a vaccine to 11,203,890. 95.6% of the country’s population over the age of 30 have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. In the 20 to 29 age group, 38.6% have received the first dose of a vaccine, and 12.5% have received the second dose as well. more..

Sep 23 (TM) Despite prevailing foreign exchange (forex) issues plaguing the financial system of the country, licensed commercial banks (LCBs) appear to be acting in compliance with the directive issued by the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) on 6 Sept to maintain the selling rate of the US dollar at a conservative range between Rs. 200 and Rs. 203. However, according to LCB customers, there appears to be a hesitancy amongst more..

Sep 23 (DM) Controversial self-proclaimed spiritual healer Eliyantha White, who was infected with the COVID-19 virus, passed away a short while ago, sources said. White was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo after being infected with the virus a few weeks ago. He was the personal physician of PM Rajapaksa. The late White, recently drew criticism from the public for dropping pots filled with a concoction into the rivers, as part of a ritual to eradicate COVID-19 from SL. more..

Sep 23 (AD) Regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance were presented in the Parliament today (22). The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Wildlife & Forest Conservation held on Sept 21st chaired by C.B. Rathnayake, Minister of Wildlife & Forest Conservation, was in agreement to present the aforesaid in Parliament. The Extraordinary Gazette Notification was issued on 19th Aug in this regard. Addressing the Committee, the Secretary to the Ministry of Wildlife more..

Sep 23 (TM) The JVP has urged the public to come forward against the current Govt and its Ministers for politically influencing the independence of the institutions that regulate essential commodities at a time when the people are suffering from the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic. JVP Politburo Member Sunil Handunnetti stated that the recent resignations of top govt officials from a number of state institutions is entirely due to more..

Sep 23 (Island) Between 80% and 90% of pregnant women had been vaccinated so far, Director Maternal and Child Health Dr. Chithramalee De Silva said yesterday. She said that Sri Lanka was the first country to start vaccinating pregnant women. “Pregnant women can reserve a time and get inoculated. We monitor the health of the mother and the child until a month after the delivery to see if there are any side effects from vaccination. So far not a single case has been reported. more..

Sep 23 (DM) Investigations are being conducted on the statements made by Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera that a second extremist attack is imminent, Minister Sarath Weekeraserna told Parliament. He said the Islamic State is an ideology which is based on laws in the Quran. “We thank Ven. Gnanasara for the disclosure he made. What the monk says is that there could be an attack as long as ISIS ideology exists in SL. Any youth who holds such ideology can stage an attack any time, more..

Sep 23 (EN) SL stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars through a back-door liquefied natural gas (LNG) deal with a US firm which could be worth up to US$ 6 billion but is coming in as the sale of share of a power plant, engineers of the state power utility have warned. Energy security would also be undermined as the national grid would be dependent on a single company for the supply of LNG to the entire country and will also block more..

Sep 23 (DN) Prof. Neelika Malavige of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Sri J'pura Hospital said although numerous COVID-19 related variants are reported, people should not be scared and panic over them as long as they have received the vaccines and therefore, we as professionals in the health sector urge everybody to get vaccinated without further delay in order to get rid of this virus. Prof. Malavige was speaking at a medical discussion organised by the Media Ministry on Sunday more..

Sep 23 (CT) While apologising for failing to build the Amaradeva Asapuwa music ashram on time, Cabinet Spokesman Dullas Alahapperuma said the Dept of Cultural Affairs assumed full responsibility for the project roughly six months ago. He explained yesterday at the weekly cabinet briefing the initiative was commenced by the Dept of Govt Information, but the Rs 200 million in funding and all other Amaradeva Asapuwa-related activities were later transferred to the Dept of Cultural Affairs. more..

Sep 23 (FT) President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa reassured the UN that his Govt’s firm intention was to build a prosperous, stable and secure future for all Sri Lankans, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or gender. This assurance, as well as steps being followed amidst the pandemic and efforts to rebuild the economy, were shared during President’s first ever address at the 76th UN General Assembly in New York. more..