Oct 15 (CT) Former Prez Rajapaksa’s Govt spent Rs 4.3 million on the 13-member One Country- One Law Presidential Task Force headed by Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera, a Right to Information (RTI) request revealed. Ceylon Today, through the RTI (PS/RTI/04), requested the Presidential Secretariat to release the report One Country One Law, which has been declined under RTI Act clause 5 (i) and 5 (ii). RTI revealed the funds were allocated through Consolidated Fund more..

Oct 15 (FT) The IMF on Thursday said it is pressing for a more effective debt resolution mechanism for distressed countries including SL. “We want the Common Framework to become more predictable with guidelines and able to bring equality of treatment for all creditors, public and private. And we are also looking for ways in which we can expand that kind of donor coordination to middle-income countries, such as Sri Lanka,” more..

Oct 15 (FT) So, here we are, in the aftermath of aftermaths. A world ruptured. UK in an economic tailspin. US dealing with public health meltdowns as mRNA vaccines reveal their dangerous inefficacy. Europe grappling with energy crises, SL teetering here at home, and the entire region still seeking to pilot a path forward while the Russia-Ukraine conflagration continues unabated. And there is a parallel world, where CNN proclaims the World’s Top 50 Bars (Barcelona having displaced more..

Oct 15 (Island) Since Mannar is frequently mentioned in Parliament these days, it reminded me of a flying story. In 1977, immediately after the General Elections, riots broke out in the south of the island. The authorities decided to fly many of the affected citizens to Jaffna aboard Air Ceylon’s Hawker Siddeley (Avro) HS 748 aircraft. I was a First Officer with the airline at the time, and we were committed to fly almost round the clock, sometimes operating 3 return flights daily (six sectors) more..

Oct 15 (MFA) Ministry of Foreign Affairs successfully conducted a one-day briefing session for a group of 30 Senior Officers of the SL Police, on diplomatic formalities and practices to facilitate their official duties. The session was held on 13 Oct, at the premises of the Ministry. The programme consisted of a number of interactive sessions including international protocol, practices and customs as per the Vienna Convention and Diplomatic Privileges Act well as the formalities of arranging visits more..

Oct 15 (Island) China will deliver five billion rupees worth of medicines to Sri Lanka in the near future, Qi Zhenhong Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka, said yesterday at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, after making a donation. He said that China is one of the biggest providers of medical aid to SL in recent years. Since China and SL established diplomatic relations, 65 years ago, the two countries and peoples have always been understanding and supporting each other, he said. more..

Oct 15 (CI) India dominated from start to finish to win their seventh Women's Asia Cup title, beating SL by eight wickets in Sylhet. Smriti Mandhana, who blazed her way to her first half-century in the competition, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur completed the paltry 66-run chase in the ninth over. SL's 65 for 9 is the lowest total by a side batting first and playing out the full 20 overs in a women's tournament final. more..

Oct 15 (FT) Eminent SL biodiversity scientist Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda on Wednesday at the 43rd National Conference of the Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, shared key insights to human behaviour and corporate success. Delivering the keynote, Pethiyagoda said whilst it is almost impossible to control human behaviour to suit corporate needs, scientists have found that people who experience stress together tend to bond and work better as teams. more..

Oct 15 (AD) The bodies of the mother (47) and son (24), who were trapped in a landslide last evening, have been recovered. A two-storied house was completely buried in a landslide reported at around 3.30 p.m. in Thumbaliyadda, Warakapola caused by the adverse weather. A family of three – the father, mother and the son – who were inside the house at the time were trapped under the mud and debris. SL Army, along with the residents of the area, subsequently launched a search operation more..

Oct 15 (EN) Sri Lanka is in the process of implementing a foster parent concept to feed extreme malnourished kids as over 20,000 children are starving due to economic hardships with the island nation’s unprecedented financial crisis, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. An estimated 6.3 million people in SL are facing moderate to severe acute food insecurity and their situation is expected to worsen if adequate more..

Oct 15 (SLN) The Navy apprehended 05 persons for engaging in night diving to harvest sea cucumber, during a special operation conducted off Kudairippu, Vettalakeni in Jaffna in the dark hours of 13th October 2022. Along with the suspects, 02 dinghies and about 10,000 illegally harvested sea cucumbers were also taken into naval custody. SL Navy conducts constant operations in coastal and sea areas around the island to prevent various forms of illegal fishing activities. more..

Oct 15 (EAF) There is no doubt that IMF loans often come with a set of conditionalities that most countries find unfavourable to implement. With its ongoing economic crisis and complex multilateral debt negotiations between creditor nations, SL is no exception. IMF extended a loan of US$2.6 billion to SL in 2009 on the condition that Colombo reduces the country’s budget deficit to around 5% of GDP. But the island nation failed to improve its exports or growth, so it requested another IMF debt more..

Oct 15 (EN) SL is facing an increasing risk of children dropping out from schools due to the ongoing economic crisis with families in estate sector have already stopped their education mid-way due to unaffordability, a recent Red Cross Society survey has showed. The study done by IFRC and SLRC with 2,871 households in 11 districts and 300 estate sector households the findings have shown that 60% of the participants showed fears of increase in risks of their more..

Oct 15 (ST) Wildlife and irrigation officials are locked in a dispute over the release of water from Moragahakanda tank onto the elephant gathering areas at Minneriya and Kaudulla, depriving the animals of adequate grass feeding grounds. Officials from the Wildlife Conservation and Dept of Irrigation have different views and priorities. Environmental activist Sajeewa Chamikara from the Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform said the elephant gathering in Minneriya is a famous more..

Oct 15 (ST) Professor Rezvi Sheriff a well known Physician and Nephrologist in Sri Lanka is known as the father of Nephrology. He pioneered kidney transplantation in SL with the first kidney transplant being performed in 1985 with the help of the Uni of Colombo and team that included Prof A.H. Sherifdeen and Prof Geri Jayasekara. This was a great boost for patients in this country who used to seek treatment in India. more..

Oct 15 (DM) India had extended their Credit Line to another US$ 100 million for roof top solar on several govt buildings, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. The decision was announced during a progress review meeting held today at the Ministry. The meeting was held berween the minister and officials from Indian HC, CEB and SEA of SL. Accordingly, rooftop solar system will be used to equip Schools, Universities, Educational institutes, Hospitals, District and Divisional Secretariat’s, more..

Oct 15 (FT) Govt has sought assistance from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to build a digital data base of SL’s workforce. The request was made when ILO Country Director Simrin C. Singh and ILO HQ Senior Employment Specialist Sher Verick called on PM Dinesh Gunawardena. Citing the initiatives taken by the Labour Ministry to create a thorough digitalised database of the workforce, PM Gunawardena called on the ILO to facilitate to fast-track the process. more..

Oct 15 (CI) New Zealand, Bangladesh and Pakistan have just got done playing a tri-series, Australia and England have been in action against each other, and South Africa have recently wound down a series in India. SL, though, have been somewhat idle since their men's Asia Cup win more than a month ago. Asia Cup win, with India and Pakistan, among others, in the fray makes SL dark horses for the T20 World Cup more..

Oct 15 (AD) Due to the adverse weather, three individuals have died so far, DMC says. Meanwhile, 55,435 people in total from 13,902 families have been affected. Speaking on the current situation, Director of Irrigation S.P.C. Sugeeshwara said the risks of minor floods in low-lying areas of Kuda Ganga and Maguru Ganga – two tributaries of Kalu River, Attanagalu Oya, Ururwal Oya, Kelani River still persists. Risks of minor floods in these areas are expected to exacerbate if rainfall continues, more..

Oct 15 (ST) “The number of cancer patients in the South is growing daily. Unfortunately what we see of a proposed multi storey cancer hospital are rusting reinforcement bars. Both the govt and fundraisers should accelerate the project. Too many cancer patients are suffering in cramped oncology wards at the Karapitiya Hospital,” lamented Cancer Society’s Galle branch presidents Ven. Thalangalle Vijitha Thera President. The Thera was referring to the major fundraiser project Trail 2016 more..

Oct 15 (Island) British Minister of State, Jesse Norman said that they are not detaining any SL migrants in Diego Garcia. Norman said this in response to a question raised by the Chair of the Int'l Development Committee, Sarah Champion. “The UK govt has thus far assisted the voluntary return of over 60 migrants, by plane, to SL. The UK govt remains committed to supporting the departure of the migrants from British Indian Ocean Territory, and to meeting its legal obligations to ensure more..

Oct 15 (CI) So, another T20 tournament, eh? Yes, but this is the big one. Sure, the BBL-IPL-PSL-CPL-BPL-Hundred (we must be forgetting a couple) are big deals too (some bigger than others, admittedly), and soon there will be at least two more - the SAT20 and the ILT20 - to add to the list. Don't forget the Asia Cup as well. But this is the cup that counts for more than all the others. It's the eighth edition of the T20 World Cup. The first one was back in 2007 in South Africa, and it was India's victory there more..

Oct 15 (TM) Auditor General and Dept of Public Enterprises have decided to actively contribute to the future work of COPE of Parliament. COPE chairman MP Prof. Ranjith Bandara stated this when the committee met recently for the third session of the Ninth Parliament. It was agreed upon to get the contribution of the Auditor General, especially for the matters of convening the institutions, appointing sub-committees and doing follow-ups, more..

Oct 15 (ST) Local dairy milk powder prices were increased this week, another blow to families relying on low cost options. A 400g pack of local milk powder was increased from between Rs. 830 Rs 850 to Rs. 950 nearing the price of an imported milk powder pack priced at Rs 1,160. “Fresh milk has gone up to Rs. 460. Keeping milk refrigerated is an issue because of power cuts. Local dairy manufacturers deciding to increase their prices is a concern for families with children,” said more..

Oct 15 (ST) The police have resumed registration of householders in the Colombo city area. SSP Nihal Thalduwa said this was done in the 1990s during the war period and from time to time they resorted to it to crack down on drug peddlers and wanted criminals who take refuge in safe houses. “Most people do not know who is living in the houses they give for rent. If we have information on house owners, other tenants as well as household helpers we can use information to ensure security,” more..

Oct 15 (ST) Three wheeler fares are fluctuating, while amendments to National Transport Act pertaining to three wheeler regulations have been sitting in the Legal Draftsman Dept for months. Over the last decade rapid growth of the informal transport sector in SL has highlighted the need for the implementation of a regulatory framework to create a safety net for passengers’ and service providers’ rights, & for those of society as more..

Oct 15 (EN) SL is still in talks with the int'l community to prevent an external probe on human rights violations, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said. he said that the govt is hopeful that a domestic truth-seeking mechanism with honesty unlike on previous occasions will help SL secure its place in the int'l community amidst its ongoing currency crisis. On Oct 6, UNHRC recently passed a tough new resolution on promoting reconciliation, accountability & human rights more..

Oct 15 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe says everyone should join together to solve the people’s food issues, casting traditional party politics aside. Prez made this observation addressing the public officers at an awareness program on the multi-sector mechanism to empower rural economic revitalization centers to ensure food security and nutrition at Hardy Advanced Technological Institute Auditorium in Ampara this morning. The Prez further noted that no one would be allowed to starve despite more..

Oct 16 (CT) Corruption in SL concerns the public. In this short essay, I will attempt to speak to a fundamental cause of it, and also address, how I think it affects the corrupts’ view on taxation. Corruption is everywhere in our country, small and large. Paying a policeman to overlook a speeding violation, paying extra for a housing permit, or sexual harassment in employment situations are common. We have a corrupt society. At the heart of large scale, corruption is recursive more..

Oct 16 (TM) It appears that the administration has got its priorities mixed up by the looks of the new, arbitrary tax regime that will most probably kill off any remaining hopes of a dollar inflow. The administration seems to have lost sight of the fact that the root cause of the current economic issue is the forex crunch, which in turn has led to an energy crisis, which in turn has fundamentally affected every aspect of the economy. Now, by taxing the export sector a whopping 30%, more..

Oct 16 (SO) When the interest rates go up to 36% small business owners are severely affected. If rates are reduced this would in turn result in high inflation. The govt must initiate a program to reduce the impact it has on the people. Increasing the interest rates alone will not help, SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said. “The question is when the interest rates go up small business owners are severely affected. If rates are reduced this would more..

Oct 16 (CT) Now that it is all in the realm of dreamy memory, the organisers, both upfront and the unmentioned faceless, both should be ruing the day they chose the wrong goal. They talked about systemic changes, but focussed almost entirely on the ouster of the Rajapaksas. What the Nation now has is the old system with new leaders, nay, old leaders. It all goes on to prove the inherent weakness of a people’s movement of the kind. SL, despite claims to the contrary, is not under more..

Oct 16 (SO) The current spate of bad weather has once again brought to the fore the critical issue of climate change, as rainfall and drought patterns have changed to the point where predicting them has become rather difficult. The massive floods in Pakistan and also in certain Indian States is a stark reminder that South Asia is now a climate change hotspot identified as such by the United Nations. It is, therefore, imperative that we focus more attention on this subject. more..

Oct 16 (TM) Sri Lanka can use the current economic crisis to chart a trajectory for recovery and reconciliation, if political will can be translated to practical actions, former Norwegian Foreign Minister, peace negotiator, and green advocate Erik Solheim said last week. Solheim, who was recently appointed as Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Int'l Climate Change Advisor, said that he was looking forward to bringing more..

Oct 16 (ST) The Govt has released a 100-plus page White Paper on combating corruption. In the pipeline since the Yahapalana Govt started drafting it in 2017, it appears to have been fast-forwarded following the subject of corruption in SL getting internationalised and global lending institutions like the World Bank and the IMF linking it to the economic crisis in the country, and demanding drastic remedial action. Sri Lanka’s corruption has graduated from chronic to endemic; more..

Oct 16 (ST) My dear Mahinda maama, I thought I must write to you because you were in the news recently, after a long time. All these months the focus has been on Gota maama’s goings and comings, and Basil maama’s visit to his motherland, but last week, you were in the limelight at a time when both of them have opted to keep a low profile. I think we are a very generous nation, Mahinda maama. We seem to forget and forgive very easily. Just a few months ago, watching all those people at more..