Oct 19 (DM) Our country is in deep trouble. We have defaulted in repaying our int'l debts. Have run through reserves in the CB and have no internationally acceptable currency to purchases essentials, ranging from food, to fuel, gas and medicines. Misguided tax cuts left us with no funds for even wage payments. We therefore keep printing money and inflation keeps rising. Wage cuts and wage freezes have been in place for nearly two years, but prices of all commodities more..

Oct 19 (DM) UNHRC Resolution on SL adopted two weeks ago was a stinging rebuke of the SL govt; not only in terms of the non-action and willful suppression of crimes committed during the last phase of the civil war, but more importantly, the abuses carried out by the security forces and the police against the Aragalaya activists. It also pulverized the myth that Prez Wickremesinghe had Global North in his pocket and could have it all his way, when it comes to matters of governance. more..

Oct 19 (DM) Eric Solheim played a critical role in SL as peace negotiator during the civil war. Solheim returned to Sri Lanka at the invitation of Prez Wickremesinghe. Solheim has been assigned a new task by Prez Wickremesinghe. He has been appointed as an advisor on climate change to Prez Wickremesinghe. Following are excerpts of a brief interview done with Solhiem. Q: How does it feel to be back in Sri Lanka? more..

Oct 19 (GV) The recent tax proposals have created quite a ruckus in all quarters of SL. While the popular opinion was that economic reforms would be opposed by the poor and the trade unionists, those who understand the political economy of SL knew that opposition would come from the strangest of places. Several groups of people and businesses have opposed the new taxes: SJB, apparel sector, corporates, SMEs, professionals, IT associations, consumers and, most strange of all, JVP. more..

Oct 19 (TM) Bringing int'l fame to Sri Lanka for the country’s potential in the literature field, writer Shehan Karunatilaka’s The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida won the 2022 Booker prize. His achievement has already made international headlines, and has been appreciated by foreign commentators and authors. While Karunatilaka’s achievement deserves to be celebrated, it is also a message that SL has a great deal of potential in the literature field that is yet to be recognised more..

Oct 19 (TM) Amidst a socioeconomic crisis that is seeing parents protesting against the Govt in an attempt to secure a better future for their children, what are these parents expected to do with the children whose futures they are fighting for? One parent said: “At the moment, SL parents of children under the age of 18 years have only two options – either keep children in their comfort zones at home, in the dark about the unpromising more..

Oct 19 (CT) Students facing the Law College entrance exam, which is highly competitive in itself, have to now face a double-whammy due to the decision taken to conduct exams in the English medium only. While students around the country prepare for years to face the Law College entrance exam, the sudden decision to conduct exam only in one medium will only result in a further blow to students, especially those in rural areas with little knowledge of the English language. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Most political leaders in this country tend to live in the past. Former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa is one of them. He seems to be labouring under the delusion that his theatrics can still yield enough votes for the SLPP to win elections. He has undertaken to revitalise the battered SLPP almost single-handed and enable it to recover lost ground fast. (He has also bragged that he is physically fit enough to run faster than the youth who make ageist remarks about him!) more..

Oct 19 (CT) For a country that experienced four months of mass protests that not only captured the attention of the world, but also led to the resignations of the Prez, PM and cabinet of ministers, Sri Lanka gives an impression of being remarkably peaceful and stable, at least on the surface a mere three months later. The credit for this transformation, if such a felicitous term is appropriate, needs to go to Prez Wickremesinghe. Those in the higher ranks of govt more..

Oct 19 (Island) As a Sri Lankan who benefitted from free education, I feel honoured and privileged to deliver this Dr. C.W.W. Kannangara Memorial Oration, the 32nd in the lecture series inaugurated in 1988 on the twentieth anniversary of his demise. I am well aware of the gravity of this task, particularly when considering the impressive stature of previous orators, often beneficiaries of free education themselves. The current economic, political and social crisis adds a further layer of complexity more..

Oct 19 (TM) Earlier this month, the main Parliamentary Opposition, the SJB, proposed its MP Eran Wickramaratne as Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). In the subsequent committee election for the post, Wickramaratne lost to SLPP MP Prof. Ranjith Bandara. Wickramaratne spoke about the plans he had drawn up for the COPE, Govt’s performance in terms of the debt restructuring process, more..

Oct 19 (CT) Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said, steps have been taken to build a new sea cucumber fingerlings breeding centre in Olaithoduvai, Mannar, in addition to the existing facility, in collaboration with private sector investors in India. The Fisheries Minister expressed confidence that the proposed project will be able to supply enough sea cucumber fingerlings to aquaculture farmers in the region. The rural people will be able to earn enough money to improve more..

Oct 19 (FT) SJB MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar says the Govt must assure the SL people that revenue earned through taxation will not be subjected to wastage and corruption. “Govt has a responsibility to assure people that the tax revenue will not be wasted or be at risk of corruption. It has a responsibility to be transparent in these matters,” he said. According to Markar, govt must be accountable for how public monies are spent. Markar said public trust in the Govt has completely deteriorated. more..

Oct 19 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe and PM Dinesh Gunawardena congratulated Shehan Karunatilaka on winning the prestigious Booker Prize for his second novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia. President’s Media said Wickremesinghe congratulated Shehan on becoming the second SL-born author to receive the prize. PM Gunawardena said the contribution by Shehan to yet again raise the SL creative writing to international heights is highly appreciated. more..

Oct 19 (DM) Miss Tourism World 2022 will host its grand finale in SL this December, from 8th to 21st, with 80 winners from 80 countries. SL secured the opportunity to host the event after competing with 15 countries, said Miss Tourism World 2022 Pageant National Director Malith Ranasinghe and State Tourism Ministry Coordinating Secretary Dr. Arosha Fernando “As you would appreciate lot of hard work went to achieve this success with the fullest support from govt of SL as well as from the industry,” more..

Oct 19 (ST) Colombo High Court has for the first time granted bail to four persons under new provisions of the PTA in relation to the alleged assassination attempt of TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran. Court granted conditional bail, executing both personal and cash bonds to the four suspects on Wednesday after indictments were served against them by the AG’s Dept under the PTA for alleged conspiracy to assassinate the TNA MP, more..

Oct 19 (AD) A young woman has been shot dead in the area of Shivanagar in Nedunkerni, Vavuniyalast night (18). According to Nedunkerni Police, the incident took place at around 8.30 p.m. yesterday. The shooting victim was identified as a 21-year-old named Thurairajah Pramila, a resident of Shivanagar area. She was gunned down when she stepped out of her house, where she was living with her father. The police have launched an investigation to apprehend the gunman and more..

Oct 19 (CT) Despite Sri Lanka registering a 79-run win over UAE, skipper Dasun Shanaka said that they could have scored 180-190 in the match, but the team ended up scoring just 152 runs with a loss of eight wickets. Spinner Karthik Meiyappan’s hat-trick went in vain as the UAE sunk to a 79-run defeat against SL in their Group A round one match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The morale-boosting win for the Asian champions comes after their shock defeat to Namibia in the first match. more..

Oct 19 (CI) Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of SL's final Group A match against Netherlands, a match they will almost certainly need to win in order to qualify for the Super 12s stage of the World Cup. Chameera claimed 3 for 15 in a thumping win over UAE that has increased SL's chances of progression, but was unable to finish his spell after pulling up with a calf injury. It was later confirmed by Professor Arjuna de Silva, more..

Oct 19 (Island) Taking pride in its loyal customer base and leading growth in the fixed and mobile segment in the Northern province, SLT-MOBITEL, the National telecommunications and technology giant engaged in a field visit to the Jaffna region recently to understand customer and community needs. A forty-member team from the company, including its most senior management members, utilised public transport throughout the visit, as part of its new normal in managing costs for more..

Oct 19 (CI) Netherlands, Namibia and SL are all in with a good shot of making the Super-12s from Group A. The first game on Thursday between SL and Netherlands, is the big one, and the losing team will be left hoping for a UAE win over Namibia. SL - 2 points, NRR +0.6: SL were expected to enter the Super 12s without too much fuss. But a loss to Namibia in the tournament opener by 55 runs put their campaign off track. However, the 2014 champions recovered with a 79-run win more..

Oct 19 (DM) Ruling party is now under pressure to proceed with the enactment of the 22nd Amendment, particularly after Minister Ali Sabry briefed that the IMF, the World Bank and the creditor nations are watchful on measures to improve democratic governance. Minister Sabry is reported to have briefed the parliamentary group of the govt on Monday evening in this regard. He said that the western powers wield more power over these multilateral agencies and they are keen to more..

Oct 19 (TM) Against the backdrop of reports of various unauthorised persons impersonating parking wardens in order to collect money from people who park their vehicles near main roads in Colombo, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has temporarily suspended the charging of parking fees at several locations in Colombo, and has requested citizens to pay their parking fees only to authorised wardens in other locations. When contacted by The Morning, an official from the CMC Commissioner’s Office more..

Oct 19 (FT) Biggest foreign exchange earner apparel exports in September soared to record high for the month though year on year growth was the lowest in six months reinforcing industry concerns expressed over the future outlook. Apparel exports in September amounted to $ 451.46 million up by only 4.89% from the corresponding month of last year. However, Sept 2022 figure is the highest for the month beating the previous best of more..

Oct 19 (FT) SriLankan Airlines, as a prime promoter of destination Sri Lanka, in a bid to support the country’s tourism recovery drive, will be hosting over 150 international travel agents in Colombo for a commercial conference and a travel mart in mid-November this year. This will be the first time in recent history that such a large representation of the international travel trade industry has arrived in the country for an interactive initiative. SriLankan Airlines CEO Richard Nuttall said: more..

Oct 19 (DM) Most of the migrants at British Indian Ocean Territory located in the south Indian Ocean, are Sri Lankans, British Govt said. “There are 127 migrants, most of whom are SL nationals, on the British Indian Ocean Territory. 25 are children,” Minister of State - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Jesse Norman informed UK Parliament. Last week, Minister informed the UK Parliament that his govt has so far assisted the voluntary return of over 60 migrants. more..

Oct 19 (TM) The proposed amendments to the Inland Revenue Act No. 24 of 2017 will seek to end the 3-year concessionary taxation rate granted to 14 companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) in 2021, while further amendments may follow to allow these companies to continue being taxed at the concessionary rates, stated Ernst & Young SL Partner – Tax Sulaiman Nishtar. He said that it has been proposed, through the amendments to the Inland Revenue Act, that concessionary rate more..

Oct 19 (DN) I achieved several victories including Commonwealth Games 100m Bronze and this is the result of my last two years hard training said Asian fastest sprinter Yupun Abeykoon who came to SL yesterday for a short holiday from Italy. The 27 year old sprinter from Pannala National School and St Joseph Vaz Wennappuwa further said I was able to become Asia’s fastest athlete by running under 10 seconds while gaining more achievements at the European meets and Diamond league meets more..

Oct 19 (TM) As the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) activists’ planned march towards Colombo from near the University of Kelaniya – against Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Govt, and the Govt’s programme of suppressing the aragalaya – was blocked by a large group of police officers on the Colombo-Kandy Main Road yesterday, the IUSF instead staged the protest in front of the University of Kelaniya. more..

Oct 19 (Island) Sri Lanka would be in a far more difficult situation if not for financial assistance provided by the govt of India, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. Dissanayake compared the assistance provided to the tune of USD 3.8 bn, within 6 months, with USD 2.9 bn promised by the IMF over a period of four years. The JVPer appreciated Indian taxpayers’ coming to Sri Lanka’s rescue, at a time when the govt was unable to meet even the basic needs of the population. more..

Oct 19 (TM) United Rice Producers’ Association (URPA) claimed that the release of 1 million kg of rice held at the Colombo Port will lead to a sharp drop in the rice prices, and that the rice market may even collapse, with it running at a surplus currently. URPA President Muditha Perera said that with the current surplus in rice stocks in the country, the release of the rice that had accumulated at the port over a long period of time would lead to a severe depreciation in rice prices, thus negatively more..

Oct 19 (TM) As Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill was passed in the Parliament during its Second Reading by a majority of 60 votes yesterday, CPC trade unionists (TUs) who converged near Parliament yesterday in protest over the move claimed that the greatest betrayal ever was being committed by Minister Kanchana Wjiesekera, who presented the Bill to Parliament. During the division, a total of 77 MPs more..

Oct 19 (FT) The course of contemporary politics in SL has created a situation where federalism or the federal idea is identified with the political aspirations of the Tamils of SL. The Ilangath Thamizhar or SL Tamils whose areas of historic habitation in the Island are the predominantly Tamil speaking Northern and Eastern Provinces have for many decades sought to establish a federal or quasi-federal system of governance in these provinces. This demand has been looked upon with more..

Oct 19 (AD) The govt has decided to hold a state-sponsored funeral for Most Venerable Dr. Pallegama Siriniwasa Nayaka Thero, the Custodian & Chief Priest of Maha Bodhi and Atamasthanadhipathi of Anuradhapura, who passed away last night. Accordingly, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed North-Central Province Governor Maheepala Herath and Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious & Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka to coordinate the funeral arrangements. more..

Oct 19 (FT) Recently, it was reported in the media that IMF’s Senior Mission Chair Peter Breuer told the reporters in Colombo on 1 October that Sri Lanka needs a govt with mandate to carry out the reforms recommended by the IMF under the proposed bailout program. Sri Lanka might well need an election to dilute the political instability but isn’t this a direct interference of the politics of a sovereign member country, and overstepping the boundaries of the IMF? Even if an election is held, more..