Sep 12 (EN) China should co-operate with SL’s debt re-structuring while the country should engage in responsible borrowings in the future, United State Agency for International Development Chief Samantha Power said. Sri Lanka ran out of foreign reserves after two year of money printing and defaulted in April 2022, and the rupee collapsed from 180 to 360 to the US dollar in the worst crisis in the history of the island’s intermediate regime central bank. SL is now trying to re-structure its debt. more..

Sep 12 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he is focusing on an export oriented, very competitive market economy for SL as the country has the opportunity of supplying South Asia, Southeast and east Asia. “Our focus is on competitiveness and export markets. That’s what we are working on looking at the industry for technology and modernizing agriculture. If you look at the region by 2050 from Saudi to Indonesia more..

Sep 12 (FT) Aseni, whiz kid in economics, has learned that Prof. G.L. Peiris, a breakaway MP from the ruling SLPP, has severely criticised the gazette notification issued by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance temporarily suspending about 1,200 different items of imports. His claim has been that by including inputs, machinery, machinery components, and digital equipment like computers and phones, the Govt has severely hampered the smooth working of more..

Sep 12 (FT) Thilina, a colleague of mine recently made an interesting Harari-like observation about our generation. Gen Xers – roughly those who were born between 1965-80 – he said, are the first generation, from the beginning of humankind 300,000 years back, to gain knowledge and skills from two other generations: one before and the other, after. Put differently, all other generations learned from their parents and elders. We too did, but unlike the rest, now also learn from our children – the Screenagers or Digital Natives. more..

Sep 12 (EN) SL has scheduled an hour-long daily power cut from 13 to 16 Sept, the state-run CEB said. All groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W will experience a one-hour power cut between 6 pm and 9 pm. SL has been able to curtail power cut durations due to the availability of hydroelectricity, after months of daily outages that would go on for hours. However, coal still plays a major role in the island’s power generation. Chairman of the PUCSL more..

Sep 12 (AD) Actress Damitha Abeyratne has been granted bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. She had been arrested last Wednesday over the incident of forcibly entering the Prez Secretariat during the protests in July. Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage ordered her released on two personal bails of Rs. 500,000 each. Court also reportedly issued an order preventing her from leaving the country. A leading figure of the Aragalaya protest movement and an activist of the GotaGoGama, more..

Sep 12 (AD) The SJB plans to build a new SL where every person is treated equally along with a system change as demanded by the protesters who led the change of the govt, says MP Eran Wickramaratne. “We can be proud of the fact that two Sri Lankans have recently been appointed as a Minister and a MP in Britain and Australia respectively on their talent and qualifications. Race, religion, caste or ethnicity do not apply to those countries as more..

Sep 12 (EN) Sri Lanka ruling party MP Premalal Jayasekara, who in March 2022 was acquitted of a murder conviction and released from a death sentence, has been sworn in as State Minister of Ports & Aviation. Jayaseakra was sworn in before Prez Wickremesinghe today. Jayasekara and two others were convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Aug 2020 over a shooting incident in 2015 but were acquitted and released on March 31, 2022, by the Court of Appeal. more..

Sep 12 (Island) Orthodox tea exports from India have increased by more than 22 percent during the first six months of the calendar year as its largest supplier, SL, grapples with an economic crisis. “According to the latest data available on the Tea Board India website, tea exports from India, during January-June 2022, stood at 96.89 million kg, up by 10.43 million kg (mkg) over the same period last year. Much of the increase was from the orthodox segment, whose exports rose by 8.92 mkg to stand at 48.62 mkg. more..

Sep 12 (FT) SL has issued over 700,000 passports during the first eight months, creating an all-time high of travel documents issued by Immigration and Emigration Dept. As per the dept's history, highest number of passports issued was in 2016, at 658,725 for the entire year. The output of 2022 is likely to renew the current record once again. The passport issuance in the first eight months of the year has increased sharply by 312% to 705,412 from more..

Sep 12 (AD) The gazette notification with regard to the holding of the local govt election will reportedly be issued after Oct 30. The term of local govt institutions had ended last March, whereas the terms had been extended by a period of one year. However, it is required to hold the local govt elections before March next year and the necessary environment is required to be prepared for its members to carry out the relevant functions and duties. more..

Sep 12 (DM) Fundamental Rights petitions filed by eleven lawyers challenging the legality of the deployment of Army personnel to forcefully disperse a peaceful protest held at the ramparts of the Galle Fort on June 29 have been fixed for support by Supreme Court. SC 3-judge-bench comprising Justices L.T.B. Dehideniya, A.H.M.D. Nawaz and Shiran Goonaratne fixed the petitions to be taken up for support on March 14 next year. The State counsel appeared on behalf of the AG more..

Sep 12 (TM) NPP MP Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and former MP Hirunika Premachandra accused the prison authorities of mistreating actress Damitha Abeyratne, who was arrested and then placed in remand custody for allegedly forcibly entering the Prez Secretariat in Colombo during the massive public protests in July. Dr. Amarasuriya, after visiting the Welikada Prison last Saturday to inquire about the well-being of Abeyratne, said that she had to wait outside for more than 45 minutes to enter the prison. more..

Sep 12 (TM) The Chinese Embassy has taken notice of the news piece titled China enhancing push for media influence globally, including in SL: US report on the front page of The Morning on 9 Sept. The Embassy is disappointed to see that the report is full of Cold War mentality and typical double standards, and would like to exercise the Right of Reply as follows: The US organisation mentioned in the news has a long track record of making false allegations on China-related issues. more..

Sep 12 (TM) Revealing the privileges granted to Ministers and State Ministers, NPP Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka claimed that Prez Ranil Wickramasinghe is repaying his debt to former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the 134 MPs who voted for him to become Prez, pointing out that he was not appointed by a people’s mandate. “Ranil Wickremesinghe is currently repaying his debt to the 134 MPs who voted for him. His presidency is also a loan from Basil Rajapaksa as he is not a Prez more..

Sep 12 (AD) The draft bill to amend the Kandyan Marriage and Divorce Act has been published in the govt gazette. Relevant bill was gazetted in accordance with the directives of Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs & Constitutional Reforms. Amendment repeals Section II of the Kandyan Marriage and Divoce Act which requires parental consent for the marriage of a minor and to remove the existing non-conformities. Accordingly, it has made the minimum age of marriage 18 years for all persons subjected to the Kandyan Marriage laws. more..

Sep 12 (EN) SL’s former Foreign Minister and Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s wisdom and pragmatic idealism are sorely missed as the country endures profound challenges, USAID administrator Samantha Power said. In a poignant tribute, the USAID chief tweeted that she has been overwhelmed in SL by her dear friend Smaraweera’s omnipresent spirit. A conviction politician full of brilliance, creativity and wit, who constantly put country first, Mangala was one of a kind, she said. more..

Sep 12 (TM) While urging for a stronger Resolution at the 51st UNHRC Sessions commencing today, representatives of the Tamil diaspora said that they would push for an international mechanism to investigate the alleged war crimes in SL, ensuring accountability, and serving justice to the aggrieved parties. Global Tamil Forum (GTF) Spokesperson Suren Surendiran said that investigation, gathering of evidence, accountability, and serving of justice for breaches of int'l human rights more..

Sep 12 (ANI) Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Maldives are among the biggest debtors of China. Pakistan owes USD 77.3 billion of external debt to China, according to Forbes. Maldives' debt to 31 per cent of its Gross National Income (GNI). Maldives' total debt amounts to MVR 86 billion by the end of 2020, MVR 44 billion of which is external debt, reported The Island Online. Forbes, collecting data from The World Bank report as of 2020, said that 97 countries across the globe are under Chinese debt. more..

Sep 12 (EN) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has warned a leading Buddhist monk who issued an ultimatum to the CEB on electricity tariffs that nonpayment of bills will result in disconnection. News footage showed that Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, a prominent Buddhist monk and a former legislator who was most recently active in SL’s anti-govt protests, had organised a silent protest against a recent electricity tariff hike which saw a 555-percent increase in tariffs for places of worship. more..

Sep 12 (HT) People in Afghanistan were left overjoyed and took to the streets as Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 final on Sunday. The Afghans danced and some even were tearful as Sri Lanka, currently going through an economic crisis, registered their sixth title win. This comes after clashes were reported between the supporters of Afghanistan and Pakistan after the latter won the cricket match in the Super Four phase of Asia Cup 2022 in Sharjah on Wednesday. more..

Sep 12 (DM) A doctor of the Karapitiya teaching hospital is alleged to have sexually abused a 15-year-old girl in the scan room. Police said the victim complaining of a stomach ache had been admitted to hospital and after preliminary treatment referred to scan test. It is alleged that doctor had sexually abused the girl who prepared for the test and lay on a bed. The girl was crying when she was brought to the ward and complaining of severe pain in her sexual organs. When inquired by more..

Sep 12 (Island) Former Chairman of the COPE Prof. Charitha Herath, MP, has said the LP gas supply had been disrupted for eight months as a Litro Gas Chairman had cancelled a tender awarded to a supplier. Herath was referring to the appointment of Viyathmaga activist Theshara Jayasinghe as Chairman of Litro on July 06, 2021. LP gas supply remained crippled until Jayasinghe’s resignation on 14 Apr 2022. Jayasinghe was succeeded by Vijitha Herath, who was replaced by Muditha Peiris on 13 June. more..

Sep 12 (TM) Several key activists of the aragalaya are in Geneva, Switzerland to participate in the 51st session of the UNHRC. UNHRC will hold its 51st regular session starting today until 7 Oct at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Social activist Shehan Malaka, Attorney-at-Law Nuwan Bopage, and author Sunanda Deshapriya are among the aragalaya members who have reached Geneva to voice out against what they claim is Govt repression and raise awareness about the arrest of IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige. more..

Sep 12 (TM) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) requested import-dependent companies to be patient without resorting to suspension of operations in Sri Lanka due to the prevailing crisis, following Decathlon, a French sporting goods retail company, deciding to suspend all its operations in Sri Lanka indefinitely from 30 Oct 2022 onwards. CCC CEO Manjula De Silva stated: “We request such companies to be patient as these are temporary situations. more..

Sep 12 (TM) Vedda Chief Uruwarige Wannila Aththo is to meet Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to request the release of IUSF activists including its Convenor Wasantha Mudalige, who are currently being detained by the CID under the PTA Act, taking into account a request made by the aragalaya activists. Wannila Aththo said that although certain groups that had joined the aragalaya in its final stage had engaged in acts more..

Sep 12 (TM) A situation has arisen where the disposal of the waste of patients at hospitals in the Western and Southern Central provinces has been delayed. Association of Health Professionals President Ravi Kumudesh claimed that a private sector company has been contracted with the disposal of the waste of hospital patients with a sum of Rs. 100 paid for the removal of 1 kg of infectious waste. “This amount was decided in the year 2017, and at that time, a litre of diesel was available more..

Sep 12 (AD) The national cricket and netball team who defeated the odds to be crowned kings and queens of Asia will be welcomed in a rousing reception at the BIA. The players will be paraded on a motorcade escorted by the SL Police, in two open top double decker buses from the Katunayake Airport. The motorcade will travel along the Colombo – Negombo road to reach SLC Head Office, Maitland Place, Col 7 and the Netball Federation Headquarters at Sports Ministry Complex, more..

Sep 12 (AD) Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told the 51st Session of the UNHRC in Geneva that the govt was committed to working with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on improving human rights, but would object to any international judicial intervention that it sees as anti-constitutional. On the latest protests following the economic crisis, Sabry said the govt planned a truth-seeking mechanism more..

Sep 12 (EN) Ministry of agriculture has started a green chillies cultivation drive with a view to meeting 20 percent of the country’s demand locally, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. Programme was launched in the north central district of Anuradhapura last Saturday. Amaraweera had recently told reporters that SL needs to increase the cultivation of green chilies and that it would be a good stream of income for the country’s youth. Green chili prices have soared amid more..

Sep 12 (DM) Responding to the remark made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe that he would go for a referendum if the parties fail to agree on electoral reforms, the main opposition SJB said they are ready for it. “Prez can hold a referendum if he wants and we are ready for it," SJB National Organizer Tissa Attanyake told a press conference. “Prez can even go ahead and have a parliamentary election as Parliament does not reflect the mandate given by the people in 2020 any longer,” he said. more..

Sep 12 (AD) UN acting high commissioner for human rights, Nada Al-Nashif on Monday urged the Govt of SL not to revert to its reliance on draconian security laws, but takes positive action to foster an environment for peaceful protest, critical discussion and debate. Presenting a UN Human Rights Office report on SL, the acting High Commissioner for Human Rights told the 51st session of the UNHRC in Geneva that more..

Sep 12 (TM) Minister Manusha Nanayakkara says that the foreign exchange sent by expatriate workers to SL has increased by 16.4% in August compared to July this year. He also said the number of workers who have registered with the SL Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to leave for foreign jobs this year has exceeded 200,000. According to the Minister, the amount of foreign remittances, which was $ 279 million in July, has increased by $46 million to $325 million in the month of Aug. more..

Sep 12 (CT) Sea fish production fell by 16.7 million kilos (9.45%) to 160 million kgs in the five months from February 2022 to June 2022 due to the fuel crisis which prevents fishers from going out to sea. The comparative figure in the 5 months from February 2021 to June 2021 was 176.7 million kgs. Sea fish production Year-on-Year (YoY) on a monthly basis in the five months from Feb to June 2022, for example, June 2022 over June 2021, has been continuously falling due to this crisis, more..

Sep 13 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed 37 State Ministers on Sept 8, 2022; 48 days after he appointed his 18-member Cabinet. This probably signifies the end of the hue and cry over the so-called All-Party Govt. In spite of a few MPs from the SLFP and SJB having absorbed into the new Cabinet and the State Ministers, the new appointments placed the govt and the country firmly in the hands of the SLPP again. In an attempt to hold off the criticism over these appointments more..

Sep 13 (ST) Choon paan sellers that used to roam residential areas mornings and evenings are idling, now that demand for bread and buns have plummeted. A loaf of bread now is priced between Rs 190 and Rs 220, while at high end bakeries, it costs Rs. 350. Last year, a pound of bread was Rs. 57. Within a year, prices have increased by 237%. Bakery Owners Association, president N.K. Jayawardena said that out of about 7,000 bakeries, about 2,000 small-scale ones have shut more..