Sep 13 (DM) The hospital health system, Health Ministry, Central Medical Store, State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC), State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC), and National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) should be held responsible for the medicine shortage prevailing in SL, GMOA said. GMOA media spokesman Chamil Wijesinghe said there was no coordination among the above institutions and their lack of efficiency more..

Sep 13 (AD) Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment has introduced three telephone numbers for obtaining information, including a hotline number to refer problems related to obtaining electric vehicle import permits under the recently introduced initiative of allowing SL migrant workers remitting money through formal channels to import an electric vehicle. Accordingly, the necessary information can be obtained by making a phone call to Mr. Pradabodha Kaggoda Arachchi more..

Sep 13 (Reuters) Financial advisory group Lazard has started talks with India, China and Japan on restructuring Sri Lanka's debt, a spokesman for the SL govt said, as the crisis-hit island nation seeks an IMF bailout. Lazard was hired by Sri Lanka in May, along with international lawyers Clifford Chance, to guide the govt through the process of restructuring its debt, for which estimates range from $85 billion to well over $100 billion. more..

Sep 13 (TM) SL’s economic crisis is leading to a significant rise in mental health issues, according to experts. Karapitiya Teaching Hospital Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Rumi Ruben said that the current crisis has led to significant psychological distress and despair among children, adolescents, and youth. “There is an increase of 30% of patients who visit us for treatments. Mainly, they are school children aged eight to 18 years. This is mainly due to the continued interruption of education. more..

Sep 13 (DM) Court of Appeal today fixed for Sept 29 to announce whether it issues summons against State Minister Sanath Nishantha in connection with two contempt of court cases. The lawyers Vijitha Kumara and Priyalal Sirisena had filed these applications against newly elected State Minister Sanath Nishantha for committing the offence of Contempt of Court under the provisions of constitution. Court of Appeal two-judge-bench bench comprising Justice Nissanka Karunaratne more..

Sep 13 (FT) Alumex PLC has invested Rs. 1 billion in a state-of-the-art new melting facility in Sapugaskanda to produce low carbon aluminium, by the brand name Ozon, incorporating the most modern and environmentally-friendly technologies in the world. The company said the automation-driven optimisations are expected to cut energy consumption by up to 20%. The material is expected to assist the SL construction sector’s efforts to sustainably reduce its environmental and more..

Sep 13 (EN) An import ban imposed in Sri Lanka which has severely impacted a number of industries will be reviewed every two weeks and amendments made as needed, according to cabinet spokesman Ramesh Pathirana. Minister said that amendments to the list of items will be presented to parliament for approval. Sri Lanka slapped a ban on the import of over 300 items in August, amid the worst currency crisis triggered in the history of the island’s soft-pegged central bank. more..

Sep 13 (TM) Minister Mahinda Amaraweera is to inform Prez and the Cabinet regarding the failure on the part of two State banks to provide a sum of Rs. 2 billion that was recommended by Cabinet to be given to Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) for the purchase of paddy. An official of the Agriculture Ministry said that as rice mill owners are purchasing paddy from farmers at low prices, Ministry had decided to purchase more..

Sep 13 (CT) Former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to social media, after the SL men’s cricket team won the Asia Cup 2022, cricket championship, beating Pakistan in the final on Sunday. The last time he took to social media was to express his condolences on the death of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe on 8 July. Rajapaksa went off social media when he fled the country in July following massive people’s protests against his conduct. Former Prez who returned to the country more..

Sep 13 (AD) 19th of Sept (Monday) is declared a special holiday for all govt institutions, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils & Local Govt says. SL declared Sept 19 a day of mourning for UK’s Queen Elizabeth II, the Head of the Commonwealth and Queen of Ceylon from 1952 to 1972, who passed away on Sept 8. In a circular, M.M.P.K. Mayadunne said this holiday should not cause any hindrance to the delivery of essential services of the govt. more..

Sep 13 (TM) Egg and poultry industrialists have warned of a shortage of eggs and chicken in the coming months as the number of hens imported to Sri Lanka last year was 80,000, but this year, the number has decreased to 7,000. The Agriculture Ministry is to therefore implement a joint programme to protect the egg and poultry industry. A discussion between Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera and poultry/egg industrialists more..

Sep 13 (DM) A 15-year-old youth, who had stolen a bus parked from the Piliyandala bus stand and gone to visit his girlfriend, was arrested three hours later, the Piliyandala police said. The bus driver had gone for dinner after parking the bus at the Piliyandala stand on Sunday evening. On his return he had found that the parked bus had gone missing. He had then immediately gone to the police station and lodged a complaint. After a lapse of about 3 hours at around 12.30 in the morning more..

Sep 13 (CT) A 25-year-old software engineer, who illegally withdrew Rs 10 million from the bank accounts of kidney and cancer patients, was arrested by the Social Media Crimes Investigation Unit of the CID yesterday. Suspect has contacted the patients, who seek help through newspaper and social media advertisements requesting funds to support their treatment. He had then assured the patients that he will also donate Rs 100,000 and asked for bank account details and OTP, more..

Sep 13 (TM) At an event organised by the Shippers’ Academy recently, in response to a question raised by the Secretary General of the Joint Apparel Association (JAAF), CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe pledged support to the apparel industry and acknowledged the contribution the industry makes to the economy, stating that the Govt is looking into initiatives to promote and improve SL’s preferential access to international markets. JAAF Secretary General Yohan Lawrence more..

Sep 13 (DM) AICOA Chief Asela Sampath today said that 30% of the hotels, canteens, and 50 percent of school canteens have closed due to the price increase of essential commodities and the price increase of chicken and eggs in the local market. He said that about 10,000 of the 30,000 hotels across the country are completely closed due to a shortage of bread, flour, eggs, meat, and fish. He said around 3,000 canteens in govt institutions and 4,600 canteens in schools more..

Sep 13 (EN) Sri Lanka’s controversial appointment of 38 state ministers as the country goes through a crippling economic crisis was defended by a cabinet spokesman who claimed that cabinet ministers who had multiple portfolios assigned to them were overwhelmed with responsibilities. Minister Ramesh Pathirana said that the new state ministry appointments served to share the workload of the cabinet. more..

Sep 13 (TM) Condor, a German leisure carrier that operates scheduled services to holiday destinations worldwide, is hoping to start operations to Sri Lanka. Condor is represented in Sri Lanka and the Maldives by Hayleys Aviation, a subsidiary of the blue-chip multinational conglomerate Hayleys PLC. Hayleys Aviation is a General Sales Agent (GSA) company in Sri Lanka, representing some of the world’s passenger and cargo airlines in Sri Lanka and Maldives for over two decades. more..

Sep 13 (CI) Six last-over finishes, one century, one five-for, and plenty of thrills and spills - Asia Cup 2022 had it all. A tournament that fights for relevance was in the end the perfect build-up to the T20 World Cup that will follow, and had a number of star performers to thank for it. The best of them figure in ESPNcricinfo Team of the Tournament. Kusal Mendis (155 runs at a strike rate of 156.56): He ended the tournament with back-to-back ducks, but played a big role in SL's inspired run to final. more..

Sep 13 (TM) The group of MPs including MPs Dullas Alahapperuma and SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris, who recently left the SLPP and since declared themselves as independent MPs in the Opposition, stated that even though there is no hope of re-engaging with the SLPP, they are ready to support a progressive programme through the committees operating in the Parliament, without obtaining any privileges. more..

Sep 13 (AI) Calling on all permanent representatives of member and observer states of the UNHRC to adopt a strong resolution on human rights in SL: As you prepare for the 51st session of the UNHRC we, as a group of four international human rights organizations, call on your delegation to support a strong resolution on human rights in SL, which renews the OHCHR Accountability Project and addresses ongoing violations and abuses, including the suppression of freedom of expression more..

Sep 13 (Island) Malnutrition will rise in the face of increased poverty and high food prices, the SL Medical Nutrition Association, Nutrition Society of SL, Dieticians’ Association and the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) People’s Forum say. Therefore, they urge the authorities to stabilise the gains achieved in nutrition status of the vulnerable in SL, especially of children less than 5 years of age. The associations say that there are three measurements of malnutrition that the world uses to compare more..

Sep 14 (DM) Being critical of, or any critical analysis of Israeli actions against particular groups by the govt of Israel, often leaves the accuser in danger of being charged with anti-Semitism. Unfortunately, in many instances, the US and the West tend to walk lock-step with Israeli authorities, if and when these charges are made. The Western media too, tends to fall in line with Israeli accusations. More often than not, critical thinkers, and or those who highlight Israeli atrocities on non-Israeli communities, more..

Sep 14 (DM) It was on Oct 22 in 1981 in Colombo. I was 22, the youngest of the SL Press Corps of around a dozen reporters, who were afforded an audience with the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh in Colombo. I was a reporter for the Daily Mirror of the Times of Ceyon. The Duke of Edinburgh’s tie pin at the Trenchard House reception was a green elephant. Much to the horror of the few British diplomats present, one of our reporters (from the UNP party journal, Siyarata) touched more..

Sep 14 (DM) Litro has offered the recent short-term tender (Spot Purchase) to the highest bidder; who is alleged to have close ties with a powerful minister in the present regime. Litro Gas Lanka is accused of deceiving the World Bank by abusing the funds that were provided to purchase low-cost Liquefied Petroleum Gas to overcome the acute gas shortage in the country. Any such corrupt activity will discourage not only more..

Sep 14 (CT) While the focus of the whole country is on the future of its struggling economy, and how Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) going to transform that economy into a competitive and innovative export-oriented industrial and technological power house to push SL to First World status by 2048, there is one issue that seems to have strangely disappeared from making headlines since he became the president. This was an issue that annoyingly kept the pressure on and more..

Sep 14 (ST) Aldoris’s tuk-tuk with its merry tune could be heard from the beginning of the lane this Thursday morning. Stopping at our gate, he greets the trio with a good morning madam and proceeds to display his breakfast food. He was indeed in a happy mood compared to the trio grumbling about the rising cost of flour-based food. “Aldoris, paan gediyaka mila rupiyal thunseeyata wedi welada (Aldoris, has the bread price gone up to Rs. 300 per loaf?” asked Mabel Rastiyadu. more..

Sep 14 (CT) Prof. U.K.G. Kalinga Padmalal explaining on why the SL administration has failed to address Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC), said, “One of the prime reasons for the failure of the Dept of Wildlife Conservation’s (DWC), HEC mitigation programmes is that certain Non-Governmental Organisations rely on HEC for their sustenance and therefore would not cooperate with DWC to solve this pressing problem.” more..

Sep 14 (CT) 8.7 million or 39.1% of the country’s population was forced to have a poor diet compared to a mere 3.4% a year ago due to the rapid deterioration of the country’s socioeconomic situation, a report jointly released by WFP and FAO on Monday said. Report titled Special Report FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) to SL further said, “According to the food security assessment, approximately 8.7 million people (39.1%) were not consuming more..

Sep 14 (TM) Amidst rising allegations from within the country regarding rights violations during the aragalaya movement, successive govts’ role and responsibility concerning the economic collapse, and also concerns regarding the lack of results delivered through existing institutions and mechanisms tasked with looking into war crimes-related allegations, Govt has assured the world that it endeavours to establish a credible truth-seeking mechanism within the framework of the Constitution, more..

Sep 14 (GV) As the UNHRC prepares to meet, the regime’s multiple failures to protect and respect Sri Lankans are under local and international scrutiny. A hard-hitting report from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has pointed out that causes of the economic crisis include impunity for human rights violations and economic crimes and the vital necessity of justice, reconciliation and human rights. Amid ongoing militarisation, repression and lack of accountability for abuses, more..

Sep 14 (Island) The Cabinet is to be expanded, according to media reports. 38 State Ministers have already been appointed. This is a sure sign of the govt’s desperation to prevent a further erosion of its parliamentary group, and lure some more Opposition MPs into joining it. The SLPP managed to muster 134 votes in Parliament to ensure the election of Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prez. Among those who voted for Wickremesinghe were some Opposition MPs & SLPP dissidents. more..

Sep 14 (HRW) UNHRC should adopt a strong resolution on SL that strengthens current UN mandates on accountability for crimes under int'l law and monitors country’s deteriorating human rights situation, four international human rights organizations said in a letter to council member states published today. The resolution should also call upon SL to address ongoing abuses, including by ending use of draconian PTA. more..

Sep 14 (FT) Iconic clothing brand Hameedia is apparently making Prez Wickremesinghe handsome judging by a picture posted by its Managing Director Fouzul Hameed on Facebook. Fouzul posted a picture of him dressing up the Prez with a Hameedia jacket. Fouzul said in his post that the Prez wants SL brands to reach int'l standards and see how local brands can respond to global competitors. He said this will be a much-needed initiative for all those who want to take their brand to the int'l market. more..

Sep 14 (ST) At the age of 21, Lokumarakkalage Dilshan Madushanka has earned stardom as the latest find to the SL cricket team. Hailing from a cosy town of Hungama in Hambantota, the former student of Hungama Vijayabahu National School, a school that does not play cricket at any level, has done his hard yards to earn his place in the national team as a left-arm speedster. Though he made the international debut against Afghanistan in the ongoing ACC Asia Cup 2022, more..

Sep 14 (ST) The National Joint Committee and a group of citizens have expressed concerns over the 22nd Amendment Bill presented to Parliament by the Justice Minister, claiming it was more or less a reintroduction of the 19th Amendment passed by the Yahapalana Govt in 2015. The Bill seeks to replace the Parliamentary Council introduced by the 20th Amendment with the Constitutional Council of the 19th Amendment. The National Procurement Commission & National Audit Commission more..