Sep 26 (AD) A fundamental rights petition has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the Gazette notification issued by the President declaring high security zones within Colombo District. The petition has been filed by an activist of the Socialist Youth Union (SYU), Ada Derana reporter said. On Friday (23), President Ranil Wickremesinghe had issued a Gazette Extraordinary declaring several areas as High-Security Zones in the Colombo District. more..

Sep 26 (Island) Leader of the 43 Brigade and independent MP Champika Ranawaka has called for legal action against politicians and officials responsible for the country’s bankruptcy. Speaking at a meeting with the Executive Committee members of the SL Parliamentary Journalists’ Association, at the Solis Banquet Hall, last week, he said that legal action could be instituted under the provisions more..

Sep 26 (AD) Two suspects have been arrested along with a firearm while attempting to flee after robbing more than Rs. 22 million in cash from a businessman near a private bank in Thambuttegama today (26), following the heroic efforts of a police officer. The incident had occurred this afternoon while a businessman from the Thambuttegama economic center was bringing a large sum of cash, said to be approximately Rs. 22.3 million, to be deposited at a private bank in the area. more..

Sep 26 (DM) In a measure to revive the night economy in Sri Lanka, State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage ceremonially inaugurated the Fairway Colombo Street Food Festival at the Dutch Hospital premises in Fort, with the participation of over 5,000 people. This kind of event was last held three years ago, prior to the COVID pandemic. However, arrangements have now been made to hold this food festival on the last Saturday and Sunday of every month, from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. more..

Sep 26 (TM) Trade Union Co-ordination Committee (TUCC) and the Socialist Youth Union (SYU) yesterday challenged Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to expand the holding capacity of prisons in the country, stating that they will continue their protest movement on an even larger scale over the coming days, and that a substantially larger number of protestors, more than the 84 arrested last Saturday (24), would be arrested. more..

Sep 26 (EN) Stocks fell over 1% on Monday pulled down on profit taking, dealers said. ASPI fell 1.21% or 120.59 points to close at 9,844.21. “Market commenced the week on a negative note with profit taking visible on selected stocks as investors cut their margin positions ahead of the month end,” First Capital Market Research. Last Friday SL officials had a meeting with its external creditors and it revealed that the IMF deal could come through in Jan 2023 however the officials are yet to more..

Sep 26 (CT) Restrictions in foreign exchange (FX) approval covering a range of agri inputs have resulted in a shortage of imported hybrid seeds, synthetic fertilisers, and other agri inputs, Sri Lanka Agripreneurs’ Forum (SLAgF) in a statement on Friday (23) said. Consequently, imported seeds available in the market are sufficient to meet only 10% of the national requirement, made worse by the fact that there is a severe shortage of local seed varieties, SLAgF said. more..

Sep 26 (TM) SL Railway Station Masters’ Union (SLRSMU) claimed that the Department of Railways is making unfair and unnecessary overtime (OT) payments to employees attached to certain sections, and that this has chiefly contributed to the department becoming a loss-making institution. SLRSMU General Secretary Kasun Chamara said: “For a long time, the employees of some sections of the Railways Department have been paid unlimited OT allowances. It is possible to stop more..

Sep 26 (EN) Police permission must be obtained six hours ahead of any protest-marches and demonstrations, Acting Minister of Defence said, defending a controversial return to war-time high security zones (HSZs) in the capital Colombo. State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said that the security establishment will take legal measures to stop or prevent illegal demonstrations that inconvenience and obstruct everyday life and create a sense of chaos in the country. more..

Sep 26 (EN) An explosive allegation by the head of SL’s utility regulatory authority on the quality of a recently imported crude oil consignment has led to a swift defence and a promise of legal action by the minister in charge. Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake told a television station that the state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) had imported wrong crude oil with the wrong composition. more..

Sep 26 (CT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued instructions to resume awarding scholarships through the President’s Fund to students who have passed GCE O/L exam and qualified to follow GCE A/L exam. Accordingly, it has been decided to award scholarships to 2,970 students from the 99 Educational Zones and to select 30 qualified scholarship winners from each of the 99 education Zonal offices of the island. The selected scholarship winners are expected to be offered a bursary more..

Sep 26 (CT) Three individuals including activist Eranga Gunasekera were released on bail by the Maligakanda Magistrate yesterday. Three of the protesters were granted surety bail amounting to Rs 200,000 each, while the others were released on police bail. According to Police, 83 protesters led by the Socialist Youth Union (SYU) affiliated to the JVP were arrested on 24 Sept. As the protesters began marching from Lipton Circus, Town Hall, towards Deans Road, Maradana, Police took action more..

Sep 26 (AJ) A group of Sri Lankans held captive by Russian forces in an agricultural factory in eastern Ukraine has alleged torture for months before escaping on foot as the Russians withdrew from the Kharkiv region. Recounting their ordeal to reporters in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, one of the 7 Lankans said he was shot in the foot. Another had his toenail ripped off and was slammed in the head with the butt of a rifle. more..

Sep 26 (TM) State Minister of Women and Child Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe claims she was provided with an old vehicle with an outdated brake system. Kumarasinghe stated that the vehicle provided to her officially was an outdated one. “I was provided with an old car at first, which stopped mid-way without fuel, and when I complained, I was given an old V8 that had no proper braking system. I called and asked the ministry officials whether they intended to kill me by providing this.” more..

Sep 26 (DM) Declaring several areas as HSZ in Colombo is certainly not advisable, as it may pave the way for another uprising of the people as they are more stressed - physically and mentally, former Prez and SLPP MP Maithripala Sirisena said. Taking such decisions and pressurizing the people will induce the people to go against the govt. "With the pressure on people and everyone, including me, know how people are getting on with their lives these days with the current economic crisis," more..

Sep 26 (ISNA) Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has met with SL’s Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on the sidelines of UNGA meeting in New York, during which the two sides exchanged viewpoints on topics of mutual interest including the latest developments of the region and bilateral ties. Amir-Abdollahian described relations between the two countries as appropriate and reviewed the latest developments on the ties, saying Iran welcomes further expansion of economic and more..

Sep 26 (DM) A young mother who sold her seven-day old infant child for Rs. 50,000 was arrested together with the husband of a nurse who facilitated the deal in a govt hospital in Anuradhapura last evening. Police said investigations have been launched to arrest several others including a 40 year-old man who had been living with the woman and allegedly the child’s father, a nurse in a govt hospital, an attendant of the hospital and two school teachers involved in the incident. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Govt expressed hope to obtain all the required financing assurances from public and private partners by mid-December before IMF Board Approval of the $ 2.9 billion 4-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program. Financing assurances from bilateral creditors are required as a prerequisite to the IMF Board adoption of the Program. IMF does not lend to countries whose debt is deemed unsustainable, requiring SL to more..

Sep 26 (TM) TNA Spokesperson MP M.A. Sumanthiran observed on social media that the demarcation of high-security zones (HSZ) two days ago in Colombo was not a new practice, charging that such illegal demarcation has been conducted over many thousands of acres of lands in the North and East since at least 1990. Sumanthiran PC pointed out that though people are agitated about the HSZ declared two days ago in Colombo, there had historically been such zones from 1990 more..

Sep 26 (HT) Pune’s theatre expert Ajay Joshi and Sri Lankan art and theatre critic Dilshan Boange have written an experimental novel, Misted Trails, which will be released on Sunday, in Pune. The novel has been in the works from 2013 to 2018. In the process of writing the book, Dilshan has given an accurate description of the social and political situation in his country, while Joshi’s writings reflect the reality of India. “This is not a typical novel, but a story based on dramatic fictional events more..

Sep 27 (DM) With millions of Sri Lankans still facing virtual starvation and saying that they could afford only one meal a day because of the worst ever socio-economic crisis since independence in 1948, Aragalaya activists are again warning they will resume their public uprising, which forced former Prez Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign in July. UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe though having only one seat, was elected as President because the ruling SLPP helped him more..

Sep 27 (DM) The Gazette notification, issued under Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, No 32 of 1955, declared the Parliament Complex, Supreme Court Complex, High Court Complex, Colombo Magistrate’s Court Complex, Attorney General’s Dept premises, Presidential Secretariat, President’s House, Headquarters of SL Navy and Police, the Ministry of Defence and SL Army Headquarters in Akuregoda, SL Air Force Headquarters in Colombo, PM’s Office, Temple Trees, and more..

Sep 27 (DM) Former minister and Colombo District SJB MP Dr. Harsha De Silva, one of the top economists in Parliament and also the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, discussed the current economic, political and social catastrophe in the country in the aftermath of the conclusion of the talks on a staff level agreement with the IMF to obtain US$ 2.9 billion. Q: The IMF has laid down an extremely strict and more..

Sep 27 (TM) The fragile relationship between the Police and the general public has been a topic of discussion for decades. Unfortunately, especially in light of the recent events surrounding the aragalaya (struggle) movement, this relationship has further weakened, and now, there is no sign of public trust or confidence in the Police. According to Minister of Justice Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, we are living in a time where changing the attitudes of the general public concerning the Police, more..

Sep 27 (CT) The tug-of-war between Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and the Ministry of Health, over the controversial Thriposha, has put Sri Lanka’s most vulnerable population and their future in danger. A week after the PHIs dropped the bombshell, the public are clamouring for a comprehensive investigation into the claims that the Thriposha distributed by Medical Officers’ of Health (MoHs) to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and infants contained the carcinogen Aflatoxin. more..

Sep 27 (CT) Sporting a tattoo is more in vogue at present than ever before especially among the youth which is why Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) urged health authorities recently to regulate tattoo studios and artists. “There is a danger in persons who lack adequate training wielding the needle,” President of the Public Health Inspectors Union SL (PHIUSL), Upul Rohana said. Frankly, it is doubtful as to whether more..

Sep 27 (Island) The economic situation in Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate on multiple fronts though slowly enough for people who can afford to pay higher prices not to notice too much. For the past four months or so there has been a relatively steady supply of petrol, diesel and cooking gas. The long queues are no longer to be seen. The rationing system for auto fuel has been effective at curbing demand for it and at conserving dollars. Cooking gas is freely available. more..

Sep 27 (ST) Prez Wickremesinghe’s first official visit as head of state was on a sad occasion here in the UK. The country was mourning the death of a much beloved Queen who had been the longest reigning monarch in England and had endeared herself to her subjects so much that many people queued for more than 15 hours in sunshine and rain to pay their final tributes. The only SL leader who drew such large crowds at his death was former PM Dudley Senanayake. While his body was lying more..

Sep 27 (CT) SL is facing its 9th Resolution at the current UNHRC session in Geneva. It is also the first on Ranil Wickremesinghe’s watch as Prez. Almost all of them have been during Rajapaksa regimes – Mahinda’s second term (2010 to 2014) and Gota’s half term from 2020. The exception was the sponsored resolution between 2015 and 2019, when Ranil was PM, Mangala FM and Sirisena Prez. As Yahapalanaya PM, Ranil Wickremesinghe was effusive in his promises for constitutional more..

Sep 27 (Island) Rukshika Wijesooriya (23) ended years of frustration by winning the coveted Singles Crown at the recently concluded 107th National Tennis Championships, held at the SLTA courts in Colombo. The Rukshika we know had the potential to win titles, but her journey in most tournaments, till this big win, ended somewhere in the quarterfinal or semi-final stages of most tournaments; except in 2019 when she went on to win the singles title at the SSC Open. more..

Sep 27 (FT) The latest bi-annual Export Barometer Survey indicates that exporters are increasingly concerned about the implications of the expected contraction of the Sri Lankan economy in the latter half of 2022 on export orders, with SMEs particularly vulnerable to the intensifying economic crisis. The third in a series of surveys conducted by the CCC and the USAID – supported Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National more..

Sep 27 (Island) Doctors have expressed serious concern about an increase in the prevalence of malnutrition among children, and called for remedial action. Their call should be heeded. But some medical professionals who curry favour with the govt have sought to pooh-pooh the reports that child malnutrition is on the rise. Claiming that the issue has been blown out of proportion, they have even found fault with the use of internationally accepted yardsticks anent children’s weight, height, more..

Sep 27 (ST) SL’s 3-wheeler imports has dropped to almost zero level owing to the govt’s strict vehicle import ban with only 19 new registrations of tuk tuks during Jan-Aug 2022, a sharp drop for the first time in over four decades, MTD Commissioner General Nishantha Weerasinghe said. He said only 2,093 3-wheelers were registered with the department last year. According to MTD statistics 7,150 3-wheelers in 2020, 15,490 in 2019 and 20,063 in 2018 had been registered at the dept. more..

Sep 27 (ST) The selection trials and the coach, part of SL contingent, having left on Friday night for an Indian tournament, has attracted anger and dissent from parents and coaches. Tournament, South Asia Regional Junior Championship 2022, set to start tomorrow in the neighbouring nation’s north eastern state of Assam, will have eight shuttlers, four each for Under-15 and Under-17 from boys’ and girls’. Kamal Gamlath, travelling as the coach with the contingent, has come under much criticism more..

Sep 27 (FT) Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered SL’s growth outlook to a negative 8.8% this year as opposed to a positive 2.4% estimated in April. ADB is also forecasting a 3.3% negative growth next year for SL revising from a 2.5% positive growth previously forecast. For South Asia, ADB is forecasting a 6.5% growth this year, marginally lower than the 7% growth forecast in April. Growth for 2023 is 6.5% down from earlier forecast of 7.4%. ADB said new forecasts are mainly because more..