Oct 30 (TM) Excise Dept is to make some important changes to the existing liquor licenses system with the view of making license-issuing procedures more systematic and expeditious. Commissioner of Excise Kapila Kumarasinghe said that the unsystematic procedure of license issuing would be addressed by these amendments, and it would also include provisions that monitor the number of liquor licenses issued in more..

Oct 30 (FT) In the effort to revolutionise the northern region, the Urban Development Authority (UDA) is on the precipice of unleashing the immense potential of Kankesanturai, Jaffna, through an ambitious project – a future-ready uni and information technology (IT) park. UDA Chairman Nimesh Herath said this transformative initiative, born from collaboration between the UDA, SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), and MagickWoods Group, has the power to alter more..

>Oct 30 (FT) The science graduate turned economic analyst, Dhananath Fernando, CEO of economics think-tank – Advocata Institute – in conversation with Kishani Alanki has presented a comprehensive objective analysis of the present state of the SL economy. This conversation attracted my attention because he had presented his view without fear, favour, or animosity. He is known for using simple examples to help ordinary laymen understand the meaning of complex economic issues. more..

Oct 30 (DN) Pelwatte Dairy Industries has invested Rs. 2.6 billion towards building Sri Lanka’s first export oriented (80%) milk powder processing plant in Kurunegala. Chairman Pelwatte Dairy Industries Ariyaseela Wickramanayake said they already have 3 milk processing plants in Buttala making Pelwatte branded products and the third factory would come up in Kilinochchi in 2025 and they hope to invest a further Rs. 2.5 b for this. more..

Oct 30 (CT) Three individuals were arrested on charges of attempting to extort money from Janaka Ratnayake, former Chairman of PUCSL. On Friday, the individuals, aged 24, 26 & 31, were taken into custody for allegedly demanding Rs 1.5 million from Ratnayake, the Police said. Suspects are residents of Rambukkana and Kurunegala. On 16 Oct Ratnayake lodged a complaint with Kirulapone Police, alleging that he had received a threatening phone call from an individual who claimed more..

Oct 30 (Island) Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, MP, has drawn the attention of President Ranil Wickremesinghe to the humiliation caused by travel restrictions imposed on senior serving and retired military officers and two former Presidents by the US, Australia and Canada. In a letter dated 25 Oct., the former Public Security Minister has pointed out to the President that among the affected were Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and CDS General Shavendra Silva. more..

Oct 30 (CT) The Blood Bank of Teaching Hospital, Jaffna, informed that they are facing a severe shortage of all blood types. This shortage is significantly affecting the hospital’s ability to conduct scheduled surgeries, according to Blood Bank officials. Officials noted that the number of patients diagnosed with anaemia, cancer and those requiring transfusion of various blood groups is increasing. This rising demand for different blood groups is putting a strain on their resources. more..

Oct 30 (AD) The former Chairman of Niyagama Pradeshiya Sabha, Prasad Ranasinghe Weerakkody, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding an individual by promising employment in South Korea. Kalutara Police Special Criminal Investigation Unit said that the former PS chairman was arrested this evening (30). The suspect is accused of defrauding a sum of over Rs. 3.3 million from an individual by promising him an employment opportunity in South Korea. more..

Oct 30 (TM) GMOA will make a final decision on the trade union actions regarding the issues in the health sector following a possible discussion with Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe this week. It was reported that Govt and Opposition MPs who are doctors by profession, during a recent discussion, have agreed to intervene in initiating a dialogue and programme which involve the Prez, the GMOA, and themselves, to find solutions to the prevailing more..

Oct 30 (Island) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa has recently warned that the country will have to pay a very heavy price for violating bilateral agreements. MP was commenting on the govt delaying a scheduled visit by Chinese research vessel due to pressure exerted by external powers. He said so at the BIA on his return from Beijing where he attended the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. The vessel, which was to reach Colombo harbour in first week of October, more..

Oct 30 (EN) CEB and LECO customers with solar panels will be allowed to switch their electricity consumption/generation scheme, energy minister has said. “CEB and LECO roof top solar customers will be allowed a one-time migration between net plus, net metering and net accounting schemes from next week,” minister of power and energy Kanchana Wijesekera said. “The same rate at which the power purchasing agreement was signed will be applied in migrating between the schemes.” more..

Oct 30 (EN) Govt will disburse delayed August monthly Aswesuma poverty alleviation transfer payment for over 1.36 million families by Wednesday, State Finance Minister Shehan Semasinghe said, days after it completed dragged payments for July. Aswesuma poverty alleviation program is hit by long delays partly due to some opposition by govt officials and partly because of an overwhelming number of appeals. more..

Oct 30 (DM) The tally of Dengue cases recorded for 2023 has surpassed the 68,000 mark, according to the Epidemiology Unit. As of Oct 30, 68,114 cases have been reported in 2023, with the highest number of cases being from the Colombo district, which stood at 14,401. The Western Province has recorded over 32,000 cases, the highest province-wise. The month of October has also logged 3,631 Dengue cases. Meanwhile, a total of 39 fatalities have been reported since January 2023. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has assured a pay hike to all public servants from the budget 2023. Prez has given this assurance to the Cabinet, according to sources. “The Prez also assured that he shall make a request for a pay hike for the private sector workers as well from next year,” sources said. Mr. Wickremesinghe has also informed the Cabinet that the move by the NPP to take the credit for the pay hike is baseless. NPP-sponsored picketing campaigns were seen more..

Oct 30 (CT) In a sudden search conducted by the STF, in the high-security Boossa prison, where several organised criminals and drug traffickers, including Podi Lasi, are incarcerated, a number of mobile phones and related devices were seized. Two mobile phones, two SIM cards and two chargers with their outer covers were also found in the cells. The search was carried out for over an hour on 28 October in the cells of ‘A’ and ‘D’, where high-profile criminals, including Podi Lasi are detained. more..

Oct 30 (AD) Several office trains which are scheduled for this evening (30) will be cancelled due to the shortage of railway guards, according to SL Railways. Department announced that the relevant trains will have to be cancelled, as a result of a number of railway guards not reporting to duty since this morning. Accordingly, a total of 12 trains including office trains which were scheduled to be operated this morning and evening have been cancelled so far owing to this situation, more..

Oct 30 (CI) Sri Lanka mascot and superfan Percy Abeysekara, affectionately known as Uncle Percy, has died aged 87. Percy had been a fixture at SL cricket matches for more than five decades, but gained global prominence during the 1996 World Cup, particularly when he was seen parading the SL flag around the ground at Lahore, following SL's victory in the final. Renowned for his rhyming English-language chants, and more..

Oct 30 (CT) Minister Douglas Devananda said that those who undermine reconciliation will face legal consequences. He said the law applies to all persons and must be upheld equally, regardless of one’s social status. Wrongdoers should be held accountable under the law, irrespective of their standing in society. “I have confidence that Prez and PM will take the necessary steps to provide equal rights to every citizen in the country, transcending ethical or territorial boundaries. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Several SJB MPs have embarked on a mission to put party chairman Sarath Fonseka on the right track, SJB National Organizer Tissa Attanayake said. “A group of MPs have already spoken to Field Marshal Fonseka and there are other steps that have to be taken to put him on the right track. We are sure that the Field Marshal will finally fall on the right track like MP Rajitha Senaratne,” he said. “There are guidelines to be followed when making public statements more..

Oct 30 (EN) SL plans to introduce an IMF-prescribed property tax, applicable only to extensive property holders, in 2025, to be levied by local govt authorities. State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said that the new tax will be deliberated after the 2024 Budget, and will be introduced as late as 2025 after thorough analysis. “This is a very progressive tax, meaning it will only be charged from people who have the capacity to pay. more..

Oct 30 (CT) SL Press Association (SLPA) will celebrate its 68th anniversary convention on Wednesday, 1 November at the BMICH from 3 p.m. The SLPA, the pioneer and the oldest journalist union in SL, during its annual convention will felicitate ten veterans, who have rendered a yeoman service to the country. Foreign delegates including representatives of the Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) will grace the event. SLPA was formed by Ven. Udakendawala more..

Oct 30 (DN) The Boat and Marine Show – Sri Lanka 2023, held at the Port City Marina in Colombo ended yesterday. This groundbreaking choice establishes it as the largest boat and marine exhibition in the nation, with a primary focus on showcasing Sri Lanka’s prowess in recreational boating, yachting, marine tourism, boat building, and associated services for both the export and domestic markets. Inaugurating the event on Friday Minister Ramesh Pathirana said more..

Oct 31 (ST) Plans, plans, plans……committees, committees, committees….. laws, laws, laws……and new laws over old laws…..Sri Lanka is full of it. But eventually it’s all talk and no show. Take for instance the numerous committees of Parliament including the COPE, COPF and the Committee on Ways and Means. There is an international description of the Committee on Ways and Means which defines it as having the responsibility for raising the revenue required to finance the central govt. more..

Oct 31 (DM) The govt is deserved to be commended if we can rely on the media reports that it has withdrawn the Online Safety Bill to refashion and present it again, since it has drawn much criticism from the local and international right groups. However, the very fact that an Online Safety Act is to come under the purview of the Public Security Ministry tells volumes and is questionable. This is the second Bill prepared by the govt under Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe directly affecting more..

Oct 31 (CT) The deep-seated grief associated with missing persons is often downplayed or underestimated and there is a phenomenon known as ambiguous loss. This situation can be especially distressing for individuals whose spouses or fiancés have disappeared and are contemplating marriage or remarriage, as they wrestle with the uncertainty of their loved one’s potential return. The possibility of moving on in the absence of certainty more..

Oct 31 (DM) Brother Lionel Peiris, an Anglican Franciscan, stepped into the Embassy of Palestine in SL by stating, Now we are in Palestine. He was a member of a group of peace-loving citizens who together with a collective of multi-religious leaders that gathered at the Church of Ceylon, Bauddaloka Mawatha in Colombo on Oct 23. The members of this group and the religious leaders then walked from the Church of Ceylon to the Embassy of Palestine in SL to meet Palestine Amb more..

Oct 31 (TM) The senior police officer-in-charge of the Western Province stated that the Police department is preparing a plan of action to eradicate organised crime within six months! The senior cop, who himself faces allegations of corruption and abuse of power, may have taken a page from the Politicians Handbook on Fake Promises to cook up the next series of headlines which will help to white wash the tarnished image of the law enforcement community in the coming days. more..

Oct 31 (TM) In Sri Lanka, creating more opportunities for people of different ethno-religious communities to come together through policy and programmatic measures at the macro level is among the ways to promote religious coexistence. At the same time, using religion for the purpose it is intended, i.e. to become tolerant, kind, and compassionate human beings, is the most powerful way to promote religious coexistence in SL. more..

Oct 31 (CT) In the wake of a massive fire that erupted at a clothing store in a six-storeyed building in Pettah, which landed at least 20 people in hospital, attention has been redirected to the importance of building construction standards and safety regulations. In this recent incident, the building in question, much like most others in that area, was extremely old and had not been built with proper planning, and thus lacked fire prevention systems and emergency exits, more..

Oct 31 (Island) New Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana has reportedly decided to give some key institutions under his purview a radical shake-up. They are to get new heads, we are told. The NMRA and SPC are said to be among those outfits. This is something long overdue. The task of straightening up the state health sector, however, requires a multifactorial approach, and a vital prong thereof is finding the right persons for the key slots in the institutions characterised by corruption. more..

Oct 31 (CT) It was reported to Ceylon Today on 20 Oct last year (2022) that a group of students studying in Grade 10, of the Agrabodhi National School in Trincomalee, were suspended from school. Further inquiries made by Ceylon Today about the said incident revealed that the suspension was issued due to the unruly behaviour of the students concerned during a Children’s Day event held on 4 Oct 2022 at the school premises. The suspension had been served by the Principal more..

Oct 31 (GV) In Israel/Palestine these are dark, terrible times with no obvious end in sight to the mounting bloodshed and destruction. It is also a time that gives rise to difficult but necessary con­versations: no more so than between friends, as is the case with myself and Ruwanthie de Chic­kera. Ruwanthie’s recent Groundviews piece is a passionately argued – and doubtless, no less passionately felt – condemnation of the intense violence currently being visited on Gaza, more..

Oct 31 (CI) For the second game running Afghanistan showcased exemplary calm in the chase, whittling down a sub-par target of 242 with ice-cold composure. A trio of fifties from Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai led the way, as Afghanistan leapfrogged SL into fifth place on the points table with six points now on the board. SL meanwhile are virtually out of the running for a semi-final more..

Oct 31 (CI) With four points from six games, Sri Lanka are on the same boat as Pakistan and Netherlands. The situation is dire, but they aren't completely out of it yet. Mathematically, it's still possible that two teams finish on 12 or more points, and as many as seven teams end up on eight, fighting for two spots. That means SL, who can still finish on 10 points, are in the mix, as are Pakistan and Netherlands. However, given how poorly they've played so far, and that 2 of their 3 remaining more..

Oct 31 (SO) It felt like walking into a monastery; the mind is calmed by the tranquil view. One can wonder how a dark wasteland filled with crumbling British-era buildings and the wreckage of battered train carriages became a place of technological innovation. This is where the future of SL is being built. SL’s intellectual centre, which is not only already full of great potential, but a precious nexus that has planted the shape of the future SL according to the powerful ideas of people more..