Oct 31 (ST) Sri Lanka voted for a Jordanian draft resolution at the UN General Assembly, co-sponsored by 40 others, mostly Arab states, calling for a truce to the ongoing armed conflict in the Palestinian Gaza and voted against a Canadian amendment naming and condemning Hamas for the terrorist attack in Israel on Oct 7 without naming Israel in the amendment. The Jordanian resolution condemned all acts of violence against Palestinian and Israeli civilians and more..

Oct 31 (FT) The turnover at the Colombo stock market slumped to a four-month low of Rs. 397 million as investors showed lacklustre interest amidst uncertainty over Budget 2024 and other factors. Volume of shares traded was only 14.2 million. Indices almost remained unchanged. Asia Securities said the market continued its subdued momentum recording a four-month low in turnover. ASPI touched a high of 10,730 (+41 points) in early trading before dropping to 10,650 (-40 pts). more..

Oct 31 (Island) The economy was in such a precarious situation that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa govt couldn’t further delay the restoration of the relevant provisions of the 1953 Foreign Exchange Act to compel the private sector to bring back export proceeds, rebel SLPP MP Prof. G.L. Peiris said. Referring to a spate of declarations made by Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, both in and outside Parliament, more..

Oct 31 (FT) Minister Harin Fernando confirmed that the visa-free arrivals push for seven countries will come into effect from 7 Nov. “The approved proposal from the Cabinet with adjustments to the Immigrants and Emigrants Act No. 20 of 1948 will be tabled at the next first sitting on 6 Nov. Upon approval it will become effective from 7 Nov,” Minister said. This visa-free policy is set to be in effect till 31 March 2024 for India, Russia, China, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia & Thailand. more..

Oct 31 (FT) After a remarkable 11 years of service to SL, Turkish Airlines has ushered in a new era by inaugurating direct flights from Istanbul to Colombo. This strategic move comes just in time for the upcoming winter season, offering seamless travel for its passengers. The inaugural direct flight TK-730 departed carrying 261 passengers from Istanbul and arrived in Colombo at 5:40 a.m. yesterday. The flight, which takes around eight hours, will operate four weekly services on more..

Oct 31 (TM) State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe is to request the relevant authorities to take steps to install CCTV camera systems in schools and public transport vehicles. Incidents of children being subjected to sexual abuse in schools and public transport vehicles such as trains and buses are frequently reported. The latest of such is the incident of a schoolgirl having been abused by a person inside a passenger bus in Kurunegala area more..

Oct 31 (DN) A team of SL para athletes, who clinched a total of 11 medals at the recently concluded Asian Para Games in China, received a warm welcome upon their return to SL. The athletes arrived at the BIA last night. Out of 26-member strong SL contingent, nine medals were earned in athletics, while two medals were secured in swimming events. The outstanding performances included two gold medals, both achieved by Nuwan Indika Gamage in the 100m T44 and more..

Oct 31 (FT) SJB MP Tissa Attanayake voiced his scepticism yesterday regarding whether the 2024 Budget would bring any relief to the nation’s populace. “I doubt that the Govt will be able to introduce any significant concessional measures for the country’s citizens in the 2024 Budget,” he said. Attanayake said the Govt, which asserts its intention to introduce a budget focused on relief for the nation, should adopt a strategic approach to curb the cost of living for the citizens. more..

Oct 31 (TM) Around 700,000 kilograms (kg) of paddy stocks, worth around Rs. 65-70 million, have gone missing from two Government-owned paddy stores in Kurunegala, Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) Chairman Neil De Alwis said. Furthermore, he revealed that two officers had been interdicted in connection with the incident. Last week, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera had called for an immediate report pertaining to the alleged incident of paddy stocks going missing from 5 govt stores more..

Oct 31 (DN) SL is looking at attracting investment for green hydrogen and green ammonia production in the Port of Colombo, Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said. “We have already reached out to institutions for expertise in this regard,” he said at the 26th AGM of SL Association of Vessel Operators (SLAVO) and also commended their role in the industry. Minister also said that the landscape of the maritime industry was rapidly evolving, with a strong emphasis on environmentally friendly practices. more..

Oct 31 (FT) Delivering its mid-year review of the 2023 Budget proposals and implementation, Verité Research alleged the Govt is refusing to inform the public on what it is doing with people’s tax money. The independent think tank said transparency and accountability have statistically taken a turn to the worst over the past year, and the country is setting itself up for failure if it doesn’t address these issues. more..

Oct 31 (EN) A draft law to reform and unbundle Sri Lanka’s state-run CEB was submitted to cabinet, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said. “The proposed reforms will unbundle the services of CEB, improve efficiency, transparency, competition & allow private sector participation in the electricity industry,” he wrote in a twitter.com message. “The Bill was prepared over the last 10 months with the assistance of energy & legal experts from development agencies & industry stakeholders.” more..

Oct 31 (TM) IMF should be a lot tougher on SL’s structural reforms as past IMF programmes have failed to address Sri Lanka’s low tax revenue and State-owned enterprises (SOEs), a former IMF official said. Speaking at a webinar held by the UK-based think-tank, Oxford Global Society last week, former IMF Institute of Capacity Development Director and former IMF Africa Dept Deputy Director Dr. Sharmini Coorey said that the IMF should have been a lot tougher on structural reforms more..

Oct 31 (TM) The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) said that the tusker Agbo, who was shot for the second time recently, will take some time to recover since the bullets are yet to be found. Agbo, who was receiving treatment after suffering gunshot injuries earlier this year (2023), was reportedly shot again last week (28 Oct). According to media reports, an individual is believed to have opened fire on the elephant from near the Vannam Maduwa River in Thirappane. more..

Oct 31 (FT) World Bank Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerof and Regional Vice-President South Asia Martin Raiser, yesterday conducted a field visit to the Climate Smart Farmer Training School in Thirappane. The purpose of their visit was to assess the progress of the Climate Smart Irrigated Agriculture Project (CSIAP). It was Bjerde’s first visit to Sri Lanka in response to a request made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe during his special meeting with World Bank President Ajay Banga more..

Oct 31 (TM) Meteorology Dept has said that all its officers serving in the Weather Forecasting Division have fulfilled all employment requirements and that no one has been recruited outside of the eligibility criteria. Following several parties, including media outlets, claiming that the department has recruited individuals who have not completed the required education qualifications, deviating from its prescribed recruiting procedures, more..

Oct 31 (Island) State workers across the country held demonstrations yesterday during lunch hour, demanding a 20,000 rupee salary increase from the 2024 Budget. Public servants including development officers, management service officers, Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi Officers, and office Services personnel took part in the demonstrations. Coordinator of State and Provincial Govt Services Union (SPGSU) Chandana Sooriyaarachchi said people desperately needed a salary hike. more..

Oct 31 (DM) SL is to take a cautious approach in the introduction of 5G technology to navigate geopolitical rivalry to be triggered by the involvement of China’s Huawei. 5G race is an already established term in int'l politics. 5G or the 5th generation wireless technology is poised to transform every aspect of life since it will introduce applications such as self-driving cars, buses, & trains, telesurgery which will connect surgeons and patients in great distances and smart home devices, more..

Oct 31 (CT) Health Minister temporarily suspended awarding the letters of appointment, to several key positions in the NMRA, which had been scheduled for 9.30 a.m. yesterday , owing to allegations levelled against those, including a renowned clinician, who were to receive appointments in the Authority. According to the health service sources, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana had been compelled to temporarily put off more..

Oct 31 (DM) A beggar sleeping on the pavement in front of the Homagama Base Hospital had been burned to death on Monday night (29). A 27-year-old man from Galavilawatta in Homagama was arrested in connection with the incident. The deceased, Perambuli Arachchige Dharmadasa (64), has been identified by his relatives. Residents of the area who rushed to the scene had admitted the injured person to the hospital, but he had succumbed to his injuries last morning. Investigations revealed that more..

Oct 31 (FT) Israel-Palestine crisis has taken centre stage in global politics in the last few weeks, and the heat shows no sign of diminishing. Given the complexity of the matter, unpredictability reigns. A chaotic Middle East is fuel to the fire for the world grappling with lousy economics, climate change issues, multiple threats of war, and dwindling global trade. Irrespective of the lens you have, it’s humanly impossible to agree on any conflict which destroys human lives. more..

Oct 31 (FT) Sri Lanka will not escape its economic and social doldrums until we, the citizens of this country, demand accountability of our national leaders and public officials as a part of our constitutional right. Acts, directives, regulations, laws, policies and procedures are of little, or no, value if they are not applied and enforced. In a similar vein, performance management is not effective unless there are positive consequences such as continued employment, recognition, more..

Oct 31 (NR) Senior Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama has been appointed as the new Chairman of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirana appointed Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama to the post. He has replaced Professor SD Jayaratne as the NMRA Chair following several allegations over the importation of substandard medicines. Newly appointed Health Minister Ramesh Pathirana is also expected to name several new heads more..

Oct 31 (DM) Peradeniya Uni Veterinary Department and the Peradeniya Teaching Hospital are in the process of introducing an intrauterine device (IUD), also known as loop contraceptives, to prevent pregnancy in monkeys, Prof. Ashoka Dangolla said. An IUD is a piece of T-shaped plastic that is placed inside the uterus to prevent pregnancy. He said that an experiment is underway to figure out a possible way to more..

Oct 31 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to revise the electricity tariffs every three months. The minister in charge of the subject of electricity is vested with the power of preparing a general policy guideline on the supply of electricity, subject to the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers as per the provisions of the SL Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009. Accordingly, as per the existing general policies guidelines, the electricity charges review is done every six months. more..

Oct 31 (EN) European Union (EU) has allocated 100,000 euros (over Rs. 34.5 million) for emergency humanitarian assistance to some 15,000 people affected by floods in Sri Lanka. Families in the worst-hit localities in Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Western provinces will benefit from the aid, the EU’s Colombo mission said. “This EU funding supports the SL Red Cross Society (SLRCS) in delivering emergency relief items, including drinking water, clothes, bed sheets and mosquito nets. more..

Oct 31 (AD) The court has imposed overseas travel bans on the owner of the company, which allegedly used forged documents to import substandard medicines, and two other higher govt officials who were involved in this fraudulent activity. The relevant order has been issued by the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court in consideration of the facts presented by CID through a motion that the concerned suspects were preparing to flee more..

Oct 31 (CT) Convener of the CEB Joint Trade Unions Alliance Ranjan Jayalal alleged that a sum of Rs 1.2 million, owed for electricity generators, obtained from the CEB for the Hambantota District Poson Zone in 2014, organized by the Tharunyata Hetak organisation has not been paid up to date. According to the letter WAS/PP/TCN/01 dated 29 May 2014, Rs 1.5 million had been estimated for the service and the organisasion had paid Rs 400,000 as an advance. more..

Oct 31 (DM) The health of elephant 'Seetha' has taken a turn for the worse as three metal pieces continue to pose a grave threat in her chest cavity, near her heart and lungs, Peradeniya Uni Veterinary Medicine & Animal Science Faculty Prof. Ashoka Dangolla said. He said that the situation is getting critical and the health of the elephant is not at a satisfactory level. A blood sample was taken from the elephant following a court order. We have to wait until we get the blood report. more..

Oct 31 (EN) Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers had approved hiking value added tax to 18 percent to increase revenue and meet International Monetary Fund targets, Minister Bandula Gunawardana said. Though tax revenues were up 51% to September, it was not enough to meet IMF targets, he said. Sri Lanka will also remove exemptions of some taxes. President Ranil Wickremesinghe had also informed cabinet that salaries of state workers would have to be raised. more..

Oct 31 (EN) Sri Lanka is in discussions with relevant stakeholders to formulate a new Employment Act, cabinet spokesman minister Bandula Gunawardane said. “The minister of labour and foreign employment Manusha Nanayakkara had prepared a concept paper for the formulation of a new Employment Act relevant to the present, in consultation with trade unions, employers and other relevant parties,” Gunawardane said at the cabinet decisions press briefing held today (31). more..

Oct 31 (NR) The Court of Appeal today dismissed the writ petition filed seeking to abolish the Parliamentary seat of State Minister Diana Gamage. The split decision by the Appeals Court bench was pronounced a short while ago. In July, a two-member panel of the Appeals Court delivered a split verdict on the matter. Accordingly, following further deliberation, the verdict on the petition was scheduled to be pronounced on 18th of Oct. more..

Oct 31 (AD) A new Appeals Court judge bench was named today for the hearing of the petitions filed against State Minister Sanath Nishantha over contempt of court. Accordingly, Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola will sit for the petition hearing, Appeals Court President Nissanka Karunaratne has announced. The next petition hearing has been fixed for Nov 13. The petitions were put forward by Priyalal Sirisena, Vijith Kumara and the Judicial Service Association of SL. more..

Oct 31 (AD) The five-member experts’ committee comprising Judicial Medical Officers appointed to uncover the actual cause of death of the renowned businessman Dinesh Schaffter has submitted its report on the post-mortems to the Colombo Additional Magistrate’s Court. Accordingly, the court is slated to announce its determination on the cause of the businessman’s death tomorrow. The five-member experts’ committee comprising Judicial Medical Officers appointed to uncover more..

Oct 31 (PMD) Marking a significant momentum of the economic recovery and stabilization, the second high- level roundtable discussion on Crisis to Recovery was held today, in Colombo. This event follows the previous session in Dec 2022 and provides a forum to discuss the progress of the Govt’s reform programs aimed at addressing key economic and structural issues. It also focuses on transitioning from crisis recovery to more..

Oct 31 (AD) The SL man, who was reported missing after the Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel earlier this month, is suspected to be among the group of people held hostage by the Islamic militants in Palestine. This new piece of information about Sujith Yatawara Bandara was officially communicated to the SL Embassy in Tel Aviv by Israel’s foreign ministry. The 48-year-old father of two remains missing since Oct 7, the day Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip more..