Sep 1 (TM) The National Human Resources Development Council (NHRDC) Act is being amended to facilitate the importation of foreign labour to address labour shortages which are affecting local industries. The NHRDC is an institution which falls under the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, and this amendment is a necessary step for the enactment of the national policy on foreign workers more..

Sep 1 (TM) The CID is to record statements from women who secretly underwent hysterosalpingography (HSG) tests at the Kurunegala Hospital after Dr. Mohamed Shafi was taken into custody over allegations that he performed non-consensual sterilisations on women while delivering their babies through C-section procedures. The CID recently informed the Kurunegala Magistrate that they had conclusive evidence to prove that more..

Sep 1 (NAR) Sri Lankan food is a smorgasbord of color, its varied forms reflecting the complex ethnic and religious history of the island. Unlike Thai or Indian cuisine, it has never attracted much international attention. But that is changing as a new generation of chefs finds ways to popularize its unique mix of flavors. Sinhala, European, Tamil and Muslim influences have all contributed to the layered story of Sri Lankan food, more..

Sep 1 (TM) The proposed Sri Lanka-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will face further delays as a feasibility study carried out on it has been rejected by the Department of Commerce, citing insufficient information, the Ministry of Development Strategies and International Trade said. An official from the Ministry noted that the information submitted in the report was insufficient for the Department to arrive at more..

Sep 1 (Island) Ongoing discussions between the SLPP and SLFP are progressing smoothly. The talks are productive and fruitful, Opposition and SLPP leader Mahinda Rajapaksa says. "The people have reached one conclusion; they cannot suffer any longer under this govt. President Maithripala Sirisena has trust and faith on the SLPP, which is the only hope for the people of the country now", he stressed. more..

Sep 1 (ST) Govt has strongly defended the proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement, enabling Sri Lanka to obtain a grant of US$ 480 million, with the MCC board set to review the agreement at its next meeting on Sept 17. The Govt�s defence of the agreement was presented to the Cabinet this week after Prez Sirisena further delayed approval for the proposed agreement. The move came as the US embassy said more..

Sep 1 (SO) SLPP Prez hopeful and former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa has asked America�s Central California District Court to stay the case filed against him involving the 2009 extrajudicial killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge until the end of the prez election, pleading that reporting on the case is jeopardizing his electoral prospects. The lawsuit has created a media circus in Sri Lanka, stated a motion more..

Sep 1 (Island) Ministers supportive of Deputy UNP leader Sajith Premadasa have threatened to resign en mass from their posts unless the party names him as its prez candidate, before the end of this month. A spokesman for them has said that they may even consider quitting politics in protest. UNP MP Hesha Withanage, addressing the media, on behalf of the Sajith group of the UNP, said all UNP legislators of his faction, more..

Sep 2 (CT) With the Prez Elections due by the end of the year, Sri Lanka has already become a hive of activity much visible both on the streets and in the media. The electioneering and campaigning have already started on an adversarial note, with more heat being created than light. What we Sri Lankans go through to pick our Prez is not only crazy and unnecessary but genuinely abusive. Hundreds of millions of rupees are spent in a craven, cynical effort to stir up hatred & anger on both sides. more..

Sep 2 (ST) Ranil Wicremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa are poles apart. If Ranil is cheese, Sajith is chalk. If Ranil is morn, Sajith is night. It has been so from their respective births. Their one common heritage is UNP and, though they are both fiercely loyal to it, there is, certainly, no love lost between them. A chasm of complexes separates the two and, like �east is east and west is west,� it is possible that never the twain will meet in unison unless, of course, mutual defeat may prove wrong more..

Sep 2 (SO) A judgment delivered by the Supreme Court last week into a decade old fundamental rights petition filed by two police officers acted as a dark trip down memory lane, reminding the country of an era when the Rajapaksa family enjoyed an unfettered monopoly on state resources and personnel, even to deploy them on election campaign activities with impunity. The case, filed against the state by two police officers, more..

Sep 2 (ST) Prez Sirisena�s remarks in Jaffna this week that the 19th Amendment�s transfer of some powers of Executive Prez to the PM while conferring supervision over SL�s constitutional commissions to Speaker has created three power centres, making political process unworkable & unsustainable is a thin gloss over far more unpalatable realities. Simple fact is that this country�s politicians, who have been too long at the helm of jealously guarded political power bases, more..

Sep 2 (CT) We Anglicans belong to a brotherhood of independent national churches where the Archbishop of Canterbury is primus inter pares � the first among equals � among the Archbishops of the national Anglican Churches. Formally he is The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. Upon arrival the Archbishop was greeted at BIA by church elders and govt leaders such as John Amaratunge. It was with great excitement that we welcomed more..

Sep 2 (TM) General Secretary of SLFP Dayasiri Jayasekara said that if the SLFP was to contest the upcoming prez election alone, Prez Sirisena would not be their prez candidate. He however believed that Sirisena should be the prez candidate in the event an alliance is made between the SLFP and the SLPP. Q: How will SLFP face the upcoming prez election? A: We haven�t decided on a stance yet or if we would put forward more..

Sep 2 (TM) These days, there is a flurry of activity at the AG's Dept, the CID of the Police, and in Hulftsdorp where special courts have been set up specifically to hear cases against individuals of the last regime. Given how gullible people can be to the usual election rhetoric, one cannot help but notice that the ground is being set for a repetition of the 2015 propaganda, with the only difference being that this time around, cases have actually been filed against some of the suspects while more..

Sep 2 (TM) Even before the official announcement of a national election has been made, the fact that all political parties are gearing for a key election is evident, given the heated political discussions and posturing taking place these past few days. All key political parties � the UNP, SLFP, and SLPP � are engaged in drawing battle lines and developing their respective blocs. Interestingly, the SLFP has now become a decisive factor at the next prez election with its voter base probably deciding more..

Sep 2 (Island) I am writing to you on account of the fact that Prez R. Premadasa had such confidence in my services to archaeology as to award me the national honour of Vidyᾱjy�thi. The Island published an editorial recently bemoaning the fact that lack of care by the authorities had resulted in the bulldozing of an ancient site. It went on to state that the Archaeological Survey Dept is reportedly unable to do its work properly due to lack of voted funds. This excuse does not bear scrutiny more..

Sep 2 (Island) The govt is ready to do whatever it takes to secure a grant amounting to USD 480 from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MMC). It is reportedly making a fresh bid to sign the MCC agreement, which President Maithripala Sirisena has put on hold owing to protests. Its desperation knows no bounds as the MCC is said to have announced that Sri Lanka�s eligibility for the grant is to be reconsidered soon on account of some improvement in its income status. more..

Sep 2 (RN) As the all-consuming presidential distraction looms ever closer, Sri Lankans� disdain for party politics appears to be at an all-time high. For the first time in recent memory, at least anecdotally, a significantly large section of the populace appear determined to see the backs of their supposed representatives. So disillusioned are they with the major parties� mutual back-scratching approach to governance more..

Sep 2 (FT) Cabinet has approved a proposal presented by Minister Mangala Samaraweera to establish the Credit Regulatory Commission as an autonomous body that will repeal the existing Microfinance Act. Cabinet had agreed to allow the establishment of a Credit Regulatory Commission with legal authority, governed by Ministry of Finance, repealing the existing Microfinance Act. Microfinance Act was passed by Parliament in 2016 and was aimed at licensing, regulating, & supervising more..

Sep 2 (DN) The important and vital policies on national interest, taken by respective govts should not be changed under any circumstances by govts which come into power on the grounds that it badly affects the country�s entrepreneurs, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said. He expressed these views at the CNCI Annual Achiever Awards 2019 ceremony, conducted by Ceylon National Chamber of Industries. Guest of Honour was Lakshman Silva, Min. Buddhika Pathrana was also present. more..

Sep 2 (CI) A bruising 79-run fourth-wicket stand off 37 balls between Ross Taylor & Colin de Grandhomme energised a flailing NZ innings, and set them on track for what would eventually become a comfortable victory. The visitors ran down SL's 174 with three balls and five wickets remaining. Pair had come together with the score at 39 for 3, with the required rate climbing toward 11, but blasted 4 sixes and 7 fours between them, more..

Sep 2 (Island) Three Sinha Group of companies successfully held a plant distribution program recently in their factory complex at Madinnagoda, Rajagiriya. The event held under the patronage of Manjula Ariyakumara, MD, Three Sinhe, saw the distribution of 10,000 saplings of Kumbuk, Mahogany and Mee trees. Since it is the responsibility of each company to contribute to protect the environment, this can be introduced as a move that showcased Three Sinha's more..

Sep 2 (Island) Hayleys PLC recently announced the commissioning of its first Polyurethane (PU) Foam Mattress manufacturing facility as part of a continuing effort to capture a larger share of domestic, and potentially export business. Funded by a Rs. 225 million investment from Eco Solutions group, the new facility will feature state-of the-art German & other technology, enabling to cater larger market share. It is difficult to put a value on a good night�s sleep, yet each of us will spend more..

Sep 2 (ST) Sri Lankans will be getting a prepaid electricity meter facility with new tariff structure soon replacing the existing domestic electricity meters. Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Lanka Electricity Company (LECO), Dialog Axiata and the Ministry of Power and Energy will be implementing this programme to introduce a smart meter. This new electricity meter will have a prepaid wallet to facilitate prepaid electricity metering, more..

Sep 2 (TM) Ogilvy Media, a strategic and media buying agency in Sri Lanka, created a real-time weather check system with tailored messaging, aimed to excite the public to beat the heat with Sprite. Sprite is a brand of Coca-Cola Sri Lanka and this aligns with the brand�s global summer campaign this year, which aims to inspire consumers to drink Sprite, particularly in hot weather conditions, to cool off. Ogilvy Media developed an innovative campaign that uses an outdoor LED system more..

Sep 2 (FT) Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said timely decisions were essential for the sustainable growth of the Colombo Port, and was regretful that delays in finalising the East Container Terminal (ECT) had threatened the competitiveness of the country�s main port. Delivering the keynote speech at the first German-SL Logistics Conference, he warned global uncertainty was growing due to trade wars between US and China, Brexit, and fears of a another global recession, which have all impacted maritime more..

Sep 2 (TM) The legal text of the data protection draft bill, approved by the Legal Draftsman�s Department, will soon be made available to the general public. The bill that is with the Legal Draftsman�s Dept at the moment will also be sent to the Cabinet of Ministers for their approval soon in parallel to being published on the website. According to ICTA Director/Legal Advisor Jayantha Fernando, the draft bill will be gazetted after approvals more..

Sep 2 (FT) SriLankan Airlines Catering has received approval to invest Rs. 250 m, to boost their capacity and nearly double the number of meals served, on the back of improved demand from the travel sector. Recently, the Cabinet gave its nod for the national carrier�s profitable catering arm to go ahead with what would be its first major expansion, worth Rs. 250 million. At present, SriLankan Catering serves 23,000 meals, and the expansion will give a capacity to increase the servings to 40,000. more..

Sep 2 (FT) The European Union has welcomed Sri Lanka�s progress on protecting and promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms, and called to continue the achievement during a meeting held with Sri Lankan officials. The fourth meeting of the Working Group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the European Union-SL Joint Commission was held in Colombo last Friday. The meeting took place in the context of regular bilateral exchanges between the EU and SL, more..

Sep 2 (TA) Australian Border Force officials are facing a surge of people-smuggling activity from Sri Lanka, with another fishing boat carrying 13 suspected illegal immigrants �intercepted west of Christmas �Island � the sixth attempted venture since May. The operation, near the Cocos Islands last month, comes ahead of expected plans by the Morrison govt to head off a Senate committee report into the controversial Medivac laws due in more..

Sep 2 (TA) Russia said it will continue to urge its citizens to maintain caution when visiting Sri Lanka. An official at the Russian Embassy in Colombo said that while Russia had lifted the travel advisory on SL, visitors would still be advised to maintain caution. Russia, like many other countries, had imposed a travel advisory on SL following the Easter Sunday attacks. Almost all countries have since lifted the travel advisory but Tourism Ministry said Russia continued to maintain a travel alert. more..

Sep 2 (ST) SL Under-19s led by Nipun Dananjaya will look to exploit home advantage to clinch their maiden title at the U-19 Asia Cup to be played in SL starting this Thursday. SL were runners-up at the previous edition played in Bangladesh after India recorded a comprehensive 144-run win in the finals. However, Head Coach Hashan Tillakeratne believes they are confident of winning the eight team tournament this time round. �Our preparations have been very good,� said the former Test skipper more..

Sep 2 (FT) The draft of the special law that is to govern the Colombo International Financial Centre, which is part of the $1.5 billion Port City project, will be submitted to Cabinet this month, a top official said yesterday. The compilation of the regulations has been in the works for some time, and the Govt has received the final observations from the Attorney General�s Department on the special law, Non-Cabinet Minister of more..

Sep 2 (SO) A week after the National Elections Commission launched an inquiry into a complaint that the names of several foreigners in the Rajapaksa family had been included in the 2005 Mulkirigala Polling Division electoral register, the SLPP prez hopeful has asked the commission to let it go, authoritative sources said. SLPP Prez hopeful Gotabaya Rajapaksa paid a call on the Elections Commission last Monday with his Certificate of Loss of US nationality and more..

Sep 2 (FT) Parliament will take up a resolution to recover the pension gratuity of Judges of the Superior Courts on an instalment basis, after the Attorney General pointed out that such a procedure does not violate the Constitution. Opinion of the AG was sought after retired Judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal objected to the move, claiming that reduction of the salary payable to, and the pension entitlement of, a SC or a CA Judge after his or her appointment, is unconstitutional. more..

Sep 2 (DN) Local engineers working on the construction of the Extension of the Southern Expressway Project (ESEP) from Matara to Beliatta have decided to withdraw from the consultancy services from Sept 10. This move is in protest of the delays in the payment of the Cost of Living (CoL) allowances to them by the relevant Chinese company for the past four years. The engineering consultancy services to the Southern more..

Sep 2 (DM) The UNP-led alliance would not make the same mistakes it made during the last prez election but would field a winning candidate this year, Minister Rajitha Senaratne said on Saturday. Dr Senaratne addressing a public meeting in Kuliyapitiya said the candidate would be fielded from a rainbow alliance which would be led by the UNP. �We wish for a rainbow alliance and filed a winning horse as our candidate for the prez elections. He will be made known at the right time. more..

Sep 2 (AFP) Lasith Malinga Sunday became the highest wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals with his 99th scalp in the first match against New Zealand, surpassing Pakistan's Shahid Afridi. Malinga, who retired from Test cricket in 2011 and played his farewell ODI in July, bowled Colin Munro in the first over of the New Zealand chase to equal Afridi's record of 98 wickets. The 36-year-old then cleaned up Colin de Grandhomme, for 44, to achieve the feat in his 74th T20 match more..