Nov 16 (FT) Govt led by Prez Rajapaksa, fondly called Gota, is to present its maiden Budget to Parliament tomorrow. Budget will cover the Govt�s financial plan for 2021, one year after Gota was elected President of the Republic. His PM and Finance Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, presented an Appropriation Act for 2020 to Parliament last week. It was only a regularisation of the four Votes on Account approved by more..

Nov 16 (AD) Main opposition party, the SJB, has decided to suspend the party membership of its National List MP Diana Gamage, who voted in favour of the 20th Amendment. In a letter addressed to MP Diana Gamage, signed by party leader Sajith Premadasa, it is stated that she had failed to comply with the unanimous decision taken by the SJB to vote against the 20th Amendment. Highlighting that this is a serious violation of party discipline, the Opposition Leader states that he decided to more..

Nov 16 (Island) Open University of SL (OUSL) successfully completed its Annual Research Sessions (OURS 2020) on 12th and 13th Nov as a fully online event. �OURS 2020 was initially planned as an in-person event. However, when the public health situation in the country again became critical in October, the organizing committee of OURS 2020, deftly transferred the entire event online � in a short span of time � underscoring the university�s unique ability to deliver academic programs remotely. more..

Nov 16 (AD) Ten students have been able to obtain the maximum number of marks at this Grade 05 Scholarship examination this year. The results of the examination were released by the Department of Examinations yesterday (15) and as per the Depat, 10 students have obtained 200 out of 200 for the exam. The following students have obtained the aforementioned results: -Siyathi Karunatilake - Sangamitta Balika Vidyalaya, more..

Nov 16 (FT) Given that Sri Lanka is facing a massive economic crisis, it is extremely urgent that Budget 2021 reflects the changes that must be made to get the economy onto a sustainable track. The crisis, rather than simply a temporary, one-off effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, in fact exposes long-standing trends both in the global economy and SL�s economy. The question is whether the upcoming budget will adequately respond to this reality. To make sense of the Budget, more..

Nov 16 (NR) The 2021 Appropriation Bill will be presented tomorrow to allocate Rs.2.678 trillion for service expenditure. PM and Minister of Finance Mahinda Rajapaksa will present the second reading of the Appropriation Bill for the 2021 financial year in Parliament tomorrow. The 2021 Appropriation Bill was presented in Parliament by PM Rajapaksa on the 20th of October for the first reading. PM is due to deliver the budget speech in Parliament tomorrow at 1.40 pm. more..

Nov 16 (Island) NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, MP, accused the UN of playing politics with the controversy over the cremation of all those who died of COVID-19. Minister Weerawansa said so when The Island sought his opinion on the UN recently requesting PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to do away with the existing restrictions. He emphasised that there couldn�t be justification whatsoever in UN intervention as more..

Nov 16 (AD) Popular singer Paul Fernando has passed away at the age of 68. He had reportedly passed away this evening at the Kalubowila Hospital after undergoing treatment for an illness for a long period. Details of the funeral are to be announced later. President of SL Singers Association, Keerthi Pasquel stated that due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country a decision on the final rites of the veteran singer is expected to be taken later following the completion of relevant tests. more..

Nov 16 (CT) Prof Neelika Malewige, of Immunology and Molecular Medicine Studies Division, of Sri J'pura University, said the possibility of a person who had been infected with the Covid-19 virus getting infected again was negligible. Prof Malewige pointed out that a person who has contracted the Covid-19 virus and recovered will not get infected again within a period of three months and there have been no reports so far that anyone had contracted the virus again after 3 months. more..

Nov 16 (AD) Minuwangoda cluster in the second wave of COVID-19 has now been brought under complete control, says Lt Gen Shavendra Silva. A total of 3,106 infections were identified from the coronavirus case cluster which originated from Minuwangoda. However, only 136 of them are currently under medical treatment while the rest have been discharged upon recovery, he said. �When Minuwangoda cluster was identified, more..

Nov 16 (AD) Reopening of schools on the previously scheduled date will be decided with the consultation of health experts, said the Minister of Education, Prof. G.L. Peiris. The third term for schools was set to commence on Nov 23 after it was postponed by 2 weeks from November 09 due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. A decision will be made taking into account both the health safety and the future of the children, Prof. Peiris said, joining a press conference held in Colombo today (16). more..

Nov 16 (DM) The measures taken by SL authorities in the endeavor to contain the Covid-19 pandemic situation, remain at a higher level when compared to certain other countries, Chief Epidemiologist Dr Sudath Samaraweera said today. He said decisions made by the Govt in respect of containing the virus and providing relief to people, were significant. �The authorities have taken measures like allowing people to subject themselves for PCR tests for free, providing accommodation for Covid-19 more..

Nov 16 (AD) MP Rishad Bathiudeen has been ordered to reforest the clearing of the Kallaru Sanctuary on his own expenses. The case against the ex-minister over the clearing of the Kallaru Sanctuary near the Wilpattu National Park was taken up before the Court of Appeal Justices Janak de Silva and Nishshanka Karunaratne, today. The petition, filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice, had named more..

Nov 16 (Island) A new genus of the old world tree frog family discovered in Andaman Islands was named after SL�s taxonomist Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda, on Thursday. A team led by Delhi Uni Prof S.D. Biju along with a group of researchers from India, China, Indonesia and Thailand, said it was the first time a tree frog species, Rohanixalus vittatus (Striped Bubble-nest frog), had been reported from the Andaman Islands of India. �Even though the amphibian fauna of Andamans more..

Nov 16 (Island) A poor family struggling to make ends meet has been rendered homeless after a fire gutted their house, in a heart-rending incident at Maligatenna in Haputale last week. �Everything went up in smoke, and we are left with only the clothes we were wearing�, wept Kapila Srikanth, breadwinner of the family, who works as a laborer earning a daily wage. �Even the school books of my two children are gone�, he said in anguish, as the blaze reduced to ashes everything the family owned. more..

Nov 16 (TM) Govt expects a positive outcome from its discussions with Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) on reclaiming fuel storage tanks in Trincomalee as the latest rounds of discussions were successful, according to Minister Udaya Gammanpila. After SL�s direct discussions with the Indian Govt on reclaiming the 25 tanks currently leased to LIOC ended unsuccessfully, Govt began negotiations with LIOC through more..

Nov 16 (TM) Two SJB MPs Diana Gamage and Aravind Kumar are to be seated in the govt side when parliament meet tomorrow, parliament officials stated. This was after Chief Govt Whip Johnston Fernando requested the parliament to arrange seating for Diana Gamage and Aravind Kumar in the govt side of the house. Earlier Chief Opposition Whip Lakshaman Kiriella requested the speaker to allow seating for 8 opposition MPs who supported 20th amendment to seating in the govt side. more..

Nov 16 (TM) SJB MP Eran Wickremeratne was questioned by the CID today over some of the remarks he made at press conference held on Nov 12. MP Wickremeratne said he explained to the CID that he was speaking about upholding the rule of law, during the press conference. �When I spoke at the weekly press conference held at the Opposition Leader�s Office last week, I also spoke about ensuring justice through the judicial system,� MP Wickremeratne told The Morning. more..

Nov 16 (EN) SL has re-stated a budget deficit for 2019 an already published number of 6.8% of GDP to 9.6% while lowering a projection for 2020 to 7.9% from an earlier projection of 8.5-9% in data submitted to parliament. Finance ministry put back arrears settled in 2020, in to 2019 budget, to widen the previous year�s deficit and lower the 2020 number. In 2019 revenue fell below target as the economy slowed from a currency collapse triggered by more..

Nov 16 (CT) The Govt has decided to hand over confiscated vehicles to the Police which are in the custody of the Customs. This decision was made in response to a request made from Minister of Internal Defence Chamal Rajapaksa to hand over to the Police these confiscated vehicles. Through this proposal Minister Chamal Rajapaksa points out that 3,608 vehicles in the possession of the Police are more than 15 years old. Among these vehicles 909 jeeps are older than 15 years. more..

Nov 16 (AD) Mayoress of Colombo Rosy Senanayake requests the govt to lock down the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) area for at least three weeks. She points out that there is a need to take strict action to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in the CMC area. �Living with COVID-19 does not mean living with the second wave of COVID-19. The second wave of the virus must be controlled in order to live with COVID-19. We will have to face severe catastrophe if we do not more..

Nov 16 (TG) The Foreign Office is resisting publishing files relating to its diplomatic support for British mercenaries in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, despite the Metropolitan police launching an unprecedented inquiry into potential war crimes by those individuals. Phil Miller, an investigative journalist, is taking the Foreign Office to an information tribunal over the release of files dating back to 1985 on Keenie Meenie Services more..

Nov 16 (MoD) The Poppy Day ceremony, organized by the SL Ex-Servicemen�s Association (SLESA) was held yesterday at the Colombo Vihara Maha Devi Park cenotaph. A brief ceremony was held with the presence of a limited gathering due to COVID-19 pandemic health guidelines and regulations. The Day also known as Armed Forces� Remembrance Day, remembers the unsung heroes in World Wars I & II. Next of kin of those dead ones placed the Poppy wreath to the cenotaph and more..

Nov 16 (TM) The June 2020 quarter recurring earnings followed suit of previous quarters by declining 58.0% Year-over-Year (YoY) for 267 companies, First Capital Research said. On a recurring basis, June 2020 quarter earnings dipped by 58.0% YoY to Rs. 17.7 billion, primarily owing to sluggish performance in diversified financials (-97% YoY), capital goods (-471% YoY), consumer services (-108% YoY), and real estate (-84% YoY) sector earnings. However, negative performance of more..

Nov 16 (CT) Two Lady Officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) were commissioned as Pilots of the General Duties Pilot Branch for the first time in the history of the SLAF, at the the SLAF Academy in China Bay today. Today�s parade was handed over to the newly commissioned Officers to command, and today marked the first instance in the history of SLAF when a Lady Officer commanded a parade with the Presidents Colour. more..

Nov 17 (DM) Govt of SL (GoSL) appears to be on the horns of a dilemma over whether it should allow Muslims to bury (as per their religious beliefs) those who had died of COVID-19, or if they should be required to submit to cremation, even though they consider cremation to be haram (sinful and forbidden). Health Minister has appointed a committee of scientists to study the matter and advice, given the notion that public health will be in grave danger if bodies of COVID-19 victims more..

Nov 17 (GV) A deeply polarised nation, a capitalist theme park, an embedded infrastructure of racism and segregation, and one of the poorest social welfare systems in one of the richest countries in the world � the United States offers an engrossing lens into the loopholes of modern democracy. Reflecting on the tumultuous 2020 US election, we are offered valuable insight into the state of Sri Lankan politics. Here are three takeaways from the US presidential election. more..

Nov 17 (TM) Once again, the public is being pushed to decipher the very confusing technical statements of Covid-19 prevention measures that the health authorities have issued for each institution to disseminate, explaining the restriction of service to the public. When the Western Province travel restriction was announced on Wednesday (11) evening, stating that no one was allowed to leave the Western Province starting from 10 p.m. more..

Nov 17 (DM) Colombo�s CMO of Health Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni, after conducting a series of random PCR tests in Colombo City, had said days ago that there may be more than 30,000 people infected with COVID-19 in City of Colombo. He said that around 300 people in the city had been randomly selected for a PCR test and that 5% of them had tested positive. Since there are about 600,000 people in Colombo, he opined that more than 30,000 people in city were suspected to have been infected. more..

Nov 17 (FT) If J.R. Jayewardene was alive today, he would surely be delighted at the adoption of the 20th Amendment to our second Republican Constitution (1978), the ownership of which is primarily attributed to him. This Constitution, which launched us on an odyssey along untrodden ways of an executive presidency, was hybrid in nature, a departure from the Westminster style parliamentary system we had enjoyed from 1948. Given the doubtful political maturity of country, concept was troubling, more..

Nov 17 (TM) Department of Prisons is once again challenged by the spread of Covid-19 in a few of its prisons, with the amount of infected persons this time hitting record numbers. Given the present virulence of the virus, the prisons system in SL has to now look at decongesting the prisons and ensuring that any inmate who comes into contact with a Covid-19-positive inmate is separated and placed under quarantine in a separate more..

Nov 17 (GV) Just before the Prez election of Nov 16, 2019, the UK�s Guardian newspaper began its editorial on SL with this line: There are worse things than disappointment� But the electorate, fed up with the broken promises, inefficiency and corruption of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combination, went on to give a resounding victory to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. That victory was consolidated by a landslide in the general elections of Aug 2020. Immediately, the draconian 20th Amendment more..

Nov 17 (CT) The country�s foreign reserves fell to a 42 month low last month (Oct), bludgeoned by the settlement of a maturing US$1,000 million sovereign bond payment. Consequently, reserves, last month over Sept 2020 declined by 12.12% ($ 807.80 million) to $ 5,858.50 million. A reserves figure lower than $ 5,858.50 million last took place 42 months ago in end April 2017, when the country�s foreign reserves fell to $ 5,045.52 million then, from $ 5,119.85 million in March 2017, more..

Nov 17 (Island) In recent times much attention has been focused on the subject of constitutional changes in the press and other media. During the last prez election which Gotabaya Rajapaksa won comfortably he asked the people to give him a two third majority to abolish the 19th Amendment as well as draft an entirely new Constitution replacing the 1978 constitution of the late J.R. Jayewardene. The people gave him this mandate. Since Independence this country has had the benefit of more..

Nov 17 (FT) Tea estates of SL�s leading plantations company, Hayleys Plantations achieved another unprecedented milestone after the company�s estates secured all of the Top 10 positions for highest Gross Sales Average (GSA) at the auction for Western High Grown Tea in Sept. Six estates of Talawakelle Tea Estates, three estates of Kelani Valley Plantations and one estate of Horana Plantations made up the Top 10 estates in Sept, marking another first in the industry more..

Nov 17 (CT) Two track and field athletes, Vidusha Lakshani and Gayanthika Abeyrathne, have been removed from the SL�s International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity Scholarship recipients list targeting the 2021 Olympic Games, after a progress review. Both athletes received USD 670 per month from 2016 post Rio Olympic era till 2020, but lately both Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) and National Olympic Committee (NOCSL) more..

Nov 17 (Island) Court of Appeal (CA), which heard a case filed by the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) against SJB MP Rishad Bathiudeen over clearing part of the Kallaru forest reserve in Mannar for a housing scheme, has ordered him to bear the cost of reforesting the affected area. The CEJ deserves public plaudits for its successful legal battle against the destruction of forests. The CA judgment is most welcome and sure to have a deterrent effect on those bent on destroying more..

Nov 17 (DM) Last Wednesday Daily Mirror reported about a SL-born Doctor being named Queensland�s Australian of the Year. In a remarkable coincidence, exactly five years ago on 16 Nov 2015, the writer contributed an article sub-titled, Lankans CONQUER Bundaberg, Queensland on Nov 18, 1882�; the main title being,Australian town �Badagini' named by Sinhala migrant labour in the 1880s? This article received wide attention after it was reproduced in two SL-sponsored magazines in Australia. more..

Nov 17 (Island) Ministry of Health should prepare guidelines for health staff on handling the bodies of those who die of COVID-19 at their homes to prevent the spread of the disease, Editor of the GMOA, Dr. Haritha Aluthge said. �We proposed that we do a review of COVID-19 deaths and Director General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena agreed. He has appointed a committee to look into it and they have been given a week to study more..