Oct 30 (Island) Prez Rajapaksa had assured the Cabinet of ministers that his govt wouldn�t sign the MCC agreement, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa said. The Cabinet had received that assurance before US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo arrival in Colombo on Tuesday, 27, he added. Minister said the issue had been discussed at length at the Cabinet before the arrival of Secretary of State Pompeo. more..

Oct 30 (CT) The PCoI, appointed to probe political victimisation of public officials from 2015-2019, revealed that suspended Kaduwela Magistrate Dhammika Hemapala, while allegedly hearing a case, had been on a telephone call with an individual named Jinadasa, who is said to be a relative of former Minister of UNF Govt, Vajira Abeywardana. The call records of the official phone of Hemapala on 30 Jan 2016, when the case against Yoshitha Rajapaksa for alleged financial fraud more..

Oct 30 (AD) Non-programmable calculators are allowed to be used for the subject of accounting at the G.C.E. A/L Exam from this year onwards. The second paper of Accounting is scheduled to be held tomorrow morning. The A/L commenced on the 12th of October amidst the outbreak of Covid-19 infections and it is set to come to and on the 6th of Nov. Any inquiries on permitting candidates to use non-programmable calculators can be made from the Examinations Dept, exams chief said. more..

Oct 30 (AD) Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana says 22 police officers including STF officers were tested positive for Covid-19. He said more than 400 police officers have been directed to the quarantine procedure. He explained that these police officers were exposed to the novel coronavirus with the outbreak at the Peliyagoda Fish Market. �There are separate quarantine centres for police officers and the police hospitals at more..

Oct 30 (FT) Cabinet this week approved the move to set up a 275-acre Industrial Zone for Fabric Processing Enterprises in Eravurpattu, Batticaloa, following a proposal by the Ministry of Industries. Cabinet also gave approval to declare the industrial zone as a Strategic Development Project, according to Minister Ramesh Pathirana. The establishment of the zone has been identified as a priority project by the Ministry of Industry and will see the Land Reforms Commission more..

Oct 30 (AD) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation says selected fuel stations in the Western Province will remain open for essential services during the curfew period. Thereby, 62 fuel stations in the Colombo District, 68 in Gampaha District and 27 in Kalutara District will be open for services. The measure was taken with the intention of supplying fuel required by institutions providing essential services including healthcare and defence as well as those involved in production and export. more..

Oct 30 (EN) Sri Lanka has recorded an abnormal drop in air quality levels from Oct 27 and the pollution is continuing to rise despite lower vehicle movement in urban areas cities, the NBRO said. According to NBRO�s Air Quality Monitoring Center data, apart from the southern parts of the country, the particulate matter level in the atmosphere in Colombo, Kandy, Puttalam, Vavuniya, Jaffna and other places has increased. more..

Oct 30 (EN) The authorities have declared three areas in the Colombo district as isolated regions after 14 new Covid positive cases were found by the Medical Officer of Health. The areas are Welsiripura, Rahulapura and Pragathipura which are all inside the Mirihana Police Division, Colonel Media Vijitha Hettiarachchi who speaks for the NOCPCO said. The City of Colombo and the Colombo District has become a hotspot for Covid 19 as the growth in Covid positive cases has been high. more..

Oct 30 (DM) Kollupitya police have launched an investigation into the engagement held at a luxury hotel in Colombo, violating the police curfew imposed over the weekend. DIG Ajith Rohana said that legal action will be taken against the management of the hotel as well as the organizers of the reception for violating quarantine regulations. At least 35 participants had attended the ceremony. However, the Police had immediately halted the proceedings and had ordered to cancel more..

Oct 30 (AD) Police have mounted a special operation to trace those who had stepped out of the Western Province yesterday disregarding the request made by the authorities. Legal action will be taken against such persons under the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance, DIG Ajith Rohana warned. He added that reports regarding persons who had avoided police checkpoints to leave the Western Province to lodge at more..

Oct 30 (CT) Central Environmental Authority (CEA) organised their annual Thuruliya Lanka National Tree Planting Programme on the direction of its Chairman and Director General, said Media officer of CEA, Sriyanjani Lokuliyanage. When contacted, she stated, �every year in October we celebrate the environment day by planting trees at various localities in SL. This year, due to COVID-19, the CEA had it organised in only several selected areas with plans to extend it to other districts more..

Oct 30 (CT) Minister of Justice, President�s Counsel Ali Sabry said it is heartening to see that Muslims in Sri Lanka have shown their love for their country and the other communities despite attempts by a few extremist elements to damage the bond between Muslims and other communities, in recent times. Issuing a message for the Milad-Un- Nabi, he also said �Muslims across the world celebrate Prophet Mohammed�s (PBUH) Birthday today during this month of Rabi Al-Awwal. more..

Oct 30 (CT) President of Public Service United Nurses� Union (PSUNU), Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera, said if the Govt fails to provide facilities to nurses working in the present context, trade union action will be initiated from next Monday (2). He said, in the initial stage it is hoped to implement the trade union action at the National Hospital of SL. He also said many complaints have been received from hospitals in more..

Oct 30 (AD) Expolanka Holdings announced that after conducting an extensive number of PCR tests, nine of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19, it said in a statement. Official statement: Expolanka PLC since the inception of the pandemic in SL actively began pursuing proactive COVID safety protocols and immediate measures in order to ensure the safety of all its employees. After conducting an extensive number of PCR tests, nine individuals from multiple SBUs in different more..

Oct 30 (FT) Following a four-month uptrend, LMD-Nielsen Business Confidence Index (BCI) declined by five basis points to 115 in October. This, the business magazine says, is due to the prevailing state of the nation. In the latest edition of LMD, Nielsen Director � Consumer Insights Therica Miyanadeniya explained: �Alas, with the coming of a second wave of COVID-19 in SL, where numbers have been escalating by the day and isolated cases connected to the Minuwangoda cluster are more..

Oct 30 (CT) Women were more likely to have reported increased productivity than men despite the COVID-19 pandemic, where over three-quarters of women reported the same or an increased level of productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to just over one-third of men, a survey said. A survey conducted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which results were released yesterday stated that some of more..

Oct 30 (DM) There is a possibility that Covid-19 may cause lasting lung damage and an infected person may develop other side effects even after recovery, Chief Epidemiologist Sudath Samaraweera said. He said lung damage is likely as the lung is the organ worst affected by the virus. He said medical experts were yet to identify overall long-lasting effects, that may develop due to COVID-19. �It is too early to predict overall side effects that can result from Covid-19 virus infections. more..

Oct 30 (EN) A massive backlog in PCR testing has left people in quarantine centres stuck there longer than the mandatory 14-day period and senior officials unable to decide whether or not to extend curfews and lockdowns, multiple sources said today. Officials told EconomyNext on the condition of anonymity that the National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak (NOCPCO) had had a discussion with the Health Department and said that without the information of more..

Oct 30 (AD) Total Covid-19 cases confirmed in SL went past the grim milestone of 10,000 today. The latest spike in figures came after 314 more persons were tested positive for the virus within the day. Data revealed that SL has confirmed 10,105 novel coronavirus infections to date. All the fresh positive cases have been linked to the Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda cluster, which registered a total of 6,627 cases just within a month. more..

Oct 31 (GV) Building on the award-winning Corridors of Power project, Frames of Power is a pioneering, non-partisan initiative for citizens to interactively model perceptions of political authority and approaches to constitutional power. The production of Frames of Power was conceived of and led by Sanjana Hattotuwa, Founding Editor of Groundviews and former Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives. Fundamental input was provided by Dr. Asanga Welikala, Lecturer in more..

Oct 31 (CT) Sri Lanka is no stranger to diplomatic arm-twisting. Being a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, with just over 65,000 km2 of landmass, we have oft been mistaken for a nation heavily dependent and under the influence of India, especially by the West. However, SL remained, over centuries, a strategic transshipment hub due to its unique location, right in the middle of one of the most significant trade routes in the world. We have also remained steadfastly independent, more..

Oct 31 (SO) As Sri Lanka faces the second - test, which caught the country unawares after about four months of respite, common sense calls for a collaborative approach of all medical experts of SL, to prevent an over burdening of Allopathic professionals and t o assist overall the stabilising both the health and economy. The threat of the Western medical hospitals and its profession being overwhelmed by the comparatively more..

Oct 31 (DM) With the 20th Amendment being pushed through after using various means to get the support of eight Opposition MPs, Prez now has more powers, perhaps more than any other president since the executive presidential system was introduced by JR Jayewardene in 1978. Prez Rajapaksa has the powers to appoint the Chief Justice, judges of the SC and CA while Parliament has been devalued with the ruling SLPP having or buying a 2/3rds majority more..

Oct 31 (Island) During these COVID-19 days, stories pop up everywhere describing how each country and its people are coping with the pandemic. It is said that the Japanese people are behaving in the most responsible manner; they have changed their behaviour in conformity with the health regulations related to the pandemic. Japanese are known to turn laws into culture. In others words, they absorb laws into culture; and thereafter, laws do not look laws. When laws are made with the participation more..

Oct 31 (DM) The Govt of Prez Rajapaksa achieved a significant victory last week when the 20th Constitutional Amendment was passed in Parliament with 156 MP�s voting in support and 65 Voting against. The 20th Amendment which has now become law restores a full-fledged powers to the Executive Presidency. Earlier the 19th Constitutional Amendment passed in 2015 had circumscribed some of the prez powers. more..

Oct 31 (DM) Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Admiral (Rtd.) Jayanath Colombage, said quite a mouthful when he said Sri Lanka has an India First foreign policy. He didn�t say, for example, first India, others later. He later said Sri Lanka first. Maybe he could have explained it all this way: Of course Sri Lanka comes first, it goes without saying. On the other hand, abject servility to other countries by govts and political leaders over the years compels one to question such claims. more..

Oct 31 (CT) Horton Plains is one of the pristine and unique eco systems in Sri Lanka with tropical montane cloud forests in the Island. These tropical montane cloud forests play a vital role in sustaining the livelihoods of local populations by protecting watersheds and sustaining unpolluted freshwater sources. It is rich in biodiversity, and many flora and fauna species inhibiting these forests are endemic to Sri Lanka while some of these species are listed under the threatened category. more..

Oct 31 (Island) Cassandra did not know whether to laugh or cry when she heard Diana Gamage, nominated MP of the Opposition, misquote the great Roman tragedy of mighty Julius Caesar and proclaim that Caesar had been stabbed by his friend Antonio. Cass was listening to MTV Channel I news, on Thursday 23 night, after the vote on 20A was over when she sat bolt upright hearing Gamage distinctly wax in Sinhala, detailing how Antonio (sic) had stabbed Caesar in the back. more..

Oct 31 (CT) Basil is the problem came the prompt reply from an erstwhile senior opposition Minister and close friend, to the question I posed. Minister dwells at Rosemead Place in Colombo 7, a couple of houses away from my Maha Gedara (ancestral Home) hence, the close friendship. The question asked in a friendly confab was: �After such a humiliating defeat in the last Prez & General Elections, the Party Leader himself losing his own seat and the party being fractured to shreds, more..

Oct 31 (CT) The 184-hectare Colombo Port is the busiest port in the South Asian region and it is the instant revenue making body of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) journeyed through several setbacks and challenges to grow up to what it is now � reaching to be one of the best ports, and in fact in 2017 reached the 13 rank in the global Best Connectivity rankings from the rank 18 and for this year SLPA won the GPF Awards more..

Oct 31 (Island) 20th Amendment has become law. Yesterday, we carried a picture of Speaker signing it into law. Govt is now like a juggernaut with a weak brake system, careening downhill. The Opposition, which had nine of its MPs voting with the govt for 20A has decided to take disciplinary action against them. In fact, it wants to see the back of them, but expelling them from Parliament may not be an easy task, given a Supreme Court order which has stood crossovers in good stead. more..

Oct 31 (Island) I have been fascinated by politics all my life though not directly involved in it unlike some others in my family. I have devoted some of the free time COVID-19 pandemic has given me to pondering the merits and demerits of the executive presidency and whether it is less democratic than an executive premiership. For a long time, there has been a clamour for the abolition of the executive presidency, but since the election of Prez Rajapaksa opinion seems to have reversed. more..

Oct 31 (CT) Director of the Institute of Sports Medicine (ISM), Dr. Lal Ekanayaka, said that resuming athletics despite the COVID-19 pandemic will be possible, as athletics has been categorised as low risk sport with minimum contact between participants. Athletes have been left frustrated recently as the National trials scheduled from 24 to 26 October was postponed due to the Minuwangoda cluster, which was then more..

Oct 31 (DN) The idea behind the theme song for Lanka Premier League (LPL) revolves around the vibrant atmosphere cricket brings to Sri Lanka. For Sri Lankans, cricket is not only about the players on field, it is also about the fans who empowers the players to bring on the fight to the field by their never ending exuberance on the stands. The LPL theme song and music has been produced, composed and sung by SL Pop duo Bathiya and Santhush (BNS) together with their spectacular team of more..

Oct 31 (DN) It is very rare to witness a person with a sound academic background prosper in sports in the school�s arena later reaching the pinnacle of that particular game. As a player and administrator holding several posts he still remains as a live wire, contributing immensely for the betterment and the development of the oval shaped ball game to the next level. Japana Jayawardena who was one of the prominent officers attached to the SL Army retired as a Brigadier ending a remarkable service over more..

Oct 31 (FT) Colombo stock market bounced back strongly yesterday after its dip on Wednesday as bargain hunters stepped up buying. All Share Price Index gained by over 2% or 126 points and the S&P SL20 index gained nearly 2% or 43 points. On Wednesday the ASPI dipped by 1%. Turnover yesterday was higher at Rs. 1.64 billion as against Rs. 1.2 billion. Some analysts linked the rebound to ensure better prices at month more..

Oct 31 (DN) Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Life Membership was awarded to Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing Symphony PLC. The award is the association�s highest individual honour and recognises significant leadership and invaluable dedication to PATA. Renowned as an expert in SL tourism, Hiran, now the youngest Life Member of PATA, has contributed immensely to the development of hospitality in SL and is one of the most respected and pivotal figures that more..

Oct 31 (DN) It�s all about breaking records whenever the world�s biggest sale, 11.11. is hosted by Daraz. Last year, 500,000 excited users visited Daraz on 11.11., the highest traffic ever for an online sale on the platform,and were far from disappointed. Adding to the surprising excitement for shoppers, 21,000 lucky users logged in to the Daraz app and shook their phones to win amazingvouchers. With one of the biggest assortments to be hosted online, Daraz offered over 230,000 deals for 11.11. and more..

Oct 31 (CT) World Athletics has approved a grant of USD 40,000 over a two-year period to Sri Lanka Athletics� (SLA) high performance project, where they have targeted the 4x400m relay teams (men/women) and 3000m steeple chase women�s event. According a to senior official, these three events (3000m Steeple Chase Women, 4x400m Men and Women) have been selected as events which SL�s junior athletes have more..