Sep 30 (NR) Former State Minister of Finance Eran Wickramaratne says Sri Lanka is heading in the wrong direction and it is evident by the recent rating downgrade by the Moody�s Investors Service. He revealed that Sri Lanka entered the Moody�s ratings in 2005, and the latest classification is the lowest the country has ever reached. When comparing to the statistics, he revealed that Sri Lanka has fallen to the level of African countries such as Angola, Congo and Mali. more..

Sep 30 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa says that Sri Lanka Post could become a major player in the national economy if it recognizes the scope of its services. This goal can be easily achieved by properly managing the vast resources of the Sri Lanka Post, Prez added. Prez mentioned this speaking at a discussion held on the future plans of the State Ministry of Professional Development of Postal Services & Mass Media. It has been revealed that Postal Dept loses Rs 06 billion annually. more..

Sep 30 (AFP) SL's cricket Premier League tournament has been put off a second time due to strict quarantine rules for foreign players, the game's national governing body said. 23-match Lanka Premier League (LPL), originally due to start in August, was rescheduled for Nov 14, but has now been delayed by one more week, SLC said. It said the shift was to "ensure that participating players have adequate time to meet quarantine more..

Sep 30 (AD) A scam defrauding the public by promising employment at the Ministry of Justice has come into light, the Ministry said issuing a statement, today (30). A large group of youths had arrived at the ministry with letters calling them for interviews at the Ministry, only to be told that they are fake documents. They had arrived, on yesterday (29) and today, from various areas of the country including Ampara, Negombo, Dankotuwa, and Mt. Lavinia. more..

Sep 30 (DM) A total of 339 Sri Lankans, who were stranded in Australia, UAE and India due to the Corona-19 pandemic has arrived in the country this morning at the MRIA. 287 passengers arrived from Melbourn, Australia by SriLankan air UL-605. 47 Sri Lankans arrived from UAE by Emirates Flight EK-648 and five Sri Lankan passengers arrived from Mumbai, India by SriLankan air UL-1042. The returnees and their luggage were subject to health checks and disinfection process more..

Sep 30 (PMD) �Sri Lanka is located in a place of strategic importance. Therefore, our country is attracted to many parties. In this context, Sri Lanka has chosen neutrality as its foreign policy. Our top most priority is mutually beneficial development cooperation. This country is open for foreign investments�, Prez Rajapaksa said during a brief cordial conversation with four newly appointed Ambassadors more..

Sep 30 (AD) Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne has been issued summons to appear before the PCoI probing political victimization. The summoning has been made with regard to a complaint lodged by Commander Sumith Ranasinghe of the SL Navy intelligence. Commander Sumith Ranasinghe has complained to the Commission that he had been arrested and remanded on false charges in connection to the case of the abduction and disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo. more..

Sep 30 (TM) Moody�s Investors Service downgraded the long-term foreign currency deposit ratings of Bank of Ceylon (BOC), Hatton National Bank (HNB), and Sampath Bank (Sampath) to Caa1 from B3, and the banks� long-term local currency deposit ratings to Caa1 from B2. The rating outlooks, where applicable, are Stable. The rating actions conclude the review for downgrade that was initiated on 20 Apr, and follow Moody�s downgrade on 28 Sept of SL�s sovereign rating to Caa1 from B2, more..

Sep 30 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa emphasized the necessity to construct residences for estate workers in close proximity to their existing line houses. The construction of 4000 houses for estate people commenced in 2016 with funding from the Indian govt. A total of 669 houses have been constructed in the last 5 years under this project. The officials claimed that practical issues in the supply of more..

Sep 30 (TM) The Ambassadors of five countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have commended the govt for successfully combatting the COVID-19 threat in Sri Lanka. This was conveyed during a meeting held with Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena at Parliament yesterday, Speaker�s Office said. Furthermore, it was stated that Sri Lanka is one of the leading countries in the world to have overcome COVID-19 threat through the execution of a proper plan. more..

Sep 30 (AD) Two suspects have been arrested over the incident of pelting stones at a meeting attended by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Ratmalana. The SJB leader was addressing the public meeting last night (30) when certain individuals had pelted stones in the direction of the stage. Responding to the incident during his speech, Premadasa said that he will not leave because stoned are pelted and added that �we all know who engages in politics in Ratmalana.� more..

Sep 30 (EN) Govt wants to take action over the backlog of cases in SL�s court system which is delaying justice. Cabinet on Monday gave the Greenlight to create a unit within the Ministry of Justice to reform the system to speed it up. They will be tasked with implementing a Judicial Reform Program within 3 years. The proposal to the Cabinet presented by Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Sabry said that delays in the judicial process more..