Oct 14 (SLN) A special operation conducted by the Navy in seas east of Point Pedro and Vettilaikeni on 13th Oct led to seizure of 02 Indian fishing vessels poaching in Sri Lankan waters, with 23 Indian fishers aboard. Taking into account the impact of foreign fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters on the local fishing community and the sustainability of fishery resources of Sri Lanka, the Navy is conducting regular patrols as well as operations to curb illegal fishing activities in island waters. more..

Oct 14 (Island) Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera yesterday instructed the Central Environmental Authority and the Ministry of Wildlife to deploy teams to investigate the construction work being carried out near the Muthurajawela Sanctuary. Minister ordered the investigations to be carried out immediately to check the legal status of any construction work being carried out by an individual near the Muthurajawela Sanctuary and whether such constructions were causing damage more..

Oct 14 (AD) MP Rishad Bathiudeen, who was in remand custody after being arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), has been granted bail by courts over two cases filed against him. Accordingly, the Fort Magistrate�s Court has ordered to release the former minister on bail with regard to the case filed against him in connection with the Easter Sunday terror attacks. Meanwhile the Colombo Chief Magistrate has more..

Oct 14 (AD) The total number of people, who died of COVID-19 infection in SL, moved up as 21 more fatalities were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services on Wednesday. The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in the country to 13,429. Latest victims include 15 males and 06 females. 16 deaths were reported among elderly people aged above 60 years. In addition, 05 people aged between 30-59 years have also succumbed to virus infection. more..

Oct 14 (DM) Imprisoned former MP Ranjan Ramanayake's lawyer today informed Chairperson of the CIABOC Eva Wanasundara that his client is willing to give evidence in connection with the Sri Lankans listed in the controversial Pandora Paper. In a letter, Attorney-at-Law Asan Fernando said Ranjan Ramanayake who is currently being held at the Angunakolapelessa Prison is willing to give evidence in connection with the commission's investigation into Nirupama Rajapaksa more..

Oct 14 (EN) SL has finally approved number portability that will allow customers to switch between operators with their existing phone number, regulator said. The move has been in the pipeline for years, and will be implemented by May 2022, the TRCSL said. Originally scheduled for last year, it was delayed due to the COVID-19 epidemic. The regulatory has informed all the communication service providers to set up a clearing house. more..

Oct 14 (CT) Ministry of Education announced that a pilot project to administer the Pfizer vaccination to students taking the GCE A/L Examination in the Colombo District will begin tomorrow. Pupils sitting for the A/L Examination for the first and second time this year will be immunised across all educational zones in the district. L.M.D. Dharmasena, Additional Secretary of the Education Ministry, advised that pupils should participate in the vaccination programme using their identity cards. more..

Oct 14 (FT) Promoters of Angel Beach, the first of its kind uber-luxury hotel and family day beach club, yesterday announced plans to open at the upcoming Port City, SL�s future showpiece. �We are in discussions with international hotel chain operators in Mykonos, Greece,� said the promoters of Angel Beach, the first high-end family day beach club, located at Unawatuna, Galle. Angel Beach has also been recently rated as number one new hotel in SL recommended for new travellers from India. more..

Oct 14 (DM) Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau has informed Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court that they have not been able to obtain several documents including the purported last will of late Miss Ceylon 1962 Jennifer Ingleton (nee Labrooy) and her marriage certificate from Colombo District Court, as a part of a magisterial inquiry. The Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court had earlier issued an order directing more..

Oct 14 (TM) SL Export Development Board (SLEDB) website has confirmed that the Moratuwa University students won a design competition organised by the Expo 2020 Dubai organisers, which resulted in a concession off the SL pavilion cost at the EXPO2020. The cost of the pavilion would have otherwise costed Rs 600 mn to construct. The SL pavilion, which has a water theme, was designed by a team from the Uni of Moratuwa and was recognized as one of the best designs more..

Oct 14 (Island) Following a decrease in COVID-19 infections among children, two wards reserved for coronavirus cases at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) had been released for treatment of other illnesses, Dr. Deepal Perera told the media yesterday. The number of children treated for coronavirus at the LRH has dropped to 15. Thus, they could use two wards to treat children with other illnesses. Soon, the remaining children could be transferred to the IDH, the paediatrician said. more..

Oct 14 (TM) Energy Ministry, on behalf of the country�s leading fuel suppliers Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) PLC, has written to the Finance Ministry requesting that they be granted some concession for the import of fuel, noting that fuel prices would inevitably increase in the event such a concession is not granted. When contacted, Energy Ministry Secretary K.D.R. Olga said: more..

Oct 14 (Island) SL Ambassador to Nepal Himalee Arunatilaka called on the country�s newly appointed Foreign Minister Dr. Narayan Khadka with a message of felicitations from the Foreign Minister of SL Prof. G.L. Peiris on 06 Oct at the Foreign Ministry. In his congratulatory message, Minister Peiris recalled the centuries old connections between the two countries with deep rooted cultural and religious ties. Minister Khadka conveyed his sincere appreciation to Prof. Peiris more..

Oct 14 (AD) The four officials of Sathosa and the businessman who were arrested in connection with the recent garlic scam have been granted bail, says Ada Derana reporter. The case was called before the Wattala Magistrate�s Court this morning. On Oct 11, officers of the CID arrested Lanka Sathosa�s Assistant General Manager of Purchasing, Senior Manager-Supplies, Manager-Supplies and the Manager of the Welisara Wholesale Store, after recording their respective statements more..

Oct 14 (TM) The Commercial High Court in Colombo which issued a warrant last week to arrest the MV X-Pearl wreckage, has now dismissed the order when the case was taken up yesterday. The decision was made after the MEPA pointed out that the vessel was not in a state for seizure. The case was filed by a private cargo company requesting compensation and interest for the goods lost in the disaster. more..

Oct 14 (Hindu) Sri Lanka must gear up for cyberwarfare by augmenting its capabilities to meet the demands of 21st century national security, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy said on Wednesday. Visiting Sri Lanka on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa�s invitation for Navarathri celebrations at his official residence, Temple Trees, Mr. Swamy spoke at the Institute of National Security Studies � a think tank established under Sri Lanka�s Ministry of Defence. more..

Oct 14 (wsws) On Oct 12, three months after nearly 250,000 teachers began their online education strike for decent salaries, PM Rajapakse again rejected their demands in a meeting with union leaders. Rajapakse has promised to pay just one-third of the teachers� salary demands and in two stages�the first in Jan 2022 and the second in 2023. The union leadership, which did not oppose this during the meeting, said they would announce their decision the following day, after a lengthy discussion more..

Oct 14 (DM) Former club rugby player Rohitha Rajapaksa yesterday denied that he wanted to play at the upcoming Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Major League 50-over tournament, also shooting down media reports that he was bidding to feature in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) in December or potentially run for cricket administration. The youngest son of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, Rohitha has had more..

Oct 15 (DM) The news pieces related to conducting provincial council elections have popped up in the mainstream media once again. First, Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) leader MP Mano Ganeshan broke the news last Friday on his Twitter feed. He communicated that Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, an influential decision-maker and player of the govt, conveyed the govt�s consent to conduct the elections under the system of proportional representation as early as possible next year. more..

Oct 15 (DM) What would be the fate of former Dy Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan in the light of the revelation of their seeming secret dealings with offshore companies and trusts reveled by the Pandora papers of ICIJ? Going by outcome of corruption allegations against politicians and their friends as well as relatives for the past few decades the simple answer for the question is Nothing; they will carry on with their businesses without a scratch. more..

Oct 15 (Roar) In recent years, more attention has been directed at improving inclusivity for persons with disabilities, and in particular, women and girls with disabilities. With over one billion people around the world, or 15% of the total population, living with disabilities, it is crucial that adequate measures are taken to ensure persons with disabilities are treated equally and with respect. In addition to this, more women live with more..

Oct 15 (Roar) This International Day of the Girl Child, here is a reminder of the most pressing issues faced by girl children in SL. Although the minimum age of marriage for both boys and girls is 18 years, this was legally established only 26 years ago, in 1995. However, a legal exception to the 1995 law continues through the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act of 1951 (MMDA), which regulates matrimonial law for SL�s Muslim communities. Being exempted from the country�s legal age of marriage more..

Oct 15 (DM) When little Yohani De Silva (28) put Sri Lanka on the world map of music there were mixed reactions back in her motherland. That�s Sri Lanka! She was praised by the majority, but there were others who couldn�t stomach the success she was enjoying. Another section of the society couldn�t take it because she was getting most of her attention in India; a nation which spends no time hesitating when it comes to grabbing opportunity. Young Yohani has many skills. more..

Oct 15 (TM) Videos of long queues in front of the Immigration and Emigration Dept have been widely shared on social media platforms, and the most common opinion expressed by those who comment on such posts is that the people have become desperate to leave the country due to the exacerbating economic situation. However, in addition to the thousands of people trying to get visas or passports to leave the country more..

Oct 15 (Island) The usual way to describe something like what passes for the parliament in the pearl would be a nest of vipers. Vicious, small-brained, reptiles attacking everything in sight and concentrating only on their survival and propagation of their species. Judging by recent comments by an eternally unashamed former leader of the Opposition and now chit MP, it seems that even this person�s standards have been violated. I beg to differ. I would describe present house of representatives more..

Oct 15 (TM) The International Day of Rural Women, which falls today (15), is being celebrated this year under the theme Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All. According to the UN, on average, women make up more than 40% of the agricultural labour in developing countries such as SL, and range from 20% in the Latin American region to 50% or more in parts of the African and Asian regions. However, despite this significant presence and contribution to domestic & export markets, more..

Oct 15 (Island) There was a mixed reaction to the demarcation by the govt of an area adjacent to the Presidential Secretariat for public protests, in 2020. Some people welcomed it, claiming that it would help keep protesters off the busy city roads, but others suspected an ulterior motive; they said the govt was planning to ban public demonstrations outside the designated area. Whether the govt was contemplating such a move is anybody�s guess, but today the so-called Agitation Site allocated more..

Oct 15 (CT) The essence of civilized living is the rule of law. A pre requisite for a good democracy and a prosperous society is the rule of law. Rule of law calls for equal justice under the law for all citizens immaterial of social, political and economic status. This also calls total independence of the criminal justice system. In other words when there is likely case of laws being violated, law enforcement � the police � should kick into action on its own. On its own is the key here. more..

Oct 15 (Hindu) Sri Lanka�s northern fishermen want authorities in India and Sri Lanka to urgently step up action to resolve the long-persisting conflict in the Palk Strait, fearing tensions with Indian fishermen could escalate. In a letter submitted at the Indian Consulate in Jaffna last week, the Federation of Jaffna District Fishermen�s Cooperative Society Unions pointed to the perils of bottom-trawling and pair-trawling fishing methods more..

Oct 15 (CT) The farmers of Mawathawewa, Illuppukanniya, Puliyankulama, and Getalawa villages in the Thirappana DS Division in Anuradhapura District said that they are facing many problems with their cultivations due to the nonavailability of chemical fertilisers. The farmers said they were engaged in different types of vegetable cultivation including chillies and pumpkin. However, after the fertiliser issue, they have reduced the cultivations. more..

Oct 15 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 69,902 persons on Wednesday, with both doses of a vaccine given to 86.3% of the country�s population over the age of 20. According to Our World in Data, the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to 68.53% of the total population and 58.4% has received the second dose as well. Epidemiology Unit states that 14,745,130 persons have received the first dose and 12,613,749 persons have received the second dose. more..

Oct 15 (Island) Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle has turned down Auditor General W.P.C. Wickramaratne�s request for public funds for building an international training centre at Horana for the National Audit Office. Treasury Secretary Attygalle has told the Committee on Public Finance chaired by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa that the Cabinet wouldn�t allocate funds from Budget 2022 for new constructions. more..

Oct 15 (FT) USAID Private Sector Development project signed a MOU with Hatton National Bank PLC (HNB) to expand financing to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in SL. �Partnerships like this can dramatically enhance economic and social impact more than any of us could achieve on our own,� said USAID Mission Director for SL and Maldives Reed Aeschliman. �Through this partnership with HNB, we are fostering the next generation of successful businesses in SL more..

Oct 15 (FT) To attract more tourists this winter, the Government has decided to reopen the on-arrival Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) service to fully vaccinated international travellers from 10 Oct. The Immigration and Emigration Department Controller General Sarath Rupasiri said issuance of on-arrival ETA would facilitate bona-fide tourists who were unable to obtain online ETA due to time constraints in arranging their journey to Sri Lanka. The facility will be available at the BIA more..

Oct 15 (CT) Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) kept its key policy rates unchanged at five per cent (standing deposit facility rate) and six per cent (standing lending facility rate) respectively, when it announced its monetary policy stance yesterday. Explaining CBSL�s position, CBSL Governor, Ajith Nivard Cabraal told the Media that there was no need to either dampen or stimulate the economy further, hence the reason behind keeping its key policy rates unchanged, yesterday. more..

Oct 15 (FT) Sl�s COVID-19 detections rose to 529,755 with the detection of 674 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday. 666 COVID-19 cases reported between 1 Oct and 7 October were added to the total after verification. The COVID-19 patients detected yesterday include 673 persons from the New Year cluster and one overseas arrival. 7,069 PCR tests were conducted yesterday. The previous day, 6,156 PCR tests and 4,413 RATs were conducted and 680 persons tested positive more..

Oct 15 (DM) A new Circular will be issued to give effect to the process of issuance of permits for mining, transportation and trade of metals, sand, soil, gravel and clay. President appointed a Presidential Task Force to study the exploitation of Geological resources for development, priorities and self-employment and to meet micro level economic livelihood needs of those engaged in traditional vocations and the sources and more..