Oct 2 (TM) Sri Lanka is at risk of facing a severe shortage in eggs and chicken within the next six months, with a majority of the hatcheries in the country having stopped operations due to high production costs, industry experts warn. All Island Poultry Association Head Ajith Gunasekara said that the recently-introduced price ceiling for eggs was the main cause of the problem. �The price ceiling caps the maximum price of eggs at Rs. 43-45 when production cost for a single egg is Rs. 55. more..

Oct 2 (MK) Naman Ojha's sensational 71-ball 108* helped Sachin Tendulkar-led India Legends beat SL Legends by 33 in the final at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday (1). With this win, the India Legends won the Road Safety World Series (RSWS) title for the second time in a row. India Legends also won the trophy by defeating SL Legends in the final of the inaugural season in 2021 at this venue. Batting first, India Legends posted a massive 195 for 6 more..

Oct 2 (TM) Govt is currently engaged in a serious discussion to downgrade SL�s country classification among the World Bank�s �country and lending groups,� following a proposal by the World Bank to the Govt to consider a downgrade to gain access to more funding. It is learnt that downgrading SL in WB�s country classification in relation to lending groups will enable the Govt to access more financial grants as well as loans at low interest rates. more..

Oct 2 (SO) Promising Dunith Wellalage seems to be the next rich contribution to SL cricket from St. Joseph�s College, Colombo after former SL captain Angelo Mathews. Wellalage emerged the Observer SLT Mobitel Most Popular Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2022. Having completed a superb final season for St. Joseph�s, he climbed to the top most level, while still being a 19-plus schoolboy. Prior to making his Test debut for Sri Lanka in July this year, young Wellalage captained more..

Oct 2 (Island) The DYNO Scooby 125 EFi Scooter was recently launched by Inventive Automobiles (Private) Limited. DYNO Scooby 125 Scooters are assembled in Sri Lanka using 14 locally manufactured components under the new Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) imposed by the Ministry of Industries, a news release from the assemblers said last week. Speaking at the launch, Mr. Lester Carron, Director of the Company said, �The DYNO Scooby 125 has key features more..

Oct 2 (Age) Kneeling on the floor of his palatial, gated home, Nishantha Fernando unfurls a roll of nautical charts. Running his finger across the map from SL in the direction of Australia he lands upon Christmas Island, which he has circled in pen. Fernando, 50, is a fisherman, chicken farmer and a loan shark in Kudamaduwella, a village on SL�s coastal Catholic belt. But he�s also been an organiser of boats to Aus, a people smuggler. more..

Oct 2 (EN) SL�s new and somewhat controversial State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage is determined to forge ahead with her plans to revitalise Colombo�s largely barren nightlife, in a bid to entice tourists and encourage spending. Gamage said SL, though rich in cultural attractions to keep foreigners occupied during daytime, cannot match the vibrant nightlife offered by its competitors. Unlike countries like Singapore and Thailand, known for their street stalls & night time entertainment, more..

Oct 2 (EN) Revenue Administration Management Information System (RAMIS) used by SL�s tax office was malfunctioning despite billions being spent a union leader alleged calling for a parliamentary probe. H A L Udayasiri, Secretary of the Inland Revenue Service Union said an expert committee should be appointed to look into problems in the RAMIS software system for which around 13 billion rupees had been allocated so far and find remedies. The RAMIS system was originally to come more..

Oct 2 (Island) TMTK leader CV Wigneswaran has stated that SL should be referred to the Int'l Criminal Court. Stating that the resolution passed against SL at the 51st session of the UNHRC session was weak, Wigneswaran slammed the resolution as insufficient noting that the latest draft had been diluted in favour of SL. As evidence, he highlights the removal of paragraph 19 and how paragraph 5 has been amended to draw less emphasis on the continued militarisation of the SL state. more..

Oct 2 (ST) SL will start their World Cup campaign this month with confidence, on the heels of their surprise victory at the Asia Cup last month. Risking a first round exit after their humiliating loss in the tournament opener to Afghanistan, Dasun Shanaka led the 2014 champions to the title, winning all remaining five encounters. It was a remarkable victory that won public confidence back. This could place the players under pressure ahead of the World Cup as expectations are at fairytale high but more..

Oct 2 (TM) Govt has expressed to the Japanese SL�s willingness to commence discussions to explore the possibilities of resuming the Japanese-funded Light Rail Transit (LRT) project that was unilaterally suspended by the previous Govt. However, the Japanese side had noted that the discussion could only commence once SL had finalised its debt restructuring programme. The Japanese Govt would not be in a position to more..

Oct 2 (ST) Govt will introduce a QR code to identify eligible recipients and families for the distribution of welfare packages under different programmes for those living below the poverty-line, Samurdhi Development Dept officials said. A QR code system is being successfully implemented in the distribution of fuel and a similar system is to be adopted to streamline social welfare programmes such as Samurdhi, the elderly persons� dole, Disabled Persons & Kidney Disease Livelihood more..

Oct 2 (ST) Govt has decided to permit the recruitment of professionals, including doctors and engineers, to the public sector next year while keeping its limits on enlisting more persons as govt employees. Two separate committees have been appointed to make recommendations on recruiting professionals while the other committee will recommend ways of limiting the public sector work force. Earlier, the govt decided to freeze public sector recruitment in view of high expenditure more..

Oct 2 (AD) Breakdown in Unit 3 of Lakvijaya Power Plant in Norochcholai has been fixed which suffered a breakdown earlier this week, Minister Kanchana Wijesekera says. Accordingly, Unit 3, which was shut down on Sept 27 due to a steam leak, has been reconnected to the National grid. Taking to his Twitter handle, the minister said both Unit 1 and Unit 3 are operating at full capacity at present. Meanwhile, the ongoing three-month-long routine overhaul maintenance work on Unit 2 more..

Oct 2 (TM) CPC has requested fuel shed owners to discontinue online financial transactions with a State-owned bank. In a letter written to the CPC Deputy General Manager (Marketing) by CPC Deputy General Manager for Finance and Senior Finance Manager, instructions had been issued to make the necessary arrangement to inform the dealers to stop online transactions with the respective State bank�s current A/No: *********045 operated by CPC at the bank�s Union Place more..

Oct 2 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday through a gazette extraordinary revoked his previous order through which he brought back war-time high security zones in the commercial heart of Colombo after his declaration was challenged as illegal. Wickremesinghe declared war-time HSZ on Sept 23 in Colombo after months of protests in the areas ousted his predecessor and previous govt. more..

Oct 2 (SO) Dept of Railways launched a new luxury train between Colombo Fort and Kandy during the weekend from yesterday. The inaugural train to Kandy commenced from Colombo Fort yesterday under the patronage of Minister Bandula Gunawardane. He said that the luxury train will leave Colombo Fort at 6.30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and arrive at Kandy at 9.18 a.m. Train will leave Kandy at 4.50 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive at Colombo Fort at 7.40 p.m. on both days. more..

Oct 2 (ST) Successive Govts have splurged Rs. 504mn on ten Special PCoI over the past 8 years, an application to the Prez Secretariat under RTI act has revealed. The largest sum�Rs 120mn�was spent in 2020. There was no information available on the outcomes of these Special PCoIs, which typically publish findings, advice and recommendations. It was, therefore, not possible to measure whether these expenditures had produced results in terms of implementation. more..

Oct 2 (ST) A day before he emplaned to London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe received a hand-delivered package at his temporary Colombo residence. It turned out to be a file jointly prepared by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Public Security. Included was a draft Order for his signature for publication in the Govt Gazette. Two prime movers, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles more..

Oct 3 (DM) The export of tea is one of our country�s main export earners and Sri Lanka�s tea industry performed well in 2021 earning US$ 1.3 billion, despite lower yields and higher costs of production. Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board Jayampathy Molligoda said Sri Lanka earned approximately US$1.3 billion from the export of 288 million kg of tea in 2021. Our sister paper reported, the FOB value of tea was Rs. 1,951.82 in August this year was the highest ever in a calender month. more..

Oct 3 (DM) These are some of the recently announced statements by our lawmakers. Govt promised to supply chemical fertilizer for the upcoming Maha season. However according to sources from Dept of Agriculture the supply of fertilizer has become an issue due to the lack of dollars; needed to import fertilizer. An alternative will have to be sought to cultivate during the upcoming Maha season. Former Prez Rajapaksa�s attempt to switch to organic fertilizer didn�t work. more..

Oct 3 (TM) The reconnection of the 300 MW of generating unit 2 of Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, which is currently undergoing a major overhaul, is facing further delays as the CEB is struggling to bring down the necessary spare parts due to several issues, including clearance from SL Customs. Spare parts required for the overhaul have been ordered not by opening LCs but through an open account, more..

Oct 3 (DM) The need for justice, truth and reparation for crimes under international law, human rights violations and abuses committed by state officials and armed opposition groups has been swept under the carpet on many occasions. The unwillingness to investigate and prosecute in fair trials and the obstacles imposed within the system creates an illusion of impregnable power, shielding state officials and all those suspected of criminal responsibility from accountability. more..

Oct 3 (ST) The recent declaration of several HSZs in Colombo under SL�s virtually obsolete Official Secrets Act has continued to raise feverish speculation in regard to the motivations behind the bizarre Presidential act. Amidst rumours that the contested gazette will be withdrawn, (it still continues), larger question speaks to a vexed problem with the functioning of the State. This is perhaps even more concerning than the Official Secrets Act being used for a purpose for more..

Oct 3 (SO) Q: As professor of two universities, you are now completing 80 years. Looking back, do you believe you were stuck within one political frame during this time? A: No, I do not think so. We were able to somewhat serve the working class people. We secured some wins and also faced some losses due to acts of certain saboteurs. As shown in Marxism, it is through the struggle of working class & capitalist class more..

Oct 3 (TM) During the past six months, Sri Lanka saw a lot of unrest and violence, with various forms of violence becoming a common sight in the lives of many, especially those who actively engaged in the aragalaya (struggle) movement. In this context, as some sociologists have opined, the tendency to be violent or aggressive has become more prevalent in Sri Lankan society, and is a part of what we call the social crisis triggered by the economic crisis. International Day of Non-Violence was more..

Oct 3 (CT) A roof above your head to rest after a long day, be it a mansion in Colombo-07 or a makeshift tent adjacent to Meethotamulla garbage dump, is an absolute necessity and not a luxury for every human being. Nearly 80 houses were destroyed in a fire that broke out in a temporary shanty lot in Thotalanga, Kajimawatta on 27 Sept. In March 2021 too, some 50 houses were damaged in a fire which broke out at Kajimawatte in the wee hours of the morning and this is said to be more..

Oct 3 (ST) Forget Sri Lanka�s sun-kissed beaches. Her towering stupas that once rivalled Giza�s famed pyramids. Forget the grandeur that was A'pura or the splendour that was Polonnaruwa�s sculptural wonders. Give a miss to the wild elephants of Yala or the elusive leopards in Wilpattu�s wilds. Cash-strapped SL is on the threshold of taking a quantum leap into a steamy wonderland by night to lure the fun-seeking jet set to the Paradise Isle where every forbidden fruit tastes sweetest and more..

Oct 3 (Island) Political leaders in this country seldom look before they leap; they do it the other way around, reminding us of the proverbial tippler who plunged head first into a swimming pool, at night, only to realise that it had been emptied for repairs. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has revoked a controversial Gazette he issued recently, designating some areas in the Colombo city and its outskirts as HSZs and imposing restrictions on certain rights and freedoms of the public therein. more..

Oct 3 (TM) The All-Ceylon Nurses� Union (ACNU) stated that due to the lack of necessary reagents and other equipment, most of the tests being carried out at the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Unit (STD Unit), also known as the 33rd Ward of the National Hospital of SL (NHSL) in Colombo, have been stopped or limited. ACNU President S.B. Mediwatthe said that due to the shortage of reagents and other equipment needed, many tests more..

Oct 3 (Island) Moose Clothing Company, SL�s versatile and youthful clothing brand has yet again readily partnered with Sri Lanka Cricket as the national cricket team�s sponsor for ICC T20 World Cup which gets underway in Australia later this month. There�s excitement among local cricket fans ahead of the event after SL stunned regional powerhouses India and Pakistan on their way to win the Asia Cup last month. SL beat world�s number one ranked India in the second round and more..

Oct 3 (ST) S. Thomas� College Mount Lavinia drowned their arch-rivals Royal College 23-10 at the 29th Hayman Trophy�s first-leg last evening at the Sugathadasa waters. In matter of minutes since the kick off, Royalists wasted no time and opened the scoring. Thomian captain and No.7 Dirhen Dias, after opening the scoring for his school, once again scored and provided the lead. The first quarter also saw both the schools squandering many a scoring opportunities. more..

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Oct 3 (FT) SLFP said the recently set up National Council is a devious attempt by the Govt to obtain approval indirectly for its decisions from all other parties in Parliament. According to the party, this was the sole aim of the Govt in setting up this so-called National Council. �It is also an attempt to mislead the int'l community into thinking the country has achieved political stability through an all-party Govt,� the party said in a communique issued yesterday. more..

Oct 3 (FT) Department of Excise has seen in its revenue dip as price hikes hit consumption of legal alcohol products. For 2022, the Department of Excise listed a revenue target of Rs. 185 billion from alcohol products, and by July this year had recorded Rs. 90 billion in income. However, since then there has been a further significant drop in sales that has impacted revenue collection Commissioner General of Excise M.G. Gunasiri had told industry representatives last Friday during a meeting. more..

Oct 3 (FT) Govt announced measures to waive duties imposed on five imported raw materials for locally produced sanitary napkins. The move is to make hygiene products more affordable in view of ensuring hygiene among women and school girls. In addition, Govt has also decided to provide tax concessions for imported finished sanitary napkins as well. A statement from the Prez�s Media Office said following the move, the price of a pack of 10 sanitary napkins more..