Sep 10 (AFP) Animal rights activists on Friday cheered a move by a shipping giant to change course in SL waters to avoid collisions with blue whales, the world�s largest mammals. The island�s south coast has an unusually high density of blue whales, classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and is one of the world�s busiest international shipping lanes. Campaigners believe that more than a dozen more..

Sep 10 (FT) Omalpe Sobitha Thero claims he will initiate a mass campaign in Sri Lanka against the increased electricity tariffs by promoting the non-payment of electricity bills. Attending a protest against the increased tariffs, Thero said he is unable to pay the current electricity bills and would therefore refrain from paying them. �The tariffs have been increased in a very unfair manner,� Sobitha Thero opined. The protest was held in front of the Bodhiraja Dharmayathanaya in Embilipitiya more..

Sep 10 (FT) Colombo stock market ended the second consecutive week on the up with a 4% gain with nearly Rs. 5 billion average daily turnover. The benchmark ASPI gained 387.76 points (4.16%) and the active S&P SL20 rose 121.68 points (4.04%). The market also enjoyed net foreign inflow of Rs. 2.9 billion ($ 8.1 m) on continued buying in EXPO (Rs. 3.6 b or $ 10 m). The indices extended the gaining streak for a third consecutive session mainly led by JKH (+4.4%), EXPO (+4.2%) & RCL (+8.5%) more..

Sep 10 (CT) SL�s foreign reserves haemorrhaged by US$ 30.14 million (Rs 10,896 m) in the three market days to Thursday led by the settlement payments made for essential imports. The country�s face value money printing (FVMP) debt decreased by 0.06% (Rs2,049 m) to Rs 3,219,442.89 million (Rs 3.2194 t) on Thursday, marginally mitigating demand-pull inflationary pressure. Govt of SL�s (GoSL) highest to the 250th highest FVMP debt has been registered for a record 250 market days to Thursday. more..

Sep 10 (EN) State-run Ceylon Electricity Board is making operational profits after a surge in hydro power generation and price hike, PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said. The CEB is making daily operational profits of 270 to 300 million rupees a day with more hydro power being generated, he said. On Thursday (8), around 75% of the daily 39.98 GigaWatt hours of energy was developed from renewable sources. CEB hydro brought it 22.96 GWh and CEB wind brought it 2.06GWh. more..

Sep 10 (EN) Norway will close its embassy in Colombo from July 2023 as part of a reform of diplomatic missions abroad, a statement said. �The decision to close the Embassy in Colombo does not have any bearing on the bilateral relationship between Norway and SL,� the Norwegian embassy in Colombo said in a statement. �Govt of Norway remains committed to continue further development of friendly and more..

Sep 10 (AD) National organizer of �Youth for Change� and �Aragalaya� activist Lahiru Weerasekara has reportedly been arrested by the police. He has been arrested for allegedly obstructing police from carrying out their duties during a protest held at Maradana on 30 August. A former convenor of the IUSF, Weerasekara is one of the prominent figures of the �Aragalaya� protest movement and was part of the �GotaGoGama� protests. more..

Sep 10 (Island) Supreme Court yesterday granted permission to name former Prez Rajapaksa as a respondent in several Fundamental Rights petitions filed against the agreement on the Trincomalee Oil Tank farm, signed with LIOC. Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe, and the current Cabinet, have also been added as respondents. Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, Ven. Bengamuwe Nalaka Thera and the Secretary of the National Bhikkhu Front Ven. Wakmulle Udhitha Thera, have challenged, more..

Sep 10 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has emphasised that all authorities should make every effort to utilise public funds spent by the Govt in a frugal and efficient manner, taking into account the severe economic difficulties that the Govt has to face in the current economic and social climate of the country. Prez�s Secretary Saman Ekanayake has instructed all the secretaries of the ministries yesterday to make special more..

Sep 11 (SO) The tragic death in Kurunegala of a 14-year-old schoolboy after falling into a storm drain during torrential rain should open the eyes of officials at all levels to the dangers posed by shortcomings in infrastructure throughout the country. This was a precious life that could have been saved if we had the correct infrastructure in place and even more importantly, the correct rescue machinery and equipment. The absence of both was felt in this heart-wrenching case which got much airplay more..

Sep 11 (CT) Less than three months ago on 19 June (Ranil: A SWOT Appraisal) I offered readers an evaluation of the future that beckons then PM now Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW). It is a sign of how quickly events move that I have to repeat the exercise so soon. If you track the Sunday Island, daily Island or other English language papers you will be familiar with what columnists are saying. For my purposes today the Home Page of Colombo Telegraph (CT) is more convenient. more..

Sep 11 (TM) The SLFP as a democratic institution should not constrain space for diverse views within the party and instead move to support an all-party govt with the aim of finding solutions for the economic crisis, says SLFP National Organiser MP Duminda Dissanayake. According to Dissanayake, the recent changes to the SLFP Constitution have raised concerns about the concentration of power which needed more..

Sep 11 (ST) The Geneva Circus gets underway next week for another show. The UNHRC has been the happy SL bashing ground overtly for the West and covertly for some others. SL continues to be on the rack over allegations of war crimes during the last stages of the military assault on the LTTE. 13 years after the liquidation of the terrorist group on the banks of the Nandikadal lagoon, Geneva lives on. Over the years, the goalposts keep shifting. From alleged violations of int'l human rights laws a more..

Sep 11 (ST) My dear Gota maamey, I have to write to you this week because you are back home, almost three months after the people said Gota go home but you went overseas instead. At least now, this will reach you through our local post and I won�t have to spend big money on airmail to the Maldive Islands, Singapore or Thailand! It must be good to finally be home, although you may prefer to return to Mirihana where it all began instead of being at Bauddhhaloka Mawatha. Isn�t it funny that more..

Sep 11 (SO) UNP Chairman MP Vajira Abeywardena said that when the economy has faced a setback and the country is in a crisis situation, everyone irrespective of their political differences should take some responsibility and work together. The UNP Chairman said after the people elected their representatives to Parliament, they have not been able to fulfill anything on behalf of them during the period from 2020 up to 2022 due to more..

Sep 11 (Island) Sri Lanka�s economic woes have not cast a shadow over its complex foreign relations. On Aug 16, the southern port of Hambantota welcomed the Yuan Wang 5, a research vessel from China. While Colombo had asked for a deferral of the visit, it eventually relented and allowed the ship to dock until Aug 22. India, which denied pressurising the country over the issue, nevertheless registered its unease about the visit. Beijing contends that the vessel was used for research purposes. more..

Sep 11 (Island) Thursday�s swearing of 37 new State Ministers was a major step back from the system change that the majority of the people of this country yearn for. The Aragalaya succeeded in compelling then Prez Rajapaksa to demand and secure his brother Mahinda�s resignation as prime minister. That mean the entire MR cabinet went out of office. Thereafter GR himself was made to Go, not home as thousands of protesters demanded but out of the country temporarily. more..

Sep 11 (ST) The arrest of a prominent aragalaya activist and a contentious debate on malnutrition among the country�s mothers and children saw sparks fly between the govt and opposition benches in Parliament this week. The arrest of award-winning actress Damitha Abeyratne, who had been at the forefront of the aragalaya (struggle), saw opposition MPs raise vociferous protests on Thursday (8). Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, who had been to see Ms Abeyratne more..

Sep 11 (CI) It is a tournament Pakistan love but a tournament that hasn't always loved them back. Pakistan's lack of success over this competition's four-decade history has been baffling, given, if history is a guide, there are only three possible destinations for this trophy. For the first half of the tournament's existence, India and SL played musical chairs, with Pakistan kept out in the cold, making only one of the first six finals. They won the Sharjah Cup, the Nehru Cup and even the World Cup more..

Sep 11 (CI) It seemed inconceivable on the opening night of the Asia Cup that Sri Lanka would end up beating Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan on the bounce. From nearly being dumped from their own party - they are the hosts, remember? - to a run to the final, their spree has added a refreshing twist to a tournament many felt would be a three-match India-Pakistan series with some undercards thrown in between. more..

Sep 11 (ST) Hong Kong�s bid to avenge their group stage loss to Sri Lanka only proved futile when they were comfortably downed by Sri Lanka 43-67 to qualify for today�s final against host Singapore. This will be the defending champion�s ninth straight entry into the regional final. The Asian Netball Championships finals will be played today at 1.30pm Sri Lankan time, in Singapore. The semi-final victory also secured Sri Lanka a spot at the 2023 Netball World Cup. more..

Sep 11 (SO) The SL Under-19 team concluded their three-week tour of England with the third Youth ODI in Leicester yesterday. Although SL U-19 won their two-Test Youth series, England U-19 bounced back to take the U-19 ODI series. England U-19 had an exciting three-wicket win over SL U-19 in the first Youth ODI played in Worcester earlier this week. SL U-19, put into bat, did well to continue their batting form from Youth Tests to limited overs making 248 for 9 in their game reduced to 48 per side. more..

Sep 11 (TM) The Govt paddy purchasing process conducted by the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has come to a standstill, with the two State banks � Bank of Ceylon and People�s Bank � declining to assist the Board with financing. It is learnt that the PMB had so far purchased a total of 7,050 MT of paddy from farmers this Yala season and had paid Rs. 839 million to farmers in three stages using its own funds. Initially, the PMB had requested a total of Rs. 2 billion for the paddy purchasing process. more..

Sep 11 (ST) Wildlife Department has nearly doubled the rates of entrance fees to national wildlife parks as a result of which the tourism industry has been severely hit owing to the directive being issued without prior notice. Previous rates per person Rs.9,688 has been increased to Rs.14,920 resulting in an increase of Rs.5,232. This has caused a significant loss to the tour operators as they have already entered into contracts well in advance. Sri Lanka Tourism One Voice Spokesman and more..

Sep 11 (SO) There�s little to differentiate the two countries vying for the Asia Cup title this evening at the Dubai Int'l Cricket Stadium. Both economies are mired in crisis. Unlike SL, Pakistan has avoided a total economic meltdown. But rising inflation has left people struggling for survival. There are few signs of recovery. When the two teams square off this evening over the regional cricket title, people in both nations will leave their more..

Sep 11 (SO) Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) is focusing on developing medal winners at int'l level during the period next year and their calendar of events is centered on picking the talented athletes to put them in training camps to further their standards. �We are proud to have the fastest man in Asia in Yupun Abeykoon and we now want to have more of them. A few women athletes too have shown their ability to reach top level,� said retired Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando at a media briefing more..

Sep 11 (TM) The Sri Lanka lifesaving team will be flying to Riccione, Italy, on 23 Sept to compete at the Lifesaving World Championships. Organised by the International Lifesaving Federation, the tournament will be held from 25 Sept to 3 Oct. The tournament is organised every two years to provide a platform for lifesaving athletes to showcase their talents and fight to become the world�s best in lifesaving. The Sri Lankan team will consist of five athletes � four male and one female athlete. more..

Sep 11 (ST) The govt will soon roll out a special scheme for salvaging loss- making State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) via restructuring or privatisation opening up its management or ownership while liquidating failing institutions with insolvency issues that cannot be resolved efficiently. At least 10 out of 55 SOEs are earmarked for liquidation following recommendations of the Auditor General�s dept and five of the 55 SOEs more..

Sep 11 (ST) Remittances by migrant workers and others are seen improving over the past month, bankers say. Last month has seen a marked improvement in inward remittances by migrant workers, Kanchana Ratwatte, Chairman Bank of Ceylon told the Business Times noting that this is because the grey market has considerably shrunk. He said that the Central Bank�s decision to close open accounts, which are essentially import settlements coming through third parties, more..

Sep 11 (AD) A group of police officers who were on a raid were assaulted in the area of Kottukachchi area in Anamaduwa this evening (10). OIC of narcotics unit of Puttalam Division and three others have been admitted to Puttalam Base Hospital for treatment. Police officers came under an attack by an unidentified group while they were on their way back after apprehending two suspects. They had set off on the raid on motorcycles. The attackers had blocked the road in Puranagama area more..

Sep 11 (DM) MP Anura Priyadarshana Yapa who is familiar with the newly founded political party called New SL Freedom Party scotched speculation today about former Prez Chandrika Kumaratunga�s son Vimukthi Kumaratunga was joining politics at this moment. Yapa said he however could not predict on what would happen in the future but no such discussions to get Vimukthi into politics had been held at the moment. Earlier, Kumaratunga ruled out her son joining politics whatsoever. more..

Sep 11 (AP) The US on Saturday announced $40 million in aid to buy fertilizer and other key agricultural inputs in time for the next cultivation season in crisis-hit SL. USAID Administrator Samantha Power, who is visiting SL, made the announcement after she met farmer representatives in Ja-Ela outside the capital, Colombo. She said the money will be in addition to the $6 million announced earlier to assist low income farmers. SL is facing its worst economic crisis and more..

Sep 11 (EN) Decathlon, a France-based a sportswear brand said it is closing stories in Sri Lanka after an import ban imposed amid a currency crisis, made it impossible for the firm to operate in the country. �Decathlon will indefinitely suspend all retail operations in Sri Lanka (store and eCommerce) from 30th Oct 2022, the company said. DECATHLON will indefinitely suspend all retail operations in SL from 30th Oct 2022. more..

Sep 11 (AD) Lahiru Weerasekara, the national organizer of Youth for Change and Aragalaya activist, has been granted bail. Maligakanda Magistrate�s Court ordered to release Weerasekara on a personal bail of Rs. 200,000. Earlier today, he was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital this morning (10) after being produced before the judicial medical officer. Officers of Maradana Police apprehended Weerasekara in Kollupitiya on Friday (9) while he was returning from a protest more..

Sep 11 (AD) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has held a discussion with the officials of Lanka Coal Company and the supplier who was awarded the coal term tender. The coal procurement for the Lakvijaya Power Station in Norochcholai was taken up for discussion at this meeting. Due to various misleading statements that were circulated on the procurement process, the supplier has decided to suspend performing the contract awarded to them until legal clearances were given, more..