Sep 26 (ST) Like a thief in the night, he flees the island state, furtively sneaking out past midnight�s godless hour aboard a military jet, deserting his presidential office and leaving his country in the ruins he wreaked. In dereliction of duty as Commander-in Chief of the Armed Forces and Executive Prez, he leaves his burning country at the mercy of unknown fates. He transgresses his vow, repeated oft, that, come what may, he will not run away, and betrays the trust 6.9 million people more..

Sep 26 (Island) The JVP has chosen to intensify its anti-govt campaign amidst speculation that the much-delayed local govt elections are likely to be held in a few months. It is said to be ahead of other Opposition parties where their approval ratings are concerned; it is apparently trying to keep its cadres engaged lest their morale should flag. It could not have been unaware that the police would go flat out to quell its protest march, and some protesters would be injured and arrested. more..

Sep 26 (TM) The Colombo International Book Fair has been the most prominent event of September for many years, and it has created a culture of readers collecting money until September aiming to purchase books at lower prices from the book fair. In fact, one of the main reasons behind the book fair�s popularity and success was affordable and discounted prices of books. It was the best place where readers could buy books at more..

Sep 26 (FT) Govt has kicked off an identification of holders of notes issued or guaranteed by SL. The principal amount outstanding of these notes is $ 12.72 billion. It has appointed Morrow Sodali, a leading provider of strategic advice and shareholder services to corporate clients around the world, as identification agent to compile a list of holders to assist in this process and is requesting the holders (or their respective intermediaries) to disclose their identities and holdings of the notes. more..

Sep 26 (SO) Japan is keen to ink a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Sri Lanka to increase bilateral trade between the two countries, said Deputy Head of Mission Embassy of Japan in SL Katsuki Kotaro. �Today there is severe export competition among various countries and SL too should up their exports. Hence we encourage the SL govt to go towards a FTA as it will help increase exports from Sri Lanka,� he said. He was addressing the first ever PIMA Strategic Forum titled more..

Sep 26 (TM) Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera said that as the egg and chicken production in the country is not at a satisfactory level, he will submit a Cabinet proposal for the implementation of short-, medium-, and long-term programmes for the development of the egg and poultry industry. A meeting to discuss the progress of the Department of Animal Production and Health was held on 24 September with the participation of Amaraweera and relevant officials. more..

Sep 26 (ST) SL�s participation at the World Junior Badminton Championships (WJBC) hangs in the balance after players and their parents refused to withdraw their complaint over an unfair selection to the Special Investigation Unit of the Ministry of Sports. The aggrieved parties met with badminton officials to discuss a way forward but it all ended in a stalemate when badminton officials insisted on parents and players withdrawing the case filed against them to facilitate their travel to Spain. more..

Sep 26 (FT) After an infringement of four months, Russia�s flag carrier� Aeroflot has announced that it will resume operations to Colombo from 9 October, initially with two services per week. The announcement came days after Minister Bandula Gunawardena apologised to the Russian Govt for arresting the flag carrier during an interview with Ria Novosti in Moscow. �Flights will be operated on Airbus A330 aircraft. more..

Sep 26 (TM) Sri Lanka has asked a US judge to throw out a lawsuit over the South Asian country�s debt default, saying the case brought by one bank is an apparent attempt to gain leverage over a nation in crisis and jump ahead of other foreign creditors, according to Bloomberg. Hamilton Reserve Bank Ltd., which says it holds more than $ 250 million of Sri Lanka�s dollar bond that was due in July, filed the suit that month seeking full payment of principal and interest. more..

Sep 26 (Island) IGP CD Wickramaratne has ordered the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau to investigate a major racket where an organised group has grabbed properties from their rightful owners. The racketeers forged land deeds and used force to remove the victims, mostly belonging to the minority communities, from their properties, the police said. A racketeer taken into custody was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Court on Friday and remanded till 26 Sept. more..

Sep 26 (Island) Ninety percent of salons across SL are at the risk of closure unless the temporary ban on imported cosmetic products is lifted soon, Jackie Aponso, president, Hair and Beauty Cluster (HBC) said last week. She claimed that such an eventuality could lead to 75%-80% job losses of industry personnel. �That�s a large number as HBC is a unification of many associations in the beauty & personal care sector with 450,000 members,� more..

Sep 26 (FT) Association of Int'l Certified Professional Accountants, representing the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), will host its annual APAC CXO Forum 2022 � Thriving Amidst Global Challenges on 29 Sept. Organised by CIMA Member Development Committee in SL under the guidance of Fadhil Jiffry, FCMA, CGMA and Damith Pallewatte, FCMA, CGMA, event will be hosted for the first time both online & onsite in Colombo. more..

Sep 26 (ST) SL�s construction sector has crashed with 90% of their work countrywide coming to standstill resulting in a possible loss of 75% of the workforce mainly due to the shortage of cement, iron and other raw material and its high prices in the economic crisis, National Construction Association of SL complained. Around 900,000 low income workers out of 1 million including 600,000 direct jobs in the building construction field have already lost their livelihood greatly affecting poor families more..

Sep 26 (FT) Govt has decided to limit the overseas travel of Ministers and State Ministers to essential trips with immediate effect, to minimise the State expenditure. The proposal to this effect submitted at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday by Prez in his capacity as the Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies Minister was approved by the Cabinet Ministers. The move also advised Ministers and State Ministers to restrict the accompanied delegation to only key officials during more..

Sep 26 (ST) A special supervisory unit under a Deputy Treasury Secretary is to be appointed to review the progress of 260 mega-scale development projects with a combined investment of Rs. 5.8 trillion, Treasury sources said. The special unit, which will be supported by govt agencies, including the Auditor General�s Dept, will conduct weekly progress reviews of the projects, many of which have been impacted by the country�s economic crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. more..

Sep 26 (TM) Sri Lanka�s creditors expressed concern over the country�s primary balance target of 2.3% by 2025 and higher forecasted inflation by the end of 2023 announced at the presentation held by the SL Govt last Friday with said creditors, revealed an official who attended the meeting on behalf of a leading local bank. The source said that the creditors raised questions about achieving the primary surplus of 2.3%, more..

Sep 26 (TM) Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils, and Local Govt will finalise the amended circular permitting suitable attire for Govt Sector Employees today (26) and is expected to be brought into effect before Wednesday (28). Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Govt P.K. Mayadunne said that an amended circular permitting suitable attire for public sector employees will be finalised today. more..

Sep 26 (DM) People swiped their credit cards more in August as the total outstanding credit card balance increased by Rs.3,228 million, perhaps reflecting increased spending necessitated by the soaring inflation and returning of some semblance of normalcy after the fuel crisis was largely brought under control ending a near economic standstill in July. After people could travel again from the beginning of August with fuel becoming less of an issue compared to a month ago, more..

Sep 26 (FT) SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa says the Govt has now declared several high-security zones as a new form of illegal repression against the people. According to Premadasa, Govt has unleashed three forms of repression against the people including declaring several high-security zones, the misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to imprison student leaders and the repression of the media. Premadasa made these comments at an Electoral Organising Committee more..

Sep 26 (Island) Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has warned that the prevailing economic crisis and increasing unemployment and food prices are accelerating malnutrition among hundred thousands of families countrywide. Addressing a ceremony at the annual get-together of the Archdiocesan Family Apostolate Service held at St Peter�s College Auditorium, the Archbishop said that it was a shame that responsible local officials keep denying the prevailing status quo more..

Sep 26 (TM) BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera said that he would not take any notice of the criticism and sarcasm on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, regarding his participation in an event to mark the Saudi National Day on Friday. Commenting on the social media posts in question to The Morning, he said: �Anyone can criticise or use sarcasm, but who cares about them? more..

Sep 26 (AD) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has left the island early this morning on an official visit to Japan and Philippines. During his two-day official visit to Japan, Prez will participate in the funeral ceremony of the former Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe, and will hold bilateral discussions with the Japanese PM, Foreign Minister and Finance Minister during this tour. Thereafter, Prez is scheduled to leave for the Philippines to preside over the meeting of the Governors of ADB. more..

Sep 26 (DM) Claiming that a recent report indicated that at least 32 SL citizens go abroad every hour, Chairman of the National Movement for a Just Society Karu Jayasuriya said it was a sign of a country�s rapid decline. He told a an even held in Chilaw recently that more than 500 doctors have left the country in the last eight months. "Hundreds of intellectuals including engineers are going abroad. Facing severe disillusionment and disappointment, they are now leaving the country more..

Sep 26 (Island) Parliament has blocked two specific proposals made by MP Prof. Charitha Herath in his capacity as the Chairman of the COPE to enable the Parliamentary Watchdog Committee to engage the Attorney General in high profile corruption cases, directly. SLPP National List MP Herath lost the COPE Chairmanship with the prorogation of the Parliament on 28 July by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe. more..

Sep 26 (FT) Aseni, whiz kid of economics, and her grandfather Sarath Mahatthaya, ex-official of the Finance Ministry, are continuing their conversation of the economics of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, tagged Ranilnomics. Previously, they discussed the ideological battle which Ranil should win to have his economic policy accepted by the Parliamentary group that support him , the need for dismantling the temporarily suspended imports before they start biting the economy, and more..

Sep 26 (FT) The move last week to declare certain precincts of the commercial capital out of bounds to a protesting public came as a shock to hopefuls who had expected the incumbent administration to be more circumspect as time went by since the people�s struggle petered out. This, together with the use of the PTA to arrest youthful protestors and detain a panoply of other peaceful participants in the unprecedented citizens� movement, was hardly the formula for bridging the trust more..

Sep 26 (IT) Jacqueline Fernandez was granted interim bail on Monday in the Rs 200 crore money laundering case against conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar. Delhi's Patiala House Court granted interim bail to the actor subject to a bond of Rs 50,000. Additional sessions judge Shailender Malik sought a response from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the actor's bail plea. Till the ED files its response, the petition for her regular bail will remain pending in court. more..

Sep 26 (FT) National People�s Power party Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake says it will not be long before citizens surround the city of Colombo. At a press conference held at the party headquarters, yesterday, Dissanayake said the failure of the Government to solve the problems faced by the people due to its bankruptcy has now led to Govt-sanctioned brutal attacks on protests. �The Socialist Youth Union (SYU) aligned with our party the JVP held a protest on 24 Sept. more..

Sep 26 (DM) Supreme Court today held that proceedings in respect of several Fundamental Rights petition filed over Easter Sunday attacks cannot be continued against President Ranil Wickremasinghe at this stage. Supreme Court seven-judge-bench headed by Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya observed that prohibition against continuation of proceedings against an incumbent President has been imposed for more..

Sep 26 (Island) The Academy of Health Professionals (AHP) has called on Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor and refrain from issuing gazettes, one after the other, and then reverse them in order to prevent worsening of the crisis situation prevailing in the country�s health sector. AHP President Ravi Kumudesh, has, in a letter to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, said that the country�s health sector is in the present situation as more..

Sep 26 (TM) Beauticians� Association of SL Secretary Jeyalukshmi Purushothman claimed that the beauty industry of SL is soon to collapse. Purushothman said that business has gone down by 50%, and customers are losing interest in visiting saloons. �People are losing interest in their regular maintenance, and especially among the young generation, there is a growing trend of working online from home, and they don�t wish to pay for our services.� According to Purushothman, more..

Sep 26 (TM) Certain senior officials of Ministry of Health are working to allocate expensive and acutely scarce pharmaceutical drugs and other medical supplies received as donations from various parties, due to the prevailing shortage of such, to specific patients with connections to the former who are being treated in certain hospitals. In view of the current shortage of drugs and other medical supplies, a number of local and more..

Sep 26 (AD) The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) will legally respond to the accusations regarding the quality of the imported crude oil consignment, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera said. The accusations had been levelled by the chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake. In a tweet, Minister Wijesekera also noted that the CPC is in possession of adequate stocks of diesel and fuel oil at the moment. more..

Sep 26 (EN) Department of Inland Revenue has collected more than 60% of its target by Aug 31, State Minister for Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said with similar performance also shown by customs. �We have to collect taxes while the economy is contracting,� Minister said. �Our plan is to raise taxes to 15% of gross domestic product from 8% over the next few years.� Dept of Inland Revenue has been given a target of a little over 900 billion rupees for 2022. more..

Sep 26 (EN) With the economy forecasted to contract further by the end of 2022, SL exporters mainly SMEs are expecting orders to fall and job losses, a USAID and CCC survey has found Out of 157 exporters surveyed by the CCC with USAID and Partnership for Accelerating Results in Trade, National Expenditure & Revenue, 68% expect the economy to contract moderately to severely in the second half of 2022. Meanwhile, 47% are expecting the same to happen to their export orders. more..