Oct 22 (EN) The US-based RM Parks has deposited a required performance bond and the first shipment may arrive in SL within the next two months, while the launching of United Petroleum Australia is facing delay, State Power & Energy Minister said. SL in July this year awarded retail fuel licenses to three foreign firms, namely, China�s Sinopec, United Petroleum Australia and US-based RM Parks to reduce the state-owned CPC pressure on finding foreign currency for SL's whole fuel import. more..

Oct 22 (AD) A female resident of Anuradhapura has been arrested and remanded over allegations of scamming a renowned doctor at the A'pura Teaching Hospital out of millions of rupees. When the victimised doctor was questioned, he revealed that a post falsely claiming that he had acted inappropriately towards female patients had been circulating on Facebook, following which, the doctor had publicly requested for help, via Facebook itself, for the relevant post to be taken down. more..

Oct 22 (EN) The farmers of Norochcholai and Kalpitiya have submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Agriculture to designate the area ​​as an agricultural zone. �Vegetables and fruits needed by our country are grown in large numbers in Norochcholai and Kalpitiya. Low country vegetables as well as up country vegetables, and potatoes are also cultivated in these areas,� the agriculture ministry said. Farmers in the area claim they do not get the concessions given by the govt more..

Oct 22 (AD) Veteran SL traditional dancer Kalasuri, Vishwakala Keerthi Rajini Selvanayagam passed away on Friday (20). She was a renowned professional teacher of dancing who dedicated her life to the propagation and sustenance of unique forms of SL dance art. In 1975, Selvanayagam founded her dance academy Chamara Kala Nikethanaya which was aimed at building a value-based society promoting culture, tradition and customs through the art of dancing. more..

Oct 22 (TM) CEB has disbursed Rs. 59.454 billion for the purchase of electricity from the controversial private power supplier Ace Power Embilipitiya, a recent audit report from the National Audit Office (NAO) reveals. The billions of rupees have been spent to purchase electricity from Ace Power Embilipitiya over a five-year period, spanning from 2016 to 2021. The disclosed amount of expenditure for this electricity purchase more..

Oct 22 (AD) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe says the agreement reached with the IMF and the staff-level agreement reached following the First Review of SL�s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement will help settle arrears owed to multilateral creditors while expediting the debt restructuring process. The lawmaker has further said that SL is poised to receive the second tranche of USD 330 million subsequent to the approval of this staff-level agreement by IMF executive board more..

Oct 22 (DM) A team of SL Neurologists became the world champions in the Tournament of the Minds, Neurology Quiz organized by the World Federation of Neurology at the World Neurology Congress held in Montreal, Canada. SL team bagged the World Cup in Neurology out of 136 nations. The members of the successful SL team were Prof. Thashi Chang, Dr. A.T. Alibhoy, Dr. Senaka Bandusena and Dr. Manjula Caldera. Sri Lanka were the runners up in the 2019 Tournament of the Minds. more..

Oct 22 (TM) Milco (Pvt) Ltd. has refuted the recent assertions made by Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, where he charged that Indian dairy company Amul had previously abandoned a Joint Venture (JV) with the SL Govt during the 1990s-2000s. Premadasa made this allegation in Parliament when questioning the Govt�s decision to enter into a JV with Amul for the divestiture of its stake in the National Livestock Development Board (NLDB) and Milco. more..

Oct 22 (SO) The process of restructuring and unbundling of the CEB, is under way, with the setting up of the unbundling secretariat and a targeted timeline for implementation. The new regulatory framework places a strong emphasis on empowering the regulatory body, potentially the PUCSL, with enhanced authority and enforcement capabilities. Strengthening the regulator�s role is crucial to ensuring effective oversight and preventing any adverse impact on industry & consumers, more..

Oct 22 (AD) A Prez Election is set to take place in 2024 in accordance with the Constitution of SL, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has revealed. Furthermore, Prez Election is also set to be followed by a General Election, Head of State said at a UNP convention held at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium this afternoon (21). Addressing the Special General Convention of UNP, Prez emphasized his commitment to bolstering country�s economy more..

Oct 22 (EN) Lalith Kotelawala, SL�s once prominent business mogul, passed away at 84 years in a private hospital in Colombo on Saturday. He was the chairman of Ceylinco group which was into insurance and banking business and the founding chairman of listed lender Seylan Bank. He was in the top richest Sri Lankans list in 2007. He once asked the then Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa to appoint him as the finance minister to solve the economic issues faced by SL during the final phase of the war. more..

Oct 22 (ST) The Colombo High Court has dismissed the preliminary objections raised by the eight accused, who are facing criminal charges for the pollution caused by the X-Press Pearl disaster. Dismissing the preliminary objections of the accused, who argued that the Attorney General had no power to continue the criminal case filed under the Marine Pollution Prevention Act, Colombo High Court Judge Damith Thotawatte ruled that the trial should proceed. more..

Oct 22 (ST) In a fast-changing political landscape, the prospects of any early election have receded after Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe named a 9-member Commission of Inquiry to effect drastic changes to electoral laws. The changes pivot around not only mere structural adjustments. More importantly, they seek a complete overhaul of the country�s political culture. These are spelt out in a Gazette notification on Oct 17 by more..

Oct 23 (CT) In a previous article I quoted from a publication of the Indian Planning Commission which said: �Since 1947, the Indian economy has been premised on the concept of planning. This has been carried through Five-Year Plans, developed, executed, and monitored by the Planning Commission. Nehru was ex-officio Chairman and the commission had a Deputy Chairman of Cabinet rank. Allocation of state resources was based on a transparent and objective mechanism. more..

Oct 23 (DM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe through a Gazette Notice on Oct 16 appointed a nine-member Commission headed by former Chief Justice Priyasath Dep to make recommendations on electoral reforms. The other members of the commission are Suntharam Arumainayaham, Senanayake Alisandaralage, Nalin Abeysekara, Rajitha Naveen Christopher, Senaratna Perera, Ahamed Lebbe Mohamed Saleem, Sagarica Delgoda, Nimalka Fernando and more..

Oct 23 (DM) Renowned Pakistani Archaeologist Dr. Abdul Samad who was in SL in recent times to deliver a lecture on the Buddhist heritage in his country shared his views on his latest findings during excavation. Dr. Samad is the director � Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. He is a highly accomplished Presidential Civil Award-Winning professional archaeologist from Pakistan more..

Oct 23 (GV) For many years the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has been criticised for its lack of intent in upholding the principles of conservation. There are times, however, when the DWC does act on science and principle, upholds its values and is supported by the relevant political authorities in so doing, and this should be lauded. One such instance is its ban on the use of Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones over national parks and other protected areas under its governance. more..

Oct 23 (ST) Attention was drawn to the crisis facing the country�s state universities during this week�s Parliament sessions. Speaking in Parliament on Thursday (19) as it debated several regulations and orders related to finance and tax revenue, SJB Galle District MP Gayantha Karunathilaka highlighted the bitter reality of the situation at state universities. While there should be 12, 992 academic staff at state universities, there were currently only about 8,500. more..

Oct 23 (TM) In recent times, Sri Lanka has witnessed a tragic series of events revolving around elephants, the gentle, but majestic giants that play a crucial role in SL�s wildlife. Last month, the death of six elephants in train accidents in a single night was reported. The wild elephants were killed after colliding with trains in two separate incidents along the Batticaloa line on 27 Sept. This has thrust the issue of elephants and trains more..

Oct 23 (TM) SL diplomats in Tel Aviv yesterday were busy arranging for a DNA test to verify that the remains of a suspected Lankan caregiver, found dead in Israel, following the initial attack by Hamas on 7 Oct, was that of 40-year-old Anula Jayathilaka. Our mission in Israel had also provided a list names of SL citizen residing in the embattled Gaza strip who wish to leave via the Rafah land border crossing to Egypt, to Israeli and Egyptian authorities to facilitate their evacuation to safety more..

Oct 23 (CT) An overwhelming majority of the school-going population in Sri Lanka benefits from the State-funded education system. While there are about 300 international schools and 110 private schools, there are a staggering number of 10,135 State-funded schools, which provide education free of charge for 4.1 million children in this country. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic which led to the closure of schools for an extended period, from early 2020 onwards, many State schools, more..

Oct 23 (DM) Parliament is the highest legislative body in a country. In other words, it makes the laws of the land. It has three functions; representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the work of govt. The role of MPs is therefore extremely important, as they embody the sovereignty of the people. They are looked upon as examples for the younger generation to follow and need to be seen as paragons of virtue. Some even feel they should embody all that is good in our society. more..

Oct 23 (DN) Dushmantha Chameera is likely to replace injured Matheesha Pathirana for the next World Cup cricket matches a senior official of Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed yesterday. Young Pathirana is suffering from an injury after Pakistan game and he tried to come back to the side after rehabilitation period. The medical experts gave ten days period for him to recover but he tried to bowl at practices before the Netherlands game and it was not successful. more..

Oct 23 (TM) First Capital expects the listed banking sector profitability to grow at 40% YoY by the end of 2023 with banking sector earnings expected to grow by 4% to Rs. 160 billion with the expected economic turnaround in the second half of 2023 (H2 2023). First Capital states that the banking sector performance, which is a proxy to the economic performance, recorded a 27.0% YoY decline in profitability while more..

Oct 23 (CO) Sri Lanka could suffer a body blow to their chances heading into their next ICC World Cup 2023 against defending champions England in Bangalore on Thursday (26), with their lead spinner Maheesh Theekshana doubtful with an injury for the critical encounter. According to a report Theekshana will be sent for an MRI scan in relation to a hamstring problem and could be missing out on Sri Lanka's fifth game of the league stage at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. more..

Oct 23 (Island) Parliament, more often than not, is in the news for the wrong reasons thanks to some bad eggs in the garb of people�s representatives. It looks as if their mission in life were to bring the national legislature into disrepute. On Thursday, a group of schoolchildren left the public gallery of Parliament when some Opposition MPs went berserk and invaded the well of the chamber, compelling Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to suspend one of them for four weeks. more..

Oct 23 (FT) The National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection President Ranjith Witanage has issued a fervent plea on behalf of electricity users, urging the Government to consider an extension of the current 40-day payment window for monthly electricity bills. Additionally, they proposed the establishment of a structured system allowing users to pay their bills in manageable instalments. Despite multiple revisions to electricity tariffs in recent times, Witanage emphasised that more..

Oct 23 (FT) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera has announced that the Govt is exploring the possibility of implementing automated fuel price revisions daily by fuel distributors starting in 2024. Speaking at the annual general meeting of the Petroleum Shed Owners Association 2023 on Saturday, he emphasised that this initiative reflects a long-term policy envisioned by the Govt. In a significant move towards ensuring a more transparent and responsive energy market, he said: more..

Oct 23 (TM) SL is at risk of losing some of the funding provided by donor Asian Development Bank (ADB) due to prolonged delays in awarding a tender for seven Oxygen generating plants for teaching and base hospitals, which was called over a year ago. Tender for the supply of the seven Oxygen generating plants was called by the Ministry of Health on 21 Sept 2023. It is learnt that the seven generation plants were earmarked more..

Oct 23 (FT) Sri Lanka�s main export engine, apparel, saw its shipments plunge further in September worsening the sector�s status quo. Apparel exports in September were down sharply by 26% to $ 332 million whilst performance in the first nine months was down by 20.5% to $ 3.4 billion. �September was a bad month. The industry was hoping to see some signs of slight recovery but that may now be October at best,� an apparel industry source said. In September exports to the USA decreased more..

Oct 23 (CI) They were without their most irreplaceable player in a top-of-the-table clash against a NZ side that's had the wood over them in recent global-tournament meetings, and this NZ side put them under severe pressure on multiple occasions. But in the end, India continued to typify the 2023 World Cup equivalent of Gary Lineker's famous quote on a superteam from a different sport: "Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 min and in the end, Germans always win." more..

Oct 23 (ST) It seems that SLC has lost the plot. They have certainly invited ridicule. Just days after Danushka Gunathilaka returned home from being cleared of rape in Australia, he was exonerated by the SLC disciplinary committee, allowing him to resume cricket at the national and int'l level. Although the rape allegations were proven to be false, his actions in sneaking out of the team hotel to meet his Tinder date while on national duty more..

Oct 23 (SO) The Govt has decided to introduce a new policy to streamline the beedi industry. A discussion was held in this connection with all parties last week presided over by Chief of Staff to the President Sagala Ratnayaka on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The formulation of the policy has been assigned to the Ministry of Finance. It has also been proposed to lift the cess of Rs.5,000 which is currently imposed on a kilo of beedi leaves. more..

Oct 23 (TN) SL�s U-19 cricket team began the five-match one-day series with a remarkable 58-run triumph over Pakistan�s U-19 side in the opening one-day match at Kara�chi�s National Bank Stadium. The star of the match was SL�s open�ing batsman, Pulindu Perera, who delivered a splendid century. Despite determined half-cen�turies by Arafat Minhas and Shamyl Hussain, SL paceman Dinura Kalupahana�s four-wicket performance played a significant role in defending the target more..

Oct 23 (CT) An all round show helped Sri Lanka Emerging defeat Bangladesh Emerging by 5 wickets and clinch the 3 match ODI series 2-1 in Dambulla on Sunday (22). Put into bat, the visitors were restricted to a below par score of 223 runs, and in reply, Sri Lanka achieved the target in just 31.2 overs. Bangladesh didn�t have the best of outings with the bat as none of their batters were able to impress apart from Shahadat Hossein, who top scored with a fighting 75 ball 79 runs. more..