Oct 29 (DN) Three SL�s most prominent badminton players Dumindu Abeywickrama, Rasindu Hendahewa and Ranithma Liyanage recently made their mark in international competitions, asserting their presence on the world stage. Competing in two prestigious tournaments, Dumindu, Rasindu and Ranithma all delivered commendable performances, highlighting SL�s growing influence in the sport. This is a good show by Sri Lanka's promising shuttlers who are aiming for the next Olympics slot more..

Oct 29 (Island) Maris Stella College Negombo successfully defended the boys� overall title of the All Island Schools Games Athletics Championship concluded at the Sugathadasa Stadium last week. They secured a 34 points lead over nearest rivals Lyceum International Wattala to bag the championship. There were a number of outstanding performances from the boys from Negombo but overall it was a collective effort that had powered the Western Province stronghold to the title. more..

Oct 29 (ST) SL has slipped into the least-liked countries for digital nomads from being the best paradise for digital nomads, 3 years ago. In Jan 2022, Club Med listed SL as the second-best country for digital nomads to visit. At the time, over 50,000 digital nomads occupied the island. Club Med listed Colombo as the fourth in the best places in the world to be a digital nomad with a total index score of 238 out of 320. 30 m digital nomad population in 2022 has now risen more than double to 80m more..

Oct 29 (Island) EPDP leader Douglas Devananda has declared that his party would back Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake�s NPP in the next Parliament. Having disclosed that he had met Prez Dissanayake, the former Minister said that the NPP leader�s stance on the ethnic issue hadn�t changed and he was confident of working with the new leader. The ex-parliamentarian claimed that his party would be able to secure as many as 10 seats in the Northern and Eastern electorates. more..

Oct 29 (TM) In a bid to stabilise soaring rice prices and curb the oligopoly of large-scale rice mill owners, Govt announced plans to buy paddy directly from farmers beginning next season. Govt intends to procure between 300,000 to 400,000 metric tonnes of paddy under the guidance of Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. This substantial purchase is aimed at reducing the dependency on a few influential rice mill owners, who more..

Oct 29 (FT) Lumbini Tea Factory Deniyaya was awarded the world�s first group regenagri certification for regenerative agriculture practices on behalf of the 1,515 dedicated contract farmers through the assistance of the USAID. regenagri is an international regenerative agriculture program for securing the health of the land and the wealth of those who live on it. Control Union Inspections Ltd. SL Managing Director Roshan Ranawake handed over the certification to more..

Oct 29 (Island) SL�s former Ambassador in Moscow, Udayanga Weeratunga, announced that this week Russian tourists would begin arriving at the Mattala International Airport. Weeratunga said that the first group left Domodedovo Airport, in Moscow, on board Red Wings airline flight WZ 3077 yesterday afternoon. According to him, six flights would be operated from six airports in Russia to Mattala, on a weekly basis, under an agreement worked with relevant parties. more..

Oct 29 (DM) An individual suspected of preparing to destroy a woman on a contract of Rs. 10 million was taken into custody by the Organised Crime Investigation Unit of the CID during a raid in Habaraduwa area. The suspect had in his possession a locally made shotgun with provision for T56 cartridges and six rounds of ammunition at the time of arrest. The inquiries revealed that the suspect had been ready with weapons and waiting for an opportunity to gun down the woman. more..

Oct 29 (TM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced his intention to form a streamlined Cabinet of Ministers comprising fewer than 25 Members. He highlighted the growing public disillusionment with politics, and labelled the current political landscape as tainted by unethical practices. Prez said: �For too long, politics has been treated as a business. What we see in the Parliament often resembles a spectacle � members jumping around, welding chillie powder, bringing knives, and more..

Oct 29 (DM) SL surpassed last October�s total tourist arrivals within the first 27 days of this month, indicating the potential for a double-digit growth trajectory. However, the country is projected to miss its monthly target, while the full impact of the recent travel advisories remains to be seen. SL welcomed 117,141 tourists during this period, with the daily average reaching 4,339 arrivals, up from the 4,233 daily average more..

Oct 29 (FT) Former Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) Chairman Janaka Ratnayake called for an at least 30% reduction in electricity tariff, arguing that the latest proposed revision from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is unjustified given the utility�s recent profits. He highlighted that the CEB recently submitted a proposal for a modest 5-11% tariff revision to the electricity regulator for the third quarterly review of this year. �On average this revision is around 6%,� he said, more..

Oct 29 (FT) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Sunday countered Opposition criticism related to national security and recent intelligence reports of a potential terrorist threat targeting Israeli tourists in SL. �Our rivals have become overly excited. They seem to believe that even a small incident could lead to the Govt�s collapse. As soon as there were reports of a possible terrorist attack, they eagerly held press conferences, almost celebrating the idea that something might be going wrong more..

Oct 29 (TM) NPP administration stated that it would retain the Prevention of Terrorism Act as amended (PTA), as the issue, according to them, lies not in its existence but its misuse � the latter scenario where the onus is on political vengeance as opposed to reliable intelligence. Several parties including both local and int'l organisations have been urging the SL authorities to repeal the PTA, more..

Oct 29 (FT) An inexperienced and understaffed Govt is making appointments to various senior positions. To be true to their election promises, a process has been initiated to strip away various privileges given to holders of political office. What is common to both is the problem of managing conflicts of interest. Concerns were raised when the CEO of a supermarket chain was appointed as chairman of Sathosa, Govt�s supermarket company. It cannot be because he lacks the necessary knowledge more..

Oct 29 (FT) In the post-colonial era, many Asian nations sought strong leaders to guide them through the challenges of independence, economic development, and social transformation. Singapore found such a leader in Lee Kuan Yew, whose visionary leadership transformed the city-state from a resource-poor colony into a global economic powerhouse. SL, however, has struggled to produce a leader with the same transformative impact. Despite its rich resources, strategic location, more..

Oct 29 (DM) Supreme Court today permitted the petitioners to add former President Ranil Wickremesinghe as a respondent in a Fundamental Rights petition filed challenging the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as the IGP. Young Journalists� Association of SL filed this petition challenging the legality of the appointment of Deshabandu Tennakoon as IGP. In a motion before the SC, Saliya Pieris, PC, appearing for the petitioners, sought the Court's permission to more..

Oct 29 (EN) SL and Indonesia will put in a joint application for their apparel exports to better benefit from the UK�s tariff scheme for developing countries, Minister Vijitha Herath said. After the UK left the European Union, UK Global Tariff (UKGT) and UK Generalized Scheme of Preferences (UK GSP) replaced the GSP. In order for apparel products in SL to get the benefits of the relevant selective system, the finished garment should be produced using locally knitted or woven fabrics more..

Oct 29 (DM) An investigation has been launched into the allegations of SL High Commissioner to the UK Rohitha Bogollagama and the expenses born by him, Minister Vijitha Herath said. Clarifying reports on a car used by the High Commissioner, Minister said the car had been purchased with the funds of the High Commissioner adding that no funds of the govt had been spent on that. Minister said however, no SL diplomats more..

Oct 29 (AD) Two suspects who surrendered to the CID in connection with the case against former Minister Johnston Fernando over the illegally acquired BMW car, have been granted bail. The duo have been ordered to be released on two surety bail of Rs. 500,000 each, after being produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court. Former Minister Johnston Fernando, was arrested by the CID over an incident of an unregistered luxury vehicle allegedly belonging to him found suspiciously more..

Oct 29 (NW) Long queues have been reported at the Passport Office due to the increase in demand following the govt�s announcement of receiving new passport books, Minister Vijitha Herath said. He said that Sri Lanka expects to receive more passports in batches in the future. The govt has commenced receiving new passport books in batches, with the first few arriving last week. Minister said that another 100,000 passports are expected to be received in mid-November. more..

Oct 29 (EN) Sri Lanka hasn�t printed new money, as evidenced by the absence of currency notes bearing the signature of the incumbent minister of finance, cabinet spokesman Vijitha Herath said. He said the govt had not printed money. EconomyNext reported on Sunday that the central bank had injected 36.16 billion rupees through an overnight auction and 70 billion rupees for 7 days through a term auction of printed money more..

Oct 29 (AD) Attorney General (AG) informed the Supreme Court that immediate measures will be taken to pay the salaries of the SL Teacher Advisors� Service after resolving disparities in their salary scales. This was communicated to the court by Deputy Solicitor General Yuresha de Silva, who appeared on behalf of the AG when a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by the All Island Teacher Advisors� Association seeking to resolve the salary disparities was taken up today. more..

Oct 29 (DM) Dept of Prisons today denied reports claiming that former Minister Johnston Fernando, currently in remand custody, had written a letter from prison. In a statement, the dept clarified that any letter from a suspect or prisoner is sent to the Commissioner General of Prisons under the strict supervision of the relevant Superintendent of Prisons, in accordance with prison rules and regulations. "As far as this particular incident is concerned, prison has not received any letter more..

Oct 29 (DM) The tournament is scheduled from Dec 12 to 22, featuring six franchise teams and showcasing local and international players in cricket�s fastest format. Each franchise will be selecting up to 17 players and minimum 15 players for their squads. With the player registration deadline closing on November 1st and the direct player signing deadline on November 5th, each franchise must sign six players directly from each category: one Icon player, one Platinum player, more..

Oct 29 (AD) Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa, an executive member of the NPP, emphasized that the recent loans obtained by the govt have been strictly within the limits approved by Parliament. Addressing concerns over the rising national debt, Dr. Jayathissa highlighted that any borrowing has complied with these legislative restrictions. He further stated the need for reassessment in the next parliament, hinting at plans to revise the borrowing limits to facilitate better debt management. more..

Oct 29 (TM) Election Commission (EC) announced that their role in the regulation of Prez candidates' campaign expenditure concluded with the public exhibition of the related reports, and that any concerns or irregularities should be reported to the Police by the relevant parties. Under the Regulation of Election Expenditure Act, No. 3 of 2023, all Prez candidates were supposed to submit reports detailing their campaign expenditure, more..

Oct 29 (Island) U.S. Embassy in SL, in collaboration with WhimsicalWits, yesterday proudly launched Cyber Hero, a mobile app designed to educate and empower youth and marginalized communities on digital safety and responsible online behavior. Developed by a female-led team at WhimsicalWits in Sri Lanka, this innovative app underscores the strong U.S.-SL partnership and commitment to advancing cybersecurity and digital literacy, the embassy announced. more..

Oct 29 (EN) Foreign inflows into its govt securities were steady in the week ended on Oct 23 after the island nation saw inflows in five straight weeks. Foreign exchange analysts said the excess liquidity in the market and some speculations over another monetary policy rates cut before end of this year have led to offset the inflows as some foreign investors sold their holdings last week. SL witnessed 1 million rupees (nearly $3,390 at 1 US dollar = 295 LKR) inflow into govt securities more..

Oct 29 (AN) Long queues to buy coconuts have become commonplace in Colombo and its suburbs because of a 40% drop in domestic production. Supplies have fallen significantly as evinced in last week's coconut auction in the capital, mainly due to a ban on fertiliser, damages caused by the whitefly, and increased exports. Overall coconut production dropped to about 400,000 nuts, down from more..

Oct 29 (TM) Police have initiated investigations into reports of tourists, particularly Israelis, in Arugam Bay engaging in activities beyond their tourist visas, including business and religious practices. Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath highlighted past instances of such violations and stated that authorities are monitoring the situation closely. He urged the public to report any tourists suspected of engaging in illegal activities and advised hotels to notify authorities of any employment or business activities more..

Oct 29 (DM) An ammunition magazine was found on an express train scheduled to leave from Beliatta to Kandy a short while ago, Railways Dept reported. The train departed from Maradana at 6:30 a.m. and arrived at Beliatta station at the end of its journey. The same train was scheduled to depart for Kandy from Beliatta. During a routine inspection by railway officials, a black bag was found under a seat in one of the compartments. Inside the bag, they discovered a magazine, box of ammunition. more..

Oct 29 (Island) Leader of Independent Group 1 contesting Colombo district, Chamara Nakalanda, said that Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake�s push for an overwhelming majority in Parliament at the forthcoming General Election is frightening and may pose a serious threat to representative democracy. Civil society activist Nakalanda said that the NPP chief who is also the leader of the JVP owed an explanation why the parties he led wanted to rid Parliament of the Opposition. more..

Oct 29 (DM) If the Prez and the Minister do not address the administrative issues within the Railways Dept, SL Railways Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU) has decided to launch a trade union action tomorrow. SLRSMU President Sumedha Somarathne said they have been holding media briefings on these issues over the past few days. "Today, the Railways General Manager was unable to provide a proper solution to problems arising from certain subordinate officers� reluctance to more..

Oct 29 (TG) The golden sands of SL�s Arugam Bay are usually carefree, a place for tourists to surf the famous break and relax on the beach. But last week, the slow rhythm of the bay was dealt a shock. US embassy, followed up by SL police and Israel�s national security council, warned of a serious terrorist threat in the area. Israeli travellers were believed to be the intended target of an attack; were told to evacuate immediately. more..

Oct 29 (DM) A 45-year-old SL housemaid was arrested by airport police for stealing the luggage of a Colombian pilot. The stolen baggage belonged to a 40-year-old Colombian pilot. The housemaid, a resident of Hunupitiya, Wattala, arrived at the BIA from Abu Dhabi at 8:38 a.m. on an Etihad Airways flight. After landing at airport, the pilot and airline staff exited the plane after all the passengers had disembarked. When they collected their luggage and prepared to leave the airport, more..