Oct 10 (FT) New information has emerged indicating that the meeting on 21 Sept involving Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam and the former Mullaitivu district judge T. Saravanaraja, took place at the judge's request to the Judicial Services Commission, seeking AG's assistance in two upcoming cases against him. Following his resignation and self-exile Saravanaraja had publicly claimed that the AG had summoned him and attempted to pressure him during the meeting more..

Oct 2 (DM) Sri Lanka has not received anything from the IMF programme so far other than the unbearable tax burden on the people, NPP MP Vijitha Herath said. He said that Sri Lanka sought IMF assistance with the hope of restructuring international loans and that Sri Lanka has not been able to restructure or get a haircut on a single Dollar even after 17 months. MP said the IMF's second tranche is also uncertain according to the statement issued by the IMF staff after its recent visit to Sri Lanka. more..

Oct 2 (ST) Medical Supplies Division (MSD) has moved to requisition a large consignment of over-priced, unregistered Meropenem antibiotic injections on an emergency basis from an Indian manufacturer despite having over half a million vials in storage and still more registered stocks on the way. The total targeted order of 900,000 vials is valued at over Rs. 1.7bn. A single Indian manufacturer named Gufic Biosciences and more..

Oct 2 (PMD) In a significant diplomatic gesture, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe extended warm congratulations to Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, the newly elected Prez of the Maldives, solidifying the bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Prez Wickremesinghe conveyed his felicitations to Prez Muizzu through a personal telephone call, demonstrating the importance of the occasion. During their conversation, Prez Wickremesinghe expressed his heartfelt more..

Oct 2 (DM) PM Dinesh Gunawardena stressed the need to open a children's cinema in the country to open the door to another avenue for the children's satisfaction. He said this while participating in the Children's Day celebrations held at Temple Trees today (1). "There is no children's cinema in our country. We should build one. There is no need for big film halls. We are ready to support such a project together with the Prime Minister's Office and Provincial Councils. more..

Oct 2 (FT) International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) President Asmâa Resmouki will arrive in Sri Lanka on a special invitation extended to her by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of SL (CA SL). During her stay in Colombo, Resmouki who is the head of the international body representing the accounting profession across the globe, will also ceremoniously inaugurate the 44th National Conference of Chartered Accountants organised by CA SL, on 3 October in Colombo. more..

Oct 2 (ST) The finals of the 48th All-Island Shakespeare Competition, an initiative of the Rotary Club of Colombo North in partnership with the Colombo YMCA, took place at the Bishops College Auditorium. Schools taking part delivered nothing less than stellar performances, keeping the ongoing tradition alive. The girls’ finals were held first on Wednesday in the presence of chief guest Pubudu De Zoysa and judges Tanya Warnakulasuriya, Eraj De Silva and Andrew Fowler-Watt. more..

Oct 2 (FT) Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL) has opened channels for stakeholders to provide input and recommendations regarding the third electricity tariff revision slated for implementation in Oct 2023, as put forth by the CEB. The move aims to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to review and offer their insights on the proposed changes. All stakeholders, including the public, are encouraged to participate more..

Oct 2 (FT) In a startling turn of events, former Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), Janaka Ratnayake, raised a red flag regarding the recent tariff revision proposed by the CEB. Ratnayake went on record asserting that the proposed revision is not only illegal but also in violation of the Constitution. He pointed out that the proposed electricity tariff has surged by a staggering 250% since August 2022, a move that has sent shockwaves through the nation. more..

Oct 2 (DN) Gayanthika Abeyratne, who tool part in the women’s 1500m event, had to give up her medal hopes event at the Asian Games yesterday due to finishing fourth. However, Gayanthika, who clocked 4:18.77 minutes yesterday, also achieved the best time recorded by a Sri Lankan athlete in the history of the Asian Games. Keshani Samarakoon had previously achieved the top spot in the event by finishing 6th in 1998 at the Asian Games in Bangkok with a time of 4:35.00 minutes. more..

Oct 10 (FT) IMF’s Governance Diagnostic Assessment (GDA) on Sri Lanka has proposed a Transparency portal at the Finance Ministry to be monitored by the Right to Information Commission. The recommendation, ideally in place from March next year, should publish all procurement contracts above Rs. 1 billion along with comprehensive information in a searchable format on contract award winners. more..

Oct 2 (Island) Airline pilots are at the operating end of all decisions, be they policy or practice-related, made by managers of an airline’s various departments. From the pointy end of an aircraft, only pilots see the performance of their airline at its best or worst. Furthermore, they see how other airlines solve problems under similar circumstances, and are able to observe those carriers’ best practices at work. Ideally, feedback from pilots to management must be an essential requisite more..

Oct 2 (SO) Three sisters made boxing history as they stormed the ring that for over a century was associated with boys only at the Stubbs Shield championship that concluded at the Royal College MAS Arena in Colombo on Friday. The three sisters Yashini, Sashini and Sachin Fernando won gold medals while boxing for their school Viharamahadevi Balika Vidyalaya in Kiribathgoda while a 4th team member Aparna Wijesinghe also won a gold medal. While two of the sisters fought in the senior more..

Oct 2 (FT) Export Development Board (EDB) has identified the value-added Mineral products sector as a potential sector to be developed and promoted in the international market. It said Sri Lanka possesses a wealth of industrial minerals that can be processed and transformed into value-added products. This value addition can create higher-value exports, generate more employment opportunities, and contribute to the country's economic growth. In this regard, a meeting was held with more..

Oct 2 (FT) The construction industry continued to perform at a subdued level in August 2023, according to SL Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the sector compiled by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, CBSL said the construction industry reached the neutral threshold, recording a Total Activity Index value of 47.0. As per the respondents, firms tend to undercut prices to secure the limited available projects in a highly competitive tender bidding process. more..

Oct 2 (DN) In a historic milestone, Sri Lanka witnessed the unveiling of its very first centrally-monitored, fully-automated, women-operated Lanka IOC Filling Station, recently. This event symbolizes empowerment, inclusivity and technological advancement. Situated in the heart of Colombo, at Hospital Square, it is the first new filling station inaugurated within the city limits in the last two decades & will serve its customers 24 hrs more..

Oct 2 (Island) There are no signs of an early détente between India and Canada. The two countries continue to trade allegations. Other nations are divided along the lines of strategic alliances rather than anything else. Interestingly, the US govt is seen to be tilting towards Canada. What the ongoing diplomatic row of epic proportions, and Washington’s stance thereon signify is that India has not received full membership of the club of powerful nations. The US firmly stands behind India only when more..

Oct 2 (SO) One of the country’s most appallingly indisciplined public figures Dhanushka Gunathilaka can look at himself as a man who was legally freed after a woman in Australia claimed in court she was raped by him at the same time he was carrying the SL Lion flag as an ambassador at the T20 cricket World Cup last November. Taking Gunathilaka’s infamous history into account, he is no stronger to violating the Players’ Code of Conduct and the terms and conditions of his contract more..

Oct 2 (FT) Some believe that acts of terrorism can be dealt with under normal law. I do not. The fact that the UNGA has adopted 10 conventions dealing with terrorism since 1973 is evidence that the phenomenon has novel features for which adequate responses are not found in the Penal Code and the codes of procedure. It is not difficult for Sri Lankans to understand what constitutes terrorism. The complex, coordinated, countrywide bombing attack that was carried out in April 2019 more..

Oct 2 (TM) Despite the past week being overshadowed by the first review of the EFF by the IMF, the country achieved a special milestone as it saw the first sovereign rating upgrade since the start of 2020, with Standard & Poor’s (S&P) raising its long and short-term local currency sovereign credit ratings on Sri Lanka to ‘CCC+/C’ from ‘SD/SD’ (Selective Default). S&P said that it had raised its outlook on the long-term local currency rating to stable, reflecting balance of improvements more..

Oct 2 (CT) D.J. Wimalasurendra is known locally as the father of hydroelectricity. However, following extensive research into the life of Wimalasurendra by Senior Lecturer of the Open University, Dr. Dileepa Witharana, it has been revealed that the late visionary had laid the foundation for development nationalism via industrialism. A detailed symposium into the work of the late Wimalasurendra is scheduled to get underway at more..

Oct 2 (ST) Four months ago, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was quick to retort to his detractors, (friendly or otherwise), who were outraged by the Broadcasting Regulatory Commission Bill that he is a media defender and, as such, had abolished criminal defamation laws in SL. Apparently stung by strident public criticism of badly framed laws, the Prez rebutted with a deceptively devious attempt at diversion. Reassuring his captive audience at the Homagama DS, he said more..

Oct 2 (DM) UNCTAD in its update Trade and Development Report released on 12 April warns that developing countries are facing years of difficulty as the global economy slows down amid heightened financial turbulence. Many developing countries face a deepening development crisis as soaring debt levels and higher servicing costs squeeze productive investment in both the public and private sectors. A shortfall of international liquidity has already turned unforeseen shocks into a vicious financial more..

Oct 2 (TM) SL’s traditional examination-driven education system prioritises memorisation over practical and applicable skills, potentially leaving students ill-prepared for real-world challenges, said IPS Research Economist Priyanka Jayawardena. According to Jayawardena, IPS research also underscores the challenges faced in delivering quality education, particularly in disadvantaged schools, where shortages of more..

Oct 2 (DM) SL’s economy is now on autopilot. The Govt – emasculated of making any economic policies – is merely following the IMF and the World Bank. SL’s Finance Ministry may as well sit in Washington, or all the same it can be in Colombo following what is printed in the IMF agreement of March 2023 and the World Bank Country Partnership Framework released in June 2023. Indeed, a close reading of both these documents makes it clear there is no role for the Govt more..

Oct 2 (GV) In his latest column, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka criticises two economists for what he interprets to be a call for postponing presidential elections next year. Both economists, Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy and Nimal Sanderatne, have not, to be sure, actually called for elections to be postponed or cancelled; they have only pointed out that economic imperatives tend to take a backseat when elections, particularly divisive elections, are around the corner. more..

Oct 10 (ST) A political alliance that sought to support Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at an election has become shaky due to recent developments. Triggering the unease is the outcome of a recent meeting Prez Wickremesinghe had with SLPP founder and main strategist Basil Rajapaksa. The latter sprung a surprise offer – full support for Wickremesinghe’s candidature at a prez election. more..

Oct 10 (Island) British-born Sri Lankan girl Minuli Sohansa Adikari, aged 11, daughter of a gymnast and gymnastic coach, has been selected to represent Great Britain at the upcoming Gutenberg International Acro Cup in Germany in October. Talking to Sunday Island, Minuli said that her aim is to participate both in the Olympics and the World Championship and get gold medals in Acrobatic Gymnastics one day. “I would also like to be a gymnastics coach and a judge”, she said. more..

Oct 10 (Island) As heavy rains continue to lash the southern province due to the South-Western monsoon, DMC on Friday reported minor flooding in multiple areas. The incessant rainfall has caused rivers, including Kalu, Gin, Benthara, and Nilwala, to overflow, leading to localized flooding incidents. DMC has taken proactive measures to address the situation, deploying army personnel to the Galle and Matara districts to assist residents who may be affected by the floods. more..

Oct 10 (TM) The legal fraternity called for an impartial investigation into the controversial resignation of Mullaitivu Magistrate T. Saravanarajah, who has cited death threats and intimidation as causes for his notice. Bar Association of SL (BASL), Young Lawyers’ Association, and Lawyers’ Collective issued statements calling on the Govt and the Judicial Service Commission to launch an inquiry into the sudden resignation. more..

Oct 10 (ST) Animal lovers are in for some good news with a comprehensive pet insurance scheme to be launched next Wednesday, coinciding with World Animal Day, by the SL Insurance Corporation (SLIC). The insurance cover, Petsurance, in the initial stage will focus on pet dogs. It is expected to be extended to other animals if the pet project succeeds. Petsurance offers medical insurance coverage for sudden illnesses and sickness, except for congenital and pre-existing conditions. more..

Oct 10 (ST) With prez elections expected next year, Election Commission has been allocated Rs. 11 billion through the 2024 Appropriation Bill that is due to be presented to Parliament this month. Constitutionally, prez election must be concluded by October next year. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected by Parliament on July 20 last year, following the resignation of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. As such, Mr. Wickremesinghe is presently serving out the remainder of Mr. Rajapaksa’s term more..