Sep 13 (TM) There are no plans in place or preparations being made to impose a curfew in the context of next week’s Prez Poll. “We will not have a curfew unless the President (who is also the Defence Minister) requires it,” the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, Viyani Gunathilaka said in response to a query on whether a curfew would be called in the said context. “Prez has the power to call a curfew; however, as of now, more..

Sep 13 (DN) Renovation of the Anuradhapura–Mahawa railway line, which was implemented at a cost of US$ 92 million with the aim of establishing a regular and efficient transport service in the country, has been completed and was officially handed over to the SL Railway Dept recently. The renovation work of the Northern Railway Line which was operated under the loan scheme of the Government of India was carried out in three stages – A'pura–Omanthai, A'pura–Mihintale, and A'pura–Mahawa, more..

Sep 13 (EN) SL’s Planters’ Association which represents the managers of the island’s commercial farms growing tea, rubber, coconut and palm oil, is marking 170 years this year. Established in 1854, the PA being one of the oldest institutions in the country, has continuously represented and safeguarded the interests of the plantations. As one of Sri Lanka’s largest foreign exchange earners, the plantation industry, primarily known for Pure Ceylon Tea, also includes other key crops more..

Sep 13 (DN) Sri Lanka should introduce a State-owned facility with reasonable rates for the incineration of industrial waste to promote environmentally friendly practices and efficient waste management and concessionary rates for industrial waste disposal should also be introduced, said Chairman of Ceylon National Chamber of Industries, Kevin Edwards at their recently held 62nd AGM. He also suggested that a State Development Bank be set up to support the Industrial Sector, more..

Sep 13 (DN) The Bangladesh women’s ‘A’ team recorded a 7-wicket win against the SL women’s ‘A’ team in their first T20 match at the P. Sara Oval Stadium yesterday. SL women posted 112 for 7 in their 20 overs. Opener Kaushini Nuthyangana top-scored with 43 off 35 balls, hitting 4 fours and a six. She shared a 72-run opening stand with Netmi Poorna, who contributed 27 off 40 balls with a boundary. However, after Poorna’s dismissal in the 13th over, SL’s momentum slowed, and more..

Sep 13 (TM) SL’s proposed public sector salary adjustment in 2024 and 2025 will ensure that the public sector salary expenditure will remain well below 4% of GDP, the level at which it was at the height of the crisis in 2022. Finance Ministry said that salary adjustments in 2024 and proposed adjustment in 2025 would be structured such that the expenditure on public sector salaries will be contained at 3.6% of GDP in 2024 and more..

Sep 13 (Island) SLPP prez candidate Namal Rajapaksa, MP, recently accused incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe of squandering public funds on politically motivated investigations targeting the Rajapaksas during his tenure as the yahapalana Premier. Referring to high profile investigations that had been carried out during 2015-2019 period, the Hambanthota District MP declared that the govt couldn’t find an iota of evidence to support their accusations. more..

Sep 13 (Island) An SJB govt will offer a permanent solution to the housing issues faced by residents within the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) limits, Addressing a campaign rally, SJB prez candidate Sajith Premadasa has said. Premadasa pledged to launch large-scale urban housing projects under a future administration. He criticised Wickremesinghe for failing to address the housing problem. ” Wickremesinghe has been PM more than five times and has been President for two years. more..

Sep 13 (TM) National Consumer Front (NCF) organisation urged the Govt and the relevant authorities to halt the import of electric motorbikes equipped with lead acid batteries, citing concerns over their environmental impact and durability. NCF Leader Asela Sampath claimed that most imported electric motorbikes with lead acid batteries lack sufficient durability, leading to multiple issues for consumers. He urged the Govt to impose strict regulations over import of these motorbikes. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Lyceum Int'l Wattala athlete Sandun Kosala won the gold medal of the boys 110 metres hurdles on Thursday to continue the good start given by his teammates at the South Asian Junior Athletics Championship in Chennai. Kosala clocked 14.06 seconds to win gold while Vishwa Tharuka settled for bronze. Meanwhile, Thevindu Sandil (long jump), Mayuni Gunathilaka (100m hurdles) and Savindya Jayamaha (discus throw) won bronze medals in their respective events on day two of the event more..

Sep 13 (TM) National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has initiated investigations into reports of children being used for Election campaign propaganda work during Prez Election, according to NCPA Director General Anoma Siriwardena. NCPA's legal division is looking into complaints regarding instances where children were involved in distributing propaganda material and canvassing on behalf of political parties. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Most of the International Sovereign Bonds (ISB) were issued by a govt led by Ranil Wickremesinghe, whose economic decisions had played a significant role in the current financial crisis, NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Wednesday, addressing a rally in Kandy. Dissanayake highlighted what he called the irony of Wickremesinghe claiming credit for stabilising SL’s economy, given the latter’s involvement in the policies that had precipitated the crisis. more..

Sep 13 (FT) LOLC Group is to make a Rs. 3 billion takeover bid of Sierra Cables following the crossing of 30% stake in the latter. The move follows Browns Investments PLC, the strategic arm of LOLC Group through former’s wholly owned subsidiary Iconic trust Ltd., purchasing 6.65 million shares of Sierra Cables at Rs. 8 each in a deal worth Rs. 53.3 million. Following the purchase Iconic Trust increased its stake in Sierra Cables to 30.42% triggering SEC’s Takeovers & Mergers Code. more..

Sep 13 (FT) In a landmark victory for environmental protection, the vital safeguards for Other State Forests have been reinstated, ensuring their conservation and sustainable management. The issuance of a new cabinet decision effectively resolved the legal challenge brought by Environmental Foundation Ltd., securing long-term protection for these crucial forest areas. EFL together with Rukshan Jayawardene who more..

Sep 13 (DN) SL’s netball team is ready to defend their Asia Cup title at the 13th Asia Cup Netball Championship, taking place from Oct 18 to 27 in Bangalore, India. This is the second time India is hosting the tournament, the first being in 1989, when SL also claimed the title. The 12-member national team has been selected, with Dulangi Wannithilleka named as captain. Senior players Gayanjali Amarawansa, Gayani Dissanayake, Thisala Algama, Hasitha Mendis, and Malmi Hettiarachchi more..

Sep 13 (Island) Cricket is a game that provides you a lot of entertainment and even if your team loses, there are moments which brings you joy like for example Asitha Fernando’s five wicket haul at Lord’s, Kamindu Mendis’ century at Old Trafford and Dinesh Chandimal coming out to bat with a heavily strapped thumb and posting an entertaining 79 in the first Test. The captain on a cricket field has to take spur of the moment decisions while selectors and team management more..

Sep 13 (TM) There have been mixed views aired by society about the use of children in political campaigns and election-related activity. While the inclusion of children in the democratic exercise of election is seen as a positive thing in some countries, the use of them in the domestic situation is frowned upon by some. Last week, a video surfaced of several children being used in a door-to-door election campaign by one of the leading Presidential candidate’s supporters. more..

Sep 13 (Island) Today, in terms of bilateral trade, Sri Lanka enjoys modest relations with the region. Between 2011 and 2020, exports to Central Asia exceeded USD 10 million in just one year and with just one country: 2014, with Uzbekistan. On the other hand, in 2015, SL imported USD 21 million worth of goods from there. This underlies a basic feature of the island’s economy: even after 75 years of independence, SL imports large-scale manufactures but has only been able to more..

Sep 13 (FT) SL Tourism has surpassed 1.4 million tourist arrivals milestone so far for this year, despite the visa crisis. With 44,977 visitors registered in the first 11 days of Sept, total arrivals for the year so far reached over 1.4 million. The first week of the month saw 29,239 arrivals, followed by an additional 15,738 tourists from 8-11 Sept. Despite this milestone, the tourism is facing challenges, with experts warning of a significant drop in more..

Sep 13 (ST) Post offices will provide 24-hour service, allowing busy people to access postal services at their convenience, even at night, but it depends on the success of an ongoing project, officials said. The project to offer postal services at night began in January this year under the leadership of the Borella Postmaster General, Chinthaka Bandara. Borella Post Office was one of the first post offices to provide round-the-clock services. more..

Sep 13 (Island) The police have launched a probe into a complaint that a former military officer supporting the JVP/NPP threatened the activists of other political parties with reprisal recently. Several persons are said to have reported the alleged incident to the police. A video of the suspect issuing threats is doing the rounds on social media. The JVP/NPP has said the clip has been doctored. Anything is possible in this digital age. The police must get to the bottom of it expeditiously. more..

Sep 13 (CT) Children of all ages have the fundamental right to live, learn and grow without fear of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination, the Unicef asserts. It also claims that robust child protection system ensures this right is available to all children. But is every child in SL safe? Are they able to live peacefully without fearing violence and abuse against them? It is in this context that media reports suggested that child protection authorities in A'pura District express concern more..

Sep 13 (ST) In July, Parliament was informed that draft laws were being drafted providing legal provision for working from home (WFH), a concept that has become popular after the COVID-19 crisis. The then Labour Minister Manusha Nanayakkara told Parliament that this provision was one of the changes being introduced in a new labour law that is to be introduced and is in the drafting stage. If there is something of some benefit other than a serious awareness of communicable diseases like more..

Sep 13 (CT) Ethics and healthcare are two aspects that go hand in hand. Principle of Ethics in health care could be defined as; non-malfeasance (the duty to ‘refrain from doing bad), autonomy (respect for the patient’s right to self-determination) and beneficence (the duty to do good and Justice – to treat all people equally and equitably). Question is to what limits these principles should be adhered to in free healthcare more..

Sep 13 (CT) For many Sri Lankans, who are exhausted by the never-ending economic woes and a crisis that heralds an uncertain future, foreign employment has become the last resort to alleviate their suffering. This trend has not only contributed to the so-called ‘brain drain’ but has also had a ripple effect, extending from the nuclear family to the entire societal ecosystem. The majority of these individuals are young, educated, and either newly married or soon to be. more..

Sep 13 (DM) Politics and corruption are inseparable twins in most developing countries, including SL. Yet, no election campaign is complete without corruption becoming the topmost vote-catching strategy in these countries. Except during the 2019 election campaign, where national security was the decisive factor, SL’s election platforms have seen opposition politicians branding the ruling party politicians as corrupt. But once the opposition becomes the ruling party, more..

Sep 13 (TM) It has been over three months since SL finalised a deal with the Official Creditor Committee (OCC) of the Paris Club to restructure its bilateral debt. The finalisation of bilateral debt restructuring was touted as a turning point for the country, promising the recommencement of key infrastructure projects, particularly the construction of expressways that had been halted due to the economic crisis. more..

Sep 13 (DM) Humans are wonderful animals. This can be especially said about children and minors. That’s why that shrewd old politician, wearing the satakaya (shawl), had the habit of picking up toddlers during election campaigns and fondling them with much love. That act helped the old man get closer to the public; the public who were gullible fell for his charm because his true intentions could never be read so easily. He was only exposed when he chose to contest the prez election for more..

Sep 13 (CT) Ranil Wickremesinghe (RW) has been with the parliament for about 47 years. Without support from the voters, he became president in 2022 because of his luck. He wants to stay in power, but his leadership is questioned by many, given his performance, particularly over the last two years. Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) has been in the parliament for about 20 years and was a minister and the Chief Opposition Whip from 2015 to 2018. Both RW and AKD are prez candidates. more..

Sep 12 (PMD) President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that the country will soon see the establishment of numerous new educational institutions, both public and private. These new institutions will provide young people with opportunities for higher education that meet global standards. The President made this statement during a ceremony this morning (12) at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, where he inaugurated the Times School of Higher Education. more..

Sep 12 (NW) Warrant Officer II Samitha Dulan, who recently set a new world record and won a silver medal in the F44 javelin throw event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, was honoured by the SL Army Military Police. Colonel Commandant of Army Military Police, Major General Najeeva Edirisinghe, along with Officers and Other Ranks of the Regiment, extended a warm welcome to the silver medalist, Samitha Dhulan Kodithuwakku, his wife, and his sports coach. more..