Nov 2 (FT) The Computer Society of SL (CSSL) announced the inaugural CSSL CEO Conclave at NITC 2021 with the theme Survive and Flourish in Emerging Futures at a recent press conference held at the Ministry of Technology, at One Galle Face Colombo 2. The CSSL CEO Conclave is an exclusive session for 100 Sri Lankan CEOs on technology trends and their impact on conventional business models. Technology, business leaders and domain experts will share evolution strategies for CEOs to transform more..

Nov 2 (DM) There is no strike tomorrow, but we are calling the employees attached to the maintenance services to Colombo, CEB United Trade Union Alliance Convener Ranjan Jayalal said. He said that their union would not call the essential workers who are engaged in the power stations and those who are engaged in emergency maintenance services. "We are contemplating more than a thousand times before getting on to the strike. But a day will be fixed after tomorrow (3). "We do not go on strike after a power cut," more..

Nov 2 (DM) A senior Police officer, already transferred over an incident involving a driver on the road, has now been accused of torture and sexual abuse, in a letter sent to Prez Rajapaksa by a law firm. Shocking details of the incident that transpired on the road and at the Police station have been mentioned in a letter send by a well known law firm to the Prez. Neelakandan and Neelakandan, the lawyers appearing on behalf of the driver, have told the President in a detailed letter more..

Nov 2 (DM) Clarifying the reports that Mayor of Colombo Municipal Council Rosy Senanayake had spent colossal amounts of CMC funds for refreshments, UNP CMC member said funds had been spent for public events not for her personal use. CMC member Mohan De Silva said funds had been allocated for the Mayor in terms of the provisions of the Municipal Council Act. He said even though funds had been allocated for the Mayor, they have been spent for refreshments for the events and meetings at Mayor’s office and official residence, more..

Nov 2 (EN) Cabinet have approved a series of policy guidelines with regard to power generation including a proposal to generate 70% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Other proposals include a decision to forego the construction of new coal power plants and to neutralise net carbon emissions from power generation by 2050, according to a statement from the cabinet office released on Tuesday. In September this year, SL joined six other countries in pledging a No New Coal Compact, more..

Nov 2 (AD) SLPP celebrates its fifth anniversary today (2). A special event themed Towards Prosperity with Pride, graced by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, is taking place at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not attend the ceremony as he is currently in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference. He, however, sent a congratulatory message to mark the party’s anniversary. more..

Nov 2 (AD) The software engineer of Epic Lanka Technologies, who was arrested in connection with the deletion of National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) data, has been further remanded until November 16 by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court. The order was given when the case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Buddika C. Ragala today. CID took the software engineer in question into custody at Wellapita in Divulapitiya on Sept 28. During interrogations, the suspect had divulged that he had erased more..

Nov 2 (Island) Celebrating the 52nd anniversary of the CEB, yesterday Power Minister Gamini Lokuge said that everybody should be proud about the service it had rendered to the nation, especially in maintaining low tariffs to consumers despite high cost of power generation. Addressing the gathering at the CEB Headquarters in Colombo, Lokuge said by giving the country the first coal fired power plant at Norochcholai in 2014, then Prez Rajapaksa reduced the electricity tariff by 25 per cent. more..

Nov 2 (AD) Sri Lanka is proud to be a co-lead of the Global Energy Compact for No New Coal Power, Prez Rajapaksa said addressing the World Leaders Summit - COP 26 held in Glasgow, Scotland, on Monday (1). The COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference held as critical moment in the fight against climate change is attended by around 25,000 people representing a wide range of fields, including Heads of State, govt representatives, scholars and businessmen from 197 countries. more..

Nov 2 (DM) Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers’ Union (CEBEU) has sought the intervention of the United States Embassy in Colombo to halt the moves to award the exclusive LNG supply contract to US-based New Fortress Energy, circumventing tender procedures. Although the CEB called for bids to set up LNG infrastructure and procure LNG for the country’s power sector, as per the National Energy Policy and Strategies gazetted in 2019 and Sri Lanka Electricity Act No. 20 of 2009, the CEBEU in its letter to more..

Nov 2 (DM) A driver who has fled with over Rs.67 million in cash which was being transported to be deposited in ATM trailers of a private bank, had been arrested by the STF at Rendapola area on the Kandy-Hatton Road. The STF said the driver was transporting money with a team of security officers of a private security firm from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya to deposit in the ATM trailers. The driver fled with the money in the van while officials were depositing money at a ATM in the Hatton Town. more..

Nov 2 (PMD) Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera said that he believes a budget with a new vision and programme that goes beyond the traditional budget will be presented to the country this time. The Secretary to the Prez said that the priority will be given to the fields of green economy, renewable energy, information technology and digital governance and special attention has been drawn to increase the income of the country working within the National policy framework more..

Nov 3 (DM) Power blinds and power intoxicates. Too much power in the hands of a single individual, especially in the hands of individual politicians can lead to gigantic errors. Not too long ago, a particular president of this country boasted that the only power he did not have under the Constitution was to change a man into a woman and vice versa. Drunk with power, he attempted to solve the National Question in SL via a military solution. The war he unleashed lasted nearly 30 years, more..

Nov 3 (DM) The SL govt is to enact an integrated law banning cow slaughter. The govt is portraying the ban as an economic and development-oriented measure to enhance domestic production of milk and secure greater income for the farmer. There are strong arguments against the theory that a ban on cow slaughter will yield economic benefits. If there is a ban what will farmers do with cows which have ceased to yield milk? What will they do with bulls which cannot be put to use? more..

Nov 3 (CT) In a stunning verdict, the Supreme Court of SL last week dismissed an appeal by former ambassador Jaliya Wickremasuriya who filed legal action to have his diplomatic immunity restored, to prevent his prosecution on charges of money laundering and wire fraud in the US. The dismissal leaves Wickremasuriya with no choice but to face criminal charges and possibly a prison term in the US after he was accused of major more..

Nov 3 (DM) Nov 2 is the Int'l Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. According to the CPJ in 2020 at least 22 journalists were murdered in retaliation for their work, more than double the total for 2019. CPJ states that 2021 numbers it has tracked is close to 2020 but that the political volatility in Afghanistan and other high risk nations makes the final 2021 total difficult to predict. It also points out that no one has been held to account in 81% of journalist murders during the last 10 years. more..

Nov 3 (TM) The famous saying by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton – i.e. the pen is mightier than the sword – is a powerful and timeless statement that shows the power and role of the media, and it remains relevant even today. However, there is a serious question as to whether the society, politicians and States, and other stakeholders of a nation’s development, have created a proper environment for journalism to remain powerful, and whether quality & recognition of journalism more..

Nov 3 (Roar) All Hallow’s Eve is upon us, when, as they say, the veil between the human and spirit worlds is at its weakest. All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween as we now know it, is one of the world’s most popular holidays, right up there with Easter and Christmas. However, this once-pagan holiday is nothing like either of those. Halloween is a time when people — mostly in the West — pay extra attention to the ideas of ghosts, demons, more..

Nov 3 (Island) The govt has reportedly claimed that the so-called one-country-one-law Presidential Task Force (PTF) will play only an advisory role. A member of the PTF is reported to have said the outfit has no powers to make laws and it will only make recommendations. Anyone with an iota of knowledge of legislative affairs knows that a task force is not vested with powers to make laws. But according to the gazette carrying the presidential proclamation at issue, PTF has been more..

Nov 3 (CT) As the ruling SLPP Govt celebrated its Party’s fifth Anniversary yesterday, it is its bounden duty to simultaneously steer the economy and the health and well-being of the people of this country to calmer waters, while successfully fending off the COVID-19 pandemic, the apparent cause for virtually all of the ills facing SL currently, however politically unpopular such measures taken by it may be. These have to be looked at in the context where SLMA President Dr. Padma Gunaratne more..

Nov 3 (Roar) Stories have played an important role in the evolution of society. Anthropologists believe that early humans used stories as tools to convey important life lessons. Now, it is thought that the average adult spends at least 6% of the waking day engrossed in fictional stories on our various screens. This power of stories has been recognised by a group of Sri Lankan women, who have seen the way that stories can be vehicles for conversations that can foster new, critical ways of thinking. more..

Nov 3 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) donated a sum of LKR 13.43 million to the country’s health sector in order to purchase medical equipment for the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH) and the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila. Accordingly, LKR 9.73 million was granted to IDH to Supply, Deliver, and Install a Vacuum Insulated 3000L Cryogenic Liquid Oxygen Tank to the Hospital, whilst LKR 3.7 million was granted to the National Health Development Fund more..

Nov 3 (FT) Minister Basil Rajapaksa last week boosted the confidence of Multinational Companies in the country, assuring them of resolving issues they were facing as well as considering their progressive recommendations towards higher foreign investments and economic growth. Rajapaksa undertook this initiative during the Daily FT and the Colombo Uni MBA Alumni Association jointly-organised pre-Budget forum. more..

Nov 3 (DM) Businessman Thirukumar Nadesan, husband of former Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa who was named in the recently leaked Pandora Papers has entered the top 20 shareholders list of Sri Cargills (Ceylon) PLC. According to the interim financial statements of Cargills, Nadesan, as at Sept 30,2021, held nearly 600, 000 shares or 0.23% of the company, being its 18th single largest shareholder. Nadesan and Nirupama have been named in the Pandora Papers released by more..

Nov 3 (Island) According to a popular online Sinhala language news portal, Prez Rajapaksa has said that he appointed (BBS leader) Ven. Galagodaatthe Gnanasara Thera as chairman of the (recently established) One Country One Law Presidential Task Force to advise him, but not to make laws. Prez made this remark when asked about the PTF at a govt party leaders’ meeting. He pointed out that he had the ability to appoint any person to the PTF according to his personal preference. more..

Nov 3 (Island) South Africa has always produced quality fast bowlers and one of meanest bowlers of this generation has been Dale Steyn. Ranked world’s number one bowler for an extended period of time, Steyn made quite a few visits to SL and won the hearts of local fans for his aggression on the field and friendly nature off it. Steyn is in UAE for the T-20 World Cup as a commentator and in an interview with a few SL journalists said more..

Nov 3 (FT) The much-awaited Korea Week 2021 will be held in SL from 3 to 10 Nov. The week marks the celebration of the unique Korean culture including K-pop, Taekwondo, Korean language, Korean cuisine, and tourism that SL has ever seen. From Korea’s food experience to Korean language speech contest, the 10 days will be packed full of cultural events, and exclusive opportunities to help Sri Lankans immerse themselves in Korean gastronomy, tourism and culture. more..

Nov 3 (FT) Ambassador-designate of SL to Saudi Arabia Pakeer Amza assumed duties at the Embassy of SL in Riyadh on 31 Oct at a simple ceremony organised by the staff of the Mission. On arrival at the Mission, Ambassador-designate and spouse were received by the Head of Chancery Dulmith Waruna. Following the National Anthem, Ambassador-designate, spouse and the officials of SL Mission lit the traditional oil lamp. Subsequently the Ambassador assumed duties at his office. more..

Nov 3 (Island) Nations Trust Bank’s employees have come together to donate essential medical equipment towards the national COVID response, by donating a half a day’s salary in August 2021. The voluntary donation from the Nations Team was handed over to the Bio Medical Engineering Unit at the Ministry of Health on the 29th of October 2021 with the participation of Priyantha Talwatte, Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nations Trust Bank and other bank officials. more..

Nov 3 (FT) John Keells Holdings Plc (JKH) yesterday announced impressive financial results, signalling its resilience has rebounded despite the prevalent COVID pandemic-related restrictions and resultant impact in the second quarter. JKH Group earnings before interest expense, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 93% to Rs. 6.41 billion from a year earlier; 2Q Group revenue was up 53% to Rs. 49.27 billion and the 1H figure was up 64% to Rs. 88.07 billion. more..

Nov 3 (TM) The prices of reconditioned vehicles which had surged to unreasonable levels a few months ago have settled down to reasonable levels, claimed Vehicle Importers’ Association of SL (VIASL). VIASL President Indika Merenchige confirmed that the unrealistic increase in vehicle prices has settled and that the current price is very realistic and reasonable. While the current vehicle prices still represent a significant increase more..

Nov 3 (CT) Leading up to the T20 World Cup, SL’s record was so bad that many did not have high hopes about them even qualifying for the main draw, but the young team fought remarkably to advance to the Super 12s unbeaten, and fought hard with the tournament’s hot favourite England and South Africa, and many applauded SL's journey in the tournament. Their star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva who came back from a hat-trick against SA, shone with both bat and ball more..

Nov 3 (DN) The SL bowlers have been outstanding throughout the tournament in the first ten overs. The back end of the game has been a concern for us said SL skipper Dasun Shanaka after the England World Cup T20 match played in Sharjah Stadium on Monday. “This is the first WC for most players, when they gain experience, they’ll do a better job”. “We knew that dew will play a major factor in the second half. Losing wickets in regular intervals cost the game for us. Credit should go to Morgan and more..

Nov 3 (CI) There is reason to be optimistic - and this will eventually become that sort of column - but first let us lay a lavish offering of caveats at the altar of fate. The first law of SL cricket is that things never turn out as well as you hope. The second law, to which the first is subject, is that SL cricket would never deign to conform to anything as prosaic as a law, you idiot. You're beginning to see the problem here, no? more..

Nov 3 (FT) A joint committee consisting of Secretaries to the Ministries of Tourism and Transport will be appointed to expedite the modernisation of railway stations to make them attractive to tourists. Its purpose is to avoid delays in existing railway station modernisation projects and to complete them expeditiously. The decision was taken at a discussion between Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, officials of more..

Nov 3 (FT) SL’s COVID-19 detections rose to 542,212 with 573 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. The patients detected yesterday include 572 persons from the New Year cluster and one overseas arrival. 4,618 PCR tests were conducted yesterday. The previous day, 6,109 PCR tests and 2,630 rapid antigen tests were conducted. The COVID-19 patients detected on Monday include 564 persons from the New Year cluster and two SL overseas arrivals. more..

Nov 3 (EN) Air Seychelles will operate two special flights to Colombo on November 06 and Nov 18, Sri Lanka’s airport agency said. Air Seychelles is the national airline of the Republic of Seychelles. Air Seychelles flight will depart at 0900hrs from Seychelles and land in Colombo on November 6 at 1445hrs. The same flight will depart from Colombo at 1545hrs and land in Seychelles at 1830hrs. The return flight on November 18 will depart Seychelles at 0900hrs and land in Colombo at 1445hrs. more..