Nov 5 (TM) What befell Sri Lanka during the past few decades following independence, and how a country that even developed countries like Singapore looked up to in the past turned into a loan-seeking, debt-ridden country, have become oft asked questions in the society and on social media platforms, mostly by the youth concerned about their future. This youth population is also among those leaving the country in scores, seeking jobs and other opportunities in foreign countries. more..

Nov 5 (CT) Seemingly coincidentally, a week after this newspaper published an editorial on 26 Oct under the heading Remove 48% Rice Import Tax to rein in soaring rice prices in the domestic market, which data was based on statistics culled from a Customs notice published on its website, Minister Basil Rajapaksa, in a Gazette dated 2 Nov, but lodged on the Ministry website on the following day 3 Nov, removed the Rs 65 Special Commodity Levy charged on imported raw or kekulu rice, more..

Nov 5 (TM) Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has announced that the drafting process of the Constitution is over and that now, the text is ready. He further said that it is expected that in January next year, it would be presented to the Parliament. Prez Rajapaksa also, in a televised speech, referred to the Constitution being made within the course of next year. This should be alarming news for all citizens who are concerned about their own lives and their Constitutional rights. more..

Nov 5 (ST) I had woken up early on Thursday morning and was wondering what to write about this week. At this point the phone rang. It was Hingga Pala, a name given to my friend Siripala, a beggarly character who always asks for money, even though he has enough resources. Hingga Pala was in fact the name of a character in the Yes Boss TV series on a local channel. I hadn’t spoken to him for a while and was wondering whether it was one of his tricks to get money, which I have found a way to more..

Nov 5 (CI) The kids are alright. Both SL's and West Indies'. In a game featuring some of T20s greatest names - Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard etc - it was a group of players under 27 that really shone. Perhaps the baton has been passed. For SL, their two best batters of the tournament, Charith Asalanka (24), and Pathum Nissanka (23), put on a 91-run stand off 61 balls for 2nd wicket, to help set up a total of 189 for 3, more..

Nov 5 (Island) A man in a yellow robe who is out of jail on a presidential pardon (contempt of court is what he is convicted of) oversees drafting a new set of laws for governing our beloved EX- Pearl of the Indian Ocean. This entire action can only be interpreted as a collective slap in the face for not only the judiciary, the lawmakers of the land (parliament) but the whole NATION. This slap in the face is exacerbated into a kick in the proverbials by the fact that only certain laws more..

Nov 5 (Island) India, yesterday, deployed its Air Force cargo planes to transport consignments of nano nitrogen liquid fertiliser here. Emergency airlift of fertiliser has given the lie to Minister Mahindananda Altuhgamage’s claim that there is no fertiliser shortage in the country, and the protesting farmers are furthering the interests of the powerful agrochemical industry. Air delivery of fertiliser is also proof that the govt has plunged headfirst into its organic fertiliser drive without a proper plan. more..

Nov 5 (FT) After nearly 30 years, French flag carrier, Air France, returns to Sri Lanka today (5) with three weekly direct flights between Paris and Colombo. The airline has added Colombo to its long-haul network as a seasonal operation in the winter schedule of 2021-22 as a continuation of the flight from Male. The route will be serviced by Boeing 787-9 aircraft that seats up to 279 passengers, featuring 30 seats in Business, more..

Nov 5 (TM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Technical Committee Head Aravinda de Silva said that his committee will take a final decision on the Sri Lanka national teams’ Head Coach and support staff hopefully next month. “After the World Cup, we will go for proper evaluation which will be done hopefully by next month. Then we will take a call. We are thinking of restructuring the support staff and all that. It will depend on the inputs that we will have. “Tom (Moody) spent a stint with the team. more..

Nov 5 (AD) Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle and Matara districts. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places elsewhere particularly during the evening or night. Showers may occur in Mannar district during the morning. Fairly heavy showers about 75mm can be expected at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Central and North-western provinces and in Galle & Matara districts. more..

Nov 5 (CI) Oct 7, 2012. Marlon Samuels devours Lasith Malinga and Sri Lanka as West Indies win their first T20 World Cup title. Their coruscating T20I reign begins there and runs until Nov 4, 2021, when it comes to a grinding halt at the hands of SL in the UAE. It was Chris Gayle who led West Indies' rousing celebrations nearly a decade ago in Colombo, with press-ups and Gangnam Style jigs as Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard all cheered him on. The quartet go on to become more..

Nov 5 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 79,797 persons on Wednesday, and 92.4% of the population over the age of 20 had received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine as of 2 Nov. 72.9% of the total population has received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while the second dose has been administered to 62.8% of the population. 15,718,509 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 13,521,066 persons have received the second dose as well. more..

Nov 5 (ST) Experts assessing the environmental damage caused by the X Press Pearl wreck claim that a lack of resources and transparency are delaying their assessments. “We don’t have an exact idea of what is in the cargo,” said expert team member Dr. Meththika Vithanage, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura. According to Dr. Vithanage, the manifesto shared with the expert committee was incomplete. more..

Nov 5 (FT) Govt yesterday announced a host of measures to yet again ease food supply constraints and keep prices stable amidst public outcry. Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa reduced the special commodity levy of Rs. 65 per kg of imported rice to 25 cents. The move is for six months from 2 November and will ensure sufficient stocks ahead of the festive season. The order was made under Section 2 of the Special Commodity Levy Act No. 48 of 2007. more..

Nov 5 (CT) Pakistan ‘A’ were 180 runs for 4 wickets at close of day one in the second 4-Day Cricket encounter at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy yesterday. Pakistan ‘A’ won the toss and elected to bat. Right hand opener Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 89 runs in 156 deliveries with 14 boundaries and a six. Shafique and Khamran Ghulam (45) were involved in a 78-run stand for the 3rd wicket. Right arm medium paceman Chamika Gunasekara claimed 3 wickets for 42 runs more..

Nov 5 (TM) Ministry of Trade that Minister Bandula Gunawardana’s Pragna Bandu fund did not take money from the State Trading Corporation (STC) nor any other govt body as alleged by former CAA Executive Director Thushan Gunawardena. Issuing a statement in response to the article we published on Wednesday, titled Conflict of Interest against Bandula’s Fund, Ministry of Trade Media Secretary Mahesh Wickrema more..

Nov 5 (FT) Sri Lanka’s COVID-19 death toll rose to 13,806 after health officials confirmed 15 more fatalities on Wednesday. Eight fatalities confirmed on Wednesday were male and seven were female. 7,709 of the total fatalities are male and 6,097 are female. Twelve deaths confirmed on Wednesday were over 60 years and three were between 30 and 59 years. Zero deaths were confirmed from the under-30 age group. 76.46% of the total fatalities are from the over-60 age group, more..

Nov 5 (DN) Four local cricketers, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Avishka Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana will team up with Jaffna Kings as retained players for the upcoming 2021 Lanka Premier League (LPL). The four players were a part of the Jaffna team that won the championship in the 2020 LPL. Thisara Perera, who retired from Int'l cricket recently is already announced the Captain of Jaffna Kings. He is an experienced T20 and ODI player and has hat-tricks in both forms. more..

Nov 5 (TM) The recent allegation made by National Catholic Social Communication Centre Director Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando against former Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) Director and incumbent State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Suresh Sallay was made based on statements made in Parliament by various MP, SJB MP Harin Fernando stated. He said the statement made by Fr. Fernando was more..

Nov 5 (FT) Hambantota Int'l Port (HIP) recently facilitated the shipment of locally manufactured trailers, marking the beginning of its services to the local exporters as a gateway port. “Master plan of HIP clearly spells out supporting the development of local industries servicing overseas markets. This shipment for Dutch Lanka Trailers emphasises HIP’s position as SL’s gateway port and flags a new era for local manufacturers in terms of cost-effective methods to reach their respective markets,” more..

Nov 5 (AD) An individual died today (4) in a multiple vehicle collision caused by a 16-year-old driving a luxury car. The deceased was identified as a 51-year-old resident of the Mahabage area. Four others who sustained injuries were meanwhile admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama. According to the police, one of them is in critical condition. The accident took place at around 9.00 a.m. this morning near Welisara cemetery on the Colombo-Negombo main road. more..

Nov 5 (Island) India has come to the rescue of SL by airlifting 100,000 kg of liquid nano nitrogen for urgent distribution among farmers protesting against the govt’s failure to provide required fertilizer and agro-chemicals. Two Indian Air Force Globemasters arrived at the BIA in perhaps one of the largest if not the biggest single airlift carried out by a foreign air force here. The Sri Lankan Airlines airlifted the first consignment on Oct 21. more..

Nov 5 (FT) 592 COVID-19 patients were detected in the country yesterday, raising the total COVID-19 patient count to 543,385. The patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster, which has expanded to 438,696 patients. 82,785 patients have been detected from the Peliyagoda cluster, 9,052 patients have been detected from the Prisons cluster, and 3,059 patients have been detected from the Divulapitiya cluster. Country’s imported cases include 6,959 Sri Lankans & 328 foreigners. more..

Nov 5 (DM) Parliamentarian Diana Gamage has filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the SJB for expelling her party membership. Diana Gamage said she has been expelled from the party membership following her decision to vote in favour of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. The petitioner said she is not a member of the Govt, but a MP acting with independence and in accordance with her conscience as demanded by SJB Party’s Constitution. more..

Nov 5 (Island) The govt has allowed emergency regulations imposed several weeks ago to ensure an uniterrupted supply of essential commodities such as rice, sugar and other consumer goods, to lapse. As a result the post of Commissioner General of Essential Services held by Maj. Gen. M.D.S.P Niwunhella has been abolished. Prez Rajapaksa promulgated emergency laws after having named serving officer Niwunhella, more..

Nov 5 (TM) The Mirigama-Kurunegala section of the Central Expressway (E04) is to be opened in May, making it possible to travel the approximately 39.7 km distance between the two points within 25 minutes. Ministry of Roads and Highways Secretary R.W.R. Pemasiri said that the section is nearing completion. “This would be very convenient for those who travel to Kandy, Kurunegala, and Dambulla. The entrance would be from Mirigama and the exit would be at Kurunegala; within 25 minutes.” more..

Nov 5 (AD) Sri Lanka Police have released more information in relation to the body of an unidentified female found inside a travelling bag, with hands and feet tied, in a garbage dump at Sapugaskanda. The discovery was made following information received by Sapugaskanda Police Station from an individual regarding the suspicious bag. The body of a woman dressed in red and black clothing and with her hands and feet tied had been found inside the bag which was reportedly wrapped in a mat. more..

Nov 5 (TM) PUCSL Chairman Janaka Ratnayake said that while he disapproves of the shady manner in which the agreement between the Govt of SL (GoSL) and US-based energy company New Fortress Energy Inc. concerning the Yugadanavi Power Station in Kerawalapitiya was signed, he believes the sale of shares would ultimately benefit SL. “The PUCSL plays no politics because, as the electricity sector regulator, more..

Nov 5 (CBC) Amila Rajakaruna and Arshala Dona weren't big hot sauce people before they founded their business, Tasty Heat's Sauces and Spicy Foods — mostly because hot sauce isn't really a thing in their native SL. "We just use peppers and chilies and spices," said Rajakaruna, who thinks he may be selling the world's first SL hot sauce. Now, every Saturday night, the husband-wife team rents the kitchen at Winnipeg's Riverview Community Centre, donning industrial masks to keep more..

Nov 5 (FT) The Global Tamil Forum, since its inception in 2010 has always propagated a negotiated political settlement in Sri Lanka. So, we have actively engaged politicians, civil society in Sri Lanka, externally, foreign govts, international organisations, forums, and all those engagements were to engage and negotiate a political solution for the Tamil grievances in Sri Lanka – Suren Surendiran, Spokesperson for the Global Tamil Forum. In an interview with Easwaran more..

Nov 5 (FT) 1. The issue of fielding a suitable candidate for the next Prez Election in 2025 to defeat Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the incumbent President, can be said to be the most popular topic of discussion among the top circles in the political arena, today. 2. This possibly reflects the superficial character of the political thinking in SL. 3. SL does not require a recurrence of 2015. Though it was possible to defeat Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa temporarily, by fielding a surrogate leader on more..

Nov 5 (EN) SL has lifted price controls on chicken amid rising feed prices in an improvement of economic policy that can make poultry a less risky business for farmers who suffer from frequent state interventions. SL’s Consumer Affairs Authority, which creates shortages in a range of goods including tinned fish, dhal, sugar, milk cooking gas and cement has lifted price controls on chicken meat from Nov 3. In March 2020 the CAA ordered price controls of 430 rupees per kilogram for more..

Nov 5 (EN) The recent drop in COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka has come to a halt and an increase in cases have been reported in several parts of the island, health officials said, warning of a possible rise in patient numbers in the near future. “We have seen caseload increases in Colombo excluding the Colombo Municipal Council area, Gampaha, A'pura, Galle and Matara districts as well,” PHI Union Chairman Upul Rohana said. more..

Nov 5 (DM) Attorney General today informed Colombo High Court that his stance regarding the maintainability of the almanac case filed against two accused including Minister Basil Rajapaksa will be informed to the High Court on Nov 11. The AG had filed indictments against Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Director-General of Divi Neguma Department Kithsiri Ranawaka in the Colombo High Court for allegedly printing 5 million almanacs with the image of former prez Mahinda Rajapaksa more..

Nov 5 (AD) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says that the masterminds of the Easter Sunday attacks will be brought to justice and severely punished under a SJB govt. SJB leader made these comments following a discussion held with the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on Thursday. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Premadasa said that the truth needs to be uncovered with regard to who were the masterminds behind the Easter attacks and more..

Nov 5 (EN) Though 61.5% of SL’s total population has received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, a significant number has yet to receive their second dose, particularly in the Kandy district where the remaining stock of Moderna jabs is nearing expiration. Chief Epidemiologist Dr Samitha Ginige said on Thursday that targeted populations that received vaccines that aren’t widely available in the country or are difficult to obtain are more..

Nov 5 (LBO) Sri Lankan children make a dangerous climb for online school, read the headline of a recent article carried by Al Jazeera. The article, and many others like it, came out in response to a set of photographs making the rounds on social media. The images showed children in remote areas of SL, perched precariously on branches and climbing massive boulders to reach the highest points of their villages for better internet connectivity – perfectly capturing the struggles faced by more..