Oct 28 (FT) A total of 559 more persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, increasing Sri Lanka’s overall detections to 538,320. All patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. A total of 5,459 PCR tests were conducted yesterday. On Tuesday, 4,931 PCR tests and 2,628 rapid antigen tests were conducted, and 551 persons tested positive for COVID-19. All patients were linked to the New Year cluster. A total of 433,672 patients have been linked to more..

Oct 28 (FT) COVID-19 vaccines were administered to 148,813 persons on Tuesday with first dose coverage exceeding 15 million. 15,147,114 persons received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 13,265,898 persons have received the second dose as well. 90.8% of the over-20 population has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of the country’s total population, 61.41% have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to date. The first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine has been more..

Oct 28 (ST) Ministry of Irrigation has sent the following response to the news item headlined; Controversy looms over ADB-funded Rs. 85 billion tunnel project in the Sunday Times last week (Oct 17). The ministry states: The 96.5km-long North Central Main Canal Project is the largest eco-friendly irrigation development project currently being implemented by the Govt with a 10-year MFF {multitranche financing facility} special loan more..

Oct 28 (FT) The awards ceremony of the annual Most Admired Companies of SL 2021 organised by the Daily FT in partnership with International Chamber of Commerce SL (ICCSL) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) was held yesterday in a hybrid format at BMICH and virtually. Apart from 10 Most Admired Companies and five honourable mentions, five eminent business leaders of SL were also recognised under Most Admired Leaders awards category. more..

Oct 28 (FT) BudgetPromises, a platform to track delivery of Govt budget proposals, revealed yesterday there was poorer visibility on many Cabinet decisions surrounding projects, with the proportion of proposals with restricted information more than doubling over the past two years. The researchers state that progress on close to 67% of Cabinet decisions and projects were difficult to evaluate due to restrictions. For 2020, in the absence of a budget speech, more..

Oct 28 (TM) Sri Lanka, who have now recorded eight straight wins in the T20 format, since their 3-0 drubbing at the hands of the Proteas at home in September at home, have a great chance of making it to the T20 World Cup semi-final. This is the opinion of the prolific fast-bowler of the SL team in the 1980s, Vinothen John, who later became a national selector and Manager. “We have some tougher matches in the Super 12. But if we are playing in this way that they have played more..

Oct 28 (FT) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday directed the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) to act diligently towards expediting construction of the new shopping complex project in Kollupitiya, encouraging investors. He made this request addressing CMC party leaders meeting conducted at Temple Trees. It is proposed to construct a new shopping complex at the present Kollupitiya market premises. The proposal of the project was unveiled to the Prime Minister in March this year. more..

Oct 28 (CT) 142nd Battle of the Blues cricket encounter (oldest cricket series in SL) between Royal College and S. Thomas’ College, will take place from 28 to 30, at the SSC ground in Colombo without spectators. Match was postponed twice this year due to the pandemic. Royal-Thomian is the second oldest uninterrupted cricket series in the world that commenced two years after two schools in Australia, St. Peter’s College, Adelaide and more..

Oct 28 (DN) SL ‘A’ will meet the touring Pakistan ‘A’ Team in the first 4-Day cricket encounter at Pallekele Stadium in Kandy commencing today. This clash should turn out to be a good battle as several youngsters who performed well at the domestic level have been included to obtain match exposure. SL ‘A’ will be led by wicket-keeper batter Sadeera Samarawickrama and will have the services of Test players Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando & Lasith Embuldeniya. more..

Oct 28 (FT) Sri Lanka’s inaugural Virtual MICE Expo organised by the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition and Event Organisers (SLAPCEO) will be held from 1 to 3 December. The proposed event consists of a virtual exhibition, four business forums and engaging experiences. The local sellers representing the Sri Lankan meetings and events industry will exhibit their products and services at the event. more..

Oct 28 (TM) Altair Colombo, the tallest building to be opened in SL, was declared open yesterday by Minister Namal Rajapaksa, with about 250 units having been sold already and approximately 150 units remaining for prospective buyers. This residential building comprises 68 floors spread out across 1.5 million square feet and involved an investment of $ 250 million, which is the largest FDI investment for real estate in SL’s history, more..

Oct 28 (Island) Prof. Buddhi Marambe, prior to leaving for the UK, last night, said that upon his return on 11 Nov, he would discuss his stance on the fertiliser controversy and his abrupt removal. Prez Rajapaksa, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe would be leaving for UK, on Saturday, to attend the same event. Prof. Marambe has been involved with the World Biodiversity Summit/climate change confab for nearly a decade and more..

Oct 28 (TM) SJB MP Champika Ranawaka’s 43 Brigade political movement has sought an inquiry in writing from the CIABOC Chairperson, concerning the assets of Avant Garde Security Services Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi. According to the letter handed over to the CIABOC by the 43 Brigade, Senadhipathi had held a press conference in Colombo where the latter had stated that the Avant Garde business helmed by him has in the past earned Rs. 550 million a month by providing more..

Oct 28 (CT) Charith Asalanka (24), the former Sri Lanka youth skipper and now SL’s number 3 batter, who made a strong statement with his bat the other day against Bangladesh, was seen in the middle of Dubai Stadium yesterday along with coach Mickey Arthur to inspect the wicket, and what he is going to do today. Asalanka went to the crease with a water bottle in hand instead of a bat, and visualized a couple of shots from more..

Oct 28 (DN) KCHT Holding Korea, and KCHT Energy Lanka which will be investing USD 1 billion in SL for a 100,000 Rooftop Solar PV Project for low-income families In five districts. This ground breaking project will see the FREE installation of 1 KW solar generating panels to each home thus generating 500 Mw to the national grid. Each home would be given I KW (100 Units) complexly free of charge wiping off their Electricity bill and if the household consumption is lower they will more..

Oct 28 (Island) SL was currently purchasing the vaccines that were needed to give booster shots to its citizens, Dr. Hemantha Herath said. “The govt decided to give a third dose to eligible citizens to protect them from COVID. Soon we will be ready to give the booster to everyone who has been double jabbed,” he said. DDGHS said that over 60% of the population had been double jabbed and that around 70% of the people had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. more..

Oct 28 (FT) The Govt has approved five new airlines to operate into SL before the end of this year, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. Accordingly, Sweden’s Edelweiss will operate a weekly flight and Russia’s Aeroflot twice a week from 1 November, while Air France will fly three times a week from 3 Nov. In addition, from the first week of December, Russia’s Air Azur and Italy’s Nyos Air will fly twice a week to Colombo. more..

Oct 28 (AD) Chancellor of the Uni of Kelaniya, Most Ven. Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thero has passed away. Much venerated Kusala Dhamma Thero was aged 84 at the time of his demise. He passed away last night while receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Thero who served as the head of the Vidyalankara Pirivena in Peliyagoda, devoted his whole life in robes to uplift SL’s Buddha Sasana. Details of final rites of Ven. Kusal Dhamma Thero will more..

Oct 28 (DM) The govt yesterday said that the new health declaration system inaugurated at the BIA was one of its kind which would enable passenger to complete fulfilling their health declaration in 20 seconds to proceed to clear immigration. This health declaration system was inaugurated by State Minister D.V. Chanaka at the BIA premises on Tuesday. The Minister told the Daily Mirror that the prime objective of introducing this system was to reduce the use of physical form filling and more..

Oct 28 (TM) Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd.) Sarath Weerasekera said that all investigations carried out by the Police regarding the Easter Sunday terror attacks of 21 April 2019 have now been completed. He said that all the duties of the Police regarding the said investigation have been fulfilled. “Police have completed all investigations with regard to the terror attacks & have handed over findings to AG. more..

Oct 28 (CT) Italian Police have launched a search operation to find a woman of SL origin who is suspected of killing her two daughters. Sachithra Fernando (33) was living with her daughters, aged 3 and 11 in a temporary detention centre run by Verona Municipal Council from January 2021, following a decree of the Juvenile Court of Venice that the children needed to be removed from their father. The bodies of the children were found on Tuesday (26) by a cooperative worker. more..

Oct 28 (Island) Bandula Gunawardane has, in his capacity, as the trade minister, assured the SLPP Parliamentary group that action would be taken to take over SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) divested through fraudulent means. Political sources said that the assurance had been given at this week’s meeting chaired by Prez Rajapaksa at the President’s House. PM Rajapaksa, too, was present. Minister Gunawardane said so when lawmakers Premanath C. Dolawatta and more..

Oct 28 (CT) Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) noted that it was important than ever before for precise measures to be taken within the context of the current health regulations in a bid to prevent another surge of COVID19. Chairpersons and Convener of the Intercollegiate Committee (ICC) of the SLMA, Drs. Padma Gunaratne and Thamasi Makuloluwa in a letter to Prez Rajapaksa warned yesterday more..

Oct 28 (FT) By the time this year ends I would have turned 65. A half-century of active engagement with politics (beginning years before I became a political scientist) and immersion in the long crisis of Sri Lanka—a long gaze into the abyss that Nietzsche cautioned about—had left little that could really surprise or shock me. Not true. I woke up to the headline that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had appointed Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara, Head of the BBS, nationally one of the most divisive more..

Oct 28 (FT) Legendary Tamil businessman Killi Rajamahendran, Chairman of the Capital Maharaja Group, worked tirelessly since the ’60s to build a globally-renowned business empire that stands proud and tall today, becoming one of the largest private conglomerates in South Asia. He also built the largest private media empire in Sri Lanka. He stood the test of time, quite literally. The Maharaja Group was burnt down to ashes by violent racist mobs during the 1983 Black July riots in SL, more..

Oct 28 (Xinhua) Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) to be held in November will showcase designs adapting to the new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the venue will include the Colombo Port City for the first time with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop, organizers said. SL's CFW Swim Week Colombo, scheduled for Nov 12 and 13 in the national capital Colombo, will showcase works created by 11 local designers. 2nd day of the event will be held at Marina of Colombo Port City. more..

Oct 28 (AD) As a low-pressure area is currently located in the sea area off the eastern coast of the island, the showery condition is expected to enhance further over the sea areas around the island under the influence of this system, the Department of Meteorology said in an advisory issued today. Naval and fishing communities have been advised not to venture into the sea areas off the coast extending from Trincomalee to Puttalam via Kankesanthurai from October 28 onwards more..

Oct 28 (EN) Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded SL’s sovereign rating to Caa2 from Caa1, taking the country’s credit deeper into speculative grade as foreign reserves continued to fall amid money printing and crippled forex markets. “A large financing envelope that Moody’s considers to be secure remains elusive and the sovereign continues to rely on piecemeal funding such as swap lines and bilateral loans, more..

Oct 28 (AD) Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 22 coronavirus related deaths for Oct 27, increasing the country’s death toll due to the virus to 13,696. The deaths reported today includes 09 males and 13 females while one of the victims is a youth below the age of 30. Six of the deceased are between the ages 30-59 and the remaining fifteen and aged 60 and above. Another 398 persons have tested positive for Covid-19, moving the tally of Covid-19 cases confirmed in SL to 538,718. more..

Oct 28 (DM) The time has come to intervene to bring the supreme examinations for venerable monks to internationally accepted standards, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said. The Minister said this after participating in an observation tour of the SL Buddhist and Pali University in Pitipana, Homagama. "We should explore whether there is a problem in obtaining special recognition for it internationally. Those international educational agreements must come through agreements. more..

Oct 28 (EN) SL’s central bank has said the latest downgrade of its sovereign rating by Moody’s to Caa2 was untimely and was done just before a budget in November and as attempts were being made to bring inflows. “This untimely rating decision taken prior to the Budget shows that Moody’s has not taken all the relevant information to form its assessment of the country’s performance and the expected path, into account,” the CB said. more..

Oct 28 (TM) State Minister Jeevan Thondaman says he is disappointed with the One Country One Law Presidential Task Force as there is a lack of Tamil representation. “Disappointed with the Presidential Task Force on ‘One country, One law’ concept as there is not one individual chosen for the Committee who would represent the interests of the vast Tamil population in SL,” he expressed via a tweet. State Minister also said that the SLPP Party Vice President, along with the PM’s more..

Oct 28 (TM) Convenor of the Association of Employment Deprived Personnel of Avant Garde Kamal Gamage filed several complaints at the CIABOC today, against SJB MP Champika Ranawaka. Gamage said that the complaints were filed based on matters of corruption which took place during the previous regime, at the hands of the then Minister of Megapolis and Western Development Champika Ranawaka. “Four complaints were made on these issues. more..

Oct 28 (Island) The SJB yesterday demanded that the govt allow the Attorney General to prosecute all those against whom the PCoI on Easter Sunday carnage wanted criminal proceedings instituted. Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the Attorney General could not be forced by the govt to spare certain individuals. “The report of the Prez Commission recommends that more..

Oct 28 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa has symbolically handed over 164 vehicles including 50 ambulances, 52 water bowsers and 62 double cabs, which are essential in carrying out field duties, to the relevant ministries and govt institutions at the Presidential Secretariat, today. Accordingly, 50 ambulances were handed over to the Ministry of Health and the Suwasariya Ambulance Service and the water bowsers and double cabs were handed over to the Wildlife Dept, Irrigation Dept, LG Institutions, more..

Oct 28 (TM) Appointing a State Minister without the swearing into Parliament is against the law, says UNP member Sudath Jayasundera. He made this statement during a press conference held today (28). “The appointment of Ajith Nivard Cabraal is illegal. It is against the law. He came to Parliament through the SLPP national list, was made a state minister, then moved to the Central Bank, and now he holds both portfolios. This is illegal in all levels. He was never elected for by the people, more..

Oct 28 (EN) Prez Rajapaksa has called a meeting of coalition partners on Thursday ahead of possible strikes over an unsolicited deal with a US-based firm that critics say will commit the country to buy billions of dollars of unwanted liquefied natural gas. Ruling SLPP is facing an internal crisis as some coalition party members have said a preliminary agreement was inked with US-based New Fortress Energy by more..

Oct 28 (Island) Minister Wimal Weerawansa says that issues that should be discussed and sorted out at SLPP party leaders’ meeting cannot be solved at a meeting of the party’s parliamentary group. Responding to journalists who asked why he had boycotted a recent parliamentary group meeting, headed by Prez Rajapaksa, the Minister said that the right forum to discuss the issues pertaining to giving the Kerawalapitiya LNG Power Plant to an American company should have been more..