Oct 5 (FT) Sri Lanka will participate at the International French Travel Mart (IFTM) Top Resa, the leading multi-segment trade show, today. Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga-led top-level delegation arrived in Paris yesterday to participate at the four-day travel mart, after a one-year break from physical engagement at global trade fairs. Ahead of the winter season, SL will make a fresh effort to woo tourists from its traditional markets. Ranatunga is also scheduled to hold discussions with more..

Oct 5 (AD) Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North-western, Southern and Northern provinces and heavy showers above 100 mm can be expected at some places in these areas, says the Department of Meteorology. Showers or thundershowers will occur at several places elsewhere. Wind speed can be increased up to 50 kmph at times over the island, particularly in the western slope of central hills, North-Western, Southern, Western provinces. more..

Oct 5 (FT) Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and his delegation yesterday called on Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa yesterday. During the meeting, they discussed the ongoing global situation and ways to further strengthen bilateral relations.Finance Minister appreciated India’s support to SL as a regional powerhouse as well as a neighbouring country in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rajapaksa also highlighted further strengthening bilateral ties through more..

Oct 5 (ST) All of these names are global annual tennis team competitions for men. Women’s tennis has another set of competition. Rather complicating even to a player/enthusiast who has been following global completion tennis for 50 years. The inevitable question, what are they? Is it about which body controls global tennis, or who should make the money or who has the upper edge of the game or who is enjoying the top position or media attraction or devices to propagate tennis globally? more..

Oct 5 (Hindu) India has urged SL to hold elections to its provincial councils without further delay, according to the TNA whose delegation met visiting Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday. Also India does not appreciate any third party presence in the Tamil-majority north and east, where New Delhi had invested heavily, the Foreign Secretary told the TNA, which is the largest grouping representing more..

Oct 5 (ST) Aiming to give a push to value addition in the coconut sector the government will set up a specialised Export Processing Zone (EPZ) dedicated to coconut related industries in Hambantota, one of the key areas in the Southern coconut triangle. This triangle would consist of Embilipitiya, Hambantota, and Monaragala under a massive coconut cultivation drive where the Coconut Industrial EPZ gets high priority, a top official of the Coconut Development Authority (CDA) said. more..

Oct 5 (Island) No development projects would be implemented in violation of the recently published Red Data List, a senior Environment Ministry official said. He said Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and Ministry Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe had given the fullest assurance in that regard. South Korean Ambassador to SL, Santhush Jeong appreciated the preparation of the Red Data List as one of the steps to prioritise environmental safety in the implementation of development projects. more..

Oct 5 (Island) A state-of- the- art PCR testing facility built at a cost of USD 5 mn at the BIA recently is idling due to a govt decision to do away with the requirement for the inbound passengers to undergo Covid-19 testing. The AASL- Hospinorm PCR Laboratory has the capacity to conduct approximately 7,000 tests a day. Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Aviation Minister Prasanna Ranatunga declared opened more..

Oct 5 (DM) There is no direct link between the reopening of schools and vaccinating children, Dr. Hemantha Herath said. He said the expert committee had categorically underlined that reopening schools and vaccinating children are two different aspects. “There are several factors to be taken into account when reopening schools such as the number of daily COVID infections in the country, infrastructure facilities at schools and possibilities as to how the exams that were delayed more..

Oct 5 (DM) The appeal petitions filed by Ratnapura District MP Premalal Jayasekera and two others challenging Ratnapura High Court's judgement to convict them for committing the murder of an individual following a shooting that took place in 2015 during the Presidential Election were today fixed for argument by Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal two-judge-bench comprising Justice Nissanka Karunaratne & Justice R. Gurusinghe fixed the appeal petitions for argument on Nov 25. more..

Oct 5 (TM) Teachers’ trade unions have warned that if the Education Ministry takes action to reopen schools without providing an acceptable solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, a major crisis could arise in addition to the current problematic situation in the education sector. During a media briefing, media questioned CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe regarding reports that more..

Oct 5 (DM) GMOA requested the Health Services Director General to convene the Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) to get permission to administer the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to children between the ages of 16 and 19 who are healthy and free from health complications. The GMOA requested to conduct the vaccination programme as the second phase of the vaccination rollout for children between the ages of 12-19 who have comorbidity issues. more..

Oct 5 (CT) Govt of SL (GoSL) debt increased by 10.81% (Rs 1,634.5 billion) to Rs 16,751.7 billion (Rs 16.75 trillion) by end July 2021 compared to Rs 15,117.2 billion (Rs 15.12 trillion) by end Dec 2020, latest CBSL data showed. Of this figure of Rs 16,751.7 billion, foreign debt comprised Rs 6,434.2 billion (Rs 6.43 trillion), an increase of 6.31% (Rs 382 billion) and domestic debt Rs 10, 317.5 billion (10.32 trillion), up 13.82% (Rs 1,252.4 billion) in the review period. more..

Oct 5 (FT) Prez Rajapaksa yesterday set the record straight on a host of domestic initiatives towards reconciliation and equitable development to the visiting EU delegation to review SL’s progress in terms of the GSP+ program. Soon after his arrival from the US, the Prez met the five-member EU team on their last day of the week-long visit. Prez had informed the EU delegation that as the oldest democratic country in the region, more..

Oct 5 (TM) The Govt is exploring the possibility of lifting restrictions on staging musical shows and operating cinemas within the next few weeks, according to State Minister Vidura Wickramanayake. In Parliament yesterday, he had stated that he, along with PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, would meet health officials to discuss the resumption of these facilities within the next two weeks. He added that they would also be looking into allowing traditional ceremonies, such as thovils, in this manner. more..

Oct 5 (TM) The Health Ministry has defaulted on the payment of Rs. 12 billion owed to suppliers, and as a result, many health services are set to be disrupted in the future, charged College of Medical Laboratory Science President Ravi Kumudesh. He said that Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe has not even discussed the issue, leaving the health service in a state of disarray. “Of these, about Rs. 1 billion is in the form of loans that have not been repaid for more than a year, more..

Oct 5 (CT) The JVP yesterday slammed the Govt for not responding to Pandora Papers, the most expansive leak of tax haven files in history, that revealed the secret offshore holdings of more than 300 politicians and public officials from more than 90 countries and territories. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake stressed that it is not surprising that Sri Lankan business persons and politicians names are mentioned whenever more..

Oct 5 (CT) Doctors warned that a random process to resolve the teachers’ and principals’ salary issue would only worsen the situation between service categories, by violating the National Wage Policy (NWP). The GMOA yesterday said making necessary interventions in resolving the principal and teacher salary issues should be done without violating the NWP. The Union lamented that salary revisions of Legal and Judicial Services had taken place violating this Policy. In a letter to Prez more..

Oct 5 (Island) Transparency International SL (TISL) has called for a thorough govt inquiry into one-time Deputy Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan named in the Pandora Papers as having offshore accounts. TISL Executive Director Attorney-at-Law Nadishani Perera said that her outfit had issued an initial statement on the matter. Nirupama, a member of the ruling family, served the SLFP-led UPFA govts during the presidencies of Chandrika more..

Oct 5 (TM) Former Deputy Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa, who is also the cousin of Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa, and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan, have been named in the recent Int'l Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ (ICIJ) Pandora Papers files leak. The documents allege that the couple were involved in shell companies, which are inactive companies used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres or more..

Oct 5 (DM) The govt should resolve the salary issues before reopening schools, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said. Mr. Wijewardene who made a special statement said it will not be possible to provide education effectively to children in a situation where teachers have kept away from online teaching. "Govt should not try to resolve issues by raising voices and using psychical strength, but only through intelligent thinking," Mr. Wijewardene said. more..

Oct 5 (FT) Amidst a severe economic crisis facing Sri Lanka characterised by heavy debt commitments, fiscal imbalance, international reserve depletion, rupee depreciation, import shortages, and inflationary pressures, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has become dysfunctional in its key role – monetary policy operation. The market players who act rationally are far ahead of the policymakers, and eventually, CBSL has lost its grip on both the exchange rate and interest rates. more..

Oct 5 (FT) Govt’s resistance to debt restructuring and fiscal discipline is accelerating our descent into crisis. People are beginning to feel shortages and rationing of consumer goods. Producers in all sectors are beginning to feel shortages of critical inputs, caused by the Govt’s import restrictions. Probably the decision makers in Govt feel nothing, ensconced in their cocoons. Citizens are being hit by rising prices on one side and reduced incomes (except for most State employees more..

Oct 5 (AD) Dr. Siran Deraniyagala, a renowned SL Prehistorian and former Director-General of the Archaeology Dept, has passed away at the age of 79. Born in 1942, Dr. Deraniyagala received his school education at St. Thomas’ College Mt. Lavinia. He then completed his BA and MA degrees in Architecture and Sanskrit from Cambridge University. Pursuing postgraduate studies in archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology in London, he qualified with distinction and more..

Oct 5 (DM) The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has issued its full investigation report into the incident where former MP Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan being listed in the Pandora Papers for having hidden wealth stashed away in offshore companies. Full report: In early 2018, workers in a London warehouse carefully loaded an oil painting of Lakshmi, more..

Oct 5 (AD) Supreme Court has ordered the Attorney General to direct the Prisons Commissioner to ensure the security of the eight inmates who are incarcerated at the A'pura Prison. The order was issued when the Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by relevant prisoners against former State Minister of Prison Management & Prisoners’ Rehabilitation Lohan Ratwatte were taken up for consideration today. The petitions were called before Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya and more..

Oct 5 (EN) Caissa Travel Group, one of China’s top five travel groups has assured SL’s Ambassador to China Palitha Kohona that it will direct one million Chinese tourists to the island when the travel restrictions are lifted, the foreign ministry said. Ambassador Kohona had met several Chinese tour operators and environmental NGOs at the Innovation and Development of Cities Summit, a foreign ministry statement said. SL has already lifted COVID-19 restrictions for tourists. more..

Oct 5 (EN) A local police probe into allegations of match fixing at the 2011 Cricket World Cup final between SL and India has not been satisfactory because key officials were not investigated, former SL Sport Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told parliament on Tuesday. “I am not satisfied with the investigation,” Aluthgamage said when opposition members asked if the former sports minister (and current minister of agriculture) more..

Oct 5 (DM) A latest foreign research highlighted that adults, women, immunocompromised individuals and those with prior hospitalization for COVID-19 are at excess risk for COVID reinfection. Based on the research, Director of Dept of Immunology and Molecular Medicine at Sri J'pura Dr. Chandima Jeewandara tweeted that studies point to a 1% risk for reinfection after an episode of COVID-19. "The mechanisms underlying certain factors associated with reinfection (e.g., excess risk in women) more..

Oct 5 (Island) Can dragonflies migrate thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, from India via the Maldives to Africa, and back again? An international research team led by Lund Uni in Sweden has used models and simulations to find out if the hypothesis could be true, said a report filed by Phys.org yesterday. It said: In 2009, marine biologist Charles Anderson put forward a hypothesis after observing globe skimmer dragonflies (Pantala flavescens) on the Maldives, that had flown in from more..

Oct 5 (EN) Thalassa Patris, a Liberia flagged container ship that was reported to have berthed at Sri Lanka’s Colombo Harbor due a leak in a container set off again on Monday (04) after dispatching the damaged container at the harbor, an official said. The vessel, which had set sail on Sept 30 to to Suez Canal from Singapore, berthed at Colombo Harbor on Oct 2 after a container aboard the ship was reported to have leaked. more..

Oct 5 (NR) 40 COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed today. The Government Information Department said the deaths were reported to have occurred yesterday, the 4th of October. 22 males and 18 females were among the victims. 36 individuals, 19 males and 17 females, were 60 years or above while four persons, three males and a female, were between the ages of 30 and 59. Accordingly, Sri Lanka’s coronavirus death toll increases to 13,142. more..

Oct 5 (AD) Former Police Spokesman Senior DIG Ajith Rohana has been appointed as a member of the National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol (NATA). He has been appointed to the position with immediate effect by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and had received his letter of appointment from the latter at the Health Ministry premises today (05). The appointment has been made in accordance with provisions under the National Authority on Tobacco & Alcohol Act more..

Oct 5 (Island) Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader MP Mano Ganesan says the TPA condemns attacks on estate officials. Estate Managers’ Association of SL has warned that they will have to refrain from estate administration in view of attacks on its members. MP Ganeshan has, however, said that the reason for the attack on the estate officials was the frustration of workers. He says most of them have lost their livelihoods, more..

Oct 5 (TM) Bringing up the revelations contained within the Pandora Papers in Parliament today, SJB MP Thushara Indunil Amarasena requested the Govt to conduct a probe into the matter if they are not guilty. “The Rajapaksa surname keeps popping up repeatedly when frauds are brought up. Namal Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, it has become a trend,” remarked Amarasena. He also stated that the alleged fraudulent transactions conducted more..

Oct 5 (TM) Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament today that laboratory tests have confirmed that the organic fertilizer samples sent from India are suitable for use in Sri Lanka. He went on to say that discussions are underway to import nano-nitrogen fertilizer from India and if there is a delay, a decision has been reached to import the fertiliser via air freight. As previous samples from China had tested positive for the presence of the Erwinia Bacteria, more..

Oct 5 (TM) Peoples’ Movement Against the Militarisation of Education condemned the recent decision taken by the UGC to admit 100 students to the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Medical Faculty as opposed to admitting these students to any of the universities under the UGC. “We believe that this situation arose due to the UGC’s mishandling of admissions for the 2019/2020 academic year. more..

Oct 5 (TM) Responding to the recent revelations made by the Pandora papers, former MP Ajith P. Perera stated that such revelations highlight that the Rajapaksa family is one that is internationally corrupt. “Through the Pandora papers it is now globally accepted that the Rajapaksa family is a corrupt family. An investigation must be initiated to look into the details revealed through the Pandora papers,” Perera said. He further went on to say that a Parliamentary Select Committee must more..