Oct 10 (Island) PHU leader Udaya Gammanpila accused a minister of launching a social media campaign to discredit some Opposition MPs over the recent arrest of the owner of Thico Group of Companies, Thilini Priyamali, in connection with misappropriation of massive amounts of funds. MP Gammanpila has been named as one of those cheated by the woman. Gammanpila alleged that the minister more..

Oct 10 (FT) For the first time in Sri Lanka’s post-independence history, concerns about economic crimes committed against the citizens have been expressed both internationally and locally. Internationally, the UNHRC, at its 51st session in Oct 2022, has voted in favour of a 19-point resolution presented by SL Core Group headed by UK in the Council that, inter alia, there is a necessity for probing into economic crimes committed in SL with a view to establishing accountability. more..

Oct 10 (FT) SL initiated many food security activities in disparage sectors with very little collaboration and laced with evocative phrases such as back to nature, Api wawamu, etc. The ad hoc nature of these activities initiated to solve the food crisis with no clearly defined objectives is at the heart of the problem. This is due to the disorganised and haphazard manner in which the agricultural sector in SL was managed and years of mismanagement, corruption and short-sighted policymaking, more..

Oct 10 (EN) SL and Japan have signed a memorandum of cooperation on Japan’s Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) for a low carbon growth partnership, Prez Wickremesinghe’s office said. The agreement was signed on Monday by Secretary to the Ministry of Environment Dr Anil Jasinghe and Japanese Ambassador to SL Misukoshi Hideki, a statement from the president’s office said. The announcement came against a backdrop of Prez Wickremesinghe’s renewed efforts to improve more..

Oct 10 (AD) A group of lawyers and several trade unions staged a peaceful protest in front of the Galle Face Green in Colombo today. The demonstration was held demanding the repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and to stop acts of suppression using the PTA. The protesters had later marched towards the Presidential Secretariat, due to which the police had proceeded to close off the Galle Face Centre Road from near the Secretariat. The protesters had then informed that more..

Oct 10 (AD) President Ranil Wickremesinghe noted that the country needs a national policy that does not change with every govt that comes to power and invited everyone to commit to building the country on one national policy without party differences. Prez pointed out that to build a developed economy and raise SL to the pinnacle of the world, a solid economic policy as well as political stability is a must. more..

Oct 10 (DM) United Nations Environment Program Executive Director Erik Solheim flew into the country this afternoon, a senior official at the Katunayake Airport confirmed. He said Mr. Solheim, a former Norwegian minister reached Colombo from Chennai. The former chief negotiator between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government, Eric Solheim will meet President Ranil Wickremesinghe during his stay in the island. more..

Oct 10 (EN) SL’s officially calculated worker remittances grew 1.73 percent from a year earlier to US$ 359.3 million in Sept 2022. Official remittances were also up from US$ 325.4 million in August. SL received around 446 million US dollars in remittances in Aug 2021, when the central bank tightened rules on how much banks could pay for remittances. Overseas workers send money through unofficial channels when central banks in the region print money creating pressure on outflows more..

Oct 10 (DM) Police officers who acted on illegal orders must remember that someday they will have to pay for their illegal activities, President of Bar Association of SL (BASL) Saliya Pieris said. He said in a Facebook post that police officers who engaged in unlawful acts had to face the music alone and that their masters were nowhere around to protect them. "I have seen police officers who engaged in unlawful acts and more..

Oct 10 (AD) Colombo High Court has ordered to suspend the overseas travel ban imposed on former Minister Champika Ranawaka, allowing him to travel overseas until March 17, 2023. Foreign travel ban was imposed on the former Minister over the hit-and-run incident which took place in the year 2016, in which the vehicle the former Minister was travelling in had collided with a motorcycle in Rajagiriya, causing life-threatening injuries to its rider, Sandeep Gunawardena and more..

Oct 10 (DM) Ceylon Teachers Union Secretary Joseph Stalin today lodged a complaint at the National Child Protection Authority against the police brutality on children at the Galle Face Protest on Oct 9. Video footage showed a 15 year old child being arrested by the police at the protest yesterday while another video showed a mother being dragged away from her child. Social media has since then heavily condemned the police brutality unleashed on the protestors and children while more..

Oct 10 (AD) The 2022 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group (WBG) will get underway in Washington D.C. from today. State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, Governor of CB, Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Secretary to the Treasury, Mahinda Siriwardana will represent SL and IMF/WB Annual Meetings scheduled for Oct 2022. In addition to attending the multilateral meetings, delegation will hold crucial bilateral discussions with the IMF and the WB management and more..

Oct 10 (EN) SL’s low priced medium grown tea prices fell in September 4th week sale to 1,358.97 rupees a kg, from 1,40.6.80 rupees per kg in the previous week. In the last week of September, medium grown averaged at 3.74 dollars a kg down from 3.88 a week earlier. In SL Mercantilists and soft peggers usually claim that inflation comes from imported prices. However, prices of all traded goods, whether imported or exported go up when the central bank prints money to depreciate more..

Oct 10 (Island) In spite of the Court of Appeal rejecting an appeal made by SLPP Monaragala PS member Harshaka Dissanayake, who was disqualified by the Monaragala High Court on charges of bribing voters at the last Local Govt polls, the convict continued to be a member of the Monaragala PS, Executive Director, PAFFREL Rohana Hettiarachchi said. Last LG polls were held in 2018 during Yahapalana administration. more..

Oct 10 (TM) Commissioner General of Excise, M.J. Gunasiri says that drug distribution rackets aimed at school children are being carried out in many parts of the island. He pointed out that the drug crystal methamphetamine, also known as Ice drug, is being spread across the country in a catastrophic nature at present. Joining an event held in Gampaha, he further requested the children and also the parents not to test these drugs at any time since it is harder to refrain from such drugs once tried. more..

Oct 10 (Island) Colombo Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith says the rulers can no longer fool people with false promises about the Easter Sunday investigations. “The rulers cannot fool us with fake claims that those responsible for the Easter Sunday attacks would be brought before justice,” the Cardinal said, commenting on Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to complete the investigation, into the terror attacks, with the assistance of int'l investigation teams. more..

Oct 10 (EN) A company that was importing ammonium nitrate used for blasting rock was selling at high prices using a Defence Ministry import permit and directed prices, putting the construction material suppliers in difficulty, a legislator has charged. State Minister Nalin Fernando said the issue had been raised in cabinet. Opposition MP Hesha Withanage said ammonium nitrate, cost about 540 dollars a tonne more..

Oct 10 (TM) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on the recommendation of the Ministry of Defence and Lt Gen Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Army, attaching significance to the 73rd Army Anniversary Day (10) has promoted a total of 372 Officers of the SL Army (Regular and Volunteer Force) and a record 7127 Other Ranks of the Army (Regular Force and Volunteer Force and Extra Regimental Employment Basis) to their respective next rank. more..

Oct 10 (NR) PM Dinesh Gunawardena says as the govt has instructed to issue govt lands to farmers for cultivation in accordance with circulars, govt officials must not interfere in the process. The PM expressed his views during the distribution of goods from the Parliamentary Decentralised Fund to farmers, women and voluntary entities in Homagama, Kandanawatta today (10). The PM said “We are facing difficult times economically. We all have to work together to face it. more..

Oct 10 (DM) Colombo High Court today served indictments on former Minister Johnston Fernando and two others over another corruption case filed against them by the Bribery Commission. High Court judge Namal Balalle ordered each accused to be released on bail. Defence Counsel informed court that they are expecting to bring preliminary objections against the indictments. The Case was fixed for trial on Nov 1. Bribery Commission filed this corruption case against former Minister more..

Oct 10 (AD) A complaint has been filed with the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) alleging that children and women were harassed by police during the protest held at the Galle Face Green yesterday. The complaint was filed by several activists of the protest movement, against the Fort Police. Speaking to the media afterwards, activist Nipun Paranawithana, who had filed the complaint, pointed out that a child affected during the protest is currently receiving treatment at Lady more..

Oct 10 (TM) Overall demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in SL has dropped by 25-30% in the last few months, despite price reductions, due to the rise in inflation and the use of alternative energy sources. Laugfs Holdings Chairman W.K.H. Wegapitiya said that although no official assessment has been done to find an exact figure of the reduction of LPG demand, based on the consumer information Laugfs Holding more..

Oct 10 (TM) The intellectuals (viyaththu) who claimed that former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa was preventing former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa from doing his duties diverted the aragalaya (people’s struggle) towards sending the former home, charged SLPP MP and former Minister Johnston Fernando. “Within the first three months of Gotabaya’s presidency, a public opinion was formed that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was being held back from undertaking his duties by Mahinda more..

Oct 10 (DM) Anoji de Silva was reappointed as Chairperson of the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce (WCIC), at the 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM), as per the provisions of the constitution. De Silva will lead the chamber for the period 2022/2023. De Silva was a Board Member of the WCIC from 2019-2021 and was also Capacity Building Leader of the WCIC. She is a chartered accountant by profession, with over 30 years of experience and is a Partner at EY Sri Lanka more..

Oct 10 (AD) A Russian airlines Aeroflot flight arrived at the BIA this morning, resuming flights between Moscow and Colombo after a lapse of 4 months. Russia’s flagship carrier had announced that it is suspending commercial flights to SL after the island nation’s authorities detained the airline’s Airbus A330 jet on June 02. On June 3, Aeroflot reported that the departure of its SU-289 flight from Colombo to Moscow scheduled for more..

Oct 10 (AN) As a result of SL’s economic meltdown, 2.7 million more Sri Lankans are now living in poverty, bringing it to the highest level in the country's history. At the same time, inflation has skyrocketed and commodity prices have risen to unprecedented levels since January. In its biannual SL Development Update, the World Bank reports that the poverty rate in SL doubled from 13.1% to 25.6% (US$ 3.65 per day per capita at 2017 purchasing power parity) in 2021 - 2022. more..

Oct 10 (wsws) Late last month, the Northern Fishermen’s Action Committee (NPFAC) in SL, with the support of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), held a successful meeting in Kayts on the Jaffna Peninsula. Over 20 fishermen, including women, as well as SEP members, participated in the event which resolved to establish a local action committee. The NPFAC, which was established by representatives from different parts of northern SL earlier this year, is fighting to form action more..

Oct 11 (DM) The abolition of executive Presidency in general and the proposed 22nd Amendment currently are best two cases to understand the chicanery on the part of our politicians. All Presidents who took office after D. B. Wijethunga repeatedly and shamelessly hoodwinked the masses in respect of abolishing the executive Presidency, while the current political parties seem to do the same with regard to the 22nd Amendment. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe last Thursday more..

Oct 11 (GV) Yet another resolution on SL has passed in the UNHRC, 20 member states voting for it, seven against and 20 abstaining. This resolution will facilitate the continuation of the Accountability Project to collect and preserve evidence in respect of the allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity and includes economic crimes. Interestingly, the Supreme Court has given leave to proceed in the case citing a host of high level officials including former presidents, more..

Oct 11 (TM) Proposed Rehabilitation Bureau Amendment Bill has drawn strong criticism from civil society and politicians and is being challenged in the Supreme Court. Many have questioned the Govt’s motive behind the move to amend the Bill, expressing concern that an ulterior agenda may be afoot. It is learnt that eight Special Determination petitions have been filed in the SC challenging the Bill, including by the CPA, more..

Oct 11 (DM) Cabinet this week will take up a proposal to voluntarily downgrade Sri Lanka from a Middle- Income Country to a Low-Income country in a bid to obtain concessionary financing from international partners. Statistically speaking, this would mean revert SL’s economic status in 2004, the year when the country was elevated from low-income status to a lower-middle-income country. According to the World Bank, for the 2023 fiscal year, low-income economies are defined as more..

Oct 11 (DM) Looking at the voting on the UNHRC’s resolution on SL on Oct 6, it appears that the decisions taken by 47 members were determined by their respective positions in geopolitics and their national interest. 20 members who voted for the resolution castigating SL for alleged human rights violations, were Western nations and their political allies. Japan, which is a firm ally of the West, however, struck a different path. It abstained perhaps due to its national interest vis-à-vis more..

Oct 11 (CT) Magam Ruhunupura Int'l Convention Centre (MRICC) in Siribopura, which faces the sea and the Hambantota Port, that was built by the Koreans and SL Govt in a bid to showcase that Hambantota is one of the best planned cities in Asia, could probably join the club of the emptiest convention centres in the world. The cost of maintaining the MRICC is approximately Rs 20 million per year, using SL public funds, more..

Oct 11 (CT) In a bid to make substantial changes before the next election, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe pledged to slash the number of local authority councillors by 50% and impose spending caps on elections. Prez is prepared to hold elections despite the severe economic crisis and astronomical living expenses. Political parties, not the general public, are pleading with the National Election Commission to hold elections. Chairman of the Election Commission, Nimal Punchihewa, said more..

Oct 11 (Island) Universities are meant to be open spaces for higher education and the production of knowledge, and in that sense, are considered to be the bastions of freedoms and democracy. However, the reality is that universities are institutions seeped in hierarchy, among and between academics and students alike. These dynamics even take violent forms such as reprehensible acts of sexual harassment or the despicable practice of ragging, and the reluctance of university communities, more..