Sep 7 (AD) Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has told the Sectoral Oversight Committee (SOC) on International Relations that it is economically important for Sri Lanka to work with BRICS countries. Attending the SOC meeting chaired by MP Namal Rajapaksa on Tuesday, the CB officials have pointed out that 41% of the world’s population lives, and 24% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 16% of world trade activities are carried out in the BRICS countries, more..

Sep 8 (Island) In more senses than one, I grew up with Nanda Malini. Taking the bus from Kadawatha to Moratuwa the other day, I realised how much her work shaped my perceptions of art. Near the exit at Kahatuduwa, the radio played Araliya Landata. Near Kesbewa it played Mage Deshaya. In Piliyandala, where I got down, it played Yadamin Benda Wilangula. If it’s hard to think of another Sri Lankan vocalist, even less a songstress, whose body of work can be so diverse, more..

Sep 8 (DM) SL is again under the spotlight because Britain’s controversial tv channel Channel 4 has released a documentary on the island’s Easter Sunday bombings which were carried out in 2019. When one speaks to the common man on the street the vibe is that there was the possibility of a political motive being behind the bombings. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has said on television that he would accept the findings in the documentary only after a thorough study is done on this production. more..

Sep 8 (DM) Lakmini Wijesundera, Founder and Executive Director of BoardPAC Inc and IronOne Technologies will deliver the Dr. Ray Wijewardene Memorial oration today (8) on the topic of Globalizing SL technology: The BoardPAC Journey. BoardPAC is an innovative product that is ranked as one of the best global Board Governance technology platforms by Capterra of Gartner Inc, the leading global technology advisory firm. more..

Sep 8 (GV) Sachithanandam Padmaranjani has been waiting for 14 years to hear news about her husband whom she handed over to the army in May 2009. Padmaranjani, who fled into the army controlled area at the age of 31 with her seven year old daughter and five year old son, handed her husband over to the army in the hope that he would be released after investigations. “My daughter is 21 years old today and my son is 19. I don’t have an answer when they ask where their father is,” more..

Sep 8 (TM) The sight of children being paraded about by those engaged in seeking charity is a common sight at most junctions and traffic stops. Govt is now moving to conduct a survey of beggars in SL, through the Dept of Social Services. It is learnt that the survey has been triggered by concerns that children and vulnerable women are being used for begging as a business. While the move is commendable, one has to ask why authorities haven’t already addressed the situation, more..

Sep 8 (CT) Pavement hawking or roadside businesses have a long history that spans many centuries. Even in the technologically-advancing contemporary world, roadside or pavement business activities are still prevalent in many countries. It is commonly assumed that they are making a lump-sum profit yet, the reality appears to be far from the common belief. Vendors face many obstacles while doing business on more..

Sep 8 (ST) Not many Sri Lankans have heard of Sri Lanka being a biodiversity hotspot on earth. The entire world has only 36 locations of biodiversity hotspots, according to Conservation International. It is, anyway, not a term to make us proud of, but frightened. Biodiversity hotspots are exceptionally rich and unique in terms of their life of species that depend on biological diversity in the location, which have come under severe threat. Conservation International has introduced more..

Sep 8 (Island) Opposition’s no-faith motion against Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is scheduled to be put to the vote in Parliament today. Perhaps, the SJB would not have caused it to be taken up for debate early but for humiliation it suffered at the hands of Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe recently in the House. When the SJB persistently demanded that the local govt elections be held without further delay, the Prez asked it to go ahead with the no-faith motion against Minister Rambukwella more..

Sep 8 (CT) State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) restructuring has been a continuous focus of successive SL Govts. Political will has consistently been lacking, leading to failed attempts to bring the process to completion. With 16 unsuccessful IMF programmes targeting SOE reforms, the current govt has also taken to prioritising measures as a precautionary strategy against a widening budget deficit and unsustainable debt levels. These reforms are an essential element of more..

Sep 8 (DM) Those who are uncomfortable with the truth may try to accuse Britain’s Channel 4 tv of pedalling lies through their programme on SL’s Easter Sunday terror attacks. To survive in politics and save their skins, they may do so. But for civic-conscious people, Channel 4 has reignited a fire in their hearts in their search for the truth. When important happenings in our lifetime are taught as the history of our country to future generations, will it be truth-based or mere deception? more..

Sep 8 (DM) In the wake of Channel 4 Dispatches, State Minister S Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan, who faces allegations, responds to questions from Daily Mirror about his alleged involvement in atrocious acts. As one time Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, he also shares his views on the 13th Amendment. Q: Azad Maulana, who worked as your party’s media spokesman, makes a whole lot of allegations regarding the Easter Sunday more..

Sep 8 (FT) Main Opposition MP, Buddhika Pathirana, says attempts are afoot to let off excise officials charged with affixing fake tax stamps on alcohol products through a loophole in the Excise Ordinance. SJB MP charged the Department was working to list the act as a technical error, and let the said officials off with a mere slap on the wrist. He said the Commissioner General of Excise was aware of the matter, and it was inconceivable given the nature of this predetermined crime. more..

Sep 8 (DN) Dacshitha Sumathipala, the head of the Sumathipala fraction, expressed strong confidence in his team’s chances of victory in the upcoming secret ballot among the 64 League members of the SL Football Federation. During a press conference held at Nippon Hotel Colombo, Sumathipala revealed that his team currently enjoys the support of 36 League members, with expectations of further support by the time of the election scheduled for Sept 29 at the SL Football Federation House. more..

Sep 8 (ST) A series of abrupt fires in factories, some handling and storing toxic chemicals, have raised questions about the safety concerns of employees as well as those living nearby. The recent fire at a factory manufacturing cleaning products and sanitizers in Kandana not only claimed the life of an employee but also resulted in about 200 students from a nearby girl’s school being admitted to the hospital with breathing difficulties. The officer in charge of Kandana police, more..

Sep 8 (DM) Jordan Johnson scored an unbeaten 54 was the only highlight on day third of the first four-day game between Sri Lanka Under 19 and West Indies Under 19 which was washed out due to rain yesterday at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. After the Sri Lanka Youth team posted a massive first innings total of 432 for 8 wickets declared, commencing from the overnight score of 27 for 1 wickets, the West Indies only played 25 overs when rain halted play. more..

Sep 8 (FT) Collective of Trade Unions and Civil Society Organisations against what they described as #28Kollaya alleged that the Central Bank is oblivious to the impact of Domestic Debt Restructuring (DDR) on the Employees Provident Fund (EPF). The statement follows a meeting between the CBSL and representatives of the trade union alliance that protested against draining the EPF, ETF, and other superannuation funds by subjecting them to more..

Sep 8 (FT) A Chinese delegation led by Fujian Province Aquatic Products Wholesale Industry Association Chairman Yushu Huang called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Parliament complex, to explore potential investments in Sri Lanka›s burgeoning fisheries sector. He expressed keen interest in establishing a state-of-the-art fish processing facility close to coastal harbours dedicated to the processing and export of high-quality fish products. more..

Sep 8 (DN) In a historic move, SL Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (SLBFF) is set to open new horizons for schoolchildren by introducing the inaugural SL Physique Championships. This groundbreaking event will take place on Sept 28 at the S de S Jaysinghe Memorial Hall in Dehiwala, commencing at 8 am onwards. For the first time in SL’s history, aspiring young athletes will have the opportunity to compete in the Physique Category. This competition will also serve as more..

Sep 8 (FT) Parliament yesterday passed by majority vote the bill to amend the Inland Revenue Act, No. 24 of 2017 amidst strong opposition by political parties, trade unions and analysts given the new legislation’s impact on private sector employees pensions. During the second reading the Inland Revenue (Amd) Bill was passed by a majority of 45 votes in Parliament, where a total of 103 MPs voted in favour whilst 58 voted against it. more..

Sep 8 (FT) FPC claimed that the removal of MP Dayasiri Jayasekara from his role as General Secretary of the SLFP conveys a more expansive message, rather than being viewed as merely an internal conflict. MP Weerasumana Weerasinghe said Jayasekara’s removal was an attack against the opposition’s attempt to defeat Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the next prez election. He accused Govt of conspiring to dismantle alliance formed by FPC, thereby leading to SLFP. more..

Sep 8 (DM) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has spent Rs 1.2 billion on food for 2022, COPE revealed. AG told the Committee that Rs. 498 million has been spent on snacks alone. It was also revealed that there are 914 excess employees in the SLPA and that overtime allowances have been paid to the employees despite the excess employees. Committee questioned the officials present regarding the non-payment of Rs. 4.975 million of the profits earned by the SLPA from 2016 to 2021 more..

Sep 8 (TM) The SJB has called for an immediate investigation into the allegations made by the controversial Channel 4 documentary titled SL’s Easter Bombings – Dispatches regarding the alleged involvement of Chief of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019. Former SJB MP Mujibur Rahman told the media that not only the SJB but also the majority of the society is not ready to accept the SIS Chief’s response to these allegations that more..

Sep 8 (Island) Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, in an interview with Sirasa TV on Wednesday night, said that she would have gone for a general election if she had been in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s shoes. She said that Wickremesinghe did not go for an election because he feared defeat. Wickremesinghe had been able to halt the rapid decline of the country but he was unable to move forth because he worked with corrupt politicians, she said. more..

Sep 8 (Island) Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay, in his present capacity as Director, State Intelligence has told Channel 4 Television that he was not in Sri Lanka for the whole of 2018 as he was in Malaysia as Minister Counsellor of the govt of SL. Therefore, the accusation that he met several members of the National Thowheeth Jamaath (NTJ) including Mohamed Hashim Zahran in Karadipuval, Puttalam in Feb. 2018 was baseless, he has said. more..

Sep 8 (FT) A group of representatives from the IMF held a meeting with the opposition leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday in parliament. The purpose of the meeting was to engage in a discussion concerning the agreement reached between the IMF and the current govt. During the meeting, the opposition leader highlighted the importance of evaluating the progress of the agreement SL has established with the IMF and identifying the imminent tasks that govt must accomplish. more..

Sep 8 (TT) A pilot of Sri Lankan origin has died after he rescued his two nieces who had got into difficulty at a waterfall in Wales. Mohananeethan Muruganantharaja, 27, entered the water at the beauty spot in the Brecon Beacons on Friday afternoon having spotted the young girls in danger. The children were pulled from the river but Mr Muruganantharaja was unable to get to land and then disappeared from view. Mr Muruganantharaja’s niece told the BBC: more..

Sep 8 (DM) Swift action will be taken to fill nearly 4,000 vacant Grama Niladhari (GN) positions, Home Affairs State Minister Ashoka Priyantha said. While addressing a media conference at the Presidential Media Centre today, he said the e-GN programme aimed at digitizing all 14,022 Grama Seva domains across the country, is already in progress. "Balancing the public service is essential, while taking into account various factors, including the country's economic situation. more..

Sep 8 (Island) Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had sidelined the most experienced officials at the ministry and is working with a few handpicked officials, General Secretary of the Communist Party of SL (CPSL) Dr. G. Weerasinghe said addressing a press conference. “This is one reason why the health sector is in chaos. Experienced officials and administrators have been sidelined while a large number of medical specialists are leaving,” he said. more..

Sep 8 (TM) Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has asserted that the Govt stands ready for an international investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. Despite his emphasis that the relevant investigation would be an international probe and not a domestic one, he expressed scepticism pertaining to Channel 4’s recent exposé on the Easter bombings, claiming that diaspora groups were often seen publishing more..

Sep 8 (DN) Chair of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle stated that for the betterment of women in SL, the Bill to establish a National Commission for Women will be submitted to the Parliament very soon. In addition to the said Bill, two Bills on gender equality and women’s empowerment are also ready to be submitted to the Parliament, Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle further stated. These comments were expressed recently (5) during a special discussion with more..

Sep 8 (Island) Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament that a nexus between the Secretary to the Health Ministry and unregistered drugs importing companies had was the reason for the proliferation of substandard medicines in the country. Participating in the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Health Minister, Kiriella said the economic crisis was not the main reason for the crisis in the country’s health sector. more..

Sep 8 (EN) SL’s leader of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcom Ranjith has called President Ranil Wickremesinghe for an independent, international investigation into an alleged plot in the Easter Sunday attack and to suspend top police officials who have been found to have neglected their duty. Cardinal’s new requests come after the British-based Channel 4 documentary revealed with whistle blowers’ allegation that more..

Sep 8 (AD) Colombo District Court today refused to issue an injunction preventing the implementation of SLFP’s decision to oust its general secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara from the party. However, an injunction was issued preventing Sarath Ekanayake, who was appointed as SLFP’s general secretary after Jayasekara’s expulsion, from serving in his new position. The decision was delivered by Colombo District Judge Sandun Vithanage, after taking into consideration a petition filed by the MP more..

Sep 8 (TM) Taking one typical example as a sample, we may try to grasp what this problem about political imagination is. Let us take the example of former Prez Junius Richard Jayewardene. Some measures in gauging political imagination are to ask what ideals that a leader may have tried to represent. This does not imply that the leader had achieved that ideal, for ideals, by their very nature, are not achievable in their completeness. The test is what ideals did such a leader represent more..