Station Masters to launch immediate trade union action
Oct 28 (DM) The Sri Lanka Railways Station Masters' Union (SLRSMU) has decided to initiate immediate trade union action in response to the recruitment of Station Masters in violation of traditional recruitment procedures. Cabinet approval has been granted to appoint Station Masters and Railway Controllers every five years following an internal departmental examination. The union has announced that this trade union action will commence within the next 72 hours.
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State sector salary hike: PM Harini says Ranil’s statement wrong
Oct 28 (NW) PM Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that while former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe announced a Cabinet decision to increase public servant salaries, the necessary procedures to implement this decision were not followed. Amarasuriya said, “Although Ranil Wickremesinghe claims that a decision was taken to raise the salaries of public servants, when reviewing this Cabinet decision, it’s evident that it was not approved with consent from Treasury or officials from Ministry of Finance.
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SL diaspora in Canada grapples with how to honour those lost in civil war
Oct 28 (TC) Last August, a foundation stone laying ceremony was held in Brampton, Ont. for a Tamil genocide monument in the city. The memorial’s architectural design was selected from among 100,000 submissions and finalized by the National Council of Canadian Tamils in 2022. It represents a significant victory for SL Tamils, both in Canada and globally. Tamil separatists fought a three-decade long civil war against SL govt
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Defence Secretary marks his maiden visit to Army HQ
Oct 28 (MoD) Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) visited the SL Army Headquarters located at the Defence Hq Complex, Sri J'pura, Kotte today. This is the first official visit undertaken by the Defence Secretary to the Army Headquarters since assuming office as the Secretary to the Ministry Defence. Defence Secretary was respectfully received by the Adjutant General of the Army, Major General Chamila Munasinghe set with a Guard of Honour upon his arrival.
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US Ambassador meets new Governor to discuss collaboration
Oct 28 (Island) US Ambassador Julie Chung met with newly appointed Governor Nagalingam Vedanayagam last week in Jaffna to discuss potential collaborative efforts between the US and SL. Ambassador Chung highlighted several areas for potential cooperation, including economic opportunities, infrastructure improvements, and agricultural development. During her visit, she also toured the American Corner in Jaffna, where she interacted with young Sri Lankans involved in
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Mahinda Amaraweera points finger at Finance Ministry
Oct 28 (DN) Former Minister Mahinda Amaraweera stated that senior officials at the Finance Ministry, by withholding funds from the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB), allowed the rice mafia to exploit both farmers and consumers. He said that during his tenure as Agriculture Minister, he repeatedly requested funds from the Finance Ministry to enable the PMB to purchase paddy. However, senior officials, along with
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NMRA warns public against use of Depo on pets
Oct 28 (Island) The National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) has banned the use of Depo (Depo-Provera)—a contraceptive injection intended for humans—on dogs, cats, and other animals in SL. The decision follows a coordinated campaign by animal welfare organizations and veterinary professionals who highlighted the misuse of the drug as both harmful and inappropriate for veterinary care. The campaign, launched earlier this year, was led by the State Veterinary Surgeons’
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Dilith Jayaweera says committed to building a respectable public service
Oct 28 (AD) Leader of Sarvajana Balaya alliance and Gampaha District parliamentary candidate, entrepreneur Dilith Jayaweera says that he and his team are dedicated to creating a respectable public service. During a public meeting, he highlighted the importance of forming a strong opposition to achieve this goal. “What should we do to create a respectable public sector in order to elevate the living standards of the people, especially the living standards of the govt employees?
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රහස් කියන මී මැස්සා
Sri Lanka participates at CHOGM 2024
Oct 28 (FT) Lanka participated at the Commonwealth Heads of Govt Meeting (CHOGM) 2024 held in Apia, Samoa from 24-26 Oct. Theme of the CHOGM 2024 was One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth. The Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 56 independent states, is one of the world’s oldest political association of states that work together towards the shared goals of peace, democracy, and prosperity. The organisation is home to
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CSE emerges as 2nd best performer in Asia
Oct 28 (AD) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has been placed as the second best performing equity index in Asia. CSE has secured the second in Asia as of 25 October 2024, with the ASPI boasting an impressive year-to-date return of 29.65% in USD. This outstanding performance underscores the resilience of SL’s capital market and its growing appeal to both local and international investors, with the daily average turnover for the week ended 25 Oct 2024, standing at Rs. 3.058 billion.
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Govt urged to probe questionable passport deal, save state funds
Oct 28 (Island) People’s Struggle Alliance (PSA), led by FSP, called on their former colleagues in the govt to conduct a thorough investigation immediately into issues related to the procurement of passports and allegations of fraud involving public funds. PSA’s Colombo District candidate, Pubudu Jayagoda, contesting next month’s parliamentary election, warned that the govt’s coffers would lose millions of US dollars due to a questionable deal
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Don’t know says Lohan Ratwatte about unregistered car found at wife’s house
Oct 28 (NW) Former Minister Lohan Ratwatte has denied links to a car, without number plates, that was found in the parking lot of a house belonging to his wife in Mirihana, it was reported. During questioning, Lohan Ratwatte had revealed that the vehicle had been brought to the property by his Coordinating Secretary, who recently died by suicide in Kandy. The vehicle in question was found at a house in Mirihana belonging to Ratwatte’s wife, during a probe conducted on Saturday
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A veteran Arugam Bay international tourism investor speaks
Oct 28 (FT) Dr. M.T.A. Netzband-Miller has been connected with Arugam Bay since 1977 and now lives there permanently. In this interview, he speaks about why he chose Arugam Bay to establish his tourism venture and shares insights on the potential of tourism in SL, his adopted country. Q: Please introduce yourself and your contribution to tourism in SL. A: I am Dr. M.T.A. Netzband-Miller; 75 years of age, who grew up in different countries. My mother was from Netherlands and
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NPC officials say procurement shortcomings cause significant losses
Oct 28 (EN) SL govt has been losing a significant amount of money due to not following a proper procurement process, members of the National Procurement Commission have told Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Prez’s Marxists JVP in the past had revealed a raft of corrupt practices in govt procurement procedures and unsolicited projects. JVP also has pledged legal action against the past corruption, while implementing a proper
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Sri Lanka faces surge in WhatsApp account hacks: Here’s how it happens
Oct 28 (NW) SL is experiencing a rise in WhatsApp account hacks, with cybercriminals using verification code manipulation to gain access to accounts and defraud contacts. In recent incidents, users have reported receiving unexpected WhatsApp verification codes. Scammers then contact users, posing as friends or acquaintances, to request the code, which, once shared, grants hackers control over the account. A Colombo businessman, who recently fell victim to the scam, described his experience:
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Prez vows to scrap perks for former presidents once again
Oct 28 (DM) Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake vowed once again that the perks and benefits of the past heads of state would be scrapped completely, no matter what. Addressing an election rally, he said it is not the duty of people to look after former presidents. He said the former presidents had been ensured benefits in terms of circulars, a parliamentary act and constitutional provisions. "We are exploring the possibility of amending the circulars and the Act," he said.
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ලොක්කෝ මැද නායකයෙක්
Nishantha Perera to be appointed Elpitiya PS chairman?
Oct 28 (AD) The equal distribution of seats between the NPP and opposition parties will have no effect on maintaining the activities of the Elpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha, according to former Election Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya. The NPP had secured 15 seats while the remaining 15 seats were divided among the various opposition groups. Nishantha Perera, who contested as the NPP Group Leader, is tipped to be appointed as the new Chairman of the Elpitiya PS.
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Case against Wimal Weerawansa postponed due to health issues
Oct 28 (DM) Trial against NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, facing charges for causing disturbance to the public and normal traffic movements during a protest held in 2016, was today postponed as he failed to appear in court due to illness. According to his legal team, former MP Weerawansa is suffering from a viral flu, rendering him unable to attend the scheduled hearing. Taking the facts into consideration, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thilina Gamage rescheduled
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African swine fever spreads to several other provinces
Oct 28 (AD) Director of the Western Province Animal Production and Health Dept K.K. Sarath said that African swine fever, which was initially reported for the first time in the Western Province, has now also been detected in Uva, Northern & North Western provinces. He emphasized that the disease has a very high mortality rate in infected animals, and noted that there is currently no available treatment.
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President meets EPDP’s Devananda
Oct 28 (CT) A meeting between incumbent Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake and EPDP General Secretary Douglas Devananda, who is contesting the 2024 Parliamentary Election from the Jaffna District, took place in Colombo recently, where multiple issues, including Tamil people’s political issues, were discussed at length. Over 38 issues in the local fishery industry and among Tamils warranting attention were brought to the attention of President Dissanayake by Devananda,
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'Farmers are struggling financially'
Oct 28 (CT) Farmers are struggling financially as the prices of fruits and vegetables continue to fall, SJB Matale District Group Leader Rohini Kavirathna said, while highlighting the financial difficulties faced by farmers in the North Central and Central Provinces due to falling fruit and vegetable prices. Kavirathna pointed out that due to farmers not being able to get fair prices for their harvest, their income has dropped significantly. However, the consumers also do not get the benefit of these reduced prices,
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Video: No travel ban to visit SL: US clarifies
Oct 28 (AD) U.S. Ambassador to SL, Julie Chung has clarified that the US has not issued a travel ban on SL and that the security alert issued recently was only for Americans to avoid the Arugam Bay area until further notice. Chung said she is proud of the U.S. Embassy’s ongoing collaboration with the govt of SL to respond to a security threat that resulted in its recent security alert, and pledged to continue working together to support
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Non-alignment & SL’s foreign policy dilemma
Oct 28 (FT) “… I will say to any terrorist who kills an American, and threatens the American People, or threatens our troops, or our interests… know this… we will always bring you to justice”. Kamala Harris, Vice President of USA and Democratic prez candidate at the 5 Nov US prez election, addressing the media at the White House on 18 Oct, expressing Biden regime’s stand on Israel and its future after Israel announced the previous day, it killed Yahya Sinwar the Hamas leader in Gaza.
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Former Deputy Speaker refutes allegations over official residence
Oct 28 (DM) While refuting reports, former Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksha said he has handed over his official residence to the Public Administration and Home Affairs Ministry. He said he has submitted all the reports to the Ministry on Oct 1 after paying all the electricity and water tariffs due for the period that he had occupied the residence. The former Deputy Speaker said he had also paid the rent due for the residence till Oct, 2024. He said he strongly refutes the reports carried out by some media
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ජනාධිපතිවරණයට නොගියේ තරම...
MTV to host 2026 Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union meeting
Oct 28 (EN) Sri Lanka’s local television channel MTV Channel (Pvt) Limited will host the 2026 Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly in Sri Lanka, the channel said in a statement. The ABU is the largest broadcasting Union in the world, with its 250 members in 70 countries across five continents, reaching 3 billion people across the Asia-Pacific region. “It will, no doubt, establish Sri Lanka as an important crossroad of international relations and global media.
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Child’s guide to critics of IMF’s Debt Sustainability Analysis
Oct 28 (FT) Aseni, the whiz kid of economics has come across a report by the Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz and former Argentinian Economy Minister Martin Guzmán critiquing IMF’s Debt Sustainability Analysis, known as DSA1. This report has been prepared by them for the faith, development, and advocacy group Jubilee-USA Network and USA branch of German foundation, Friedrich Stiftung, for submission to IMF to enable it to consider how its standard DSA should be revised.
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Govt to launch probe over X Press Pearl disaster
Oct 28 (DM) The govt will study the X Press Pearl disaster which occurred in 2021 and will launch an investigation over it in the near future, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said. Govt is going to take steps in this regard in a context where the previous authorities have not yet submitted claims for the civil liability cost of the disaster. SL is now poised to receive US $ 810,696.57 as cost involved in beach cleaning & debris removal
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No immediate drop in tourist arrivals: Tour operators
Oct 28 (Island) President of the SL Association of Inbound and Outbound Travel Agents (SLAITO) Nalin Jayasundera says that there has been no drop in tourist arrivals despite the travel advisories issued by some countries, including the US and the UK. Jayasundera said that tour operators were however concerned about the possibility of future booking cancellations. He said that SLAITO was maintaining regular communication with foreign embassies to provide updates on the security situation and
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SL reiterates decision to seek association with BRICS & new development bank
Oct 28 (FT) Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane represented SL at BRICS Plus Outreach Dialogue held in Kazan on 24 Oct. Outreach Dialogue followed the conclusion of the BRICS Summit held from 22-24 Oct. 16th BRICS Summit and Outreach was chaired by Russian Prez Vladimir Putin and was attended by 35 leaders (or their representatives), as well as UN Secretary-General. BRICS member States are Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran & UAE.
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Ranil takes aim at AKD; says I was President without majority, so is he
Oct 28 (FT) Former Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe voiced strong criticisms at an election rally in Negombo, highlighting the current Govt’s struggle with limited support. Wickremesinghe questioned Prez Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s lack of a majority, comparing it to his position when he was in office. “I am the former Prez without a majority. He is the current Prez without a majority,” he said, addressing the rally
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Colombo-KKS train service resumes today
Oct 28 (CT) Dept of Railways has announced that train services from Colombo Fort to Kankesanturai will resume today, as the renovated Mahawa-A'pura section of the Northern Railway Line reopens. Deputy Director of Traffic M.J. Indipolage stated that this resumption follows months of suspension due to maintenance and modernisation work. He also mentioned that the train running time from Colombo Fort to KKS will change after the railway line between Mahawa & A'pura is modernised.
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CBSL eyes post- election rate cuts
Oct 28 (TM) Central Bank of SL (CBSL) sees scope to loosen monetary policy but any decision will depend on the economic outlook when policymakers meet late next month, CB Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said. Speaking to Bloomberg in Washington, he said that while it’s too soon to commit to any decision ahead of the 26 Nov policy rate meeting, indicators pointed to conditions for potential interest rate cuts. “It appears there is some space for us to relax further,
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