Nov 1 (CT) In the annals of Sri Lanka politics through the ages it would be hard to find as diabolical an act of betrayal, back stabbing, and crass ingratitude towards ones electors as Maithripala Sirisena�s cheap little coup involving the swapping of prime ministers and re-constituting a mediocre cabinet of his own discredited political henchmen. One hesitates to push the analogy too far, but the whole scenario is so bizarre and unreal as to almost warrant comparison with more..

Nov 1 (CT) Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a powerful engine tested and used worldwide successfully, in underdeveloped, developing, and the developed world, better utilized in Israel, with 40 per cent of the GDP, and 70% exports, mostly in scientific discoveries, innovations, and agriculture. It is a major exporter of flowers, vegetables, and fruits to the world, with arms trade as another main source of income due to advanced technology and innovations. more..

Nov 1 (Roar) The current political deadlock in the island continued into the fifth day, with both sides working hard to consolidate power. UNP MP and former cabinet co-spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, promised reporters that UNP and UNF leaders would form a new political alliance on Friday (2), leading to a new national govt. He said that an open invitation had been sent to all political parties to join the movement. more..

Nov 1 (CT) Unlike the last three years of yahapalana governance, when the media was set free to criticise, yesterday domestic Sri Lankans could not view over their favourite TV channels the massive, consuming and raging firepower of mass collectivity that assembled at Kollupitiya. With short notice and sans any paid attendance whatsoever nearly 100,000 are said to have gathered and roared there in the precincts of Temple Trees. It was to protest against the unrighteousness or more..

Nov 1 (GV) As the term of office of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) concludes this month, Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, elected from the TNA, actually from the ITAK, the TNA not being a recognized political party or alliance), finally and formally broke with the TNA and announced his plans to form a new party, the Tamil Peoples Alliance, perhaps as the successor of the Tamil Peoples Forum which he oversaw and patronized for the last several years. more..

Nov 1 (Island) Tamara Kunanayakam, Economist, Expert on international affairs, Former Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN at Geneva, Former Chairperson/Rapporteur of the UN Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development asked why West had been silen on some grave wrongdoings of the ousted Premier Wickremesinghe. Kunanayakam, speaking at a briefing organized by Eliya Organization more..

Nov 1 (GV) When President Maithripala Sirisena sacked PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on 26th Oct, and prorogued Parliament until 16th November, he injected new meaning to SL Tourist Development Authority�s global sales pitch, a land like no other. Indeed, in what land other than Lanka would a sitting PM be sacked without his knowledge in the late evening of a Friday with the cover of the impending weekend, followed by a gazette notification, also issued to confirm the sacking? more..

Nov 1 (Island) President and his lawyers have argued that the removal of the PM in the aftermath of the collapse of the current coalition govt was lawful under the Constitution of SL. His subsequent appointment of a new PM and Cabinet at his individual discretion, is also represented as being lawful under the Constitution. This has been challenged by others, who have used legal arguments to support their views. They have argued that with the collapse of the coalition more..

Nov 1 (FT) Unfolding before the eyes of a nation is an unprecedented sequence of events, and a historic moment in SL�s post-independence era, said former UNP MP and leading light of the party, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, in reaction to the constitutional crisis that entered its sixth day after President Sirisena sought to sack his PM last Friday. Bakeer Markar said that SL has had universal suffrage since 1931 to elect its representatives in Govt, making the country one of the oldest more..

Nov 1 (CT) Since the day the Bill on Office for Reparations was tabled in the Parliament of Sri Lanka, many concerns have been raised in relation to those who are entitled to seek relief under the statutory provisions that have been brought about in obtaining compensation. The conceptual history goes back to the time when the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) unveiled its report based on the 26-year long civil war that existed in the country. more..

Nov 1 (DN) SL Women cricket team captain Chamari Atapattu said that rankings didn�t matter in T20 cricket and that she was confident that they can make an impact in the ICC Women�s World T20 tournament in the West Indies from Nov 9-25. SL Women are drawn in Group A with England, West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh. �We have four matches in the first round and all matches were with very tough teams. more..

Nov 1 (CT) I had made a vow to avoid Sri Lankan politics in this column, after I received a stinging rebuke from one Dinesh Ranawaka, who accused me of exploiting my white male privilege in Sri Lanka. Ironically, he was commenting on an article in which I criticized western interference in Sri Lanka. After that, I confined myself to writing about UK and US politics. I had planned to write this week about Russian involvement in the vote that took the UK out of the EU. more..

Nov 1 (Island) The Sirisena-Rajapaksa govt claimed, immediately after sacking PM Ranil Wickremesinghe, that many UNP MPs were falling over themselves to back it. The SLPP/UPFA leaders boasted that they were equal to the task of wresting control of Parliament, which was prorogued. But it has turned out to be no turkey shoot for the govt. There have been no mass defections from the UNP unlike in the past, and crossovers are coming in dribs and drabs. more..

Nov 1 (Island) Sprint sensation Aruna Dharshana stamped his class with a dazzling performance as he clocked his personal best to win the men�s 400 metres on the final day of the 55th Army Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Wednesday. The former Weera Keppetipola National School, Akuramboda athlete reaffirmed his position as the genuine contender to Sugath Thilakaratne�s more..

Nov 1 (CI) A sickening blow to the head to Pathum Nissanka overshadowed the final day of England's warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Board side. Thankfully the player appears to have avoided serious injury, but play still was suspended for around 20 minutes after he was struck on the crown of his helmet by a fierce pull shot from Jos Buttler. The initial response to the incident was amusement - the ball ballooned into the air and was caught by Angelo Mathews at leg slip to end Buttler's more..

Nov 1 (FT) Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, a senior officer of SL Foreign Service, assumed duties as the Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday, having being appointed to the position by President Maithripala Sirisena. The new Foreign Secretary Aryasinha was warmly received by his colleagues this morning upon arrival at the Ministry. Ambassador Aryasinha was previously Additional Secretary/ Economic Affairs and Trade in the Foreign Ministry since April 2018. more..

Nov 1 (CT) Chief of the Public Service United Nurses Union (PSUNU), Ven. Muruttetuwe Ananda Thera called for an urgent General Election. It is the only way to establish a two thirds majority in Parliament, he said. He observed that Parliament should be dissolved without further delay. A Parliamentary Election would give the opportunity for ousted Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and the newly appointed PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to show who had the 2/3rds majority in Parliament more..

Nov 1 (Island) In the middle of the sensational events of the past few days, the sacking of one prime minister and the appointment of another, the multiple press conferences being held by the rival camps, the shooting incident at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, the petroleum strike, and the crossovers and counter crossovers taking place, one event that went almost unnoticed was the reduction of the former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe�s (RW) security detail from around 1,000 to just ten. more..

Nov 1 (DM) The International Community, mainly the Western Countries, was worried that their agenda in Sri Lanka was no longer operative and therefore, kept interfering in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera said. Thera said the Int'l Community shed more tears than the people of SL over the change of premiership. �The interference of Western Countries is so vast that we wonder whether the Prez, PM and more..

Nov 1 (DN) The appointment of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister and Finance Minister (FM) is being hailed by chambers which believe it would have a positive impact to the ailing economy. President National Chamber of Commerce, Sujeeva Samaraweera said that Mahinda Rajapaksa is a very experienced political leader. He knows and understands the needs and the problems faced of both the private sector as well as the common man and hence can balance both ends. more..

Nov 1 (PMD) A meeting between Prez Sirisena and the SLFP electoral organizers was held at the President�s House, today (31). During this meeting, the Prez apprised the organizers regarding the current political situation of the country as well as about the reasons which led to form the new govt. All the SLFP organizers pledged to extend their fullest support to the future activities of the new govt. Furthermore, they assured to actively provide their assistance for the development programmes more..

Nov 1 (Island) The UN yesterday raised current political crisis with President Maithripala Sirisena as the UNP vowed to continue with its struggle against what former Deputy Minister of National Policies and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva called a blatant violation of the Constitution by the President. Colombo-based UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer yesterday discussed the political developments with Prez Sirisena more..

Nov 1 (FT) Minister in charge of Irrigation Water Resources and Disaster Management, Duminda Dissanayake, addressing the dignitaries at the launch event expressed his thoughts on the effective management of water quality and availability being a priority of this Govt. The Minister spoke of sustainable water resource management becoming a crucial factor for the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka that faces seasonal variation and competition among water users. more..

Nov 1 (Island) President of Catholic Bishops� Conference Rt. Rev. Dr. Winston Fernando, SSS, Bishop of Badulla and Secretary General Rt. Rev. Dr. Valence Mendis, Bishop of Chilaw has expressed concern over the prevailing political situation in the country. He has issued following statement: Catholic Bishops� Conference is deeply concerned about the prevailing situation in the country. Everyone should keep in mind that if there is instability in SL, it is the people who suffer. more..

Nov 1 (AD) Prime Minister�s Secretary S. Amarasekara says that a complaint has been lodged with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over several persons threatening and assaulting state officials who had entered the Temple Trees premises today (31). He stated that several officials who had served at Temple Trees had been transferred and that when they had arrived at Temple Tree to hand over their equipment more..

Nov 1 (DM) The management of the newly opened Colombo City Centre (CCC) had launched an investigation into a complaint made by women of being groped inside a horror house Zombie Run, CEO Anand Sundaram said in a statement. �We have ceased operations of the event with immediate effect,� he said in a statement posted on CCC Facebook Account. He said that strict action would be taken against those responsible. �Soon after I heard about this complaint, I have personally more..

Nov 1 (DN) Former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera said that the Speaker doesn�t have power to convene Parliament, when it stands prorogued by the President. He said that the Speaker doesn�t have power to summon Parliament for an earlier date than the date fixed in the Proclamation proroguing Parliament. Perera added President Maithripala Sirisena has issued a Gazette Notification proroguing Parliament and the Speaker doesn�t have the power to summon more..

Nov 1 (CT) President Maithripala Sirisena has said that he would neither let the North and East to be merged nor allow the country to be a federal state. He told the SLFP electoral organizers who met him in Colombo that he would have to be killed to get those two done. President has told the organizers that some groups had been adamant about the merger of the North and East and the formation of a federal state. more..

Nov 1 (FT) United Nations last week celebrated its 73rd anniversary, marking the founding of its Charter which enshrines the UN�s commitment to the people of the world on Human Rights, Peace and Security, and Development. Over the past 63 years of partnership with Sri Lanka, this commitment remains strong, as the UN continues to work closely with its people to achieve the country�s priorities. The 2030 agenda, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals means that everyone, more..

Nov 1 (CT) Nearly half of the foreign direct investment (FDI) received by SL during the first-half of this year came from the lease of the Hambantota Port to Hambantota Int'l Port Group (Pvt) Ltd. SL received nearly US$ 682 million from the above project, amounting to 50.4% of the total FDI received up to end June this year. In 2017, govt pointed out that the country managed to attract more than US$ 1.9 billion worth of FDI, which mainly came from several large projects during previous regime more..

Nov 1 (AP) United States weighed in Wednesday on a political crisis that has engulfed the Indian Ocean island nation of Sri Lanka since the president abruptly fired the PM and replaced him with an authoritarian former leader who has been accused of serious human rights abuses. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said, �It�s up to the parliament to decide who the PM is.� That follows SL president�s sacking last week more..

Nov 1 (DM) It is reported that SLPP national organizer Basil Rajapaksa held a special discussion with SLFP national organizer Duminda Dissanyake today (31). The duo had discussed at length the issues that had arisen between the two parties and how they could be sorted out. Mr. Dissanayake reportedly told Mr. Rajapaksa that he was concerned about the problems facing the SLFP and its members after the new govt came in. Mr. Dissanayake had said that he would extend more..

Nov 1 (CT) The previous Govt, which was responsible for postponing the PCs Elections, is now crying out loud for democracy, said newly appointed PM, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He was addressing the media yesterday for the first time, after assuming duties as the PM and Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs. The official term for six PCs has come to an end during the tenure of the former Govt and now Govt administrative officers dictate the affairs of the PCs, he said. more..

Nov 1 (NR) Leader of the UNP, Ranil Wickremesinghe rejected reports of a possible involvement by a foreign diplomatic mission, behind the present political turmoil in the country. UNP Leader said he has seen no evidence to back such a claim. He said several posts in relation to foreign involvement in local politics have been circulated through social media sites, however noted that such posts must be backed by evidence. more..

Nov 1 (NR) The JVP protest rally, demanding President Maithripala Sirisena to reconvene Parliament immediately and to restore democracy in the country, commenced in Nugegoda at 3pm. JVP MP Nalinda Jayatissa said a number of politicians, civil organisation representatives and artists have joined the rally. He claimed the rally is also attended by leaders of the JVP, trade union representatives and intellectuals. The MP noted the rally was organised against the political crisis in SL more..

Nov 1 (AD) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Sri Lanka Cricket, Piyal Dissanayake, who was arrested for alleged financial fraud, has been further remanded until Nov 15 by the Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court. The bail application filed by the attorney representing the SLC�s CFO was rejected by the court, which ordered to further remand him until Nov 15. When the case was taken up today, CID requested the court to issue the necessary directives allowing scrutiny of several bank more..

Nov 1 (FT) From the beginning, the Yahapalanaya Govt faced serious financial problems, which they claimed were due to loans obtained by the previous Govt, with payments becoming due after ending of grace periods. Today, the depreciation of the rupee against the dollar has increased problems, pushing the Govt into a serious crisis. The depreciation of the rupee is due to the country�s failure to earn sufficient foreign exchange to meet imports and settle foreign loan instalments. more..