Sep 21 (ST) Sometimes it is hard to believe that not even six years ago the late Venerable Sobitha Thera had given fiery voice to the war cry Down with the Executive Presidency, and had stirred, inspired and galvanised the people into battle to bring down Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa from his presidential throne and drag his draconian 18th Amendment to the dust. And today, it is even harder to believe that it is these same people who had so overwhelmingly voted this year not only to restore executive presidency more..

Sep 21 (GV) The 20th Amendment to the Constitution Bill (20A) has been published. If I were to describe it in one sentence the 20th Amendment seeks to take the country backwards to the 2010-2015 period. The only features introduced by the 19th Amendment that would survive if the 20th Amendment is passed in its present form would be the five year terms of the President and Parliament, the Presidential term limit and the fundamental right to access of information (RTI). more..

Sep 21 (CT) State Minister Rtd. Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara spoke on various matters related to the 13th Amendment, 19th Amendment and 20th Amendment. He said the 13A was forced on the Govt and he is currently studying the need for the 13A. �I am trying to find out whether the 13A is good for us and whether the Provincial Councils are beneficial to the public or not. If it is useful, then I would propose it to the Govt more..

Sep 21 (TM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s insistence on sticking with the gazetted version of the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution has opened up an array of interesting possibilities across the political divide. The President�s hardline stance, despite the growing divergent views emanating from within his own camp, has led to a sense of d�j� vu. It is a scenario all too familiar for this country, which for all intents and purposes, has been there and done that, many times before. more..

Sep 21 (CT) More news of environmental degradation has been reported in the past couple of days with experts suggesting that close to three acres of forested land in Sri Lanka have been cleared each day for the last two months. Chain saws and bulldozers don�t discriminate region; from mangroves to tropical rainforest, the victims have been diverse. Sri Lanka�s greenery constitutes our heritage in its purest form and we are quickly losing this most precious inheritance. more..

Sep 21 (GV) At the ceremonial opening of our first Parliament on 4th February, 1948 Mr. S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike addressed the nation with these words: �It is true that no people can live on memories alone. It is equally true that history often provides a source of strength and inspiration to guide them in the future. It is only against the background of the past that the present and the future can be viewed in their correct perspective.� New political ideology of thinking out of the more..

Sep 21 (DM) On Sept 16, media reports revealed that UN investigators had emphatically stated govt of Venezuela committed egrarious (outstandingly bad or shocking in normal parlance) Crimes Against Humanity. In a damning report quoted by the BBC, UN investigators said that cases of killings, torture, violence and disappearances were investigated in a fact-finding mission for the UNHRC. UN team identified Venezuelan Prez Nicholas Maduro and other top officials as being implicated. more..

Sep 21 (GV) Think of it as the Rajapaksa fairy tale. Mother Lanka is captured by the messy and wobbly monster called Democracy. Rajapaksa brothers and sons rescue her by slaying the Democracy monster with the magic sword called 20th Amendment. Then they all live happily ever after. If anyone is still confused about the why and what of the 20th Amendment, they should muse on the words of Namal Rajapaksa. more..

Sep 21 (FT) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal will engage with Foreign Institutional Investors (FII�s) today via a virtual event hosted by CT CLSA Securities and CITIC CLSA. The event has generated good interest with participants registered from all major financial hubs in Asia, Europe and the US. They represent some of the largest Global and Frontier asset managers with exposure to Sri Lankan equities, dollar sovereign bonds and rupee denominated govt securities. more..

Sep 21 (FT) Raddella Holdings on Friday kicked off work on SL�s first biotech insulin manufacturing plant at Koggala Export Processing Zone involving a Rs. 3.5 billion investment. The operation of the new plant will involve a joint venture between Premium International Injectable Company, a subsidiary of Raddella Holdings and State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation (SPMC). All new products manufactured as a result of this venture will be done under the SPMC brand name, more..

Sep 21 (Island) All this unwanted fuss about the author or drafter of the 20A has led to Prez Rajapaksa making it clear he is the leader of the Govt and the Pohottuva. Let�s have no doubts about it anymore. Let�s stop asking about any role that the Justice Minister Ali Sabry or Law Pundit and Education Minister G.L. Peiris had in this. Five-member Cabinet Committee appointed by PM Rajapaksa has also been pushed aside. more..

Sep 21 (TM) Planters� Association of Ceylon (PA) has expressed its intention to establish a sustainable wage model to create an entrepreneurial mindset among plantation workers. �By sustainability, we mean nothing less than a radical shift in the way that wages are paid in order to provide significantly stronger incentives and create an entrepreneurial mindset among workers. Such an alternative model must be linked to productivity in a similar manner to what has been implemented and operating more..

Sep 21 (EN) Sunil Poholiyadde the immediate past president of the SL�s Planters� Association which represents over 20 large publicly traded commercial farming companies has outlined the challenges and trends in the sector. Excerpts from his speech at the Annual General Meeting of the PA are reproduced here. This has been the first time an AGM of this association which has been conducted in this format due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected not only us but whole world at large. more..

Sep 21 (FT) BOI says agreements to the value of $ 1.5 billion have been approved in the first nine months of this year from the 2020 targeted figure of $ 2-2.5 billion. BOI Director General Sanjaya Mohottala said of the value approved include new investments and expansions of the ongoing projects. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has severely dented the world economy, achievement of $ 1.5 b in new investments was noteworthy. more..

Sep 21 (CT) ESOFT Metro Campus has introduced a unique learning paradigm in Sri Lanka, the ESOFT Premier Learning Centre located at the One Galle Face Mall. The mix of retail shops, service providers, cafes and restaurants, cinema and apartment and hotel complex draws in a unique customer base. The Premier Learning Centre gives the flexibility of choosing schedules for face to face coaching and mentoring, in a more comfortable environment than a normal classroom. more..

Sep 21 (ST) International Day of University Sport (IDUS) proclaimed by UNESCO will be celebrated for the first time today at the University of Kelaniya. It has been organised by the SL Universities Sports Association (SLUSA), who have lined up several activities from 8.30am to 3.00pm. The chief guest at the event will be Senior Prof Janitha A. Liyanage, Vice Chairperson, UGC. The Guest of Honour will be Senior Prof Nilanthi de Silva, Vice Chancellor, University of Kelaniya. more..

Sep 21 (AD) A one-and-a-half-month-old infant was killed and two others were rescued after a five-storey building collapsed on to another building at Buwelikada in Kandy this morning. Police said search operations are underway to find the parents of the baby believed to be trapped under the debris. Five persons were at the building at the time of the incident and three individuals including the baby were rescued more..

Sep 21 (FT) Senior business leader Hussein Cassim passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 95. His remains will leave residence, at No. 14, Sulaiman Avenue, Off Jawatte Road, Col 5 to the Jawatte Muslim Burial Grounds at 3 p.m. today. Among many achievements in and contribution to SL includes attracting Singapore tycoon S.P. Tao in 1990 to build the World Trade Centre via Overseas Realty (Ceylon) Limited, the Board of which he has served since 1991. more..

Sep 21 (CT) Spinner Akila Dananjaya�s one year ban due to a suspect bowling action ended last Saturday. However, before he can resume bowling he has to go through another test to determine whether his remodeled action meets with the specified standards. Even though Dananjaya is ready, due to Covid-19 a test hasn�t been scheduled yet, and Akila as well as SLC await a date and venue from ICC. Akila was called for a suspect bowling action in Dec 2018 for the first time. more..

Sep 21 (CT) A Rs 40 billion high-profile scanning project at the Colombo Port has been placed in limbo owing to internal and external protests and bureaucratic red tape, a topmost official said. The scanning project, which was completed some six months ago with US assistance, cannot be put into operation owing to the protests launched largely by truck drivers, who claim that radiation from the machines is a serious health hazard, more..

Sep 21 (TM) Sri Lanka Tourism and Vocational Training Authority (VTA) signed an agreement last week to train drivers involved in the tourism industry which will enable training programmes to be conducted islandwide to tourist drivers to enhance their skills and get suitable employment opportunities both locally and overseas since tourist drivers play a pivotal role in contributing to the tourism industry in transporting tourists, ensuring their safety and comfort. more..

Sep 21 (FT) Ambassador of Arab Republic of Egypt in Colombo Hussein El Saharty paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena last week for a cordial discussion on matters of mutual interest. Ambassador El Saharty congratulated Gunawardena on assuming his position and handed over the original greeting letter addressed to him by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. He also praised the positions and efforts exerted by the new Sri Lankan leadership and Govt, more..

Sep 21 (DM) Former President Maithripala Sirisena denied the statement made by former Defense Secretary Hemasiri Fernando-regarding Former Prez- to the PCoI into the 2019 Easter Sunday Attack. Former Prez�s Private Secretary Sameera De Silva said in a statement that the allegations made by Fernando regarding former Prez Sirisena at the above Commission were completely untrue & malicious. more..

Sep 21 (TM) The present turmeric shortage in SL will continue for another 3 months, according to Dept of Export Agriculture (DEA). DEA Director General Dr. A.P. Heenkenda said the shortage would last until the massive harvest scheduled to arrive in the market next January. The country�s turmeric demand is 7,500 MT while the local production has been around 1,500 MT. Currently, the importation of turmeric is banned as a result of the Covid-19 import restrictions put forward by the Govt. more..

Sep 21 (CT) Sri Lanka�s total vehicle registrations significantly came down in August to 17,493 units from the previous month�s 28,572. According to the monthly vehicle registration commentary, the slowdown was across the board and he expect registrations to further slowdown in September due to inventory depletions. The import bans are not applicable to agriculture, service and construction- related vehicles, which explains a slightly different trend in these categories. more..

Sep 21 (Island) Former Chief Justice, Mohan Pieris, is mentioned as likely to be appointed as SL�s new Permanent Representative to the UN in New York. Ms. Kshenuka Senewiratne, the serving PR, who has been recalled to Colombo is expected to be back by mid-October. A career Foreign Service office, she turned 60-years in June. Foreign Ministry is retiring career diplomats at age 60 but political appointees beyond that age more..

Sep 21 (EN) The building that collapsed in Kandy killing an infant and two adults may not have been built according to specifications that are required for construction on steep slopes, officials say. Samantha Bogahapitiya from the National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) who is on the site of the collapsed structure said this was built in 2006 before strict regulations were introduced for such buildings in 2011. He said that they are probing the incident to find out what caused the collapse. more..

Sep 21 (DM) Resulting in Govt's decision to ban the import of motor vehicles and luxury goods from March 19, the local vehicle market has become unstable, Vehicle Importers Association of Sri Lanka (VIASL) President Indika Merinchige said. He said that vehicle prices in the local market had been increased. Accordingly, the prices of the second-hand vehicle market had been increased at a price range between Rs. 200,000 to 500,000 VIASL President said. more..

Sep 21 (FT) Nine media industry bodies in a statement have raised serious concerns over the proposed 20th Amendment. The associations are SL Press Institute, Newspaper Society of SL, The Editors� Guild of SL, Free Media Movement of SL, SL Working Journalists� Association, Federation of Media Employees� Trade Unions, SL Muslim Media Forum, Tamil Media Alliance and South Asia Free Media Association. more..

Sep 21 (DN) Election Commission (EC) has no legal authority to determine the date to hold the Provincial Council election, EC Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said. He was responding to a question posed by the media when he participated at the inaugural session and the training workshop of Southern Province Youth Provincial Council held at Management Development and Training Institute (Southern Province) at Wakwella, Galle on Sunday. �Many inquire from us about the date of PC election. more..

Sep 21 (DM) Volumes of people have gathered at the Colombo Int'l Book Fair (CIBF) despite concerns over the spread of COVID-19, according to organizers. The annual event organized by the Book Publishers Association for the 22nd consecutive year, is currently underway at the BMICH, under strict guidelines. With Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. onboard as media sponsors, CIBF is a major event in the public calendar. This year�s Book Fair however has attracted several criticisms more..

Sep 21 (AD) Archdiocese of Colombo, states that they rejects and condemns the statement made by MP Harin Fernando at the PCoI probing the 2019 Easter Attacks, regarding the Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. Signed by Rev. Dr. Maxwell Silva, Rev. Dr. Anton Rajith, and Rev. Dr. J.D. Anthony, the press release states that MP Fernando attempted to insinuate that the Cardinal was aware of impending attacks more..

Sep 21 (FT) Undeniably, one of the most attractive developments witnessed in the city of Colombo of late is the planned improvement of its parks and walking tracks. While the very popular Independence Square walking track is the star of the category, there are several other walks that were developed about the same time: Nawala, near the Parliament, Waters Edge, Bellanwila to name a few. These popular facilities have not only positively altered the appearance of what was once a derelict, war-scarred city, more..

Sep 21 (FT) Race and ethnicity are mixed with many dominating aspects of society including politics, economics and education. With the increasing diversity of racial and ethnic demography, the controversial racial and ethnic issues continue to increase as well. More detailed attention is paid and thoughtful political decisions are made in order to create peace and understanding among citizens and nations. However, to make successful decisions, close interest is paid by people to educate themselves about more..

Sep 21 (DM) Three suspects, including the mastermind, wanted over a major land grab racket that had been taking place for a long time in the Chilaw, Marawila and, the Mundalama areas, had been arrested by Chilaw Special Crimes Investigation Unit officers today. The Police said that the main suspect, who had used a forged ID and a title deed, had been arrested in Buthgampala in Dankotuwa, while the mastermind had been arrested in Morukkuliya in Dankotuwa, while he was with a woman. more..

Sep 21 (Island) Reproduced below are some excerpts from the speech made by CSE Chairman Dumith Fernando at the recent special bell ringing ceremony organized at the CSE under the patronage of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to mark the Digitalization of the SL Stock Market. The launch event which had been themed as Hyper-Leap to the future saw the participation of key policymakers and industry leaders of the country. �In this 35th year of operation of the Colombo Stock Exchange, more..

Sep 21 (FT) Let thousand flowers blossom was the catchy slogan of China�s leader Mao Tsetung in 1950s. His intention was to create a critical pool of youngsters in China so that they could take that country from poverty to prosperity. In the last two decades, however, people like Phil Knight (Nike), Steve Jobs (Apple), Bill Gates (Microsoft), and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook) have proved that a country does not need a thousand flowers to make an impact. more..

Sep 21 (DM) UNP is ready to join all progressive forces to defeat the efforts of the present govt to suppress democratic rights of the people through the 20th amendment, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said. He said his party condemns the effort made by the govt to politicise all institutions such as the judiciary, police, and the entire state sector. "History has borne witness to similar errors which were made in the past. It would be a historical error if the same mistake is made once again," more..