Sep 28 (EN) Most schools, shops and businesses in many parts of the North and East remained closed today in protest against the authorities� refusal to allow remembrance ceremonies for those who died in these areas during the separatist war. Leader of the ITAK former MP Mavai Senathirajah said that the people of the North and East are demanding a basic Human Right to mourn their dead. �The police have filed action against a number of people who tried to remember their dead,� Senathirajah said. more..

Sep 28 (AD) The SLFP has appointed a 10-member committee to study the proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution draft bill and submit recommendations to the party. SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara, issuing a release, said that after the recommendations of the committee are taken into consideration, the SLFP will present its ideas and proposals to the committee appointed by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. 10-member committee appointed by the SLFP includes: more..

Sep 28 (EN) Moody�s Investors Service has downgraded Sri Lanka�s sovereign rating two notches to Caa1, from B2, citing wide budget deficits, slow reforms and weak institutions. �Governance considerations are an important driver of today�s decision to downgrade the rating,� the rating agency said. �Moody�s assessment of SL�s institutions and governance strength primarily relate to the slow pace of reform implementation, more..

Sep 29 (GV) The proposed 20th Amendment has several major defects. One of its key faults is that its sponsors and framers have chosen a very wrong approach to constitution making. There are several reasons why this approach is wrong. The first is the refusal to learn constructive lessons from the past constitutional reform experiments. The lessons that seem to have been learned are all the wrong ones. The second is that the framers of the 20A are not animated by the larger democratic interests more..

Sep 29 (GV) Concern is growing, at home and internationally, about increasing unwillingness among leaders � especially the president � to accept checks on the power exercised over the people of SL. �I am troubled that the new Govt is swiftly reneging on its commitments to the UNHRC,� said United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. Rejecting worldwide human rights and democratic norms, including ways to hold the state accountable, will affect more..

Sep 29 (TM) With authorities focusing heavily on managing traffic congestion, The Sunday Morning looked at some of the new plans in the pipeline, such as the park-and-ride system project, and also the economic cost of uncontrolled vehicular traffic in the city. On Monday (21), the authorities brought into force the bus priority lane system while also establishing specific instructions for three-wheelers and motorbikes. more..

Sep 29 (ST) Brilliant! Just brilliant! I would have missed the whole episode had it not been for the picture of the monkeys. There they were, about six of them seated on a rock as if in conference. Okay it may not have looked like an ancient convecticle as in the days of Socrates. But then it did not resemble a cabinet meeting either. The numbers were not enough. And the monkeys did not seem to be chattering away either. They appeared to be strangely silent. So I read on, more..

Sep 29 (TM) An electric bicycle designed and manufactured in Sri Lanka, a first for the island, Rhoda AT (All Terrain) is a bicycle range that�s designed to promote the cycling habit in the country while also functioning as a solution for Sri Lanka�s increasingly congested and polluted streets by switching to an emission-free mode of transportation. Described as SL�s first electric mobility company, Rhoda AT launched their new product at an event held last Thur at Hatch, more..

Sep 29 (CT) Lakshitha Madushan from Weligama SC took the major honours by winning both the Arugambay edition and overall National title with 3,000 points at the Surfing Open/National C'ship series finale held in Arugambay over the weekend. Exciting finals were held throughout yesterday - which incidentally also marked World Tourism Day. Arugambay tourism-based economy which faced a catastrophe more..

Sep 29 (DM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been stressing the need to improve the efficiency in the public sector from the day he was sworn in his office in November last year, while even paying unannounced visits to public institutions to see for himself the situation. However, going by the same advice and sharp rebukes by him to the public offices for the past ten months, point that the state machinery is not moving as he, and, in fact the country would have wanted to. more..

Sep 29 (DM) The political and intelligence bungle leading up to the Easter Sunday Attacks is one of its kind of miscarriages of national duty. Much of that oversight is public knowledge, but not all of that is officially chronicled. Now the bits and bytes are being revealed before a PCoI. Last week, former IGP Pujith Jayasundara made an explosive revelation before the commission. He said Abdul Jameel Mohammed, one of the suicide bombers, had met with an intelligence agentup more..

Sep 29 (Island) It is only right that most of the MPs do not deserve police protection. The police are overstretched with 38,000 of its 84,000 personnel providing security to VIPs, according to Minister of Irrigation and State Minister of Interior Security Chamal Rajapaksa. There are no security threats to most politicians, who consider themselves VIPs, and police protection only helps boost their egos. There are others such as judges who need special security. High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya more..

Sep 29 (ST) One of the myths perpetuated about the executive presidency introduced by the 1978 Constitution was the argument that it was advantageous to the minorities as it enabled them to influence the outcome of the presidential election as the whole country was considered one electorate. The argument was that since any aspirant to the office of the executive presidency would need the votes of the minorities their safety, security and wellbeing would be assured. more..

Sep 29 (Island) When the SL Army�s 55th Road Race concluded at Panagoda on Saturday, distance runners from 3 different regiments crossed the finish line to clinch the first 3 medals. Although they were from different units and regiments, they represented one particular camp. Quite conspicuously the joy of winning was something these champions had not enjoyed at national school level. more..

Sep 29 (CT) Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Jayampathy Molligoda said on Friday that three things spurred the current level of high prices that SL tea enjoys in the world market today. Speaking at the 126th AGM of the Colombo Tea Traders� Association (CTTA), he said that they were (a) The automation of the over 100 year old Colombo Tea auctions, (b) Drought which has impacted tea production in both India and SL, (c) Tea attributed as being a health beverage, globally. more..

Sep 29 (DN) Minister Namal Rajapaksa has come forward to give a high performance centre for the SL Volleyball Federation and their players. The Volleyball House is a dream for SLVB and the players and this is a much needed premises for their training. Agreement to give the new Volleyball House was signed between SLVB Secretary A.S Nalaka and Sports Director General Amal Edirisooriya at the National Youth Services Centre Maharagama last Saturday during Prez�s Gold Cup tournament. more..

Sep 29 (DM) Commenting on the recent severe criticism by Prof A.H. Sheriffdeen on the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) staff over their failure to promptly treat a 10-year-old boy with a ruptured appendix, Paediatric Surgeons collective at LRH said the events that had taken place were misrepresented by the professor. Recently, in a letter addressed to the President of the College of Surgeons of SL renowned retired Professor more..

Sep 29 (TM) 25 Sept 2020 was a day to remember in Colombo�s foodscape, when the much-hyped MOB restaurant opened its doors to the public. Unique in Colombo�s burgeoning food sphere, Mass of Bees or MOB, as it is popularly known, intends to stand out both as a result of its cuisine as well as its one-of-a-kind theme. The brainchild of A.A. Lakshman Silva, who, along with Priyanthi Abeyweera and business magnate Dasun Wickramarathna, conceptualised the idea of more..

Sep 29 (ST) Fencing in Sri Lanka has grown from an amateur sport within a short span of 12 years to build up a community of clubs and schools which are engaged in one of the oldest Olympic disciplines. �Our aim is to target a medal in the 2024 Asian Fencing Championship and qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games,� declared Ajith Siyambalapitiya buoyed by the success at the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) in Kathmandu where the 24-member Sri Lanka team (12 men and 12 women) more..

Sep 29 (FT) In a bid to commend exporters and the resilience shown by them during an unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Export Development Board (EDB) of the Ministry of Trade has proposed an export stimulus reward scheme from 1 Oct to 31 March next year. The proposed Export Development Reward Scheme (EDRS) of the EDB was presented by Trade Minister, to the Export Development Council of Ministers� (EDCM) more..

Sep 29 (TM) United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) ITPO Tokyo hosted a webinar on �Investment Opportunities in Export Processing Zones in Sri Lanka� with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Japan recently, supported by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). UNIDO ITPO Tokyo Head Yuko Yasunaga commenced the programme, creating a positive sentiment towards the investment environment in Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 29 (FT) On top of discussions for a $ 400 million swap facility, Sri Lanka will also look at ways to reduce a significant trade deficit with India, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal said. Addressing the press to make clarifications about the virtual bilateral summit between PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and Indian PM Narendra Modi on Saturday, Cabraal said it was brought to the Indian PM�s attention that there was a deficit in the balance of trade between two countries that should be addressed at some point. more..

Sep 29 (FT) Prez Rajapaksa has amended the Gazette of the Subjects and Functions assigned to Ministers and State Ministers and brought the National Priority Program under the Presidential Secretariat. In the earlier Gazette issued on 9 Aug, the National Priority Program was not listed under any particular institute but in a new Gazette dated 25 Sept on the assignment of Subjects and Functions and Departments, State Corporations and more..

Sep 29 (FT) Bringing the attention of the world to SL once again, Port City Colombo was given the title of a Global Best Project by international engineering and construction news magazine Engineering News-Record (ENR) at their eighth Annual Global Best Projects competition. With a record number of submissions entering the competition this year, Port City Colombo was evaluated against a diverse mix of projects from around the world, and takes a prominent place on list of 30 winning projects more..

Sep 29 (Island) LOLC Holdings PLC has been listed among 100 honourees for 2020 among a list of esteemed global organisations at the annual CIO 100 Awards. It is the first time that a SL company has been bestowed with the CIO 100 Award. Meanwhile, Conrad Dias, LOLC�s former Group Chief Information Officer and current CEO of LOLC Finance PLC and Director LOLC Holdings PLC was selected as one of the 11 CIO Hall of Fame inductees for 2020 out of a pool of global more..

Sep 29 (FT) Finance Ministry said Moody�s had made an unfair and ill-timed downgrade and the Govt would outline its policies in the upcoming Budget as well as remain fully committed to meeting all debt repayments. Ministry said it was disappointed by the rating downgrade by Moody�s Investors Service and the recent release of an erroneous analysis by an int'l investment bank expressing concerns about SL�s economic and financial strength and more..

Sep 29 (DM) Worker remittances to Sri Lanka rose in August, continuing its ascent for the fourth month in a row, alleviating fears that the key foreign exchange income to the country will leave a deeper hole adding to the external pressures triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Remittance income from SL migrant workers in August was at US$ 664.5 million, recording nearly 30% increase from the same month last year. Worker remittances to SL were recorded at US$ 518.2 mil in Aug 2019. more..

Sep 29 (DN) Police had obtained a Court order for 14-days banning all protests and hartals in the North and East in commemoration of any LTTE member. Northern Province Senior DIG Sanjeewa Dharmaratne said that despite the Hartal staged yesterday, all govt departments and establishments were open yesterday and despite a reduction in the number of private busses, SLTB busses had operated as usual. However, he said that some of the schools had closed early due to more..

Sep 29 (FT) Moody�s Investors Service yesterday downgraded Sri Lanka�s long-term foreign currency issuer and senior unsecured ratings to Caa1 from B2 and changed the Outlook to Stable, raising concerns on the country�s debt affordability, high Budget deficits and limited room for reforms. Issuing a statement the international rating agency said this concluded the review for downgrade initiated on 17 April 2020. more..

Sep 29 (Island) 5-year-old boy, Akram Riskhan, who was lost following the 2004 tsunami, was reunited with his mother Abusalih Kamaliya yesterday at the age 21, at Maligaikadu, Karaitivu. Kamaliya, a hospital employee, was at work when the Boxing Day tsunami struck. Her house was destroyed and there was no hope of her only child surviving. But one of her neighbours had told her that he had seen her son in a hospital. She searched for her precious child. �I complained to the Police & HRC, more..

Sep 29 (DM) Ceylon Chamber of Commerce will be organising the 20th SL Economic Summit (SLES) on 1st and 2nd of December 2020 at the Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo. This will be the 20th consecutive year the chamber is organising the country�s foremost economic event. The theme of the Summit is Roadmap for Take-Off: Driving a People-Centric Economic Revival. The two-day event will bring together key policymakers, business leaders as well as the input of top international thought more..

Sep 29 (CT) Instead of circulars, these days, what Prez Rajapaksa says is becoming a circular, JVP Member Sunil Handunnetti said. He said the 20th Amendment completely weakens the appointment of the Auditor General and the audit process and deprives Parliament of its financial control. �20th Amendment abolishes the independence of Parliament to appoint the AG and deprives the Parliament of its powers, more..

Sep 29 (Island) Former non-cabinet minister of yahapalana govt Sujeewa Senasinghe announced that he would quit politics. He had also stepped down as the SJB Deputy Secretary, Senasinghe said. He said that he intended to focus on his business in the future and that he would commence work on his PhD from Jan 2021. He unsuccessfully contested the Aug 5 general election from the Colombo district on SJB ticket. He unsuccessfully contested the Aug 5 general election from more..

Sep 29 (Island) Petitions filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the proposed 20th Amendment, will be called before a five-judge bench today. These petitions have said that people�s approval at a referendum as well as a two-thirds majority in Parliament will be needed to enact the Bill. All the petitions have basically said that the Bill has a section, which says a dual citizen can contest to enter the Parliament and run for President threatened national security. more..

Sep 29 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa explores the possibility of assigning the larger percentage of supply of school and security forces uniform material to local industrialists. Prez emphasizes that it is imperative to commence the production of standard and high quality textiles immediately. Prez made these comments following his inspection visit to Dankotuwa Textile Mill, Dankotuwa, Vanguard Industrial, Kandana and Creative Textile Mill, more..

Sep 29 (DM) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will only support a move to rectify shortcomings of the Provincial Council (PC) system but would not approve an abolition of the 13th Amendment, one of the party�s MPs said yesterday. The SJB announced it at a press conference yesterday, a couple of days after Indian PM Narendra Modi called for the implementation of the 13th Amendment. The Indian leader stressed it at a virtual meeting he had with PM Mahinda Rajapaksa last Saturday. more..

Sep 29 (DM) The govt appears to have initiated legislative action to declare 18 as the legal marriage age for all the ethnic groups according to three private member�s bills announced in the gazette notification. Ruling party MP Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon has worked out these three pieces of legislation as private members' bills. The bill titled Marriage Registration (Amendment) has sought to amend the Marriage Registration Ordinance declaring 18 as the legal age of marriage more..

Sep 29 (CT) Former Commandant of the STF, Senior DIG M.R. Latheef was informed about the intelligence on the possibility of a terror attack, both in writing and over the phone, said former IGP Pujith Jayasundera. He added though SDIG Latheef had testified before the Commission, saying that he had not been informed of the Intelligence information over the phone, this however was not correct. more..

Sep 29 (FT) Whilst things may seem normal to some businesses, anyone who is associated with the tourism sector knows that things are rough. Even the five star hotels that have local visitors during the weekend are running at a loss in a given month. The industries associated with the hospitality sector like the vehicle hires business, beach boys, jewellery outlets are currently been impacted. The business of the restaurants in the city are down by almost half given the economic fallout. more..