Nov 20 (FT) Colombo stock market suffered one of the sharpest dips in nine months, partly due to profit taking and anomaly in illiquid but heavyweights whilst turnover remained high. The All Share Price Index plunged by 3.3% or 366 points whilst the more active S&P SL20 gained 22 points or 0.6%. Turnover was Rs. 9.4 billion involving 322 million shares. During the week, the ASPI lost 0.07% whilst the S&P SL20 gained 1.62% and more..

Nov 20 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 detections rose to 555,204 with 745 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. The patients detected yesterday were from the New Year cluster. On Thursday, 737 patients were detected from the New Year cluster. The cluster has a patient count of 450,353. The Peliyagoda cluster has 82,785 cases, the Prisons cluster has 9,053 cases, and the Divulapitiya cluster has 3,059 cases. SL�s imported cases include 6,967 Lankans, 328 foreigners. more..

Nov 20 (Island) The current administration had very little popular support, TNA leader, R. Sampanthan said yesterday. He said that the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration had enjoyed considerable support among the Sinhala Buddhists, who, too, were now fed with the govt. Sampanthan said that within two years the govt had become extremely unpopular. He added that the govt was extremely stubborn and didn�t listen to anyone. �Any govt can face protests and union action. more..

Nov 20 (Island) Byproducts of the Sapugaskanda oil refinery such as furnace oil, jet fuel, kerosene and naphtha are vital for many SL industries and its shutdown will have a devastating impact on various sectors, FSP Education Secretary, Pubudu Jayagoda says. He said Minister Udaya Gammanpila had stated that importing refined petrol and diesel was much more economical than purchasing crude oil. more..

Nov 20 (EN) With a majority of the population vaccinated and the administration of a booster dose already under way, the govt of SL has done everything it can to contain the COVID-19 epidemic, and the rest is up to the public, health minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. �We have done everything we can do as a govt. So far over 75% of the total population have received both doses of a vaccine. Only three or four countries in the world have reached that level,� he said. more..

Nov 20 (Island) SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament yesterday that he did not deem the raid conducted at the Directorate of Military Intelligence safe house at Millennium City, Athurugiriya illegal. It was wrong for a senior army officer to keep weapons there at the time and that incident had been used by some parties against the then govt, Field Marshal Fonseka said. He said army intelligence operatives had never been deployed in long range reconnaissance patrols. more..

Nov 20 (Island) SLFP leader and former President Maithripala Sirisena, MP, has warned the SLPP-led govt that the support of coalition members shouldn�t be taken for granted. Sirisena has warned of consequences of the SLPP�s current attitude towards its constituent partners, which he said, could even break it up. The former Prez issued the warning less than a week after the presentation of Budget 2022. more..

Nov 20 (FT) Carl Sagan nails it with harrowing, unforgettable clarity: �One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we�ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We�re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It�s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we�ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.� Here is an example of more..

Nov 20 (FT) At last, Governor of Central Bank and his team of experts have come to realise the truth that excess money supply, either through printing currency or reducing interest rates, in the name of providing adequate liquidity to maintain aggregate demand in times of economic depression, has only a limited use. In general terms, the traditional tools of monetary policy have lost their bite long ago, when money itself has undergone a revolution in identity. With the onset of globalisation, more..

Nov 20 (SLN) A special operation conducted by the Navy at the Shanthipuram beach in Mannar today led to the seizure of an illegally stored 7990 Water Gel sticks, a type of commercial explosive, weighing about 998.750 Kg. The Navy also nabbed 02 suspects at the location in connection to the incident. The Navy has been conducting regular operations in the coastal areas of the island to prevent smuggling activities. In a similar operation, a special team of naval personnel attached to more..

Nov 20 (AD) Using antibiotics without a medical prescription to recover from novel coronavirus infection can pose serious health problems, the SL College of Microbiologists warned. Antibiotic resistance due to the unnecessary and excessive use of antibiotics is now developing into a global health crisis. According to President of SL College of Microbiologists, Consultant Clinical Microbiologist Dr. Geethika Patabendige, a large number of people are using antibiotics to control virus infection, more..

Nov 20 (DM) The Govt should take over unclaimed Malwana mansion, money disclosed by Pandora Papers and money defrauded through airbus deal just as the Finance Minister proposed to transfer Rs. 8.5 billion earned by Perpetual Treasuries Limited in CB Bond scam to the Treasury, NPP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. He told Parliament that the proposal to take over PTL funds was praiseworthy and that if more..

Nov 20 (AD) SL today commenced rolling out the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for fully vaccinated immunocompromised and highly vulnerable comorbid individuals aged 20 years and above. In a communiqu� issued by the Director-General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena yesterday, it was noted that selected categories are eligible for prioritization for the third dose of COVID-19 vaccination: � Immunocompromised patients due to disease or treatment; Patients with more..

Nov 20 (ST) SL Press Institute (SLPI) Director General�s Kumar Lopez�s annual report for 2021 states that the SLPI has been able to engage with journalists on several platforms, including on operational health safety in pandemic reportage and professional security-related capacity-building programmes, ensuring their commitment to freedom of expression and free media, a news release states. SLPI also launched a fact-checking unit, along with a research team to complement more..

Nov 20 (DM) An explosion has taken place at a building at Cinnamon Gardens on Reid Avenue, Colombo 7, SSP Nihal Thalduwa said. The explosion took place inside the hotel premises owned by McDonald's, the fast food company, located on the ground floor of the old Race Course building. It is suspected that the explosion might have been due to a gas leak and the Colombo Municipal Council Fire Brigade and more..

Nov 20 (ST) Resistance could grow to the move to relocate the Welikada prison complex to Millewa in Horana, if communities and local organisations are not given proper information about the project, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has warned. Most community members and even local level agency officers were not fully aware of the proposed project, its components and possible impacts, said the EIA report, which is now available for public comment. Community leaders and more..

Nov 20 (PMD) The second commemoration ceremony of late PM D.M. Jayaratne was held today (20) under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa at the Ambuluwawa Biodiversity Complex, Gampola. Prez who arrived for the commemoration ceremony paid homage to the Ambuluwawa Bo tree and later visited the Biodiversity Complex. Prez Rajapaksa also unveiled the D.M. Jayaratne Statue and paid floral tributes to it. Mr. D.M.Jayaratne started his political career from more..

Nov 20 (Metro) A woman who died in a burning house along with her children made a last desperate phone call to her husband before the line went dead. The woman�s shouts of �fire, fire� down the phone prompted her husband Yogan to sprint to the blazing house in south east London, relatives have revealed. Around 40 London Fire Brigade (LFB) firefighters in six engines and officers from the Metropolitan Police also rushed more..

Nov 20 (TM) According to Sarvodaya Development Finance (SDF), its Initial Public Offering (IPO) price of Rs. 22 per share represents a �significant� discount of around 30% in terms of price to earnings ratio (PER) and 47% in terms of price to book value (PBV), in comparison to the valuations of its broader peer group within the diversified financial sector. These assertions were made at its virtual investor forum held on 17 Nov. SDF will be categorised under the diversified financials sector more..

Nov 20 (DM) A common opposition alliance will be in place next year as there will be a political turnaround, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene said yesterday. Sri Lanka will face more problems in the future with the shutting down of Sapugaskanda refinery. Mr. wijewardene who was speaking to party activists in Moneragala District said a grand opposition alliance comprising UNP, SJB and other political parties will come into place next year. more..

Nov 20 (FT) The Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka in collaboration with United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) this week launched a policy paper on the digital economy of Sri Lanka at a virtual event. The paper, titled Digital Economy of Sri Lanka: National Goals and Lessons from the South, will facilitate benchmarking SL against the digital economy of China. more..

Nov 20 (NR) The Presidential Secretariat has issued a statement refuting claims by SLPP MP Chandima Weerakkody in Parliament yesterday pertaining to the use of vehicles by officials of the Presidential Secretariat. The statement by the Presidential Secretariat said MP Weerakkody�s statement in Parliament yesterday was inaccurate and baseless. MP Weerakkody speaking in Parliament yesterday said the vehicles of the Presidential Secretariat were being misused by officials. more..

Nov 20 (NR) The JVP says temporarily suspending operations of the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery will lead to many issues in the future. Politburo member of the JVP Former Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti speaking at an event in Gampaha said importing crude oil is cheaper opposed to importing refined fuel. He said theft, corruption, wastage, and fraud that exists from head to toe in govt officials will not help in solving the country�s issues adding it is a major concern. more..

Nov 20 (CT) A Fundamental Rights (FR) Petition was filed before the Supreme Court on Friday, seeking an Interim Order staying the Cabinet of Ministers from continuing to function in their portfolios, on the basis that the total number of Cabinet Ministers has exceeded the mandatory requirement contained in the Constitution. The Petition was filed, by the President of the Association of Information Technology Professionals SL (AITP), Kapila Renuka Perera, stating more..

Nov 20 (AD) The Director-General of Health Services has confirmed another 22 coronavirus-related deaths for November 19, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus to 14,108. According to the figures released by the Govt. Information Department, the deaths reported today include 13 males and 09 female patients. Five of the victims are between the ages of 30-59 years and another is aged below 30 years. The remaining 16 are in the age group of 60 years and above. more..

Nov 20 (TM) SL is facing the biggest economic challenge it has ever faced in the history of the nation, which is the lack of foreign exchange, according to Minister Udaya Gammanpila. He made this statement while speaking in Parliament a short while ago today. �SL is currently facing the worst economic challenge we have ever faced in the history of the nation. One of the challenges we are facing is the lack of foreign exchange. more..

Nov 20 (ST) Environment Minister has amended the 2007 gazette titled Lake Gregory Environmental Protection Area to include cable car projects as a permitted activity. �Construction, Operation and maintenance of Cable Car Project from Nanu Oya to Nuwara Eliya, shall not have adverse impact on the Environmental Protection Area,� the amendment states. This clears a hurdle in the way of the Govt going ahead with the proposed Euro 52mn initiative which was approved by Cabinet under more..

Nov 20 (CT) The value of nearly 1.7 million acres of land, owned by the Land Reforms Commission (LRC), has been recorded as Rs 676 million, thus the value of one acre is Rs 500, Parliament watchdog, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) noted. COPE Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath instructed the Chairman of the LRC to take necessary action within six months to rectify the problem. Prof. Herath pointed out the extent of lands acquired by the LRC established under more..

Nov 20 (TM) CEB Engineers� Union (CEBEU), in a letter addressed to the CEB management, has threatened trade union (TU) action over the sudden transfer of CEB Additional General Manager (AGM) � Transmission Eng. G.J. Aluthge, a key figure in making decisions with regard to the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the country, including in matters pertaining to the recent controversial agreement with US-based more..

Nov 20 (TM) The wheat flour supply for bakery products is down by 25%, according to All Ceylon Bakery Owners� Association President M.K. Jayawardena. Jayawardena said that Christmas and New Year shoppers are likely to face disappointment as shops and supermarkets across the country will not be able to stockpile bakery and confectionery products for the festive seasons due to a looming shortage of raw materials in the supply chain. �Wheat flour is not the only problem we face. more..

Nov 20 (CT) Yala 2021 harvest of other field crops (OFCs) will see a 46.1% (111,307 MT) to 352,751 MT over Yala 2020, Agriculture Department�s final 2021 Yala forecast data released on Monday (15) showed. The survey which captured 12 OFCs, envisaged production to increase in eight of those crops and in respect of the other four to see a decline, ieYala 2021 over Yala 2020. The four crops which are envisaged to suffer declines are maize down 1.24% (568 MT) to 45,185 MT, more..

Nov 20 (TM) Minister Mahinda Amaraweera assured on Wednesday that the UDA will only take over swamps in the Muthurajawela Conservation Zone, and that no houses or private residential lands will be affected by the UDA. �We have held four rounds of discussions in Parliament in this regard, under my patronage. Only the surrounding swamps will be taken over by the UDA. Apart from that, more..

Nov 20 (DM) The Govt Analyst has confirmed that a gas leak has caused the explosion at a building in Cinnamon Gardens on Reid Avenue, Colombo 7 this morning, SSP Nihal Thalduwa said. Govt Analyst has determined that the explosion was not caused by any explosive material. Moreover, he said the duo who sustained minor injuries due to the explosion were discharged from the hospital. The explosion took place inside the hotel premises, owned by McDonald's, the fast food company, more..

Nov 20 (TM) State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle urged all parties, including school administrations and parents, to act responsibly to ensure the continuation of educational activities in schools islandwide amidst the pandemic situation. She said that school principals and teachers should be vigilant, adding that if there are students with symptoms such as fever, cold, or cough, such students should be handed over to their parents. In addition, parents should keep students with more..

Nov 21 (CT) Some three or four of Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s recent pronouncements do not align with the tenor of his previous actions after assuming office. I will come to that anon but first let�s ask whether this is because events in Sudan and Burma have put coup prospects in hot water all over the world. The very survival of these two regimes is in doubt. Mass uprisings in Khartoum are intensifying; Al Jazeera commentators say the military will have a hard time retaining power. more..

Nov 21 (ST) Talk of selling the family silver! The Govt has now proposed to lease out as many as 50 properties to foreign and local investors. The irony, however, is that there are hardly any takers. Interest has been sluggish. UDA has been tasked with the sale at an upcoming investor forum at the Water�s Edge resort in Greater Colombo to let local businesses know what�s available. Foreign interest has been low, especially for lands in the Colombo Municipality area, which is business district. more..

Nov 21 (ST) �For seventy years we have had deficit budgets except for one or two years. My fundamental question is if a private company ran 70 years like this, it would have got bankrupt, not even in the books as a company but this country has survived. Does it mean it is a sustainable fiscal path? No,� said none other than the President�s Secretary P. B. Jayasundara, speaking at an event this week on the National Budget 2022. more..