Nov 22 (AD) The Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill 2022 was passed in Parliament today (22) by a majority of 93 votes. Announcing the results of the division taken following the conclusion of the Second Reading debate, the Speaker said that 153 MPs had voted in favour and 60 had voted against. Ministers and MPs representing the SLPP and other allied parties of the govt had voted in favour while opposition parties more..

Nov 22 (CT) Before spending a colossal amount to construct and carpet roads, Govt should do something to ensure that people in the country have three square meals a day, SLPP MP Geetha Kumarasinghe said in Parliament. Participating in the debate on Appropriation Bill 2022, she said poor people in the country were suffering so much at the moment and could only afford one meal a day. �I am not saying that we should not construct and renovate roads islandwide. more..

Nov 22 (AD) Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev will visit Sri Lanka on Monday for consultations on security issues, the press service of the Security Council�s office said. �On November 22, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev will visit Sri Lanka,� the press service said. �Patrushev will hold Russia-Sri Lanka consultations on security issues,� the press service added. In June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his SL counterpart, more..

Nov 22 (CI) West Indies worked themselves back into the game in the first two sessions, taking SL's last seven wickets for 105. But then they gave up all the ground they had gained in the evening, losing six wickets for 54 runs. Essentially, what this means, is that despite Roston Chase's five-wicket haul, West Indies are 273 runs behind SL, with only four wickets remaining. They bat deep, but the pitch is already taking more..

Nov 22 (DM) Price of a lunch packet and a cup of plain tea will be increased with effect from tomorrow in the wake of the increasing prices of vegetables and related essentials, All Island Canteen Owners Association (AICOA) Head Asela Sampath said today. The decision was taken to protect the canteen owners, hotel industry and consumers as the price of essential goods have increased manifolds. Accordingly, the prices starting from vegetable rice up to fried rice will be increased by Rs.20. more..

Nov 22 (Island) SJB lawmaker Mujibur Rahuman says the Director General Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena owed an explanation as to how Football Sri Lanka (FSL) recently conducted the inaugural quadrangular invitation soccer tournament, at the Race Course grounds with the participation of over 2,000 spectators, in violation of Covid-19 guidelines. Colombo District MP Rahuman asked whether the DGHS felt that mega events, organised by the govt, wouldn�t pose a threat, more..

Nov 22 (AD) There is no change in govt policy. President Rajapaksa stressed that the country�s agriculture policy is only for a green agriculture that focuses on the sole use of organic fertilizers. Prez said that the govt will only distribute organic fertilizer and provide subsidies only for organic farming. The farmers should be properly educated. It is also vital to identify the chemical fertilizer mafia that exists when implementing this. more..

Nov 22 (CT) Foreign direct financial aid has been spent on four projects without informing the External Resources Department (ERD) of the General Treasury, the Committee On Public Account (COPA) disclosed. The revelation came as officials of the Ministry of Environment were summoned by the Committee on Public Accounts to examine the Auditor General�s report for the financial years 2017, 2018 and 2019 and their current performance. It was identified that 3 projects worth USD 9.96 m more..

Nov 22 (AD) Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 31 coronavirus related deaths for Nov 21, increasing the death toll in the country due to the virus pandemic to 14,158. The deaths confirmed today includes 21 males and 10 females while one of the victims is below the age of 30 years. Seven are between the ages 30-59 years while the remaining 23 are aged 60 and above. Meanwhile the Ministry of Health has reported that another 538 persons have tested positive more..

Nov 22 (TM) Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya, the Women�s Wing of the SJB, yesterday demanded an apology from SLPP MP Tissa Kuttiarachchi, claiming he indirectly sexually harassed a female MP, whilst Kuttiarachchi responded by saying such claims are only a result of vulgar minds. SJB member Hirunika Premachandra said: �As the SJB, and especially as women, we cannot take Tissa Kuttiarachchi�s statement lightly. more..

Nov 22 (CT) According to the Environment Ministry, more than 105 million quarter bottles of liquor were consumed in 2018, with 100% of the empties being disposed into the environment. Ministry is taking measures to ban quarter bottles in the near future. He said 105,532,169 bottles were disposed in 2018 and posed a huge environmental threat, a spokesman said. He said these bottles were not being disposed of properly, while manufacturing companies too have not found a method to more..

Nov 22 (EN) Porters of Pettah, known locally as nattamis have withdrawn from all labour demanding a fee hike that reflects the rising cost of living, media reports said. The Nattami Union at the Pettah market organised the strike, according to reports, asking for increased compensation for loading and unloading goods by 15 rupees per load. �With expenses increasing we can�t work at this rate now,� one nattami told a private TV station. �Even a cup of plain (black) tea costs about 20-25 rupees,� more..

Nov 22 (TM) SL has seen many police raids, where millions of rupees worth of drugs are seized. These drugs are then moved to a secure place with the Police Narcotics Bureau who then destroys the drugs in front of the magistrates courtroom. SSP Nihal Thalduwa said that this only applies to small quantities of drugs. �Seized drugs are always destroyed in front of magistrates courtroom, so there are witnesses. more..

Nov 22 (DM) Airport and Aviation Services (SL) (Pte) Ltd (AASL) requests passengers to complete their online Health Declaration Form before landing in order to ease their health check at the airport. They said both foreign and local passengers who wish to visit the country should fill out the form to obtain the QR code. The Online COVID-19 Health Declaration System has been introduced at the BIA with the initial step of moving to touch-free and paperless boarding technology. more..

Nov 22 (EN) Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera has proposed that cars with less than three passengers should be banned from roads to save imported fuel as money printed to keep interest rates low amid a soaring budget deficit created foreign exchange shortages. �If a car is put to the road, a law should be brought that a minimum of three to four passengers should be in the car,� he told reporters. �At the moment there is a situation where one person is going in a car. more..

Nov 22 (TM) Reinforcing a warning issued last week, SL Govt Officers� Trade Union Association (SLGOTUA) has said that nearly one million public servants will be engaged in an islandwide strike action on 29 Nov, if there is no positive response from the Govt to their request to increase the salaries of public servants as a remedy to the rising cost of living. SLGOTUA Secretary Gamini Hettiarachchi said: more..

Nov 22 (CT) A national policy should be adopted to evaluate the progress of the budgetary allocations to promote credibility and quality in governance, SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana said in Parliament. Participating in the debate on the Appropriation Bill 2022, Pathirana pointed out that Sri Lanka, as a nation, has failed to implement a National Evaluation Policy throughout history, even though many countries in the world had such policies to ensure credibility and the success of governance. more..

Nov 22 (DM) CID has been informed to conduct an impartial inquiry into whether any financial irregularity had taken place when importing Nano nitrogen liquid fertilizer from India, State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa said today. He told Parliament that importing of nano liquid fertilizer was done with the recommendation and supervision of the Director General of Agriculture Dept through legitimate procurement process. Raising a privilege issue, Minister said SJB MP Rohini more..

Nov 23 (DM) There seems to be a huge issue in the process of decision-making by the govt, given the reversal of previous decisions one after one. The govt had issued several gazette notifications on assigning control prices for rice and sugar, and all of which have by now been withdrawn, leaving the traders to have a field day. Now, the prices of those items together with those of all other food items including the locally grown vegetable are skyrocketing. more..

Nov 23 (DM) The annual budget for year 2022 presented in parliament on Nov 12, by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was wholly condemned at its second reading by Dr, Harsha de Silva MP based on his economic learning. Young �social activists� were also making fun out of the budget presentation on social media promoting their anti-Rajapaksa memes. They apart, there are mixed and critical observations in Colombo middle-class circles as with all budgets adopted in the past. more..

Nov 23 (DM) Daily Mirror discussed the current economic situation of the country with the CB Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. Q: It is no secret that the country�s economy is in very bad shape and the people are in a constant struggle to make ends meet. Under this extremely precarious situation what relief can the people expect from the budget 2022? A: What you say is that the tragic situation as well as the challenging situation more..

Nov 23 (CT) After nearly one year of protest by Indian farmers against free market reforms in Indian agriculture, and with 660 deaths in the course of it, mainly due to extreme heat and cold, PM Narendra Modi has backed down, withdrawn the reforms and apologized to the farming community. This was a political move indeed to win that community�s votes in the most populous Uttar Pradesh state. In contrast, Prez Rajapaksa is churning the farming community here with his idealistic more..

Nov 23 (ST) Speaking on Basil Rajapaksa�s maiden budget, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said the finance minister had done something that nobody else has done. That is indeed true. But I seriously doubt Minister Gunawardena and I were on the same wave length, so to speak. I too thought that the fourth Rajapaksa sibling to be in the Cabinet has �done something� which even the record-breaking finance minister Ronnie de Mel who presented 10 consecutive budgets, had not done. more..

Nov 23 (TM) Amidst opinions for and against the ongoing Covid-19 management efforts, SL is moving forward with the vaccination programme. Last week, the health authorities commenced administering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as the booster dose for those who are 60 years or older and are residing in several parts of the country, and this was, after the commencement of the administering of the same for more..

Nov 23 (TM) No other system in SL has come under fire for incompetence, egoism, and dishonesty as much as the country�s political system. Changing this situation is an overused election promise that remains valid even today, and the people are ready to take the initiative to change it. Last week, for the first time in Sri Lanka, a citizen challenged the constitutionality of the Cabinet of Ministers. The petitioner, engineer Kapila Renuka Perera of the Professionals� National Front, more..

Nov 23 (Island) Natural forests provide a variety of services that include forest products of utility value, water regulation, biodiversity and soil conservation, climate amelioration and a range of socio-cultural benefits to forest-dependent people. In good governance of natural resources such as that of forests, transparency and inclusiveness in ecosystem management planning, monitoring, and equitable sharing of benefits are safeguarded. Increased pressure on natural forest more..

Nov 23 (GV) It was a horrifying and sickening case. A 15 year old child was groomed online and sexually abused by dozens of men including a local govt politician, a Buddhist monk, a Navy medical officer and a former Maldivian Deputy Minister. The case highlighted how the rapid advancement in information and communication technologies has provided online offenders with more avenues and sophisticated means to exploit children. Online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) includes more..

Nov 23 (Island) SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), one of the best and most popular non-state higher education institutions in this country, is in the news these days. It was established in 1998, with support from the Mahapola Trust Fund and its current status has been challenged by the COPE of the Parliament of SL. Mahapola Trust Fund (MTF) was established by the late Minister Lalith Athulathmudali in 1981 to grant scholarships for needy undergraduates more..

Nov 23 (FT) The $ 750 million worth local fabric and accessory manufacturers have expressed serious concern over the Central Bank (CBSL) requiring apparel exporters to pay in local currency for supplies from the industry. The fabric and apparel manufacturers are considered deemed exporters for their contribution in saving foreign exchange via local production of inputs to the $ 5 billion apparel industry. more..

Nov 23 (Island) Sri Lanka Police seem to think whistle-blowing amounts to an offence which is as serious as murder when it hurts political windbags in power. Otherwise, the Murder Investigation Unit of the CID would not have summoned and interrogated ex-Director General of the CAA Thushan Gunawardena, who exposed the Sathosa garlic scam. He was interrogated for six hours, we are told. CID says it acted on a complaint made by Minister Bandula Gunawardena. more..

Nov 23 (CT) Six Meet records were shattered as Artillery Regiment and Army Women�s Corp �A� team shone at the 57th Army Athletics Championship Relay Carnival held at Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Asian Championship finalist quarter miler Nadeesha Ramanayaka and Asian Junior record holder Aruna Darshana were the stars of the day. Nadeesha anchored four relays to the Gold medal, while Aruna shone in both the 4x200 and Medley relay events. more..

Nov 23 (FT) Headline inflation as per the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) in October has risen to 8.3% as against 6.2% in Sept. According to Wealth Trust Securities the October inflation reflects a 47-month high. Core inflation, which reflects the underlying inflation by excluding volatile items of food, energy and transport groups in the economy as measured by the YOY change based on NCPI for the month of Oct 2021, more..

Nov 23 (Island) Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, who is also the Chairman of the Parliament Select Committee for electoral reforms, has pointed out to the committee that there are many concerns raised by people and political parties on issues pertaining to unfair media coverage during the times of elections. The ministers has said so while attending a recent meeting of the PSC to Identify Appropriate Reforms of the election laws and the electoral system and to recommend necessary more..

Nov 23 (DN) The England under 19 cricket team arrived yesterday (22) to play 5 Youth ODI series against Sri Lanka under 19 team and this series mainly will focus on preparation for the forthcoming World Under 19 World Cup held in West Indies. The five ODI series is scheduled to be played at SSC grounds starting first unofficial ODI from November 30 followed by four matches on December 3,5,8 and 10. All matches and practice sessions will be conducted in a bio-secure environment. more..

Nov 23 (TM) SJB MP Eran Wickramaratne said that although 52% of the population in our country comprises women, their labour force participation is a mere 35%. He said it is thus imperative that favourable conditions need to be created to increase their contribution, but that the Budget has not addressed this issue. �Today, more than 50% of the graduates from our universities are women. At the same time, women are the ones who mostly get through competitive exams for higher posts more..

Nov 23 (FT) Capping off a year of record-breaking, export-led growth, both Lanka Monthly Digest�s (LMD) Top 100 and Business Today Top 40 ranked Hayleys PLC as SL�s No. 1 corporate for 2020-21. This marks the fifth consecutive year and eighth occasion in total that Hayleys has been honoured with the top spot within the LMD 100. Considered SL�s version of the Fortune 500, the No. 1 ranking endorses the Group�s sustained position as one of the nation�s most dynamic, innovative and more..

Nov 23 (ST) Controversy surrounds a sudden change in the vaccination protocol recommended by the Health Ministry�s NACCDs, the Sunday Times learns. This arose as top health officials warned of spikes in COVID-19 infections in several areas. The Director-General of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena stated this week that five clusters were mushrooming in Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Anuradhapura and Ampara. more..