Oct 9 (IPS) Rice is the dietary staple and the major domestic crop cultivated in SL since ancient times. Therefore, the production and availability of rice are closely tied to food security as well as political stability in the country. Every govt since independence has given prominence to the goal of achieving self-sufficiency in rice. Accordingly, a significant amount of resources are allocated for the supply of irrigation water, land development, research on technological improvements, more..

Oct 9 (FT) It is common knowledge that Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero was used by successive govts to preach hatred towards Muslims and incite violence to suit their destructive political agendas. He emerged from nowhere and was present everywhere when attacks on Muslims took place. These include Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga Town to Teldeniya, Kandy, Ampara and many other places. In many ways he remains the Sri Lankan counterpart of Myanmar�s more..

Oct 9 (Island) Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa said last week that the future of the country is in jeopardy since the entire student body is kept away from school owing to the govt�s lack of sensitivity in managing the problems of education. Premadasa said the situation is not at all satisfactory with many children unable access the online system that has been active during the pandemic period not receiving a balanced education. Making a special statement in Parliament on Thursday, more..

Oct 9 (DM) In response to controversy surrounding organic fertilizer samples imported from China, the Chinese embassy in Colombo said both the Chinese company and the SL authorities should cooperate on the principles of respecting science and facts and the spirit of contract with the view to resolving this issue promptly, and address differences through dialogue in good faith for the mutual benefits of more..

Oct 9 (EN) Sri Lanka�s gross official reserves fell to US$ 2,581.3 billion in Sept 2021, from US$ 3,543.5 billion in July official data showed, amid continued liquidity injections. SL�s gross forex reserves were US$ 7.05 billion in July 2021 when inflationary policy (liquidity injections began) and the central bank lost its ability to collect forex reserves. Policy deteriorated dramatically from around Feb 2020 as Treasury bill yields started to rise and taxes were cut in Dec 2019. more..

Oct 9 (AD) Total number of people, who fell victim to COVID-19 infection in Sri Lanka, moved up as 29 more fatalities were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services on Friday (8). The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in the country to 13,296. Latest victims include 18 males and 11 females. 23 deaths were reported among elderly people aged above 60 years. In addition, 6 people aged between 30-59 years have also succumbed to virus infection. more..

Oct 9 (AD) The prices of imported powdered milk will be increased with effect from today, the Milk Powder Importers� Association announced. Thereby, 1 kilogram of milk powder will be increased by Rs. 250.00 while the price of 400 grams is expected to go up by Rs. 100.00. Following the revision in prices, 1 kilogram of milk powder will be sold at Rs. 1,195.00 and the price of 400 grams of the product will be at Rs. 480.00. more..

Oct 9 (FT) Digital signatures have been in use in SL since 2009, however, due to the outbreak of the pandemic and travel restrictions, signing documents physically has been found to be challenging. Hence, the requirement for digital signatures among many segments of the community has soared in the recent past. In view of raising awareness about digital signatures among the country�s banking fraternity, the ICT Agency of SL (ICTA), with the support of the Ministry of Technology, LankaClear together more..

Oct 9 (TM) Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harin Fernando has released a video on social media after his heart surgery. Fernando was taken in for a heart surgery on the 01st of October, which was performed by renowned Cardiac surgeon Dr Gotabaya Ranasinghe at a private hospital in Colombo. The video shows Fernando being taken in for surgery and how he spent time after the surgery in recovery. Fernando took to the video to thank all those who wished him a speedy recovery. more..

Oct 9 (DM) Last week the Court of Appeal issued an interim order preventing the Director General of the Wildlife Conservation Dept from granting permission for wild elephants to be registered under private owners. Move, celebrated by environmental activists came following a recent govt regulation seeking to register wild and captive elephants to be officially documented under private owners, whom activists say are racketeers. more..

Oct 9 (CT) Informed sources revealed that no less than 20 medicinal items that are recommended to treat diseases such as cancer, HIVAIDS, kidney ailments and various skin diseases were currently out of stock at State Hospitals. Among the drugs that are scarce in these hospitals have been identified as Procarbazine Capsules (50mg), Propylthiouracil Tablet (50mg), Cytarbine (100mg), Bevacizumab and Asparaginase. This paper reported previously that a drug known as Toslizumab, more..

Oct 9 (Island) The Opposition may have expected the govt to defend Thirukumar Nadesan and his wife Nirupama Rajapaksa openly over the Pandora Papers revelations and get into a bigger political mess in the process. But the latter chose to act intelligently, for once. It ordered a probe�not out of any genuine desire to ascertain the truth and institute legal action against anyone but in what appears to be a bid to deflect criticism. An otherwise lethargic CIABOC has swung into action. more..

Oct 9 (DN) The Attorney General on Thursday (7) requested the Court of Appeal to dismiss, without hearing the Writ Petition filed by former Southern Province (SP) Rajitha Keerthi Tennakoon against the appointment of former Finance State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal as the Governor of the Central Bank, stating it has been filed without any basis. Additional Solicitor General Nerin Pulle, appearing for the Attorney General made more..

Oct 9 (Hindu) An idea of forming a body � Tamil Nadu-SL Powerloom Federation � was mooted by Deputy High Commissioner D. Venkateshwaran recently to bolster the fabric industry in both countries. Making this suggestion at an event organised by the SL Deputy High Commission and Tamil Nadu Powerlooms Federation in Chennai on Wednesday, Mr. Venkateshwaran told the gathering that tremendous trade and investment opportunities were available in SL which would be more..

Oct 9 (Island) The application window remains open for students who wish to study in the UK, under the UK government�s prestigious Chevening Scholarship programme. Applications should be submitted via www.chevening.org/apply before 2 November. Chevening Scholarships are awarded to individuals from all backgrounds who can demonstrate that they have the commitment and skills to create positive change, and can show how a UK master�s degree will help them do that. more..

Oct 10 (CT) There is no reason, except Cabinet and Ministerial mismanagement, govt meddling and political corruption, why the electricity supply sector is a mess in Mother Lanka but successful in, say Taiwan. But then the same is true of these two economies almost in every way. Lanka�s population is 22 million and Taiwan�s 26 million, our land area of 65 thousand sq. km is quite a bit larger than Taiwan�s 36 thousand and both countries lack significant deposits of oil, gas or mineral more..

Oct 10 (CT) Among SL�s largely idealistic middle-class, there is an almost Panglossian belief in the necessity of political reforms. These reforms are, more often than not, framed in terms of constitutional rights, duties, checks, and balances. This is the rhetoric of term limits, small govt, and separation of powers: the idea that a country�s State will function best if its powers are clipped. Once its powers are reduced, so the logic goes, people will be able to do as they want, more..

Oct 10 (SO) India�s National Investigation Agency (NIA) last Tuesday arrested a former LTTE intel operative on charges of playing a crucial role in reviving the defunct outfit. In this backdrop, the Sunday Observer spoke to Prof. Rohan Gunaratna who continues to study developments with the LTTE. He believes the terror group is much active in the international front, although it was decimated militarily in Sri Lanka in 2009. more..

Oct 10 (ST) As the country continues to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Opposition this week attacked the Govt�s claims that it was the COVID-19 pandemic that had plunged the country into the current economic crisis, arguing that the Govt�s wrong economic policies and corruption also played a part. Whilst it is undeniable that the COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected the country�s economy, the Opposition argued on Friday, during the debate on the Mid-Year Fiscal Position Report more..

Oct 10 (TM) It was last Sunday that the Pandora Papers first saw the light of day, unmasking a complex and shady parallel global financial system that essentially feeds off and thrives on the world�s super-rich. If the Panama Papers of 2016 are anything to go by, it appears that this shadowy financial system that includes tax havens in various parts of the world continues to grow despite regular exposure of its clients, enabling the world�s super-rich � which not only includes individuals more..

Oct 10 (SO) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said that the Govt should conduct an investigation into the transactions if they had taken place from 2005 to 2015 revealed in the Pandora Papers. State Minister said that, however, it is unfair if the Opposition attempts to put the blame on the Rajapaksa administration regarding the transactions that had occurred from 1990 to 2000. However, it is worthwhile for the Govt to more..

Oct 10 (ST) The Pandora Papers now riveting folks across the globe with its exposures of the shadowy world of sleaze, kickbacks, shell companies, tax avoidance and offshore accounts seems to have drawn its name from the Greek myth and the once famous Pentagon Papers and the more recent Panama Papers. The sequel to those revelations followed by the likes of Wikileaks etc., have titillated the world, but not changed it. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists more..

Oct 10 (SO) The SL Army, which celebrates its 72nd anniversary today under the dynamic leadership of Commander General Shavendra Silva, has turned out to be a multifaceted force in peacetime. Of course, its biggest achievement is still the massive victory it gained in the mission against terror in 2009, with the ample support of the Navy, Air Force, STF/Police and the CDF. Many Armies around the world are still learning from that experience, as only a few armies have defeated and eliminated more..

Oct 10 (ST) An organisation representing COVID-19-hit small and medium scale Enterprise (SME) sector has sought redress from courts to direct the CB to properly provide the govt�s relief package via banks and financial institutions. National Trade Protection Council representing SME sector has filed a writ petition at the Appeal Court against the Monetary Board of the CB. The Appeal Court has granted leave to proceed in the case on Sept 15 and it will be taken up for hearing tomorrow. more..

Oct 10 (SO) Why is the current frenzy in certain quarters focusing allegedly on the true perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks, such a disservice to the cause of fighting just the kind of terrorism that took place on the day of the Easter carnage? It�s because those seeing terrorism as a fruit salad of causative factors do not know the first thing about how so called Islamic fundamentalist terrorism operates. The so-called Islamist radical terrorists are not Wahhabis for instance, despite more..

Oct 10 (Island) SL has certainly reached a time of universal glory. The Pandora Papers have given us what our political, business, art and sports or any other leaders have failed to give us since independence, or even before that. Let us not forget that Nirupama Rajapaksa and Thirukumar Nadesan have given us the warmth of association with global personalities such as Russia�s Vladimir Putin, UK�s Tony Blair, Uhuru Kenyatta, more..

Oct 10 (ST) With several seniors missing from the SL national team�having being dropped, retired, or making themselves unavailable�the selectors are hoping their young guns will grab the opportunities coming their way. Except for sporadic performances, however, there�s no great sign of a competitive team in the making�at least, for now. Many of the batters average in the mid-20s in the T20 format and strike the ball a little over 100. SL�s biggest worry is, therefore, their batting as they approach more..

Oct 10 (Island) The year was 1979. West Indies during those stop-over tours to SL before the country had gained Test status were playing a game in Galle. Sylvester Clarke, the fearsome fast bowler from Barbados floored SL opener Bandula Warnapura with a vicious bouncer. Bandula is a fighter. He was unconscious for six hours. Then he recovered and two years later went onto become the nation�s first Test captain. Life has punched a cruel blow to him right now. more..

Oct 10 (ST) SL swimmers, after multiple stop-start training and a hiatus since 2020 in local events, are in for more suffocation as selections have been ruled out, but are forced to field a team, aiming at their only second international competition since the pandemic broke in 2020. President of SL Aquatic Sports Union (SLASU) said the ball is now in the selection and technical committee�s court and they will have to more..

Oct 10 (SO) As many as 22 cricketers making up what is being touted as the second string team from which they aspire to represent Sri Lanka in Tests and ODIs, will be on show in a home series against Pakistan A this month captained by former St. Joseph�s College wicket-keeper batsman Sadeera Samarawickrema who will have much to prove after being in and out of the senior team. Making up the SL A team, they will play 2 four-day matches and 3 one-day matches in Pallekele & Dambulla. more..

Oct 10 (ST) The plea comes from none other than the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOC) itself, someone who has a ringside view of what takes place in our national sports arena. Very often, these are grand statements befitting special occasions and no further. All well-meaning chants are made and quickly forgotten or shabbily administered, so much so that all energies are dissipated even before the destined events come to pass. more..

Oct 10 (ST) Prez Rajapaksa has told a special cabinet meeting on Thursday that special fertiliser can be brought down for use in the tea sector although this is not a reversal of the ban on chemical fertiliser application. During the special cabinet meeting, Plantation Minister Ramesh Pathirana had stated that the tea industry is in dire need of stocks of fertiliser required for use on the plantation and explained that this is a key foreign exchange earner to the country, a ministerial source said. more..

Oct 10 (ST) My dear Niru and Thiru, Why would I write to anyone else but you this week when you are the talk of the town? Thiru, we had heard of you only in passing every now and then. Niru, we thought you quietly faded from the political scene a few years ago and that we had heard the last of you, but you are back with a bang! I know that what you have become famous for is not the most laudable accolade but I thought I should still congratulate you. I don�t think anyone from our country has more..

Oct 10 (NR) A defiant 74-run unbroken sixth wicket partnership between Bhanuka Rajapakse and Chamika Karunaratne steered SL to safety, to bring the team to a comfortable 5-wicket win over Oman in the second and final T20 match at the Al Amerat ground yesterday. Fighting to defend 158, Oman seemed to get under the tourists� skin by reducing them to 89 for 5 from a dominating 87 for 2 in the space of six deliveries. more..

Oct 10 (TOO) SL and Oman ODI cricket match began ahead of T20 World Cup with the commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. SL and Omani national cricket teams played their first ever ODI cricket ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on Oct 7, 2021 at Al Amerat cricket ground in Muscat to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between SL and Oman which coincidentally falls this year. more..

Oct 10 (ST) President�s Office has directed state institutions to shift from the manual to digital mode by using electronic communications in sharing documents and records for official purposes. Issuing a circular to ministries, state ministries, govt departments, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and corporations, Presidential Secretary P.B. Jayasundera noted several institutions had taken steps in recent past in this regard including the use of electronic signatures for internal use. more..