Sep 21 (EN) Sri Lanka�s central bank has bought 45.9 billion rupees of Treasury bills on Friday takings it total Treasury bills stock to 1330.3 billion rupees, official data shows, as foreign reserve losses continue amid non-market interest rates. Soft-pegged central banks lose foreign reserves when liquidity is injected to maintain a rigid interest rates structure as convertibility is provided to the new domestic currency which triggers imports after cascading credit. more..

Sep 21 (DM) The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary or the militarisation of the civil administration, General Secretary of the SLFP and the Batik, Handloom Fabric and Local Apparel Product State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara said. However, he admitted that the emergency regulations had contributed to control the COVID19 pandemic successfully. more..

Sep 21 (TM) Teachers� trade unions (TUs) have alleged that the Police are refusing to accept complaints of teachers who have been subjected to various pressures for supporting the ongoing teachers� and principals� trade union actions, demanding solutions to the issues in the education sector, including salary anomalies. Ceylon Teachers� Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe claimed that more..

Sep 21 (AD) A meeting between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, has taken plane in Manhattan, New York on Sunday (19), on the side lines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Recalling the close and friendly diplomatic relations between the two countries spanning for fifty years, the two leaders noted that these relations should be further strengthened, the PMD said in a press release. more..

Sep 21 (AD) Measures are being taken to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to this year�s Advanced Level examination candidates, Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardena says. Responding to a question raised by MP Champika during the parliamentary session this morning, the education minister said a decision in this regard has already been taken upon the directives of the President. The education and health ministries have initiated discussions on the matter, he added. more..

Sep 21 (AJ) Last month, at least 29 SL Tamils at a special refugee camp within a prison in southern India tried to take their own lives in protest against their detention. On August 18, 17 detainees at the Tiruchirappalli central prison in Tamil Nadu state tried to take their own lives using a number of methods. Two days later, 12 more detainees tried the same. No one died in the two incidents. Nearly 80 SL Tamils have been conducting a relay more..

Sep 21 (Island) 17-year-old Gimhani Perera of Lankan origin has won the Miss Teen International Botswana 2021 pageant held there on Sunday (19). The teen, representing her district Pilikwe, was crowned at the pageant. According to Gimhani�s father, Indika Perera, 14 finalists were chosen from 42 contestants who competed from the preliminary rounds. Winner, Gimhani Perera, announced that she would be representing Botswana in an international-level pageant to be held in India more..

Sep 21 (CT) Leader of TPA, MP Mano Ganesan, and SJB MP, Kavinda Jayawardena, who visited the A'pura Prison on 18 Sept said, the inmates detained under PTA had confided to them that former State Minister of Prison Management, Lohan Ratwatte, had entered the prison and threatened them at gunpoint and that he was under the influence of liquor. Ganesan said the inmates feared for their safety and said the prison officials were present to make sure that they were protected. more..

Sep 21 (EN) IMF will definitely have a role to play in SL�s post-Covid-19 economic recovery, but that will be after the authorities formulate the policy framework, Prez�s Secretary P B Jayasundera said. Speculations over Prez Rajapaksa�s administration going to the IMF are on the rise amid risk of sovereign debt default and possible collapse in the rupee currency. However, govt has denied that it was going to the global lender. more..

Sep 21 (AD) MP Rishad Bathiudeen, who had been arrested under the provisions of the PTA, has been further remanded until Oct 5 by the Colombo Fort Magistrate�s Court. This was when the case was taken today before Fort Magistrate Priyantha Liyanage. The former minister�s attorneys had previously requested the court to release their client on bail. Responding to the appeal, the officers of the CID informed the court today that due to the prevailing situation in the country, more..

Sep 21 (CT) Leaders of the SLPP�s constituent parties yesterday unanimously decided to hold discussions with both the President and the PM, in connection with the alleged handing over of 40% of the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant to a US firm, and a few other pertinent issues. Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, speaking to the Media, following a meeting of the constituent parties of the SLPP coalition, stated that they were not yet certain who had signed the controversial agreement more..

Sep 21 (CT) Singer Yohani Diloka de Silva, whose song Manike Mage Hithe reached over 100 million viewers across SL and the Indian subcontinent, will perform with her band in New Delhi and Hyderabad, sponsored by ZEE LIVE of the ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, one of the biggest and pioneer of the television entertainment industry in India. She and her nine-member band will be performing in Gurugram on 30 Sept and more..

Sep 21 (AD) An increase in the prices of a several items can be expected owing to the global market trends, says Lasantha Alagiyawanna, the State Minister of Co-operative Services, Marketing Development and Consumer Protection. He made these remarks speaking to the media in Fort after declaring open the new Q-Shop outlet of the State Trading (General) Corporation this morning. �We will have to increase the prices to a certain extent based on the price hikes in the global market.� more..

Sep 21 (Island) Private buses only operated for five months during the last 17 months, Lanka Private Bus Owners� Association (LPBOA) President Gemunu Wijeratne said. �Since March 2020, the transport sector has been seriously affected by COVID. Not only did buses operate for just 150 days, but only about 40% of private buses operated,� he said. Wijeratne said that there were about 20,000 private buses and 5,000 SLTB buses in the country. more..

Sep 21 (TM) New Fortress Energy Inc and Govt of SL jointly announced today that they have executed a definitive agreement for New Fortress� investment in West Coast Power Limited (WCP), the owner of the 310 MW Yugadanavi Power Plant based in Colombo, along with the rights to develop a new LNG Terminal off the coast of Colombo, a press release on the same noted. �As part of the transaction, more..

Sep 21 (EN) Opposition MP Manusha Nanayakkara being summoned to the CID with no clear explanation was a violation of his parliamentary privileges and may be indicative of attempts to silence legislators, MP said. Speaking in parliament today, Nanayakkara requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to have the parliament�s Privileges Committee inquire into the matter and declare that the actions of the CID officers involved have violated his privileges as an MP. more..

Sep 21 (DM) Claiming that the Govt had reversed the decision to ban on the use of chemical fertilizer, the NPP today urged the Govt to reveal its clear policy without deceiving the country. NPP MP Vijitha Herath told parliament that the Govt had allowed the import of Nitrogenous chemical fertilisers and phosphatic through the gazette notification 2238/45 in July. �These are not organic fertilizer. They are chemical fertilizer, TSP and MOP. Finance Ministry has submitted in parliament another more..

Sep 22 (DM) On Wednesday (15), US Prez Joe Biden announced the US would be joining Australia and the UK in a trilateral AUKUS pact - in all but name, a military alliance to contain what the three partners see as the growing economic and military power of Asian giant China. BBC described the AUKUS alliance as probably the most significant security arrangement between the three nations since World War II. The partnership between, the US, the UK and Australia (a white-colonial more..

Sep 22 (ST) Thankfully it was only a verbal update on Sri Lanka by United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet. Had it been an extensive report on the country�s performance since the UN human rights body passed a highly critical resolution in March, then Sri Lanka might have well ended up like our struggling cricketers at the Premadasa Stadium recently � eating humble pie. Still HC Bachelet�s brief update carried enough barbs to turn this Geneva interlude more..

Sep 22 (DM) The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) continues to be accused of being weak and falling short of expectations. The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) led by former Minister Mano Ganesan is part of the SJB. In an On Fire interview on Daily Mirror, Ganesan admitted that there are some shortcomings in Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa. He also doesn�t rule out the possibility of working with more..

Sep 22 (DM) When I received an email from the French Embassy in SL that I have won the French spring festival photography contest titled My island, my reaction was one of sheer disbelief. I�m not competition-oriented and this was only the second competition I have taken part in my whole life. I believe in my ability, but photography is a notoriously difficult medium in which to place yourself. Everyone can take pictures nowadays, and almost everyone has taken at least a few good pictures. more..

Sep 22 (ST) As a result of the institutional decay that followed the installation of the Executive Presidency in 1978, there have been adverse impacts on the governance structure of the country which in turn impacts on the lives of the people. With an all-powerful individual at the top of the governing hierarchy in the form of an Executive Prez it was inevitable that the various institutions of governance would be weakened. With politicisation at all levels taking root, professionalism in governance more..

Sep 22 (DM) The construction of a jogging track on the breakwater of the Parakrama Samudraya has been a controversial topic for some time. Irrigation Department data reveal that the 8 feet wide jogging track stretching up to 1.7 kilometres will cost 34 million rupees. Earlier it was reported that this project was an extension of Pibidena Polonnaruwa project and UDA had handed over the project to Divisional Irrigation Engineer�s office more..

Sep 22 (TM) The basic assumption on which this article has been based is that despite many well intentioned endeavours, the human rights situation of most developing countries has not improved; in fact, in many countries, the situation has become much worse in the recent decades. The implication of this is the usual recommendation that is made by the United Nations (UN) human rights agencies and also developed countries� authorities like the EU and others to conduct inquiries more..

Sep 22 (TM) Opinions for and against the ongoing vaccination drive and even the very concept of vaccinating the people against Covid-19 have compelled the SL Govt to pay attention to managing the risks associated with the people�s decision to get or not get vaccinated. This week, while acknowledging that there is no intention to make vaccination mandatory, or force people to get vaccinated, as some put it, Govt emphasised that it is determined to ensure the safety of more..

Sep 22 (CT) The drama over Prisons Minister Lohan Ratwatte could not have come at a worse time for the govt. But it can also be the turning point. Prez Rajapaksa is due to address the UN General Assembly in New York this week. The attention of the international human rights community has been focused on SL during the past week due to the recently concluded sessions of the UNHRC in Geneva. SL was a country of interest due to its checkered human rights track record, more..

Sep 22 (ST) Pugilist Tharindu Madushanke can be compared to one of those rare characters that can be found only in Hollywood action movies, where the hero would toil hard, make crucial sacrifices and yet keep the action intact, so the story plot ends in a triumphant thrill. At 28, Tharindu works as an Administrative Executive at a reputed construction company, closer to his home in Ambatenna, Kandy, after having graduated in Business Management. But that�s something mere from more..

Sep 22 (Island) SL number one ranked, Int'l Master Harshana Thilakarathne and newly crowned U-10 Girls World Chess Champion Oshini Gunawardena won their age category golds as the hosts bagged two golds, one silver and a bronze at the Western Asian Online Youth Chess C'ships concluded on Monday. Thilakarathne won the title in the Under 18 category as the Maliyadeva College player scored 7 points out of 9. more..

Sep 22 (Island) A CCTV footage of a sarong-clad shoplifter removing a bundle of electrical cables from a shelf, concealing it in his crotch area and walking away calmly was telecast yesterday. There are many other thieves like him, and shopkeepers are having a hard time trying to ward them off. They have got stealing goods in this manner down to a fine art, but their skills pale into insignificance in comparison to what our politicians are capable of. If a damning statement made by a high-ranking public more..

Sep 22 (CT) Many questions have been raised by the rugby fraternity from Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) and the Ministry of Sports for not showing any signs of re-starting the game, which has been dead for the last one and a half years. The game was halted since March 2020 due to the pandemic and respective authorities failed to get the sport back on line when even India, which was affected by COVID-19 in the worst possible way, sent a team for the Asia Rugby U-18 Girls sevens Tournament more..

Sep 22 (FT) Ahead of the winter season and a one-year break from physical engagement at global trade fairs, Sri Lanka Tourism has set out plans to undertake a series of promotional activities at top travel events in France, UK and Germany this year. The first of the promotional campaigns will be the Int'l French Travel Mart (IFTM) Top Resa, followed by World Travel Mart (WTM) in London and Internationale Tourismus-B�rse in Berlin. more..

Sep 22 (CT) SL plans to hire a top global management consulting firm and a Public Relations (PR) agency to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to the Island nation. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and McKinsey and Company, two of the world�s leading investment advisory management companies, have been nominated. However, when inquired from Chairman of BOI Sanjaya Mohottala in this regard, he stated that the Govt has not yet reached a final decision in this regard. more..

Sep 22 (FT) The vaccination of children between ages 12 and 19 with disabilities and chronic illness would commence on Friday. Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is to be used for the vaccination of children, State Minister Channa Jayasumana said. The vaccination drive will commence from the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children and will be carried out from other hospitals in Western Province starting 27 Sept. The vaccination drive for this group will be extended countrywide on 4 Oct. more..

Sep 22 (CT) Govt of SL and the World Bank recently signed a US$ 92 million financing agreement for the Climate Resilience Multi-Phased Program Phase I Project. This project is expected to benefit around 11.2 million people across the country by modernizing the weather, flood, and landslide forecasting and early warning systems. Sajith Atygalle, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, signed on behalf of the govt, and Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for SL, more..

Sep 22 (FT) The section of the proposed amendments to Consumer Affairs Authority Act No. 09 of 2003, to increase fines for the sale of goods above the maximum retail price (MRP), will be taken up for debate today. �We will today debate and get it passed in Parliament,� State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said. As per the provisions of the Act, the fines are categorised as individual businesses and companies. Accordingly, the maximum fine charged from an individual business more..

Sep 22 (FT) State Minister of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Production Dayasiri Jayasekera is to drum up once-famed State-owned entities Laksala and Salusala with several ground-breaking initiatives aimed at boosting foreign exchange earnings and livelihoods of craftsmen and local industries. Adopting a two-pronged strategy, Dayasiri has already introduced the overseas franchise store concept for Laksala more..

Sep 22 (DM) Former Fiji Captain Setefano Cakau has been considered for the SL Seven�s rugby head coach job despite Sri Lanka Rugby�s (SLR) failure to finalize the national squad ahead of the Asia Rugby Seven�s Series in November. A well-known 7�s star Setefano is one of the most respected players all over the world and is no stranger for Sri Lanka rugby fraternity having played for SL Navy Sports Club nearly a decade ago. Towards the end of his club career in SL he was also made a part of more..