Oct 19 (DM) The govt is to commence operations at the chemical factory in Paranthan immediately. While paying an inspection visit to the factory area, he said the factory initiated its chemical manufacturing process in 1954 with the use of liquid chlorine, hydrochloric acid, zinc chloride, and ferric chloride as raw materials. The manufacturing process of the factory was stopped in 1985 due to the civil war. However, the required chemicals for local manufacturing needs are imported more..

Oct 19 (DM) Colombo has seen many controversies. Especially among the rich and elite who at times enjoy their evening's dining and enjoying their luxurious lives, and discussions of who is new in their social circles and who threw the most lavish parties. The higher the circle, the grander the parties and the bigger the discussions on money. One such story which has taken the country by storm is the Thilini Priyamali saga. more..

Oct 19 (EN) Stocks gained on Wednesday for the first time in four straight sessions as investors bought into beaten-down shares but the day�s turnover slumped to a seven-week low, brokers said. The market saw a turnover of 1.5 billion rupees, its lowest since August 29 and lower than this year�s average turnover of 3.2 billion rupees. ASPI rose 0.25 percent or 22.32 points to close at 8,888.37. �We see buyers coming back into the market after continuous slip. But it�s in minimal numbers. more..

Oct 19 (AD) The National Council sub-committee on identifying short- and medium-term programs related to economic stabilization has disclosed that 75% of the people�s income is spent on food whilst only one-fifth of the country�s population gets a proper nutritional diet. The matter was taken up when the National Council sub-committee on identifying short- and medium-term programs related to economic stabilization was met in Parliament yesterday, under chairmanship of MP Champika Ranawaka. more..

Oct 19 (DM) CID today informed Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court that several politicians and popular personalities who invested their money at Thilini Priyamali's Company are reluctant to make complaints with police for various reasons. CID said several politicians and popular personalities in the country were among the individuals who invested their money at 7 business entities belonging to Thilini Priyamali. more..

Oct 19 (FT) In a bid to boost the State revenue amidst the dire straits of the economic crisis, the Govt has decided to introduce a new State Asset Management Act. The move will enable it to prepare a national asset register and to introduce a central database related to State assets. �The absence of a focal agency for the management of the public assets has led to misuse of multiple Govt assets over decades. However, the management of those assets have now recognised as a priority, more..

Oct 19 (CI) SL's seam-bowling spearhead Dushmantha Chameera is out of the Men's T20 World Cup, after suffering a grade two tear in the calf of his landing foot. Chameera pulled up while running in to bowl the last over of his spell against UAE on Tuesday, and immediately hobbled off the field wincing. The injury is likely connected to the ankle and calf complaints that had kept him out of the Asia Cup, with medical staff also suspecting that cold weather in Geelong aggravated issue. more..

Oct 19 (TM) Serendipity Sapphire, which entered the Guinness Book of World Records earlier this year as the world�s largest sapphire with an aggregate weight of 503.2 kg, is set to be auctioned off in Dubai by Sotheby�s before January 2023, according to the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA). NGJA Chairman Thilak Weerasinghe revealed that the owner of the sapphire cluster was currently in the process of entering into a MoU with Sotheby�s to auction it in Dubai. more..

Oct 19 (CT) In an effort to bring together like-minded people who want to take action and help fellow Sri Lankans in-need during these challenging times, Dialog Foundation together with Principal Moderator � Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement and Independent Auditor � PwC SL, launched Karuna.lk, SL�s first crowdfunding platform with verified and trusted non-profits, organisations and causes. Against the backdrop of the economic crisis in the country, this timely & relevant initiative aims more..

Oct 19 (TM) Supreme Court (SC), which granted leave to proceed to two fundamental rights (FR) petitions that have been filed seeking appropriate action against those responsible for the prevailing economic crisis, has directed the relevant petitioners to add two members of the Monetary Board (MB) of Central Bank of SL (CBSL), namely Dr. Sanjeeva Jayawardena (PC) and Dr. Ranee Jayamaha, as respondents of two more..

Oct 19 (AD) A shooting incident that took place in the Yakkalamulla area this afternoon has left one person dead and two other individuals injured including a 04-year-old child. Two persons who had arrived on a motorcycle opened fire at a cinnamon workplace within a house in the Karuwalagala area of the Yakkalamulla police division before fleeing. The suspects have also robbed a motorcycle, according to police. Following the shooting, the 34-year-old victim has succumbed to his injuries more..

Oct 19 (DM) Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry today called for a multi-party effort to set up a domestic truth seeking mechanism that would prevent an external mechanism that has been proposed by the recent UNHRC resolution. �We call for a multi-party effort to set up a truth seeking mechanism that would prevent an external mechanism. I invite all parties representing Parliament to agree on a common mechanism. We also invite those who are unfairly accused more..

Oct 19 (CI) The cruel and ruthless nature of the first round of T20 World Cups will be on display in the first match of the final day of Group A fixtures in Geelong. Netherlands lead the table with two wins from their first two matches, but they enter the day in a vulnerable position because they haven't won comfortably enough. As a result, their net run-rate is the lowest among the three realistic contenders. more..

Oct 19 (EN) Economic difficulties from the ongoing currency collapse has increased the risk of girls being driven into early marriage, as families become poorer, a survey conducted by SL Red Cross Society and Int'l Federation of Red Cross said. Respondents were asked whether the families would consider early marriage in the next 3 to 6 months if the economic situation did not improve. �Of the total, 51% of households said there is an increased risk for girls to get married before they turned 18,� more..

Oct 19 (AD) Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu who is currently on an official visit to Sri Lanka met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and assured support for Sri Lanka during this difficult period. While appreciating the President�s efforts in rebuilding Sri Lanka�s economy he said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is the right person to get the country out of the present crisis & assured him that he has a force backing him. more..

Oct 19 (EN) Opposition MP and former Justice Minister Thalatha Atukorale has called for the relocation of the female wards of the country�s prisons to their own separate premises and for the rehabilitation of drug addicts. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, the main opposition SJB legislator said relocating the female wards would be �good for everybody�. �I cannot think of a place as corrupt as the prisons, a place that doesn�t treat people as badly as they�re treated there. more..

Oct 19 (TM) The final date for the arrival of essential food commodities imported by selected importers under open account payment terms has been extended once again due to issues faced in importing such goods from India. Trade Ministry Secretary S.T. Kodikara stated that a decision had been made to extend the final date for the arrival of the essential food commodities imported by selected importers under open account payment terms in SL. This was attributed to the recent import more..

Oct 19 (PTI) Supreme Court on Wednesday directed authorities to issue summons to ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa to appear in court over the disappearances of two activists in 2011 as he has now been stripped of constitutional immunity. Rajapaksa, 73, will now be required to give evidence in the case filed on the disappearance of two rights activists Lalith Weeraraj and Kugan Murugananthan in northern district of Jaffna. more..

Oct 19 (DM) The Council of Legal Education headed by the Chief Justice had recommended that the decision to conduct law college examinations only in English should be implemented without any change, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe informed Parliament today. He told Parliament that however, having reconsidered the mixed opinions by the govt and opposition MPs of the decision, he would discuss it further with the Cheif Justice and inform the House of the final decision. more..

Oct 19 (TM) Tamil and Muslim political representatives in the Parliamentary Opposition are divided over the nature of the proposed truth-seeking mechanism, specifically on whether it should be solely a domestic mechanism or whether it should have international involvement. Expressing his party�s stance on the proposed truth-seeking mechanism, TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran (PC) said that as long as it is independent and impartial, they would support the ascertainment of the truth, more..

Oct 19 (Wisden) Imagine being a Sri Lanka fan. You wake up to the uncertainty of what your team will come up with. On some days, the sense of anticipation translates into unbridled joy. On other occasions, it brings unmitigated darkness � a feeling that nothing will ever be alright. Then, there are some days when you wake up to the news of your premier fast-bowlers being ruled out of tournaments. more..

Oct 19 (AD) The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Moscow announced that a productive discussion was held with the Russian Govt on the possibility of obtaining a long term credit line in order to procure fuel to Sri Lanka. The Ambassador of SL to the Russian Federation, Prof. Janitha Liyanage attended this discussion on the 17th October representing Sri Lanka and emphasised the significance of such a credit line to Sri Lanka to procure fuel, especially at this trying time. more..

Oct 19 (DM) Claiming that there was a move to form an alternative parliament called the People�s Council or the Mahajana Sabhawa, leader of the House Susil Premajayantha said there was no legal provisions in terms of the Constitution for such an entity. He told Parliament that there were media reports to the effect that there was a move to form a People's Council which is similar to Parliament and that it is in contrary to the Constitution. He said in terms of the Constitution, more..

Oct 20 (DM) Our country is facing near insurmountable problems at this moment. The country has no liquid cash reserves, fuel supplies have been rationed, and food supplies are out of reach of the poorer section of the community. According to latest figures nearly 46% of our population can now be counted as poor. UNICEF reported on Sept 8 that over 5.7 million people, including 2.3 million children, require humanitarian assistance, making it among the top ten more..

Oct 20 (DM) Sri Lanka had been known for its positive health development factors including low infant mortality, low maternal mortality and good nutritional status in children. But today, a sizeable percentage of the population is nutritionally at risk following the prevailing economic crisis that resulted in the scarcity of food. Therefore, international organisations such as UNICEF states that this crisis is likely to have affected around 2.3 million children in the country and more..

Oct 20 (TM) An activist doctor is, it is observed, supposed to use their professional and social standing and privilege to leverage for social change by being an active participant in organising demonstrations, convening meetings with stakeholders, being a vocal supporter for the issue at hand in the media, and being in dialogue with political leaders, specially at a time of crisis, when the issues are fundamental in nature, and more..

Oct 20 (TM) Amidst opposition from petroleum sector trade unions and certain political parties, on Tuesday, Parliament passed the Petroleum Products (Special Prov) Bill, with the hope and promise that it will facilitate the liberalisation of petroleum imports, among other petroleum-related services. Both in terms of the influence that the petroleum based energy sector has on the country and the nature of the changes that the Bill is expected to bring about, this is a decisive move for Sri Lanka, more..

Oct 20 (CT) Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), advised the public not to pay a fee when they park on roads that have not been authorised for parking vehicles. This comes in the wake of CMC receiving numerous complaints of unauthorised persons impersonating parking wardens in order to collect money from those who park vehicles near main roads in Colombo. Municipal Commissioner, J.M. Badranie Jayawardana said the CMC has temporarily suspended parking fees at more..

Oct 20 (CT) Erik Solheim, a green politician, diplomat, and former Norwegian peace negotiator between the LTTE and the SL Govt, made headlines last week when he arrived and tweeted that he has been designated as Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s Int'l Adviser on Climate Change. �It was such an emotional moment for me to be back in SL after 16 years,� he said, adding that going green and finding a solution through the 13A more..

Oct 20 (CT) Someone asked me; Mr. Wigneswaran! You supported Ranil for Presidency. Do you approve of his attempt to tax the people so heavily? My response was; I face the same difficulty that our voters undergo after electing their parliamentary representatives. There is a saying in Tamil Until they cross the river they are siblings. After crossing they become strangers. Most of our candidates promise heaven on earth before election. After they are elected all their promises become empty more..

Oct 20 (Island) The govt has scored another victory. In what may be called a show of strength, it steamrollered the controversial Petroleum Products (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill through Parliament on Tuesday amidst protests by the Opposition and the CPC trade unions. But it is bound to baulk at taking up the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill for debate. Many a govt politician who headed for the hills at the height of Aragalaya is now back in the saddle. more..

Oct 20 (DM) Barrel-shaped Holothuroidea, commonly known as sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms, which also contains starfish and sea urchins. All sea cucumbers are ocean dwellers, though some inhabit the shallows and others live in the deep ocean. There are more than 1,000 known species of sea cucumbers that inhabit the world�s oceans, but only about two dozen are commercially important. Sea cucumbers are amongst the highest-value more..

Oct 20 (DM) The weeks-long foreign investor interest seen in rupee bonds during September has fizzled out, perhaps due to the expectations of further tightening of monetary policy by the US Federal Reserve and the strengthening US dollar against the other currencies. In the five weeks since the end of Sept 7, foreigners were seen returning to rupee gilts or govt bonds, through the week ended on Sept 28, with each week seeing higher accumulation of bonds than previous week. more..

Oct 20 (FT) The BOI announced plans to make significant changes to its operational structure to enhance SL�s attractiveness as a top investment destination by 2026. �It is critical for SL to facilitate a flawless experience for the investors from the time of business registration and throughout their journey. Thus, the establishment of the Investor Facilitation Centre (IFC) is a great stepping-stone to improve our rank in the World Bank�s more..

Oct 20 (FT) Cabinet on Monday cleared a proposal to submit the draft Bill on Premises Given on Lease (Special Provisions) to the Parliament, following the Attorney General�s clearance. �AG�s clearance has been received for the draft Bill prepared accordingly by the Legal Draftsman,� Minister Bandula Gunawardena said. Accordingly, Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Minister will publish the Bill in the Govt Gazette which will then be submitted to Parliament for approval. more..

Oct 20 (FT) As the situation in SL continues to improve, Mastercard yesterday announced its latest effort to promote the island nation as a safe, affordable destination for inbound travellers. With tourism being a key pillar of the country�s economy, restoring holidaymakers� confidence and appetite to visit SL is the natural next step following the relaxation of travel advisories for SL in a number of countries. To support these objectives, Mastercard has directly sourced over 50 offers from more..