Oct 26 (DM) Port City Colombo is intended to be SL�s main centre and portal for foreign investment. Not merely a financial hub, but also a hub for increasing employment and attracting more foreign direct investment. SL�s prime location on the Silk Road, on global shipping lines and airways, and its historic trade and cultural links to India and the Arab world, have the potential to make Port City Colombo a prime destination and top choice, regionally, for financial operations and as an offshore base. more..

Oct 26 (CT) The passage of the 22nd Amendment to the constitution came as a surprise. It was originally scheduled to be debated in parliament a fortnight earlier. When the decision to postpone was taken it seemed as if the 22nd Amendment would not be taken up again in the near future or even if it was, it would not be passed. There were two contentious areas on which members of the govt and opposition were in disagreement. The disagreement was not only between parties but within them. more..

Oct 26 (Island) I once attended a meeting of the Energy Sector Committee of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, comprising industry owners and thought leaders, the modern phrase to refer to those who can influence decisions. Many big names in business and manufacturing were present. One question was raised by many participants: You see, said a big name in industry, the main problem is that the govt does not allow me to sell my surplus electricity to industry, who is my neighbour. more..

Oct 26 (FT) Top professional Keith D. Bernard has been appointed the Chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. Bernard has from an active career spanning 40 years, accumulated 30-years of experience at CEO and senior management level in diverse sectors encompassing Packaging, Plantations, Finance, Sports and Leisure, Apparel, Telecommunications, Health, Media, more..

Oct 26 (ST) Nineteen out of 22 people admitted to the Jaffna District Hospital for tests yesterday (22) came back positive for heroin use, an indication of just how serious the problem was in the peninsula, health officials said. The unemployed men between the ages of 17 and 31 were taken in by police on Thursday and Friday over suspected narcotics possession and usage. They were handed over to the JMO for screening. �This is an unusual number of addicts being detected on a single day,� more..

Oct 26 (CT) Dialog Television is giving all SL fans something extra to cheer about this cricket season! Our SL Lions are back on the pitch with millions of fans cheering them on as they battle it out to take home the coveted T20 World Cup 2022. Dialog Television is giving an amazing opportunity to watch the entire series at no additional charge. SL fans now can simply switch their Dialog Television on and watch the entire tournament LIVE without any additional charge on Star Sports 1 (Ch 73) more..

Oct 26 (FT) While the business environment remains challenging with tough economic decisions being the need of LIOC Managing Director Manoj Gupta the hour, Lanka IOC (LIOC) said it remains resilient in its approach, continuously striving to steer through the adversities and difficulties due to spiralling inflation, dearth of foreign exchange, high volatility in int'l oil prices and fears of global recession. Despite the above constraints, LIOC continued to build further on its exceptional more..

Oct 26 (TM) The import of gaurs or Indian bison to Sri Lanka in an attempt to revive the species� population on the island, which has been extinct since the end of the 17th Century, will not take place at present, according to Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Secretary R.M.C.M. Herath. Herath said that the Director General of Wildlife Conservation has confirmed that there are no plans to move forward in this regard. Reporting on this matter, The Hindu earlier stated that more..

Oct 26 (FT) Reaffirming its resilience, the export sector has notched the fourth consecutive month of over $ 1 billion performance in September, propelling the third quarter performance to exceed the $ 10 billion mark. Merchandise exports have sustained the growth momentum in Sept increasing by 5.75% to over $ 1.1 billion, whilst the first nine months haul was up 11.83% to just over $ 10 billion compared to corresponding period of 2021. more..

Oct 26 (FT) With less than 5 months for the Women�s ODI World Cup 2023 in South Africa, former Test cricketer and captain Hashan Tillakaratne has resigned from his post of Head Coach of the SL Women�s Team, sources at SLC revealed. He took up the role officially on 1 June 2021, and under Hashan the Women�s Team reached the final of the recently concluded Asia Cup. However, against mighty India, SL Women surrendered meekly and lost by 8 wickets. more..

Oct 26 (CI) 17 balls Marcus Stoinis needed for his fifty against Sri Lanka, the fastest for Australia in men's T20Is. The previous quickest was off 18 balls, jointly shared by David Warner (vs WI in 2010) and Glenn Maxwell (vs PAK in 2014 and vs SL in 2016). Stoinis' fifty is also the second fastest in men's T20Is against Sri Lanka, behind Colin Munro's fifty off 14 balls in 2016. 1 Number of fifties in the men's T20 World Cup, faster than the Stoinis' 17-ball effort. Yuvraj Singh's fifty against England more..

Oct 26 (FT) Opposition lawmaker Eran Wickramaratne called on the Prez, PM and all former leaders present in Parliament to declare their assets and set an example for all others to follow. Last week, the SJB MP presented a private members bill to amend the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities law of 1975. The prez in his policy statement said it is essential to eradicate bribery and corruption, adding he will formulate new laws more..

Oct 26 (TM) Ministers Douglas Devananda and Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe will visit Kurunthur Malai in Mullaitivu and Vedukkunari Malai in Vavuniya in the North on 1 Nov to resolve longstanding temple-related issues in the area. During the initial meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Reconciliation held yesterday, it was decided to visit the above locations to identify and resolve the said issues, Devananda said. He further noted that a proposal by him highlighting land issues, more..

Oct 26 (FT) PM Dinesh Gunawardena stressed the importance of enhancing professionalism in public and private sectors for economic revival and praised the Institute of Supply and Material Management (ISMM) for its contribution to the economy by imparting required professional expertise to youth. Addressing the Int'l Seminar held in Colombo on Monday to mark the 50th Anniversary of ISMM, he urged the participants to explore ways and means of improving supply chain to smoothen supply more..

Oct 26 (SLN) Two (02) ships of the Royal Australian Navy, namely; HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Anzac which are engaged in Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022 arrived at the Port of Colombo this morning (25). On their arrival, the visiting ships were welcomed by the SL Navy in accordance with naval tradition. Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) began in 2017 as an activity coordinated by the Australian Defence Force to strengthen Australia�s engagement and partnerships with regional security forces. more..

Oct 26 (CT) Political will and the readiness to take unpopular decisions are essential to find proper solutions to the current economic crisis, Secretary of Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardena said. He claimed that significant crises have emerged in several industries as a result of Over Rs 200 B govt�s unpaid bills. He was speaking at the launch of IPS of SL�s State of the Economy 2022, Report. Political factors have frequently played a significant role in economic decisions in the past, more..

Oct 26 (FT) Cabinet of Ministers approved the revision of rooftop solar tariff charges. The move is part of the Cabinet decision taken in Jan 2022, to boost renewable energy supply via a program promoting Battery Energy Storage Systems for rooftop solar systems. �Two-tier existing tariff rate of Rs. 22 and Rs. 15.50 will be revised to a flat rate of Rs. 37 for below 500 KW capacity and Rs. 34.50 will be charged for over 500 KW more..

Oct 26 (FT) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said it was pleased over the passing of the 21st amendment with an overwhelming majority in Parliament last week. While all measures proposed by the Chamber along with other likeminded professional bodies and civil society organisations may not be addressed by this amendment, it nevertheless considers this as a step in the right direction towards strengthening governance and accountability in the conduct of Govt. more..

Oct 26 (TM) IUBF Convenor Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera, who is detained in Tangalle under the PTA, has been admitted to the Colombo National Hospital due to an illness, according to hospital sources. Defence Ministry had issued detention orders against Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thera, IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige, and Jeevantha Gunathilake, an activist of the aragalaya protest movement, on 22 Aug, granting permission to detain them for 90 days and be questioned more..

Oct 26 (FT) Around 58% of SL adults are financially literate according to the findings of a new survey. Further, the findings imply that the level of financial literacy varies across different segments of the population, suggesting the need for targeted policy interventions. For instance, despite gender parity in education, the survey notes gender disparity in financial literacy. These facets and other useful findings are contained in the Financial Literacy Survey Sri Lanka - 2021, more..

Oct 26 (DN) National STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) and AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) Control Programme have diagnosed 50 university students with HIV. This startling revelation was made by Director of the National STD and AIDS Control Programme Dr. Rasanjali Hettiarachchi. She said that there are 4 school children and 2 monks also diagnosed with HIV. HIV infected among young people between the ages of 18 and 30 has doubled this year compared to last year, he said. more..

Oct 26 (TM) Over 100 political parties, trade unions (TUs), student movements, and civil organisations, including SJB, SLFP, FSP, CTU, IUSF, and YJASL, which signed a joint statement to defeat the suppressive programme of the current Govt led by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, have planned to hold a massive protest in Colombo on 2 Nov, which they declare to be the first step in ousting Wickremesinghe and the govt. more..

Oct 26 (DM) Tissamaharama Magistrate Tharindu Sameera Silva today ordered the Dept of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) to conduct a prompt investigation into the incident where a group had harassed and abused animals at Yala National Park recently and also ordered the suspects to be arrested and produced before court. DWC was further instructed to monitor CCTV footage of the incident where the number plates of the vehicles are seen, and to obtain a report from DMV. more..

Oct 26 (TO) A probe on the murder of a retired 69 year old US naval electrical engineer, Chitrananda Jayaratne, is underway by the Melsiripura Police. On Monday (24) the Police found his dead body buried in his garden, while investigating a complaint on his missing on October 13. A day later the body of the domestic aide of the retired Engineer was found hanging in the kitchen of the house. Having retired from US Navy, Mr. Jayaratne, had returned to SL, where he maintained close connections more..

Oct 26 (TM) Polls monitor PAFFREL has made a RTI request from the relevant authorities seeking to identify MPs who possess dual citizenship, and plans to publicise the names when the information is received, with the aim of forcing the MPs to resign. PAFFREL wrote to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and the Dept of Immigration and Emigration via an RTI request in regard to the issue of MPs who are dual citizens, more..

Oct 26 (FT) Whilst the rhetoric in Parliament continues on a daily basis, the average household is sinking to an abyss that can lead to absolute anarchy, worse than the Aragalaya if not addressed. Sadly, there seems to be no one who can do anything from the 225. Let me take data to explain how serious the issue at hand is. Mr. Prez, time has come to stop globetrotting on funeral diplomacy (from Japan to London) and giving the nation economic theory on TV. more..

Oct 26 (Island) No sooner had Parliament passed a vital amendment to the Constitution to reduce the powers of the executive presidency in the name of the separation of powers than President Ranil Wickremesinghe made use of a controversial constitutional provision that undermines the justice system, according to legal experts. He granted an amnesty to three LTTE members convicted and jailed for conspiring to assassinate Chandrika Kumaratunga when she was Prez. more..

Oct 26 (CO) Jayawardena has quit his post as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs after 6 weeks as new PM Rishi Sunak begins cabinet reshuffle. The MP for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena replaced George Eustice on 7 September. It is currently unclear who Sunak will choose to appoint to the now-vacant role. During his time as Defra Secretary, Jayawardena made little mention of resources and waste � he didn�t mention recycling or waste during his speech more..

Oct 26 (FT) The CB has adopted a tight monetary policy stance since early this year by raising its policy interest rates for arresting the money supply growth which caused severe inflationary pressures and external imbalance. Today, the year-on-year inflation is over 70% while the deficit in the current account of the balance of payments exceeds 4% of GDP. The depletion of the country�s foreign reserves to near-zero levels since last year has led to a depreciation of rupee by 85% over last 12 mo more..

Oct 26 (CI) SL coach Chris Silverwood remains optimistic his unfancied team can make a push at a semi-final berth despite a seven-wicket defeat to Australia at Optus Stadium, but their cursed injury run continued with quick Binura Fernando suffering a hamstring injury. In foreign bouncy conditions, Sri Lanka sniffed a major upset when under pressure Australia slumped to 89 for 3 in the 13th over chasing 158. more..

Oct 26 (CI) Ireland dominated the powerplay with bat and ball either side of a collapse of 7 for 25 to take down England at the MCG, adding another glorious chapter in Irish sport. Eleven years after Kevin O'Brien inspired Ireland to a memorable victory on a steamy day in Bengaluru, Ireland found new heroes on a wet afternoon in Melbourne to stun a more-fancied England side once again at a World Cup. Josh Little posed a threat to England with the new ball, finding sharp movement and more..

Oct 26 (Island) Five Gazettes to be presented to Parliament for approval were considered in the Committee on Public Finance recently and approval was given for four of them. This approval was given after an analysis of the relevant Gazettes at the Committee on Public Finance which met under the chairmanship of MP (Dr.) Harsha de Silva on Oct. 20th. The three Gazettes approved are the Gazette No. 2282/26, which is stipulated under the Value Added Tax Act No. 14 of 2002 as amended more..

Oct 26 (EN) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has proposed that, before increasing taxes on dollar-earning sectors, govt take the dollars back from the rupee-millionaires who became dollar-millionaires after the 2019 tax cuts. Speaking at a discussion in Tissamaharama with local safari jeep drivers and others in the tourism trade, Premadasa said SL�s prevailing currency crisis is not something that can be resolved more..

Oct 26 (Island) Select Committee of Parliament to look into and report to Parliament its recommendations to ensure gender equity and equality with special emphasis on looking into gender based discriminations and violations of women�s rights in SL held discussions regarding the progress of drafting the proposed Bill entitled Gender Equality and Women�s Empowerment followed by a presentation to review findings on the implementation of the multi sectoral more..

Oct 26 (DM) HIV infection is now spreading among youth between 18 and 30 year-olds where 50 such cases have been reported during the first 9 months of this year, Director of National STD & AIDS Control Program Dr. Rasanjali Hettiarachchi said. She said that 14 university students and 3 school children were among those reported cases. She said about 2,350 people were receiving treatment for HIV in SL whereas it was estimated that some 3,750 HIV infected people were in society. more..