Oct 27 (AD) Appropriation Bill for the fiscal year 2023 will be tabled in the parliament for the second reading on Nov 14, Committee on Parliamentary Business decided today. Committee met under the chairmanship of Speaker Mahinda Yapa. Accordingly, Prez Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization & National Policies, will deliver the opening speech of the second reading of Appropriation Bill to Parliament at 1.30 p.m. on Nov 14. more..

Oct 27 (FT) A fresh storm is brewing within the shipping industry over the impending hike in fees for select services from November, a move justified by lines and their agents but strongly opposed by importers. Cabinet Ministers at its meeting on Tuesday approved to publish the amended Licensing of Shipping Agents Bill in the Govt Gazette and to submit the same to Parliament for approval. more..

Oct 27 (EN) Sri Lankans can force a drop in tuk-tuk fares by refusing to hire threewheelers to reduce demand, Minister Bandula Gunawardena said, a suggestion that tuk drivers say is nonsensical as they stick to their guns despite a reduction in petrol prices. He said when prices are decided by the market, consumers are the ultimate authority in price control. �Consumers have the power to revise prices based on their consumption. There was a hike in vegetable and fruit prices recently. more..

Oct 27 (AD) Colombo Chief Magistrate�s Court has issued notice on the CID to submit facts on November 10 regarding the investigations into a complaint on the passport, birth certificate and the National Identity Card (NIC) of State Minister Diana Gamage. Colombo Chief Magistrate Nandana Amarasinghe issued the notice after considering the facts submitted through a motion filed by a group of attorneys including Attorney-at-Law, Gunaratne Wanninayake. more..

Oct 28 (DM) Children in SL are not safe when in the company of unknown adults. And when reading recent news we get to understand that even boys are equally vulnerable to abuse as much as girls are in this island. Recently there was a spate of incidents where male children were abused. What�s alarming is that in some of these cases the culprits were Buddhist monks; in one of these incidents the accused was a layman posing as a Buddhist monk in charge of a famous temple. more..

Oct 28 (DM) On what grounds the majority of MPs of the SLPP voted in favour of 22nd Amendment Bill on Oct 21, while the so-called strategist of the party, Basil Rajapksa had been campaigning against it is yet to be known. It was Basil who had until then been planning and executing all affairs of the Party. He was also said to be the brain behind the scuttling of the 22nd Amendment being debated in Parliament as late as on Oct 6 and 7, despite it being in the order paper of the House. more..

Oct 28 (DM) We often come across reports about VIP sons and their friends sneaking into national parks of Sri Lanka in private vehicles for joyriding. A similar incident was reported in Polonnaruwa Flood Plains National Park in 2021. Those involved were punished by law and the vehicles were impounded and the Polonnaruwa wildlife officials took actions to present them before the court and punish them. more..

Oct 28 (TM) This week, it was revealed that the authorities are considering terminating the service of around 4,000 police officers who have been found to be unfit to serve. Among them are officers who do not meet the required medical standards due to various reasons including work-related issues, such as injuries. The pressing need to rid the public sector of unfit employees is a matter that goes beyond the Police and their physical fitness � or the lack of it. Over the years, more..

Oct 28 (CT) When aragalaya was launched in March 2022, the protesting youth came out with two specific and complementary messages. One was directed mainly at the intelligentsia and policy makers to remind them that there need to be a radical systemic change and not finetuning of the current system so that the country could be pulled out of its multiple crises; and the other was to inform the voting public that the sitting 225 members in the parliament are incapable of effecting that more..

Oct 28 (TM) The financial literacy rate among Sri Lankans has improved significantly compared to when it was measured in 2014. As per the latest national-level survey on financial literacy, 57.9% of adults in SL are financially literate. The survey, titled Financial Literacy Survey SL 2021 was led by the Central Bank, with the technical and financial assistance of Int'l Finance Corporation (IFC), member of World Bank Group more..

Oct 28 (CT) National STD and AIDS Campaign revealed that the number of people infected with HIV in SL has doubled. 148-infected people were identified in the first two quarters of last year, and in comparison, the number has increased to more than double, 342, within this year. At least 429 people infected with HIV/AIDS have been diagnosed within the last nine months of this year. Authorities expressed concerns as the HIV is now spreading among youth between the age of 18 & 30 yrs more..

Oct 28 (GV) Although SL has achieved much progress in education, health and most social indicators, the representation of women at every level of governance remains abysmally low. Since the country�s transition to democracy began during the 1930s, representation of women legislators at the national level has never exceeded 7%. According to Sathya Karunarathne, Research Executive at Advocata Institute, SL did not break the glass ceiling with the top political leadership more..

Oct 28 (Island) In my essay on H. D. Premaratne, I pointed out that Premaratne and Vasantha Obeyesekere were responsible for much of the changes that swept through the Sinhala cinema in the 1970s. Basically, they helped shatter the distinction that had prevailed until then between an artistic and a commercial cinema. Both directors focused a common set of issues: youth unrest, class conflict, women�s rights, and in their last few years (Premaratne with Visidela, 1997, and more..

Oct 28 (Island) Imagine the International Cricket Council or Cricket Australia saying to the SL captain you can play two games of the World Cup at one venue and you can even chose that venue. A number of skippers from Arju to the incumbent would opt for Sydney Cricket Ground. Not because Sydney is one of the world�s most expensive cities to live in, but the conditions are generally favourable for SL style of play. Sydney is the venue where Australia usually played their last Test of the summers. more..

Oct 28 (ST) Despite the recent reduction of the price of fuel, cooking gas, and some essential commodities such as wheat flour, the benefits have not yet trickled down to the consumers. Consumer goods retailers and services providers are resisting passing on the reduced energy costs, noting higher expenditure on other things. Last week, the wholesale price of wheat flour was reduced by Rs 85 as wheat flour more..

Oct 28 (Island) The govt does not seem to have realised the need to remain maniacally focused on the efforts being made to resolve the current economic crisis. It has chosen to busy itself with political reforms. Close on the heels of the passage of a vital constitutional amendment, it has undertaken to introduce electoral reforms and requested Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to appoint a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC). Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has, more..

Oct 28 (CI) Zimbabwe promised to cause as much damage as they could in the Super 12s and, two games in, they have inflicted a major blow. They defended 130 to deny Pakistan their first points and leave them at risk of not making the semi-finals, and they did in extraordinary fashion. After a strong start in their batting, they slipped to 95 for 7 and set Pakistan a modest target on a pitch with good bounce and a big outfield. But Zimbabwe have an understated and varied attack and more..

Oct 28 (Island) SL is in UK govt�s special Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which aims at harnessing the power of trade to help developing countries grow and prosper, Deputy British High Commissioner to SL Lisa Whanstall said. �The new scheme offers developing countries one of the most generous sets of trading preferences for any country in the world. The scheme demonstrates the UK�s commitment to building long term, mutually beneficial relationships with emerging more..

Oct 28 (ST) Govt will soon set up a Sri Lanka Islands Development Authority to harness maximum benefits of more than 60 small islands around the country developing these as tourist destinations to generate much needed foreign exchange, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. A cabinet paper for this purpose will be submitted to the cabinet of ministers soon. He noted that the country has missed opportunities on a number of occasions due to inappropriate economic policies, more..

Oct 28 (FT) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya emphasised that paying taxes is a matter that needs to be handled with consideration in light of the challenging economic climate, adding that it is the responsibility of the entire country to keep the poor alive. His emphasis comes amidst growing opposition to what some view as unprecedented taxation whilst the new Inland Revenue Amendment Bill was challenged in Court yesterday. more..

Oct 28 (FT) The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) has been placed under the purview of the Ministry of Technology through the issuance of an Extraordinary Gazette with the effect from 27 October. The TRCSL was previously under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. The relevant extraordinary gazette notification has been issued by the President Ranil Wickremesinghe with powers vested in him under Paragraph (1) (a) of Article 44 of the Constitution. more..

Oct 28 (ST) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has granted a further extension to the Justice A.H.M.D. Nawaz Commission, set up by his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to find out whether earlier Commissions of Inquiry and Committees that looked into human rights violations have revealed any such misdeeds, serious violations of international humanitarian laws and other serious such offences. Last month, Foreign Minister Ali Sabry told UNHRC that the recommendations of this Commission had, more..

Oct 28 (TM) In the wake of a controversy that has arisen with regard to the gazette notification 2288/15 issued on 12 July 2022 providing facilities for remand prisoners to purchase separate cell-based accommodation, Prisons Dept sources said that the matter is still at the decision-making level, and has not been implemented so far. �A special discussion was also held by the relevant authorities yesterday about the said gazette more..

Oct 28 (FT) SJB MP Thalatha Atukorale has questioned the decision made by the Govt to dismiss 4000 police officers who are not in good health. �Is the Govt attempting to take away their right to work after they have served the Police force for a considerable period of time?� she asked. The issue surrounding the policemen arose during the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Public Security held this week when IGP C.D. Wickramaratne commented that more..

Oct 28 (Island) LSSP leader and MP Prof Tissa Vitharana said that he was not against the 22nd Amendment to Constitution Bill although he had not been able to present in Parliament when it was put to the vote, last Friday. Prof Vitharana said that he had not been present in the House as he was attending an important meeting. �There was a meeting of Dr. N. M. Perera Memorial Trust on the same day at a separate venue and I had to attend that meeting as I am Chairman of the trust. more..

Oct 28 (EN) Stocks gained over 2% to end at more than one week high on Thursday in dull trade as investors eyed beaten-down shares, but the sentiment was dull, brokers said. ASPI rose 2.32% or 199.26 points to close at 8,602.97, it�s highest since Oct 19. The index hit its lowest close since August 9 on Tuesday. �There was nothing much in the market apart from day traders buying into dropped shares,� a market analyst said. The market saw net foreign inflows of 193 million rupees. more..

Oct 28 (CT) Injury hit Sri Lanka will face Kane Williamson�s upbeat New Zealand in a crucial group �A� match tomorrow (29) in the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. New Zealand are the only unbeaten team in Group 1 after two matches, and the margin of their 89-run win over Australia has given them a big edge in the Net Run Rate column too. A Net RR of +4.450 is almost as good as an extra point, barring a crushing defeat of their own in the remaining four matches. more..

Oct 28 (AJ) Thousands of Sri Lankans protested in the capital, Colombo, on Thursday with civil rights groups, trade unions and students expressing their discontent over the economic situation and the brutal suppression of previous demonstrations. Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, pushing many into poverty. Annual food price inflation is at 85.8%, and prices of non-food items are at 62.8%. more..

Oct 28 (FT) Minister Kanchana Wijesekera met with the UNDP team in SL to discuss Sri Lanka�s energy policies ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) to be held in Egypt next month. �SL�s renewable energy policies, e-mobility, fossil fuel subsidies, and financial assistance for implementing green goals were discussed,� he said via Twitter. COP27 is the 27th annual UN meeting on climate. World leaders are set to deliberate action to tackle climate change, more..

Oct 28 (AD) The Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of Bangladesh, has instructed banks in the country to refrain from transactions with Sri Lanka through the ACU system, foreign media reported. The central bank�s Foreign Exchange Policy Department issued a circular yesterday and sent it to top executives of banks, reports The Business Standard. The Asian Clearing Union (ACU) is an arrangement through which participating countries settle import payments for intra-regional transactions. more..

Oct 28 (DM) Former Minister Ranjan Ramanayake, who arrived at the BIA last night, was not allowed to leave the country and turned away by Immigration and Emigration officials, a Department spokesman said. He said the former MP reached the airport to leave for the USA to participate in a concert. He intended to board the Qatar Airways aircraft at 8.15 last night, en route to USA. He was stopped because of the travel ban imposed by the courts in connection with cases pending against him. more..

Oct 28 (DM) Nearly 1,500 rapes including statutory rapes and rape of children have been reported to Police within the first 9 months of this year which is an increase of rapes when compared to the first nine month of last year. A total of 199 rapes, 951 statutory rapes (nonforcible sexual activity in which the girl is below the age of consent) and 273 rape cases on children was reported as of Sept 30 this year while 190 rape cases, 1,021 statutory rapes and 264 rape cases on children were reported more..

Oct 28 (DM) Wild Life Minister Mahinda Amaraweera today denied social media reports that his son was among the members who drove their vehicles in a reckless manner inside the Yala National Park a few days ago. �My son was very much in Colombo for the last ten days and he had only visited one of our relatives places in Matugama,� minister said. The incident occurred on Saturday (22) and 32 jeeps were involved more..

Oct 28 (AD) Police state that carjacking and thefts have significantly increased across the country. The statistics reveal that 1,405 vehicles in total have been stolen within the year 2021, whilst 1,406 vehicles were stolen this year ending on September 30. SSP Nihala Thalduwa pointed out that most of these carjackings have taken place due to the negligence of the vehicle owners. The numbers of several types of vehicles which were stolen during the past two years are as follows; more..

Oct 28 (SIL) Miss Sri Lanka New York has posted on social media to downplay rumors circulating about a fight that took place at the pageant�s after-party earlier this week. Angelia Gunasekara, in a video posted to Facebook, stated that the 14 contestants were not involved in Friday�s brawl. Gunasekara said the fight was caused by two individuals in the audience and not anyone involved in the beauty pageant. The event took place at The Vanderbilt in South Beach. more..