Sep 30 (DN) Wicket keeper batter Nishan Madushka Fernando of Ragama Cricket Club has completed 1000 first-class runs for the season when he scored 45 runs in the second innings of their Major Trophy Cricket tournament match against Kandy Customs Sports Club, which was concluded at Thurstan Grounds, Colombo on Sunday. Thus he became the fastest batter to do so in Major Trophy Cricket Tournament which is the premier first class tournament in SL since 1988-89. more..

Sep 30 (Island) Leading rice miller, Lankeshwara Mithrapala says he has suspended purchasing paddy because it is not proper to purchase paddy from farmers at prices lower than Rs. 120 per kilo, and if he did purchase at that price, he would have to absorb a loss of Rs. 23 from each kilo of rice. This is happening at a time the govt has declared a certified price for paddy at Rs. 120 and the state-run Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) more..

Sep 30 (Island) Officials continue to ignore a directive of the National Transport Medical Institute to the Commissioner General of the Dept of Motor Traffic to extend the validity period of licences given to the differently abled. Over 10,000 differently abled drivers have thus been greatly inconvenienced. These include a large number of former soldiers who were wounded during the war. Differently-abled drivers need to renew their licences once in two years. Given the discriminatory nature of more..

Sep 30 (DN) The govt will begin a programme to provide electricity for 25,000 low-income houses through solar panels. It is expected to add 500 megawatts of renewable energy to the national grid, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said. The Cabinet paper for this programme was also approved recently. Under this 25,000 houses will be selected out of the 69,000 houses that have suspended construction work due to various reasons. The construction work of these 25,000 will be more..

Sep 30 (DN) After winning two Asian titles in Netball and Cricket on the same day Sri Lanka created a new Sports Culture said Sports Director General Amal Edirisooriya in the discussion held at the Department of Govt Information in Narahenpita yesterday. Assistant News Director of the Dept of Govt Information Dr. Harsha Abeykoon conducted this discussion about Sports Culture, International victories, and future of the SL Sports while Sports Director General Amal Edirisooriya, more..

Sep 30 (FT) PM Dinesh Gunawardena identified China as SL�s Kalyana Mitra and a true decisive global leader changing the international balance of power especially with its leadership and assistance towards prosperity of all nations. The glowing tribute was made by the PM during his address at the 73rd Anniversary of Chinese National Day celebrations organised by China SL Friendship Associations. �China has laid the foundation to become a global giant changing the int'l balance of power. more..

Sep 30 (TM) Former State Minister Dr. Nalaka Godahewa claimed that instead of expeditiously providing housing to the needy people living in the City of Colombo, including the people affected by the fire that broke out at the Kajeemawatte in Thotalanga, Mutwal, the officials of the UDA and other institutions are labelling the affected people as illegal residents. He said that about 60,000 people in Colombo were identified as those in need of more..

Sep 30 (FMT) The Federal Court has dismissed a taxi driver�s application to obtain leave to proceed with his appeal to delist the LTTE as a terrorist group. Judge Vernon Ong, who led a 3-member panel, said the court refused the leave after considering arguments raised and perusing appeal records. He said the five questions proposed by V Balamurugan�s lawyers did not meet the threshold requirement under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964. more..

Sep 30 (PTI) Senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy on Thursday met Gotabaya Rajapaksa here, becoming the first foreign visitor to call on the ousted SL president, following his return to Colombo after fleeing the country amidst unprecedented protests against his govt's mishandling of the island nation's economy. Swamy, a close friend of the Rajapaksa family who is in SL to attend a conference of the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Uni on national security, also met with Gotabaya's brother more..

Sep 30 (DM) USA yesterday stretched its hands to Sri Lankans to realize their dreams with the opening of a new American Centre in Colombo and assured a friendship of joy. US Ambassador in Colombo Julie Chung who was speaking during the opening of new American Centre in Colombo said USA will continue to invest in SL people at this challenging time. USA and SL are friends and partners. We are valued democracies. This is a challenging time for Sri Lankans. more..

Sep 30 (CT) Private Health Service Regulatory Council (PHSRC), which initiated investigations into a Private Hospital in Wattala, noted that the surgeon who performed the surgery on the 31-year-old woman had several complaints against him. While the surgery had been conducted at the Private Hospital, the patient had been transferred to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital (Ragama) on 3 Sept 2022 where she died. The surgeon was attached to the particular State Hospital. more..

Sep 30 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe assured the world that Sri Lanka will shoulder an unprecedented fiscal effort, as part of the Govt�s commitment to restore the country�s debt sustainability amidst major economic stress, whilst hoping creditors and stakeholders will support the efforts. Addressing the 55th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank Board of Governors in Manila as Chairman, Prez Wickremesinghe more..

Sep 30 (FT) Public Utilities Commission of SL yesterday sealed two Octane 92 petrol dispensing machines at a CPC-owned filling station in Colombo 07. PUCSL has found that the two machines had a short delivery of 1.2% or Rs. 5.40 per litre of Octane 92 petrol sold. The detection was the outcome of a joint exercise by PUCSL, IT and Dept of Weight and Measurement. The move followed after the Commission on Tuesday said samples will be collected from all fuel stations countrywide more..

Sep 30 (TM) Colombo District Court yesterday ordered a team of doctors and nurses of the District General Hospital in Gampaha to pay a compensation of Rs. 30 million to a child for causing permanent disability to the latter by performing a natural delivery in 2012 even after being aware that the child�s umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck. The case was taken up before Colombo Additional District Judge Kalhari Liyanage, with the doctors and nurses who assisted in delivery more..

Sep 30 (Island) National Hospital of SL (NHSL), Colombo, has stopped most of the biochemical tests due to the non-availability of the reagents, President of the College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) Ravi Kumudesh said. �Most patients are asked to get these tests done in private labs. A number of senior officials at the NHSL are connected to private labs. Therefore, they have no interest in sorting out the reagent shortage,� more..

Sep 30 (FT) SL is on the cusp of a major spiritual transformation. Not because a lady-soothsayer read her tea-leaves wrong for her gentleman callers or a charismatic charlatan profited � or is it profiteered? � from a spell-binding national cricket win. But because there�s nothing quite like bankruptcy and being reduced to the begging-bowl again to bring about a deeply cleansing soul-dive into self-reflection. And hopefully we shall all of us come up smelling of wet rain on hot muddy soil, more..

Sep 30 (FT) The picture of Sri Lanka is still not clear; it is in a state of chaos. Apparently the most difficult phase of the balance of payments crisis is moving towards a point where it could be resolved for the common good of the country; but the most difficult era of this crisis will not end with that phase. Even if SL succeeds in receiving the IMF relief package, the explosive economic and other reforms that the IMF wants introduced to be qualified for that could be implemented effectively only if more..

Sep 30 (DM) A political tsunami will be highly likely by the end of October this year in which all corrupt politicians will be wiped off, former MP and Head of Samagi Vanitha Balawegaya Hirunika Premachandra said today. �I might be called in for an inquiry by the CID for making this remark, but this revolution is definitely going to take place by the end of October. The incumbent President will suffer the same fate as his predecessor when the political tsunami strikes,� Ms. Premachandra said more..

Sep 30 (EN) SL saw its highest monthly net foreign inflows into stock market in more than 10 years in September as some foreigners converted their dividend payment into risky assets because they could not get dollars to repatriate due to forex crisis. The island nation�s 4.3 trillion worth stock market saw 14.7 billion rupees ($40.8 million) net foreign inflow in Sept, its highest since March 2012 when Malaysia�s state investment arm Khazanah Nasional bought 8.8% stake in John Keells Holdings more..

Sep 30 (DM) Development of aviation infrastructure facilities of the BIA are progressing well even amidst the economic crisis and that the enhanced facilities would be available for use by the end of 2024, Civil Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said today. Speaking during the Int'l Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at Montreal � Canada today, he said "Development of aviation infrastructure facilities, which include more..

Sep 30 (Island) It had been found in August 2022 that about 14.6% of children under five were under weight, Family Health Bureau Consultant Dr. Kaushalya Kasthuriarachchi said. Nuwara Eliya had recorded the highest percentage of under-weight children under five, she said. �21% of children under five in Nuwara Eliya were under-weight last month. In Vavuniya, 19.9% of children under five in were under weight. In Ampara 18.5% of children under five were under weight,� more..

Sep 30 (ANI) Nine Indian fishermen were recused from Srilankan waters by the India Coast Guard on Thursday after their vessel had an engine breakdown and drifted toward the waters of the island nation. The operation was conducted in cooperation with the SL Navy. The fishermen were later safely brought back to Karaikal. "Nine Indian fishermen rescued by @IndiaCoastGuard in coordination with SL Navy. Vessel reportedly had engine breakdown and drifted to SL waters. more..

Sep 30 (TM) The sky is the limit for the partnership between India and SL, India�s High Commissioner Gopal Baglay said on Thursday as he emphasised the importance of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme in overall bilateral ties. The High Commission of India in Colombo celebrated ITEC Day 2022 to mark 58 years of capacity-building partnership between India, SL through ITEC more..

Sep 30 (DM) Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) allowed the Hellfire Music Festival to go ahead at Lotus Tower today with the new name Fire the CMC said today. The name has been changed following the conditional permission given by the Municipal Commissioner Badrani Jayawardene. The organizers were asked to shelve the name Hellfire as it said to be the name of a Satanic cult. Municipal Commissioner Badrani Jayawardene in a letter addressed to organizers of the show more..

Sep 30 (AD) STF has arrested an elderly woman with crystal methamphetamine, (commonly known as Ice) in her possession. The apprehension was made at the Bloumendhal Road of Colombo 15. The arrested woman was identified as a 63-year-old resident of the Kibula Ela area of Madampitiya. STF has taken 52 grams of Ice into custody, from the suspect�s possession. Probes revealed that the arrested woman is the mother of imprisoned large-scale drug smuggler named Ratnam Ranjith more..

Sep 30 (AD) Former Prez Maithripala Sirisena has filed a writ application before the Court of Appeal asking to suspend the case against him filed before the Fort Magistrate�s Court over the Easter Sunday attacks. Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini and Jesudasan Nadesan, a victim of the Easter Sunday terror attacks, had filed a private plaint seeking to name the former president as an accused of Easter Sunday attacks, for failing to prevent it. Former Prez Sirisena was named as a suspect more..

Sep 30 (EN) Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), has partnered with a state-run Rajarata Uni to educate undergraduates to improve financial literacy among Sri Lankans, amid occasional pump and dump deals which have hit investor sentiment and deprive growth in the risky assets. SL�s financial literacy has been low and many rural investors had to leave with empty hands in 2011 when the market collapsed after some alleged pump and dump deals. The vicious cycle still continues time to time, more..

Sep 30 (DM) Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and a senior lawyer today filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking an order suspending the operation of the gazette notification issued by the President, declaring High Security Zones in Colombo city. SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and Attorney-at-law Sudath Wickramaratne filed this petition naming Defence Secy General Kamal Gunaratne more..

Sep 30 (TM) Ministry of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation, with the support of the other relevant institutions, is exploring new solutions to resolve the human-elephant conflict (HEC), as all methods that are currently in use, such as the construction of electric fences and the use of elephant crackers, are mostly unsuccessful. An official said: �There are many methods that are used at present to deter elephants, but none of them provide a permanent solution to this issue. more..

Sep 30 (DM) The Supreme Court today ordered the CEB to construct an auditorium for Thalawakele Tamil Maha Vidyalaya for its failure to build a new Auditorium as agreed in lieu of land acquisition to the Upper Kothmale Hydro Power Project. The Supreme Court further ordered the Project Director of Hydro Power Project to pay Rs.25000 as cost to three petitioners, the members of the School Development Society. Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising more..

Sep 30 (EN) Sri Lanka�s fish prices have seen a decline since last week, helped by kerosene supply and peak fishing season, govt officials and private vendors said. Fish prices had skyrocketed along with prices of other protein-based products like meat, chicken and egg, with consumers complaining that they could no longer afford a protein-rich diet. �This is the season for fishermen and, after a long wait, fuel was received more..

Sep 30 (TM) Sources revealed to The Morning that a group of senior students of the Tower Hall Drama and Theatre School, which comes under the Tower Hall Theatre Foundation, is reported to have attempted to force junior students to make false declarations from junior students to the effect that they had never been ragged, despite having subjected them to ragging. Sources also told The Morning that senior students of the said school are ragging junior students in various ways. more..

Sep 30 (Island) Chairman of the Election Commission of Sri Lanka, Nimal Punchihewa says a draft Bill to regulate expenditure incurred by candidates at elections conducted under the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance, the Provincial Councils Elections Act, the Parliamentary Elections Act and the Presidential Elections Act� drawn up by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka has been approved by the Attorney General and submitted to the President. more..

Sep 30 (TM) Social media activists are set to bring about a strategic change to the new phase of the aragalaya (the people�s struggle), which is to commence from mid-October. Social media activist Dilan Senanayake said that the new stage of the aragalaya would start after 15 Oct, and that at the moment, various segments of the movement are working towards one goal. �The Govt doesn�t care about the young generation of this country. We could see that most of them are unable to take up more..

Sep 30 (FT) The Federation of Renewable Energy yesterday raised concerns of a concerted effort to scuttle the progress of the sector to boost profitability of the CEB. Federation representatives remarked that on the back of an unfavourable tariff structure its membership has not received payments for 10 months and warned of a prolonged more intense power crisis should the Govt and authorities continue to ignore the prospects of renewable energy. more..