Oct 24 (SLN) SL Navy took hold of 02 dinghies and 04 individuals aboard, suspected of their involvement in human smuggling, during a search carried out in Sand Dunes 3, Talaimannar on 21st Oct. Navy conducts regular patrols and search operations in the coastal and sea areas of the island to prevent a wide range of illegal activities taking place via sea routes. As an extension of these efforts, this special search operation was conducted by SLNS Thammanna and SLNS Gajaba more..

Oct 24 (DM) The wildlife dept has reported that a total of 400 wild elephants have died this year. They said nearly 200 of the wild elephant deaths were a result of conflicts between elephants and humans. Many wild elephants have died in shootings and road accidents. Meanwhile, wild elephants are also reported to have died due to various diseases. The dept said that there are about 6,000 elephants in the country. Due to the loss of habitat due to human activities, more..

Oct 24 (AD) Senior Adviser on National Security to the Prez and Chief of the Presidential Staff, Sagala Ratnayaka, announced the forthcoming establishment of an Anti-Narcotic Command to combat the influx of drugs from foreign nations into SL. The initiative is being launched in a bid to empower the country�s armed forces and the State Intelligence Service to collaborate with international intelligence agencies when conducting necessary operations. more..

Oct 24 (AD) The body of SL national Anula Jayathilake, who was killed in the Hamas-Israel conflict, has been identified by her relatives at Petah Tikva in Israel, according to Sri Lanka�s Ambassador in Israel Nimal Bandara. On Sunday (22), it was reported that a decision had been taken to carry out a DNA test in order to confirm the identity of the body of Sri Lankan caregiver, who was initially reported missing and later confirmed dead by the Israeli authorities. more..

Oct 24 (FT) If you think the current business environment for SriLankan Airlines is tough, you should re-visit 2001. In July that year, the Katunayake airport was bombed, in September 9/11 happened, dealing a double blow to the island nation�s aviation and tourism industry. It could not get any worse for an airline, but under Emirates management the airline did turnaround. Based on the Strategic Planning work done by MTI Consulting for SriLankan, the case study of the airline�s turnaround more..

Oct 24 (EN) SL�s smaller airports are to get upgraded due to the increase in air operations, minister of ports, shipping and aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva said. Passenger facilities at Palali international airport will be expanded including the expansion of the existing passenger terminal, the establishment of a duty-free shopping mall, increased sanitary facilities, facilities for immigration and customs officials, and increased infrastructure. more..

Oct 24 (Island) The National Law Week, an important annual event organized by the Bar Association of SL (BASL), was held from Sept 25 to Oct 1. Starting with provincial programmes at selected Bars around the country, the ceremonial session took place on 28 Sept at the Courts Complex in Hulftsdorp, Colombo, with the presence of high-level attendees including Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya PC, Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam PC, more..

Oct 24 (DM) SL won two Gold Medals on the third day of the Fourth Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China today. Pradeep Somasiri produced a fine performance to secure the Gold Medal in the Men�s 1,500m, T46 event with a time of 4:05.14s. Meanwhile, SL�s Nuwan Indika powered his way to claim first place in the Men�s 100m T44 event with a time of 11.63s. A total of 26 athletes are currently representing SL at the Asian Para Games in eight sports including athletics, archery, badminton, powerlifting, more..

Oct 24 (ST) A dispute among residents over an unauthorised construction in Kollupitiya is being probed by police. A senior police officer said that the parties concerned have been summoned for an inquiry. He said that the CMC had informed the residents who are trying to erect a wall towards the middle of 6th Lane in Kollupitiya, that the construction was illegal. Neighbours complain that it blocks the entrance to their residences. They said that a wall had been built earlier but it had been demolished. more..

Oct 24 (DN) Colombo Chief Magistrate Prasanna Alwis, who considered a complaint made by the late businessman Lalith Kotelawela�s wife�s sister raising suspicions about the death of Kotalawela, ordered the body of the late businessman to be released to Sherine Wijayaratne Fernando yesterday to be buried at the Borella Cemetery. In addition, the Magistrate also issued orders to the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer to conduct a post-mortem examination in the presence of three JMOs. more..

Oct 24 (DM) Supreme Court today issued a rule suspending a lawyer from practicing as an Attorney-at-Law for a period of eight months for professional misconduct. This is for aiding Moulavi to record a part of the proceedings of PCoI into the Easter Sunday bomb attacks using a mobile phone, contrary to the rules of the procedure of the PCoI. SC 3-judge-bench comprising Justice Buwaneka Aluvihare, S. Thurairaja and Mahinda Samayawardhena more..

Oct 24 (AD) State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has warned that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) remains on high alert with regard to those commercial banks that are yet to reduce their interest rates. Siyambalapitiya noted that the CBSL would continue to closely monitor all commercial banks and financial institutions that have failed to abide by the recent circular issued by the CBSL, pertaining to the reduction of interest rates. more..

Oct 24 (CT) SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said reshuffling the Cabinet or changing the portfolios of Ministers involved in corruption or bribery was not the solution to end corruption or bribery that has become a dominant force issue in the country today. Rajakaruna also claimed that the entire country is waiting for an opportunity to chase away everyone in the govt from the top to the backbenchers and reshuffling the Cabinet or changing the Ministers involved in corruption is not a matter of concern. more..

Oct 24 (EN) SL�s ambitious poverty alleviation program Aswesuma which has planned to target only the poor and vulnerable people is facing a delay due to resistance from bureaucrats at the grass root level, multiple sources said. The new program aimed at providing funds directly to the poor and vulnerable people who are hit hard by the unprecedented economic crisis. SL has already secured $185 million World Bank funding to support the welfare benefit payment scheme more..

Oct 24 (EN) Sri Lanka�s liquor manufacturers have to settle 10 years in tax payables before the end of October, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya has said in a statement. He said that a final notice had been issued for all manufacturers to settle tax arrears of 10 years, before the end of October. The statement was released in response to an allegation made by the opposition leader that further tax concessions will be given to alcohol companies. more..

Oct 24 (PMD) Three newly appointed ambassadors to Sri Lanka handed over their credentials to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Secretariat this morning. New ambassadors have been appointed for Switzerland, European Union and Iran. Accordingly, Dr (Ms) Siri Walt the Ambassador of Switzerland, Ms. Carmen Moreno the Ambassador of the European Union and Dr. Alireza Delkhosh the Ambassador of Iran in Colombo presented their credentials to President Wickremesinghe. more..

Oct 24 (PMD) Minister Jeevan Thondaman, emphasized that there are no plans to increase the water tariffs. Instead, the ministry is diligently working on implementing a water tariff formula, set to roll out in Jan 2024. He assured the public that following the water tariff hike in Aug 2023, there will be no further increases. The focus is now on developing a cost recovery formula, a collaborative effort with the Water Board, and Asian Development Bank (ADB) project, more..

Oct 24 (Island) Customs Department has lost revenue amounting to more than Rs. 58 billion due to various frauds and irregularities, and Chairman of the Committee of the Ways and Means, MP Champika Ranawaka has instructed the officials of Ministry of Finance and other institutions to take immediate steps to recover the losses. It has been revealed that arecanut is imported from Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar for USD 750-900 per tonne, and big profits are made by re-exporting those consigenments as more..

Oct 24 (Island) Chairman of Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security retired Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, MP, has alleged that flaws in the govt�s defence strategy particularly security lapses contributed to the unprecedented crisis that forced Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of office on 13 July 2022. In a letter to State Defence Minister Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, former Public Security Minister has called for a thorough inquiry more..

Oct 24 (EN) Policy missteps exposed SL�s external sector to global shocks, and building resilience against external pressures must be a crucial part of the recovery process, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) said, calling for a more systematic approach to export diversification. As import controls are largely eased, to bridge the widening trade deficit, Sri Lanka needs to implement concrete policy measures to diversify its export basket and connect to global value chains, more..

Oct 24 (HT) Bigg Boss Kannada contestant Varthur Santhosh, who was arrested on Sunday night by the forest department for allegedly wearing a tiger claw pendant during the reality show, was sent to 14 days judicial custody on Monday, officials privy to the developments said. Santhosh was produced before the additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) court in Bengaluru on Monday. After examination of evidence, he has been sent to a two-week judicial custody, officials said. more..

Oct 24 (AD) SL�s merchandise exports decreased by 11.88% to USD 951.5 million in September 2023 in comparison to the corresponding month last year, EDB says. This is a decrease of 14.94% when compared to the figure recorded in August 2023, the EDB said further. In August 2023, SL recorded over USD 1 billion in revenue from merchandise exports. The decline in merchandise exports is attributed to the decreased demand for export products, particularly in sectors such as more..

Oct 24 (EN) SL�s cabinet has given the nod to call proposals from private investors to build a floating solar plant on the Samanalawewa reservoir owned CEB. It has been found that a surface area of 100 hectares can be used for solar panels of about 100 to 150 MegaWatts. Expressions of interest will be called from investors under the guidelines covering infrastructure development. SL is seeking to boost renewable energy and is market pricing electricity to cut losses. more..

Oct 24 (TM) Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) is to complete the compensation for crop damages caused during the Yala cultivation season by early next month, with farmers in the Hambantota and Udawalawe regions to be given priority during the process. The ministry recently stated that more than 60,000 acres of paddy and other crop cultivations belonging to more than 55,000 farmers islandwide had been damaged, particularly due to the drought and heavy rain that prevailed more..

Oct 25 (TM) SL Navy and Coast Guard, aided by the Police and intelligence agencies have this week intercepted two local fishing trawlers inbound with nearly 430kg of Heroin and crystal Methamphetamine. Crew of SLNS Vijayabahu, SLCG Samudraraksha and the intelligence agencies personnel, who had worked tirelessly to track and apprehend the narcotics deserve praise and thanks. However, now that the drugs have been intercepted, the boats confiscated, suspects handed over more..

Oct 25 (DM) If you keep yourself up to date with local news, you are also likely to be bombarded with an overdose of negativity, which might make an inquisitive tourist ponder whether he or she is in a different country. That dichotomy may partly be due to the differential exposure to the local life, but that is also because, as I have written here previously, Sri Lankans have done a better job than anyone else to run their country down before the world and at home- and they relish at it. more..

Oct 25 (TM) The field of forensic medicine engages in a number of activities that are of concern to the general public, with a focus on supporting the Judiciary to provide informed and accurate verdicts. While this field is interesting in so many ways, the number of professionals entering the field is inadequate. The field, on the other hand, is facing several issues � including the lack of facilities. One way of making the process of JMO more..

Oct 25 (DM) The CEB has done it again. Electricity tariffs have been raised by a whopping 18%. At this moment according to UNICEF severe food insecurity is prevalent in our country. The situation was predicted to deteriorate between Oct 2022 and Feb 2023. A UNICEF report estimates that 6.2 million people (28% of the population) are moderately acute food insecure, while 66,000 people are severely acute food insecure. Two in five households (41.8%) spend more than 75% of their expenditures more..

Oct 25 (TM) The mini Cabinet reshuffle of Monday, which saw Keheliya Rambukwella losing Health portfolio and gaining Environment, met with mixed reactions. While some heaved a sigh of relief, others saw the decision as politically motivated and lacking in merit. Rambukwella�s tenure as Minister of Health, in the Ranil Wickremesinghe Govt, was fraught with one controversy after another. From the acute drug shortage following the economic crisis to importing drugs contravening NMRA procedure, more..

Oct 25 (SO) Indian three-wheelers are imported to SL and unloaded from containers in the Madapatha area. However, a surprising sight awaited us when we observed an electric three-wheeler, manufactured in SL, being loaded into a container. This noteworthy event occurred near the Milton Motors three-wheeler manufacturing facility in Siddamulla. The introduction of Milton Motors was initially featured in the Silumina. more..

Oct 25 (Island) Police investigating a recent clash between State Minister Diana Gamage and SJB MPs Sujith Perera and Rohana Bandara, near the parliamentary chamber, have reportedly sought Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena�s views on some legal aspects of their probe, which is likely to drag on until the cows come home. Speaker Abeywardena has appointed a 5-member committee to probe the brawl at issue. SJB MP Gamage, who switched her allegiance to govt more..

Oct 25 (SO) The Homagama Central College is a 1 AB Grade school affiliated to the Western Provincial Council (WPC), situated in a serene and tranquil setting approximately one kilometre from the bustling town of Homagama. This co-educational school catering to students from Grades 6 � 13 holds a prominent position in the Homagama Educational Zone. Prior to 1900, only the Homagama Maha Vidyalaya, situated in proximity to the Homagama weekly fair, was in existence. more..

Oct 25 (ST) Israel showed on Tuesday it had lost none of its Judaist zeal to claim an eye for an eye in revenge for Hamas� first strike against Israeli civilians on their day of fast following the nightfall end to the Jewish religious celebration of Sukkot on Oct 6. Conflict kicked off on Oct 7 when hundreds of armed Hamas fighters crossed a border security fence and indiscriminately mowed down Israeli civilians and soldiers taken by surprise. More than 1,400 people have been killed in the attack, more..

Oct 25 (Island) According to newspaper reports, an NGO carrying the acronym MONLAR has accused that the agricultural policies of successive govts have rendered millions of Lankans insecure. It claims that as of today, 5.3 million people in SL are food insecure. This proves that what the govt has been doing for more than 70 years to this date to feed its people has failed. Doesn�t MONLAR know that Sri Lanka reached self-sufficiency in food several times during its 70-year journey? more..

Oct 25 (ST) Angry people are hitting out at the govt in the aftermath of the 18% hike in electricity tariffs imposed by the CEB with approval from the PUCSL. This being the third electricity tariff hike for this year alone, people have been forced to make adjustments in their life styles in the face of the economic crisis that has hit the country. In Moratuwa, consumer M. Jayantha lamented that his bill would skyrocket. more..

Oct 25 (CI) South Africa continue to bludgeon all before their path when they bat first, and it doesn't seem to matter who's in the way. This time, it was Bangladesh who were the unfortunate victims, with SA putting them to the sword in a 149-run demolition. It was led by an enormous contribution from Quinton de Kock, whose 140-ball 174 powered South Africa to 382. At the death, to help him along, he had Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed 90 off 49 balls as SA racked up 144 in final 10 overs. more..