Oct 26 (CT) The long-standing vacancy of the IT Director at the Dept of the Registrar of Companies cannot be filled as no suitable candidate applies for the position due to the low salary scale, it was revealed at theCOPA. COPA, which met recently in Parliament, instructed the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to comply with existing legal provisions and promptly fill the vacant position of IT Director at the Department of the Registrar of Companies while offering competitive wages. more..

Oct 26 (DN) Minister Susil Premajayantha said that moves are under way to form a mutual mechanism to recognize the educational qualifications in Italy and SL. Minister made these remarks in a discussion held between him and Education Minister of Italy Giuseppe Valditara recently in Italy. Both the Ministers expressed their ideas regarding the preparation of a system that would be mutually recognised in both countries regarding the educational qualifications of Italy & SL. more..

Oct 26 (FT) With the onset of winter holidays, the first of several charter flight operations by Lot Polish Airlines, flying out of the Czech Republic, touched down at BIA yesterday. Flight carrying 252 tourists from the Czech Republic touched down at BIA at 6:55 a.m., signalling the start of an exciting seasonal influx. The inaugural flight was welcomed with a spectacular water salute at BIA and the passengers were disembarked to a warm welcome, with delightful traditional dances more..

Oct 26 (DM) Sri Pada pilgrim season 2023/24 is scheduled to commence on Dec 26, with the dawn of the Unduvap Full Moon Poya and end on the Wesak Full Moon Poya in May 2024. Chief Incumbent of Sri Padasthana Ven Bengamuwe Dhammadinna Thera told a meeting at the Ratnapura District Secretariat on Tuesday (24) to take up the preliminaries of the pilgrim season. He said the casket of Sacred Relics and the statue of the god would be taken in procession more..

Oct 26 (Island) Alleging that attempts were being made to evict people from the Divulpothana village in the Batticaloa District, Ven. Ampitiye Sumanaratne thera, Chief Incumbent of Mangalaramaya, Batticaloa, has called for the immediate intervention of the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) to protect the rights of the victims. In a four-page letter dated Oct. 23, 2023 handed over to the HRC on Monday, more..

Oct 26 (DM) The GMOA has announced a series of trade union actions in protest of the govt�s failure to take feasible measures to retain medical officers who are expecting to go abroad. Issuing a news release, the GMOA stressed that the Health Ministry seems to be turning a blind to the pressing issue of brain drain. Accordingly, the GMOA has decided to withdraw from mobile ambulance services for VIP health security operations from Nov 1 until further notice and withdraw from more..

Oct 26 (AD) Ministry of Education has expressed their concerns pertaining to the incidents that took place on 24 Oct, during the teacher-principal protest in Pelawatte. Voicing its concerns in relation to the firing of tear gas and water cannons by the police in attempts to disperse the protesting teachers and principals, the Ministry highlighted that the protesters were subjected to such treatment merely because they were trying to seek solutions for the discrepancies more..

Oct 26 (TM) Ceylon Teachers� Union (CTU) blamed the Education Minister, attorney Dr. Susil Premajayantha, for not consulting Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe properly regarding issues with their salary anomalies in order to obtain an increment to their salaries from the Appropriation Bill for 2024. CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin claimed that the conduct of some officials in the Education Ministry � including the Minister � has hampered the Govt�s measures to increase more..

Oct 26 (CT) The five-member committee, tasked with investigating the alleged assault on State Minister Diana Gamage within the Parliament lobby, reviewed the CCTV footage related to the incident yesterday (25). Following their deliberations, they have scheduled a summoning of relevant parties for 6 Nov. Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse presided over the committee meeting in Parliament yesterday, with the participation of former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, Gayantha Karunatileka, more..

Oct 26 (EN) Newly-appointed environment minister has said a new environmental act that better suits the needs of the country should be introduced. �Necessary steps should be taken to replace the current National Environment Act with a new environmental act that suits the country,� minister of environment Keheliya Rambukwella said. �It is more timely to bring a new Act than to amend the current National Environmental Act.� The National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980 more..

Oct 26 (PMD) Mr. Manusha Nanayakkara, Minister of Labor and Foreign Employment, emphasized that the govt is steadfast in introducing new laws while replacing the past to bring about the system changes that people expect. The minister also mentioned that the govt is taking steps to establish stable policies that will remain consistent through changes in government. As a result, the foreign employment policy for the next five years has been made public today. more..

Oct 26 (EN) Qualified beneficiaries numbering 156,261 are unable to draw their Aswesuma welfare payments due to the lack of bank accounts, a report said. Sri Lanka�s poverty alleviation program Aswesuma aimed at the poor and vulnerable has made a request to the public asking qualified beneficiaries to open bank accounts, in order to receive the instalments made in July. Sri Lanka Welfare Benefits Board Chairman Jayantha Wijeratne was quoted as saying more..

Oct 26 (EN) SLPP legislator Nimal Lansa, who has reportedly been working on a new alliance backing Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe, has challenged detractors within the govt to try and defeat the upcoming budget. �What I have to say to [govt MPs] Namal Rajapaksa and Sagara Kariyawasam is, if you are opposed to the budget, come and vote against it, defeat the govt and go for a parliamentary election. We�re all prepared for that,� more..

Oct 26 (EN) Differential tax treatment to businesses in the Colombo Port City based on vague and subjective criteria could create labour market distortions, free market think tank Advocata said. A lack of clarity in what constitutes a strategic development project in the Strategic Development Projects Act and the discretion given to the minister in charge led to tax holidays and incentives granted to projects whose strategic value was questionable, Advocata said more..

Oct 26 (EN) Sri Lanka is looking beyond strengthening ties with its largest traditional export destinations, the USA and the EU/UK, to deeper integration with South Asia, South East Asia and East Asia nations. Sri Lanka is engaged in Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) negotiations with Bangladesh, with an emphasis on trade in goods. The next step involves both countries exchanging their initial offer lists in preparation for subsequent rounds of negotiations. more..

Oct 26 (FT) The Customs, Inland Revenue and Excise Trade Union Collective voiced concerns, asserting that ad-hoc policy shifts and questionable methodologies used in policy revisions, pose a threat to the crucial role played by these departments in Govt revenue collection. Issuing a statement, unions argue that these efforts undermine Govt�s ability to fund essential services such as free education & healthcare. more..

Oct 26 (DM) A 23-year-old man has been arrested for the murder of his young wife, whose body was found buried behind their residence in Neeravipiddi, Mulliyawalai. Police said the victim's mother reported her 22-year-old daughter as missing to the Mulliyawalai Police a few days ago when she could not contact her. Investigations have revealed that the husband of the deceased woman had murdered her following a family dispute. The suspect was arrested by the police in the Wellampitiya area more..

Oct 26 (AD) The Supreme Court on Thursday granted time for the Attorney General (AG) to submit limited objections in relation to a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition filed by a group of students from Uni of Colombo. An FR petition had been filed by a group of eight students from the Uni of Colombo, claiming that their education was disrupted as a result of the tear gas fired by the police in attempts to disperse a protest staged by the IUSF, thereby violating their fundamental rights. more..

Oct 27 (DM) Many are of the opinion that profits can be made from tourism in this pearl of an island even if businesses related to this industry are badly run. This is a myth according to experts in the tourism industry. What worries tourism industry experts is that without a comprehensive tourism policy initiated by the Govt of SL (GoSL), this nation cannot have a sustainable industry for hotels and tourism. Most hotels in Sri Lanka are struggling or closed down. The few stubborn ones that are more..

Oct 27 (CT) Last week I witnessed an incident at the Independence Square which is illustrative of an unmade society; a society whose norm is its normlessness; nothing is definite, everything is in a state of flux. I was taking a walk near the independence square at about 7 PM when it started raining heavily, compelling a dozen or so walkers to seek shelter in the Independence Square. An impressive monument, striking and dignified, dedicated to the attainment of our more..

Oct 27 (TM) SL�s cake industry saw a boom during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many turned to home-baking, but was severely affected by a shortage of ingredients and an increase in prices during the economic crisis that followed. While these have had an impact on cake makers, professional baker Kaushalya Samaraweera points out that what is causing greater harm to the industry is the lack of standards. more..

Oct 27 (DM) What is happening in Gaza is a violent act of ethnic cleansing. Period. It is happening in full view of the international community, while those who have the capability to prevent it are allowing it to happen despite claiming to be civilised. As Israel continues its killing spree in Gaza, proving it is more monstrous than the baby-killing Pharaoh, a ceasefire is not on the lips of the Western nations, though they claim to promote int'l good behaviour. Not even a pause in the fighting is their wish, more..

Oct 27 (CT) SL�s electricity crisis has worsened in the recent past, mainly due to successive govts� failure to set up new plants on time and switch between liquid fuels. Since 2015, growth in installed electricity has been lower than annual growth in total electricity generation and the situation has been aggravated by a lack of foreign reserves. Public outcry has led to negative consequences of three tariff revisions this year, including a 66% increase on 15 Feb, a 14% decrease on 1 July more..

Oct 27 (TM) In a perplexing twist of legal and administrative complexity, the reappointment of the IGP has raised a chorus of concerns and questions about its legality and potential external influences. PHU Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila has sounded the alarm, challenging the timing of IGP C.D. Wickramaratne�s second service extension, granted nearly two weeks after his retirement in March 2023. more..

Oct 27 (TM) The Chinese geophysical and seismic scientific research vessel Shi Yan 6 docked at Colombo Port for replenishment, the Govt is yet to decide (as of last evening) about granting permission for the controversial vessel to embark on the requested joint survey along the southern coast with the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA). The Shi Yan 6�s planned arrival in Sri Lanka has been reported on for more than two months. more..

Oct 27 (ST) Aldoris, the choon-paan karaya, and his tuk-tuk made their way down the lane with the first stop on this rainy Thursday morning being our gate. �Gallei inna magey nedaeyinta harima amarui gan-wathura nisa (My relatives in Galle are having a hard time with the floods),� he said while dishing out maalu-paans and bunis to the trio who had gathered outside the gate. �Mataradi gan-wathura nisa wee idam akkara gananavakata hani siduwela. Govinta harima padui more..

Oct 27 (Island) Much has been written and comments made on the vociferous fracas in the lobby of the Parliament of the Democratic � la la � Republic of SL. While the seat of govt and legislature ought to be a place of decorum and solemnity with members of dignity and decency, our Parliament is referred to as a zoo, a wildlife reserve, a place of donkeys and even a cesspit. All justified. And with the latest shenanigans it can be termed a gladiators� Colosseum or even a pigs� sty. more..

Oct 27 (Island) Hardly a day passes without an incident of gun violence being reported in this country. Bloody turf wars among drug cartels are on the rise, and the public lives in fear of stray bullets. The netherworld of crime has emerged more powerful than ever, in recent times. Some years ago, even the toughest in the underworld would shudder at the prospect of being taken to the CID headquarters, which had earned notoriety for defenestration, among other things, but more..

Oct 27 (CI) England's World Cup defence is not dead yet. And more's the pity, to judge by this latest hollow-eyed display from Jos Buttler's ex-worldbeaters. The humiliations are coming so thick and fast that they are losing their shock factor but, suffice to say, this latest crushing loss - by eight wickets and in just 59 overs of the match's 100 - was neither the largest nor the most shocking of an abject campaign. more..

Oct 27 (ST) Although last year was labelled a recovery period, following the economic crisis that hit the country in 2021, a policy report based on the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index derived from the UNDP National Citizen Survey for 2022-2023 revealed that more than six in ten Sri Lankans are multi-dimensionally vulnerable. SL�s Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) statistics (on a scale of 0 � 1, (with zero indicating no one being vulnerable and 1 indicating more..

Oct 27 (ST) SL is facing the disastrous consequences of the previous regime�s failure to continue the implementation of strategic city development projects and river diversion irrigation and flood control schemes initiated during 2015 and 2019 periods. Policy decisions taken to suspend such projects without any valid reasons have resulted in a massive loss of billions of rupees for the Treasury, a Finance Ministry report revealed. Economic loss caused by SL�s landslides more..

Oct 27 (CI) The light at the end of the tunnel was a train. England have spent the last four weeks travelling around India talking about responding to setbacks and awaiting the statement performance that has never arrived. If their defeats to New Zealand, Afghanistan and South Africa were bad, this might have been the worst of the lot. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru was a venue that should have suited England perfectly. In the first of five effective must-win games, more..

Oct 27 (DN) Aashinsa Herath, up-and-coming SL shuttler, taking part in the Indian International Challenge Badminton Tournament at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore, made an impressive tournament debut, defeating an Indian shuttler in straight two sets yesterday. Aashinsa faced off against Indian player Shreyansh Jaiswal in the first round of the men�s singles. The first set was a hard-fought battle that ended 21/18, but Aashinsa Herath displayed more confidence in second more..

Oct 27 (Island) All-Island Schools Games, Sir John Tarbat Athletics Championship and the Junior National Athletics Championship were the first stepping stones in Tharushi Karunaratne�s remarkable journey to the Asian Games gold medal. When she started her record-breaking spree competing in the U-16 age category it was evident that she was being groomed for greatness. Four years after breaking more..

Oct 27 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe stressed yesterday that embracing ICT is no longer a choice but a necessity. Speaking at the National ICT Awards NBQSA 2023 on Wednesday organised by the British Computer Society the Chartered Institute for IT � SL Section, he explained the significance of digital transformation in securing Sri Lanka�s economic prosperity. Drawing from his extensive background in information technology, dating back to the 1980s, Wickremesinghe urged all to more..