Sep 20 (DM) In the recent past, SL has witnessed a worrying increase in various forms of criminal activities such as shootings, killings in broad daylight and theft, robbery, and drug-related offenses, raising concerns among citizens and authorities alike. The recent tragic killing of a six-year-old girl in Colombo has sent shockwaves through the community and ignited a strong public outcry. The girl was killed and her father was injured more..

Sep 20 (EN) Shares closed up, with interest in an acquisition from Softlogic. ASPI was up 0.23% or 25.83 points to 11,274.33, while the S&P SL20 was up 0.16% or 5.16 points to 3,172.81. �Though volumes were thin, the market did bounce back to a high of three days. There still is some uncertainty among investors waiting on clarity from the govt on IMF review and the upcoming budget,� an analyst said. Gainers were Commercial Bank, Ceylon Beverage Holdings and Sampath Bank. more..

Sep 20 (EN) Iranian leader Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi has accepted an invitation by his SL counterpart Ranil Wickremesinghe to visit the South Asian island nation in the near future, President�s media unit said. Wickremesinghe met Raisi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. �The two leaders engaged in cordial discussions and Dr. Raisi accepted Prez Wickremesinghe�s invitation to visit Sri Lanka in the near future,� more..

Sep 20 (AD) Extremely limited resources have been allocated to the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change albeit the adoption in 2015, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe told SDG Summit 2023 in New York. The two-day high-level political forum on sustainable development came to an end on Tuesday. The world leaders adopted a Political Declaration which left them with a �to-do list� to turn words into action more..

Sep 20 (DM) The request by police for a restraining order preventing the commemoration of LTTE cadre 'Thileepan' was rejected by the Vavuniya magistrate�s court. He was to be commemorated today (20) for the 36th year. Vaviniya police moved that the commemoration of 'Thileepan' which included a demonstration along with a motorcade to Vavuniya town today was liable to result in a breach of peace. The court rejected the request of the police and held that anyone more..

Sep 20 (DM) SL's present cricket team is more talented than the 1996 World Cup winning squad, former cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga said. "With the exception of Aravinda de Silva, the cricket team we have today is more talented than the 1996 squad," he said, adding that the present administration of the sport has misled young and talented cricketers. "I had several questions with the Asia Cup," Ranatunga said raising concerns as to why the Asian Cricket Council awarded USD 50,000 more..

Sep 20 (CI) SL have announced a young squad for the 2023 Asian Games - essentially a SL A side - with Sahan Arachchige set to lead the 15-member squad. Among those with international caps, Ashen Bandara tops the list with 11 white-ball games under his belt. Nuwanidu Fernando and Nuwan Thushara have played four games each, while Arachchige has played two ODIs. A majority of the team have however appeared in the LPL, so fans may not be completely unfamiliar with some of these names, more..

Sep 20 (AD) The Govt Medical Officers� Association (GMOA) has raised concerns over the recent number of deaths that have taken place at the General Hospital in Badulla, noting that out of the 1,883 postmortems conducted over the last year, 770 persons were found to have died of heart attacks. Speaking on the matter, GMOA Deputy Secretary Dr. Palitha Rajapaksha attributed the high number of deaths caused by heart attacks to the absence of an angiogram machine. more..

Sep 20 (TM) The Ceylon Principals' Union (CPU) has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) regarding the alleged appointment and transfer of principals in the North Western Province (NWP) based on the wishes of various politicians, without following the procedure adopted by the North Western Provincial Council (PC) in 2010. CPU General Secretary Piyasiri Fernando claimed that more than 1,200 schools in the North Western Province more..

Sep 20 (TM) Heads of media organisations have stated that not being able to obtain accurate information expeditiously from govt institutions is a major obstacle in bringing accurate news to the people. They pointed out that even the �good� development programmes by the Govt have failed to reach the people, especially because certain press secretaries have not done the coordination in a proper way. They claimed thus while addressing the Sectoral Oversight Committee on more..

Sep 20 (DM) Disciplinary action has been taken against some state officers who have been found to be responsible for not taking action to prevent the Easter Sunday bomb attacks in line with the govt�s decision to implement the recommendations by the Prez Commission of Inquiry which probed the mayhem, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles told Parliament today. �I will also look into how certain video clips on Zharan who led the suicide attacks on April 21, 2019, have been leaked,� more..

Sep 20 (TM) The Ministry of Agriculture has requested the farming community to commence the cultivation of paddy by using rainwater, as the Meteorology Dept has warned of a severe drought in the 2024 Yala cultivation season. During a meeting with a group of farmers, Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the Dept had warned of a severe drought situation in the 2024 Yala season, and that farmers should therefore be prepared for such. more..

Sep 20 (EN) SL�s enactment of anti-corruption legislation is getting delayed because the Anti-Corruption Commission is currently grappling with the task of recruiting staff with formal training, Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe told USAID Administrator Samantha Power. �Given this circumstance, it is anticipated that it will require an additional year to realize the anticipated outcomes of the anti-corruption law adoption, making the timeline for achievement approximately 2 years,� more..

Sep 20 (AD) Foreign Affairs Minister, Ali Sabry has deposited the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on September 19, 2023, at a high-level ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York. Accordingly, Sri Lanka is now the 69th state party to the Treaty. Depositing the legal document on Sri Lanka�s accession to the TPNW took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 78th session of the UN General Assembly. more..

Sep 21 (TM) Every year, following the onset of monsoon rains, SL�s road network becomes a highway to hell for motorists and pedestrians alike. An example of such occurred on Tuesday, when a road in Gothatuwa caved in, while submerged in water, creating a deadly trap which nearly cost the lives of a father and daughter who rode into the submerged cavity and narrowly escaped drowning. While SL has been facing an economic crisis, with state expenditure being reduced over more..

Sep 21 (DM) In a world of international relations defined by power rivalries and shifting alliances, Sri Lanka stands resolute in its pursuit of non-interference in its foreign relations and taking a neutral approach. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s recent statements in New York at the Ocean Nations: The 3rd Annual Indo-Pacific Islands Dialogue on the sidelines of the UNGA, shed light on his foreign policy stance and commitment to safeguarding SL�s interests above all else. more..

Sep 21 (TM) The much-anticipated election of the Football Federation of SL (FFSL) is all set to be held on 29 Sept. While former President Umar Jaswar has teamed up with Dr. Manil Fernando and Ranjith Rodrigo, the other presidential candidate is newcomer and Prez of the Anuradhapura League Dakshitha Sumathipala. The Daily Morning Sports met with Sumathipala to speak about his plans. more..

Sep 21 (TM) In a fiery speech delivered in Parliament, MP Harsha de Silva, Chair of the COPF, passionately criticized the SL govt�s latest move�the introduction of the online safety bill. MP Harsha minced no words, calling it an archaic and draconian piece of legislation that violates fundamental principles and represents a significant overreach by the govt. His critique underscores the potential damage this bill could inflict on both investment prospects and freedom of expression in SL. more..

Sep 21 (GV) Since August this year, ten districts in SL have witnessed severe drought conditions due to the lack of seasonal rainfall. The cultivation of around 50,000 farmers has been affected due to a lack of irrigation water in reservoirs. According to the National Disaster Relief Service Centre (NDRSC), nearly 150,000 people across 10 districts lack safe drinking water. Despite a revival of the South West monsoon, several districts are recording normal to below average rainfall. more..

Sep 21 (TM) SL is grappling with a significant cyber security crisis following a ransomware attack that has targeted critical Govt institutions, shedding light on the nation�s digital vulnerabilities and prompting experts to call for immediate and comprehensive cyber security reforms. Govt domains recently fell victim to a ransomware attack, a form of cybercrime where malicious actors encrypt sensitive data and demand payment for more..

Sep 21 (ST) Who says the authorities are not listening to SL�s powerful business community? It did � this week with the Simplified VAT (SVAT) system implementation being postponed or deferred to a date in April 2025 against an implementation date of Jan 2024 following strong objections from exporters. In fact, the business community is appealing to retain the SVAT instead of discontinuing it. It remains to be seen as to whether the current postponement is a means of providing breathing space more..

Sep 21 (CT) World Patient Safety Day, as in every year, was celebrated on 17 Sept 2023, on a global scale. Patient Safety, as the United Nations� official website states, is a framework of organised activities that creates cultures, processes, procedures, behaviours, technologies and environments in healthcare that consistently and sustainably lower risks, reduce the occurrence of avoidable harm, make error less likely and reduce its impact when it does occur. more..

Sep 21 (Island) The recent killing of a prominent Sikh activist named Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Canada, has triggered a diplomatic row between Ottawa and New Delhi. Canada lost no time in ordering an Indian diplomat out of the country, accusing India of having had a hand in the assassination. Denying Canada�s allegation, New Delhi reacted with a tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsion. The so-called great powers have carried out numerous assassinations on foreign soil more..

Sep 21 (Island) Channel 4 documentary that claims to give the story behind the Easter bombing has restarted the debate, within the country, about who was behind the foul deed, and why. The answer is not proving to be simple. It has become the subject of anger, threat and controversy. The identities of the suicide bombers and their victims are known. Eight suicide bombers died. 269 innocent people also died. All of the bombers were Muslim. Some of them were highly educated and more..

Sep 21 (FT) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Faizal Salieh, along with his top officials and from the CSE, recently held a productive engagement with the stockbroker community to discuss vital matters concerning the industry. The meeting, which brought together owners and chief executive officers of stockbroker firms, was aimed at enhancing regulatory compliance, promoting more..

Sep 21 (DN) SL rower Maheshi Liyanage made a historic mark at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou by securing a spot in the semifinals of the Women�s Single Sculls event held at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre, Hangzhou in China yesterday. Competing in a 2000-meter race, Liyanage completed the course in an impressive time of 8 minutes and 53.68 seconds. Her performance outshone her Saudi Arabian opponent, Almamy Haya Muhammed, who finished with a time of 9 min & 18.16 sec. more..

Sep 21 (Island) The national selection panel that met yesterday made a complete �U� turn having earlier requested captain Dasun Shanaka to step down in the lead up to next month�s ICC Cricket World Cup to be played in India. After SL�s horrendous show in the Asia Cup final, where the team was bowled out for 50 runs, their lowest total at home, someone had to be scapegoated and Dasun Shanaka fitted the selectors� bill. captain had been informed to step down so that a new captain more..

Sep 21 (FT) JAT Holdings yesterday announced the launch of Volt Charge (VC), an ambitious joint venture that signifies a remarkable collaboration between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia, poised to revolutionise the global Electric Vehicle (EV) charging landscape. In partnership with Saudi-based Safari Group (owning 51% of JV) and QSS Robotics (9%), and Sri Lankan tech trailblazer Cyrus, Volt Charge is on a mission to set new industry standards. more..

Sep 21 (FT) State Minister Shehan Semasinghe confirmed that the Govt has disbursed a total of Rs. 799.5 million to 113,713 beneficiaries under the Aswesuma program for July. As of yesterday, a remarkable 1,162,245 beneficiaries have received a total disbursement of Rs. 7.28 billion, a testament to the program�s wide-reaching impact on vulnerable groups. These funds serve as a crucial lifeline for those facing economic challenges, providing much-needed support during these trying times. more..

Sep 21 (FT) NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake�s favourability rating has improved to -28 points in August (up 16 points), in contrast, SJB leader Sajith Premadasa whose favourability dropped further to -58 (down 14), as per independent, non-partisan research centre IHP�s SLOT survey. Favourability of Prez Ranil Wickremasinghe remained unchanged at -46. IHP said favourability estimates for each month are based on more..

Sep 21 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday met with Meta President of Global Affairs Sir Nick Clegg in New York on the side-lines of the UNGA. During their discussions, Prez highlighted the Govt�s new initiatives to combat online hate speech and the spread of fake news. He emphasised that the proposed bill would allow concerned parties to challenge specific aspects through the Supreme Court and further revisions could be considered during the Parliamentary Committee review. more..

Sep 21 (EN) Malaysia has agreed to support SL�s application to become a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a major regional trade agreement. The RCEP is a free trade agreement among the Asia-Pacific nations of Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe met the Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim during more..

Sep 21 (DM) Without taking swift action to close or repair the massive rainwater-filled sinkhole on Dodangahahena Road in Gothatuwa, the relevant authorities are now passing the buck. On Tuesday morning, a father and his daughter were on their way to school on a motorcycle ended up plunging into a 16-foot sinkhole on the middle of the road which was covered in water. The quick thinking action of bystanders and nearby residents more..

Sep 21 (DM) President Ranil Wickremesinghe is reported to have stood his ground, refusing to allocate any more Cabinet portfolios despite persistent requests from the SLPP, Daily Mirror leans. The president has continuously resisted requests to increase the size of the Cabinet even despite some MPs such as S.B. Dissanayake warning to explore ways to topple the govt. The position has been taken over concerns that such a move will discredit the govt in the public eye. more..

Sep 21 (AD) Two assailants on a motorcycle have opened fire at four individuals travelling in a three-wheeler, killing two people in Thalduwa, Avissawella. The shooting took place last night (20) and the two injured individuals have been admitted to the Avissawella Hospital after sustaining critical injuries. Four persons were traveling in a three-wheeler from Avissawella towards Kegalle when they were targeted by two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle near the Gurupasgoda Bend more..