Sep 21 (ST) The Supreme Court has directed the Sri J'pura University Vice Chancellor to submit a report on action taken against senior students who ragged first-year students, including a petitioner who suffered near-fatal injuries three years ago. The bench, comprising Justices Buwaneka Aluwihare, Shiran Gooneratne, and Priyantha Fernando, also directed the UGC to submit a report on the nature of ragging experienced by students and what action was taken against more..

Sep 21 (DN) Sri Lanka�s former national champion Chandrika de Silva once again proved her fitness when she bagged gold and silver at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Senior Championships which concluded in Jeonju South Korea, last Sunday. Chandrika the 7 time National champion from Seylan Bank dominated the 45-year-old age group, securing a gold medal in the women�s doubles finals alongside her German partner, Claudia Wogelgsang, more..

Sep 21 (EN) SL state salary bill as a share of taxes has fallen to 55% of taxes in the first four months of 2023, from 72% last year. SL collected taxes of 742.5 billion rupees up to April 2023 and the salary and wage bill was 303.3 billion rupees. Pensions were a further 105.9 billion rupees. �Expenditure on salaries and wages of public servants decreased by 4% due to the retirement of large number of public servants more..

Sep 21 (FT) A special meeting took place in Parliamentary Committee Room No. 01, chaired by the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles yesterday to brief MPs on the findings of the Easter attack investigation. Members from the ruling party and the opposition were present at this special meeting, during which the investigation officers addressed the inquiries raised by the members regarding the investigation report. The meeting was attended by the Secretary to more..

Sep 21 (MFA) Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry participated in the 18th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) yesterday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UNGA in New York, at the invitation of Dr. Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, the current Chair of the ACD. The meeting convened under the theme Post-Pandemic Sustainable Recovery was an opportunity for foreign ministers to review progress more..

Sep 21 (EN) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe has discussed debt restructuring and economic reforms with the IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. Prez is in New York attending the UNGA meetings. �In their discussion, they focused on the ongoing reforms in the financial sector and the significant advancements in debt restructuring efforts,� statement said. SL is restructuring of domestic debt held with superannuation funds to reach an IMF roll-over ceiling. more..

Sep 21 (FT) Catholic Church claimed that the invitation extended to Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena, who has faced accusations of failing to prevent the Easter Sunday attack, to speak at an awareness program for MPs on the Easter Sunday investigations, had a clear agenda. Media Spokesman for Catholic Church Rev Father Cyril Gamini Fernando said though Jayawardena was prevented from addressing the MPs, his inclusion in the session signifies a specific motive. more..

Sep 21 (TM) In the wake of calls for the suspension of the service of SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena, based on the recent Supreme Court (SC) judgement which ordered him to pay compensation to the victims of the Easter Sunday terror attacks and their families, the Police stated that such suspensions usually do not take place, and that there are several serving Police officers who have been ordered to pay compensation more..

Sep 21 (FT) SJB Deputy General Secretary Mujibur Rahman addressing a press conference urged authorities to unveil the individual or group responsible for obstructing the CID from probing terrorist Zahran Hashim before he carried out the Easter Sunday attack. Rahman was referring to the recent statement by Ex-CID chief Ravi Seneviratne during a television interview in which he admitted that his agency was prevented from continuing its investigations into Hashim. more..

Sep 21 (AD) Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles has stated that no police personnel have been charged in connection with the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019 thus far. Speaking in Parliament, he stated that as per the reports submitted by the relevant Prez Commission of Inquiry, no police personnel have been charged in this regard, and have only been under observation thus far. The Minister asserted this in response to a question raised by SJB MP Hector Appuhamy, more..

Sep 21 (DM) The Supreme Court in a landmark judgment held that the belated position taken up by the CEB and its refusal to issue a permit to operate a solar power electricity generation plant in Vavuniya was contrary to the law and both the CEB and SL Sustainable (SLSEA) Energy Authority have unlawfully and miserably failed in the performance of their duty towards the public in encouraging project proponents to harvest green energy sources. more..

Sep 21 (FT) With only 28% of those polled being positive about Prez Wickremesinghe�s IMF program, of which only 15% believe it would make things �better both now and in the future�, why would anyone think Ranil could win an election next year? There�s more: �Approximately 45% of Sri Lankans believe the USD 2.9 billion EFF programme of the IMF will make things worse for the economy in the future, according to a new survey by Verit� Research.� more..

Sep 21 (FT) Despite sitting on the periphery of the global supply chain nexus, Sri Lanka was not spared by the disruptions caused by COVID-19 restrictions and the Russian war in Ukraine. Ongoing rivalry between the US and China are going to change the phase of globalisation with the formation of new alignments. Despite being an advocate of fair practices in production and trading, industrial policies of the US are changing in favour of domestic producers and domestic production. more..

Sep 21 (EN) Shares were down at close of trading on Thursday. �It started positively, but then dipped. Retail activity remained on the lower side,� an analyst said. �A small transaction in Bimputh pushed turnover.� Turnover was 1 billion rupees. The main All Share Price Index was down 0.59% or 66.35 points to 11,207.98, while the S&P SL20 was down 0.58% or 18.38 points to 3,154.43. Blue chips were active, with institutional participation seen on the big caps. more..

Sep 21 (DN) Romania has reiterated its support to SL in the opening of a new Embassy in Bucharest, and its commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry met with the Foreign Minister of Romania Luminita Odobescu on Monday, for an official discussion on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UNGA currently being held in New York, at which the Romanian Foreign Minister reassured its support to Sri Lanka. more..

Sep 21 (DM) A delegation of several MPs without ministerial roles has been included in the presidential entourage headed to New York for the UN sessions. It has triggered critical posts on social media with some people viewing it as a drain on the state coffers. Notable among the MPs in the entourage are Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Rohitha Abeygunawardane, and Premanath Dolawatte from the SLPP, S.M.M. Muszhaaraff, as well as more..

Sep 21 (EN) Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment met with the National Chamber of Exporters Council Meeting last evening. �I discussed vital labor law reforms,� Manusha Nanayakkara said on X. �Objectives include boosting female workforce participation, attracting FDI, and robust social security.� SL plans to reform labour laws for an export-oriented economy. Prez has said previously that Sri Lanka will bring a comprehensive law to regulate labour. more..

Sep 21 (FT) Acuity Partners yesterday announced that it has been contracted as an Investment Advisory Service Provider for the USAID CATALYZE Private Sector Development (PSD) Activity�s funding readiness program, aimed at bolstering private capital in critical sectors of SL�s economy. This engagement underscores its commitment to fostering inclusive economic growth and facilitating affordable financing access for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises operating in SL. more..

Sep 21 (TM) The primary objective of the recently gazetted draft of the Online Safety Bill is repressing and restricting all forms of social media rather than making cyberspace safer, claimed Bar Association of SL (BASL) former President, Saliya Pieris. He said that everyone should challenge the proposed Online Safety Bill which has now become the Govt�s new tool of repressing freedom of expression & free media. more..

Sep 21 (TM) GMOA has raised concerns over the recent number of deaths that have taken place at the Teaching Hospital in Badulla, noting that out of the 1,883 postmortems conducted over the course of last year, 770 persons were found to have died of heart attacks. GMOA Deputy Secretary Dr. Palitha Rajapaksha attributed the high number of deaths caused by heart attacks to the absence of an angiogram machine. He revealed that in the past yr alone, 2,179 patients had been admitted more..

Sep 21 (Island) The COPE, on Tuesday (19), instructed the Sri Lanka Tea Board to submit a report within three months detailing the outcomes of all the money they spend on promoting tea. Chairman of COPE, Prof. Ranjith Bandara made this directive when it was revealed that the Tea Board had spent about Rs 4.6 billion on an advertising campaign which had yielded no results. It was also revealed that the Tea Board was operating without filling four key vacancies. more..

Sep 21 (FT) In the dynamic world of culinary innovation, where trends often come and go, Food Studio stands tall as a testament to transformation and excellence. As they celebrate their fifth anniversary this September, it is clear that it is not just any food court management company. Food Studio has evolved into a culinary powerhouse, crafting its own food concepts and revolutionising the traditional notion of food court fare. With almost all of their 14 food brands more..

Sep 21 (NR) The Ministerial Consultative Committee on Public Administration, Home Affairs, and Provincial Councils and Local Government has unanimously consented to cancel the nominations submitted for the Local Govt Elections given that those who have submitted nominations have faced great difficulties due to the postponement of the elections. The consent was given during a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Public Administration, more..

Sep 21 (AD) Commissioner General of the Department of Examinations will announce the revised dates for conducting the 2023 G.C.E. A/L Examination next week, Minister Susil Premajayantha says. The minister made this remark while delivering a special statement in the parliament this morning. Speaking further, Premajayantha emphasized that a large number of students, as well as the MPs of both the ruling party more..

Sep 21 (DM) A special delegation from FIFA and the AFC (Asian Football Confederation) are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on Sept 27. The purpose of their visit is to inquire regarding the election of office-bearers for Football Sri Lanka (FSL) which was earlier banned by FIFA. The FSL election is to be held on September 29 at 3.00 p.m. at the SL Foundation Institute. The international delegation visiting Sri Lanka comprises three FIFA officials and one AFC official. more..

Sep 21 (Island) Grama Niladaris had not played any role in providing social welfare benefits to the people since 1994, President of SL United Grama Niladhari Association (SLUGNA), Kamal Kithsiri said. The Dept of Samurdhi Development carried out that task, he said. Kithsiri said the officials attached to the Dept of Samurdhi Development had now withdrawn from the Aswesuma welfare scheme. �The govt has decided to entrust the task of carrying out the Aswesuma programme to us. more..

Sep 21 (AAP) SL cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka had plenty of opportunity to covertly remove a condom during rough sex with a Sydney woman, a court has heard. As the 32-year-old's sexual assault trial entered its final day on Thursday, crown prosecutor Gabrielle Steedman said the sportsman should be found guilty of stealthing. She said Gunathilaka unsuccessfully tried to negotiate out of wearing a condom during sex more..

Sep 21 (DM) A schoolgirl from the Bagawanthalawa area has walked a distance of 54 kms at a stretch in 8.30 hours and created a Cholan record. Wasantha Kumar Nitharshana (15) is a grade 10 student at St. Mary�s National School in the Hatton Education Zone. She set off from the Nawalapitiya police station grounds at 6.05 a.m. on Wednesday and ended the walk at 2.35 p.m. in Bagawanthalawa town, covering a distance of 54 kms. Schoolchildren, teachers & estate workers lined up the streets more..

Sep 21 (EN) Arugam Bay Tourism Development Plan, which focuses on challenges to infrastructure development in the area and obstacles hindering the growth of the tourism sector, was discussed by govt officials and key stakeholders yesterday. Participants from heads of relevant organizations, the Police and district officers met at the Prez Secretariat to discuss how each institution could contribute to finding solutions to these challenges, PMD said in a statement. more..

Sep 21 (EN) MTV Media Network, one of Sri Lanka�s top broadcasters, has secured the broadcast and digital rights for the ICC men�s Cricket World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India from October 5 � November 19. The MTV secured the right from Disney Star, the global rights holder. Accordingly, the Network will broadcast 48 matches of the 13th World Cup featuring 10 nations and livestream on www.sirasatv.lk, it said. �Cricket has always been an inspiration to SL people, more..

Sep 21 (CT) UNP MP Wajira Abeywardena expressed concern regarding the dissemination of contradictory and truth-distorting statements on social media related to remarks made by him concerning the recent Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to probe the reasons behind the economic crisis in the country. During the committee meeting, Abeywardena claimed the country failed when the Central Bank of SL (CBSL) declared bankruptcy. more..

Sep 21 (CI) Sri Lanka Cricket has resumed its domestic cricket season, which was halted nearly three weeks ago, after coming to an understanding with the country's sports ministry over a dispute surrounding the restructuring of the domestic tournaments. As such the Major Club three-day tournament and the Tier B Club three-day tournament will resume on Friday, Sept 22. "Consent was given by Ministry of Sports & Youth, more..

Sep 21 (AD) The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) is to commence high speed passenger ferry service from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Kankesanthurai (KKS) in SL. The ferry service is likely to commence operations from October first week onwards. Sources in Shipping Corporation of India said that the high speed ferry service will cover 60 nautical miles distance and commence operation from Nagapattinam port. Tamil Nadu Maritime Board and the Indian Ministry of Port, more..

Sep 21 (PMD) Acting Finance Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya announced that over the past year, inflation in SL has significantly decreased to 62.1%, thanks to Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe�s robust economic reform agenda. Mr. Siyambalapitiya also highlighted that inflation, which stood by 66.7% during the first and second quarters of 2022, has now plummeted to just 4.6% for the same period in 2023. He made this announcement during a press conference held at Prez Media Center, more..

Sep 21 (EN) The 2022 annual average return on SL�s largest contributory pension scheme, the EPF, has fallen to its lowest in nearly two decades, Central Bank data showed. The annual average return in the last year fell to 9.52% from the previous year�s 11.4%. Returns on EPF has raised concerns among contributors after the govt decided to include EPF investments in the govt treasury bonds under the domestic debt optimization process. more..

Sep 21 (DM) A heated verbal battle between Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka and former Prez Maithripala Sirisena which erupted during the debate in Parliament on the Channel 4 allegations on the Easter Sunday bomb attacks caught the attention of many. The verbal battle erupted when Fonseka called MP Sirisena one of the two masterminds behind the April 21 bomb attacks. The Field Marshal said this when Sirisena recalled that the former could not even defend the Army Hq. more..