Nov 20 (MoD) Defence Secretary Major Gen (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne completes his first year in office today after assuming office as the Defence Secretary on Nov 20, 2019. Prez Rajapaksa, who was the former Defence Secretary, appointed Maj. Gen. Gunaratne to the post of Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, the supreme portfolio of the country’s defence, in trust of his ability, courage, commitment, sheer professionalism and the working calibre in any of the capacities shouldering more..

Nov 20 (CT) The only silver lining in Budget 2021 is that it has paved the way for black money to enter the country, former Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera alleged. He alleged that black money entering into the country has been encouraged when taking into account Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s budget statement, where the latter had allegedly said that those who bring in black money to the country would be taxed at 1% only, former Finance Minister said. more..

Nov 20 (DM) Ramal Sahabandu is a child with Cerebral Palsy (CP), in other words, Ramal is a child with limitations and special needs. He is unable to speak and write, according to his father. Despite these limitations, however, Ramal obtained 99 marks in the recently held scholarship exam, renewing hopes of many parents whose children experience limitations, similar to Ramal. CP is not a single disease but a group of neurological more..

Nov 20 (EN) SriLankan Airlines has lost 36.38 billion rupees up to Aug 2020, amid a Coronavirus crises that hit all carriers, against 44.02 billion rupees in the year to March. SriLankan Airlines has lost 284 billion rupees since Emirates Airlines was removed as managing partner and the carrier was re-nationalized. Airline last made a profit in 2008 of 4,899 million rupees. The airline had been mired in procurement scandals and a former CEO was arrested after a UK bribery inquiry revelation. more..

Nov 20 (CT) The Govt will not hand over the task of replanting the destroyed Kallaru Forest in Wilpattu to MP Rishad Bathiudeen as it will be done by them, claimed Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera. He said they were keeping an eye on the Court ruling against Bathiudeen in connection with the destruction of nearly 2,500 acres of the Kallaru Forest in the Wilpattu Sanctuary. These comments were made by the Minister at a media briefing held at the Ministry recently. more..

Nov 20 (CT) GMOA urged health authorities to adhere to guidelines issued by the Director General Health Services (DGHS) on the use of the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and refrain from using it as an alternative for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Executive Committee Member of GMOA, Dr Harith Aluthge said that according to guidelines This test could not replace the PCR but could be used as a supplementary test. more..

Nov 20 (AD) The Police Special Task Force (STF) has recovered 100kg of heroin from Weligama area in Matara. Three suspects and a vehicle used by them have also been taken into custody by the investigating officers, Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said. The heroin consignment, which was seized after a days-long operation, will be handed over to the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB). more..

Nov 20 (DM) The Govt had not made any allocations in the budget for the vaccine for COVID-19 which was scheduled to be released shortly by the WHO, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament. He said the US had already made arrangements to use the vaccine in USA as and when it is available. “The USA has appointed a team headed by an Army General to prepare for the situation to administer the vaccine. They have even assigned helicopters and institutions to distribute the vaccine. more..

Nov 20 (EN) Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa is urging the govt to take steps to obtain newly developed COVID-19 vaccines invented by organisations such as Pfizer and Moderna for Sri Lankans. He said the budget appears to have ignored the COVID-19 pandemic and added that the budget should have given more prominence to the measures needed to control and prevent the spread of the virus. more..

Nov 21 (ST) Youth ambassador Aamina Muhsin’s short video presentations look at the important role Muslims have played from the time of our ancient kings. Transporting viewers back to a time seldom discussed, Aamina Muhsin’s series of YouTube videos titled History of the Muslims of SL recounts the tales and contributions made by SL Muslims towards the country. Determined to do her part to promote harmony and heal fragmented relations between communities, Aamina adopts more..

Nov 21 (DM) We’re in the thick of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the call is for all citizens to act responsibly. This is a bit hard to demand from a country known for indiscipline. In fact the regime now blames it on the people and the media for the pandemic moving to the second stage. In the thick of things and the uncertainty that prevails the country is blessed to have a president who underscores the need to act responsibly eternally. Wednesday (18) marked one year in office more..

Nov 21 (CT) In a recent survey conducted by the WHO it revealed that COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide while the demand for mental health is increasing. “WHO has previously highlighted the chronic underfunding of mental health: prior to the pandemic, countries were spending less than 2% of their national health budgets on mental health, more..

Nov 21 (CT) The maiden budget of the new regime, as a demonstration of Prez Rajapaksa’s Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour, was read out by the two-in-one PM cum Minister of Finance (PM-MoF) without much fanfare. No doubt, it was a budget presented at a very challenging time, and, in tune with the govt’s populist mindset, it promised many things to many people in the name of development. As expected, it is a deficit budget and that deficit would have been higher more..

Nov 21 (CT) We write to you as Human Rights activists, victims and concerned Tamils, to express our concerns about your conduct as the UN Resident Coordinator in your engagement with the SL Govt in apparent disregard to the deteriorating human rights situation in SL. On 23rd Oct 2020, the UL in Sri Lanka held a special virtual event to commemorate the world body’s 75th birthday. Sadly, it was a slap in the face for many of the country’s victims of human rights abuses & war crimes. more..

Nov 21 (CT) On seeing the congestion in SL prisons and the imminent threat of COVID-19 spread to inmates and prison officials, 10 months ago, in March, Committee for Protecting Rights of Prisoners (CPRP) wrote to the Govt to take stern measures to curb the spread of the virus in prisons. Today, there is a prison cluster that originated at Welikada Prison through an apparent contact of asymptomatic Borella Police more..

Nov 21 (DM) Many Muslims in SL might have agreed at least for a moment with the Sinhalese who are against ethnicity based politics when six Muslim MPs voted in favour of 20th Amendment Bill on Oct 22, breaking rank with SJB under which they returned to the Parliament. The frustration over the six MP’s defection was not due to any demerits of the 20th Amendment, but due to the disgrace that was brought in for their community by these MPs by striking a secret deal with the ruling SLPP more..

Nov 21 (DM) The US has been grappling with the problem of how to advance its interests in the world, and throughout much of the 20th century the question boiled down to the debate between the realists and the idealists. Since the late 1970s, and particularly since the collapse of Communism, it seemed that the latter had won: liberal interventionism, which emphasised cooperation, had triumphed over hard realism, which emphasised competition. It would be wrong to distinguish more..

Nov 21 (CT) A crisis is brewing inside SL’s overcrowded prison system. Once the second COVID-19 wave began sweeping across the country, particularly in the Western Province, one of the biggest concerns in the minds of health authorities was how this would affect the prison system. They reasoned that if one inmate were to contract the fast-spreading coronavirus, it would spread like wildfire throughout the system, mostly because the prison system in Sri Lanka more..

Nov 21 (Island) Schools are scheduled to reopen for Grade Six to Grade 13, next Monday. Opinion may be divided on this move as COVID-19 is spreading fast, but schools cannot remain closed indefinitely. There are no signs of the virus going away anytime soon, and the World Health Organisation has said humans will have to learn to live with coronavirus for want of a better alternative. In fact, living with the virus is less dangerous than crossing SL roads, where about eight lives are snuffed out daily. more..

Nov 21 (TM) Concerns have been raised over the recent confusion over sugar prices, with the sudden reduction of tax imposed on sugar and the Govt’s inability to pass on the benefit to the public. On 13 Oct, the Govt scrapped the import duty on several essential items including dhal, canned fish, big onions, and sugar. Accordingly, a kilogramme of sugar was expected to be sold at Rs. 85. However, the prices did not reduce more..

Nov 21 (DN) Angelo Mathews and his charges representing Colombo Kings (CK) are fully geared up and became the first team to finalise their Lanka Premier League (LPL) squad. They travelled to Hambanthota for their curtain-raiser fixture against the Kandy Tuskers (KT) on November 26 at the MRI Cricket Stadium, scheduled to commence at 7.30 pm. The team arrived in Hambanthota last evening. They were of the view of that the LPL will bring great value to Sri Lanka Cricket. more..

Nov 21 (DN) ICC Board has introduced a minimum age policy for players to play international cricket and according to that, the cricketer must be 15-year-old to play the game globally. “The Board confirmed the introduction of minimum age restrictions for int'l cricket to improve safeguarding of players which will apply across all cricket including ICC events, bilateral cricket and U19 cricket. To play in any form of men’s, women’s or U19 int'l cricket players must now be a minimum age of 15,” more..

Nov 21 (CT) Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir, who is a part of the Kandy Tuskers franchise, is the second overseas player to test positive for COVID-19 after Canadian batsman Ravinderpal Singh contracted the virus, which was confirmed by PCR tests done following their arrival in the island to take part in the LPL. It is reported the duo has been reportedly isolated in a separate hotel away from the rest of the LPL contingent. more..

Nov 21 (CT) Despite strict protocols set by the Dept of Sports Development (DSD) under Sports Ministry that only athletes and coaches can occupy the sports hostel, they had permitted a Ministry employee to stay in the hostel and roam about freely. The employee, who had been occupying an upper floor room at the hostel, has returned to the hostel in a long-distance bus where the driver of the bus has subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. The employee has now been instructed more..

Nov 21 (CT) ICC Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle and ICC Elite Umpire Kumar Dharmasena will lead an experienced panel of officials (Match Referee and Umpiring) for the inaugural Lanka Premier League (LPL) Tournament which begins later this month. Madugalle, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, has refereed seven ICC Cricket World Cups, including the finals of the 1999, 2003, 2015 and 2019 tournaments, and will be joined by more..

Nov 21 (Island) At a press briefing on Friday former Sri Lanka cricketer and bowling coach Nuwan Zoysa claimed that the ICC has prematurely declared him guilty of charges he never committed and his lawyer Chrishmal Warnasuriya vowed to defend his innocence alleging that the ICC anti-corruption unit was hell-bent on tarnishing the reputation of SL cricketers. “It was a shock for me when I was made aware that ICC had more..

Nov 21 (FT) Pelwatte Dairy Industries, the industry leader in local dairy produce has been known for enriching lives – not just by providing nutrition through its dairy products but also through the consecutive training and support that it extends to farmers and their families, thereby empowering them, the economy and the country as a whole. Pelwatte is now taking steps to address issues pertaining to sustainable agriculture, food produce and waste management while also hoping more..

Nov 21 (Island) We will be humble enough to learn the magic formula for running Regional Plantation Companies (RPCs) at a profit if anyone is capable of getting it done under the prevailing conditions, former chairman of the Planters Association, Dr. Roshan Rajadurai said. “This doesn’t mean that we are throwing down the gauntlet to the govt or anyone interested in running these companies; what we simply mean is; with the current wages, output and tea prices if anyone can take over and more..

Nov 21 (ST) Sri Lanka’s first female DIG of Police was appointed in Sept–nearly 70 years after women were first recruited to the force. It was a cause for celebration. But the mood is sober amongst other senior policewomen who are now eligible for DIG promotion in five years. They point out that male-dominated Police Dept has still not created any cadre positions for women above the rank of SSP. more..

Nov 21 (TS) A millionaire at 19 after creating Voodoo PC, Calgary-born Rahul Sood says he went on to lose most of his bankroll. But there have been more hits than misses thanks to time spent with Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft as well as his own ventures. Now co-founder and CEO of Unikrn (pronounced Unicorn), an esports betting platform that operates in 43 countries, the 47-year-old Sood has added a SL cricket team to his portfolio with a stake in the Jaffna Stallions of the newly formed LPL. more..

Nov 21 (FT) The UNP charged that the Govt has failed to indicate a revenue enhancement model needed to fund debt repayment for 2021 in the Budget, pointing out that $ 5.2 billion worth of debt was due for repayment next year. “Govt’s Budget for 2021 has failed to indicate how they will raise the necessary revenue to meet these repayments,” the UNP stated. The UNP urged the Govt to be transparent with public finances and to ensure the timely and accurate release of official more..

Nov 21 (FT) Budget 2021 encompasses the business-friendly outlook of the Govt and embeds stability, inclusivity and consistency in its myriad proposals, a top official said yesterday, insisting the key policy document anchored growth as the foundation of Sri Lanka’s future development. Speaking at the Daily FT-Colombo Uni MBA Alumni Association organised Budget 2021 Forum, State Minister Nivard Cabraal emphasised that more..

Nov 21 (FT) Ayubowan, Vanakkam, Annyonghasimnikka (Korean greeting)! I am the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Sri Lanka, Santhush Woonjin Jeong. 14 November is the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between Korea and Sri Lanka. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1977, Korea and Sri Lanka have come a long way together to form a cordial bilateral partnership. Korea and Sri Lanka have been true friends to each other more..

Nov 21 (FT) The WHO is supporting SL’s disaster management sector to strengthen emergency preparedness and response, according to the Ministry of Defence. WHO Sri Lanka is supporting the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) with programs including technical and financial support in the adaptation of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) training and the capacity building of district-level Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) to strengthen more..

Nov 21 (DN) Govt will take all measures to import a WHO approved vaccine against the new COVID-19 Coronavirus, when made available, Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa said in Parliament. However, Minister Rajapaksa pointed out that the Govt will not allow the people to be used as guinea pigs for a vaccine that has not yet received WHO approval. He made these observations in reply to concerns raised by more..

Nov 21 (CT) Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya, one of SL’s pioneers in promoting the safety of journalists, Media freedom and the freedom of expression, was among those shortlisted for the Canada-UK Media Freedom Award. On 16 Nov, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, François-Philippe Champagne and the UK’s First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Dominic Raab announced the winner of the inaugural Canada-UK Media Freedom Award more..

Nov 21 (DM) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa was gifted his first vehicle, a FIAT 124 Sports Coopé, by the family which bought the vehicle from Rajapaksa years ago. S. A. Amarasiri who had purchased the vehicle from Mr. Rajapaksa had owned the vehicle until his demise. Mr. Amarasiri had also won a motor rally held in India, in which he participated with the FIAT, which is now a valuable 50 year old vintage motor car. Mr. Amarasiri’s son and family have returned the vehicle to it’s first owner, Premier Rajapakhsa more..

Nov 21 (Island) Former Director of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) SDIG Nilantha Jayawardena had contacted the Personal Security Officer (PSO) of former Prez Maithripala Sirisena three times on the day of the Easter Sunday attacks, it was revealed, on Thursday night, at the PCoI. A Warrant Officer of the SL Air Force, Anura Nishantha, who had manned the phone exchange at Sirisena’s official residence at Paget Road on April 21, 2019 more..

Nov 21 (Island) A bus transporting parliament staff to Hanwella veered off into the pond opposite the parliament complex around 6.30 pm yesterday. It was raining heavily at the time of the accident. There were about 30 parliamentary staff members in the bus that belongs to the Thalangama Deport. The driver was new drove off and immediately after the conclusion of the parliamentary sittings. However those in the bus informed the driver that buses carrying Parliament staff leaf 30 minutes after more..