Nov 27 (DM) State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) yesterday (25) revealed that it was not in a position to import medicine and other medicinal equipment for the next two months due to delays in the Health Ministry procurement process. It is learnt that previous procurements have been put on hold following the revelation of the controversial immunoglobulin racket. Additionally, tenders for nearly 180 items have been reportedly more..

Nov 27 (DM) In a survey conducted by Verité Research, 56% of the respondents who were familiar with the Online Safety Bill expressed concerns that it would curtail the freedom of using social media. When asked if they were aware of the govt's introduction of a bill to regulate behaviour on social media, 34% of the respondents answered affirmatively. Among those who acknowledged awareness of the bill, 56% believed it would restrict the freedom of using social media, more..

Nov 27 (FT) A joint pre-dawn operation conducted by the SL Police, Police STF and the SL Army yesterday resulted in the arrest of at least 43 persons, including four females, in Sinhapura, Wellampitiya. They were apprehended while in possession of drugs and weapons. A combined team of 138 Police personnel and 200 Army personnel conducted the raid, during which 61 houses were searched and 196 persons of interest were searched. The raid yielded various more..

Nov 27 (DM) Lawyers’ Collective, a prominent legal advocacy group in Sri Lanka, has noted its concern about the growing authoritarianism under Sri Lanka's Prez. Lawyer’s Collective noted the growing authoritarianism of the Prez who serves without a mandate from the people. It further observed that people’s sovereignty as articulated by Constitution cannot be flippantly dismissed as stated in several SC decisions, more..

Nov 27 (AD) Dept of Prisons has reported an incident of an inmate at the Boossa High Security Prison allegedly having tampered with several CCTV cameras within the prison. Accordingly, the inmate, identified as a special category inmate, had tampered with several CCTV cameras last morning (25). Investigations into the incident are currently underway, on the directives of an Assistant Superintendent of Prisons, while Rathgama Police will also be notified to take legal action more..

Nov 27 (FT) IHP’s SL Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) MRP estimates of Prez Election voting intent in October 2023 show NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake gaining support to half of likely voters (51%), followed by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa with a (30%), and Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on 13%. The generic SLPP candidate is on 6% with little change. The past four months have seen support for A.K. Dissanayake consolidating at expense of the three other candidates more..

Nov 27 (DN) RMS Pushpakumara from SL Army, RW Rathnapala, and M Sivarajan from the SL Air Force secured victories in a marathon selection event organized by Sri Lak Athletics Club and overseen by SL Athletics yesterday. The purpose of this trial was to choose participants for upcoming marathons, including the Asian Marathon, Hong Kong/Vietnam Marathon, and Bangabandu Marathon scheduled for early next year. The race, covering a 30km distance, began at BMICH and more..

Nov 27 (TM) The Bar Association of SL (BASL) is to discuss the recent statement made by Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding their course of action during the Aragalaya (people's struggle) protest movement, and former BASL President, Saliya Pieris, in the coming days. Responding to allegations levelled at him by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran, the Prez claimed in Parliament last week that then BASL President Pieris had ambitions to be the PM during the Aragalaya period. more..

Nov 27 (DM) Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe said the recently resigned Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Secretary Mohan de Silva contacted him from Australia, exposing corruption within the SLC. "Mohan de Silva called me from Australia revealing his attempts to steer the SLC in the right direction. Witnessing a lack of proper action, he highlighted widespread theft under the guise of investments that took place within the SLC, more..

Nov 27 (DM) In its fresh engagement with the UK regarding the UNHRC process, SL has categorically said that it wants equal treatment but not revisit past happenings, an official said. UK leads the core group of countries that proposed the resolution adopted in 2021 calling for an investigation into the allegations of human rights and accountability issues, and updated last year to reflect more on the issues arising from the economic crisis. Canada, Germany, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia & US more..

Nov 27 (FT) SJB MP Kabir Hasim called for tabling of agreements with new retail fuel operators in Parliament alleging that the country was the loser rather than a beneficiary from liberalisation of the downstream petroleum sector. “The Power and Energy Minister must in Parliament table all conditions and agreements with the proposed investors/retailers of petroleum products,” MP said. He said that SJB wanted a premium per litre charged and conditions for repatriation of more..

Nov 27 (TM) In the wake of criticisms made by SLMC Leader and MP Rauff Hakeem regarding the Govt's plans to send 10,000 Sri Lankans to Israel for employment, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara opined that political parties based on ethnicities or religions should be banned. Nanayakkara claimed that political parties have been using racism to their advantage for decades. With elections scheduled to be held next year (2024), he claimed that more..

Nov 27 (Island) National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) has flayed the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government for its failure to take meaningful measures to control waste, corruption and irregularities. Sunil Jayasekera has, in his capacity as General Secretary, NMSJ, in a media statement, faulted the government for failing to recover losses amounting to Rs 16 bn due to the slashing of Special Commodity Levy (SCL) imposed on imported white sugar. more..

Nov 27 (TM) With the Department of Police currently headless, a suitable name for the post of Inspector General of Police (IGP) has not yet been recommended to the Constitutional Council (CC), it is learnt. Following the expiration of the fourth service extension granted to former IGP Chandana D. Wickramaratne on 24 Nov, the Police Dept is operating without the presence of an IGP. SSP Nihal Thalduwa confirmed more..

Nov 27 (Island) RCB are set for a massive overhaul of their bowling attack after releasing the trio of Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga and Harshal Patel. The franchise has spent a huge amount of money on Hasaranga (INR 10.75 cr) and Harshal (INR 10.75 cr) in particular and releasing them will boost their purse. Mumbai Indians on expected lines have released pacer Jofra Archer (INR 8 cr). The move was looked at as a gamble when they picked him a couple of seasons ago because of his injury more..

Nov 27 (ST) Using a discarded razor to inflict wounds on a student’s face was just one of a number of ragging-related complaints received from Management Faculty newcomers, a senior professor at Sri J'pura University said. This week, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Pathmalal Manage, announced that the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce would be closed until further notice. Students of all years were prohibited from entering the uni premises. more..

Nov 27 (FT) SL Apparel Exporters Association (SLAEA) Chairman Indika Liyanahewage called for strategic partnerships with Japan and India to boost and diversify markets to steer amid challenges posed by economic downturns in traditional export destinations. He noted that 30% of garments shipped to Europe and 40% to US, these markets have seen a dip due to economic challenges. To address this, he stressed the importance of expanding to other regions, particularly more..

Nov 27 (FT) Conveying greetings and best wishes from Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe to Prez Radev, Ambassador Semasinghe reaffirmed SL’s readiness to revitalise the bilateral engagement and discussed a new roadmap for increasing cooperation in the ICT, agriculture, labour, education, tourism and manufacturing sectors, where prospects for mutual benefit were promising. She outlined the opportunities for Bulgarian investors and businesses as SL continued to emerge as an important more..

Nov 27 (FT) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday told the opposition that the best way to gain power is to unite with the Govt. Addressing a political meeting in Matale, Wickremesinghe expressed concern that the opposition seems primarily self-oriented. He suggested that the most effective route for them to attain power is through collaboration with the Govt. “By actively participating and leveraging experience gained from such collaboration, more..

Nov 27 (ST) SL Insurance Corporation (SLIC) will be split into two entities namely Life and General before its restructure and the background to this process is nearing completion, Finance Ministry officials said. The Regulation of Insurance Industry (Amendment) Act, No.03 of 2011 requires an existing insurer to be listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). Insurance Companies were asked to segregate their business into two separate companies before obtaining a mandatory public listing more..

Nov 27 (Island) Many attempts had been made by the cricket hierarchy since they stayed the appointment of an Interim Committee through an injunction that cricket is in good hands. We are made to buy into the theory that the ten-year plan will eventually pay dividends and SL will before long become a force to be reckoned with in the sport. Those theories can be debated on but what you can not simply stand is the administrators’ refusal to accept that there is a problem, and more..

Nov 27 (ST) In the retail markets, sugar prices have increased amid shortages in some areas as the govt struggles to maintain stocks in the markets ahead of the Christmas season. By yesterday, some shops claimed they had run out of stocks while some raised their prices ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 350 a kilo, after the maximum retail price for sugar was removed this week. Currently, the wholesale price of sugar stands at more..

Nov 27 (Island) First, there was the China Bay airport nominated as a possible alternative to the Bandaranaike Int'l Airport (BIA). The advantage was that since Sri Lanka was mainly affected by two Monsoons namely the South West and the North East, during that time the opposite coast has generally had good weather. For example, when the South-West monsoon was in full swing, the North-East was clear, and vice versa. The Air Ceylon Pilots’ Guild was pushing for that airport more..

Nov 27 (DM) Despite anti-China sentiments the Belt and Road Initiative, launched by China in 2013, has emerged as a transformative force, connecting the world through a network of infrastructure projects and fostering economic cooperation across continents. Chinese leader Xi Jinping launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Sept 2013. SL partnered in 2014 marking its first mega attempt to grow the land mass with the Port City. Sri Lankans still referring to Trincomalee port as more..

Nov 27 (Island) The SJB has commenced collecting signatures for a public petition as part of a campaign to have those who are responsible for the current economic crisis stripped of their civic rights. Given public resentment, which is palpable, the SJB may be able to obtain hundreds of thousands of signatures for its petition, but the chances of its political venture yielding the desired results are remote; the Rajapaksas and their cronies are controlling Parliament. more..

Nov 27 (ST) Prez Ranil Wickremesinghe’s highly inappropriate jocularity in Parliament this week when commenting about the Public Trust Doctrine only reinforces the (unfortunately) pejorative stamp of his Presidency as undermining the Constitution. Mind, this is not in the typically crude sledgehammer style of Medamulana rule but more subtle and hence far more dangerous. Prez alleged that the Opposition Leader’s refusal of former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s offer to take the Presidency more..

Nov 27 (CT) The upheaval in the parliamentary watchdog, COPE, reflects SL’s present parliamentary democracy. While there were discussions to enhance COPE’s role in representing public interest and ensuring corruption-free State institutions, a detailed examination emerged when SL Men’s National Cricket Team struggled in the Men’s World Cup 2023 in India. The focus shifted when SLC faced COPE, diverting attention more..

Nov 27 (GV) In Sri Lanka, motherhood appears to be publicly venerated: the country is called The Motherland, and mothers are universally regarded as a powerful force and influence in the lives of their children. Yet when we look beyond the happy family pictures regularly presented to us at Sinhala and Tamil New Year with prosperity and abundance equated with fertility and progeny, we become aware of the negative experiences endured by women in SL in the process of giving birth. more..

Nov 27 (TM) SL seems to be making some inroads into cutting state expenditure for defence and security, with the Ministry of Defence last week stating that the Govt was considering streamlining the 33,000 strong Civil Security Dept (CSD), formally known as Civil Defence Force (CDF), and the Home Guard. Most in the then Home Guard/CDF and today's CSD came from farming backgrounds and were recruited for local defence and guard duties as a paramilitary force, much like more..

Nov 27 (TM) 25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It is no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns led to an increase in domestic violence and intimate partner violence in the world. But, in Sri Lanka, even before the pandemic, one in five females had experienced sexual or physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime and one in four had more..

Nov 27 (DM) Our legislature’s functioning is worse than that of the SLC. Dissolve Parliament and appoint an Interim Committee comprising non politicians. The disrespectful exchange and unseemly behaviour witnessed during the budget debate involving the Prez and Leader of the Opposition on Wednesday and Thursday, particularly their irresponsible conduct in the presence of school children, have tarnished the dignity and decorum of the August assembly. more..

Nov 27 (DM) Prez Wickremesinghe in his capacity as Minister of Finance announced during his presentation of the budget, that govt was planning to increase salaries of public sector workers by Rs. 10,000/-. Undoubtedly public sector workers would have welcomed the promised salary increase, even though worker unions claimed it was insufficient. The General Secretary of the State and Provincial Govt Trade Union’s Federation said that although there must be at least a salary increase more..