Dec 2 (DM) Four parcels containing kush (a strain of cannabis) and cocaine was seized by Customs officers at the Central Mail Exchange (CME) Colombo this morning, Customs Director Sunil Jayarathne said. He said the raid was conducted as a result of long term investigation according to information received to the customs Narcotics Control Unit. Accordingly, 500 grammes of kush cannabis valued at Rs. 6 million and 80 grammes of cocaine valued at 2 mil were apprehended more..

Dec 2 (AD) Sri Lanka�s Covid-19 numbers went up today, as 350 more persons were tested positive for the virus. Govt Information Dept stated that the newly-identified patients are close contacts of earlier cases linked to the Peliyagoda fish market. Following the new development in Covid-19 figures, Minuwangoda-Peliyagoda dual cluster�s infections tally has reached 21,333. As per statistics, the total number of Covid-19 infections confirmed in the country to date now stands at 24,882. more..

Dec 2 (Island) The authorities might cremate the bodies of inmates killed during the Mahara Prison riot, claiming that had contracted COVID-19 infected instead of releasing their bodies to their families, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament. �As per the Criminal Procedure Code, post mortems should be held on all those who had been killed at the Mahara Prison shooting. What were the results of more..

Dec 2 (FT) Cabinet on Monday gave approval to appoint a committee to investigate the irregularities in the Grand Hyatt Project, the delay which has doubled the project cost from Rs. 30 billion to Rs. 60 billion. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the Minister of Finance informed the Cabinet the Committee will inquire into whether the Government has incurred a financial loss due to the delay in the project. PM Rajapaksa informed the Cabinet that the Grand Hyatt Hotel Project is implemented by more..

Dec 2 (EN) Nine out the 11 prison inmates who died during the Mahara prison riots have tested positive for COVID-19 following the post-mortem examination, National Operations Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 said. The riot that took place on Sunday have injured 117 injured with 38 of them have been tested positive for COVID-19. Commissioner General of Prison Thushara Upuldeniya said that the Prison Dept will take legal action against 25 identified prison inmates more..

Dec 2 (AD) The Department of Prisons has released footage of the unrest that broke out at the Mahara Prison on Sunday (29). Eleven inmates in total died in the incident while 106 others and two prison officials sustained injuries. According to reports, 29 of the injured are still under medical care at the Colombo North Teaching Hospital in Ragama. Earlier today, it was reported that 08 inmates who died during the riot were more..

Dec 2 (CT) It is the duty of the Govt to hold an impartial inquiry through an independent commission of retired Supreme Court Judges, to find out what actually happened at the Mahara Prison, the Lawyers for Democracy (LfD) organisation said. LfD expressed concern that the attack on unarmed inmates of the Mahara Prison reminds them of the massacre of prisoners at the Welikada Prison in 2012. �Even convicts and remand prisoners are citizens and are entitled to the right to life and more..

Dec 2 (SLN) The guided missile cruiser Variag, large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleev and medium ocean tanker Pechenga of the Russian Federation arrived at the port of Trincomalee on 30th Nov 2020. The trio of Russian ships has arrived in Trincomalee for replenishment and crew rest and the proceedings at the port have been limited only to aforementioned matters, owing to the health guidelines for the prevention of COVID-19. The three ships are scheduled to leave the island on 03rd Dec more..

Dec 2 (CT) Police Media Spokesman, DIG Ajith Rohana, who was included in the five-member Committee, appointed by Minister of Justice, President�s Counsel M.U.M. Ali Sabry, to look into the Mahara Prison unrest, yesterday (01) declined being a member of the committee, citing conflict of interest. The incident at the Mahara Prison on 29 and 30 November has so far resulted in the deaths of 11 prisoners, injuries to inmates & officers, more..

Dec 2 (CT) Agriculture Minister, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, said steps had been taken to suspend with immediate effect the services of five officers, for allegedly causing a loss of approximately Rs 1.2 billion to the Govt during 2018-2019 in the fertiliser distribution process. These officers include three Assistant Directors, who at the time served at the Fertiliser Secretariat and two Development Officers. The Agriculture Ministry has taken this step following investigations into several charges, more..

Dec 2 (CI) A little over a week after he arrived in Sri Lanka to play in the Lanka Premier League, Shahid Afridi will leave to attend to a personal emergency in Pakistan. Afridi did not give details on how long he would be away for, but he did say he would return to his Galle Gladiators franchise after the situation is handled. Elsewhere at the LPL, fast bowler Aftab Alam has also returned to Afghanistan for personal reasons. If Afridi does come back, he may have to undergo a brief quarantine more..

Dec 2 (CT) The GMOA pledged to throw their weight behind Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, to depoliticise and set up an independent Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC). GMOA Executive Committee Member, Dr. Haritha Aluthge, said the Specialist Committee appointed by Wanniarachchi had made the recommendations in the report after conducting a probe into allegations levelled against the former SLMC Chairman, more..

Dec 3 (CT) Intimidation can be attributed to psycho- terrorism. Destroying the public�s sense of security in places most familiar, coercing a civilian population to change their train of thought preference by subtle manipulation and influencing Govt policy by manoeuvring and intimidation is a more sophisticated mode of terrorism. Terrorist funding organisations are mainly front liners for the terrorist behind the scenes, an individual or a group of individuals with the psychopathic urge for more..

Dec 3 (CT) National Council for Int'l Affairs of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) held the Int'l Buddhist Conference on 7 and 8 Nov via zoom on the theme Buddhism�s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The inaugural sermon was delivered by most Ven. Prof Kotapitiye Rahula Anunayaka Thera of the Kotte Srikalyani Samagree Dhamma Maha Sangha Sabha and Secretary Pali and Buddhist Studies Division, Peradeniya Uni. Presentations on The Rathana Suthraya: A Discourse to more..

Dec 3 (CT) Marine plastic pollution has become a significant problem worldwide and Sri Lanka is more vulnerable to this global problem, which poses environmental, economic, and public health threats. Over 50% of SL�s seabed is polluted and this includes 80% of the seabed in Western province, according to research findings of the NARA. Research report revealed that the amount of plastic particles, mixed with the sea water, more..

Dec 3 (DM) In the wake of an increasing number of prison inmates contracting COVID-19 -- some 1,091 as of yesterday -- was the news of a riot that broke out at the Mahara Prison and the attempts by armed prison guards to quell the riots had left 11 inmates dead and 109, including two prison guards, injured. Situated 15km north of Colombo, the prison is said to be overcrowded like most other prisons in Sri Lanka with insufficient facilities to cater to the basic needs of the inmates. more..

Dec 3 (DM) On Feb 19, 2020, i.e. days before Parliament was dissolved and probably in full cognizance of the impending General Election, a report was released by The Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security, appointed following the Easter Sunday attacks almost a year before. The Easter Sunday attack was a clear indictment on the then govt�s shortsightedness on national security issues. The liberals who pooh-poohed Islamic extremism, the NGO racketeers for whom more..

Dec 3 (TM) Govt moves to set a registry for websites, which is seen by some as a threat to freedom of speech, has been condemned by media and press organisations as a move to curtail press freedom and the freedom of expression. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the website registry had been proposed during the previous Rajapaksa Govt. �Upon the request of many website owners, we are going to set up a registry. more..

Dec 3 (DM) School education coming to a standstill in Sri Lanka can be viewed from many angles. The word standstill can be too harsh for people supporting this govt. But what other best word can describe a situation where students who are studying are told that exams are postponed indefinitely? This is the scenario with the O/L Exam, which was scheduled to begin on Jan 18, 2021. If one studies the education system in the country and how the govt manages it, what�s evident more..

Dec 3 (GV) When Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first discovered in the early 1980s, it was considered a lethal disease, easily transmitted and a death sentence to all who had it. People with AIDS were shunned and stigmatized; there were calls to quarantine them. At the height of the epidemic in 1987 when Britain�s Princess Diana was invited to open a ward for AIDS patients at a London hospital, she shook hands with a terminally-ill AIDS patient without wearing gloves. more..

Dec 3 (FT) George Steuart & Company Ltd. (GS&Co) announced its intent to acquire majority control of HVA Foods PLC, one of Sri Lanka�s fast-growing and innovative value-added tea exporters. The offer is at Rs. 3.50 per share. HVA Foods� number of shares in issue is 66.428 million and major shareholder HVA Lanka Exports Ltd., owning a 61% stake, has agreed to sell a 51% stake. Established in 1835, George Steuart & Co is the oldest mercantile establishment in Sri Lanka; more..

Dec 3 (Island) Any judicial decision is always acceptable to only one party to a legal dispute; the winner hails it, claiming justice has been served, and the loser frowns on it and grumbles. That is the way the cookie crumbles. The judiciary, however, is not infallible, in any country, and concerns that the public expresses about its decisions should be heeded. In fact, judgments can be discussed and even criticised by the public but without causing affronts to the dignity of the judiciary and/or its members. more..

Dec 3 (TM) Allowing politicians who are serving prison sentences to take oaths as public representatives and granting those posts that require them to be part of day-to-day ceremonies outside the prisons, has caused quite a stir, as well as within Parliament. Last week, MP Lakshman Kiriella took a jab at the Speaker, noting that it would be more convenient to have a jail cell appointed in the Parliament premises, so that MPs more..

Dec 3 (Island) IMF exceptional lending programme worth US$ 4b � 500% of its current quota � could help SL to have short term liquidity it needs to meet its debt obligations and shift to a more credible debt sustainability path, Murtaza Jafferjee, Advocata Institute Chairman and CEO, JB Securities, said. He made this comment responding to a query from The Island whether Fitch downgrade of Sri Lanka to CCC could have a significant impact on SL�s image in the eyes of global fund managers and investors. more..

Dec 3 (CT) Kandy Tuskers has found themselves cornered in the Lanka Premier League losing three out of four games so far, and every time it was their fielding which let them down with at least five chances being dropped during the four games, including three in the first game, which would have changed the outcome of the game. Skipper Kusal Janith Perera (KJP) who had another disappointing outing against Jaffna Stallions on Tuesday night, said that they need to have a serious look at more..

Dec 3 (TM) As the days in isolation increase by another week, people in these areas are turning desperate, as they are running out of provisions in their households, which in turn is forcing them to take to the streets to voice their frustration at the authorities. The whole of last week saw several protests which were gathering momentum following the isolation of areas, as a result of the virus claiming several lives within these areas, more..

Dec 3 (CT) Sunshine Holdings Group Managing Director Vish Govindasamy urged the Govt to strengthen the back-end structure of the local agriculture sector by identifying the key pain points of both public and private institutions and addressing them by actively engaging in discussions with relevant stakeholders. Speaking as a panellist at the SL Economic Summit Roadmap for Takeoff: Driving a People-Centric Economic Revival, Govindasamy stressed that fortifying this framework more..

Dec 3 (CT) Thisara Perera seems to have rediscovered himself lately, and it can be seen at the Lanka Premier League. So far, everything he touches is turning into gold, be it batting, bowling, fielding or captaining. Jaffna Stallions came into the tournament as the most prepared unit out of the five teams. Perera said he and the coach had requested the management to set up a training camp ahead of the tournament, which has now paid off for them, as they are on top of the points table more..

Dec 3 (CT) Former Deputy Minister Nalin Bandara had, during a meeting with Police Officers and certain other parties, requested that several suspects arrested for allegedly attacking properties belonging to Muslims in Hettipola in May 2019, be released. This was disclosed when SSP Oshan Hewavitharana, who was in charge of the Kuliyapitiya Police Division at that time, testified before the PCoI yesterday. more..

Dec 3 (DM) SL born Dr. Dinesh Palipana was recently named as Queensland�s Australian for the year 2021. The state�s first quadriplegic medical graduate and medical intern, Dr. Palipana was honoured at a special ceremony held in Brisbane. An advocate for inclusivity and equitable treatment of people with disabilities, Dr. Palipana is now a Senior Resident Doctor at Gold Coast Uni Hospital, and also a qualified Lawyer. Daily Mirror caught up with Dr. Palipana in the middle of a busy night more..

Dec 3 (CT) Dr. Indunil Liyanage, senior management and marketing professional assumed duties as the General Manager of Condominium Management Authority(CMA) of Sri Lanka. Prior to joining CMA, Dr. Liyanage served as a Director/ Consultant at CCPI Management Holdings (Pvt) Ltd and former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Bank of Ceylon since 2012. He was the Assistant Vice President � Head of Marketing at NDB Bank, Sri Lanka since 2005. more..

Dec 3 (FT) Economic and growth challenges need to be jointly managed by the private and public sectors to move Sri Lanka beyond COVID-19 impact and towards people-centric development, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday. Speaking at the SL Economic Summit Roadmap for Takeoff: Driving a People-Centric Economic Revival on the second day, the PM recapped the efforts made by the Govt to support more..

Dec 3 (FT) Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja, an int'l development expert, policy advisor and researcher, has joined the Pathfinder Foundation as Senior Visiting Fellow. Dr. Wignaraja is presently a Senior Research Associate at the Overseas Institute in London, a Visiting Scholar at the IMF in Washington DC and a Member of the Monetary Policy Consultative Committee of the Central Bank of SL. In a career spanning over 30 years in the UK and Asia, Dr. Wignaraja has held senior roles more..

Dec 3 (DN) Following their last September�s fruitful meeting, Afghanistan�s Ambassador to SL, Ashraf Haidari called on Minister of State for Regional Cooperation Tharaka Balasuriya to discuss the tangible progress, which the two sides have made in the overall growing Afghanistan-SL bilateral relations over the past quarter. Foremost, Ambassador Haidari highlighted as a sign of mutual commitment to stronger bilateral ties the recent high-level exchange of messages between more..

Dec 3 (FT) There were heated arguments in Parliament yesterday after main Opposition SJB MP Harsha de Silva alleged that the Govt has initiated steps to close the regulatory body Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL). Rising to a Point of Order, de Silva tabled in the House a letter sent by Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera to Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle, instructing him to take necessary procedural steps to more..

Dec 3 (EN) Sri Lanka is planning to list a state-run hotel and real estate company in the Colombo Stock Exchange by the end of the first half of 2021, Treasury Secretary Sajith Attygalle said. The company will hold will hold Grand Hyatt, Grand Oriental Hotel, Hotel Developers, and land belonging to the Cey-Nor Foundation. �It will hopefully be listed in the market before the end first half of 2021,� Attygalle told an annual economic forum organized by the CCC. �More assets will be vested in it.� more..

Dec 3 (FT) National Development Bank SL was recently awarded the coveted Bank of the Year Sri Lanka title by the prestigious The Banker Magazine UK for 2020. This is the second time that NDB earned the Bank of the Year title, the first being in 2018. Reflecting on this prestigious achievement, NDB�s Chairman Eshana de Silva stated it was no surprise that NDB had been chosen as the winner of this award. �NDB has been charting a new course in the SL banking landscape over past few yrs more..

Dec 3 (FT) The detection of 878 COVID-19 patients yesterday brought the dual COVID-19 cluster that emerged from Divulapitiya and Peliyagoda to 21,861 cases. All persons who tested positive yesterday were associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster, including prison inmates. This is the highest daily cases reported, with the second highest being 866 recorded on 23 October. more..

Dec 3 (Island) Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa�s questions on the management of the govt reminded him of a person that drives recklessly knocks down a person and then queries from the latter what happened, State Minister of Money & Capital Market and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal told Parliament. �Yahapalana govt, where the opposition leader was a powerful minister, brought the economy to its knees and is now asking us to rectify the issues they created� minister said. more..