Jul 11 (CT) Until last week, SL was doing very well, when it came to controlling the spread of the coronavirus. By Wednesday (8), we had recorded 2,085 cases and out of that number, 1,967 had already recovered. We only had a little over a 100 cases to completely eliminate the virus from our shores. On the other hand, we didn�t have a single community case for months. All the new cases were either Navy personnel or foreign returnees. Mandatory PCR tests were carried out on more..

Jul 11 (GV) The governing party�s general election campaign is centred on obtaining a two-thirds majority in the next Parliament. It is expected that the governing party will fulfil its wish � if not directly, then by the inevitable crossovers that will take place on the back of a strong electoral performance. The govt needs a two-thirds majority because it intends to change the constitution. While it has not itself published any formal proposals for constitutional change, reliable indications of more..

Jul 11 (CT) Schools islandwide were reopened on 6 July, after 115 days of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to resume academic activities for students of Grades 5, 11 and 13, under the second stage their recommencement. However, the larger question remains as to whether schools are equipped to implement some of the social distancing norms discussed by govt, which needs to take into consideration a few realities more..

Jul 11 (Island) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has taken a swipe at the Muslim political leaders who were in his Cabinet when he was the President. He has said they misled his govt and the Muslim community. He seems to be still smarting from the defection of his Muslim ministers in the run-up to the 2015 presidential election; they delivered a block vote to Maithripala Sirisena, enabling him to defeat Rajapaksa. True, the Muslim political leaders have deceived govts and their community, PM says. more..

Jul 11 (DM) A single incident in the US which was captured on a mobile phone by a teenager has triggered waves of protests against racism, globally. This has included bringing down of monuments that represented racists or slave owners in the UK and USA. Well-known names of such racists who were being implicitly honoured include the statue of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford Uni and Policy School named after Woodrow Wilson in Princeton USA, both of which are likely to be removed by uni. more..

Jul 11 (DM) With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing and the number of patients virtually doubling in some parts of the United States, many social analysts also see a blessing emerging out of this catastrophe with historic worldwide movements for racial equality and social justice. In recorded history it is possibly the first time that such a worldwide movement is campaigning to bring about a just and fair society. Happily the movement is being led mainly by young women and men perhaps more..

Jul 11 (Island) Prasanna Vithanage remembers the afternoons of his adolescence quite clearly. "I�d take the train to Panadura from Bambalapitiya at 1.57 after school ended, and by 3 I�d be home." A quick wash and a quick lunch would be followed by a tedious routine: studying, reading, perhaps some play, dinner, sleep. In some ways that came to be my routine also: a quick bath, a quick lunch, and evenings spent hitting the books and indulging in artistic flights of fancy. more..

Jul 11 (DM) The China of today is vastly different to the China that I knew of in my younger days. Thinking about the China of those times evokes memories of many things like the cultural revolution, red guards, the great leap forward, the red book of Chairman Mao�s thoughts and above all Mao Zedong himself who was known then as Mao Tse-Tung. In the post-Deng Xiaoping China, very little is stated publicly about Mao Zedong more..

Jul 11 (SO) Post Covid-19 era gives the Govt an opportunity to engage in sustainable development and introduce multi-cultural agriculture to ensure food sovereignty, and at the same time minimise the human-elephant conflict, environmentalist from the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, Sajeewa Chamikara said. Authorities attempted to resolve the human-elephant conflict in multiple ways, but it has shown no signs of decreasing. This week a tusker was found dead near more..

Jul 11 (ST) Cricket Club Caf� has long been an OG (original gangster for all you over-30s reading) in the restaurant business having set up in 1996. Everybody at some point or other has had a meal there. As restaurateurs James and Gabby Whight, owners of Cricket Club Caf� have flown under the radar and avoided the limelight but their wonderful relationship has mirrored itself in a successful partnership. Both worked in hospitality and met whilst doing the catering for Int'l Terminal more..

Jul 11 (ST) The glass ceiling has been shattered in Sri Lanka and another male bastion is breached. But��..�I am a mother first and then a professional. Family always comes first,� is the simple and totally unexpected declaration from the trailblazer who has achieved this feat, as the Sunday Times sits before her for an exclusive, no-holds barred chat at Braybrooke Place, Colombo 2. For the first time in the history of this country, more..

Jul 11 (TM) Last Tuesday, bodies of two teenagers were recovered in Kandy. It was reported that the youths had jumped together into the Polgolla Reservoir after suspectedly being denied their love affair. Similarly, there have been many such reports of teen suicides in the past, resultant of forbidden love; in 2017, a 16-year-old boy took his life motivated by his family�s denial of a forbidden love affair between him and a peer as his parents did not agree with union due to cultural differences more..

Jul 11 (ST) For whatever reasons, Sri Lanka is struggling to solve the issue of garbage while also tackling problems about plastic waste. In the case of plastics Sri Lanka has banned single-use plastic products since January 2018 and some sectors using packaging material objected to the ban as plastic is essential in their industries. However, elsewhere in the world the garbage problem is being tackled by recycling them to produce energy and organic fertiliser. more..

Jul 11 (FT) Ratings agency ICRA Lanka called on CB to strike a balance between financial system stability and credit growth warning that reduction of policy rates beyond a certain point may not expand credit growth as targeted by govt because banks have limited risk appetite. Releasing a new report on the CB�s COVID-19 crisis response titled Finding balance between financial sector stability and credit growth, more..

Jul 11 (EN) SJB candidate S.M. Marikkar says the govt wants to change the Constitution so that people like Basil Rajapaksa can be in the parliament while continuing to be an American citizen. The Colombo district SJB candidate said that since while being an American citizen Basil Rajapaksa cannot be in the parliament under the current constitution and since he is not willing to renounce his American citizenship. Earlier this week, Basil Rajapaksa who is the National Organiser of more..

Jul 11 (DN) Competitive golf is ready to resume following the end of the lockdowns for covid-19 with three major events lined-up at the Royal Colombo Golf Course (RCGC) and at the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club (NEGC) today and on Sunday. The RCGC will host SL�s oldest corporate golf tournament held under the prestigious Shakespeare Shield, which will be the 109th edition. This tournament is an annual board event at the RCGC and is the only competition open for members and teams more..

Jul 11 (CT) Sports Ministry Secretary K.D.S. Ruwanchandra said the Ministry has handed over the South Asian Games (SAG) inquiry report to the CID and Auditor General to probe the alleged mishandling of airline ticket purchases. Ceylon Today exposed numerous dodgy transactions in the purchase of airline tickets on Wednesday in the article �Cover up of Sports Ministry�s ticketing mafia?� involving more..

Jul 11 (CT) Lasitha Gunaratne, the current President of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), said he will announce his final decision regarding his nomination for the SLR Presidency on 15 July. The election is scheduled to be held on 29 August. At the end of his two-year stint, incumbent President Gunaratne was set to contest for the post again, but in the meantime the current Deputy President Rizly Illyas has already confirmed he is contesting and released his manifesto as well recently. more..

Jul 11 (Island) Senkadagala Finance recently announced that it received a US $25 million 5 Year Green Investment Facility from Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO). FMO, a Dutch Development bank co-owned by the Dutch govt and Dutch Commercial banks, has a celebrated history of being the driving force behind investments that empower entrepreneurs globally. US $25mn injection into Senkadagala Finance more..

Jul 11 (Island) The Athletics Association of SL has highlighted the need to allow top school athletes to compete at the selection trial in October as it targets forming a strong pool for three vital youth int'l events taking place in 2021. "We informed the Ministry of Education about the need to allow school athletes to compete at the selection trial which will be held in October as we have to form athletics pools for major events in 2021," more..

Jul 11 (DM) Two Thursdays ago at the Grand Monarch in Thalawathugoda, Champika Ranawaka was suave, self-assured, and articulate. He began with an outline of his early life and political career, moved on to his vision for the future, and ended with a Q & A session with the audience, most of whom, to me at least, looked Sinhala, Buddhist, middle class, and young. Champika didn�t cut corners; he admitted, frankly and forthrightly, that tactics have to change, and that yesterday�s strategy more..

Jul 11 (FT) Renewing his pledges to eradicate the drug menace in the country, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa stated that the Govt will set up a mechanism to track down those connected to the trade and bring them to the books, at Horana yesterday. He also said that the Govt would not hesitate to take strong decisions to protect the younger generation from the drug menace. �Drug menace and underworld gang activities have become one of the biggest issues in the country. more..

Jul 11 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa, who toured Matale District today (10) in support of the candidates of SLPP contesting upcoming Parliamentary election, provided on the spot solutions to several public issues. Residents told the Prez that they have to face many hardships due to the inability of the previous govt to complete the construction of Raitalawa Bridge, which had commenced during former Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa�s time, more..

Jul 11 (DM) Centre for Journalism and Education (CJE) strongly condemns former OIC of the Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) Neomal Rangajeewa attempting to assault photojournalist Akila Jayawardana, at the Colombo High Court premises. Rangajeewa is a defendant of a case, which alleges his involvement in the killing of inmates at Welikada prison in 2012. Jayawardana, who was on the high court premises to cover another court case, clicked a photo of Rangajeewa�s arrival. more..

Jul 11 (DM) Some members of Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya, led by former MP the Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera complained to the Human Rights Commission (HRC) on the Facebook ban imposed on BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera. Rathana Thera said that Ven. Gnanasara Thera�s Facebook account had been blocked on the claim that he was a racist. �Ven. Gnanasara Thera, is a social activist, who foretold the danger posed by Muslim extremism and more..

Jul 11 (Hindu) Sri Lanka�s northern fishermen have reported a sudden increase in the number of Indian trawlers spotted in the island�s territorial waters, flagging an old problem that seriously impaired their post-war recovery. Fishermen along the northern coast of Jaffna Peninsula, especially Point Pedro, have complained to northern Fisheries authorities about their nets being found damaged in the sea, more..

Jul 11 (DM) Responding to a question asked by a journalist about the possibility of a lock-down situation in the country, DIG Ajith Rohana today said they had no intention of imposing a lock-down because there was no community transmission of COVID-19 according to the health authorities. However, he requested the people to remain vigilant and follow the health guidelines issued by the health authorities with regards to wearing face masks, physical distancing and hand hygiene. more..

Jul 11 (Island) The leader of the Muslim Federation of the SLPP, Ali Sabry PC has called upon the Muslim community to help ensure the victory of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has an affinity towards the Muslims of Sri Lanka. Sabry was speaking in Colombo on Thursday before Muslim professionals who have pledged their support for the SLPP at the upcoming August 5 polls. The meeting was coordinated by Nawaz Mustaffa, son of the former minister from Nintavur, M.M. Mustaffa. more..

Jul 11 (TM) Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) said it was gravely concerned by the current covid-19 situation in the country, pointing out further that there was a blatant lack of application of the measures required to control the spread of the disease. �Sri Lanka as a country has managed to successfully control the spread of COVID 19 with a technically correct approach and prompt measures in the initial stage. more..

Jul 11 (EN) SL�s special foreign exchange deposit accounts with an open call to resident and non-resident individuals as the rupee came under pressure from a money printing bout had brought in 86.9 million US dollars, CB Governor W D Lakshman said. �The (Special Depositors Account) trend is not very promising,� he said. SL set up Special Deposit Accounts (SDA) in mid-April as the rupee came under pressure from pro-cyclical liquidity injections in March amid more..

Jul 11 (DM) Chairman of the National Election Commission Mahinda Deshapriya said that the health guidelines issued for the conducting of the upcoming parliamentary elections not being properly promulgated had become the biggest issue facing the commission at the moment. He said the health guidelines for the general election were issued by Director General of Health Services on June 3 but they had not yet been gazetted. �Prez himself has given necessary instructions for that. more..

Jul 11 (Island) Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and State Intelligence Service (SIS) had sent the Chief of National Intelligence office (CNI) information collected from social media platforms, from 2017 to 2019, about National Thowheed Jamaat (NTJ) leader Zahran Hashim, but there had been no first hand human intelligence about him, a staff officer attached to Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) informed the PCoI more..

Jul 11 (FT) Elections are soon due in the Syrian Arab Republic, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Montenegro, Iran and New Zealand. From responses solicited by ACE, the Electoral Knowledge Network (with several heavy-weight affiliates like the UNDP, IFES, etc.), most of the experts are in agreement that the military in an electoral process should be used sparingly; limited to security issues and not interfere in the electoral process. It is also important that voters and other stakeholders have sufficient trust more..

Jul 11 (FT) Poet, curator and social activist Madhu Raghavendra�s poem Artist is resonating with artists from all around the world, who are feeling especially disenfranchised during the pandemic, given its impact on the arts, especially in a financial sense. Madhu wrote the poem in response to The Sunday Times Survey by The Straits Times, Singapore on 14 June that found artists graded as non-essential. �To my surprise, artists from all over the world started sharing it in a week. more..

Jul 11 (PMD) Following corporate, individual donations and direct deposits, �ITUKAMA� COVID-19 Healthcare and Social Security Fund balance has now surpassed Rs. 1458 million. Sri Lanka Amarapura Mahasangha Sabha has donated Rs. 1,000,000 to the Fund. The Cheque relating to the donation was handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the commemoration ceremony of founder Theros of Sri Lanka Amarapura Maha Nikaya held at the BMICH. more..

Jul 11 (Island) National Intelligence (CNI), Sisira Mendis had formulated a plan to monitor foreigners teaching at madrasas in 2019, but former Governor of the Western Province, Azath Salley and representatives of All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) told Defence Secretary, Hemasiri Fernando that it was an unnecessary step, a senior military intelligence officer who was attached to the office of the Chief of National Security (CNI) on Thursrday told the PCoI. more..

Jul 11 (DM) Referring to the govt�s decision to slash March, April and May electricity tariffs by 25%, former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said it was he who got this concession for the people. He told an election meeting in Mahara that the govt had come up with this concession only after he gave an election pledge to allow the people to pay their utility bills during the lock-down period in 12 installments. �I was able get a concession more..

Jul 11 (AD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa visited Kandy today extending his support for the election campaign of SLPP candidates in the districts. Prez Rajapaksa is scheduled to attend several public gatherings to be held in the Kandy district to ensure the victory of the SLPP candidates contesting the upcoming general election. He kicked off the visit by first attending the public meeting held in front of the Nawalapitiya Bus Stand organized by former minister Maindananda Aluthgamage. more..