Apr 23 (Island) Tough restrictions would have to be imposed in Jaffna if religious leaders did not help health authorities, Northern Province Director General of Health Services, Dr. A. Kethiswaran said. Jaffna was facing a serious risk of COVID-19, he said. Dr. Kethiswaran said so during a meeting with religious leaders at his office. He said that a large number of devotees were seen at various places of religious worship during the festive period. �None of these people follow health guidelines. more..

Apr 23 (DN) CSE Chairman Rajeeva Bandaranaike is to raise the lack of online trading of the corporate debt market with the stockbroker firms at the next scheduled meeting between the exchange and brokers. Currently, the Colombo Stock Exchange only facilitates the trading of corporate debt through the terminals available at the brokerage houses. Investors looking to trade securities through online portals will receive error messages on the placement of bids. more..

Apr 23 (Island) College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) yesterday claimed that State Minister of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals, Prof. Channa Jayasumana was making statements on new strains of SARS-CoV-2 without any scientific proof. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Prof. Jayasumana said that there had been an increase in the spread of Covid virus in the country, especially among young people more..

Apr 23 (DM) Following the festive season, researchers have observed a severe change in COVID-19 symptoms and a fair number of ICU admissions among young patients. Sri J'pura University's Immunology and Molecular Medicine Department Director Dr. Chandima Jeewandara said his team was conducting researches to ascertain the present variant of the corona virus. Meanwhile, he said they had described and reported the B.1.411 lineage (SL lineage) is the predominant more..

Apr 23 (Island) SL supermarket chains issued more than 100 billion shopping bags to consumers every year and 10 million lunch sheets were added to the environment daily, Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment said. He said so at a programme jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment and the Colombo Municipal Council at the Viharamaha Devi Park. Mahinda Amaraweera, Minister of Environment, Rosy Senanayake, Mayor of Colombo, foreign ambassadors and more..

Apr 23 (CT) SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana said by his calculations, the total cost of printing QR codes for every bottle of liquor in the country would amount to roughly Rs 1 billion. Speaking to Media yesterday, he accused the Govt of abusing the tender process. Pathirana said these stickers were not printed in Sri Lanka, but instead a tender had been given to an Indian company called Madras Security Printers (PSP). more..

Apr 23 (DM) No general decision had been taken to close schools with the rising numbers of COVID-19 patients in the country after the New Year, the State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle said. She said that schools currently in isolated areas might be closed but there would be a COVID-19 Task Force Meeting today to discuss all matters. Meanwhile, Education Ministry said that no decision had been taken yet to close schools again, Education Ministry Secretary Professor Kapila Perera said. more..

Apr 23 (DN) Secretaries to the Finance Ministry and the Cabinet of Ministers informed the Supreme Court through their lawyers that a majority of Sri Lankans would steer the Colombo Port City Economic Commission. President�s Counsel Sanjeewa Jayawardena appearing for these two Secretaries told Court that the Commission will consist of a majority of Sri Lankans in order to ensure national interests. �If Commission consists of 5 members, there will be 3 Sri Lankans. more..

Apr 23 (CT) Urgent measures were taken to impose a lockdown in the Kuliyapitiya Police area by midnight (22), with the rapid increase in the number of COVID-19 patients being detected, General Shavendra Silva said. Chief of the Epidemiology Unit, Dr. Sudath Samaraweera, referring to data collected, said a total of 520 patients with COVID-19 were detected from the country by 7 p.m. yesterday (22). more..

Apr 23 (FT) Sri Lanka is now in a terrible and unfortunate situation. It lies in the bottom of the pit of failure. In other words, the entire system of the country (socio-political and economic) is in a state of breakdown, collapse and virtual failure. The social system of the country lies in a state of disorder and fragmentation. The political system, the state, and its institutional system are in a serious state of collapse, and afflicted with rampant corruption and degeneration. more..

Apr 23 (Island) Parliamentary sessions, at times, can be far more entertaining than cable TV programmes like Animal Fight Club. On Wednesday, our honourable MPs almost came to blows during a debate on the report of the PCoI, which probed the alleged instances of political victimisation under the previous government. The Opposition accused the government of having adopted an ad hoc method to open an escape route for the SLPP MPs and supporters with court cases against them. more..

Apr 23 (DM) State Minister Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle said permission will not be granted to hold any kind of public gathering in the coming month. She said considering the relaxing of current quarantine regulations and imposing new two- week quarantine regulations is underway. "The new regulations to be put into practice within the next month. Further steps related to quarantine regulations will be taken based on the results within the month. If we are unable to control more..

Apr 23 (DN) Three employees of the CEB had been admitted to the Kandy General Hospital after they were assaulted in Bahirawakanda, Kandy on Monday. The employees were attacked while they were going to Bahirawakanda to remove an electricity post that fell on to a house on Monday evening, Police said. Bahirwakanda Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya Chief Incumbent Ven. Yatawatte Dhammananda Thera said that people in many areas including Mapanawathu and Katukele more..

Apr 23 (Island) A govt decision to allow cardamom plantations inside the Knuckles Forest Reserve, which came under the Forest Conservation Department, it was already having a negative impact on the ecosystem, Sajeewa Chamikara of the MMONLAR said. Chamikara said that Knuckles Forest Reserve was not only a unique ecosystem but also an important catchment area for rivers such as Mahaweli and Kalu. more..

Apr 23 (CB) Buyers of apartments at Colombo City Centre (CCC) Residences can now enjoy the special benefits of a Zero interest and fees investment scheme which is a Developer Interest Bearer Scheme, following a partnership between the Commercial Bank of Ceylon and the developer of CCC Residences, the Abans Group. Under this collaboration, customers can receive up to 80% of the purchase value of an apartment as a Home Loan from the Bank while CCC will undertake more..

Apr 23 (UCAN) As Sri Lanka marked the second anniversary of the Easter terror attacks, a Buddhist monk claimed that trained terrorists are at large in the country. Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera was speaking at a remembrance ceremony at St. Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade on April 21. "Hundreds of trained terrorists are still at large in the society. We fear that the bombs of those terrorists will ignite at any moment in the society. We have concerns as to whether such attacks more..

Apr 23 (CNN) About two hours after SL announced they would reopen their borders to travelers in January 2021, I bought tickets to go there. I live in Hong Kong, which has done a good job containing the pandemic. But the tradeoff is that it has been extremely difficult to travel anywhere. Due to Hong Kong's tough quarantine mandates, most residents have been limited to our city and can't even cross the border into mainland China. more..

Apr 23 (AD) A motorcyclist has been knocked down by a tipper truck that defied police orders to stop at a checkpoint in Thikkam area in Vadamarachchi, Jaffna. Police officers at the checkpoint signalled the tripper truck to stop, however, its driver had refused to comply with the orders. While being chased by the cops, the speeding tipper truck knocked down a motorcycle that arrived from the opposite direction. Female motorcyclist, identified as a teacher, sustained injuries in the incident and more..

Apr 23 (MFA) The Foreign Ministry has taken steps to repatriate the 12 Sri Lankan fishermen arrested in Myanmar, tomorrow (23). The Foreign Ministry stated that the fishermen were released after several rounds of talks with the Govt of Myanmar. They will be flown from Yangon in Myanmar to Singapore tomorrow on Singapore Airlines flight SQ761 and will be flown to Colombo on Singapore Airlines flight SQ468 from Singapore. The following persons have been released from custody in Myanmar: more..

Apr 23 (AD) Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva announced today that there will not be any lockdowns in the island during this long weekend. He said no decision has been yet to lock-down the country. However, he appealed to the members of the public to limit their travels and to stay home as far as possible. He also requested people to avoid large gatherings and not to organize any events that gather large crowds. more..

Apr 23 (Island) A team of scientists from the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) who yesterday visited the MV BBC Naples, which was carrying Uranium Hexafluoride and docked at the Hambantota Harbour, said that the cargo was secure and posed no danger. Earlier, State Ministry of Solar Power, Wind & Hydro Power Generation Projects Development earlier said that legal action would be taken against Wilhelmsen Meridian Navigation Ltd, the local agent for M.V. BBC more..

Apr 23 (FT) The United Nations� Food and Agriculture Organisation estimates that up to one-third of global primary produce is wasted. Minimising food wastage could bring significant benefits to many people around the world. Issues around food freshness and storage are a critical component in this context. For instance, more than 30% of the fish landed on SL�s shores are considered spoilt, according to NARA, SL�s National Aquatic Resources Research & Development Agency. more..

Apr 23 (USE) U.S. Ambassadora Alaina B. Teplitz announced the first grants awarded through the U.S. government�s Clean Cities, Blue Ocean program yesterday, totaling $345,000. These grants to Sri Lankan organizations will fund projects that help protect Sri Lanka�s cities and marine resources from plastic pollution. Dr. Anil Jasinghe, Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, joined Ambassador Teplitz at the event. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Govt of SL and the World Bank yesterday signed a loan agreement in the amount of $ 69.33 million for the Kandy Multimodal Transport Terminal Development Project, which will develop the Good Shed terminal in Kandy. Located at the city centre and providing access to the railway station, the modernised terminal will integrate rail, bus, three-wheeler and pedestrian traffic to make it safer and more efficient. Finance Ministry Secretary Sajith Attygalle and World Bank Country Director more..

Apr 23 (Island) The govt had not only reduced the security given to him, but also released suspects arrested in connection with threats to his life, TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said Wednesday night. TNA MP said that the govt should take the responsibility if something happened to him. �Because of the threats I faced as a MP and because there was a plot to kill me, I was given STF security. Minister Sarath Weerasekera removed my STF guard because I took part in a political rally more..

Apr 23 (CI) Sri Lanka weren't quite derailed by the two wickets that fell on the third evening, but it's true that Bangladesh's spinners created plenty of chances on a pitch that's roughed up considerably, more than the home side did in their long haul in the middle. SL were 229 for 3 at stumps, still well adrift of the follow-on mark after Bangladesh declared at 541 for 7. Sri Lanka were going well during the 114-run opening stand between more..

Apr 23 (CT) Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (retired) Sarath Weerasekara claims that 50% of road accidents take place as a result of narcotics. �Everyone misunderstand that road accidents have increased due to drunk driving. But unfortunately only 4% of the road accidents were caused by drunk driving. It is revealed that 48% of the road accidents were caused because of traffic rule violation while and remaining 48% of the accidents take place because of narcotics more..

Apr 23 (CT) Several trade unions attached to the Coconut Cultivation Board (CCB) have charged that a sum of Rs 70 million had been pilfered from the EPF of the CCB, which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Plantations. Following complaints that had been lodged in this connection, by the trade unions to the CID, CIABOC and the Labour Commissioner, a probe into the scam has been launched they said. The EPF of the CCB is maintained within the premises of more..

Apr 23 (DM) The COVID-19 virus has become airborne in Sri Lanka, just like in several other countries, sources within the Health Ministry said, which is why the country may be witnessing a rapid spread in infections. A senior Ministry source said the virus could be airborne from patients, especially when ventilation is poor. This comes at a time when the latest report released by The Lancet, the highest medical journal in the world, more..

Apr 23 (CT) The representatives of the Railway Trade Union Collective, which consists of 45 trade unions, have been summoned for a discussion with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat today. They are expected to brief the President on the sinister moves made by two trade union representatives, to thwart attempts made by the Ministry of Transport to fill the General Manager vacancy that has been created at the Railway Department with a qualified person. more..

Apr 23 (EN) SL will ban the import of chemical fertilizer in the near future as pollution of waterways and suspected kidney disease is a cost to society though farmers are making profits, Prez Rajapaksa said. SL was now spending US$ 400 million a year in fertilizer imports. �The usage of chemical fertilizers leads to a better harvest,� Prez said. �However, the negative consequences caused on human lives through pollution of lakes, canals and groundwater due to chemical fertilizers outweigh the profit. more..

Apr 23 (EN) SL�s opposition leader Sajith Premadasa has accused the govt of plotting its own, albeit bloodless, Night of the Long Knives with its controversial commission on political victimisation. Just like how Nazi leader Adolf Hitler destroyed his enemies in one fell swoop on that fateful night in 1934, the govt is conspiring to destroy its political enemies using the report of the commission as a weapon, Premadasa told more..

Apr 23 (CT) All those who received the first dose of vaccinations must receive the second dose in April. However, the Govt has failed to do this and vaccinations have been delayed till May, SJB MP Rajitha Senaratne said. He added that Govt and Ministry of Health are in a serious situation, as there are 21.6 million people in the country, and of them 13 million need to be vaccinated. He added that the WHO provided vaccines to four million citizens, of which not even 1 m citizens received vaccine. more..

Apr 23 (CT) Pointing out that there are a number of shortcomings in the Bill for the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act 2021, PHU Leader Minister Udaya Gammanpila said they hoped the Supreme Court will rectify them. Explaining their stance he said that they agree to appoint foreigners as members of the Commission but insisted that the majority must be Sri Lankans. �Commission is enlightened by the presence of foreigners with experience in promoting foreign investment more..

Apr 23 (ET) Chinese intervention in Sri Lanka�s Port City could pose a danger to the economic and security interests of both the island nation the region, opposition MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said. He expressed concern that the proposed and highly controversial Colombo Port City Economic Commission will allow Chinese business interests to influence the govt. �China�s defence officials are visiting Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 23 (EN) Lanka Sugar Company (Pvt) Ltd, built by re-expropriating two privatized firms, are now making profits after ethanol imports were banned, a govt statement said. Lanka Sugar Company which had made continuous losses has made a profit of 1,100 million following the ban on ethanol imports, statement said. The period was not mentioned. About 2,500 employees who were on contract basis for about some 20 years have been made permanent and given promotions & bonuses more..

Apr 23 (AD) The govt today published revised guidelines with regard to public activities in response to COVID-19. Pandemic situation in the country is subject to change from time to time and level of activity permitted and the number of people engaged in these functions will need to be changed, according to the document issued by State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle. The revised guidelines will be effective until the 31st of May. Health authorities have introduced an alert more..

Apr 24 (GV) Sinharaja�s conservation status is of significant concern. According to the World Heritage Outlook, published by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Sinharaja has been assessed in 2020 as a World Heritage Site with significant concern to its conservation status and future viability. This categorisation means that the site�s conservation values are threatened and/or showing signs of deterioration. As illustrated in the previous article Saving Sinharaja: more..