Aug 11 (CT) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa warned of an impending fuel shortage, alleging that the country�s fuel reserves were declining fast. �We see long queues to purchase gas and milk powder. Govt has failed to regulate prices of essential goods. According to the Global Cost of Living Database, SL is among the five Nations that inadequately manage the cost of living,� Premadasa added. Meanwhile, Premadasa questioned the Govt's delay in calling for an All Party Conference, more..

Aug 11 (Island) Plantations State Minister Kanaka Herath said that a targeted programme was being implemented to increase the export earnings of the tea and rubber sector to US $ 8.5 billion by the year 2025. He said tea exports were expected to reach US $ 5 billion, while rubber exports to US $ 3.5 billion by 2025, bringing the total revenue to US $ 8.5 billion. State Minister made this observation addressing a progress review more..

Aug 11 (Island) Large indoor gatherings should be banned right now until a large proportion of the adult population was fully vaccinated, Professor at the University of Sri J'pura, Neelika Malavige says. A person could be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the second dose, she added. �Research has shown that fine aerosols produced, when people talk or sing, contain more coronavirus copies than coarse aerosols and may play a significant role in the virus transmission,� more..

Aug 11 (Island) The STF raided a house at Dunagaha in Divulapitiya and took into custody a 54-year-old person with a stock of contraband cigarettes. The stock contained 11,000 cigarettes worth over Rs. 770,000. In a separate raid, the STF swooped on a shop at Marawila and seized contraband cigarettes worth Rs. 1.1 million rupees and narcotics on Sunday. There were 800 contraband cigarettes, 800 narcotic pills and 1,680 banned aphrodisiacs. more..

Aug 11 (DM) The Govt Nursing Officers' Association (GNOA) today threatened to resort to a Trade Union action, if the Govt fails to declare a practical and scientific lockdown claiming that the health sector is at a grave risk of getting contracted with Covid-19. GNOA President Saman Rathnapriya told a news conference that more than 1,000 nurses have contracted the virus and altogether around 5,000 personnel in the health sector more..

Aug 11 (CT) A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and TRACE Expert City (Technology Reawakening Culture of Excellence) Uva Chapter to establish a framework formalising mutual agreement and understanding to establish, construct, operate and maintain a tier II technology park in Uva Province. Govt with its vision and policy to build a technology centric economy has launched more..

Aug 11 (FT) Hela Clothing, a global apparel manufacturer with factories across Kenya, Ethiopia and SL, was recently presented with the 2021 Collaboration Award at the latest Tesco Non-Food Partner Conference. This is the third such international award won by the company from its customers in 2021 having received the Most Sustainable Vendor and Most Sustainable Factory Award earlier this year from both Tesco and ASDA respectively. more..

Aug 11 (CT) Small hydropower projects have been identified as a major factor in the destruction of freshwater fish habitats in the wet and intermediate zone to date in SL and the new Loggal Oya Hydropower Project in the Badulla District would do the same, Environmental Activist of the MONLAR, Sajeewa Chamikara said. Small hydroelectric power plants cause the complete destruction of freshwater fish habitats by more..

Aug 11 (CT) The Bill to provide for the declaration of a state of public health emergency that seeks to provide for special measures in the interest of public health, and is imminent owing to the COVID-19 situation in the country, is yet to be passed and enacted. Claiming that the COVID-19 Task Force is a failure, UNP National List MP Ranil Wickremesinghe previously criticised Army Commander, General Shavendra Silva�s role in the Task Force, stating that according to more..

Aug 11 (ANI) A court in Islamabad has summoned the interior secretary in a case pertaining to 41 Pakistani prisoners who were awarded sentences in drug smuggling cases in Sri Lanka. The court had on Tuesday sought a report from the interior ministry on whether the anti-narcotics laws of Pakistan and Sri Lanka had similarities, The News International reported. "The matters of prisoners were sent to Anti-Narcotics Forces magistrates," the publication quoting Deputy Attorney General more..

Aug 11 (Asahi) The bereaved family of a SL detainee who died at an immigration facility blasted the final report on her death, released by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan on Aug. 10, saying, �We can�t trust it.� Wishma Sandamali, 33, died at the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau in March. The cause of her death has not been released. �Even before the cause of my elder sister�s death has been revealed, more..

Aug 11 (AD) Director General of Health Services has confirmed another 124 coronavirus related deaths for Aug 10, pushing the country official death toll due to the virus pandemic to 5,464. This is reportedly the highest daily count of Covid-19 deaths recorded in the country while this also marks the third consecutive day that the daily count of Covid-19 deaths has exceeded 100. Of the Covid-19 deaths confirmed today, 75 are males and 49 are females while one of the victims is below 30. more..

Aug 11 (DM) Claiming that the Covid-19 deaths have increased by 48.8%, State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said the country was at risk at the moment. She urged the public not to leave their homes except for urgent matters. "Currently, the number of cases reported in Sri Lanka has increased by 30% while the deaths have increased by 48.8%.The only cure for COVID-19 is to prevent the disease from spreading. This month is very risky. Stay home,� she told reporters more..

Aug 11 (AD) Providing home-based care for COVID-infected children aged above 2 years has commenced, says Dr. Channa De Silva, Consultant Paediatric Chest Physician at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo. Accordingly, symptomatic or mildly symptomatic children can also be referred to medical supervision, he added. He noted that children who undergo home-based care should not have uncontrolled comorbidities, more..

Aug 11 (DM) A new land area has been selected at Irakkamam in the Ampara District of the Eastern Province for the burial of COVID victims, Medical Technical Services Director Dr. Anwar Hamdani said. He said the new land is said to cover an area of ​​three acres. Accordingly, the area has the capacity to bury a total of 2,400 COVID victims, he said. Meanwhile, the Ampara District Secretary has informed that this land is a suitable place for burying the bodies of COVID victims and more..

Aug 11 (EN) SL has kicked off a three-day drive to vaccinate the remaining over 60s in the most populous Western Province as a Covid patient died every 12 minutes according to govt data. On August 09, 118 persons were reported as dying from Coronavirus or one person every 12.2 minutes, up from 111, or 12.9 minutes a day earlier. SL has deployed a fast vaccination drive, delivering vaccines to recipients as soon as they land in the country, though those with two vaccines more..

Aug 12 (DM) We are seeing a sudden surge in the number of COVID-19 cases from the time when people were allowed to travel as they wished to all parts of the country during the National New Year period in April. The results of that ill-timed decision are still among us showing up in an increasing number of COVID-19 cases and more importantly an increasing number of COVID-related deaths now being blamed on the more virulent and contagious Delta variant. more..

Aug 12 (DM) Kagemusha is the name of a highly acclaimed film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Kagemusha is a Japanese term for a political decoy. It means shadow warrior and refers to a look-alike tasked to impersonate a dying lord for a period of time to dissuade the enemy from making moves on a clan that could be vulnerable. Term came to mind when reading the opinions of experts who have crawled out of the political woodworks to advise the govt on what and what not to do regarding more..

Aug 12 (FT) Last week saw this column focusing on former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar who was assassinated by the LTTE on 12 Aug 2005. This week will see this column focusing on well-known political activist Ketheeswaran Loganathan who was killed exactly one year after Kadirgamar�s death. Ketheeswaran Loganathan known as Ketheesh was shot dead by Tiger assassins in Dehiwala on 12Aug2006. more..

Aug 12 (TM) Even though the Govt maintains that there is no liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage in the country, what the consumers trying to purchase LPG experience is different. During the past few weeks, a lack of LPG was reported from many parts of the country, and even yesterday (11), long queues could be seen in front of gas retailers in some areas including in Colombo. The discussion about the LPG crisis is not a new one, although the only response govt has given in this regard more..

Aug 12 (ST) There is euphoria in the govt after the loan repayment of US$ one billion on July 27, the due date for repayment. The country�s record of not defaulting on loan repayments has been maintained. Now, there is an air of confidence that the country�s external financial vulnerability would be resolved. How will the external reserves be replenished immediately and strengthened in the long term? The Govt is quite confident that the foreign reserves that have fallen to a mere US$ 3 billion would be more..

Aug 12 (DM) Sri Lanka is experiencing one of the worst COVID outbreaks since the pandemic first struck the island last year. Photos of hospitals in which COVID wards were filled to the brim with patients went viral on social media a few days back. Although the situation was rectified following the intervention of the State Minister, for how long such short-term strategies would work remain a considerable doubt. more..

Aug 12 (CT) SL�s COVID-19 situation is getting worse by the day. Almost every State hospital has exceeded maximum capacity, with record fatalities being reported each day. On Tuesday (10), State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana described the Delta variant as a bomb that had exploded, adding that the coming two weeks will be crucial for SL. The Govt healthcare system is scrambling to remedy the situation, with the Health Ministry rolling out pulse oximeters this week to help patients at home more..

Aug 12 (ST) First there was euphoria from the agriculture sector. Newspaper headlines screamed that the ban on chemical fertiliser has been reversed amidst the issuance of a gazette on chemical fertiliser, which was lapped up by the industry. Finally, it was whispered in industry circles that the govt had realised its folly and corrected the issue by reversing the ban. In the meantime, some importers of chemical fertiliser, sensing that some clarity was required on the proclamation, were more..

Aug 12 (DN) Relentless Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to extract a heavy toll in SL, even as health experts and govt officials concentrate their efforts on reducing the number of infected persons and deaths due to the pandemic in what is likely to be a long drawn-out challenge. Number of daily deaths due to the coronavirus, most of them due to Delta variant, exceeded hundred for the first time this week and rose to 118 deaths on Tuesday. At the time, 5,340 deaths have been more..

Aug 12 (Island) Throughout the course of human history man has been striving to break barriers which most people could not surmount eg: the four-minute mile and the sub ten second hundred metres. In SL one such person who was to overcome several barriers, literally as well as metaphorically in the pole vault event was none other than Arthur Cletus Dep. A.C. Dep was born on the 5th March 1917. His father was a teacher at St. Joseph�s College Colombo. more..

Aug 12 (CT) After weeks of gruelling competition, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics drew to a close this past week and with it, Team Sri Lanka returned home. The nine-strong team was among the smallest contingents sent to the Games by any nation, but even then, there was some cautious optimism that there could be some medal winners in the group. �I�m hopeful that someone from our contingent can come back with a medal, more..

Aug 12 (Roar) The misuse and abuse of SL's natural resources have carried on for decades. Over the years many conservationists, nature enthusiasts and organisations dedicated to safeguarding the environment have emerged, advocating for a balance between development and conservation. Despite this and several environmental conservation laws in place to preserve SL's natural beauty, there has been a rising number of deforestation cases, amongst an alarming amount of damage to more..

Aug 12 (AD) New Zealand�s first resident High Commissioner to SL Michael Edward Appleton together with Mr. Andrew Traveller the Deputy High Commissioner called on PM Rajapaksa at Temple Trees this morning (11). Ambassador conveyed his pleasure to be the NZ first resident HC to SL and expressed his keen interest in growing collaboration between the both nations. As one of the world�s largest milk producers, Ambassador mentioned that NZ is pleased to share dairy industry more..

Aug 12 (FT) Full Cream Milk Powder (FCMP) industry, which caters to 80% of the country�s consumption, insisted on a price hike, saying it was needed to cut the Rs. 1.5 billion monthly loss on business and that the recent tax reduction was insufficient in comparison to the rising cost. Sources said that from July, due to this unprecedented cost escalations, FCMP industry could lose Rs. 1.5 billion per month at contribution level and more..

Aug 12 (FT) The first or second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine was administered to 428,535 persons on Tuesday and 98% of the country�s population over the age of 30 has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The second dose has been administered to 28.3% of the country�s population over the age of 30. In total, 11,409,475 persons have received the first dose of a vaccine and 3,529,515 persons have received the second dose as well. 99,373 persons between ages more..

Aug 12 (FT) Health Services Director General and the Chief Epidemiologist have been made aware of discrepancies in COVID-19 data and will address the matter and issue the correct data by Monday. According to the Health Promotion Bureau Director Dr. Ranjith Batuwanthudawa, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Samitha Ginige is expected to par take in a press briefing on Monday and will be addressing the matter. �This was discussed [last morning] at the meeting on COVID-19 at Health Ministry� more..

Aug 12 (FT) Eastern Province Governor Anuradha Yahampath initiated a sustainable solution to the ever-increasing waste plastic environmental menace by utilising green technology in converting waste plastic into an industrial raw material which becomes an additive to conventional asphalt, for road paving in EP. A MoU was signed by Eastern Province Chief Secretary Thusitha P. Wanigasinghe and AGC Innovate Ltd. MD/CTO Dr. Judith Samaranayaka, at the EP Governor�s Office, Trincomalee. more..

Aug 12 (Island) Whatever SL decides about dealing with its debt and paying its way through the world, the country needs to formulate a very good economic analysis and a publicly-backed plan that will establishc credibility of the world in its economy going forward, Dr. Nishan De Mel, Executive Director of Verit� Research said recently. He made this remark at a virtual forum conducted by Advocata Institute on How to Resolve SL�s Debt Crisis Without Seeking Assistance from the IMF. more..

Aug 12 (Island) JVP-led Women for Rights (WFR) yesterday warned that mounting public pressure due to economic hardships would soon explode and people would take to the streets if the govt failed to provide immediate relief to those hit hard by the pandemic. WFR General Secretary Samanmalee Gunasinghe said that prices of all essential items including food had gone up during the past few weeks and people had found it more..

Aug 12 (TM) The proposed merger between Abans Finance and Softlogic Finance is off the table after Abans Finance managed to achieve a profit, before the tax deductions, in the financial year 2020/2021, which has reportedly given hopes about a financially strong 2021/2022. Secretaries for Abans Finance PLC disclosed that the proposed acquisition which was announced on 29 Sept 2020 where Abans PLC agreed to sell 33,063,877 ordinary shares of the company to Softlogic Capital, more..

Aug 12 (CT) Seven young Sri Lankan cricketers, including National cap Lasith Embuldeniya, have been ousted from the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) T20 League after failing fitness tests conducted prior to the SLC Invitational T20 League scheduled to commence today at Pallakalle Stadium. Sadun Weerakkody, Jehan Daniel, Sangeeth Cooray, Koshan Jayawickrama, Lahiru Gamage, Ashan Randika and Lasith Embuldeniya are the cricketers who failed test, SLC confirmed. more..