Aug 14 (Island) The gods will certainly have a very busy time in the coming weeks and months, with special focus on SL. Mass Media Minister and Co-Cabinet Spokesman has said that once the vaccination campaign against the Covid-19 pandemic is over, the matter will be handed over to God. SL and Sinhala tradition certainly goes beyond one god, which is a western or largely Jewish belief. A matter as importance, and of such urgency more..

Aug 14 (Island) We invited the Delta variant of coronavirus, and it has come. We are reaping the whirlwind, having sowed the wind. Speculation was rife yesterday that the govt would impose lockdowns in response to calls from medical experts for drastic measures to curb the runaway spread of the pandemic. Instead, it opted for some travel restrictions. Why it has chosen to fight shy of closing the country may be understandable because the economy is on heart-lung machine, and more..

Aug 14 (Island) Felice Leonardo Buscaglia, an American author, motivational speaker, and professor in the Dept of Special Education at the University of Southern California has uttered the following memorable words that resonate with the general approach of most human beings to worldly problems: Don�t spend your precious time asking �Why isn�t the world a better place? It will only be time wasted. The question to ask is How can I make it better?� To that there is an answer more..

Aug 14 (Island) MCC President and SL cricket great, Kumar Sangakkara, officially opened the new �53 million Compton and Edrich stands at Lord�s Cricket Ground on Thursday (12), in front of the first full crowds for a Test match at Lord�s since 2019. Sangakkara declared the stands officially open by cutting the ribbon of MCC colours, scarlet and gold, accompanied by MCC Chairman Gerald Corbett, MCC Chief Executive & Secretary Guy Lavender, and members of the project team more..

Aug 14 (Island) South Asian Games medallist Umanga Surendra said that despite setbacks suffered due to the Covid 19 pandemic his charge Medhani Jayamanne will attempt to reach her personal best when she competes at the World Junior Championships in Nairobi next week. �I am confident that she would come up with her best in Kenya,� said Umanga of Jayamanne. The Lumbini College athlete will compete in both the girls� 100 metres and the 200 metres. more..

Aug 14 (FT) SL�s trade deficit in the first half has widened by over $ 1 billion to $ 4.3 billion from a year earlier on account of rising imports, though exports have performed commendably. The Central Bank said yesterday the deficit in the trade account widened on a year-on-year basis for the fourth consecutive month in June 2021. �Both exports and imports were significantly higher in June 2021 compared to June 2020. more..

Aug 14 (ST) Last week I was invited to moderate a webinar panel discussion, organised by the Veemansa Initiative � a newly established think tank in Colombo. It was on the KNDU Bill. In the initial stages after being launched, Veemansa held a series of webinars on hot issues in the country such as the Foreign Debt Crisis with the participation of the CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman and the Colombo Port City Bill with the participation of the Secretary to the Prez Dr. P.B. Jayasundara. more..

Aug 14 (NW) When climate change threatened to destroy one of Britain�s beauty spots few people would have thought that coconuts from SL would be its salvation. But 9,000 km away, in sun-drenched surroundings, an army of women are helping to save the planet through the use of coconuts. Using coir, the coarse fibre extracted from coconut husk, the women hand weave it to create nets and logs which are now being used to protect the UK�s peatland by preventing huge amounts of carbon more..

Aug 14 (FT) SL is ranked 61st on the 2020 Global Youth Development Index, which measures the status of young people in 181 countries around the world. Singapore ranked top for the first time followed by Slovenia, Norway, Malta and Denmark. Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Niger came last respectively. The index further reveals that the conditions of young people have improved around the world more..

Aug 14 (ST) Since making their way into the local cricket arena in 1951, SL Army has achieved what any other military entity in the country would not be able to attain by today. In its 70th year in domestic cricket, SL Army has become one of the strongest contributors to the nation, besides its undeterred commitments to the country�s security and in other sectors, including sports. Ever since breaking into Premier status in 2005, SL Army has produced many players to the national stream with more..

Aug 14 (Island) Bank of Ceylon�s General Manager D.P.K. Gunasekera better known as Sugath Gunasekera to his peers in the Banking industry is to retire from Bank of Ceylon upon reaching mandatory retirement age. The retirement brings the curtain down on a 41-year career with the nation�s premier bank. His term as GM saw the bank grapple with the challenges brought on by the COVID 19 pandemic and overcome them registering a commendable performance. more..

Aug 14 (Island) Ministry of Health must remove restrictions on private labs to conduct rapid antigen tests, College of Medical Laboratory Science (CMLS) President, Ravi Kumudesh said yesterday. Kumudesh said that in June 2021, the Health Ministry had issued a circular banning private labs from conducting the rapid antigen tests. Later, the Ministry allowed around eight private labs to conduct those tests. more..

Aug 14 (CT) Skipper Dasun Shanaka top scored with 84 as SLC Greys beat SLC Greens by one run in a thrilling opening match of the SLC Invitational T20 League which commenced in Pallekele yesterday. Chasing SLC Greys 168 to win, SLC Greens came to the wire with Kamindu Mendis (74) and Pathum Nissanka (45) dragging the game towards victory with Ishan�s Jayarathne�s late surge, but fell short by two runs in the end. Batting first SLC Grey�s scored 167-7, more..

Aug 14 (FT) Daily COVID-19 fatalities exceeded 150 for the second consecutive day with 155 COVID-19 fatalities confirmed on Thursday. This raises SL�s COVID-19 death toll to 5,775, of which 3,351 are male and 2,424 are female. 85 fatalities confirmed on Thursday were male and 70 were female. The COVID-19 deaths confirmed on Thursday consist of 111 persons over the age of 60, 41 persons between ages 30 and 59, and three persons below the age of 30. The majority of the country's more..

Aug 14 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 detections rose to 348,270 with 3,152 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. This is the second consecutive day where daily detections have exceeded 3,000. The patients detected yesterday include 3,142 persons from the New Year cluster and 10 overseas arrivals. Total detections include 242,520 persons from the New Year cluster, 82,785 persons from the Peliyagoda cluster, more..

Aug 14 (TM) Cricket South Africa (CSA) yesterday (12) announced their ODI and T20I squads for the tour of SL that is set to commence on 2 September. Temba Bavuma will lead South Africa in the three ODIs and three T20Is, to be held between 2 and 14 Sept at the R. Premadasa Int'l Cricket Stadium in Colombo. SL white-ball team, which showed a marked improvement in their previous series against India, under new Captain Dasun Shanaka, displayed clear signs of change in their destiny, more..

Aug 14 (FT) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of the Australian Govt, in close collaboration with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait and the SL Bureau for Foreign Employment (SLBFE), successfully repatriated a group of SL migrant workers from Kuwait. Carried out in support of the Govt of SL�s ongoing repatriation efforts, the group were assisted back home under the auspices of the National COVID-19 Response Plan for Migrant Workers. more..

Aug 14 (DM) As a first step of the programme to launch 20 television channels dedicated to education, six new tv channels and a radio frequency will be launched next week, Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said. He said the Vision FM radio station, which will be launched in collaboration with the SLBC. These educational channels are planned to be launched as never before in history as full-time, sustainable channels & TV channels more..

Aug 14 (DM) Some Christian preachers are misleading their followers requesting them not to get Covid-19 vaccine, saying the Bible had forbidden taking such vaccines, SL National Christian Conference (SLNCC) said. President of SLNCC Bishop Janaka Kumaratunga said that many preachers had been asking the people who attend their prayer sessions to resist vaccines. �many who come up with this false advice are individual preachers rather than those who belong to more..

Aug 14 (DM) The milk powder importers still insist on a price hike of at least Rs. 260 for a packet of one kilo despite tax exemptions and by the slight drop of world market prices. Earlier, they sought a price hike of Rs.350 a kilo. An industry spokesman said the importers welcomed govt stepping in to stabilise the market by waiving off customs duty and port and airport levy. However, he said the impact of tax waiver would be only Rs.35 a kilo. �Previously, milk powder price remained US$ 4,300 a tonne. more..

Aug 14 (Island) The breakdown of the entire healthcare system is around the corner, Intercollegiate Committee of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) told Prez Rajapaksa in a letter. The Intercollegiate Committee said that the govt needs to impose severe mobility restrictions & allocate Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccines that can give some immunity from one jab to those over 60 and other high risk people. more..

Aug 14 (FT) The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly is the central challenge SL is facing today along with other countries. All indications are that the world might not be able to come to normal at least until 2023. This is assuming that our govts would be able to implement viable vaccination programs and other necessary measures with people�s cooperation. Even that normal might not be the past normal with most countries facing economic devastations, weak workforces on health conditions, more..

Aug 14 (FT) The current COVID vaccines � AstraZeneca, J&J, Pfizer, and Moderna are now obsolete. They do not cover the new variants. Patients are being hospitalised and getting sick, despite them. And because of the record levels of deaths and injuries reported after them, they should be considered unsafe and unfit for use. Even in Germany the number of adverse effects is leading the Federation of Pathologists to urge for more autopsies in the wake of vaccination, more..

Aug 14 (FT) The COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly is the central challenge SL is facing today along with other countries. All indications are that the world might not be able to come to normal at least until 2023. This is assuming that our govts would be able to implement viable vaccination programs and other necessary measures with people�s cooperation. Even that normal might not be the past normal with most countries facing economic devastations, weak workforces on health conditions, more..

Aug 14 (AD) An individual has been arrested today in connection with a forewarning about an attack on a foreign institution in Colombo related to international relations, SDIG Ajith Rohana said. He mentioned that the Kollupitiya Police had received a complaint regarding the said forewarning. The complaint was filed on Friday (13) by an official of the relevant institution. Thereby, probes were initiated by Kollupitiya Police and were later taken charge by Colombo Crimes Division (CCD). more..

Aug 14 (EN) BIA in Colombo has set up a rapid PCR testing facility at the airport provided by privately owned Asiri Hospitals, for travellers to the UAE. �From today (15) onwards passengers who are flying to UAE will be able to get the Rapid PCR tests done at the airport through their respective airlines,� Shehan Sumanasekara, Director Operations (all airport) at Airport & Aviation Services said. more..

Aug 14 (EN) Leaders of political parties in SL�s parliament have been convened for an emergency meeting next Monday (16) by Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena to discuss next week�s sitting as a fifth MP tested positive for COVID-19 within two weeks. Parliament sittings are scheduled for four days next week from Tuesday (17) to Friday. However, many legislators are in self quarantine after three of their colleagues were found to have been infected with coronavirus last week. more..

Aug 14 (EN) A state sector union has opposed plans to allow private labs to provide Rapid PCR tests to passengers departing to countries like the UAE, saying the govt can do it and equipment should be bought fast and results can be given free of charge. On Aug 9, Health Ministry issued a letter to CAA recommending nine private sector laboratories to do the Rapid PCR tests. The nine recommended private laboratories are Nawaloka Hospitals, Lanka Hospital Labotary, Durdans Hospital more..

Aug 14 (EN) SL�s gross official reserves dropped to US$ 2,833.5 million in July 2021, from 4,060 million in June after a billion US dollar bond and some other accounts were repaid in July, official data show. SL has been injecting unprecedented volumes of liquidity into banks as excess rupee reserves triggering a balance of payments deficit under so-called Modern Monetary Theory (an extreme form of stimulus more..

Aug 14 (Island) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena recently urged Saudi Arabia to provide more jobs to Sri Lankans to work in skilled and professional categories there. This request was made during a virtual discussion with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir. Minister Gunawardena noting the progressive steps taken by both countries to strengthen diplomatic relations, since 1974, recalled the contributions made by the Saudi Royalty more..

Aug 14 (AD) Police are conducting a special operation to apprehend people not wearing face masks at public venues, says Senior DIG Ajith Rohana. A person who does not wear a face mask in public can be arrested without a warrant on charges of committing an offence in violation of Section 4 and 5 of the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance and Section 264 of the Penal Code. He explained that as per the provisions of the gazette notification published by the health minister more..

Aug 14 (FT) National ratings on SL banks remain constrained by the sovereign credit profile (CCC), Fitch Ratings said. The highest national rating for domestic banks with ratings driven by their intrinsic credit profiles is �AA-(lka)�. This is the highest point on the national scale that corresponds to an int'l scale rating of �CCC� according to Fitch�s National Ratings Correspondence Table for SL. �Given current conditions, we would not assess more..

Aug 14 (TM) Govt has made a decision to purchase 100 metric tonnes of Oxygen next week for the purpose of treating Covid-19 patients. According to the Secretary of the Ministry of Health, SL will purchase the same from India. This decision comes after the exponential increase in Covid-19 patient detections. Accordingly, plans are in place to continue such purchases if necessary. Earlier, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath said that all hospitals more..

Aug 14 (FT) CB said that workers� remittances declined in June 2021 year-on-year though they were up in the first half in comparison to the corresponding period of last year. It said workers� remittances decreased to $ 478 million, recording a year-on-year decline of 16.4% in June 2021. However, workers� remittances in June 2021 remained higher than the $ 460 million recorded in May 2021. During the first half of the year, workers� remittances recorded a growth of 11.6%, more..

Aug 14 (ST) When the Department of Fisheries with the help of the SL Navy dumped some 20 discarded buses off Delft Island sea in Jaffna during the fish breeding ban in June, they hope to achieve two things: one is to create an artificial reef, and other is to discourage Indian bottom trawlers who frequently enter through this route to SL territorial waters. Nearly two months on, Indian fishermen are navigating into SL waters. more..

Aug 14 (TM) An extraordinary gazette notification declaring some health guidelines as laws is expected to be published on Monday. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi said that only the guidelines issued by the Director-General of Health Services will be declared as laws. Meanwhile, SDIG Ajith Rohana says that those who do not wear face masks in public can be arrested without a warrant. Accordingly, they will be arrested on charges of committing an offence in violation of Section more..

Aug 14 (FT) The process of preparing the sea sand from the Muthurajawela sand yard for use in the construction industry has been expedited, according to the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing. This project is being implemented on the instructions of PM Rajapaksa, the Minister of Urban Development and Housing said. SL Land Development Corporation (SLLDC) pointed out that with the use of the washed, cleaned and dried sea sand from the Muthurajawela sand yard for more..

Aug 14 (Island) State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle said that the Covid-19 vaccine should be made mandatory for all Sri Lankans. Dr. Fernandopulle said so when The Island asked her whether the country struggling to cope up with the raging Covid-19 epidemic should introduce laws to make Covid-19 vaccination compulsory for all. State Minister�s view was sought in the wake of Sergeant-at-Arms more..