Feb 10 (AD) Governor of Uva Province A.J.M. Muzammil has temporarily suspended all functions of Badulla Municipal Council with immediate effect from today. Accordingly, the functions of Badulla Municipal Council will continue under a Special Commissioner. In an extraordinary gazette notification issued yesterday, Uva Province Governor said Mr. Jeevantha Herath, an officer of Administrative Service, was appointed as a Special Commissioner to implement powers and more..

Feb 10 (EN) SL will launch an ambitious program to be nearly self-sufficient in liquid milk aiming to meet most of the national demand by 2024, Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament. He said that the govt hopes to self-sustain SL with liquid milk while eliminating the need for milk powder. Aluthgamage said that even though there are about 1.2 million milking cows in SL only 250,000 are milked more..

Feb 10 (CT) This week marked the death of the oldest Sri Lankan citizen and the first Policeman to have succumbed to COVID-19. According to a spokesman from the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, a 103-year-old woman from Karapitiya had died at home on Saturday (6), following which the body had been transferred to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital for the post-mortem, during which a PCR test was conducted. The test results showed that she had contracted the virus, the Spokesman said. more..

Feb 10 (TM) US Ambassador Alaina B Teplitz today welcomed PM Rajapaksa�s announcement to end mandatory cremation of COVID victims. �Welcome media reporting on PM�s announcement to end mandatory cremation of COVID victims. Implementation of a revised practice that is in line with international public health norms and respects religious rites is a positive action,� she said in a tweet. Speaking in Parliament earlier today, PM said SL will allow burial of Covid victims� bodies. more..

Feb 10 (AD) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa says that permission will be granted for the burial of COVID-19 victims. PM mentioned this in response to a question raised by MP S.M. Marikkar during the parliamentary session today. Quoting State Minister Sudarshini Fernandopulle, MP said COVID-19 does not transmit through water and requested the PM to grant permission to bury victims of novel coronavirus. more..

Feb 10 (CT) Parties to celebrate the Valentine�s Day on 14 Feb are strictly prohibited, warned DIG Ajith Rohana. He added, information on social Media has revealed that several parties had been planned without respecting the existing COVID-19 guidelines. People organising such parties without prior permission from health authorities will be sternly punished under the law. Hotel and guesthouse owners who provide their premises for such parties will also be held responsible for aiding and more..

Feb 10 (DM) Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that attention is being paid to resume flights between Sri Lanka and India in accordance with health guidelines and within an air travel bubble. The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka has submitted a proposal to the External Affairs Ministry and the Tourism Ministry in this regard. Minister said that both countries are focused on implementing the health guidelines issued by the SL Ministry of Health and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs. more..

Feb 10 (EN) Sri Lankans can now go online and register to receive the Covid 19 vaccine the State Ministry for Primary Health Care, Epidemic and COVID Disease Control announced. The website � https://ehr.lk/ asks users for personal details as well as their medical history. Users are permitted to select either a govt or private hospital to get their jab. Website was launched at the Ministry of health with the participation of State Ministers more..

Feb 10 (CT) President of Govt Midwife Services Association (GMSA), Devika Kodituwakku alleged that the new circular issued regarding distributing Thriposha is a blow to the poor, as there were a large number of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who suffered from malnutrition, especially in the estate sector. She said the Family Health Bureau (FHB) had issued a circular with instructions on who should be issued with the food supplement. Unlike before, only pregnant mothers with more..

Feb 10 (NR) MP MA Sumanthiran says it is incumbent upon the govt to provide additional security and safeguard the lives of MPs who have received death threats for merely serving the public. A heated situation was reported in Parliament today when the matter relating to the withdrawal of security detail of MP Sumanthiran was raised. The opposition noted that special security was accorded to MP Sumanthiran based on intelligence assessment. In response, Minister of Public Security more..

Feb 11 (CT) Imagine this scenario. A house is on fire, people of the neighbourhood rush to throw buckets of water, others carry water from nearby, still others help rescue trapped children. Then a brainless coot shouts at a helper: �You are a lousy lawyer, you lose cases: Get Out don�t douse the fire!� and screams at woman guiding children out: �You�re a horrible woman: You stole eggs from the house next door: I don�t want you to rescue children; let them burn, go away!� more..

Feb 11 (DM) When one thinks of FGM/C (Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting), many think it is only prevalent in the African region. However, recent media reports and research show that the practice also prevails in SL, especially among certain sects of the Muslim community and the Dawoodi Bohra community, around the island. The earliest available report of FGM/C in the country dates back to 1996. The WHO estimates that over 200 million girls and ladies have been subjected to the practice in more..

Feb 11 (DM) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal speaks about the present status of economy and steps for macroeconomic developments. Q: It is challenging for the govt this year because of the pandemic in main. What are the specific measures being taken or planned to overcome these challenges on the economic front? A: The most important challenge which I see is to get the growth rate back. more..

Feb 11 (DM) The UK is set to present a resolution at the 46th Sessions of the UNHRC on (read, against) Sri Lanka. Ideally the US, which co-sponsored a resolution ON (read, again, against) Sri Lanka in 2015, should be leading the charge. That country has since rubbished the UNHRC as a cesspool of bias, before leaving in a huff. The other co-sponsor was SL. Well, it was signed on behalf of SL by the then Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The matter was not discussed in Parliament. more..

Feb 11 (CT) Made up of 193 Member States the UN, founded in 1945, is directed by principles controlled in its charter. The UN determines among others:- To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war; To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights; To reaffirm faith in the equal rights of nations large and small. UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) investigates and collects evidence to either support or refute violations. They are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and more..

Feb 11 (CT) General Daya Ratnayake, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), revealed how the Government is tackling the geopolitics embedded in the port business. He said, �Wrong decisions by politicians, people, experts and the intellectuals had landed the country is such a precarious situation.� Yet, he added that the incumbent govt is resolving many of the hardest issues related to ports and is revisiting them, more..

Feb 11 (DM) The final report, of the PCoI on Easter Sunday Suicide Attacks, was handed over to Prez Rajapaksa by PCoI Chairman, Supreme Court Judge Janak de Silva at the Presidential Secretariat on Feb 1 in the presence of the other members of the Commission -- Appeal Court Judge Nissanka Karunaratna, retired SC Judges Nihal Rajapaksha and Bandula Atapattu, former Justice Ministry Secretary W.M.M.R. Adhikari and PCoI Secretary Buwaneka Herath. more..

Feb 11 (CT) In a tripartite agreement between the Govt of India, Govt of SL and the Jaffna Municipal Council, Jaffna was gifted an SLRs. 2000 million Cultural Hall. The said hall has been ready for over six months but is not operational for lack of funds for staff, telephones etc.. It was poor planning from beginning to end. The sL govt that gives that as an excuse to keep the centre shut, in a shocking move that has just come to light somehow has found the funds for the army to run the Cultural Centre. more..

Feb 11 (NIA) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa told parliament on Wednesday, that govt would allow the burial of those who had died of COVID, thus ending a 10-month long controversy over the disposal of the bodies of those who had died of COVID-19. Responding to a question posed by opposition SJB MP, S.M Marikkar, the PM said that burials would be permitted. But he gave no idea as to when the ban will be formally lifted. Marikkar had pointed to an earlier statement made by Minister more..

Feb 11 (SO) The organisation, Deshiya Waidya Krama Surekime Sanvidanaya, has members throughout the country, mostly of indigenous physicians as well as students belonging to Deshiya Chikitsa (Sinhala Wedakama) as well as overall Ayurveda and is committed to protecting traditional medical systems in SL, including Siddha and Unani. The organisation�s membership includes professionals supporting indigenous medical traditions of SL and also those who create more..

Feb 11 (FT) February began with portents. Army Commander laid the foundation stone for a temple complex in Kankasanturai, Tissa Raja Maha Viharaya, named after King Devanampiyatissa. The construction of the 100-foot chaithya will be handled by the Army. National Anthem in Tamil was banished from Independence Day celebrations for the second successive year. Prez Gotabaya used his Independence Day more..

Feb 11 (Island) Intrepid Forest Officer Devani Jayatilake is in the news again�for the right reason. Earlier, she received accolades from the media and the public when she stood up to a government minister, who tried to destroy a mangrove forest for the construction of a playground. This time around, she has gone out of her way to save a rare endemic plant, Crudia zeylanica, in the Gampaha District. In so doing, she has got under the skin of some govt politicians and their bureaucratic lackeys. more..

Feb 11 (CT) Football in SL hopes it is at the start of a new dawn with the launch of the high-profile Super League (featuring 10 elite clubs) from 17 February (pre-season), which will be SL�s first ever encounter with a domestic tournament where the quality of play at times approximates int'l standards. Although the original format was designed with a home and away concept, comprising 90 games in a round robin system, the format had to be changed due to health guidelines and safety protocols. more..

Feb 11 (FT) The five-day-long Pottuvil to Poligandy (P2P) protest that began in the East on Wednesday (3) concluded in the north on Sunday (7) on a triumphant note. Thousands of Tamils marched on foot and proceeded in vehicles from Pottuvil in the Amparai District to Poligandy in the Jaffna District. Tens of thousands of Tamils and Tamil speaking Muslims demonstrated their support for the protest along the route in a remarkable show of more..

Feb 11 (TM) This year�s much awaited inter-school rugby tournament�s structure may get altered due to the pandemic, the Head of the SL Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) Susantha Mendis said. �We really hope that there could at least be some kind of a tournament this year. The schools� tournament structure also may get altered this year due to lack of enough time. There is a possibility of the knockout and the league being combined to make one tournament,� Mendis said. more..

Feb 11 (FT) Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) Group concluded financial year 2020 on a high note, with a significant 25% YoY growth in profit after tax to Rs. 7.9 billion, despite many challenges faced by the Group arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Group revenue climbed to Rs. 91.1 billion for the year with a 6% YoY growth, strongly underpinned by higher broadband revenue propelled by the accelerated fibre expansion program and growth in mobile broadband services. more..

Feb 11 (ST) Sri Lanka�s stock exchange lost a lot of money over the last week. Why? Because of three different circulars by the market operator, Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) � at least that is what most market players believe. Let�s backup for a second. What did the circulars say? The CSE has been obtaining stockbrokers� debtor information on a monthly basis for ages. At the end of January that stance changed with more..

Feb 11 (ST) Stay home until the PCR results are out, health professionals advise. But this is widely ignored. National cricketers are the latest violators, having attended the wedding of fellow player Sadeera Samarawickrema a few hours after undergoing PCR tests, thereby placing everyone that attended the ceremony at risk. Tests were carried out on cricketers and support staff shortlisted to tour West Indies. Lahiru Thirimanne and coach Mickey Arthur tested positive and more..

Feb 11 (DN) The 99th National Athletic Championship has been rescheduled for May 20 to 23 at the Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) announced the new dates for the Nationals following the cancellation of the 24th Asian Athletics Championship 2021. The Asian Athletics Championship 2021 was set to be held from May 20 to 23 in Hangzhou, China. The next edition of the Asian Athletics Championship will be held in Pattaya, Thailand in 2023. more..

Feb 11 (FT) Eligible depositors of the failed The Finance Company (TFC) will be paid Rs. 500,000 from the liquidity fund in addition to the Rs. 600,000 they have been paid under the Sri Lanka Deposit Insurance and Liquidity Support Scheme (SLDILSS), State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal told Parliament. He said around Rs. 12 billion will be used to pay the depositors from the fund which currently stands at Rs. 60 billion. more..

Feb 11 (DM) European Union (EU), SL�s second largest trading partner, called on local industries to step up efforts in competing with regional peers to retain the market share of the 27 member states, and stressed greater focus is required to improve the quality of goods and services traded. While the EU is a quantitative market, Delegation of the EU to SL and Maldives Ambassador Denis Chaibi stressed that the European community is also a qualitative market with a huge potential for the future. more..

Feb 11 (FT) In an effort to take factories to the provinces the Govt will facilitate land allocations for investments worth over Rs. 24 billion in regional industrial zones. Cabinet has approved a proposal submitted by the Industries Ministry to allocate land plots from eight industrial zones on a 35-year lease basis to 22 investors under the Regional Investment Zones (RIZ) Development Program implemented by the Ministry. The Cabinet nod comes following recommendations by the project evaluation more..

Feb 11 (DM) California-based Centre for Justice & Accountability (CJA) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York forwarded a joint report to the UNHRC, urging the body to adopt a resolution recommending that SL Govt cease harassment, surveillance and attacks against journalists and law enforcement officers who investigated attacks on journalists, including to promptly release former CID Director more..

Feb 11 (FT) SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake will not be allowed to attend Parliament until the Court of Appeal (CA) concludes its hearing into the Writ application filed by the jailed MP seeking to prevent the Secretary-General of Parliament from informing the Elections Commission that his seat has fallen vacant. �The CA has informed us to maintain the status quo. Once the Court gives its decision, then Parliament will take the decision,� Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said. more..

Feb 11 (CT) Pioneering SL plastic bottle recycler and manufacturer of polyester yarn and monofilaments, Eco-Spindles (Pvt.) Ltd commenced Phase two of its expansion strategy to add 20,000 sq. ft of production space at its state-of-the-art facility in Horana. Already one of only two such facilities in the entire world, once completed, the expanded facility will double polyester yarn production capacity at Eco-Spindles. The foundation stone was laid by Secretary to the Ministry more..

Feb 11 (AFP) SL Buddhist monks Wednesday ordained the world's only known specimen of a species of local tree, in an attempt to stop it being axed to make way for a motorway. SL Legume (Crudia zeylanica) was first classified in 1868 and last found in 1911. In 2012 it was declared extinct until the surprise discovery in 2019 of a lone tree just north of Colombo. But the eight-metre (26-foot) plant was set to be felled this week to allow more..

Feb 11 (TM) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) may go for another Interim Committee (IC) or board of administrators sources said. �A leader in one of the main factions has already indicated that there could be an interim committee appointed soon, despite the announcement of the elections (for 20 May), during a luncheon organised for his club supporters last weekend,� one of the contestants of the May SLC election told us yesterday. Meanwhile Youth and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa told more..

Feb 11 (FT) Colombo stock market bearish mood persisted yesterday, triggering the worst intra-day fall in recent times and sparking concerns among die hard investors. All Share Price Index dipped 3% or 231 points whilst S&PSL20 performed in a similar fashion. Turnover was a respectable Rs. 5.1 billion though below the daily average in the New Year. Analysts said the CSE has fallen by nearly 15% from 9,000 points to 7,735 points within days, perhaps exposing fickleness, but others said more..