Mar 1 (Island) JVP said that former President Maithripala Sirisena has now been left only with two options either to surrender or fight against the recommendations of the report of the PCoI on Easter Sunday carnage. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said: �Accusations of serious nature have been leveled at the former Prez Sirisena in the PCoI report. He has to surrender or fight. He will never be able to absolve himself of the responsibility for failure to prevent the terror attacks. more..

Mar 1 (FT) Central Bank Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman last week expressed confidence that all debt obligations of SL will be met. He made this remark at the inaugural webinar of the Veemansa Initiative, a newly launched policy development and advocacy think tank, on the external debt situation in Sri Lanka. It highlighted several challenges facing the country�s economy and concluded with valuable policy more..

Mar 1 (EN) The opposition is slamming officials for dragging their feet on the issue of burials for the remains of people who die of Covid 19 saying the Director-General of Health Services is delaying the process by looking for suitable lands for a burial ground. Opposition SJB MP S M Marikkar told reporters in Colombo today that the Health Minister has already issued the gazette allowing burials based on the report by the technical committee. Marikkar said DGHS Dr Asela Gunawardena more..

Mar 1 (Island) Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella has written to Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena asking the latter to provide the MPs with copies of the complete report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Easter Sunday carnage. Kiriella in his letter says that the Opposition has continuously demanded the PCoI report on Easter Sunday terror attacks and as a result only the first volume of the report was made available to the MPs. more..

Mar 1 (EN) SJB has lodged a complaint against the head of People�s Bank for granting a loan to a firm he is a partner in, but Chairman Sujeewa Rajapakshe says he followed the ethical process required for such an approval. In a complaint to the Central Bank of SL (CBSL), SJB MP Mayantha Dissanayake said that a Working Capital loan of LKR23mn had been approved for BDO Partners, of which firm Rajapakshe is a managing partner. more..

Mar 1 (Island) The leader did not commit suicide at the outset in any terrorist organisation in the world. �So, we need to find out who ordered Zahran to carry out attacks. And if Sarah, the wife of one of the suicide bombers, herself had fled to India, who would have helped her? Answers to those questions should have been found, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said yesterday. He said that the SLFP, therefore, rejected the report by the PCoI that probed the Easter Sunday carnage. more..

Mar 1 (FT) Nine select listed conglomerates have posted a combined turnover of Rs. 861 billion and Rs. 80. 7 billion as profit from operations in the first nine months of FY2021, despite the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as per an analysis done by the Daily FT. Expolanka had exponential growth of 80% in its turnover whilst LOLC saw 21% growth. For Vallibel One, it was 8% growth, and 7% for Hayleys, 4% for Hemas, and 3% for Bukit. JKH turnover was down by 13%, more..

Mar 1 (AD) India described SL as Priority One partner in the defence sphere and said the participation of its military aircraft in the 70th anniversary celebration of the SL Air Force (SLAF) is indicative of the growing cooperation, camaraderie and friendship between the two militaries. The SLAF is celebrating its 70th Anniversary on March 2 and to commemorate the historical event, a Fly Past and an Aerobatic Display is being organised for more..

Mar 1 (AD) The mother and the woman who performed a ritual on a 09-year-old girl in an alleged exorcism have been remanded over the death of the child. The Mahara Magistrate remanded the two women until March 12 when the case was taken up at the court today. On Feb 27, a 9-year-old girl died after she had been beaten by a cane in an alleged exorcism, and the mother of the child and the woman who carried out the ritual were arrested. The mother in question had taken her daughter more..

Mar 1 (MENAFN) History as I See It and Others by Hafiz Sheriff, a searing take on the Israel-Palestine conflict and current world affairs, has now launched in SL. The Israeli occupation of Palestine has been a hotly debated topic for many years, among academic circles, casual gatherings, and within the hallowed halls of the UN. In SL however, the subject of the military exercises, settler violence, and merciless tactics of persecution inflicted upon the Palestinian people is a conversation that more..

Mar 1 (FT) A holistic approach is needed to combat Police brutality, former MP Ajith P. Perera said yesterday. Perera charged that the dismissal of a few Police officers from the service for engaging in Police brutality was not enough to effectively combat what is a systemic problem. �The assault of a law student and obstructing the work of a lawyer at a Police station has brought this matter back into the spotlight. more..

Mar 1 (Island) The govt has decided to amend the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to curb the rising crime rate. The aim is to set up a judicial mechanism that can resolve a criminal case and impose a sentence in as little as three months. With the approval of the Chief Justice, two or three Supreme Court judges would work together to establish a Trial at Bar system to expedite the hearing of cases, Minster of Public Security Rear Admiral (retd) Sarath Weerasekara said. more..

Mar 1 (AD) A copy of the final report of the PCoI on the Easter Sunday attacks has been handed over to Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. The Director General, Legal Affairs of the Presidential Secretariat Hariguptha Rohanadheera presented the report to the Cardinal Ranjith at the Archbishop�s House today. Meanwhile the President�s Media Division stated that the report was also presented to the Mahanayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters this morning. more..

Mar 1 (FT) Sethsiripaya Stage III, the third phase of the Govt�s administration hub in Battaramulla, is a 25-storeyed modern office building with floor area of over 1.3 million square feet � making it the largest public sector building and the largest office complex in the country. The new complex will bring ministries, public corporations, departments, and Govt offices that were scattered around the city to a centralised location; more..

Mar 1 (DM) High Commissioner's report of the UNHRC that was taken for discussion at the Council in Geneva has no connection with what had taken place during the war in Sri Lanka, Education Minister G.L Pieris said. He said the UNHRC High Commissioner's report focused on the internal affairs of our country. "The report included the topics that the new govt did after the regime change in Nov 2019 and things that are completely outside the scope of human rights. more..

Mar 1 (CT) Two people were killed and three injured when a three-wheeler and a Police jeep collided yesterday, DIG Ajith Rohana said. The accident took place at the 10th mile post on the road from Wariyapola to Katupotha at 8 a.m. The 40-year-old driver of the three-wheeler and his 69-year-old mother died in the accident. The three-wheeler driver�s wife and children aged nine and 13 have been admitted to the Kurunegala Hospital. The family had been travelling to Anuradhapura more..

Mar 1 (FT) Air Force (SLAF) will celebrate its 70th Anniversary tomorrow with the main event held at Katunayake Air Force Base, followed by an air display by the SLAF and Indian Air Force aerobatic teams at Galle Face Green. The celebration will be low-key due to the ongoing COVID-19 with formation-level parades being held at their respective airbases and units. Two Indian Air Force aerobatic teams, Suriyakiran & Sarang, more..

Mar 1 (CT) Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda, speaking to representatives of fisheries societies in the North, said on Saturday (27), if Indian authorities do not take steps to prevent Indian fishermen from encroaching on Northern Seas of Sri Lanka, he will accompany about ten thousand boats of fishermen of the North into Indian territory and stage a protest. Devananda was in Mullaitivu for three days, 25, 26, and 27 February, to discuss problems faced by Northern fishermen. more..

Mar 1 (CT) Police Narcotics Bureau (PNB) was able to identify several locations at Dostara-Watte in the Weligama Police area, which were used to hide the heroin that was recently seized from Horana. PNB called on Rocky, a sniffer dog of Police K9 Unit, to locate the hiding places. The watcher of the estate was arrested for aiding and abetting in heroin trafficking. This was following an incident where the Panadura Central Anti-Vice Striking Unit arrested two suspects for the possession of 45 kg more..

Mar 1 (CI) Tom Moody has been appointed Sri Lanka's director of cricket, a broad new role that will have Moody overseeing Sri Lanka's international programme and domestic tournaments. The appointment was made on the recommendation of Sri Lanka's new technical advisory committee headed by Aravinda de Silva. The role will see Moody spend at least 300 days in SL over the next three years focusing on more..

Mar 1 (FT) SL Press Institute (SLPI) has forwarded to the Minister of Justice MP Ali Sabry, PC a set of proposals by The Editors Guild of SL (TEGOSL), setting out the rationale for the codification and enactment of a Contempt of Court Act in SL in line with many other countries. In its letter to the Justice Minister, the SLPI has referred to the long-felt need to codify the laws on Contempt of Court. Editors� Guild proposals are based on its submissions to the Parliamentary Select Committee of 2003, more..

Mar 1 (FT) Pelwatte Dairy Industries, Sri Lanka�s leading local dairy producer, is on a renewed mission to produce sufficient forage for the cattle � all year along, despite the season, weather and climate, which usually cause deflects to the produce and affect grazing patterns and milk production capabilities of the cattle. Thereby not only ensuring to meet the domestic milk demand but also uplift the socio-economic status of local dairy farmers, supportive industries and locals. more..

Mar 1 (AD) An unidentified body has been discovered stuffed inside a suitcase which had been abandoned at Dam Street in Colombo. Police said that the decapitated body of a female has been found inside the suitcase and that the deceased has not been identified as of yet. The suitcase had been found in the roadside at Dam Street in Pettah. Meanwhile footage of the suspect who had brought the suitcase to that location has been caught more..

Mar 2 (CT) On 22 Feb, NASA scientists unveiled a breathtaking video of its new rover, dubbed the Perseverance, descending to Mars. Although there have been previous similar space missions, the clip was a first of its kind and showed the supersonic parachute inflation over the red planet and a rocket-powered hovercraft lowering the science lab on wheels to the surface. The footage was recorded on 18 Feb by a series of cameras mounted at different angles of the multi-stage spacecraft as more..

Mar 2 (DM) Last week, the govt rejected the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet�s written report on Sri Lanka to the 46th session of the UNHRC, which is currently in progress. Dinesh Gunawardene, the foreign minister speaking at the interactive dialogue retorted that the report has unjustifiably broadened its scope and mandate further, incorporating many issues of governance & matters that are essentially domestic for any self-respecting, sovereign country. more..

Mar 2 (CT) The Thalangama wetlands have recently come under threat from a proposed highway and environmentalists and local residents are worried. On 13 February, a ragtag group of around 200, ranging from environmentalists to farmers to students and residents protested the move. They have written a letter to the President and launched an online petition with almost 9,000 signatures, hoping desperately that more..

Mar 2 (DM) Sri Lanka is again being raised at the UNHRC. The moves at the UNHRC are as much the play of geopolitical interests as it is the mishandling of SL�s external relations by the current Govt. The substance of the debates and the possible Resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC are framed around the idea that addressing the past with war-time accountability and arresting the current deterioration are crucial for salvaging the future. In thinking about a plural and democratic future, more..

Mar 2 (ST) Many are the comments about Sri Lanka. The latest doing the rounds is that Pakistan PM Imran Khan was rather shabbily treated when the Address he was scheduled to make to Parliament was cancelled. It appears that the pandemic is the reason for the belated cancellation as though the pandemic suddenly enveloped Sri Lanka and we in the Resplendent Isle were unaware of its existence. There are many things which our leaders are not aware of. They would themselves admit that. more..

Mar 2 (TM) Although Sri Lanka was to present alternatives to the UN resolution that they withdrew from in addressing issues such as holding inquiries over the alleged war crimes, impunity, and minority issues, the Govt decided instead only to reject the report furnished by the UN Human Rights Commissioner, stating that it was incorrect. Against this backdrop, The Sunday Morning Hot Seat reached out to SJB General Secretary more..

Mar 2 (DM) The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which comprises 57 member states raised the issue of Sri Lanka�s COVID-19 cremations at the 46th United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on February 23. Speaking at the sixth meeting of the high level segment of the session, OIC Secretary General Yousef Al Othaimeen said the OIC is concerned with the situation of Muslims in Sri Lanka as they are denied the right to be buried, according to their faith. more..

Mar 2 (TM) Sri Lanka�s foreign policy is currently facing a litmus test like never before with pressure intensifying before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at its 46th Session with High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet standing steadfast on what she calls the need for a proper mechanism to ensure accountability in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka�s neighbour and long-standing ally, India, is, meanwhile, for the first time, adopting an icily neutral position on the island. more..

Mar 2 (GV) Sri Lanka, although facing challenges related to vaccination coordination, has started vaccinating the public. As misinformation can be a serious challenge to understanding the vaccine landscape during this crucial time, here is a brief guide on vaccines, their global availability and why public health measures are still important. As of Feb 27, 2021, globally there are 74 vaccines in clinical development and 182 vaccines in pre-clinical development. more..

Mar 2 (ST) Probably the bitterest experience faced by the Muslims in the history of the country has come to an end with the Govt�s decision to restore the right of burial to those who died or were suspected to have died as a result of being afflicted by the COVID-19 virus. But the irrational decision of the Govt to forcibly cremate the unfortunate ones who succumbed to COVID-19 has caused harm on many fronts and will take a long time to repair. Firstly the anguish and pain of mind caused to more..

Mar 2 (ST) As the countdown begins for the Tokyo Paralympics this year, Sri Lanka will be buoyed by the performance of its athletes during the World Para Grand Prix that was held in Dubai. Six SL athletes participated and won six medals (three silver and three bronze). Among the medal winners, Amara Indumathi the first female Para athlete to represent SL at the Paralympics, has ambitions of winning more..

Mar 2 (Island) The piece written by Dr Tilak Siyambalapitiya (Dr TS) appearing in The Island of 24.02.2021, in response to my letter on 19.02.2021 is wide of the mark. The Power Ministry officials responsible for not taking any action on the President�s directive for over five months are fortunate that they are living in Sri Lanka where there is still some sort of democracy prevails. In a country like China or North Korea, they would have been probably summarily executed. more..

Mar 2 (FT) The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka and the Lanka Business Ring (LBR) of Kandy, Central Province entered into a MoU on 25 Feb. The purpose of this MOU is to promote the economic co-operation through trade and investment between their respective business communities and to create a stable platform for continuous exchange of business related information. The National Chamber had been in the forefront of business development in SL more..

Mar 2 (FT) A total of 310 people tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total number of COVID-19 patients detected in the island to 83,552. The patients detected yesterday include 291 associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster and 12 persons from the Prisons cluster. The Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda and Prisons triple cluster has thus expanded to 79,392 patients. In addition to the triple cluster, more..

Mar 2 (ST) The genies in jars and tubes may have to step up their game with new edicts round the corner. The SL Standards Institution (SLSI) will be setting the standards for all cosmetics entering the SL shores. SLSI Chairman Nushad Perera said in a recent interview that the SLSI will be setting new benchmarks for cosmetics entering the country � ruling out heavy metals� elements in them. In cosmetics, high mercury levels are common in products that promise to fade dark spots, more..

Mar 2 (Island) A state banquet held recently at Shangri-La to welcome World Cup winning captain and PM of Pakistan Imran Khan was graced by many greats of the game, Ministers, cricket officials and other dignitaries. However, two notable absentees at the gathering were two former SL captains � Michael Tissera and Anura Tennkoon. The Island learns that the two former greats had been snubbed by the authorities. The banquet was organized by the Ministry of Sports. more..