Mar 15 (FT) SL�s Foreign Office made the news again this past week with the announcement that an invitation had been extended to the Myanmar Junta�s Foreign Minister, Wunna Maung Lwin. The invitation was for the upcoming Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) virtual meeting. With Myanmar in the middle of a bloody military coup, which has seen as many as 18 protesters allegedly killed by the military, the outcry from more..

Mar 15 (SLN) Indian High Commissioner to SL, Gopal Baglay formally handed over several training aids, provided by the Indian Navy, to the Naval & Maritime Academy (NMA), Trincomalee, on 14th March. Chief of Indian Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, during his visit to the NMA in 2019 had pledged support for capacity building of SL Navy. To that effect, Gopal Baglay on 14th March handed over these training aids to Commander Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral YN Jayarathna more..

Mar 15 (Island) Spurred by the amplified need to effectively mobilise care in combating the pandemic, Dialog Axiata (Dialog) became the official connectivity provider to the entire spectrum of Public Health staff under the purview of Provincial Directors of Health Services which includes Regional Directors of Health services, Regional Epidemiologists, Medical Officers of Health, and Public Health Inspectors nation-wide. Dialog extended official connections offering more..

Mar 15 (AD) Govt has instructed to implement the orders issued regarding Madrasa schools in the country, says Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris. He stated that there are 1,565 Madrasa schools in SL. However, the Yahapalana govt did not make any attempt to look into the education process, syllabi, or the lecturers at these institutions or take action to regulate them, he said. Prof. Peiris responding to a statement of a MP of more..

Mar 15 (DN) Sri Lankan automobile industry will create history at the end of this year when the country will roll out its first locally assembled KUV 100 Electric car to the market. Mahindra & Mahindra India and Ideal Motors Sri Lanka under their joint venture Mahindra Ideal Lanka has already approved the prototype model and will start the manufacture mid this year, elevating Sri Lanka to a historic new level in the motor industry. Chairman Ideal Motors, Nalin Welgama said that more..

Mar 15 (Island) Macksons Tower by Macksons Developers was recently launched in the city of Colombo signifying the first mixed development project by Macksons Holdings. Situated at 12, Alfred House Gardens, Colombo 3, the property offers retail and office space with ample parking, thereby providing all required facilities at a convenient location. The soft opening was held in the presence of Milfer Makeen, chairman, Macksons Holdings, Mizver Makeen, Managing Director, more..

Mar 15 (FT) The 64 AD tale of how Nero was playing the fiddle is common knowledge to all. Ironically, this famous adage appears to draw a sad parallel today, where cricket is concerned in SL. To describe the situation with cricket as being chaotic is an understatement and comic is more appropriate. Let�s examine the sad ground realities. We have an administration that has completed its term of office and whose continued more..

Mar 15 (EN) A Sri Lankan web journalist who had allegedly been abducted in a black van and then released with assault injuries was taken in for surgery this morning, opposition MP Dr Harsha de Silva said. According to de Silva, the journalist, Sujeewa Gamage, who contributes to the Siyarata News website, was tortured for information on his sources and political contacts. The SJB tweeted this morning that Gamage was then dumped on a street corner. more..

Mar 15 (ER) he March 11 draft says Sri Lanka must devolve power to the provinces as per the 13 constitutional amendment, which has been India�s prescription for ethnic reconciliation. The West-led Core Group on Sri Lanka in the UNHRC on Thursday went a step further to get India�s support for the tough resolution it is planning to bring against SL. It has incorporated India�s demand that SL implement in toto, the 13th Amendment, which devolves powers to the provinces. more..

Mar 15 (FT) Extending state-of-the-art classroom facilities designed to support educational excellence among school children, philanthropist Dhammika Perera and his wife Priscilla Perera launched DP Education Virtual Classroom at St. Aloysius� College in Galle on 16 Feb. DP Education Virtual Classroom is the latest initiative where selected schools are provided with DP Education content along with a smart state-of-the-art interactive TV system to access unlimited educational content. more..

Mar 15 (EN) Labour rights activists in SL have urged the govt to add apparel workers to the country�s vaccination priority list as new sub clusters are forming in the Katunayake and Biyagama free trade zones (FTZs). Activists have also asked that the govt intervene in the PCR testing conducted by apparel companies within the FTZs. �These workers have been working since the start of the pandemic to keep the economy afloat. Several clusters are again forming in the zone, which has been more..

Mar 15 (Island) The govt had allocated funding, from the 2021 Budget for a number of initiatives to reduce traffic congestion in Colombo and its suburbs, Minister Johnston Fernando said recently at a meeting with RDA officials. �Funds have been allocated for flyovers, underground and overhead pedestrian crossings and bypasses to reduce congestion,� he added. Minister said already areas where flyovers more..

Mar 15 (FT) High Commission of Sri Lanka in the UK initiated a platform to showcase Sri Lankans who have excelled thanks to the public goods provided by the successive Govts of SL since independence and decades of solid investment in its people. Launching this initiative, the High Commission presented a brief video outlining the milestones of the life of Counsellor of the High Commission Abdul Haleem. The video traces his steps and reflects SL�s commitment to its citizens. more..

Mar 15 (DM) The Ambassador of Pakistan to SL, Saad Khattak today said the likely ban on Niqab in Sri Lanka will only serve as an injury to the feelings of ordinary Sri Lankan Muslims and Muslims across the globe. In a tweet, the Ambassador said that at today�s economically difficult time due to COVID-19 pandemic and other image related challenges faced by the country at the international fora, such divisive steps in the name of security, besides accentuating economic difficulties, will only serve as more..

Mar 15 (AP) A Pakistani diplomat and a U.N. expert have expressed concerns over Sri Lanka�s proposed move to ban the wearing of burqas. Sri Lanka announced plans over the weekend to ban the wearing of burqas � garments worn by some Muslim women that cover the body and face � and also said it would close more than 1,000 Islamic schools known as madrassas, citing national security. more..

Mar 15 (DM) The Intelligence unit of the Angunukolapelessa prison detected a mobile phone suspected to have been brought to be given to imprisoned MP Ranjan Ramanayake, Prison spokesman Chandana Ekanayake said. He said according to the intelligence alert received by the prison intelligence unit, the officers searched the special 'Y' section and the surrounding area this morning. The spokesman said Ranjan and several inmates are being held in the 'Y' section. more..

Mar 15 (Asahi) A 33-year-old Sri Lankan woman being detained by immigration authorities here died of emaciation on March 6, after requesting provisional release and expressing a desperate desire for food in notes and letters. �I truly want to eat now,� she wrote in hiragana in a note while under detention at a facility operated by the Immigration Services Agency of Japan's Nagoya Regional Immigration Bureau. The facility houses foreigners who have overstayed their visas. more..

Mar 15 (EN) Almost a year after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many SL migrant workers remain stranded mostly in the Gulf States with little or no money, a lot of health issues and premature job terminations while social media reports claimed that these workers are neglected by the local missions in host countries. Meenu Sethi, who goes by the name @Meenu_2304 on Twitter highlighted plight of SL & other migrant workers on her Twitter feed. more..

Mar 15 (EN) Sri Lanka must immediately impose an excess profit tax to recover the Rs 15.9 billion loss in tax revenue from the alleged sugar scam, the United National Party (UNP) said today. �With the introduction of this new tax, the consumers will not be burdened as prices of goods will not be increased. The suppliers will also not be unduly taxed as this will be levied against the excess profits they have earned,� former UNP MP Prof Ashu Marasinghe told reporters. more..

Mar 15 (AD) A number of houses have been damaged in a fire which broke out at Kajima Watte in Grandpass in the early hours today (15). Police said the fire had erupted at around 2.40 a.m. and that close to 50 temporary homes built in the area have been either destroyed or partially damaged in the blaze. The fire has been brought under control by fire fighters and police while there have been no reports of casualties. Grandpass Police is conducting an investigation into the incident. more..

Mar 15 (TM) UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has been ordered by a secretive tribunal to review the ban on LTTE. Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission (POAC), an independent body set up under the 2000 Terrorism Act, has ruled that the Home Secretary must consider taking the Tamil Tigers off the Govt�s list of outlawed bodies. The separatist group, founded in SL in 1976, is widely credited with devising the suicide vest. more..

Mar 15 (CT) Chief Incumbent of the Pepiliyana Sri Sunethradevi Pirivena, Professor Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera, said this was the opportune moment for Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa to reveal his stance regarding the building of a law-abiding society. By electing Prez Rajapaksa as the leader, people expected a leader whose leadership would pave the way for a society with straight policies and one that would create law-abiding citizens, Thera said while addressing Media on 13 March. more..

Mar 15 (AD) Sri Lankans in Italy have staged a protest against the report compiled by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on SL. The protest had been organized in front of the Centrale Railway Station in Milano. High Commissioner presented a report on human rights, reconciliation, and accountability in SL at the Interactive Dialogue of the UNHRC. It was noted that many Sri Lankans living in Italy had joined in support of the protest despite the prevailing more..

Mar 15 (BBC) Thousands of SL babies were put up for adoption between the 1960s and 1980s - some of them sold by baby farms to prospective parents across Europe. The Netherlands, which accepted many of those infants, has recently suspended international adoptions following historical allegations of coercion and bribery. As that investigation unfolds, families who never stopped thinking about the children more..

Mar 15 (DM) Replying to social media reports that health authorities have directed him to home quarantine following his recent visit to a foreign country, Minister Namal Rajapaksa said he is not serving home quarantine. In a Tweeter message, he said he was not prepared to accept the opportunity to complete his quarantine period at home, though he is a father of a six-month old infant. Meanwhile, the Minister said they were taking measures to ease the quarantine regulations for those Lankans more..

Mar 15 (DM) Court of Appeal today postponed further hearing of the petition on changing Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) constitution till June 08 and ordered the respondents to file objections on the same day. When the petition was taken up before the Bench of Court of Appeal Justices Arjuna Obeyesekere and Justice Mayadunne Correa, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sumathi Dharmawardena appearing on behalf of Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, informed that the Attorney General's Dept more..

Mar 16 (DM) The extraordinary gazette (2218/68) that has been issued under the highly controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) by Prez Rajapaksa on March 12 for the De-radicalization from holding violent extremist religious ideology seems to have stemmed from the recently released report of the PCoI on the terrorist attacks committed on the Easter Sunday in 2019. The govt�s move to rehabilitate the �extremists� instead of sentencing them to imprisonment is acceptable, more..

Mar 16 (DM) Minister Sarath Weerasekara last week said that he had signed a Cabinet paper to ban the wearing of burqa for national security reasons. The paper should be presented to the Cabinet for approval and then pass a vote in Parliament to become law. Both requirements are a mere formality given that the govt has near two-third majority in Parliament. Bill could nonetheless be challenged in the Supreme Court by the interested parties for purported infringement of religious freedom. more..

Mar 16 (DM) Reconciliation became a buzz word at the onset of the Yahapalana Regime and several attempts were made to stabilize a transitional justice process. Setting up of the Office on Missing Persons, Office for Reparations and various other commissions of inquiries were little steps made in the right direction. Or that was what all activists involved in conflict resolution, peacebuilding, social cohesion and more..

Mar 16 (ST) There was plenty of finger pointing between the Govt and the Opposition as the Parliamentary debate on the final report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Easter Sunday attacks began on Wednesday. Govt MPs appealed for patience and made assurances that all those responsible will be punished. Opposition MPs meanwhile, questioned the Govt�s commitment to bring the culprits to book, with some even calling for an international inquiry into the attacks. more..

Mar 16 (ST) Social media is to blame. It is they who fire all the verbal cannon balls at the govt, we are told. It targets the uniformed kind who has replaced the suit and tie wearing gentlemen that sat behind those plush desks and wrote learned missives that many of the political bigwigs did not understand. No wonder the country is heading down a slippery slope, the technically and professionally equipped critics of those who run the country say to discredit the so-called new development wallahs, more..

Mar 16 (CT) For many decades, terrorist fronts in the West have been using constituency pressure to influence their Govts to lobby the UNHRC, in order to bring pressure on Sri Lanka. This especially takes place in countries such as Canada and UK, where the LTTE Diaspora funds election campaigns of various representatives, who in turn act as proxies to advance the separatist agenda of the LTTE. more..

Mar 16 (CT) Controversy persists over the UNHRC�s refusal to either acknowledge or accept Lord Naseby�s letters and claims that the SL Armed Forces neither committed genocide nor torture as documented by Colonel Gash and also confirmed to him by the ICRC both who were in Sri Lanka in May 2009 and were within close proximity of the war zone. UNHRC�s deadly silence trying to feign ignorance means they were caught in flagrante delicto or in layman�s terms caught in the act more..

Mar 16 (DN) The Sri Lanka Cricket team currently in the West Indies is poorly placed in the 10th position even behind newcomers Afghanistan in the latest ICC, T20 International world rankings. They strived to regain some lost prestige by overcoming the West Indies during the three match T20 International series in the Caribbean, but lost the series 2-1, thus losing their eighth T20 International series while losing 16 matches in total and just winning two so far. Given below the T20 International series more..

Mar 16 (CT) References made to Islam and Muslims in the report of the presidential commission which probed into 21 April 2019 Easter Sunday bombings and killings were distorted and misleading. It reflects the views of the United States led European-Israeli, Indian RSS front BJP, war mongers� global anti-Muslim campaign to justify their atrocities on Muslims. To understand the PCoI report one needs to know about the first ever organized anti-Muslim campaign in the island. more..

Mar 16 (Island) Over the past few months, there has been considerable interests among not only geoscientists and engineers but also ordinary people in the potential risks faced by two of the major hydropower projects constructed in the central highlands, namely the Victoria and Kotmale projects. These projects have come into the limelight owing to some minor seismic tremors felt in the Victoria area, together with the recent announcement of the intention to raise the Kotmale dam. more..