Mar 19 (FT) SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) expressed reservations over the new rules announced by Health authorities. �We are disappointed with new health guidelines. We are surprised on the new guidelines as this is taking a step back. Current protocols permit a tourist to move within level one hotels after the first PCR negative on arrival. However even with the vaccine a tourist will be confined to one hotel for 7 days & subject to 3 PCR tests, which makes no sense� more..

Mar 19 (ST) It took six frustrating months, during which he nearly gave up, for Kumara to secure his father�s life insurance payment. He now warns anyone signing up up for per-day insurance via mobile phone operators that claiming the benefits�large sums, in particular�can be nothing short of a nightmare. Per-day insurance is sold by leading mobile phone operators in SL. Network users are directly canvassed more..

Mar 19 (CT) Sprinter Amasha de Silva continued to showcase her sprinting prowess, when she clocked 17.92 seconds to win the 150m event at the Elite and National Pool Athletes Fitness Test 2021, which began yesterday at the Sugathadasa Stadium. This was after she clocked 7.44 seconds to win the 60m on Wednesday. In the other events of the day, Sanjaya Jayasinghe leapt 15.61m (10 strides) in the men�s triple jump, while Himasha Eashan ran a relaxed race to win men�s 150m in 15.69s. more..

Mar 19 (CT) Sri Lanka Cricket Election 2021 is set to take place on 20 May, and the three main candidates who hope to contest against the current set of administrators state they have documents to prove that none of the present administrators are eligible to hold office and are willing to follow due procedure, even if it entails going to Courts, to safeguard SL�s cricket. Presidential candidate K. Mathivanan, Secretary candidate Nishantha Ranathunga and Vice Prez Candidate more..

Mar 19 (FT) Health authorities yesterday stated that 313 COVID-19 positive persons were detected in the island, pushing the total COVID-19 patient count to 89,175. The patients detected yesterday include 278 associates of the Peliyagoda cluster and 24 persons linked to the Prisons cluster. The triple clusters that emerged from Divulapiitya, Peliyagoda and Prisons have expanded to 84,644 patients. A total of 2,398 SL returnees more..

Mar 19 (Island) Recent SL tea auctions saw strong demand from Japan, the UK and China, whilst shippers to the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) continued to be active at lower levels. Total auction offerings comprised 6.1 M/Kgs while there was good demand. However. tea exports for the month of February 2021 totalled 23.16 M/kgs, showing a decrease of 0.49 M/kgs vis-�-vis 23.65 M/kgs of February 2020. Meanwhile, SL tea production for the month of Feb 2021 more..

Mar 19 (CT) Sri Lanka Legends will take on South Africa Legends in the Road Safety World Series semi-final today in Mumbai. The T20 encounter will begin at 7.00 p.m. Led by Thilakarathne Dilshan, SL Legends are unbeaten so far in the series, though they lost one match to India last year before the tournament was halted due to COVID-19. Dilshan (44) has been the tournament�s most valuable player, leading both the batting and bowling tables. Dilshan has scored 232 runs in six innings more..

Mar 19 (TT) It was almost midnight when Aarvi Radhakrishnan*, 45, saw four men carrying guns and dressed in army combats silently approach the front door of her home in a small town in the east of Sri Lanka. They began to call out for her husband, Raghunandan*. �My husband told me not to be afraid and that they would just be taking him for inquiries, but I knew I would never see him again,� said Mrs Radhakrishnan. more..

Mar 19 (FT) The sustained bearish sentiment has wiped off Rs. 142 billion in value so far this week as the Colombo stock market struggles to remain resilient. The continuous decline saw the benchmark ASPI dip below the 7,000-point level to close at 6,930 after suffering a 1.6% or 114 points decline. S&P SL20 dipped by 1.5% or 42 points. Turnover was below par at Rs. 1.3 billion. The market capitalisation last week was Rs. 3.169 trillion, whilst as of yesterday it had dipped to Rs. 3.027 t. more..

Mar 19 (DM) Various fees and commissions levied by banks on customers are currently under review by the Central Bank, as complaints by customers on such continue to mount. The Central Bank has undertaken the study after receiving complaints by certain parties on the fees levied by the banks on borrowers when settling a facility prior to the end of its tenure. The fee often referred to as the pre-settlement charge in banking parlance is not unusual, as a bank loaned that more..

Mar 19 (DM) 19-year-old Bhagya Abeyratne made headlines last week over a statement made during the Sirasa Lakshapathi Programme. While environmental groups applauded her words govt authorities responded swiftly to not only cover up what she said, but also attempted to prove her wrong. A day later, two officers from the Rakwana Police station visited her residence to obtain a statement. more..

Mar 19 (TM) Newly appointed National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) Board Member Dr. Rasitha Wijewantha has subsequently been appointed as the new Chairman of the NMRA. Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi made this appointment yesterday, reliable sources said. However, Dr. Wijewantha is yet to assume duties and newly appointed NMRA Board Member Prof. Sisira Siribaddana is serving as the Acting Chairman during this interim period. more..

Mar 19 (Island) HUTCH yesterday demonstrated the fastest 5G speed ever achieved by a SL telecom operator in its inaugural 5G trial event at HUTCH One Galle Face Premier Experience Center, ringing in a new era of 5G to Sri Lanka. HUTCH teamed up with ZTE, a global leader in telecommunications and information technology for this groundbreaking 5G trial which included several demonstrations and use cases of 5G. The 5G trial was demonstrated in the presence of Oshada Senanayake, more..

Mar 19 (CT) SJB MP Rajitha Senaratne and former MP Chathura Senaratne appear to be once again embroiled in a fake abduction story, as DIG Ajith Rohana revealed that the two are linked to a false complaint made by Siyarata web journalist Sujeewa Gamage. CCD has begun investigating the pair for their alleged role in the incident. After a Police complaint was filed by the journalist, who was allegedly abducted on 10 March, more..

Mar 19 (DM) Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL) plans to introduce number portability for mobile and fixed lines, enabling consumers to change service providers while retaining their numbers from October this year. The TRCSL recently concluded the public consultations for the implementation of number portability it adopted early this year. TRCSL Director General Oshada Senanayake announced that the policy would be implemented in consultation more..

Mar 19 (FT) Mastercard, a global technology company in the payments industry has come forward to support the first ever Thought Leadership Forum on the restaurants and credit card/banking industry scheduled for 24 March, at The Stables, Park Street Mews. Titled Beyond Discounts, What�s Next, the forum will feature several experts sharing key insights on how best the two industries can add more value to each other as well as customers. Mastercard�s mission is to connect and more..

Mar 19 (FT) Govt and main Opposition politicians traded points over rupee depreciation yesterday, in the backdrop of the Central Bank suspending the requirement for licensed banks to sell 10% of worker remittances and 50% of export earnings to the monetary authority and stopping the purchase of SL Development Bonds as part of a multi-pronged effort to stabilise the currency. Issuing two circulars on Wednesday, CB suspended more..

Mar 19 (CT) The PCR tests on ex-Minister Ravi Karunanayake and seven other accused, who were remanded on Wednesday, in connection with the CBSL Treasury Bonds scam of March 2016, had been conducted at the Welikada Prison Hospital yesterday. Prison Department sources stated that besides the tests conducted on Karunanayake and other suspects, the same tests had been conducted on the four Directors of Swarnamahal Jewellers Pvt Ltd who were also incarcerated more..

Mar 19 (DM) JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake will be questioned soon over the incident where Mohammed Ibrahim , father of two suicide bombers, Mohamed Ilham and Mohamed Insaf, who were involved in the Easter Sunday attacks, being nominated from the JVP�s National List, Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said. He said that it was revealed that Mohammed Ibrahim and his two sons had donated over Rs. 30 mil to Zahran Hashim to carry out the attack. more..

Mar 19 (AD) Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera says a full investigation is being carried out into the accuracy of the land deeds of the property in Sinharaja Forest, where plans for the construction of a hotel are underway. His remarks came as concerns were raised over environmental destruction taking place at 7-acre land at the Sinharaja Forest Reserve for the said construction. Minister pointed out that the CEA r more..

Mar 19 (ST) SL�s gem and jewellery sector is now poised for a glittering future with new efforts of the govt to strengthen its position as an industry hub achieving a US$1 billion export target this year. As per Dept of Customs� statistics, earnings from gem and jewellery exports recorded a growth of 2.59 per cent to $29.93 million in January 2021 compared to $ 28.20 million in January 2020. A new strategy will be implemented by the State Ministry of Gem and Jewellery in collaboration with more..

Mar 19 (FT) Labour Ministry called for workers who have lost their employment due to the pandemic to send in their information, including salary details, so the Govt can evaluate the requests and see if relief can be provided. A statement from the Ministry said this latest measure also included self-employed individuals who lost their source as a result of COVID-19. Those who had suffered job losses were asked to send in their personal details,name of the company they were employed at, more..

Mar 19 (Island) Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday said that free and fair election couldn�t be expected under the supervision of the Election Commission (EC) appointed in terms of the 20th Amendment. Jayasuriya said so addressing the media, in his capacity as the Chairman, the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ), at Janaki Hotel. The EC consists of Nimal G. Punchihewa (Chairman), S.B. Diwarathne, more..

Mar 19 (AD) Colombo High Court today released Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena from all charges in the case filed against him on unlawful acquisition of assets. The case was called before Colombo High Court Judge Aditya Patabendige this morning. CIABOC had filed a case against Minister Abeygunawardena over unlawful acquisition of assets to the tune of Rs.41.2 million while serving as a minister from 2010 to 2014. When the case was taken up today, the high court judge ordered more..

Mar 19 (DM) Sri Lanka, as a nation has been wasting time debating sensitive racial and religious issues for the past several years, without gaining anything. Only thing the country has been witnessing as a result is communities distancing themselves from each other, while portraying a false unity among them. The situation seems to have come to a head with people of various communities being emotionally charged over these issues subsequent to the attacks on more..

Mar 19 (Island) The govt had allocated Rs. 20 billion in 2021 for the development of the judicial system, Minister of Justice Mohamed Ali Sabry said yesterday after an observation visit to the Mt. Lavinia court complex. Those development activities should be carried out in consultation with the judges and lawyers, he said. Minister Sabry said that they had initiated a programme to digitise the judicial system within four years. �We have to move on with the technology. more..

Mar 19 (Island) The govt is struggling to rein in the runaway prices of essential commodities, especially rice. It may be compelled to consider importing rice, according to Minister Bandula Gunawardena. About 100,000 MT of rice will have to be imported if push comes to shove, he has said. Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara has said the govt is left with no alternative but to import rice. Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage tells us the govt is planning to maintain a buffer stock of paddy weighing at least more..

Mar 19 (FT) The final version of the proposed resolution to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL was tabled on 12 March at the 46th session of the UNHRC in Geneva. It was sponsored by the UK and co-sponsored by Germany, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro and North Macedonia. A preliminary draft was tabled on 22 Feb at the commencement of the current session by the UK along with the other five countries more..

Mar 19 (FT) British journalist Kiran Rai who has hosted 106 major events and written in 980 leading newspapers completed a list called The 500 most influential people in Asia 2020/2021, which had the 500 most powerful entertainment and sports figures and five royal family members from seven different countries. Several SL singers like Umaria, Bathiya and Santhush went head to head with the SL PM�s son Namal Rajapaksa on extremely hard questions such as a discussion on the bombings more..

Mar 19 (DM) The Ministry of Environment has taken steps to amend the National Environment Act which has not been amended for more than 20 years. Accordingly, it has been decided to amend the National Environmental Act to include 42 new clauses to make it a stronger legal body. A discussion on this was held at the Ministry of Environment recently. During the discussion, the progress of the Central Environmental Authority and the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau more..

Mar 19 (FT) The Big Three as they call themselves � K. Mathivanan, Nishantha Ranatunga and Bandula Warnapura have filed objections against virtually every nominee put forward by the current administration running Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for the forthcoming elections. At a media briefing held at the Colts Cricket Club premises yesterday, Club President Nishantha Ranatunga said: �The purpose of the press briefing more..

Mar 19 (FT) Facebook has launched Instagram Lite in SL in order to provide access to all users, irrespective of the device, platform and network they are on. This lightweight version of the Instagram app for Android uses minimal data, similar to Facebook Lite. Built using Bloks technology, Instagram Lite is less than two MB in size � considerably less than the full-size version, which is close to 30 MB. The new product is currently rolling out to over 170 countries and available for download on more..

Mar 19 (FT) At the Party Leaders� meeting of the ruling party held under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa, it was unanimously decided that the Provincial Council Elections will be held as soon as possible, Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said. He said, the Govt is focusing on holding the Provincial Council Elections in August and a statement will be made in the near future. Minister pointed out the final decision on whether the Provincial Council Elections will be held according to more..

Mar 19 (AD) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh for his two-day state visit. PM Rajapaksa was received by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina. He departed for Bangladesh this morningvia UL-189 chartered by SriLankan Airlines. SL�s Ministry of Health had granted approval to undertake the state visit to Bangladesh as a BioSecure Travel more..

Mar 19 (FT) Auditor General in a recent report on the performance of the Excise Department disclosed that millions of empty alcohol bottles are thrown away, causing a massive environmental problem and called for new laws to deal with this harmful practice. According to the information made available by six alcohol manufacturing companies which were subject to the audit, the total number of bottles purchased by them for the years 2018 and 2019 totaled 46,254,703 of which 90% were more..

Mar 19 (AD) 58 persons infected with the novel coronavirus have been identified within the Battaramulla MOH area. The sudden increase in cases identified in the Battaramulla area was due to virus spreading among several persons at an elders� home in the area, according to health officials. They said that 58 coronavirus infected persons were identified from the elders� home. Accordingly, a total of 106 fresh cases of Covid-19 were reported yesterday from Colombo District, more..

Mar 19 (EN) SL�s telecom regulator has announced plans to provide unlimited internet packages to the public, not subject to a Fair Use Policy (FUP). TRCSL Deputy Director Nishantha Palihawadana said that discussions are under way with operators to provide unlimited internet connectivity without resorting to bandwidth-throttling. Palihawadana said the proposed unlimited packages will be an extension of the experience more..

Mar 19 (TM) Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted three SL fishing boats near Lakshadweep Islands and seized a large cache of drugs from them. According to preliminary information, the Coast Guard seized heroin, an AK 47 rifle and 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the boats. According to the Navy, a Dornier Aircraft of the Navy had been tracking seven SL boats that were found moving in the Arabian Sea for the past 8-days. The aircraft passed the information to more..

Mar 19 (AD) Former chief of the CID, Senior DIG (Rtd) Ravi Seneviratne has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition with the Supreme Court challenging the recommendations of the PCoI which probed the alleged incidents of political victimization. He has sought a court order revoking the recommendations presented in the final report of the said Prez Commission. Seneviratne stressed that it is unlawful to name him as a respondent in the PCoI recommendations in respect of a complaint more..