Mar 27 (TM) There should be an integrated approach for national security within the Colombo Port City incorporating the three forces, police, firefighters etc, the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS) highlighted. This was discussed at a public lecture held yesterday at the institute with participation of experts from tri-forces, academia diplomatic fields as well as from UDA. The event was marked as the first discussion more..

Mar 28 (CT) Passara was a tragedy caught live on camera. Geneva is where SL�s postwar vicious circle makes its annual appearance. It did appear this year and it will be back again come September, then March, and so on. There will be more Passaras and valleys of death unless the government stops building new roads to profit some people and starts making old roads safe for all people. Equally, Geneva will be an annual ritual unless the govt stops continuing the old war by other means and more..

Mar 28 (TM) In answering the call of the Catholic Bishops Conference of SL (CBCSL), the faithful living in various parts of the country recently wore black and attended church as a protest against the failure to provide justice for all those who were killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019. They also participated in silent protests. Black Sunday is a good occasion to reflect back, not only on the lives that were lost on that blackened Easter Sunday, but also on the general nature of the threats more..

Mar 28 (SO) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal said the same set of people who were against the battle against terrorism, reconciliation, redevelopment of the North and the East are acting once again to discredit the Govt and bring down our country. He appealed to the people not to be misled by this disinformation and false propaganda campaign carried out by the Opposition in order to gain their narrow political objectives. more..

Mar 28 (SO) Sri Lanka has weathered yet another storm at the UNHRC, where the Western world once again ganged up against a small country that had the audacity to defeat terrorism. These self-same countries sent emissaries to Colombo at the height of the battle against terrorism in 2009 probably with the aim of saving of Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, not necessarily the Tamil people who were held hostage by him in the No Fire Zones. Ever since SL spurned their intervention and won more..

Mar 28 (ST) Results of political & (un)diplomatic grandstanding in Colombo were seen in Geneva this week at the UNHRC. Sponsors of a new Resolution on SL forced the Int'l Community to take sides and eventually succeeded in having it passed. In a vote of 47 representative countries, there were no outright winners in a sense. The sponsors of the Resolution calling for scrutiny of the military campaign against a terrorist group and for matters of more current trends received less than more..

Mar 28 (TM) SL celebrated Int'l Women�s Day on 8 March 2021 with several national-level programmes and events. The Morning this week spoke to SJB MP Rohini Kavirathna, who has been a vocal proponent of women�s rights and empowerment, about the outlook for women in SL as well as the position of the main Opposition party, SJB, and the strength of the Govt. Q: Do you believe there are worthwhile, impactful initiatives more..

Mar 28 (Island) The changes in both domestic and foreign policy initiated by the Biden Administration are quite significant. On the domestic side changes include a sharp turn in economic strategy, an energetic intervention in dealing with the pandemic, a more plural approach to race relations, positive environmentalism and rethinking border controls. I can touch only on the first today. The effect of American economic policy on SL will be felt through the appreciation of the dollar against LKR more..

Mar 28 (Island) Few countries can boast of anything close to the track record of Britain when it comes to gross human rights violations. Genocide and monumental plunder have marked the history of that country and indeed have been the main source of the wealth and sway its citizens and governments, respectively, have enjoyed over several centuries. It is ironic then that this global bully (or rather the side-kick of the worst rogue state on earth, the USA) has led moves against SL in Geneva. more..

Mar 28 (Island) Thank you, Mr. Attorney General and Mr. Kalinga Indatissa for your kind and stimulating words. May I commence by thanking you all for honoring me by your presence. I consider myself privileged to be a Justice of the Court of Appeal at a time of unprecedented challenges for the justice system not only in SL but across the world created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Locking down courts might be necessary to protect the health and safety of justice professionals and court users but more..

Mar 28 (CT) On visiting a country if you see a large number of their population engaged in a particular area of work, it will not be unreasonable to assume that the people of that country have traditionally occupied themselves in that activity, the circumstances of the country create a basis for it, they are naturally proficient at it, and, that their temperament is in harmony with the requirements of that activity. A visitor to SL will be struck by the very large number of persons employed in more..

Mar 28 (TM) New ideas are what change the world and new creations have changed the world for the better and sometimes for the worse. Deciding what ideas need to be kept and what ideas need to be given up, is not a very easy task, as nothing is completely bad or good. The cinnamon cigarette is one such new idea SL is struggling to take a decision on. While the opposition against it is on the rise, certain parties also claim that more..

Mar 28 (SO) Even at the age of 84 years old this woman keeps running and walking in athletic meets for veterans held around the world. She is the ever green Mallika Sachithananda who has already won many medals which keeps her desire to run and bring glory and honour to SL. To date she has won the highest number of medals with over 60 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze medals at international Masters Athletic meets. The most treasured memory she wants to keep on record is the Asian record more..

Mar 28 (ST) My dear Gota maamey, I though of writing to you this week because everyone was so worried about that match that was played in Geneva, where the Human Rights chaps at the UN were trying to censure us for the way in which we won the war 12 years ago � and also for what is happening in Paradise now. In the end, we lost the match because 22 countries voted against us while only half that number, 11 countries, stood with us. Some countries which we assumed will support us, more..

Mar 28 (ST) From the rural town of Lunugala in Badulla, Anthony Noah (46) and his wife Benedict Merona (31) left the world tragically leaving behind their children, aged three, seven and eight in the hands of an ailing grandmother. They were among the 14 precious lives that were lost when a bus crashed down a 200-foot precipice in Passara last week. While committees, authorities and officials cite causes varying from delayed removal of more..

Mar 28 (IPS) The substantial health and economic costs of tobacco consumption are well recognised. Tobacco use increases a household�s expenses, diverting a family�s limited resources away from basic needs such as health and education. Tobacco control policies in Sri Lanka have, over the years, been successful in gradually reducing the smoking prevalence rate. However, pockets of smokers remain; for instance, 28% of Sri Lankan males above 15 years still smoke. more..

Mar 28 (TM) Making a long thing short, Stanley Jaysasinghe was one of the leading batmen of the Ceylonese cricket team during the 1950s and 60s. Such an old story becomes relevant today because they explain to us about an era where our cricketers were so simple, yet very professional and highly spirited too. First and foremost, I must be grateful to the (Nalanda) Principal Mr. D.C. Lowris and Mr. Kandasamy. They were the people who instilled discipline in me. Gerry Gunaratne was more..

Mar 28 (TM) Amidst reports that the Govt has decided to change the external appearance of the ongoing Terminal II project at the BIA to the shape of the lotus flower, Airport and Aviation Services (SL) Ltd. denies obtaining any such approval. Nevertheless, AASL Chairman G.A. Chandrasiri stated that there is a plan to change the external appearance of the new terminal to the shape of the lotus flower, yet added that more..

Mar 28 (TM) SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) has appointed a separate internal team to undertake necessary preparatory work of SL�s participation at the upcoming World Expo 2020 that will be held in Dubai this year. SLTPB Managing Director Madhubani Perera said that a separate set of staff is working on a daily basis to ensure SL�s participation at the Expo. The responsibility for conducting preparatory work for SL�s participation at Expo Dubai 2020, which had been vested with the EDB, more..

Mar 28 (SO) Ravaged by the three-decade-long battle against terrorism, impoverished further by political indifference on their economic welfare after the end of terrorism and having remained inhibited under the pandemic threat, the people of the North and the East now look up to the Govt for programs on their social and economic welfare. They need development programs encompassing the various sectors that would contribute to their economic upliftment and relieve them from their more..

Mar 28 (ST) Attorney General�s Dept has recommended that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) be placed under a new management committee until its election of office bearers in on May 20 this year as the current committee�s term expired on February 20, 2021. The advice comes three weeks after the Sports Ministry sought legal advice from the AG when Colts Cricket Club challenged the legality of the current committee more..

Mar 28 (NR) Health professionals claim the highly-advanced PCR testing laboratory that was introduced to be set up at the BIA could become unusable altogether, due to the actions of health authorities. President of Association of Govt Medical Laboratory Technologists Ravi Kumudesh said due to arbitrary decisions by certain officials, the highly priced-equipment are still not in use. He said a PCR and COVID detection automatic machine worth over Rs.100 million was brought to SL in February more..

Mar 28 (ST) Both false and accurate information posted on social media on incidents of environment destruction will be kept under watch by a new unit to be set up by the Environment Ministry. To carry out the task, 323 environmental officers would be recruited at Divisional Secretariat level, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. He said those posting false information would face legal action while accurate information would be referred to the relevant sections for action against those more..

Mar 28 (AD) Sri Lanka has no intention of intervening in the power struggles of the giants in the Indian Ocean region, says Prez Rajapaksa. �We have no desire to propagate the neoliberalism of some countries or to intervene in the power struggles of the superpowers in the Indian Ocean.� He stressed the sovereignty of Sri Lanka will not be betrayed by allowing these countries to achieve their geopolitical needs by introducing separatism more..

Mar 28 (SO) An appeal made by former World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga to stop the influx of foreign experts into the country has fallen on deaf ears with the biggest non-listener being his one time cricketing buddy Aravinda de Silva who side-stepped the issue while introducing the newest pundit, Australian Tom Moody who was installed last month as the top man at Sri Lanka Cricket�s game-changing Authority. Aravinda, now a behind-the-scene political appointee who heads more..

Mar 28 (ST) Interesting exchanges about market predictions gone wrong amidst looking for scapegoats to blame are making the rounds on Twitter. Disgruntled traders are doing the clap back on those who predicted Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) highs. A frustrated trader called out a particular high networth trader in a tweet saying, �You have been telling people to buy and hold and buy and buy. Technically ASPI should have bottomed between 7150 � 7200. more..

Mar 28 (ST) Parliament has refused to disclose educational qualifications of ministers and MPs on the basis it would be an invasion of privacy. Responding to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by the Sunday Times, Parliament�s Assistant Secretary General and Information Officer Tikiri Jayatilleke said: �Educational qualifications relate to personal information, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or more..

Mar 28 (SO) A tussle is brewing within the TNA after Jaffna district MP S. Sritharan hit out at his fellow TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran and R. Sanakkiyan accusing them of attempting to sideline the senior TNA MP and ITAK leader Mavai Senathiraja. Sritharan accused his fellow MPs Sumanthiran and Sanakkiyan of undermining Senathiraja who is the senior most member in the TNA after veteran MP R. Sampanthan. According to Sritharan, several meetings were held in the Eastern Province more..

Mar 28 (SO) A significant number of SL Tamils who have been denied asylum in Germany would be deported to Colombo this week. A special law enforcement unit which was set up to track down Sri Lankans who had been denied asylum in Germany has rounded up a significant number of them from various locations throughout Germany. Some 30 SL Tamils who have been detained at the Dusseldorf Airport in Germany are expected to be deported to Colombo early this week. more..

Mar 28 (Island) A shortage of automobile tyres in the market is driving motorists round the bend amidst complaints that dealers still holding stocks have inflated prices in the backdrop of existing import restrictions. The worst affected are owners of small cars, many of whom derive an income by operating passenger taxi and affiliated services. �We have no option but to ground our vehicles and be deprived of earnings to care more..

Mar 28 (Island) Police Dept unveiled plans to establish a Drones Division to help in efforts to curb illegal activities across the country. �We have already acquired four drones with advanced technological features and another 17 are in the pipeline�, a senior police official said. Expressing optimism of setting up the proposed Drones Division before the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, he noted that the drones, which are considered an electronic eye in the sky, will be deployed in all more..

Mar 28 (Island) To create a transformation in the management of municipal waste by generating electricity and producing liquid fertilizer using biodegradable solid waste, a bio-gas system was handed over to the ownership of the Kaduwela Municipal Council (KMC) under the leadership of Mayor Buddhika Jayavilal. Robert Juhkam, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in SL and Harsha Wickramasinghe, Deputy Director General, more..

Mar 28 (Island) Amidst allegations that consignments of contaminated coconut oil imported to the country have been cleared for release to the market by the SL Standards Institution (SLSI), the head of the premier body dismissed the claims as unfounded, saying that samples of the 13 containers are still under testing for any harmful substances. �The laboratory investigation is continuing and it will take another two days for the process to more..

Mar 28 (ST) The Govt wants to review different election laws in the country in a move that will recede prospects of any early Provincial Council polls. When Parliament meets on April 6, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena will introduce a motion for the appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for this purpose. Such a PSC, comprising govt and opposition members, will examine election laws relating to presidential, parliamentary, provincial council and local council elections. more..

Mar 28 (TG) Archaeological department has initiated an attempt to seize another 400 acres of land in the Thannimurippu area around Kurunthoormalai in the Mullaitivu district, as local Tamils continue to face threats from Sinhala Buddhist monks. The department instructed the provincial secretary of Karaithuraipatru in a letter to cede 400 acres of land surrounding Kurunthoormalai that belongs to native Tamils. This move is seen as an attempt to erase the Tamil identity of the area and further more..

Mar 28 (ST) The worst ever resolution on SL by a world body, since the country�s independence 73 years ago, passed muster at the UNHRC in Geneva on Tuesday. That the document (L.1 /Rev.1) titled Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL, would pass was foregone though a Minister and a bureaucrat made Sri Lankans believe otherwise. In the light of the deadly serious text, the fact that more..

Mar 29 (CT) �Where ignorance is bliss, �tis folly to be wise�, �it is better to keep one�s mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and provide the proof� �Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.� Despite being thus thrice warned, a TV programme that I have just watched, prompts me to comment on the subject of The Laws Delays. The number of cases being heard or awaiting attention in our Judicial System, is frighteningly huge, (more than 20,000?) and the number of accused in detention is more..

Mar 29 (CT) On 5 Oct 2020 the UNHRC reports, �the UN human rights experts today called on the UK Parliament to reject a Govt Bill they say would give British soldiers advance immunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The UN said the Bill violates the UK�s obligations under int'l humanitarian law, human rights law and int'l criminal law, and protects British soldiers serving abroad from charges for serious international crimes, including unlawful killing and torture. more..

Mar 29 (TM) The human-elephant conflict (HEC) in SL claims approximately 400 elephants and 70 people in its snares annually. The Special Audit Report on the Elephant-Human Conflict, discussed at the Committee on Public Audits (COPA) meeting last year, identified that although 4,211 km of elephant fences had been constructed by 2016, they had become inactive within a short period of time due to lack of maintenance. more..