Mar 29 (Island) In spite of some members of the govt attacking Muslims, Islamic govts didn�t abandon Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, a group of Muslim civil society activists said in a statement issued. The following is the text of the statement issued by M M. Zuhair PC, former MP, Latheef Farook, Journalist and Author, Mass L Usuf, Attorney-at-Law and Advocacy Columnist and Mansoor Dahlan, Theology Scholar: �We as a country may not be happy about the outcome of the UNHRC resolution more..

Mar 29 (AD) SL Police has launched an investigation into an incident where a police officer attached to Maharagama Police had assaulted a lorry driver in the middle of the road, after a video of the attack went viral on social media. DIG Ajith Rohana said a video is presently being circulated in the social media in respect to an assault on a civilian by a traffic police officer. He stated that they have traced the place of the video and more..

Mar 29 (EN) Two suspects were arrested in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, this morning by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) for promoting the LTTE on the internet, police said. A man and a woman aged 36 and 35 respectively were taken into TID custody this morning for running a YouTube channel and a website that has allegedly been promoting the LTTE, police spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said. The arrest was made at an office located in Navalar Street, Jaffna, Rohana said in a statement. more..

Mar 29 (AD) Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar has relaxed the foreign travel restrictions on Avant-Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi until April 23. The Avant-Garde floating armoury case was taken up today before the Justices Adithya Patabendige, Manjula Thilakaratne, and Mahen Weeraman. Speaking on behalf of Senadhipathi, President�s Counsel Sampath Mendis informed the court that there is a need for his client to leave the country to receive medical treatment. more..

Mar 29 (TM) Upon the implementation of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of SL (TRCSL)�s request for all service providers to introduce unlimited internet, the Information Technology Association (ITASL) warns that the quality of the internet will plummet due to internet traffic. ITASL President Rajiv Kuruwitage predicted that the issues likely to arise upon the implementation of more..

Mar 29 (TM) The first duty-free store at the Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA) in Hambantota was opened last week. �What we lacked in the Mattala airport was several duty-free stores,� State Minister D.V. Chanaka stated during the opening ceremony. Moreover, State Minister also highlighted that essential facilities similar to those in the BIA located in Katunayake are to be established at the MRIA within the following three weeks. Both the departure and arrival terminals would be improved more..

Mar 29 (CT) Member of the COPE, State Minister Susil Premajayantha said, the article published in Ceylon Today which contained facts that were discussed at the COPE meeting on 23 March, had a heading that did not suit the content. He said the headline was misleading the public and emphasised that he did not mention any Minister�s name during the COPE meeting at any instance. Premajayantha also said the Minister of Environment, Mahinda Amaraweera had voiced the fact that when more..

Mar 29 (TM) Regardless of sustained lobbying by milk powder importers in the country, the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) will not increase the local prices of imported milk powder. When inquired whether the CAA would consider a price hike in the near future, Chairman Maj. Gen. (Retd) Shantha Dissanayake told us that there will not be a price hike as such. Milk importers� requests from the CAA to increase more..

Mar 29 (DM) The notable decrease in daily detection of COVID-19 cases does not reflect the overall COVID situation in the entire country, Chief Epidemiologist Dr. Sudath Samaraweera said. He said that there is a chance of a COVID cluster being created in the country through an undetected patient. �This becomes evident with the infected patients being detected in the Jaffna District these days,� he said. Meanwhile, Dr. Samaraweera said the country could plunge into deep insecurity, more..

Mar 29 (CI) After a first Test that had started with a patented SL batting collapse that almost anyone who had been watching them play cricket over the past few years could have predicted, here we are somehow entertaining the very real possibility of them securing a first ever Test series win in the Caribbean. Now, of course, for this to actually transpire, it would require Sri Lanka to replicate, and most likely better, their performance from the previous week - certainly no little ask, more..

Mar 29 (TM) Following a back and forth debate on a PCR laboratory at the BIA, the SL Association of Govt Medical Laboratory Technologists (SLAGMLT) has requested a discussion with Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga immediately to provide clarity and a response to the issue President of the SLAGMLT Ravi Kumudesh said that Ranatunga made a number of serious and untruthful claims and counter-allegations more..

Mar 29 (EN) Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone will have offshore banks for which regulations will be made by the Prez and licensed and also stock exchanges which will be regulated by an Economic Commission that will administer the area, according to a draft law. Licenses for offshore banking will be issued SL�s Banking Act by the Finance Minister with the concurrence of the of Prez on a recommendation of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, which administers more..

Mar 29 (TM) As part of a series of reforms envisioned for the legislative framework governing labour, the relevant state and governmental authorities have proposed the repeal and replacement of the Factories Ordinance to allow for the regulation of all workplaces that use factory-type equipment. The existing Factories Ordinance, No, 45 of 1942 as amended, only provides for the regulation of workplaces that are registered as factories, the employment of workers therein, and more..

Mar 29 (Island) Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. has announced the return of a pair of antique statues of the Buddha valued at approximately $66,000 to Sri Lanka. The pair of statues was seized pursuant to the D.A.�s Office�s investigation of Subhash Kapoor. The statutes date back to the 18th Century C.E. and measure approximately 14 inches in height. The antiquities were returned during a repatriation ceremony more..

Mar 29 (FT) Blue Diamond Jewellery Worldwide PLC has announced a move to reduce its stated capital as well as plans for a Rights Issue and a private placement if necessary to overcome the going concern issue. The SEC also granted a deferment for the suspension of trading of shares that was due to take place with effect from 17 March until 31 December to overcome the emphasis of matter on Going Concern, which was triggered by the serious loss of capital. more..

Mar 29 (AD) A Fundamental Rights petition filed regarding the cremation of a 20-day old infant who died of COVID-19 infection was taken up before the Supreme Court today. The parents of the deceased child had filed the petition claiming that the arbitrary cremation of their baby, who had been receiving treatment at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) when he died of COVID-19 infection, was a violation of their fundamental rights. The case was called today in front of Justices more..

Mar 29 (TM) With the aim of catering to the local demand for anti-cancer drugs, the Govt has permitted Maliban Group to manufacture Sri Lanka�s first locally-made anti-cancer drug, the company said. Well known for its production of confectionery and milk powder, this is the first foray of the Maliban Group into the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, stated Maliban Bio Ventures Pvt. Ltd. Project CEO S.M.D. Suriyakumara. more..

Mar 29 (BD) Members of the Myanmar Peace Sangha Union in Sri Lanka on Saturday paid homage at the great stupa Ruwanwelisaya, one of most sacred Buddhist sites in SL and said to enshrine many relics of the historical Buddha. The assembled monks recited the Metta Sutta and the Mora Sutta, sharing the merit from their ceremony with pro-democracy protestors who have lost their lives since military coup in Myanmar. The monks also prayed for the immediate release of more..

Mar 29 (EN) Sri Lanka expects to receive 600,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from the Chinese govt this Wednesday (31) that may be used to vaccinate the general public against COVID-19, an official said. �We will look for the most eligible community to receive the jab and will take necessary steps to vaccinate them,� Chief Epidemiologist Dr Sudath Smaraweera said. He noted, however, that approval from SL�s National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA) for emergency use of more..

Mar 29 (Island) JVP-led Women for Rights has urged the govt to stop finding fault with those who highlight the ongoing forest destruction and take action to protect the environment. Secretary of the WFR Samanmalee Gunasinghe said that the govt had instructed some ministers to insult those who exposed the destruction of the environment. �We have seen on several occasions some leading ministers humiliating females, who raised more..

Mar 29 (TM) It was revealed at the COPA meeting held in Parliament recently that the Inland Revenue Dept (IRD) had received 6,878 dishonoured checks worth Rs. 240 million (Rs. 2,451,465,383), as at 31 Dec 2020. The Committee directed the IRD officials to take immediate action to recover these dues. It was also revealed at the meeting that court cases have been filed by the IRD in the Colombo Magistrate�s Court to recover Rs. 2,670 million in tax arrears from casino businesses. more..

Mar 29 (AFP) SL's Catholic church called Monday for the former president and his officials to be prosecuted for failing to prevent the suicide bombings two years ago that killed 279 people. An investigation ordered by ex-leader Maithripala Sirisena soon after the April 21 bombings found that he and his intelligence officials had precise information from India about the impending attack 17 days earlier, but failed to prevent it. The report, parts of which were released last month, more..

Mar 29 (CGTN) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday said China is willing to work with Sri Lanka to enhance Belt and Road cooperation and contribute to the economic revival of Sri Lanka in post-pandemic era. Xi made the remarks during a phone call with SL President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Xi said China will continue to provide necessary assistance to Sri Lanka, conduct cooperation in areas including aviation and education and more..

Mar 30 (DM) Responding to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by The Sunday Times, Parliament interestingly has refused to disclose the educational qualifications of ministers and MPs, on the basis it would be an invasion of privacy. The paper had quoted Parliament�s Assistant Secretary-General and Information Officer Tikiri Jayatilleke as saying �Educational qualifications relate to personal information, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity more..

Mar 30 (DM) It is a fool�s errand to make-believe that the UNHRC Resolution titled, Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in SL, and adopted last week would help promoting human rights in the country. It is unlikely that the most vocal backers of the resolution think that the resolution would serve that. Instead, for the UK, Canada, and other members of the Western European and other Group and the US that had returned to the fold under Joe Biden administration, more..

Mar 30 (TM) Following the general elections last year, Prez Rajapksa addressed the inaugural session of the Parliament where he said that the 19th Amendment would be repealed immediately and a new constitution would be drafted later under the concept of �one country, one law.� Subsequently, the 20th Amendment was passed in Parliament with a 2/3 majority in October of last year while a new constitutional more..

Mar 30 (CT) In Feb 1979 Chinese troops invaded Vietnam in retaliation to the latter�s invasion of Cambodia. China & Vietnam share a common land border while Vietnam & Cambodia too, do. The Sino-Vietnam war lasted several weeks and only ceased after, according to Chinese accounts, when their troops were only 50 miles from Hanoi, hence, achieving the desired objective. Overarching slogan that China used, justifying their invasion of Vietnam was that the big should not bully the small. more..

Mar 30 (DM) The human-elephant conflict is a modern phenomenon owning its existence to man�s increasing developmental needs and the expansion of the human population due to improved health and living conditions of people. Pushed by sheer need, if not for greed, man has been forcibly intruding into places where elephants once roamed and foraged freely. Earlier in the pre-industrial developmental era, people and elephants lived in peace and harmony. Elephants were not killed. more..

Mar 30 (TM) Sinhala & Tamil New Year is just around the corner, and compared with last year, this year�s Covid-19 situation is rather stable or normalised, and gives the people a chance to move about with far more freedom. However, last week, allegations were levelled against SL Customs that it had released a container of coconut oil to imports despite the quality tests suggesting that the oil contains a carcinogen known as aflatoxins. more..

Mar 30 (ST) The more I am inundated with tales from Colombo about the post-Geneva pantomimes the more entertaining it is, restricted of movement as one is with this wretched virus that has kept me locked up for months on end now. In fact this ongoing tragicomedy � as it has turned out to be � started weeks before the diplomatic gladiators lined up � virtually speaking � in the Swiss city for verbal battle with some of our warriors already fighting on two fronts. more..

Mar 30 (ST) The Govt is confident that it could tide over the current foreign currency difficulties by obtaining currency swaps. Currency swaps are useful to reduce the looming external financial vulnerability and improve the balance of payments. They are a necessary palliative to tide over the current crisis. The govt expects a favourable balance of payments outcome by the end of the year that would strengthen the reserves. The Central Bank of SL will exchange currency with China more..

Mar 30 (FT) SL�s biggest apparel exporter Brandix Ltd., has reinstated staff salaries to its pre-COVID level. Being one of the first to slash employee remuneration soon after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March last year, Brandix�s reinstatement of former salaries too comes in quick time. The memo stated salaries will be restored retroactively at all levels. �This will be done for everyone that worked tirelessly to overcome these challenges without quitting. more..

Mar 30 (Island) Amnesty International (AI) was the first to express its jubilation, among the international NGOs, when the UNHRC resolution was passed against Sri Lanka on 23 March. That is no surprise as from its inception Amnesty has characterized their main approach as �naming and shaming.� This is like �stoning and caning� the perceived enemies. Who has unashamedly unleashed this approach this time against Sri Lanka is Hilary Power, Amnesty�s representative to the UN in Geneva more..

Mar 30 (CT) With the prevailing pandemic, working class individuals were dealt a financial blow and they were forced to prioritise their basic needs while deleting other necessities from their lists. Following the recent heart-wrenching accident in Passara, Police believed that replacing bald tyres, with new ones, would be a solution to the problem of increasing accidents. However, many issues cropped up, including lack of adequate more..

Mar 30 (Island) Your Lordship the Chief Justice, Hon. Attorney General, Your Lordships the judges of the superior courts, the President of the Bar Association and outgoing President, Committee members and my learned friends. It is a pleasure to be here today, amongst the familiar faces I am used to seeing across the bar table for many years. Firstly, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Mr. Saliya Peiris, PC, who won the election as well as the newly appointed more..

Mar 30 (ST) Local boy Sachin Tharaka and Nikita Robb of South Africa emerged winners of Red Bull Ride My Wave surfing competition, which was held at the Hikkaduwa Main Surf Point, last weekend. Sachin Tharaka became the star among 69 participants to claim the win of the Men�s segment while fellow compatriots Praneeth Sandaruwan and Suranga Pradeep finished second and third respectively. South Africa�s Nikita Robb was the cynosure among 12 females who were more..

Mar 30 (CI) Kraigg Brathwaite saw out an outstanding Suranga Lakmal spell in the morning, watched top-order colleagues play more adventurous innings, and struck up productive late partnerships with the lower-middle order men, as he provided the backbone to West Indies innings on day one, making 99 not out of 239 balls. West Indies were 15 for 2 inside the first half-hour after John Campbell and Nkrumah Bonner succumbed more..

Mar 30 (Island) Sport is a wise tool to use in reconciliation activities. It comes in handy when participants are less affluent and have physical and mental scars; in this instance due to a civil war that concluded. Representatives of Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB) were in Ampara a few days ago to conduct a coaching session for coaches, but nothing could stop some children also getting inside and participating in the two-day event held at the Ampara Public Indoor Stadium. more..

Mar 30 (Island) The govt, reeling from a thundering hook at the hands of the Millers� Mafia, and embroiled in a mega sugar tax racket, has had another problem to contend with. A consignment of imported coconut oil has been found to contain a carcinogenic toxin; the detection of high levels of aflatoxin, which can cause cancer, has sent shock waves throughout the country as the traditional New Year is drawing near. This is usually the time when Lankans step up the intake of rice, sugar & oil more..