May 26 (TM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has issued a special Presidential pardon to several prisoners imprisoned on charges under selected sections of the Penal Code in accordance with the powers vested in him by the Constitution in view of the National Vesak Festival which falls today (26). The details of the pardon are as follows � 1). Reduction of period of imprisonment for prisoners by one year if they have already served one year or part of the sentence by 07th May. more..

May 26 (Island) Public Security Minister Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, during Monday�s Cabinet meeting, has raised the issue of the UK promoting the separatist ideology by allowing the display of LTTE flags at the British parliament square. He pointed out that LTTE flags were displayed alongside the Union Jack much to the disappointment of those who cherished the eradication of LTTE terrorism. more..

May 26 (TM) Indian High Commissioner to SL Gopal Baglay wished all Sri Lankans a peaceful and meritorious Vesak festival and implored all citizens of the country to support each other and unite during this festival to battle the worldwide pandemic. On behalf of the Indian PM Narendra Modi, the High Commissioner wished all Sri Lankans a peaceful Vesak and stated that while Sri Lanka and India were twinned in religions, the two countries also share the same visions. more..

May 26 (DM) The first lunar eclipse of this year will be visible to many parts of the world including SL on today (on the Vesak Full Moon day), Prof. Chandana Jayaratne of the Dept of Physics, Colombo University said. He said the lunar eclipse will be visible as a total lunar eclipse from 2:17 pm and last till 7:19 pm SL Standard time when the shadow of the Earth falls on the Moon, said. "This is the first total lunar eclipse since 2019 and is famously known as the Super Flower Blood Moon. more..

May 26 (Island) Controversy surrounds the recent appointment of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to examine proposals pertaining to election laws and make appropriate amendments to the Constitution as a nine-member committee, appointed by President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, neared work on the formulation of a new draft Constitution. Romesh de Silva, PC, heads the nine- member expert committee. more..

May 26 (UKP) High Commissioner of SL met the Speaker of the House of Commons for the first time � and bonded over a shared love of cricket. Sir Lindsay Hoyle was very proud to inform Her Excellency Saroja Sirisena that Chorley Cricket Club�s top signing in 2020 was none other than Sri Lankan Test ace Roshen Silva - and the pair agreed that cricket could help bring their two Parliaments together. Closer links between the UK and SL parliaments are already thriving through more..

May 26 (EN) Half a million doses of the China-manufactured Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine arrived in SL today, the second consignment to be donated to SL by the Chinese govt. The first batch of 600,000 doses arrived on May 07 and have been administered to 482,508 so far, official data shows. Thanking the Chinese govt and the Embassy of China in Colombo, Prez Rajapaksa said in a tweet on May 26 that he will ensure a strong vaccination drive for all. more..

May 26 (PTI) SL announced the lifting of its temporary travel ban on inbound travellers from June 1, except for passengers who spent time in India during the last 14 days. All incoming flights, however, will be limited to a maximum of 75 passengers and they will be subjected to a 14 day quarantine period. 'Any passenger with a travel history to India including transit in the past 14 days will not be permitted to arrive,' more..

May 26 (AD) An individual, infected with COVID-19, has escaped from a private hospital in Kollupitiya last evening (25), says DIG Ajith Rohana. The escapee was identified as Mohamed Rikaz, a resident of Varipathanchenai area in Ampara. SL Police is seeking assistance of the general public in locating the escaped coronavirus patient. Any information on the man in question can be directed to the OIC of Kollupitiya police station via 0718591579, the police spokesman noted. more..

May 26 (Island) Election Commission (EC) hasn�t received an opportunity to appear before the nine-member committee tasked with formulating a draft constitution. Well informed sources told The Island that the EC submitted an eight-point proposal regarding electoral reforms to the committee, chaired by Romesh de Silva, PC, following a meeting held on January 29, 2021. Although several parties, including those represented in Parliament, had been invited to make submissions, more..

May 27 (DM) Sri Lankans joined millions of Buddhists across the world to celebrate the thrice-blessed day of Vesak, which dawned on Wednesday, the Pasalosvaka Poya Day. Vesak marks the three important events in the life of Gautama Buddha -- his Birth, Enlightenment and Passing Away or Parinibbana. At troubled times such as these, when confined to our homes amid travel restrictions and health guidelines, this year too Vesak gives us a golden opportunity to more..

May 27 (TM) The Covid-19 pandemic has already resulted in pain and suffering that is most likely to linger on for decades, and it is, despite being extremely unfortunate, still a reality we cannot escape from. After years, if not decades, SL saw a different type of Vesak festival yesterday, which involved ruminating on the fact that pain and suffering of any form are inevitable truths the Buddha explained as part of his teachings. One might point out that the Vesak of 2020 more..

May 27 (TM) The world is fighting its greatest crisis since the Second World War, and one that has wrought a more far-reaching impact, having spread beyond Europe and East Asia. However, despite the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic, we cannot forget the many issues we were already burdened with before it reared its ugly head � and some of these may entail more severe consequences. more..

May 27 (DM) TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam�s voice is heard loud and clear. He is batting for the marginalised Tamil community. TNA MPs like Sumanthiran might not like the fighter they see in Rasamanickam. This is because Rasamanickam is showing signs that he could outshine lawmakers like Sumanthiran. Recently he spoke fluent Sinhala in parliament and aired his views like a seasoned politician without bowing down to the loud voices that wanted to shout him down. more..

May 27 (DM) There are things to talk about today. We could discuss the bipartisan House Resolution introduced by US Congresswoman Deborah Ross on Sri Lanka. It called for an effective international mechanism for accountability, and a permanent political solution in Sri Lanka. The resolution regurgitates the oft-uttered lies about territorial claims. Attempted land - theft, really. Anyway, it is a product of ignorance, arrogance and worse, it is easily refuted, never mind the fact that more..

May 27 (TM) SL�s Covid-19 death toll surpassed 1,000 last Tuesday (18) while the number of infected persons has now surpassed 150,000, and the seven-day average for daily new cases has crossed 2,500. In this worrying backdrop, consultants and hospital staff have reached a critical juncture, with a failure in decision-making leading to severe supply shortages. However, addressing Parliament last Tuesday (18), more..

May 27 (ST) After twice trying to get something accomplished, it would be expected that the third time would be lucky: Unfortunately, it was not to be. The Chamber of Commerce (CCC), acting on behalf of dozens of its member firms and the business community, failed in a third attempt this week to secure vaccines for private sector workers from the govt in a separate arrangement with vaccines being paid for. It was in the middle of last year that the chamber offered to buy 2 million doses of more..

May 27 (CT) There may be differences in semicolons and adjectives but broadly speaking the SJB of Sajith P & UNP (still loyal to Ranil?) have very similar positions on the Port City Act. They are in agreement that many of its provisions undermine democracy and bypass parliament and existing laws, that it concedes power to China to the extent of making SL a semi-colony on matters relating to Port City and that with the passage of time China�s influence will creep into other domains more..

May 27 (GV) A public conversation on criminalising disinformation has re-emerged in Sri Lanka. The govt recently announced that it was considering new proposals for a law to curb false and misleading statements. This conversation raises critical questions about the importance Sri Lankans attach to democratic values such as free speech and our willingness to put the fate of those values in the hands of the state. The conversation also comes at a time when the need for safeguarding more..

May 27 (CT) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal recently issued a statement to the media that total lock down of the country for fourteen days, as epidemic experts urged, would cost the nation 15 billion rupees per day. Assuming that the minister got his calculation right, and that it is irrational to sacrifice the economy in fighting against the pandemic, there is a nagging suspicion that the authorities, by not listening to the experts, are trying to play politics with the pandemic. more..

May 27 (Island) The govt has drawn heavy fire over its broken promises, which are legion. But we think it has fulfilled its much-advertised election pledge to usher in prosperity; the beneficiaries thereof, however, are not the ordinary public; they are the so-called lawmakers, who are living in clover at the expense of the taxpayer. The govt has sought to make the lives of the MPs still more comfortable by providing them with luxury vehicles while more..

May 27 (DN) Skipper Kusal Janith Perera said that lack of experience among the players was the prime reason for their first ODI series defeat against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Tuesday. �It was a very disappointing team performance during both matches. On both occasions the middle-order collapsed and the lack of experience cost us the series,� Perera said after the game. The dashing wicket-keeper batsman hoped that the players would come out with an improved performance more..

May 27 (TM) Information and Communication Technology of Sri Lanka (ICTA) is moving to the regions and setting up Regional Clusters consisting of technology diffusion cells, incubators, R&D and innovation labs, decentralised companies in regions, knowledge and support hubs, a suitable ecosystem for startup growth, tech educational institutes and a massive capacity building programme. Career guidance and development of soft skills of students is a major part of this initiative. more..

May 27 (DM) SL waters have been cast with an evil spell. As one of the most frequently used maritime routes, the Indian Ocean is likely to witness more maritime emergencies in time to come. Even though SL authorities succeeded in dousing the fire onboard Panamanian oil tanker MT New Diamond, the situation doesn�t seem to be satisfactory in the case of Singapore-bound X-Press Pearl. But one may also wonder more..

May 27 (SLN) The treasure depositing ceremony of the new reclining Buddha Statue at Nagadeepa Purana Rajamaha Viharaya was held under the patronage of Commander Northern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Priyantha Perera today (26). The sculpturing of the new reclining Buddha Statue at Nagadeepa Purana Rajamaha Viharaya is done by naval architects, following the counsel of Chief Incumbent of Nagadeepa Raja Maha Viharaya and Chief Sangha Nayaka of Northern Province, more..

May 27 (CT) With the emergence of the third wave of COVID-19 and the way it is presently sweeping across the island, the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka (NOCSL) has taken very serious note and will take all possible measures to make Tokyo 2020 a COVID-19 free Games. NOCSL will ensure our full contingent will be vaccinated as per Sri Lankan Govt/WHO guidelines. This includes all athletes, officials, journalists and VIPs travelling to Tokyo. The Olympics begins on 23 July. more..

May 27 (ABP) Former captain of SL Sanath Jayasuriya has openly expressed his disappointment with the SL team after their first series loss against Bangladesh. "As a past player and captain, it�s very difficult for me to come to terms with the first series loss to Bangladesh. National pride is at stake boys fight to the last," Jayasuriya wrote on Twitter. In the three-match ODI series being played against SL, host Bangladesh won the second ODI by 103 more..

May 27 (DN) Sri Lanka Athletics (SLA) has decided to postpone the Junior National Championships for 2021 due to the present COVID-19 pandemic situation. �The fresh dates will be informed in due course and SLA will give a minimum of six weeks preparation time for the athletes and coaches,� a senior official of SLA said. However, if there are any difficulties in conducting Junior National C'ships, a special selection competition will be held to select the athletes for the World U-20 C'ships more..

May 27 (TM) The draft of the bill to the proposed Tourism Act will be finalised after a period of three months. Speaking to us, the Ministry of Tourism Secretary S. Hettiarachchi stated that the Cabinet of Ministers had granted the approval earlier for the proposal of the Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga, in order to repeal the Tourism Act No. 38 of 2005 which later created controversy between state-owned tourist authorities and the private sector dominated tourism bodies. more..

May 27 (TISL) On the 20th of May, Parliament of SL passed the Colombo Port City Economic Bill into law. Two days prior to the vote on the Bill, Speaker of Parliament revealed to the MPs and the general public the determination given by the Supreme Court of the Country with regard to the constitutionality of the Bill. Transparency International SL (TISL) was one of the petitioners that had challenged the Port City Bill. more..

May 27 (Island) SLT-MOBITEL, the National ICT, Telecommunications and Mobile Services Provider, launched a national effort to light up hearts affected by the pandemic, through the illumination of colourful Vesak lanterns and lights at the SLT head office. SLT Group Chairman, Rohan Fernando, symbolically lit the first Vesak lantern on the 25th of May, in the presence of Senior Management of SLT-MOBITEL in strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines. more..

May 27 (CT) Quoting numerous requests from a variety of sources, the CB has responded by announcing fresh concessions to be extended by banking sector to their customers. The new concessions which were announced on Tuesday cover both businesses and individuals. For the moment the new concessions to be extended are only by the banks to their customers and does not include finance companies. Concessions are referred to as Circular No.5 dated 25 May more..

May 27 (Island) The Ministry of Finance and the World Bank recently signed a new agreement to receive a grant from the European Union to support the Agriculture Sector Modernization Project (ASMP). This grant is part of the EU�s EUR 25 million support to the US$ 125 million project and will be administered by the World Bank. Since its inception in 2016, Agriculture Sector Modernization Project has supported the Govt of SL�s efforts more..

May 27 (TM) Increasing fuel prices is the only solution for the urgent need to control the domestic demand for fuel in the face of the foreign exchange (forex) crisis that the country is faced with at present, Ministry of Energy Secretary K.D.R. Olga said. Speaking to The Morning, she said that in the event of a hike in fuel prices, only the prices of petrol and other petroleum products will be increased and not the price of diesel, as it is directly related to the daily needs of the people. more..

May 27 (PHC) High Commissioner of Pakistan, Maj. Gen. (Retd) Muhammad Saad Khattak met with PM Mahinda Rajapaksa on 25th May, at the PM�s Office. During the meeting, a detailed discussion was held regarding bilateral areas of cooperation and interest between the two friendly countries, including economic cooperation, trade, educational cooperation and sports diplomacy, with a special focus on promoting cultural heritage and religious tourism between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. more..

May 27 (Island) The GMOA says the inoculation of the family members of doctors against the fast spreading Covid-19 pandemic was done with govt approval. When the media sought an explanation as to why and how family members of doctors had been given priority in receiving the second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine, Dr. De Zoysa said that families of nurses as well as other health workers, too, had received same vaccine. more..

May 27 (Island) State Minister Kanaka Herath stated that rubber growers should pay proper attention to the spread of a fungal disease associated with rubber cultivation which reduced the production of rubber latex by about 30%. Deputy Director of Rubber Research Institute Dr. Priyani Seneviratne said that rubber growers should be vigilant to prevent the spread of leaf blight fungal diseases due to the prevailing rainy weather. This fungal disease was found in rubber plantations more..

May 27 (DN) Reports on terrorist threats or such related activities have not been revealed in SL as of yesterday, stated the Defence ministry in a media communiqu� with regard to the Level-4 US Travel Warning to SL. The media statement said that the U.S. travel warning on SL is a general travel warning given by the U.S. State Dept under the Level 04 Category. Although the US travel advisory regarding SL has been issued due to the COVID-19 situation, threat of terrorism is also included by default. more..