May 28 (TM) Under the revisions that would be made in the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation Act No. 28 of 1961, Ministry of Energy is expected to be vested with the authority of issuing licenses to refine oil products in SL. Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers earlier this week approved amendments of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) Act which is Act No. 28 of 1961. Speaking to Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila highlighted that there are only two amendments in the CPC Act more..

May 28 (NR) Govt has rejected media reports that claimed the X-Press-Pearl vessel which caught fire off the coast of Sri Lanka was denied permission to enter ports in Qatar and India. Speaking at a media briefing to explain the details over the incident, State Minister Nalaka Godahewa said the ship entered the SL waters after unloading containers at ports in India and Qatar. He claimed the vessel was scheduled to dock at more..

May 28 (AD) A national of Malawi, a landlocked country in the southeast of Africa, has been arrested in SL over a social media scam. Police spokesperson said the 30-year-old was taken into custody as a result of the investigations launched by Peliyagoda Police based on the complaints received in on the matter. The perpetrator has defrauded a sum to the tune of Rs. 498,000. Reportedly, he had scammed people into depositing money to a bank account to redeem gifts. more..

May 28 (TM) The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) says that the power supply to the areas affected by the ongoing power outage will be restored today (28). The power supply was disrupted in many parts of the country due to the strong winds that affected the island. The CEB stated that the supply of electricity to more than 177,000 housing units had been disrupted. The CEB urges the public not to be unduly apprehensive as steps will be taken to provide electricity to all areas today. more..

May 28 (EN) SL has halted coastal fisheries from Kalutara South of the capital to Negombo in the north over debris and chemicals pollution from the burning hulk of the ill-fated ship MV X-Press Pearl, leaving 5,600 fishing boats without work, a minister said. �The ban will continue until officials such as Marine Environmental Protection Authority and National Aquatic Resources Agency gives us the clearance for fishing again,� more..

May 28 (AD) Supreme Court Judge Janak de Silva has recused himself from consideration of Fundamental Rights (FR) petitions filed by MP Rishad Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen challenging their arrest and detention over the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks. The FR petitions were taken up before three-member judge bench consisting of SC Judges Vijith Malalgoda, Kumudini Wickremesinghe and Janak de Silva earlier today. However, Judge Janak de Silva, citing a more..

May 28 (DM) While claiming that there was no procedure adopted by the Health Ministry for the people to get registered for vaccination roll out, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath today requested people not to act upon WhatsApp or SMS messages they receive with regards to the vaccination drive. He told a news conference that the Health Ministry has not made any official statement asking people to get registered for vaccination. more..

May 28 (DM) Every country has an obligation to protect the health of its people, and all Parties to the World Health Organisation�s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control -WHO FCTC, have made a specific commitment to implement strong tobacco control policies throughout the world, including effective cessation services, as an important means of fulfilling their obligation to protect the health of their people. There has been incredible progress in 11 years since MPOWER monitoring began, more..

May 28 (DM) The Govt has taken a good, but challenging and politically risky decision by announcing a blanket ban on chemical farming. Public discourse on the move is somewhat diminished since the country�s attention is more focused on the prevention of the spread of the pandemic. SL Agricultural Economics Association (SAEC), is the professional body representing the agricultural economists of SL. Our membership endorses the Govt�s decision to adopt more..

May 28 (DM) �It is with pride and pleasure, Chitrakala presents to the four million Sinhalese of Ceylon, a picture in their own language for the first time.� was the special message issued by Chitrakala Movietone Ltd. The producers of of Kadawunu Poronduwa when it was first screened on Jan 21st 1947. Kadawunu Poronduwa meaning Broken Promise in English was no ordinary film. It was the first-ever Sinhala talkie meaning more..

May 28 (CT) Govt of Prez Rajapaksa looks set to sell hundred acres of prime land to Chinese companies in the Colombo Fort and Slave Island areas, as Beijing continues to seize strategic control of SL�s capital city, its major highways, and ports. China Harbour Engineering Corporation (CHEC) is the company that built and now has virtually complete management, administration and jurisdiction of the Colombo Port City, the reclaimed landmass that was annexed to SL�s territory. more..

May 28 (CT) We recognize that Dr. Padeniya, being a medical trade union leader, is also a consummate politician. So, it is not surprising that he comes forward to reveal various conspiracies and alleged corruption in some govt departments. His explosive claim is that such corruption made Sri Lankans to eat poison in their food since 1960, and that they are still continuing to do so. He says that �we must go back to traditional Knowledge, and traditional ways of producing food, and more..

May 28 (Roar) There are five audience members for Ritz Cinema�s afternoon show, and 3 of them are late. Rushing up the curved staircase, they buy tickets from an employee who issues them little chits of paper in exchange for cash, then ushers them into the theatre through a pair of double doors, allowing small snippets of sound effects from an action movie to escape into the lobby every time they are jerked open more..

May 28 (TM) Above-normal rains received during the past few weeks have allowed hydropower stations to step up power generation, somewhat easing concerns raised earlier that were a result of scanty showers from January to April. However, delays in dredging the sludge in the main reservoirs, resulting in a decline in the water quantities held by the respective reservoirs, have affected these hydropower generation levels. World Bank�s report on the SL Integrated Watershed and more..

May 28 (TM) The existing challenges and deficiencies of the legal system were magnified as a result of the sudden Covid-19 outbreak last year. Justice systems around the world are turning to digitisation with the hope of making tomorrow�s justice systems more efficient, fairer, and less expensive. In SL, as courts were closed for a period as a result of the pandemic, overcrowded prisons and delays in the process of delivering justice affected the entire justice system, and more..

May 29 (Island) On May 20, 149 MPs of a 225-member Parliament voted in favour of Colombo Port City Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill incorporating all the 26 amendments given by the Supreme Court to set up a China-backed special economic zone in Sri Lanka. Port City investor company, CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd which has invested USD 1.4 million for this project has welcomed the government�s move and expects this initiative will bring more foreign direct investments to SL. more..

May 29 (Island) SL politics has not witnessed bi-partisan agreement amongst the major political parties on key issues that impact on the people of the country, the present generations and many more to come. There has never been bi-partisan agreement on foreign policy, on education, on health at least at the highest policy levels. Personality politics has dominated the political landscape and it has always been about the plaudits, or damage, a policy-decision might make on a personality more..

May 29 (CT) An incident reported from Waligama, Matara demonstrates the kind of very saddening situations which has been experienced by people in terms of the spread of Covid-19. A young girl in a family was detected of having been infected with the virus and was taken to hospital for treatment. The rest of the family was asked to quarantine themselves by staying in their own house. more..

May 29 (Island) It is feared that the ill-fated container ship X-Press Pearl, which turned into a floating inferno while at anchorage near Colombo, may break up, spewing out a large amount of oil. Some of its debris is already polluting beaches in the Negombo area. Its cargo in 1,486 freight containers included 25 tons of nitric acid, which caused the fire. The poor packaging of the chemicals onboard X-Press Pearl has found to be the cause of the disastrous fire. more..

May 29 (ST) The Port City Bill was finally passed on Thursday with the contents of the Law shrouded in secrecy. The Bill was placed on the order paper of Parliament during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year break leaving would be petitioners who wished to challenge the Constitutionality of the Bill with barely two days to do so. After the SC heard 24 petitions it issued a determination stating that some clauses would require a 2/3rd majority while other clauses would in addition require a referendum. more..

May 29 (Island) Amidst the Vaccination Chaos that has emerged in the country we see one move by the Police, somewhat belated no doubt, to break some aspects of the political dominance in the vaccination process. It is the arrest of the Moratuwa Mayor, Samanlal Fernando, for obstructing the duties of State officers at a vaccination exercise. The shameful action by this local govt politician was seen by the public on TV and YouTube, more..

May 29 (Island) Even in the presence of deeply rooted divisions, shared experiences can be an effective nation-building tool and can have a tangible effect on bringing the community together. Sport, specifically Football, could be utilized to create this shared experience amongst the community by forging a common identity where individuals see themselves as a part of a nation as a whole, as opposed to specific racial, religious or other groups. The int'l community have comprehended more..

May 29 (TM) The two consecutive defeats in the first two ODIs in Bangladesh this week and the resultant first-ever series loss against the opposition have made Pramodya Wickramasinghe the sole culprit. His youth policy has backfired, his critics say, citing that the SL batting line-up in those two games quite starkly lacked any application and much-needed experience. Therefore Wickramasinghe has to be responsible for the defeat for he is the one who dropped SL�s veteran senior players more..

May 29 (CI) Dushmantha Chameera's maiden 5-wicket haul complemented his captain Kusal Perera's sixth ODI hundred as SL finished their Bangladesh tour with a 97-run win in the third ODI. It is SL's first points in the ICC ODI Super League; also a much-needed win for the new-look side even though Bangladesh took the series 2-1. After Perera's 120 hauled SL to 286 for 6 in 50 overs, Chameera's three early strikes more..

May 29 (Island) Former Ananda College cricketer and vice captain (1964) Dyan Pathiravithane (74) passed away in the early hours of Wednesday after a brief illness and his last rites were performed at the general cemetery Kanatte yesterday. Dyan played for Ananda when he was only 14 years and was the baby of the side. The crowning glory of his cricket career was when he was selected to play for the Ceylon Schools XI under Anura Tennakoon against visiting Indian schoolboys in 1964. more..

May 29 (Island) FIDE Master Minul Doluweera won against Indonesian FIDE Master Andyka Pitra (2276) to end the penultimate round of the Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championship with 4 � points on Friday. With yesterday�s win the University of Colombo player has the highest point aggregate among the Sri Lankan players. While Theekshana Denuwan of Ananda College and Susal de Silva of Nalanda College had four points each at the end of yesterday�s eighth round, more..

May 29 (Xinhua) Communist Party of China (CPC) has made valuable contributions to Marxist theory by achieving China's development over the 100 years since its founding, a veteran SL communist leader has said. Former General Secretary of the Communist Party of SL (CPSL) D.E.W. Gunasekera conveyed his greetings to the CPC on its 100th anniversary and hailed the party's historic achievements. more..

May 29 (Island) Tea Brokers reported last week; particularly, Forbes & Walker, and Asia Siyaka Tea Brokers, revenue from Tea topped Rs.81.27 Billion January to April 2021, Surpassing 2020 the same period by 16.90 Billion. Tea revenue 2020 the same period was recorded 64. 37 Billion. Dollar Revenue was recorded at 417 million. We have not received monetary performances from other sectors including garments. However according to the Plantation sector, more..

May 29 (FT) Sovereign rating activity in 2020 was overwhelmingly negative, according to a new Fitch Ratings Transition and Default Study. The global economic contraction of 3.4% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic was the largest in the post-war period, compared with 2.6% growth in 2019. It was far below the five-year average for 2015-2019 of 3%, highlighting the scale of the pandemic�s impact. Combined with the severe negative impact on public finances, this deep economic contraction more..

May 29 (CT) Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said inquiries have begun over the failure of the X-Press Pearl operators based in Singapore, the ship Captain and the local agent, to inform SLPA there was a nitric acid leak in the cargo, prior to getting permission for anchorage at the Port of Colombo on 19 May. Containers of nitric acid were loaded on to Singapore flagged X-Press Pearl at the Jebel Ali in Dubai, UAE and more..

May 29 (FT) Japan Saitama Prefecture Kawaguchi City Mayor Nobuo Okunoki has donated a high-quality used ambulance to a request made by SL Ambassador Sanjiv Gunasekara during a meeting held regarding the donation of a fire truck to Sri Lanka few months ago. SaiNet Corporation, an IT company in Kawaguchi City, and the Rotary Club of Saitama prefecture undertook to bear the cost of freight for this ambulance to SL. Kawaguchi city organised a formal hand over more..

May 29 (FT) Tourism industry has welcomed the Govt�s recent decision to allow registered hotels to accept foreign currency from resident Sri Lankans as payment for services. On 26 March, Govt published a gazette under the Foreign Exchange Act No.12 of 2017 by Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Finance Minister. It permits any hotel registered with SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to deal in foreign exchange within SL and to accept foreign currency from persons resident in SL more..

May 29 (DM) IGP C.D. Wickramaratne has directed police officers not to harass or embarrass the public during inspections and during implementation of quarantine law and said diciplinery action will be taken against superior officers, if such incident was reported in the future. When travel restrictions are being imposed to prevent Covid-19 virus spread, the police are checking vehicles and people at roadblocks more..

May 29 (FT) National Movement for a Just Society Chairman and former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has saluted a lady medical officer for standing up against injustice. �If citizens need a chit from politicians to get COVID-19 vaccination, their right to health is denied,� Jayasuriya said in a tweet. �Moratuwa Mayor was caught thanks to a resisting medical officer. We salute her and condemn the insult to the independence of public servants. Investigate other violations too!� Jayasuriya added. more..

May 29 (Island) Following the devastating floods which struck SL in mid-May, the European Commission is providing �80,000 (close to 19.5 million SL rupees) in humanitarian funding for emergency assistance. The aid will benefit 7,500 people in some of the most affected areas in the districts of Colombo, Galle and Gampaha. The EU funding supports the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society in delivering emergency relief to the most affected families, including those who are currently more..

May 29 (Island) Recent actions of groups or individuals with political or trade union backing have caused immense damage to the country�s vaccination fame internationally and SL�s ability to purchase needy vaccines in the near future, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) says. AMS President, Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Lakkumar Fernando, has in a media statement, said that those groups are trying to meddle with the vaccination process more..

May 29 (Island) Former Northern Province CM and present MP C.V. Wigneswaran has requested the deputy Indian High Commissioner in Jaffna, S. Balachandran to ask his govt to donate AstraZeneca vaccines to N&E Provinces as vaccination has been slow in these two areas. Wigneswaran said that the two provinces had not been adequately vaccinated when India gave Covishield vaccine and that in recent weeks there had been a significant spike in COVID-19 cases in the 2 provinces. more..

May 29 (Island) A few weeks ago, Bangladesh told the visiting Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, about how cautious they were in getting loans. Sri Lanka has been generous in borrowing and building expressways with little traffic, a port with a few ships and an airport with a few planes, and a conference centre with no events. Each possibly built at double the engineers� estimate, with money borrowed at commercial rates. And now, the $ 200 million currency swap with Bangladesh! more..