Apr 8 (PMD) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has stated that a robust national health system will be implemented that will benefit all the people irrespective of their social status and that will cover all parts of the country. Prez Rajapaksa urges to present new ideas to achieve this goal within a short period of time. Prez made these remarks participating as the Chief Guest at the inaugural day of the 43rd Annual Academic Session of the Kandy Society of Medicine held in Kandy, yesterday. more..

Apr 8 (Island) Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said that SL would have faced a minimum 16-hour power cut on a daily basis if not for the visionary initiatives by the late Prez J.R. Jayewardene and the late Minister Gamini Dissanayake to commence the Mahaweli Development Project, and Prez Mahinda Rajapaksa�s bold decision to commence the first coal fired power plant complex at Norochcholai. �Irrespective of political differences, correct decisions taken with regard to power sector more..

Apr 8 (AD) Google Indoor Maps was launched at Colombo�s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) today, becoming the first indoor facility to enable this feature in Sri Lanka. SriLankan Airlines and Airport & Aviation Services (SL) teamed up in a remarkable joint project that resulted in BIA becoming the first venue in SL to be enabled on Google Indoor Maps, accessible on smart phones and tabs on both Apple and Android devices. more..

Apr 9 (DM) Excessive hype would result in excessive hope. Excessive and idealistic hopes would end up in disappointment. This is not something new to Sri Lankans. They experience it in two or three years after every regime change in the country. Chandrika Kumaratunga assumed office as President with great hopes among the masses following a 17 year long UNP rule. She obtained a hitherto unbroken record 62 per cent of votes at the 1994 Presidential Election. more..

Apr 9 (DM) Revolutions are essential when the democratic paths fail do good to the masses. The 1977 Elections brought the UNP into power and the JR Jayewardene Govt opened up the economy. Privatization was the fuel that propelled the economy. But the majority of the country�s poor remained less affluent. A party which opposed the UNP�s way of rule was the JVP. This party was agitating for change since its formation in 1965, but the Reds really organised themselves with more..

Apr 9 (Roar) When schools closed in mid-March of 2020, figuring out the most viable solutions for continued learning for all students became a top priority for Dr. Sujata Gamage and Dr. Tara de Mel � co-coordinators of Education Forum SL (EFSL). After finding that internet-based distance education reached only around 45% of SL students in public schools in 2020, their focus shifted to policy action on bridging the digital divide. more..

Apr 9 (DM) Sri Lanka gained independence from the British at the end of World War II that saw the onset of the decolonisation process. What was significant in SL�s independence is that, unlike India, Pakistan, and many other nations, Sri Lanka remained loyal to the British govt until it became a Socialist Democratic Republic in 1972 under PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike�s coalition govt comprising the SLFP, the LSSP and the Communist Party. Mrs. Bandaranaike was the widow of more..

Apr 9 (ST) Central Bank expects a significant economic recovery this year. The economy is expected to grow by six percent. All three sectors of the economy are expected to grow and a balance of payments surplus is forecast for 2021. The CBSL�s forecast of the economy�s growth by six percent this year is above the expectations of the ADB, World Bank and IMF that forecast growth of between 3.5 to 5.3%. The CB�s expectations are based on the economic performance in the first 2 months, more..

Apr 9 (CT) There are a number of organisations operating in Sri Lanka that have been instrumental in creating disunity between different races and religions. In this context, the mandate of the PCoI required it to identify persons, organisations, who aid and abet actions which cause racial and religious disturbances disrupting the social integrity. PCoI earlier identified the SL Jamaat-e-Islami (SLJI) and more..

Apr 9 (CT) Two seemingly important factors cropped up at a Central Bank press conference chaired by Governor W.D. Lakshman yesterday. They were that SL has no plans to go for an IMF facility as a solution to its apparently weak balance of payments position. And the other, that, the performance of certain sectors of the economy was beyond the mandate of CBSL, but were in the hands of policymakers. IMF factor revolved round SL�s foreign reserves having fallen to a 12-year low of more..

Apr 9 (TM) Elephants are of significant value in Sri Lanka for various economic, entertainment, and traditional purposes. They have been a part of the most important cultural event for Buddhists, which is the peraheras (Buddhist religious processions). The debate has continued where monks and a section of the Buddhist population argue that such traditions have been a part of the identity of our country and therefore should be followed. The contrary argument by welfare organisations and animal rights more..

Apr 9 (ST) Yevan Ranasinghe David, competing at the 3rd Round of the WSK Super Masters Series held at the world famous Circuito Internazionale Napoli in Sarno, Italy finished 15th overall from 80 of the best junior drivers in the world. To achieve this feat in only his fourth race in Europe is unprecedented. He has also consistently beaten drivers from the prestigious Mercedes and Sauber F1 Academies. Europe is the pinnacle for Go-Karting globally and is widely recognised as more..

Apr 9 (DN) Last week, the Indian media reported a shocking revelation that SL Tamil Tigers had provided training to Naxalites, the dreaded militants who have been carrying out armed attacks on the Indian Security Forces and Police for more than half a century. On March 4, Sukma in Chhattisgarh witnessed yet another deadly attack on Indian Security Forces by Naxalite Maoists killing 22 Security personnel. Sukma is in the midst of the Naxalite belt running through Chhattisgarh, more..

Apr 9 (CT) St. Joseph�s College Triple Jumper Pasindu Malshan missed the World Junior qualification standard of 15.60m by 10cm at the National and Junior National Athletics trials held at Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday. Malshan will have two more chances - Junior National Championship and Senior Nationals in May - to qualify for the World Junior Championship. 400m runner Isuru Abeywardana is the only one who has more..

Apr 9 (Island) A heated argument between SJB MP Sarath Fonseka and Minister Chamal Rajapaksa, yesterday, plunged Parliament into turmoil with the govt and Opposition MPs freely trading insults and threats across the well of the house. All hell broke loose while the SJB was staging a protest against the unseating of its MP Ranjan Ramanayake, who is currently serving a jail term. Protests will not be of any help to Ramanayake, who is languishing in prison. Only a prez pardon could save him. more..

Apr 9 (TM) Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH), which was recently renovated, is set to get listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) before 31 Dec this year, stated Urban Development and Housing Ministry Secretary Nimal Perera, said. Accordingly, the hotel will be operated under a public-private partnership (PPP) where 51% of the shares will be held by the State while the rest will be held by private investors. Perera said that the hotel was renovated at a cost of Rs. 250 million. more..

Apr 9 (CI) SL women's captain Chamari Athapaththu believes the postponement of the global Qualifier to determine the final three spots at the 2022 Women's ODI World Cup from its June-July window to December is a good thing. Just for context, Sri Lanka, hosts of the qualifying event, haven't had any form of int'l cricket for over a year now. "To get an additional four-five months for our preparation is a good thing because more..

Apr 9 (FT) Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga this week affirmed that steps have already being made to convert Sri Lanka Tourism and Hotel Management Institute (SLITHM) into a university. He made these remarks at a discussion held at the Tourism Ministry on Wednesday with trade union members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at the SL Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), SLITHM, SL Convention Bureau (SLCB) & SL Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). more..

Apr 9 (PHC) The High Commission of Pakistan, in collaboration with Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), organized a promotional event for Pakistani Dates (Fruit) Exports in Sri Lanka, at the High Commission in Colombo. In his remarks, High Commissioner of Pakistan, Muhammad Saad Khattak highlighted the Govt of Pakistan�s policy of introducing non-traditional products such as Dates through a diversified marketing approach. more..

Apr 9 (Island) Sri Lanka Cricket�s top brass was put on a sticky wicket by Parliamentary watchdog COPE � when a probe was done into several dealings of the sport�s governing body this week. COPE Chair Prof Charitha Herath made a scathing attack on SLC�s Exec Committee & CEO Ashley de Silva for the large scale corruption within the institution. He went onto note that why the game of cricket has suffered new lows in recent times. more..

Apr 9 (FT) Colombo Expats Cultural Association (CECA), a vibrant community in Sri Lanka comprised of over 160 expats from India, Bangladesh and Nepal, is organising a nationwide painting competition for 60 children in various child care homes. CECA�s initiative, now in its second phase, is conducted in association with the Ministry of Education, the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, the HC of India � Colombo and various other supporting organisations more..

Apr 9 (Island) In a strategic partnership with NetFoundry, the leaders in cloud-native zero trust networking, Dialog Enterprise, the corporate solutions arm of SL�s premier connectivity provider Dialog Axiata (Dialog), announced the introduction of Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) for its enterprise customers. Pioneering the journey of a digital ecosystem orchestrator, Dialog Enterprise together with NetFoundry, will be offering services around application connectivity & network security. more..

Apr 9 (ST) Food Commissioner�s Department (FCD), which is directly responsible for maintaining 100,000MT of rice per year to ensure food security, stored under 700MT of its own stocks in 24 warehouses during the eight years between 2012 and Dec 2019 because the Treasury did not pass money to make necessary purchases, a national audit reveals. Among the buildings that stood empty were warehouses renovated and more..

Apr 9 (DM) High-speed Internet for rural areas must be prioritised to ensure the establishment and advancement of industries across the country, Prez Rajapaksa stressed. Prez asserted that for SL to be digitally inclusive, the relevant stakeholders must look to address the Internet speed issues, specially in rural areas, which stands a bottleneck for economic progression of the country. �Unless high-speed Internet is made available to people, we would not be able to make substantial more..

Apr 9 (DN) A discussion was held at the Ministry of Industries in Kollupitiya recently under the patronage of the Minister Wimal Weerawansa to take further steps with the assistance of the Govt of China to implement five identified special projects to prepare the physical environment required for the development of the industrial sector in SL. Consul General of the Chinese Embassy in SL Li Guangjun, Third Secretary Dong Xiakun and Zhu Min were also present at the discussion. more..

Apr 9 (DW) Over the past few months, China has been boosting its vaccine diplomacy efforts, pledging and shipping increasing numbers of COVID-19 vaccines to a number of countries worldwide, particularly in Asia. Sri Lanka recently received 600,000 doses of China's Sinopharm vaccine, which would be used for the vaccination of about 200,000 Chinese workers estimated to be living in the island nation. more..

Apr 9 (ST) Local drug manufacturers are up in arms against a move by the State Ministry of Production, Supply and Regulation of Pharmaceuticals to renege on an agreement with them and has sought the intervention of Prez Rajapaksa to resolve this issue. They caution that such an arbitrary decision may create a severe shortage of locally manufactured drugs in the state hospitals, which are the main consumers of these drugs. The SL Pharmaceutical Manufacturers� Association (SLPMA) has more..

Apr 9 (Island) A special report submitted by the COPE on the SL Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), established by the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund, reveals that the top management of the institution has taken a series of steps to vest state resources in private ownership in an informal manner. The report states that the govt approved the establishment of the SLIIT through the Cabinet Memorandum (98/995/11/052) presented on 1 April 1988 under more..

Apr 9 (FT) Buoyed by signs the economy is turning the pandemic corner, the Central Bank yesterday kept its policy rates unchanged continuing a two-year cycle of easing but pledged to remain vigilant of any demand side pressures as growth recovery gains ground. The Monetary Board, at its meeting on Tuesday, decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) more..

Apr 9 (FT) Lanka Confectionery Manufacturers Association (LCMA) and All Ceylon Bakery Owners� Association (ACBOA) will further make representation today to the Treasury Secretary in a bid to resolve the crisis arising from the sudden and immediate ban of palm oil imports. Members of both associations met yesterday to come up with some proposals to resolve the crisis following the Trade Minister�s remarks at Parliament on Wednesday. Prez on Monday instructed that the import of more..

Apr 9 (DN) Although faithful promises are given by successive govts including the present one that local entrepreneurs would be egged on, this has not happened to Pelwatte Dairy, as approval for 45-acre state land to build SL�s first-ever milk export oriented processing plant in Mawathagama is yet to be approved. �I have been requesting for approvals for four years from the previous govt and one year from the present one but with no avail,� said Pelwatte Industries Chair Ariyaseela Wickramanayake. more..

Apr 9 (Island) Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda on Wednesday (7) contradicted a statement attributed to him regarding the continuing crisis over the Indian fishing fleet invading SL waters. Fisheries Ministry quoted the Minister as having told fisheries sector trade unions, at separate meetings held at his ministry that the Indian fishing fleet would be prevented from entering Sri Lankan waters before the end of 2021. more..

Apr 9 (FT) Despite the immediate ban on import of palm oil announced on Monday, Prez Rajapaksa yesterday clarified that standard varieties of palm oil used in bakery, confectionary and food processing industries are not prohibited. Prez�s Media Unit (PMD) said that there is no prohibition to the importation of palm stearin variety for use in the production of relevant food items. �Standard palm oil varieties are used in the production of biscuits, confectionery and some bakery products. more..

Apr 9 (CB) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), on Thursday, appointed a six-member Selection Committee with immediate effect. The panel was approved by Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa. Pramodya Wickramasinghe, former Lankan pacer, has been now named the new Chairman of Selectors. Following Ashanta de Mel stepping down as the Chairman in January 2021, Wickramasinghe and Chaminda Mendis comprised the national selection panel as a make-shift move. more..

Apr 9 (FT) The US yesterday called on policymakers to be vigilant of the economic impact of the proposed Port City legislation, given its sweeping tax concessions and warned it could have unintended consequences, such as money laundering, unless proper safeguards are put in place. US Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz, speaking to selected journalists at a virtual media roundtable, acknowledged the importance of $ 1.4 bilion more..

Apr 9 (ANI) India and Sri Lanka on Thursday agreed to work jointly against terrorist entities and fugitives, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs statement. The first delegation-level virtual Police Chiefs' Dialogue between the Police Chiefs of India and Sri Lanka was held today. The Indian delegation was led by the Director of Intelligence Bureau Arvind Kumar whereas the Sri Lankan team was represented by CD Wickramaratne, Inspector General of Police. more..

Apr 9 (CT) Eleven organisations are planning to take legal action following Attorney General Dappula de Livera authorising the banning of those organisations. The Deputy Secretary of the SL Thowheed Jamath Organisation, which has been named as one of the extremist groups to be banned, T. Ahmed stated that they had met their lawyers and will take necessary measures to counter their proscription through the law. He added that before the lapse of 14 days after the publication of more..

Apr 9 (CT) The Govt and the Opposition clashed in Parliament yesterday over Ranjan Ramanayake�s lost parliamentary seat, for the second consecutive day, following a heated exchange between Minister Chamal Rajapaksa and SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. The two MPs were heard name-calling and using unparliamentary language against each other, while their colleagues supported them by more..

Apr 9 (FT) Not having mature leaders or failure to produce such leaders during the post independent period, who possessed the right ability and good judgment to carry forward uninterruptedly the success of the pre-independence era, can be considered as a crucial factor influencing the failure of SL. Also, not having such leaders with a strong vision, even now when SL has become a failed and bankrupt State, capable of rescuing the country from its present unfortunate plight can be more..