Apr 19 (DM) Govt should reveal the force that is operating behind the controversial Colombo Port City project, Sinhala Ravaya President Ven. Akmeemana Dayarathana Thera said. He said the Prez, constituent parties of the SLPP, the cabinet Ministers and people were not aware of the actual details of the Port City. Govt must reveal whether the force was to sell or destroy the country or killing its people. Therefore, the public should be aware of the project and Govt should go for a referendum. more..

Apr 19 (EN) A delegation of tour operators and journalists from India have completed a familiarization tour of Sri Lanka ahead of a planned Indo-Lanka travel bubble. �The delegation spent six nights and seven days touring the country while being subjected to mandatory PCR testing and other health guidelines imposed by the Ministry of Health,� SriLankan Airlines said. �The main purpose of their participation in this fam tour was to restore confidence in visiting Sri Lanka, more..

Apr 19 (AD) His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, today requested the public to observe two minutes� silence at 8.45 a.m. on April 21 as a mark of respect for the victims of the Easter Sunday bombings. SL on Wednesday marks two years since the devastating Easter Sunday attacks, which killed over 250 in bombings at three churches and three luxury hotels. Cardinal Ranjith stated that they decided to more..

Apr 19 (EN) Sri Lanka�s central bank is running out of reserves, a part of the remaining reserves are tied up in swaps, the country already has a �CCC� rating, modern monetary theorists are in control and if that was not enough, the US Federal Reserve is firing a bubble. SL�s central bank and the rupee it produces has been swept like a tsunami by Fed actions in the past, starting from the early 1950s commodity bubble which Mercantilists call the �Korean War Boom� to the �food crisis� from more..

Apr 19 (CT) Govt has made plans to make our country servile to foreign powers through the Port City Project, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said. Premadasa said, the Govt is planning to activate financial terrorism and financial separatism, as well as economic terrorism and economic separatism. �As the Opposition, SJB has opposed this move, and also gone to the SC against this. In addition, all possible measures will be taken to defeat this insidious tactic of the govt,� more..

Apr 19 (AD) Supreme Court has postponed until tomorrow further consideration of the petitions filed challenging the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Draft Bill. The court postponed further consideration of the petitions until 10.00 a.m. tomorrow. The consideration of the petitions commenced this morning before a 5-member judge bench comprising of Chief Justice Jayantha Jayasuriya, SC Judges more..

Apr 19 (DM) A 49-year-old female councillor of the Maharagama Urban Council had been arrested over alleged assault on another female councillor. DIG Ajith Rohana said a 47-year-old female councillor was admitted to the Sri J'pura Hospital claiming that she was assaulted on April 15 at the Maharagama Urban Council. The Maharagama Police initiated an investigation into the incident following a complaint. Arrested councillor would be produced in the Nugegoda Magistrate's Court today. more..

Apr 19 (Island) With staggering losses running into Rs. 3.8 billion (Rs. 3,800 million) over the past three months, SL�s biggest importer and supplier of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is in the throes of a grave financial crisis as the govt continues to dilly-dally on the demand for a substantial increase in the price of cooking gas. �There�s no option other than to absorb the mounting losses as no price revision has been granted so far�, says Anil Koswatte, Chairman/CEO of Litro Gas Lanka. more..

Apr 19 (EN) Justice Minister Ali Sabry defended a move to criminalise social media posts judged as fake through a law to be styled after Singapore�s POFMA, a controversial piece of legislation that has drawn widespread criticism as a tool to control the media and free speech. Sabry said discussions are under way at the cabinet level to introduce laws similar to the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), more..

Apr 19 (CT) The Govt will only act in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Court in connection with the Bill to set up the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, Cabinet Spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella said. He said a calculated programme is being implemented to sabotage the Colombo Port City Project and assured that the Govt will not implement the Colombo Port City Economic Zone�s Special Commission Bill if it is unconstitutional. more..

Apr 19 (DM) Reigning Mrs. World Caroline Jurie and former model Chula Padmendra have been released on bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court today over the incident which took place at the Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant on April 4. Caroline and Chula Padmendra were arrested by the Cinnamon Gardens Police on April 8 over the incident and later released on police bail. Magistrate ordered them to be released on Rs. 100,000 surety bail. A brawl erupted at the Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant after more..

Apr 19 (DM) The SJB today proposed some amendments to the Colombo Port city Economic Commission Bill and urged the govt to bring the Commission under Parliament. Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, urged the govt to bring in an amendment to the legislation to make provisions for the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) to monitor the proposed Commission and more..

Apr 19 (AD) Attorney General Dappula de Livera has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Trial-at-Bar granting bail to the Bond Scam suspects, the Coordinating Officer of the Attorney General State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne said. On April 01, former Minister Ravi Karunanayake and seven suspects who were accused in another bond scam case were granted bail by the Trial-at-Bar consisting of Judges Amal Ranaraja, Namal Balalle, Aditya Patabendige. more..

Apr 19 (Island) SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the Bill that seeks to set up a special Economic Commission to govern the Colombo Port City had provisions for apponting non-Sri Lankans to the Commission. Addressing the media after distributing relief items among flood victims in Suduhumpola, Kandy, yesterday, the Chief Opposition Whip said that the SJB had filed two petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, one petition by more..

Apr 19 (DM) While saying that people�s behaviour during the festive season had not been satisfactory and had already led to a surge in Covid cases, Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr S.M. Arnold said people who violate Covid related health guidelines would have to face legal action. He said Ministry would not hesitate to take strict action in terms of legal provisions if people continued to act irresponsibly. more..

Apr 19 (DM) The Police has initiated an investigation after a body of a 32-year-old Sri Lankan man was brought to Sri Lanka yesterday at the BIA from Italy with several gunshots wounds, police said. DIG Ajith Rohana said that the Sri Lankan who was a resident of Nedungamuwa in Gampaha was working in Aprilia City in Italy. He said the man had died in Italy following an incident. His body was brought to Sri Lanka on Sunday evening aboard a Turkish Airline flight. more..

Apr 19 (TM) The government ally, Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), has expressed concerns over the proposed draft of the Provincial Councils (PC) amendment bill, The Morning learnt. The CWC has made this observation today (19) during the meeting of party leaders of governing party allies chaired by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. CWC Vice President, Senthil Thondaman said that he had raised issues faced especially by the plantation sector community if the amendments are implemented. more..

Apr 19 (DM) According to the official data of the Laboratory Service, the number of COVID-19 patients in the country has surpassed the 100,000 mark by April 3, 2021, Head of the Association of Govt Medical Laboratory Technologists Ravi Kumudesh said. He said the actual number of COVID-19 patients was reported by April 3 as 1003640. However, according to the official data issued by the Epidemiology Unit, more..

Apr 20 (DM) The easiest thing to do is to panic. To worry non-stop to a point one starts getting symptoms of anxiety. A prolonged period of anxiety may lead to anxiety disorder. The difficult choice is to float. That is to ride the wave without sinking into the sea of despair. To get along with days� work mindfully without joining those who discuss the pandemic woes non-stop from morning till night each day. Swimming against the current or swimming upstream has never been easy. more..

Apr 20 (DM) Bhagya Abeyratne became a household name overnight when she spoke with passion and sincere devastation about the destruction of the Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve. In a matter of minutes, she accomplished something the entire Opposition failed to do for months. She connected with the common citizen and made people think about the tragedies going on around them. That is traditionally the role of the Oppositiwon, but in the absence of more..

Apr 20 (DM) SLPP MP Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe is in the news over his strong opposition over the proposed Port City Bill and the conduct of the Govt; which he is a party to. While facing criticism from him own party members and some Cabinet ministers, Dr. Rajapakshe, who is also a leading Constitutional Lawyer, says that the Bill is completely unconstitutional and if it is allowed it would be an act worse than Prabhakaran�s more..

Apr 20 (DM) The gazetting of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission bill and its placement on the Order Paper of the Parliament 15 days after being gazetted came in as a surprise to many. The Bill seeks to establish a Port City Economic Zone within the boundaries set out in Schedule I to the Bill. �In terms of the Constitution a citizen intending to challenge the Constitutionality of a Bill has to do so within one week from the Bill being placed in the Order Paper of the Parliament,� more..

Apr 20 (CT) Colombo Port City (CPC), on the lines of Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, will be a gold mine for Sri Lanka. The total land area of CPC is 269 hectares and the total investment is US$ 15 billion. The project is expected to create 83,000 employment opportunities and contribute 11.5% to GDP. However, SLPP MP Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has alleged that the Colombo Port City will not be a part of SL once the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill comes into effect and more..

Apr 20 (CT) The discovery of substandard coconut oil containers at SL Customs in late March became a major topic of discussion in SL for weeks. This was not the first time the quality of imported food products came into question. In 2008, there was similar controversy regarding Melamine in imported milk powder. In 2013 & 2014, it was reported that imported milk powder and ice cream contained DCD. more..

Apr 20 (TM) Criminal Justice Commissions (CJC) Act, No. 14 of 1972, marked the beginning of the collapse of SL�s criminal justice system. The process that started then, gradually expanded further and further, and today, the criminal justice system in SL is virtually dysfunctional. What the CJC Act in fact did was challenge all the fundamental aspects of the criminal justice system as it existed till then. These fundamentals were the presumption of innocence which places the burden of proof more..

Apr 20 (CT) The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has urged PM Mahinda Rajapaksa not to pursue the Resolution of Parliament that will seek to end trials and judicial proceedings in relation to Rajapaksa family members and cronies. Colombo Telegraph last week published JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake�s explosive revelations about the Resolution of Parliament tabled by the PM which will be taken up for voting on April 21. Issuing a statement, BASL said passing the resolution more..

Apr 20 (GV) Resilient is a word frequently used by human rights activists and the development sector, to describe persons affected by war and violence. In SL, the mothers of the disappeared are praised for their resilience when they continue their struggle for justice despite intimidation and harassment. Women headed households labouring to eke out a living are spoken of admiringly for their resilience. The people of Kepapilavu in Mullaitivu are called resilient for refusing to abandon their demands for more..

Apr 20 (Island) April is the cruellest month, one may say with apologies to T. S. Eliot, on seeing the increase in fatal road accidents during the festive season in this country. During the last five days alone, 52 lives have been lost in road mishaps, and about 670 persons have suffered injuries, according to the police. In fact, the number of deaths due to road accidents averages eight a day, and road fatalities receive media attention only when there happens to be an uptick therein. more..

Apr 20 (TM) Another sex-related, behaviour-concerned, disciplinary scandal involving a current prominent SL dashing batsman has emerged, this time from a New Year festival season party down south. The allegation again is concerning over sexual harassment. This is the umpteenth time that the same white-ball dasher has got caught in similar disciplinary incident. And on all those occasions, for the utter amusement of more..

Apr 20 (CT) As the Central Bank prepares to consolidate SL finance companies, Finance Houses Association of SL (FHA) says it will take steps to further strengthen its self-regulation code for the betterment of the industry. FHA the apex body of all Registered Finance companies announced the introduction of its revised Self-Regulation Code which has been voluntarily practiced by member companies over a long period of time, but has to be adapted to changing times. more..

Apr 20 (ST) When the Norwegian police clamped a 20,000 kroner fine on their PM for breaking the law, the country�s citizenry did not light fire crackers and beat raban. They went about their business as best as they could under numerous restrictions to contain a spreading pandemic. PM Erna Solberg�s prime crime was that she decided to celebrate her birthday at a public restaurant with her family. Knowing full well that pandemic rules and regulations were in force �after all she introduced them more..

Apr 20 (FT) The confectionery industry worth Rs. 150 billion is still in the dark over the immediate ban on palm oil imports, with no proper directions given on the procedures to obtain licences, whilst many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are running short of stocks amidst increased demand. �We are still not aware of the procedure to obtain the special licence to import palm oil for our manufacturing purposes. more..

Apr 20 (Island) Trying to place Prez�s Gama Samaga Pilisandarak (PGSP) in a scientific perspective of public policy making is timely. One of the stated objectives of the Presidents election manifesto, Vistas of Prosperity is to create a village-centered development of our predominantly agriculture-based rural economy. Prez has pledged to achieve a four-fold objective: a productive citizen, a happy family, a virtuous, disciplined and just society and ultimately a prosperous country. more..

Apr 20 (FT) Embassy of SL in Germany initiated and facilitated the signing of a MOU between the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of SL and ENPACT e.V. in Berlin, Germany, which represents the Berlin Senate�s startup initiative AsiaBerlin. The move was with a view to fostering a strong bridge between Berlin, the startup capital of Europe and SL's startup ecosystem. ICTA CEO Mahinda Herath and ENPACT Managing Director Jan Lachenmayer placed more..

Apr 20 (CI) Wanindu Hasaranga, Pathum Nissanka, Oshada Fernando and Lasith Embuldeniya - among others - could form the core of SL's team as they attempt to lift themselves out of poor rankings positions in all three formats in the coming years. This is according to coach Mickey Arthur, who feels he has now identified the best players in the country for various SL squads. Arthur revealed that although Kusal Mendis more..

Apr 20 (CT) Thilaka Jinadasa has been heralded with the rare honour of being nominated for SL�s IOC Women and Sport award for the year 2021. Thilaka was the very first female Olympian to represent SL at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, and is also a double International who represented SL in both Athletics and Netball. She is the only SL athlete to have represented the country at five consecutive South Asian Games and won medals in all of them (one Gold, four Silver and four Bronze). more..

Apr 20 (DN) All roads will lead to Colombo's picturesque BMICH as it hosts the 42nd Observer SLT Mobitel Schools Cricketers of the Year 2020 award ceremony starting at 5.30 pm today. SL�s leading English Newspaper with the largest circulation the Sunday Observer will host the Mega Show for the 43rd consecutive year since 1979. SL�s national mobile service provider SLT Mobitel will sponsor the show for the 15th consecutive year. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit more..

Apr 20 (TM) As New Delhi declared a six day lockdown due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country, Sri Lanka has postponed its travel bubble with India that was set to be operative from 26 April. Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga said that a decision was taken yesterday to postpone the travel bubble given the surge of Covid-19 cases in India and that the programme is expected to be resumed as soon as possible more..

Apr 20 (FT) The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka (MCSL) in a statement yesterday called upon all Sri Lankans to support and join the call of the Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith in observing a minute�s silence on 21 April at 8.45 a.m. to commemorate those who lost their lives in the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. �We also call upon Muslims to make supplications for these victims in this holy month of Ramadan,� the MCSL statement issued by Vice President Hilmy Ahamed said. more..