Apr 20 (EN) Cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to draft legislation to combat false and misleading statements on the internet, the cabinet office said today, days after the country�s Justice Minister reiterated the govt�s commitment to criminalising social media posts deemed fake. The cabinet has approved a resolution tabled by Justice Minister Ali Sabry and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella to advise Legal Draftsman more..

Apr 20 (Island) Chief Opposition Whip and SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday questioned the bona fides of the govt with regard to the Colombo Port Economic Commission Bill. He said that the govt had been in a mighty hurry to present the Bill to Parliament on April 08. �I was in the Chamber in the evening of April 08. The govt did not inform the party leaders� meeting held the week before that it would present such a bill. The timing of the presenting of the bill too raises doubts. more..

Apr 20 (AD) A Fundamental Rights (FR) petition has been filed with the Supreme Court against State Minister Ajith Nivard Carbraal and Secretary to Prez P.B. Jayasundera over alleged misappropriation of state funds. Petition has been lodged by chief incumbent of Nalandaramaya Temple in Nugegoda Ven. Theeniyawala Palitha Thero. State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Prez Secretary P.B. Jayasundera, Secretary to the Finance Ministry S.R. Attygalle, Governor of Central Bank, IGP more..

Apr 21 (TM) Exactly two years after the bloody Easter Sunday carnage, which not only destroyed people�s bodies but also shattered their hearts and souls, Sri Lankans still remain traumatised by the attacks, and justice for those affected by the attacks is nowhere in sight. Due to the nature and the alleged motives of the Easter Sunday attacks, concerns were raised as to whether it was a solitary act of a group of local religious extremists or a co-ordinated attack that had the influence more..

Apr 21 (DM) When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world early last year, the corporate world discovered a new golden rule � work from home. It created a new class division, separating those who had to report to work � driving a vehicle, fixing a leaking pipe or tending a patient from home isn�t possible � and those who could use a computer or even their phones to get connected to their offices and clients. It reduced the risk of contamination considerably and cut out the stress and time wastage of more..

Apr 21 (DM) Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda has been in the midst of controversy lately after he allegedly claimed that permits will be granted to Indian fishermen to fish in SL waters. Minister however has denied this claim stating this was merely an idea given to him and Tamil politicians were now misusing his words to gain political mileage among their vote banks in the North. He further insisted more..

Apr 21 (DM) Sanjeeva Fernando, in his article SL�s last hope published in Daily Mirror on March 31, says that in our mediocre intellect, we think that we have lost in Geneva and attributes the defeat to the disastrous policy adopted by Mahinda Rajapaksa regime. He also ridicules the Foreign Minister who said that we welcome the majority of 25 of 47 members in the council to have expressed not to vote against Sri Lanka. Anyone even with his/her mediocre intellect should realise that more..

Apr 21 (CT) It will be two years today, Sri Lanka experienced its worst terror attacks since the end of the bloody separatist war. Three Christian churches and a number of showpiece hotels were targeted by Jihadists who murdered over 250 innocent and maimed many others on that fateful Easter morning. The bombings shook the nation as it was just settling into an era of peace and prosperity. The aftermath threatened to turn community against community. more..

Apr 21 (TM) According to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year traditions, the country has now entered a New Year, and like every year, this New Year was welcomed with fresh hopes. However, people cannot live on mere hope, and what makes a New Year new depends on whether people renew their attitudes and habits and learn from mistakes and the past. One such thing that needs to be relooked at is road accidents in Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 21 (TM) Amidst newer opinions, so called investigation findings as well as changing directions and stances, the public have been perplexed as to the progress or the angle of the investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks, and there is confusion as to whether the achievements concerning the investigations into the bombings do resemble what the public anticipated, especially after two years of investigations into the attacks. As The Morning has repeatedly emphasised, more..

Apr 21 (DM) The belief that the use of fear or terror is justifiable tools to achieve political, religious and social change and the use of violence by individuals, groups or communities to achieve these ends are considered violent extremism or terrorism. During an earlier era, a home-grown terrorist leader which fought a three-decade-long war in this country was wont to say that the use of terrorism to take forward the aims of the movement should not be shunned as the world would forget atrocity within weeks. more..

Apr 21 (CT) The govt was elected on a platform that stressed national security and unity. The elections took place in the aftermath of the Easter suicide bomb attacks of 2019 that caused the highest numbers of casualties in Christian churches. As the bombers were all Muslim, the Muslim population in the country came under public suspicion which was spontaneous and widespread. There was also equally widespread fear and anxiety about follow on attacks that could target Christians more..

Apr 21 (FT) The year 2020 proved to be one of unprecedented economic change across the globe and in SL, presenting significant challenges in all industries, particularly impacting the banking and financial services sector. Alongside the Govt and Central Bank-led economic revival measures mandated industry-wide on account of COVID-19, including credit moratoriums and policy rate reductions, SDB Bank maintained a strong focus on digital transformation which helped them more..

Apr 21 (TM) The Planters� Association of Ceylon (PA) yesterday called on govt and public health officials to ensure that estate sector workers are made a top priority in the Covid-19 vaccination drive, given their essential contributions to the national economy. In a backdrop where Covid-19 cases are once again on the rise both locally and globally, while preparations are already underway for the second phase of the vaccine drive, more..

Apr 21 (Island) A series of near-simultaneous terrorist bombings shocked the country on this day, two years ago. More than 250 persons including children perished in the attacks, which also left hundreds of others injured. It is equally shocking that no one has yet been punished for those heinous crimes and the masterminds behind the attacks have not been identified. The govt would have the public believe that an extremist preacher named Naufer masterminded the attacks, but more..

Apr 21 (Island) One of the best gifts a dad can give a child is a trip to Leisure World at Avissawella and similarly one of the best things that can happen to a SL quick is to get a green top at home. That�s exactly what�s going to happen at Pallekele today. Not too sure when was the last time on SL soil so much grass had been left on a cricket pitch. For a few days Pallekele is going to look like Newlands in Cape Town. The unlucky ones are Dilshan Madusanka and Asitha Fernando who will not more..

Apr 21 (CT) Sri Lanka is likely to have changed their strategies and will bank more on their fast bowlers than an inexperienced spin department when they take on Bangladesh in the first Test at Pallakellae Stadium today. Skipper Dimuth Karunarthne hinted that considering the pitch and history of Bangladesh, who struggle against pace, SL will go in with three pacers. �We will play three fast bowlers in the first match. more..

Apr 21 (FT) Technology company 99x saw its efforts in technological innovation recognised at the recently concluded National Ingenuity Awards 2021, where it won two national and two provincial awards for the cutting-edge digital solutions SuperOffice AI and DevGrade. SuperOffice AI was first named Best Technology or Framework Innovation winner for the Western Province and then went on to win National runner-up title in the Best Technology or Framework Innovation category. more..

Apr 21 (CI) Ill-judged shots, inconsistent bowling, dropped catches, batting collapses - these aren't unexpected anymore when Sri Lanka or Bangladesh play Test cricket. At the same time, when they start the first of two Tests in Pallekele on Wednesday, do expect the odd heroic performance. Those aren't unusual with these teams either. Bangladesh come into the series having lost their last eight international matches across formats. The wheels came off during the white-ball tour of NZ, more..

Apr 21 (AD) Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has sought the support of the member states of the Boao Forum to encourage more businesses from their countries to consider SL as a destination for their investments. He made this request addressing the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2021 held in Boao, Hainan Province in China on Tuesday. Prez told the Boao Forum that Sri Lanka has well thought-out plans to lift more..

Apr 21 (AD) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has requested Prez Rajapaksa to grant a presidential pardon to incarcerated former MP Ranjan Ramanayake. Ramanayake was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment over contempt of court in January, resulting in him losing his parliamentary seat. Opposition Leader informed of his request during yesterday�s parliamentary group meeting of his faction. According to reports, Prez has asked the Opposition Leader to more..

Apr 21 (CT) Gateway College Colombo Under-20 Girls Relay Team was ranked overall 9th for the 4x100m and 11th for the 4x400m in Asian Rankings for 2020. They recorded a performance of 48.51s and 4:05.17s respectively to achieve this feat. Teams representing the Forces and Universities from Japan, China, Vietnam, Korea, Taipei, Thailand, India and Iran were ranked above the Gateway Team. Gateway Girls team was the only junior team that was in this ranking. more..

Apr 21 (FT) A sharp intra-day plunge of the rupee yesterday caused widespread concerns in financial markets, businesses as well as in Parliament whilst exposing loose statements by those in the Govt defending the artificial strength of the currency. Telegraphic Transfer selling rate for the dollar was Rs. 195.21 higher by 1.7% from Rs. 191.97 on Monday. At interbank trade, the dollar one month forward more..

Apr 21 (FT) WindForce Ltd., the latest company to list on the CSE, has acquired Solar Universe Ltd., which has won a tender to develop a 10MW solar power plant in Vavunathivu. Solar Universe is owned in conjunction with Vidullanka and HiEnergy Services Ltd., where each of the three shareholders own an equal stake of 33.33%.This latest project will add 10MW solar PV to the national grid, contributing to 19.70 GWh of power annually, equivalent to 4.9 million litres of oil saved. more..

Apr 21 (AD) Sri Lanka confirmed 05 new COVID-related fatalities today (20) as the death toll from the pandemic climbed to 625. 01. An 85-year-old woman from Mattakkuliya area: She was tested positive for novel coronavirus while receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital and was later transferred to Mulleriyawa Base Hospital where she died on April 16. The cause of death was recorded as heart attacks and blood poisoning along with COVID infection. more..

Apr 21 (Island) SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana told Parliament that the Finance Ministry and Excise Department officials had misled PM and State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal in order to obtain billion rupees, fraudulently. The officials had got a contract for printing stickers or barcodes to be displayed on bottles of liquor awarded to an Indian company. �The project would result in one-billion-rupee loss to the govt coffers annually,� more..

Apr 21 (FT) We must not forget that the Russian Federation was amongst the first countries to assist SL in establishing its industrial base, and at that time the 3 industrial projects, Ceylon Steel Corporation, along with Ceylon Tire Corporation and Ceylon Sugar Corporation, were established in SL with the assistance of Soviet Union,� Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said in Parliament recently. He was speaking at the revival meeting of the Russian-SL Parliamentary Friendship Association more..

Apr 21 (DN) The COVID-19 Pandemic job losses were more likely to occur in urban areas and among private sector employees and own-account workers, a Sri Lanka Country report by World Bank states. The more urbanized Western Province was home to about 28.6% of all workers before the pandemic, but with 36.3% accounted for a much higher share of the job losses. This is to be expected given the large contraction in industries. To mitigate the impact of economic hardship on the poor & vulnerable, more..

Apr 21 (DM) Once the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill comes into effect, the Colombo Port City (CPC) will be a safe haven for money laundering activities, former Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe PC yesterday said. While making his oral submission to the petition filed challenging the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, Dr. Rajapakshe PC said that the drafted Bill was not for more..

Apr 21 (Island) Minister Johnston Fernando accused the Opposition MPs of abusing parliamentary privileges to mislead the public by propagating lies about the Easter Sunday terror attacks. He said: �The Opposition MPs level wild allegations in the House knowing that they have the cover of parliamentary privilege. If they have anything substantial or any knowledge of the perpetrators of the Easter attacks still not in custody they can go to the CID and lodge complaints so that more..

Apr 21 (Island) Environment Ministry says it has been able to reduce garbage dumping in forest reserves by taking legal action against the polluters. Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has instructed officials, particularly in the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) to put an end to dumping of garbage in forest reserves before the end of this year. Areas associated with wildlife sanctuaries are used by some local govt bodies, as well as by some individuals, to dispose of garbage, more..

Apr 21 (FT) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal vehemently refuted Opposition concerns over the rupee being quoted different rates by banks. He told the Parliament that the Opposition MP have confused the spot rates and forward rates given by the banks, whilst assuring that Central Bank confirmed the rupee appreciated by 8 cents against the US Dollar yesterday to Rs. 191.88. �Opposition MP was in a rush to bring this up more..

Apr 21 (DM) Fisheries Minister, Douglas Devananda who was in the midst of controversy last week for allegedly claiming that Indian fishermen would be granted permission to fish in SL waters has denied the claims stating that the present solution to resolve the Indo-Lanka fishing issue was to arrest the Indian fishermen. He said he was even willing to go to the extent of going out to sea himself to stop the Indian fishermen from entering SL waters and especially engaging in bottom trawling which he said more..

Apr 21 (Island) SL�s Foreign reserves had dropped to USD 4.1bn in March 2021, the lowest since August 2009, on the back of over US$ 4bn outstanding debt payment during April-December 2021 period, a report issued by First Capital Research yesterday said. According to the report, rupee appreciation is likely to be short-lived considering SL�s depleting foreign reserve position, high foreign currency debt repayment requirement and limited funding sources available more..

Apr 21 (DM) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said the govt has not taken a decision to ban any religious or political organisation but the PCoI that probed the Easter Sunday carnage has recommended prohibiting 11 organisations that had allegedly supported or spread Muslim extremist ideology. He said the AG after close scrutiny of the PCoI report has decided to ban those organiszations that had posed a threat to national security more..

Apr 21 (CT) Chairman of the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA), Renuka Perera has decided to resign from his post, in protest of influence and pressure from State Minister of Housing, Indika Anuruddha. In a letter to PM Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday, Perera claimed that he was influenced on multiple occasions to appoint a person found guilty by an audit inquiry to the post of Acting Superintendent of the NHDA. However, he did not agree. more..

Apr 21 (CT) Police will provide maximum security today, to all religious institutions which commemorate those killed in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. Also, Archbishop of Colombo, Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith requested the public to observe a two-minute silence from 8:45 a.m. today, to commemorate the victims of the terror attacks. Special services will be held at Catholic churches islandwide to commemorate the victims of the Easter Sunday Attacks, and arrangements more..

Apr 21 (Island) Former Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said that the ongoing deepening controversy over the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill underscored SL�s pathetic failure to adopt a common stand in respect of matters of national importance. He compared the handing over of the Hambantota port to China, under controversial circumstances on a 99-year-lease, in July 2017, with the Colombo Port City project to be managed more..