Apr 22 (TM) In a statement issued today, Ranil Wickremesinghe voiced his opinion on the Colombo Port City Commission Bill. He states that during the time of the last govt, he proposed the establishment of a modest financial centre which had no connection to the original proposal of the Port City. He added that this modest financial centre was going to focus mainly on offshore services versus relying on banking. more..

Apr 22 (DM) SJB MP Harin Fernando has been summoned by the CID to record a statement. MP Fsaid that he was asked to report to the CID tomorrow at 10 a.m to record a statement over an investigation into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. However, MP said that he is currently receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo for an illness. He said that he would request CID to provide another date to record the statement. Meanwhile UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe more..

Apr 22 (TM) A SriLankan Airlines Airbus A320 Neo aircraft bearing registration number 4R-ANB was damaged on the ground in Velana Int'l Airport, Mal� yesterday. The aircraft�s horizontal stabilizer sustained damages when a ground service vehicle collided with it while parked on the ramp. The A320 Neo was operating flight as UL115, departing Colombo at 13:13 local time. It arrived in Mal� after a flight time of one hour and nine minutes. The aircraft was scheduled to operate more..

Apr 22 (TM) The proposed Colombo Port City is undoubtedly one of the most important projects with tremendous potential for Sri Lanka. However, the Colombo Port City Economic Zones Special Commission Bill that paves the way for the creation of an all powerful Commission was answerable only to the Executive has been disputed by legal experts. Making submissions before the Supreme Court on behalf of the petitions more..

Apr 22 (TM) Colombo district Mayor Rosy Senanayake today stated that a mobile phone application would be implemented to understand the origin and interactions with other plants and animals etc. to promote food security in the city of Colombo. She stated that the purpose of this was to identify and store digital data on plants, granting virtual ownership to existing students in Colombo. She stated this at the launch of the sapling plantation done by CMC and Ministry of Environment more..

Apr 22 (CT) Department of Statistics at the Uni of Colombo (UoC) will start its academic activities in a new building on Friday, as it celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The new 7-storey Department of Statistics building will provide students with much needed space for lecture halls and state-of-the-art computer labs for learning and research. The improved infrastructure will enable it to strengthen the ongoing tasks and explore untapped avenues of interdisciplinary research. more..

Apr 22 (AD) Govt has reformed the intelligence services to thwart the recurrence of tragic incidents similar to Easter Sunday bombings in the country, says Defence Secretary Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne. �Intelligence services are well trained and qualified for their profession but the non-existence of a suitable environment to concentrate into their line of work would cripple the flow of the system,� he said. more..

Apr 22 (CT) All documents related to the Provincial Council (PC) Elections have been finalised and will be tabled in Parliament as soon as possible, Cabinet Spokesman, Keheliya Rambukwella said Tuesday. When queried about the Govt�s stance regarding the statement made by Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, that Sri Lanka should fulfil its commitments on devolution of political authority, including early holding of Provincial Council Elections, more..

Apr 22 (TM) National Movement for Consumer Rights Protection (NMCRP) levelled allegations against Litro Gas Ltd. of arbitrarily increasing the price of a gas cylinder by introducing a new product named as Premium Hybrid and thereby deceiving consumers. NMCRP Chairman Ranjith Vithanage stated that as the attempts by local gas suppliers to increase the local prices of a gas cylinder proved futile, with the Govt vehemently objecting the request, Litro has recently rolled out more..

Apr 22 (AD) The changes required for a turning point in the country�s education will be introduced soon, says Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa. He added stated that the objective of the govt is to endow a future generation that is productive to the country and capable of directly contributing to the country�s economy. His remarks came during the Certificate Awarding Ceremony of the first phase of National Programme Ratak Watina Pothak more..

Apr 22 (EN) Questions were raised in SL�s parliament how China�s embassy invited them to a study tour of Colombo Port City where a bill to set up a regulatory commission for the reclaimed area is currently challenged at the Supreme Court. Opposition legislator Harshana Rajakaruna, dressed in black to mark Islamist suicide attacks on Easter Sunday April 21 in 2019 read out a text message from the parliament saying that a visit to Colombo Port City on invitation of Chinese embassy more..

Apr 22 (NR) The Kuliyapitiya Police area will be placed in isolation from tomorrow. Commander of the Army General Shavendra Silva said the decision was reached owing to the coronavirus situation in the area. The Thiththawelgala Grama Niladhari area in Ganewatta, Kurunegala has been isolated since last evening. 171 COVID-19 cases were recorded from the Kurunegala District yesterday. Of the infections reported from Kurunegala 100 were from Ganewatta and 59 from Kuliyapitiya. more..

Apr 22 (CI) Upon realising that the Pallekele surface was offering little to the quicks and even less to spinners in the early part of this Test, SL changed their bowling strategy. Where they had begun the Test with hopes of bundling Bangladesh out cheaply with their trio of seam bowlers, they decided that instead of chasing wickets, they would look to dry up the runs. This was what left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando more..

Apr 23 (CT) Fidel Castro who launched the Cuban Revolution in 1959 along with Ernesto Che Guevara was President of Cuba, a one-party Communist State, until 2006. He was also the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba until 2011, when his brother Raul Castro, assumed that position. Raul was also President from 2006 to 2018. Miguel Diaz-Canel who became President in 2018 succeeds Raul Castro as the Party�s First Secretary also ending the Castro family rule of 62 years. more..

Apr 23 (DM) It was exactly a week ago that Sri Lankans � mainly Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus celebrated the National New Year in a manner more relaxed than last year at the height of the first phase of the COVID-19 onslaught when the entire country was tied down with curfews and lockdowns, which prevented people moving from one area to another to visit relatives and friends as is traditionally done at this time of the year. The downside of the celebrations during more..

Apr 23 (FT) Today, 21 April, is the second anniversary of the Easter Sunday bombings which rocked and shocked Sri Lanka and the world at large two years ago. On the morning of that fateful Easter Sunday, suicide bombers targeted three plush hotels and three churches in Colombo, Negombo and Batticaloa; over 260 were killed and over 500 injured in the well- coordinated near simultaneous attacks by a group allegedly more..

Apr 23 (DM) Barely a fortnight after assuming office as the PreZ, Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated in India that it was through development and not through devolution that the problems faced by the Tamil people could be resolved. And he had assigned the subject of Provincial Councils to Sarath Weerasekara who is dead set against the concept of devolution of power and provincial councils. And Weerasekara in turn had been expressing his antipathy towards provincial council system. more..

Apr 23 (ER) At the opening plenary of the Boao Forum for Asia on Tuesday, SL Prez Rajapaksa and Chinese Prez Xi Jinping took swipes at the West, each reflecting his country�s concerns vis-�-vis the West, though no country or group was named. While the SL Prez sought from the Western powers respect for the sovereignty of independent States, Xi urged the West to shed its Cold War mentality and Zero Sum game and help bring about a world order reflecting the emerging multi-polar world and more..

Apr 23 (TM) The role of any form of media in any country is an exceedingly responsible one, and the outcomes of what they report may result in a countless number of things, depending on how it is reported and how it is perceived by the audience. The importance of that connection between journalist and audience cannot be stressed enough, as what the audience sees and reads in the media has a considerable impact on people�s lives. more..

Apr 23 (TM) Taking decisions based on outdated beliefs, or failing to take decisions to match the evolving world, is an accusation that has always been levelled against Sri Lanka�s lawmakers, and the country has witnessed many progressive suggestions being turned down due to lawmakers who are not willing to let go of their political interests when considering matters of national interest. One such proposal, which, if implemented properly, could be beneficial in several ways, more..

Apr 23 (ST) Picture a tree in your garden, the flowers of which have blossomed under your loving care; where you would sit on a bench underneath the branches and have numerous chats over the years with family and friends! The margosa tree in the garden is a similar companion but on this Thursday morning except for the rustling of the leaves as strong winds swept through its branches, there was silence, absolute silence. No conversation from the trio � Kussi Amma Sera, more..

Apr 23 (CT) President�s Counsel Romesh De Silva told the Supreme Court on Wednesday (21) that there was no constitutional bar to the Chief Justice of SL being a foreign national, as he strove to make a case for the Govt of Prez Rajapaksa to allow Beijing to govern the Colombo Port City. Making a three hour submission before a five judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by the Chief Justice, De Silva PC said that even the Chief Justice himself and the other judges can be non-Sri Lankans. more..

Apr 23 (DM) It was a grim beginning for the new year. Amidst the festive fever of the Sinhala-Tamil Avrudu and the lull in the official business, PM tabled a motion in Parliament to give effect to the recommendations of a controversial PCoI on political victimization. In more layman�s terms he was seeking to dismiss judicial proceedings into a series of high profile cases of human rights violations, corruption and nepotism involving the govt leaders and their close circles. more..

Apr 23 (TM) A significant decline in the water quality of the Diyawanna Oya has drawn attention to the degradation and declining quality of water in urban water bodies. As pointed out by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament recently, the waters of the Diyawanna seem discoloured, and green sediments of algal bloom can be seen spread throughout the lake. According to Premadasa, drains and sewerage systems more..

Apr 23 (FT) Health authorities yesterday confirmed five COVID-19 deaths, bringing the country�s COVID-19 fatalities to 634. An individual from Moratuwa died of COVID pneumonia exacerbated by heart disease while receiving treatment at the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) Hospital. The individual was 80-years-old. A 71-year-old individual from Peliyagoda also died on 20 April while receiving treatment at the Ittapana District Hospital. The cause of death is cited as COVID pneumonia. more..

Apr 23 (TO) The IUCN World Heritage Conservation Outlook Assessment in its latest assessment cycle of 252 global Natural World Heritage Sites (released on 09 Dec 2020), has assessed Sinharaja Natural World Heritage Site (SNWHS), the icon of biodiversity conservation in Sri Lanka, as significant concern. What it simply means is that the site�s conservation values are threatened and/or are showing signs of deterioration. It recommends that significant additional conservation measures more..

Apr 23 (EN) Sri Lanka�s exporters and importers are working against multiple global and domestic disruptions in logistics in the post Covid-19 period to keep exports ticking and supply the country with essential foods and raw material as freight rates soar. Exporters are also facing shortfalls of containers with import controls in Sri Lanka, comppunding global bottlenecks in shuttling empty containers. more..

Apr 23 (FT) Stock market debutant WindForce Ltd. yesterday gained by 15.6% or Rs. 2.50 to Rs. 18.50 during its maiden trading. The largest renewable energy firm saw 47.5 million of its shares exchanging hands via 3,108 trades creating the highest turnover of Rs. 869.6 million or 33% of the day's total. WIND had a high of Rs. 19 and a low of Rs. 17.70. The average price was Rs. 18.30, compared with IPO price of Rs. 16. The first trade of WIND was 541,791 shares at Rs. 17.90 each more..

Apr 23 (ST) The odds were on current holder of the Governor�s Cup, Spirited Touch to maintain its title and a strong comeback from Alcazaba, a two-time winner of the prestigious cup at the RTC Governor�s Cup 2021 powered by EFL last Thursday. However hopes of both these fillies were blown away by Western Wind, who managed to hold on to a nerve wrecking finish ahead of Alcazaba and Spirited Touch, surprising many who were present at the Racecourse in Nuwara Eliya more..

Apr 23 (FT) The chorus against a new Tourism Act is getting louder as the private sector funded and driven industry is fighting for its rightful representation in key marketing and regulatory agencies which they want to continue independently than amalgamating to single entity. Last week the industry�s apex bodies Hotels Association of SL (THASL), Colombo City Hotels Association (CCHA) & SL Association of Inbound Tour Operators more..

Apr 23 (Island) HNB PLC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Capital Maharaja Group�s initiative Gammadda Sri Lanka, the country�s largest rural development movement to develop infrastructure facilities of the Yaya 6 village Mahawilachchiya, in the Anuradhapura District. The project is powered by HNB�s exclusive private banking proposition, The Club HNB, with the goal of engaging members and in opportunities for focused, impactful philanthropy. more..

Apr 23 (DM) As majority of the producers grapple with the rising producer prices, the small-scale poultry farmers have been forced to exit the industry due to the escalating feed prices, which among other things have pushed the selling price of fresh chicken up to astronomically high levels. However, the development appears to be making another group of winners, i.e. the large-scale listed poultry firms, which possess the scale and financial muscle to weather adversities plaguing the industry. more..

Apr 23 (FT) SriLankan Airlines, the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of the prestigious oneworld alliance, said it would commence flight operations to Nairobi � Kenya, its second destination in East Africa after flying to the Seychelles. Scheduled flights would commence today (22) between Bandaranaike Int'l Airport (BIA) and Jomo Kenyatta Int'l Airport (NBO), East Africa�s largest and busiest airport. more..

Apr 23 (CT) Sri Lanka tea export earnings in the first quarter (1Q) of the year (2021) increased by 33.29% (Rs 16.39 billion) to Rs 65.62 billion. Commensurate with these developments, tea export volumes in the review period increased by 17.30% (10.31 million kilos) to 69.89 million kg, it said. Additionally, the US dollar value in fob (free on board) terms increased by 6.56% (US$0.30) to $4.87 per kg, Forbes said. Meanwhile, in rupee terms, this increase in the commensurate Q was 13.62% more..

Apr 23 (ST) Will Sri Lanka have adequate vaccines to give the second dose to 925,242 people who have got the first jab between Jan 29 and April 10? Health experts pointed out that if the country does not get another stock of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines the latest by mid-May, there will not be adequate vaccines as the in-hand doses of 338,758 will run out. This is the worry gripping the country as the Avurudu festivities and lengthy holidays came to a close, with many people throwing caution more..

Apr 23 (FT) Marking the second consecutive day where over 500 COVID-19 patients have been detected in the island, 672 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. The patients detected include 657 associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster and the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, and Prisons clusters have expanded to 93,152 patients. A total of 98,722 COVID-19 patients have been detected in the island to date. more..

Apr 23 (WB) The Govt of Sri Lanka and the World Bank signed today a $69.53 million credit agreement to improve dams and irrigation schemes covering 165,000 hectares of agricultural land and improve the management of watersheds and water resources, benefitting 356,000 farming families. Mr. Sajith Attygalle, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance signed on behalf of the Govt and Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka, signed on behalf of the World Bank. more..

Apr 23 (FT) SJB MP Buddhika Pathirana stated that the Department of Excise in a statement had in effect accepted the allegations he made against the office in Parliament on Tuesday. Pathirana alleged the Excise Dept has misled the Finance Ministry and misappropriated over a billion rupees from the Treasury annually over tax stamps for alcohol products. Excise Department responding to Pathirana in a media release on Wednesday conceded QR codes in tax stamps affixed to more..

Apr 23 (FT) The headline inflation in March as measured by the year-on-year (YOY) change based on the NCPI has been compiled as 5.1%, up from 4.2% in February. Contributions to the inflation rate of March 2021 from food group and non-food group are 4% and 1.1% respectively. Whilst contributions of food and non-food groups to the inflation in Mar 2020 were 6% and 1% respectively, resulted in headline inflation in 7%. more..