Apr 26 (EN) Sri Lanka residents who have worked abroad and earned money, individuals or firms which provide services to foreigners have been allowed to open accounts in foreign banks under regulations issued under the Foreign Exchange Act. Money earned before SL�s 2017 Foreign Exchange Act was enacted or before could be held in such accounts. In regulations that went into effect on March 22, persons who go abroad temporarily for business, medical or education purposes are also more..

Apr 26 (CT) Central Bank will be holding its largest ever treasuries auctions for the issuances of a total Rs 125,000 mil worth of treasuries, after a space of two months, in two separate auctions to be held this week. These auctions are being held at the height of a new COVID-19 Pandemic sweeping the country, which had its beginnings during the current Avurudu season causing renewed anxiety among investors. more..

Apr 26 (ST) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with its affiliate agencies is accelerating efforts to attract the Diaspora, foreign investors and fund managers overseas and showcase the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) as an attractive destination. The SEC is organising forums for investors in association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the CSE and the respective embassies. Starting this Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the SEC together with more..

Apr 26 (FT) SLPP MP Geetha Kumarasinghe yesterday made an appeal for a Presidential pardon for former SJB MP Ranjan Ramanayake, who is serving a prison sentence for contempt of court. �I am not making this appeal for any political concerns. I make this appeal to grant the Presidential pardon to my one-time silver screen colleague and artiste Ranjan Ramanayake for the sake of the cinema industry,� Kumarasinghe said in Parliament. Ramanayake was sentenced to four years of more..

Apr 26 (CI) It was always the likeliest result, and rain ensured that the first Test between SL and Bangladesh in Pallekele ended as a high-scoring draw. No play was possible after tea on the final day, leaving Bangladesh on 100 for 2 in their second innings, but that was only of academic interest as the two huge first-innings totals made sure there was little drama anticipated. There were flutters for B'desh after SL declared 107 runs in front more..

Apr 26 (CT) Minister Sarath Weerasekara said the CID has obtained the Speaker�s written approval to arrest MP Rishad Bathiudeen in connection with the ongoing Easter attack investigations. Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaj Bathiudeen were arrested by the CID on the morning of 24 April, following investigations by the CID and the TID into the Easter attacks. �It has been revealed that they had links with the suicide bombers who carried out the terrorist attack and aided and abetted them more..

Apr 26 (CT) A large number of local tourists arrived in Nuwara Eliya from various areas of the island on 25 April as well, without taking into consideration the risk of the spread of Covid-19 virus. These tourists have arrived in Nuwara Eliya for the Spring Carnival organised by the Nuwara Eliya MC. A 4x4 jeep competition was held in the vicinity of Lake Gregory and there was a large crowd present to watch it. It was apparent how these visitors were enjoying themselves without following health advice. more..

Apr 26 (ST) A new tourism bill has proposed the setting up of an industry consultative committee that will provide guidance to the SL tourism authorities, but major hotels are opposing it on the basis of lack of transparency. �The intention is to gain more inclusive input from the private sector,� said SL Tourism Development Authority Chairperson Kimarli Fernando. Private sector raised objections recently over Cabinet approval given to more..

Apr 26 (ST) SL�s largest plastic recycler Eco Spindles was among industry experts in an invaluable panel discussion themed �Circularity in a Fashion Supply Chain� held at the recently concluded Responsible Fashion Summit organised by the Colombo Fashion Week (CFW). Representing Eco Spindles at the discussion, CEO at Eco Spindles Yarns, Nalaka Seneviratne elaborated on how Eco Spindles currently operates and provided insightful details on the recycling economy more..

Apr 26 (TM) Farmers in Walsapugala are continuing their Satyagraha for the 100th day today (26), despite the gazette on the Hambantota Wild Elephant Management Reserve being published, claiming that human activity is still allowed inside the reserve. �There are many problems in the gazette that was issued two weeks ago. One of the main problems is that human activity is still allowed inside the reserve, under these regulations. That defeats the purpose of a reserve,� more..

Apr 26 (PMD) Only a vaccine can end the COVID-19 pandemic. The govt has a systematic and strong programme in place to vaccinate the public. Prez Rajapaksa emphasized that in order to overcome this challenge, the people must strictly follow all the rules and regulations recommended by the health authorities, as they did in the first wave of COVID-19 epidemic. Govt has made arrangements to import 4 of the COVID-19 vaccines more..

Apr 26 (CT) Alcazaba proved she is still the Queen of Nuwara Eliya Racecourse with her gallant win, which gave her the spotlight back and the RTC Magic Million Cup in the Horse Racing Festival 2021 finale held under strict health guidelines on Saturday. The overall outcome was far from what was witnessed on 15 April at the Governor�s Cup raceday. Winners of the prestigious raceday, oddly, failed to impress in the five-race event held this weekend and were beaten by some of more..

Apr 26 (ST) �There is a trend being seen of oxygen-dependency by young people who are becoming positive,� said the Director-General (DG) of Health Services, Dr. Asela Gunawardena. As these people need support with oxygen, he reiterated that the health authorities have responded to this need quickly and are setting up wall oxygen facilities in high dependency units (HDUs) and general wards in selected hospitals such as Moratuwa, Kosgama and Navagamuwa with aid from the World Bank. more..

Apr 26 (TM) A pilot stock of 15,000 doses of the Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Russia is scheduled to arrive in SL on Thursday (29). State Pharmaceuticals Corporation (SPC) is expected to send the feedback on the vaccine such as on the availability of cold chains and storage facilities, after which the rest of the stocks will be delivered according to the agreed upon more..

Apr 26 (TM) A task force will be appointed this week to combat the unusual algae bloom in the Diyawanna Oya, following rising concerns over increased air pollution and an odour in surrounding areas. Ministry of Environment Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe said that the task force would be appointed following necessary cabinet approval, and would focus on finding short-term, immediate solutions to the unusual growth of algae bloom in the Diyawanna Oya. �Task force members would consist of more..

Apr 26 (DM) Whilst warning that Sri Lanka will be blacklisted once again by the Financial Action Task Force as a centre for money laundering if the Port City Economic Commission Bill is enacted in its present form, Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday called for amendments to the proposed legislation to avoid such a situation. �SL was blacklisted by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in 2011 and was included in the grey list later when we presented a corrective situation in 2015. more..

Apr 26 (TM) Govt yesterday cancelled all state functions which were scheduled to be held over the next two weeks and banned all functions, meetings, and parties which were scheduled to be held over the next two weeks by the private sector as per quarantine regulations. Govt said that these measures have been taken to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile the Prez, said that only a vaccine can end more..

Apr 27 (DM) Public Health Inspectors� Union (PHIU) warned prior to the Sinhala and Hindu New Year of another spike of COVID-19 in the country after the festival, citing the obvious scant regard by the people for health guidelines. Their warning was unheeded both by the relevant authorities and the people and the latter used the long holiday for excursions to various destinations with families and friends. Prediction has come true; we are witnessing apparently the beginning of a third wave more..

Apr 27 (CT) Yesterday, this newspaper, in an article published under the heading Another Buddha Statue destroyed, suspect arrested, to quote excerpts said, Rakwana Police arrested an individual who dashed a Buddha Statue placed at the Rakwana Bus Stand about eight months ago. According to OIC Rakwana Police, the perpetrator of the Rakwana incident appeared to be a person who was mentally unsound. He also told this newspaper that the suspect belonged to a different minority more..

Apr 27 (DM) The Port City Commission Bill is a very controversial and sensitive issue in Sri Lanka. The Port City itself faced a lot of criticism from the time the project kicked off. And the former govt of Prez Sirisena and PM Wickremesinghe had in fact suspended the project temporarily when there were some concerns that were raised on the environment. Daily Mirror spoke to former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe on the Bill, the Port City more..

Apr 27 (DM) I�ve never seen such huge crowds a jovial Indian MP Narendra Modi tweeted after witnessing a massive crowd at an election rally in Asansol, West Bengal last Saturday, the day country recorded more than 234,000 new Covid-19 cases and thousands of deaths mainly due to lack of oxygen in hospitals for the suffering patients. It was barely a month ago, delivering a public speech in Colombo, I highlighted the popularity of PM Modi with special reference to his efforts in more..

Apr 27 (CT) When SJB MP Harin Fernando stood up in parliament, donned a black shawl and made his explosive speech about the Easter Sunday attack, his audience would have reacted along partisan lines. But on one point, his supporters and detractors would have been in agreement. As they listened to him, they would have thought, that chap is definitely going to be arrested any day now. In Sri Lanka today, whether or not you will be arrested or prosecuted is not a function of whether more..

Apr 27 (DM) The epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic is shifting. From China to Europe and now to neighboring India the virus is showing no mercy to its people. In Sri Lanka, even before the Sinhala and Hindu New Year festivities concluded the country experienced a surge in the number of COVID cases. With more cases being detected people fear whether the country has to experience another lockdown. more..

Apr 27 (TM) More than lack of resources, expert knowledge, or time, it was the rulers� lackadaisicalness and disregard that prevented Sri Lanka from achieving great things. Waiting until things get worse, and sometimes until things get out of hand, is an inherent characteristic of most SL authorities and rulers, and even after that, there is no guarantee that the public can expect serious action. The 51st Earth Day � an international day celebrated to express support for more..

Apr 27 (Island) Several issues have troubled this country during the last several months, and eclipsed the most important one�the pandemic. The focus of the public has recently shifted from contaminated cooking oil to overpriced cooking gas. There has been a furore over the state-owned gas company duping and fleecing the public. This issue has to be sorted out fast, but cooking gas will be the least of Sri Lanka�s problems if the pandemic situation worsens, as feared. more..

Apr 27 (TM) Archbishop of Colombo and Head of the Roman Catholic Church in SL Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith presided over the 21 April 2021 commemoration with the participation of other religious leaders. Talking about the issue, he said the problem is not just about Catholics, but about the whole country. According to him, he sees the problem of terrorism and extremism as factors behind the Easter Sunday bomb attacks. His repeated complaint is that those who are more..

Apr 27 (ST) A lack of remorse violating the anti-corruption code played a key role in the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal�s decision to hand an eight-year ban on ex-SL cricketer Dilhara Lokuhettige, the 22-page decision on the sanctions reveals. The 40-year-old Sri Lankan was slapped with corruption charges by the ICC�s Anti-Corruption Unit in April 2019, five months after the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) also charged him. The accusations relate to the 2017 T10 tournament played in the UAE. more..

Apr 27 (TM) There was a time when Sri Lanka was known as the Great Barn of the East and was a leading cultivator of paddy. To this day, Sri Lankans take pride in those lost days of glory, while the status quo of the country�s agriculture sector is on the decline. Sri Lanka is no longer self-sufficient in paddy, nor are farmers revered as before. Farmers� status of life is challenged by a plethora of reasons, the most pressing one being more..

Apr 27 (Island) Why oppose the Colombo Port City or the Bill? Some may oppose because it is a Rajapaksa initiative. If it were a UNP or a SJB one, it would have been perfectly acceptable to them! Quite strangely, even the JVP leaders might be thinking in that direction. The role of the Opposition in a democratic society is completely misunderstood or turned upside down. Some others may oppose because, arguably, it is against the country�s or people�s sovereignty. more..

Apr 27 (Island) A recent report on higher education published by the National Audit Office (2020) attempted to make a connection between graduate unemployment and Arts education. Today�s Kuppi Talk is derived from a response that we, a group of university academics formulated to the report. When education policy is increasingly being driven by inadequate research, misplaced priorities, and flawed analyses, some of the report�s claims are worth a second look. more..

Apr 27 (ST) Until April 10, Roshan Abeysundara was an ordinary Airman, living a normal life with his wife, parents and sisters in their family house in Talalle, Matara. But the very next day, he became a sensation. He swam across the Palk Strait, a distance of 59.3 km, under 29 hours and breaking a 50-year-old record, set by V.S. Kumar Anandan in 1971, between the shortest distance that separates SL and India. more..

Apr 27 (Island) Hameedia, SL�s leading total men�s wear solution provider commemorated International Women�s Day recently with a wave of educative and interesting events. Celebrated cricketing personality Roshan Mahanama, Attorneys-at-Law, Naushalya Rajapaksha and Chamathka Rathnayaka from The Yeheliya Foundation and Dr. Lanka Jayasuriya Dissanayake, Chairperson/Trustee of the Indira Cancer Trust (ICT) Foundation together with the management and staff at Hameedia (Pvt) Ltd more..

Apr 27 (Island) The finals of the Summer Season All Island Open Badminton Championship organized by the Central Province Badminton Association together with Nuwara Eliya District Badminton Association under the patronage of SL Badminton Association, will be held today (27) at the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council Indoor Stadium. Dilmi Dias is set to meet Ranithma Liyanage in the women�s singles final while the men�s singles final will be played between Buwaneka Goonetileke more..

Apr 27 (FT) Exports and service sectors-heavy blue chip conglomerate Hayleys Plc�s investment spree to expand businesses last week crossed the Rs. 45 billion mark since coming under Dhammika Perera�s empire a decade ago, reinforcing its sheer country and growth focus whilst harnessing global opportunities. The surpassing of Rs. 45 billion took place last week when Hayleys acquired control of South Asia Textiles Ltd more..

Apr 27 (Island) SL skipper Dimuth Karunaratne has conceded that his team misread the wicket ahead of the opening Test match against Bangladesh at Pallekele that concluded in a tame draw on Sunday. A thick grass cover had indicated that the wicket was going to heavily favour seam bowling, but eventually the batsmen made merry with Bangladesh posting 541, the highest total at Pallekele, only for Sri Lankans to raise the benchmark to 648 when they batted. Despite the grass cover, more..

Apr 27 (FT) As part of furthering capital market development, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is promoting several new investment options, some of which are first-of-their-kind in Sri Lanka. Chairman Viraj Dayaratne PC told the Daily FT that the SEC has approved in principle Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) with the relevant framework in place. Explaining SPACs, he said: �A sponsor (reputed individual or company) lists a shell company with an IPO. more..

Apr 27 (FT) The World Bank reassured SL of its support to build back better from Covid-19 impact. Reassurance was conveyed in a statement following conclusion of a successful visit by the World Bank�s Country Director for Maldives, Nepal and SL Faris Hadad-Zervos to the country. During the visit he reiterated the World Bank�s commitment to support SL�s efforts towards recovery and to build back better from the COVID-19 shock. more..

Apr 27 (FT) Maha Sanga had last week emphasised that a country should not remain in one place without moving ahead and it should endeavour to progress commercially towards success. The Maha Sanga shared these views as they were informed about the Colombo Port City project during the 10th discussion with the Buddhist Advisory Council at the Presidential Secretariat. State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal spoke about the project in-depth and enlightened its benefits to both the economy more..

Apr 27 (Island) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal said yesterday that there was no relationship between money printing by the Central Bank and the depreciation of the local rupee in the foreign currency market. When asked whether the value of the SL rupee showed a negative correlation to a surge in money printing by the Cental Bank as the Opposition claimed, he replied, �Generally, people say it maybe because they don�t know. The issue is when those that claim to be in the know of more..