Apr 4 (Island) In the backdrop of an independent panel of medical experts cautioning against administering the controversial Chinese manufactured Covid-19 Sinopharm jab over safety and efficacy concerns, a key body of eminent medical specialists last week warned of the adverse fallout of using an unproven vaccine in SL. In what was described as a strong warning, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) drove home more..

Apr 4 (SO) A game of hide and seek is taking place in the run-up to the election of office bearers to Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) as one camp was given a disputed extension towards legitimacy while the other side is targeting a legal challenge. It comes in the wake of the Attorney General declaring that the term of the current SLC administration or incumbent camp which is seeking a second stint, had expired on February 20 following the opposing Ranatunga faction lodging a protest with Sports Minister more..

Apr 4 (SO) Calling on the authorities to protect the small and medium sector coconut based industries which are in dire straits due to foreign factory operators of coconut-based products, the Consortium of Coconut Based Producers and Exporters of Ceylon (COCOPEC) called upon the policy makers to set up a vibrant force to ensure the sustenance of SMEs of the industry. COCOPEC President Upali Weerakoon said what is distressing is foreigners who initially patronised SL more..

Apr 4 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa moved to give a reminder that all public servants, including those in Forest Conservation & Wildlife Depts, are in fact there to serve the people and should therefore look at both sides of the issues when addressing them. �Some do not understand the issues of the underprivileged. They haven�t visited these areas and haven�t witnessed anything. If I ask to release these lands, I will be attacked more..

Apr 4 (Island) Brokers reported last week that the drop in tea prices was bad news for the industry, which was doing reasonably well in recent months. Forbes and Walker said in their weekly tea market report that after ten months of buoyant prices, last week�s auction prices declined by Rs. 20 to 30 per kilo. The depreciation of the rupee against the dollar, now at Rs. 202.04, was also partly instrumental for the price decline. The anticipated crop boost after Easter and Sinhala/Tamil New Year holidays more..

Apr 4 (Island) A critically endangered new species of geckos (Cnemaspis lokugei) was discovered from Haputale and Idalgashinna areas in Sri Lanka�s central highlands. This was the first to be recorded so far for 2021. The newly discovered species was named in honor of Ajith Nethkelum Lokuge, a pioneer ecologist, analogue forestry specialist and a senior member of Young Zoologists� Association (YZA) of SL, for his significant contribution towards environmental conservation & research in SL. more..

Apr 4 (ST) The electricity regulator, Public Utilities Commission of SL (PUCSL), this week overstepped its mandate to negotiate prices with and approve a 4-year extension of contracts for three independent power producers (IPPs)�even as a Cabinet sub-committee discusses whether to keep or take the furnace-oil fueled power plants off the national grid. �We have negotiated and given them [the IPPs] a cap on their capacity and more..

Apr 4 (Island) After the successful first manned space flight by Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, earning the title of First Cosmonaut, he visited SL (then Ceylon) eight months later on Dec 7, 1961. The year 2021 marks 60 years since this historic moment and the Russian House in Colombo and the SL Russia Friendship Society have jointly organized a special Stamp and Photographic Exhibition on Apr 6, 7 and 8 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Yuri Gagarin�s Space Flight and Visit to Ceylon. more..

Apr 4 (SBS) The parents of a five-year-old boy who was left behind on a Coober Pedy school bus last week say better procedures are needed to safeguard against potential tragedies. The family said the driver of the Coober Pedy Area School bus that Thinula Rayon Hettiarachchi got on last Wednesday afternoon failed to drop him at home. He was then left inside the vehicle after it was parked up at the end of the school round. Thinula was found walking alone on the side of more..

Apr 4 (TM) Special Deposit Account (SDA) which was announced during the peak of a potential foreign exchange crisis amidst the local outbreak of the pandemic is set to be extended by another year. As the validity of the SDA is set to expire on this Wednesday (7), we inquired with the CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman, where he stated that CB has decided to extend the validity order to seek assistance for the national effort to more..

Apr 4 (Island) The CID has begun interrogating five persons linked to the three importers of contaminated coconut oil in a bid to get to the bottom of what is suspected to be a big time racket, which had continued for a considerable period of time. Police said the phone records of the suspects will be checked to ascertain whether any others were also involved in the racket to inject cheap imported coconut oil with a high concentration of carcinogenic aflatoxins into the market. more..

Apr 4 (ST) As the SL rupee hit the 200-mark in relation to the US Dollar this week for the first time, urgent measures to protect foreign reserves and stabilise the rupee will include delays in payments due on SL Development Bonds (SLDBs) � a debt denominated in US dollars by the govt, until next year and to differ the repayment of foreign currency loans taken by local private banks, the Treasury and the Central Bank have decided. A senior Treasury official said the moves would help the govt to more..

Apr 4 (ST) Prez Rajapaksa has cracked down on officials for ignoring his instructions. In a circular issued this week, the Presidential Secretariat has called for explanations from officials found responsible for disregarding instructions set out in two circulars issued last year. The circulars require Govt institutions to implement all ICT and digital solutions under the overall management and supervision of the ICTA of Sri Lanka. more..

Apr 4 (TM) Govt will focus on implementing the initiatives taken by Sri Lanka such as the LLRC and the Paranagama Commission on abductions and disappearances, Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. �Also, in parallel, action will be taken to win the hearts and minds of the people of the Northern Province and to take necessary measures to ensure that they feel as if they are part of one country. Action will be taken continuously in this regard and there is more to be done as well,� more..

Apr 4 (SO) Minister of Public Security Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera lambasted the Provincial Council system in the country and added that the Northern Provincial Council was a failure with the former Northern Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran even returning half of the money to the Treasury that was allocated to administer the Northern Provincial Council. The Minister opened two new police stations at Maruthankerni and Mallavi in the Northern province on Friday (2). more..

Apr 4 (TM) The govt has set no date for the resumption of Covid-19 vaccination programme, as there has been no confirmation yet on when the already promised vaccine stocks from the Serum Institute of India, the supplier of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, will be provided. Covid-19 vaccination programme was temporarily suspended since 31 March due to a delay in securing more vaccines, more..

Apr 4 (ST) A national drug regulatory authority member who stood strongly against approving COVID-19 vaccines, especially the Chinese Sinopharm vial, without data, was sacked by Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi on Friday. Consultant Paediatrician Dr. LakKumar Fernando, a Board Member of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA), was the nominee of the SL College of Paediatricians. Not only as an NMRA board member but also as part of more..

Apr 4 (Island) The report of the advisory panel of medical experts, raised some critical questions on the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of the Sinopharm vaccine. The report says there was no response from the Chinese manufacturer on how the vaccine induces antibodies (neutralizing antibodies and IgG antibodies to the SARS-CoV2) compared to the responses following natural infection. i.e. antibody responses induced by the vaccine in comparison to antibodies convalescent more..

Apr 4 (ST) The repercussions of the diplomatic disaster are surfacing just days after the UNHRC in Geneva adopted the toughest resolution on Sri Lanka. The UK together with the core group (non-UNHRC members included) are examining ways and means of hurriedly pursuing issues related to future human rights violations � the key element in the resolution. As the Operative Paragraph 6 said, more..

Apr 5 (CT) I would like to thank the citizen fact check group, especially to Maneshka, for inviting me to participate at the opening ceremony of your institute. I think Fact-checking and proving what is correct and what is incorrect, and what is said and what is not said is an important aspect of strengthening democracy in the society. The industry of misinformation and industry of fake information has been expanding at the speed of light. On the other hand, it helps to protect the individuals, more..

Apr 5 (CT) Right now, there�s untold deforestation taking place unabated in our country. Although, the incumbent govt denies, these allegations, Buddhist clergy, Cardinal, Veddah community leader, like minded civilians, environmentalists along with the Govt officers are up in arms and agitating against this mass scale destruction of forest reserves. Yet, the govt rejects allegations and turns a blind eye to the damage caused to forest reserves. Govt machinery dismisses the publicity given in more..

Apr 5 (TM) Usually, the true state of Public Enterprises reaches the public when the Parliament�s Committee on Public Enterprises summons various institutions to inquire upon them. The COPE sessions are being held these days and The Morning spoke to COPE Chairperson MP Prof. Charitha Herath on what transpired at the recent COPE sessions, the health of the country�s public enterprises, COPE�s role and how it can be more..

Apr 5 (ST) Even before the 16 billion buck sugar scam had melted on the public tongue, the spectre of a horrific health scare has now risen to envelop the people�s wellbeing in a toxic shroud. The sugar scam had blown a gaping hole in the public coffers, skimming an estimated Rs. 16 billion from the Treasury vaults. The scam had been confirmed officially when the Finance Ministry report to Parliament last month blew the lid on what may become the financial fiddle of the decade, more..

Apr 5 (ST) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s vow this week that he would not bend to international pressure and that Sri Lanka would not become the victim of big power rivalry in the Indian Ocean hides an ominous fallacy. It is precisely due to acts of the State under his watch that the country has become exposed to the very evils that the President pledges to protect the country from. This is a beautifully circuitous illustration of karmic cause and effect if there ever was one. more..

Apr 5 (TM) There has been great concern among SL consumers over the past few days following the detection of substandard coconut oil containing a carcinogenic named aflatoxins and a full-blown investigation being launched into the matter. The Morning spoke to State Minister Arundika Fernando to inquire into this issue and to understand what plans are in place to develop the coconut industry. Fernando is currently more..

Apr 5 (CT) On 18 July last year, the Cabinet Standing Committee for Procurement approved Sinosar-Etechwin a subsidiary of the Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind, recipient of the award by the ADB of a US$ 12 million project to set up a hybrid wind and solar energy project on Delft, Nainativu and Analativu, three islands off the coast of Jaffna located in the Palk Strait. Sinosar-Etechwin specialise in solar wind integrated power generation systems. Delft Island is located 52 km from more..

Apr 5 (TM) Today marks the second Easter Sunday since the deadly Easter attacks in SL that left hundreds dead, injured, and maimed for life. Nearly two years on, the Catholic and Christian Churches, families, and next of kin of the victims continue to clutch at straws hoping against hope for some form of deliverance in order to bring closure to the trauma that has only intensified in recent times. The reason being the inability or incapability of the authorities to identify and expose the mastermind/s more..

Apr 5 (TM) Govt is currently laying the groundwork to move forward from the whole UNHRC Resolution saga and focus has been laid on the holding of the delayed provincial council elections. Govt, however, is yet undecided on the electoral system under which to conduct the provincial council (PC) elections with new amendments being presented before the Cabinet of Ministers for consideration. The proposals presented are to hold the elections either under the old system or more..

Apr 5 (Island) Revolutionaries, self-styled or otherwise, are hard to imagine as old people, the exception of course being Fidel Castro. Castro grew old with a Cuban Revolution that has demonstrated surprising resilience. Che Guevara was effectively stilled, literally and metaphorically when he was just 39, ensuring iconic longevity � and the wild haired image with a star pinned on a beret is a symbol of resistance and, as is often the case, used to endorse and inspire things and processes more..

Apr 5 (FT) Tourism sector has received more time to repay low interest bearing working capital loans obtained to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The grace period has been extended up to 30 Sept, and the repayment period up to 36 months for loans obtained by individuals and enterprises in the tourism industry under all three phases of the Saubagya COVID-19 renaissance facility. Loan was given at a 4% interest rate. more..

Apr 5 (Island) It was a tragedy for this country that Venerable Madulwawe Sobitha Thera, who founded and led the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ), died prematurely. Had he lived, the Sirisena � Wickremesinghe govt he helped install in 2015 may not have come to its ignoble end five years later. He was the lynch-pin of the force that was able to marshal a common opposition to take on, and stunningly topple, the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime which through its infamous 18th Amendment more..

Apr 5 (Island) In the last month or so, the govt�s attention and the public have been on Geneva, the purported sugar scam, illegal deforestation, and now contaminated coconut oil. The concern over Covid-19 and the faltering vaccination programme has taken a back seat. It might be because of the decline in the daily positive cases. Some have, however, attributed the decline more to reduced testing and tracing than getting on top of the virus. Most countries have not been able to get on top more..

Apr 5 (TM) The virtual agreement to implement the tea-for-oil barter deal between SL and Iran is expected to be signed between officials of both countries on this Friday (9). The terms of the aforementioned barter agreement involve large sums of payments due to the Iranian Govt from Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), for fuel exported to SL several years ago. Thus, as proposed by the previous Govt, SL will export more..

Apr 5 (ST) Isiwara Dissanayake hit an unbeaten 107 as Royal College beat Wesley College by 65 runs in an Under-19 Inter-School Limited Over cricket match concluded at Reid Avenue. This was Royal�s fourth successive win. Isiwara who had eight boundaries and a six in his 147 ball innings involved in three crucial partnerships to propel their score to 254 for the loss of eight wickets at the end of the allotted 50 overs. Isiwara involved in a 93-run stand for the second wicket with Sadeesha Rajapakse (44) more..

Apr 5 (DN) A cash Bonanza of 23.5 million rupees will be on offer for the 10 participating teams at the inaugural Super League Soccer Tournament scheduled to kickoff at Sugathadasa Stadium from April 19, After several months of immaculate discussions and pre-planning, the governing body, Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), is launching this inaugural professional football League, which will give away the biggest cash rewards in the history of Sri Lankan football. more..

Apr 5 (ST) Negombo Rifle Shooting Club (NRC) dominated the NSSF Trap Open Championship 2021 as Rishan Dias accumulated 34 points in the final round to clinch the overall championship of the three-day competition held at the Clay Target Shooting Club of Colombo�s Shotgun Range in Payagala, Kalutara. Dias� team mates Muditha Samaranayake and Ambrith Samaranayake won the silver and bronze medals after curling up the final round with 31 and 22 points respectively. more..

Apr 5 (CB) A nationwide week-long lockdown will be imposed in Bangladesh from Monday following a rise in Coronavirus cases, but the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is not ready to press the panic button regarding the forthcoming tour of SL yet. BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said that they are keeping their fingers crossed for the tour that comprises of two Tests, and a decision in this regard will be taken after assessing the situation in the coming days along with consulting with more..

Apr 5 (EN) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa knew revenue will be lost by tax cuts but he considered it an investment, and an 8% tax rate slashed from 15 percent, will remain unchanged for 5 -years, a top official said. �The Prez promised this nation a new taxation strategy,� President�s Secretary P B Jayasundera said at a seminar titled Colombo Development Forum this month. �He knew the revenue will be lost but he considers that more..