Aug 13 (AD) State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana says that although the govt has no intention of placing the country under complete lockdown, there is a possibility that travel restrictions could be further tightening to some extent. Speaking to reporters following the meeting of the PTF on Prevention of COVID-19, he said that today�s discussion focused on controlling the prevailing situation in the country. �Various opinions were presented. Certain decision will undergo more..

Aug 13 (TM) Responding to allegations levelled against him regarding recruiting a number of new officials, the BOI Chairperson Sanjaya Mohottala told The Morning Business yesterday that these new recruitments from the private sector are a result of a restructuring drive that the Board is currently on in order to deal with international investors and attract more investments. Explaining the rationale behind 29 new recruitments, more..

Aug 13 (TM) No Covid-19 patient who received treatment from Ayurvedic Hospitals has succumbed to their illness so far, according to the Ayurvedic Affairs Dept Commissioner General Dhammika Abeygunawardena. These statements were made during a media briefing held in Kurunegala yesterday. It was noted that during the past 45 days, 3,820 Covid cases have been admitted to Ayurvedic Hospitals. Out of which, 2,843 patients have been discharged. more..

Aug 13 (CT) The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Temporary Provisions) Bill will be taken up for debate in Parliament on 17 August. Apart from the said Bill, Regulations under the Value Added Tax Act No. 14 of 2002, 6 Orders under the Special Commodity Levy Act No. 48 of 2007, and 5 Orders under the Ports and Airports Development Levy Act No. 18 of 2011 will be debated in Parliament on the same day. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (Temporary Provisions) Bill was tabled more..

Aug 13 (EN) Sri Lanka rupees non-credible peg to the US dollar at 203 has mostly broken especially for large import payments, market participants said, as banks struggled to find dollars to exchange for printed money from failed bond auctions coming up for redemption in forex markets. Most SL�s bank Treasurers were persuaded to keep rupee at 203 to the US dollar despite the lack of monetary policy to make the peg credible more..

Aug 13 (FT) Nations Trust Bank said yesterday it continued to demonstrate its resilience in performance during the year. The loan portfolio increased by Rs. 26 billion, recording a 12% growth during the first six months of the year despite the challenging business environment. While continuing to provide working capital loans under the Saubagya scheme introduced by the Govt, the bank disbursed over Rs. 19 billion new credit facilities under its own revival fund �Nations Diriya� scheme more..

Aug 13 (AD) EXPO 2020 DUBAI, one of the largest and most prestigious global events of its kind originally set to take place last year, is now rescheduled to be held for a period of six months starting the 1st of October until the 31st of March 2022. The Expo, spanning over a 438-hectare area (1083 acres) is portrayed to be a gathering place, where the world comes together to create a better tomorrow. The event will be enclosed by three large thematic districts of Opportunity, Mobility more..

Aug 13 (PMD) Prez Rajapaksa informed the health officials to pay special attention to those who are above the age of 60 and are suffering from chronic non-communicable diseases. According to the investigations conducted into the deaths reported during the last few days, it has been revealed that the majority was from the Western Province. It has been identified that a higher percentage of this group was those who are more..

Aug 13 (DM) State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera tested positive for COVID 19 today and thus became the fifth MP to become positive within the last ten days. Mr. Ranaweera confirmed that he tested positive today. The other four members who were tested positive were Minister Mahindananda Altuthgamage, Rohana Dissanayake, Janaka Tissa Kuthiarachchi and SJB MP Dilip Wedaararchchi. Serjeant-at -Arms Narendra Fernando said that efforts are being made to determine more..

Aug 13 (AD) With the strike launched by the Railway Station Masters, train services on all routes have been restricted. The Railway Control Room stated that the train services were being delayed. The ticket counters at the railway stations were also closed today (13) due to the strike. The station masters started the strike from midnight stating that the govt had not provided adequate facilities for the safety of railway workers in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. more..

Aug 13 (EN) Sri Lanka will not go into a total lockdown despite surging COVID-19 deaths and daily cases, but will instead opt for a tightening of existing restrictions, according to State Minister Prof Channa Jayasumana. Jayasumana said that a meeting he had just attended chaired by Prez Rajapaksa had discussed ways to contain the current situation. �Various ideas were expressed, based on which there will be changes to more..

Aug 13 (Island) Bank of Ceylon Chairman Kanchana Ratwatte said yesterday that as the global pandemic had caused direct impacts on the national economy, the BoC had felt the need to come forward and help revive the economy without taking the easy option of doing little�. He said so at a media briefing held to announce the financial results of the Bank for the first half of the year. �We have a choice of not supporting the economy at this point and let things move on as they are. more..

Aug 13 (PTI) SL on Friday announced that citizens from September 15 would require vaccination cards, certifying both doses of the coronavirus vaccine have been administered, to travel between provinces and in public spaces. Presently, there is a ban on inter-provincial travel, while employers are asked to ensure most employees work from home. The National COVID-19 Prevention Centre said from Sept 15 vaccination cards would become mandatory for inter-provincial travel and more..

Aug 13 (AD) Sri Lanka is showing a rapid increase in number of cases and deaths reported daily and the recent trends indicate the country could soon face a health crisis of unprecedented proportions, a group of independent experts comprising WHO representatives has warned. The Monash University, Australia in collaboration with WHO SEAR and Sri Lanka County Office, has carried out some projections on notified more..

Aug 13 (ENS) A 31-year-old Mandapam fisherman sustained injury during an attack by the Sri Lankan Navy while fishing at the sea on Wednesday. According to sources, Lankan Navy personnel came in about five to six patrol vessels, surrounded the fishermen and snapped their nets while they were fishing near Katchatheevu. The personnel reportedly chased the fishermen away for trespassing the IMBL, and hurled stones and glass bottles at the them, said Charles, a fisherman. more..

Aug 13 (Island) The Committee on Parliamentary Business recently decided to set aside time from 10.00 am to 4.30 pm on September 06 and 27 for 68 questions for oral answers which were unable to be asked due to various reasons. It was also decided at the CPB chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to hold four sitting days from 17th August to 20th August, the Secretary General said. Accordingly, Parliament will convene on August 17 at 10.00 am and from 11.00 am to 4.30 pm and more..

Aug 13 (PTI) Catholic church in SL will raise black flags on August 21 to express their pain and disgust over the govt's handling of the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed over 270 people, including 11 Indians. Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, said they will raise black flags on their homes, offices, businesses and vehicles to seek justice for the victims, a statement said. more..

Aug 13 (Island) Head of Mission and Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Stefeno DEL COL, during a discussion with Sri Lanka�s Ambassador to Lebanon Shani Calyaneratne Karunaratne, thanked Lankan troops for their outstanding contribution to UNIFIL for the past 10 years, and said that SL contingent earned much respect at UNIFIL for their outstanding professionalism and were a great source of strength to UNIFIL, said SL Embassy in Beirut. more..

Aug 13 (DM) The Dept for Registration of Persons (DRP) has decided to close their main office at Battaramulla and all other branch offices for the public from Monday (16) until further notice, DRP Commissioner-General Viyani Gunathilaka said. He said the decision was taken after several employees at the Department tested positive for COVID-19. Therefore, the department has decided to limit the employees of the internal office to help curb control the virus. more..

Aug 13 (Island) The founding Director General of the Institute of National Security Studies SL (INSSSL) Asanga Abeyagoonasekera says the then Chief of State Intelligence Service (SIS) Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardana had received the final warning about the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks from an Indian with diplomatic status based at the Indian High Commission in Colombo. Abeygoonasekera, in an interview with more..

Aug 13 (Island) Minister Johnston Fernando said that road networks of Colombo and other main cities in every district would be developed by integrating and redesigning them using the latest technology to make traffic jams a thing of the past. Speaking at a meeting held at the Ministry of Highways yesterday on finding solutions to traffic congestion in Colombo and main cities, minister said that with the number of vehicles increasing day by day, roads of the main cities had become congested more..

Aug 13 (DM) Referring to discrepancy in the official count of infected patients released to the media, Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath said there is no move to hide or alter statistics related to COVID-19 infections and deaths. He said there had been some duplications following the number of Antigen tests being carried out per day increased in contrast to the number of PCR tests. �Hence, there were occasions where the result of the same person was added to more..

Aug 13 (Island) Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that there were reports that a large number of persons believed to have gone missing during the war were living abroad under different names. They had left the country through unconventional channels during the last phase of the conflict and immediately after that. �We have reports to prove that hundreds of persons said to have gone missing are in fact living abroad. more..

Aug 13 (TM) A 43-year-old British national who was in possession of 1.5kg of cannabis was arrested by the officers of Hikkaduwa Police yesterday (12). Senior DIG Ajith Rohana stated that the arrestee will be produced before Galle Additional Magistrate today (13). Meanwhile, a raid carried out by the Divisional Crimes Detective Bureau in Batticaloa, led to the apprehension of two individuals in possession of 2kg of Kerala cannabis. The Kattankudy Police are conducting further investigations. more..

Aug 13 (EN) Consumer Affairs Authority, an agency that creates shortages in essential goods after slamming price controls, is planning hike fines on those who break them 100 times, treading the path of Roman Emperor Diocletian who decreed death, after minting money. The price control penalties are championed by Trade Minister Bandula Gunewardene, who is accusing traders of profiteering as money printing has triggered import controls and inflation. more..

Aug 14 (DM) An alarming disparity between the statistics issued by the Health Ministry and the Gampaha Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) on COVID 19 cases was reported by the media on Wednesday. According to those reports the number of daily COVID 19 cases in the Gampaha District documented by the Gampaha RDHS was three times higher than the number issued by the Health Ministry in Colombo. Even if the numbers issued by Gampaha RDHS more..

Aug 14 (DM) In a democratic system, widely perceived view is that the majority opinion always counts. It is true. Likewise, another common perception is that governance is a smooth sail as long as an overwhelming majority of people are with the ruling side. It is correct, but not quite correct at times due to the multiple forces at work in democracies. Unlike the ordinary voters, these forces hold clouts in their relevant fields and can prevail upon the govts. more..

Aug 14 (DM) Public continues to question the accuracy of statistics revealed by the Health Ministry with regards to the number of COVID positive cases reported from around the country. While these aren�t mere numbers but actual people, local health officials questioned govt authorities on where the missing cases were. Even though authorities claimed that there are no missing cases it is rather disturbing to see that more..

Aug 14 (CT) Rights groups and journalists have welcomed reports that Scottish training of the SL police has been under review since early May 2021 because of concerns over the human rights record of the units being trained. The review follows a sustained campaign by British MPs this year questioning the training of police units that have long been alleged to have used torture as a mode of interrogation. Since 2016 the ITJP has called for a review of UK training for units of the SL police more..

Aug 14 (CT) The situation in all fronts appears to be grim. The popularity of the Govt that was at its apex in May 2020 is fast dwindling. The issues and challenges that the Govt has to confront are piling up day-by-day. The very basic stuff that people need for their very survival are in short supply. The number of COVID-19 deaths has passed the 100 deaths per day. Foreign exchange reserves have declined to a level that is adequate only for 1.5 months imports. more..

Aug 14 (CT) Some countries have already started offering a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, whilst other countries are considering this option or planning to start this process very shortly. The reasons that have been put forward to justify giving a booster dose includes: to help protect people who have a weakened immune system, to offer more long-lasting protection and to protect against variants. more..

Aug 14 (CT) On Friday 13th August I passed the 79th year in my life. The 80th looms ahead. An ephemeral memory nags me. I was born in 1942 in the British administered crown colony of Ceylon. In 2021, I live in in a family fiefdom politely described as a republic in the middle of a pandemic. In my eightieth year I refuse to concede that life is a list of years full of fears and tears. Opinionative obduracy compels this essay. Measuring up my journey from a Lost Paradise to a shackled Shangri-La, more..

Aug 14 (GV) Public health crises by definition are not going to grant much personal choice to individuals. It�s been 18 months now since the inception of the coronavirus pandemic and there�s just enough data available to be able to see some clear patterns. Each country deals with the virus and the challenges posed by the variants it is presenting in different ways, based on their specific population numbers, demographics and organizational infrastructure and the level of education and more..

Aug 14 (FT) Hemas Holdings PLC (HHL) said it has delivered yet another strong quarter amidst challenging operating environment conditions with key businesses gaining momentum in all areas. The Group recorded a consolidated revenue of Rs. 16.4 billion in 1Q ended 30 June, 2021, an increase of 26.7% over last year. HHL achieved a Group operating profit of 1.1 billion, a growth of 77.5% over the last year same quarter. Group after tax profit amounted to Rs. 669.3 million, more..

Aug 14 (Island) New Zealand and SL relations are expected to grow further with the New Zealand High Commission now opened in Colombo. Michael Appleton, a cricket lover is their High Commissioner. Kiwis are much admired sportsmen and two years back when they were playing a warm-up game in Negombo, the fans realized that it was Kane Williamson�s birthday and some of them went to the nearby Perera & Sons and ordered a cake. Soon after the cake arrived, they started singing more..

Aug 14 (CT) The Govt this week instructed authorities not to charge money from families to cremate their COVID-19 dead. It was also decided that steps will be taken by the Central Govt to pay for the cost of cremation incurred by Local Govt institutions. These decisions were reached during a virtual discussion held with the heads of Local Govt institutions and Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon. more..

Aug 14 (Island) Everyone must have seen that media interview, where our famed minister Journeyteam (JT) made references to the roads of the Pearl during a particularly childish use of literal translation and examples of the usual alleged faults of the last govt. It is on YouTube I believe. One was left wondering if he was alluding to the fact that he needed a better car; the whole thing was so ridiculous, as new cars too seems to be a hot topic! Minister JT, preceded by the big man more..

Aug 14 (CT) Over the past few days, the number of new COVID-19 cases reported from around the country increased alarmingly, with the death toll reported each day reaching well beyond the 100 mark. Although the nationwide vaccination drive was seen an acceleration, with the arrival of both much-awaited Aztra-Zeneca second dose from Japan and millions of doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China, case numbers and the death toll continue to rise, putting a dampener on the hopes of more..