Aug 2 (Island) Former Northern Provincial Councillor M.K. Shivajilingam on Saturday urged Prez Rajapaksa to refrain from taking over privately-owned lands to expand military camps. He said that the govt was trying to take over 400 acres from Mullaitivu to expand a Navy camp and that was unjust. The govt should hand over private lands to their rightful owners and use state lands for government initiatives. Shivajilingam said the govt was taking over land from licence holders more..

Aug 2 (Island) The SLFP would hold further discussions with the FSP on the issues faced by the people, a SLFP spokesperson said. This followed a discussion between the two parties yesterday at former President and SLFP leader, Maithripala Sirisena�s house in Colombo 7. Sirisena had represented the SLFP, party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera said. Education Secretary of the FSP, Pubudu Jayagoda said that the discussion had been fruitful as there was agreement more..

Aug 2 (DM) A former Commissioner of Human Rights Commission of SL (HRCSL) has filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the Presidential Pardon granted by Prez to former MP Duminda Silva. Through his petition, the petitioner Ghazali Hussain, an Attorney-at-law by profession is seeking a declaration that his fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 12(1) for equal protection of more..

Aug 2 (Island) Chief Govet Whip and Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday called on the Opposition parties to sink political difference and help make the nationa vaccination drive a success. Speaking to journalists after a progress review meeting in his Ministry, the minister said that the national vaccination drive was progressing fast, thanks to guidance of Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa and the dedication of the security personnel and health officials. more..

Aug 2 (CT) Lanka Private Bus Owners� Association requested Prez Rajapaksa�s consent to double bus fares for passengers who have not received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. Chairman, Gemunu Wijeratne said they contemplated seeking approval since passengers who have not had the vaccine were at risk and that they will be charged an additional amount to maintain social distance because they will be provided an extra seat. Passengers over the age of 30 should more..

Aug 2 (TC) SL High Commissioner-designate to India, Milinda Moragoda, has communicated to Prez Rajapaksa, that frequent, multifarious and systematized interactions with India from the top-most level to the bottom, are necessary to rid the India-SL relationship of distrust, which has plagued it for decades. Moragoda, who is take up his assignment in New Delhi later this month, said in his concept paper entitled: more..

Aug 2 (Island) Hali Ela police has arrested an exorcist for raping a woman and molesting another at Landewela in Bogoda. The arrest took place following a complaint from a person that the exorcist had raped his mother and molested his wife. The complainant told police that he had hired the exorcist from Polonnaruwa to remove curse on his family. The exorcist got all the males to leave the house before he committed the sexual offences. After the pooja, the rape victim informed her husband more..

Aug 2 (TM) Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara has said that he is completely fine with the removal of two departments from under his Ministry�s purview to the Defence Ministry. Minister Weerasekara said that he was fine with the removal, and that he also received a call from the President related to this matter. According to him, the Prez wanted the fullest support of the Civil Security Department (CSD) and the Department of Multipurpose Development Task Force for more..

Aug 2 (DM) An employee who fails to report to work without an acceptable excuse for a reasonable period of time would necessarily be a ground which justifies the employer to consider the employee as having vacated service, the Supreme Court held in a recent judgment. SC delivered this judgment pursuant to an appeal petition filed by Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya on behalf of its member, more..

Aug 2 (TM) The Govt Nursing Officers� Association (GNOA) has said it objects to the call for all public employees to report for regular service under health guidelines from today (2). Speaking to The Morning yesterday, GNOA President Saman Rathnapriya said that it is unsafe to call on all employees at this time, due to the worsening pandemic situation. �How can the Govt assure the safety of health staff and pregnant mothers? There should be a proper process to this,� he charged. more..

Aug 2 (AD) Another consignment of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines is due to arrive in SL on Saturday. At the personal request of Prez Rajapaksa, PM of Japan Yoshihide Suga and the Govt of Japan have decided to supply 1.456 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to SL. The first consignment of 728,460 doses was delivered to SL last Saturday. Japanese Ambassador Akira Sugiyama officially handed over the consignment to Prez at the Prez Secretariat this morning. more..

Aug 3 (DM) Is SL at the threshold of fourth wave of COVID-19 or has it already entered through that threshold? We have to pose this question as the nature of the current surge in the number of COVID-19 patients during the past week is not clear. During the third wave which was the result of highly increased mobility throughout the country during the Sinhala and Hindu New Year, the daily infection tally rose even up to 3500 which led the authorities to impose tough restrictions of movement more..

Aug 3 (DM) The euphoria that followed the sudden announcement that a 24 hour vaccination centre has been set up in the Vihara Maha Devi Park for Astra Zeneca booster vaccine, prompted me to write this. From a distance it may appear to be the most pragmatic decision taken to address the woes of about 600,000 people who have been waiting for their second dose for months. This is of course if you prefer not to see the blind spots. First and foremost, why did people panic at this announcement? more..

Aug 3 (DM) Civil society groups, state university representatives, academics, leftist and socialist movements have rallied together to protest against the proposed Kotelawala National Defense Uni (KNDU) Bill. One of the main concerns is with regards to the militarisation of the higher education system. Various protests have been staged in all parts of the country while alliances such as the People�s Movement more..

Aug 3 (GV) On July 19, 2021, at a WHO press conference, COVID-19 Technical Lead Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove�s son asked a question that has been on all our minds when will COVID-19 end? Although Dr. Kerkhove knew the question was coming she had to hold back her tears as she answered, I don�t know. This is perhaps the emotion that we are all facing � regardless of who we are or what we do. While our level of privilege may change the impact of COVID-19, we all have had to face challenges during more..

Aug 3 (ST) Leopard deaths are increasingly reported in the news and while snares appear to be mostly the cause, it is merely an outcome of larger threats such as deforestation and loss of habitat which prompt leopards to venture out of dense forests and visit villages looking for food. Life with Pulli, an educational picture book for children about leopard conservation helps young readers understand why these magnificent animals are threatened and what we can do to protect them in our wilds. more..

Aug 3 (TM) Despite vehement opposition from residents near the Thalangama Wetland, Road Development Authority (RDA) together with several other govt institutions is currently discussing an environmentally friendly approach for the construction of the controversial road stretch of the Elevated Highway Project (EHP) over the Thalangama Environmental Protection Area (EPA). more..

Aug 3 (Island) A Presidential Press release, dated 13th June; clearly defines the policy on our Energy Sector. The direction indicated is congruent with the presidential policy declaration Vision for Prosperity and Splendour. This is not a moment to vacillate and get embroiled in personal or political agendas. The situation in the country is much too precarious with the Covid-19 raging and the spectre of the impact of Climate Change haunting us. Foreign reserves are falling, impacting the rupee and cost of living. more..

Aug 3 (ST) If Alice could say curiouser and curiouser to happenings in Wonderland what would she have said if confronted with SL�s foreign policy or what passes off for it? Foreign it is but policy it is not, if by policy is meant a clearly articulated position that would be central to its international and bilateral relations. In a post-Geneva interview after the Resplendent Isle was soundly defeated at the UNHRC last March � unless you agree with the mathematical wizardry of some govt ministers more..

Aug 3 (Island) Aqua Dynamics, one of the world�s most versatile action sports leader with a global market share of an average of 25% in the leisure sports sector, was recently recognized among Best Workplaces in Asia for 2021 under the Large Category list, exhibiting the high-trust workplace culture that encourages and inspires its people in SL. This was based on a survey carried out among over 3.3 million employees from across 16 countries, regarded as one of the largest more..

Aug 3 (ST) Having soft-peddled for years on player discipline, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) this week took a drastic decision to ban three of country�s most promising players on grounds of misconduct. The bans were not early as tough as the punishment recommended by the disciplinary committee, which felt the behaviour of the players had brought disrepute to sport and country. Players Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella were banned from int'l cricket more..

Aug 3 (DN) SL�s Mathilda Thanuja Karlsson�s cherished dream of competing in equestrian at the Olympic Games will finally be a reality when she takes part in the individual jumps at the Equestrian Park here tomorrow (3). Groom for Sri Lanka Team, Nikolay Nikolov said their competitor is in top form. "We were joking to her that this Olympics were specially delayed to accommodate her, referring to her international arbitration of more..

Aug 3 (CT) Govt of SL (GoSL) will need another 11.8 million (11,813,245) COVID-19 vaccines if it is serious about a minimum 60% (13.2 million) coverage of its population (22 million) benefiting by obtaining the required two vaccinations by the year end for the inoculations to be efficacious. These figures are derived as per the vaccine coverage given by the Epidemiology Unit (EU) as at 10 a.m. yesterday. This discounts the possibility of Sri Lanka receiving any Johnson & Johnson (J&J), more..

Aug 3 (Island) A government MP has submitted a private member�s motion seeking parliamentary approval for capturing and sterilising monkeys. He wants these animals relocated to vegetated islands in reservoirs, etc., thereafter. Monkeys cause considerable crop damage, and farmers are desperate to hold them at bay. Various methods have been employed over the years to prevent troops of monkeys from invading villages, and even terrorising people, especially women/children. more..

Aug 3 (FT) State-owned giant Bank of Ceylon (BOC) has surpassed 2020�s full year profit of Rs. 27 billion in the first six months of 2021, Chairman Kanchana Ratwatte revealed yesterday. The disclosure was made during his speech at the BOC�s 82nd anniversary, held at Temple Trees, with PM Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Chief Guest. He said that the achievement was made possible by the sharp increase in BOC�s loan book. more..

Aug 3 (FT) WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said that SL is on track to fully vaccinate 10% of the population by September. In a tweet posted yesterday, WHO Director General said: �Thanks to the Govt and people of [SL] for their efforts, and continued vigilance on proven public health and social measures to suppress the virus.� Prez Rajapaksa responded to the WHO Director General�s tweet, assuring commitment to ensuring immunity for all people of SL. more..

Aug 3 (DM) The suspicious death of a domestic help at the residence of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has momentarily unmasked the ugly truth of an exploitative affair that many a SL middle-class family takes for granted: having a maid, predominantly from upcountry Tamil origin. 16-year-old Ishalini Jude Kumar from Dayagama West Division 3 was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital on July 3, with severe burn injuries. She succumbed to injuries 12 days later and more..

Aug 3 (FT) A total of 2,420 persons tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, raising the country�s total COVID-19 detections to 313,769. The patients detected yesterday include 2,382 persons from the New Year cluster, while the cumulative patient count of the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters has risen to 305,199. This includes 209,122 persons from the New Year cluster, more..

Aug 3 (DN) Italy-based Yupun Abeykoon was eliminated from the Men�s 100m first-round over the weekend but he has definitely a lot more to offer to SL athletics in the years to come. True, he finished 42nd out of 58 competitors who took part in Saturday�s seven Men�s 100m first-round heats but as a dynamic sprinter who has once again taken SL to the Olympic level, Abeykoon is determined to take his native country�s sports image to a higher elevation. more..

Aug 3 (SO) SL�s Paralympic contingent will leave for Tokyo this week to contest the Paralympic Games with prospective medal winner in the javelin Dinesh Priyantha Herath leading the group as its flag bearer at the opening ceremony. SL Paralympian Pradeep Sanjaya secured a bronze medal in the 400-meters T46 category with a timing of 49.28 to win the country�s first Paralympic medal at the London Games in 2012. At the 2016 Rio Games, Herath secured a bronze in the men�s javelin throw more..

Aug 3 (FT) The ongoing third wave will weaken the economy further, ICRA Sri Lanka warned, prompting the rating agency to downgrade 2021 GDP growth projection to 3.4%. In its midyear economic update, ICRA Lanka Ltd. said expedited vaccine rollouts in many major economies had enhanced global growth outlook for 2H 2021. �SL, which was earlier expected to be a laggard, is now among the countries with fastest vaccination more..

Aug 3 (TM) Sri Lanka Cricket�s (SLC) current imbroglio over not finalising player contracts is likely to be over before the scheduled South Africa white-ball series next month. �It is highly possible that the players will sign their annual contracts this month. There might be some changes and alterations in the present contracts,� a senior SLC official said last week. Senior SL players in particular were reluctant to sign those contracts citing lack of transparency, among other things, more..

Aug 3 (CT) A brilliant knock from Dinesh Chandimal helped Dimo Southern Warriors to register a commanding 8 wicket win over Batsmen.com Eastern Warriors on day three of the Army Commander�s League T20 Cricket tournament conducted by SL Army at the Army grounds Dombagoda yesterday. Chasing a target of 144, skipper Dinesh Chandimal and Priyantha Rathnayake added a 105 runs partnership for first wicket, with Chandimal top scoring with more..

Aug 3 (Island) Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) called on the govt to defer the enactment of the proposed Kotelawala Defence Uni Bill, providing an opportunity for adequate consultations from all the relevant stakeholders. The AMS has, in a media statement Proposed KNDU Bill � more questions than answers signed by AMS President Dr. Lakkumar Fernando and AMS General Secretary Dr. R. Gnanasekeram, more..

Aug 3 (FT) North Lanka Family Foods Ltd., a community investment in Pali, in Northern Sri Lanka by MA�S Tropical Food Processing Ltd., has received the UN Food Systems Summit Best Small Business award. The worldwide award is given to small businesses that have positively impacted the global food systems and showcase innovative ways to sustainably deliver good food and livelihoods for all. North Lanka Family Foods is the only Sri Lankan company to receive the award this year. more..

Aug 3 (SO) The promotion of Electric Vehicles in Sri Lanka (EVs) is a timely and sound move that aligns the motor segment of Sri Lanka with the rest of the world which is fast moving towards EVs to achieve ecological and economic benefits, said Ideal Group Founder and Executive Chairman Nalin Welgama. He said leading automakers have signalled their intention of migrating from ICE (Internal Combustion Engines) to EVs by 2030, or cut back sharply towards electric vehicles. more..

Aug 3 (TM) Citing the high transmissibility rate of the B.1.617.2 Delta variant of Covid-19 and the increasing mobility of the public, Rajarata Uni�s Community Medicine Dept Chair Prof. Suneth Agampodi claimed that SL would begin experiencing daily death tolls of at least 80-90 within the next 10 to 14 days. �We have developed a pandemic prediction model which was also able to correctly predict the progress of third wave more..