Aug 4 (DM) SL is heading for its worst medical tsunami in the coming weeks as there is a risk that the Delta variant is spreading beyond control, leading medical experts said. Senior physicians at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic said that hospitals across the Western Province were filled to its brim and more than 2/3rd of the patients presently were oxygen-dependent. At the Colombo General Hospital alone, all medical wards more..

Aug 4 (EN) SL�s two main int'l airports Bandaranayake Int'l Airport (BIA) and Mattala Rajapaksa Int'l Airport (MRIA), will run an enterprise resources planning (ERF) software from IFS, a Sweden based tech firm which has a development in the island, said. The software will connect smaller airports owned and operated by the state-run Airports and Aviation Services of SL (AASL). �The completion of the first phase ensures seamless operations between airports across SL,� more..

Aug 4 (SLN) During operations conducted by the Eastern, Southeastern, Northwestern, Northern and North Central Naval Commands from 01st to 31st July 2021, the Navy managed to nab 89 individuals for engaging in illegal fishing. The operations also made way to seize 30 fishing boats and several other fishing accessories used for these illegal practices. Accordingly, the accused were held on the charges of; fishing without valid license, using unauthorized fishing nets, engaging in more..

Aug 4 (Island) Senior Vice President of the SLFP Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa says the continuing mismanagement of the affairs of the ruling coalition is causing turmoil. �The deepening crisis we are in should be examined against the breakdown in basic discussions at party level,� Prof. Piyadasa, told The Island, underscoring the urgent need to address the issues affecting the coalition. Due to the absence of a proper dialogue more..

Aug 4 (DM) The Supreme Court today ordered the Prison Authorities to allow the access of lawyers to the remanded poet Ahnaf Jazeem at Colombo Remand Prison, with the right to maintain lawyer-client privilege and confidentiality. Supreme Court three-judge-bench comprising Justice Murdu Fernando, Justice Yasantha Kodagoda and Justice Shiran Goonaratne made this order consequent to a Fundamental Rights petition filed on behalf of 26-year-old poet Ahnaf Jazeem challenging more..

Aug 4 (FT) SLT-Mobitel announced its financial results for the first half of 2021, posting a 29.9% year-on-year growth of Group Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs. 6 billion. It said cost consolidation across verticals and a group wide undertaking to minimise waste, convert waste to cash, and manage OPEX cost, resulted in the healthy bottom-line. SLT-Mobitel ensured its customers benefited most during the tough pandemic period, with improved service levels, upgraded infrastructure and more..

Aug 4 (FT) SL is in transition into becoming the Pearl of the Silk Route politically. But America still haunts the imitation dreams of her rulers. Prez Gotabaya�s latest toy is a press briefing room that seems to be a replica of the one in the White House. But Gotabaya Rajapaksa�s press room will be American in form only; in content, it will be pure Chinese. The media would not be permitted to contradict spokespersons and more..

Aug 4 (EN) UAE announced that it will allow select groups of inbound and transit passengers from countries including SL it had earlier banned inbound flights from. Flights from India, Pakistan, SL, Nepal, Nigeria and Uganda to the UAE were banned due to a surge of COVID-19 infections in those countries. UAE�s National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said it will allow transit passengers from Thursday from countries that were previously banned, provided that more..

Aug 4 (AD) The OIC of Maharagama Police has sustained critical injuries when the protesters tried to topple the iron barricades near the entry road to Parliament on Tuesday (3). Speaking on the matter, SDIG Ajith Rohana said the OIC, who was left with two fractured fingers and other critical injuries, is currently receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital. The IUSF had organized a protest against the proposed Kotelawala National Defence University Bill. more..

Aug 4 (EN) The controversial Kotelawala National Defence University (KNDU) bill will not be debated in Sri Lanka�s parliament this Friday (06), Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said. Responding to a question by UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe in parliament Wednseday, Rajapaksa asked for more time to present the bill. �I will not be presenting it that day as I believe MPs and the public should be given more time more..

Aug 4 (AD) Attorney General�s Department today informed the Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar that the abduction charges against former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda will not be moved forward. Karannagoda is named the 14th defendant in the case filed against a group of naval intelligence officers pertaining to the alleged forced disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo in 2008 and 2009. more..

Aug 4 (DM) The Mrs. World 2021 pageant which was to be held in SL in December has been shifted to Las Vegas due to the COVID-19 situation in the country, event organizers said. Event organizer Chandimal Jayasinghe said that since public events and gatherings were banned in Sri Lanka due to the health risks, they were unable to begin the event promotions for the Mrs. World pageant. However SL is expected to hold the pageant in Dec 2022 and this has been finalized, he added. more..

Aug 4 (EN) The JVP has slammed the printing of over a trillion rupees to fund state expenses after a tax cut, defend interest rates in the overnight and gilt markets as well as planned sales of state land to bring in foreign investment. �The govt should in fact worship the Biyagama money printing factory,� Anura Dissanayake, leader of JVP told parliament in reference to a int'l security printer, Thomas de la Rue unit in an export industrial more..

Aug 4 (FT) The Govt yesterday justified keeping the country�s borders open for tourism amidst the COVID pandemic, saying Sri Lanka badly needed foreign exchange earnings and safe jobs in the industry. �It is the opinion of the entire world that economies cannot function with closed borders any longer. We are also trying to strike a balance between economic activities and containing the spread of COVID-19,� Cabinet Co-Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday. more..

Aug 4 (Island) KOICA (Korea Int'l Cooperation Agency) handed over laboratory equipment to Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage for the use at the National Plant Quarantine Service Headquarters at Katunayake. The equipment was handed over to the Minister as a part of KOICA funded project Modernisation of National Plant Quarantine Service in SL worth US$ 6 Million with the objective of enhancing the export competitiveness of Lankan agricultural products by improving plant more..

Aug 4 (TV) One weekend about a year ago in Balangoda, a misty mountain town outside Colombo, Sanjana was supposed to meet a dealer she found on Thriloka Wijaya Pathra, a Facebook group for cannabis users in Sri Lanka. Like many strangers who had connected over Facebook, Sanjana had decided to buy a few joints of ganja (a local word for weed). Then a family emergency happened and Sanjana couldn�t make it. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Civil Aviation Training Centre SL (CATC), the training division of Airport and Aviation Services SL (AASL) was rebranded as the SL Airport & Aviation Academy at a ceremony held today at the institution premises at Ratmalana. A media release on the same noted that the chief guest was State Minister D V Chanaka. Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Themiya Abeywickrama was also present. The State Minister unveiled the new name plaque displaying the new name more..

Aug 4 (TM) Responding to views expressed by many over the assumption that many domestic workers hail from the Tamil communities in the hill country of the island, State Minister Jeevan Thondaman stated that such views are false. He also requested the people to stop targeting and marginalising these communities as according to him, they have been neglected by every govt for the past 30 years. �We are 30 years behind and we are trying to come up. more..

Aug 4 (TM) Following the recent proposal made by the Minister of Agriculture to import Chelated Mineral and Micro Nutrients for the purpose of fertilisation, President�s Media Division (PMD) stated today that such imports will only be allowed through a specialized license programme. With respect to Gazette Notification No. 2226/48 which prohibits the importation of Chelated Mineral and Micro Nutrients, more..

Aug 4 (AD) Two members of the FSP, arrested over the demonstration held blocking the parliament entry road, have been remanded. Reportedly, they were ordered to be remanded until August 11. Administrative Secretary of FSP Chameera Koswatte and another member of the party Kokila Hansamali were arrested by the Police over the protest held yesterday at the Parliament roundabout. They were arrested over the charges of damaging public property, unlawful gathering and more..

Aug 4 (TM) A special three-year plan will be implemented to reduce the current congestion in the judiciary and expedite the settlement of cases, Justice Minister PC Ali Sabry said at a meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Justice yesterday. Sabry noted that although there are more than 200 judges per million population in the developed countries, SL now has only 15 judges. Accordingly, the number of judges is expected to increase to 218 and number of courts to 245, more..

Aug 4 (EN) Sri Lanka�s West Container Terminal at Colombo Port built by India�s Adani group and John Keells Holdings will cost 650 million US dollars and will get a 25-year tax holiday, a govt notice said. The project will be 30 percent financed by equity and 70% by debt, which will be a foreign loan, the notice said. Adani group said in March that it will hold a 51% stake in the West Terminal, SLPA 15% and JKH a material stake. more..

Aug 4 (AD) The police have arrested 42individuals over unruly behaviour during a protest staged in front of the Presidential Secretariat today (4). Police Spokesman Senior DIG Ajith Rohana stated that statements are being recorded from the arrestees. They are to be produced before the court under provisions of the Quarantine & Prevention of Diseases Ordinance, the Penal Code and the National Thoroughfares Act. Reportedly, 26 males and 16 females are among the arrestees. more..

Aug 4 (AD) Association of Medical Specialists (AMS), raising concerns over the rapid spread of Delta variant in the country, has urged the govt to revisit its COVID-19 restriction protocols. In a statement, Chairman of AMS, Dr. Lakkumar Fernando pointed out that the capacity of healthcare system to accommodate oxygen-dependent patients has virtually reached its tipping point now. With the Delta variant being more commonly detected, there is an increasing number of new infections more..

Aug 5 (TM) Before the commencement of the vaccination drive, Sri Lanka saw vaccination as the optimal solution to curb the pandemic, as almost every country did, and it was also seen as the key to reopening the country. The vaccination drive has commenced, and the country has been reopened; but, with the pandemic situation worsening and the country�s health sector resources exceeding the capacity, there is a serious question as to whether the country is becoming stable. more..

Aug 5 (DM) Dr. Padma Gunaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) warned a few weeks ago that the country is heading toward what she called �the first phase of the Covid-19 fourth wave outbreak.� Doctors, as we know, are playing a wonderful role in combating the pandemic. What doctors say should be taken seriously. She has said more. She reaffirmed what�s already known; the Delta Variant has entered the country. She also claimed or rather was more..

Aug 5 (TM) The proposed General Sir John Kotelawala National Defence University (KNDU) Bill has come under fire from all angles � professional associations, parliamentarians, and even the public � and leading the charge has been the FUTA, through the People�s Movement Against Militarisation of Education. Engaging in awareness campaigns, lobbying efforts, and protest action, this movement has pushed through more..

Aug 5 (DM) Children give us so much hope, but have parents and guardians done their part for these children? We can raise so many questions regarding their welfare and safety. We know that our children are not very safe out on the street and even at school and tuition classes because these places have been haunted by pedophiles. As Sri Lankans we are guilty of being reactive. Other countries are proactive and have strict laws in place to protect the rights and safety of children. more..

Aug 5 (DM) Amid the increasing number of Covid-19 patients and Covid-related deaths, SL Govt, which began its battle against the Covid-19 virus in March last year, has now been compelled to fight against its various mutations, the latest being India�s Delta variant, which is said to be more virulent and easily transmissible than those that initially invaded this country. Meanwhile, Reuters in a report quoted the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) as saying the war against COVID-19 has changed course more..

Aug 5 (FT) Former SL Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated in Colombo by the LTTE on 12 Aug 2005. This column intends focusing on the man regarded as SL�s finest foreign minister this week even as his 16th death anniversary draws near. I have written extensively about Lakshman Kadirgamar over the years, so much so that his only daughter Ajita has stated in her book about her father that more..

Aug 5 (CT) Surging wildfires are raging through Turkey, thousands have been affected by flooding in China, plus more deluge and fire reported in various parts of the globe. Is it just the headlines as usual or are we witnessing something truly apocalyptic in our lifetime? Parts of the world are ablaze, while others are bogged by inclement weather and all this as we go about our lives now wearing masks and keeping distance from each other since the very air that we breathe has been invaded by a virus that more..

Aug 5 (Island) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena saw red yesterday in the House, and took SJB MP Rohini Kumari Wijerathna to task for accusing him of having turned a blind eye to a recent incident where a group of male SLPP MPs allegedly subjected SJB MP Thalatha Athukorale to verbal sexual harassment during a debate. Denying that he had ever taken any instance of sexual harassment lightly, a visibly incensed Speaker said he had not been in the Chair when the alleged incident was more..

Aug 5 (GV) A few months ago, the author had the misfortune of being introduced to a video of a YouTuber and apparently a psychiatrist by the name of Ama Dissanayake. Having never heard of her and her work, the author was indeed (morbidly) curious to know what her work was about and how her work was related to the LGBT+ community. To the author�s horror, it was one of the most disgustingly homophobic videos that they had seen in a long time. In the video, Ama spoke about how more..

Aug 5 (CT) Honourable Speaker! It is with a heavy heart that I rise to speak on the Central Bank Report 2020. We are at the threshold of erasing our unblemished record with regard to Debt Repayment. If we Default on any loan it is likely to trigger cross-default across all our loans. That as you can imagine, Sir, would be an unmitigated disaster. All our debtors would want us to settle our full liabilities immediately. Our cost of borrowing would increase beyond measure. more..

Aug 5 (ST) Coconut growers and producers this week expressed concern over plans by the Trade Ministry to import coconut oil, among several other items like sugar, dhal, chicken, condiments challis, onions, potatoes etc. They said that that this idea if implemented would clearly affect the very attempts of Prez Rajapaksa to produce and grow items locally and curtail imports. Ranjith Dias, a veteran agriculturalist, coconut grower more..

Aug 5 (FT) The Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) has announced the inaugural Policy Pitch Competition for University Undergraduates, aimed at encouraging youth to present practical solutions to contemporary problems in Sri Lanka. The winner will be awarded a cash prize and have their policy idea featured on IPS� official blogsite, Talking Economics. Additionally, other highly commended ideas will also be published on the platform. more..

Aug 5 (FT) The new Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) Bill slated to come up in Parliament today has caused some uncertainty from both ruling and Opposition benches over its credibility and effectiveness. Decried by ex-regulators and analysts, the SEC Bill towards a new and powerful Act has been long standing. Several provisions in the Bill are claimed to be contentious. One is the criteria for the appointment of SEC Chairman. The existing Act stipulates that more..

Aug 5 (TM) State Minister Dilum Amunugama has stated that there would be no extra bus fares charged, except for the fare hikes announced in Nov 2020. In response the Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) has claimed that the Govt should be held fully responsible in the event of a rapid outbreak of the Covid-19 in and through public transport services. Amunugama recently told the media that there would be no extra more..