Jul 10 (DM) Batsman Sandun Weerakkody is the latest national cricketer to test positive for Covid-19. 27-year-old wicketkeeper batsman was one among the other players training in SL and was in a separate bio-bubble in the team hotel. He has since been isolated. Weerakkody's last int'l match was an ODI against South Africa in 2017. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has agreed to the request of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to reschedule the forthcoming 3 ODI and 3 T-20i matches more..

Jul 10 (DM) Former model and artist Kaushi Wedikkara Arachchi has been appointed as a coordinating secretary (volunteer) to PM Mahinda Rajapaksa. Under her new appointment, Kaushi will undertake her duties on a honorary basis but will not draw in a salary and neither is she entitled to an office in the Temple Trees. Presently, PM has an estimated 10 honorary (voluntreer) Co-ordinating Secretaries while six officers have been appointed as official Co-ordinating Secretaries to PM more..

Jul 10 (CT) A staggering Rs 1,100 million has been allocated as the budget for the Bureau of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, for the year 2021, and that would also cover the de-radicalising of the suspects arrested in connection with the April 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Commissioner General Major General Dharshana Hettiarachchi said that around 300 who have been taken into custody after more..

Jul 10 (Island) The number of dengue patients reported had risen significantly in the past three weeks, the National Dengue Control Unit (NDCU) said yesterday. Community Physician Specialist Dr. Himali Herath said that more than 700 dengue patients were reported every week. The situation was likely to worsen, she said. The Epidemiology Unit said that in 2021 so far there had been 9,361 reported dengue patients. 34% of the cases reported had been from the Western Province, more..

Jul 10 (Island) The govt tarnished the reputation of the country by forcefully taking people from the court complex, in broad daylight, against court orders, General Secretary of Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin said. The govt, which blatantly flaunted the rule of law, now had no right to accuse anyone of damaging SL�s international image, he said. The govt was endangering the lives of the Opposition activists by packing them off to quarantine centres & placing them in unsafe more..

Jul 10 (CT) Amidst controversies surrounding the dredging of the Tissa Wewa, using a Chinese company and its workers, without obtaining a proper permit from the Department of Archaeology, Director General of Dept of Archaeology Prof. Anura Manatunga said that they have decided to grant permission to dredge the Tank as the Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) report states that there has been no harm or damage caused to more..

Jul 10 (ST) A drab sidewalk along the Kandy-Matale railway line is to be made a promenade that would enhance the area, due to a move by a Kandy Municipal Councillor. She is also an official of the CEB. Ms Anoma Ellegedara is a newcomer to politics who made her way into the Council during the last elections. Her attempts to make Kandy beautiful includes investing Rs 1,200,000 on this particular project. Kandy City is moving towards high pollution levels with heavy traffic, and more..

Jul 10 (AD) Dept of Irrigation on Saturday warned of minor flood situations in the low-lying areas of Kalu, Kelani, Gin and Nilwala rivers. According to a notice, considerable rainfall exceeding 100 mm was reported in some of the upstream catchment areas of Kalu River basin as of 2.00 am today. Thereby, people living in low-lying areas of Kalu River valley located in Ratnapura, Kuruwita, Kiriella, Ayagama and Elapatha Divisional Secretariat Divisions are urged to be vigilant of minor floods. more..

Jul 10 (ST) Importers continued to fret this week with containers�many of them holding inputs for export manufacturing�held up because dollar-strapped SL banks were slow in settling payments with the sellers� banks abroad. �I bring in raw materials for major SL rubber manufacturers and for a range of animal feed producers, among others,� one import agent said. �Typically, the overseas seller sends documents from more..

Jul 10 (TM) Progressive Women�s Collective (PWC) expressed that it has become evident that the govt is using quarantine regulations as a weapon to suppress dissent in a media statement disseminated today . �On July 8th, several civil society organizations protested the Kotelawela National Defence University Bill that was debated in parliament. In Akuressa, Nuwara Eliya, and several other major cities protests were held opposing the govt�s inability to solve pressing economic more..

Jul 10 (AD) The recent media reports which claimed that the govt has granted permission to import chemical fertilizer are FALSE, says the President�s Spokesman. He stressed that no such decision has been taken by the govt. Certain media reports had stated that the decision taken by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to halt the import of chemical fertilizer and pesticides was reversed by new Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. Meanwhile, the Government Information Department, more..

Jul 10 (ST) Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has allocated Rs 3 million for an ongoing research project on the lost aviation heritage appearing in the legend of King Ravana. The initial two-year project was launched last year on the instructions of the CAA�s Board of Directors. The Board also approved the above funds for the project, the authority stated in response to a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by the Sunday Times. more..

Jul 10 (AD) Sri Lanka has registered 33 more COVID-19 related fatalities confirmed by the Director General of Health Services on Friday (9). The new development has pushed the official death toll due to the virus in Sri Lanka to 3,467. The latest victims confirmed today include 19 males and 14 females. Reportedly, one of the victims is a female aged below 30 years. Among the other victims are two males and three females aged between 30-59 years and 17 males & 10 females aged 60 & above. more..

Jul 10 (Xinhua) The SL govt has said that 176 turtles, four whales, and 20 dolphins had died and washed ashore on Sri Lankan beaches up to July 7 as a result of the burning of the X-Press Pearl container ship in May, local media reported here Saturday. Sri Lanka's Ports and Shipping Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena told the parliament on Friday the Govt Analyst and Veterinary Research Institute were conducting investigations to ascertain the cause of the marine animals' death. more..

Jul 10 (Island) Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (Retd) Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament yesterday that anyone who violated health guidelines to hold demonstrations and rallies would be arrested and produced before courts. Minister said so following various remarks made by govt and Opposition MPs on police arresting protestors, including the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers� Union, for agitating near more..

Jul 10 (EN) New Minister of Finance, Basil Rajapaksa has appointed five sub-committees to come up with right actions to fix the economy, but a fertilizer and agro-chemical ban will stay in place. Rajapaksa had met Ministers and MPs. �There were many arguments and counter � arguments and opinions expressed at the meeting,� the state information office said. �Subsequently five ministerial sub committees were appointed to devise right action reviewing all ideas and opinions.� more..

Jul 10 (AD) All 7 members from the local shipping agency representing MV X-Press Pearl, who were arrested by the CID this morning, have been granted surety bail. They were produced before the Colombo Magistrate�s Court. Seven members from the local shipping agency which represents the fire-wrecked cargo ship MV X-Press Pearl have been taken into custody. These suspects, arrested by the CID, will be produced before the court later. In mid-June, Arjuna Hettiarachchi, chairman of the more..

Jul 11 (SO) The post of Finance Minister is a challenging one at any time in any country, but it is especially so at this particular moment, when the entire world is being battered by the deadly Covid-19 pandemic. The world economy has gone into a meltdown and emerging economies such as SL have been hit hard. It is in this backdrop that Basil Rajapaksa, who has a reputation for turning things around and achieving victory over adversity, has been entrusted with the responsibility of more..

Jul 11 (GV) Part 1 dealt with how that icon of Uda Walawe, Rambo the mature bull elephant who has been conditioned to accept food from those passing the National Park, now faces the prospect of imprisonment in an Elephant Holding Ground (EHG). Part 2 discussed the fact that EHGs are built for political expediency and not conservation advantage and the possible ecological disasters that may happen if an EHG is built within a national park. There are, however, Cabinet approved more..

Jul 11 (SO) State Minister Dilum Amunugama said that since we are economically in a bad situation with the Covid-19 pandemic and trying to get out of it, SLPP founder and National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa�s expertise on economic affairs could be used right now. The State Minister said that when the battle against terrorism was on and initially Mahinda Rajapaksa took oaths as the then Prez, there were so many issues faced by military more..

Jul 11 (CT) Yes I was a National List candidate for the NPP (National People�s Power) in the Aug 2020 election along with others of strong or not so strong association with the Left, as well as a few liberal-democratic candidates. Since then I have been a sort of post box for suggestions, discussions and criticisms though I have no sway in the Party. The discourse is worthy of follow-up and public comment and the JVP would be wise to take note of it. I will use abbreviated snippets from two emails more..

Jul 11 (CT) Basil Rajapaksa is back in cabinet. He was made a Minister even before he could become an MP. Parliament had to wait for the Executive to swear Brother Basil as Minister before the Speaker could take him in as the new National List MP. SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda vacated his spot on the list to make way for his political master. The actor-turned politician was preordained to make this sacrifice, and he will be rewarded, gossip goes, with a posting down under, as SL�s Ambassador more..

Jul 11 (CT) In recent weeks, SL was gripped by a sickening and horrific report in which a sexual exploitation of 15 year old girl child was uncovered. When the suspects involved in exploitation ring were exposed, the case became more sinister and it peeled off several dark layers in our society which has been swept under the carpet for a long time. Currently, 34 suspects have been arrested by the Police for rape, sale and aiding and more..

Jul 11 (CT) The statement issued by the Police quoting the Director-General of Health states that the police will act against those who break quarantine laws. Instead of using the quarantine law to suppress the corona, the present govt has started suppressing the struggles of the people in our country. Police Headquarters issued a statement on 6th July stating that protests, rallies will be banned due to health risks. Why did they suddenly remember something like this suddenly? more..

Jul 11 (Island) Amid the gloom of the country situation we are living in today, there was a beam of light emitted by a statement issued by the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) published last week. The use of the word Association rather than the more familiar Union in the name or title of an organization blunts the abrasive edge associated with the latter term. This, of course, is not always the case. The GMOA, for example, is also an association � the GMOA to give its full title. more..

Jul 11 (SO) New Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa said that his priority is to identify the pressing needs of the public and fulfill them without delay. He said, �Some say that today, our country is in a somewhat dire situation, but we are a nation that has overcome even more serious challenges in the past. I expect the support of all stakeholders in taking the country forward.� After assuming duties at his Ministry on Thursday, he said, �My priority is also the priority of the people of the country, more..

Jul 11 (SO) Beleaguered cricket chiefs have come to look for a typical country boy in Dasun Shanaka to carry a troubled nation on his shoulders at a time SL not only hit rock bottom in international rankings but was ripped apart by shady elements in the team who were a law unto themselves with discipline and dignity flung out. Growing up in the bustling countryside of Negombo where he cut his teeth as a cricketer playing for missionary schools St. Peter�s College and later Maris Stella College, more..

Jul 11 (TM) Sri Lanka is currently facing a critical situation when it comes to the country�s economy. The SL rupee faces a developing crisis since it operates a flexible exchange rate, assisted by inconsistent money and exchange policies. Moreover, the country has to deal with the Covid-19 situation. In an interview with The Sunday Morning, economist and SJB MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said that by the end of May 2021, more..

Jul 11 (SO) Sri Lanka�s most decorated swimmer Matthew Abeysinghe is primed to give his best shot at the Tokyo Olympics despite kicking his heels in frustration after pools were shut down in the US where he trained because of the pandemic. �I feel very confident leading up to the Olympics. My target in Tokyo would just be to have the best time. If I do that and swim the race the way I want to swim, I should be in contention for at least a semi-final swim,� said Abeysinghe more..

Jul 11 (SO) Sri Lanka�s most experienced Olympian for the Tokyo Games, shuttler Niluka Karunaratne who battled Covid and numerous challenges to improve his world ranking to 99, is determined to prove something special this time. �I am very excited and very much motivated to play again for my country. It is an absolute honour and a privilege. I know with all the support in SL and also with the Ministry of Sports, National Olympic Committee (NOC) and Sri Lanka Badminton (SLB), more..

Jul 11 (ST) A heated exchange on Thursday over who should move the adjournment debate on the annual report of the Central Bank of SL led to a back and forth among govt and opposition MPs as to who among them were puppets. It began when NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake demanded to know why the debate, which he had requested, had now been listed on Friday�s agenda as being moved on behalf of the Govt by SLPP MP, more..

Jul 11 (ST) The increasing number of protests countrywide must surely be, as far as the Govt is concerned, an unwanted and unwarranted headache on top of having to grapple with mounting issues at home and abroad. Some of these protests are politically motivated, but some are spontaneous, motivated purely by self-interest involving their livelihoods; all part and parcel of the noise and chaos of a democracy testing the patience of a Govt on the edge and keeping it on its toes. more..

Jul 11 (ST) Fresh rounds of discussions are likely to commence towards the end of this month to decide the fortunes and fates of the 142th Battle of the Blues big match cricket encounter between Royal College and S. Thomas� College. The Joint Organising Committee (JOC) of the Royal-Thomian is keen to play the three-day big match encounter within the next three months, given the facts that both teams are now on equal terms without any cricket activities during the past two months. more..

Jul 11 (ST) My dear Basil maamey, How can I not write to you this week, maamey? So many are excited about your return to Parliament and the Cabinet. Some make it sound as if your second coming was the most anticipated arrival after Vijaya�s arrival to meet Kuveni and Arahat Mahinda�s arrival to meet Devanampiyatissa at Mihintale! It is no small achievement indeed. When Mahinda maama was defeated six and half years ago, you first fled to America, but then returned, more..

Jul 11 (ST) Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is set for some major changes in the coaching set-up with several former SL players expected to join various positions from the Under-19 team to the national team. The names of Roshan Mahanama, Mahela Jayawardene and Avishka Gunawardena have been discussed to assume some key positions within the national set-up but there is still no finality. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is keen to get Jayawardene to work with the national Under-19 team as more..

Jul 11 (ST) Out goes Kusal Janith Perera, in comes Dasun Shanaka, the new ODI and T20 skipper. It took two series for selectors to realise that Kusal is not the captain to take Sri Lankan cricket into the future. But is Shanaka the rightful heir to the throne with Dhananjaya de Silva as his deputy? Better performance than what he showed in Bangladesh and England may have resulted in a different script for Kusal, more..

Jul 11 (SO) The focus of the Govt and the Central Bank is to make SL a debt-free economy in the future by managing domestic and foreign debt well, CB Governor Prof. W.D. Lakshman told the media on the Monetary Policy stance of the Bank on Thursday. However, he said that does not mean the country would be a debt-zero economy. �The focus will be on enhancing the performance of the real sectors of the economy such as promoting exports and developing the agriculture, services and more..