Jul 6 (Island) PM Rajapaksa said govt kept the door open for anyone to leave, if he/she did not agree with its policies. Commenting on recent statements by some ministers critical of the govt, PM said: �We are not keeping anyone forcibly. It is usual within an alliance for parties with various ideologies to have different opinions on political issues. We also maintain democracy within our alliance unlike many others in today�s politics. more..

Jul 6 (CT) SLPP General Secretary, Sagara Kariyawasam, said while the Party stance on Minister of Energy, Udaya Gammanpila having to take full responsibility for the recent fuel price hike and to step down remains unchanged, the decision in regard to the voting for the motion against Gammanpila is an internal one which will be made in due course. He said the discussions in connection with the motion filed against Gammanpila by the SJB will take place with other party leaders. more..

Jul 6 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa says that the Co-operative movement can play a vital role in providing relief to both farmers and consumers. The co-operatives can intervene in purchasing fresh produce directly from the farmers and provide it to the consumers at a subsidized price with a profit, he said. Prez pointed out that this would empower the Co-operative movement to revive itself which saw the downfall with the open economy and play a major social role in the event of a disaster, more..

Jul 6 (CT) Following a vehement protest by six Ministers at yesterday�s Cabinet meeting, Prez Rajapaksa ordered the immediate revocation of the licence issued to restart production of W. M. Mendis Old Arrack, owned by Arjun Aloysius. Aloysius is one of the main suspects in the CB Treasury Bonds scam that took place during Yahapalana regime. W.M. Mendis & Co. Ltd�s licence had been cancelled by more..

Jul 6 (FT) Print, electronic and social media have been inundated during the last couple of days with reports on exorbitant money printing by the Central Bank by a whopping Rs. 208 billion on a single day, i.e. Monday, 28 June, after printing Rs. 23 billion in the previous week. Taking advantage of such reports, Opposition MPs have publicised these stories, heavily criticising the Govt. But, to be fair by the CBSL, it has not printed such a large quantity of money in recent weeks, as alleged by critics. more..

Jul 6 (FT) On 4 Mar 2020, just three days before Lebanon�s worst financial crisis in its history, its Govt said it was lurching from one extreme solution to another in a bid to escape sovereign default by repaying $ 1.2 billion loan maturing in five days. On 7 Mar 2020, Lebanon declared that it could not meet its debt obligations and halted the 9 March bond payment of $ 1.2 billion, setting the heavily-indebted state on course for an unprecedented sovereign default as it grappled with a major financial more..

Jul 6 (SLN) A special operation conducted by the Navy in the seas north of Kovilam, Jaffna this morning led to the seizure of about 98kg and 500g of Kerala cannabis and apprehension of 3 suspects along with a dinghy. SL Navy has increased patrols and has been conducting regular operations in the island waters to ward off wide-ranging nefarious activities including the smuggling of drugs via sea routes. During a similar operation today, the Inshore Patrol Craft P 011 of the Northern Naval more..

Jul 6 (DN) Former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the problem facing the Govt now is not the chemical fertilizer issue but the lack of foreign exchange. Wickremesinghe said that the result of using only organic fertilizer will be a sharp decrease in the yield. While noting that the shortfall will have to be imported Wickremesinghe questioned whether the Govt can assure that such food imports too will be ones produced using organic fertilizer. Speaking at a discussion with the members of more..

Jul 6 (JM) Sitting alone in a room containing two narrow beds and a small table, Priyangika is sick with COVID-19. She fell ill after the virus spread through the garment factory where she works in the vast Katunayake Free Trade Zone outside Colombo, Sri Lanka. �When I called the owner of the boarding house to say I tested positive for coronavirus, he scolded me, saying that we bring filthy diseases,� said Priyangika, more..

Jul 6 (DM) Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcom Ranjith in a letter addressed to the Director General Central Environment Authority had requested the latter to refrain from granting approval for the proposed LNG power plant that is to be constructed in Muturajawela. �It is clear that there are very serious adverse, social and ecological impacts in the project of CEB I kindly request you not to approve the said project,� Cardinal Ranjith said in his letter. Cardinal Ranjith outlined several issues more..

Jul 6 (AD) The Cabinet of Ministers approved a proposal to implement a Paddy Purchasing Program for the Yala Season of 2021. The estimated paddy harvest for this Yala season is 1,500,000 metric tonnes and the Paddy Marketing Board intends to purchase a considerable portion of this, the Department of Govt Information stated. Accordingly, the Minister of Agriculture Mahindananda Aluthgamage has submitted a proposal for this. The program will be implemented under more..

Jul 6 (TM) Responding to the amendments proposed to the Convention Against Torture And Other Cruel, Inhuman Or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment Act and the Code of Criminal procedure act by Minister of Justice Ali Sabry in Parliament today, MP M. A. Sumanthiran of the ITAK stated that while on paper such moves are welcome, he expressed that the Convention Against Torture Act has been a dismal failure. more..

Jul 6 (FT) The country�s second largest private bank, HNB, yesterday announced a new Chairman in industry veteran Nilanth de Silva, following the sudden resignation of Acting Chairman and longstanding Non-Executive Independent Director Dr. Harsha Cabral PC. HNB, in a disclosure to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) said Cabral notified the Bank that he was resigning from the Board with immediate effect. HNB also said the Board, at its meeting held yesterday, accepted more..

Jul 6 (AD) The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce commends the efforts taken by the President, Ministry of Health and other relevant authorities to accelerate the process of vaccinating the population of SL to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. Chamber is pleased to note that the Govt has been able to secure a substantial quantity of vaccines from different sources and that it has already received the delivery of a significant stock. It is particularly noteworthy that a solution has been found more..

Jul 6 (EN) SL has banned protests and public meetings until further notice to prevent large gatherings and further spread of COVID-19, police said Tuesday afternoon. Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardena has written to the IGP informing him of the decision, a police statement said. Violations of said decision will be dealt with according to quarantine regulations, police said. SL has seen a number of small scale more..

Jul 6 (Island) Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) Executive Director Hemantha Withanage has been elected the chair of Friends of the Earth International. Withanage is the first South Asian to clinch the top post of the Netherlands based institution which has a membership of 75 countries. Lankan Environmental Scientist succeeds Karin Nansen of Uruguay, whose two terms as chair ended in June 2021. Speaking to journalists, Withanage said, �I am honoured to be elected more..

Jul 6 (DM) Health authorities yesterday clarified as to why spas were allowed to operate as per the revised health guidelines issued on Sunday. Deputy Director-General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath said there was no specific reason to allow opening the spas. �Initially, we had strict guidelines where almost all were closed. When Covid-19 cases are getting decreased, we will have to ease the restrictions which had been prevailing. Now, we are gradually releasing restrictions, more..

Jul 6 (EN) A health unions� strike in SL has been temporarily called off till next Monday following discussions with health minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, a union representative said. President of the Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary Medicine Ravi Kumudesh told reporters Tuesday (6) that the minister had given an assurance that the unions� demands will be taken to the cabinet of ministers. more..

Jul 6 (NR) State Minister Susil Premajayantha says the govt expects to complete schools� syllabi by spending additional time after schools reopen. Responding to a question raised by the Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa in Parliament today regarding issues faced by students when conducting online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said a new home-based learning programme will be introduced. The State Minister said identifying shapes, joining dots etc. more..

Jul 6 (Island) Minister Johnston Fernando said that the allocation of cabinet ministerial posts among the SLFP members was a matter solely in the hands of the SLFP and other allied parties of the SLPP govt had nothing to do with it. Minister said so responding to a question raised by a journalist, on a statement made by State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera that Basil Rajapaksa and Secretary to the Prez, Dr. P.B. Jayasundera created state ministries such as for clay, cinnamon, pepper and batik, more..

Jul 6 (Island) SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said that the govt was in an economic mess and it should negotiate with int'l lenders to reschedule the repayment of outstanding debt immediately so that would help to get out of the present crisis. He said: �Sri Lanka is in a crisis thanks to economic mismanagement by the present govt. We have failed on both local and foreign fronts. People are aware of the govt�s domestic failure but have no idea more..

Jul 6 (MFA) New Country Representative of the UNICEF to Sri Lanka Christian Skoog presented his credentials to Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, yesterday, at the Foreign Ministry. Accepting credentials, Minister Gunawardena recalled that the UNICEF�s cooperation with SL supporting the rights and wellbeing of children, since the early 1950�s. Minister Gunawardena acknowledged with appreciation the outstanding work carried out by the UNICEF in SL more..

Jul 6 (FT) Hotels Association of SL (THASL), the premier tourism trade association with the largest investment and number of employees in the industry, urged the Govt to further relax travel restrictions as opposed to partially lifting them. �We welcome the limited easing of travel restrictions. However, the current rules on local tourism are massively disruptive for the hotel sector across the country and threatens the job security of hundreds of thousands of its employees, other indirect stakeholders. more..

Jul 6 (EN) A new 200-acre prison complex in Millaniya, Horana will increase SL�s prison capacity to 100,000 prisoners, Justice Minister Ali Sabry said. He said that the Welikada Magazine prison will be relocated to the new complex, which will be built to international standards and in accordance with principles such as the Nelson Mandela Rules for Treatment of Prisoners. SL�s overcrowded prisons housed 28,000 to more..

Jul 6 (Island) Sleeping on plastic mats was injurious to people�s health, the Environment Ministry said, quoting experts who had pointed out that plastic mats heated up during sleep, producing carbon dioxide. Plastic mats were a serious environmental problem and when they were discarded after use because they did not decompose even after 100 years. Although it was necessary to ban plastic mats, it was not easy to find an alternative, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera pointed out. more..

Jul 6 (USE) US is providing a welcome boost to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in SL struggling with the impact of the pandemic. U.S. Int'l Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is awarding a USD75M funding line to NDB Bank to support its work in expanding and strengthening the SME sector, particularly among women business owners. The funding agreement directs a portion of the loan to businesses that are owned by women, led by women, or provide a product or service more..

Jul 6 (EN) Ongoing health worker strikes in SL has resulted in a drop in PCR testing, officials claimed. Sri Lanka recorded 869 new COVID-19 cases Monday (05), the first time fewer than a thousand daily cases were reported since April 27. All districts in the island recorded fewer than 100 patients Monday, while 32 deaths were reported the previous day. �There is a decrease in patients,� Director General of Health Services more..

Jul 6 (EN) Ruling SLPP MP Jayantha Ketagoda has resigned from his position as a national list MP to make way for SLPP architect Basil Rajapaksa, the outgoing MP said. �I happily handed over my resignation letter to to the parliament general secretary today, for Minister Basil Rajapaksa who is to enter parliament, for the sake of the party and the country,� Ketagoda said. The actor-turned-politician has also informed the Election Commission of his decision, a parliament official confirmed. more..

Jul 6 (AD) SJB MP J. C. Alawathuwala says that the current govt has no sensitivity towards the issues of the farmers or the public. He said that the people are helpless as the govt does not solve the coronavirus and fertilizer issues in a timely manner. Referring to the recent string of trade union action by the health sector, the MP charged that the govt only negotiates with the pro-govt trade unions. Further, he said that while other countries were producing vaccines for the COVID-19, more..

Jul 6 (FT) SL is bracing to re-enter the $ 15 billion Chinese seafood market following a resolution of issues connected to mandatory health certification. General Administration Customs of China (GACC) recently approved the amended health certificate, thereby enabling the import of fisheries and aquatic products from Sri Lanka from 1 July. With the involvement of the Export Development Board (EDB) Dept of Fisheries more..

Jul 6 (CT) Minister of Justice Ali Sabry said steps have been taken to prioritise fishermen affected by the MV X-Press Pearl disaster, when the interim compensation which has been received is being distributed. Sabry addressing the meeting held to discuss legal measures to be adopted in obtaining compensation for the MV X-Press Pearl ship fire yesterday instructed officials to adopt measures to immediately remove containers of the ship that have sunk and could possess noxious material more..

Jul 6 (EN) A cash payment instead of an in-kind subsidized fertilizer in the years 2016 and 2017 sharply reduced fertilizer imports and use but there was no fall in agriculture yields, Plantations Minister Ramesh Pathirana said. �In 2016-2017 there was a decrease in fertilizer use,� he said. �The Yahapalanaya govt gave cash transfer (mool-yer sahanadarayer) instead of an in-kind subsidy (murtha adaarayer). �In 2016, after the decision though the use of fertilizer was reduced, more..

Jul 7 (DM) My paternal grandfather was the Editor of The Saturday Post in Singapore. A successful journalist in a three-piece suit, coat, shirt and starched collar, he and The Saturday Post were hit hard by the depression. His penury was somewhat described by the Chinese saying �Coat, shirt and starched collar, pocket no dollar.� After the collapse of his newspaper, he rearranged his career and finances, sold much of his holdings in Nallur, and sent my father & his nephew Dick Hensman more..

Jul 7 (DM) There�s a great deal of ruin in a nation, Adam Smith once consoled a friend who remarked, after the British defeat in Saratoga, if we go on at this rate, the nation must be ruined. By that Smith meant, it takes an awful lot of blunder by the political leaders to destroy a nation, which during centuries of its existence, has accumulated wealth, institutions and goodwill, and is therefore enormously resilient. In general, for countries, rich or poor, it takes a great deal of ruin before those nations are ruined. more..

Jul 7 (DM) Bangladeshi High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Tareq Md Ariful Islam in an interview with Daily Mirror shares his views on bilateral ties following the visit of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to Dhaka in March and the extension of US $ 200 million to Sri Lanka. He said the currency swap will have multiplier effect on bilateral ties. Q: Bangladesh extended a US $ 250 million currency swap facility to Sri Lanka. more..

Jul 7 (CT) A request had been made by the Sunday Times, on 28th March, 2021, from Mr. Tikiri Jayatilleke, the Assistant Secretary-General and Information Officer of the Parliament. In this request, the Sunday Times sought the information on educational qualifications of members of parliament. However, this request had been turned down by Mr. Jayatilleke on the grounds that it amounts to the invasion of privacy of the MPs. He has used the section 5 of the RTI act that enforces more..

Jul 7 (CT) They have made him captain and sent him in to bat at number eleven! At the other end is Mahinda, nought not-out. Has the previous captain been sealed in a glass vanity case and put on display or will he interfere? They are facing an inning�s defeat, the wicket is sticky and the light is fading. Will Basil be allowed to run the economic show or will the retired-hurt captain, his Viathmaga jokers and his jackbooted junkers still call the shots? The immediate challenge is this: more..

Jul 7 (DM) Vacancies for Principals in local schools are yet to be filled. Trade Union representatives complain that many issues have arisen due to the appointment of acting principals in place of qualified ones. As a result, the school system has collapsed and the Govt is attempting to grant permanent appointments to 4600 acting principals through a Cabinet decision without holding a competitive examination or an interview, more..