Jun 7 (FT) Govt is considering four new applications for licences to produce alcoholic products. Reports have emerged that two applications are from existing large-scale hard liquor manufacturers to expand their portfolio, whilst others are fresh applications to the market. The applications have now been received by the Finance Ministry for consideration and evaluation work has commenced. Details surrounding the applications were also brought to light by SJB MP Buddhika more..

Jun 7 (CT) The construction of five flyovers and a four-lane elevated expressway from the New Kelani Bridge to Athurugiriya as a part of easing traffic congestion in the capital and Kandy will be launched by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa today (7). The inauguration ceremony is scheduled to be held with the participation of a limited number of people as per health regulations in place in view of the pandemic. Premier Rajapaksa will participate more..

Jun 7 (CT) A meeting will be held tomorrow (8), with all the stakeholders, to prevent any oil spill, following floods at the Sapugaskanda oil refinery in the future and mixing of oil with flood waters, Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila said. Sapugaskanda oil refinery was flooded following heavy rains and water crept into a refinery system in the oil-filled clearing premises, causing an oil spill which mixed with the flood waters. Officials from a number of institutions, including CPC, Navy, Coast Guard, more..

Jun 7 (DM) The CID has been tasked with investigating those who are misleading the public by spreading false propaganda on social media, Police said. DIG Ajith Rohana said a special police team has been appointed to investigate such false reports. He said the public was facing various inconveniences due to such false propaganda on social media platforms. DIG Rohana said it is an offence punishable under Section 98 of the Police Ordinance, that if anyone disturbs the public more..

Jun 7 (DM) Intending to deconstruct preconceived notions of fake news and to give a legal perspective to it in a context where fake news is out rightly criminalised, and even those who are in connection with them are controversially arrested, was the theme of a recent webinar. This was conducted by the Students for Liberty in collaboration with the Night Watchman Society SL. The title of the webinar was Criminalising Fake news- Implications for more..

Jun 7 (CT) Voyage Data Recorder (VDR), of the ill-fated X-Press Pearl, was handed over to the CID. DIG Ajith Rohana said the data from the VDR, also known as a ship�s black box, will be examined. He added the VDR contains communication between the captain, the main corporation, and the local agent. Meanwhile, the captain and crew have given 20 statements to the Police, and the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) and Govt Analyst have collected circumstantial evidence and water samples more..

Jun 7 (DM) The vaccination rollout is to commence in 12 more districts with Sinopharm jabs, Army Commander Shavendra Silva said. Accordingly, vaccination will kick off in Matale, Nuwara-Eliya, Kegalle, Trincomalee, Hambantota, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Puttalam, Ampara, Batticaloa, Monaragala and Polonnaruwa Districts in near future. One million doses of Sinopharm vaccines were brought to SL on Sunday to continue with the vaccination programmes in these districts more..

Jun 7 (PMD) President Rajapaksa invited investors across the world to join on a transformational journey by investing in SL. �Govt�s vision is to make the Colombo Port City a key service hub for one of the fastest growing regions in the world�, Prez said adding �We encourage business leaders from all nations to make full use of the unique strengths and many opportunities that the Port City affords by investing here�. more..

Jun 7 (MD) Bangladesh has agreed to lend debt-ridden Sri Lanka loans of at least $200 million from the foreign exchange reserves under a currency swap deal. This $200 million currency swap is part of a larger scheme of foreign exchange swaps amounting to $500 million. In this context, a currency swap is effectively a loan Bangladesh is providing to Sri Lanka in dollars, under an agreement that the debt will be repaid with interest in SL rupees. The currency swap initiative was taken after more..

Jun 7 (Island) Popular Hiru TV anchor Chamuditha Samarawickrema says there are threats to his life, but he will continue to host the weekly live Salakuna programme. �I am determined to go ahead with it whatever the obstacles are,� Samarawickrema said, identifying some specific threats. Asked whether he would lodge a complaint with the police, Samarawickrema said obviously there was no point in doing so. Acknowledging there were honest officers and men, more..

Jun 7 (CT) The GMOA accused the Epidemiology Unit of paving the way once more for politicians to distribute chits to their supporters in obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine after the Director General Health Services (DGHS) issued the National Vaccination Programme Against COVID-19 to identify Priority Groups, for the next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination programme where the Sinopharm vaccine was to be used. more..

Jun 7 (FT) With margins under pressure due to rising cost of commodities, logistic, foreign exchange and levies, the confectionery and bakery industry plans to increase prices going forward for its survival. �The industry is faced with an uphill task in running businesses as we hit stumbling blocks every step of the way. At the rate that prices have risen in the past two months, the industry cannot absorb the costs any further without increasing prices,� several industry stakeholders told the Daily FT. more..

Jun 7 (AD) The Court has directed the Sri Lanka Navy to provide the necessary security to the fire-ravaged X-Press Pearl cargo ship which has sunk in the shallow seas off Colombo harbor. The Colombo Magistrate�s Court issued this directive on the Commander of the Navy today (June 07). Meanwhile, rough seas and poor underwater visibility are hampering navy divers who are trying to detect any fuel leakage from the damaged ship that is slowly sinking off, officials said Monday. more..

Jun 8 (DM) The ban on Chemical fertilizer and pesticide on April 22 has already started its impact on the farmers, not favourable, but adversely. Vegetable farmers in the up-country and paddy farmers in the North Central Province have started to express their frustration as the decision has already had a crippling effect on their crops in the current season. Meanwhile, Prez Rajapaksa has instructed the officials of the Agriculture Ministry to supply sufficient amounts of organic fertilizer more..

Jun 8 (DM) A milkman positioned ahead of us, ringing the bell on his bicycle every now and then, while on his routine delivery round. The golden rays of the morning sun have exposed enigmatic rock forms dominating the backdrop of the iconic Parakrama Samudra. We were in Polonnaruwa, the land of an ancient kingdom praised for its vast irrigation network and engineering marvels. But centuries later, this once flourishing kingdom is now a poverty-stricken district as many people more..

Jun 8 (CT) To relieve decades of congestion, the Govt recently approved a plan to relocate Welikada Prison to Horana and convert it into a high-security prison complex. A huge wall with the words Prisoners are human beings was erected for years on the way to Dematagoda, after passing Borella, on Baseline Road. The wall runs alongside Sri Lanka's largest prison, called Welikada Prison, which is 180-years-old and currently houses more..

Jun 8 (TM) Education Ministry�s statement that it was planning on providing English medium education to children from Grade One attracted mixed remarks from the public, and what those remarks imply is that most Sri Lankans are not adequately equipped to judiciously assess the role a language plays in a country�s future. The world is evolving in such a way that it is nearly impossible for a country that aspires to prosper not be a part of it, and English language, for better or for worse more..

Jun 8 (Island) The writer�s article last week on fundamental rights issues in Grade 1 admissions provoked some discussion, going by the several emails received. A senior lawyer who appears in fundamental rights cases offered to appear pro bono if the circular is challenged. There may be more such lawyers. Over the weekend, UGC called for applications for university admissions. The UGC handbook on admissions lays down the applicable criteria. Uni admissions also give rise to more..

Jun 8 (TM) Despite three Covid-19 waves, SL�s free trade zones (FTZ) have been on full throttle, helping keep the country�s economy afloat. However, several unions have accused the factories within these zones of exploiting their workers and the Govt for not taking responsibility for these workers. According to these union leaders, these accusations stem from the lack of priority given to these workers in terms of the vaccinations more..

Jun 8 (ST) As though Sri Lanka�s Govt did not have multiple problems in its hands that appear to be getting more complex by the day, there enters a ship into our territorial waters. That is not surprising, for Colombo Port accommodates many from different parts of the world, even a suddenly surfacing Chinese submarine as happened in 2014 when the Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was visiting Sri Lanka. But this is a funny vessel. It appears to be leaking some noxious substance. more..

Jun 8 (Island) The govt has had to give public health priority over everything else and extend the current countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. It could have saved many more lives than those lost in the Easter Sunday carnage if it had cared to heed doctors� warnings and imposed travel restrictions in April. Had it allowed the public health professionals to decide what should be done to prevent the transmission of the runaway virus, it would have been able close the proverbial more..

Jun 8 (CT) Recent developments related to proposed grand entrance cum car park project for D S Senanayake College (DSSC) shed light on if the govt is really addressing the urgent needs of the people. A recent extraordinary gazette issued by the President vests a small (but highly valuable) plot of land owned by DSSC under Urban Development Authority (UDA) to develop a grand entrance to DSSC, and a car park. This gazette, issued while the country is going through a tough time due to more..

Jun 8 (ST) With the South Asian, and African markets under its belt, the LOLC Group � SL�s most profitable conglomerate � has set its sights on investments in the former Soviet states, officials said. �We are exploring opportunities in the financial space in countries like Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan etc.,� an official told the Business Times on Wednesday. He said that the economic growth in most of these nations more..

Jun 8 (FT) Treasury Secretary S.R. Attygalle wooed global investors and companies, showcasing a few major policy reform areas the Govt has taken to realign SL�s future economic outlook for the better. Addressing SL Investment Forum�s inauguration yesterday, he outlined major reform areas that includes; fiscal consolidation and revenue mobilisation, trade and investment regime and legal and judicial. �It is fair to say that this Govt more..

Jun 8 (CT) FIDE Master Susal de Silva outplayed Bangladesh Int'l Master Mohammad Minhaz Uddin (2278) in style to score a point to reach 4 � points out of 6 games. Susal managed to get a strong King�s side play from a game started with Giuco Piano opening. Buddika Amarasinghe also had an excellent game and scored a full point against Bangladesh FIDE Master Ahmed Shike Nazir (2179) in a game started with the English opening. National Chess Champion Ranindu Dilshan Liyanage more..

Jun 8 (DM) World Oceans� Day on June 8 this year is of particular significance to Sri Lanka because the theme this time is Life and Livelihood. Both life and livelihood had come under severe threat in the island when the container vessel X-Press Pearl carrying hazardous chemicals like nitric acid, caught fire and sank 9.5 nautical miles off Colombo harbour. Tons of plastic and other dangerous effluents were washed ashore between Colombo & Negombo. Marine life, including turtles, dolphins more..

Jun 8 (FT) Secretary to the Prez Dr. P.B. Jayasundera yesterday assured global investors that SL has put in place policies and strategies to unleash its next wave of high yet sustainable growth, despite challenges such as the pandemic. Delivering the keynote at the virtual three-day SL Investment Forum�s inauguration yesterday, Dr. Jayasundera said that the COVID-19 pandemic hit SL at a time when Prez Rajapaksa Govt was preparing more..

Jun 8 (Island) Senior Vice President of the SLFP Prof. Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa has denounced a govt move to import luxury vehicles for MPs. The proposal to import vehicles for the use of MPs was an absurd move at a time the people of the country were battleing a deadly pandemic, Professor Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa told the media in Kandy on Saturday. The country�s needs had to be properly priorities and there was absolutely no need for new vehicles for the MPs, he said. more..

Jun 8 (Island) Commercial Bank of Ceylon has introduced a Corporate Fuel Credit Card and a Prepaid Fuel Card that can exclusively be used for fuel purchases and will eliminate the cumbersome fuel allowance reimbursement process currently followed by most companies. Designed to benefit large companies as well as small and medium enterprises that reimburse employee fuel bills every month, these cards aim to replace company fuel books and travel voucher books and more..

Jun 8 (CI) SL's men's cricketers have agreed to tour England uncontracted, after SLC committed to revealing specifics about the player evaluations that form the basis of the board's new proposed contract scheme. The cricketers have long contended that the methodology by which they had been placed in various payment categories under the proposed scheme were not transparent. Now, SLC appears to have formally promised to make player evaluation marks available to each player when more..

Jun 8 (DM) Investors should not miss out on SL�s awesomeness although the pandemic is in full play across the world, as significant opportunities exist in many economic sectors in the country that can provide tremendous returns to foreign and local investors alike, pointed out State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal. Highlighting SL has maintained policy consistency, despite the economy being impacted with the COVID-19 pandemic, Cabraal, during his address at Investor Forum 2021, more..

Jun 8 (AD) Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says the govt aims to oppress the general public through the chemical fertilizer ban imposed without a proper plan. Issuing a statement today (7), Premadasa said that it is questionable as to whether the govt has conspired to make SL one of the largest Garbage Mountains in the world. Criticizing the govt�s decision to import organic fertilizer, leader of SJB points out that more..

Jun 8 (FT) Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC, producer of innovative and designer tableware, was amongst the Best of Best brands, being adjudged as the most loved homeware brand for the year 2021. The Best of the Best brands in Sri Lanka is a regular research conducted and compiled on an annual basis by Brand Finance and published by LMD. Globally recognised for its luxurious and elegant porcelain tableware � one with remarkable whiteness that radiates a sense of pristine beauty, more..

Jun 8 (DM) Govt is gearing to list several state-owned leisure properties through the special purpose vehicle (SPV) Selendiva Leisure on the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) by end of this month. Selendiva Leisure, which comes under Selendiva Investments, consists of Canwill Holdings Ltd (Grand Hyatt), Grand Oriental Hotel (GOH), Hotel Developers (Hilton) and several other prime real estate properties. �Selendiva has formed the SPV Selendiva Leisure to consolidate more..

Jun 8 (TM) The last-ditch attempt to come to a settlement and sign the annual player contracts had to be put off until the end of the England white-ball series yesterday (7) when representatives from both parties, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and players, met at Taj Samudra hotel in Colombo. Top-brass officials from SLC, including President Shammi Silva and one of its Vice Presidents Jayanth Dharmadasa, have reportedly met with more..

Jun 8 (TM) D. Samson & Sons (Pvt) Ltd. has reportedly filed action through its legal representatives, Sudath Perera Associates, for the infringement of its trademark BEAT in the Commercial High Court of Colombo recently. Issuing a statement, the company yesterday (7) noted that the Court issued an enjoining order against Udawatta Durage Lalith, restraining him, his employees, agents, workers, and clients and anyone claiming under him, directly and/or indirectly more..

Jun 8 (FT) The CB yesterday issued a new directive aimed at ensuring uninterrupted banking services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic after an uproar over notice of the closure of branches. It said, with the approval of Director General of Health Services and IGP, all banks have been requested to carry out essential banking services strictly adhering to all relevant safety measures and guidelines issued in providing banking services under the ongoing travel restrictions to control spread of COVID-19. more..