Jun 8 (Island) Garment factories had been hotbeds for the spread of COVID-19 and there was a need for govt labs to conduct PCR tests in those places, President of College of Medical Laboratory Science Ravi Kumudesh said. He said ensuring the functioning of those factories was important to the economy and that they were ready to establish testing centres in garment factory clusters and test workers inside the factory premises. more..

Jun 8 (EN) Sri Lanka�s Public Utilities Commission said it had approved a proposal by state-run Ceylon Electricity Board to call bids for liquefied natural gas fired 300 MegaWatt independent power plant for with a 26 year concession period, from a originally proposed 21 years. The CEB had originally decided to call tenders for privately built run plant with a 30 year life, which will go to the CEB in 21 years but the PUCSL had ruled that it would be more expensive than required. more..

Jun 8 (CT) The country�s foreign reserves were poorer by US$ 42.28 million (Rs 8,835 million) led by the settlement/s of Govt of SL�s (GoSL�s) foreign debt servicing commitments and/ or Central Bank of SL (CBSL�s) swaps with the market and/or CBSL�s US dollar sales to and/ or swaps with GoSL during trading yesterday. Transactions between GoSL and CBSL are foreign reserves neutral. Conversions are based on CBSL�s administered �spot� rate on Thursday which was Rs 199.53 to the dollar. more..

Jun 8 (FT) 2,646 persons tested positive for COVID-19 within the day, bringing the total number of detections in the country to 207,979. The patients detected yesterday include 2,610 persons linked to the New Year cluster and the Department of Government Information states that the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters have expanded to 201,264. The cumulative patient count of the clusters takes into more..

Jun 8 (FT) A total of 4,625 persons received COVID-19 vaccines on Sunday, raising the number of persons to receive the first dose of a vaccine to 1,948,187 and the second dose to 353,302. The second dose had been previously administered only to Sri Lankans who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, but administration of the second dose of Sinopharm to Sri Lankans commenced today. Both doses of Sinopharm have been administered to 2,435 Chinese nationals working in SL. more..

Jun 8 (CT) During the SJB Parliamentary Group Meeting, held yesterday, a proposal had been unanimously ratified extending the party�s unstinted support and loyalty to its leader MP Sajith Premadasa, thus dealing a massive blow to a plot hatched by MP Champika Ranawaka to derail the Party. It is alleged that Ranawaka had taken the lead and conspired to spread fabrications and spurious charges against the Opposition Leader through the creation of fake news items and videos more..

Jun 8 (Island) Former JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa says the govt owes an explanation as regards the role played by Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa in the ongoing efforts to bring the rampaging Covid-19 epidemic under control. JVPer asked whether the govt had created a special position for Minister Rajapaksa in the apparatus tasked with battling the epidemic. Referring to a spate of press releases issued by more..

Jun 8 (DM) The CID arrested Chairman of the Information Technology Society of SL (ITSSL) Rajeev Yasiru Kuruwitage Mathew for sharing false news claiming several govt web sites, including the Presidential Secretariat web site, were hacked, police said. The suspect had issued statements since last week stating websites of the Presidential Secretariat, External Affairs Ministry, Medical Research Institute, Survey Department of SL have been subject to a massive cyber attack. more..

Jun 8 (DM) Prez Rajapaksa has issued a gazette notice naming the Counter Terrorism Investigation Unit as a place of detention. The gazette had been issued on Friday 4th June as a notification under Section 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). �I, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President do hereby notify that the premises specified in the Schedule hereto, shall be a place of detention for the purposes under Section 9 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act , No. 48 of 1979,� more..

Jun 8 (AFP) A SL court hearing into the fire and sinking of a container ship off Colombo was told Monday that its local agent had deleted e-mails vital to the investigation. Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl reported an onboard acid leak to its representative Sea Consortium Lanka who in turn failed to alert local authorities, state prosecutor said. He said investigators found that Sea Consortium had wiped its e-mails with more..

Jun 8 (FT) The territorial waters of SL have experienced maritime disasters for centuries. The presence of numerous hulls on the sea bed around the country are testimony to the battles that were fought, and the accidents that occurred in close proximity to the island nation. Whilst the hulls are a grim reminder of the past, the impact on the environment at that time remains sketchy, and hardly any lessons seem to have been learnt from each disaster. Much has remained unaccounted for 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 proverbial stable more..

Jun 8 (SLN) The Navy managed to apprehend a suspect with about 514kg of Kendu leaves and 70kg of dried turmeric attempted to be smuggled into the island via sea routes, during a special search operation conducted in the beach area of Vankalai, Mannar today. The Navy has stepped up patrols and is conducting regular operations covering the coastal region to curb smuggling by sea. During a similar operation in Vankalai beach area, the North Central Naval Command managed to recover more..

Jun 8 (DN) The Irrigation Dept is exploring suitable sustainable water sources for drinking water projects mainly in Up- Country and Dry Zone areas. At present, three mega water projects, such as, the JICA funded Anuradhapura North Phase One and Two water projects and the Chinese funded Thambuththegama Water Supply Scheme are under construction. According to Irrigation Department sources, the department has already signed a MoU with the National Water Supply & Drainage more..

Jun 8 (PMD) Steps have been taken to accelerate the USAID funded development projects in SL. This was discussed at a meeting held between Prez Rajapaksa and the Director of the USAID SL Office, Reed J. Aeschliman, at Prez Secretariat today (7). A number of development activities funded by USAID have already been launched in the country. Some of these projects remain inactive due to various reasons. more..

Jun 8 (EN) Sri Lanka plans to enter into memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with foreign universities with a view to building educational partnerships and improving the international ranking of local universities, the cabinet office said June 08. The cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal by Minister Prof G L Peiris to sign the MoUs. According to a statement from the cabinet office, MoUs between the following local and international universities/institutes have been proposed: more..

Jun 8 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has approved to sell the essential food items which are not released from the port or are confiscated by the SL Customs to the public at concessionary rates. Department of Govt Information points out that Lanka Sathosa Ltd already operates a system to provide essential food items to the public at affordable prices during the current COVID-19 pandemic situation. Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the resolution to take necessary steps to provide essential food more..

Jun 8 (EN) Sri Lanka plans to successfully contain the third wave of COVID-19 and vaccinate its entire population by end 2021/early 2022 with a view to facilitating economic advancement, Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander Gen Shavendra Silva said. Silva told an investment forum organised by CCC, CSE and BOI that total vaccination of the population will allow SL�s �workforce, its economic pillars, more..

Jun 8 (Island) The Bay of Bengal Initiatives for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) as a regional cooperation should play a vital supportive role in reviving the economies of member states through cooperation in areas of expertise of Member States, as the world is on the brink of a major economic and social crisis due to the unprecedented devastation caused to human lives by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. more..

Jun 8 (EN) Cabinet has approved a proposal by PM Rajapksa to beautify 100 towns or second and third level cities with some private sector participation, the cabinet office said June 08. �Some second and third level cities throughout the island are untidy, ugly and a pain/disturbance to the public for a considerable time due to unorganised development while most of them can be converted public friendly, pleasing cities across taking necessary steps according to a neat/proper plan (sic),� more..

Jun 8 (TM) Strong opposition and alarm was expressed by the Joint Alliance of Unions of the Open University of SL (OUSL) with regard to the rejection of the Vice Chancellor shortlist of the university by the Presidential Secretariat. This was communicated through a media statement released by the joint alliance of unions today, which represents all academic, non-academic and student communities of the university. more..

Jun 8 (CT) Five sub-committees have been set up to assess the impact and damage caused by the fire that broke out on the MV X-Press Pearl vessel, Minister Ali Sabry said. He added that three committees comprising experts will ascertain the impact and damage caused to the environment, the marine environment, livelihood of fishermen, and the impact on the economy, while two committees will focus on the necessary legal procedure and the cost that SL has incurred as a result of the fire. more..

Jun 8 (CT) Three 40ft containers of organic fertiliser imported from Madurai, South India have arrived to Colombo Harbour on June 2 and they are currently at the Orugodawatta Customs Yard, Ceylon Today learns. This is the first time ever Sri Lanka has imported organic fertiliser to the country. The Govt has already announced that they will do away with chemical fertiliser and introduce organic fertilizer, however, it�s unclear whether this cargo was part of that decision. more..

Jun 8 (FT) Ministry of Justice yesterday hosted a stakeholder consultation aimed at mapping out how the Govt will approach claiming damages to the environment from the wrecking on the Singaporean-flagged container vessel MV X-Press Pearl and seek recompense for the response effort. The move came as the Attorney General's (AG) Dept informed the court that investigation revealed that there were discrepancies in more..

Jun 8 (CT) SL Muslim Ulama Party (SLMUP) leader, Mubarak Abdul Majeed said they were planning to invite former Deputy Minister and Eastern Province Governor, M.L.A.M. Hisbullah to the proposed United Congress (UC) and bring him back to national politics. Majeed further said they were holding discussions with Hisbullah regarding the matter. He said all documents, required for the registration of a new party have been submitted to the Elections Commission and added that more..

Jun 8 (DM) SLPP MP Premanath C. Dolawatte said today he had requested President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to cancel the gazette notification on the acquisition of land belonging to the D.S. Senanayake College, Colombo and give it back to the school. He told Parliament that he would make a request in writing and table the letter pertaining to the request in the House today. The MP said he was told by the President when inquired that the land was acquired subsequent to a request. more..

Jun 8 (DM) Even organizer Chandimal Jayasingha, model Piumi Hansamali and 14 other individuals who are presently undergoing quarantine in a govt center after the recent Shangri La birthday party fiasco have slammed a contempt of court case against media presenter Chamuditha Samarawickrama and want him in for breaking the quarantine law after he appeared in a recent youtube program without a mask. more..

Jun 8 (DM) The due date of accepting the applications from children to Grade One for the Year 2022 has been extended until July 31, the Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera said. As a result, the deadline for submitting applications for Grade One for the academic year 2022 has been set for June 30, 2021. Considering the current pandemic situation, disaster situation, travel restrictions and difficulties faced by the parents, the decision was taken to extend the due date. more..

Jun 8 (AD) Ministry of Health has launched an investigation into the irregularities at COVID vaccination program at Unawatuwa in Galle, following the expos� by Ada Derana Ukussa on Monday. State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana brought the matter to attention during the parliamentary session convened earlier today. As per �Ukussa� revelation, a group of individuals from the Western Province had attended the vaccination program attention during parliamentary more..

Jun 8 (EN) SL has freshwater moss, seaweed and a large number of chickens to make organic fertilizer and the govt will not have to import any, Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said. Cabinet gave the nod to import enough organic fertilizer for 1.1 million hectares of farmland. Alugamage said domestic manufacture will be ramped up using material from the sea, freshwater reservoirs and chicken farms. more..

Jun 8 (AD) A major economic crisis is faced by both small-medium scale and large scale farmers over the inability to transport and trade as normal due to the travel restrictions. Meanwhile, it has been noted that consumers, too, are also facing a scarcity of vegetables and fruits at a fair price. Accordingly, Cabinet granted their consent to implement a program to purchase the stocks of vegetables and fruits which could not be sold during the travel restrictions by the District Secretaries more..

Jun 8 (CT) People living in areas affected by the floods should beware of leptospirosis, better known as rat fever, the Epidemiology Unit cautioned. Sources said there was a danger of the present flood conditions contributing towards an increase in the number of leptospirosis cases. Not only those affected by the floods, but also rescue workers too are prone to the infection once they expose themselves to the flood waters, which would increase the risk of them contracting more..

Jun 8 (AD) The administration of the second dose of the China-manufactured COVID-19 vaccine Sinopharm commenced this morning as per scheduled. The first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine was administered to 19,567 persons yesterday while the total number of individuals who had received the first dose so far is 989,574. Chief Medical Officer of the CMC Dr. Ruwan Wijayamuni said that nearly 90,000 residents of Colombo more..

Jun 8 (FT) The public and private sectors were severely inconvenienced yesterday following the sudden closure of all bank branches countrywide following a directive from the Police. The complaint was people, companies, traders and SMEs weren�t able to do urgent transactions which required physical presence in branches. All leading banks issued notices over the weekend of the closure of branches for a week more..

Jun 8 (DM) A 30-year-old Buddhist monk who jumped into a lake in Diyamailagaswewa, Kahatagasdigiliya has rescued a 70-year-old man when a crocodile attacked and dragged him away while bathing. Police said the monk, Ven. Pellandeniya Piyananda Thero and the victim were bathing in the lake on Monday morning when the incident was reported. However, the monk was preparing to return to the temple after bathing when the 70-year old man was attacked and more..

Jun 8 (TM) The vaccination process is being carried out successfully throughout the country, minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana stated today. �Vaccinations are being provided to the residents at the Grama Niladhari Division level in a very transparent manner and the work required for the successful implementation of the vaccination program throughout SL is being done with the intervention of the health sector and all parties at present, resolving some of the shortcomings that existed more..

Jun 8 (DM) Govt today dismissed claims that there are moves to appoint Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa as PM. Cabinet co-spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that such claims are mere political jargon. �If you go by the stories that are being spread, tomorrow you might see that someone else is going to be appointed,� he said in response to a question raised by Daily Mirror at the press conference. Rambukwella said that such claims should not be taken seriously by the media. more..

Jun 8 (DM) While increasing the country's reliance on oxygen by 441%, SL has risen to third place among South Asian countries in terms of COVID-19 patients, Executive Committee Member of GMOA Dr. Prasad Kolabage said. He said that the complications and allergies associated with COVID-19 infection are steadily increasing. "The daily dealth toll has also risen to nearly 50, demonstrating the danger of this new COVID-19 variant," he said. The rate of dependency on oxygen in April & May more..