Jun 16 (CT) Sri Lanka Athletics desperate bid to send a team to Kazakhstan for the World Athletics Bronze medal meet, Kosanov Memorial in Almaty is doomed, as they have rejected visas of SL, Maldives and another country, said President of AASL, Maj Gen (rtd) Palitha Fernando. US based high jumper Ushan Perera, who has jumped 2.30m, was the prime hope of qualifying for the Olympics during the meet, more..

Jun 16 (CT) Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) signed a MoU with the Hambantota Int'l Port Group (HIPG), last week to develop the Hambantota Port as a strategic energy centre in SL. The signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Energy, with top officials of CPC and HIPG participating. A separate storage terminal with associated facilities for both domestic and export purposes connected to the Port via a pipeline is to be established by CPC, about 15 Km away from the Port. more..

Jun 16 (DN) SL Cricket Team will play two Intra-Squad practice matches on June 18 and 20 at the Old Trafford Cricket Grounds in Manchester. The 24-member SL Squad led by Kusal Perera reached Manchester on June 9 and completed their three-day quarantine period at the hotel. The SL Team is scheduled to leave for Cardiff on June 20 ahead of the first T20 International against England on June 23. After the three-match T20I series the two teams will figure in 3 ODIs commencing on June 29. more..

Jun 16 (FT) Amidst rising costs of inputs, import restrictions and other business factors, bakeries have increased prices of all products except bread by a minimum of Rs. 5 to a maximum of Rs. 50. �A price hike in bakery products was inevitable for the survival of the businesses,� All Ceylon Bakery Owners� Association (ACBOA) President N.K. Jayawardena said. He pointed out that restrictions on imports, excessive taxes, more..

Jun 16 (CT) Commercial Bank of Ceylon has donated three Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds to the Teaching Hospital Kegalle, which receives over 80,000 admissions and 350,000 clinic visits, annually. The donation was made following a request from the hospital and will help it to provide seamless healthcare services to prevent non-pandemic related morbidities and mortalities while also treating patients who are COVID-19 positive. The CSR Trust of the Bank has already more..

Jun 16 (FT) A decision will be made in the coming days on the AstraZeneca-Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine combination for persons who received the first dose of AstraZeneca, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena said. He explained that advice was given to the Chief Epidemiologist on Sunday on the relevant committee meeting to discuss the matter. �A few days ago, the findings of a study carried out by the University of Saarland in Germany were revealed, showing that more..

Jun 16 (Island) Youth Asian Championship medallist Harsha Karunaratne made a remarkable return to competition to continue the family trend and his school�s tradition as he won the men�s 800 metres at the Stage One of the SL Army Athletics Championship at the Sugathadasa Stadium on Tuesday. Former Ratnayake Central, Walala athlete, who won the Youth Asian Championship silver in 2017, was out of competition for more..

Jun 16 (TM) First Capital Research, issuing a report, highlighted that March-quarter earnings surged by 207% Year-on-Year (YoY) to Rs. 110.8 billion led by diversified financials (988% YoY); capital goods (214%); food, beverage, and tobacco (669%), banks (70%), and materials (267%) for about 253 companies. However, sluggish quarterly performance was witnessed on consumer services (-643%) and real estate (-19%), consumer durables and apparel (-170%) and insurance (-4%). more..

Jun 16 (Island) SL govt has pledged to address the pending policy issues and I am confident that once the pandemic subsides, concrete efforts will begin to improve ease of doing business and ensure the required facilitation for US investors, Martin Kelly, Charge d� Affairs of the Embassy of the US in SL said recently speaking at the SL Invest Forum 2021 held virtually through June 7-9, 2021 �SL was among the first countries in the region to open its economy and offers the highest standards of living more..

Jun 16 (Island) Two days after the Presidential Secretariat stated that the CEB owed two state banks��Bank of Ceylon and the People�s Bank, a staggering Rs 85 bn, the cash-strapped enterprise announced an annual 12% salary increase to its employees. Vijitha Herath, Chairman, of CEB, said that the salary increase in terms of the collective agreement for 2021-2023 period would enable the workers to receive 25% in 1st year more..

Jun 16 (FT) Govt has awarded a long-term eight-month contract for the supply of diesel to Petrochina Int'l (Singapore) Ltd. and nine-month delivery of Murban crude oil to Conscio Ltd., Nigeria. The successful bidders were recommended by the Special Standard Procurement Committee appointed by the Cabinet, which approved the awarding of contracts this week. PetroChina Int'l is the Trading Arm of PetroChina Company, and is one of the world�s largest global commodity more..

Jun 16 (Island) Fishermen from Rameswaran will hold a protest today against SL�s decision to submerge 20 old buses in the seas off Jaffna to create breeding grounds for fish. Members of 17 fisheries associations in TN and Rameswaran claim that this will affect their yield as more fish will be attracted to the breeding grounds created by submerged buses. Ministry said sinking those buses was nothing new and that such buses provided a hard surface for invertebrates more..

Jun 16 (EN) Chemicals remaining on board X-Press Pearl to get diluted in the Indian Ocean an official said, as the vessel which carried over 800 tonnes of sodium hydroxide continued to emit a grey sheen while settling to the bottom off Colombo Port. �According to what chemical scientists say the disclosed chemical compounds disclosed here will get diluted (in sea water) and there will be no long term impact,� Secretary of Ministry of more..

Jun 16 (FT) This week�s meeting of the Cabinet had not seen a discussion on the fuel hike despite it being one of the most talked about subjects amongst the general public. Minister Keheliya Rambukwella yesterday confirmed the fact that the fuel hike did not figure at the Cabinet meeting. In the absence of Prez Rajapaksa, PM Rajapaksa chaired the Cabinet meeting. Rambukwella said following the fuel hike Govt is likely to consider offering relief to the most vulnerable groups. more..

Jun 16 (TM) A 15 MW wind power plant is to be constructed for the Mannar Grid Substation and the project has been awarded to Hiruras Power (Pvt.) Ltd., following the approval of Ministers. Ministry of Power Director Sulakshana Jayawardena said the aforementioned wind power plant is a segment of the main project which was approved by the Cabinet to add 60 MW of wind power capacity to 5 grid substations in Trincomalee, Mannar, Madampe, Bolawatta & Kappalthurai. more..

Jun 16 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 patient count rose to 228,197 with 2,275 persons testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday. Only 15,214 PCR tests were carried out yesterday. The patients detected yesterday include 2,275 persons from the New year cluster and the cumulative patient count of the Divulapitiya, Peliyagoda, Prisons and New Year clusters has risen to 221,294. This includes 126,474 persons from the New Year cluster, more..

Jun 16 (DM) President Gotabaya Rajapaksa indefinitely postponed a meeting scheduled to be held with the TNA today. The meeting was to be held at Presidential Secretariat this evening. However, TNA spokesman M.A Sumanthiran said last night that they were informed the meeting has been postponed. �The meeting has been postponed. Presidential Secretariat said the new date and time will be notified later,� he said. TNA was to hold talks for the first time with Prez Rajapaksa today. more..

Jun 16 (AD) The salvor reports have confirmed that no bunker fuel remains onboard the X-Press Pearl, the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) announced. The Singapore-registered container ship was carrying 300 metric tons of bunker fuel at the time of the ill-fated incident. �We have given written instructions to both the vessel�s owners and the salvage company to investigate and report back to us whether there was bunker oil still remaining in its tanks,� MEPA Chairperson said. more..

Jun 16 (CT) Probe being conducted against a top official of the SATHOSA branch in Anuradhapura, over the alleged incident of allowing 800 bottles of liquor, from its liquor store, to be released unlawfully, during the travel restrictions and when all liquor outlets had been sealed, has hit a snag. It is alleged that the bottles of liquor had been transported in a vehicle belonging to the Army with the direct intervention of this top official. more..

Jun 16 (FT) The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the education ecosystem in SL. Over the last year or so students have been confined to their homes due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. The normal pattern of learning has been tremendously impacted due to COVID-19 resulting in psychological issues for both students and parents alike. Some elite schools with better infrastructure facilities have been able to whether the storm as opposed to the less-privileged schools with more..

Jun 16 (FT) The fourteen-day lockdown to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 virus has now become a 21-day event although travel restrictions are not in place as expected. The inevitable happened in April this year after we were lax in taking the timely decisions. In January this year I had warned through newspapers about the possibility of the UK variant B 1.1.7. (now called Alpha) arriving in the country. Many who came over from the UK were in protective bubbles or more..

Jun 16 (DM) The lowest numbers of daily PCR tests conducted in the country in a month, since May 16 this year, had been reported yesterday, according to HPB statistics. Total of 15,214 PCR tests have been performed in the country on June 15. On Tuesday (16), a total of 2,275 COVID-19 patients were reported in the country, the lowest numbers of cases reported since May 16, 2021. The highest number of daily PCR tests conducted within the month was reported on May 16 with 27,183 tests. more..

Jun 16 (EN) US Prez Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Julie Chung for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sri Lanka, the White House said. Chung, a career diplomat and member of the US Senior Foreign Service, is expected to replace Alaina B Teplitz as US Ambassador. Chung currently serves as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Dept of State. She is one of 9 individuals Biden has announced more..

Jun 16 (FT) The TULF formed on 14 May 1976 contested the 21 July 1977 Parliamentary Elections adopting a secessionist platform. The TULF demanded a separate state for the Sri Lankan Tamils named Tamil Eelam comprising the Northern and Eastern Provinces of the island. The TULF contesting under the sun symbol sought a mandate for Tamil Eelam at the 1977 Parliamentary poll that was conducted more..

Jun 16 (AD) The SJB has decided to move a motion of no confidence against Minister Udaya Gammanpila, with regard to the recent increase in fuel prices. SJB members signed the 10-point no-confidence motion at the Opposition Leader�s Office in Colombo today. The opposition party said it will move the motion against the Minister of Energy on the basis of a number of factors including arbitrarily increasing fuel prices. The motion also cites the recent statement issued by more..

Jun 16 (DM) The Prez and members of the committee appointed to investigate the price of LP gas are on a common stance not to raise domestic gas prices at this juncture, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. Following a meeting with the heads of the two gas giants at the Ministry, the Minister stated that the Litro Gas company had requested a Rs.670 price hike for a cylinder, but the CAA was considering to grant permission to increase the price by Rs.400, but no decision more..

Jun 16 (DM) The Court of Appeal today ordered the Gampaha High Court to grant bail to former Director, CID, SSP Shani Abeysekara and SI Sugath Mendis, overruling vigorous objections by the Attorney General�s Department. When the bail application filed by Abeysekara and Mendis was taken up for consideration yesterday before Justices Bandula Karunaratne and R. Gurusinghe, Additional Solicitor General Rohantha Abeysuriya more..

Jun 16 (CT) National Fisheries Solidarity Organisation (NAFSO) Convener Herman Kumara ridiculed the Justice Ministry�s call to obtain views from stakeholders and to assess the damage caused by the X-Press Pearl, by 21 June, while the country is under lockdown. The Justice Ministry has advertised in the print and social media that institutions, organisations or parties who are interested in to submit their views and information regarding the matter by 21 June. more..

Jun 16 (DM) Full Cream Milk Powder (FCMP) importers are contemplating to increase the retail price of one kg of FCMP packet by Rs.350 and to increase the 400 grams packet by Rs.140 in the near future. They said they have already forwarded the request to the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA). The officials said that a price increase is vital to operate or place new orders. Therefore, a formal request in this regard has been submitted to the CAA. more..

Jun 16 (DM) At least 279,020 Covishield vaccines would be needed as the first step in re-opening schools while giving priority to the health care of school children, Education Minister G.L Peiris said. The intention of the govt is to open schools as soon as possible after conducting a vaccination program for school teachers, principals, vice principals, administrative sector officers, academic & non academic more..

Jun 16 (EN) The Excise Department can issue a limited and conditional license to wine stores to distribute liquor online, provided the Ministry of Finance approves it, Commissioner of Excise Kapila Kumarasinghe said. He told reporters that the department has received requests from the industry, supermarket chains and consumers to permit online liquor orders. �The department has forwarded its observations and recommendations regarding these requests to the Finance Ministry. more..

Jun 16 (TM) The rejection of the names of candidates recommended by the Council of the Open University of SL (OUSL), for the post of Vice Chancellor (VC) of that University, which falls vacant on 23/06/2021, is another political attempt to influence the process of free education which takes place in Open Universities, Harsha Madusanka, President of the OUSL Students� Union said. �We have noted an increasing political influence on the operations of Open Universities during more..

Jun 16 (EN) Sri Lanka is keen to keep the exchange rate at the current level of 200 to the US dollar and is using pressure to influence the market, while simultaneously attracting inflows and implementing fiscal measures to shore up the currency, CB Governor W D Lakshman said. �We are very keen to keep it at that level or at a higher level,� Governor said. �That is to say to keep the rate at 200 or below. We expect to raise the value of the rupee.� more..

Jun 16 (DM) Most of the development projects in the country were slowed down or suspended during the period of the previous govt, Highways Minister, Johnston Fernando, said. In an address to the media, he stated, "As a result, the govt has decided to accelerate the completion of all development projects." Minister today had an inspection visit to witness the progress of the construction on the marine drive. "This Marine Drive has been under construction for several years. more..

Jun 16 (AD) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his capacity as the finance minister, has instructed the CB officials to implement necessary measures to minimize the difficulties faced by the pandemic-hit borrowers when recovering loan dues from them. A meeting chaired by PM Rakapaksa was held at the Temple Trees today to discuss the current economic situation of the country. CB representatives have briefed the PM on maintain a robust economy in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak. more..

Jun 16 (EN) SL has repaid US$ 3.6 billion out of US$ 6.3 billion of debt denominated in foreign currency some of which were owed to domestic lenders, CB�s Director of Economic Research Chandranath Amarasekera said. �The govt has foreign currency debt externally as well as locally,� Amarasekara told reporters in the second week of June. �If you take the total of these two you are looking at US$ 6.3 billion in 2021. more..

Jun 16 (TM) In response to today�s appeal court decision to grant bail to Shani Abeysekara, former Director of the CID, and Police sub-inspector Sugath Mendis, Amnesty International expressed via a series of tweets that this decision is, �hugely positive and gives hope that the judiciary won�t allow authorities to target those carrying out investigations into human rights abuses,� Amnesty International also stated that the Organisation hopes that Courts will close investigations against Abeysekara, more..

Jun 16 (EN) Sri Lanka�s implied forward exchange rates have plunged in dollar/rupee swap markets as money printing depressed rupee yields and the forex shortages and downgrades that came in its wake drove up domestic dollar yields to double digits. Outright trading in the spot and forward markets have dried up after the central bank ordered dealers not to trade above 200 to the US dollar. Giving forward cover to importers has already been banned. Interbank forwards are permitted more..

Jun 16 (CT) Police were unable to get a single conviction out of a total of 2,055 cases of sexual abuse of children, cruelty to children, and rape cases reported last year, Police crime data released on Monday showed. Those include 26 cases of sexual exploitation of children, 76 cases of cruelty to children, and 1,953 rape cases. Police, detailing some of their crime data of last year, said there were 26 cases of sexual exploitation of children, more..