Mar 1 (DM) Torture and murder at police stations are nothing new in Sri Lankan history. Though many international human rights organizations have urged that the Sri Lanka police needs urgent reformations over the years little or nothing has constructive happened to clear the black marks on the police department. The latest incident of police torture is reported from the Peliyagoda Police Station where a final year law student who was allegedly assaulted has suffered grievous injuries. more..

Mar 1 (ST) Can a President or a PM be indicted for gross criminal negligence in respect of his or her duties to the nation? A cynical wag may well remark that, on this same reasoning, virtually the entirety of SL�s political leadership since independence may be criminally liable. And therein hangs the difficult tale of the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter Sunday attacks, which has recommended (reportedly) that criminal proceedings be instituted against more..

Mar 1 (DM) A well-known economist, banker, and former State Minister of Finance, Eran Wickramaratne, a National List MP from the SJB speaks about the economic status in SL and persisting environmental issues in the country. Q: Do you think that the present Govt is successful in handling the Covid-19 pandemic in SL, especially the new variant? A: I wouldn�t like to comment on the variant itself because I am not a virologist or more..

Mar 1 (TM) The contents of the long-winded report of the PCoI into the Easter Sunday attacks reminded us of the old Greek proverb of how the mountain laboured to produce a mouse. Following almost daily sittings over a 15-month period where hundreds of witnesses were called upon to provide evidence, the final product seems to have only put in black and white what the public already knew. The report has gone to great lengths, covering thousands of pages on the security lapses that took place and more..

Mar 1 (TM) Sri Lanka, at the ongoing UNHRC 46th Session in Geneva, had made statements in support of Nicaragua and Belarus despite concerns raised by the UNHRC High Commissioner on the human rights situation in the two countries. In its official statement on Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on the High Commissioner�s Report on the Human Rights situation in Nicaragua, the SL mission had noted: �We note the commitment stated by the Govt of Nicaragua to respect and promote more..

Mar 1 (DM) SJB MP and National Union of Workers Leader Palani Digambaram, who voiced his opinion on current politics pertaining to the estate worker community and national politics, in an interview came out with a proposal for a system change. Digambaram therefore called for a system where lands on which tea is cultivated should be handed over to the estate labourers while the companies retain the factories. more..

Mar 1 (CT) I grew up, spending my childhood, adolescence and early adult life, in the home of a judge who ended his judicial career as head of the country�s highest court. I also had the enviable experience of serving as his private secretary sometime between my graduation and entry into the profession. The life of a judge of that time, as I observed it, is perhaps best described in the words of Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia. The regime imposed on a judge, more..

Mar 1 (CT) On 16 Dec 2019, BBC said: A SL employee of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo, who says she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and forced to disclose information, has been arrested. On 26 Nov 2019, Palitha Range Bandara, an MP of former Yahapalana Govt said that within 8 days of coming to power the new Govt had abducted a Swiss Embassy employee in a white van. Thushara Indunil also of the former regime commented on how State terrorism was being enforced. more..

Mar 1 (ST) The Govt on Thursday night finally bowed down to local and international pressure and lifted the ban on burials for the COVID dead, thus ending months of protests and anguish amongst the nation�s 2 million strong Muslim community. It did so by simply adding two little words to the original gazette text which had made cremation mandatory to those who succumb to the coronavirus, namely, the words or burial to follow cremation. Ever since the COVID crisis began, more..

Mar 1 (CT) Kasun Abeyrathne�s brilliant half century, and Dunith Wellalage�s 3 scalps help Lankan CC to get the better of in-form SSC by 59 runs to clinch the SLC�s Major Club Youth U-23 title at the SSC. Lankan CC were put in to bat first and scored a defendable 223 runs before they were bowled out in 49.2 over. Kasun Abeyrathne scored a match winning knock of 51 runs off 66 balls including 4 boundaries and 1 six. Kasun along with Kevin Perera put on a 76 runs partnership for more..

Mar 1 (CT) CT is now in possession of proof positive that Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa has authorized his close buddy and criminal accused by the Attorney General to monetize the process that allows desperate Sri Lankans to return home during a raging pandemic. Former Army Major Nissanka Senadhipathi, gun-runner, weapons smuggler and once fugitive from justice in SL has won exclusive rights to organize air tickets and more..

Mar 1 (ST) Pakistan PM Imran Khan reminisced his life as a cricketer and politician in a speech he delivered at a lunch hosted by Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Namal Rajapaksa in Colombo. The lunch was attended by several former Sri Lanka cricketers including World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and his team, Olympic medallist Susanthika Jayasingha and many other sports personalities. more..

Mar 1 (TM) Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced last week a major broadcasting agreement with Super Sport. But so far CWI has not reportedly gone for any agreement with a broadcaster in the Asian market indicating that there will be no live coverage of the SL-West Indies series starting on Wednesday (3). CWI on Thursday (25) confirmed officially its third new multi-year broadcast rights agreement with Super Sport. Super Sport has thus secured exclusive rights for airing live coverage more..

Mar 1 (ST) Chaminda Vaas isn�t the type to give up. His non-controversial career defines his character. Committed, self-disciplined and patriotic � they are the hallmarks of Vaas who has taken 761 international wickets in over 15 years. But, suddenly, he is not disciplined, not committed and not even patriotic. Such is the public vilification he is facing from his own employer Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) after he pulled out from the WI tour more..

Mar 1 (Island) We are running several stories in today�s issue of this newspaper on a matter that is of great moment not only to this country but the whole wide world. Yes, you guessed right. These reports are about the vaccination roll-out against the Covid virus which which is now ongoing and is a matter of highest national priority. What clearly emerges is that there is no unity among particularly the various medical experts, both in the health bureaucracy and health professionals outside it, more..

Mar 1 (DN) Hambantota International Port (HIP) achieved another milestone in their multi services portfolio when they launched the wholesale supply of Marine Bunker fuels, together with their strategic partner Sinopec Fuel Oil Lanka Limited (SFOL). Local company Lanka Marine Services (LMS), market leader in the SL bunker supply industry, was SOFL�s first buyer, carrying out an offshore bunkering operation with the support of HIP. LMS supplied IMO 2020 compliant Very Low more..

Mar 1 (Island) SL eliminated a dreaded terrorist group, with intricate global links, but receives little credit for it. Unlike elsewhere in the world, SL has succeeded in resettling 300,000 IDPs. There are no starving children for the NGOs to feed but this gets ignored. SL has avoided mass misery, epidemics and starvation but the West takes no notice of this. Sri Lanka has attained enviable socio-economic standards for a developing country while eliminating terrorism but gets no acknowledgement. more..

Mar 1 (CT) Savini Jayasuriya of Gateway College, Colombo powered her way to the women�s singles crown with a well-deserved 6-1, 6-4 win over Janali Manamperi at the SSC Open Tennis Championship at SLTA courts yesterday. Despite the excellent rallies and deft touches from both competitors, it was Savini who continued to come away with the points. It led to a couple of early breaks and then eventually a shutout in the opening set. Savini playing with extreme confidence dominated more..

Mar 1 (ST) Faced with opposition from exporters of varied sectors against the newly imposed regulations by the Central Bank to convert 25% of their proceeds from dollars to rupees, authorities agreed to revise the regulations next week. At a meeting of exporters from a number of different sectors at the Central Bank on Thursday chaired by Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena together with State Finance Minister more..

Mar 1 (DM) Govt is using the VIP lists instead of a priority list when administering COVID-19 vaccine, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake charged. WHO stated that when a country receives a small volume of vaccines, that should be used to minimize the number of deaths. He said National Vaccine Deployment Plan in our country was formulated to minimize the deaths caused by COVID-19 and added that the govt has failed to follow the priority list as finalised by the health authorities. more..

Mar 1 (Island) Commercial Bank of Ceylon has been declared the Strongest Bank in Sri Lanka in 2020 by the Asian Banker Magazine, based on the strength of its balance sheet. This accolade was presented to the Bank at a virtual plaque presentation ceremony on 25th Feb during which it was recognised as the strongest bank, with 50 places separating Commercial Bank and the second highest placed SL bank. Commenting on this intetnational ranking accorded to the Bank, more..

Mar 1 (FT) Labour Ministry in its latest Gazette has doubled the upper limit of compensation under the Termination of Employment of Workman Act (TEWA) from Rs. 1.25 million to Rs. 2.5 million. The Gazette, which was issued on 25 Feb by Labour Commissioner General, legalises a Cabinet decision made in January. The new ceiling came into effect on 19 Feb. Termination of Employment (Special Provisions) Act No.45 more..

Mar 1 (ST) Loss-making Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) has been turned into a profit-making entity in 2020 after several years following a drastic fall in world crude oil prices during the COVID-19 crisis. However local fuel prices have remained unchanged. Global oil prices have been falling amidst the coronavirus pandemic and the Singapore Platts price of a barrel of petrol and a barrel of diesel began its downfall from Jan 2020 up to the fourth quarter, and it has dropped more..

Mar 1 (FT) The EU-SL Trade-Related Assistance project, funded by the European Union (EU), successfully concluded its four-year engagement of assisting SL small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increase trade competitiveness in the EU and regional markets. Implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) with the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with the Dept of Commerce of the Ministry of Trade, the project has helped SL more..

Mar 1 (TM) Singapore has sought further clarifications from Sri Lanka on the request made to extradite former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, a key suspect in the controversial Treasury Bond Scams, for the fourth time since the process began in Sept 2019. It is learnt that SL�s Attorney General�s (AG) Department is currently in the process of providing those clarifications as requested by Singapore AG�s Dept. more..

Mar 1 (EN) Sri Lanka�s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it repatriated 320 stranded migrant workers out of which more than 81 workers had overstayed after the expiry of their visas. Others included Sri Lankan migrant workers who lost their jobs, sheltered at the Embassy Safe House, released from prisons and were under medical emergencies, MFA said. The Govt of Oman had granted an amnesty for the Sri Lankan migrant workers to leave Oman with the full waiver of their penalties and fines. more..

Mar 1 (TM) Investigations have restarted into the alleged excise tax evasion of Rs. 1.5 billion reportedly committed by a leading multinational company in Sri Lanka through the importation of palm oil under a different HS Code, Sri Lanka Customs confirmed. Newly appointed Sri Lanka Customs Director General (DG) Maj. (Retd.) General Vijitha Ravipriya told us that after he took over, he had ordered investigations into the alleged tax fraud of the aforementioned company. more..

Mar 1 (FT) Over 800 persons tested positive for COVID-19 during the weekend, bringing the total number of patients detected in the island to 83,242. Patients detected yesterday include 346 associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster and four persons linked to the Prisons COVID-19 cluster. On Saturday, 425 associates of the Peliyagoda COVID-19 cluster and 35 overseas arrivals tested positive for COVID-19. more..

Mar 1 (AD) Results of the G.C.E. A/L Exam for the year 2020 will most probably be released in April, says Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris. In addition, steps will be taken to reduce the gap of one and a half years in granting university admission to those who have passed the A/L exam, Minister said. He points out that if A/L results are released in April, the qualified students will be able to commence university education from September. This would ensure that another year is not gone to waste, he added. more..

Mar 1 (FT) Seven COVID-19 deaths, bringing the country�s COVID-19 death toll to 471. Three of the deaths occurred yesterday, which the remaining deaths occurred on Friday and Saturday. Among the deaths that occurred yesterday is that of a 59-year-old individual from Gampaha who died of blood poisoning, COVID pneumonia and a liver infection while receiving treatment at the IDH. An individual from Demalagama also passed away yesterday. The individual was 51 years old and died of more..

Mar 1 (CT) SL�s right-arm off-spinner Suraj Randiv, who was a part of SL�s ICC 2011 World Cup squad, is now working as a bus driver in Australia to earn his living. Apart from Suraj, one SL and Zimbabwe cricketer namely Chinthaka Jayasinghe and Waddington Mwayenga have migrated to Australia and work as bus drivers in Melbourne for a French-based company known as Transdev. Three cricketers play for local cricket clubs more..

Mar 1 (AD) An operation that carries out buying and selling of stolen motorcycles in the Negama area in Galnewa has been raided by the police. A suspect arrested in connection with the racket has been remanded until March 09 by the order of Kekirawa Magistrate�s Court. Reportedly, 23 motorcycle registration number plates, 17 spare parts, two motorcycle chassis, and one motorcycle engine have been found at the scene. There is an uptick in motorcycle thefts in the country and more..

Mar 1 (AD) A 9-year-old girl has died after she had been beaten by a cane in an alleged exorcism, Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana. The mother of the child in question had taken her daughter to a woman operating a Devala in Kanduboda, Meegahawatta claiming that her child been taken by evil spirits. The woman at the treatment center had anointed some oil on the 09-year-old child before beating her with a cane to dispel the alleged evil spirits from her body. more..

Mar 1 (Island) Sri Lankan Catholics have been requested to attend Sunday church service countrywide on March 7, dressed in black as a sign protest against the failure to apprehend the real culprits of the Easter Sunday carnage by the PCoI. Rev. Fr. Victor Jayamanne, Parish Priest of Dalugama Church said that the decision to conduct the protest had been taken with the concurrence of the Catholic Bishops� Conference of SL more..

Mar 1 (FT) My former colleague and friend with whom I can always discuss policy issues without tears, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal in a statement reported in the press had challenged the �doomsayers� who had been pronouncing from time to time the perilous path which Sri Lanka�s economy was taking toward an ultimate self-destruction. He had confidently said that those doomsayers will be disappointed when the Govt would repay in full the International Sovereign Bonds or ISBs more..

Mar 1 (AD) M.B.R. Pushpakumara has been appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, the President�s media Division said. The former Nuwara-Eliya District Secretary has been appointed to the position following the recent decision by former Agriculture Secretary Major Gen. (Rtd) Sumedha Perera to step down from the post. Meanwhile B.L.A.J. Dharmakeerthi has been appointed as the Secretary to the State Ministry of Batik, Handloom and Local Apparel Products. more..

Mar 1 (Island) The Opposition has got hold of something to beat the govt with. The final report issued by the PCoI on the Easter Sunday carnage has come in handy for it. The SLPP made a lot of political capital out of the security failures that led to the terror strikes under the yahapalana govt, and came to power, promising to expose and punish all those who were responsible for the carnage. Now, the boot is on the other foot. The SJB, which consists of former yahapalana politicians, more..