Mar 6 (EN) SL has placed sweetened milk and cream on a 2.5% band of an import para-tariff known as the Port and Airport Levy (PAL), according to a gazette notice. HS Codes 0402.10 (powder and granules with fat content below 1.5%), 0402.21 (full cream powder, low fat milk, and non-fat skimmed) and 0402.29 (other) had been placed on the 2.5% band, in an order issued under Port and Airport Development Levy Act. According to SL Customs schedule milk powder with added sugar drew more..

Mar 6 (Island) The Ministry of Environment is planning to involve the cooperative system in mining and distribuion of sand in a bid to end illegal sand mining and bring down the sand prices, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. �We discussed how to control the price of sand because it was obvious that businessmen are artificially inflating prices. There are also reports of these businessmen mixing high quality sand with other varieties of sand not suitable for construction work. more..

Mar 6 (ST) An increase in the number of young children reporting with leprosy in the country in the past 10 years has prompted the WHO to declare Sri Lanka as a highly endemic country in the region. The WHO has determined that the high proportion of children among new cases reported in SL in 2019 proved the disease, which is curable, be actively being transmitted. 181 children under 15 years have reported positive in 2019 more..

Mar 6 (AD) Nearly 12 persons have sustained injuries after a bus fell off into a paddy field at Halpe area in Bandarawela this morning (6). According to the police, the incident had taken place at around 9.00 am. As per reports, a Colombo-bound bus which had departed from Badulla had veered off the road and overturned into a paddy field. The injured passengers have been admitted to Demodara Hospital and Badulla General Hospital. Ella Police is probing the incident further. more..

Mar 6 (FT) The Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) has summoned officials of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to appear before it next week to review the progress of tax and penalty collection. The members of the COPA will inquire into the measures taken by the IRD to collect due taxes from various institutions on 10 March. The Committee decided at its first meeting in January to publicise all the institutions which have failed to pay the due taxes. more..

Mar 6 (CT) The PCoI into the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks is only a supplement to the ongoing investigations into the bombings and the Attorney General (AG) has the power to decide whether or not to use its findings in investigations, said Minister of Public Security, Sarath Weerasekara. He also said almost all the evidence required to prosecute the suspects involved in the bombings mentioned in the PCoI report, more..

Mar 6 (AD) In spite of adverse speculation, all debt service obligations of the Govt have been duly met thus far in 2021, and the Govt remains committed to maintaining its impeccable debt service record in the future as well, Central Bank of Sri Lanka said. According to the latest statistics released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the total outstanding Central Govt debt at the end of November 2020 was Rs. 14,817.7 billion out of which Rs. 6,393.7 billion as foreign debt. more..

Mar 6 (EN) SL will get a batch of 264,000 doses of the Oxford, COVISHIELD vaccine through the COVAX facility tomorrow, the Ministry of Health said. A press release said the consignment, scheduled to arrive on March 07, is part of the 1.44 million doses SL will get under the COVAX facility administered as assistance to poorer countries by the WHO. The vaccines will arrive on a specially built aircraft of Emirates Sky Cargo, one in 10 cargo services delivering vaccines for the listed countries. more..

Mar 6 (TM) SL�s luxury beachfront resort, Citrus Waskaduwa, recently joined hands with Kings Hospital Colombo to commence operations as an Intermediary Care Centre (ICC), strengthening SL�s fight against COVID-19. Citrus Waskaduwa, which was one of the first resorts to offer its property and facilities to the govt of SL to be utilized as a quarantine center, takes this brave step forward showing resourcefulness in accelerating the country�s recovery and more..

Mar 6 (AD) A Bell 212 helicopter belonging to the SL Air Force (SLAF) has been deployed to douse the fire at Ravana Ella forest reserve. The fire had broken out at the Ravana Ella forest reserve last evening (5). Disaster management units, wildlife officers, the police and the SLAF are currently engaged in a joint effort to control the flames. Head of Badulla District Disaster Management Unit E.M.L. Udaya Kumara said the prevailing dry weather condition results in such forest fires. more..

Mar 6 (ST) In a bid to reduce road deaths, restrictions will be imposed on imports of vehicles that fail to meet safety standards, and a drug test will be compulsory before obtaining a driving licence. �We have conducted a study and found out that one major contributing factor for road traffic accidents is low-quality vehicles with no safety gear,� Dilum Amunugama, State Minister of Vehicle Regulation, Bus Transport Services, more..

Mar 6 (Island) Statement by the SL College of Psychiatrists on the recent beating to death of a nine-year-old girl in Delgoda in a brutal exorcism ritual It was widely reported in both public and social media recently that a 9-year-old girl was caned to death by an exorcist in the belief that it would drive an evil spirit away. It was further reported that the mother of the girl believed her daughter had been possessed by a demon and took her to the home of ritualistic healer so ritual could be performed. more..

Mar 6 (CT) As the country is suffering from depleting foreign reserves, the Govt has taken steps to supply fuel to The Maldives, the Ministry of Energy announced. Minister Udaya Gammanpila and Maldives Ambassador to SL Omar Abdul Razzak held talks in this regard recently. Gammanpila and the Ambassador discussed the supply of refined petroleum, diesel, aviation fuel, ship fuel and gas to the Maldives. Meanwhile, the Ministry said that the steps are still in the preliminary stages more..

Mar 6 (FT) Govt yesterday kicked off construction of Sri Lanka�s first LNG power plant, making it the first large-scale project in more than half a decade. PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Power Minister Dullas Alahapperuma were among a host of officials who participated in the commencement ceremony in Kerawalapitiya. Minister Alahapperuma praised both the Prez and the PM for working to get the project off the ground. more..

Mar 7 (SO) Tomorrow, the world celebrates International Women�s Day. IWD is a worldwide event that celebrates women�s achievements � from the political to the social � while calling for gender equality. IWD is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have played an extraordinary role in the history of countries and communities. The IWD�s roots can be traced to 1908, when 15,000 women more..

Mar 7 (CT) Human Rights are among what has been called the seven pillars of President Biden�s foreign policy. The new President, who is really a very old hand in the sausage-making process of foreign policy through his long involvement in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered his first major policy statement on Feb 4, at the State Department. America is back, Biden declared, in clear repudiation of Trump�s America First unilateralism. more..

Mar 7 (SO) Minister Johnston Fernando commented on the wide-ranging mandate of the six-member ministerial Committee appointed by Prez Rajapaksa to study the final report of PCoI which probed the Easter Sunday attacks of April, 2019. Minister Fernando who is also a part of the 5-member Committee said there is no use in pointing fingers at the incumbent Govt as the PCoI was appointed by the then Prez Sirisena during more..

Mar 7 (ST) A round this time each year, there comes a flurry of activity on such issues as gender equality, women�s rights and violence against women, all because the International Day for Women is tomorrow. Unfortunately, for the rest of the year, these subjects go into the limbo of forgotten things until March 8 rolls up again next year. A high profile case has even gone to the courts, hotly contested and keenly lobbied outside court as well; one party claiming gender discrimination and more..

Mar 7 (SO) Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said neither the Prez nor the Govt will take responsibility for the final report of the PCoI on 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. He told the weekly Cabinet press briefing that the report has been presented on an independent basis and it is not up to the Govt to decide whether that Commission report is right or wrong. Minister said the Govt will continue its investigations via the CID and the TID if justice has not been delivered. more..

Mar 7 (SO) Arun Siddharth, the youth who has embarked on a journey to swim against the popular tide, launched a people�s march on Feb 28 from Point Dondra, Matara to Jaffna to unify Tamils and Sinhalese to fight against external forces driven by geopolitics and neoliberal strategies. �My journey will not be easy, I know that,� Arun said. Their days-long march which proceeded through Galle, Kalutara, Kandy, A'pura and more..

Mar 7 (CT) Speaking at the launch of the 43 Senankaya a month or so ago, Champika Ranawaka bemoaned the way voters, particularly young voters, view politicians today. �We saw this clearly when MPs began contracting the virus,� he observed. �The first reaction on social media and elsewhere was: when will the virus invade parliament, when will it help us get rid of those in parliament?� This, Ranawaka pointed out, had a lot to do with how politicians have congealed more..

Mar 7 (CT) At one time, getting a stroke was something fatal. It was almost believed that there is no point in going for treatment. With the advances in medicine and therapy, there is so much more hope now. However, one needs to take immediate action when symptoms develop. National Stroke Day was on 28 Feb. National Stroke Association of SL declared National Stroke Day in 2001 and they are celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Their prime motive is to promote stroke awareness more..

Mar 7 (ST) Your Eminence, I thought of writing to you because you are in the news once again, even though I doubt that you enjoy the headlines you are making now. Since the report of the Commission inquiring into the Easter attacks has been released you are in the limelight and some may not like what you are saying. You have called upon people to observe what you call a Black Sunday today, asking all churchgoers to dress in black as a mark of protest against what you say is lack of justice more..

Mar 7 (TM) Roma Holdenbottle is a single mother with two children, a driving instructor, and a bike racer. She is the first SL woman to have biked across 25 districts in six days last year, making her a role model to both men and women alike. This year as well, she will be riding her super bike along the winding roads up to the Hill Capital of Kandy. Her journey will be just one day long, with a small group of 20 well-wishers, while observing the current health and safety restrictions. more..

Mar 7 (TM) Ending the wait, the Health Ministry, last week issued guidelines for the autopsy, disposal, transportation and burial of COVID-infected dead, further amending the Circular titled Autopsy Practice and Disposal of a Corpse Due to COVID-19 issued on 1 Jan 2020. According to the guidelines, on written requests of next-of-kin to the Director or Head of the healthcare institution where the death has occurred, the remains of the deceased more..

Mar 7 (AD) Asserting its strong commitment in curbing the growing implications of the pandemic, Hemas Hospitals signed an MOU with the Ministry of Health to commence COVID-19 PCR testing in a new state-of-the-art PCR laboratory. Based in Wattala, the facility utilizes the latest technology and is believed to be the most sophisticated laboratory by industry experts. It caters to inpatients, outpatients, foreign travelers, tourists, and corporates including factories and offices. more..

Mar 7 (SLA) General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Army, displaying genuine leadership traits in practice that vaccination should first be administered to some 63,000 plus frontline tri service troops who are tirelessly committed to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, had his COVID-19 vaccine jabbed this morning (6) at the Colombo Army Hospital after more than 62,000 tri service personnel at epidemic work received their vaccines across the country. more..

Mar 7 (ST) During its 72nd anniversary celebrations, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) revealed one of its recent acquisitions � the portable drone jammer. By acquiring this weapon from a supplier in the UK, the SLAF is keeping pace with the newer threats�particularly to VIPs�posed by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and drones. It can be assembled and activated within three minutes, and this Counter UAS system as it is called, more..

Mar 7 (CT) Expanding its ability to serve an even broader spectrum of customers, HNB PLC opened a specialized banking unit at the newly-established Uni Hospital, Kotelawala Defence Uni (UHKDU), Werahera. A special ceremony hosted at the premises to celebrate the launch of the new banking unit was attended by senior officials from HNB and UHKDU including KDU Vice-Chancellor Major General Milinda Peiris, Uni Hospital Executive Director Dr. Jayan Mendis, more..

Mar 7 (Island) eZ Cash, SL�s Largest Mobile Money platform has enabled instant access for small businesses to accept contactless and remote payments using LANKAQR. With the Central Bank led initiative to digitize small value payments in Sri Lanka through an inter-operable, standardized LANKAQR, Dialog Axiata PLC (Dialog) is committed to empowering the nation with simple, easy solutions which add value to small businesses who are now able to self register for this service through more..

Mar 7 (CI) Pathum Nissanka has earned a maiden call-up for the two Tests against West Indies for which fit-again Dimuth Karunaratne will lead SL's 17-man squad. Dilruwan Perera, Kusal Perera and Lakshan Sandakan were missing from the squad which included allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva, who had missed the two Tests against England in January with a thigh injury. Nissanka, the 22-year-old top-order batsman, has already more..

Mar 7 (ST) Police Sports Club stunned the more fancied SSC, notching a 3-wicket win in their Major Club T20 cricket match played at the Colts ground yesterday. After restricting SSC for 122 runs, Police pulled off a thrilling win in the last ball of the match. Needing seven runs off the last over, they achieved victory for the loss of seven wickets. Meanwhile in the other three matches played in the morning session, CCC recorded their second successive win defeating Nugegoda SWC by 8 runs, more..

Mar 7 (SO) The inaugural Mustangs trophy Royal-Thomian T20 limited over cricket encounter will be played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium (MRICS) in Sooriyawewa, Hambantota on May 10. Though the Royal-Thomian cricket history goes back to 1879, this will be the first time the two teams are meeting in a T20 day-night match commencing at 7 pm on May 10. The Battle of the Blues three-day encounter between Royal and S. Thomas� will be played at the MRICS more..

Mar 7 (ST) With a comprehensive and long-term plan to develop the background of SL�s sports structure, the Mahela Jayawardene-led National Sports Council (NSC) unveiled its plans on Wednesday at the Ministry of Sports auditorium in Colombo. Among the top priorities of the agenda were the national sports strategy, infrastructure development projects, national high performance strategy, development of sports data centre, more..

Mar 7 (DM) A 40-year old employee attached to the Colombo Municipal Council Medical Officer of Health's office was arrested for collecting money to give Covid vaccine. Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said the raid was carried out by the Maradana Police on a tip off by the Western Province Intelligence Division. The suspect was arrested in the vicinity of the vaccination site in Maradana. The suspect had collected Rs. 1,000 from each individual for giving vaccine. more..

Mar 7 (ST) Sports Ministry has sought legal advice from the Attorney General�s Dept after Colts Cricket Club challenged the legality of the current SLC Executive Committee headed by Shammi Silva. As the two year-term of the current committee ended on Feb 20, 2021, petitioners Club President Nishantha Ranatunga and Secretary Shiran Abeysekera have asked the Minister to appoint a caretaker for the administration of the multi-million dollar sport until the election of office-bearers on May 20. more..

Mar 7 (ST) The hyper-active Colombo stock market has lost ground as investors resorted to take profits from recent highs which, essentially were not on fundamentals, making the local exchange akin to a time bomb, analysts say. Many traders came because of factors such as low interest rates, excess liquidity in the market, lack of viable ventures to park money into etc. And now many investors are cashing out. more..

Mar 7 (TM) Air Vice-Marshal (r) Shahzad Chaudhry has said that it is high time for Pakistan and Sri Lanka to streamline their relationship as the current regime in Sri Lanka is experienced in balancing their relationship. Shahzad Chaudhry was speaking at the panel discussion on PM Khan�s visit to Colombo organised by the Institute of Regional Studies here Saturday. AVM Chaudhry appreciated SL�s support at a time when nobody was ready to come to Pakistan as the country was declared unsafe. more..