Mar 4 (DM) Police have received over 200 calls on Tuesday alone, from persons seeking to identify the decapitated body of a woman found in Dam Street. Following the horrific incident, Police sought public assistance to identify the female victim and provided a phone number to which a large number of calls have been received over the past few days. The calls have come from various individuals seeking information of their daughters or spouses, who have either been reported missing or have left more..

Mar 4 (FT) In a bid to fast-track the issuance of certification to accommodation entities, Health Ministry has issued a comprehensive set of new guidelines to issue provisional certification of hotels pending �Safe and Secure� Certification (Level 1). In a memo on 1 March to all Health Services Provincial Directors and Regional Directors, Health Services Director General Dr. Asela Gunawardena said to adhere to following guidelines to issue provisional cer-tification of hotels pending Safe & Secure more..

Mar 4 (CT) Claiming that the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) is merely an organisation that works on extremist ideologies, SLPP National List MP Mohomad Muzammil accused the ACJU of injecting Arabic cultural traits into the Muslim community of SL. He pointed out that, according to the report of the PCoI into the bombings on Easter Sunday in 2019, M.S.M. Thassim who is the Acting General Secretary of the ACJU, more..

Mar 4 (FT) Business leader Prabash Subasinghe has doubled his stake in Sampath Bank PLC to 10% by this week from end-December, thereby becoming the second largest shareholder. The holding is through Ayenka Holdings Ltd., owned by Subasinghe. On Tuesday, 4 million shares of Sampath traded for Rs. 624 million, his broker CTCLSA confirmed via a disclosure that by 3 March, Ayenka Holdings and related parties hold 38.14 million shares of Sampath Bank, more..

Mar 4 (FT) National tea sales average in February totalled Rs. 645.95 per kilo ($ 3.35) vis-�-vis Rs. 645.02 ($ 3.40) of January, showing a marginal increase of Rs. 0.92 month on month. However, in comparison to the Feb 2020 average of Rs. 601.99 ($ 3.35), shows a fairly significant increase YOY of Rs. 43.95. Forbes said High Growns, totalling Rs. 611.83 ($ 3.17) for February, have recorded a marginal decrease of Rs. 01.46 month on month vis-�-vis Rs. 613.29 ($ 3.23) of January. more..

Mar 4 (CT) Deputy Director General of Health Services, Dr. Hemantha Herath said, those in high risk areas who missed the COVID-19 vaccine, should inform the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) in the area to obtain another date. He said, there was no need for the public to gather creating congestion. �All persons would be given the vaccine. So, wait for your turn to get it,� he added. �If you are unable to go on that particular date for the vaccination more..

Mar 4 (NR) SJB MP Harin Fernando says the government is attempting to create a conflict between the Muslim and Catholic community by selecting the Iranativu Island to bury individuals who succumb to COVID-19. MP said the govt is trying to sow hatred and extremism between Catholics and Muslims, by allowing burial of COVID-19 victims within an island resident to Catholics. On a separate note the MP said he does not agree with an incomplete report by the PCoI that probed more..

Mar 4 (AD) An individual has been stabbed to death at the Kilimpola Junction in Katupotha, Narammala following an allegedly staged motor accident. A car has collided against two motorcycles at the said location and its driver then proceeded to stab one of the riders with a sharp weapon. The police suspect that the driver of the car deliberately rammed into the two motorcycles with the intention of carrying out the murder. The remains of the deceased, who was identified as a father of three more..

Mar 4 (CT) The total number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka during February 2021 was 3,366, the SLTDA stated. Sri Lanka reopened its borders on 21 January 2021, following a 10-month pandemic-induced closure since 18 March 2020. In comparison to February last year (2020), there was a decline of 98.4% when the arrivals were 207,507. As of 28 Feb 2021, 5,048 of tourists had visited SL for this year; more..

Mar 4 (Island) Presidential Secretariat has reportedly told Attorney General (AG) Dappula de Livera, that 22 volumes of the final report submitted by the PCoI that probed the Easter Sunday terror attacks cannot be released as they contain sensitive information pertaining to national security. So, the AG has been left with no alternative but to divine what is in these 22 volumes which he cannot do without. The argument that the state prosecutor should be denied access to some volumes of more..

Mar 4 (CT) Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando instructed that several equipment and vehicles used for road development had been abandoned and be repaired, after finding a total of 100 vehicles, including cars, jeeps, excavators, bulldozers and 40 machines being abandoned, during field inspections. Minister said the equipment could be valued at tens of millions of rupees and stressed, that steps be taken to bring these vehicles and machinery back to working order as soon as possible. more..

Mar 4 (AD) The report of the PCoI which investigated the Easter Sunday terror attacks will be taken up for debate in Parliament on March 10. This was decided during the meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, which was held today. Accordingly, it was decided that the report of the PCoI would be taken up for debate as an adjournment motion, more..

Mar 4 (FT) Cabinet has approved the appointment of an inter-institutional committee to increase value addition, resolve industry issues and make policy recommendations to the Govt. The Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal submitted by Plantations Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana for the appointment of an inter-institutional coordination committee for the development of rubber cultivation and related industries. The committee will be comprised of relevant line ministry more..

Mar 4 (TM) Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Power, has urged the relevant authorities to make all arrangements to commence the first phase of providing free electricity connections to low income families and Samurdhi recipients who have not yet been provided with electricity. He was speaking at a progress review meeting on the project to provide electricity to all with the Samurdhi Authority, CEB and senior officials of the Ministry of Power at the Ministry premises on Tuesday (02). more..

Mar 4 (EN) SL�s central bank does not expect govt securities yields to rise and would follow a policy of guided yields Central Bank Governor W D Lakshman said after keeping rates unchanged in March amid debt unprecedented monetization. In February longer gilt tenors had begun to edge up despite excess liquidity in money markets amid market concerns over forex reserves losses and distortions appearing forex markets such as more..

Mar 4 (EN) SL�s forex reserves were estimated at US$ 4.6 billion in Feb 2021, down from 4.8 billion a month earlier, Director of Economic Research, Chandranath Amarasekara said. �Official reserves were provisionally estimated at US$ 4.6 billion by the end of February,� Amarasekara said. The central bank repaid a US$ 400 million swap to the Reserve Bank of India in Feb 2021. It had not sold any dollars to defend the rupee during the month, Deputy Governor Dhammika Nanayakkara said. more..

Mar 4 (DM) Scientific surveys have found out the oxygen percentage in the atmosphere of the Colombo city is gradually declining in proportion to its population, Ministry of Environment said. This was raised during a discussion held at the Ministry of Environment with the participation of subject minister Mahinda Amaraweera, Colombo Mayoress Rosy Senanayake, and other officials today. Accordingly, Ministry of Environment together with CMC has planned to launch a tree planting more..

Mar 4 (AD) Emergency use of Russia�s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine has been approved in SL, says State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana. Approval has been granted by the National Medical Regulatory Authority of Sri Lanka. According to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), 39 countries around the world including Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, UAE and Iran have approved the Sputnik V vaccine. more..

Mar 5 (DM) Listening is appreciating others and it is the best way to build trust. We all need to be recognised in some way. The easiest way to recognise someone is by listening to he or she and accepting the individual the way he/she is. A good political leader is able to see the world through the eyes of others. Listening helps us to understand different opinions and see the big picture. This also helps us in leading people with different personalities and strengths towards more..

Mar 5 (LG) If the happenings during the month in Sri Lanka are any indication, the govt of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, voted to power by 6.9 million Sinhalas to restore Sinhala pride and Buddha Sasana as he claims, did not cover itself with glory. This was evident in the govt conduct on three issues which peaked during the month � troubled ethnic relations, the handling of the UNHRC meeting on Sri Lanka�s human rights accountability, and challenges of governance. more..

Mar 5 (CT) Govt�s move to export water in a bid to earn foreign exchange has raised many questions, especially at a time when there are concerns whether the available quantity of water in the country is enough to meet the demand of the country�s entire population. Since the indirect cost of desalinating water for domestic purposes is much higher, a better strategy would have been to direct those water resources towards domestic needs. more..

Mar 5 (CT) Central Bank Governor Professor (Emeritus) W. D. Lakshman at his regular Media briefing, held yesterday, said that they were studying as to why credit to the progressive sectors of the economy such as manufacturing and agriculture weren�t growing. This was in the context that while consumption-led credit growth heralded by an uptick in personal loans showed a marked improvement, however, credit to the growth sectors of the economy remained sluggish. more..

Mar 5 (CT) The UN was founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries for the express purpose of maintaining int'l peace and security in order to save succeeding generations from the repetition of the scourge of war by facilitating conflict resolution through negotiated settlement. Additionally, UN helps nations work together to eliminate poverty and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other�s rights and freedoms and for the protection of nature essential for more..

Mar 5 (DM) This Island Nation blessed with an abundance of coastal stretches has attracted many investors, both local and foreign eyeing to extract and make use of the resources it has to offer. Rich with nature�s gifts including ilmenite, rutile, garnet and zircon, these coastal stretches have now been turned into mineral-sand mining sites much to the dismay of village folk and those who thrive on industries more..

Mar 5 (Island) Judges do not take kindly to utterances that amount to contempt of court. They go all out to make the offenders concerned regret having made such statements. This, we have seen both here and overseas. But there are situations where judges themselves get into hot water for their unguarded remarks that irk the public beyond measure. Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde is under heavy fire for having asked an accused rapist if the latter would marry his victim, more..

Mar 5 (CT) A professional netball league, which is a much-needed project for the betterment of the sport in the country, will be launched in the coming days according to National Sports Council Chairmen Mahela Jayawardena. He added, conducting a competitive league will boost and help players get international exposure and compete at the highest level. �We have already started a soccer league; we have the Lankan Premier League (LPL), which is the cricket version of it. more..

Mar 5 (DM) Wars are violent; very violent. Whether they are predatory or in self-defence, they are bloodbaths. In the modern context with weapons that kill at a distance, in heaps and indiscriminately, they lead to profound suffering, carnage, rights violations and grave abuse. Civilian casualties are invariably high. Militants who wage wars against govt forces resort to guerilla warfare as well as unconventional methods of battle to equalize the power disparity in their favour. more..

Mar 5 (TM) Today, we are talking about a number of issues related to ecosystem degradation all over the world. Amidst a worsening situation, not much of an attempt has been taken to find solutions to the issues being discussed and debated. First and foremost, we need to understand the value and the importance of the ecosystem as a fundamental unit for the existence of life on Earth. An ecosystem is a �Community of plants and animals interacting with each other in a given area, and also with more..

Mar 5 (ST) Environmentalists say private companies trying to grab land for hotels and golf courses, but ministry officials say allegations are baseless Environmental groups are questioning the Govt�s plan to hand over Muthurajawela wetland to the Urban Development Authority (UDA), without much notice. The wetlands were handed over to the UDA by a gazette issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). more..

Mar 5 (FT) Fancy a mid-sea board meeting or a corporate event? The Ocean Diamond, an 80-feet catamaran with 22-passenger seating operated by Sail Lanka Yachting Group (SLYG), is ready to sail. �We are now making the Ocean Diamond available for special events of corporates at very special rates. Whether it�s a board meeting, a discussion on the business plan or bonding with the team, you can now do it as you relax with a good meal, in the middle of the ocean,� more..

Mar 5 (DM) We have often heard the clich� that the cradle is rocked by the hands that rule the world. In reality this is not only a clich� but is far from the truth. For thousands of years women and girls have suffered various forms of discrimination and harassment including sexual harassment or abuse. In recent decades the Me Too movement and other women�s rights groups have campaigned actively and effectively for gender equality. Yet, discrimination, harassment and more..

Mar 5 (DN) Chairman, National Sports Council (NSC) Mahela Jayawardene said that a national sports strategy will be launched to focus on athletes and to uplift their standard to the highest level in the future. The former SL Cricket Captain made these comments during a media briefing held at the Sports Ministry Auditorium in Colombo on Wednesday. "We are planning to introduce a national sport strategy mainly to focus on more..

Mar 5 (Island) The predicament of those in the highest echelons of defence and police bring to my mind past serious failures, not entirely dissimilar to the massacre on Easter Sunday in 2019. Somewhere in the mid 1980s, an LTTE group, led by their Mannar leader Victor Fulgencius, entered the Anuradhapura sacred city and brutally mowed down a large number of Buddhist pilgrims in broad daylight. The Coordinating Officer of Anuradhapura, SSP of the area and those below them, more..

Mar 5 (TM) Ideal Motors, authorised vehicle dealer for Indian multinational automotive manufacturing corporation, Mahindra in Sri Lanka is set to launch the latest MaxiTruck by end of June this year. �We are about to launch our MaxiTruck. There is something different about this also,� Ideal Group Founder and Executive Chairman Nalin Welgama noted recently. �As our market share is 60%, we learned a lot from this figure. What we learned is consumers are going to appreciate and more..

Mar 5 (FT) The ceremony to mark the official launch of Gampaha Wickramarachchi Ayurveda Institute into a fully-fledged University was held under the patronage of Prez Rajapaksa and PM Rajapaksa at the BMICH yesterday. In 1929, Ayurveda Cakrawarti Pandith G.P. Wickramarachchi established the Gampaha Sidhayurveda Vidyalaya as a centre of learning for the Sidhayurveda system of medicine. more..

Mar 5 (FT) Bullish on growth, SL�s biggest renewable energy firm WindForce Ltd., announced a Rs. 3.2 billion expansion both locally and internationally; funds for which will be sourced via the Initial Public Offering (IPO) now open for subscription. Founded in 2010 by Akbar Brothers Debug Computers and Hirdaramani Group, who invested in renewable energy as a diversification strategy, WindForce is a pioneer and the largest producer of renewable energy in SL, more..

Mar 5 (ST) Sri Lanka Technological Campus (SLTC), opened its fully-fledged research lab complex at the Padukka Campus premises recently. The event was participated by Chief Guest Minister of Education Professor GL Peiris & Minister of Trade Dr. Bandula Gunawardena, Guest of Honour. Dignitaries & delegates in attendance included Chancellor of Moratuwa University & Council Member of SLTC � Professor K K Y W Perera, Secretary to the Ministry of Youth & Sports � Mr Anuradha Wijekoon, more..

Mar 5 (EN) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) include the city of Maharagama in the proposed Kottawa-Hunupitiya Railway project. The PM made the request at a meeting held yesterday at the Finance Ministry with the UDA officials on the first phase of the proposed railway project aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the city of Colombo & surrounding urban areas. more..

Mar 5 (FT) Sri Lanka�s first National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) was launched yesterday to make financial services more accessible, efficient, and affordable for all households and businesses in the country. The NFIS is a joint effort led by the Central Bank of SL�with technical and financial assistance from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group�under the IFC-DFAT Women in Work program. The development of this strategy was a multi-stakeholder effort supported by govt. more..