May 2 (Island) The owners of the ill-fated container ship on fire, MV X-Press Pearl, have sought the services of Smit Salvors, which helped disentagle a giant container ship that ran aground in the Suez Canal recently. Firefighting tugs, Posh Teal and Salwar arrived in SL waters on Friday night and Saturday. Well informed sources said that foreign assistance had been enlisted as SL lacked capacity to fight the fire. The stricken vessel operated by the world�s largest feeder more..

May 2 (DN) Supreme Court on last Friday issued an order to transfer former Western Province Governor Azath Salley to the Merchants Ward of the Colombo National Hospital with the approval of Health authorities. Salley was arrested by CID and currently being detained over controversial remarks he made detrimental to ethnic and religious harmony in the country. Subsequently, he filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the SC more..

May 2 (DM) Bahrain�s Civil Aviation Affairs has announced the suspension of entry for travellers arriving from red list countries such as SL, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, on all flights starting today. Bahraini citizens and residency visa holders are not subject to the suspension but will have to present an approved PCR test certificate conducted no more than 48 hours prior to boarding and undertake another PCR test on arrival and on the tenth day of stay. more..

May 2 (AD) Three persons have been arrested in connection with the motor accident that caused the death of the Chairman of Puttalam Urban Council, Abdul Baiz. Baiz, aged 52, had succumbed to injuries following a motor accident while traveling in a vehicle with three more persons last evening (23). The driver and the other 2 persons who were in the SUV have been arrested in connection with the accident. DIG Ajith Rohana stated that after breathalyzer tests had been carried out more..

May 2 (FT) A future SJB govt will amend the Colombo Port City (CPC) Economic Commission Bill aimed at improving parliamentary oversight and placing regulatory authority in the hands of the Central Bank, SJB MP Ajith P. Perera said. He blamed the Govt for not giving adequate time for broad consultation on the bill and rejected several amendments tabled by the opposition which would have restored credibility, oversight more..

May 2 (Island) Sub Lieutenant (First Class) Wishwa Fonseka graduated with honours in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, on May 19. The Sri Lankan Embassy has issued the following statement: President Joseph R. Biden Jr. graced the ceremony as the Chief Guest and gave the keynote speech. Other distinguished guests present at the ceremony were Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, more..

May 2 (AD) A total of 636 individuals were arrested on Sunday for not wearing face masks in public, Police Media Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said. They have been taken into custody for failing to wear face masks in public, not maintaining social distancing, and flouting quarantine rules and regulations. According to the DIG, this is the highest number of quarantine law violators arrested within a period of 24 hours. Among the arrestees, 206 persons are from the Matale area. more..

May 24 (EN) Parliament has requested main opposition SJB MPs who were close contacts of opposition leader Sajith Premadasa to self isolate, an official said. Premadasa tested positive for COVID-19 on May 23. Parliament Director of Communications Shan Wijetunga said on May 23 that parliament has reached out to chief opposition whip Lakshman Kiriella and SJB general secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara more..

May 24 (Island) PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Friday, monitored steps being taken for the construction of the new Kurunegala Hospital. Speaking at a meeting at Temple Trees, the PM sought information from the relevant parties on the progress of land acquisition and construction of the new hospital. The PM said that while combating the pandemic, the govt was mindful of the other health needs of the public. About 10% of the total population in the country is served by this hospital and people from five districts, more..

May 24 (AD) Chairman of the UGC, Prof. Sampath Amaratunge says that due to the current travel restrictions imposed to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the applications for admission of university students for the academic year 2020/2021 can be submitted without certificates. Acceptance of applications for admission to universities for the academic year 2020/2021 commenced on 21st May 2021 and the deadline for submission of applications has been more..

May 24 (MB) A tropical continental island located close to the Indian subcontinent, endemic fauna and flora form an integral part of Sri Lanka�s rich biodiversity. The island�s biodiversity is globally recognized for both its diversity and endemism of fauna and flora, and this is true of its dragonflies and damselflies, or odonates in general. With 130 known species, 58 of SL dragonflies and damselflies are endemic to the country. more..

May 24 (CI) Senior players. Who needs 'em? Bangladesh would argue they do. Although SL had their batting line-up stuttering at 99 for 4 in the first ODI on Sunday, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah called upon their combined 418 ODIs worth of experience, and plotted Bangladesh's way out of trouble and eventually to a position of comfort. Earlier, Tamim Iqbal also struck a fifty. SL, however, have jettisoned several of their senior players, leaving out Angelo Mathews, and prompting more..

May 24 (Island) Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella says that once a vote was taken in Parliament and its results were announced by the Chair, that matter was considered over as per the Parliament�s Standing Orders and there was no provision for a vote recount. MP Kiriella said that he had heard that the Speaker was planning to go for a recount of the votes cast for and against the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill on Thursday in Parliament. more..

May 24 (DM) Ministry of Health has launched an investigation and requested for a report from the Panadura Base Hospital management after allegations were raised that several female patients at the Covid-19 ward had been asked by the ward staff to change diapers of elderly patients. Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath, said that such things shouldn't happen in hospital wards because all those warded more..

May 24 (KN) A threatening letter has been sent to an immigration facility in central Japan over the death of a SL woman while being held there, investigative sources said Monday. Police received a complaint from the Nagoya Regional Immigration Services Bureau in Aichi Prefecture on May 14 and have launched an investigation over the anonymous letter, which protested the 33-year-old woman's death and threatened to harm the facility's head, they said. Wishma Sandamali, who came to Japan in more..

May 24 (DM) Management of any hospital cannot reject to admit COVID-19 patients whatsoever, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena said. He said that they have received numerous complaints of incidents where there were delays in admitting patients who were brought in 1990 ambulances. �Considering this situation, the Health Ministry issued a circular a few days ago instructing hospitals to admit a patient, who is brought for medical treatment within more..

May 25 (TM) Sri Lankans remember how the Armed Forces fought to put an end to the three decade long separatist war, and a majority of the population are still grateful to them for the blood, sweat and tears they shed. They deserve respect not only because they stopped death and destruction, but also because in that endeavour, they risked their lives and the future of their families. That is also what makes their profession different from any other profession. more..

May 25 (CT) The current COVID-19 vaccine doses available on the ground in Sri Lanka are sufficient to fully vaccinate 3.13% of the island�s total population, to keep them immune for a year, or 5.22% of the target population of 60% of Sri Lanka total population that the Govt aims to cover by the year end. Sri Lanka to date has received gifts of 1,379,000 COVID-19 vaccines doses from multiple sources, with more of such vaccines aid pledged from institutions such as the WHO and more..

May 25 (DM) Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam is the youngest MP representing the TNA and is also the youngest MP sitting in the Opposition. Rasamanickam has gained attention for raising some salient points in Parliament based on the COVID pandemic, the Port City Bill and minority rights. In a candid interview, he expressed his concerns on how the Govt is controlling the pandemic, militarisation and more..

May 25 (DM) This may be an unpopular opinion, but the Port City Economic Commission Bill that was passed last week is perhaps the only noticeable piece of work of the current govt, so far. The Bill envisaged to provide substantial tax concessions and loosen the regulatory red tape for the businesses that would be set up in the Special Economic Zone in the 269 hectares of Chinese-built Colombo Port City. Earlier the SC ruled that multiple provisions in the Bill were against more..

May 25 (DM) Despite chest thumping by some govt ministers who are boasting as if govt has contained the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is in dire straits in terms of economy as well as COVID-19 pandemic control. The number of patients in many hospitals has reached the saturation state, where COVID-19 patients are sleeping on the floor; many patients have to stay at home for days even after being tested positive for coronavirus for want of transport facilities and beds in hospitals. more..

May 25 (DM) The removal of a plaque made to declare open a Chinese gifted Smart Library of Attorney General�s (AG) Dept has come to the limelight. According to reports the plaque did not contain the words in Tamil, instead Mandarin had been included. Controversy revolved around a picture circulating of Attorney General Dappula de Livera unveiling a plaque that was scripted in Sinhala, English and Chinese more..

May 25 (CT) An old friend of mine, having served the State faithfully all his working life, upon retirement decided on a reunion with his children now domiciled in the UK. He looked forward to a long holiday, away from the intrusions, trespasses and stresses that beset those living in an unsettled society, a society said to be in transition. An avid reader, the libraries, bookshops, magazines and the newspapers of London beckoned irresistibly. He especially loved their newspapers, more..

May 25 (Island) What has beset SL, courtesy of the current govt, is a textbook example of Morton�s fork, or a dilemma in which both choices available by way of solutions are equally undesirable. Today, the countrywide lockdowns (euphemistically called travel restrictions) aimed at curbing the spread of the pandemic are scheduled to be eased briefly. Medical experts are calling for tougher measures; they want the govt to couple lockdowns with a quarantine curfew for at least two weeks to contain more..

May 25 (CT) Some matters remain in exclusive realms to be confabulated only among the elite. But there is a saying that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. When the whole country was watching the king parading naked imagining he was wearing the best attire claimed by the weavers (according to the folk lore) that the clothe can be seen only by the wise. All choose to keep mum and tight lipped and a child shouted, the king is naked. The story goes on to explain what happened thereafter. more..

May 25 (CT) Participating in what at times could be termed as a relatively short parliamentary debate for a Bill of its width and depth, TNA�s M.A. Sumanthiran put it all so very succinctly: �The Govt was opposed to an Eelam within the SL territory, but now it is creating what could only be termed as Chilam, and with minimal effort�� Or, words to that effect. Not that even Sumanthiran approved of the LTTE�s Eelam project, then or since, but his description of the Govt rushing the Colombo Port City Bill more..

May 25 (CT) As education facilities move online due to COVID-19, universities have had to deal with several issues, including setting up online classes and conducting exams remotely. This rapid shift in classroom environments has forced universities to deal with a new kind of problem that experts call contract cheating. The issue of contract cheating refers to when a student, usually at a place of higher education such as a university, more..

May 25 (FT) Premier blue chip John Keells Holdings (JKH) has seen a robust fourth quarter, though its performance in FY21 was sharply down from the previous year due to COVID impact. JKH has returned to pre-COVID level performances in terms of top line and pre-tax profits, whilst doing better in terms of operating profits and bottom line in 4Q in comparison to a year earlier. Group revenue rose by 5% to Rs. 39 billion in 4Q, whilst for FY21 it was down 8% to Rs. 127.6 billion. more..

May 25 (CT) The culture of Sri Lanka is steeped in cricket and transcends the boundaries of age, gender, race and religion, and we as a people thrive on it as our lifeblood. As such, Daraz takes great pleasure in announcing their role as the Official Overseas Team Sponsor of Sri Lanka Cricket for 2021. The remainder of 2021 includes high profile series against Bangladesh, England, South Africa and Scotland, promising excellent entertainment eagerly awaited by many across the country. more..

May 25 (Island) Sri Lanka Athletics will conduct a special Selection Trial to choose athletes for the World Under-20 Championships to be held in Kenya in the event of the Junior Nationals being cancelled due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Sri Lanka Athletics reiterated yesterday that it will conduct the remaining events of 99th National Championships after giving one month prior notice and will conduct a selection trial for juniors in July. more..

May 25 (FT) During a turbulent financial year that was affected by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Aitken Spence Group�s non-tourism sectors delivered a highest-ever profit before tax of Rs. 5.01 billion, for the twelve months ending 31 March 2021, compared to Rs. 4.2 billion last year. This partially offset the impact of the Group�s tourism portfolio, which recorded its worst year ever due to the devastating impact of the pandemic. Aitken Spence said Group�s non-tourism sectors more..

May 25 (Island) Sri Lanka Insurance Motor Plus the leading motor insurance provider in SL, launches Motor Plus Road Safety Heroes in parallel to the UN Global Road Safety Week takes place from 17th to 23rd May 2021. The premier motor insurer is taking the initiative to help raise awareness on road safety considering the alarming rate of road accidents and deaths in Sri Lanka recently. According to Sri Lanka Medical Association Road Safety Programme 260+ deaths were recorded during more..

May 25 (Island) Controversy surrounds attempts by five leading liquor manufacturing companies in the country to secure new liquor producing licences, while the country is reeling from the effects of the deadly pandemic, Excise Trade Union sources say. Five leading hard liquor manufacturing companies had applied for licences to produce new brews including wine and cider and the main regulatory body the Dept of Excise more..

May 25 (DN) SL�s youngest FIDE Master, Susal de Silva of Nalanda College beat the Mongolian FIDE Master Chingun Sumiya (2,269) while FIDE Master, Minul Doluweera drew with Malaysian FIDE Master Lim Zhou Ren (2,311) in the third-round of the Asian Continental Hybrid Chess Championships, which continued yesterday. 15-year-old Susal had a good day in the third round and moved to the rank of 47 with this victory and presently he maintains the best rank among the four Sri Lankans competing more..

May 25 (ST) The Crysbro-National Olympic Committee�s Next Olympic Champ programme is now complete and it could be described as one of the most unique and futuristic concepts that have been set on course in SL so far in the sports realm. Initially, the selection committee selected twelve athletes and added the remaining eight just prior to island-wide travel restrictions. The main aim of this programme is to help and sustain identified junior athletes of SL and elevate them to be more..

May 25 (ST) As of yesterday morning, the number of COVID-19-infected bodies interred in the Muslim burial site in Oddamavadi had risen to 224 and community leaders have called for the Govt to approve at least one more identified site to ease the burden of officials and workers at the present location. There were 14 new bodies on Friday and, by yesterday morning, ten more for the site which is also opened to those of other more..

May 25 (FT) Hikkaduwa Beach Resort Plc has announced that it entered into an agreement with Ruhunu Hospitals Ltd., on 13 May to operate an intermediary care centre at the company�s resort at Hikkdaduwa for six months to provide accommodation and medical care for asymptomatic and mild symptomatic COVID-19 patients in line with the provisional approval granted by the Director General of Health Services, according to Ministry of Health�s admission protocols. more..

May 25 (FT) Hotels Association of SL (THASL) is seeking urgent attention and action from the Govt on what it described as seven key requests to prevent the collapse of SL�s tourism industry. The seven requests are implement the Cabinet approved wage support scheme for tourism sector employees; extension of the debt moratorium until Dec 2022; introduce an effective debt restructuring program of all tourism related debt; waive all penalties on non-payment of utility bills such as electricity and more..