May 30 (Island) That Mahinda Rajapaksa is one of the more pragmatic political strategists the country has had is a point even his critics acknowledge. This has nothing to do with his nationalism, but rather how he channels, hones in on, and exudes it. I can�t think of a single politician, including his brothers, who can tap into populist sentiments the way he can; that, of course, is less a tribute to his personal charisma than it is an indictment on his opponents. Once upon a happier time, more..

May 30 (CT) After JR�s attempt to get assistance from the West against India had failed, it was clear that the pressures exercised by India could not be resisted. Besides, once the riots had been stopped, and the damage done to the SL State in terms of perceptions properly assessed), it was seen as desirable that the problems that had given rise to this should be soon resolved. Obviously this could best be done with Indian assistance and so in the next few months there was a great deal of more..

May 30 (ST) Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) conducted its Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday from 9.30am via Zoom technology with representatives from Asian Rugby (AR) joining in as observers. The existing office-bearers, headed by SLR President Rizly Illyas will continue to operate for another year as sports activities were minimal throughout the country and even worldwide due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. �This is the first instance that the SLR AGM was held via Zoom technology more..

May 30 (ST) Like the Great Emperor Ashoka�s edicts after a series of wars and bloodshed, Prez Rajapaksa�s policy statement to Parliament last year outlined his new Govt�s policy saying it would be one nurtured by Buddhist teachings. Alas, his speech writer was not able to spot what seemed a clear contradiction in the statement which also called for his Govt to be actively pursue a policy of increasing earnings by inter-alia, meat exports. PM soon thereafter announced a ban on slaughter of more..

May 30 (ST) The country�s largest prison complex will be established in Millewa in Horana. This will pave the way for a mixed development project on the 42 acres that the Welikade prison is now located. The move follows a joint recommendation to the Cabinet of Ministers by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and Justice Minister Ali Sabry. PM is also Minister of Urban Development & Housing. The project was approved by ministers early this month. more..

May 30 (ST) My dear Doctor Padeniya, I thought I should write to you now, when our little Paradise island is facing its greatest health crisis in a century. You are the boss of the most powerful medical organisation in the country at a time when thousands are getting infected with the coronavirus and dozens of people are dying every day. Your organisation, the GMOA, is a trade union. Therefore, you have to fight for the rights of your members who are doctors. We appreciate that. more..

May 30 (Island) An increasing number of cremations owing to pandemic deaths is said to have led to a shortage of firewood in India; other countries, where the Covid-19 mortality rates have reached unmanageable levels, are struggling to bury the dead, and facing a shortage of coffins. A few moons ago, even the US had to make do with freezer trucks in preserving corpses pending burial because mortuaries were overflowing. It is feared that the pandemic mortality rate will increase more..

May 30 (TM) The surge in Covid-19 infections has undoubtedly placed a significant strain on SL�s healthcare system, and to ensure the healthcare structure doesn�t reach its tipping point, the State and the private sector are required to put in a collective effort in these trying times. Ministry of Health recently issued an ultimatum to a leading private hospital in Colombo that had allegedly conducted over 5 times the allocated number more..

May 30 (ST) Angelo Mathews has made himself unavailable for selection up until mid-June due to personal reasons, meaning there�s no chance of former skipper making the trip to England for the limited over series. Mathews is among several other seniors including skipper Dimuth Karunaratne dropped for Bangladesh series which SL lost 2-1 but given its fragile batting order there was pressure from all quarters to bring at least Mathews back � the most experience player around SL set up. more..

May 30 (ST) Fiscal tightening of the treasury and the Central Bank�s accommodative monetary policy with flexible exchange rate will sustain the economic recovery, servicing debts in a timely manner, officials disclosed. The authorities are getting ready to settle maturities of SL Development Bonds (SLDB) within the next two months. Answering a question raised by Business Times at the recent Monetary Policy review media conference conducted virtually, the Central Bank�s Superintendent of more..

May 30 (ST) After Dushmantha Chameera claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in ODIs to lift Sri Lanka to a morale-boosting victory ahead of a tough assignment in England, the team�s bowling coach Chaminda Vaas heaped praise on the right-arm paceman�s ability to generate pace and swing at the same time. Chameera, 29, was simply the stand-out performer in the series having picked up 9 wickets more..

May 30 (SO) The country will be entering the second week of travel restrictions from today. This is a bid to control the spread of the Coronavirus, which has so far infected around 170,000 people throughout the island. More than 1,200 deaths have also been reported. The travel restrictions, though not a lockdown per se, is intended to keep the public at their homes to the fullest possible extent. Of course, some are compelled to leave their homes as they are engaged in essential services � more..

May 30 (ST) Internal discussions at the Central Bank (CB) on cryptocurrency trading in Sri Lanka have taken a serious turn after an alarming rise in Bitcoin trading. The Business Times learns that there are at least three different Internet platforms that allow buying and selling Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency. The latest data shows that one such Bitcoin trading platform, Paxful has since January till March surpassed the total volume traded last year. This is mainly owing to those with cash more..

May 30 (TM) Airport and Aviation Services (SL) Ltd. (AASL) is awaiting approval from the Health Ministry for the use of the high-tech laboratory facility that is already being established, following the Govt�s decision to lift the temporary travel restrictions imposed on inbound travellers to Sri Lanka effective 1 June 2021. AASL Chairman G.A. Chandrasiri said that the new high-tech laboratory is being constructed adjacent to BIA more..

May 30 (Island) The Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) launched a program to provide National Vocational Qualification (NVQ 3 Level) free of charge to trained electricians island-wide from last March. This project is being carried out in collaboration with the National Vocational Training Authority and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. Accordingly, 2,500 electricians covering all districts of Sri Lanka will be certified under the first phase. more..

May 30 (Island) The SL Agricultural Economics Association (SAEA) has expressed some concerns on the appropriateness of the newly introduced regulation to restrict forthwith the import of chemical fertilizers and pesticides by the Gazette Extraordinary No 2226/48 of May 6, 2021, to achieve the broader development goal. In a letter to Prez Rajapaksa, the SAEA, the professional body representing the Agricultural Economists of SL, has predicted massive economic losses due to more..

May 30 (ST) More than five years after being arrested while at the helm of MV Avant Garde, Ukrainian ship captain Gennadiy Gavrylov is free to go home. But he has no job, no money and it will cost thousands of dollars to renew his paperwork at a time when the world is fighting a crippling pandemic. �I want to go home,� Mr Gavrylov, 54, told the Sunday Times, which also interviewed him in June 2019. more..

May 30 (Island) Pietermaritzburg is a lovely city in South Africa, a short drive from Durban. It�s known mostly for one reason. It was here a young Indian lawyer was thrown off a train for travelling in a white only compartment. He�s known to the world as Mahathma Gandhi. Pietermaritzburg is also known for cricketing reasons. Chaminda Vaas took a hat-trick here off the first three balls of a World Cup game against Bangladesh. The game was over early and we filed our copies and were back more..

May 30 (Island) However hard the govt tries to claim that it won a famous victory in getting through the legislature the controversial Colombo Port City Bill, now an Act of Parliament following its certification last week by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the fact remains that the Supreme Court (SC) found as many as 25 of its 74 clauses in conflict with the constitution. This is more than a third of the Bill that was originally presented and has been described as a �stinging rebuke� by critics. more..

May 30 (TM) Multiple groups of scientists have been deployed by the Director General of National Aquatic Resources Research & Development Agency (NARA) to investigate the environmental damage caused by the debris that has washed up ashore after the fire onboard the MV X-Press Pearl ship had caused containers it carried to fall into the ocean. NARA Director General Dr. Palitha Kithsiri said: �I have assigned three groups more..

May 30 (TM) Govt�s Covid-19 vaccination programme has not completely gone off track, but is facing slight deviations during the implementation process, State Minister Sudarshini Fernandopulle said. Responding to allegations levelled against the Govt that it was not following scientific methods to identify priority groups to be vaccinated, she saidthat the vaccination plan was the same as it was before, and is currently being implemented according to scientifically-approved prioritisation. more..

May 30 (SO) SL�s highest paid cricketer Niroshan Dickwella was reduced to a mere spectator on the bench as his team played like amateurs against underdogs Bangladesh who for the first time beat the island-nation in an ODI series on Tuesday. The result not only brought embarrassment to Dickwella who had no place in the team, but also handed Sri Lanka its fifth series defeat inside six months following losses to South Africa, England and the West Indies in both Tests and one-dayers. more..

May 30 (Island) Tonnes of plastic pellets from a burning container ship swamped SL�s west coast Friday, prompting a ban on fishing as international efforts to salvage the vessel dragged into a ninth day. Govt announced the ban along an 80-km coastal area, including Colombo, fearing contamination with pollutants and plastic waste from the stricken ship. �We will compensate the owners of 5,600 boats affected by the ban� more..

May 30 (AD) Former parliamentarian and former Southern Provincial Councilor Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thero has passed away. Thero had been receiving treatment at a private hospital in Matara when he passed away early this morning. Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thero had been 69 years in age at the time of passing. The Thero had been discharged from the Karapitiya Hospital and returned to the temple a few days ago after recovering from COVID-19. more..

May 30 (SO) Prez Rajapaksa has accepted the request by doctors and closed the country that is facing its lowest economic growth after Independence and now it is time for people to show how much they love and care for themselves, their loved ones, aged parents and family members who suffer from Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Navin De Zoysa said. He said that implementing strict travel restrictions for 14 days would break one circle of Covid-19 more..

May 30 (TM) The onset of the South Western Monsoon (SWM) in Sri Lanka got a head start with the low-pressure area which formed over the north Andaman Sea and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal earlier last week, which intensified into a cyclonic storm, bringing in showers and thunder showers to the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, North Western, and Southern Provinces. According to the situation report released by the DMC more..

May 30 (AD) Another 42 coronavirus related fatalities have been confirmed in Sri Lanka, raising the country�s death toll to 1,405. Six virus related deaths were reported yesterday, while 36 deaths were confirmed between the 14th and 28th of May. 10 COVID-19 deaths each were reported on Thursday and Friday. The Director General of Health Services confirmed that 13 women and 29 men were among the victims. The deceased are between the ages of 35 and 93. more..

May 30 (SO) Prez Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant officials to implement a comprehensive mechanism in consultation with all sectors to provide organic fertiliser to farmers for the Maha season without any shortage. Prez�s National Policy framework, Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour ensures the people�s right to a non-toxic diet to create a healthy and productive citizen. To make this a reality, the Prez�s objective is to transform the entire agricultural sector of the country more..

May 30 (ST) SL�s COVID-19 deaths are mounting with little or no signs of the epidemic, now on its third wave, receding. Even if the daily official statistics do not reflect the enormity of the crisis, they do bare some nerve-wracking concerns. From May 1 to 28, the death toll was 685. This is an average of 24 deaths a day or one every hour. It is counting with 1363 deaths since the outbreak early last year. more..

May 31 (GV) As it looks towards a post COVID-19 world, Sri Lanka, with its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, faces the stark policy choice of either tilting towards China or balancing its ties with the great powers. While China�s successful pandemic diplomacy and commercial focus has made it economically important, it is timely for the island nation to reap additional rewards by following a more nuanced and balanced posture in its relations with China, the United States and India. more..

May 31 (ST) It is said that, whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. Well, SL exemplifies the madness of a State, perpetuated by a regime unwisely elevated to power through an enormous electoral majority, which now makes use of that vote to do whatever it wishes. A few days ago, the unspeakable Mayor of Moratuwa who outrageously confronted his district�s medical officer of health by barging into an orderly vaccination process and demanding priority treatment for his more..

May 31 (GV) Acclaimed traditional dancer Upeka Chitrasena marked her 70th birthday on May 21. Q: When did you first realise you wanted to be a dancer? A: I have absolutely no idea. I didn�t wake up one day and decide I want to be a dancer. I never had a moment when I thought �this is the path I should take.� I went into it like it was meant to be. I think it was growing up in the environment that I did: watching my parents (Chitrasena/Vajira) more..

May 31 (TM) One of the things that is wrong with SL�s politicians is that they have been consumed by the misguided notion that they can play God and are not answerable to the public or the country�s law for their actions. Based on that notion, they attempt to enjoy unlimited freedom and power they do not have, and that is the nature of SL�s political culture. Against this backdrop was a good move, wherein last week, Moratuwa Mayor Samanlal Fernando was remanded till 11 June for interrupting more..

May 31 (Island) Covid-19 vaccination drive has got off to a bumpy start thanks to dirty politics; it has been politicised to such an extent that the SLPP politicians reportedly issue chits to their supporters to receive the jab on priority basis, and publicly berate the health workers who are not willing to do their bidding, as was seen in a Colombo suburb, the other day. Moratuwa Mayor Samanlal Fernando went ballistic when a female medical officer refused to carry out the vaccination programme more..

May 31 (TM) Sri Lanka�s environmentalists fear that the recent incident where a ship caught fire near SL may cause a new spate of environmental issues, and a public discourse has begun on social media platforms about the same. Singapore-flagged container ship MV X-press Pearl caught fire on 20 May off the west coast of SL, and as the SL authorities including the SL Navy struggled to extinguish the fire, almost the entire ship more..

May 31 (DM) Studies available to date, says, that a connection is emerging in regard to patients who smoke have a higher probability of developing more rigorous symptoms of COVID-19 than non-smokers. Tobacco smoke is a mixture of more than 4000 carcinogens/toxins, and is a source of exposure to chemically-mediated sicknesses. The prospective relationship between smoking and receptiveness to COVID-19, as well as cruelty of COVID-19 symptoms are being further researched. more..

May 31 (Island) Women�s tennis in SL is a glamour sport and players like Anika Seneviratne, Janali Manampperi, Neyara Weerawansa, Oneli Perera and Savini Jayasuriya have made it more than exciting. However during this year�s restricted tennis calendar, troubled due to the present pandemic, one player who has come up fast and gained so much attention is 18-year-old schoolgirl Savini Jayasuriya. She has won the Women�s singles events in the SSC Open and the HNB-Hutch Clay Court more..

May 31 (ST) On the day following the enactment of the controversial Port City Bill which enshrined China�s solid presence on the island as a legal tenant in the Lankan law books, enjoying undisturbed possession of a 2.69 square km land mass next to the capital�s heart for the next 99 years, the American Govt may have showed its evident displeasure toward the country�s paradigm shift East by pricking the nation where it hurt most: the health of the Lankan People. more..