Nov 16 (TM) The SL Medical Association (SLMA) has pointed out that there is an increasing trend of Covid-19 infections being reported from places where large crowds gather, and said that people should limit such gatherings as much as possible to support the health sector in bringing the pandemic situation under further control. SLMA President Dr. Padma Gunarathne said: �According to the information available to us, more..

Nov 16 (Island) ICC T20 World Cup Tournament�s highest wicket taker Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka have been named in the official ICC Men�s T20 World Cup Most Valuable Team of the Tournament. While Babar Azam has been named captain of the team, players from six countries have been named in the team. Stars from champions Australia, runners-up New Zealand, semi-finalists England and Pakistan as well as SL and SA feature in the star-studded line up. more..

Nov 16 (TM) Justice Minister M.U.M. Ali Sabry (PC) has informed officials at the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), the Navy and the National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) to remain consistently cautious about an oil leak from the wrecked MV X-Press Pearl. He made these remarks at a meeting held at the Justice Ministry yesterday, which had included Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam PC, noted a statement from Justice Ministry. more..

Nov 16 (TM) The Agriculture Department has stated that China�s Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co. Ltd., which has been the subject of controversy due to the organic fertiliser issue with the SL authorities, is free to file complaints with any organisation, but that the SL authorities would stick to the results of the tests conducted by the National Plant Quarantine Service (NPQS) on the said company�s fertiliser samples. more..

Nov 16 (FT) At a recent meeting chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in the presence of Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister Bandula Gunawardane assured the SLPP Parliamentary group that action would be taken to take over the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) divested through fraudulent means. At the meeting Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman Prof. Charitha Herath, who wished taking over of SLIIT, was present at the meeting. more..

Nov 16 (FT) It must be dawning on all but the most wilfully reality averse that too much of this pandemic has been a Trojan horse. The aim, globally more than locally, being to terrify us while other agendas are advanced. There are many deceptive slogans with noxious titles like Build Back Better and other chirpy banalities beloved of billionaires and bankers, to camouflage what is a Molotov cocktail of factual evasions and perversions as a front for a desperate financial bailout more..

Nov 16 (MFA) Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris today (15/11) met the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh Dr. Abdul Momen at the State Guest House Padma in Dhaka. Foreign Minister Peiris recalled the visit of PM Mahinda Rajapaksa who visited Bangladesh in March 2021 for the joint celebration of the 100 Birth Anniversary of Bangabandhu and the Golden Jubilee of the Independence Celebration of Bangladesh and that the discussions were very fruitful and the Prime Minister appreciated all aspects of his visit. more..

Nov 16 (AD) No changes will be made to the Employees� Provident Fund (EPF) Act despite extending the retirement age of private-sector employees, says the Commissioner-General of Labour, Prabath Chandrakeerthi. The draft bill to extend the retirement age of private-sector employees to 60 years was recently passed in Parliament with amendments. Following this development, many people have raised concerns regarding the Employees� Provident Fund and possible changes to its Act. more..

Nov 16 (EN) SJB is crying foul at alleged govt attempts to block its protest marches on Tuesday, with the police already having turned away many protestors and promising to act if the party goes ahead with a mass rally scheduled for later in the afternoon in Colombo. Police spokesman said that some 100 people have gathered near the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo. If the protest continues in violations of a court order, he said, police will act under the quarantine ordinance more..

Nov 16 (TM) MP Diana Gamage has once more said that Sri Lanka has been blessed with Cannabis and therefore the country should now start growing it extensively and start exporting it to bring up the economy. She made this statement while speaking in Parliament a short while ago (16). �A lot of African countries have started exporting Tea. Everyone wants to do tea business. Whereas, Sri Lanka has been blessed by the Gods with an all natural treatment called Cannabis. more..

Nov 16 (DM) Sri Lanka is not likely to experience a V shape economic recovery given the global issues and local issues which SL has created by its own self, UNP MP Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament today. �The supply chain in Europe and Japan is expected to fall. Japan�s GDP has been reduced by one percent while China is facing an energy crisis. There are other local issues which SL has created on its own. SL�s economy is dependent largely on imports whether we like it or not. more..

Nov 16 (AD) Minister Johnston Fernando assured that there is no shortage of fuel in the country and that there is no need for the public to panic and wait in lines to stock up on fuel. �I have to clearly state that there is no shortage of fuel as of now.� He said that it is unfortunate that people are unnecessary queuing up at fuel stations to purchase fuel. �I too had to wait in the queue to pump fuel,� he said, while alleging that it is an attempt by certain groups to cause panic more..

Nov 16 (TM) A meeting was held to discuss the use of digital technology to enable traffic fines to be paid immediately online through a payment gateway. The meeting was held today at the Ministry of Justice. During the meeting, a special committee was appointed to overlook and implement the online payment facility, together with the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and Ceylon CLEAR. The newly appointed committee is expected to submit its recommendations by January 2022, more..

Nov 16 (EN) Cabinet of ministers has discussed seeking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout at the latest cabinet meeting, a spokesman said, amid rising difficulties in importing cooking gas and some foods, even as the country�s refinery was shut to save forex. �There was an in depth discussion on the pros and cons of going to the IMF, but no decision was taken,� co-cabinet spokesman and Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila told the weekly cabinet news briefing on Tuesday (16). more..

Nov 16 (DM) Administration blunders at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama (formerly known as Cancer Hospital) have brought a negative impact to its day-to-day work, it is alleged. The donations received by this hospital are said to be mismanaged by a certain group that has affiliations to the ruling party trade union. Even the dry rations supplied by the donors for the inmates� breakfast and lunch are alleged to be taken away from the hospital kitchen; depriving more..

Nov 16 (Island) Gay people should not be marginalised, several petitioners have complained to the Court of Appeal. Court of Appeal on 30 Nov. will hear a Writ Application filed by a group of petitioners complaining that the police are conducting training sessions for their officers urging them to discriminate against gay people. The petitioners have complained that the LGBTIQ community have equal rights, under Article 12(1) of the Constitution of SL. They should not be marginalised. more..

Nov 16 (AD) Cabinet of Ministers has given the nod to appoint a committee to identify the legal provisions related to the Maritime Law in line with the International and Domestic requirements. Dept of Govt Information says the need to develop legal infrastructure in line with the international conventions has been identified, taking into account the international requirements in the formulation of domestic laws and the ratification of international agreements when promoting SL as a maritime hub more..

Nov 16 (FT) International firms called for clarity and policy consistency to encourage foreign direct investments (FDIs), whilst raising concerns over the methodology adopted to meet revenue targets of Budget 2022. At the first physical Post-Budget Forum, several firms focused on the effectiveness of the Budget 2022 to spur much-needed foreign direct and portfolio investor interest to make Sri Lanka more competitive and attractive. Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka Executive more..

Nov 16 (TM) SJB leader Sajith Premadasa in Parliament today, alleged that buses have been halted and turned around with SJB protesters who have been trying to enter Colombo from all parts of the island. The protests in several parts of Colombo were organised by the SJB against the Govt, and Premadasa claimed that the buses were stopped and turned around at police check points which have been placed at roads which lead into the Colombo city. In response to Premadasa�s allegations, more..

Nov 16 (DM) Govt should go back to the fuel price formula again as proposed by the Central Bank, Justice Minister Ali Sabri said. He told Parliament that it was better to adopt a system which allows the fuel prices to fluctuate in line with price fluctuations in the world market. Speaking during the debate on the second reading of the budget, he said all the people including the poor had to pay the tax on fuel ultimately and added that it was not suitable to use public funds to pay the fuel subsidiary. more..

Nov 16 (EN) An advisory committee on communicable diseases in Sri Lanka has approved the Molnupiravir anti-COVID drug, a health official said. Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardena said the health ministry is awaiting official approval from the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA). �After that, we will take the other measures,� Gunawardena told reporters on Monday. Molnupiravir is the first oral antiviral medication for COVID-19. more..

Nov 16 (AD) Sri Lanka will commence administering the Pfizer vaccine as the booster dose to those over the age of 60 starting from tomorrow (17), State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said. He said that the COVID-19 booster vaccine rollout will be carried out in the Western and Southern provinces and in Anuradhapura and Ampara districts from tomorrow. The third dose will administered to persons in the age group of 60 years and above who have completed 03 months after receiving the second dose. more..

Nov 16 (AD) The host nations for every major ICC men�s limited overs event between 2024 and 2031 have been confirmed by the ICC. In June 2024, the ICC Men�s T20 World Cup will go somewhere it has never been before, with USA hosting the event alongside the West Indies, which staged the tournament in 2010. Eight months later, in Feb 2025, Pakistan will host the Men�s Champions Trophy. It will be the first major global cricket tournament played in Pakistan since 1996 when it hosted the Men�s Cricket World Cup more..

Nov 17 (DM) Energy Minister Gammanpila informs us Sri Lankans, that the Sapugaskanda Oil Refinery would be closed for the first time since it was first set up. He added the said refinery would be shut for a period of 50 days. Minister however reassured Lankan citizens, that all was well. The people, the Minister said, did not need to fear fuel shortages. According to the Minister, the closure was simply due to the fact that the refinery had not received stocks of crude oil required to operate it. more..

Nov 17 (DM) Earlier this month, I was part of a panel at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference on burnout and stress. We spoke in detail about the impact of the last 23 months. As journalism shifted acutely to rely on online and digital tools, online trauma has now become front and centre of the conversation on safety and free expression. One of my co-panellist Rowena Paraan who heads the Philippine�s pioneering citizen journalism platform of ABS-CBN spoke of the digital frontline. more..

Nov 17 (Roar) Last month, a distressing image of shark carcasses on a fisher�s boat said to be in the vicinity of the Pigeon Island Marine National Park, was widely circulated on social media. Public outrage prompted a response from State Minister of Fisheries, Kanchana Wijesekera, who tweeted that officials from the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources would be investigating allegations of more..

Nov 17 (DM) A World Bank study on road accidents across a range of countries says that a 50% reduction in fatality in road accidents leads to 7 to 22% increase in GDP over a period of 24 years. It says that human capital accounts for around two thirds of a country�s total wealth, far more than natural capital and produced capital. This shows the importance of preserving human lives by preventing road accidents, especially fatal accidents. The finding that crash fatalities and injuries more..

Nov 17 (CT) Running a newspaper is no easy task; there are so many hours of hard work and coordination involved. Ten years is considered relatively young in the journalistic publication business but it also shows an enduring spirit that has braved the industry�s challenges. Challenges that have spelled doom for many up-and-coming newspapers. Be it print or digital Media, it is not always about staying ahead of the curve with the newest and best technology but more..

Nov 17 (TM) The three-wheeler or tuk-tuk is the most commonly used mode of transport by a majority of Sri Lankans, especially the low and middle-income class population, and has become an integral part of Sri Lankans� lives. However, despite being considered by many Sri Lankans, there is a question as to how people-friendly they are and what SL has done to strengthen the relationship between taxi service providers & passengers. more..

Nov 17 (DN) Pettah Floating Market in Bastian Mawatha in Pettah, will be re-designed with several new features and will be reopened on Dec 10 by PM Rajapaksa. Colombo Business Association (CBA) Secretary General, Chaminda Vidanagamage said that though the Pettah Floating Market is a valuable asset to the nations its true potential is not utilized. �Hence we have now taken an initiative along with the UDA to turn this venue to a mega entertainment hub mainly attracting tourists.� more..

Nov 17 (TM) The statement made by Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa recently, that SL�s public sector is a �burden to the country�, attracted mixed responses. While some viewed it as the Govt acknowledging a long-lasting national issue, some, especially public sector trade unions, condemned that statement. However, Rajapaksa�s comment was a rather blanket one. If what he meant when he said a burden was a reference to the financial aspects relating to maintaining the public sector, more..

Nov 17 (CT) PM Rajapaksa has informed parliament that the draft constitution will be finalized by the end of the year. An expert committee to draft a new constitution was appointed in September last year, soon after the govt won the general election with close to a 2/3 majority. In his inaugural address to the newly elected parliament on Aug 20, Prez Rajapaksa announced that the govt would replace the existing constitution and do away with the 19th Amendment that sought to strengthen more..

Nov 17 (Island) Nobody will buy into govt�s claim that it was to prevent the spread of Covid-19 that the police yesterday turned back many buses carrying SJB supporters from different parts of the country for a protest in Colombo. The police swing into action only when Opposition supporters violate the quarantine laws. They just look on when the culprits happen to be govt politicians or their supporters. It was only the other day that the SLPP celebrated its 5th anniversary on a grand scale. more..

Nov 17 (Island) The seventh Executive President of SL Gotabaya Rajapaksa celebrates the second anniversary of his inauguration, today. Prez Rajapaksa was born on 20th June, 1949, to former Cabinet Minister D. A. Rajapaksa and Dandina Dissanayake Rajapaksa. He is the fifth sibling in a family of nine and is brother of fifth Executive President of SL Mahinda Rajapaksa as well as Chamal Rajapaksa, more..

Nov 17 (PMD) Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is ready to support the socio-economic development needs of SL, said JICA, Director General South Asia Sakamoto Takema. Takema made these remarks when he met Prez Rajapaksa at the Prez�s House in Colombo, today (16). Prez recalled that when he was the Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, he was able to successfully implement a number of development projects in collaboration with JICA. more..

Nov 17 (Island) 16-year-old Nethmika Herath who won the long jump event at last week�s Junior Selection Trial was just an average performer 4 years ago. The youngster first attended Yakunnawa Kanishta Vidyalaya, a school in remote Medagama in Bibile before her notable feats at local Zonal competitions influenced her parents to admit her to Nannapurawa MV where she came under the supervision of Krishantha Kumara. �She was doing high jump first; we got her to train long jump. more..

Nov 17 (CT) It has come to light that some of the incompetent local coaches, together with some questionable Sports Officers of the Ministry, are planning to send foreign athletics coaches back to their homes, especially the vastly successful and knowledgeable Luis Miranda, who uplifted SL jumping standards to a new height. It appears their sinister plans have finally been successful, as the Ministry is making all arrangements to send more..