Sep 18 (CT) SLC is set to take extra players, apart from a 19-member squad, for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka earlier named a 15-member squad as well as four stand-by players, as permitted by the ICC for the tournament, due to the present COVID19 situation. But, just after the third T20 against South Africa, Sri Lanka faced major issues with injury ruling out fast bowler Lahiru Madushanka & Kusal Perera. more..

Sep 18 (Island) SLT-MOBITEL has teamed up with DP Education, to launch Videsa DP Education, a dedicated educational channel on CH.215 of SLTMobitel�PEOTV, ensuring school children from Grade 5 to A/L have access to a high-quality learning experience with Rewind TV. The revolutionary services of SLTMobitel-PEOTV includes Videsa a series of educational channels hosted on the platform, that comprise of 6 TV channels dedicated to individual grades more..

Sep 18 (FT) Plantation Industries Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana earlier this week said tea production is at a satisfactory level but that the Govt would closely monitor the situation in September and October � months which, historically, have reported declines due to climatic shifts. �In July, we produced 26 million kilograms of tea, which is higher than the average production recorded in the same period last year. There is no drop in tea production,� he said, responding to a question more..

Sep 18 (CT) High Commission of SL in New Delhi is set to function as the main coordinating point between the currently accredited 92 Foreign Missions and the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka. Out of the 92 currently accredited foreign Heads of Mission resident in New Delhi, 23 High Commissioners and Ambassadors who have received the Agreement from SL Govt, are to present credentials to Prez shortly. more..

Sep 18 (TM) Sri Lanka wheelchair tennis team, led by Tokyo Paralympian Suresh Dharmasena, are undergoing final training at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) in Colombo for this year�s world cup of the sport, the World Team Cup, to be held from 4-10 October in Sardinia, Italy with 16 countries participating. Here is the three-member Sri Lanka team (front row, from left): Dissanayake M. Gamini (current world No. 79), Lasantha Ranaweera (68 in 2017), and Dharmasena (current 64). more..

Sep 18 (DM) While claiming that the public will lose faith in the country�s electoral system and democracy when public representatives enter prisons and intimidate inmates, Election Commission (EC) said that it would request the Speaker in Parliament to take appropriate action in this regard. EC which met today, had discussed the recent incidents at the Welikada and A'pura Prisons involving former Prison Reforms State Minister Lohan Ratwatte. more..

Sep 18 (CT) The energy sector in SL is subjected to lengthy conversations because it is vital for the development of the country with every nook and corner in power and energy supply becoming colossally important in the current context, where liquefied natural gas (LNG) is considered cheaper than coal power. Kerawalapitiya LNG supply project is an offshore Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) that more..

Sep 18 (EN) Sri Lanka will be removed from the red list of the United Kingdom (UK) with effect from next Wednesday (22), the UK govt said, in a move that is likely to see the return of high spending tourists from the former colonial power visiting the island nation. Sri Lanka has been in the red list since June 08, as part of a group of countries the UK govt has defined as particularly high-risk for new and emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. more..

Sep 18 (DN) Four women boxers from the SL Air Force will represent the country at the 58th World Military Boxing Championships, which began in Moscow, Russia yesterday. The four boxers were selected to compete in this event after considering their recent success at the Layton Cup, Clifford Cup, National Championships and South Asian Games (SAG). The four boxers who would represent the country at this meet are Chamodi Pasyala (57kg), Sajeewani Cooray (60kg), Kashmi Thivanka more..

Sep 18 (AD) SL�s central bank chief says that the govt does not want to keep the import restrictions which are currently in place for too long and that he would like to see them being eased out after a certain period as the restrictions do have an impact on investor confidence. During a live interview with Bloomberg Markets: Asia the newly re-appointed Governor of CB Ajith Nivard Cabraal was asked about the capital controls, import restrictions more..

Sep 18 (FT) Daily COVID-19 vaccination numbers dropped below 100,000 with only 94,651 persons receiving a COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday. 13,690,202 persons have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 10,867,900 persons have received the second dose as well. As of Thursday, 92.7% of the country�s population over the age of 30 had received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of the 20 to 29 population, 36.7% have received the first dose and 12.4% have received 2nd dose more..

Sep 18 (DM) Referring to the move to prohibit unvaccinated people above 30 years of age from entering Bandarawela and Mannar Towns, the Health Ministry said they did not issue guidelines to implement such a move. Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr. Hemantha Herath told a news briefing that there should be a proper mechanism if such a move to be executed. �As of now, we have not issued any guidelines pertaining to implementation of such a move,� he said. more..

Sep 18 (FT) SL�s COVID-19 detections exceeded 500,000 with the detection of 2,078 COVID-19 positive persons yesterday. Total of 500,772 COVID-19 cases have been detected in SL to date. The patients detected yesterday include 2,070 persons from the New Year cluster and eight overseas arrivals. 9,775 PCR tests were carried out yesterday. The previous day, 9,672 PCR tests and 3,782 rapid antigen tests were carried out more..

Sep 18 (Island) Johns Hopkins scientist of Sri Lankan origin, Ashani Weeraratna, PhD, a leading cancer researcher who specializes in melanoma and the effects of aging on cancer, has been appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as a member of the National Cancer Advisory Board of the U.S. The National Cancer Advisory Board advises and assists the director of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health on the activities of the national cancer programe. more..

Sep 18 (CT) Police have decided to inspect the footage of CCTV cameras set up at the Welikada and A'pura Prisons, to identify the people who had entered the two prisons with the former State Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoner Rehabilitation, Lohan Ratwatte. They had decided to undertake this task due to the details coming to light through the mainstream media and social media platforms related to the incidents involving Ratwatte. Some media had reported that Ratwatte, more..

Sep 18 (FT) Govt has decided to expedite PCR testing at the BIA for returning expatriates as well as tourists, following a discussion held at the Health Ministry. Sri Lankans returning from abroad will be sent direct to their homes within a few hours according to the results of an expedited PCR test conducted at the airport. PCR tests will be done quickly in the laboratory currently established at BIA which will enable sending returnees home more..

Sep 18 (DM) Claiming that there was no issue for cardiac patients to receive Covid vaccine, Cardiac Specialist today requested all active and chronic cardiac patients to receive both doses of any Covid vaccine claiming that they were more vulnerable to develop complications or even death. Cardiologist of the Negombo Hospital Dr. Disna Amaratunga said that it was not an issue for the cardiac patients who had undergone bypass surgery, stenting or any other surgery to receive the Covid vaccine. more..

Sep 18 (CT) Lengthy queues were seen forming up outside liquor stores and supermarkets islandwide since Friday afternoon. This was following reports that the Excise Dept had given permission to open liquor stores from Friday onwards. Accordingly, liquor shops bearing the Excise Dept licence FL04 (wine stores) and FL22B (beer and wine shops) were said to be granted permission to open for business. However, no official announcement has been made regarding this thus far. more..

Sep 18 (AD) Prez Rajapaksa left for the US this morning (18) to attend the 76th session of the UNGA. This year�s session has been themed �Building resilience through hope � to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the UN.� It will officially open in New York on Tuesday (21) with the high-level general debate which will take place until Sep 27, more..

Sep 18 (FT) The Oxford Stringency Index rates countries by severity of COVID restrictions: school closures, workplaces, public events, gathering restrictions, public transport, stay-at-home orders, internal movement restrictions, PR, and international travel controls. We have the second toughest with 86 out of 100 rating (Palestine just overtook us). It is at this point hard to peg what we�re up to or where we are. The economy is in tatters, the buzz in the global press is crisis and emergency and more..

Sep 18 (DM) A proposal has already been made to create a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree and become a fully qualified doctor by the time the person turns 22 years of age, GMOA General Committee Member Dr. Prasad Kolabage said. While addressing the media yesterday, he said the methodology and strategies required to create a doctor for society have been formulated. The internship period used to create a doctor in our country is unfortunately pretty long, and more..

Sep 18 (Island) Given that SL has access to substantial supplies of Sinopharm vaccine, Sinovac is not a good choice any longer, since Sinopharm is much better in terms of immune protection, Executive Director of the Institute for Health Policy (IHP), Dr. Ravi Rannan-Eliya says. Dr. Eliya said that if Sri Lanka had actually stuck to Prez Rajapaksa�s official strategy of preventing and stopping outbreaks, then Sinovac might have had a role, since even a partially effective vaccine more..

Sep 18 (DM) The fact that China, India, the US, Russia, and European countries have given more COVID vaccines to Sri Lanka than expected demonstrates their confidence in the country, Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said. He said the country is moving along with the Covid threat, which can be managed through a progressive programme. Therefore, as members of the general public, everyone should take appropriate action necessary to protect themselves from virus, more..

Sep 18 (SLN) In yet another successful operation, SL Navy intercepted a foreign fishing vessel carrying over 170kg and 866g (including the packages) of heroin in international waters south of SL on 10th Sept 2021. Meanwhile, the smuggling vessel loaded with narcotics worth more than Rs. 1575 million of street value was brought to the port of Colombo this morning, along with 09 foreign nationals aboard. more..

Sep 18 (Island) Long Covid symptoms rarely persist beyond 12 weeks in children and adolescents, unlike adults, suggests a review. The review, published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, analysed 14 international studies involving 19,426 children and adolescents who reported persistent symptoms following Covid-19. The findings showed that long Covid among children is less common than feared. The most common symptoms reported four to 12 weeks after acute infection were headache, more..

Sep 18 (DM) The decision to reopen liquor shops has been taken without the consultation of the Health Ministry, Deputy Director General of Health Services Dr Hemantha Herath said today. He told a news briefing that there is neither a logic nor a basis to the decision under the prevailing circumstances of the pandemic. �In a situation where the country is under lockdown and other business outlets remain closed, the decision to reopen liquor shops can't be condoned,� he underscored. more..

Sep 18 (ST) CEB Engineers� Union has raised objections regarding the Finance Ministry�s appointment of a technical committee to negotiate the unsolicited proposal from the US-based New Fortress Energy (NFE) to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to West Coast Power Plant (WCPP). The committee is also mandated with renegotiating the terms of an existing power purchase agreement (PPA) between the CEB and WCP Ltd. more..

Sep 18 (AD) The total number of people in Sri Lanka who received both doses of their respective COVID-19 vaccine has reached 10,968,195 on Friday (Sep 17). State Minister Prof. Channa Jayasumana said 50% of the country�s population now remains fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. According to Epidemiology Unit�s update on the progress of COVID-19 immunization, as many as 8,973,670 Sinopharm second dose vaccinations have been rolled out in Sri Lanka to date. more..

Sep 18 (CT) Coinciding with the appointment of former State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal as Central Bank of SL (CBSL) Governor last week, CBSL for the first time after 75 weeks stopped specifying maximum administered yields (MAYs) at a weekly Treasury (T) Bill auction vis-�-vis its announcement of Wednesday�s (22) auction made on Friday (17). CBSL at that auction is offering Rs 39,500 million worth of T Bills comprising Rs 10,000 million 91-day maturities, Rs 13,000 m 182-day maturities more..

Sep 18 (CT) Minister Wimal Weerawansa commended the decision taken by State Minister Lohan Ratwatte to step down from his portfolio of Prisons after taking responsibility for the controversy at A'pura Prison. Weerawansa stated that Ratwatte resigned after taking responsibility for the recent incidents that were reported at Welikada and A'pura Prisons, adding that such exemplary behaviour pertaining to a resignation has not been more..

Sep 18 (FT) Given the recent passing of Mangala Samaraweera, it is important to set out at least a few things so as to show disagreement with the consensus view. Samaraweera was a polarising figure with his stance on ethnic reconciliation drawing adoration from some and hatred from others. Here I will contend that those adoring him and those hating are both misconceived in their views of Samaraweera. Samaraweera in his own words was defending the armed forces from more..

Sep 18 (DM) A full scale investigation should be conducted into the opening of liquor stores yesterday, Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said. He said it is unacceptable to presume that the Excise Commissioner unknowingly ordered the opening of wine stores. "I came to know about this incident from the media. However, an immediate investigation should be conducted. I cannot say it is appropriate to keep the wine shops opened when there is a curfew in place," minister said. more..

Sep 18 (EN) Elected ruling SLPP MP Mahinda Samarasinghe has decided to vacate his seat and take up an ambassador post in the US, a source close to the MP said on Saturday. �He opted for the US ambassador post,� the source, who has been involved with Samarasinghe�s political career for more than a decade, told EconomyNext. Local media, however, said he will be appointed as the ambassador for US & Mexico. more..

Sep 18 (DM) The cashier attached to the Galenigama Interchange of the Southern Expressway who fled with Rs.1.4 million in cash taken from the safe of the Interchange booth office, was arrested yesterday. The police only recovered Rs.384,000 out of the Rs. 1.4 million from the suspect's possession. The Bandaragama Police have received a complaint by a Chief Engineer of the expressway that a chief cashier who was in charge of collections vanished with money. more..

Sep 18 (TM) As the Govt�s special tax amnesty on undisclosed income has faced much opposition, including allegations that the measure would throw the door wide open to large scale money laundering, Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal says that there has been a misconception regarding what undisclosed funds really mean. Cabraal made such statements during his first televised interview as the Governor of Central Bank. �Undisclosed money does not mean that it is illegal. more..

Sep 18 (ST) The Gomarankadawala Divisional Hospital, in a very remote setting in a corner of the Trincomalee district, is currently treating 100 patients with COVID-19. �We have had only two deaths,� says Dr. Shoba Kumburegama of the Gomarankadawala Hospital. She draws a strong link between the low number of deaths and the Gomarankadawala DS area being one of 64 dotting the countryside to be integrated into more..

Sep 18 (TM) The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) submitted a complaint to the CID yesterday (17), calling for an inquiry into the warning issued by General Secretary of BBS Venerable Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero regarding a possible terrorist attack in the future. During a recent television programme, Ven. Gnanasara Thera had claimed that he had information and evidence that a terrorist attack such as the Easter Sunday bombings could take place at any time. more..

Sep 18 (TM) As the 5-year term of the first Right to Information (RTI) Commission will be coming to an end this month, the Bar Association of SL (BASL) has exercised the right given to it under and in terms of Section 12(1) (a) of the Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016 and nominated Ms. Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena to the RTI Commission. �The name of Ms. Pinto Jayawardena, who is a sitting Member of the RTI Commission having been previously appointed upon the nomination by more..

Sep 18 (wsws) The following statement was issued by the Teacher-Student-Parent Safety Committee in SL. The Rajapakse govt is doing everything it can to break the ongoing online learning strike of around 250,000 teachers and principals. The police have intensified their witch hunt, announcing yesterday that they will take stern action against anyone who seeks to prevent any teacher willing to participate in online education from doing so. more..