Sep 5 (FT) Govt yesterday defended the enforcement of the emergency regulations to deal with the food crisis though the move has come under heavy criticism from the Opposition. �The implementation of the emergency regulations has positively resulted in traders now selling sugar and rice at the Govt-stipulated prices,� State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said. The prices of rice and sugar have increased uncontrollably amid more..

Sep 4 (CT) The GMOA has raised concerns over the insufficient distribution of COVID-19 vaccines amongst vaccination centres, including hospitals and MOH Offices. The GMOA accused the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health of providing inadequate stocks of COVID-19 vaccines to hospitals and MOH Offices. They further accused two senior officials of the Epidemiology Unit of ensuring the consistent supply of COVID-19 vaccines to vaccination centres run by the SL Army. more..

Sep 4 (Island) Top GMOA spokesperson Dr. Nalinda Herath has asked whether a deliberate, and despicable attempt is being made to tarnish the image of the health services by blaming it for the shortcomings in the ongoing vaccination drive. e alleged that the growing role played by the armed forces in the inoculation campaign was quite cleverly used to portray the health sector as a failure in that regard. Dr. Herath alleged that a section of the media, too, played a role in the campaign. more..

Sep 4 (Island) The GMOA has questioned the rationale behind vaccinating those between 20-30 years of age and the prioritisation of districts, contrary to a consensus reached with Prez Rajapaksa. Assistant Secretary, GMOA, Dr. Naveen de Zoysa, accused the Epidemiology Unit of following a politically motivated agenda inimical to the govt�s overall response to the raging Covid-19 pandemic. more..

Sep 4 (FT) We were recently treated to an Expert paper arguing our economic plight from pointless, recurring lockdowns would not be as bad as we thought. And superstitiously, it insisted, each week shut of life foregone would save lives. According to Sri Lanka�s official labour force statistics, nearly 161,000 jobs were lost in the first quarter of 2020 with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. With the easing of the lockdowns, some of these jobs were restored but more..

Sep 4 (FT) It would be difficult to find a better instance of proof to demonstrate how economically irrational, administratively incompetent and politically vengeful the Rajapaksa rulers are than their decision to transport under strict security protection thousands of COVID-dead bodies from all parts of the island to an otherwise sleepy Muslim town of Oddamavadi in Eastern Province, whose Majma Nagar, a few acres of precious grazing land for cattle owners, has now become a mega-cemetery. more..

Sep 4 (Xinhua) China's commitment to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060 has reactivated the global race to de-carbonize and tackle climate change, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Friday. Attending the Taiyuan Energy Low Carbon Development Forum 2021 via zoom link, Rajapaksa said emerging economies are challenged with prioritizing energy security while also reducing carbon emissions. "I would like to call upon the international community to seriously consider more..

Sep 4 (FT) National Carrier SriLankan Airlines, a member of the oneworld Alliance, this week celebrated 42 years of flying across the globe. Since its inception on 1 Sept 1947 as Air Ceylon, later as Air Lanka, SriLankan Airlines has elevated the identity of Sri Lanka across the world. This year�s celebrations were held virtually in keeping with the health and safety guidelines of the country. A multi-religious blessing was live-streamed, and employees joined the observations remotely. more..

Sep 4 (SLN) A successful operation led by SL Navy in coordination with SL Police and other intelligence services in international waters south of SL, led to the seizure of a foreign fishing vessel carrying over 336kg (including the packages) of heroin worth over Rs.3100 million gross street value. The drug transferring vessel together with 07 foreign nationals aboard was brought this morning to Colombo harbour, where Defence Secretary, more..

Sep 4 (Island) Local and foreign philanthropists continue to provide medical equipment required by govt hospitals and the latest such donation has come from Tennessee Buddhist Temple, The USA in the form of a ventilator, worth Rs. 2.3 mn, to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital. The donation was received by State Minister Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle. The donated ventilator is ResMed Stellar 100 Type for treating adult and pediatric patients with various respiratory needs. more..

Sep 4 (AD) The amendments to the Consumer Affairs Authority Act will be tabled in the Parliament on Monday (6), says State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna. These amendments are expected to allow necessary action to be taken against individuals and companies who deliberately increase the prices of essential items and sell the goods above controlled prices. As per the provisions of the CAA Act, the fines are categorized as individual businesses and companies. more..

Sep 4 (DM) While condemning the recent terrorist attack on innocent civilians in New Zealand, BBS General Secretary Ven. Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thera threw a challenge to the 22 organizations to make a joint public statement that they reject Wahhabism and Salafism. Ven. Gnanasara said the attack was carried out by a Muslim man who left Sri Lanka about 10 years ago and has been living in New Zealand ever since. more..

Sep 4 (DM) A total of 180 children who contracted COVID-19 virus have been admitted to specialized children's hospitals until yesterday. It was also reported that overall 25 deaths have occurred and two children are in critical care, the GMOA said. The children admitted, those who died and children in critical condition at the PICUs are as follows. 105 children were reportedly admitted to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) with 18 deaths and no patients in critical condition. more..

Sep 4 (EN) The World Health Organisation (WHO)�s Sri Lanka office has taken down two reports compiled by an independent group of experts from the organization�s website, seemingly in conjunction with a tweet that said it never made recommendations on a COVID-19 lockdown � a tweet that was endorsed by Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella. In an email response to EconomyNext, a spokesperson for WHO SL said the two reports were removed from the website more..

Sep 4 (Island) Public Security Minister Rear Admiral (retd) Sarath Weerasekera has called on police to be vigilant of possible revival of Islamic terrorists, while attending to COVID-19 prevention operations. Addressing a meeting of senior DIGs and DIGs via zoom on Thursday, the Minister insisted that the police should not let their guard down just because they have been asked to attend the COVID-19 prevention operations. more..

Sep 4 (AD) Sri Lanka has ranked top in the world as the country that rolled out the highest number of vaccinations in the past week. According to Our World in Data � a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems � SL has vaccinated 13% of its population during this period. The Head of the web publication Edouard Mathieu revealed this in a tweet posted yesterday. Vaccinating 12.5% of its population in the past week, the island nation was followed by Ecuador. more..

Sep 4 (DM) Prima Ceylon (Pvt) Ltd has decided to revise their increased wheat flour prices, All Ceylon Bakery Owners� Association (ACBOA) President N.K. Jayawardene said. He said that the price of one kg of Prima wheat flour price was increased by Rs. 12 last Wednesday, but the announcement was made yesterday. However, with the escalating objections over the increase, a spokesman from the Prima Flour Mills said that they had decided to supply flour to bakeries at previous prices. more..

Sep 4 (ST) Govt�s decision to lift the ban on arrival of Indian tourists has raised eyebrows. Concerned citizens question whether it was expedient to bring in Indian tourists at a time when the country is overwhelmed with increasing numbers of COVID patients ill with the Delta variant. On the flip side, others wonder whether Indians themselves would be willing to take a risk in coming to a country severely afflicted with the virus. more..

Sep 4 (AD) Notorious drug trafficker and underworld figure Amila Prasanna Hettihewa alias Sunshine Sudda who was shot dead yesterday (3) has been identified as a COVID-positive individual. He was gunned down by an unidentified suspect near a school in Warakapitiya of Kotawila police area last morning while travelling by car. The 31-year-old was rushed to hospital in critical condition following the shooting, however he had succumbed to injuries shortly after. more..

Sep 4 (Island) Around 120,000 people in Kandy and adjacent areas who had received the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine are in quandary as the govt cannot procure the vaccine to give the booster doses to them, says the main Opposition SJB. SJB Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella said that as at the end of May this year, the government had inoculated around 150,000 people with the first dose of Sputnik V vaccine. �Thereafter, they gave a second dose to 15,000. more..

Sep 4 (Yahoo) Shirani Senanayake is trying to send money to the US for her only daughter's education, who is studying for a masters degree in economics at New York. Her daughter needs the money immediately for the current academic session, but Senanayake has not been able to send the US $3,000 from her bank in Colombo. The bank has put her on a waitlist as there is a long queue. The exasperated mother says she is now left more..

Sep 4 (AD) Total number people who fell victim to COVID-19 infection in SL soared yet again as 145 more fatalities were confirmed by the Director-General of Health Services on Friday (3). The new development has pushed the official death toll from the virus outbreak in SL to 9,951. The latest victims include 77 males and 68 females. As many as 117 deaths were reported among the elderly people who are aged above 60 years. In addition, 24 individuals aged between 30-59 years and four others more..

Sep 4 (Island) 18 months had passed since the first lockdown but the govt had not put a system in place for public servants to work from home and ensure service delivery, Prof Manuj Weerasinghe, Head of Dept of Community Medicine, Uni of Colombo said. The govt should now at least use the current lockdown to introduce a system for govt employees to work remotely in the long term, he said. Prof. Weerasinghe said that many public servants still worked maintaining files and digitalisation more..

Sep 4 (AFP) Sri Lanka will cooperate with New Zealand�s investigation into a knife rampage by an Islamic State-inspired assailant from the South Asian nation, authorities said Saturday. Police shot dead the 32-year-old SL after he attacked seven people in an Auckland supermarket on Friday. The man had been living in New Zealand since 2011. �Sri Lanka condemns this senseless violence, more..

Sep 4 (Island) In view of the fact that during this unprecedented time of curfew, how life and livelihood is important for the underprivileged section of the society, accordingly, Lanka IOC has stepped up their commitment in giving back to society through CSR activities by way of distribution of very hygienic dry nations to numerous families of the SL Welfare Society of the Blind Women. It was highly appreciated by the President of the Blind Women�s Society and they thanked the Lanka IOC for more..

Sep 4 (CT) COVID-19 situation in the country is gradually stabilising while a downward trend in the number of patients has been observed, Prof Neelika Malavige, of the Dept of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Uni of Sri J'pura said. Prof. Malavige speaking at a webinar, on Friday stated there has been a slight reduction in the number of calls received by the emergency hotlines over the past few days, at least in the Western Province. more..

Sep 4 (CT) Govt has gazetted the measures that will be taken against those who scuttle the activities or services of State institutions, in the event such institutions being declared as essential services. These details had been stipulated through an Extraordinary Gazette Notification that had been signed and issued by the Prez. Gazette mentions that under any emergency situation, through the powers vested with the Prez, any institution more..

Sep 4 (DM) Former Minister Ravi Karunanayake yesterday alleged that a top opposition politician is behind the false news that is being circulated in social media involving him. Mr. Karunanayake was referring to reports that were being circulated in social media that some stocks of sugar which were recently recovered belonged to a company which is owned by him. �It is someone in the opposition that is behind this media campaign which is aimed at slinging mud at me,� he said. more..

Sep 4 (Island) State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal says attempts were being made to cause turmoil in a crisis situation created by the Covid-19 epidemic. Responding to recent claims by a section of the media, regarding foreign exchange issues, debt servicing, etc., the Minister said: �With the advent of social media there has been a plethora of fake news being circulated all over the world. Sri Lanka is one country that has suffered immensely from exaggerated stories in various websites, more..

Sep 4 (CT) National Red List of Flora 2020 reveals approximately 1,500 flowering plant species are critically endangered or vulnerable, and can thus be classified as threatened. Environment Ministry�s Biodiversity Secretariat assessed 3,087 flowering species, with 48.4% of them classified as threatened. Districts in wet zone such as Kandy, Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Matale, Galle, and Kalutara have more..

Sep 4 (DM) SL Defence Ministry has alerted the Immigration and Emigration Dept that there would be possibilities that certain foreigners especially from Afghanistan may attempt to enter Sri Lanka using Visit Visas and seek political asylum in Europe through the UNHCR Office in SL. A senior defence official said that when a large number of Afghan nationals sought political asylum in several Western countries, they might use SL to fulfill their requirement similar to previous occasions. more..

Sep 4 (CT) Govt Medical Officers Forum (GMOF) opined there appears to be a strategy to remove the health sector from carrying out the vaccination drive, while militarising the process with the involvement of the SL Army. Secretary of GMOF, Dr. Kamal Perera stated this is evident with the decision made to permit the Army to administer the Pfizer vaccine, adding the COVID-19 vaccination is being carried out in a disorganised manner inconveniencing the public while risking their lives. more..

Sep 5 (TM) Why is it that this Govt�s solutions to problems � of which there is no shortage � often end up creating bigger problems? Keeping up with that trend, Govt�s solution to the escalating shortage of essential items has been the promulgation of emergency regulations. With that singular move, what was essentially a domestic issue up to that point became an int'l issue overnight, making headlines across the world. As a result of that decision, rest of the world is now suitably more..

Sep 5 (CT) Some clarifications are required to dispel certain doubts about the Superannuation schemes (pension schemes) operating in the banking Industry today. The pension scheme came into effect as follows; By his Award dated 29th Nov, 1956, W. Thalgodapitiya Esqr., Additional District Judge as the Arbitrator in District Court case No.685/spl. recommended for the members of the Ceylon Bank Employees Union a pension scheme set out in the award to take effect from 1.4.56. more..

Sep 5 (CT) Following the debacle where 21 SL refugees attempted suicide at the Sirappu Muhaam (Rehabilitation camp for offenders) in Trichy, the only camp that houses people who have broken the law -- illegal entry into Tamil Nadu, living with expired visas and boat people who tried to flee to various countries, including Australia, both the Sri Lankan authorities and the TN officials woke up from a slumber to realise that more..

Sep 5 (TM) The inflows to SL�s foreign reserves last week were a most welcome relief for the Govt led by Prez Rajapaksa & PM Rajapaksa. Nevertheless, the temporary respite is still not enough to ride the Govt through the ongoing crises. Govt, which is on a desperate lookout for solutions to the present economic crisis, has also adopted the blame game. It was State Minister Shehan Semasinghe who, last week, claimed that the country�s ongoing economic crisis is due to CB Bond Scam more..

Sep 5 (CT) On Sept 1, the people of Afghanistan woke up for the first time in 44 years without a foreign power on their soil. Two days earlier the people of SL found themselves under a surreptitiously declared (as it has been aptly called) Emergency Rule � yet again in more than 70 years after independence. And two days later (Sept 3) a SL migrant in New Zealand carried out a knife attack in a supermarket in Auckland. The attacker has now been identified by NZ authorities as more..

Sep 5 (TM) A severe shortage of pulse oximeters was reported in the local market last week, as pharmacies have allegedly hidden stocks of substandard oximeters following the revelation of a large-scale scam where low-quality products were sold to consumers recently. Consumers alleged that the pulse oximeters they purchased at a cost of around Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 were giving inaccurate readings, more..