Feb 8 (AD) The govt of Sri Lanka says the proposed Bill to amend the present Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is a progressive step that would give persons subject to the said law, tangible protection towards securing, advancing and protecting their fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Defending the proposed Bill, the govt noted that it would be a salutary piece of legislation that would amend the existing Act, more..

Feb 8 (FT) Finland-based start-up Serviceform has raised $ 2.4 million to expand into new vibrant markets with big plans for SL and introduce new technologies to its product range. Funding round was led by BackingMinds, a Swedish Venture Capital fund, and VC Gorilla Capital of Finland. Start-up�s SL-born CEO Iranthi Gomes stated: �We have a keen interest in unravelling SL�s potential. This new round of funding will be used for three things including expansion to new markets more..

Feb 8 (TM) National Director of Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mrs. World Chandimal Jayasinghe today denounced the title of Mrs. Pushpika De Silva who was crowned on the 4th of April 2021 as the 2021 title holder of Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mrs. World. In a statement, he said, �It is with deep regret and discernment I admit the recent controversy surrounding Mrs. Pushpika De Silva, the 2021 title holder of Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mrs. World pageant has taken a toll not only in the local sphere but also more..

Feb 8 (Island) SL had imported USD 611 million worth of plastics in 2020, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said at a recent discussion. He said that UN COMTRADE Database had given the above data. A group of environmentalists from the CEJ joined the discussion on the environmental damage caused by plastic materials and polythene. The discussion also focused on other remaining forests to be taken over by the Sinharaja Forest Zone and human activities contributing to more..

Feb 8 (CI) Kusal Mendis has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of SL's T20I series against Australia. He is asymptomatic, and because he has already had three doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, he will only be required to undergo seven days of isolation. As such, Mendis could feature in the latter half of the series, provided he does not develop symptoms, SLC's chief medical officer Dr Daminda Attanayake said. "He has been put in isolation since Monday & all protocols have been followed" more..

Feb 8 (CT) Several fishing boats impounded by Court Order went on auction in the North yesterday. Vessels owned by Tamil Nadu fishermen are to be auctioned off in five ports in SL. The auctions will close every day at 4.00 p.m. and go until 11 Feb. There were 135 Indian boats detained in Jaffna Karainagar (Kytes). One 88-feet long fishing trawler was sold for Rs. 3.5 million on Monday. 94 cases involving Indian fishermen more..

Feb 8 (Island) SJB MP Dr. Harsha De Silva said that the Surcharge Tax Bill contained provisions applicable to the EPF. The Gazette containing the relevant bill on the Surcharge Tax was published yesterday. According to the bill, the Surcharge Tax will be levied on any individual, partnership, or company, whose taxable income calculated in accordance with the provisions of the Inland Revenue Act, No. 24 of 2017, exceeds rupees two thousand million, for the year of assessment more..

Feb 8 (DM) While admitting that there was a shortage of Rapid Antigen Test kits in the country, State Minister Channa Jayasumana said SL would receive a consignment of 400,000 RAT kits within the next week. He told Parliament that necessary steps have already been taken to procure the required RAT kits. Refuting claims made by former Minister Rajitha Senaratne earlier in the day that there was a shortage of 80 essential drugs, Minister said there was a shortage of only a few more..

Feb 8 (AN) The initial stage of the Heritage Trails, a collection of walking trails that cover more than 300 kilometres across SL, opened a few days ago. EU Ambassador to SL, Denis Chaibi, unveiled the signage at the trailhead. For tourists visiting SL, this will be a new experience by paving the way for them to discover the country�s varying landscapes, history, culture, food as well as friendly locals, while walking short distances or more..

Feb 8 (PTI) Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday requested PM Narendra Modi's urgent intervention to stop the proposed auction of over 100 boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen by SL and to obtain its concurrence for a proposed visit of state govt officials. Sri Lanka has initiated action to auction 105 fishing boats belonging to Tamil Nadu fishermen from Feb 7 to 11. "This is not legal and also a matter of grave concern and therefore must be stopped," Stalin said in a letter to Modi. more..

Feb 8 (EN) SL will set up a new High Court for investment disputes for large investors in as well as a new arbitration law for foreign investors amid long delays in getting decisions in the court system of the island. The cabinet of ministers had given the go ahead of to draw up a Investment Disputes High Court Act under proposals made by Commercial Law Reform Subcommittee operating under a special unit of the Ministry of Justice. The Investment Disputes Tribunal will hear and more..

Feb 8 (MB) It was a calm October night over SL�s northern seas, the silence broken only by the sound of a rapidly approaching motorboat from India. In Kalpitiya, a town further down the island�s western coast, it rendezvoused with a truck waiting on the beach. Also waiting there was a Navy patrol team, which seized the illegal consignment of 1,196 kg (2,637 pounds) of dried sea cucumbers worth more than Rs. 16 mil (nearly $80,000); more..

Feb 8 (TM) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and SL Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris on Monday exchanged congratulatory messages on the 65th anniversary of the establishment of the two countries� diplomatic relations. Wang said in his message that China and Sri Lanka have always shown each other mutual understanding and support, setting a good example of friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between countries of different sizes. more..

Feb 8 (Island) Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Dewi Gustina Tobing, paid a courtesy visit to PM Mahinda Rajapaksa last week to discuss issues including enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries, mainly on trade, investment, and tourism. Ambassador Dewi Tobing met with Prime Minister Rajapaksa at his office in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister, Prof. G L Peiris, and Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Indonesia in Colombo, Heru Prayitno. more..

Feb 8 (Hindu) India has agreed to provide a grant to Sri Lanka to implement a Unitary Digital Identity framework, apparently modelled on the Aadhaar card. Rajapaksa govt will prioritise the implementation of the Framework as a national level programme, SL�s Cabinet decided on Monday. �Under the proposed Unitary Digital Identity Framework, it is expected to introduce a personal identity verification device based on biometric more..

Feb 8 (CT) Oshala Herath has written to UN Resident Coordinator, Singer Hanaa urging her to intervene and secure the release of his father, Dr. Shirley Herath (75). He was arrested and held as a suspect under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) for placing a hand grenade at All Saints� Church in Borella. Herath alleged that his father was unlawfully and arbitrarily arrested by those purporting to be Police and the Special Task Force on or around 17 January 2022 while he was at home. more..

Feb 8 (AD) The STF has arrested a drug peddling woman in the area of Dehiwala last evening (7). The raid was carried out near a house located at Hospital Road in Kalubowila. According to reports, the suspect in question, infamously known as Kudu Rejina among other drug dealers, also operated under the alias Poosi. The STF officers have seized 1.064 kg of heroin worth nearly Rs. 15 million from the possession of the suspect. During interrogations, it was revealed that more..

Feb 8 (AD) The discussions held between several health sector trade unions that are engaged in a strike and the Minister of Health have ended unsuccessfully. The trade unions say that they will continue with their island-wide strike action. Eighteen health sector trade unions including those affiliated with nursing, supplementary and paramedical services commenced an indefinite strike action from 7 a.m. yesterday morning. more..

Feb 8 (Hindu) The 56 Indian fishermen, released by a SL court in the northern Jaffna peninsula last month, will be shifted to an immigration detention centre in Colombo on Feb 7 after completing their Covid quarantine period, the prison authorities said. Prison Superintendent Chandana Ekanayake told PTI on Feb 6 that the Indian fishermen have spent the isolation period in the prison-run COVID-19 quarantine centre in Iyakkachchi in the Northern Province since their release on Jan 25. more..

Feb 8 (AD) The agreement signed between Sri Lanka and India to jointly develop the Oil Tank Farm in Trincomalee was tabled in Parliament by Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila today (8). On January 03, the Cabinet of Ministers gave the go-ahead to the proposal calling for the implementation of the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm development project with India. Three days later, Sri Lanka inked a quadripartite agreement with India to jointly develop the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm. more..

Feb 9 (DM) Last week as SL celebrated the 74th anniversary of its independence, there happened to be a lumbering amount of analysis as to what went wrong in our independent history. Much of that discourse was saddled with a hefty sense of disappointment, which was understandable. But, some of the most hackneyed whining was overly simplistic; comparisons were cherry-picked, and all of that generally lead to overly gloomy analysis. For instance, whenever a public speaker more..

Feb 9 (TM) A video of Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena directing defamatory remarks at SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa and another political party was widely circulated in the media, and although those remarks show a tragic side of SL�s lawmakers, the immediate reaction of many who saw the said video was laughter. This is neither the first nor the only time MPs made remarks of an unparliamentary nature, and criticism based on personal and irrelevant matters more..

Feb 9 (TM) What Sri Lankans identify as freedom and how far Sri Lankans can enjoy that so-called freedom are topics that emerge from time to time in various discourses on economic and cultural independence, fundamental rights, reforms in laws and policies, governance, and changing people�s attitudes. While the said topics remain largely subjective matters, the people have their own interpretations and experiences regarding more..

Feb 9 (CT) The lead story of this newspaper said, �Appeal Court yesterday (Monday), ordered the release on bail of lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah, who had been detained for nearly two years under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).� He has been in custody since April 2020 under PTA over Bloody Easter Sunday that took place on 21 April 2019, an attack executed by Islamist terrorists. However, Prez Rajapaksa speaking in Parliament last month said there was no threat to national security. more..

Feb 9 (GV) We are in the third year of the pandemic and the end is indefinite. What we know in terms of methods to overcome this pandemic has remained the same since mid-last year. This means our path is clear although challenging. �Variants are a wild card. We still do not know everything about this virus, we still do not know everything about variants and the future trajectory of that. But what we do know is what works: vaccines work, vaccines prevent people from needing hospitalizations and more..

Feb 9 (TM) Nearly 3 years have passed since the deadly 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. While failing to prosecute the actual perpetrators, the state has single-handedly used the Prevention of Terrorism Act No. 48 of 1979 (PTA) as a cudgel to persecute the entire Muslim minority. As was experienced by Tamils during the civil war; women are uniquely victimised by the state�s overreach � either as collateral damage of arrests under more..

Feb 9 (Island) Those who can, do; those who cannot, blame others, one may say with apologies to Bernard Shaw, on hearing some ministers make absurd claims in a bid to extenuate the govt�s blunders. They are apparently labouring under the delusion that the people are stupid enough to fall for their lies, hook, line, and sinker. Chief Government Whip and Minister of Highways Johnston Fernando is one of the ministers who are adept at concocting conspiracy theories at the drop of a hat. more..

Feb 9 (CT) To a country known for govt backed communal riots what happened in Trincomalee last week should not come as a surprise. This time though a piece of Muslim female attire is at the centre of this commotion. Abaya has once again become a contentious issue and causing tension between Tamils and Muslims. Communalism and religious hatred are raising ugly heads and the Department of Education seems to have poured fuel into the fire. more..

Feb 9 (ST) Sometime last November DEW Gunasekera, the leading light in the pro-Moscow Communist Party here and a one-time MP and cabinet minister, made some scathing remarks about SL�s current cabinet. He called it the worst cabinet in the parliamentary history of the country. That is more than seven decades of history. He made several other remarks that were devastating enough to have driven the more self-respecting of those donned in ministerial garb to have more..

Feb 9 (Island) All over the world the Delta variant of Covid-19 virus has been replaced by Omicron variant. It is happening in SL, too, according to reports issued by the Ministry of Health recently. At present it is said that between 60-90% of patients found in various parts of SL have been infected with Omicron. Percentages are higher in the cities than in the suburbs. This is because the population densities are higher in the cities and the it is easily transmitted from one person to another. more..

Feb 9 (Island) Former Chairmen of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Prof. Charitha Herath and Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) Prof. Tissa Vitharana have been reappionted to the watchdog committees. The prorogation of Parliament in Dec 2021 prompted the Opposition to ask whether the move was meant to cripple COPE, COPA and the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) due to them taking a strong more..

Feb 9 (Island) Domestic rugby in SL kicked off three weeks ago and most of the top clubs are playing cohesive rugby and entertaining appreciative crowds that made it to the grounds. Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR&FC) produced a surprise package in their encounter with Colombo Hockey & Football Club (CH&FC) to record a 27-22 win and keep alive hopes of doing well. The match was played for the Nizar Haji Omar Memorial Trophy and CR & FC did well to win the game and more..

Feb 9 (Island) Given SL�s impressive run in last year�s T-20 World Cup in UAE, there�s new hope that the young team that the selectors backed will turn things around. Dasun Shanaka�s side will have a very good exposure ahead of the World Cup when they take on World Champions in a 5 game series starting on Friday. �It�s very important for us to get a feel about the conditions and all. Good opportunity for batters to get into runs. It will give a good idea for bowlers on which lengths to bowl. more..

Feb 9 (ST) Prices that Sri Lankans pay at grocery stores and wet markets for their essentials such as rice, lentils, vegetables, and milk powder are galloping away every week. In January, consumer prices jumped by a double-digit rate, following a heady rise in December and in November. Inflation accelerated to 14.2% in January from 12.1% in Dec 2021. The prices of food have jumped by 25% compared with 22.1% in Dec more..

Feb 9 (ST) Lanka Hydraulic Institute Ltd (LHI), a leading SL engineering consultancy firm has been extending its hydrology expertise for SL�s coastal and water sector especially in the development of fishery harbours with around 15 projects completed or about to complete up to now, LHI CEO Janaka Kurukulasuriya said. Referring to its latest local venture, he noted that the Wellamankara Fishery Harbour in Wennappuwa, which is constructed as the largest fishing harbour in Sri Lanka more..

Feb 9 (DM) The day-to-day operational activities are turning bitter for the local confectionery industry, as it is being slapped with the escalating production costs and poor access to raw material for manufacturing. The mounting challenges have impacted the overall output of the sector. While the industry had hopes of 2022 being the year some level of normalcy would return, the stakeholders are faced with the harsh reality, where they might have to wait an entire year for the issues, more..