Apr 6 (DM) The organizers of Mrs Sri Lanka pageant yesterday said they expected the Mrs World Organization to take stern action against reigning Mrs World Caroline Jurie for her behaviour at the Mrs Sri Lanka pageant held on Sunday evening where she forcefully stripped the crown off the winner, claiming the winner was a divorcee. Mrs Sri Lanka for Mrs. World pageant national director Chandimal Jayasinghe said more..

Apr 6 (FT) Many countries unfortunately handed the decision-making mantle to so-called public health experts re COVID management even though we were setting out on uncharted waters, extrapolating from untested models, going back on decades of public health wisdom, an experiment now demonstrably absurd. The UK still suffers from that, here in Lanka, our leaders have fortunately stopped deputizing well intentioned public health professionals as if they were the Oracle more..

Apr 6 (FT) SL faces mounting foreign loan commitments exceeding $ 6 billion a year, absorbing 50% of export earnings. It also implies that almost the entire annual inflow of worker remittances has to be dedicated to foreign debt settlements. Following the downgrade of the country’s sovereign debt ratings on several occasions, access to foreign capital markets has been severely constrained. Hence, the Govt has now turned to bilateral swap agreements to overcome the immediate more..

Apr 6 (FT) The Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) is considered China’s most ambitious plan in the modem era. It’s known as the cornerstone foreign policy of the Communist Party of China headed by the current General Secretary and President of China, Xi Jinping. The first public announcement was made by President Xi in Sept 2013 in his official visit to Kazakhstan and he raised the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. more..

Apr 6 (MFA) SL Embassy in Oman in collaboration with the President Secretariat and the Foreign Ministry of SL, made special arrangements for the repatriation of 248 stranded SL migrant workers from Muscat to Colombo by Sri Lankan Airlines on 01 April. This includes around 45 stranded SL migrant workers who had overstayed in the Sultanate of Oman after the expiry of their visas. Others included SL migrant workers who lost their jobs, sheltered at Embassy Safe House, released from prisons more..

Apr 6 (AD) Naufer Mawlawi, who is currently in remand custody, has been identified as the ringleader of Easter Sunday terror attacks, says Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara. The minister’s remarks came during a special media briefing held this evening. Naufer Mawlawi is allegedly the theoretician of the now-banned organization National Thowheed Jamaath. According to Minister Weerasekara, more..

Apr 6 (DN) Local Govt (LG) bodies bear a huge responsibility in fulfilling the peoples’ expectations, said Minister Namal Rajapaksa. He also added that the citizens have high expectations regarding the Local Govt bodies and they are duty bound to fulfil the aspirations of the people. Minister Rajapaksa was speaking at a meeting of the Anuradhapura District Local Govt Representatives held on March 30 to inquire into development projects taking place at village level. more..

Apr 6 (Island) Director General (DG) of SL Standards Institute (SLSI), Dr. Siddika Senaratne, is being raked over the coals for saying that the toxic coconut oil racket should not have been made public, and refusing to name the contaminated food items in the market lest the companies concerned should be hurt. She has said these businesses might even collapse if named. Should the public be kept in the dark about the contaminated food they consume so that the interests of more..

Apr 6 (EN) An investigation has been launched over a controversial statement attributed to Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) Director General Dr Siddhika Senaratne on food items that allegedly contain aflatoxins, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. The minister said the govt does not approve Senaratne’s remark that exposing local businesses whose products are found to contain the toxin could lead to their collapse. more..

Apr 6 (DM) Israel and SL are expected to commence direct flights between the two countries soon, Minister Prasanna Ranathunga said. It is expected that between 2000 and 5000 Israeli tourists would visit SL during May-Sept. travel season once the direct flights operations have begun by the two nations, he said. With the reopening of the country to invite tourists after the Covid pandemic, talks have begun between the embassies and the Tourism Ministry on the resumption of more..

Apr 6 (DM) All Ceylon Bakery Owners' Association (ACBOA) said the immediate decision taken by the President to ban the importation of palm oil from yesterday, will lead to the permanent closure of the bakery industry. ACBOA President N.K. Jayawardene said that the immediate decision had a sudden impact on the bakery industry. "Almost all bakery products need four main ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs and margarine. Palm oil is used to make margarine and now we unable to more..

Apr 6 (DM) Following the brawl which erupted at the Mrs. Sri Lanka pageant in Colombo on Sunday night where the winner, Pushpika De Silva, was uncrowned by reigning Mrs World Caroline Jurie over allegations that she was a divorcee, the Mrs. World Organization yesterday responded saying delegates sent by Mrs. Sri Lanka-world to compete in the international pageant must be married. more..

Apr 6 (AD) Reigning Mrs. World from SL, Caroline Jurie had been summoned to the Cinnamon Garden Police this morning to record a statement regarding the controversy at the Mrs. Sri Lanka 2021 pageant. Mrs. Sri Lanka 2021 National Pageant held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre on April 04 came to a chaotic conclusion as the contestant initially crowned as Mrs. Sri Lanka 2021 was de-crowned by the reigning Mrs. World claiming that the winning contestant was not eligible to hold the title. more..

Apr 6 (FT) The National Standards Authority, SL Standards Institute (SLSI) commends leading private healthcare provider Hemas Hospitals, as the first hospital in the country to obtain the COVID-19 Safety Certification. The SLSI established the Certification Scheme to ensure that an organisation and its stakeholders, through its activities, products, and services, are safeguarded from the risks of COVID-19. It is awarded after fulfilling a comprehensive set of requirements under more..

Apr 6 (DE) The Gotabaya Rajapaksa Presidency, which is in its second year, is facing multiple problems, domestic and external, economic as well as political. Divisions have arisen in the ruling SLPP and also with alliance partners. There is difficulty in kick-starting the economy derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to flaws in the decision making and implementing apparatuses. The external debt repayment issue is looming more..

Apr 6 (AD) The Attorney General has directed the CID to arrest IP Lasantha Ratnayake, SI Nishantha Silva and PC Premakumara for conspiracy and murder over the killing of notorious underworld gang leader Army Suranga. AG’s coordinating officer Senior State Counsel Nishara Jayaratne stated that Attorney General Dappula de Livera today provided instructions and directives to the Director of the CID with regard to the killing of the individual known as Army Suranga. more..

Apr 6 (AD) An Indian national arrested over a case of Buddha statue vandalism has reportedly died while under remand custody. The suspect had died after being admitted to the Wariyapola Hospital last night due to difficulty in breathing, according to Prisons Commissioner Chandana Ekanayake. Indian national in question had been arrested on March 19 for vandalizing several Buddha statues in Kuliyapitiya. After being produced before the court he had been placed under remand custody more..

Apr 6 (DM) The janitor attached to the BIA, who was nabbed with the largest heist of gold in history amounting to Rs. 220 million by the Customs, had reportedly carried smuggled gold out of the airport on six previous occasions. Preliminary investigations conducted by the officials of the Customs had unearthed that the suspect janitor had been used by a third party within the country to receive the gold smuggled into the country more..

Apr 6 (DM) Due to the lack of junior employee at railways stations, the Station Masters have decided to refrain from delivering parcels from tomorrow onwards, the Sri Lanka Railway Station Masters' Union (SLSMU) said. SLSMU Chief Secretary Kasun Chamara Jayasekera said the authorities had failed to provide solutions for the dearth of Junior employees. The union claimed that employees had been assigned duties continuously, violating international rules and regulations. more..

Apr 6 (AD) It has been decided to allow private tuition classes in the Western Province to recommence academic activities from April 12. . On Jan 21, the Director-General of Health Services has issued the relevant health guidelines for the commencement of tuition classes. Accordingly, tuition classes can be reopened two weeks after the schools are opened, the Minister said. Further, the number of students in a class should be limited to a maximum of 100 at a time. more..

Apr 6 (EN) The UNP has requested UN Secretary General António Guterres to ensure that Sri Lanka does not go ahead with a controversial proposal to construct two reservoirs inside the Sinharaja rainforest reserve. Writing to Guterres yesterday, UNP deputy leader Ruwan Wijewardena said: “Plans are afoot to build two reservoirs within the Sinharaja rainforest area, which is a protected area under both the local laws and the int'l obligations. more..

Apr 6 (AD) Minister of Plantations, Ramesh Pathirana stated in Parliament that the govt will give Rs. 1,000 salary to all estate workers from April. He stated this while delivering a verbal response to a question put forward by MP Waruna Liyanage in parliament this morning. Thereby, Minister Pathirana said that all plantation companies are legally obliged to pay this Rs. 1,000 daily wage to the estate workers. He said that for the first time in history, Prez Rajapaksa has allocated Rs. 1.5 billion more..

Apr 6 (TM) As part of the Economic Diplomacy initiatives of the Embassy of SL in Jordan, new Super Food products from SL such as Avocado Powder and Pumpkin Flour for keto products which had not entered the Jordanian market from SL have been introduced by the TeaTalk company through a Jordanian Importer sourced by the Embassy, the govt said. TeaTalk company which has diversified from mainly exporting Ceylon tea is now producing innovative value added SL products more..

Apr 6 (EN) SL has effectively shut the door for the Chinese-made Sinopharm jab despite Beijing’s vaccine diplomacy of making a bigger donation of doses compared to regional rival India. The cabinet of ministers announced Tuesday that the govt decided to buy an additional six million doses of the Russian-made Suptnik V vaccine on top of 13.5 million doses of the Indian-made AstraZeneca vaccines already on order. more..

Apr 6 (EN) Sri Lanka will bring a new Tourism Act to merge three agencies and repeal the existing law to be able to improve co-ordination and better manage resources, Minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said. SL Tourism Development Authority, SL Tourism Promotion Bureau, SL Convention Bureau and the SL Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management came operated as state agencies. New law would merge SL Tourism Development Authority, SL Tourism Promotion Bureau, SL Convention Bureau. more..

Apr 6 (EN) Sri Lanka will receive 200,000 doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine most likely at the end of the upcoming Sinhala & Tamil New Year holidays, an official said. State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) General Manager Dinusha Dassanayake said that the consignment will contain the first and second doses for 100,000 Sri Lankans. Notably, and unlike other COVID-19 vaccines such as the Indian Covishield or the Chinese Sinopharm, 2nd dose of Sputnik V is slightly different to more..

Apr 6 (NR) SJB MP Kabir Hashim says the draft bill issued by the govt on the 24th of March regarding the appointment of a Colombo Port City Commission will have a serious impact on the sovereignty of the country. He said the Commission has the power to create a competitive institution with Parliament through this Act. MP Hashim accused the govt of harming Sri Lanka’s economic future through the clauses in the draft bill. more..

Apr 6 (EN) Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to establish a digital store to conserve the digital content archived at the Department of National Archives, the cabinet office said. The proposal, made by PM Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity as Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, seeks to establish a storage facility for digital content “adhering to int'l standards on digital conservation to ensure accountability and authenticity of those digital documents”. more..

Apr 6 (AD) A special police operation will be launched this month to arrest the motorists who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Accordingly, this police operation is expected to come into effect from the 10th of April. Sufficient numbers of breathalyzers have already been provided to all police stations and snap roadblocks will be set up to apprehend the drunk drivers. Meanwhile, territorial officers in charge of police stations have been given relevant directives more..

Apr 6 (TM) Sri Lankans, dual citizens who travel on SL passports, spouses and unmarried children of Sri Lankans who are foreigners and SL seafarers arriving by air will be permitted to enter the country without prior approval from the Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority, the Foreign Ministry said today. Under the directive of Prez Rajapaksa, the Foreign Ministry reviewed the entry procedure today, more..

Apr 7 (DM) Two years after the Easter Sunday carnage people are left with false hopes and promises. Abrupt compensation schemes, commissions and reports have led to dead ends. Even after arresting 676 people in relation to the deadly series of attacks the govt is yet to trace the mastermind. The blame game has continued ever since the incident and what has been revealed is termed as a lapse in communication. Security has been beefed up ahead of April 21 and more..

Apr 7 (ST) Recently the Japanese Ambassador to SL, raised concerns about the import ban by SL saying it would hamper trade relations. He was focusing in particular on vehicle imports from Japan. Other foreign envoys have also expressed similar concerns saying SL exports, particularly garments to the European Union, were not restricted, while imports were banned by SL affecting the usual two-way trade practice. It was unfair on SL’s part to restrict imports/expect markets to be open more..

Apr 7 (Roar) The etymology of the word arrack has always left room for some doubt ‒ partly because it has been around for a very long time. What’s more, the word is also used in different parts of South and Southeast Asia, to describe local beverages made from the fermented sap from various sources ‒ fruit, sugarcane, grain etc. ‒ depending on the country in question. In Sri Lanka, arrack is the much-loved local drink, more..

Apr 7 (CT) Deforestation, ecocide, environmental degradation: these have become household words as the public takes keen interest in recent events concerning the environment. It’s clear that SL’s flora and fauna are in great danger; conservationist bodies have listed many to be on the endangered species list. Forests in SL are on the brink of extinction: Govt, Opposition, corporation & activist groups agree to the fact in unison; denial in contrary is seen as wilful or just plain ignorant. more..

Apr 7 (ST) If the pre-Geneva performance by some of our leading actors seemed like scenes out of a diplomatic Keystone Cops episode, the post-resolution drama was even more hilarious. For that was joined by other political and politically-committed actors crowding the stage not wanting to be left out of the modern nadagam. Those in power cannot claim that they were unaware SL would figure at the March 2021 sessions of the UNHRC. Anyone seriously concerned about what more..

Apr 7 (CT) I recently interviewed four public figures, familiar with receiving attention from the SL community, both local and international, for their beauty. I was interested to know - What it felt like to inhabit this publicly praised face and enviable body? Did they enjoy being lovely to look at, and did they succeed in achieving the happiness they wanted, as well as all the prizes and trophies and career opportunities that have accompanied their more..

Apr 7 (DM) Great social crisis like the one we are in now, are often explained through narratives and discourses about the past. In other words, there are powerful stories about the past that claim to provide political solutions for current problems and future possibilities. Such stories often legitimised as history are always about something we have lost from the past; the great visionary kings, the idyllic sustaining villages and the values surrounding the temples. I explore here the historical relationship more..

Apr 7 (CT) In Oct 2020 Prez Rajapaksa’s Office forced the SL Standards Institute (SLSI) to authorize the release of over 12,000 metric tonnes of agricultural fertilizer contaminated with toxic levels of heavy metals lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). The imported consignments of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) used for the cultivation of paddy had not conformed to SLSI for safe levels of heavy metals found in fertilizer, based on a letter issued by SLSI Director General Dr. Siddika Senaratne more..